"This is it."

A Brotherhood of Steel soldier led Andy to the hill on the outskirts of the tribe village, and Andy knew at a glance that it was the same route they had taken during their previous infiltration mission, as the dark crack in the mountain was still there.

"Can you tell me more about what you found?"

Andy asked casually, but the soldier acted very seriously.

"Yes! Chivalrous knight! ”

He shouted loudly until Andy moved slightly to the side, and then began to repeat it at a rapid pace.

"When I was chasing a Ring of Steel rebel to this place, I saw two corpses on the ground, which were identified as members of the Ring of Steel, and from the analysis of the state of the corpses, the two rebels seemed to have been violently torn apart, and there were traces of gnawing on the fragments of the corpses, which was obviously not man-made, this kind of thing was extraordinary, which meant that there were very likely to be highly dangerous wasteland creatures around, and I immediately reported this matter to my superiors!"

Andy, of course, no longer has a corpse in front of him, the two bodies of the dead of the Ring of Steel have been taken away, according to Elder Dethan, the scribe in charge of medical care in the Shield Scribe has dissected the corpse, and the results obtained are very similar to the results of the soldier's visual inspection, the two Ring of Steel rebels fled to this place without knowing what creature attacked, and their bodies were torn apart and partially eaten.

However, they also found that the soldiers did not find that there were several black feathers on the corpse, which had pierced deep into the corpse, and the results of the feathers showed that they were poisonous.

A follow-up search of the area yielded nothing, and Fort McSson simply classified the area as a dangerous exclusion zone, forbidding any soldiers to approach it.

Andy thought back to their experience of walking all the way above this crack, and couldn't help but feel afraid, if there really was some kind of monster here, then the only place it could hide could only be in the crack, and the joint special reconnaissance team composed of several of them was difficult to keep moving at that time, if there was really a monster attacking from under the crack, it would be a lot of casualties.

But at that time, even though they made a lot of noise, and even some team members stumbled and fell into cracks, they didn't encounter any monsters in the end.

Thinking of this, several images suddenly popped out of my mind, including the unknown statue inside the strange collapsed small altar, the mural painted on the rock wall in the crack below, and ..... At that time, the leader of the NcR Ranger team, Saas, paused for no apparent reason.

However, it is more difficult to ask questions now, and in the past few days of Andy's disappearance, the NcR side has basically returned to Hoover Dam, except for Major Fleming and a small number of officers who still stay here to do the finishing work and have in-depth negotiations with Fort McSon, most of the soldiers, including the Rangers, have left here.

As for the tribesmen of the vulture tribe, they have all been driven out....

Andy knew that no matter how much he thought about it, there would be no progress in this matter, and although Deson talked to him about it so that he wanted him to help investigate it, after all, he was reluctant to climb on top of those slippery stones and walk around on the cracks that might hide monsters with the power to tear human beings apart, even if he finally found the monster and killed it... Maybe the Brotherhood of Steel can give you some ammo as a reward, but at this time, Andy seems to be a complete waste of time.

Raising his hand and glancing at the Pip-Boy, there was still one last step left in the task of tracking down the fugitives, and this matter needed to be put on the agenda.

"Let's go back, soldier."

Andy greeted and walked in the direction of the bunker, and sure enough, there was a deafening answer from behind.

"Yes, chivalrous knight! Invincible! ”

......................................

Two days later, most of the Brotherhood of Steel returned to Fort Maxson, and the pre-war military bunker under the Buraku village controlled by the Ring of Steel was named Fort Unity, a name that Andy first heard was ironic.... Although at the cost of the near-total annihilation of rival splinter factions, this Brotherhood of Steel branch has indeed become more united.

After the Ring of Steel was defeated, most of the members chose to die to the death, and there were few survivors, who may have been scattered into the wasteland and finally lost their traces, the former quartermaster Devin found in the Ring of Steel prison, who committed suicide by hitting the wall of his cell shortly after being interrogated, died before he could be executed.

Andy was standing in front of a room with an iron fence and watched as a Brotherhood of Steel soldier approached with a box, and he opened the small door of the iron fence and handed it out.

"I've found everything you want, chivalrous knight, and the price is the same as promised."

This young male Brotherhood of Steel member is the new quartermaster who has succeeded Devonshire Mountain, and although his face is a little immature, he can be said to be in good order.

"Thank you..."

Andy opened the box and checked the contents of the box, it was boxes of bullets, many of them were large-caliber that could not be found by small vendors outside, some of them were still rare pre-war goods, the carton containing the bullets was a little broken, and there were also some batteries used in energy weapons, mainly for the laser rifle and plasma pistol.

He handed over the cap with a little heartache, and the quartermaster unceremoniously grabbed the cap bag.

"Don't be so sad, chivalrous knight, you must know that this is an internal special price, some goods are actually not originally available for the knight class, but Elder Brixley specially cares that it is convenient for you to come over."

Andy's empty palm flicked weakly towards the bag of caps that had been taken away, and the caps he had earned by being a bounty hunter were gone, and there were now a few hundred left in his pocket.

Pressing the bullets and touching the two pistols that had returned to their full state, Andy finally felt some comfort, although the energy weapon was more powerful, it was still a large-caliber gunpowder weapon that could give people a classic sense of reliability.

Leaving the quartermaster and walking down the hallway, Andy stumbles upon Isaac reprimanding a few scribes in a room.

He walked over, and Isaac was stunned for a moment, then drove the scribes away, and then straightened his clothes, revealing his characteristic expression of indifference and arrogance.

"Why are you here? What are you looking for me? ”

Andy saw the scribes flee and disappear.

"It's nothing, I'm just talking to you, has the alliance with the crypto tribe been successfully concluded?"

Isaac touched his chin and nodded slightly.

"The natives have completed the integration of internal opinions, we have signed an agreement, from now on the Brotherhood of Steel will be the protector of the crypto tribe, and in return, they will also repair all the under-maintenance equipment we regularly send over at the agreed time, and we will not only provide the armed patrol team but also distribute some supplies to them.... As for the future, as I said before, if one day the Lost Mountain asks us to go back, we will also take those who are willing to leave, how about it? That's pretty good, isn't it? ”

Andy thought the partnership was a good one, but he also had a problem in mind.

"And what do you think if any of them want to join you as a scribe or a knight?"

Isaac looked down and pondered.

"I'm only a scribe chief at the moment, and I don't have much foreign policy decision-making power, from my personal point of view, the natives in the crypto tribe generally have good combat literacy and technical level, whether they are absorbed as scribes or knights, but this involves the ancient controversial topic of absorbing outsiders, although they have established a relationship with the Brotherhood of Steel, and there have been a small number of examples of absorbing external troops in the past on the Lost Mountain, but whether it is feasible in the end depends on the voting results of the Council of Elders."

Speaking of this, Isaac snorted coldly from his nose.

"Isn't there another sentence in the old code: we don't help them, we don't let them in, we keep the knowledge they can never have. But the existence of knowledge is not only an object that can be carried at will, a book or a holographic cartridge, they may also be a living person with an active mind and rich knowledge, and that person's mind is also full of knowledge, how to judge and dispose of it? ”

Andy looked at Isaac, the middle-aged man was still the same as when they first met, his eyes were covered with a layer of ashes with firelight, as if he was about to erupt a monstrous flame when he had the opportunity, he always felt that Isaac was a person who had never met with talent, and had been waiting for an opportunity to make his ambitions.

"So you disagree with the Codex as much as Elder Billings?"

When he asked, Isaac shook his head.

"The pan-congregation must be a rabble, without the Code, there will be no faith in Maxson, that will destroy the foundation of the existence of the Brotherhood of Steel, this organization has survived from the pre-war to today, and has been maintained in force and technology compared to most groups in the wasteland, relying on this belief that can unite the people, I can see this, so I am not opposed to the Codex and the Brotherhood of Steel to build an organization centered on it.... I'm just against some people who in turn use the code as a self-restraint, those who are stubbornly afraid of technological progress, use it as an excuse to justify their own self-contained behavior, and would rather lock up precious technology in a warehouse and eat dust. I am categorically opposed to this stupid approach, there is no reason why we should not progress, the destiny of humanity is progress! ”

It's not the first time Andy has heard Isaac describe his thinking tendencies, but this time he couldn't help but question it.

"But not everything in the world can be solved with technology, and technology has caused many, many disasters, and while the elders may have been a little too cautious, their ideas are not entirely unreasonable. I've seen too many of the outcomes of technology getting out of control, most of them are endless scourges, I've seen red dust that can skin people in Dog City, deadly viruses that make people grow blue blisters, out-of-control robots and AI... We really should be cautious on the path of exploring technology. ”

Isaac sneered twice, making no secret of the disdain in his eyes.

"Technology can solve all problems, I am convinced of this, if there is a problem in the world that cannot be solved, it is just because the person concerned does not have a sufficient level of understanding of technology, there are always more ways than difficulties, if you don't think so, then you are a mediocre person."

Andy felt that he was intellectually incomparably inferior to the scribe, and perhaps what had happened to him was something else entirely, so what else could he say.

"Well, maybe you're right, I'm leaving, goodbye, Isaac.... But I heard you don't have that name, can you tell me your real name?"

Isaac shook his head very arrogantly, signaling for Andy to get out of here.

"What's the use of knowing so much for you? Let's go. ”

Andy shrugged, since he didn't want to tell the answer, it didn't matter.

Shortly after Andy left the scribe's lab, Elder Dyson walked in and coughed heavily, and Isaac turned to look at him, then turned back to his research as if he hadn't seen anything.

"Ahem—Elder Brixley has something for you."

Elder Decon told him the news, and was a little dissatisfied with the attitude of the chief scribe looking at people at the back of his head.

"Can't you just say something here?"

Isaac didn't save any face for Elder Diesson, even though the elder was the second-in-command in Fort Maxson.

This, of course, made Elder Dison a little furious.

"Listen to me, and now, go to Fort Maxson Level 3 and report to Elder Brixley and explain what you have done in the past that would warrant a conviction of rebellion. Before, it was a special state, and Elder Brixley didn't have time to deal with you, but you think you can hide forever? You have remedied some of the damage you have done, and that's true, but nothing you can do can cover up your irresponsible past as a scribe! ”

Elder Decon took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"Now, put down all the stuff you have and get me over to the elders."

Isaac was noncommittal, but he did put down the lab equipment in his hand and skillfully took out a plate of Mantat tablets from his coat pocket.

.............................

When Isaac walked into the office of Elder Brixley of Level 3, the elder was buried there in a sea of papers.

Hearing the door open, Elder Brixley looked up tiredly.

"Oh, here you are, our chief scribe."

She put down the pen in her hand and sat behind the table with her hands crossed, looking at Isaac standing in front of her.

"What are you looking for from me? I'm actually more used to using terminals to communicate, which is easier and more convenient. ”

He asked calmly, neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Elder Brixley couldn't help but laugh at this twisted attitude, how could such a smart person not know what it was to call him over. Also, what is it about using a terminal to communicate, I have long heard that this scribe has a quirk, it is said that even if he is not far away from the person he is talking to, he will use the terminal to send messages to that person, resulting in sometimes the other party not paying attention to the new e-mail in the terminal because he did not expect this situation, and thus making him angry because his desire for control has not been satisfied because he has not been answered for a long time, and his attitude is like a person who is angry that the machine in his hand is not easy to use.

"What's the matter.... Quite simply, I'd say just a report of the incident about your disposition."

Elder Brixley raised the large stack of papers in his hand, which were almost bound into a book, and the name was the Chief Scribe's Guilt.

"It's not just about inciting the scribes to defect and leaving the base and locking up the armory yourself, I've been getting a lot of reports about you for a long time, you've been quietly researching some highly dangerous pre-war technology, and never submitting an application to the elders, including me.... You also make some radical remarks from time to time. Some of these remarks about the use of technology could constitute an investigation against you if they were to be reported to the Council of Elders. ”

Isaac listened to this, but remained unmoved.

Elder Brixley looked at him a little helplessly.

"Listen, these reports haven't been broken before or after losing contact with Lost Mountain, but I've never handed over any of them, they've just ended up with me. I don't need to explain to you why, do I? When it comes to pre-war technology, you're definitely a smart guy I can't match on a finger, and I'm sure your IQ should be just as good in politics... I know what you're here for, and I know you're ambitious, but you don't want to end your political life here without taking the first step, right? ”

Isaac didn't show any appreciation.

"Brixley, I think that we have more than one proposal for victory at a very low cost submitted to you, but you have vetoed them all, and let us fight them for a long time with an absolutely inferior force compared to the NcR, and the ultimate consequences of this decision do not need to be said now. Why do you think I can answer the scribes when one of my subordinates died suddenly because he worked tirelessly repairing equipment for three days in a row, and you have nothing to say about it, he was not killed by the enemy, but by his own people? ”

"Why did I lock up the armory? If I hadn't done that, I don't know how many scribes would have been shot on the spot by you knights as they tried to escape, do you think I wouldn't have thought you would have killed you? ... You can see what would happen without me, the last time I left I did nothing but lock up the main armory, but I don't have to. ”

Elder Brixley raised an eyebrow and slapped the table on the spot.

"What are you doing here? Threaten me? ”

Isaac crossed his arms and still had the same tough posture.

"I'm just stating the facts, and there's one more thing you should be worried about right now, how do you explain the Ring of Steel if the connection between Lost Mountain and Fort Maxson is restored? No matter how much they disobeyed your commands, they didn't betray the last instructions given by the Supreme Elder, these people were originally sent by the Lost Mountain, and you? But you joined forces with the NcR to destroy them, and seriously discussed the guilt..."

Elder Brixley sighed wearily, this was indeed something she was worried about right now.

"And what do you have to do?"

Isaac snorted from his nose.

"Simple, the Ring of Steel was born from a failed experiment, and the elders all knew that, all they needed was some evidence to convince them, such as... The Ring of Steel planned to re-launch experiments with improvements to the Stealth Boy to infiltrate the Hoover Dam on a large scale, but this was kept secret from them, and eventually caused their mental state to spiral out of control again, leading to a rebellion. As a last resort, Fort Maxson had to set out to de-escalate the situation with the NcR at Hoover Dam, and even unite with outsiders to eliminate those rebels, as for why, the secret research data on biological weapons in the Ring of Steel can be used as a basis, if I do it, nothing will go wrong. ”

Elder Brixley thought about it, and reluctantly realized that she really couldn't do anything with Isaac, and without his help, no one would be able to help her solve the problems behind.

"Okay, I can leave this to you, right?"

Isaac turned around and prepared to leave.

"You give me a wait!"

Elder Brixley yelled, but Isaac just stood there with his back to her.

"What else do you have to do? Elder Brixley. ”

Slightly agitated, Brixley slowly clenched one hand and clutched a document into a ball of paper.

"Don't go too far, even if you are indeed a genius, even if you may rely on your hard power to be equal to me one day, your character and temper will hurt you, whether it is in Fort Maxson or in Lost Mountain, people everywhere are people, and unsociable guys always don't go their way, you...."

Halfway through speaking, Elder Brixley only felt a strong exhaustion rush through his mind.

"Go, Elijah."

........................

Elder Dyson walked into the room and saw Andrea sitting in a chair in a loveless position, and he stood next to him, hearing the woman moaning unconsciously, her usual reaction in the face of pressure.

Dyson hesitated, but finally spoke.

"Do you want to go to the stars at night?"

Andrea jumped up suddenly, then showed a skeptical expression.

"Wow! - Forehead..... It's true? ”

Decision nodded heavily.

"Really, I'll help you deal with those documents for you tomorrow, and anyway, I'll delay it until the end when I hand it over to you, and then make a fool of it."

Andrea threw herself into Dyson's arms with a cheer, he closed his eyes, and his heart was a little complicated.

There was a box in his trouser pocket, and there was a ring in it, the box he had been preparing for many years, and he had never found a chance to take it out, and this time he was no longer going to delay any longer, time flies, and if he is not brave, the last opportunity will be missed.

....................

On the other side, Andy suddenly noticed that the Pip-Boy popped up with a prompt telling him that there was a new broadcast message.

When I opened it, it seemed to be from the Hoover Dam.

The content is that Mayor Dodge wants to discuss with Andy about his profile.

He couldn't help but shrink his eyes as he looked at the news.