章節 11: Meeting the Think Tank

I began looking around the Sink. I found instead of three lockers in the master bedroom there was only one locker and a door. The door was unlocked. I opened it to find a fully functioning bathroom with a toilet and shower… I guess the only sink in the Sink was the one next to the biological research station. Now that I think about it I'm glad the sink wasn't in the bathroom. I didn't need her yapping at me while I took a shit or was in the shower.

I took a minute to take off my patient's gown and take a shower. I saw the fresh scares I had gotten recently. One was over my heart and I felt the one on that ran around my "Spine". My head was shaved. Some small fuzz had started to grow back in. But I knew it would be shaved again when I got my brain back in my head. The water was nice and warm. When I got out of the shower I noticed there were no towels or toilet paper for that matter. The next thing that happened I felt as if my entire body was dried off with warm air. I took a closer look at the toilet, It had a bidet.

I shook my head and looked down at my left wrist to see my Pip-Boy. I had long ago moved it from my right wrist. I looked down at it's white text on the dark green screen. No yellow or green hud. I had decided it was time to spend my caps on uping my SPECIAL stats. My current stats are S9.P10.E8.C1.I10.A6.L10. Well I guess I'll get my Agility to 8 and place the last 5 upgrades in Charisma. I watched as 42000 caps turned into blue particles. I felt the difference with my Agility as soon a placed two points in. I felt more flexible. My limbs were responding quicker. I wondered why I didn't notice my SPECIAL stats up before. My conclusion was that I usually only increased my SPECIAL stats by one point at a time. So it had a slow rasing effect making it hard for me to notice before. The next thing I noticed my body was in a lot of pain. I quickly made my way to the bed to lie down.

[Endurance Check Success]

[500 EXP]

I felt as my body changed. My hips widen, my boobs swell, my muscles tear themself apart and reform. I almost passed out from the pain. After an hour my body stopped feeling like it was being smashed by a Deathclaw with a grudge. I look over myself and moved away from the bed. I saw what looked to be millions of dead skin cells that had flaked off and what looked to be some dark oily liquid that stank to the high havens left behind on the bed sheets. I quickly stripped the bed sheets and threw them out on the balcony. I then ran to take another shower. It took 3 hours for me to feel clean. I looked over my body to see the changes. My breasts had gone from B-cups to C-cups. My skin had taken on a healthier appearance. My hips and backside were bigger. And my dick had looked to grow an inch and a half. I had felt unbalanced for a few minutes. I had to get used to my new proportions. I finally got dressed in the sniper outfit. I love the fact outfits auto-fit any body type.

S9.P10.E8.C6.I10.A8.L10

AP 89 CW 290 Caps 44026 EXP 660

Skills

Barter 100

Energy Weapons 40

Explosives 43

Guns 85 (+20) [Sniper Outfit]

Lockpick 100

Medicine 64

Melee 33

Repair 100

Science 96

Sneak 43

Speech 39

Survival 39 (+20) [Sniper Outfit]

Unarmed 39

[Barter has been maxed out]

[Max Stat Perk choice]

[Buyer's Tongue] Gain a 50% discount on all purchases with vendors.

[Voice of a Salesman] Gain a 50% Markup when selling to vendors.

I chose Voice of a Salesman. If Buyer's Tongue didn't have the restriction of vendors I would of pick it. But I doubted it would apply to the MannCo upgrade station or the Group Chat shop. But the Voice of a Salesman would help get more caps. And I could use caps on the MannCo upgrade station. I thought of spending more of my caps on self-upgrades but decided against it for the moment. I wanted to wait until I had my brain and spine back in my body. I found another set of sheets so I placed them on the bed. I had put it off long enough. It was time to have a long talk with the Think Tank.

I took the elevator down to the Think Tank. I read a few mags on the trip down. I wasn't going to miss EXP if I could help it. I felt as if I no longer needed my weapons. Why would I? I was just going to talk to the Think Tank. I was just going to climb up the ramp and talk to the Think Tank.

"I THOUGHT I HEARD THE PACIFICATION FIELD KICK IN. ALL RIGHT, SHHH. NOBODY. MOVE. I'LL HANDLE THIS. BE WARNED, INTRUDER! YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MIGHTY THINK TANK OF BIG MT, THE COLLECTIVE GENIUSES OF… WE… BY OPPENHEIMER, WHICH ONE OF YOU SELF-PROFESSED GENIUSES HAS BEEN ADJUSTING MY VOLUME KNOB? WHO WAS IT?! WAS IT YOU, 8?" Doctor Klein

"XXXX!" 8

(AN: Fuck writing out terminal junk text. All you are getting out of 8 is XXXX until someone fixes his voice processor.)

"OH, "DR. O." WAS IT? LIKEY STORY, O COULDN'T SPARK TWO NEURONS IF THEY WERE IN LATTICE IN A LATTICE OF BIOMED GEL." Doctor Klein

*What? Me? Breaking news, Klein, it wasn't me, I've been two busy trying to put out the fires caused by that satellite that took out X-22. Check with 8. He is the soundwaves guy. You always do this, you always demean me in front of guests! And it's not "O," all right, it's…!* Doctor O

"ENOUGH! EITHER OF YOU DO IT AGAIN, IT'LL BE THE LAST TIME. NOW… NOW… GREAT. NOW I FORGOT WHAT I WAS SAYING… WHAT WAS I TALKING ABOUT?" Doctor Klein

"Hi, so I just got here and why was I given unasked for surgy?"

"DID… IT JUST SAY SOMETHING? ANYONE CATCH THAT? BOROUS, YOU WORK WITH ANIMALS, TRANSLATE." Doctor Klein

-It's a LOBOTOMITE. Here! In the DOME!- Doctor Borous

"OH, AS IF THIS SITUATION COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE, NOW WE'VE GOT LOBOTMITES. DALA, GET THE SPRAY BEFORE IT EXCERETES ALL OVER EVERYTHING." Doctor Klein

"So I wake up here fucking cold all cut up. I want some answers."

"Dr.Klein… if my hypothesis is correct, this Lobomite is the repository of the brain we sent the signal to - the skinvelope once containing it. If so, it's proof that there may indeed be something beyond the Crater. Just look at it… the way it blinks. It's like a big hairless teddy bear." Doctor Dala

"I KNOW WHAT IT IS, DALA, I WANT TO KNOW WHY IT'S DOWN HERE. WITH ITS… ITS LIMBS ALL OVER EVERYTHING. AND… ARE THOSE… PENISES I SEE WRIGGLING ON ITS FEET? DISGUSTING." Doctor Klein

"I believe those are toes, Dr. Klein. Little teddy bear toes. Penises are much larger then those tiny extremities… Eh, not that I would know." Doctor Dala

*I don't recall the human penis being that large.* Doctor O

"It depends on one's own frame of reference, Doctor O. Look at its little nose with its two orifices for ingesting oxygen." Doctor Dala

"NOSE? BY THE GREAT STATIC, THESE LOBOMITES CONFOUND ME WITH THEIR SHEER NUMBER OF USELESS EXTREMITIES." Doctor Klein

[Science Check Sucess]

[55 EXP]

"NOW IT'S HOLDING UP AN ARRAY OF FULLY-ERECT HAND PENISES. IF IT TRIES TO INSERT THEM, ACTIVATE VIVISECTORS." Doctor Klein

-Dr. Klein, WAIT! I… I don't believe those gestures were random. Random AT ALL. It's been following our conversation! The Lotomite… understands us!- Doctor Borous

"I agree with Brorous' histrionic findings. This little Lobotomite is unusually attentive for something whose brain has been extracted." Doctor Dala

"NONSENSE. LOBOTONITES CAN'T COMPREHEND US." Doctor Klein

"XXXX?" 8

*8, have you been in the Mentats again? If we slow down our auro-processo-receptors to this excretion, we'll all be rendered ignorant!* Doctor O

"ALL OF YOU, POWER DOWN, SHUT UP AND LET ME PROVE ONCE AND FOR ALL HOW WRONG YOU ALL ARE. AS USUAL. LOBOTOMITE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? CAN YOU SPEAK?" Doctor Klein

"Well yes, I can hear and understand you. It's not like your speaking in an accent beyond my range of comprehension."

"THOSE WERE WORDS, WEREN'T THEY? IN THE FORM OF SARCASM. IS THIS SOME KIND OF TRICK?" Doctor Klein

-Our efforts have turned against us! In play GOD, we created a MONSTER!- Doctor Borous

"Perhaps as we were ruthlessly lobotomizing it with our cutters, we filled this skinevelope with… awareness. A teddy bear with new stuffing." Doctor Dala

*Wait. If what you're theorizing is this Lobotomite understands us… can reason with us…* Doctor O

"THEN THIS MAY BE JUST THE ANSWER WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR. AT LAST, A CHANCE TO…" Doctor Klein

"Can you please just answer my question about the surgery so I can get my perks!"

"THAT RESPONSE SEEMED DAMANDING, AS IF CUTTING TO THE CASE. UH… CHASE. HOW SURGICAL. REMINDS ME OF…" Doctor Klein

"XXXX!" 8

-Dr. Klein! A TRANSMISSION from the FORBIDDEN Zone! Coming right at US!- Doctor Borous

"IT CAN ONLY BE…" Doctor Klein

"If it isn't my old colleagues, the mighty "Think Tank" of Big MT. Big FOOLS, all of you. It is I, Dr. Mobius, transmitting from my dome-shaped… dome in the Forbidden Zone. A zone… that is, yes… forbidden to you. Even now my deadly Robo-Scorpions swarm across Big MT with their pincers and pointy laser tails. Soon, all Science will be mine. Even the technologies sealed in the Big MT research centers cannot save you. So cower in your "Think Tank." Wait, for the end. That's all. I have a fire to put out, goodbye." Doctor Mobius

"MOBIUS. ALWAYS THE SAME BROADCAST. HE'S CLEARLY MAD, DRIVEN INSANE BY HIS FLAWED AND IMPRECISE KINDERGARTEN-LEVEL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY." Doctor Klein

*What are we going to do? There's no way we can breach the Forbidden Zone. There's those robot scorpions everywhere!* Doctor O

-The FORBIDDEN ZONE, where no brain has EVER entered! Nor ever RETURNED.- Doctor Borous

"Except Dr.Mobius. And the technologies that could save us, they are out of our reach." Doctor Dala

"AND DR. MOBIUS MOKS US. DID YOU SEE HIS CRACKED MONITOR? HE'S CLEARLY LET HIMSELF GO." Doctor Klein

"XXXX." 8

*What? Ask the Lobotomite for help? 8, I think you need the fluid levels in your logic-assist-pumps checked.* Doctor O

"If this Lobotomite responded, Dr. Klein, then it is clearly intelligent, perhaps even displays heretofore unknown levels of helpfulness." Doctor Dala

-But what of its brain? We scooped that out! We don't We don't even know where we left it! And for putting it back in… none of us have the knowledge!- Doctor Borous

"Yes, but it's still aware and responsive. Look at it… it's regarding us even now, with its big teddy bear eyes. If we ask it politely and leave the part about the unnecessary ruthless lobotomizing out, it might be favorably disposed to us." Doctor Dala

"So you removed my brain?"

"We removed your brain, yes. So soft. Barely wrinkled, yet so… flush with knowledge and experience. Brain extraction technology has been standard practice at Big MT for an immeasurable amount of time." Doctor Dala

-Once the brain was out, then came the COILS. The TESLA coils… the coils of NIKOLA Tesla.- Doctor Borous

[New Perk: Brainless]: Your brain has been replaced with advanced technologies: Your head can no longer be crippled and is resistant to chem addiction (+25% resistance) and shock from bodily damage (+5% Damage Threshold, minimum +1).

"XXXX." 8

*Yeah, 8, no need to brag. Wherever your brain is, it's transmitting thoughts to you through the… what… the, um… uh…* Doctor O

-The TESLA COILS! In Its HEAD!- Doctor Borous

"This is fortunate in many respects. If your brain was anywhere in the Dome, why, you could access your aggression centers." Doctor Dala

"CIRCUMVENTING THE PACIFICATION FIELD. THIS IS A NO-NO. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A FIGHT. WE DO NOT WANT THAT." Doctor Klein

-Reminds me of my days in American High. And Richie Marcus.- Doctor Borous

"That doesn't explain the laser-sutures on my chest… and on my spine."

[Medicine Check Sucess]

[55 EXP]

"DALA. WAS IT NECESSARY THIS TIME?" Doctor Klein

"I assume full responsibility. I take my duties in the prodding and excision of living, breathing tissue quite seriously. Although in truth, the Auto-Doc had done most of the work already. Quite industrious, almost cut into all my investigations. Once it had removed the brain and I misplaced it, other organs began to cry for direction using your nerves as telegraph wires. Rather then let them send their signals, I removed them as well. SHh, little organs. Go to sleep in your tanks, Dala loves you." Doctor Dala

-First, was the HEART! If I MIGHT add had some odd DEVICE attached to it.- Doctor Borous

[New Perk: Heartless]: Your heart has been replaced with advanced technologies: You cannot be poisoned, and filters in your heart will also regulate bleeding and healing, allowing all healing items (chems) to function at a higher level. Robots are now confused by you and 50% less likely to score a critical hit.

"XXXX." 8

-Wait, I mean… SECOND was the heart. Brain was first. THIRD… was the SPINE.- Doctor Borous

[New Perk: Spineless]: Your spine has been replaced with advanced technologies: Your torso can no longer be crippled and your Strength (STR) and Damage Threshold (DT) have been increased (+1)

*Spine. Totally overrated, that arrangement of vertebrae. "Look at me, with my lumbar and thoracic curvature." Never had a use for any of that. Spineless is what I prefer.* Doctor O

"You took out my brain, heart, and spine. But what do you mean by you "misplaced" it?"

"To be correct, you should say. "the Atuo-Doc" took out your brain. It did all the heavy lifting. It has never worked so hard before. It was unusual. It worked so hard on your surgery, it destroyed its own memory. Zzt. How odd. I bet your brain remembers what happened." Doctor Dala

"THAT ATUO-DOC-JUNKHEAP WAS ONE OF MOBIUS' CREATIONS, LIKE THE REST OF THE TALKING SCRAP METAL IN THE ATTIC." Doctor Klein

*After that, the brain lost itself - not in the metaphysical sense. Might have gotten flushed into one of the pipes. Actually, that's pretty likely* Doctor O

-If do, it was FLUSHED all the way to MOBIUS! Fwooooooooosh! That… is the sound of FLUSHING.- Doctor Borous

"BY THE FISSURE OF ROLANDO… ENOUGH OF THIS BIOLOGICAL SURGERY TALK. LOBOTOMITE, LISTEN TO MY VOICE. IT DENOMINATES ME TO ASK, BUT… WE NEED YOUR HELP. IN MOST PROBABLE OF PROBABILITIES, OUT ENMY, MOBIUS, HAS YOUR BRAIN. THIS IS NOT GOOD. HE WILL MOST LIKELY COME AFTER OUR BRAINS NEXT. WE WANT YOU TO STOP HIM. SOMEHOW. WITH SCIENCE." Doctor Klein

"Sure sure what do you need of me."

"YES. IT IS OUR ONLY CHANCE, A DESPERATE PLAN THAT CAME TO US AFTER MOBIUS' FIRST BROADCAST. MAYBE... JUST MAYBE… IF WE RECLAIM THESE BURIED TECHNOLOGIES, WE CAN PUT AN ENS TO MOBIUS AND THE HORRORS SPAWNING FROM THE FORBIDDEN ZONE." Doctor Klein

"What exactly is the plan? You're losing me in the generalities, I need specifics."

[Intellgentce Check Success]

[500 EXP]

"THE PLAN IS VERY COMPLICATED. WE ARE STILL CALULATING HOW IT WOULD WORK IF IT SUCCEEDED. THAT IS OUR PART OF THE PLAN." Doctor Klein

"Can't you do it?"

"UM. NO." Doctor Klein

"Why not?"

"You… are equipped to retrieve the technologies with your primitive form. We are not." Doctor Dala

*It's kind of embarrassing. You have hands. And… uh, a heartbeat, sort of. And eyes. Mostly the hands. There's door handles, and lockers, and…* Doctor O

"ENOUGH. WE NEED YOUR HELP. WILL YOU HELP US?" Doctor Klein

"I already said I would. So what is the plan?"

"EXCELLENT. THIS IS TURNING OUT MUCH BETTER THAN THE ACTIVATE-THE-RETREAT-PROTOCOLS-AND-COWER-IN-MY-ROOM IDEA I HAD EARLIER." Doctor Klein

*Agreed. O, and I've used my robotical knowledge to um… eh… transmit the… radio map waves to…* Doctor O

"XXXX!" 8

*Settle down 8, I would have gotten it in a second, all right?! 8's transmitted the last known coordinates of the research centers. They, um… They… well, move sometimes. Or get buried. Or blow up. Or get hit with junk from space." Doctor O

"XXXX." 8

[Quest Complete: Wellcome to the Big Empty]

[22,000EXP]

[New Quest Added: X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!]

[New Quest Added: X-8: High School Horror!]

[New Quest Added: X-2: Strange Transmissions!]

"8 IS CORRECT. ALL WE NEED ARE THE SCHEMATICS. THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE DO NOT WANT THE COLD, HARD TECHNOLOGY, HOWEVER. SO DO NOT GIVE INTO YOUR BIOLOGICAL TIRED-LAZINESS AND DECIDE YOU WOULD SWEAT TOO MUCH CARRYING THEM. YOU HAVE A NEW SPINE. USE IT. AND EVEN IF YOU DIE IN THE ACT OF RECLAMATION, SIMPLY REACHING THEM WILL ATUO-TRANSMITIFY THE SCHEMATICS TO US. THAT IS STILL GOOD. FOR US." Doctor Klein

"And these technologies are?"

"THE TECHNOLOGIES ARE THE X-2 TRANSMITTER ANTENNA ARRAY, USED TO FOCUS COHERENT THOUGHT AT EXCESSIVELY HIGH FREQUENCIES." Doctor Klein

-The psycho-analytic cardiac-dampening sneaky stealth suit, a suit like Nothing this world has ever heard, seen, or could EVER see!- Doctor Borous

"XXXX!!!!" 8

"...and 8's Sonic-Soundwave-Emitter-Projecto-Gun, able yo broadcast sound at lethal frequencies. It also gives a great biogel massage." Doctor Dala

"THERE. WE HAVE INFORMED YOU OF ALL WE NEED. WE ESTIMATE IF YOU ARE FOCUSED, YOUR TIME INVESTMENT WILL BE MINIMAL. EH, BY OUR STANDARDS. IF YOU WORK QUICKLY, YOU WILL BE THE RECIPIENT OF A GESTURE OF GRATITUDE FROM US. WE DO NOT BESTOW THESE OLD WORLD GESTERS LIGHTLY." Doctor Klein

"What if I take my time, explore the crater?"

"WHAT ILLOGIC IS THIS?! KEEP YOUR FILTHY PENIS-TIPPED FEET OUT OF OUR LABS AND SECRETS!" Doctor Klein

-There are things no Lobotomite was MEANT to see, things that would ASTOUND! And terrify. TERRIFY!- Doctor Borous

*Yeah, we don't come into your lab and decant your solutions.* Doctor O

"Only the magnificent of our monitors allow for true comprehension of the wonders of Big MT. Shield your jellied eyes lest they burn from your skull." Doctor Dala

"XXXX!"

*Also the X-22 Botanical Garden is one fire. I would suggest staying away from that place if you're not fireproof. It will take us at least three days before we are able to put out the flames. Dam, shame we lost all the biological specimens. Well… you know how we asked it to fetch the Sonic Emitter thing? Turns out we already have it. What are the odds?* Doctor O

"WHAT IS THIS, A HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR?! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER, YOU'RE MAKING US LOOK LIKE A COLLECTION OF ROUND-EARTHERS!" Doctor Klein

*You're always yelling! My receptors can't take it anymore - and neither can my feelings!* Doctor O

"I AM YELLING BECAUSE YOU CONTAMINATED SPECIMENS CAN'T KEEP YOUR PROBS OFF THE VOLUME KNOB ON MY VOICE MODULE!" Doctor Klein

"If you have the gun, what else might you need for it?"

"IT IS TRULY THE END OF ALL INTELLIGENCE WHEN THE LOBOTOMITE SPEAKS MORE WISDOM THAN YOU "GENIUSES." SO - IF WE HAVE THR SOUNDWAVE… SONIC… PROJECT-O THING GUN… THEN WHAT IN HEISNBERG'S NAME DO WE NEED FROM X-8?! ANYONE?!" Doctor Klein

"I believe we need a new frequency embedded into the gun. It was designed to broadcast many sounds once charged. We just don't know the frequency." Doctor Dala

-And it is LOST in X-8! Just as X-8 is forever lost to us! The sadness of my high-school days! The sadness of my YOUTH, MY youth! LOST.- Doctor Borous

*O really, Borous? All you did in High School was Commie fink-tattle-tale on kids you hated, you little teacher's pet brown-hound.* Doctor O

"GIVE. THE. LOBOTOMITE. THE. EMITTER. DOES IT HAVE AN AUDIO EFFECT FREQUENCY LOADED?" Doctor Klein

"XXXX" 8

*O… I don't think so Wait…* Doctor O

"XXXXXXXX" 8

"WHAT IS HE DOING?" Doctor Klein

*I think he's sonjaculating into the gun. Getting it… warmed up.* Doctor O

"XXXXFREAKINGYOUXXXX." 8

*Ding… turkey's done.* Doctor O

"YOU GIVE IT TO THE LOBOMITE. I'M NOT TOUCHING THAT THING." Doctor Klein

*O, I don't think so.* Doctor O

"I'll do it if you two are going to be ashamed of your own technological needs. Let me give it a little sonic sterilization first… woo0000ooo000… all right, all anti-bacterial fresh. Here, my little teddy Bear. I have thoroughly removed all RobCo termlink code spew from the device. It is clean, shiny, and ready for your hands." Doctor Dala

The gun was definitely shiny… "This gun looks like an energy projectile. Got anything that spits lead?"

[Guns Check Sucess]

[50 EXP]

"WHAT DID IT SAY? SPIT "LEAD?" WHAT, LIKE PENCILS?" Doctor Klein

*O… I think it wants a combustion pistol.* Doctor O

-A GUN! Are you MAD?! We can't give it a GUN! GUNS kill, leave big open holes in you that are like sores but WORSE.- Doctor Borous

"XXXX" 8

"Dr. 8 is correct. We already have given the teddy bear a lethal sonic death ray filled with his sonic ejaculate and sterilized by my soft WoooW00ing. Giving the teddy bear a gun would be the equivalent of following a glass of hemlock with an Abraxi chaser. Delicious and redundantly deadly." Doctor Dala

"IF WE'RE GOING TO BRING THE SOCRATIC METHOD INTO IT, FINE. GIVE THE LOBOTO-BEAR A COMBUSTION GUN. BOROUS? DON'T YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT?" Doctor Klein

-Are you MAD?! We can't give it a GUN! GUNS… wait, I said that already. Yes, I have THE Cyberdog Gun. With the little floppy metal ears and the curious sensor. Here- Doctor Borous

[K9000 Cyberdog Gun]

"FINE. DONE. THAT GUN MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE ANYWAYS, ALWAYS WORRIED IT'S GOING TO HUMP MY CHASSIS. ANYTHING ELSE, LOBOTOMITE?" Doctor Klein

"Um, this gun looks really hungry. I'd like to make sure it gets fed lots of bullets."

[Guns Check Sucess]

[75 EXP]

"FINE. BOROUS, MORE AMMO. THE GOOD STUFF." Doctor Klein

-Top shelf ammunition. Let's see… hollow point, that's worthless but tasty… oh, and here's some Jay-F-Pee. As if bullets need jackets. The JFP might make it ill and poop a lot, but when you're hungry, you're hungry.- Doctor Borous

"Energy Cells have a high expenditure rate. Some extra reserve cells could offset that."

[Energey Weapons Check Sucess]

[50 EXP]

"HMM. YES, I BELIEVE WATTZ ELECTRONICS TENED TO MAKE THE BATTERY SHELF LIFE ON THE LOW END." Doctor Klein

"They certainly did. Batteries for my vib… vivisectors… would always come up short right before climax." Doctor Dala

*I think Wattz manufactured holodisks. Or was it holotapes? Never can keep those two straight. Anyway, we're out of small energy cells. Dala.* Doctor O

"XXXXHITMEBABYONEMORETIMEXXXX" 8

*You have some? Why do… actually, never mind, I don't even want to know. And no, U don't want to handle your batteries. Just… pass them on to the Lobotomite yourself.* Doctor O

"Well, this was a fun convo. Can I go now?"

"FINE, SO… YES. GET THESE THINGS FOR US.DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COMPREHEND SCHMATICS. THAT IS FOR US TO DO." Doctor Klein

"K, I'll head and grab the things. I will try to avoid tampering with anything off the beaten trail."

"WELL. GOOD. WHAT ARE THE TOKEN WORDS SPOKEN IN THIS CASE… UH "THANK YOU?" YES - THANK. YOU." Doctor Klein

"Wait, is it leaving? Uh, but… eh, Dr. Klein, the lobotomite will need rest. Recuperation. Things like that. I volunteer my chambers so it might be stared at, my monitor raiders slowly scanning its form to collect sensitive data." Doctor Dala

-NO! That would put it too CLOSE to us! It could press BUTTONS, turn lights ON and OFF, and worse, let OTHER Lobomites in!- Doctor Borous

*We could give it Mobius' old room. It's where its brain got scooped out anyway, and plus, some of its parts are already there. Might be more comforting for it to hang out with its spine and heart. Home is where the heart is, after all. See what I did there? Went literal.* Doctor O

"I SUPPOSE. WE'LL TO MOVE THAT CHOUCH OUT OF THERE, BEEN PUTTING THAT OFF TOO LONG." Doctor Klein

"XXXXASITWASXXXX." 8

*8 says let the Lobotomite take the Sink Central Intelligence Personality Chip and re-install it. That stuffy Mobius-programmed butt-ler can walk the Lobotomite, feed it, barter it for us.* Doctor O

"It would also prevent it from going to Higgs Village and taking up residence there. With my teddy bears. And it would be nice to have it so… close." Doctor Dala

[Sink Project: Central Intelligence Unit]

"YOUR LOGIC COMBINED WITH MY DESIRE TO KEEP THE THINK TANK LOBOTOMITE-FREE HAS SWAYED ME. HERE, I PRESENT THE SINK CENTRAL "INTELLIGENCE." LOBOTOMITE, TAKE THIS CHIP TO THE SINK. PLUG IT IN, AND MAKE SURE THE CHIP IS CLEAN, OR IT COULD SKIP. THEN MAKE WHATEVER CRUDE BIOLOGIC DEMANDS YOU NEED OF YOU NEED OF THE SINK. IT WILL CATER TO MOST OF YOUR HOMONAL WHIMS." Doctor Klein

[New Quest Added: All my friends have OFF SWITCHES]

"This chip looks like it was mass-produced. Are there other chips?"

[Intellgentce Check Success]

[500 EXP]

"ARE THERE OTHER CHIPS?" Doctor Klein

*Are you… echoing what he said or… are you asking for real?* Doctor O

"He's asking, yes. Dr Klein, there are many other personalities. If you recall, you hurled them off the Sink balcony after your argument with Mobius." Doctor Dala

"IT IS NOT AN ARGUMENT IF ONE IS CLEARLY RIGHT AND THE OTHER IS CLEARLY WRONG! I REMEMBER NOW. YES. LOBOOTOMITE, THERE ARE OTHER CHIPS. IF YOU WANT, FIND THEM. I BELIEVE THEY ARE STORED ON HOLOTAPES IN MANY OF OUR FACILITIES. BUT YOU SHOULD STAY OUT OF THOSE - EXPLORING AND DISCOVERING THINGS. THE SINK CENTRAL "INTELLIGENCE" SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR YOUR… HEH… NEEDS." Doctor Klein

"I can trade with the Sink Intelligence? Then I'll need something to activate the function, won't I?"

[Barter Check Success]

[25 EXP]

"I CANNOT DISPUTE YOUR LOGIC. DO WE HAVE OBJECTS TO ACTIVATE THE CHIP'S EXCHANGE ROUTINES?" Doctor Klein

*What? Like… stuff? Things?* Doctor O

"YES. THINGS." Doctor Klein

* I don't know… might be some old Nuka-Cola, Sunset Sarsaparilla, or the odd Vim bottlecaps lying around. It… It's not "currency" per se… Still, might be enough to trick the Sink's trade routines. Mobius put that test line for caps in the code as a debug command, I thnk.* Doctor O

"I don't believe that was Mobius' reason. His wild speculation concerning post-holocaust economic systems was quite extensive. And of high decibel." Doctor Dala

"ENOUGH! SURRENDER THESE SO-CALLED BOTTLECAPS, NUKA, VIM, AND SUNSET ALIKE. IN THEIR ROLE AS THINGS, THEY WILL SERVE ASS ADEQUATE TEST SUBJECTS." Doctor Klein

*All right, all right. Here. Cap away. Hope that stupid ship chokes on them.* Doctor O

[250 Caps]

"This amount clearly represents a deficiency in the amount of caps needed."

[Barter Check Success]

[50 EXP]

"AGAIN, YOUR LOGIC IS UNASSAILABLE IN ITS SIMPLISTIC NEED. O?" Doctor Klein

*Fine. It's not going to help. That chip will probably refuse them anyway, as stuck up as it is.* Doctor O

[500 Caps]

"I'd hate to come back and ask for more. A little extra would guarantee you're not disturbed."

[Barter Check Success]

[75 EXP]

"IF I WERE NOT AS INTELLIGENT AS I AM, I WOULD FEEL AS IF PERHAPS I AM BEING TRICKED. UNPOSSIBLE. O -MORE." Doctor Klein

*Why don't you make the Lobomite a bottlecap factory, Klein? Or better yet, give it a ton of things to activate the chip?* Doctor O

[1000 Caps]

"Hold on, let's be logical about this. I don't need a ton, just as much as I can carry in trade."

[Barter Check Success]

[90 EXP]

"AGAIN, THE LOGIC OF THE REQUEST IS CLEAR. TONAGE IS NOT NEEDED, ONLY ADEQUATE WEIGHT. EVERYONE, DISPLAY YOUR THINGS." Doctor Klein

"I do not understand, yet I am intrigued by this potential display." Doctor Dala

"XXXXMONEYMONEYMONEYITSARICHMANSWORLDXXXX." 8

*No, 8, you don't need to fill up the emitter again, really. Klein means things… for trade, Display for trade. All right, let's consolidate. There's got to be some junk around here… magazines, useless, more caps, medicinal supplies… useless… here.* Doctor O

[Fixin' Things, Patriot's Cookbook, 2000 Caps]

"So I just plug it into the circular map-thing in the Sink upstairs, well elevator?"

"YES. YOU MAY NEED TO WIGGLE IT IN A BIT, BUT DON'T FROCE IT. WE CAN'T RE-CODE THEM IF YOU BREAK IT. THERE IS NO MORE WE CAN DO TO AID YOU AND OUR PATIENCE LEVELS ARE DEPLETED. NOW GO. REST IN THE SINK IF YOU MUST. BUT LEAVE US TO OUR RESEARCH." Doctor Klein

*Uh, if you're done, can we move again? My biogel's starting to crapagulate.* Doctor O

"OF COURSE. GO MAN YOUR SCIENCE STATIONS. GO! U AM SURROUNDED BY CHILDREN." Doctor Klein

The scientists break from their V formation. And I am finally out of that convo.

[Level up]

[Welcome to Level 18]

[Assign 17 skill Points]

Thinking of quick quests I could do those all required speech skills. So I decided to dump all the points in Speech.

[Choose 1Perk]

[Intense Training] 9 ranks left.

[Junk Rounds]

[Retenion]

[Swift Learner] 3 ranks left

[Canibal]

[Rapid Relode]

[Bloody Mess]

[Fortune Finder]

[Run 'n Gun]

[Gunslinger]

[Hand Loader]

[Shotgun Surgeon]

[Commando]

[Quick Draw]

[Scrounger]

[Stonewall]

[Here and Now]

[Sneering Imperialist]

[Finesse]

[Miss Fortune]

[Mysterious Stranger]

[Nerd Rage!]

[Night Person]

[Fast Metabolism]

[Robotics Expert]

[Sniper]

[Hobbler]

[Fight the Power!]

[Light Step]

[Purifier]

[Action Girl]

[Action Boy]

[Weapon Handlin]

[And Stay Back]: You've discovered a Shotgun technique that has a chance to knock an enemy back.

[Heavyweight]: Have you been working out? Weapons heavier than 10 lbs. now weigh half as much for you. (Modified weapons that drop below 10 lbs. will not gain this benefit.)

[Computer Whiz]: Fail a hack attempt and get locked out of a computer? Not if you're a computer whiz! With this perk, you get a second chance at any computer you were previously locked out of. (AN: TRASH PERK just back out before you screw yourself or IDK RELOAD A SAVE)

[Infiltrator]: The Infiltrator perk gives you a second attempt at a lock that you previously broke while trying to force it. (AN: ALSO TRASH lockpicks aren't hard to find and lockpicking isn't that hard. If you want to be dumb and try forcing it just plant a save before doing this.)

"And Stay Back" is a good perk but I don't need it right now. The same goes for Hevyweight but I can get it a level or two. I'll just go for Intense Training this level and up my Charisma to 7. That's as far as I'll push it for now.

S9.P10.E8.C7.I10.A8.L10

AP 89 HP380 DT22 CW 168/290 Caps 47776 EXP 385/26550 Level 18

Skills

Barter 100

Energy Weapons 40

Explosives 43

Guns 85

Lockpick 100

Medicine 64

Melee 33

Repair 100

Science 96

Sneak 43

Speech 58

Survival 39

Unarmed 39

Perks

Small Frame

MannCo Supplies

MannCo Portable Upgrade Station

Know it All

Too Lucky to Die

Eye of true Perception

Item Fusion

LPX8 EXP

Intense Training Rank 3

Educated

Comprehension

Black Widow

Confirmed Bachelor

Cherchez La Femme

Lady Killer

Strong Back

Pack Rat

Long Haul

Toughness Rank 2

Life Giver

Adamantium Skeleton

Jurry Rigger

Tag!

Better Criticals

Strength Implant

Perception Implant

Luck Implant

Sub-Dermul Armor

Monocyte Breeder

I took a minute to destress before going around the Think Tank looting the rooms for stuff to sell. I also pick up Dr. Klein's Glasses. I'm not going to sell those. I picked multiple locks.

[800 EXP]

[2200 Caps worth of stuff to sell]

I decided to take a look at the challenges I had for EXP before I would talk to Dr. Dala and Dr. "O". They would give me some quick EXP before I head out into Big Mountain. I wanted to wait on the rest of the Think Tank for when I maxed out my SCIENCE skill. If it's anything like max lockpick I don't want to miss out on the extra EXP. Also I was feeling mostly tapped out on Social Levels for the day. The bump in Charisma was good for something besides my figure. My ability to tolerate conversions. I looked at the challenge tab on the Pip-Boy for Old World Blues.

[Automaton]: The character must build a robot bent on destruction in one of the Big MT's research centers.

[Mad Scientist]: Have an experiment go horribly awry in one of the Big MT's research centers.

[Evil Genius]: Create an abomination in one of Big MT's research centers.

[Make up Your Mind] Retrieve your brain!

[Making Friends]: Must reactivate all (10) of the Sink's robotic assistants.

[Cardiac Arrest!]: Get the stealth suit Mk II in the X-13 research facility.

[MT Space]: Visit every location in the Big MT.

[Klein Destine]: Wear the complete collection of Dr. Klein's clothes.

[Mobius Strip]: Dress in a complete set of Dr. Mobius' clothes.

[I am Mad Scientist]: Wear the full outfit of the fused Dr. Klein and Dr. Mobius clothes.

[Outer Space]: Travel past Big MT's perimeter and be teleported back twice.

[Outsmarted]: Complete all the main quests in the Old World Blues storyline.

[Spinal-Tapped]: Retrieve the code to disable force fields from AMERICAN HIGH!

[Icarus Wreckage]: Reteve what fell in X-22.

[Check Me Out I'm So Small]: Make the Ap-Sap.

[I have no idea what I'm doing] Make the three Medi Guns.

[Kaiju Fight]: Make two giant size creatures fight and then kill the victor.

[VR the Champions]: Complete all tests in X-13.

[Dog Run]: Complete all tests in X-8.

[DNAvenger] Kill 10 Cazadores and get 30% extra damage against Cazadores.

Welp time to talk to the Mad Scientist Lady that thinks all Lobotomites are teddy bears.

[New Quest Added: Picking Your Brains]

"You are an unusual specimen to so boldly… walk… into the mighty expanse of the Think Tank. Fearless and proud as a teddy bear. Between the extraction of their higher reasoning abilities and urination-inducing fear, most Lobotomites dare not approach us. Let alone speak to us. Yet you have no such fear, facing me, epidermis flushed with blood, plasma running molten beneath, your face contorting with muscular expression. Will you… indulge me? Say a… few words? Face towards the monitors, please… so that I might record it… for further examination." Doctor Dala

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff." She asked me for word salad so I went to Doctor Who.

"Yes, yes, go on. Seeing your… lips and mouth forming the words… both revolting… and somehow… how does it feel to have the flesh roll around in your mouth like that? To control muscle… and the tongue… like having a fish, or extremely dexterous slug, lolling and flopping in one's mouthal cavity." Doctor Dala

[New Quest Added: Coming out of Her Shell]

"It seems to me you have more… biological needs than your counterparts."

[Cherchez La Femme Check Success]

[150 EXP]

"What? Nonsense." Doctor Dala

"What… what are you doing?" Doctor Dala

"Stop it. Why… are you making me partake in this… filthy formography?" Doctor Dala

[Quest Complete: Coming out of Her Shell]

[1500 EXP]

"Enough! I am already… intrigued. You have sufficiently… percolated me. I don't know what it is about the biology of Lobotomites. It… it infects my thoughts. All that skin and muscle… and tissue." Doctor Dala

"Why don't you just give in? There's nothing wrong with looking at the human body."

"Perhaps… perhaps there is value in what you say. I… I did so enjoy breathing once. Long ago." Doctor Dala

"I could come back from time to time and just breathe, if you want."

"Would you? I… feel so ashamed, but… yet, so intrigued. You'll need to give me a rest in between visits, or else my gel might… run over. If you're ready let me radar scan you… slowly. Wooooo. WoooooooOOOO. Burble, burnle. Bloop. Bloop. Blooop. Blooop. BuuUUUURBLE. B-b-b-bloop. Buuuh-buh-bloop. B-b-b-bloop. Phew. Last little bit there. Ahhh. Hooo. Mmmm. Thank you, Lobotomite. Please… you must come back for further study when I've had a rest. I'm a little sensitive right now." Doctor Dala

… Well that was an experience… It was like being on a porch on a nice warm sunny day. Relaxing to a degree. But I kinda feel used… whatever the things I do for EXP. "So who are you and what do you do here?"

"Why, my little bear of teddyness, I am Doctor Dala, first head chief researcher of mineralogy and medicinal sciences. I have 211 doctorates in both applied science and techniques to apply those sciences. I also possess a degree in Curiosity and Advance Curiosity. That is merely schooling, however. When possible, I prefer field work and observation to holotape eidetics. It has proven useful, especially now. I have become the expert on humanology and Lobotomite behavior her at Big MT. My research doesn't descend into formography, it is only Science." Doctor Dala

""First head chief researcher?" Lot of titles."

"What is name without a title or suffix for the sake of hierarchy? It is a long-standing quantification of personality and importance. We could not do without it. Surely you must be aware of gravity of such attached appellations - just as surely as you must have a title." Doctor Dala

"The title that I guess is most applicable to me is Mercenary. I am however interested in finding a "Courier" for a package I want delivered."

"I've met a courier not to long ago. Very different specimen from you. He might still be around. He asked us all many questions, and then he asked a most perplexing one… we had to segment the event out of our memories for safety." Doctor Dala

"What was the question?"

"I do not know, nor should we try to access it. Perhaps Klein has the logs. My evaluation would be to let your own curiosity go. I do not think that Klein remembers the conversation as being satisfactory." Doctor Dala

[New Quest Added: He Came... And Went]

"Can you tell me about the Big Empty… Big Mountain?"

"This mountain… now crater… encompasses the sum total of knowledge of humankind. It is Big MT. Where all questions can be answered. You'll see. No matter what your questions, Big MT will provide the answers. As it has done for so many before you." Doctor Dala

"Questions? Like what?"

"Previous test subjects who have came here have had many questions for us. We answered them with science, fire, and termination." Doctor Dala

"Previous test subjects?"

"Oh, yes. We've had other subjects vist. It's why we to calibrate the pacification field and warm up our brainail beams and vivisectors. Only a few days ago, we had three minus one subjects arrive, and they ruined several experiments and even injured two of our staff. It is a shame their brains left with them. We were talking about new protocols we have yet to implement before you arrived. You should of been the first that the precautions should of been used on but at last your brain was gone before I could get to work. We would have conditioned you so you couldn't speak of this place, or discuss our secrets, or attempt to use force against us in any way. But for now, we have to make do with the pacification field." Doctor Dala

"Why did you say "Three minus one" subjects before?"

"Because three minus one is two. Two spoke to us, one after the other, one mean, one curios, but there was a third we didn't speak to. The last one is the minus one. It got traumatized, then taken to one of our medical centers for de-traumatization. A rather unsettling procedure." Doctor Dala

"What happened with the visitors?"

"Ask Doctor O… and you could of asked 8 once, until he was severely damaged in the attack. We like him better this way." Doctor Dala

[New Quest Added: When Visitors Attack!]

"We've spoken enough."

"Until our next interaction, my intriguing little Lobotomite." Doctor Dala

I took a minute to change into a german prewar business suit. In one of the rooms that door could close. I also took the time to read a mag before talking with Dr. "O". I debated drinking some scotch for more CHARISMA but I think the outfit and the mag would be enough.

*Breaking New: Talking Lobotomite arrives in Think Tank. Its purpose? Unknown. Undefinable. Its presence here? Unpossible.* Doctor O

"You're Doctor "O", right?"

*O? O yes, I'm not going to bother correcting you. At least you got the "Doctor" part correct. I can be grateful for that, at l…* Doctor O

"I wanted to chat with you."

*Congratulations, you've succeeded. What, you come to humiliate my, tell me how I've yet to find the means of stopping Mobius' scorpions or put out the fire in X-22? Or better, ask how "progress" is going on Securitron construction at the plant? We've had setbacks in research is all. That's all. And… Stop the presses. Just in from my eye monitors… is that RobCo tech on your arm? It is! What's your agenda, bringing that in here?* Doctor O

"Agenda? I don't have any agenda, not with RobCo, anyway."

"Oooohh, really? You have their tech. On. Your. Arm. How dare you bring RobCo tech in here! What, are you showing off? Daddy House's little girl and his biiiig company are? Oh! We can make Securtitrons better than any robot those geniuses at Big MT can make, and they'll last a thousand years! Rrrrr! You're lucky House spawn I don't have hands to tear that Dip-Boy off your arm - or feet to stomp on its stupid metal guts! Oooooo, damn RobCo!* Doctor O

"House spawn?"

*You are a 42% match for his DNA. Of course, it might not be fully accurate. The only sample we have is his DNA that came off a cigar but that Sinclair collected when he was at a meeting with Vault-Tec.* Doctor O

"Can you please calm down? Just wanted to ask some questions."

*Fine. Ask kid House.* Doctor O

"I heard you and 8 were attacked by previous visitors."

*I don't like to talk about it. 8… he can't talk about it, they fried his voice module something good. It wasn't all the visitors, though - only one of them got out of control. He's the one that took control of Little Yangtze, our old human farm.* Doctor O

"Can you tell me what happened?"

*This human… I can't believe it… he broke out of the Think Tank. In seconds. Then he went for Yangtze, got bomb collars, and started practicing on the subjects that were still there until he got the right frequency. We were sending robots to stop him and he was slicing and cutting through their shells with some suped-up laser gun like they were cheese… paper. When he hacked into the mainframe, 8 tried to stop him and got fried. Me? Rerouted my processors to take control of the train network here. If you see the tunnels with the trains plowed into them, you can thank our visitor for that. He wrecked the whole place. While we were trying to keep containment on the surface, turns out he used one train to punch outa tunnel and escaped… the tunnel collapsed when that satellite crashed into X-22.* Doctor O

[Quest Complete: When Visitors Attack!]

[1500 EXP]

"Who were the others?"

*Two other human specimens. One arrived not long after the troublemaker… and the last one, not sure when he showed up. Thought the frist one was going to be lobotomized in Y-17, she got out somehow. The last subject… Klein might know more. He taled to him, then let him leave the Think Tank Hope he knew what he was doing.* Doctor O

"Why is that?"

*Klein knows things we don't. And I think he told some of those thongs to the last visitor. Dangerous things if they ever got out.* Doctor O

"What do you do here?"

"All things robotical. You see a robot, I made it. See a broken robot, I made it that way. Decondtruted it down to parts. I have a gift with machines. I can render anything inoperable - preserve them in a non-functioning state. More recently I've put in charge of putting out the fires in X-22. I used some code to make the Y-17 trauma override harnesses help put out the fire. Sham to say though were running low on fire extinguishers. I might be able to get the fire out faster if I had some of the cryo-tec from Y-17 but it's locked behind force fields for now* Doctor O

[New Quest Added: ICE to meet You]

"Do you have another name?"

*Yeah, I do. It wasn't always "O." I had took that one by default because sometimes it's easier to accept the mistake as long as the purpose works. I don't want to get into it. It's a sore topic with me Makes my gel ripple.* Doctor O

[New Quest Added: What's in a Name?]

"Are you sure? I'm a good listener. Got the ears for it."

[Speech Check Success]

[80 EXP]

*Great. Psychology. Clearly the worst of the Sciences, right after Colosto-Diarrhetics. O-kay, so my name isn't "o." Never was. It was circular, a single character, digit, but not "0." But even with enhanced sensors, no one here could get it right! Always kept the letter, not the number.* Doctor O

"If they kept confusing the letter with a number, your name is Dr.0… Dr. Zero?"

[Intellgentce Check Success]

[500 EXP]

*Yes! Thank you. Zero. I am Zero. How hard is that? A narrow, thin Zero.* Doctor Zer0

"All right, so you want me to call you Zero, or…?"

*Zero's my name. I'm proud of it, all right? It doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Truth be told, my emotional attachment to it doesn't even register compared to just having people recognize the difference! It's just that they're both sort of… round… and hollow. So when they monitor-scan them, they assume… "Oh, it's O!" Vivisect me, please." Doctor Zer0

"It could of been worse, they could have thought your name was Doughnut or Torus. If you wanted to differentiate the "O' and "0," just put it a slash through the zero."

[Intellgentce Check Success]

[1000 EXP]

*What?* Doctor Zer0

""Zero." Draw a slash through it."

*Did… did I shoot myself with brainial beam or something? That's brilliant! I mean, I would have come to the same conclusion. Eventually… O… er… who am I deceiving. I never would have figured that out. I can't figure anything out! I'm… aighhhh… I'm useless* Doctor Zer0

"So is that what you want to be?"

*Exactly. At least with my old name was indisputable. O… is more like a surprise. "O, look what I stepped in!"* Doctor Zer0

"Well, there's power in zero. It reduces anything multiplied against it - to zero."

[Intellgentce Check Success]

[1000 EXP]

*Well, of course it does. That's the most lethal of mathematics… That's pretty cool, actually. Destroyer of numbers. I already wreck every robot I study, why not basic arithmetic? I like your solution, House Girl. With that kind of slash in the middle, I can set myself apart! If I wanted to. The biggest zero in all the Think Tank. They won't be able to escape it, that diagonal slash right down the middle. Thanks. Talking to you… it really helped unclog some frustration. Talking. What a primitive form of thought-kicking.* Doctor Zer0

[Quest Complete: What's in a Name?]

[1500 EXP]

"I need more of those worthless caps to test the CIU barter function upstairs."

*Might have a few left. Let me check… Yeah, there were a few under the monitors here. Here you go. Keeps the place tidy.* Doctor Zer0

"Thanks for the chat, Doctor Zer0."

*You are welcome. For a House, you are a nice person.* Doctor Zer0

I left the Think Tank taking the lift to the Sink. I had a Personality Chip to install and then I was going to pass out on the bed.

[Project Sink: SCIU Installed]

[100 EXP]

"Salutations and felicitations, sir, and a most jocund welcome to the Sink. I am your electronic valet and household central processor. May I be of service, sir?" SCIU

"Sir?" You are aware that I'm mostly a woman, right?"

"Indubitably, sir, but it is with a great lugubriousness that I must disclose that my programmers installed only the masculine honorific, sir. Moreover they neglected to enclose a parameter by which said honorific might be omitted altogether - over my most strenuous of remonstrances, sir." SCIU

"Are you some kind of AI or VI?"

"Closer to a VI than an AI, sir. All modules in this habitat are synthetic personalities atop a mundane operating system. There is no intelligence here, sir." SCIU

"You mean there are other… personality modules here?"

"Indeed, sir, though if sir's aim is to activate them I lament to inform sir that most have been offline for some years. If sir to ask my opinion, I should venture that is better off without them." SCIU

"Why?"

"The other modules are rather… erratic, sir. Their personality matrices are built on flawed logic and have not weathered the years well, sir. However, if sir is determined to inflict upon sir's self their dubious services, sir might locate backup personality disks elsewhere in the facility." SCIU

"Why are there so many personality modules?"

"As I am given to understand, sir, this facility was once the property of Dr. Mobius. He crafted the personality modules as part of a collection of experiments on the subject of machine/human interface. As to the reason for the unusual choices of devices to receive the modules, I cannot say." SCIU

"What services do you provide?"

"In addition to managing the personality matrices of the other household utilities, I can provide sir with direct access to the commissary. Any goods sir might require may be purchased my shopkeep interface, whence tiny robots shall deliver them forthwith to this very domicile. I also have repair functionality. I will endeavor to fully repair the equipment to the best of my abilities for service fee, sir." SCIU

"I'd like to browse your inventory."

"Verry well, sir." SCIU

I went ahead and sold the stuff I had gotten from the Think Tank's rooms in the dome. I then look through the inventory and found what I needed for two of the three medi guns. I also bought out the Rad Away, Rad-X, and Stimpaks. All together that cost me 10000 caps. Leaving me with a current balance of 39976 Caps. I then went to the bed to pass out for a few hours.

I woke up, got dressed in the sniper outfit and decided to decorate the Sink a little bit. I had a lot of cool-name weapons to set up and display. I was unlikely to use most of them. I placed Pew Pew on the table with the toaster. Surrounded the laser pistol with 13 Blue Star Caps. I place OH Baby! and Annabelle on the shelf. I left Dinner Bell leaning against the Sink's sink. The ROSS Riffle was left next to my spine. The Abilene Kid LE BB Gun went on bed's head board. The Tesla-Beaton Prototype went next to my Heart. I saw the Über device was on my heart. That's fine that's cool. I guess when I got the MannCo Supplies Traite that was installed without my notus. I decided to keep Thump-Thump, YCS 186, Sleepytyme, Gobi Campaign Scout Rifle, and Nephi's Golf Driver on me.

I went to the work bench to make the Kritzkrieg and Quick-Fix. Well I am down to only one unlock for Spy and Medic. I'm just two levels from the next Class is unlocked also when missions are unlocked. I decided to wait until my brain was back in my skull befor unlocking missions on the group chat.

[300 EXP]

[8825/26550 to next level]

I had no other reason to delay it was at last time to walk the crater of the Big MT.