Fallout 4: AR

84. Overwhelming Power

The moment the main Brotherhood forces began their assault on the C.I.T. campus ruins, we began our descent. The tunnel into the Institute wound its way down and around in a seemingly endless meandering spiral. I was impressed with the construction; the egress carved out by renegade Synths was properly braced and reasonably free of debris. I just wish it was a little larger, I sighed to myself, sensing the walls closing in again as our squad of infiltrators traveled forward. We had three members in power armor, Danse, Rhys, and Zeke, and I wondered if they were going to get stuck in a narrow corridor and have to leave their armor behind.

MacCready was in his element, taking point and guiding us ever onward. Having grown up underground in a cave system, he was used to the darkness and close quarters. I followed almost on his heels, with the rest of our squad strung out behind like beads on a chain. Knowing my partner was a mere arms-length away calmed the roiling in my guts. Every few minutes, a light flickered into life behind us; a Railroad agent setting up their post to defend and guide escapees. Less of the former and more of the latter, I hope.

"Geez, this is endless!" MacCready griped as we made yet another turn to find a lengthy passageway hewn from the living rock itself. "How much farther is it?" he called back quietly to Z1-14 who was between me and Glory.

"Not much farther. The next turn should open up into an unused, pre-war storage room. We will need to move as silently as possible once there."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the tunnel ended in a large, uneven crevice leading to a mostly empty room, scattered and broken shelving units pushed far to one end of the space. One by one, the hand-picked strike team filed into the room, most of us taking the brief respite from walking to hydrate and check gear. I was relieved to see the three suits of power armor enter the space, their headlamps illuminating the entire room until Z1 gestured for them to douse the lights.

Once everyone was ready, Z1 took the lead. We followed our Synth guide through a maze of passages, still moving down. Destroyed and partially collapsed spaces soon led to abandoned chambers, then to seldom-used storage rooms. At one point, we slogged our way through an enormous drainage pipe still trickling with sludgy water. Finally, he stopped and entered a code into a panel next to a hidden doorway, leading us inside. The lighting was dim, but I thought I recognized the Synth maintenance hallways.

"We are almost to the matter transmission relay rooms," Z1 said quietly. "From there, I will be able send a signal to the other members of the resistance. They are ready to break ranks and make their way here to escape, lessening the opposition to your goal. Be careful." He motioned for the Railroad agents to move to the front of our formation. "You will need to get in position and program your exit points. As soon as we hijack the transmitters, the Institute will know. Be prepared for a fight."

Paladin Danse grunted. "No Synth stands a chance against me in my power armor. I'm locked and loaded, ready for action."

Behind him, Zeke nodded and pulled out his own weapon, a custom painted minigun. "Now we're cookin'. Let's lay the law down on these wet rags!"

I blinked in surprise. "Wait a second, Danse. I thought you were coming with our squad."

"Negative, Sarge. I am more suited to defending the evacuation route from heavy opposition. Knight Rhys is more skilled in infiltration than I. He will be accompanying you."

The last-minute switch in squad members caused an uneasy feeling to thread through the back of my mind. MacCready too, was unhappy about the change in personnel, gripping my arm urgently and whispering in my ear. "I don't know about this, Boss. I trust Danse more than that bigoted bully."

Leaning into his grasp, I whispered back as Z1 prepared to open the maintenance door into the main Institute hallway. "I don't like it either. But we're already leaving most of our group here. We need at least four to ensure reaching the reactor, even with the rogue Synths' help- you, me, Glory... and Rhys. He's a bully, but he's a Brotherhood Knight. He follows their code."