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Sico gave a short nod but didn't answer, as he went to think somehting. Nora who beside him, let her mind on the gorilla's eyes — and the uncomfortable truth that she couldn't tell if they'd been looking at her, or into her.
Sico stood there for another long moment, his eyes still on the gorilla, his expression unreadable. The big creature had shifted its weight again, the faint creak of muscle and bone — or whatever passed for those in its synthetic anatomy — barely audible through the thick glass. It was strange, Sico thought, how even without a sound, the animal felt present.
He finally turned his gaze back to Holdren.
"So," Sico said, his voice quieter now but no less direct, "if you can make that… then you could make others. Other animals. Wolves. Eagles. Brahmin that actually look like they did before the war. You could try for anything, couldn't you?"
Holdren straightened a fraction, the faintest trace of pride entering his voice. "Yes. That's correct. Our research and methods are not limited to a single species. Once we have the genetic framework and behavioral models, the process becomes largely a matter of technical execution."
Sico tilted his head slightly, a hint of a frown at the corners of his mouth. "So why stop at just the gorilla? If you've got the tech, why not bring back a whole damned zoo?"
The corner of Holdren's mouth twitched — not quite a smile, but something close. "Because science is not a race for the sake of spectacle. We don't want to rush it. Not yet. The gorilla is our pilot model. We still need to be absolutely certain of its viability before expanding to other species. Rushing into multiple projects increases risk exponentially — and given the resources involved, that's not a risk we're prepared to take."
Sico gave a dry chuckle that didn't quite reach his eyes. "So you're saying you're cautious."
"Prudent," Holdren corrected.
"Semantics," Sico said, glancing back at the glass enclosure. "What happens if your 'pilot model' goes wrong? You've built something that's got the strength to tear a man in half without even meaning to. If the programming fails… if the synthetic brain decides it's tired of being a science experiment…" He let the thought hang in the air.
Holdren met his gaze steadily. "We have safeguards."
"Yeah," Sico said softly. "I've heard that before too."
Nora, sensing the tightness in Sico's tone, stepped in. "If I remember right, there's only the two of them, isn't there? I saw them both when I first came down here."
Holdren nodded. "Yes. Two. A breeding pair, in theory, though of course… reproduction isn't the same as it would be for their pre-war counterparts. These are synth constructs. Any 'offspring' would be fabricated, not born. But maintaining them as a pair is important for behavioral accuracy."
Curie lit up at that, her voice full of excitement. "Fascinating! You replicate not only the biology but also the social structures! This would have enormous implications for long-term species restoration. If you can simulate the natural bonds, perhaps even the learned behaviors will follow, non?"
Holdren gave a small nod, clearly more comfortable discussing the technical marvel than fielding Sico's pointed questions. "That is part of the hypothesis, yes. Emotional and social dynamics are essential to creating a truly convincing organism. Without them, it's just an animatronic."
Sico crossed his arms, looking between Holdren and the gorilla again. "Convincing is one thing. But if you can make this, you can make something far more dangerous than a gorilla."
Holdren's reply was careful. "We could… but that is not our goal."
"Not yours, maybe," Sico said, his voice just a little sharper. "But you know as well as I do — the minute technology like this exists, someone will want to weaponize it."
That made Holdren's jaw tighten slightly. "Which is why we keep our research secure, under strict protocols. This work is not for the battlefield."
"Everything becomes for the battlefield eventually," Sico muttered.
For a moment, no one spoke. The gorilla shifted again inside the enclosure, leaning forward slightly, as though it could sense the undercurrent in the room. Its dark eyes flicked between each person, unblinking.
Nora exhaled softly, breaking the tension. "Clayton… aside from the ecological restoration angle, is there another reason you started with the gorilla? I mean, before the war, people bred animals for all kinds of reasons — agriculture, companionship, even prestige. But a gorilla… that's a hell of a place to start."
Holdren considered the question for a moment, then said, "It wasn't simply symbolic. Gorillas share a significant percentage of their DNA with humans — more than most other primates. They're also intelligent, social, and physically complex. If we could achieve authenticity at this level, we could then apply those lessons to a wide range of species. It's a cornerstone, not a flourish."
Curie clapped her hands lightly. "A cornerstone indeed! Oh, imagine — perhaps one day the forests will have their creatures again. Even the humblest insects! Without pollinators, the surface will never truly recover."
Sico's expression softened slightly at Curie's enthusiasm, though he didn't let it fully show. "Alright. You've got your pilot model. But I still want that report — and I want it to include your assessment of what happens if you do decide to move forward with other species. Risks, contingencies, security measures. All of it."
Holdren inclined his head. "You'll have it."
Holdren's gaze lingered on Sico for a moment, as if weighing whether to share what he was about to say. Then he drew in a slow breath.
"One of our more… successful models — aside from the gorilla — is the corvid project. Crows."
Sico's brow lifted just slightly. "Crows?"
"Yes," Holdren replied, the faintest trace of pride flickering in his voice again. "They've proven… remarkably effective. At first, it was an exercise in avian biology — small, intelligent creatures that could survive in almost any environment. But over time, we adapted the project to serve a more practical function. They've become an invaluable tool for monitoring the Commonwealth."
Nora's head tilted. "You mean… you've got spy birds?"
"In a manner of speaking," Holdren said, almost amused by the bluntness. "They behave as real crows would. They forage, they call to one another, they flock — down to the smallest nuances of movement and social interaction. To any observer, they are simply wildlife. But in truth…" He let his hand gesture lazily toward the ceiling, as though one might be perched up there right now. "…they are part of our surveillance network. Their visual and auditory sensors allow us to gather information without ever setting foot in certain areas. Entire swathes of the Commonwealth can be monitored in near-real time."
Curie's eyes went wide. "Mon dieu… so even as I have walked among them, I have perhaps been observed without knowing it! That is… unsettling, but also magnifique in its application."
Sico leaned his weight onto one leg, his expression unreadable again. "So, you've got eyes in the sky. A whole… murder of crows, keeping tabs on everything."
"That is the collective noun, yes," Holdren replied, and for a moment, his tone almost turned conversational. "A murder of crows. It feels apt, though their purpose is not violent."
"Not yet," Sico said quietly.
Holdren's mouth tightened at the edge. "Their purpose is intelligence gathering, not attack. They're fitted with safeguards as well — nothing that could be repurposed into a weapon without… extensive modification."
"Extensive modification," Sico repeated, letting the words roll off his tongue like they were worth tasting. "You realize that's just scientist-speak for 'someone with the right tools could make this dangerous as hell.'"
For a moment, the room felt heavier. The muted hum of the gorilla enclosure behind them seemed louder, like a low, distant engine.
Nora shifted slightly, glancing between the two men. "Clayton… how many of these crows are out there?"
Holdren's eyes flicked to her, and then back to Sico, as though the answer mattered more to him. "Dozens. Enough to create a lattice of observation points. Their programming keeps them from clustering unnaturally, and their flight paths are randomized to mimic natural behavior. It makes their presence virtually undetectable to anyone who isn't actively looking for anomalies in bird activity — which, I assure you, is rare."
"Dozens," Sico echoed. His mind was already pulling the pieces apart — calculating routes, imagining the blind spots, thinking about who might be under watch right this second without knowing it. "And you control them directly?"
"Mostly," Holdren admitted. "Their primary behaviors are autonomous, driven by their internal AI. But we can override when necessary — redirect them, instruct them to focus on certain areas, certain individuals. That override is used sparingly to preserve their cover."
Curie, still brimming with fascination, leaned forward slightly. "It is… a little like the messenger pigeons from centuries ago, non? Only instead of carrying letters, they carry entire streams of data."
Holdren's eyes softened in appreciation at the analogy. "Yes. Except these never need to land for rest, never lose their way, and never… defecate on the recipient."
That earned the faintest smirk from Sico. "That's… an upgrade, at least."
But then his expression hardened again. "Still — you've essentially built a silent, invisible network. Which means… the Institute knows damn near everything that happens topside."
"That's the intention," Holdren said simply. "In the Commonwealth, knowledge is survival. With the data from the corvid network, we can track dangerous movements — raider gangs, super mutant migrations, even the occasional Brotherhood patrol route. It allows us to prepare, to position resources effectively. We don't just watch — we act based on what we see."
"And when you act," Sico said slowly, "people bleed."
The air between them seemed to sharpen at that, but Holdren didn't flinch. "Sometimes. But sometimes, they live who would otherwise have died. That is the balance we manage."
Nora glanced at Sico, reading the shift in his posture — the subtle tension in his shoulders. She knew that look. He wasn't just assessing the usefulness of these birds; he was calculating what it meant if the wrong person took control of them.
"You said they act like real crows," Nora said, her voice a little softer now. "Do they… ever interact with real ones?"
"Yes," Holdren replied. "And interestingly, real crows seem to accept them without difficulty. There's no aggression, no avoidance. In fact, we've observed some wild crows mimicking the behavior of our constructs, as though learning from them."
Curie gasped, almost bouncing on her heels. "Cultural transmission! Oh, that is remarkable! If the wild population begins to adopt behaviors modeled by the synths, they could carry those patterns even if your network ceased to function!"
Holdren gave her a small nod. "It is one of the more… unexpected benefits of the project."
Sico's gaze drifted upward, toward the ceiling — though his mind's eye saw not steel and concrete, but the endless sky above the Commonwealth, scattered with black silhouettes on the wing. "So they're out there right now. Watching. Listening. Reporting."
"Yes," Holdren said, his tone calm, matter-of-fact.
"Which means," Sico continued, "if someone in the Republic sneezes wrong, you'll know about it before they find a handkerchief."
Holdren didn't confirm or deny — and that silence was all the answer Sico needed.
Sico's jaw shifted slightly, his eyes still fixed on Holdren but with a weight in them now, like a man piecing together a puzzle he'd been holding onto for too long.
"I've known about this for a while," he said at last, his voice lower, steadier. "The crows — as Institute spies."
Holdren's brows lifted faintly, but he didn't speak.
"Piper told me," Sico went on, his gaze never leaving the scientist. "Few months back. She'd heard rumors from traders, caravan guards, even a couple of drifters who swore they'd been followed by the same crow for days. She connected the dots before most. But we didn't have enough proof to make it stick. No hard evidence. Just stories and suspicion."
He let that hang for a beat, the faint hum of the gorilla's enclosure filling the space.
"So," Sico continued, "we had to let it slide. Couldn't afford to get tangled up in chasing ghosts when there were bigger fires to put out at the time."
Nora gave him a small glance — she could tell by the tightness around his mouth that it hadn't been an easy choice. Sico wasn't the kind of man who liked letting things slide, especially when it smelled of surveillance and manipulation.
Holdren, to his credit, didn't look defensive. If anything, he seemed almost curious. "And now that you have your… proof?"
Sico gave a short, humorless laugh. "Proof's a funny thing, Clayton. Sometimes it's a file full of hard data. Sometimes it's just the guilty man saying it out loud."
Curie tilted her head. "But, mon ami, is it not… reassuring in some way? That the birds do not simply exist for malice, but for order? Even Piper's suspicion was not enough to stop the work, because — perhaps — deep inside, you knew they were doing more good than harm."
Sico's eyes flicked to her for a heartbeat. "Or maybe I knew that kicking the hornet's nest before we had a plan would just get us stung."
The gorilla shifted again, its dark bulk moving in the enclosure with a slow grace. It pressed one massive hand against the glass, not in aggression, but in quiet curiosity, like it could feel the hum of tension passing between the humans.
Holdren's tone stayed even, but there was a slight tightening to it now. "If you had confronted us months ago, before understanding the full scope, you might have disrupted a network that has prevented more disasters than you realize."
Sico stepped a little closer, enough to shorten the space between them. "And if I'd confronted you months ago, maybe we'd have a better idea of where the line is drawn. You say these crows are for observation — fine. But observation is just step one, isn't it? First you watch. Then you start deciding who's a problem. Then you start acting on it."
"That is… a rather cynical progression," Holdren replied.
"It's the truth," Sico said simply. "I've seen it play out too many times in too many places."
Nora crossed her arms, her gaze shifting between the two men. "So, what you're both dancing around is this: the crows are a tool. Tools can be used for good or bad. Right now, you're using them for something that at least sounds like it benefits the Institute — and maybe even the Commonwealth. But the second someone with different priorities gets the keys…"
"Exactly," Sico said.
Holdren didn't bristle, but his voice cooled a touch. "Then perhaps the responsibility is to ensure those keys never change hands."
Sico gave him a long look. "That's the part that always sounds good in theory. Until reality shows up and kicks the door in."
Curie, unwilling to let the mood sink entirely into shadow, spoke up again. "But you must admit, the concept is… elegant. So much efficiency in such a small creature. And if the wild crows truly learn from them, then even if the Institute one day falls, some fragment of their design may live on in the natural world."
Sico's mouth twitched — not quite a smile, but a reluctant acknowledgment of her optimism. "You always find the bright side, Curie."
"Someone must," she said warmly. "Else we will drown in the dark."
For a moment, no one spoke. The low lighting of BioScience hummed around them, sterile yet alive with the sound of machinery and distant movement. Somewhere deeper in the facility, a door hissed open and shut again, a reminder that this place — for all its secrets — was still a living, breathing engine of activity.
Sico finally broke the silence, his voice a shade softer now. "Alright. I've got my confirmation. But understand this, Clayton — I'll want everything you have on the crow network. Patterns, capabilities, limitations. And I'll want it cross-checked by my own people."
Holdren hesitated, just for a moment. "That's… an unusual request."
"It's not a request," Sico said, his tone leaving no room for misinterpretation. "If these birds are flying over the Republic's borders, we need to know exactly what they can do. I'm not having some 'unmanned intelligence network' keeping tabs on my people without oversight."
Holdren's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Oversight is… not something the Institute typically allows."
Sico's smile was thin. "Then maybe it's time you start."
Nora, sensing the mounting edge in the air again, shifted the conversation slightly. "Clayton… when you built them, was there any thought about how the rest of the Commonwealth would react if they found out? I mean, most people don't exactly welcome the idea of being spied on by anyone, let alone the Institute."
"Which," Holdren said simply, "is why they will not find out."
"Secrets don't stay secret forever," Sico said.
"That," Holdren replied, "is why they are called secrets — because they can, in fact, stay secret if guarded well enough."
Curie frowned slightly. "But secrets have a way of… seeping through cracks, non? Like water through stone."
Holdren gave her a small, wry smile. "Then let us hope we have built a dam strong enough to hold."
The gorilla shifted again in the enclosure, its big, amber eyes following the conversation as though it understood more than anyone wanted to believe. Sico caught that gaze for a moment — a silent, heavy glance from one living creature to another — before turning back to Holdren.
"I'll tell you what I want, Clayton," he said finally, voice low but with that same edge that had been tightening in him since this talk started. "I want those crows of yours watching the Brotherhood."
That made the air go still in a way even the gorilla seemed to notice. Holdren's head tilted slightly, studying Sico like he'd just handed him a live grenade.
"The Brotherhood?" Holdren repeated, tone measured.
"That's right," Sico said. "You've got them flying all over the Commonwealth — weaving this little invisible net of yours over every settlement, every road, every scrap heap worth picking over. Fine. But I want a section of them — however many you can spare without tipping your hand — shadowing Brotherhood movements. Patrol routes. Convoys. Forward positions. Even who's bunking in what ship cabin if you can swing it."
Holdren's brows furrowed slightly, but his voice stayed calm. "The Brotherhood is already within our surveillance parameters. If they move through areas our network covers, we see them."
"That's not good enough," Sico cut in. "I don't want incidental sightings. I want focus. I want them tagged and tracked — every Paladin, every Knight, every Scribe you can keep an optic on. I want a running picture of their disposition, their numbers, their supply lines. And I want it now."
Nora glanced at Sico, surprise flickering across her face. She knew he didn't make demands like this lightly. Curie's brows drew together, a flicker of worry in her expression.
Holdren studied him for a long moment, the hum of BioScience's machinery filling the silence. "Why?" he asked finally.
Sico gave him a look like the answer should have been obvious. "Because they're gearing up for something. I've been seeing the signs for weeks — tighter formations, more armor in the field, shipments moving at odd hours. They're building to a push. And when the Brotherhood pushes…" He let the sentence trail off, but the weight of it landed just the same.
"They crush," Nora finished for him quietly.
"Exactly," Sico said, not breaking his stare with Holdren. "And I'm not about to let them stomp all over the Commonwealth — or the Republic — without knowing every inch of where they're moving and when."
Holdren folded his hands loosely in front of him, his expression unreadable. "You do realize that redirecting part of the network's focus would… reduce our coverage in other sectors."
"Then pick sectors that can afford the blind spots for now," Sico said. "Cut patrol frequency over the swamps. Ease up on the stretches of desert no one's crossed in months. Whatever it takes — but the Brotherhood gets priority until I say otherwise."
Curie tilted her head, hesitant. "Is it not dangerous to… how you say… put too many eggs in one basket? If you focus too heavily on one threat, you may miss another sneaking in from the shadows."
Sico didn't look at her, but his tone softened just slightly. "I get that, Curie. But sometimes you've got to put your eggs in the basket that's already on fire."
That pulled the faintest smirk from Nora, though it faded quickly. "What makes you so sure the Brotherhood's the one to worry about right now? I mean, they're always a threat, but—"
"They're not just moving equipment," Sico interrupted. "They're moving personnel. Specialists. Tech crews. The kind of people you bring in when you're setting up something big. And I've seen enough of their war doctrine to know they don't pull this kind of mobilization unless they're about to change the map."
Holdren's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you think this… change… will target you."
Sico let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh, I know it will. I just don't know if I'm the first stop or the last."
The gorilla let out a low, almost rumbling sound from the enclosure, shifting again as though the energy in the room was pulling it in. Its massive knuckles tapped against the reinforced glass once, twice, in slow, deliberate rhythm.
Holdren's gaze flicked to the sound, then back to Sico. "And what would you do with this information, if I were to give you the level of coverage you're asking for?"
"What do you think?" Sico said flatly. "I'll prepare. Move assets where they need to be. Cut them off if I can, slow them down if I can't. Maybe — just maybe — keep a war from spilling over into every settlement from here to Quincy."
"That is… a significant 'maybe'," Holdren replied.
"It's a better maybe than walking blind into whatever they're cooking up," Sico shot back.
Nora stepped forward a little, her voice quieter but steady. "Clayton, you know the Brotherhood won't stop at whatever their first target is. If they're gearing up for a large operation, the Institute's going to be on their radar whether you like it or not. This isn't just Sico's problem."
Holdren didn't answer immediately. He turned slightly, walking toward one of the terminal stations along the wall. The light from the screen painted a pale glow across his face as he pulled up a schematic — lines and dots representing the corvid network's coverage across the Commonwealth. Dozens of points blinked in slow rhythm, each one a pair of synthetic eyes and ears somewhere in the sky.
Sico stepped up beside him, eyes scanning the map. "How many of those could you retask without blowing your cover?"
Holdren's lips pressed into a thin line. "Perhaps… ten. But even that would risk creating patterns that could be detected if someone were truly observant."
"Then make them subtle," Sico said. "Stagger the redeployment. Change their behavior profiles slowly. Blend the new patrol routes into existing ones until it looks like nothing's changed."
"You seem remarkably comfortable giving orders about a system you do not control," Holdren said without looking at him.
"That's because I know exactly what happens when people sit on their hands waiting for trouble to knock politely," Sico replied.
Curie, still watching from a few steps back, sighed softly. "It seems to me that perhaps you both want the same thing — to protect the people you care for — but you are determined to argue about the method."
Sico glanced at her, a faint flicker of something warmer in his eyes. "Maybe. But in my experience, methods matter as much as intentions."
Holdren looked away from the screen and met Sico's gaze again. For a long moment, they simply regarded one another — not quite adversaries, not quite allies, each measuring the other's resolve.
Finally, Holdren spoke. "Very well. I will authorize a limited redeployment. The Brotherhood will receive… additional attention from the network."
Sico didn't smile, but there was the barest nod of acknowledgment. "Good."
"But," Holdren added, his voice sharpening just enough to cut the moment in half, "this is not a permanent shift. It will be evaluated weekly. If I determine it is compromising other critical surveillance, I will revert the coverage."
"You can evaluate all you want," Sico said. "Just make sure I get the reports."
Nora looked between them, sensing that they'd reached a fragile sort of agreement — one that could snap as easily as it had formed. "Alright. So, we've got eyes on the Brotherhood. What's our next move?"
Sico finally broke his stare with Holdren and looked at her. "Next move is to wait. Watch. And when they make their play…" His jaw tightened. "…we'll be ready."
Holdren turned back to the terminal, fingers already moving across the keys. On the map, several of the blinking points began to pulse differently, their flight patterns recalibrating in real time. Somewhere far above the Commonwealth, wings beat against cold air as black silhouettes changed course, their new paths tracing invisible lines toward Brotherhood territory.
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• Name: Sico
• Stats :
S: 8,44
P: 7,44
E: 8,44
C: 8,44
I: 9,44
A: 7,45
L: 7
• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills
• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint.
• Active Quest:-