Long pressed the button on the elevator and sent it down before ducking out as if to invite Agent Place to the surface. After a short stint out of his power armor to fix of the entry cog’s panel it was now opened as the elevator was showing signs of coming up. Hopping back into your power armor you walk out the exit and scan for a potential ambush and it seemed clear. You turned around as agent Place was exiting the elevator.
“So have you made your decision?” You ask standing in the path of the only exit.
“I think I’ll surrender. . .” There was a slight note of defeat in her voice. Most likely coming from what you assumed was them feeling like they were betraying their very convictions of opposing mechanical slavery by actively working for the ‘oppressors’.
“A wise decision, it’s a bit dicey out there.” Johnson added hiding a smirk behind his power armor. “Give me a moment.” Johnson adds getting out of the power armor and putting a holotape in their pip body to record on.
“The following railroad agent is to be taken into custody under Director Johnsons orders. Interrogate without physical force and run appropriate psychological and aptitude checks to see if they’ll be useful for caretaker duties with project gettyup buttercup. If designated as ‘unsuitable for employment’ administer a class B amnestic before teleporting to a settlement with a tail.” Johnson ends the recording and ejects the holotape before throwing a synth grenade outside. A gen 2 appeared and approached.
“Orders?”
“Agent place is to be taken into custody and placed in holding until my return. Please provide the following holotape to security personnel upon arrival if necessary.” Johnson adds handing them the holotape.
“Acknowledged. Please follow me.” The Gen 2 adds making its way towards the exit to get a clear enough signal to teleport the pair out.
“You’re not coming with?” Place added slightly insecure.
“Gotta finish up the operation since my backup got taken out. By the way,” Johnson adds gesturing to the courser armor. “please hand that over to avoid issues.”
“Oh right.” She adds passing over the jacket before following the synth outside.
Johnson sealed the vault again for his own security and proceeded back down below. He exited his power armor when he had finally made his way back to the two courser corpses. After a short operation to retrieve the synth component from A55 johnson proceeded to swap the ID transponder in A55’s body with his own and rigged A55’s component into place so that he would register as A55. “Just in case.”
Johnson had considered this technique before and had not volunteered it for security upgrades just in case he ever needed a back door back into the institute. Depending on how things went he would have to list this method and figure out a new way to circumvent teleporter security protocols if the council betrayed him again… Assuming he wasn’t about to just purge everyone on said council soon enough.
Johnson spent the next hour or so looking over the various terminals and containers of the vault looking for potential clues. A few notes on the methods they had been attempting to rehabilitate the smarties along with a copy of the simulator program for reference was the most interesting. At least until he arrived back in the overseers office. There were references to a teleportation device that produced a signal that registered the wearer as ‘cargo’ in the instate systems. This allowed them to teleport from place to place without getting dumped into containment as a non-personnel life form using their teleporter system. “Fascinating…”
They could also switch modes and go back to a teleporter pad that was used primarily for traveling between pad locations but these used their own personal power which was limited compared to the institutes reactor which they were abusing without notice. “Cheeky.” Johnson smiled while downloading the logs mentioned. “This explains them being able to keep pace with us and many of the sudden disappearances. Lets hope one of them was sloppy and didn’t change modes before going back to a pad.” He thought to himself aloud.
In the safe there were signs of where said device once sat in an empty case and instruction booklet. He yoinked these for reference hoping the device was in-tact enough on the prisoner he had teleported earlier to (fluffy) containment. If you missed anything at this point it could wait for the sweeper teams. Heading back up to the entryway carrying a courser under each arm you set them down long enough to open the cog before proceeding outside. You used another synth grenade which summoned a gen 1 this time.
“Signal for sweep team, site neutralized Courser code A55-H0.” You add turning on the radio and hitting play on the rigged synth component so it would broadcast its security identifier in the local area. There was a pause.
“Acknowledged.” The Gen 1 added slightly delayed but the method seemed to be working to identify him as the courser and not himself at least to general scans.
Activating the teleporter Johnson and the two corpses disappeared with a THWOK. Only for John to arrive with one courser in hand. “Nice try Ayo.” You smirked carrying E88’s body as evidence under one arm.
As you stalked down the hallway and waited in the elevator you flipped a coin to decide if you were going to rampage or if you’d pursue this with calculated precision. The coin landed and Johnson looked in his hand.
Meanwhile in Synth retention Ayo moved excitedly towards a cell to gloat at Johnson before executing them. Only to see a naked synth slumped face down ass in the air towards the viewing port based on the pose they were being carrier prior to being teleported. A vein popped on their forehead. “LOCK DOWN RETENTION IMMEDIATELY! AYO DC-OVERIDE, IRONFIST!” The security glass lowered into place and all coursers in the field were sent a recall signal while those in the institute began taking up positions following commands from the security console.
Johnson smiled and waved as he noticed the elevator camera begin to bob and focos on them. He stepped out quickly before it could be locked down and he would be forced to break his way out. “Nice try.”
Johnson proceeded over to an intercom system. “Director Johnson, PA DC DuckAndCover.” Johnson added fiddling with the apparatus and issuing his Directors Code to broadcast a general low-level alert to proceed to shelter be it in your residence or inside your department, anywhere but the concourse.
“Director Johnson, DC- Ping.” He added before leaving the intercom while the system sent out requests for all the directors to meet in the conference room on the request of Director Johnson.
Meanwhile at Synth retention Ayo seethed. He attempted to override the alarm and while he managed to get it shut down he was not allowed to broadcast the all clear without the issuing directors aknowledgement so everyone was going to stay hunkered down for awhile. Noticing Johnson carrying around one of his coursers he inquired. “Why aren’t the synths engaging? Nevermind…” He sighed seeing the id code above the head being A55-H0.
“Designate A55-H0 as hostile and have synths engage.”
“Processing.” The reception synth added typing furiously. “Aknowledged.”
Johnson was halfway to the council chambers before he heard the first whir of a synth registering him and shifting to an aggressive posture. “Hope this works.” Johnson added signaling for his pip boy to stop broadcasting the signal through the heads up display voice activation commands.
The synths lost track of their quarry and were searching.
“What are they doing? I sent the order to Engage!” Ayo added irritated.
“Units are in search and destroy mode for A55-H0 sir. Also~” The receptionist added as Ayo looked at the next monitor when the power armor came onto the screen.
“I see the issue.” He added with a tsk sound as a ? was above Director Johnsons head. “Issue an order to intercept all unregistered humans.”
“Processing… Acknowledged.” The receptionist added picking up their typing.
“What are you up to Johnson? . .” Ayo added annoyed.
“Sir, you are being paged for a council meeting.” The receptionist synth added casually.
“So that’s your game. Have all security converge on the council room to intercept.” A swat team of twelve coursers were moving in from all directions with about thirty decently armored Gen 2’s and a smattering of Gen 1 chaff.
Johnson had gotten out of his power armor and gone through the backdoor identification or retinal and finger scans since his chip was indisposed. No sooner had it finished and the door opened the panel turned red the security lockout just a bit too slow to deny him access to the manual override. He tossed E88’s body in and as he attempted to turn around to retrieve his power armor he doubled back as a series of laser shots cut him off deciding it was better to get to cover and into the room. None too soon it seemed as the door would have been forcibly closed remotely. “Safe.”
Johnson added with a smirk knowing that it was hard coded into the update that synths could not enter or even perceive the interior of the council chambers. This bought him time in case Ayo’s team attempted to remove the code or roll back the patch to before the security protocol was implemented.
Johnson sat at his seat and activated his Directors Light to show he was available for the meeting. Having been turned back due to the security alert the other Directors had no choice but to remotely join the meeting from their departments.
Johnson poured some institute synthesized nuka cola over ice and put his feet up on the desk. “You’re in deep doo doo Ayo.” He chuckled while marveling at how close it was to the pre war experience compared to the ones that existed in the wasteland today.
Johnson would take a few minutes locking out Synth retention from the meeting room terminal before using the terminal to access the synths memory banks and hack his way through the security to provide the evidence he needed when the council finally logged in.
I should be able to get back to more fluffy centered portions of the story by chapter 40. Sorry for the minimal fluffage.