"We're here" Conrad said, turning the hummer's key and pulling it out of the ignition.
The two had driven about half an hour from Alpha and out into the desert surrounding Chicago in order to reach Bunker Sigma. Carter looked around. Conrad had parked a few yards from an abandoned Red Rocket gas station.
"No, this can't be Sigma. You're joking" Carter said, waiting for Conrad to start smiling and turn the vehicle back on.
"Let's go" Conrad said while gritting his teeth.
He got out of the vehicle and shut the door, walking to the building.
"The fuck?" Carter whispered, getting out and following behind the Paladin.
They walked in. The floor was littered with trash, and on the walls were hung various signs: American propaganda posters, a metal nuka-quantum ad, and a Vault-Tec calender.
"Really going for "abandoned" these days? Should station some guards topside, pretend they're scavengers" Conrad muttered to himself. He walked over to the service counter and felt underneath.
"There", Conrad hit a button and the nuka-quantum ad shifted upwards, revealing a hand scanner and mic. He pressed his hand to the scanner and waited. A chime came from the mic.
"Hello Conrad Smith. Please state your entry passcode to proceed" an English-sounding, male voice said.
"Doubts of today" Conrad said, removing his hand from the scanner. "It's good to hear you Silas"
"Likewise sir. Welcome home" Silas said. A clanking noise started from behind a nearby wall, and shortly after a panel pulled out and away, revealing a black door with blue lighting, painted on it in white was an E circled by stars.
"After you Knight" Conrad said, waving ahead.
Carter slid open the door and stepped into an elevator. Conrad entered and pushed a lit button on the side. The doors closed and the two descended into the depths of Bunker Sigma.
"You lived down here?" Carter asked, pressed against the wall trying not to bump into Conrad. Even without power armor the man had a large build.
"I did, for the first twelve years of my life. After I joined the Brotherhood I was mostly in between bases here and there" Conrad replied.
The elevator stopped and the door opened. The two soldiers stepped into a dark hallway, at the end were two guards dressed in strange power armor, almost as strange as the Brotherhood's beastly set. The helmet was bug-like and had wires running along the back. From shoulder to shoulder was a ridge that must've cut the wearer's field of vision on the sides.
"Paladin Lord Conrad Smith, here to pick up the new members of Sigma Squad" Conrad stated.
The guards looked to one another.
"Of course sir, we've been expecting you" one of the guards said.
"Is there a reason you're acting odd?" Conrad asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes sir. We received an urgent message this morning, from the Head Paladin rumors are saying. Council meeting at Bunker Beta. Your uncle left before sunrise" the other guard answered.
Carter looked to Conrad, "Danse didn't say anything" he said.
"No, he didn't. Thank you two" Conrad said, going through the door. They entered a room not unlike Danse's command center with several hallways leading off into different sections. Scribes were roaming about with files and sitting at terminals, the central table was a holographic board showing a detailed map of the area.
"Let's get to the barracks" Conrad said.
The two found themselves in a long room filled with bunkbeds, more neat and uniform than the ones in Osceola and Alpha. Most of the bunks were empty, their occupants elsewhere. Conrad kept tapping his feet on the floor while reading through the personnel files Danse had given him.
"What? Nervous about your new squad?" Carter asked.
"No. Wondering about the message Shepherd sent General Smith. He didn't tell us anything, come to think, did you see him anywhere in the base before we left?" Conrad said.
"Can't say I did, but he must've had a good reason not to tell anyone he was leaving for a meeting. Secret assignment?" Carter replied.
A door on the far side opened and three people walked in, a ghoul in red combat armor, a man in beastly power armor painted with yellow stripes, and a woman in black recon armor. The new Sigma Squad. Conrad stood straight up.
"Greetings soldiers. I'm Paladin Lord Conrad, your new squadleader. This is Knight Carter, another member of Sigma Squad" Conrad said. "I'd begin briefing but it seems we're missing someone..."
Not a second later Carter felt someone behind him and smelled a powerful aroma, like wet dog fur.
"Oh, what the-" Carter started.
"Present" a guttural voice behind him said.
Carter turned to see a large beast, long arms and legs covered in shaggy fur and spiral horns protruding from the back of a dragon-like snout.
"D-deathclaw?" Carter stuttered.
The creature nodded and walked to stand next to the other recruits.
Conrad looked over to Carter and smiled, "Said you'd be surprised"
"Can we get on with this? Already know these folks, know you Conrad, don't know this other guy but don't think that matters" the woman in recon armor said.
"Yes. Junior Paladin Aisha, stealth expert. Paladin Gregor, explosives e-" Conrad started.
"Eh eh, all due respect sir, I prefer "heavy weapons specialist". Much more to the job than bombs" Gregor interrupted.
"Okay, Paladin Gregor, heavy weapons specialist. Scribe Leon, field medic. And Senior Knight Mara, scout. Knight Carter, squad marksmen. You are all soldiers of the Brotherhood of Steel. Today, you also become soldiers of Sigma Squad. After this briefing we will depart Bunker Sigma and make the drive to Bunker Alpha. In two days we are to accompany Alpha Squad on a mission to take one of Maxson's outposts. Further briefing for that mission will follow. You may spend the time between then and now to get to know your squadmates, or whatever else may please you, but be ready. We leave in ten, dismissed.
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Danse, Hyde, and four others sat in a large room around a table engraved with the Brotherhood's coat of arms. The Council's meeting chambers. All those present were silent, Danse decided someone had to break the silence. "Hyde, thank you. I didn't believe you, none of us did. Now we can prepare"
"Bah, I need no thanks. I knew I was correct, that is all that was required. Speaking of preparing however-" Hyde started.
"No. You're lucky the rest of us decided against taking action against your choice to reactivate those behemoths. How many others have you been fucking with?" General Smith said, an older mirror of Conrad.
"Only-" Hyde tried to say.
"Only, too many. We all know what they can do, half of us were on this council during the M3W Incident. Hyde, you yourself fought against the Calculator's forces during the war" a bald woman in combat armor stated.
"I did, Head Inquisitor Evitt. I saw what the robots are capable of firsthand, and know they can help us now. They are quite fantastic at dealing with organic assailants I must say. Head Paladin Shepherd, Head Scribe Lola, Elder Defcon, your opinions on the matter?" Hyde said.
"Let's wait for Nike and Patrick before that Elder" Danse said. "But in the meantime, Hyde, before the others get here. Tell us everything you've found in your research"
"Where to begin" Hyde muttered.
General Smith leaned back in his chair and began picking at his fingertips. "Let's start with the big question doctor. What the hell was West-Tek doing in Chicago?"