"At least we will never have t-" Taylor said before being stopping in mid-sentence. A tranquilizer had hit the upper-portion of her back from nowhere, containing a blue liquid which seemed to immediately inject itself somehow into the Lone Wanderer. Her vision became blurred, and her ears were ringing. Before she could turn around to see what hit her, she tried to look at Jonathan. She never did though, as she fell to the ground below her. She only remembered seeing something in black before she fell unconsciousness.
Jonathan looked down at his feet at the sound of beeping, looking down to see something that looked similar to a pulse grenade that suddenly went off. He lost control of his limbs and fell backwards, feeling heavily groggy as he hit the ground, looking around as he tried to stay awake, then he saw two enclave soldiers run in, followed by someone who he guessed was in charge, "Targets secured sir, the female should already be out and the male should be out soon enough." "And the GECK?" the man in charge-looking asked "Technicians will be here shortly to secure it and take it to where it needs to go." "Good." Then, the world slipped from Jonathan's mind
Some time later Taylor woke up, her arms and legs restrained by an energy field inside of an empty room. Inside was a single locker and herself from what she could see. Her neck was stiff and sore, and turning her head to survey the rest of the room felt difficult. When she did managed to turn her head, she found Jonathan next to her in the same pod, unconscious and unresponsive.
Jonathan remained out of it, but in walked Colonel Autumn, whom Taylorbwould have reconized, pointing a pistol at her, "Now I assume you know why I'm here." He started, "Because this time, the good guys won. All you have to do is give us the code to start the purifier, and who knowd, I may even let you go."
"You've got the wrong people" Taylor responded, her voice full of spite. She was useless inside of this thing, and she had to make sure that she made it out of her alive. "Let us go." "IF you tell me the code, it might be worth your life. But you're not really in a position to be demanding anything, are you?" Colonel Autumn said, looking at Jonathan still unconscious before looking back at the Lone Wanderer. "**** you! I'm not telling you anything." Taylor just told him. I'll be honest. I'm running out patience here, and I'm not looking to play games with you. You tell me that code, or it's going to cost you." Autumn said, clear frustration on his face. Taylor smirked, she was getting to him. He was like all of the others she's come across. "No, seriously. **** you." "Why do you insist on provoking me? Tell me the code NOW" Autumn's told the woman inside of the pod, his voice starting to rise with anger. He had his hand on his sidearm before a voice came over the intercom. A somewhat familiar voice she had heard before. "Colonel...I have need of you." "Mr. President, I have no need for other matters. I'll be with you shortly." "Now, Colonel...." "Yes sir." Autumn hesitantly told the voice before walking out of the door. All of a sudden, the pod was deactivated and Taylor and Jonathan fell to the floor.
Taylor helped Jonathan up from the floor. "Looks like we are in the Enclave's headquarters. They....killed my father."
"...and I'm guesing we're being forced to help them?" Jonathan asked, already feeling like he knew the answer
"I have no idea. I was just interrogated by their head general to give him the code to Project Purity, and I politely refused. Their leader was just summoning him, I don't know how to explain the deactivation of the pods though." Taylor responded. "That is my work. Your equipment is inside of the locker nearby, come see me whenever you can. You have been granted free passage of Raven Rock, please don't be late." "Sure thing" Taylor told the invisible voice, realising who the voice belonged to. "President Eden."
Jonathan was still quite lost but he was eagar to get his stuff back, so he opened the locker, gave Taylor her things, then put on his armor and got everything where it should be, but left his helmet off as he thought that wpuld help stop any transgression.
Taylor got her clothes back, along with her Laser Rifle and her Revolver. Soon enough, the two of them went on their way to see President Eden. Just as they made it a few corridors into the base, Colonel Autumn's voice came over the intercom. "This is Colonel Autumn. Our two newest guests are to be shot and killed on sight."
Jonathan cursed, "Dammit, get on your guard!" He said quickly to Taylor, instantly crouching down as he pulled out his laser lance
Taylor almost instantly whipped out her laser rifle and shot two soldiers who quickly dropped down to the ground. Just as dozens of more soldiers came to ambush them, each and every one of them were blasted and blown away by their own Sentry Bots. Taylor and Jonathan kept moving. "Eden must control every aspect of the bases defences. Autumn's men might have energy weapons and power armour, but they are horribly outgunned." Taylor said before firing another beam at the head of an Enclave solider. "This must be important."
Jonathan nodded as the wave stopped, "Well, lets not dwell on it too much. We gotta move." He said before staeting to lead the way forward toeards what the maps said was the President's quarters
Fairly soon, both Jonathan and Taylor made their way to President Eden's office. A gigantic terminal sat in the middle of the room, wires were everywhere yet all in neat order. Turrets were also positioned around the room to persuade any attackers that destroying the console was a terrible idea. When they both walked up a flight of stairs, they came face to face with a giant terminal. President Eden wasn't flesh and blood, he was silicon and wires. He was an AI.
Jonathan looked at the machine in front of him quite surprised, "Wait, are you trying to be all mysterious with hidig behind a computer or did you really somehow become a sentient ZAX mainframe?" He asked in shock
"I've achieved self-awareness sometime long before you two were even born. Forgive the acts done by Colonel Autumn, I've had the feeling that he's been trying to stage a coup for quite a long time. Now, on why you are here..." President Eden told the two. "We have been studying you for a while, both wanting to do some good in this god forsaken world. How you you like to truly save America."
"Our nation is at a crossroads, what happens today will determine the fate of us all." President Eden told the two. "As you can tell, my influence over the world is limited. You two can come and go as you please, so you both have your own level of Freedom. You've seen how things are in this 'Capital Wasteland'. You have the Super Mutant threat ravaging within the city alongside this...cult, the Brotherhood of Steel. Super Mutants and Ghouls, alongside all mutated life, can be removed from this equation. And Taylor, your fathers work can make that happen." "Why are you bringing him up? What does he have to do with this?" Taylor ordered. "Project Purity will be used to distribute fresh water to the wasteland, all it needs is a simple modification. A component that upon ingestion by anyone with a mutation, would kill them. All you need is to inject this component, and you have a real chance of changing the world for the better."
Jonathab suddenly thought of something, "One second mister President...What makes you think you are better suited to run a nation than any human? You weren't even elected."
