ALL NOVEL Chapter 21: Preparing equipment
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After negotiating with Legate Lanius and returning him to the camp in the Vertibird, I began making multiple trips to bring back all the injured. Meanwhile, I worked tirelessly to get the facility operational. Time was critical; Lanius would remain for two more weeks before launching his campaign against the Sundogs, and the sooner everything was running, the better.
One of my first steps was to use the stored resources within the facility: the sperm and eggs of cattle. I utilized the artificial wombs to accelerate the breeding process, aiming to replace the mutated Brahmin with cows unaffected by radiation. The cows, with their red meat, were a luxury compared to the mutated, orange meat of Brahmin.
The happiest moment came when we slaughtered one of the cows we had found grazing on the way to the facility to eat. I couldn't remember tasting anything so delicious since I left the Vault. For many of my legionaries, it was their first time seeing meat of that color, and their initial reaction was one of doubt, much like mine the first time I encountered the disgusting Brahmin meat. However, once they tasted it, their expressions changed, showing surprise and fascination at the difference.
Access to one of the marvels of pre-war technology, these livestock animals that, thanks to artificial gestation, we could bring back, opened up unimaginable possibilities. With their genetic material preserved and a wide variety of farm species stored in the facility, they would soon be reintroduced to the land. Bred again for sale, both for their meat and hides, these animals would become an invaluable resource for the Legion—and my growing wealth.
A simple marketing campaign, highlighting that this meat was completely radiation-free, would quickly make it the preferred delicacy of the rich. Promising purity and quality, it would push the many farms within the Legion's domain, which until now had relied exclusively on Brahmin for meat, out of the market. The differences in taste and appearance would make this new meat even more valuable, ensuring a steady flow of income since food is a necessity, and everyone needs to eat.
Speaking of basic needs, the facility also had the capacity to produce enormous quantities of pure water thanks to purification machinery connected to the underground aquifer. This water, entirely free of radiation, would not only generate considerable income if sold but would also greatly aid in agriculture in the region. Unlike the contaminated rivers, this pure water source could transform the surrounding lands into prosperous agricultural zones, ensuring healthy and high-quality crops for the Legion.
The only thing missing was labor. It would have been phenomenal if the Legion allowed me to use robots, but their well-known hatred of them made that impossible. I had to secretly dedicate myself to repairing the robots and programming an AI for the facility without being seen. Fortunately, I had plenty of material to work with, so it would only be a matter of time before the robots we destroyed were repaired.
The process of repairing the robots was tedious but necessary. Each night, I secretly worked in the facility's workshops, ensuring no one from the Legion knew what I was doing. With the proper tools and enough spare parts, I began rebuilding the Protectrons and Mr. Handy units that we had destroyed during the facility's capture.
The real challenge was programming the AI to control everything without raising suspicions. It had to be discreet, limiting its functions to essential tasks such as facility maintenance and the production of food and water.
The advantage was that the facility was designed to operate autonomously, and the robots were crucial for keeping everything running without constant human intervention. However, making this entire system work under the Legion's shadow of technological disdain meant that any mistake or revelation of what I was doing could cost me dearly.
As efficient as the robots were and ready to operate in secret, the best option was to bring in slaves. The Legion, at least, wouldn't object to that. If I wanted to ensure the facility's operation without raising suspicion, it was better to rely on visible human labor, which wouldn't represent a challenge to the Legion's beliefs.
I just needed to gather enough resources to buy them. Strong, obedient slaves who could handle the agricultural tasks, maintain the facility, and ensure that the production of food and water remained steady. The robots would keep working behind the scenes, doing what the slaves couldn't or shouldn't see.
Even though it was clear that bringing in slaves was the best option, I was still facing the reality that not even a month had passed since the campaign against Diana began. While the looting had given me a fair amount of resources, it wasn't nearly enough to buy the thousands of slaves I needed to fully operationalize the facility.
Many ideas on how to generate income within the Legion came to mind, but most were unfeasible. Producing alcohol, for example, was prohibited, closing off one of the fastest ways to accumulate wealth. It could have been a gold mine, but the strict rules of the Legion in that regard eliminated that option.
The sale of weapons and ammunition would undoubtedly be one of my best options. I had everything necessary to become a dealer of death: steel for the gun bodies, zinc and other materials for the firing pins and springs, lead, and gunpowder. I only needed to ramp up production significantly, and I was sure the Legion would be more than willing to pay me with slaves, their most abundant resource.
The demand for weapons was constant, especially with the Legion's campaigns expanding. If I managed to establish myself as a reliable supplier, I could generate a continuous flow of slaves for the facility. The slaves would work the land, produce more food, and over time, I could create a completely self-sustaining operation, all while keeping the Legion well-armed for their conquests. It was a perfect plan.
I just had to send a message to McKinley; that fat ass must be working hard in the city I tasked her with building. Or maybe I didn't even need to wait. I glanced at the Vertibird, evaluating the situation. The trip would only take a few hours, and I had enough fuel for the journey. Plus, I could finally gather the materials necessary to improve the Vertibird's flight controller, something I'd been putting off for days.
With a smile, I boarded the Vertibird, ready for the trip. If everything went as planned, I wouldn't only oversee the expansion of the weapons factory, but I'd also enhance my ability to fly this infernal machine with more precision and control. I loaded everything important onto the Vertibird, from tools to blueprints. The manufacturing machines in the facility were rudimentary compared to the advanced ones that could be found in a Vault-Tec vault, but they were better than manual labor for improving production capacity. If I wanted to meet the Legion's demands, I only needed to focus on scaling up production.
I took off, heading towards my refuge near Castra Sol Rubrum.
The flight was calm, though I couldn't stop thinking about how primitive the Vertibird's control system was. Handling the machine required too much strength, further emphasizing the need for an upgrade.
Upon landing, the first thing I did was look for McKinley. With any luck, she'd be overseeing the construction or inspecting the weapons manufacturing to ensure everything was running smoothly. It wasn't hard to find her. As soon as I stepped off the Vertibird, a large group of workers who were stationed outside the refuge in the rifle assembly and manufacturing facility glanced up to see the machine.
Soon enough, McKinley showed up in her power armor, probably ready to get everyone back to work. Her arrival made it easy to spot her quickly.
"Boss, your slaves are on track, but of course, they get distracted by anything shiny," she greeted as she walked toward me.
"Getting a Vertibird is quite a feat, especially considering that Diana almost killed me with her damn robots," I said, walking inside the refuge with the control system schematics in hand.
"Who's Diana? Is that the one you're cheating on me with? You put this collar on me just to make me your slave, and now you're forgetting about me," McKinley teased, her usual sarcasm evident as she followed me into the refuge.
I ignored her comment, focused on the blueprints in my hands.
"Diana was an advanced intelligence, a brain connected to a machine that controlled a facility. Just a false goddess the tribals worshipped. But she's dead now, and we have this Vertibird," I said as I continued walking.
McKinley let out a small laugh, but I didn't stop to give her more attention than her constant insinuations deserved.
"How did your negotiations go, McKinley?" I asked as we reached the machine area of the refuge, and I set to work.
"I've done a job worthy of a promotion, boss. I made contacts with merchants in Phoenix. They have a chemical plant supplying everything we need to process into gunpowder, and I managed to reduce costs by almost forty percent. I also secured a deal with Flagstaff merchants to work with the consul of the Consul Officiorum ab Famulatus, and now we're getting minerals sourced from slave labor in the local mines, reducing costs again. And your slaves are working at full capacity in construction and manufacturing," McKinley said, revealing her sadistic smile as she removed her power armor helmet.
"Good work, McKinley. That's exactly what we needed. How did we do financially this month? Do we have gold for investments, or are we still in debt?" I asked, still focused on the schematics in front of me.
McKinley, still wearing that smug grin, quickly replied, "We're better off than I expected, boss. With the cost reductions and new deals, we've generated enough gold for some investments. It's not a fortune, but at least we're out of the red," she said, standing in front of me, staring intently.
"Good. Check the markets. If you find slaves from the Executives or the Summers Federation for sale, get them working on making rifles for the Legion. That's the best business we can offer for now. With the profits, keep buying more slaves for future projects. The Legion will keep licensing veterans, and more cities will need to be built," I said as I began working on the new control system for the Vertibird, after reviewing the flight training holotapes from the Vault.
McKinley nodded and turned to carry out my order.
While McKinley handled her tasks, I began recreating the Vertibird's control system using the Vault's holotapes. It wasn't an easy job, but the instructions provided the information I needed.
After a few hours of uninterrupted work, with abundant resources and precision machinery at my disposal, I started making changes to the Vertibird. I ensured every modification was precise, from the control system to the electrical wiring, much of which had to be replaced.
The workshop buzzed with the sound of tools and metal clanging, but progress was clear. The Vault's machines were far more advanced than anything else I could find, allowing me to work efficiently. The Vertibird would not only be easier to pilot but also near its maximum operational potential.
Now that I think about it, diesel will eventually run out if I keep using the Vertibird regularly. Although I have a few barrels, it won't be enough long-term. I could try modifying the system to run on electricity instead of combustion. With the installation's technology and available resources, it should be possible to make the conversion. Plus, an electric system would be more efficient and sustainable, eliminating the need for fossil fuels.
The G.E.C.K. has a cold fusion generator. I could sacrifice one of the ones I have, ensuring the Vertibird has unlimited energy in any situation.
I'll see what I can do once I finish fixing this damn control system, First, I needed to make sure the vehicle was fully operational before considering converting it to electric with the G.E.C.K.
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Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
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I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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