Chapter 80: Chapter 77

I shouldn’t be surprised that the founding and expansion of the Nexus would attract attention, but yet it still was. Especially after being told that the BoS group we rescued were here as a ‘recon and/or diplomatic’ capacity.

Sarah Lyons was being far more cautious in her tone as she explained what sent her group up here. It was amusing to have her admit that the chapter had initially thought very little about the stories about us. Then again, it’s understandable to doubt the kind of stuff that’s being displayed by the Nexus.

Still though, deluded tribals? Heheh.

“So what now?” I asked after a short silence following her briefing. It was just the two of us in the small meeting room, though the Elder didn’t need to know of the girls observing through the cameras from the adjacent room.

“Now?”

“You’re here to investigate the place right?” I started, keeping my voice casual while I plastered a faintly amused smile on my face. “So what happens now? Will the Brotherhood of Steel be coming over to sack the Nexus Severalty?”

Sarah’s back straightened and her whole body tensed up. “I…” There was a moment’s hesitation before I saw her build up her resolve and look me in the eye. “The Brotherhood of Steel works to preserve technology and knowledge for the greater humanity, and to secure it from those who would seek to abuse them.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Another bout of hesitation from Sarah before she spoke up through gritted teeth. “I’m aware of the price my Brotherhood will be unable to meet to forcibly seize what you have here.” A heavy, resigned sigh escaped her as her posture slumped as if in defeat. “I’m not keen on sending my brothers and sisters to futile deaths.”

I nodded heartily at that answer. “Good. Glad you’ve got some common sense at least.” Would’ve been a waste of a pretty face, for one. “Besides, most of our current technology was invented or innovated here in the Nexus, not dusted off and repurposed shitty pre-war tech that everyone else uses. No offence.”

“And I assume any negotiations to study your advancements would be rejected?”

“Right out.” I confirmed with a cheery grin. “We have yet to execute any DMCA takedowns, but I can assure you that such actions would be very, very thorough when carried out.”

Silence took over and lingered for a moment, and I was tempted to rise from my seat to end the meeting before Sarah gave another query.

“What is the Nexus Severalty’s stance on the Enclave?”

Enclave huh? Don’t know much about them myself, but from the limited data gathered, they were as influential to travellers and traders as the BoS, the Legion, or the NCR. And that’s after their big fall in the Capital Wasteland. Turns out they still have branches and outposts scattered around the rest of the continent.

Despite being made as the main bad guys for two games, I’m hesitant to go hostile by default on them for now. After all, maybe their goals might have changed following the decapitation strikes. Maybe it’s possible to ‘tame’ and vassalize the groups I’ll inevitably encounter.

If not, more bodies for Tleilax. Supposedly the fourth update to the BSC is being worked on now, and I’m sure we could use testers for the ghoulification fixes.

“I’ll let them make their case if they make contact,” I gave my answer honestly. “So long as courtesy is given, the Nexus will return it. If they or anyone tries playing sneaky though…” I shrugged before finishing. “...it’ll be another group to snuff out.”

Sarah deflated considerably at that. “I…see.”

Maybe I could brighten things up a bit for her. If I remember right, her chapter was a bit estranged from the rest of the Brotherhood.

I slowly rose from my seat and put on the casual smile again. “Anyway, the Nexus is open to negotiating for access to the obsolete tech we’ve come across.” I had to bite back a chuckle at the way her eyes went wide. ”You’re free to the schematics and hardware, once a deal is signed. And if you’re up for it, I’m willing to hand over some excess gear that’s not being traded to the Minutemen or Diamond City.”

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The Elder’s mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish out of water before she finally found her words. “What would it cost?”

I shrugged again. “An official diplomatic line to the Brotherhood of Steel would be good enough. If I got it right, you’re just leading a faction of them, right? I’d prefer to get things down in black and white with the organization as a whole.”

As I turned to leave, I tossed in a light joke to end the meeting. “Makes my life easier if I need to just give one declaration of war to settle everything.”

Okay, so not quite a light joke. Still, it sent the right message, I hoped.

I left the room and took the roundabout route to the hidden observation room, where Gwen and the girls were giving me concerned looks.

“We’ll need more information about the Brotherhood and the Enclave,” Gwen stated first. “Espcially if they’re trying to drag us into their war.”

I had to agree with that. We’re still trying to establish our surface settlements and getting unnecessarily destabilized by saboteurs and instigators to poke us towards one side would be a pain in the ass.

“Going out to fight either or both factions would be a waste of time,” I concurred. “But it wouldn’t hurt if we could subvert them over to join us.”

Piper and Cait’s dirty grins told me what they were thinking before the latter voiced it. “You could just seduce that Lyons chick for a start…”

I sighed even before she finished the sentence. “We’ll try using goodwill and see where that gets us first. Making myself look like a brainwashing dictator probably wouldn’t help in the long term.”

That said, if she did happen to harbor thoughts of deserting, the Nexus will be more than eager to welcome a combat veteran. And if she’s up for a fuck, I’m not going to say no.

The Brotherhood guests were given a few weeks to recuperate and explore our surface territory. They were restricted from Caladan, Ix and Tleilax, but otherwise could move about freely. Rylee happily escorted them, though the eyebots and Eva’s invisible presence in practically every room and hallway and electronic amenity maintained subtle surveillance on them.

More meetings were held as well, where I entertained the Elder’s attempts at trying to negotiate for either more tech or for a less neutral stance against the Enclave. Her comrades attended most of those meetings as well, though they preferred to only act as spectators and let Sarah do the talking.

I didn’t bother challenging their order’s practices or beliefs, nor did I actively try to get them to join the Nexus. For now I needed these survivors as messengers of peace. Once we get to their doorstep, or if they come to mine, then I’ll work on getting them to defect.

I brought them to the Institute, showing them a recording of its former glory before taking them down to see the ruined prison it had become. I also made it clear that the only tech from the Institute I would hand over to the Brotherhood would be those we deemed useless and harmless against us. I was not going to give away the Nexus’ advantage for anything.

After a month of hosting them, and with practically every diplomatic avenue exhausted, it was time for the Brotherhood to leave. I offered them a restored Vertibird to fly back home, a gesture of generosity for them, but it’s tech that the Nexus would soon prove obsolete.

As soon as these people go back home.

With some learning from the manuals I provided them, the four Brotherhood recon/diplomatic team were flying out of our borders, unknowingly tailed by stealthed eyebots back to their home base to ensure they made it back in time. And that I had a quick peek at what the Capital Wasteland was like now.

With this set of guests gone, we could move on to the next set.

“Eva, bring up the surveillance on the suspected Enclave teams making their way here."

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