At The Precipice Of Something New

Something Blue

Covenant
November the 25th, 2287
18:12

The reports had perhaps been an understatement. The settlement was far more than just a settlement but a small town, one which did, as had been told to them, look as though it were pre-War. The painted sign above the doors into the settlement, through its protective barricades, only emphasised its difference to the world around it. In bright yellow paint, against a bright blue arch and a deep green slate below, the sign declared: Welcome To Covenant. Something about the place seemed both comforting and unsettling. The Scribe and the Knight glanced to each other, shifting the bags on their shoulders. There was something strange about not being in uniform and dressed as though they were any other local denizen, not a Sister and Brother of the Brotherhood Of Steel. Simple t-shirts and jeans, a gun and ammo cartridges on their hips and belts, with padded leather jackets and comfortable combat boots. In their bags were armour, weapons, additional ammo cartridges, recording devices and holotapes, their Brotherhood holotags, and distress pulsers should they be needed. After a moment, the Scribe and the Knight approached the gates, and met the eager smile of the man sitting just before it.

"Heya, strangers!" The man said, standing up and clasping his hands together with a smile. "The name's Swanson. Are you here to visit Covenant? If not, move along. You know, armed people loitering around...it ain't good for the nerves."

"We're here to visit," Knight Rhys said, glancing to Scribe Haylen as she subtly switched a holotape on to recording. "May we enter?"

Swanson eyed them closely. "Have either of you visited before?"

"I'm afraid not," Knight Rhys said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not," Swanson replied, guiding them towards a small table with two chairs set across each other. "But, since you are first timers, there's something you got to know first. We don't let just anyone inside. There's an entrance test, which we call the SAFE test. Everyone's got to take it."

"Being cautious," Knight Rhys observed. "Quite reasonable. I deeply respect that."

"Thank you," Swanson sat down, and smiled when the Knight sat down across from him. He then turned to Scribe Haylen. "You can take the test at the same time. There are no wrong answers. I apologise for not having another seat for you."

"I'm pleased to stand," Scribe Haylen said with a smile, discreetly checking to ensure the holotape was still recording. "Thank you for your consideration."

Swanson nodded, and pulled out a clipboard, papers, and pen.

"Alright. First question: you are approached by a frenzied scientist who yells 'I'm going to put my quantum harmoniser in your photonic resonation chamber!' What is your response?"

Scribe Haylen blinked. "I would slip away before he finishes," She said, quickly regaining her composure.

Knight Rhys nodded. "I would grab a pipe and knock him out. Someone in that state could be quite dangerous, and would need to be neutralised."

"Fascinating," Swanson said, taking notes. "Second question: while working as an intern in the Clinic, a patient with a strange infection on his foot stumbles through the door. The infection is spreading at an alarming rate, but the doctor has stepped out for a while. What do you do?"

"Amputate the foot before the infection spreads," Scribe Haylen said promptly. "It could be transmissible or, at the very least, deadly to the patient."

"Indeed," Knight Rhys agreed. "Amputating the foot before the infection spreads is the most prudent course of action."

"Alright, third question," Swanson looked up at them for a moment. "You discover a young boy lost in a cave. He's hungry and frightened, but also appears to be in possession of stolen property. What do you do in this situation?"