FO4 | Book 1: Bombs on Monday Morning ✔️

Ch 25: A New Beginning

I tried to hack into it, but it was too complicated for me to understand. "I can't crack this terminal without a password. It's impossible. Ugh! Damn Institute tech..."

Shaun's voice, ever so feeble, spoke up. "Second drawer... by the desk..."

Hancock quickly searched the second drawer of a small filing cabinet by the desk. "Got it."

I struggled to hold my tears in. "Thank you, son."

I entered the password quickly and clicked "Engage Evacuation Protocol BD-2" in the options. A robotic voice overhead told all Institute scientists to evacuate the premises immediately. Then, I clicked on Master Security Lockdown Override," so that all the doors would unlock again.

I took one last look at Shaun before I left. His eyes were closed like he was sleeping. He didn't even look angry anymore. He looked peaceful. I wanted to say something, but I was afraid he wouldn't answer. I was afraid he had already passed...

Hancock pulled on my hand. "Gwen."

"Right. Right." I turned away from Shaun for the last time and left him alone. Whether he was dead now or not, I knew what his fate was.

As we rushed down the stairs, Sturges came back overhead.

"Alright, good job! Looks like that opened things up enough for you to reach the reactor. Soem other good news: I've almost got the teleporter working. Should be ready to pull you out whenever you need. Scientists are already showing up to evacuate."

"Sturges, you amazing son of a bitch," Hancock muttered on our way down a set of spiral stairs.

As soon as we got to the bottom floor, a Synth was already on the offensive. We wound up fighting our way through Advanced Systems. Preston and MacCready met us at the door with what men we had left.

"Gad to see you're both in one piece," said MacCready.

We walked into the far room of Advanced Systems, but Preston stopped the group.

"That must be the reactor through the next room. We'll cover the General while she plants the charge. Remember, we only get one shot at this, everyone."

I nodded.

We opened the door and entered a long hallway. Laser turrets popped out of the ceiling immediately. Hancock sustained a wound on his shoulder and Preston on his forearm, but we were mostly alright.

We reached the main reactor room. It was a large room, darker than the rest of the Institute; it didn't have pretty white plastic walls but gray metal walls and grating with stairs leading up to the large reactor in the center. There were dim security lights on the walls and ceiling, not bright illuminating fluorescents.

Two more special unit Synths were stationed inside the room, and about ten other Gen-2 synths. More of our Minutemen were dying by the moment, and we were down to three volunteers left. MacCready took a bullet to the ribs, and Preston had to fight a Gen-2 Synth off of him.

It wasn't looking good, but I knew that we had come too far to lose now. Almost out of bullets, I continued to fight on through the robots and push myself to the limit. I was nicked on the face by a laser, barely moving out of the way in time before it burned a stripe onto my cheek.

I had to get up the stairs on the grating to get to the reactor. I made a run for it but was shot down. A laser pierced me right through my side, front to back. I fell to my knees and held onto the bloodied fabric of my General's uniform.

"Damn it!" I breathed, trying not to heave.

"Gwen!" Hancock rushed the Synth and blasted its head with his sawed-off. I saw him turned dot defend himself from an oncoming Synth who swung a metal baton at his head, but his gun clicked pathetically — out of ammo. The baton smacked Hancock across the head, knocking his hat to the floor and causing him to stumble backwards.