章節 49: Honestas, Industria, Prudentia

-------------------------

If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.

Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

-------------------------------

Pov of Mckinley

"Good, carefully now. Step back and get to a safe distance," I said as I watched the group of my trusted men and women, all clad in power armor. The metal clinked with every move as they worked meticulously to install the cold fusion generator. Gaius had brought it back after one of his conquests, but hadn't had the time to install it before heading off to war once again.

"Turn on the generator," I ordered, my focus sharp on every detail of the process. A low, steady hum filled the room, confirming that everything was proceeding as planned. I allowed myself a brief moment of relief, but only just.

As the generator's systems stabilized, I watched the glow of energy radiate from the controls. My team worked in silence, efficient, knowing that any mistake could cost us dearly.

"All energy levels are stable, McKinley… This thing… it produces so much power... it's almost unbelievable," said the technician monitoring the generator's stability, his eyes fixed on the screens flashing with green indicators.

I nodded, keeping my gaze on the equipment. "It's what we expected. But don't get complacent, keep monitoring every fluctuation. One mistake here and we could lose more than just the generator."

The technician nodded quickly. "I don't doubt it. I can see why the boss didn't want any of those brute legionaries touching it. This thing could cause an explosion so large if something goes wrong…"

His words hung in the air, but I didn't need reminding of the dangers at hand. I kept my eyes on the panels, checking each reading carefully. Meanwhile, the rest of the team continued their work in silence, the hum of the generator enveloping us in a tense calm.

Several minutes passed before the energy transfer began. The control panel lights flickered a couple of times and then stabilized, signaling that everything was working as planned. The technicians exchanged relieved glances. "Everything's stable," one of them said as he checked the readings. "We just need to keep it protected. This generator's been out of care for a long time, but it's still running perfectly."

We had fulfilled one of Gaius' orders by installing the generator. I knew how crucial this resource was, not only for the Legion but also for the local tribes and settlements dependent on energy, a rare commodity in this war-ravaged region. Not long ago, I had negotiated with the Legion and their decani, as well as the local tribes, to sell them the energy my team and I had managed to restore. The demand was high, and we knew we had the capacity to supply it.

But now, with this new generator capable of producing energy for hundreds of thousands of homes, the game had changed completely. It was more than I could handle with my current clients. I would need to find new buyers, expand the network, and in doing so, increase our influence in the region.

"Prepare the reports," I ordered one of the technicians. "I need to know how much energy we can produce at full capacity and how long we can maintain a steady flow without major maintenance. And make sure to have a contingency plan in case of overload."

I had a lot of work to do since I had stopped being the CEO of the Executives and become Gaius' slave. For a moment, I thought everything was over, that my life as I knew it had collapsed, but in time, I understood that this was merely a hostile takeover of my company, a forced merger. Though I was no longer the CEO, I now belonged to something much larger than anything I could have built on my own. Even if Lanius' beast hadn't attacked us, fate would have led me here.

The proof of my worth was evident. After Gaius and the secret administrative robots I managed, I was the only one capable of negotiating and making deals. Gaius had hard skills: killing, leading, handling advanced technology. He was lethal in battle and shrewd in his strategies, but he had no patience for the long negotiations that required hours of haggling to reduce a price, even if it was just by a few coins. That task had fallen to me, along with managing thousands of slaves.

The irony wasn't lost on me. I, a former corporate leader, was now responsible for managing slave labor for the Legion. I couldn't help but think about how the dynamics of power had shifted. My skill in negotiating contracts and deals now applied to managing human resources in a much more brutal and unforgiving way.

Moreover, there was another complication: the robots. Gaius relied on them for many of the operations in the secure areas under his control. But outside those zones, we couldn't use them without raising suspicion. If the Legion found out we were working with forbidden technology, all our efforts and profits would collapse.

Thus, it fell to me to manage everything outside the fortified areas. Every day began with the arrival of raw materials by train, and I ensured that the slaves processed those materials according to our needs. The resources were distributed precisely: if they were Vault-Tec power armors, they were used to expand construction groups and build new fortifications. If they came from West-Tek, then they went directly to Gaius, to continue outfitting his legionaries with advanced technology, ready for war.

Additionally, I had to maintain the production of tools, tractors, seeders, and other essential equipment for the Legion's fields and machinery. Agriculture and construction depended on a constant flow of these items, and any disruption could cause a drop in production we couldn't afford.

Overseeing the slaves was a task that required constant vigilance. At first, when they arrived, they worked diligently, thanks to the brutal training they received from the Legion's slavers. But over time, their performance would deteriorate. They'd become lazy, slower in their work, and that's when the whip came into play. It was necessary to keep them in line. The work couldn't stop, and those slackers had to learn to fear the consequences of their idleness.

Another one of my crucial duties was ensuring the production of vehicles for the Legion. With the new machinery we had obtained and an increasing number of assembly experts, production had grown exponentially. Now, a large portion of the Legion's orders were completed in our factories, reducing our reliance on the subjugated tribe of Two Sun, who used to handle these tasks. We had transformed from a small operation into a vital cog in the war machine.

Frequently and steadily, silver and gold coins arrived from the Legion or its subjects, purchasing weapons and vehicles. That wealth quickly turned into more slaves, brought in from Lord Caesar's campaigns or other regions specializing in the sale of human beings. The growth of this commercial hub and the reputation that had spread by word of mouth attracted merchants from all over, eager to do business. They brought in slaves captured from tribes conquered by other groups, selling their former rivals like mere commodities.

Though there were many options, I always preferred to buy slaves directly from the Legion. There was a notable difference. The slaves trained by the Legion's masters were much more efficient, obedient, and less prone to rebellion. They knew their place and understood that any act of insurrection would be harshly punished. Unlike the slaves brought by other merchants, who tended to be more rebellious and difficult to control, Legion slaves were already indoctrinated to serve without question.

Each new group of slaves was quickly assigned to different sectors: some went directly to the factories, where they worked on producing weapons and vehicles; others, the stronger ones, were sent to the fields to ensure the agricultural cycle continued uninterrupted. The demand for labor was insatiable, and as long as the coins kept flowing, the chains of slaves would continue reinforcing my boss's power.

Unfortunately, the expansion of this colony consumed most of my time. The fame of our settlement within the Legion, along with the riches in technology and production we possessed, attracted an overwhelming number of people seeking work, land, or simply an opportunity to prosper. Everyone knew about the prosperity here, and that translated into a constant flow of newcomers.

Gaius had left some rules for managing the colony, but he did so hastily, preferring to dedicate himself to improving technology with the new discoveries he found on his campaigns. The rules for new inhabitants were vague and poorly detailed, leaving me with the enormous responsibility of resolving the daily issues that arose. The lack of clear guidelines made me the point of reference for everything, and matters quickly piled up.

One of the most frequent problems was the constant appearance of groups trying to usurp Gaius's lands. It wasn't uncommon for a group of newcomers to build a house overnight and fence off a plot of uncultivated land, trying to claim it as their own. They took advantage of Gaius's absence and the lack of direct territorial control. Rumors, amplified by word of mouth, claimed that these lands were blessed and radiation-free, attracting many opportunists.

Luckily, I now had a law enforcer, someone who could deal with these fools, give them a good beating, and tear down their improvised dwellings. Even so, the problem persisted. Not a week went by without a new group attempting the same thing. The idea of fertile, radiation-free land seemed too good to pass up. And although the entire valley belonged to Gaius's tribe, the constant arrival of people with the intent to claim it for themselves didn't diminish.

The most severe case I had to handle involved a group of unscrupulous individuals who forged Legion documents to try and claim a portion of land. The forgery was crude, but the audacity of those men earned them a prominent place as a warning to future intruders. Now, they decorate the entrance to the settlement, a reminder to all who come seeking to take advantage of these lands without authorization.

But that's not really a problem. There's nothing more gratifying than hearing the cries and screams of the slaves when the whip strikes them or seeing the broken faces of the city's inhabitants. Gaius always agreed that the population should be enslaved by their own needs. They need water, food, light, a home, and a bit of entertainment. But all of that comes at a price, one that matches exactly what they earn. It leaves them as poor as the slaves, but with the false illusion of freedom.

It's beautiful to see how they strive, fighting for a better future, unaware that they wear an invisible collar around their necks, one that Gaius can tighten—or even explode—by simply denying them work. So wise, so efficient. It's absolute control disguised as necessity. And the best part is, they impose it on themselves, never realizing they can never escape.

Watching that suffering, that futile struggle, was a perfect spectacle. There was no need for whips or visible chains. The system was so well-designed that people enslaved themselves, and Gaius knew it better than anyone. There is no greater power than making people desire their own servitude, and here, we achieved that every day.

-------------------------------

Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.