Took some time to get this chapter written. I had to do some digging on the aesthetics of the Necrons in Warhammer 40K and of course James Cameron's Terminator movies. Mainly the first two, and Salvation. I figured if the Brotherhood of Steel is going to be using the Ad Victorian Overhaul mod in this fanfic. I had to figure out how to make the other factions formidable to even the odds.
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A Call to Arms Pt.1
October 27th, 2287
The Commonwealth, Boston Massachusetts
Nathan "Nate" Shaw
Recon Squad Gladius
Brotherhood of Steel
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The hike across the roads under the late night sky was rather eventful: an ambushed caravan by raiders, a few feral dogs and bloatflies. All under the edge of an incoming thunderstorm. Danse gave Nate the rundown on the last two recon teams and the potential threat lingering at Arcjet Systems. All finalized with a light drizzle of rain without the rads.
"There it is… Arcjet Systems. There shouldn't be any exterior security, so we'll head in through the front."
Danse and Nate surveyed the front patio for any signs of hostile activity. No threats were in sight so the two made their way to the front door. Danse stopped Nate at the door to give him a brief rundown for any low grunt soldier and above.
"Alright Nate, listen. We do this clean and quiet. No heroics and by the book. Understand?"
"Understood, Paladin."
"Remember, our primary target is the Deeprange Transmitter. Stay focused and check your fire. I don't want to be hit by stray bullets."
"Don't worry. I'll cover our six."
"Outstanding." Danse entered the facility carefully. Carefully panning very corner, nook, cranny, and shadow in the front lobby.
Nate took a moment to sweep one last look across the patio. A brief streak of lightning struck the skies with thunder rolling quickly after. A heavy barrage of rain was the gravy on top. Slowly backing into the Arcjet Systems facility with his aim steady, Nate closed the door to see Danse and the main lobby in complete ruins.
The storm outside echoed roughly around the walls. For a moment Nate could mistake the sounds from a sudden hailstorm. For all they knew it might be hail.
"It was corporations like this that put the last nail in the coffin for mankind. They exploited technology for their own gains, pocketing the cash and ignoring the damage they'd done." Danse explained as the two made their way to the security wing.
From behind, a tumbling clank of rubble and shrapnel broke through the sounds of the storm outside. On instinct Nate turned around the swivel to find the lobby empty. Still making his way towards the security room he noticed a few pieces of debris and junk fell from the second story. Fear took the back of Nate's neck and shot a cold sense down his spine. His breathing exercises quickly sprinted to mind from his time in the Army. He turned around to see Danse standing over dismembered Protectrons.
"Look at these wrecks. It appears as though the facility's automated security's already been dealt with."
Nate looked around the parts for any sign of a fight. Kicking over a Protectrons front plate for any other clues a sudden jolt snatched Nate's ankle. Nate and Danse jolted at the source, guns aimed quick to find a disfigured Protectrons on its last legs of power.
"Danger error error… activate error errrroorrrr…" the Protectron went dead silent, releasing his grip on Nate. After the robot shut down Nate caught a piece of a rod at the corner of his eye.
Pushing away the robotic debris with the tip of his rifle, the metal rod from a closer inspection, was actually a robotic arm.
"Hey Danse, recognize this?" Nate tossed the metallic limb to the Paladin. After a quick and thorough he tossed the arm back in the pile of parts in irritation.
"Dammit I was hoping to avoid this. Look at the evidence. There isn't a single spent ammunition casing or drop of blood in sight. These robots were assaulted by Institute synths. That metal arm confirms it."
"So… I assume these synths will look more humanlike than robots."
"They're an abuse of technology created by the Institute. Abominations meant to "improve" upon humanity. It's unacceptable. They simply can't be allowed to exist."
"And this Institute, what do you know about them?"
"They're a group of scientists who went underground when the Great War started. Spent the last few decades littering the Commonwealth with their technological nightmares."
Nate counted the number of Protectron pods. Destroying five Protectrons in the same room is no easy feat to achieve.
"Then we better watch our backs."
"Agreed, let's move up. Keep your flashlight off. The less light the less chances of being spotted."
"Yessir." Nate said with Dogmeat groaning in agreement.
Through the halls, the two soldiers made it to the back room offices. The main beef of the facility should be further down the building.
"This place is a mess, but I still see a few pieces of salvage that the Brotherhood might be interested in. After we're done here I'll have to mark this place for sweep and retrieve."
For Nate, tailing behind Danse didn't feel as safe from whatever could be lingering from behind. He'd sneak a few glances, rifle at the ready. As always there was nothing but dark tunnels. Didn't make the operation any easier. The next room must've been the management office. The blast door was shut tight with no way to break through.
"Looks like a dead end. See if you can find a way to get that door open. I'm going to reconnoiter the area. Check those terminals, one of them must open the door." Danse assumed a patrol pattern in the room for any suspecting ambush spots.
Nate started with the main computer for any help.
"Dammit, it needs a password. I'll go check another. The password's gotta be somewhere." Nate was able to access the other terminal with no use of any hacking. Turns out the password changed and was logged in this terminal.
"Alright Danse I got the password. Get ready to move out."
Plugging in the password, Nate found how to unlock the doors. The door opened with one push of a button.
"Nice work. Let's get mov…"
"Hostiles detected. Engaging." A group of four slender mettalic robots hovered over a pile of tech. The moment the door opened they shot up on their feet and raced to cover.
"Synth ambush open fire!" Danse stood his ground while Nate ducked under the desk for cover.
Flipping the safety from his laser rifle, Nate charged up from cover and laid down green plasma shots on the bucket heads.
The synths didn't look much for the moment but they're no slouches to gunfire. The last one fell in a puddle of plasma goo.
"Damn synths have compromised most of the facility." Danse huffed observing the count severed synths.
"Is someone there? Identify yourself." Danse was about to approach the halls rifle at the ready, but Nate held him off a moment.
"What the hell are you doing?" Danse hissed.
"Hold on." Nate laid low beside the man-sized hole in the corner.
Taking a quick peek around the corner a group of the same type of synths were stepping up the end of the hall. He looked over at Danse and held a finger to remain silent. Pulling out a frag grenade he showed it to Danse and responded only with a nod of approval. Ripping out the pin quietly, Nate rolled the grenade down the hall. Quickly moving back around the wall. The explosive went boom along with the sound of a good amount of robot voice cackling to death.
Nate gave the signal to move up. Danse took charge with Nate at the rear. Their current location must've been the science wing. Robotic limbs were scattered everywhere around the grenade's point of impact.
As soon as the two fully entered the room, three synths landed on their knees to the floor with a hard thud. Standing up slowly revealed their true height to be the same as Paladin Danse in full power armor. They're aesthetic build was more in muscular armor plating, and they're faces formed a menacing shape of a human skull. The wiring tethered across their bodies glowed an eerie shade of bright blue. The glow pulsed in unison like a heartbeat. The design of how the wires were aligned along the Synths bodies gave the idea of veins pumping blood through flesh. The final menacing detail were the eyes. They were just two blue dots on their heads.
"Humans acquired. Lethal force engaged." Their deep, menacing voices spoke in unison, and held no emotions. They pulled their rifles out from their back holsters, and unleashed a barrage of heavy laser shots.
"Get behind me!" Danse shouted. Which Nate darted behind as ordered.
The loud consistent shots was giving Danse some serious pushback but no critical damage just yet. Nate crouched and aimed his rifle, left side of Danse's legs. These variants of synth were definitely built to take punishment and deliver the same amount in return. Moving back behind Danse and his armored self quickly, Nate took a quick breath to fill his lungs as good as he can. Like all soldiers both flesh and metal they always have constant weakness. Nate darted back out of cover and aimed for the kneecaps and shoulder joints. The first round of shots went through the closest synth as smooth as a silk. The last shots went straight for the synths lower neck.
"Aim for the joints!" Nate yelled from behind Danse.
The second synth went down just as the first. Both legs were shot clean off by Danse. The third synth didn't go down so easily. When the first two went down, the final synth pulled out a ripper knife and went straight for Danse. He riposted the handheld chainsaw and shoulder rammed the last synth into a daze. With his metallic grip, Danse took a hard snatch at it's throat, and crushed it in his grip for good measure. Finally he slammed the synth on the ground hard to make the ground tremble lightly.
"Holy shit, Danse." Nate looked over Danse's execution.
"Nate!" Danse pointed just as soon as the second synth tackled Nate from behind and threw him to the nearby corner.
Danse was about to fire, but his fusion cell was spent.
As Danse hastily tried to reload, the crippled synth used its arms to crawl over to Nate. It grasped it's cold metal grip at his throat. Quickly losing consciousness, Nate pulled his 9mm in the synth's throat. The machine's tight grip began to loosen enough for Nate to break out and crawl away a few more feet. The synth sadly caught Nate's footing, but that short crawl was all Nate needed to reach the last synths ripper saw. The synth back above Nate with it's last killing punch was cut short as Nate revved the weapon and sliced through it's torso with a hard primal scream. Sparks flew like a forge under pressure and it's oily fluids spewed like a garden hose. The synth fell on Nate in two pieces. Warm dark oil like substances started gushing all Nate's face.
By the time Danse had his rifle reloaded, the synth was already taken care of. The synth he had under his armored boot was still trying to kill Danse, but when Nate noticed he picked himself up his laser weapon and emptied his entire clip on the synth. A full sixty round fusion cell all emptied on a synth till it was drowned in a pile of plasma goo. The look in Nate's eyes remained cold and grim. Shooting without any glimmer of mercy to this mechanized abomination of science.
"Fucking machine." Nate growled.
Danse kept his distance for a moment Nate seemed to need space. He could hear Nate's breathing slowly in his nose. Four seconds later and exhaling. A few more times later of this exercise and Nate was finally able to shut his eyes. With relief, Nate lowered his weapon to reload a fresh fusion cell.
"Ready to advance Nate?"
"Yessir." Nate hissed.
Danse resumed point upstairs through the science wing with Nate watching his back.
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Over the Moon Pt.1
October 27th, 2287
The Commonwealth, Boston Massachusetts
Identity Unknown
Wastelander
No Affiliation
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Crossing Cambridge, the farmer and Brahmin made their way further east. The man in combat armor was still undetected further behind.
The rain started to settle to a lighter drizzle, thankfully. The farmer and Brahmin took a moment to take a breather. The lone soldier remained vigilant overseeing the duo.
"Do you still have the backup?" The soldier spoke under his balaclava.
The moment he finished his question a shadowy figure phased next to the soldier. Beside him was a feminine figure proned with an Anti-Material Rifle and dawned in a Chinese Stealth Suit.
"You know it, pops."
"Alright. The bait's moving up, let's get back to it." The soldier resumed his quiet tailing while the young woman cloaked back further ahead.
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A Call to Arms Pt.2
October 27th, 2287
The Commonwealth, Boston Massachusetts
Nathan "Nate" Shaw
Recon Squad Gladius
Brotherhood of Steel
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A clean faced Nate and calm Danse finally made it to the main engine testing silo. "Look at this place. Scribes would have a field day in here." Danse said in astonishment at the four story engine core. The condition looks like it wasn't touched by the bombs by one speck of rads. Might still fire after all these years.
"The transmitter should be in the control room at the top of the core but it looks like the elevators are dead. We'll have to keep heading down for now and find a way to get the facility's power back online. There has to be a power backup system somewhere."
Making their way downstairs, Dogmeat passed through the two soldiers and into the bottom control room.
"Looks like your dog may have found something useful. Scout the maintenance area off of the main chamber. I'll remain here and watch our backs."
"Got it sir." Nate responded. Following Dogmeat to the maintenance room, Nate found his dog barking over this strange device. It was built out of spare parts and was in the shape of a funnelled canon. He plugged in the nearby holotape with the label 'Junkjet'.
"Jeering. Leering. Laughing. Mocking. Taunting. 'Oh, he graduated all right. From high school.' 'It's fine, I'm sure he took shop class.' 'Oh look, he's reading the science mags. How cute.' Har har har. Shop class. Let's see them make this in shop class. My marvel of engineering. The finest in weaponized refuse acceleration. My beauty. My Junkjet. They'll see. The engineers, with their suits and fancy degrees. Come Monday morning, they'll all see."
"Crazy technician." Nate scolded. As crude as the device was described, Nate considered taking it with them.
"There's gotta be some value to this thing." Nate thought to himself.
Moving to the fusion generator room, the main power switch was off but the generator was still running.
"Alright Danse, I'm switching the power on. Oh and just in case, why don't you step inside the room. Don't want that engine to heat up your armor. You'll cook like an oven in there."
"How very funny of you. I'm on my way " Danse made his way to the maintenance room while Nate began to throw the switch. The whole facility sparked back to life in a burst of electricity, "Excellent work, Nate. Let's-"
A horde of the smaller model of Synths started falling down from the higher floors. Danse was about to charge out there, but Nate caught him before he could leave by sealing the blast doors.
"What the Hell Nate!"
"Save your ammo, Paladin." Nate dashed to the control console and slammed the main ignition button.
All the synths tried shooting down the glass but no crack was made.
"Engine Core power restored. Thermal Engine fueled, primed and standing by for your command. Command accepted. Commencing five second countdown. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Engine firing."
Finally the engine fired after 210 years. All the synths below were nothing but ashes in the end.
"Test firing completed with an efficiency rating of 96.7 percent. Warning: Fuel depleted. Engine Core is offline."
"Well that's one way to clear a room. At least the power's back on and we have a way to the top. Let's go." Danse was about to walk out but Nate suggested they bring the 'Junkjet'. Danse volunteered to carry it across his back. Nate turned over and hooked the weapon over Danse's shoulders. After sealing tight and looking over two times over, Nate, Dogmeat and Danse made their way up.
The elevator was cramped with Danse in his armor and junkhet behind him. Dogmeat and Nate kept themselves pressed to the right side of the walls as the ride up went along. Finally on cue with a quick ding from the elevator the doors opened up.
"Humans spotted. Commencing execution."
A group of skinny lowlife synths ran out with shock batons in hand. They went down as scrap like cannon fodder. There were only two more of those tall, stronger synths still inside. They must be hunkering down for Nate and Danse's arrival.
Nate held Danse back a moment to show him his last frag grenade. Pulling the pin he rebound the grenade in the wall and landed just between the two other synths. Once the explosion finished, Nate and Danse charged in with Dogmeat pushing ahead first.
Nate and Danse aimed their weapons for the synth on the left. It's neck was shot by Danse and the kneecaps by Nate. Dogmeat bit out a few of the last synths wires under its neck. Nate went over to the last one and shot a few more rounds in its head. Confirming it's kill for good.
"Room's clear. Stay frosty." Nate said as he surveyed the corners. Danse made his way inside next.
"I hope that's the last of them… Damn it. I don't see the device anywhere. Fan out and check the synth remains. They may have been after the transmitter as well."
Dogmeat sniffed out the transmitter on the same synth he killed. He picked up the device and ran over to Nate to give it to him.
"Dogmeat got the transmitter. That's my boy!" Nate gave Dogmeat a scratch behind the ears. His tapping hind legs told Nate his dog is enjoying the praise.
"Excellent job, Dogmeat. Let's get out of here. We'll take the service elevator to the surface." Danse said as he pushed the button.
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Over the Moon Pt.2
October 27th, 2287
The Commonwealth, Boston Massachusetts
Identity Unknown
Wastelander
No Affiliation
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The farmer finally made it to his destination and met the three visitors of interest.
"Alright Emma, we're almost to your home. Just a little further. Your hubflower patch is waiting for you, you'll be there in no time."
The Soldier has his Gauss rifle aimed straight for the farmer and Brahmin. Dawn is just rising from the horizon.
"C'mon you fuckers, gimme something to shoot at. Gimme something to shoot at." The soldier muttered under his breath consistently.
From behind the man he could hear a faint ding of an elevator chime behind him at the Arcjet disposal area.
"Bunker looks clear. Let's move out Nate." Danse stepped outside to see the rising sun and the soldier dead set on the farmer out front.
"Hold tight Nate." Danse whispered low while pulling out his laser rifle. Nate stepped out to see the same soldier.
"Hold your fire, Danse I don't think he's here for us."
Right on cue as if like clockwork, a sound from the skies suddenly grew loud in a quick burst of speed. Just above in less than a second, a UFO arrived. Two aliens dropped down to secure the ground area and lift the Brahmin. The two aliens zapped the farmer turning him into some blue colored goop, like plasma.
The soldier finally pulled the trigger to his Gauss rifle at the UFO's opening for the gravity beam. A direct hit caused the UFO's pilot to burst in bloody green pieces. Along with the UFO itself to crash down on the rest of the aliens on the ground.
"Holy shit." Nate and Danse said in unison.
The masked soldier treaded lightly over to the UFO's remains and checked for any signs of surviving aliens. When the coast was clear he looked over the UFO's condition and found no serious damages other then from his Gauss rifle.
Taking a moment to acknowledge the two other soldiers behind him. One soldier in particular caught his interest. the symbol on Danse's armor could be recognized anywhere.
"Hey Brotherhood, c'mere! Check out the catch!" The soldier spoke with pride. From behind the woman in the Chinese Stealth Suit decloaked and instantly, Nate held his weapon firm at the woman.
The woman removed the suits head piece to reveal a rather young face with short blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She looked to be in her late teens and early twenties.
"Hey hey! Check fire initiate. We're not your enemies. Sally why don't you go get the rest of our gear."
Sally jumped down from the UFO and cloaked back again.
The other soldier jumped off the UFO and removed his helmet.
Nate stood in sudden awe and disbelief.
"Holy fucking shit." Nate spoke out loud.
The soldier carried a well worn face of years of struggle and his blonde hair was shaved thin on the sides. Yet the one distinct feature was the shape of his green colored eyes.
Nate removed his helmet to the man and shortly after he felt the same rush as Nate.
"Lieutenant Nate?"
"Private Elliot?"
As the two soldiers tried to process what was before them, Dogmeat raced over to the UFO and gave it a quick sniff. Afterwards he started to lift his leg up.
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And KABOOM, another blast from the last with Elliot Tercorien and Sally. Looking forward to writing more of this.
