Fundamentally Different Way of Thinking

After the tour, Kyle eventually brought me to a cafeteria. I could chew food now, which was quite convenient. They had begun to feed me hard food as well, so I didn't need to worry too much about the food that entered my stomach. I should be careful with spicy food, though, my stomach just went through some nasty things.

"Kyle, why this Enclave is so different than the rest of the Enclave?" I asked.

"Hmm? So you are more than aware of our standing, huh? Well, where do you want me to start?" Kyle asked as he drank his ice-cold Nuka-Cola that he got from a clean refrigerator.

"Anywhere."

"First of all, the goal of exterminating the mutants is irrelevant and impractical in the long term, because, like it or not, radiation has mutated everyone, including Enclave personnel itself. I heard about a Vault in Boston that cryogenically preserved humans, but it was probably another rumor.

"That Curling-13 strain isn't perfect. Sure, there are antidotes for that, and for what? What if it kills Enclave personnel on its own? Even the Vault 13 that is rumored to be 'clean' from radiation got killed, what about us who never lived under sterile-like air ventilation whatsoever? They were living on an oil rig, for God's sake, not some vault with HEPA 20 cartridge air," Kyle commented.

"True enough…" I knew basic pathological management, and biological weapons were similar to playing with the hands of the devil. This was a virus, what if there was a sudden mutation, or worse, killing every single human because the Enclave did that in a closed environment?

What if they didn't account for that virus could mutate on its own? What if there was Enclave personnel that disregarded the antidotes and died? What if the virus would mutate from the dead bodies? They were talking about global genocide here, and I had my own doubts about whether it would be the best thing or the worst thing the Enclave could do.

Well, I was glad that the crazy plan never ever happened in the first place thanks to the Chosen One and some of the Enclave personnel that thought aiding the Chosen One was a more justifiable cause than using a more radical method. Well, it must be hard for the Enclave deserters, but genocide wouldn't be the answer, would it?

"Will the Curling-13 be effective in making the wasteland safer, though?" I asked.

"Perhaps? I really couldn't tell. I'm not a researcher. But thinking about it, it only affects humans, right? What about those deathclaws, those flying orange poisonous thing, or that rattlesnake with four legs?" Kyle asked and shrugged. That solution was simply too dumb for him. "Don't even tell some of the things that we don't even know from the wasteland. And the Brotherhood? They also have a bunker with air filtration, what if it left the Brotherhood alive? It'll be a long war."

The bottom point was, that the plan wouldn't work as smoothly as President Dick wanted it to. The virus would only work on humans, and I was aware of Vault 22 plant-killing thing, or anything that was not humanoid. Well, I'd not beat on the dead horse anyway, what was the past would stay in the past.

"Sergeant Kyle, I noticed you are with the new guy," a woman greeted him. Not a regular woman. A GHOUL woman. Wait, what? What exactly happened with this branch of Enclave? Did they abandon their entire dogma or something?

"Ah, yes. Coming back so soon?" Kyle asked.

"Well, you know live up there, a little bit harder."

"Have a good meal."

"You too, Sergeant," the woman said and left.

I sat down there, in awe. "W-w-what?"

"Gee, new guy, relax, she's only a ghoul, not feral," Kyle said.

"Enclave allows Ghoul into their ranks???" I was even more confused.

"You know the term, scrapping the bottom of the barrel? You can say the same here," Kyle explained. "We don't have a lot of manpower to spare. So, we recruit some outside people, secretly. That ghoul? We recruited her ten years ago from Freeside. She was a pre-war ghoul, used to be a bartender, turned to chem addict, turned into logistic personnel and bartender again."

"But, that person is a ghoul."

"Hmm, why are you saying that?" Kyle sighed. "Imagine this, you're in the 1800s, and you see a black man in front of you, what'll you do?"

"I greeted him, ask him how you're doing, etc, what's with that question?" I asked.

"By that era's standard, they're not as human as white people. So, they'll mock him, enslave him, and probably kill him due to the fear of him being a threat. He stinks because no one ever lets him take a bath. He's sick because the doctor is too disgusted to even touch his body due to his skin color. What makes you think they are different from Ghoul?" Kyle asked.

"Isn't that too extreme, comparing ghoul and black people?" I asked.

"Black people are also humans, with the same qualities, both intelligently and physically. Ghouls used to be humans, but they are still humans with different appearances. Why can't those ghouls live together with us in society?"

"You're against racism, quite surprising in the Enclave," I commented.

"Hmm? Aren't racism always a bad thing? Sure, racial problems have been solved, but mutants that used to be human, don't they also deserve a chance to live just like regular humans?" Kyle asked.

"Agree, what do you think about the feral ones, though?" I asked.

Kyle immediately hummed. One thing is for sure, it was a rather hard decision for him. He then sighed. "Listen, I admit that we aren't perfect, because we are still segregated from the rest of the world. Can't help with that when the whole world wants your head. About this ghoul thing, we try our best."

"Hmm? Yeah, I realize you always call me new guy, why?" I asked.

"Because I don't know your name?"

"Name's Enzo," I said.

"Nice to meet you, Enzo," he said.

"Try our best, what do you mean?" I asked.

"We have invented genetically-engineered implants and drugs that will totally prevent ghouls' further ghoulification, preventing them from turning ferals. Thanks to better hygiene, Ghoul doesn't smell 'pungent' and their skin problem is mostly gone. Still, for more advanced cases, dermatologists handle them. "

"Hmm, I see. So, you have decent medical expertise in here?"

"Yeah, for the most part, we are able to do research on rats, but about test subjects, getting real ghouls that are willing are really 1000 steps forward, if you ask me," Kyle explained as he looked at the woman ghoul. "That person over there is willing to sacrifice herself to be the first test subject for our implants."

"Wow, I never know."

"Yeah. She's one hell of a woman, surviving on her own in a nuclear wasteland for 200 years old. I'm glad she's back to what she usually does when America still existed," Kyle sighed.

"Good to know."

"Ah, doc, you've returned, I see," Kyle commented.

"Yes, the last patient was quite tricky, but I'll manage. Enzo, come with me, I need to give you the painkillers which I left in the clinic."