#three people i want to get in a room: proctor ingram doctor li and tinker tom

[onceandfutureoshainspector]

Cat: Are you happy here? Li: You'd think being surrounded by cutting edge laboratory equipment and some of the greatest minds the world's ever known would be enough. Only problem is the lack of transparency. I don't think we get the full story on everything that occurs down here.

- oh? dish, girl, i'm all ears.

Li: What does that have to do with why we're talking? Cat: The Brotherhood needs your help, Doctor. Li: Needs my help? Why? They seemed to have everything under control when I left. Cat: Did you abandon any projects you wanted to complete? Li: You should know better than to ask me that. If they didn't tell you what I was working on, they didn't want you to know. I'm certainly not going to put my neck on the line and spread their dirty little secrets.

- rats! my powers of unbeatable charisma have failed me! i'd forgotten how frustrating that is!

Li: Why would I possibly want to come crawling back to the Brotherhood? What reason would I have to throw away everything I've accomplished here?

- "trust me"? greatest damn lawyer alive, and /that's/ the best i've got? nah, too easy.

Cat: I give up. What would it take to convince you? Li: All right, I'll play your game. I had a colleague down here… a Doctor Virgil.

- oh you've got to be kidding me.

Li: Several months ago, there was an accident in his lab, and he was killed.

- was he, now?

Li: I wanted to help with the investigation, but Father had the laboratory sealed, saying that it was contaminated. The incident never sat right with me. The more I asked about it, the more I felt like Father was deflecting my questions. If you bring me solid information on what killed him, I'll take it as a favor from the Brotherhood, and consider your offer. Do we have a deal?

- well, the good news is that good buddy Burce has recently been un-Banninged, so theoretically we could just go for a little field trip. i don't think she'll go for that, though, and getting Virgil back into this hellhole seems even less likely.

Cat: I know this may come as a shock, but Doctor Virgil is still alive. I met him myself.

- it just occurred to me to hope that we're not being listened to right now. whoops.

Li: Oh, please. Do you really think a cheap tactic like that is going to work on someone like me? Stop trying to avoid the legwork by lying. Either you get me the evidence or we have nothing else to talk about.

- well, it was worth a shot. plan b: this Holotape which i actually forgot i was carrying and am really glad i didn't accidentally leave in Sanctuary when i last cleaned out my inventory.

Cat: I already have something that might convince you. Li: How did you…?

- "yOu ShOuLd KnOw BeTtEr ThAn To AsK mE tHaT" :p

Li: Never mind, just let me see what you've got. Cat: Here you go.

Holotape: Virgil: I'm going to make sure the whole program is shut down. If not for good, then at least for years to come. After that… I know what I'm about to do will be seen as a betrayal. Treason, he'll probably call it. So… I'm leaving. I have a plan… and if it works, I'll be somewhere safe. Somewhere not even the Coursers can find me.

Li: They… lied to me. They lied to me, and I didn't even realise how far it went. All those years of loyalty… for nothing.

- good to have confirmation that Shaun is not to be fucking trusted, which i already knew. wait, did i say "good"?

Cat: No matter how badly it hurts, you needed to hear the truth.

- shut up ghost of DiMA past she asked me directly to investigate it's not the same thing shut up shut up

Li: And for that, I thank you. I came to the Institute to get away from the Brotherhood… from the whole world. I just wanted to do my research in peace. Father took me in and gave me access to cutting edge technology that I only dreamed existed. Li: I became jaded. I thought that the Institute cared. That they wanted to better mankind. Maybe, in their own twisted way, they still do. But now I realise if you can't trust the people you're working for, then it's all pointless. If they lied about Doctor Virgil, who knows what else they've been lying about… or what their plans are for my work.

- well said! now, have you ever heard of a group called the Railroad-

Li: I'll make my way back to the Brotherhood, but I'm going to have to do it on my own. I can't take any chances being seen with you.

- honestly, appreciated. i don't want to be ousted as an infiltrator yet, either.

Li: Tell whoever sent you that they've just regained the services of Doctor Madison Li.

- mission accomplished.