Fandom The Commonwealth Story

[Mr_DC]

"I have no idea." Vaana shrugged. The Benefactor had to know that the meeting spot was her base. What made her base so special? Was there an actual reason to pick her base or was it just to give them a chance to restock and rest somewhere safe? Her base wasn't exactly the safest spot. The turrets weren't programmed to look for trouble and shoot at anything they see but if something got too close, they would open fire. That would have to be the first thing she does - turn off the turrets. If she killed their next contact, they would be pretty much lost. The only chance they had would be to go back to Goodneighbor and see Max again. "Hopefully, it's not someone we have to kill again. That would mean having a corpse in my base. No one has died within these walls for years and I'd like to keep it that way." She jokingly warned, throwing her shotgun from one hand to the other.

"That's my room." Vaana pointed at a dock with a small kiosk on int. The windows of the kiosk were boarded up and a on the roof turret carefully watched the area. "Figured it's the safest place in the base." She shrugged, looking to the kiosk. Hearing the rain drop on the water around her always lulled her into those perfect dreamless sleeps. "I mean, I'm still vulnerable to those brave men with long rifles who prefer shooting from a safe distance." She said sarcastically, giving Jackson a mocking smirk. "It's also where my power armor is..." She let the smirk grow into a grin. "I'll show you as soon as I turn off the turrets."

Giving the sentry bot a tap, she headed backwards to the building opposite to the boathouse while maintaining eye contact with Jackson. "I'm trusting you here. Don't shoot me in the back when I have my defenses down." She gave Jackson a weak smile. Jackson knew she wasn't the fabled Merc who would be a lethal threat and she not only let him in her home where she kept everything she owned but she was about to turn off her only defenses. It wasn't something she would do for just anyone but Jackson opened his wounds for her and listened to her history. He already had her trust.

Vaana's breath caught in her chest as she stepped into the building where the turret terminal was. It was a sight she never expected to see. Having someone uninvited siting in the middle of her home made her feel like there was a foreign object in her chest. Someone breached her defenses and entered the only place in the wasteland that she felt safe. The hairs on the back of her neck stood as she stared wide-eyed at the courser sitting on the worn sofa, lit by a lantern on the wood end table in front of him.

With a heavy swallow, Vaana raised her shotgun so she held it correctly in both hands. An unconvincing smile twitched onto her face. "About time the Institute came knocking on my door." She scoffed, trying to get back into her confident tone of voice. It was like starting a Protectron which sat in its tube for two centuries - it didn't go smooth and didn't even have half the weight she hoped it would. "Shall we talk price for my employment?" She grinned before snapping back to reality. He wasn't there to hire her. The Institute wasn't interested in her.
The smile faded and got replaced a look of annoyance. She made herself seem like a fool. He was their next contact. "Oh..." She said breathlessly as a cold smile appeared on the courser's face. "You're here for the Benefactor."

Vaana looked over her shoulder at Jackson. He was ex-Railroad and he was wronged by the Institute. Could he control himself long enough to hear what their mission was? She could tell he was a courser because of his uniform but could Jackson do the same? She heard stories about them and saw only a few. Jackson probably had way more experience than her when it came to the Institute.

 

[AI10100]

"I'd rather not kill too you know." Jackson admitted with a sheepish voice, which even surprised him. Well, he wasn't lying anyhow. It's not that he enjoys killing anyway - he just does it for the money. He doesn't like killing people who doesn't want to kill him either. He'd rather kill someone who's shooting at him. At least he can claim that it is just self-defense - even if they haven't tried it out yet.

He looked over to the kiosk and chuckled. "Looks cozy. And safe... ish." He agreed with another nod. As she nicely pointed out, a sniper could take her out as long as they had a good view inside. The walls made some defense against the snipers as well, but a good higher ground would suffice to defeat her. "We may not be brave, but we're certainly smart." He retorted with a smartass voice. But come on, if it's safer, then it's smarter. All you need to survive after all.

"Hey, if I thought I should kill you, don't you think I would have let those Covenant guys take care of you?" He pointed out. After everything they talked about, he had no reason to kill her, or even hate her. In fact, there was sympathy. They had a... well, a special bond, one could say. Among mercenaries, it's odd. Partnership should have been more shallow than this - but they made a platonic relationship based on trust out of it. It was dangerous, but he wasn't planning on betraying yet another friend.

When she looked shocked when she went on to her room, his eyebrows quirked up and he followed behind her. She began to speak to what seems to be a mysterious person inside the room. He only catched what she said at the end though, about him being there from the Benefactor. They must have been good if they snuck inside the well-defended compound. Props to them, Jackson wouldn't have been able to pull it off. Ever. "Oh so our contact is here already? Damn, they're good." He said with a grin.

Though when he looked over her shoulder to check her contact, his grin dropped slowly. He knew that uniform. He's fought with some of them, rarely won unless he had some other guns beside him. They were dangerous. There was a reason why they're the most feared thing that any agent could come across. Ruthless, cold-blooded killers and servants. They were the top of the line, as far as they were concerned. Jackson wondered if they were coming for him now, to put an end to his idiocy as he continued to aid Railroad efforts instead of dropping it entirely.

His eyes locked onto the courser's. He took a deep breath and then said, "So, Institute this time huh? Still no call, I'm hurt." He said in an exaggerated hurt voice. "What's the job courser?" Jackson questioned, now in a serious tone. Personal anger against them be damned, he would finish this job. He just hoped the courser won't jump to shoot him because he might as well have had a target on his back due to his tendency to be around escaped synths that it's more than just a coincidence.

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana gave an uneasy smile to Jackson for his reaction and then looked back at the courser for more information. They needed to know what was next, after all. She walked into the half-ruined building and leaned on the bar counter by the sofa where the courser was sitting. Even though she took up a relaxed posture, she was still focused on keeping the shotgun in her hands ready for a quick shot at the courser. Just in case. There was a silent worry in her that they might end up being a loose end like that brotherhood paladin. How will they know when to turn their back on a contact? How will they know when it's time to stop trusting the person no one had seen. Now that she was closer to the man, she could see he was almost as worn as her. He had a few deep scars and several shallow claw marks on his cheeks and around his eyes. Vaana had a feeling those weren't self-inflicted but actually earned unlike most of her scars.

Vaana's mouth parted and she hesitated to ask a question which was on her mind since the moment she saw the courser. The audible exhale she made while still keeping her mouth barely open got the courser's attention and she was forced to ask what was troubling her. "How..." She frowned, looking away from the man's cold eyes. "How did you get in here?" She looked back. The turrets covered every part of the base. The coursers were notoriously skilled, yes, but sneaking past those turrets was quite a feat. If he managed to get past them somewhere, that meant she had a blind spot in her defenses - something she would have to patch up as soon as possible. She couldn't have someone just running in and out of her base when they feel like it.

With a bone-chilling smirk, the courser replied. "When was the last time you checked your programming for the turret targeting system?"
Vaana once again swallowed heavily. She had the courage to look the courser in the eye. To hold eye contact with him no matter how uncomfortable it made her feel. "Never..." She replied after thinking back for a few seconds. There was no need to do so. The turrets worked perfectly. "You reprogrammed them?" She asked. "When?"
"Two months ago." The courser replied, clearly indifferent about giving her information but completely unwilling to give her any more than she asked for.
Vaana watched him with a deep frown. She didn't like what she heard. Have her defenses been breached for two months? She was actually more vulnerable than she had thought. "Why did you hack my defenses?"
As the courser let the question hang in the hair for a few seconds, Vaana could have sworn he was enjoying watching her anxiously expect the answer. "It was preparation to replace you."
Vaana tried to swallow again but her throat was completely dry. She blinked three times. In spite of looking at the courser, she was barely focused on him. The Institute wasn't interested in hiring her... They wanted to replace her.

"Why didn't you?" Vaana asked quietly but the courser didn't let the question hang in the air that time. He replied right away.
"Are you sure you want to know the answer?" He asked and Vaana realized how empty her body felt. Her fingers wrapped around the shotgun felt cold. Her teeth felt numb. Dread was rising up from her extremities towards her core. All the pieces of the puzzle were there. They were right in front of her. Perfectly assembled. Making sense. She just didn't want to look at it. She didn't want to look at the solution of the puzzle. She wanted someone to tell it to her. "Yeah." Vaana confirmed breathlessly.
"We did." The courser replied. He didn't hold back on that answer and began explaining.

"I came here to replace you two months ago. You broke out of your programming right away but you were too dangerous to send coursers after. If a courser failed then we could no longer safely approach you." He explained as calmly as if he was reading the Publick Occurrences. "Mercenaries were tasked with retrieving you. You are not being reclaimed right now because we require something of your employer." The courser leaned in towards Vaana and his cold eyes narrowed. "You don't remember the blood?" He asked.
Yeah... She remembered cleaning the blood she found two months back. She didn't even give it a single thought. She just cleaned the blood off the walls and floor and never thought about it again. It was filed back somewhere in her mind. She cleaned her own blood.

"You fought well if it is any consolation." He leaned back. "We shot at each other for half an hour. Almost had to call for reinforcements when I ran out of bullets but you ran out soon after... And you weren't a match for me in physical combat." The words entered Vaana's mind but barely bounced anywhere with impact. She was rubbish with her fists. She carried few bullets. All true. "You didn't stop fighting, though. Even when we fell into the river." He spoke with long pauses between sentences. "Even when your lungs filled with water. Even when I crushed your windpipe." He raised a hand and passed a finger over the claw marks on his face, pointing them out for Vaana. "You never stopped scratching at me." Looking away from Vaana's empty eyes, he finished. "You are buried behind this building." He said and looked at Jackson. The courser was done with his story and was about to explain their next task.

Liam, safely standing behind Jackson, was too terrified to say a thing. She was, after all, a synth. She was murdered and programmed to believe she wasn't. She was a machine, just like him. A creation. "My god..." Liam whispered, watching Vaana. He never saw anyone so pale. Even her lips were the same color as her skin. Her eyes were that of a brain-dead person. She was the first synth Liam met and he had no idea what kind of an effect that information had on her. Was she broken? Did the memories rush back? Was everything normal for her?

Vaana felt like a husk. An empty shell. A fake mind in a fake body. The world around her was just white noise. Her mind couldn't put together the information she just heard. It was all there. The blood. The bullet holes. The fresh dirt. She just ignored it. She died and didn't even know it.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson crossed his arms, feigning putting himself at ease. He didn't know if coursers could measure heartbeats per second, but he hoped not. Because right now, he felt like his heart would leap right out of his chest because he was unsure how this would go. Would he have to shoot this guy? Because, as he said, he didn't want to actually fight. He wanted this to go smoothly. He was not about to try and fight a stupid Courser. They were ridiculous to fight and he wasn't about to stick out his neck at this close range. He could handle one if he had the jump on them - but this one had them surprised.

When he was about to jump onto the chance to steer it to their mutual friend so they could get this over with, Vaana wanted to know how the courser got through her systems. Two months ago. He reprogrammed it that long ago and she didn't bother to check? Okay, given that she thought she was perfectly safe, then she didn't have a reason to do so. But it still surprised him how the Courser, or rather the Institute, managed to get in. And apparently, it was in preparation to replace her. Of course, the Institute did all that. The Bogeyman of the Commonwealth and-

Wait.

Replace her?

His eyes swept back to Vaana to look at how she reacted. She went pale as the Courser continued his story. As expected, they had succeeded on replacing her. She would have remembered an event in her life that involved the Institute sending a Courser to replace you and fighting it off. It all made sense. Vaana would have mentioned it. She told him about her origins. She would have boasted about defeating a Courser and knowing that the Institute went after her. She would have made it horribly known to him if that was the case.

But she didn't. A synth that went completely rogue, but still didn't know that she was a mere synth. Someone that Institute wanted to keep an eye on. Among mercenaries, who knew that she was going to be a synth. Impressive. He had to hand it to them. But, given how the Merc is, of course she would have gone rogue. She was too free spirited and "good" in a sense. It would be like replacing a Minuteman expecting he would go against the rules of being one.

The male placed one hand on Vaana's shoulder but said no consolation. He already told her that he would trust anyone or anything that didn't shoot him in the back. He already told her that he would be fine with it. But he guessed that the Covenant had it right and he had it wrong. Him. A Railroad agent. He didn't know. What a disgrace. Then again, she didn't exhibit anything that would actually tell him she was a synth. No existensial crisis or 'missing' memories. He couldn't have known. Maybe he should have asked and gave her some preliminary questions like they did in Arcadia to call in some synths.

"I'm personally not interested in stories, Agent... I'm pretty sure you have around two letters and two numbers on your name but I'm not sure which combination you are." Jackson said dryly this time, crossing his arms again as his eyes turned back to the Courser. He's gotten in her head. He wasn't going to fold down. While the Merc was the smartass and more charming one, and he was the one who shot anyone at the face to score a cheap shot. But right now, he should do the talking. "So can we have the job now? I don't know if we have a time limit but I'd rather not cross the Benefactor."

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana felt like she was going to throw up. Like her insides wanted to run away from the horror that her mind had to understand. In her practically catatonic state, the only thing that snapped her back was the courser's voice. A part of her heard Jackson and felt his hand on her shoulder but all that got lost in the storm that ravaged her mind. As the courser focused on Jackson once more, Vaana's eyes locked onto her murderer. Her teeth almost cracked how hard she clenched them. He killed her. Suffocated her. Explained it all off like it was nothing. Like it didn't destroy her. The blankness in Vaana's mind got replaced by screaming rage burning outwards.

The courser slowly closed his eyes and parted his lips to give them the explanation of their next task. Just as he opened his eyes, his head turned into red mist and the contents of his skull got splattered over the wall behind him, larger chunks falling on the sofa and floor. Vaana had to only move one hand a few degrees to point to shotgun at her murderer and blow his head off. "Yaaaargh!" She screamed at the corpse in front of her but kept herself from unloading every shell she had into him. The shotgun trembled out of her hands, falling to the floor, and Vaana brought her hands to the sides of her face. It wasn't enough. Killing him wasn't enough. She had to do something. Something more.

Vaana bolted for the door and raised her hands as she rushed by Jackson. She avoided making any eye contact. She didn't want him getting involved in the horror she was going through. When she got to the door, Vaana turned to face Jackson but kept her wide-open eyes on the floor. "Stay in here or I'll shoot you myself!" She threatened. Her voice was completely foreign to her. It couldn't have been her voice. So scared, terrified. Completely weak and powerless. She couldn't even make a threat right but it didn't matter at that point. Nothing mattered except one thing. She needed to see it with her own eyes. "Don't come out." She ordered with her eyes closed and walked out of the building. Stumbling, she walked through the place she once called home but which now seemed like the worst place she could be. The place where she died. Vaana fell to her knees by the big generator behind the building. Tears streamed down her face as she began digging using only her hands.

"She killed him..." Liam said when Vaana left. He was too terrified to say anything when she was still in the room. It was like they were caged in with a mad animal. A person who lost everything and was utterly broken. Liam watched the corpse on the sofa, the bright red blood slowly drip on the floor. The blood didn't spray out of the man's throat for long but the wall was thoroughly painted and sofa soaked. "She didn't even wait for the information." Liam noted, turning to look at Jackson. He had to rely on Jackson again, just like he did in the Covenant. "What do we do about her?" He asked, nervously. "Is she... Gonna kill us too?" He looked at the door Vaana walked out of. "We should leave before she returns."

 

[AI10100]

Jackson was about to listen intently to what the courser to say before his entire head was blown off. But even Jackson was caught off guard by the sound of the gun going off, making him flinch and reach up to his right ear. All at the same time, he let out a loud - "What the fuck?" He backed away slightly in surprise before his eyes levelled back on the dead courser.

Vaana went on to scream at the corpse to let out all that pent up anger. She then stomped back to the door and then faced him - or well, her body did, she was still looking at the ground after all - and told him to stay right there. "O-Okay." He replied, raising his arms in an impulse move. He then watched her shut the door and went off on her own. Well, that just happened. There was a moment of silence that hung on him, Liam, Sparky and the dead courser. Honestly, Jackson didn't know how to react. He wouldn't get angry at her. After all, she wasn't as strong as the rumors spread. To have something like that thrown at your face... well, he understood why she got so angry and killed him.

"Mhm." Jackson replied to Liam's astute observation before moving to the dead courser. He looked at the dead courser and scrunched up his nose. That fresh smell of blood - reminds him for Super Mutants. "If someone just told you that your entire life has been a lie, and the original you is dead, and you're a synth... I wouldn't be surprised if you also killed your killer." He pointed out with a straight tone. "If you want to leave, feel free."

He then went on to check if there's anything in the courser's dead body. Supplies, guns, or even maybe the Benefactor's next package or order. Hopefully. Please.

 

[Mr_DC]

Liam hesitated. He trusted Jackson but he wasn't sure how to feel about Vaana. She seemed too unstable even if it was justified. Vaana might have every right to go insane and snap at everyone around her but that didn't mean it was behavior he felt comfortable being around. Her life was ruined but that didn't change the fact she didn't put thought into her actions. If Jackson felt she could still be trusted, though, Liam would have to trust her as well. After all, if she wanted to hurt them, she would have done it when she killed the courser.
Liam rolled back a bit and watched Jackson examine the courser's body. From what Liam overheard in Jay's conversation with some settlers, the coursers were meant to be pretty powerful. Being caught off guard was deadly to anyone, it seemed.

The courser was lightly armed with only an institute laser pistol. He clearly wasn't expecting things to get complicated. The Institute must have really wanted whatever the Benefactor promised if they were willing to go so lightly armed and avoid being too much of a threat. He didn't have much of anything else on him except something that seemed out of place.
A device the size of a holotape but it wasn't anything like Institute technology. It seemed pre-war with green plastic, several red buttons, small screen, and a port to the side. The courser had nothing else of any worth on him.

Liam turned to the door, hearing heavy shuffling outside. It got closer to the door and then further away. The shuffling was followed by a dull thump of something hitting the dirt. There was silence for a few moments which was then broken by quiet sobbing and the sound of slow digging.
Liam turned to Jackson for any kind of instruction. Some sort of guidance about what they should do. Running away wasn't really a possibility now that Vaana was somewhere outside close to the door.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson looked at the Institute pistol and then threw it upwards and caught it. As always, these things were pretty heavy to the front. It's why he didn't prefer using laser pistols. Then again, aside from rifles, he never really used many of the other guns. He jus preferred having control over each shot - instead of trying to get a shot in through automatic shots. He looked at the pistol for a moment later before putting it to the side after taking the cells that were inside.

He picked up the device and then looked it over. He wasn't familiar with something like that. It wasn't a holotape, at least. There was a screen on it so there was that. Was this some sort of portable computer or something? He wondered what it was but their resident technological expert was having a mental breakdown just outside of this 'house'. He spun the object in his hand and then looked back to Liam.

He was about to say something until the heay footsteps of Vaana came back near them. Oh. Then a thump. Digging of dirt. She's digging up the corpse of the real Vaana. How... sad. Jackson knew about rogue synths who simply went through the Railroad fully knowing that they were not them and their real selves are gone, but never had he seen a reaction like this. Perhaps it was because it was revealed to her by the same person who had killed her.

"Liam. Tell me what this is." He said as he handed the device to Liam hoping that the robobrain had an inkling of knowledge about pre-war technology.

 

[Mr_DC]

Liam examined the device but it was foreign to him. He didn't even have any idea how exactly to even examine it. Just a device with a screen. Couldn't have much of a use if it was that small, right? Then again, keys were pretty small and they could hold access to untold treasures.
"I'm sorry but..." Liam handed the device back. "I have no idea what it could be." He said apologetically. The robots he ran into in the wasteland usually had extensive knowledge of the world before the war but Liam only remembered baseball. He remembered the rules of the game, who were the best players, his favorite team. He even had some memories of playing the game but could never focus on himself enough to know what he looked like.

The digging outside eventually stopped and was followed by some more shuffling. There was a long pause during which Liam stared at the door in silence. He was expecting the mercenary to walk in but there was no sign of her. Just when Liam was about to look to Jackson for his reaction, he heard dirt being moved. Scattered.
"What..." Liam asked quietly, turning towards Jackson. "What's she doing?"

 

[AI10100]

Jackson showed a hint of disappointment when Liam gave the device back to him without an answer. "Well, that's a shame." He muttered. He then looked over the device once more, spinning it again in his hands. He let out a sigh and then began to press one of the red buttons to see what would happen.

When Liam questioned what Vaana was doing outside, he didn't even bother to look up - nor did his neutral tone change. "Probably digging up the bones of the original Vaana." He replied, still tinkering with the foreign device. He just hoped he wouldn't destroy the object, but he is also hoping that this has their job.

"I don't know what she's trying to get out of it though. Closure?" He continued, just in case Liam wanted to ask 'why' as well.

 

[Mr_DC]

There was silence outside for a solid minute. Liam couldn't imagine what Vaana was going through. He felt no particular regret or was scarred by what happened to him. He used to be human once, that was true. He had a body, family, friends. All of that was taken from him when he was turned into a machine but he didn't feel like he lost that much. He would have lost it all anyway with the nukes falling. Vaana didn't lose anything either. She still have her memories. She was alive. Why was she having such a breakdown?

The door to the building swung open. Vaana was standing slouched forward, her black trench coat and gloves soiled with dirt. Her recently pale face was flushed and tears left trails in the dust on her cheeks. Her glassy eyes lazily ran to Jackson before she sighed and looked away. She closed her eyes, letting another pair of tears slip away. She headed towards the sofa, each step a clumsy attempt at stopping herself from collapsing. Finally reaching the sofa, Vaana felt to her knees with a thump that definitely hurt. She turned around so she was sitting against the sofa.

"They killed me." Vaana finally said, looking up at Jackson. Her voice wasn't weak but it was light, almost like the wind was speaking. Her head was pulsing and her ears ringing but her heart was beating at a slow and steady pace. "The world took everything from me." She frowned for a moment. She was robbed of everything she had, even her life.
Motioning at the lifeless corpse on the couch, Vaana looked away. "I'm sorry. I kinda screwed you over with this." She moaned. "I... I just couldn't." She looked back. There were no more tears rising up in her eyes. The ones on her cheek already dried.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson muttered something under his breath - most likely a multitude of curses of varying degrees and languages - as he cycled through the device with little success. He then rolled his eyes and then leaned on one of the stable walls but still stared at the infernal device. He even looked at it like it was dirt. His mind was on just the device, getting more and more agitated as time passed by.

But then the door opened and Vaana just stood there. Like he figured, she dug up her original's body with the dirt now all over her clothes. She had cried, and he knew it. He's seen it enough to know what it looked like in just a glance. He watched as she looked at him before moving towards the sofa and just collapsed onto her knees. It took a moment or two of silence between all three of them before she started speaking, looking at him with these defeated eyes. One that had lost their will. Well, finding out that you're just a replacement would do that, wouldn't it?

"Yeah. They did." The tone of his voice seemed... uncaring almost. Though, it was more of he wasn't sure what use in times like these. "You still have yourself don't 'ya?" He questioned as he began spinning the device in his hand once more. "They may have killed the original you, but in the end, you still have a life in front of you. If I was in your position, I would live my life for the original." He shared with a small shrug.

He then looked at the courser and shrugged. "Yeah, you kinda just killed our only contact for the Benefactor. But hey, what's done is done." He then looked at the device. "He had this. But if you don't want to continue, then we could stop here. You know, we can just stop and let everything your original built up just crumble down. Just stop the legacy here." He said. While he was excited about the end product of this odd contract, he could just drop it here since he can't do anything else. But he wanted to see what this synth would do after this revelation.

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana shuddered at the thought of an original her. Was she truly just a fake? Just a poorly made copy? After all, things started going to shit two months back. Around the time when she died. She was truly just a bad copy then. They must have fucked up somewhere and didn't create her right. She did break from her programming.
To think that she wanted the Institute to contact her for a job. Technically, they did. It was just a shame that the job involved replacing her with a more compliant version. She sighed. Those people at the Covenant were right after all.

"A life in front of me?" Vaana questioned quickly. She had nothing ahead of her. Everything she had was taken. It took years for the world to rob her of everything but it was finally done. Even her life was somehow taken and she still had to live with it. "I'm a ghost." She grunted. "I have no life to live. As for..." She looked at the door, her brows curling into a pained frown. "Vaana." She said her own name quietly. "She's dead. Makes no sense to live for her."

Vaana watched Jackson fiddle with the unresponsive device before pushing herself up. Her face wasn't one of sorrow anymore. She was angry. Angry and exhausted. "No." She dismissed his proposal to give up on the job. "We'll finish this." She snatched the device from his hand and gave it a quick look. It was nothing she could figure out without destroying it. There was someone who could...
"When I get my payment, I'm buying as much Med-X as I can carry, and then I'm going for a rest by the water." She explained. A part of her didn't even believe she had the guts to do something like that but things never got that far before. When such thoughts usually ran through her mind, she still had something to keep her grounded.

Vaana raised the device in front of Jackson's face. "I know who can tell us about this." She grumbled. If her contact failed to provide information, the only thing they could do was see Max at Goodneighbor. Since he was their only contact with the Benefactor, he should be able to fill in the blanks. She looked at the door again. "We're going to Diamond City." Vaana ordered.

 

[AI10100]

"And for that woman? Mary, was it?" Jackson questioned, honestly curious in how she'll react. He wasn't sure if he was pushing too many buttons that he'll end up like the courser on the couch, but he wasn't exactly too keen on losing the person who so enthusiastically told him about building a robot army. "Didn't you become The Merc for her? Alright, sure, you weren't that Vaana, but you still were motivated to do what she wanted. To fulfill that promise... that goal you two aspired for. Can't you live for her?" He fell silent after that, wanting to gauge just how bad the reaction will be. Because right now, she's a living landmine and he wanted to know how far he could push her too.

He was surprised when Vaana snatched the device again. "Okay." He replied, though the lack of grin or smirk truly reflected how he felt right now. She was unstable and she needed a goal. This was too short term. After this, what then? She needed another reason to live other than this. And then the explanation came. He wanted to say something against it, but really, who was he to judge? Who was he to her to tell her what to do? This was too... wrong for him, yes, but he can't exactly order her around. Before this, they had no special connection. "Your choice, Vaana. I don't like it, but you do whatever you see fit to the second life given to you." Was the reply he settled on.

"Your Diamond City friend?" He questioned the obvious. Of course it was going to be them... him... her... who knows. But, he can ride with that. He gets his payment too and that's enough consolation for him. "Alright." He replied with a nod, prepared to leave this incident behind. Maybe he'll get lucky and get to talk to Piper. He'll even settle for Nat. Just a short conversation, something to keep him sane after all.

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana gave Jackson a humorless smile. Her mind was a cluttered mess of thoughts. Random darkness screaming out, preventing her from weaving together any coherent thought. She wasn't sure if the clarity in her mind was actually logical or whether she was so broken that nothing made sense anymore. She sucked in a breath, trying to prevent another flood of tears, and placed a hand on Jackson's chest. "No..." She closed her eyes. "Not now." She opened her eyes. "I just want to finish this and then we'll talk about this. All of this." She spoke as if every word took strength to push out, with tiny pauses between each. "I can't be having a breakdown in the middle of this." Vaana sighed. "You'll help me put the pieces back together when we're done." She took a step back from Jackson and gave him a tired shrug. "If they still fit together."

Passing a hand over her coat to dust some of the dirt off, Vaana held her breath to clam her trembling chest. There was one last thing that could help her bring their task to an end. Her power armor still didn't work right with the arm being unresponsive but her old sentry bot got a willing volunteer for a donation. She wanted to create the chip herself for the sentry bot. To make it how it used to be. They were in a rush, though, and his old shell would have to serve as a home for something new. It was all they needed to eliminate any threat that came their way.
"Yeah, him. He should know what we have here." She nodded and headed to the door. "Give me a minute. I need to get something together. before we go." She said shortly and rushed out.

The sentry bot that just arrived at her base provided no resistance to taking its main chip. Her gloves ensured she wouldn't be harmed or short circuit the thing and her vast knowledge about the robots made short work of the panels, wiring, and circuit boards. As she plugged it out, the robot slumped forward, powered off. The boat shed by the water didn't seem like much but it was likely the most defended place in the base, with every turret having a clear view on it. Even behind the door was a tripwire and the other door was barricaded off.
Vaana carefully slipped through the door and over the tripwire. It was over a month since she laid eyes on the majestic beast which loyally protected her. It was a over a month since she fixed everything except the missing chip.

The sentry bot was tall. Slightly taller than a regular one but Vaana gave it a bit more flexibility with its joints so it can follow her where ever she went. It required more maintenance because of that but it was nothing she couldn't handle. In addition to the heavy sentry armor, Vaana outfitted it with reshaped power armor pieces which were pieced together so perfectly that their true origin was unimaginable. It was as if the thing was made to look like that since before the war. The armor and most of the robot was painted black. Even the red light the sentry bots usually had was removed which made it more difficult to spot. It was still easy to hear since it could easily be classified as a tank. Every scratch or damage was painted over to maintain its well-kept look. Its weapons, though, were the most noticeable part. Vaana spent a fortune on getting the thing outfitted. With a gattling laser on each arm, the sentry bot was a force to be reckoned with.

When it turned on, Vaana's heart skipped a beat. It made her feel like she saw an old friend again. It wasn't her friend, though. She wasn't the real Vaana. Fitting, actually. It wasn't the real robot either. It's main part died and now was just like her. A shell. They belonged together.
Vaana lead her sentry bot out of the shed and back to the building. Its rumbling was the first sign that Vaana had returned. From outside, she yelled over. "Come on. Lets go." She said and cast her eyes on the fresh dirt mound in the center of her garden. She wasn't going to leave Vaana to be buried behind a building, by an old generator like she was someone never to be thought of again. She deserved something at least a bit more than that.

 

[AI10100]

"Fine." Jackson replied, admittedly surprised by how easily she was taking it. Though, it was more like she didn't want to think about it yet. Well, he could handle that. He'll take it... for now. "But we will talk about this." He continued, though now, a soft smile could be seen on his face. While his beard prevented anyone from really looking at the motions of his mouth, his eyes certainly filled in the holes. Without his sunglasses, he was vulnerable to being picked apart emotion by emotion.

"Excellent." He replied with a nod. He headed outside though was surprised when she said she had some business to attend to. "Alright. I'll wait for you outside then." He replied as he walked out with her but didn't follow her any further than that. He wanted to leave her to her own devices and see what would happen after. He still can't read her, surprisingly enough. But hey, he'll learn.

He walked towards the fresh mound at the garden and knelt down. This could have been her partner if the Institute hadn't gotten involved. He knew fully well that synths had almost the exact same personality as who they're trying to replace so either way, he believed he would travel with a smartass who had a knack for robots. But he wondered who she was. All he knew was the synth even if there was nothing wrong with that. What more could she tell him.

"In all my years at the Railroad, I never really thought of those who were killed to be replaced by the rogue synths we handle." He admitted to her in a low voice, praying that Vaana would not come back too soon. "Even if I'm content with working with your double, I... well, I would have liked to meet you and work with you at least once. If her memory is correct, then you would have been amazing to travel with." He rubbed the back of his head. "Heard you put up quite a fight though so good job on that. Hopefully, you and Mary are reunited."

He stood up when he heard the rumbling of a sentry bot and he headed back to the door, hoping that the synth Vaana didn't notice the prints he had left on the garden or the solid proof that he actually went there to talk to a dead person. "Alright then. Lead the way." She knew the easiest route to Diamond City after all.

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana nodded when she got Jackson's confirmation that he was ready to leave. She thought she was ready to go as well but as the time to go finally came, she couldn't move a foot towards the exit. Leaving the base meant leaving Vaana alone. Again. She just wanted to stay by the grave. Give her some compassion that the world never seemed to have. She just wanted to sit by her, provide the company she never had while she was still alive. Would it truly matter, though? Vaana was dead. Everything she carried with her was dead.

"Alright." Vaana finally ripped her gaze from the grave and headed out the door, followed by the sentry bot. She didn't want to talk to Jackson on their way there so she tried to keep the sentry bot between herself and the sniper. She didn't have anything against him but she wanted to focus on the job. If her mind wandered, who knows where it would end up. Besides, talking about the past felt wrong. It wasn't her past, after all. It belonged to someone else. She would just be telling stories that didn't happen to her.

The wasteland felt so disgusting. A world out to get you. Snuff the life out of you and destroy everything you care about. It already did everything it could to Vaana. Even if it felt just like tempting fate, she couldn't imagine how things could get worse.
Vaana clenched her teeth. She had to keep control of her thoughts but no matter where she looked, she could only think about everything that happened to her. They would soon reach Diamond city, though. If there was anyone that saw them coming, they would hide until they passed. Even raiders weren't dumb enough to pick on two people with a sentry bot and a robobrain.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson already knew that Vaana didn't want to talk when she moved towards the front and let the sentry bot hang between them. He stifled another sigh. Great. Just when he thought he found a potential friend - a person that he may have been willing to trust, there they go again. Perhaps it was just that he doesn't really know how to empathize or sympathize with most problems.

Or at least, not to her problem.

He then bent over to pet Sparky to give him some relief - something familiar in this current group of theirs. Jackson didn't want to talk to Liam. The robobrain feared synths - mainly Vaana - easily swayed by the words of a few against the word of the truth. For something that had survived for 200 years, Jackson couldn't help but think Liam was actually pretty... stupid, in a sense. Too easily convinced. No wonder Jay had to step up each time to save his sorry metal behind. He kind of felt sorry for Jay. For his compassion, he suffered. He died.

Surprisingly, no one attacked them. Or well, he shouldn't have been surprised. They had a sentry bot. Humans were smart enough to not go anywhere close to them. Jackson would know. He hid from sentry bots too, after all. Diamond City was close. Finally. Maybe now he could talk to people instead of this suffocating silence he was walking under.

 

[Mr_DC]

Diamond city seemed different to Vaana that time. It wasn't a beacon of humanity, an example of humanity's resilience. She used to see Diamond city as a safe harbor where she could retreat when things got too tough. Tough was a distant memory of better days. She would trade anything for those days when she would run into Diamond city, bullet-less and without a cap to her name while being chased by raiders. It was difficult to wrap her mind around how far worse things could always get. Even when she thought she hit rock bottom, the bottom kept collapsing under her to reveal another chasm. Vaana didn't see Diamond city the same way. It was just a place where people huddled together to prolong their suffering before the coldness of the wasteland washed over them.

Vaana ignored the guard by the gate. Sullivan. She usually threw him a wave and a short smile to keep friendly with the city security but she wasn't sure if she had a smile in her. She never believed in burning bridges but the power to keep those bridges supported was long gone. Buried with herself.
Vaana clenched her fists. She didn't want to pity herself anymore nor did she want to hate the world. There was still something out there for her to do. Not the Merc. That legend was dead. It was hopeless from the start, like the Minutemen. She needed to help in some other way. The future was too blurry to see through it.

"Listen." Vaana suddenly stopped when the group entered the Diamond City market. She turned around and looked at Jackson. Her face wasn't draped in depression anymore nor was it twisted with rage. The twinge of sadness in her eyes was diluted by the near complete expressionlessness of the rest of her face. She took a deep breath and held it for a couple seconds before slowly exhaling. "I appreciate you trying to help me stand back up but this might have been a knock-out punch." She explained calmly. "Thank you for trying, truly. Not many people would bother helping someone else. Especially not with something so delicate like emotional issues. Cuts and scratches are much easier to heal." She said more to herself as she looked over her shoulder in the general direction of the Diamond City clinic. "And I would like your help when this is over." She placed a hand on Jackson's chest as she looked back at him. "I have no idea how I'll get through this alone but having someone who believes in me will definitely make things easier." A smile flashed on her face and lingered. Even after she looked away, the smile was still there.

"My tech guy is called Crazy Ike. He's lives in one of the shittier shacks." Vaana turned back to the marketplace, motioning her hand at the distance. "I'll go see what he has to say about this and then we can plan out how we can fix this mess I've made." Vaana said quietly, biting the corner of her lips. If they only sent someone else... Anyone else... "He's not really trusting so I'll go alone. Why don't you get us rooms with the Bobrovs?" She started walking slowly, making short steps. "I'll probably go for a walk around the city so don't wait up for me. I just need to clear my head." She explained, waving over her shoulder with one hand and tapping the other against her pocket to make sure the device was still there. She just hoped it would be enough to go on. Failing the job... Failing Jackson... It would be the final straw.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson followed her inside, eyes flickering to Danny Sullivan who he gave a brief wave to. He's seen the poor guy get tricked time and time again, and he was pretty sure that he was close to being booted out by the mayor thanks to him being gullible. But, really, Danny was trying his best. He was just getting outwitted here and there by people more manipulative than he is.

Now inside of Diamond City, he let his rifle hang on his shoulder. He was visibly more at ease, the easy smile on his face undeniable. His eyes flickered to Nat, who was announcing that a new paper was on sale. His smile widened. Hopefully Piper was in there as well. He wanted to exchange notes with her about the Institute. His latest encounter with a Courser should make her interested. It wasn't like he'll tell the whole story. She only needed to know about their capabilities and their reactions to certain things. Maybe this is how he'll find the Institute. But who knows.

He was stopped by Vaana by the market with one word. He tilted his head as he listened to her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was counting on him now, or maybe it's because he felt like he was needed, but he actually felt elated by the mention that she was thankful for his help. And wanted his help further after this was done. Jackson held his own emotional baggage, one he never thought to share with anyone else. He knew the pain of having it buried deep within. Perhaps he could help Synth Vaana move on with her lfie. "Sure." Was his only reply, but it was filled with willingness. Jackson shrugged after her last statement about needing his help. "Guess so. I'm not going to stick around if we're just going to lounge around in your base though." He stuck his tongue out in a childish manner, obviously all made in jest to ease up the mood.

"Crazy Ike? Never heard of 'im." Jackson pouted. And here he thought he knew every single corner of Diamond City. What a shame, what a shame. He paid no attention to her comment about her mistake and then piped up. "Maybe you forgot, but I have a house here. I will not spend ten caps on a place I don't even need." He poitned out. "Just go back here at the market once you're done. I'll spot you and take you over." He told her as she began walking away. He stretched his arms. "See 'ya later." With that, he turned around and began making his way to the office of the Publick Occurences.

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana felt relieved by his acceptance. There was no reason she had to continue the original Vaana's seclusion. Perhaps there was even a way to push through and reach the surface if he was there by her side. In spite of that, there was still a fire smoldering inside her. A fire she inherited from the original. That drive to change the world. The original Vaana might have even inherited it from Mary.
Vaana's expression tightened when Mary slipped into her mind. That was also something she would have to work through. End the chapter and close that particular book. The first step would be accepting what had actually happened but even though that was always there in her mind, Vaana never acknowledged that truth. "I'll see you at the market." She murmured with a half smile.

"Wait outside." Vaana ordered her sentry bot and the monster rolled out to the entrance of Diamond City. She didn't want it following her around the marketplace. Not only was it dangerous even when not aggressive but it brought her more looks than she wanted to. The residents did remember the Merc but the main distinguishing feature was the big robot following her around. Without that, she could blend in more easily.
With her fedora tipped forward and her hands firmly in the pockets of her trench coat, Vaana ghosted through the city. When she was younger, she enjoyed Diamond City. Hiding in places only she knew existed. Watching people and listening in on their conversations. It was good training for sneaking up on raiders and hearing their rants about chems or stories about how they tormented settlers.

The little shack formed from rusty metal looked more like a pile of garbage than a place a person would live but it made Ike feel safe. He probably wouldn't feel safe living in Vaana's compound but hiding out in a bunch of trash he could work on made him feel just like home. Vaana planted herself in front of the metal door without a handle and let her eyes slowly dart from side to side. The first question would be if anyone saw her enter.
No one was nearby. And why would they be? There was no reason to get lost in that part of Diamond City. The marketplace was where everyone wanted to be, after all. Vaana withdrew a hand from her pocket and placed it on the banged-up mailbox by the door. Checking her surroundings again, she twisted it to face the door. It took a few seconds but the click behind the door meant it was unlocked. For a paranoid nut, Ike was bad at changing his security. Pushing open the door, Vaana entered Ike's sanctum.

The inside was full of even more scrap than her workshop. The scrap metal walls constantly threatened to collapse in on the room and there were even more makeshift support pillars keeping it up than the last time she visited. The small home was lit up only by a single gas lantern on a desk that a hunched figure was working on something. She never saw him move from that spot. "Still fused to the chair?" Vaana asked sarcastically. It made her feel somewhat lighter that she heard herself crack a joke. She didn't fully lose herself.
"What do you need?" The squeaky voice grunted without turning around.
Vaana approached his desk and placed the device on it before quickly taking a step back and letting the man work his magic. While hygiene wasn't high on anyone's priority list in the wasteland, even raiders would feel queasy being close to Ike.

The small figure stared at the device without moving for a good half a minute but Vaana knew he was trying to figure out what it was.
"Where did you get it?" Ike finally asked. His voice was quieter. He knew what it was, then.
"Doesn't matter. What is it?" Vaana rejected his question. She didn't want him to know anything more than he had to before she got her information.
"You need to get rid of it. Destroy it." Ike ordered but made no move to do so himself.
Vaana frowned. So, they had something dangerous. Perhaps it was meant to be delivered to the Benefactor himself. It seemed like a visit to Maxwell was unavoidable. "What is it?" She demanded.

 

[AI10100]

"If it isn't Jackson, come to pick up the new issue?" Nat questioned as she hopped off of the box she was perched on while shouting about the newest issue. Her smile was bright as she talked to him, knowing that he wouldn't react like the others. And, as she had expected, Jackson didn't sneer at her like the others did. In fact, he took out his caps and put it on her hand.

"You bet I am." He grinned at the girl as he let his caps loose. Nat handed him the newspaper and he scanned it. He folded it up and then inserted it in his coat. He had plenty of time to read it later once they've settled down for the night. He just wondered if Vaana was having the same luck with that device as he was with the Wright siblings. "So Nat, is your sister home?" He questioned as he looked towards their house which also served as their office.

Nat nodded. "She is! Told me about this encounter with the Children of Atom." She bounced excitedly on her heels. "She's writing about them now!"

"Excellent!" He exclaimed as he patted Nat's shoulder. "I'm just gonna talk to her alright? This just might be her next biggest scoop." He chuckled as he waved at Nat as she went back to her box and began shouting about the newspaper's headlines and coaxing others to buy it.

He entered the house and looked around - no one was at the ground floor. His eyes were drawn upstairs but knew better than to climb it. Last time he tried to do that, Piper shoved him back and he nearly broke his neck in that fall. Of course, it was because she was in her private area and should have left her alone. But still, it was a very close call. For such a legendary sniper-mercenary such as himself, breaking his neck from a fall thanks to a friend wasn't exactly the best way to go.

"Pipes?" He called out - the nickname rolling off naturally. "Working on the computer again?"

The clicking of the keys stopped and Piper's head peeked out from the wooden fence of the second floor. "Ah, Jackson." She let out, recognizing the male immediately. "You should really do something about that beard." She commented with a light and good-hearted chuckle. Piper disappeared back and then began to descende to the ground, adjusting her newsboy cap. "So, why the visit?" She crossed her arms and quirked her eyebrow.

Jackson placed a dramatic hand on his chest. "What? I can't visit a friend?" Piper just continued to look at him, though her mouth tugged to an all familiar smirk. "Okay, okay, fine. I met... and talked with a Courser and boy was it a ride..." He proceeded to tell her about its mannerisms and how it easily talked to him. Better not relay the information that he was with someone else during that time. He wasn't too keen on hearing from Vaana that Piper pestered her with questions. There might not be a Piper to talk to next time and he didn't want one of his few friend's brains splattered all across some shifty alley in this irradiated wasteland.

Piper caught all of it and wrote it down on her notepad, a twinkle in her eyes as she scribbled on it. "Wow Jackson. This is... I could make an entire article out of this information just in case someone passes a courser."

"Won't be that helpful since the only ways to make a courser not kill you is if it's not sent out for you specifically, or you kill it first. The latter is as hard as it sounds." He grimaced. He was confident that Vaana was only able to kill the courser because she caught it by surprise. Had it been expecting their attack, Jackson doubted they would have made their without any injuries.

"Still. Thanks." She smiled up at him. "Hey, you free for the week? I kinda need to investigate something close to Quincy."

Jackson scrunched up his face. "No, I'm on a job right now." He then sighed. "But don't go to Quincy without me. Okay?"

"Fine." She replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Good. Well that's everything I came here for. See 'ya later Pipes." With that, he left the building and headed over to the local barber. Maybe it was time to get this beard out of the way.

 

[Mr_DC]

Vaana rubbed her left eye as the buzzing in her head replaced the silence of the tiny workshop. She tried to fake a yawn to make it go away but it didn't help. The rational part of her was slowly dying again while her body was somehow on auto-pilot. Even though thoughts couldn't form in her mind, she knew exactly what she would do. Her purpose was finally clear. Original Vaana's purpose was to change the world as the Merc. Change things for the better. The world stopped her from doing so. The world didn't want to be changed for the better. Her duty would be to force it to change. Stop the bloodshed. Stop the misery.
Vaana knew what she had to do.

She pinched the bridge of her nose as the noise in her head died down again. She holstered her gun and reached for the device on the blood-stained workbench. That little thing... It was like destiny placed it into her hands. Everything lead to her having it. Finding out she was a synth. Murdering the courser. Finding out what it truly was. Even taking that resupply job for the Children of Atom in the Glowing Sea some short time before she was murdered. Every piece fell into place when Ike told her what it was.
Vaana looked down at Ike. He was lying face-first on a blood puddle on his workbench with a gaping hole through his skull. Sorry. She looked away. But this would have happened soon anyway. You would have understood.

It had been so long since she bloodied her hands with the blood of innocents. Ike might have been a paranoid, little creature but he was still innocent. A friend even. She couldn't risk him sharing even a piece of that information with someone else. Especially not with anyone who might come looking for her.
Vaana looked at the door. The silencer took care of the noise and the shack absorbed whatever little could have gotten out. No one would be coming to investigate except... Jackson. While Ike was a friend, Jackson was someone she opened up to. Someone who knew what had happened to her. She couldn't just shoot him. Even though he was the only person she knew of that could follow her, she didn't have it in her to try and stop him. Her hope was that he wouldn't stop her in time. It would make things much easier.

Placing the device in the same pocket as the locket, Vaana pulled out a stealth boy. She would head for the exit to Diamond City in a wide arc to avoid being sniffed out by Jackson's dog or spotted by the robobrain. From there, she would have to take the sentry bot and tie up one more loose end. The only person who could give Jackson a clue as to where he would go to find her.
It was a long time since she felt so alive yet she never felt as dead. She had a mission but was rotting inside. With the press of a button on the stealth boy, she vanished.


Liam waited for Jackson outside Piper's office and then followed him to the barber. "You're very calm given the circumstance." Liam quietly noticed when Jackson excited Piper's office. "Not that it's anything wrong." He quickly added. "It's a good thing you're not panicking about everything like me but..." He shrugged. "Don't you think the situation deserves a tiny bit of panic? I mean, what will happen if Vaana doesn't get any information from her friend? How will your employer react when they find out the mission was a failure? How will Vaana react when she realizes she can't finish her last job?" He let out a frustrated sigh. "The future just looks pretty dark..." He pointed out.

 

[AI10100]

Jackson whistled sharply for Sparky and his ears went up. He then gestured towards Nat. The dog barked once and wagged his tail happily. He then headed over and nearly tackled Nat as he pleaded for the girl to play with him. Nat giggled as she went on to just play with the dog. Sparky knew better than to bite Nat anyway, so Jackson wasn't worried.

He looked at Liam when he commented about how calm he is. "I've been through worse." He said with a dismissive wave. Jackson has said it time and time again, this didn't bother him at all. As long as he could ge the job done, and he supposed this time, to help out the synth as well.

"If I'm going to die because of a situation, then I'll panic." Jackson replied, brushing off the worry about what would happen with the Benefactor - as he was rather sure that he wouldn't pull something under them. But Liam did have a point about Vaana. If she didn't finish the job, would she kill herself? Or would she do something different? Melt down into nothingness? Who knows, right? "I'll burn that bridge when I get there Liam. So don't worry your brain over it."

He sat down at the barber's and asked for his beard to be trimmed. He agreed and soon enough, his beard was still there but was not as bushy as before. It clung to his face and made him look more intimidating and less of a homeless wastelander. He paid his due and then looked towards Liam.

"So, wanna check out my house? Don't think Vaana will be back soon." He questioned Liam, not doubting Vaana for what she is doing.

 

[Mr_DC]

Liam sighed. He didn't understand the mercenary. He wasn't careless but he was too relaxed considering the situation. He either understood perfectly what were the outcomes or had no idea what could happen. Perhaps Liam was just too worried, always looking at the worst case scenario. It was what kept him alive through all those years, though. Being scared, worried, and suspicious might have prevented him from trusting other people and avoiding situations which could potentially do good but it was also the reason he was still around. Jay, on the other hand, trusted too much and believed too much in his own capabilities. As much as Liam respected Jay and knew he owed him so much, he also believed that his death was the final result of believing too much in himself.

"Better to worry too much than too little, right?" Liam asked. "After all, if you worry too much, you don't lose anything but if you worry too little..." He decided to leave it unfinished. The Benefactor kills you? Vaana goes berzerk? The Institute comes back to hunt all of them? There was a long enough list of bad outcomes that Jackson could choose from if he wished. There was no need to pick his own bad ending to their story.

Liam believed that the new beard style didn't suit Jackson's generally rugged appearance but he didn't intend to make that comment. "Your house?" Liam looked around. Diamond City wasn't too large but he wasn't too comfortable leaving the market. "You sure Vaana won't be in a rush? What if her friend knows what it is? What if it's something we urgently have to deliver?" He stopped himself. If things truly went bad, he was under no obligation to stick around with them. It wasn't his job, after all. He would get nothing from it and he wasn't an original part of it. Sighing, Liam looked back at Jackson. "Sure, let's check out your house." He changed his mind, agreeing with the mercenary.