บท 316: Roasting yourself...

Mobius continues, "That is why I had the Think Tank send you here. So they couldn't dissect you and find out the secrets of Lobotomites retaining their minds."

Honestly, Afton would be shocked at this revelation if it weren't so obvious... Mobius had been the one to initially point the Think Tank in the direction of the technologies, and it was on their schematics that Klein had found the override code to enter the Forbidden Dome. They even had Mobius' notes literally pointing towards them! Talk about obvious!

Still, that didn't solve what Mobius wanted to do with him now. Afton's initial thought of shooting Mobius in the face had long been forgotten. The scientist was the most morally 'just' person out of the entire group, and he wouldn't feel right killing someone who'd done almost everything in their power to save the Wasteland from his friends 'science', even at the expense of their trust and friendship.

Afton didn't know if he'd be able to do the same if he found himself in a similar situation... Could he hypnotise Veronica, Christine, Karl, Boone, or even Tamia to stop them doing something awful, likely saving ten of thousands of lives in the process? He honestly doubted it.

"So, now that I'm here... What's your goal?" Afton asks, ready to blow Mobius to pieces if he detected any hostility.

"Why, to put your brain back in its rightful place, and send you on your way. Once you are gone, I will attempt to reprogram the Think Tank again, after all of that is done, I will return to eating Mentats and... Whatever else I usually do around here...? Anyway, why do think I specifically got the Think Tank to gather those technologies... Without them, putting your brain back in your head would be rather difficult."

Afton raises a brow, "How'd you mean? I can't really see how the X-2 Antenna would assist with them. Nyx monitors my vital signs so she'd be invaluable for surgery, but the Sonic Emitter? My head would explode if that was used on me..." he mutters, grimacing at the thought.

"The X-2 Antenna can be used to focus your Alpha wave frequency thought patterns, and the Sonic Emitter was originally intended to be a vertebrae-pulse-de-sensitizer."

"Ah... Ok..." Afton mutters, wondering if they actually did what he says, or if the senile scientist is just babbling again. "Er, don't take this the wrong way, but... When's the last time you flushed your Bio-gel? You-know you've gotta do it every couple of years youknow, cellular degradation, etc."

"Hmm, well, I don't remember the last time... I can't exactly to it myself, can I?"

Afton shrugs, finally sheathing his weapon, "I'd be willing to do it for you... Of course, this would also come with a few caveats..."

"Caveats? Is that a type of candy?"

Afton shakes his head, "I'll just say it bluntly... I am not leaving after getting my brain back." he states, Mobius going silent for a while, seemingly dumbfounded.

"But why? Unless you like the feeling of scalpels scraping your blood-brain-barrier?" Mobius asks.

"Because I intend to take full control of Big Mt. That includes the Think Tank, and the Forbidden Dome... Along with everything within them."

"Ah, you mean me? I think I've heard of your type before... Those Robo-sexuals right? Well too bad! I'm determined to become a wishard, so no touching my brain!"

...

"No... What I am going to do is get Big Mt working again. Properly, without the meaningly Lobotomizations, and scientific catastrophes that are the Cazadors and Night Stalkers. I'm going to put you all to work, as my personal scientists." he says with a toothy grin.

"But... That won't work! For many raisins! The Think Tank won't listen to you! They won't listen to anyone!"

Afton crosses his arms, "That may be true, but you've been controlling them with fear, and subconscious mental suggestions. I'll go a similar route, Fear of what I'll do to them should they disobey me, but hope of the possibilities we'll create together. I am sure a few would appreciate having their human bodies back..."

"But... But..." Mobius trails off, not really knowing how to respond to this abrupt change.

"Now, Mobius. I'll give you a choice, we'll work together in keeping the Think Tank under control. We'll see to your mental instability, hopefully allowing you to fight back whatever senility has taken over. But, even if you agree you must remember one thing... You. Work. For. Me... Do you understand?"

...

"I... I suppose it would be worth a shot. Perhaps my methods were too, hm, compassionate? Do what you must... Ah, your brain is up there by the way..." Mobius says, pointing a manipulator at a large machine at the top of some stairs.

Afton nods, "Good to be working with you, Doctor." he states, leaving Mobius to mull over everything while he approaches the machine.

He presses the button on the front, and steam starts slowly releasing from various valves. Eventually, the top of the tank raises, revealing a glass dome, in which a brain floats into view... It didn't look like a regular brain, thin green vines seemed to be wrapping themselves around it, and every part of the brain that touched them was covered in black veins.

"Man you're ugly."/"Man you're ugly." Afton says, but is dumbfounded to hear a robotic voice saying the exact same thing... Did his brain just talk to him?... And insult him?

Afton shakes his head, smirks and points at it, "Jinx!" he says, just before the brain manages to do the same.

"Oh, come on! I want a re-do, this voice module is too slow! Piece of junk." the brain complains.

"As the age-old rules of 'Jinx' dictate, you owe me one thing. And that thing is to sit inside my head again."

"That it? I was going to do that anyway... I feel so weak without the system to help me out, that's not even mentioning the lack of limbs."

"Or dragon." Afton states, finding it somewhat interesting that his brain would know about the system, despite being its own entity at this point. Though it did raise questions, what was the system actually attached to, since his brain couldn't access it, that meant it was attached to his body, right?

"Grrr! Don't you remind me, bastard! It doesn't really matter anyway, it isn't like you were putting it to use, aside from dates with your hand!" the brain retorts, dealing a fatal blow to Afton's self-esteem.