The General: Reunions

Chapter 17: The Forged and the Slog

Resting before they went after the Forged, they were fortunate the Finches had a spare bed, allowing Heather and him to get some needed rest.

Helping the Finches collect their fruits and vegetables the next day while Heather finished resting, Mason wiped the sweat off his forehead as the sun rose. As the Finches woke up, Mason walked up to Curie, figuring out what she needed to talk about.

"Is now a better time to converse?" she questioned.

"Everything alright?"

"On the whole, no. It is not. I have spent much effort gathering information in our travels so far. And my self-diagnostics have come to a grim conclusion. It is not lack of data or lack of collaboration which stifles my scientific progress. The inescapable truth is there has never been a great robot scientist."

"Your research ain't all that bad," Mason tried to reassure her.

"You are polite to say this. But if something does not change, my efforts will be mere stagnation. The greatest scientific minds, the Einsteins and the Curies, my namesake, have had something beyond raw data analysis capabilities. They have had a spark. This elusive inspiration is something I must possess."

"Worryin' me, Curie. Can you elaborate?"

"There is no need to worry. If I am to advance my understanding of medicine in this strange world, I must embark on a great adventure. I must become human, or as close as I can. I must find a way to download all that I am into a human brain."

Was something like that possible? Sure, Mason heard of synths, but generally, they looked and acted too much like a machine to blend in, though what happened in Diamond City suggested otherwise.

"Don't need to be an Einstein. World needs doctors, not people playing God."

"Those that know things, guard them jealously. The Brotherhood of Steel, the Institute, they horde knowledge. The only way we will progress as a society is in the free flow of ideas. If you find someone- a brain surgeon, an artificial intelligence programmer, or someone who is an expert in matters of the head, please bring me to them."

That raised a few questions. How did she know about the Brotherhood of Steel? Mason hadn't brought them up in front of her before, and if he did, he didn't really say much. Heather may have, but it didn't explain how she knew what they did. As for the types of people she was looking for, it was likely impossible to find either one.

While eating, Mason spoke to Abraham about leaving the Power Armor there while clearing out the old ironworks, taking the cores with them. After putting his armor on, Mason shouldered his bag, grabbed the others, and began their walk.

When Mason heard about the Forged, he'd hoped they were better than normal raiders. At least better fighters than other raiders and Super Mutants. Even better than the synths they'd fought. Maybe a few firetraps. But they were... disappointing.

The first two Mason gave a pass to, having caught them off guard. While they had managed to warn their friends, he snapped their neck before they pulled out their weapon, Heather turning one nearby to ash.

Making sure his helmet was secure, Mason turned to Heather.

"Time to fight," Mason muttered, getting ready as one charged towards them.

"I got your back," Heather responded, Mason going down the steps.

Blocking a bat as one swung at him, Mason kicked the man back, swearing he heard something break. The guy went down, holding his family jewels, while Mason picked up his bat. Swinging the back, Mason smashed the man's head in, preventing him from recovering. Honestly, Mason winced when he kicked the guy. Got kicked there before when a woman mistook Mason for his brother. Needless to say, Mason cursed him out when he saw him.