A Rose Among Thorns

16 | Institutionalized

The memories of being frozen in Vault 111 and seeing white came in full force. She expected to thaw out and discover that she had dreamed it all, and would have to go searching for Shaun again. But Briar Rose only felt cold for a second. After another loud roaring sound, she didn't wake up back in the Vault.

It took a while for her eyes to clear and once they did, she found herself in some bulbous room with an open doorway, showing a silvery-white room with machines, various terminals, and a control panel.

Did it work? Was this the Institute?

Briar Rose cautiously left the room, listening for any sound to warn her of approaching danger. So far, she heard nothing but the hum of the machines working. The technological room looked to still be a work-in-progress to her left because of the rocky walls, damp earth humidifying the air, and tools left behind. She walked around the control panel—eyeing another open doorway behind it, with stairs leading down—to see if she could upload the holotape Sturges had given her.

She was able to and after a few moments, it completed downloading; she ejected it and stored it back in her pocket. She hoped the Institute wouldn't know that their information just got copied. Briar Rose turned to consider the doorway behind her—that looked like the only way to go. She headed for the stairs.

"Hello. I wondered if you might make it here—you're quite resourceful." The male voice came out of nowhere and scared Briar Rose to a stop. "Don't be afraid; I mean you no harm. I am known as Father; the Institute is under my guidance."

They were watching her? She took a quick look around for cameras, but didn't see a single one. Briar Rose continued down the steps to enter another strange room alive with lit up machines and a see-through cylinder. Father continued to talk. "I know why you're here. I'd like to discuss things with you face-to-face. Please, step into the elevator." The transparent cylinder slid open.

She hesitated for a second before stepping in—if talking with Father was the only way of getting her son back, so be it. The elevator slid closed behind her, and then it gently began to descend into blackness lit by soft light.

"I can only imagine what you've heard, what you think of us. I'd like to show you that you may have... the wrong impression."

The darkness suddenly brightened; Briar Rose had to squint before she could make out anything—she gaped at what lie around her. All the walls were white, clear tubes wrapped around and she could see people walking in the tunnels; lush, green trees grew, and pure water flowed down alongside walkways. The elevator twisted down in the very center of the metropolis.

The people and the synths all wore white jumpsuits with specific color-panels. No one had missing limbs; no one looked abnormally skinny and gaunt from starving—everyone looked perfect and soft, not used to a harsh life. It looked like a small, very clean, healthy, thriving city.

"Welcome to the Institute," Father said. "This is the reality of the Institute. This place, these people, the work we do. For over a hundred years, we've dedicated ourselves to humanity's survival. Decades of research, countless experiments and trials... A shared vision of how science can help shape the future. It has never been easy, and our actions are often misinterpreted by those above ground."

The elevator slipped down below the ground floor and she went back into a dim tunnel. It eventually stopped, and the door slid open along with another door to reveal a white hallway with more machines. Briar Rose headed down it with Father still talking to her. "Someday, perhaps, we can show them what we've accomplished. But for now, we must remain underground. There's too much at stake to risk it all. As you've seen, things above are... unstable. I'd like to talk to you about what we can do... for everyone."