ALL NOVEL Chapter 16: Cutting the connection
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The battle was over, and seeing that the only thing worth looting in this town were the robots which I planned to buy from the Legion once they were sent to Castra Sol Rubrum I focused on inspecting the damage to the power armor my contubernium had been using before we had to continue on our way.
As I gathered the tools to make repairs, reinforcing the armor where the clear laser damage showed, the men began maintaining their weapons as I had taught them to avoid jamming during combat. Of course, it could still happen, but at least it wouldn't be due to a lack of proper care.
"Decanus Gaius... the battle is not yet over. I have reserved the highest honor for your brilliant performance in the recent fights," said Legate Lanius, his cloak soaked in blood that was slowly drying into a brown stain, offering me a sword.
"What honor would that be, Legate Lanius? I have many pieces of my armor to repair for the next battle," I said as I took the sword.
"The honor of killing the false goddess. Enter her temple, eliminate her, and return to me for further instructions," Lanius said, turning immediately afterward to resume his duties as commander.
"That's not how it works..." I muttered into the air, realizing that Lanius was already gone.
I looked toward the cave that housed Diana's temple, the doors firmly shut. They would probably require a significant amount of explosives to breach.
After a quick repair of my power armor, I put it back on and grabbed some dynamite from the Legion's reserves unused in the battle. I began placing the charges across the entrance to break through the steel doors.
"Fire in the hole!" I shouted before detonating the explosives.
As the smoke cleared, I saw a small hole had formed in the sturdy steel doors, just large enough for us to enter.
I called my contubernium, and with my men, we ventured into the temple, which I had visited before.
We moved cautiously through the long tunnel, knowing there could be hidden automated defenses protecting the temple, just like the last time we entered.
But there was nothing no threats as we advanced. Instead, we started hearing the voice of the one who called herself a goddess. She was trying to comfort someone or something.
We continued forward, the loud clanking of our power armor echoing off the walls, and soon we heard people beginning to panic and shout.
After two minutes of walking, we reached the chamber where the statue of the goddess stood, surrounded by a group of townspeople trying to hide from our sight.
"You... again you... are you happy with what you've caused? Destroying a peaceful town?" came the voice of the goddess.
"You were given the chance to surrender, and you didn't take it. And you, more than anyone, know how Lanius is. He shows no mercy to those who try to manipulate him... especially for pretending to be a goddess. It was you who forced these idiots to fight, only to be humiliated by legionaries who live to die for Lord Caesar," I said, pointing out the survivors to my men.
My soldiers stood almost petrified, staring at the statue, the same reaction we all had when we first encountered Diana.
"Legionaries... your decanus has given you an order. Capture the survivors, now," I said, breaking them out of their trance as they began approaching those seeking refuge in their goddess.
"Stop, mortal! They are no longer a threat to you. Halt, or you will suffer..." the statue commanded before I interrupted.
"You don't fool me, false goddess. Don't try to claim divine powers. You merely abuse technology to make yourself seem all-powerful. But in reality, you're either a ghoul who survived since the bombs fell, a robot that gained sentience, or a human mind implanted in a computer using RobCo technology. So, which one are you?" I asked.
The goddess remained silent long enough for my men to round up the survivors and lead them out of the temple, leaving me alone to await her response.
"You... you're not a tribal... you have knowledge. Why are you with those savages who glorify slavery and violence?" the statue asked.
The goddess's statue remained motionless, though her voice echoed through the chamber. My visor registered fluctuations in the energy source powering the temple, but no immediate threats. My men, already outside with the prisoners, had left me alone with this supposed deity.
"Why am I with them?" I repeated, stepping closer to the figure. "Because this world isn't kind to those who cling to ideals that died long ago. I was raised with the values of the old world, but if I want to survive here, it's either join the Legion or become its slave. There was no other choice, and it seems you didn't see that, thinking ideals would overcome reality," I said, positioning myself where Lanius had stood during their first conversation.
Silence fell again as the goddess processed my words. Though I couldn't see her face, I could feel her watching, analyzing every movement, every word. Finally, her voice returned, this time softer, almost persuasive.
"The power and control you think you have is an illusion, Decanus Gaius. The men you follow... Lanius, Caesar... they are consumed by their own ambition, unaware that real power lies in creation, not destruction. I've witnessed empires fall, wars destroy everything that was once beautiful and prosperous. Is that the future you want?" the statue asked.
"Don't waste your energy, I'm not switching sides... I'm not foolish enough to join the losing side, defeated by ideals. If you had joined the Legion, your people could have prospered under Caesar's rule, trying to rebuild in his shadow. But before we end this conversation, Diana, answer my question: What are you? Because I know we'll meet again... this doesn't end here, not when your data transmission comes from a place far to the north west, closer to Vault 29," I said, keeping my gaze fixed on one of the security cameras.
"Well... it seems you've already accessed my system. When?,Cognitive patterns in a computer''the statue asked, pausing before answering
"When we first met. It was easy to investigate the terminal that receives your data. One last thing before I cut your connection... what about Vault 29? Did anyone survive the psychosocial experiment?" I asked as I approached the terminal.
"Everyone survived. I took control of the Vault before they could be subjected to that barbaric experiment," the goddess replied.
That response left me still for a few seconds as I stared back at the cameras.
"You have my respect, Diana... I read the report on what was supposed to happen in that Vault. You saved many from a terrible fate... some of us weren't as lucky with the bastards of Vault-Tec."i said
The room was engulfed in a heavy silence, interrupted only by the faint hum of the cameras and the crackling remnants of the technology keeping the temple alive. Diana's words echoed in my mind as I pondered the experiment at Vault 29.
I took a deep breath, keeping my emotions in check, and turned to the terminal.
"Diana, this isn't the end. Not for you, nor for me. Caesar will not stop. If I know that, then so do you. And your 'divinity' won't save you from what's coming. I respect you for what you've done... for what you're trying to do. Maybe in another time, another place, you could have changed things. I would have liked to work with you, but I've already invested too much with the Legion," I said, approaching the terminal.
"Your respect doesn't change what you are or what you represent, Gaius. This is not the end, and one day, you'll regret what you've done," Diana's voice echoed one last time, a mixture of resignation and hate.
I disconnected the terminal as a receiver, severing Diana's presence from the temple, and finished by shutting off the generator and battery that kept the installation lit, plunging the room into total darkness.
I switched on a flashlight and began walking toward the exit of the temple. There, I met my men, who had tied the survivors with ropes.
"Drusus, make sure they're delivered to the slave master. We must ensure they fulfill their role in Lord Caesar's plan," I instructed Drusus, who nodded and led the men back to the camp we had set up before the battle.
I made my way to Legate Lanius' tent, which stood at the highest point of the camp, as I was due to receive new orders to deal with the tribe of that false goddess, who might attempt to resist in Vault 29.
"Ave, true to Caesar, Legate Lanius. I have completed the mission you assigned me," I said as I entered Lanius' tent.
"Ah... Decanus Gaius, true to Caesar. Did the false goddess beg for her life? Did she attempt to bargain for mercy?" Lanius asked, seated in his chair.
"She tried, but she had no grounds to do so. She cannot die in any conventional way, Legate Lanius. She confessed that she is a person whose personality was uploaded into a computer. There is no flesh for me to cut. We'd need to find where her actual memory core is housed, which could take quite some time to locate before we can finally kill her," I replied.
"Hmm... well, let her hide. There's no place in the world that can shield her from the wrath of the Son of Mars. Sooner or later, we will get our hands on her and shut her down, and her entire false cult will vanish. Very well, Decanus. We've achieved a great victory with relatively few casualties, compared to what such an important battle would usually demand. This means we can keep a good number of our veterans ready for the Sundogs. Now, all that remains is to finish off these profligates," Lanius said.
"Their capital lies to the north. We just need to keep pushing, and we'll prevent them from forming another resistance like this one," I responded.
"Yes. Your contubernium has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, Decanus extremely effective. I've had some discussions with your Centurion, and he only speaks highly of you. You've shown your worth in several battles, and you've already proven you can handle other centurions when they don't follow orders. So, Gaius, you will now lead a new century as Centurion. I expect you to adapt the command structure accordingly," Lanius said, handing me a centurion's helmet.
"Thank you, Legate Lanius. I will live up to your expectations," I said, taking the helmet.
"Caesar watches your movements, Centurion Gaius. See what you can do with the helmet. I beat a super mutant to death for it, so I doubt you'll be able to wear it over your power armor."
"I can add the helmet as an extra layer. Once I have access to a forge, I can make the necessary modifications to adorn my helmet. As for the rest of my century, will I be able to choose veterans?" I asked Lanius, grateful but curious.
"No... only the newest recruits. That way, you can mold them according to your tactics and train them to use power armor. Utilize some of the extra armor that comes with it. The frumentarii have detected members of the Brotherhood of Steel to the north of the Sundogs, so we will need as many Knights of Mars as we can get. Now, go. Organize your new men and crush Lord Caesar's enemies," Lanius said, shifting to his characteristic tone.
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