The Cure For Curie (Complete!)

Man Down

She watched him as he raced past her out of the war room. John was very eager to find Preston. Finally, they were on the verge of winning the war between the Brotherhood of Steel. If they altered the Railroad's plan, Curie knew they could minimize casulaties. It had to work.

After the explosion that had destroyed the Institute, the Railroad had disbanded. The Brotherhood of Steel had turned their guns at them, fearing their 'cause'. The Railroad had been 'liberating' synths from the Institute for years. Curie knew their hearts were in the right place but they were diluted and their methods sloppy and dangerous. They usually ended up creating more harm than good. Curie still had nightmares of the horror aboard the Libertalia.

The Railroad had freed a synth from the Institute and wiped it's mind of the memories of it's slavery. Setting it loose through the Commonwealth had proven disastrous. Something had gone wrong. It had turned on the good people and persuaded it's group to raid and pillage instead. Their base had turned into a macabre museum dedicated to torment and murder.

Curie had been at the Sole Survivor's side when he had took down the synth. He had uttered it's shut down code and let the Institute Courser take it. It had been a better choice. The synth needed to be dealt with. Curie loved that about John, that if need be he always tried a peaceful end before violence.

She followed him now, the Survivor, across Castle's massive courtyard. She knew they'd find Preston on the ramparts, standing vigil against any outside threat. Preston only left his post to sleep. After killing the Mirelurk Queen to retake Castle, he would never let the wilds inside it's grand walls again.

Preston saw them approach and waved. A glint of hope on his tired face spoke to Curie's heart. She knew he wished that John was bringing him good news and she was excited they might finally have it.

"Good afternoon, General." Preston said as he stood in salute of his leader.

"Come on, Preston. I told you all that is unnecessary. John is fine."

"No can do, General. The world will never be rebuilt if proper respect can't be shown between the people in it."

The Sole Survivor sighed in resignation. There was no point in arguing with his friend, it never did him any good. Curie smiled at his frustration.

"So, do you bring good news?" Preston asked gesturing at the folder in John's hand.

"Yes, actually." John answered, handing him the folder. Preston looked at the words written on the front, mouthing them to himself. Shock grew in his eyes as he turned them back to John.

"General, you can't be serious. This plan is insane. We said as much when we found it in the old church."

"I know Preston, but hear me out. This could work. There is a way to do it and I'm sure I've figured it out."

"Yeah but this whole plan revolves around capturing one of their vertibirds. How are we supposed to get one of those?"

"We won't have to. That bird is going to come to us."

Curie watched as John put his arm around his old friend's shoulder, walking off down the rampart. She watched him excitedly begin telling his ideas until they were completely out of ear shot. She had faith in the plan but most of all, Curie had faith in him. He would see them to victory.

As she watched the pair deep in discussion down the way, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned and saw Shaun running towards her, waving for her attention. She stole one last look at the Sole Survivor before climbing down the crumbled wall to meet the boy in the courtyard.

The boy was not a boy at all, he was a synth. Considered an abomination inside the Institute's former inner circle, he had been created by John's real son known as Father. It was a parting gift of sorts. A way of restitution for the childhood that had been stolen. John would have his son forever now, a haunted memory of what might have been.

The boy being a synth didn't seem to bother John at all. He accepted him immediately and cared for him as he would have had he been his real son. She supposed John still felt the guilt of destroying the Institute and turning on Father. He had had no choice, both men had been able to see the truth in that.

Curie felt a different bond with the child. They had an unspoken connection of sorts. Shaun knew what he was and he found comfort knowing Curie was just like him. He had told her that it made him feel less alone in the world. The two spent many nights in the armory together, taking apart junk in the workshop there. He too had a thirst for knowledge that seemed unquenchable.

"Mother, has father found what I needed yet?"

"Sorry Shaun, not yet. He has been busy in the war room for days." She answered to his hopeful expression. He deflated a little but understood what his father and the Minutemen were trying to accomplish.

It had been five years since the collapse of the Institute. The boy had unfortunately been in war his whole life. He had no clue what a world of peace could look like. She knew that John wanted nothing more than to show him.

Six months ago Shaun had approached Curie after they had spent another long day in the armory. She had spent the day helping the kid modify an old laser rifle as a present for his father. Shaun had asked Curie if he could refer to her as 'mother'. He knew she was not his mother, that he didn't really have one, but that he felt close enough to her. That she was deserving of the title. It had touched her heart so deeply that Curie could only say yes.

Now their bond was unbreakable. He was now her son as well. She tended to him like a mother should, her old nanny bot routines kicking in. She knew if someone tore him from her, she would tear apart the Wasteland much like the Sole Survivor had done to find him.

"I saw him talking to Mr. Garvey. Does that mean he is leaving soon?"

"Probably. They will be preparing for a big mission. That will take time."

"Can I help?" Shaun asked with excitement.

Curie nodded her response and pulled the boy in for a hug. Even though they were both synths, the more human like interactions she took part in, the less robotic she felt. She was slowly forgetting that she was a robot at all. She wondered if the boy was suffering the same delusions. She hoped so.

Yelling pulled her away from their moment. The whole settlement had begun to scramble. She turned, looking for the cause of the commotion. She could see a large Paladin dressed in power armor walking slowly toward the front gates. He was shouting, pleading with the Minutemen to not shoot. He was also carrying something large in his hands. She couldn't tell what exactly it was from this distance, but it looked like a body.

"Go, run to the armory Shaun. Ronnie will keep you safe." She said as she pushed the boy towards the door.

She could see John commanding his men to put down their weapons as he ran to greet the intruder. Taking one look at what the Paladin held carefully in his arms, he began shouting for Curie. She was a trained battle medic, she was the most qualified to help.

She began her sprint towards the now large group of people congregating at the front gate. Pushing her way through the crowd, she finally saw what was wrong. The power armored soldier was indeed carrying a body, a small woman to be exact. Taking one look at her face, Curie's heart dropped to her stomach. It was Scribe Haylen, their one ally inside the Brotherhood of Steel.