Chapter 47 The Calm Before the Storm

November 14th, 2274

Victor's days blended into a mix of routine work in the medical lab, training in VR with his friends, and overseeing operations in the hidden lab. But all the while, his plans were moving forward. Every piece he had set in motion was advancing, slowly but surely. His quiet demeanor within Vault 101 masked the brewing storm outside its walls.

Alpha Team had embedded themselves deeply in Megaton. Their cover as mercenaries for hire had worked flawlessly. They continued to monitor the town's internal dynamics, feeding back invaluable information about the key players: Sheriff Lucas Simms, Colin Moriarty, and the Children of Atom. The tensions between these factions were ripe for exploitation.

That morning, after breakfast, Victor headed to the medical lab as usual. Jonas Palmer was already there, busy with diagnostics on the latest batch of stimpaks.

Jonas: "Morning, Victor. Got another batch of tests for you. I think you'll like these—the formula you suggested for stimpak regeneration is working better than we expected."

Victor took the datapad from Jonas, reviewing the results. The new stimpak formula he'd quietly tested with the second batch of raiders had proven to be a significant improvement. Faster healing times, fewer side effects, and more effective overall. Jonas didn't know the full extent of Victor's experiments, but he trusted Victor's expertise.

Victor: "These look good. I'll run some additional tests to be sure. We might be ready to move forward with large-scale production soon."

Jonas smiled, clearly impressed.

Jonas: "Good work. At this rate, we'll be the most advanced medical team in the wasteland. The Overseer's going to be thrilled."

Victor nodded absently, though his mind was already elsewhere. He left Jonas to continue his work while he focused on the more pressing matters involving the raiders and his external operations.

In the hidden lab, NIM reported that the memory overrides on the second batch of raiders were progressing. The rogues were responding well to the neural implants, though some resistance remained. The new recruits and two female raiders were easier to manage and showed promise in combat training simulations.

NIM: "Batch Two is showing a 70% compliance rate following the latest memory adjustments. Further modifications may yield full control."

Victor stared at the data, pleased with the progress but aware of the risks.

Victor: "Proceed with the final round of memory overrides. If we can't break the remaining resistance in some of them, we'll have to move them to more direct control methods."

NIM acknowledged the command, immediately adjusting the parameters for the remaining resistant subjects. Victor had little tolerance for loose ends. If they couldn't be controlled, they would be repurposed.

Later that evening, after another VR training session with his friends, Victor returned to his quarters to review Alpha Team's latest update from Megaton.

The report detailed the growing tension between Lucas Simms and Colin Moriarty. Alpha Team had been subtly spreading rumors about each, pushing the two power figures toward conflict. Additionally, the Children of Atom were becoming increasingly agitated over the growing secular influence in the town. It was the perfect storm.

Alpha Team Leader: "We've got Simms on edge. He's been asking more questions about Moriarty's dealings, and we've hinted at him having ties to the raiders. Meanwhile, Moriarty's been tightening his grip on the saloon, and we've dropped a few seeds about Simms planning to crack down. It won't take much to push them over the edge."

Victor read through the report, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Everything was falling into place.

Victor: "Continue as planned. Let's give it a few more days to simmer. I want the tension to build until they have no choice but to confront each other."

Two days later, Victor found himself back in the hidden lab, overseeing the progress of his other projects. The new gene modification for the dog had yielded promising results. The giant ant genes had successfully enhanced the dog's size and strength, making it an even more formidable companion.

NIM: "Subject Hound-7 has adapted to the genetic modifications. Strength increased by 30%, cognitive functions improved by 40%."

Victor watched the dog move through a simulated obstacle course on the lab's monitors. It was faster, stronger, and more intelligent than before.

Victor: "Perfect. Begin training it for combat scenarios. I want it field-ready soon."

NIM immediately began preparing Hound for its next phase of training, running simulations designed to hone the animal's combat instincts.

Victor then turned his attention to the second batch of raiders. The memory overrides had finally taken full effect on the remaining resistant members, bringing the entire batch under his control.

NIM: "Batch Two is now fully compliant. All subjects are ready for deployment."

Victor nodded in satisfaction. He now had a second group of operatives ready for use in the wasteland, loyal only to him. With Alpha Team already embedded in Megaton, the second batch would be used for more covert operations elsewhere.

The storm he had been quietly brewing was almost ready to break. And when it did, the wasteland would never be the same.

But for now, he would wait.

And watch.