Chapter 372 - 372

"Adam, welcome back." Karla, the Vault's economics officer, or treasurer, or banker, whatever title you prefer, said with little emotion as he walked into the room she converted into an office. He had suggested she use the overseer's office since it was sitting unused and was already an office but she refused and took a room in the unused section of the living quarters and had it overhauled. She had only taken up the post very recently but she was very clearly taking the role seriously, which was good because truthfully Adam did not envy her the job she accepted.

"Good to be back." Adam smiled as he walked in, pleased to see how the room had been successfully renovated. Filing cabinets and bookshelves lined the walls. Most of it was empty, of course, after all she had not been working at this for too long but she was clearly just future proofing it. Notably she took one of the spare computers and brought it into her room for electronic record keeping. Though what really drew Adam's attention was a large man sized safe standing in the back of the room, locked. He was unsure if this was already down here or if she had conscripted some help to find one somewhere outside. "I see you really overhauled the space while I was gone." Adam chuckled.

"Yes." She said with a casual indifference as she pushed her glasses up. "The people of this vault are… motivated… to say the least." She praised, without an ounce of emotion in her tone. Adam studied her for a moment. He wanted to ask "are you a robot?" in jest because of her very businesslike and emotionless tone but felt it would be in poor taste. However something on his expression must have been read by Karla because she spoke up shortly after. "I suppose you find my manner of speaking a bit dispassionate, yes?" She asked, as if reading Adam's mind.

"I didn't-" Adam began only to be cut off.

"You didn't need to, I've been told that all my life. No, I am not some sort of strange robo woman with human skin. Though how I long to be free of the inane and human pathological desire to cling to something as counter productive as emotion. I have simply found that excess of emotion is detrimental to survival." She said with a sharp tone.

"Well I certainly won't question the way you choose to live your life. I guess I was just curious."

"I appreciate the concession, sir." She said as she stood up seemingly already moved on from the conversation. "Now, I have several things to talk to you about." She began.

"I do as well." Adam chuckled as he reached into his bag but was stopped by Karla speaking up again.

"Allow me to go first, as mine may influence your following statements, besides I believe I know what you are going to say, so might as well focus on the important issues first." She said with a bit of impertinence. But Adam almost just found it charming, she was so dedicated and didn't fawn over him like some of the other residents did, which always made him at least a bit uncomfortable. She was all work and no play, Adam didn't necessarily agree with the mindset but he could respect it.

"Alright, by all means." Adam said with a casual gesture of his hand to her.

"Great. Now, the first thing. Adam it is time you become the leader of this settlement." She said flatly.

"U-uh… excuse me?" Adam asked, not expecting this conversation at all.

"I'll be blunt." Karla said as she pushed her glasses up her face again, perhaps they were not fitted right.

"As if you are anything else." Adam joked lightly, Karla did not seem to be amused, so Adam kept his mouth shut.

"You gathered over a hundred people and started a new settlement. You have several people in charge of various aspects of life down here in the Vault but they all lack cohesion. Not only that but there are some things that can only be answered with proper authority. The Vault Guard do not know how far their authority reaches. I do not know whether I have the right to tax people. Jefferson does not know if he can conscript layabouts for help when the harvest or planting comes. The Doctor does not know how much of Vault resources he is allowed to make use of for his equipment and stocks. These questions must be answered."

"Well… okay I see your point, but why me? Surely you or someone else could take up the role."

"Im flattered by your praise of me enough to push me for the role, but I am ill suited." She said with a tone that did not feel like she was flattered in the slightest. "There are too many disparate voices, too many differing views and opinions. So many here come from all over, some even far outside of Chicago. There is no one single voice that is willing to rise above the rest. Even if I wanted the role which, to be clear, I do not, I am not what you call a 'people person' in fact I quite dislike people. I would be a poor choice for the role, I can see the hate mail already." She rolled her eyes and then snapped back to looking at Adam again. "You shall take up the role. It has already been agreed by those of influence down here. Your days of dodging responsibility are over. You started this settlement, now it's time to take some responsibility too." She said sternly.

Adam was taken aback, he was flicking between indignation and being cowed, however every rebuttal he considered came up flat in his head before he could even speak it. Could she have worded it better? Absolutely. But this was how she is, blunt, and sometimes rude. However she was right. He brought all these people together, if they needed someone to help make the rules, or be a final decision maker it made sense he would be selected.

Adam let off a long and heavy sigh before finally speaking with a small shrug:

"Call me Mayor Baxter, I guess," He said with a resigned tone.

"Not Overseer? Interesting. Anyway…" Karla said, already moving on and not giving Adam any sympathy for the new role thrusted on him. "I want you to look over these documents I have written up and see if they work for fair wages for those in the Vault based on the job. You were quite clear you don't want people to have to pay for their rooms or the food, which I still wholeheartedly disagree with. But I am not about to argue with the mayor." She said with a slight sarcastic tone as she pushed her glasses up again. "So I'd suggest you take these up to that big office on the second floor that overlooks the main sitting area and get to work."