Chapter 302: fd8
Arc 1: Arrival
Part 8: Building
I spent the better part of the next week working on improving my situation at the crossroads. I'd stationed vehicles with the drone systems near the gates, utilizing Cortana as a lookout. I may have hidden the vehicle of those raping bastards, and disposed of their bodies in a random backyard on my way out of Dawson, but I was still afraid that their compatriots would show up looking for them.
My first day back was mostly spent taking the time to reinforce the defenses. Sheets of metal were welded onto the interior of the containers lining the approach from the west. It was a little awkward to do it on my own, but after a few aborted tries I figured out how to brace the sheets with a spare two by four while I welded them in place. The thin sheet metal of the containers wasn't going to stop bullets if anyone attacked, and even with my armor's kinetic barriers I was going to sleep a whole lot better knowing that layer of armor was in place.
Unfortunately, between general upkeep of my kitchen, myself, and some time spent performing some maintenance on my armor, I didn't have much time left over that day after welding half the interior perimeter. What I did have though, I put to good use after it dawned on me that this was my sixth day after waking up in that field by the road.
I took the time to open one of the trucks I'd brought back and dug out one of the flat panel televisions, an xbox three sixty, and a copy of the first Mass Effect game. I figured that, in honor of my armor and the fact I could apparently make some basic Mass Effect weapons and technology, I owed it to myself to refamiliarize myself with the guns of the first game.
At least, that was my excuse. I spent the rest of that evening going through the introductory sequences, before falling asleep to the gentle and familiar sounds of the main screen.
As I drifted off I finally realized why I had truly been so relaxed while playing the game. I had music again, audio that wasn't the dread silence of the apocalypse.
That night I dreamt of the stars.
XxXxXxX
Subject Demonstrating Rapid Assimilation of Technological Paradigms:: Proceed With Integration?
...
Confirmed:: Proceed With Integration::Continue Monitoring Subjects Response
XxXxXxX
I know that someday, when I tell this story to my grandkids, some idiot is going to see the parallels between my new life and God creating everything. I think the line is "on the seventh day he rested" or something like that. I dunno, never read the actual Bible.
All I know is that after six days of loneliness, with only Shep (and now a surprisingly talkative Cortana) for companionship, I was getting tired. I still didn't feel good about what had happened at the mall, even if putting those bastards down had been necessary. So I decided that what would come would come, and I was taking a day to rest and try to forget about the nightmare outside my walls.
I put Cortana on watch, let Shep out to run around and do her business, made myself a big bowl of cocoa puffs and settled in before my tv. I had a galaxy to save, damnit.
"Chief, are you sure this is what you should be spending your day doing?" Cortana asked as I settled onto the couch in front of my tv, bowl of cereal on the table and Xbox 360 controller in my hands. Her voice was being projected from the omni-tool integrated into my armor.
"Completely, Cortana." I replied as I booted up my save.
The interior of the Normandy appeared as soon as the game loaded, showing the female version of Shepard in her quarters. I'd always played the male Shepard in my previous playthroughs, so decided I needed something different this time around.
Besides, Jennifer Hale had a beautiful voice and any silver lining was a blessing in this world.
"If I don't take at least some time for myself, to relax, I will literally go insane. One of the benefits of actually having power is that I can do things like play video games to destress."
Stupid elevator load times, delaying my ability to get to the galaxy map and plot a course for my first target.
"Well, I guess that is true. You colloidals do have issues with systems degradation after all."
"Cortana, that was almost a joke."
"Was it? I wasn't sure if my delivery was dry enough."
"It was so dry it burned, Cortana." I replied with a laugh as I set my course. "Color me impressed."
I played for hours, only stopping to eat or use the restroom. I still habitually wore my armor, but that was more due to the fact that I felt safer in it rather than an actual expectation of immediate danger.
In other words, I didn't actually expect to be attacked by zombies or anyone else while I sat in my room playing video games, but I gods damn felt better wearing the high tech armor.
Shep spent part of the day curled up at my feet, woofing happily at periodic head scratches. The rest of the time she was out exploring the compound. I took a brief break after lunch to make a loop around the perimeter, killing the few zombies that had shown up and discarded their bodies in the pit.
It was nearing evening, and my stomach was starting to rumble for lunch, when my inventory in the game filled up. There was a really good sniper rifle I'd just come across after taking out a pirate base on some random moon in the Traverse, and I couldn't pick the damn thing up.
I went into my inventory, intending to just drop a few useless weapons to the ground. That's when I noticed something in the options.
"Convert to Omni-gel?" I read it, muttering to myself.
How the hell was I supposed to convert a weapon into omni-gel while I was off my shi-
I froze, then looked down at my left arm. At the Omni-tool embedded in it. Which still confused me because really I'm right handed, so maybe it made sense when you consider that I would use my right hand to interact with the interface, but that's getting off topic.
The god damned omni-tool in my armor that could use omni-gel to rapid prototype pieces of hardware and technology. The omni-tool that I had completely forgotten could also break down materials INTO omni-gel.
I thought about the Proteus System, and how I could burn an entire day's energy production just to install two drone systems into vehicles. But, if I had omni-gel, couldn't I just scan the drone systems and recreate them using my omni-tool? I mean, sure, I'd have to manually install the hardware, and I'm sure it wouldn't be as pretty, but it was possible, right?
"SON OF A BITCH!" I dropped my controller and began cursing. "I can make omni-gel with my armor!"
"You know," Cortana said slowly. "I'm a bit surprised that the thought did not occur to me either. And it really should have."
It was about here that a thought occurred to me.
"Cortana, what kind of AI are you, anyways?"
Cortana projected herself in glowing blue and green above my left forearm. She had a vulpine smirk on her face as she replied.
"I am a fully functioning human-replicant AI. I am stable to an uncountable number of cycles. None of that silly rampancy that Halsey's creations suffered from."
I blinked.
That was both reassuring and terrifying.
And I wasn't actually unhappy about that.
XxXxXxX
Advent 7
The following day was spent testing out my omni-tools fabrication and production features. It turned out to be, as expected, much slower than just burning energy on producing hardware. I needed to have sufficient materials for it to get the mix right, and I was certain there were items I couldn't recreate or duplicate with it.
On the other hand, I'd been able to convert that one crashed SUV into enough omni-gel to produce another eight drone systems. That was done by about ten in the morning, while Shep stood guard nearby.
It took me until sunset however to install the motherfucking hunks of machinery into four more trucks, a second APC, the Humvee, and two of the SUVs I'd previously prepared as escape vehicles.
Without my nanomachines to reconfigure the entire vehicle, I had to manually install and run the hardware. The roughly two foot on a side cube that was the center of my copies took up the passenger side seat, while the driving rig attached onto the steering wheel. Cameras had to be glued using a special plastic adhesive which thankfully my omni-tool could manufacture, creating a full three hundred and sixty degree field of view.
I was grateful that whatever sensors the drones used were apparently black-boxed and could detect through the car. And that the cameras were all wireless.
Still, the work was long and by the time the sun was coming down I was sweating inside my armor. I was tired, and didn't in the least feel like cooking.
The pool looked enticing as I walked back to my room with Shep by my side, and I paused to look between it and the slowly darkening sky.
"What do you think, girl?" I asked, scratching shep behind the ears. "What say we take some time and enjoy the water?"
I didn't bother grabbing anything to swim in. It's not like anyone was going to see me, and even if Cortana did spot anyone approaching my camp I'd put my armor on first before greeting them at the gates.
A quick trip up to my room netted me a fresh towel, and Shep was bouncing excitedly by the gate into the pool enclosure by the time I returned. I scratched her behind the ears again before entering, making sure the gate was secure behind me. Just in case, ya know?
I leisured in the cool evening air as I carefully removed my armor, leaving it organized on a lounge chair that I pushed near the steps into the pool just in case. This put it between me and the nearby hot tub, and about equidistant from both.
"Cortana, inform me if there is any sign of anyone approaching the compound." I said as I took my first step into the pool.
Shep barked before doing a dog bomb into the pool, paddling happily around me as I lay on my back and floated out towards the center.
There was little light in the enclosure, most of it coming as a result of a drone system I had rigged up to the power system with Cortana's instructions. It wasn't actually the purpose of it, but Cortana had managed to rewrite it's code so it could function as a remote control for the power systems. Hence, the circuit for the outside lights was on remote control.
Thankfully, each set was on a different circuit, so Cortana was able to turn on some first floor low-lights to provide illumination without creating a zombie attractant.
The benefit of that now was the stars I could see coming out in the clear sky above me. Constellations I had studied as a kid forming a great tapestry against the night sky.
I closed my eyes and just floated there for what must have been close to half an hour. After that I took a soak in the hot tub to ease my muscles before drying both Shep and myself off.
Afterwards I felt more relaxed than any other point since my arrival, even playing Mass Effect on my day of rest. As I led the way back up to my room I contemplated the benefits for my mental health that such a soak would provide.
I also started considering the necessary requirements to install a protected, enclosed hot tub onto a vehicle or a trailer.
If I was ever forced to form a convoy for living, I figured I could at least keep some of the nicer things in life around.
XxXxXxX
The following two days were spent almost exclusively on maintenance of the compound. The low power use I had going, which meant that most power was turned off save for that to the freezers and refrigerators in the various buildings, had ensured that the supply of the generator fuel tank had lasted longer than anticipated. However, I feared the damage of an interrupted power supply, so had spent an entire morning planning with Cortana.
In the end I had burnt a small amount of energy to produce and install a quantum energy cell into the facility, linked to the power grid. The installation was done in a manner that ensured it would automatically take over the flow of power if the generator were to go down. There would be at most a few seconds interruption in the power.
I still took the time and effort to refuel the tank, of course. In the long run, I hoped to find other sources of power, but even if I had to keep replacing the QEC periodically it was still cost efficient.
The rest of that day had been spent doing various odd jobs around the compound, including finishing welding the metal panels to the interior wall.
The next day I focused almost exclusively on the motel segment of the compound. I started by using the metal plates to both provide additional protection and coverage to the fence surrounding the entire motel compound and parking lot, save for the two access points to the road of the intersection. Once that was as secure as I could make it, I moved one of the remaining big rigs into position and, surprising even myself, managed to tip it over using my armor. After pushing across the ground a bit I was able to force it up against the fence, completely blocking one of the entrances.
And all that before noon, to boot.
I spent the afternoon welding plates to the fence surrounding the pool area, covering the ground floor windows of all the rooms of the motel, including the office, kitchen, and other areas, and improving the internal 'gate' protections in the event of a zombie intrusion into the compound.
When I went to sleep that night I was still wondering how to properly gate off the lone remaining entrance. For now it would merely serve as a choke point in the event of a zombie incursion.
XxXxXxX
Advent 10
I'd managed to avoid burning any energy since installing the drone systems into the trucks at the mall, which meant that I had over five hundred units to spend. I looked down at the display projected over my left forearm while I took a bite out of my sandwich.
Shep and I were sitting on the roof of the motel, using a tent for shade. It was temporary, especially since any strong winds would probably eventually rip it off the roof, but it provided enough shade from the sun while we ate our lunch.
I'd spent the morning plotting with Cortana and then beginning construction.
Given my thought about possibly making a go of this location, I figured that I needed an actual 'tower' in order to get a full view around me. Hence the beams I had hauled up from the construction equipment. Cortana had performed a structural analysis on the building, and calculated what we could afford to build on top of it. For now it wasn't going to be much, but it would do until I could dig and pour a proper foundation nearer to the actual intersection for a proper tower.
In this case, the tent was set up between four beams angled up and inward. After lunch I would attach a floor and hang a rope ladder from it.
The plan was eventually to build up short armored walls and a rotating 'table' to mount a heavy sniper rifle or a machine gun, then to add a sloping roof to it.
Problem was, I didn't have most of the materials I required in the compound. It was looking more and more like a trip into either Dawson, which I was wary of returning to immediately because of the possibility that those rapist's friends might follow their trail there, or to the community to my east was in order.
I was leaning more towards the community to the east, but not before I took the time to scout out the surrounding area more thoroughly.
I considered my options on my system while I continued eating my sandwich.
I had over five hundred quanta stored up. On the one hand, I could make a lot of useful supplies with that. More guns, armor and even a basic omni-tool for a compatriot if I ever found one, more hardware to outfit and upgrade vehicles.
On the other hand, saving up so I could research this tier two could be more valuable in the long run. If I didn't spend anymore energy over the next five days I'd be able to upgrade it in less than a week. Any energy spent before then would be a delay.
But if I had to spend energy, I probably didn't have all that much of a choice.
I looked out towards the woods on the other end of the field I was facing.
There just had to be other survivors out there, people worth working together with to save something from this apocalypse.
I prayed that my certainty wasn't unfounded
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone