G
Gunhand4171
The Pumpkin Eater
The ship rather quiet. Well...except for it's one occupant, and he was not it's normal occupant. He was given the code by Aashi so he could stop by whenever he wanted. He quickly set up his suprise for Aashi, only putting the final touches as he heard her tell tale footsteps echoing through the halls. He moved and stood in the center of the room and waited for her to step into the dark room.
Aashi stepped up to her ship and entered, sensing nothing and unaware as could be. She walked down the halls and she opened the door to the lounge without hesitation.
As she flipped on the lights, Ulysses Werner was standing there in the center of her lounge, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Suprise." He said softly, a small smile played across his face. "I know I normally ask permission to come aboard, but I thought that yiu would be okay with it." He added, as he stepped forward and handed the flowers to her.
Aashi's hand went to her chest as she gasped and walked forward to Ulysses, putting one arm forward to take the flowers and, when she had, she wrapped the other around his shoulder in a half-hug.
"My friend, thank you," she said. "Thank you so much. Is this pleasant surprise simply a pleasant surprise or do I owe thanks to some other reason?"
He shook his head. "I simply wanted to do something for you." He said returning the hug. "But this isn't all of the suprise." As he said this he looked around. "Where is my favorite girl?" He asked looking around for A.
As he said it, Aashi's familiar ducked out from behind her back and opened up its slick wings exuberantly, as if raising them in happy surprise at seeing Ulysses.
Werner smiled. "There she is." He said holding a hand out to the familar. He looked back to Aashi. "Ready for the rest of your surprise?" He asked.
"I don't know if I am," Aashi said as the Matai Skyfish glided along the air around Ulysses' body, "but she sure is."
"Hi A." He said moving his hand so that it would rub against her back as the familar glided by. Werner smiled down at Aashi. "Go ahead. See for yourself..."
"Okay, okay..." she said, rummaging about the room. she looked under blankets on the sofas and tapped on the volumetric display before turning to him with a giggle. "Not here," she said. She then checked in the food and beverage bar and gasped, "O-oh!"
He smiled and looked over to his hiding spot and smiled. As she opened the minibar, a small box wrapped with a blue bow. Same color as her eyes. As she picked it up and opened the box, she found a sparkling ring, silver in color with a shimmering grey jewel in the center of it.
"It..." she began, "looks like you," she said with hesitation, "your grey eyes. It's wonderful! More wonderful than I could have ever guessed! I don't think... I don't think I've gotten a gift in as long as I can remember. You get as old as me-" she began to say before Ulysses spoke instead.
He moved and placed a hand on her cheek. "Aashi. You know I am not very good at these things." He said as he began to blush. "I want you to know that I promise to always make you feel like this..." As he said this he willed their empathy connection to open.
"I think you are better at it than you think," she said, feeling the love and kindness seeping from his very being for her. "I can only say I will not dissapoint you, just like you promise to always make me feel..." she trailed off, then said, "I don't even know how to describe how I feel. I don't know if it can have words put to it."
He smiled and leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I promise to love you Aashi."
Aashi's eyes opened wide in surprise as he kissed her again, this time while their empathic connection was open, so she got to experience all of the feelings he had as he touched his lips to her, the fear of rejection and the all the care and affinitey that he felt for culminating into one pure feeling...Love... Aashi could feel it all inside of him and worked to bring up the same emotions out of her own well of feelings, struggling to find it within herself to match him, ambitiously trying.
Werner felt this hesitation and broke away. He looked to her, standing. "Aashi I am so sorry... I... I thought..." He stammered out then stopped. "I took things to far... I'm sorry." He said turning away.
Aashi put a hand forwards and held his, saying, "No, no. I don't think I've made myself very clear, Ulysses. Look at me," she said, "I am not very similar to many women you may have known. There are things about me that I don't tell many people, but it is that I cannot see myself loving another. I cannot see myself being with another. It has never happened and I don't think I want it to, ever. I have had a successful life without that kind of interference. But..." a few moments later she said, "I think I know that you love me, and that is something I will never reject. I will always accept your love and do my best to show you the feelings I have for you, in full. I'll never hide them from you or make you feel like you cannot have them for me, ever. Is that..." she couldn't decide what to say and settled with, "something you can accept?"
He looked over to her and nodded. "Yes... Aashi, I..." He sighed. "I just want to say I am sorry again. I have over stepped. I had no right to... to do that to you. To put you in this situation. I just... I have never felt this way about anyone else before." His grey eyes searching her face.
"You really shouldn't apologize because we're friends and friends are able to share with one another. Especially friends of Iromakuanhe. I don't think I've had the opportunity to really share this depth of feeling before, though, Ulysses, and you'll have to let me adjust before I receive it fully. Please?"
He nodded. "Of course." He said looking into her deep blue eyes. Feelings began racing through his mind but he quickly shook them away. "Do you wanna watch a movie?" He blurted out, desperate to change the subject.
"I'm happy to oblige," Aashi said, happier more than anything to go back to doing one of the things that they had grown accustomed to, rather than sharing mixed feelings, something she would rather stray away from.
"Let me go set it up." He said moving quickly to set everything up. He grabbed sveral pillows and laid everything out. "So what do you want to watch?" He asked.
"See You Again?" she asked. "It's a drama, I don't know if you like those. Do you think you will?"
He nodded and they got down to business setting about laying down and getting comfortable next to one another as the movie began. The two of them watched on as the movie grew more and more intense than even the last one they had watched together was.
As they watched, Aashi could see that he was more tense than he usually was. On the outside, his normal deadpan expression was the same. But in his eyes she could see it. When he caught her glancing he smiled back at her instinctiveley and turned back to watch the movie again. Aashi hid her concern behind a smile without truly knowing the cause of his unease, the unease she saw painted on his face behind the facade he was keeping. She continued to watch the movie for a moment before thinking about what was missing.
She reached over to him and put her hand around his and looked to his face to gauge his reaction.
At first he flinched when he felt her touch, but only for a moment. After the momentary shock, he melted, giving her hand a squeeze. He had been afraid that things would have changed after he opened up to her. Afraid that he ruined the amazing friendship he had. But at Aashi's touch he felt relief. His head tilted and rested against hers.
They sat like that for the remaining hour or so of the movie before it came to its conclusion and they looked at one another, happy expressions on both of their faces, then burst out into even wider smiles.
"I liked that," Aashi said, relieved there was no tension or discomfort between either one of them. "Did you?"
"Yeah, it was good." He said matching her smile. "So what now?" He asked.
"Let's put some designs to work," she said, "I've been meaning to do it, anyway. I have to test out the molecular furnaces we have and get to finding out what design Uso would like best. I haven't, as of yet, asked her exactly whether or not she will want an Arcology, a blending of architecture and ecology the Iromakuanhe are known for and would work well for this planet. Do you want to go try?"
"Sure. Let's go." he said standing and moving clean up their area. He also moved and cleaned up everything from his supprise. After he finished he nodded. "Lead the way."
Aashi looked at the beautiful arrangement of flowers he had left on her table in a makeshift vase, whcih was only a large cup, and smiled, then went through the doorway with him.
"Down to business," she said, taking some material nearby and running it through the machine, setting out an open source program for what to build and how to build it on the machine, then specified the tricky height requirements for it. For such a large machine, it spurted out a tiny product.
It was a miniature of a a building with a triangular lower tier and, from that, three dense lines curved upwards to meet at the top, making a curving, pyramid-like pseudo structure.
She went again to the machine and set out changing to a different programmed building code and asked Ulysses, "Will you push the button and see what comes out?"
"Okay." He said moving to the machine and tapping the button. As he did so he watched in fascination at what Aashi decided to make. A small structure that looked like a spiraling cascade of lines, all creating a tapered cyclindrical building came into view for him to pick up.
"You make one, now," she said. "I think you can. Just choose from the open source data and pick a code that you think Uso would like."
"Um, okay. But, I am not very good at this kind of stuff." He said stepping over and scrolling through the source codes, after awhile of tinckering with the codes. "Okay here you go..." He said as he pressed the button. As he did, the machine began crafting three sided pyramid, with a cone at it's tip.
With a common center, three planes jutted up from its base to form a pyramid in front of Aashi and she threw her eyebrows up in excitement.
"That was great!" she said. "I only imagined making three to show to Uso, do you want to do that, now?"
"Sure. Let's go find her then." He said grabbing his model and one of hers. Aashi got the last one in her hand and walked with him. they both made their way to Uso's Palace, talking and enjoying one another as they had grown accustomed to doing together.
"This way?" Aashi asked, wondering if he had a lay of the land just as well as Raphael or Cyrus did in these parts of the palace.
"I actually don't know..." He said looking around. "Wanna try that way?" He asked gestruing down one of the grand hallways.
Aashi nodded exuberantly, black and blue hair moving with her head's motion as she did. As they popped their head through a doorway, they were confronted with a vivid image, of which Uso was the centerpiece.
A stick of algeia jerky was sticking out of Uso's mouth as she leaned over the table in the center, "MMfmmggg- *GULP*. I just need to know if you CAN do it. If you fuck it up and it doesn't happen then we just leave. No big deal."
"Of course it is possible, but the timeline for carrying out an attack like this is not reasonable." Vier replied, "It already requires precision shooting that I may not be able to do, a short span for junker drone deployment, target refit... even then we can not predict how much firepower it will add to our capabilities." The woman would then turn her attention to the new comers, "Welcome. We were just discussing,"
"How we're going to beat the squids," Uso said, cutting off Vier before getting another stick of jerky for herself.
"The squids are already beat," Aashi said, "if they're up against the likes of you, Uso."
"Flattery, getting to know everyone like this. I'm like 40% sure you're a spy." Uso replied.
Aashi chuckled, "If that's what you think, then that's what we think. I'll always be of the same mind as you, Uso. My relationship to USO isn't what we're here for," she said. "This is." She set down her miniature of the possible arcology structure to be made and motioned for Ulysses Werner to put down the ones he held, including a design of his own choosing.
Werner became more formal at the site of Uso. He bowed slightly before setting the models down and stepping off to stand next to Aashi. He looked like he was standing in front a superior officer, hands clasped behind his back, feet shoulder length apart.
"Hmm... maybe. Honestly I'd accuse you 100% if I knew someone who would be spying on us... but maybe you just like to get to know people.... So what do we got here?" Uso asked.
Aashi nodded, putting her hands behind her back as Ulysses had done and said, leaning close to Uso, "Three different models of different arcology units that can be made to fill your desire of finding a reason for people to come to this planet and to stay here. Each serves the same purpose and the design you choose would purely be for aesthetic reasons. I hope they are all suitable to your needs."
"Good job taking initative, who's plan was this?" Uso asked.
"I take partial credit for what it has become, Ulysses Werner helped a great deal. Despite that, I must take full credit for the planning of the project, Uso," Aashi replied.
Werner shook his head. "It was her idea all together. I only helped where I could." He said as he looked straight ahead.
"The middle one then, smooth, sleek, and just the correct amount of ambitous." Uso replied, "Plus it looks like we'll have plenty of room for expansion. The end goal is to have more than just one archology..."
"That end goal is a good one to have." Aashi said, "For now, we'll plan to develop this one and we'll move forward from there. But for now, I must know if I can utilize some Vekimen to meet the short term goal of building this."
Werner nodded and obediently picked up the other two models. He moved and placed them off on the side and moved back to his position by Aashi.
"Use as many as you'd like. That's what there are here for," Uso said, "Though production for the I'ee liberation fleet is top priority for the time being."
"We won't take more than necessary, then. I'll work with Uram to get the project further along," Aashi replied, picking up the model before setting it back down. "Though it won't get in the way of the I'ee operation. Now, about filtering the water. Is there a system in place that can get the job done?"
Werner looked to Aashi. "Well, we could build massive nets with a built in filtration system and act like a sieve..."
"Or we could use the molecular furnaces we just procured," Aashi insterted.
"The......." Uso trailed off, hoping for an explanation.
"Do you have the statistics on their converstion rate and accuracy?" Vier asked.
"24 to 36 tonnes an hour," Aashi said, "depending on if you're making ore to material, ore to goods, or materials to goods. Materials to goods is going to take the least amount of time. If you want to convert algae-riddled water into potable drinking water or medicine, it'll 8 tonnes an hour. If you want to convert dirt into an arcology building, it's going to take longer. If you want it to make you food, it'll make you simple carbs and proteins, amino acids, the like. The five of them are like what you extrapolated from The Pumpkin Eater times a couple of digits. They're highly accurate, Vier."
Werner looked to Aashi again. "Could we perhaps make more Molecular Furnaces with the ones we have on hand?" he asked.
Aashi was hesitant to explain it, without making a clever analogy, instead saying, "We only have manufacturing codecs for so many things and molecular furnaces are not on that list, though they came programmed with some open sourced designs thanks to my clever friends that you met, Ulysses."
"So then in theroy we could try and make more. Though it would require a lot of trial and error to get it right, even then it might not help speed up our time tables." Werner shrugged. "But it is still an option."
Aashi breathed in deeply and wondered aloud, "If we could build a hot fusion torch that would sit as the basis for a molecular furnace, we could possibly make more, in theory, but our primary goal should be to use what we know will work to meet an end that we are already driving towards. When we need more, we'll find a way. We can even go and trade some algae if we need to. But first, let's make a few super structures and we'll move from there."
Werner nodded. "Fair enough." He said looking back to the others as Aashi followed suit.
"It may be simpler to use the furnaces to produce rare materials, and then use that to allow the Junkers and our exsisting fabrication equipment to build more electronics." Vier said.
"Ugly," Uso replied, "But, You're the machine-person."
Aashi said, "Why don't we collaborate with Uram and the Vekimen on this, too, and make it a reality in the near future? The foreman should either oversee the construction of the building or the fleet for the I'ee, if that is their responsibility at all."
Among this conversation, a rather worn out looking Vekimen walked up. He grabbed his horn and did a quick bow in greeting to the group. "The Vekimen have all been accounted for, we have 833 stow aways. More than I had expected, but not unlikely. I have received word there are no ill regards to this development, and everything is to go according to plan" The Vekimen, possibly recognized as Uram stated, not knowing what was going on in the conversation.
"Ah, Uram," Aashi said to the Vekimen warmly. "Meet your great benefactor Uso. Uso, meet Uram, the liaison between us and the Vekimen. Originally Uram was to depart from our presence after the transfer of the Vekimen was complete, but, if it pleases you, he and I would like him to stay. Now, Uram, has your colony spread underground and made themselves at home?"
Uram looked to Uso, repeating the bow only this time in a more respectable fashion. "An honour to finaly meet the Benefactor" he responded, turning to address the group. "As for the Vekimen, yes. It is simplistic right now, but we are about a mile under the surface at this point. I have given orders to ensure the main entrance is large enough to accomidate a tour if requested, however I would strongly advise Respirators if you do go down there. It is far smaller than the instillations we created on Komodo, and with a higher population density, I do not believe non-Vekimen would feel very comfortable in the... Ambient Air so to speak" He said. "We have saved all resources extracted, however we currently do not know what it is you wish to keep or throw away, so we stored it all about 700 yards away from the entrance" He explained.
"How far from the shore are the materials?" Aashi asked.
"You will pass the resources when you head to the Entrance. We have also produced our own source of fresh water, so that we do not need the USO to provide that for us. The ground filters the water from the ocean for us, removing everything but the bacteria, which our bodies can fight off with ease"
"So you've got your little underground enclave then, what else do you need from us to keep the dirt flowing?" Uso asked.
The Vekimen blinked. "Well, we don't eed anything but a food source. Many of the Vekimen are hungry now after the work to build the Den, and the handlers have been working rather tirelessly to stop some of the more brash Kiraten from coming to the surface to "aquire" it from the local population. Once we have something steady to sustain ourselves with, we will be at full working order, ready to mine aywhere you would wish. Other then that, requirment depend on the type of mining you wish from us. Goggles would be needed to work in the sun to stop Vekimen from freaking out, and to ease the strain on our eyes. Similar as to how you blind those creature the locals use to move things around" He stated.
"Besides coming down to where you live, we need to figure out where we will," Aashi said. She held up the model. "We need to build this in order to have people stay on our planet. We have machines that can take what you've dug up and convert them into the materials that will need to be put together to make this. Can you both dig and put what you've dug to use?"
Uram looked at it, obviously deep in thought. He may not specialize in it, but he was knowledgable in engineering. "Well, that depends. If you are asking us to build something, this is not exactly something we Vekimen would build. However, given adiquate supplies and some time... Plus lots of insentive to get many of the Vekimen to leave the safety of the ground... I think we would be able to build something akin to that. Do you have blueprints?" He asked. This was a touch out of his league, and he wasn't expecting to be asked to actually build structures. "We have specialized teams back on Komodo who can build in the open, but the Sraralumee was not aware of the need for us to actually build. Just mine, so we did not send such teams" He added. "If you mean take what we have dug and place it into these machines though, then yes we could easily do that. Would they support our output though?"
"We really just need the raw materials. We have the ability to construct on our own. Right now those raw materials we need moved to the fabricator we took out of the Pumpkin Eater. From there it'll be turned into the components we need to build a fleet. I assume we can drop your food off at the mouth of your enclave? We have tons of protein rich plant-stuff. It'll keep creatures like yourselves alive... and then soon we'll have a burger place so we can provide something a bit more interesting than the plant-protien. you guys... uh.... eat animals or whatever? We got those here too, forming some hunting parties wouldn't be too hard." Uso offered.
Uram nodded. "Well, placing the materials is easy enough, but the Vekimen have moved countless tonnes of earth so far. My concern is that the MAchines will not be able to maintain a pace equivilant to 10,000 Vekimen digging in 3 shifts all hours of the day. We do not expect any downtime for the digging, and could even runover lapping shifts where double the Vekimen would be working for up to 6 hours a day. As for food, from what we know, plants do not agree well with out biology, but we can eat them. This may slow down productivity, but if you give the Vekimen free range to hunt, and show us what we can and cannot eat, then we can have a team working on producing food for the population. From the study information given to us from the Vekimen currently stationed with the SAoY, interesting is a waste of energy with us. We cannot taste what we eat, and it... to put it in laymans terms... Rots in our mouths before we can swallow it. A Vekimen can liquify what you would call a roast in a few minutes with our natural bacteria, which is why I wear this in your presence" He stated, pointing to the respirator.
"The plantstuffs we have are just as good as meatstuffs if you ask the spacers, but I get it, I'll get some animals together for your people to eat and dump em off at the edge of your enclave. You're people are welcome to venture outside, but I'd rather they not go hunting or trying to kill anything on the planet just yet.
As far as keeping up with your output, don't worry about that, we'll start setting up some conveyers and have the locals do what they can by hand. We'll handle that last stage of transportation from your enclave to the fabricators.
Then, there is the rest of our agreement, I mean, we've got a burger place going in soon that's going to have all sorts of interesting dead animals for you to eat, and we'll be improving creature comforts as we go... but you guys also wanted tech right?" Uso asked.
Uram thought about it and seemed to frow through his body language. "We will eat it if we need to, but we would prefer meat. Flesh and bone sustain us, but plants. Some Vekimen even go so far as to claim they would never eat the food our food eats. We can try though. As for tech, we need a pump to stop our tunnels from flooding with water. The conveyors can be built onto the pipes for the pumps with ease I suppose. Anything past that, you will have to talk to my sister who is busy getting the research team sorted out. They are building their own Enclave, closer to the surface to accomodate an easier trip to meet with scientists and obtain the technology they need to study" He commented. "I can go and fetch her now if you would like, but she may not be too happy being pulled away from her work."
"Ugh, this is why I wanted to do strip mining... VIER! Get with the lizard and task a junker to lay some pipe." Uso said, "You've got the spare capacity right?"
"No, but I will make it work." Vier replied, the woman quietly moving something around on her datapad.
"Meat then... if you must... we'll figure something out. Akemi's can provide some meat for your lizards but the bulk of their food is going to have to be plant-based for the near future. Tell them we got it from a sea-creature if it makes them feel any better." Uso added.
"If that is all, we shall go," Aashi said, turning her head sligtly to Ulysses Werner standing at attention next to her. "We'll begin building the arcology building with a small group of locals after the I'ee situation is rectified and will not use the Vekimen for labor, as I had hoped. Is that correct? Certainly 10,800 some Vekimen don't all need to be digging, though."
"Really all I care about right now is that the Vek shove more useful materials into the Pumpkin Eater's fabrication bay. All other concerns are secondary until after we finish with the I'ee fleet." Uso said.
"Understood," Aashi said, bowing her head a bit before she looked to Ulysses as she turned around. If Uso was going to ask her to do certain things and not find the resources to do it when she had procured some of her own so quickly, she had no other choice but to either do nothing while she waited for the fleet to be built or to work on what Cyrus had asked her, instead. She chose the latter as she made her way to the CIC.
Ulysses nodded and followed behind Aashi. "What's the plan?" he asked as they walked towards the CIC.
Aashi spoke as they went along, "Do what we can do, which is build for Ragnarok. If Uso doesn't want what we can build her built, we'll do what Cyrus wants to get done."
He nodded as the moved through the palace. As they neared the CIC the guard stopped them, but Cyrus was just walking out as they were coming in. "Oh hello. How can I help you two?"
"We're here on official business," standing tall, Aashi said professionally. Then, regained a more natual posture, she laughed lightly, saying, "No, we're here to discuss building your base. We wanted specifics on how it would be done and what it is you want. You want housing for your troops, right? Well I said I would get you some prefab housing and I will, but I need to know where to put it and who, besides the two of us, is going to build it."
Cyrus smiled. "We have been working on it already. At least the basic framework." He said as the roar of a Corona Gunship landed on the roof. "I was about to head out to the site. Care to take a ride?" He said striding past the pair as he threw on his black duster. "If you are coming come on." He said as he rounded a corner.
Ulysses looked to Aashi with a raised eyebrow. "Well do we follow?"
"Of course we follow! Wherever he leads, we should be there to help him. The same goes for Uso," Aashi said as they followed behind Cyrus. "Wherever they lead, I'll follow. It's an old thing of mine, I followed the captain's orders, even when those orders were to usurp him."
They caught up to Cyrus who was just exiting onto the roof of the Palace. He jumped aboard and found his place in the front of the dropship. Ulysses jumped up next and offered a hand for Aashi to hop up.
"We have been building Fort Gleipnir out in the desert on an old dried up lake bed." Cyrus said explaining as the dropship lifted off.
Ulysses moved and sat down ofering the spot right beside him to Aashi. She sat down next to him as Cyrus continued.
"So far we have the main command bunker built as well as the landing strips. We are working on our defensive wall that rings the compound." Cyrus continued as the dropship banked and sped off into the desert. "We have been using fabricators from our ship in orbit and also aquired a few more form the black market. The lake bed we have set up on is higly mineral dense, so it was our best choice."
Aashi nodded empatically, excited to hear there was another place where the building resources were easy to come by.
"And are your soldiers the ones building Fort Gleipnir?" she asked Cyrus.
"We have had to start our core of engineers, but yes. We now have a whole company of soldiers entirely focused on building battlefield structures and the like." He said as the Dropship continued on it's way.
"That's exciting to hear!" Aashi said as the ship made its way into the desert. "To me, it seems like you just need to start on housing for them, and that's where I come in, right?"
"We could use help, yes." He replied.
"Sir, we are coming up on the base now." The pilot said. The port side door slid open and reveiled the fort. A large white concrete wall was in varius states of construction. A tall, white, concrete tower stood in the center of the base, and two landing strips stretched on either side of the base.
"Welcome to Fort Gleipnir..." Cyrus said as the pilot hovered for a few seconds before taking the ship in for a landing.
Aashi looked out at the work in progress and back to Ulysses and then Cyrus before the ship landed and they were getting out. "I like it. It has some work to be done, but that's a given. Where exactly are barracks going to be placed?"
Cyrus stepped off the Corona as it taxed away into one of the makeshift hangers. "We are planning for the barracks to go there, there, and there." He said pointing the cleared sections. In thei place was a literal tent city. "Right now the main goal is to get the defensive structures up first before we continue to build." He said as he led them into the tall command bunker. As they entered, the lifesupport system cycled out the warm air, keeping the building much cooler than the outside desert. He led them towards the back of the bunker and to an elevator. "We have also been ferrying in our computers and other logistical supplies and setting them up inside the command center." He added as the elevator dinged and let the out three floors up. "Welcome to HQ." He said.
The room looked like a beefed up version of the CIC back at the Palace, yet this room was designed specifally for this purpose. Computer termianls lined the walls, the holoboard was moved form the CIC center to HQ. "Go ahead and take a look around." Cyrus said sweeping an arm out. Aashi looked to Ulysses before going over to some of the terminals and leaning over some of the operators before turning to the holoboard and inspecting some of it.
"What am I looking at, here?" she asked, pointing to the specifics on the holoboard.
The board showed a layout of the Doom Fortress that Ragnarock was to attack in the coming days, along with USO's many auxiallry units. The Doom fort's main building was built into the side of a mountian. Outside that was three concentric rings which stood for the three main walls.
"It is the base of the last of the rebels. We are planning to strike at them soon." He said walking wit Ulysses to the board. "We have been finalizing the plans."
"The strike, it will include Uso's crew, as well," Aashi said, having heard it said quickly in passing, and asked, "Do you want me there?"
"If you wish to join I won't say no. Same goes for your crew." He said to Ulysses. "The plan is to HALO jump here..." He said pointing to a relatively flat plain in between the 3rd and 2nd wall. "Our forces will land here and secure an LZ, then we will begin ferrying in the rest of our forces for the big push into the base." Cyrus explained.
"So, at the Landing Zone, your first wave will move from there to what strategic position?" Aashi asked.
He pointed to the walls. "We plan to take the outer walls on bot sides of the LZ then we will use the walls to lay down supressive fire into the enemy while our PA troops bust through the gate. We will do the same with the next wall, then into the Fort itself.
"You have PA troops deployable? Very nice," Aashi said. "Where will you be during all of this, Ulysses?" she asked, concern on the edge of her voice, though she didn't exactly expect it there.
Ulysses looked at Aashi. "I will lead our Security team in and hold down the LZ. We can't provide orbital assistance from the ship as it might kill the hostages inside." He said with a small smile.
Aashi nodded, secure in knowing both Ulysses and Cyrus would be on the ground together. "Where does that put Uso and Arccos' team?"
"Arccos and her team will seal the escape tunnels. Afterwords they will be providing rear echelon support." Cyrus said.
Werner looked to Aashi. "What he means is they will run in between the combat teams and provide ammo, water, fuel cells and the like." He explained, knowing Aashi proabaly didn't understand the military jargon.
"What is the projected length of this mission?" Aashi asked.
"Could be a few hours, or a few days." Cyrus said with a shrug.
"It never hurts to be prepared." Werner added.
"I can understand that, I like to hope for the best and be prepared for the worst. It seems you are of the same mind," Aashi said, looking away from the holoboard and towards the men next to her. "What would you like to see me doing? I don't necessarily want to be a part of ground support. I'm used to fighting in space and with my ship mates. This is a bit different and I don't know if I'm qualfied."
"You can stay at the LZ with Werner. I am sure who could use your help. Plus your job will be the easiest and safest. Relatively speaking..." Cyrus added.
"I like that plan," Aashi said, nodding. "Now about this housing. We'll get you some prefab housing after this mission if you can throw us some spare change to get them. Is that possible or is money tight?"
"Money is a bit tight, as most has gone to outfitting our troops, plus the fabricators. Honestly if could we could just get a few more fabricators then we would be able to both finish the wall and start building the barracks." Cyrus said leaning against the holoboard.
"Would, say, three molecular furnaces, which are comparable to, if not better than, fabricators help?" Aashi said, knowing that the molecular furnaces would do no good seeing to rot while the I'ee fleet was built, but also wanted to reatain some for any projects that may pop up in the mean time.
Cyrus nodded. "That sounds like a damn fine idea." He said with a grin.
Werner nodded and looked to Aashi. "We are headed back there then?" He asked.
"I'm glad you like it, Cyrus. I'm glad to have helped." She looked at Ulysses, "I'm glad we both did. Let's make our way to The Pumpkin Eater where the furnaces are and have some of your men unload them and bring them back here. By the by," Aashi asked as they had already begun leaving the room and heading for the Corona to depart, "what is this invasion of the I'ee entail? Or is that a question for a later date?"
"That I am not quite sure about those details. That is a better question for Admiral Raph." He said, chuckling softly to himself.
"You're the Army, he's the Navy. Got it. Well, to tell you the truth this I'ee fleet business is a thorn in my side. I'd like to help this planet get off the ground, but it seems we have to help battle the most deadliest of foes in order to do so. When I see Raphael next I'll be sure to try to get any answers I can out of him," Aashi said with a cheeky smile.
Cyrus laughed. "Good luck with that!" He yelled as the pair entered the elevator. He called down and had a corona and several engineers down waiting for them to take them back to the Pumpkin Eater.
The ship rather quiet. Well...except for it's one occupant, and he was not it's normal occupant. He was given the code by Aashi so he could stop by whenever he wanted. He quickly set up his suprise for Aashi, only putting the final touches as he heard her tell tale footsteps echoing through the halls. He moved and stood in the center of the room and waited for her to step into the dark room.
Aashi stepped up to her ship and entered, sensing nothing and unaware as could be. She walked down the halls and she opened the door to the lounge without hesitation.
As she flipped on the lights, Ulysses Werner was standing there in the center of her lounge, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Suprise." He said softly, a small smile played across his face. "I know I normally ask permission to come aboard, but I thought that yiu would be okay with it." He added, as he stepped forward and handed the flowers to her.
Aashi's hand went to her chest as she gasped and walked forward to Ulysses, putting one arm forward to take the flowers and, when she had, she wrapped the other around his shoulder in a half-hug.
"My friend, thank you," she said. "Thank you so much. Is this pleasant surprise simply a pleasant surprise or do I owe thanks to some other reason?"
He shook his head. "I simply wanted to do something for you." He said returning the hug. "But this isn't all of the suprise." As he said this he looked around. "Where is my favorite girl?" He asked looking around for A.
As he said it, Aashi's familiar ducked out from behind her back and opened up its slick wings exuberantly, as if raising them in happy surprise at seeing Ulysses.
Werner smiled. "There she is." He said holding a hand out to the familar. He looked back to Aashi. "Ready for the rest of your surprise?" He asked.
"I don't know if I am," Aashi said as the Matai Skyfish glided along the air around Ulysses' body, "but she sure is."
"Hi A." He said moving his hand so that it would rub against her back as the familar glided by. Werner smiled down at Aashi. "Go ahead. See for yourself..."
"Okay, okay..." she said, rummaging about the room. she looked under blankets on the sofas and tapped on the volumetric display before turning to him with a giggle. "Not here," she said. She then checked in the food and beverage bar and gasped, "O-oh!"
He smiled and looked over to his hiding spot and smiled. As she opened the minibar, a small box wrapped with a blue bow. Same color as her eyes. As she picked it up and opened the box, she found a sparkling ring, silver in color with a shimmering grey jewel in the center of it.
"It..." she began, "looks like you," she said with hesitation, "your grey eyes. It's wonderful! More wonderful than I could have ever guessed! I don't think... I don't think I've gotten a gift in as long as I can remember. You get as old as me-" she began to say before Ulysses spoke instead.
He moved and placed a hand on her cheek. "Aashi. You know I am not very good at these things." He said as he began to blush. "I want you to know that I promise to always make you feel like this..." As he said this he willed their empathy connection to open.
"I think you are better at it than you think," she said, feeling the love and kindness seeping from his very being for her. "I can only say I will not dissapoint you, just like you promise to always make me feel..." she trailed off, then said, "I don't even know how to describe how I feel. I don't know if it can have words put to it."
He smiled and leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I promise to love you Aashi."
Aashi's eyes opened wide in surprise as he kissed her again, this time while their empathic connection was open, so she got to experience all of the feelings he had as he touched his lips to her, the fear of rejection and the all the care and affinitey that he felt for culminating into one pure feeling...Love... Aashi could feel it all inside of him and worked to bring up the same emotions out of her own well of feelings, struggling to find it within herself to match him, ambitiously trying.
Werner felt this hesitation and broke away. He looked to her, standing. "Aashi I am so sorry... I... I thought..." He stammered out then stopped. "I took things to far... I'm sorry." He said turning away.
Aashi put a hand forwards and held his, saying, "No, no. I don't think I've made myself very clear, Ulysses. Look at me," she said, "I am not very similar to many women you may have known. There are things about me that I don't tell many people, but it is that I cannot see myself loving another. I cannot see myself being with another. It has never happened and I don't think I want it to, ever. I have had a successful life without that kind of interference. But..." a few moments later she said, "I think I know that you love me, and that is something I will never reject. I will always accept your love and do my best to show you the feelings I have for you, in full. I'll never hide them from you or make you feel like you cannot have them for me, ever. Is that..." she couldn't decide what to say and settled with, "something you can accept?"
He looked over to her and nodded. "Yes... Aashi, I..." He sighed. "I just want to say I am sorry again. I have over stepped. I had no right to... to do that to you. To put you in this situation. I just... I have never felt this way about anyone else before." His grey eyes searching her face.
"You really shouldn't apologize because we're friends and friends are able to share with one another. Especially friends of Iromakuanhe. I don't think I've had the opportunity to really share this depth of feeling before, though, Ulysses, and you'll have to let me adjust before I receive it fully. Please?"
He nodded. "Of course." He said looking into her deep blue eyes. Feelings began racing through his mind but he quickly shook them away. "Do you wanna watch a movie?" He blurted out, desperate to change the subject.
"I'm happy to oblige," Aashi said, happier more than anything to go back to doing one of the things that they had grown accustomed to, rather than sharing mixed feelings, something she would rather stray away from.
"Let me go set it up." He said moving quickly to set everything up. He grabbed sveral pillows and laid everything out. "So what do you want to watch?" He asked.
"See You Again?" she asked. "It's a drama, I don't know if you like those. Do you think you will?"
He nodded and they got down to business setting about laying down and getting comfortable next to one another as the movie began. The two of them watched on as the movie grew more and more intense than even the last one they had watched together was.
As they watched, Aashi could see that he was more tense than he usually was. On the outside, his normal deadpan expression was the same. But in his eyes she could see it. When he caught her glancing he smiled back at her instinctiveley and turned back to watch the movie again. Aashi hid her concern behind a smile without truly knowing the cause of his unease, the unease she saw painted on his face behind the facade he was keeping. She continued to watch the movie for a moment before thinking about what was missing.
She reached over to him and put her hand around his and looked to his face to gauge his reaction.
At first he flinched when he felt her touch, but only for a moment. After the momentary shock, he melted, giving her hand a squeeze. He had been afraid that things would have changed after he opened up to her. Afraid that he ruined the amazing friendship he had. But at Aashi's touch he felt relief. His head tilted and rested against hers.
They sat like that for the remaining hour or so of the movie before it came to its conclusion and they looked at one another, happy expressions on both of their faces, then burst out into even wider smiles.
"I liked that," Aashi said, relieved there was no tension or discomfort between either one of them. "Did you?"
"Yeah, it was good." He said matching her smile. "So what now?" He asked.
"Let's put some designs to work," she said, "I've been meaning to do it, anyway. I have to test out the molecular furnaces we have and get to finding out what design Uso would like best. I haven't, as of yet, asked her exactly whether or not she will want an Arcology, a blending of architecture and ecology the Iromakuanhe are known for and would work well for this planet. Do you want to go try?"
"Sure. Let's go." he said standing and moving clean up their area. He also moved and cleaned up everything from his supprise. After he finished he nodded. "Lead the way."
Aashi looked at the beautiful arrangement of flowers he had left on her table in a makeshift vase, whcih was only a large cup, and smiled, then went through the doorway with him.
"Down to business," she said, taking some material nearby and running it through the machine, setting out an open source program for what to build and how to build it on the machine, then specified the tricky height requirements for it. For such a large machine, it spurted out a tiny product.
It was a miniature of a a building with a triangular lower tier and, from that, three dense lines curved upwards to meet at the top, making a curving, pyramid-like pseudo structure.
She went again to the machine and set out changing to a different programmed building code and asked Ulysses, "Will you push the button and see what comes out?"
"Okay." He said moving to the machine and tapping the button. As he did so he watched in fascination at what Aashi decided to make. A small structure that looked like a spiraling cascade of lines, all creating a tapered cyclindrical building came into view for him to pick up.
"You make one, now," she said. "I think you can. Just choose from the open source data and pick a code that you think Uso would like."
"Um, okay. But, I am not very good at this kind of stuff." He said stepping over and scrolling through the source codes, after awhile of tinckering with the codes. "Okay here you go..." He said as he pressed the button. As he did, the machine began crafting three sided pyramid, with a cone at it's tip.
With a common center, three planes jutted up from its base to form a pyramid in front of Aashi and she threw her eyebrows up in excitement.
"That was great!" she said. "I only imagined making three to show to Uso, do you want to do that, now?"
"Sure. Let's go find her then." He said grabbing his model and one of hers. Aashi got the last one in her hand and walked with him. they both made their way to Uso's Palace, talking and enjoying one another as they had grown accustomed to doing together.
"This way?" Aashi asked, wondering if he had a lay of the land just as well as Raphael or Cyrus did in these parts of the palace.
"I actually don't know..." He said looking around. "Wanna try that way?" He asked gestruing down one of the grand hallways.
Aashi nodded exuberantly, black and blue hair moving with her head's motion as she did. As they popped their head through a doorway, they were confronted with a vivid image, of which Uso was the centerpiece.
A stick of algeia jerky was sticking out of Uso's mouth as she leaned over the table in the center, "MMfmmggg- *GULP*. I just need to know if you CAN do it. If you fuck it up and it doesn't happen then we just leave. No big deal."
"Of course it is possible, but the timeline for carrying out an attack like this is not reasonable." Vier replied, "It already requires precision shooting that I may not be able to do, a short span for junker drone deployment, target refit... even then we can not predict how much firepower it will add to our capabilities." The woman would then turn her attention to the new comers, "Welcome. We were just discussing,"
"How we're going to beat the squids," Uso said, cutting off Vier before getting another stick of jerky for herself.
"The squids are already beat," Aashi said, "if they're up against the likes of you, Uso."
"Flattery, getting to know everyone like this. I'm like 40% sure you're a spy." Uso replied.
Aashi chuckled, "If that's what you think, then that's what we think. I'll always be of the same mind as you, Uso. My relationship to USO isn't what we're here for," she said. "This is." She set down her miniature of the possible arcology structure to be made and motioned for Ulysses Werner to put down the ones he held, including a design of his own choosing.
Werner became more formal at the site of Uso. He bowed slightly before setting the models down and stepping off to stand next to Aashi. He looked like he was standing in front a superior officer, hands clasped behind his back, feet shoulder length apart.
"Hmm... maybe. Honestly I'd accuse you 100% if I knew someone who would be spying on us... but maybe you just like to get to know people.... So what do we got here?" Uso asked.
Aashi nodded, putting her hands behind her back as Ulysses had done and said, leaning close to Uso, "Three different models of different arcology units that can be made to fill your desire of finding a reason for people to come to this planet and to stay here. Each serves the same purpose and the design you choose would purely be for aesthetic reasons. I hope they are all suitable to your needs."
"Good job taking initative, who's plan was this?" Uso asked.
"I take partial credit for what it has become, Ulysses Werner helped a great deal. Despite that, I must take full credit for the planning of the project, Uso," Aashi replied.
Werner shook his head. "It was her idea all together. I only helped where I could." He said as he looked straight ahead.
"The middle one then, smooth, sleek, and just the correct amount of ambitous." Uso replied, "Plus it looks like we'll have plenty of room for expansion. The end goal is to have more than just one archology..."
"That end goal is a good one to have." Aashi said, "For now, we'll plan to develop this one and we'll move forward from there. But for now, I must know if I can utilize some Vekimen to meet the short term goal of building this."
Werner nodded and obediently picked up the other two models. He moved and placed them off on the side and moved back to his position by Aashi.
"Use as many as you'd like. That's what there are here for," Uso said, "Though production for the I'ee liberation fleet is top priority for the time being."
"We won't take more than necessary, then. I'll work with Uram to get the project further along," Aashi replied, picking up the model before setting it back down. "Though it won't get in the way of the I'ee operation. Now, about filtering the water. Is there a system in place that can get the job done?"
Werner looked to Aashi. "Well, we could build massive nets with a built in filtration system and act like a sieve..."
"Or we could use the molecular furnaces we just procured," Aashi insterted.
"The......." Uso trailed off, hoping for an explanation.
"Do you have the statistics on their converstion rate and accuracy?" Vier asked.
"24 to 36 tonnes an hour," Aashi said, "depending on if you're making ore to material, ore to goods, or materials to goods. Materials to goods is going to take the least amount of time. If you want to convert algae-riddled water into potable drinking water or medicine, it'll 8 tonnes an hour. If you want to convert dirt into an arcology building, it's going to take longer. If you want it to make you food, it'll make you simple carbs and proteins, amino acids, the like. The five of them are like what you extrapolated from The Pumpkin Eater times a couple of digits. They're highly accurate, Vier."
Werner looked to Aashi again. "Could we perhaps make more Molecular Furnaces with the ones we have on hand?" he asked.
Aashi was hesitant to explain it, without making a clever analogy, instead saying, "We only have manufacturing codecs for so many things and molecular furnaces are not on that list, though they came programmed with some open sourced designs thanks to my clever friends that you met, Ulysses."
"So then in theroy we could try and make more. Though it would require a lot of trial and error to get it right, even then it might not help speed up our time tables." Werner shrugged. "But it is still an option."
Aashi breathed in deeply and wondered aloud, "If we could build a hot fusion torch that would sit as the basis for a molecular furnace, we could possibly make more, in theory, but our primary goal should be to use what we know will work to meet an end that we are already driving towards. When we need more, we'll find a way. We can even go and trade some algae if we need to. But first, let's make a few super structures and we'll move from there."
Werner nodded. "Fair enough." He said looking back to the others as Aashi followed suit.
"It may be simpler to use the furnaces to produce rare materials, and then use that to allow the Junkers and our exsisting fabrication equipment to build more electronics." Vier said.
"Ugly," Uso replied, "But, You're the machine-person."
Aashi said, "Why don't we collaborate with Uram and the Vekimen on this, too, and make it a reality in the near future? The foreman should either oversee the construction of the building or the fleet for the I'ee, if that is their responsibility at all."
Among this conversation, a rather worn out looking Vekimen walked up. He grabbed his horn and did a quick bow in greeting to the group. "The Vekimen have all been accounted for, we have 833 stow aways. More than I had expected, but not unlikely. I have received word there are no ill regards to this development, and everything is to go according to plan" The Vekimen, possibly recognized as Uram stated, not knowing what was going on in the conversation.
"Ah, Uram," Aashi said to the Vekimen warmly. "Meet your great benefactor Uso. Uso, meet Uram, the liaison between us and the Vekimen. Originally Uram was to depart from our presence after the transfer of the Vekimen was complete, but, if it pleases you, he and I would like him to stay. Now, Uram, has your colony spread underground and made themselves at home?"
Uram looked to Uso, repeating the bow only this time in a more respectable fashion. "An honour to finaly meet the Benefactor" he responded, turning to address the group. "As for the Vekimen, yes. It is simplistic right now, but we are about a mile under the surface at this point. I have given orders to ensure the main entrance is large enough to accomidate a tour if requested, however I would strongly advise Respirators if you do go down there. It is far smaller than the instillations we created on Komodo, and with a higher population density, I do not believe non-Vekimen would feel very comfortable in the... Ambient Air so to speak" He said. "We have saved all resources extracted, however we currently do not know what it is you wish to keep or throw away, so we stored it all about 700 yards away from the entrance" He explained.
"How far from the shore are the materials?" Aashi asked.
"You will pass the resources when you head to the Entrance. We have also produced our own source of fresh water, so that we do not need the USO to provide that for us. The ground filters the water from the ocean for us, removing everything but the bacteria, which our bodies can fight off with ease"
"So you've got your little underground enclave then, what else do you need from us to keep the dirt flowing?" Uso asked.
The Vekimen blinked. "Well, we don't eed anything but a food source. Many of the Vekimen are hungry now after the work to build the Den, and the handlers have been working rather tirelessly to stop some of the more brash Kiraten from coming to the surface to "aquire" it from the local population. Once we have something steady to sustain ourselves with, we will be at full working order, ready to mine aywhere you would wish. Other then that, requirment depend on the type of mining you wish from us. Goggles would be needed to work in the sun to stop Vekimen from freaking out, and to ease the strain on our eyes. Similar as to how you blind those creature the locals use to move things around" He stated.
"Besides coming down to where you live, we need to figure out where we will," Aashi said. She held up the model. "We need to build this in order to have people stay on our planet. We have machines that can take what you've dug up and convert them into the materials that will need to be put together to make this. Can you both dig and put what you've dug to use?"
Uram looked at it, obviously deep in thought. He may not specialize in it, but he was knowledgable in engineering. "Well, that depends. If you are asking us to build something, this is not exactly something we Vekimen would build. However, given adiquate supplies and some time... Plus lots of insentive to get many of the Vekimen to leave the safety of the ground... I think we would be able to build something akin to that. Do you have blueprints?" He asked. This was a touch out of his league, and he wasn't expecting to be asked to actually build structures. "We have specialized teams back on Komodo who can build in the open, but the Sraralumee was not aware of the need for us to actually build. Just mine, so we did not send such teams" He added. "If you mean take what we have dug and place it into these machines though, then yes we could easily do that. Would they support our output though?"
"We really just need the raw materials. We have the ability to construct on our own. Right now those raw materials we need moved to the fabricator we took out of the Pumpkin Eater. From there it'll be turned into the components we need to build a fleet. I assume we can drop your food off at the mouth of your enclave? We have tons of protein rich plant-stuff. It'll keep creatures like yourselves alive... and then soon we'll have a burger place so we can provide something a bit more interesting than the plant-protien. you guys... uh.... eat animals or whatever? We got those here too, forming some hunting parties wouldn't be too hard." Uso offered.
Uram nodded. "Well, placing the materials is easy enough, but the Vekimen have moved countless tonnes of earth so far. My concern is that the MAchines will not be able to maintain a pace equivilant to 10,000 Vekimen digging in 3 shifts all hours of the day. We do not expect any downtime for the digging, and could even runover lapping shifts where double the Vekimen would be working for up to 6 hours a day. As for food, from what we know, plants do not agree well with out biology, but we can eat them. This may slow down productivity, but if you give the Vekimen free range to hunt, and show us what we can and cannot eat, then we can have a team working on producing food for the population. From the study information given to us from the Vekimen currently stationed with the SAoY, interesting is a waste of energy with us. We cannot taste what we eat, and it... to put it in laymans terms... Rots in our mouths before we can swallow it. A Vekimen can liquify what you would call a roast in a few minutes with our natural bacteria, which is why I wear this in your presence" He stated, pointing to the respirator.
"The plantstuffs we have are just as good as meatstuffs if you ask the spacers, but I get it, I'll get some animals together for your people to eat and dump em off at the edge of your enclave. You're people are welcome to venture outside, but I'd rather they not go hunting or trying to kill anything on the planet just yet.
As far as keeping up with your output, don't worry about that, we'll start setting up some conveyers and have the locals do what they can by hand. We'll handle that last stage of transportation from your enclave to the fabricators.
Then, there is the rest of our agreement, I mean, we've got a burger place going in soon that's going to have all sorts of interesting dead animals for you to eat, and we'll be improving creature comforts as we go... but you guys also wanted tech right?" Uso asked.
Uram thought about it and seemed to frow through his body language. "We will eat it if we need to, but we would prefer meat. Flesh and bone sustain us, but plants. Some Vekimen even go so far as to claim they would never eat the food our food eats. We can try though. As for tech, we need a pump to stop our tunnels from flooding with water. The conveyors can be built onto the pipes for the pumps with ease I suppose. Anything past that, you will have to talk to my sister who is busy getting the research team sorted out. They are building their own Enclave, closer to the surface to accomodate an easier trip to meet with scientists and obtain the technology they need to study" He commented. "I can go and fetch her now if you would like, but she may not be too happy being pulled away from her work."
"Ugh, this is why I wanted to do strip mining... VIER! Get with the lizard and task a junker to lay some pipe." Uso said, "You've got the spare capacity right?"
"No, but I will make it work." Vier replied, the woman quietly moving something around on her datapad.
"Meat then... if you must... we'll figure something out. Akemi's can provide some meat for your lizards but the bulk of their food is going to have to be plant-based for the near future. Tell them we got it from a sea-creature if it makes them feel any better." Uso added.
"If that is all, we shall go," Aashi said, turning her head sligtly to Ulysses Werner standing at attention next to her. "We'll begin building the arcology building with a small group of locals after the I'ee situation is rectified and will not use the Vekimen for labor, as I had hoped. Is that correct? Certainly 10,800 some Vekimen don't all need to be digging, though."
"Really all I care about right now is that the Vek shove more useful materials into the Pumpkin Eater's fabrication bay. All other concerns are secondary until after we finish with the I'ee fleet." Uso said.
"Understood," Aashi said, bowing her head a bit before she looked to Ulysses as she turned around. If Uso was going to ask her to do certain things and not find the resources to do it when she had procured some of her own so quickly, she had no other choice but to either do nothing while she waited for the fleet to be built or to work on what Cyrus had asked her, instead. She chose the latter as she made her way to the CIC.
Ulysses nodded and followed behind Aashi. "What's the plan?" he asked as they walked towards the CIC.
Aashi spoke as they went along, "Do what we can do, which is build for Ragnarok. If Uso doesn't want what we can build her built, we'll do what Cyrus wants to get done."
He nodded as the moved through the palace. As they neared the CIC the guard stopped them, but Cyrus was just walking out as they were coming in. "Oh hello. How can I help you two?"
"We're here on official business," standing tall, Aashi said professionally. Then, regained a more natual posture, she laughed lightly, saying, "No, we're here to discuss building your base. We wanted specifics on how it would be done and what it is you want. You want housing for your troops, right? Well I said I would get you some prefab housing and I will, but I need to know where to put it and who, besides the two of us, is going to build it."
Cyrus smiled. "We have been working on it already. At least the basic framework." He said as the roar of a Corona Gunship landed on the roof. "I was about to head out to the site. Care to take a ride?" He said striding past the pair as he threw on his black duster. "If you are coming come on." He said as he rounded a corner.
Ulysses looked to Aashi with a raised eyebrow. "Well do we follow?"
"Of course we follow! Wherever he leads, we should be there to help him. The same goes for Uso," Aashi said as they followed behind Cyrus. "Wherever they lead, I'll follow. It's an old thing of mine, I followed the captain's orders, even when those orders were to usurp him."
They caught up to Cyrus who was just exiting onto the roof of the Palace. He jumped aboard and found his place in the front of the dropship. Ulysses jumped up next and offered a hand for Aashi to hop up.
"We have been building Fort Gleipnir out in the desert on an old dried up lake bed." Cyrus said explaining as the dropship lifted off.
Ulysses moved and sat down ofering the spot right beside him to Aashi. She sat down next to him as Cyrus continued.
"So far we have the main command bunker built as well as the landing strips. We are working on our defensive wall that rings the compound." Cyrus continued as the dropship banked and sped off into the desert. "We have been using fabricators from our ship in orbit and also aquired a few more form the black market. The lake bed we have set up on is higly mineral dense, so it was our best choice."
Aashi nodded empatically, excited to hear there was another place where the building resources were easy to come by.
"And are your soldiers the ones building Fort Gleipnir?" she asked Cyrus.
"We have had to start our core of engineers, but yes. We now have a whole company of soldiers entirely focused on building battlefield structures and the like." He said as the Dropship continued on it's way.
"That's exciting to hear!" Aashi said as the ship made its way into the desert. "To me, it seems like you just need to start on housing for them, and that's where I come in, right?"
"We could use help, yes." He replied.
"Sir, we are coming up on the base now." The pilot said. The port side door slid open and reveiled the fort. A large white concrete wall was in varius states of construction. A tall, white, concrete tower stood in the center of the base, and two landing strips stretched on either side of the base.
"Welcome to Fort Gleipnir..." Cyrus said as the pilot hovered for a few seconds before taking the ship in for a landing.
Aashi looked out at the work in progress and back to Ulysses and then Cyrus before the ship landed and they were getting out. "I like it. It has some work to be done, but that's a given. Where exactly are barracks going to be placed?"
Cyrus stepped off the Corona as it taxed away into one of the makeshift hangers. "We are planning for the barracks to go there, there, and there." He said pointing the cleared sections. In thei place was a literal tent city. "Right now the main goal is to get the defensive structures up first before we continue to build." He said as he led them into the tall command bunker. As they entered, the lifesupport system cycled out the warm air, keeping the building much cooler than the outside desert. He led them towards the back of the bunker and to an elevator. "We have also been ferrying in our computers and other logistical supplies and setting them up inside the command center." He added as the elevator dinged and let the out three floors up. "Welcome to HQ." He said.
The room looked like a beefed up version of the CIC back at the Palace, yet this room was designed specifally for this purpose. Computer termianls lined the walls, the holoboard was moved form the CIC center to HQ. "Go ahead and take a look around." Cyrus said sweeping an arm out. Aashi looked to Ulysses before going over to some of the terminals and leaning over some of the operators before turning to the holoboard and inspecting some of it.
"What am I looking at, here?" she asked, pointing to the specifics on the holoboard.
The board showed a layout of the Doom Fortress that Ragnarock was to attack in the coming days, along with USO's many auxiallry units. The Doom fort's main building was built into the side of a mountian. Outside that was three concentric rings which stood for the three main walls.
"It is the base of the last of the rebels. We are planning to strike at them soon." He said walking wit Ulysses to the board. "We have been finalizing the plans."
"The strike, it will include Uso's crew, as well," Aashi said, having heard it said quickly in passing, and asked, "Do you want me there?"
"If you wish to join I won't say no. Same goes for your crew." He said to Ulysses. "The plan is to HALO jump here..." He said pointing to a relatively flat plain in between the 3rd and 2nd wall. "Our forces will land here and secure an LZ, then we will begin ferrying in the rest of our forces for the big push into the base." Cyrus explained.
"So, at the Landing Zone, your first wave will move from there to what strategic position?" Aashi asked.
He pointed to the walls. "We plan to take the outer walls on bot sides of the LZ then we will use the walls to lay down supressive fire into the enemy while our PA troops bust through the gate. We will do the same with the next wall, then into the Fort itself.
"You have PA troops deployable? Very nice," Aashi said. "Where will you be during all of this, Ulysses?" she asked, concern on the edge of her voice, though she didn't exactly expect it there.
Ulysses looked at Aashi. "I will lead our Security team in and hold down the LZ. We can't provide orbital assistance from the ship as it might kill the hostages inside." He said with a small smile.
Aashi nodded, secure in knowing both Ulysses and Cyrus would be on the ground together. "Where does that put Uso and Arccos' team?"
"Arccos and her team will seal the escape tunnels. Afterwords they will be providing rear echelon support." Cyrus said.
Werner looked to Aashi. "What he means is they will run in between the combat teams and provide ammo, water, fuel cells and the like." He explained, knowing Aashi proabaly didn't understand the military jargon.
"What is the projected length of this mission?" Aashi asked.
"Could be a few hours, or a few days." Cyrus said with a shrug.
"It never hurts to be prepared." Werner added.
"I can understand that, I like to hope for the best and be prepared for the worst. It seems you are of the same mind," Aashi said, looking away from the holoboard and towards the men next to her. "What would you like to see me doing? I don't necessarily want to be a part of ground support. I'm used to fighting in space and with my ship mates. This is a bit different and I don't know if I'm qualfied."
"You can stay at the LZ with Werner. I am sure who could use your help. Plus your job will be the easiest and safest. Relatively speaking..." Cyrus added.
"I like that plan," Aashi said, nodding. "Now about this housing. We'll get you some prefab housing after this mission if you can throw us some spare change to get them. Is that possible or is money tight?"
"Money is a bit tight, as most has gone to outfitting our troops, plus the fabricators. Honestly if could we could just get a few more fabricators then we would be able to both finish the wall and start building the barracks." Cyrus said leaning against the holoboard.
"Would, say, three molecular furnaces, which are comparable to, if not better than, fabricators help?" Aashi said, knowing that the molecular furnaces would do no good seeing to rot while the I'ee fleet was built, but also wanted to reatain some for any projects that may pop up in the mean time.
Cyrus nodded. "That sounds like a damn fine idea." He said with a grin.
Werner nodded and looked to Aashi. "We are headed back there then?" He asked.
"I'm glad you like it, Cyrus. I'm glad to have helped." She looked at Ulysses, "I'm glad we both did. Let's make our way to The Pumpkin Eater where the furnaces are and have some of your men unload them and bring them back here. By the by," Aashi asked as they had already begun leaving the room and heading for the Corona to depart, "what is this invasion of the I'ee entail? Or is that a question for a later date?"
"That I am not quite sure about those details. That is a better question for Admiral Raph." He said, chuckling softly to himself.
"You're the Army, he's the Navy. Got it. Well, to tell you the truth this I'ee fleet business is a thorn in my side. I'd like to help this planet get off the ground, but it seems we have to help battle the most deadliest of foes in order to do so. When I see Raphael next I'll be sure to try to get any answers I can out of him," Aashi said with a cheeky smile.
Cyrus laughed. "Good luck with that!" He yelled as the pair entered the elevator. He called down and had a corona and several engineers down waiting for them to take them back to the Pumpkin Eater.
