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Pre-War Book 04

What follows is a glossary of Railroad terms. The Railroad requires strict secrecy regarding their terminology in order to evade the Institute and its many informants. Because of the secrecy, a series of codewords or phrases are utilized by their members in order to communicate sensitive information to one another. The following is a list of terms used:

Terms[]

  • Chrome-dome: a slang term used by some members of the Railroad to refer to earlier generation synths.[1][2][3][4]
  • Dead drop: a mailbox with a railsign used to exchange reports or other secret information.[5]
  • Des/Dez: a shortened nickname for Desdemona.[6]
  • (The) Freedom Trail: a pre-War landmark tour repurposed by the Railroad to lead new recruits to their headquarters.
  • Heavy: a front-lines type agent used for combat missions.[7]
  • HQ: the Railroad's central headquarters located beneath the Old North Church in 2287, formerly the Switchboard.
  • Milk and cookie run (also called a milk run): a quick and easy operation.[8][9]
  • Package: a rescued synth being transported in hiding.[10]
  • Railsign: a hidden symbol used to send messages between agents of the Railroad.[11]
  • Safehouse: a local base of operations for agents in the field.
  • Ticon: a shortened name for Ticonderoga safehouse.[12]
  • Tourist: an associate of the Railroad that helps with odd jobs (ex. Ricky Dalton)[13]
  • 'Wealth- an abbreviation to refer to the Commonwealth.

References[]

  1. Deacon: "Grab Carrington's prototype. You turn that over to Desdemona and she'll have to let you into our merry band. There's an elevator at the end of the hall. It should be a hell of a lot easier fighting the chrome-domes on this side of the minefield."
    (Deacon's dialogue)
  2. The Sole Survivor: "It's all right we're here now. You're safe."
    Ricky Dalton: "You think I'm goddamn safe? That little Slocum's Joe of yours is crawling with god-damned chrome-dome synth sons of bitches. The front's fortified to hell and back. They've placed mines all over the goddamn place."
    (Ricky Dalton's dialogue)
  3. The Sole Survivor: "Have you seen anything else? The tiniest detail could save our lives."
    Ricky Dalton: "Well, chrome-domes have been going in and out for days. They keep taking things out. Crates and the like. I got no idea what's in the crates, but there sure are a lot of them. I can't think of nothing else."
    (Ricky Dalton's dialogue)
  4. The Sole Survivor: "What do you mean by "chrome-dome synths"?"
    Ricky Dalton: "You know, them early model synths. Looks like metal wrapped over mechanical innards. You see them here and there doing who-knows-what for the Institute."
    (Ricky Dalton's dialogue)
  5. The Sole Survivor: "What's a dead drop?"
    Stanley Carrington: "Oh, dear lord. A dead drop is a mailbox with a railsign on it. It's a common means of communication for us, so keep an eye out for them. When you make contact with Stockton he won't give you the time of day unless you give him the proper countersign. The current sign is, "Do you have a geiger counter?" And the counter is, "Mine is in the shop." Please tell me Deacon taught you that, at least?"
    (Stanley Carrington's dialogue)
  6. The Sole Survivor: "What, you don't believe Deacon?"
    Glory: "Given what I saw, yeah, you might be the real deal. I know Dez said we don't got room. But talk to Deacon. I'm sure he's got an angle, he always does."
    (Glory's dialogue)
  7. The Sole Survivor: "What do you mean?"
    Glory: "A heavy. Someone able to take whatever shit the Institute and Commonwealth dishes out and come back for more. So the Switchboard was crawling with bad guys. Mines and shit, too. Any of that true? Or was Deacon bullshitting me again?"
    (Glory's dialogue)
  8. The Sole Survivor: "What's in the cache?"
    P.A.M.: "Contents are classified. However, if the cache is secured it increases our organization's effectiveness by 2% (warning: margin of error is 3%). The cache is hidden in compliance with Tactical Counter-Surveillance Protocols. This RFID device will locate and unlock the cache upon close proximity."
    Deacon: "Seriously? You're giving the "Rogue Variable" a plum mission like this? C'mon, PAM, what about me? It's like you don't trust me."
    P.A.M.: "Affirmative. Assigning Agent Deacon this mission has an unacceptable margin of error."
    Deacon: "Ouch. You really know how to hurt a guy."
    Deacon: "We call these missions milk and cookie runs. Fast and easy. That RFID thingy is pure gold."
    (Deacon's dialogue)
  9. The Sole Survivor: "Can I lend a hand?"
    Desdemona: "Yes. Ticonderoga Safehouse has gone dark and I need you to check it out. Hopefully, this is a milk run. But if you do find a Courser there, kill it. If there's no survivors, then your cover remains intact."
    (Desdemona's dialogue)
  10. The Sole Survivor: "Why do all packages start here?"
    Old Man Stockton: "When a package leaves the manufacturer they go to a specific location. The location changes, but for now it's here. So if I'm compromised, the whole supply chain dries up."
    (Old Man Stockton's dialogue)
  11. Deacon: "So, I'm looking for Railsigns. Symbols we use to send messages to each other. If you like that, we got signs and countersigns, dead drops, and even a secret handshake. Alright, maybe the handshake never caught on. Anyway, the tourist should have a trail left for us."
    "Here we go. Railsign. The arrow in the center indicates a direction. So our tourist is up ahead. Let's keep going."
    "Got another Railsign. Right there."
    "And another. We're probably close."
    "See the plus in the center? That means there's an ally nearby. Our tourist. You take point on the conversation. No matter what he says just say, "Mine is in the shop." Trust me."
    (Deacon's dialogue)
  12. The Sole Survivor: "Just part of the service."
    High Rise: "I think I'm going to like you even more than Glory. If you ever need grub, bullets, or just a power-nap take the elevator up to Ticon. My house is yours. And, Deacon, try not to give the rookie too much shit. Deacon may be a terrible liar, but it always pays to have him on your side. Later."
    (High Rise's dialogue)
  13. The Sole Survivor: "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret."
    Deacon: "That's what I want to hear. So Dez wants me to make you a "tourist". That's what we call someone who helps out with the odd job here and there. What a waste. I'm just going to come out and say this: the Railroad needs you."
    (Deacon's dialogue)
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