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83.63% Steel Waste / Chapter 593: Scientific Specifics

Chapter 593: Scientific Specifics

A couple days pass since the Tunneler extermination expedition had happened. As planned, Afton and Glados continued to send small patrols of Ultimo-Bots to purge any more Tunnelers who find their way into the cave system.

There were still plans to collapse it, but they were being especially cautious as they didn't know how far the tunnels actually went... A sudden ill-prepared collapse could weaken the foundations of the Railway tunnels and potentially even parts of Big Mt... Not to mention wherever the other tunnels snaked off to.

The group of Cyberdogs and Ultimo-Bots that Afton had sent off to explore them had only recently come back... It'd taken them two days to reach the end of a single tunnel, and strangely enough, the exit was only a couple miles away from a couple villages... Afton was still contemplating whether or not he wanted to contact them and ask if they'd encountered any tunnelers, but he suspected the Tunnelers didn't hunt the humans there, only the livestock they kept.

There were also plans in the works to modify the Cloud to be the bane of Tunnelers... Pumping that corrosive mist into the cave system would no doubt annihilate anything it came across, though there was a couple of problems with actually integrating it...

The first being the fact that anywhere the Tunnels led to would be put in significant danger. It wasn't possible to judge how long they were, where they led(In good time), and even if the Cloud would start weakening the foundations of everything above it... It was corrosive for a reason, if left long enough it might even eat through stone, soil, and breach the surface, obviously killing everything that had been there.

The second problem was the fact Tunnelers were extremely adaptable. The reason Ghost people formed was because air filtration lowered corrosive properties of the Cloud, this allowed it to slowly infest the body and alter it. This made them immune to the Cloud, while also increasing strength, agility, and unfortunately rendering the victim insane and in a constant state of rage.

No one could predict how Tunnelers would react when presented with the Cloud... Some might just dissolve into fleshy goo, while others might adapt to it and begin utilising it to strengthen themselves, becoming pseudo ghost people in the process... Hell, the possibility of them acquiring a limited form of air filtration just to become ghost people was not zero.

Of course, Tunnelers adapted to the Cloud, it wouldn't be that difficult to kill them... After such a mutation they'd need occasional upkeep of the Cloud to keep their bodies functioning. This is one of the reasons Ghost people didn't stray too far from the Sierra Madre, without the Cloud their bodies would slowly degrade and fall apart.

Regardless, Afton would allow Borous to experiment with using the Cloud on Tunnelers in secure locations. Even if it didn't help solve their Tunneler problem, it'd at least help them understand exactly how the Cloud functioned...

*Clunk!*

Afton steps through the lab door and looks over at Borous who was observing the Tunneler Queen through an observation window.

He walks over and looks through, spotting the Queen laying eggs in the corner of the room. He's quickly surprised however as the Queen picks one of her eggs up and devours it... He turns towards Borous who's monitors weren't moving, as if he'd already observed such a behavior. "Why did it do that?"

One of Borous monitors turns towards him as the scientist begins to speak, "As far as I can tell, it only eats its young when stressed..." the scientist turns to look fully at Afton, "I've conducted a number of tests on it already, as you can see, when not in complete darkness these creatures become incredibly stressed..."

"Why would that be? Cass said she'd seen plenty on the surface...?" Afton asks.

"Ah... No idea." Borous states, "I suspect there are some variants more suited to going above ground. Their cave systems receive little to no light, so their eyes have been adapted to be incredibly sensitive... Being in a brightly lit room would be like having high-powered lasers shined in your eyes constantly, the only reason this creature's eyes haven't been destroyed yet is due to the multiple eyelids it possesses."

...

Afton crooks a brow, "Uh huh... And, is any of this actually useful information, or just merely interesting to you?"

Borous snorts, "Can it not be BOTH!?... But yes, as you most likely already know, sudden flashes of light that occur before they can shield their eyes can disorient them and perhaps permanently blind some... Perhaps some targeted high-powered light systems would be effective?"

...

"Isn't that just lasers?..." Afton asks with a dull look.

...

"Ah-er... Yes..." Borous sheepishly admits.

"And you just recommended 'shooting them in the eyes'... As if that wasn't already effective with weapons other than lasers?"

...

"Well, anything would sound stupid if you put it like that!" Borous retorts.

Afton shakes his head, "No, only your idea sounds stupid in that scenario... Plus, once combat started, wouldn't the Tunnelers protect their eyes with those films anyway? Thus rendering a Laser shot not any more effective than what a bullet would be?"

Borous' floating height lowers slightly as if put out at being remonstrated. "You asked, I replied... ANYWAY! The tests you asked to be conducted on the various Tunneler samples you brought have been completed... And I am sad to say no, their scales, hides, organs, or claws would not be more effective than what we already have. Saturnite, Deathclaw hide, and Cybernetics can easily achieve anything these samples might do."

"Okay so, Tunnelers; bad... How is the Deathclaw Project going? The two Deathclaws I took on the expedition were very effective, so how long until we can have an army of them?"


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Niggross Niggross

Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!

Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :

ShinAmazake

Kingsprovince

Michael Jarrett

Nazlican Erdem

Tarlock

Justin David

next chapter

Chapter 594: Pissing Contest

"Aha! My pride and joys... Hm, as for creating an army?... It takes two to three months for an egg to hatch, after that it would naturally take around one to two years for a Deathclaw to fully grow. Of course, we utilise various chemical agents, food and genetic splicing to speed up that time, but it would take at least two years to have a fully army at your disposal." he explains.

Afton slowly nods, "Mhm, that's too bad. I was hoping to lead an army of Deathclaws when conflict at Hoover Dam finally breaks out." he chuckles at the thought, "Could you imagine their faces!?"

...

Afton shakes his head and eventually stops laughing, "Right, you guys' sense of humour matches Gabe..."

"So, who did you bring with you on the expedition anyway? I looked at the logs but didn't see any of my 'tamed' Deathclaws having gone out..." Borous suddenly asks.

Afton scratches his head, "Er? What do you mean?"

"I mean, the only Deathclaws you could have taken out without my knowing was the group that had control chips planted in their skulls... Unfortunately, the procedure had also rendered them infertile, you do know their names right?"

Afton shakes his head, "Of course not... The only way I would remember them is if you tattooed a number to their chests."

...

"I did do that." Borous states, causing Afton's brow to raise.

"But, neither of the Deathclaws I brought were tattooed..." Afton slowly says, wondering if there had been some sort of mistake.

"Did you see the surgical scars around their heads from where the chips had been installed? I put them inside their skulls so you must have seen those marks."

Afton again shakes his head, "No... They didn't have any marks on them whatsoever."

Borous quickly floats towards the lab door, "Then we have a problem... A MASSIVE problem!... A Deathclaw sized PROBLEM!" the scientist exclaims.

Afton follows the scientist as they fly as fast as they can towards the Deathclaw enclosure. "Those Deathclaws were fine though! Well behaved and followed orders..." he asks as they travel.

"I would hope so! That's what they're currently bred for!... But that doesn't mean there aren't risks! That's why I said to use the chipped ones!"

The duo continue moving until they reach the enclosure, both getting to the observation window where they examine each creature there... And sure enough, they both spot two scarred and numbered Deathclaws.

The chipped Deathclaws shouldn't be here, they were infertile and served no purpose other than for combat. So Afton must have accidentally swapped them with two unchipped ones somehow...

...

"Borous?" Afton asks as the scientist just stares dumbly into the enclosure. His voice breaking the brain-bowl out of their thoughts.

"Where are the chipped Deathclaws located? If what you said before is true, then perhaps those two you used are the bulls I need to be using for the next generation... But first I need to see them!"

Afton nods in agreement, he'd seen what some of the Deathclaw variants Borous had created do, some were mentally unstable and needed to immediately be put down, some were sluggish and lazy, while others were simply far weaker than their brethren...

Soon enough the frantic scientist and more or less interested protagonist reaches the kennels were the chipped Deathclaws were held. Once there they quickly spot the two unchipped creatures growling, grunting, and making other peculiar sounds towards the chipped ones. It was as if they were trying to communicate with their mentally deficient brethren, but becoming frustrated after not getting the replies they expect.

"You stay there doc, I'll be able to handle them if shit hits the fan, but I'd hate for you to be collateral." Afton states as he approaches the duo.

The chipped Deathclaws part and make way for him as he walks towards them, the two unchipped ones glaring down at him with their beady eyes.

"Yo, remember me?" he asks with a stern look

In response the two Deathclaws just chuff and growl, as if replying to his words. Though, he can easily see them flexing their claws. He'd learned from Borous that this was a challenging gesture, they were sizing him up. Seems like they were having second thoughts about following him since he lacked an army this time.

He bears his teeth and clenches his hands before them in return though, matching their gesture with a smug arrogance one wouldn't expect when presented with two massive predators.

The larger Deathclaw of the two takes a step forward and looks as if it would continue, but Afton just forms his plant arm into a massive claw dwarfing his opponents... Once the Deathclaws witnesses this it quickly backs down, looking deferential in Afton's presence.

He grins and looks back at Borous, "I think we've found your perfect specimens. Have some studies set up to determine how stable they are, oh, and try not to get killed while you're at it... We've almost found a way to stuff your brains into living bodies, it'd be a shame if you missed the opportunity." he adds before leaving the scientist to get to work.

The two Deathclaws watch Afton leave, and once he's out of sight they turn their attention towards Borous, who was suddenly feeling much smaller than he had earlier... "N-Nice Deathclaws..." he almost pleads placatingly as he makes a swift exit from the kennels.

Despite his rather panicked departure though, new ideas for these specimens were already swimming in his brain... It seemed that this new breed was similar to how dogs functioned, they were able to mark another creature, Deathclaw or not as the alpha, this is exactly what happened earlier between them and Afton.

The only problem now was to make sure they saw Bulwark officials as alphas... But, if that wasn't possible, then perhaps making Gabe the 'alpha' for now would work?


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Niggross Niggross

Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!

If you like my content or want to read ahead please go to : https://www.p.atreon.com/Nagross, I'd appreciate it.

Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :

ShinAmazake

Kingsprovince

Michael Jarrett

Nazlican Erdem

Tarlock

Justin David

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