Two years later…

The Dam looked beautiful this time of morning. The bright Sun slightly hidden by grey clouds shed a warming ray of light onto the Dam's walls. The wind ruffled through General Wesker's shaggy, tousled hair. Wearing his helmet and riot armour for over two hundred years made him miss the little things, like the wind on his face or the warm touches of a fine woman.

He was left with plenty of time to think about the rest of his young life. At only twenty-three years old, he had a good sixty left to shape up the Wasteland, only because in some ways, it was his fault it came to be. To redeem himself and fix his mistakes, one at a time.

In the Old World, there was law and order. Police, businesses and proper marketplaces. Not these caravans, factions and these military forces that are more concerned with their interests. Things needed to change, and he was the one who had to do it. Is there enough time for all that? That was a factor.

With the loss of Sarkis two years ago, Zaac had more time to think and be alone with his thoughts, without some false Demigod clouding his judgement. He was a manifestation of himself, only with different opinions, emotions and obligations. He was given a name, and that name became a separate entity. One he had stuck inside his head for centuries.

Zaac watched the waves below brush and splashed against the Dam. When he closed his eyes, it reminded him what it was like to be back at the beach. This morning was warm enough to convince him. But he wasn't outside to feel his humanity coming back to him; he was there for two reasons. One, he was on his day off. And two, he was visiting family.

Two years ago, David led a small team to take down Legate Lanius in his camp. With Hoover Dam's defences holding well against the Legion's advances, the team was able to achieve the victory conditions for the engagement. His team members were lucky to survive the confrontation with Legate Lanius, and the casualties across the entire Wasteland after the battle were worse than expected.

Unfortunately, David gave his life to cripple the Legion commander long enough for his companions to finish the job. Focused brute force and efficiency ended Lanius, thus bringing an end to the Legion; their numbers dropped all around the Mojave.

The statue of the man holding Legate Lanius' helmet was the only reminder of David's likeness. The right man, woman or thing at the wrong time or place can make the difference our Gods and masters expect from us. That's what the plaque said.

David died before the complications for survival ensued. If he were alive, his body would deteriorate, unlike regular humans, he could still live but only through Progenitor virus injections. The price was debatable; however, that would make him vulnerable to spontaneous mutation. He would have wanted to die a hero, rather a monster.

Zaac knelt over David's grave; his knees didn't ache anymore, which was nice. Having his mobility back felt fantastic. Zaac closed his eyes and reminisced about the old days when his family was still around. Days growing up with Claire in Raccoon City. Those days in Amsterdam and Paris, even casual moments in their adulthood.

Children coming along, and life just felt great. Then there was the problem with Umbrella - they never stopped, not until recently. The Horsemen of the Apocalypse were destroyed, along with any memory for that pharmaceutical menace and their associates.

"How you holding up?" a female voice said behind him, sounding sweeter than usual.

"Better…" Zaac replied.

Cass smiled under the light; her eyes were beautiful, complementing, her shoulder-length hair. Still had that shine of blood orange. Hadn't aged a day since the first time they met at the Mojave Outpost, not in person, it was a business trip. She appeared younger. Fuller. Fresher.

Last anniversary Zaac arranged a little get-together with his son's old team plus his descendant Sunny Smiles. Though it was nice with the gang getting together, this time everyone had plans and showed up at different times. Cass was alone, William, Lyannah and Sunny were in the Dam's barracks, and Veronica and Boone planned to show up later.

Cass walked to the grave and stared at the magnificent statue of her deceased husband. Zaac still knelt with his eyes closed. "I miss him too, Zaac. Out of all my lovers, David was the best, and I am glad to have had him in my life before he..." She couldn't finish her sentence. Didn't need to. He eyes flushed as she could stare at the statue no longer. "I'm sorry."

"You loved him, didn't you?"

Cass nodded. "I did. I don't know if it was just me being selfish or pathetic but… deep down, I did."

"It's natural for people to develop feelings they never knew existed in the time they spend with others."

"The last person to love me were my parents. I didn't usually care for that lovey-dovey stuff until my ma passed on."

"Least you knew her. That's not much, but that's more than others can say."

"You're the only one I can call a father, and that's hard to say tell since you're younger than me."

"Age is determined by how many years you've been born." Zaac shrugged. "I don't feel my age."

"If I cut you open, could I just count the rings?" Cass chuckled.

Zaac smiled, staring at Cass; he looked like he didn't have a care in the world. "That's something David would say. Though I'm three hundred and five, I could pass off as your younger brother." He lost his smile. "Those are the problems you get when you mess with the fundamentals of time."

"David told me about what happened in 2021. The Nexus Incident? Right?"

Zaac nodded. "Correct."

"What a disaster that must've been."

"It's people like Legate Lanius and Mr House you have to thank for that. Those selfish bastards wanted to rule the world, and guys like us had to suffer for it. All that stays in the past for a reason."

"Apart from that, how are you and Moore holding up? You know, kids' n' all?"

"Things get better with age. It's not too hard for me. What about you? How are your kids?"

"What can I say?" Cass cupped her hands and idly walked back and forth behind Zaac with a puzzled expression. "They're the most obnoxious brats I had ever put up with in my entire life, but… they're my children, and I love them to bits." She stopped behind Zaac and looked the other way and her eye's flushed again out of sadness.

"To think he'll never see them grow up..." Cass continued, turned back around to stare at the statue's face. It had David's smile, and it fit perfectly. "I have no parental instincts; if it weren't for you, I wouldn't manage to raise kids - especially triplets."

"Those are the problems every new parent faces. Claire and I had these problems back in 2000; only we had four kids."

"It's funny." Zaac stood up, and her eyes adjusted to his. Cass smiled. "I always pictured General Wesker as the fearless type."

"I still am, but, when you fight nature, it can scare you shitless. My girlfriend and I made do with the cards we were dealt. It paid off in the end, mostly."

"I hope I can catch a break." Cass and Zaac stared at the statue. "I miss him so much. Such a gentleman."

"I'm proud he died for the greater good. Alas, David's at rest now with his family at least, and we should be happy for him, he's the lucky one. Every day there's a new problem, and I feel obligated to do what I can to fix it, only because my past still haunts me. The mistakes I've made were astronomical..." Zaac's eyes strayed away from the statue and at the dirt. "There's so much blood on my hands."

"I can understand that; you've been around a long time. Wouldn't be surprised you've made a long list of regrets."

"Fewer than you would think, but that's good. I'm only here now because I had so much more to give, better that than to rot away in the ground."

"Hard to keep loyalty and persistence down. Right?"

"That sounds clingy. I prefer determination."

"Did I miss anyone here?"

"Veronica and Boone are coming later. Last I checked, Sunny and William are in back in the Dam."

"Was Lyannah with them?"

"Yeah. The battle changed Lyannah."

"I know. She tolerates me now."

Zaac smiled. "She's warming up to you, that's a bonus. It does my old heart good seeing David's influence rub off on people like you."

"He was a helluva dude."

"That he was." Zaac fiddled with his Pip-Boy. It beeped once, and he came off. "Chip off the old block."

"What's your secret? I want my sons to live in his father's footsteps as David walked yours."

Zaac blushed. "I'm honestly a bit humbled. I guess it comes to traits like chivalry, respect and integrity. I believed there was a lack of real men in our biased world, so I raised my kids to be like me." A woman was coming from the visitor centre, walking towards Zaac and Cass. "Don't look now, the ol' ball 'n' chain is coming."

Cass turned around to meet Colonel Wesker as she stopped just behind her. "Citizen," Cassandra greeted nicely.

"Colonel."

"Very good. Zaac- General, we have a problem back at the office."

"Cassandra, I'm your husband today, not you superior. What's up?"

"Apologies Zaac. That man Ulysses has requested to see you, and I don't know what to say."

"I just got the notification." Zaac groaned. "I'll go see what he wants."

"Thank you, Zaac. I can't deal with this guy; he's just too mysterious."

"That's his problem." Zaac put his hand on Cass' shoulder. "I have business to attend to; I'll catch you later." He walked towards the visitor centre with Moore.

"See you later!" Cass called out.

"Colonel, did Ulysses mention any problems in particular?"

"No. He kept it brief. All he wants is to talk to you for whatever reason."

"Mysterious."

"That's why I don't like him, Zaac. He's a Legionary frumentarii-"

"EX-Legionary." Zaac and Moore passed through the double doors of the visitor centre and crossed many soldiers. The inside was tidy, which was nice.

"Frumentarius is my point. Like the bastards that attacked us in the war room."

"It wasn't a picnic for me either."

"If it weren't for you, Oliver and I would be sharing the same grave."

"It's my job. You shouldn't hold your grudge for an ex-Legionary, Ulysses means well." Zaac and Moore stopped outside his office. The guard outside saluted them and they shared one in turn and entered through the closed metal door. "He wants to bring America to its former roots, even if we find his methods questionable he isn't considered evil."

"I will tolerate him if it's necessary. Since he has a problem that concerns you, I will do as you say only to get the ordeal over with."

"That's a start. I want this to be over quickly; he's spoiling my day off."

"I made dinner plans today; he'd be wise to cut to the chase."

"Now that would be a major disaster." Zaac pulled out his chair and paused. "Sounds nice, though, I was thinking about going for a walk first."

"Generals shouldn't walk the Mojave without an escort."

"I can make it work; I'm not like most generals."

"I would prefer you to have an N.C.R. escort. I want you to be safe, Zaac."

"I'd rather not." Zaac sat in his leather chair; it squeaked as he got comfortable behind his office terminal. "If you insist, I suppose I could just hit up Vegas and stick around up north instead. Gamble a bit maybe."

"Just be careful."

"Oh, I'm always careful. I'll bring Sunny with me, would that make you happy Cassandra?"

"Happy is a strong word," Moore murmured. "I'm just relieved."

"You shouldn't vex yourself with me; I'm as powerful as ever. Luckily for both of us, I'm also better looking."

Moore blushed. Those rosy cheeks took away some of her imposing fear factor, something she takes pride in. It faded as quickly as she glanced away. "Let's just get Ulysses out of the way before we get ahead of ourselves."

"Of course."

Zaac signed into his account and found the invitation to a video call from Ulysses. The screen enlarged, and Moore stood behind him with folded arms, projecting that traditional N.C.R. glare. The background on Ulysses was dark; he was alone in a pitch-black room from the looks of it. His eyes shifted as his guest finally spoke in his broodish tone.

"Ulysses, long time no see."

"General Wesker," Ulysses said in greeting.

"I hope you have a good reason to bother me on my day off Ulysses. I'm still not on good terms with your agenda. So please, make it brief."

"I have reason to believe that there is Institute activity in the Divide. They infiltrated not long ago and evicted me from my solitude. I have some intel to prove it."

Moore snarled. "The Institute? This far out?"

"Yes, Colonel. Gen-1 Synths are scrapping resources within a mile radius of my temple, and a small team of Coursers already wiped out scores of Marked Men before their arrival."

Moore leant closer to the terminal. "Now why would they go out of their way to do that? It couldn't have anything to do with all those ballistic missiles you have stashed over there would it?"

"Those missiles were deactivated years ago when Courier Six arrived. They're nothing but scrap."

"Now that scrap is in the hands of the Institute." Moore leant back and rubbed her eyes.

"The Institute has some of the smartest minds the Wastes have to offer," Ulysses added, "Cannot underestimate them in the slightest."

"The problem is, why are they interested in the ballistics in your temple if they're unarmed?" Moore questioned back."

Zaac sighed. "What is the intel you claim to have?"

"A video capture of my temple's takeover. I'll show you the footage."

"Let's."

The footage was recorded just above the main entrance of a missile silo that Ulysses used as his temple. The silo was the largest of the Divide - the fact it is capable of launching several nuclear missiles at once.

This was a problem for N.C.R. and the Brotherhood since it was a severe threat. All combined forces both factions sent to deactivate the silo failed as the Marked Men proved to be hard to kill and promptly trounced the invaders. William "Courier Six" Haydock walked the lonesome road straight to the silo, and the threat suddenly went away.

There were six missiles, three in holding frameworks in a pit on the left and another three to the right. The main strip had a universal array of consoles, plus the launch control terminal Ulysses once planned to use. Two circular machines were flying about the silo - Eyebots.

The entrance ruptured under an explosive force and blew the shutter door into pieces that scattered across the metal ground. The Eyebots instantly dropped everything they were doing and started firing upon the invaders with their lasers.

Quick beams of blue against the defender's red matched up in accuracy and efficiency. The attacking beams were more consistent and never missed a shot, whereas the angle didn't disclose the attackers yet, so their identities were an educated guess. There wasn't any sound during the footage.

The Eyebot on the left was taking most of the damage after a few seconds of suppression, then it sparked. Flames ignited, and it exploded. The attackers panned onto the last Eyebot, and it didn't fare any better. As soon as the defences fell, the blue beams ceased, and the attackers poured in.

A group of attackers assembled onto the screen, one in the middle with the four huddled around. With the camera viewed the back of their heads, the attackers were hairless with an eyepiece with a single purple lens. The one in the middle was dark with short black hair. While he wore sunglasses, all five of them wore thick clothing, most likely a leather armour or trench coat.

Zaac saw the eyepieces before, only they were red and not purple. Before the Great War, Neo-Umbrella manufactured what they considered the most advanced supersoldier up to date. Something called a Soldat. Their successor - Exo-Umbrella - had an elite variant that improved their intelligence, durability and agility.

One thing was relevant now, the lens of the soldiers on the footage matched the alleged Elite Soldats. Zaac hoped it was a coincidence. Single red lights cutting through the darkness was hard to forget during the Resource Wars back when Exo-Umbrella was still active. There was talk of an even more advanced variant to be manufactured but that never happened, thankfully.

The five invaders took a stance and paved the way for another two to stroll into view - a man and woman. The soldiers secured the area while the two newcomers started talking, though the dialogue was impossible to hear.

The man wore a suit; only it was sharper and more expensive. He looked younger than Zaac. Short black hair and a violet tie. He had a violet and white badge on his right tricep, but it was too obscure due to the video quality, and the man moved too fast for Zaac to have a good glance.

The woman was a complete mystery. Long ginger hair and wore a white blazer, similar to the Institute's apparel. Face hidden; she was a stranger. They both stopped and talked, giving the camera full view of the man but not the woman.

He smiled and nodded with a relaxed posture. Like they were close friends. Then without any change of emotion, the man shot the camera with a concealed handgun, and the footage was lost.

Zaac paused the very last frame of the footage of the man shooting the camera since the shot fired produced a big blast of light. It was easier to get a clearer depiction of the man in question. Just cemented Zaac's guess, only he could see the joy on the man's face.

Zaac rubbed his chin and focused internally." He looks familiar."

Moore glanced between Zaac and the monitor and zoomed in close before Ulysses dropped the recording. "Any idea who?"

"Nothing more than a hunch."

"And the woman?"

"Never seen her before. I've seen plenty of women from the back of their heads, but this one-" Moore slapped Zaac on the back of his head. "Ow..."

Moore was unimpressed. "Can you identify her or not?"

Zaac reared his head to Moore. "Of course not. Damn..." He faced the monitor. "Just a theory. Other than that, the woman is a mystery to me."

"On another note, there were several rumours that the Marked Men witnessed Legate Lanius during their final moments. Through graffiti and word of mouth, they believed he was still alive."

Zaac's face went sour; he choked a little to hold his breath before taking a long sigh. "Must be an imposter."

"It spurred up during their battles. Most Marked Men claim the man in the suit fights like an actual monster of the east. I believe they're related."

"That's unsettling," Moore murmured.

"I can promise you, Ulysses, that Lanius is dead. I had his body burned to ashes. Hell, I made a set of dice out of his spine, tableware out of his ribs. Nothing more brutal than that…"

"That may be, General, but imposter or not, he's back. Someone needs to investigate."

"I'll have someone to check it out immediately."

"I wish to solicit my services, General."

Zaac smiled. "Are you coming onto me?"

"He means could he join you and the answer is no," Moore said.

"Colonel, keep an open mind. Ulysses, what's in it for you?"

"Those machines kicked me out of my land and forced me out of my home. I want to show them the horrors of the Divide and their actions."

"I'll make my decision now; we'll be in touch."

"I can wait."

Zaac muted the video call on both ends and collapsed the window. Zaac and Moore faced each other. "What do you think?"

"I don't trust him."

"Other than that."

"While his motives are believable, we can't trust him around our soldiers."

"What soldiers are you referring to?"

"You're sending in a team to investigate aren't you?"

Zaac shrugged. "Not really."

"You're kidding… You're not going to the Divide alone, are you?" Zaac said nothing; his silence made it clear of the fact he may venture alone. Moore didn't want that; she sat down on the couch opposite and sighed. "Damn it, that's suicide!"

"If Six was able to walk the lonesome road on his own, why can't I? I have been there before-"

"This is the Institute we're dealing with."

"I handled Coursers-"

"What about Lanius?"

"This imposter can throw a decent charade with his parlour tricks, but he'll burn as good as the real Lanius did."

Moore sighed. "You have an answer for everything. Don't you?"

"Then don't give me easy questions."

"You're talking about going to the Divide and facing God knows how many Synths and Coursers. Including rumours that Lanius lives."

Zaac leant back in his leather chair and groaned loudly. "Lanius is dead. End of!"

"Why must you do this? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"It's crucial we find out the Institute's motive. With the scraps of that ordinance in Ulysses' Temple, there's no telling what could happen."

"Then send some veteran rangers to intercept them."

"The last team I sent to scout the Divide were wiped out by that Deathclaw. Trooper Gleeson's distress beacon still haunts me."

"That's war for you..."

"Hundreds of years, I sent people to their graves, and it never gets any easier. A wise man of World War One once said 'war is organised murder and nothing else'." Zaac leant forward on his desk. "Made too many bad calls concerning the Divide as it is, Gleeson's squad was a prime example."

"Generals have to make hard choices all the time. You know that. We all do because no one wants to make them, but someone has to. We put our people above ourselves. And I'm sorry for being blunt, but a general cannot just go into the Divide on their own without an escort."

"That's the thing, Colonel. I'm not working today, am I? You can't stop me."

"No… No…" Some sad tears ran down Moore's cheeks as her eyes flushed. "You can't..." Her head fell into her cupped hands.

"Cassandra…"

Her hands separated, and her worried face looked Zaac's way. "Why must you torture yourself like this? Why? And don't tell me you deserve it. You're a different man now and-"

"I know I'm a different man now. That old life of mine ended when this one started, but that doesn't change how I think. I'm doing this only because if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."

"Don't be ridiculous-"

"I need more fieldwork to keep up to date than I did when I was an old man, and this is a perfect exercise."

"But alone?"

"I won't be alone, Ulysses will be with me."

"I don't trust him alone with you. People like him have too much to gain by killing you."

"Name three."

Moore raised her finger. "Crippling N.C.R. budget and resources." She raised another." Widespread panic." She raised her ring finger. With that flawless gold wedding ring. "Loss of morale..."

"To be fair… everyone has too much profit to remove me from power."

Moore sighed. "Answer for everything."

"Let's agree to disagree. I won't be alone. That's all that matters."

Moore relaxed her shoulders. "All right then. It's pointless arguing with you anyway. Just be careful."

"It's my best interest to be careful." Zaac focused back on his terminal and enlarged the video call with Ulysses and unmuted him. "Glad you're still here. Let's organise a rendezvous."

"I'm listening," Ulysses replied.

"Is there anywhere I can meet you?"

"Hmmm, how do you intend to travel?"

"I know a shortcut. I can be at your temple within the hour."

"That's so soon, General. Are you taking a vertibird?"

"Absolutely not. I'm fully aware of the anti-air platforms the Divide has, and I don't intend to go anywhere nearthem. I'll be there, don't worry."

"In that case, I'll meet you outside my temple at..." Ulysses checks his watch. "Ten o'clock, sharp. I got word that the woman and the Institute's team of Coursers are securing Hopeville. They're not due back for at least a few hours."

"So that leaves the unknown man alone in your temple."

"Indeed. That leaves us at an advantage. I wish you luck and a safe journey, General. Good day."

"I'll keep you posted of any changes." Ulysses chat window disconnected and Zaac is left with an empty screen. Moore stood up from her chair.

"How are you getting there?"

"That's a secret, Cassandra."

"I'm your wife. Aren't I entitled to know a secret or two?"

"I'd rather keep it as a surprise. Could you give me some privacy? I need to make travel plans."

"You assume I'm not using the office?"

"Are you?"

Moore sighed and reared her head away from Zaac. "No..."

"Then would you kindly…"

"Sure."

Moore stepped the door and just after she opened it, she never left. Negative thoughts were flooding her mind for some time now, and even though she hoped they wouldn't be true, they just kept coming back.

Since they married, they have somehow spent less and less time together than the times they were colleagues. How does that work? She wasn't regretful in the slightest, but it wasn't all she hoped, and Zaac almost looked like he was going through the same.

At this rate, it was probably best for them to separate for a while and see what happens. But one of Zaac's traits was his determination and contribution, though, those could be considered a flaw, she loved him too much to give up. Things can change.

Moore left the office and closed the door behind her. Zaac leant back in his chair, and it groaned loudly under his weight. He got thought about things, mostly being how to get to the Divide and what ordinance might be required.

Or what if things go awry...