บท 28: Safety First, Kids!
The class nod at Doran, no one wanted to get crushed to death by their own suit of Power armour, and the seriousness in his tone made them believe that other's had died trying.
Afton himself had received a similar warning from his father after he'd asked about the armour, something about having a friend back in the day who snuck into the armoury to try one on... They only found the body when the blood started leaking out.
Doran nods to himself after he feels everyone had understood him, he then points at the arms of the Power armour before continuing. "The arms have a similar mechanism to the legs but are no as dangerous. They won't crush you to death like the other would. They are retractable and can be adjusted to suit the arm length of the user, depending on how short your arms are, this could be an advantage as the armour actually becomes thicker the more retracted they are." he explains.
Doran raises his hand and lowers the back armour slightly to show everyone something, he points at a large electronic thing that could only be a microfusion pack, judging by the size of it. "This, is what powers the armour. There are multiple types of Power armour available, here in the Mojave we've been given two kinds, the mark T-45, and the T-51b which is the stronger of the two.
These armours are actually the weaker versions compared to what the rest of the Brotherhood has at their disposal... Can any of you tell me why this is?"
...
No one answers his question and he continues, "The reason for this is mainly due to their Power sources, these are less powerful but require significantly less energy than other suits, you almost never need to change the microfusion packs aside from when they're damaged... They could literally be left for thousands of years and still be operable, that's how efficient they are.
Compared to the regular T-45 armour and T-51 armour, this is an incredible advantage. They use fusion cores for power, relatively rare things depending on the location, here in the Mojave you'd be more likely to have a meteor fall on your head than stumble across one. Now, this wouldn't be too bad if they were as efficient at the microfusion packs, but they aren't... With the armour being bigger and generally more powerful, they required more energy, a fusion core would be drained within around six months of continuous use, depending on whether or not the armour had been fitting with other devices."
Torres holds her hand up and asks her question when Doran calls her, "Sir, why did we not get sent with the more Powerful armour and a stash of fusion cores? Surely we won't be gone long enough to justify being less able to deal with threats?"
Doran shakes his head, "Initiate Torres, how long do you think this expedition will take?" he asks, the girl looking thoughtful as she tried to find an answer.
Afton himself wasn't sure the expedition would ever end, they'd already been away for more than ten years, with relatively no progress towards their goal... Though, this was mainly due to Elder Elijah's poor management.
"Maybe... In fifty years sir?" Sandra guesses, not looking very confident at her answer.
Doran shrugs, "I may have asked the question but I myself don't know the answer... I personally think we'll never set foot in California again, additionally, assuming your guess was correct, a stash of fusion cores that lasted fifty years would be incredibly difficult to transport along with everything else... Not only that, but it would be a huge investment for the High Elder to risk, the chances of the NCR spotting us and managing to claim the stash is not negligible." he says, causing a few of the students to look rather put out.
Most weren't old enough to remember California, so they didn't really know how to feel about it. Afton didn't mind, in-fact, he welcomed not being so close to California, he imagined his entire life would be dictated by the whims of some old fart who'd only gotten the position due to his family... Just like in his old world.
He liked the Chapter he was currently in, it was strict but not too much so, he had a good degree of freedom to do as he liked. He was relatively safe from harm and had lots of things he could still learn, his friends and family were also a factor. He couldn't imagine not being able to talk and have fun with Veronica and Christine, he might actually be closer to them than he was with his parents...
Doran quickly changed the focus from them never returning to California back to the lesson at hand, going onto explain the differences between the T-45d and T-51b, the former was made from riveted steel plates that were incredibly heavy and made it far less manoeuvrable than the T-51b which was made from poly-laminate composite, which was considerably lighter than steel while being just as strong.
The T-51b also had a protective layer of ablative silver which assisted in the resistance of laser weapons and radiation... Not only that, but the suit had inbuilt human waste recycling mechanisms that can convert waste into drinkable water. It was also completely sealed which prevented radioactive particles from entering, the filter that circulated air also assisted in clearing any dangerous particles from being breathed in, this was particularly helpful in frequent Mojave dust storms.
Doran also went on to note and display the difficulty the suit provided when wielding small ballistic weaponry, the armoured gauntlets made your fingers large enough for it to be uncomfortable to press the triggers due to the trigger guard. This is one of the main reasons the Brotherhood prefers using energy weaponry, as the trigger guards generally had a lot more room.
The class continued as the man listed off the rest of the features and things they should keep in mind, at the end reminding them that they should heed his warning and not attempt to climb into one without supervision.
Afton left the class feeling a lot more knowledgeable than before, the fact that the Brotherhood almost never used ballistics due to the trigger guards was surprising as he'd never actually considered that before... Energy weapons were powerful, but he couldn't help but think ballistics still had their uses, especially concerning incredible long ranges... Sure, a laser rifle could theoretically have infinite range, but a bright red laser would be incredibly noticeable, even if you hit it'd be unlikely to be a one-hit kill anyway... This was something to ponder at another time.
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Niggross
Niggross Hope you guys liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know.
I'm hoping you guys liked my rationalisation for how the brotherhood operates. When I played fallout 4 I couldn't help but think how rediculess it was for a guy in full power armour to be wielding a 9mm pistol... I mean, how do you pull the trigger with those fat fingers!
Anyway, if you like my content or want to read ahead please go to https://www.p.atreon.com/Nagross, I'd appreciate it.
บท 29: New horizons
It'd been a year since Afton had become an Initiate, a few things had happened since then, Melissa and Miles had managed to pass their tests and become fellow Initiates. His fame had also increased within the Chapter due to the talent he commonly displayed.
His education was coming along handily, unfortunately, it didn't look like he'd have a lot of time to prepare himself for whatever conflict was coming. The Brotherhood scouts had been reporting that the NCR's presence around Hoover dam had been rapidly increasing, their trademark rangers had actually managed to pick off two or three of their members, enraging those who personally knew them in the Chapter.
Afton knew that the initial mission had been to obtain Hoover dam for Brotherhood in California, but apparently Elder Elijah had left it too long to comfortably do... As of now, if they tried to take it they'd be fighting against a strong defensive perimeter. The NCR as much as they disliked to admit, were quite strong, they may not have the technological strength of the Brotherhood, but they had numbers and good tacticians.
The news caused everyone to look to Elder Elijah for questions on what they were supposed to do, which spurred the man into action. He immediately ordered a relocation, he looked reluctant as he wished to stay and uncover more buried pre-war tech in the area, but time was shortening and they had no idea when this whole region would be claimed by the NCR.
As Afton was now an Initiate, he was given a laser rifle and tasked with assisting the Knights and Paladins at protecting the perimeter of the convoy, some were not happy with forcing an eleven-year-old into a combat role, that was especially so with his mother... His father managed to placate her with the fact he'd be keeping a close eye on him.
Sandra Torres was also positioned with him, however, the rest of the Initiates in his class were told to help carry things as Doran didn't think they were even close to being ready for combat.
Afton didn't know where their destination was, but hopefully, Elder Elijah wasn't leading them to their doom. He waited on the surface in his typical Initiate scout armour, his height was now 5.2ft and he was wielding a laser rifle that looked relatively large in his hands. Was he accurate with it? Sometimes... The thing was heavy and had a good deal of kick if you continuously fired, if you got shot at short to medium range in a vital you'd probably die instantly though.
Sandra stood at his side, also wielding a laser rifle... She was slightly shorter than he was at 5.1, but her thinner build made her look almost comically unsuited for the weapon.
"Any idea as to where we're headed?" he asks her, hefting the rifle onto his shoulder to rest his arms a little.
She shakes her head, "None... I haven't been hearing good rumours either. Has your dad said anything about what's happening?"
Afton shrugs, "Things aren't looking good is all I'll say..." he leans in to whisper in her ear, "Don't tell anyone I said this, but... I think if Elijah remains the Elder, the Chapter will eventually be destroyed." he says to her grimly.
She slowly nods in agreement, her face going slightly pale at the thought of it... She's about to ask something else when the sound of heavy footsteps walks up behind them.
"Son, Initiate Torres... I hope you aren't planning a rendezvous when we're just about to begin relocating." his father says, his voice distorted by his T-51b Power armour helmet. Though, Afton could tell by the man's posture that he had a huge grin under it.
Sandra straightens her back and places her right arm over her chest in a typical Brotherhood salute, "Paladin Parker, Initiate Torres at your service sir!"
The two teens could hear Zachary snort under his helmet at the formal greeting, he shifts the weight of the Gatling laser he was currently holding into one arm before resting a hand on Sandra's shoulder. "Relax Initiate, I may be a Paladin but I don't mind if you're informal with me... Unless the situation calls for it obviously."
"But sir-"
"Son, what have you been telling your girlfriend here? She seems to think I'm some sort of boogeyman!"
Sandra blushes at the insinuation, Afton can only sigh and shrug at his father, "I'd appreciate if you stopped teasing my partner dad, she's nervous enough as it is."
"Partner now, is it?" he chuckles slows when he notices Afton's glare, "Fine. You two will stick with me as per my agreement with your mother, if anything happens use me as cover. You're not wearing Power armour so its standard procedure. Last but not least, do not fire your weapons until I say so, we don't know who we could stumble into so erring on the side of caution is needed. Got me?"
They nod and he gives a thumbs up, "Good, just follow my orders and we'll get where we need to be safely." he says before turning and stomping towards the rest of the group wearing Power armour.
Afton and Sandra feel a little out of place within their ranks, but they do eventually notice some of the older Initiates who're not yet tall enough to wear Power armour standing around.
Elder Elijah gives a brief speech that does nothing to raise the morale of the convoy, eventually getting replaced by Head Paladin Mcnamara who speaks of the Codex, their foundations, mission, and everything else they're tasked with. He goes onto explain that every single member here is integral to the survival of the Chapter, and that everyone's best efforts will be needed if they're going to succeed in this wasteland.
The Head Paladin's speech achieved what the Elder's had not, that's the thing about cults... It didn't take much for encouragement, just spouting a few lines from the Codex would invigorate any "loyal" Brotherhood member no-matter what the situation.
With everyone raring to go, the convoy started...
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Niggross
Niggross
Hope you guys liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know.
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