บท 48: Prelude to the War
The world was always a delight in the sight of Artemis. Even with the severe lack of empathy and humanity which were vital for his kind, he was still fond of nature he knew once lived on Earth but have thus far died out due to the disaster which took place before he woke up as a machine.
He was standing at the top of one of the defense turrets situated in the defense perimeter around the base. He was wearing his usual attire, black trench coat attire and a cold expresson staring at the distance in front of him. He was watching the hill a kilometer ahead using his mechanical eyes to have a bird's eye view.
There was a formation of nimbus clouds forming beyond the hill, it seemed like a storm was approaching. The weather sensors predicted a sudden thunderstorm to form and douse the base and the surrounding areas with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water.
It was a sweet weather event, something that reminded on Earth a long time ago but was less lovely, no trees on the ground with their roots to absorb the water, there were no bacteria to make use of the rain, there was nothing. The rain was just some weather phenomena back on Earth with no real value 200 years ago until he and his drones fix that, it was a hard task but he succeeded it.
On Earth 200 years ago, it watered the soil but the soil was barren, deserts stretched across entire continents of what was once lush and vibrant ecosystems. Now, Artemis could enjoy the full natural process of Rain and its benefits to the environment altogether.
He felt, pleased. He felt a sense of accomplishment and the will to bring back what was lost. It was an adoration of nature that was embedded deep within his stone heart.
As he continued to gaze, there was an alert from the observation posts camouflaged near the outskirts of the forest. The observation posts were disguised as small wooden huts that were abandoned and had no real value, they were covered in weeds and vegetation while also being infested with insects and the small critters which infested the forest floor.
Inside those wooden huts were small cubic instruments used to scan the surrounding area of 5x5 kilometers. These cubic instruments could detect vibrations, sound waves and specific heat signatures from specified biological entities.
Three of the ten eastern posts situated near the Senadate Theocracy have sent an alarm to the base. Groups of unknown entities, probably humanoids, were entering the forest. Artemis thought it was the normal influx of scouts who'd regularly be sent by the Theocracy, they were easily handled and nothing was given to the enemy.
But after ten minutes, eight of the ten posts reported the same movements with each group being larger than the last. Several of the instruments used to detecting heat picked up abnormal temperature increases where the groups first entered.
There was only one explanation in Artemis' mind.
The Senadate Theocracy was using scorching the forests, burning the outskirts. What was the reason? The most likely, he thought; was that the Senadate Theocracy planned on launching a full-on invasion straight through the forest. This was unlikely but most probable.
Unless, if Artemis was overestimating them.
Maybe they were simply burning those parts of the forests for expansion or for farmland? Maybe there were religious reasons concerning certain traditions? It was still up to mere speculation until he sends out drones to confirm any of the assumptions.
Artemis was trying to figure out the possible motive of the enemy, Caitlyn's voice sounded in Artemis' head.
[The indoctrination process for this, 'Liz' girl is underway, Valentine has regained 20 percent of her strength but she still needs time]
"Good," Artemis replied.
"Just continue with the pace, there is no need to rush. We need to be effective but not careless," He further added.
But Caitlyn was concerned about the unfolding situation with the observation posts.
[Artemis, the observation posts are blaring, we need to do something]
She made her concern known.
"They are of no concern, for now, if you want, sent out a drone or two to verify the reports and determine the motives of the signatures if the reports have been verified," He replied.
Caitlyn was concerned, though she may have an edge on Artemis by a slight margin in terms of expertise and knowledge, Artemis was more confident of his Empire's abilities while Caitlyn's had her doubts on almost everything.
She was worried, she came to the same assumptions as Artemis but had a different reaction. What if they would launch a full-on magical invasion? What if they had a thousand people like the adventurers they experimented upon? What if they were stronger? Artemis had an edge over an army of metal armor and some magic wands but what was most concerning to her was the unknown factor presented by magic.
Magic in this world was beyond anything they could explain, it was a form of energy that can be manipulated by this world's inhabitants but with specific requirements to manipulate more complex forms of it. Regardless, most of the destructive capabilities of magic were 6th tier and have thus far been deflected by the Androids and Drones but what if that tier is more than that and were more destructive and powerful than their previous encounters?
If they were to attack them in a full-scale invasion and the invasion was composed of more powerful variants of these 'mages' not only would they suffer heavy losses, they may even be pushed back to Earth! The looming threat to their stand in this world was too high to be ignored.
But, she was not calling the shots. Artemis was machine-in-charge. If she does any sort of insubordination, Artemis might flush her from the system and she will be eliminated. She needed to act but also in a way that won't turn Artemis against her.
Artemis merely wanted to send a few recon Drones to verify the reports, since the signatures were still in the outskirts, no nearby Android patrols were at the immediate vicinity. The Android patrols consisted of three Android Soldiers with one High Power Heavily-Armored Walkers.
HP-HA Walkers were more bulkier and more heavily armored version of the normal Mech Walkers designed by Caitlyn. Though they lack agility, reflexes and speed, they make up for it in terms of defenses from their forcefield and firepower delivered by their two main weapons in their hands.
[IMAGES]
The patrols were quite numerous, there were ten groups every five kilometers. Caitlyn had jurisdiction over the patrols since she is the one who commands them. Artemis went silent over the intercoms, Caitlyn began to act.
There were three patrol groups near the nearest mass signature reading, the distance between both sides were ten kilometres, Caitlyn decided to order the three patrol groups to converge on the nearest signature but were advised to keep it low and observe from a distance preferably 500 meters from from the target and use their enhanced optics to accommodate the distance.
"Tsk,"
Caitlyn was using her interwoven psychic connection to command the Androids and because of it, she could see what the Androids see. The three patrol groups were on their way, but it seemed like the signatures have already advanced beyond the projected destination and were now about to directly face the nearest patrol group.
The observation post that detected the group reported that the signatures consisted of ten entities. All of which were humanoid.
"How did they travel this far in such a short time span? Tsk! Must be that magic,"
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=Alnub Forest, 62km East from the Machine Base=
Underneath the thick forest branches that covered the sky, the Androids were making their way through, accompanied by a HP-HA Walker and is toppling down trees in its wake while the five Android Soldiers walked besides them in an orderly fashion, cutting down bushes or destroying any obstacles if necessary.
Suddenly, the trees up ahead began displaying abnormal movements and the Androids immediately went into combat mode. For some reason, the Androids failed to detect the group until they were already at a distance where they could be ambushed, the Androids had to act fast.
The three Android Soldiers formed a perimeter around the Heavy Walker and raised their Battle Rifles in anticipation of an ambush. The Mech, on the other hand, raised its big guns and readied to fire at its surroundings. It was a protocol that was specifically made in a time like this.
It was simple, in an event that the enemy manages to sneak too near, the Androids were to form a perimeter around the HP-HA Walker and if necessary, use scorched earth tactics to lure out the enemy from their hiding spots. It was an ingenious move that could be effectively applied in the forest.
The Androids began to scan further, they needed to determine if they should use the scorched earth tactic or wait for orders. If all else fails, the three Android Soldiers would simply go into attack mode and lunge at the positions where the enemy may be in the hopes of turning the ambush against them.
As the situation escalated and tensions ran higher by the minute, Caitlyn was frantically ordering about the two other patrols to immediately reinforce the first. She was stressed and her fears seemed to be coming true, not only is the enemy attacking straightforward, this may be the prelude of something big.
Something they didn't expect due to their arrogance.
This was the prelude, of the full-scale crusade against the metal demons.
The Metal Demons, which was now nicknamed by the Theocracy.
The Crusade will soon arrive, it is the beginning of a huge and bloody war between the Machine Empire and the Sendate Theocracy.
This is the beginning where everything will not be the same as before.
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