(FO4) Dweller, Her Journey

Mnemonic Memory

The Memory Den looked like an old lounge that got turned into a scientific experiment. Nick led through the lobby to a woman who sat on a lounge chair. Her eyes watched him and it made me shiver, that was a lustful look.

"Well, well, Mister Valentine...I thought you had forgotten about little ole me." She giggled and took a drag off her cigarette. It was an older style stick with a filter.

"I may have walked out of the den, Irma, but I'd never walk out on you." Valentine chuckled, grinning at the beautiful woman. I could tell there was some history there between them.

"Amari is downstairs, you big flirt." She giggled on response and jerked her chin toward a set of stairs.

Nick nodded and gestured with his hand. "Shall we?"

"Y-Yeah.." Sighing softly, I followed the detective down the stairs. We came upon a laboratory and a woman in a labcoat was standing with her back to us. She was focused on something she was doing and it took Nick to say something for her to look up from it.

"Doctor Amari?" Nick greeted her and smiled.

"I take it this isn't a social call?" Her voice sounded hispanic almost. The black hair was tucked in a bun along with combed bangs. Her eyes looked tired and she eyed me curiously.

"We need your help, doctor. I need the memories from a man named Kellogg, but..he's dead." Remembering my bullet shattering his skull made me shudder.

"I know it's asking for a miracle, Amari, but you've pulled off the impossible before." Nick chimed in, noticing the shock on her face.

"Are you two mad!?" She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Putting aside the fact that your asking me to defile a corpse, you do realize that the memory simulators require intact..LIVING brains to function?"

"Please, Doctor...Nick told me you are the ONLY one that can make this work...I need to find someone.." Taking a deep breath, anxiety welled up in my chest again and I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"This dead brain had inside knowledge of the Institute, Amari. The biggest scientific secret in the Commonwealth..you need this and so do we." Nick pushed her on that fact and I could of sworn the light flashed before eyes. Like a light bulb came on. Her body leaned against the table behind her as she thought for a moment. Then her eyes flickered back to us.

She sighed shaking her head. "Fine...I'll take a look but no guarantees..Do you have it with you?"

"Here's...what we could find." Nick pulled the baggy out and handed it over to her that had the piece of equipment inside it. She put rubber gloves on, then opened the baggy taking it out. Her eyes examined the structure, the wiring and she raised a brow curiously.

"What's this? This isn't a brain! Wait..is this...it can't be..that's the hippocampus and what's this attached to it..a neural interface?" She glanced at Nick, blinking in surprise.

"Those circuits look awfully familiar." He said furrowing his eyes at her.

"I am not surprised." Her expression changed and she chuckled. "From what I've seen. All Institute technology has a similar architecture."

What she was saying was greek to me, I wasn't the scientific one. Nora was. A sigh escaped my lips as I crossed my arms over each other and looked her square in the face. "Okay, so what does this have to do with the price of eggs in china?"

"Mister Valentine is an older generation synth. But, with Institute technology being what is it.. this piece could theoretically fit him." Her eyes flickered to Valentine. "That is, if he's willing too. It's a terrible risk to take..we would be wiring the brain implant to his circuits."