The Brotherhood of steel- A New Era
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 1:58 pm
A few of the old people in here may remember this. I posted the first chapter almost 2 years ago and never got further. I've now been working on it once again, redoing part of the first chapter as well. If people like it, I'll continue, otherwise I believe I'll just let it die...
Background: I like the Space Marines from Wrahammer 40.000 because they look like Power Armour, so I painted a small WH40K army to look like the BOS. this story is supposed to explain the BOS precense some 38000 years after Fallout...
_________________________________________________________
Index
Prologue…………………………………………………………… p. 3
Chapter 1: Unearthing Trouble…………………………………. p. 5
Chapter 2: Fighting back………………………………………… p. 11
Prologue
“This sucks! We haven’t had a visitor for over a month and we still have guard-duty!� Jenny grumbled to her friend, Matt, as they stared into the vast emptiness of the Nevada desert.
“Tell me about it. I wonder why the traders stopped coming, no matter what happened, both the Johnsons and Farways have always stuck to their routes and schedules before…� Matts fingers absently ran over his plasma-rifle. �Maybe the new group, the New Children of the Cathedral, have started trouble? Our scouts were indicating they seemed to be more than just a bunch of religious healers and such.�
“Maybe. Hey, did you know there as a group called something similar to that a couple centuries ago? They had their two bases to the north and south of us, at the Cathedral Crater and Crater of Disease… Something about an army of mutants or such…� She shrugged as details of the story eluded her probing thoughts.
“Yes, I remember Vree-Lung talking about it. She said she found several records of it, but she’s not sure how much of it’s true. Some of the legends just sound insane, such as those saying that it took only one man, one from a vault at that, to stop it all. And then, after he’d become a Brotherhood initiate, he just disappeared.� He laughed, “Sounds pretty unlikely though, for a Vaulter to save the world, not to mention becoming a Brotherhood initiate!�
“Well, not exactly. There’re too many files talking of this. And Vree-Lung shouldn’t be doubting the files, after all, it was her honored ancestor, Vree, who made them!�
“You got me there!� Matt chuckled and hefted up his rifle. “But man, I’d like to meet a guy like that…�
“Hey, who says it was a guy? The records never mentioned that much! The files containing that info were contaminated, a virus from an attack by some gang from New Reno almost 100 years ago. It might’ve been a girl!� She smiled smugly at Matt, knowing she’d baited him and he wouldn’t let this one go.
“Hey, just because the Brotherhood let’s in girls now and let’s ‘em play around with Gatling Lasers and such, doesn’t mean they did back then!� He frowned at her and continued, “Times were tougher back then, the war had only ended a mere 80 years earlier and the world was still anarchy-“
“And it isn’t now?�
“No, we have the NCR, Vault City, the Province of The Glow…�
“And you call that civilized? Please!�
“Yes, I d- hey, what the fuck is that?�
Before them, a huge mushroom-like cloud started rising from a far-off point where The Hub lay. It slowly rose higher, ever higher and grew to a gigantic size.
“Shit! Looks like one of those bombs that they used in the Great War or something… But I don’t understand, why’d one go off now?� Jenny looked puzzled, then suddenly paled noticeably. “Wait, if that’s one of those, the shockwave’ll hit well past us- we’ve gotta get down below!� She thrust her hand at the sidepanel to the door in the small building that was the entrance to the Brotherhood of Steel’s headquarters.
Jenny jumped for the elevator and accidentally hit the emergency button. The doors closed in a snap and sent the elevator plummeting down, towards the BOS headquarters.. Outside, Matt stared into a small, brown wave in the distance, stunned. As the shockwave came closer, he realized how large the bomb must’ve been. Much bigger than the normal nuclear bombs. Much, much bigger. The cloud was still growing in the distance and Matt started sweating. As the shockwave came at him, he realized he was doomed. His finger pulled the trigger and he started screaming. Green bolts of molten plasma plunged into the massive wave of destruction, but to no avail. The last thing Matt saw was a wall of dust, carrying what looked like sides of buildings, huge chunks of rock, boulders and then everything went black. Below, Jenny sat down in a corner of the entry hall and started sobbing.
---
“We’re trapped.� Vree-Lung looked around at the table, at the elders and the head paladins. Her plain robes seemed out of place among the paladins in their silver power-armor and the elders in their rich, velvety purple robes.
“Impossible! We can’t be trapped! We’re the Brotherhood, restorers of technology, saviors of the wastes!� Head-elder Maxels face went red in anger.
“He’s right, there must be some way out of this!� Rhomdal, Senior Paladin of the First Unit said, his eyes pleading, as he looked at Vree-Lung.
“I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. The bomb was not just a normal nuke, it was something far worse. It must’ve had the power of ten thousand nukes or more! According to my calculations, it must’ve ripped the mountains between here and The Hub practically away! When it hit the topside entrance, the debris started piling around and created a new, small mountain. The heat fused it all together, resulting in us being practically imprisoned!� She lowered her head and let out an exasperated sigh. “And no matter how much you complain, it won’t change our situation. We’re stuck here until somebody digs us out!�
“But-“
“I said; it won’t get us out!�
“Then what’re we to do?� another of the elders asked, her face the incarnation of fear itself. “We’ll die down here, without oxygen, without food, without-“
“We won’t die! There’s only one thing to do, though. The cryo-beds we found blueprints of over at Louiposa, out west, you remember them? We’ll have to build them and put the entire base to sleep.�
“But what will maintain us? What will wake us if we’re dug out?�
“Zax, of course!� she said, referring to an AI recovered from another pre-war research-facility now known as The Glow. �We’ll program him to wake us if anything happens. He’ll be powered by the same thing as us: the nuclear generators. Our supply of uranium should last a few decades, and we should be saved before then by one of the other bases!�
---
Vree-Lung sighed as she lifted her robe off. She looked down herself, at her breasts, her stomach, her legs.
“Hey, don’t worry, you’ll l have plenty of time to enjoy yourself once we wake up again!� Charnie walked over and gave her a kiss. “Now, let’s go to sleep!�
She laughed and lowered herself into the cryo-bed. “Goodnight, Char! Sleep well!� The cover lowered down over her and a mist came rolling through the bed.
“Goodnight, Vree…� Charnie said to the now-frozen body besides him. He then proceeded to walk over to a terminal in the wall. “Zax! You know what to do?�
“Of course, Charnie. All systems are optimal. Do you wish to initiate auto-sequence?� As always, Zax sounded like a metallic voice from the wall.
“Yes, Zax. Initiate the program. I’ll see you in a few years!� He lowered himself into his own cryo-bed. As the mist came rolling, he thought about Vree and how long it would be before he saw her again. Then everything went black.�
Chapter 1: Unearthing Trouble
�Swing that pick,
Swing! Swing! Swing!
See dirt fly,
Fly! Fly! Fly!
Throw it back!
Throw! Throw! Throw!
Keep it up,
Don’t fall back,
Work we will,
For the Empero-or!�
The last word was slowly drawn out by half a dozen men in the dark tunnels beneath the Desert of Glass. Grund and his shaft-mates had worked for nearly 12 hours, but their arms still swung strong.
Grund leaned against his shovel and winced into the darkness of the tunnel. His eyes were sore from having to work overtime in the mute darkness of the underground. He closed them hard, then looked up, towards Rich.
“Rich! You done yet?� His voice was hoarse, the dust in the air was starting to stick to his throat and get in his lungs.
“Nope, still got another four or five feet before we can call it a day!� Rich’s voice was hoarse too. It was what happened to everyone who worked in the tunnels. Grund hated it; he hated it even more than the foul air or the poor light. The dust didn’t just get into your mouth, it got in everywhere, even places you’d think it impossible!
“Damn, hoped we’d be done soon. I’m getting hungry!� He sighed and picked up his shovel again and started throwing dirt over his shoulder and into a mining-cart behind him. The vague light from the nearest oil-lamp made his muscles glisten with the sweat of a long days work.
Around an hour later, Rich let his pick fall to the ground with a resounding thunk. Finally! That was the final load! Around him, others dropped their picks too and watched as their partners threw the last dirt into the waiting carts.
“Okay, boys, let’s haul ‘em up and we can get topside!� The leader of their shaft, Indar, let a grin spread on his lips as they all started pushing the carts. It was a long way, but in their eagerness to get some chow, it didn’t take long before the light of day was visible at the tunnels opening.
“So, what’s for dinner?� Rich asked.
“Dunno,� Grund replied, wondering the same thing himself.
“I heard it’s beans again, beans and bread� Waldur, another shaft-mate, put in.
“Ugh. Anyone coming with me into town, then?� Grund asked, looking around at the group.
“Sure, I hear Roberta’s got a hold of some genuine meat! Not salted either, but real, fresh meat!� Indar licked his lips in anticipation.
“Sounds like that does it for me! Let’s go eat!� Rich started walking towards town now and soon the camp lay behind them.
---
“I still don’t get it, I mean, what’re we supposed to be diggin’ for?� Tins took another bite out of his dinner, a large piece of beef. He looked around at them, seeing if anyone had an answer.
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s something old. We sure as hell ain’t mining, that’s for sure!� Mark replied, laughing. “I don’t get it either, I mean, what the hell could be so important they’d actually attempt to dig it out of the Glass Desert? If it weren’t for the force-picks, we wouldn’t even be able to put a dent in this rock!� He shook his head and took another biteful of the meat.
“I heard something the other day… Something about signs of large metal-deposits underneath Glass Hill.� Everyone looked to the corner where old Frank sat. It wasn’t often he said anything, so they were a bit surprised. “Something about strange alloys, alloys that were used in the military.�
“What else?� Grund asked eagerly. “Tell us, Frank, what else did you hear?�
“That’s it. It was the foreman talking to a tech from Mars. The tech told the foreman about it, but then they got out of earshot.� He sighed and leaned back over his plate. “This meat is good… Best I’ve had in weeks.�
“The only meat you’ve had in weeks� Waldur laughed, “But you’re right, it is good.�
The conversation changed course and they started complaining about the isolated area they were now working in and how meat had become an even rarer commodity than earlier.
Later that night, back at camp, Grund lay back in his bunk. He thought of what they’d been talking about over at Roberta’s. The small restaurant was one of the ten wooden buildings in the small town of Iso as it had come to be called. It had sprung up as the camp for the diggers had been founded. In it were mostly prostitutes and places to get drunk, the sort of town that always sprung up near camps in isolated areas. Grund wondered what the hell they were digging for. Could it really be some military secret? He doubted it. From what he’d heard, the glass-desert had existed for longer than any records could remember. Before the Dark Age of Technology, before the New Rise of Man. It must be tens of thousands of years old…
---
Zax started running the initial wake-up sequences for the cryo-beds. For days now, he’d been following the topside activity. Almost a week ago, his censors had registered something making noise in the impressively resilient rock above them. Now, as the sounds had become increasingly stronger, his program decided must be something coming to free the base. A little later than projected, but better later than never, as Vree-Lung always said.
---
“This is starting to get boring,� Grund said the next day. With the force-picks, they’d managed to mine another fifteen feet that day and once again they were nearing dinnertime. “I mean, how’d something even be able to get under this? We don’t even know how the friggin’ place was created!�
“Oh, please, Grund, don’t start up this discussion again!� Waldur groaned, “I had enough of it yesterday!�
“Yeah, but aren’t you just a little interested in what we’re digging out?�
“Nope. Don’t care, don’t know nor do I want to. Anything that’s important enough for a Mars-tech to come down here for is something I don’t want no nothing to do with!� He shuddered and started swinging the pick again.
Grund sighed and got back to work, shoveling the fine splinters of what appeared to be diamond-hard glass into the cart.
---
She opened her eyes. The light was bright. Too bright, it made everything seem blurred. Vree-Lung yawned and rubbed her eye-sockets, trying to clear her vision.
“Where… where am I?�
“You are in the Head Quarters of the Brotherhood of Steel,� said a voice, a metallic twang to it.
“Wha- who? Oh! Zax!� She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Bad move, she thought, just as her head hit the half-open lid. “Ow!�
“Are you okay?�
“What? Oh, it’s you, Charnie!� She looked at his face. It was grayish, making him look inhuman, almost robotic. “Did you just wake too?�
“Yeah, I woke about thirty minutes ago. Zax says everyone from the brass should be awake in another hour.� He shrugged, as if to say he had no idea why.
“Oh yeah, the metabolism-problem the docs mentioned… Well, as long as everyone’s here, it shouldn’t be a problem.� She looked at him as he winced. “What, didn’t they all make it?�
“Uhm… Well, not exactly. Two of the elders died. One of them, Geoff, apparently got cold feet and didn’t go to sleep. We found his remains in the library. He- he shot himself. With a plasma pistol.�
“Damn!� She cringed, the mere thought of shooting yourself with a plasma-pistol was crazy, those things hurt like hell! If it’d been her, she- “Why a plasma-pistol? Why not a laser-pistol or something less… painful?�
“Well, apparently he went… crazy. Zax has shown me a couple of records while I waited for you and the others to wake up.� He shook his head. “He’s the one who killed the other, Frenz. He had a fit and smashed his bed. Frenz died before he ever awoke…. That was when Zax had enough and sent in the Handies. He fled into the library, and that’s where he killed himself after created a barricade. Zax later reopened the place.� He looked shaken.
“ This means trouble. The others will- whoa, back to the basics!� She suddenly recalled a question that she’d been dieing to ask. “Why’ve we been woken up? Where are our saviors?� She smiled a cat-like smile at the thought of a handsome paladin from one of the northern bases coming in after having saved them.
“That’s the problem- it appears we overslept. They never came.� His face looked serious.
“Overslept? How long? 30 years? 40?� At his facial expression she paled. “100?�
“ Add another 37.900 years and you have the answer.� His voice cracked.
“A… another 37.900 years? You mean we overslept for 38.000 years? Impossible! We don’t have that kind of energy! Something must be wrong with Zax!�
“Nope. He says the material under us is still fragile. When help didn’t come, he had the handies dig tunnels deep. Real deep. We’re running on geothermal power! He merely implemented the plans one of your mothers’ students came up with before he graduated to librarian and left for the northern bases. As for time, well… Geoff’s remains turned to dust when I breathed on them. There’s nothing wrong with Zax. We’re just really, really old…�
“So… So why’d Zax wake us now?�
“Well, after the blast, he’s had no contact with the outside world. But, two weeks ago, faint sounds starting coming from outside. Now, they’ve slowly gotten louder, resounding through our walls. He thinks someone’s coming down, but slowly. Very, very slowly.�
---
“Okay, guys, time for another go!� Indar lifted his pick and chopped away at the cliff. They’d now been going at it for nearly six months and the monotonous work was making them all seem like zombies, not caring about anything. Grund started shoveling the pieces as they slowly fell of the rock-walls.
“Hey!� Waldur stopped chopping and stood back. “Look at this!� They all came over and inspected what seemed to be a weird pattern in the wall. A large piece lay on the ground; seemingly it flaked off unlike all the other chips they had to work hard to get off.
“Get the foreman! Now!� Rich said, and Waldur ran off, up and out of the tunnel. Half an hour later, they heard footsteps resounding through the tunnels and shortly after the Waldur came back, leading the foreman along with two Mars-techs.
“What’d you find?� asked the foreman, but was pushed aside by one of the techs.
“Frank, look at this!� the tech said and held up the large flake with the strange pattern. “What do you make of it?�
“Looks like chain-link fencing… But there’s nothing left. Though, that would be accounted for by the heat needed to create this desert. But still, what would it do out here? This is the only place apart from the center of the place that contains any signs of habitation…� He looked closely at the shard, then threw it into a bag hanging at his belt.
“Dunno, but the top says they suspect it might be big, the alloys and all. I agree.� The first tech looked at the workers, staring at them. “What’re you looking at?� he snarled.
“Sheesh, James, don’t be so touchy! They probably don’t understand anything.� Said the other tech, the one called Frank. “Guys, you’ve been doing a good job!� he said, looking at Grund and his friends, “keep it up and you’ll be handsomely rewarded if we find what we’re hoping to find.�
“And just what is that?� Rich asked, very bravely Grund thought. “Uh… Sir?�
The techs laughed. Then the one called James looked him straight into the eyes. “An ancient chapter! A space-marine chapter that disappeared before the time of the emperor, one lost to an unknown disaster. Either that or just some metal-ore whose like has never been seen before.� He turned around. “Let’s go, Frank.�
---
“So what’re we supposed to be guarding the sharding door for?� Jenny grumbled. “It’s not as if guard-duty went very well last time!�
“Come on, Jen, it’s not as if you haven’t lost comrades before! You’ve seen more battle than most of you rookies, you’re practically a veteran-rookie!� Her sideman, Dan, grumbled and then looked at the other guards, they were ten in all, and asked, “Anyone here agree with her?�
“Yeah, I do!� said one of the others and put his hand into the air. “It doesn’t make sense, if they’re helping us out, why should we mount an armed guard?�
“Idiot!� exclaimed their sergeant, Will, and continued “it’s not as if they’re friends! You all know that some 38 millennia have passed! Who knows how the world is today? And Zax predicted they’d reach the door by today or tomorrow, so the elders had us stand guard!�
“Yeah, whatever,� Jenny muttered and went back to fidgeting with her Gatling-Laser. It was, like their Power-armor and other weapons, a bit rusty. “Now we’re at it, why the hell is my shit rusty? I thought this stuff didn’t rust!�
“No, not in a normal persons lifetime, but all metals deteriorate.� said Charnie, who’d appeared in a door opening. “But after so many millennia and with a few leaks appearing in the walls, even our alloys can’t hold forever.�
“Yeah, but this rust is getting to me!� complained another member of the unit. “No matter how much I scrub, it won’t go off!�
“And it won’t no matter how hard you try!� Charnie explained, “the alloy is too strong for that; even the rust it creates is much, much stronger than normal metals. Just leave it, it won’t weaken anything substantially and we’ll start researching a method to fix it once we get contact with the topsiders.�
---
A large clunk reverberated through the passage.
“What the hell?� this time it was Waldur and his partner who’d hit something. “I hit something!�
“Hmmm� Rich looked hard at the spot, a bit of silver glinted in the lamplight. “Looks metallic. Let’s see what else we can find before we call the techs again!� The others agreed and soon they’d excavated a large metallic plate that looked like a door opening.
“Wow!� exclaimed Grund as he saw the symbol on the door. “It’s amazing!� It was a circle with what appeared to be the wheels of three gears inside. Dissecting the circle was a large sword, and holding the circle a bluish design that somewhat resembled a bowl with pointy protrusions. He then continued to take in all the things of what they’d uncovered, as did the rest of the guys. Frank then stuck out an arm and pushed open a small hatch.
“Hey! Careful, don’t touch that!� Rich exclaimed. “Waldur, go get the techs!�
---
“They’re right outside� said Charnie, “Zax can sense them with what’s left of the external sensors.
“Sounds good. Let them come so we can thank them and get topside again. I’m tired of being cooped up in this place!� Jenny looked around at the other members of her unit. They all seemed tense and excited; they’d finally meet their saviors!
---
“It seems to be a door. The symbol is unknown to me, but the have used blue… The whole design is much different from what I’ve ever seen though… Something from the early Dark Age of Technology maybe?� Frank the tech asked his colleague as he fondled with the door. “Or maybe not, maybe it’s even older…�
“We’ll soon find out! Sergeant, have your men ready to fire!� The other tech said to the Space Marine Sergeant from the Ultramarines. He had a squad standing in back of the techs, bolters lowered and ready to fire. “Okay, push the button!�
---
“Okay, get in!� Dan waved them into the elevator. “Lock and load, ready to fire, just in case!�
They all milled into the elevator and then were transported to surface-level. After a bit of silent waiting, they heard some muffled sounds, somewhat like voices outside.
“Damnit, the system seems to have failed!� Dan cursed, as the dorrs remained closed. He hit the open-button, with no result. He cursed and moved his finger towards the down-button. Then they all heard a click and a faint his of air seeping in, and the doors slowly slid apart, revealing the outside world to them for the first time in 38 millennia.
---
Frank pushed the button, concealed behind the hatch Frank had found earlier. A hiss sounded and with a loud whining noise, the hatch opened. Inside was a small room that looked like an elevator on the transport-ships. Inside was a group of soldiers clad in Power Armour.
---
There was silence. Utter and complete silence, as the two groups stared at each other. Then one of the men in the group inside the elevator came stepped out,
“Dan, leader of the third unit in the Alpha-base army, of The Brotherhood of Steel, at your service.�
One of the techs pulled out a small box from his belt and pointed at Dan. “Talk!� He said. Dan didn’t understand him, but got the gist and repeated his small speech, then started to talk about the Brotherhood of Steel. After about five minutes, a small light started flashing on the box. The tech spoke into it and out came words the Paladins could understand.
“I am James, tech from Mars, loyal servant to the Emperor, ruler of the Empire of Man. And who might you be, strange men, and from what chapter?�
Dan looked puzzled. “I just told you, we’re from the Brotherhood of Steel. What’s a chapter, I thought it was something in a book?�
“Army! A chapter is an army within an army of armies. Chapters are what we divide the Space Marines into. So, you are from the Brotherhood of Steel Chapter, then?�
“Space Marines? No, we’re from the Brotherhood.� Jenny looked angrily at the tech. “And we’re not an army within an army. We’re the only army in the wastes of what’s left of Earth. Your armour looks like Power-armor; you might be the descendants of the Brotherhood…� She shrugged. “Or maybe not, no member of the Brotherhood would ever submit to some emperor, bent on ruling the world. And what’s this empire and space-marine-stuff?�
The techs face went red as she spoke. “Descendants? I think not! We are all funded by the great emperor almost ten millennia ago, and the empire is the innumerable number of planets under His protection!� He stared at the paladins. “Now, move aside so we might inspect the new domain of the Emperor!� He gestured to the marines behind him and the pushed Jenny. She stood fast and pushed him back, with considerably more force. The tech flew across the small area until he hit the opposing wall of the tunnel with a sickening splat as his head cracked open upon a small cliff-protrusion.
“Fire� screamed the remaining tech. The space-marines pulled their triggers, but it was too late. The paladins had already released their arsenals, sending bolts of plasma and laser-rays spraying across the enemy. Their armor was tough, but not strong enough to withstand the super-tuned weapons of the Brotherhoods elite-troops. The ten space-marines all fell to the ground, two cut in half by the lasers, another three melted to pools of oozing goo. The last five had various body-parts either cut or melted off. None were alive when they hit the ground.
“You are all under arrest, under the authority of the Brotherhood of Steel for trespassing and attacking a Brotherhood member!� Dan shouted at the remaining people; a man in a uniform and what appeared to be eight workers with picks in their hands. The uniformed man replied with an angry shout and pulled out a handgun from his belt. “Attack them, in the name of the Emperor and the Empire!� He rushed at the paladins with the hesitant workers quickly following.
“Idiot!� mumbled Will and fired his Gatling Laser, taking off the techs arms. When he looked at the other attackers, they were all dead in the same grizzly manner as the space marines had died only seconds earlier. “Take the fool down. Jenny and Dan, stay with me, we’ll have to guard the entrance from now on! I saw one of them get away, he’s bound to warn others topside!�
As the injured tech was taken down, the three set up a small guard-post at the entrance using a mining-cart and some shards of their entrapment.
“We’ll have to show these picks to the scribes,� Will said, inspecting one “They look like they use the same concept as our Supersledges. We should have thought of that, putting all that force into a small point might’ve helped us out 38.000 years ago…� He smiled wryly. Meanwhile, Jenny was inspecting one of the dead marines.
“Strange. Their armor seems the same, except they’ve moved the generators into this separate pack. It looks like they’re using some sort of replaceable fuel. Cold fusion, maybe?
Dan looked around at the mess. He sighed and said: “No matter what, this is one hell of a strange millennium… Bound to be more trouble than it’s worth.�
Chapter 2: Fighting back
�Muties? What do you mean?� Maxel glared angrily at Vree-Lung.
“You know perfectly well, what I mean!� she snapped back. She pointed at the cadavre of one of the Space Marines that lay stripped of it’s armour on the table in front of them. There was no mistaking the greenish teint of the skin nor the grotesquely large proportions of the muscles compared to the rest of the body. “It’s not the pure strain of the FEV we know, it’s a mutation of some sorts. If you look here-“ she pointed to the gigantic genetalia of the male specimen “-you’ll see how these’re not altered the same way as the strain we know. They seem-“ and she held up a jar filled a milky liquid “-to be fully…. Uh… Operational.�
“Super Mutants with the ability to reproduce? Are you trying to tell me, that the world is populated with Muties???� Tarnel, one of the elders came forwards, peering at the corpse with obvious incrudelity. “You must be wrong, our scientists clearly said it was impossible!� his voice almost pleading.
“You seem to forget, my mother was head of the group that made that report! I’ve looked the files over, I’ve seen the holos from the autopsies. Believe what you want, but the strain we’ve encountered would always render the infected specimen incapable of reproduction!�
“But then that contradicts what you say now!� Tarnels face was going red, a purplish blotch highlighting his otherwise pale forehead. In any other situation, Vree-Lung would’ve burst out laughing. Instead, she sighed.
“Look, it’s a virus! It can mutate! Not to mention, this virus is the FEV, it’s man-made. The strain we know originates from The Glow, and was then brought to Mariposa. Who’s to say what else the government had made back then? Other strains might’ve been more successful. Also, if you compare the dimensions of this specimen with these-“ and she held out a holo-disk marked “FEV Mutataion Data, batch 6�, “-you’ll see that they may be big, but the mutants our forefathers fought were almost an additional 20% larger!� She handed the disk to Maxel who looked at it, then at corpse, his eyes showing real distress. “However, as for your question, Elder Tarnel. No. The world is not populated by muties, at least not exclusively. We looked at corpses of the workers as well. They’re all human. Well, as human as you can be, considering the mutations that come naturally over nearly 40.000 years on a world saturated with radiation after the Great War.�
“But Muties and humans, living together? You’ve got to be kidding!� another elder, Smythz, said, incredulity showing in his voice.
“Kidding? No, I’m merely presenting the facts. And you seem to forget Broken Hills! Remember that little community? They did fine there until the last ghouls and muties died of old age nearly 70 years before we got buried here. And if my memory serves me correct, it was founded by a Paladin who’d joined up with a Mutie.� Vree-Lung was getting bored of the conversation, she had better things to do than give the old fools another history-lesson. “Now, if you’ll excuse, I’d like to get back to looking into their weapons.
---
“I swear, Sir! It was Space Marines, and they killed the squad, and then Techs. And then they killed the others!� Waldur cringed as the Captain slammed his armored fist into hid gut.
“Liar! Filthy scum, your mere existence is an insult to the emperor!� His face was getting very red, his rage obvious to the two Space Marine guards standing at his side. “Only the traitors of Chaos would attack their brethren, and everyone knows that no teint of Chaos exists on the very birthplace of the Emperor!� He pulled out his plasma pistol and pointed it at Waldurs head. “Now, you will tell me exactly what happened, or I will send your traitorous soul into oblivion!�
“But I swear, Sir, it’s the truth! By all that’s holy, I swear!� sobbed Waldur, wringing his hands in distress.
“Liar!� The Captain pulled the trigger, sending a bolt of molten plasma plunging down trough Waldurs head and watched, as the former workers body slowly melted into a small pile of goo.
“Srong! Go get the 34th and 35th squads. I want them prepared for battle, full armour. I want heavy bolters and plasma rifles. EVERYTHING!� He sighed and slumped into the sorry excuse for a chair that the so-called office was outfitted with. This was crazy! What had seemed to be nothing more than simple guard-duty was slowly becoming his worst nightmare. A simple mission, go the desert, look after some daft miners, go investigate some mineral deposits. And look what had happened! Two Mars-techs, a squad and a handful of miners, all disappeared into a hole in the ground and the only servivor was a traitorous, lying miner! Well, he’d be damned if he was gonna accept it! This time he’d be prepared for whatever traitorous evil was down there and, in the name of the Emperor, he would annihilate it!
---
“It’s hopeless!� Vree-Lung said disgustedly and threw the tube from the Gatling Laser off into a corner. The rust just wouldn’t go off! No matter what it’d gotten onto, the Power Armour, the Ceramic Plating, the Weapons Systems, it just wouldn’t go off. Luckily, her tests had shown that it really didn’t matter, the radiation that had leaked through the walls of the bunker had somehow altered the molecular structure and the end result was, that the rust was not noteworthily weaker than the original allows. The only real problem was the aesthetics which, unless they were going to have a parade, really didn’t matter all that much. It still frustrated her though, but she figured, she’d be able to find a solution later. However, other, more pressing matters, were building for her and her team.
“M’am?�
“How many times, Larse, must I tell you that you need not call me that? I’m a scribe, and my Name is Vree-Lung. Save the pleasantries for the Paladins, they thrive on it.� She grinned at her aid. His young face blushed at being reprimanded by her, a blush she was beginning to get used to.
“Sorry, Ma- I mean Vree-Lung. It’s just, the team needs you look at the weapons, they finally managed to get one of them open.� His voice hinted anticipating urgency, so she followed him to the other end of the facility where her team was assembled around a table on which several of weapons the intruders had carried were scattered. Severel of them bore the marks of saws and plasma-cutters, but only two lay open with their innards revealed for all to see.
“So, what have you learned?� she asked, looking around at the group.
“Well, they seem to be a sort of projectile-weapon, but with explosive rounds and very simple. These things are made to be durable and very low-maintenance. If you ask me, I doubt they’re meant to be opened for maintenance, ever.� Orth, a senior scribe, showed her the innards of the bolter.
“Well, that would suggest that the normal soldier has no knowledge of the mechanics, wouldn’t it? Which, in turn, would mean that someone else produces these weapons.� Vree-Lung picked up what appeared to be a longer version of a Ripper, a tool used by some raiders and brawlers. “What about this?�
“The same. Strong, durable, almost impossible to break open. It seems like a refined ripper, made for melee combat. The edges are made of a diamond-like material, I’d say it would cut through even power armour…� His voice trailed off as he turned the weapon in his hands.
“Hmm, I’ll have to take this to the elders council.� She picked up the weapons along with a holo-tape with Orths report and turned for the door. A she reached it, as if an after-thought, she turned around. “Oh, and good job guys! If you can, look at their armour, will you? I’m curious to see, what powers them…� And with that, the door closed behind her.
---
“What the hell does he mean, evil disguised as fellow Marines?� Rardur was puzzled, as were his fellow brothers-in-arms. They were walking down a cramped tunnel into the intestines of the Glass Desert.
“And what’s up with getting into full gear, right smack on the emperors own birthplanet?� Asht, another Space Marine chimed in. The scouls on the faces of some of the other marines silently agreed with the notion that this was a waste of their time.
“Halt!� They had reached a small chamber in the glassy-like rock and their seargent, along with the Captain, had stopped.
“This, brothers, is it!� the Captain shouted, his voice echoing from the opposing walls. “Behind this door,� and he pointed at the steel-door behind him, a door holding a strange symbol, a blue, spiked circle with three rusty gears inside it, “lies an unknown evil, an evil that’s already killed the entire 15th squad!�
“Men, weapons at the ready!� the seargeant pulled out his plasma-pistol and the two squads lowered their weapons, pointing an impressive arsenal at the door.
“Asht! Go open the door!� the seargent motioned at a small panel on the side of the metallic surface. Asht complied. As he pressed a large button on the rusty panel, the door opened with a soft swoosh of air. Inside was an empty elevator. The squads looked at the captain, awaiting his next order.
---
“Alert! Alert! Proximity alert! Intruders in quadrant 1!� Zax’s voice rang through the halls and corridors of the Brotherhood bunker. “Alert! Alert!�
“Get your gear, the buggers’re back and they’re armed this time!� Tank grinned as his orders were quickly parried by the Elites. Their Power Armour was, unlike the rest of the Brotherhoods, in mint condition. Somehow, Vrees new alloys had withstood what the alloys from before the Cataclysm could not. The suits, larger, bulkier, more frightening, made his troops look more like giant, armoured Geckos than anything else.
“First Elite Squad is armed and ready for action, Sir!� Gharu, the Seargeant, slammed his fist against his heart, covering the symbol of the Heavy Troops. Unlike the rest of the Brotherhood, this sword did not cover three gears. Instead, it covered a circular shield of what Tank referred to as “Norse Origin� The altered insignia was trademark of a small Unit, called the Heavy Troops, under the command of Senior Paladin Tank. They were heavy infantry and even controlled a force of vehicles. Most had been destroyed by a cave-in from when Zax had excavated for the Geo-thermal plant, but the remaining vehicles were all still functional.
Responding with a fist to his own heart, Tank smiled. “Good, then let’s get these bastards!� He took lead of the squad, pulling up his Turbo Plasma Rifle while walking, checking that all systems were operational. Behind him, the squads in NAPA (New Advanced Power Armour) did the same, cheking their Gatling Lasers and Plasma Weapons. Hey were truly the elites, heavy armoured and just as heavily armed with some of the most powerful weapons the scribes had developed. As they reached the elevator, they all pulled close, then piled in. A few seconds later, the doors opened to the topside floor and they armed their weapons.
“All right, boys, this is it! Time to prove ourselves once more, prove that no amount of sleep will dull our senses or weaken our resolve! Time, once more, to fight for our brethren! Time, once more, to kick some ugly Mutie butt!� He raised his own Turbo Plasma Rifle to firing position and led, alongside a now-silent Tank, the squad to the entrance. They made it just in time. As they rounded the corner, the doors to the elevator opened.
---
“Get ready, here we go!� The Captain raised his Power-Sword and charged out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened, letting a battle-cry rip through the air. The Space Marines followed him, but came to an almost immediate halt. In front of them was their Captain, or rather, the two halves of their Captain. Beyond his mutilated body stood a wall of Terminators with weapons pointing at them.
---
“Ardu, you bloody moron!� Tanks fury made his words seem like thick poison in their ears as he reprimanded the newest recruit into the Elites. “He had a fucking sword, and you kill him? What were you thinking?!?�
“Sorry, Sir, he just… Well, spooked me’s all…� Ardus voice showed true regret and the rest of the Eliters could easily imagine the sheepish expression his face would wear.
Background: I like the Space Marines from Wrahammer 40.000 because they look like Power Armour, so I painted a small WH40K army to look like the BOS. this story is supposed to explain the BOS precense some 38000 years after Fallout...
_________________________________________________________
Index
Prologue…………………………………………………………… p. 3
Chapter 1: Unearthing Trouble…………………………………. p. 5
Chapter 2: Fighting back………………………………………… p. 11
Prologue
“This sucks! We haven’t had a visitor for over a month and we still have guard-duty!� Jenny grumbled to her friend, Matt, as they stared into the vast emptiness of the Nevada desert.
“Tell me about it. I wonder why the traders stopped coming, no matter what happened, both the Johnsons and Farways have always stuck to their routes and schedules before…� Matts fingers absently ran over his plasma-rifle. �Maybe the new group, the New Children of the Cathedral, have started trouble? Our scouts were indicating they seemed to be more than just a bunch of religious healers and such.�
“Maybe. Hey, did you know there as a group called something similar to that a couple centuries ago? They had their two bases to the north and south of us, at the Cathedral Crater and Crater of Disease… Something about an army of mutants or such…� She shrugged as details of the story eluded her probing thoughts.
“Yes, I remember Vree-Lung talking about it. She said she found several records of it, but she’s not sure how much of it’s true. Some of the legends just sound insane, such as those saying that it took only one man, one from a vault at that, to stop it all. And then, after he’d become a Brotherhood initiate, he just disappeared.� He laughed, “Sounds pretty unlikely though, for a Vaulter to save the world, not to mention becoming a Brotherhood initiate!�
“Well, not exactly. There’re too many files talking of this. And Vree-Lung shouldn’t be doubting the files, after all, it was her honored ancestor, Vree, who made them!�
“You got me there!� Matt chuckled and hefted up his rifle. “But man, I’d like to meet a guy like that…�
“Hey, who says it was a guy? The records never mentioned that much! The files containing that info were contaminated, a virus from an attack by some gang from New Reno almost 100 years ago. It might’ve been a girl!� She smiled smugly at Matt, knowing she’d baited him and he wouldn’t let this one go.
“Hey, just because the Brotherhood let’s in girls now and let’s ‘em play around with Gatling Lasers and such, doesn’t mean they did back then!� He frowned at her and continued, “Times were tougher back then, the war had only ended a mere 80 years earlier and the world was still anarchy-“
“And it isn’t now?�
“No, we have the NCR, Vault City, the Province of The Glow…�
“And you call that civilized? Please!�
“Yes, I d- hey, what the fuck is that?�
Before them, a huge mushroom-like cloud started rising from a far-off point where The Hub lay. It slowly rose higher, ever higher and grew to a gigantic size.
“Shit! Looks like one of those bombs that they used in the Great War or something… But I don’t understand, why’d one go off now?� Jenny looked puzzled, then suddenly paled noticeably. “Wait, if that’s one of those, the shockwave’ll hit well past us- we’ve gotta get down below!� She thrust her hand at the sidepanel to the door in the small building that was the entrance to the Brotherhood of Steel’s headquarters.
Jenny jumped for the elevator and accidentally hit the emergency button. The doors closed in a snap and sent the elevator plummeting down, towards the BOS headquarters.. Outside, Matt stared into a small, brown wave in the distance, stunned. As the shockwave came closer, he realized how large the bomb must’ve been. Much bigger than the normal nuclear bombs. Much, much bigger. The cloud was still growing in the distance and Matt started sweating. As the shockwave came at him, he realized he was doomed. His finger pulled the trigger and he started screaming. Green bolts of molten plasma plunged into the massive wave of destruction, but to no avail. The last thing Matt saw was a wall of dust, carrying what looked like sides of buildings, huge chunks of rock, boulders and then everything went black. Below, Jenny sat down in a corner of the entry hall and started sobbing.
---
“We’re trapped.� Vree-Lung looked around at the table, at the elders and the head paladins. Her plain robes seemed out of place among the paladins in their silver power-armor and the elders in their rich, velvety purple robes.
“Impossible! We can’t be trapped! We’re the Brotherhood, restorers of technology, saviors of the wastes!� Head-elder Maxels face went red in anger.
“He’s right, there must be some way out of this!� Rhomdal, Senior Paladin of the First Unit said, his eyes pleading, as he looked at Vree-Lung.
“I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. The bomb was not just a normal nuke, it was something far worse. It must’ve had the power of ten thousand nukes or more! According to my calculations, it must’ve ripped the mountains between here and The Hub practically away! When it hit the topside entrance, the debris started piling around and created a new, small mountain. The heat fused it all together, resulting in us being practically imprisoned!� She lowered her head and let out an exasperated sigh. “And no matter how much you complain, it won’t change our situation. We’re stuck here until somebody digs us out!�
“But-“
“I said; it won’t get us out!�
“Then what’re we to do?� another of the elders asked, her face the incarnation of fear itself. “We’ll die down here, without oxygen, without food, without-“
“We won’t die! There’s only one thing to do, though. The cryo-beds we found blueprints of over at Louiposa, out west, you remember them? We’ll have to build them and put the entire base to sleep.�
“But what will maintain us? What will wake us if we’re dug out?�
“Zax, of course!� she said, referring to an AI recovered from another pre-war research-facility now known as The Glow. �We’ll program him to wake us if anything happens. He’ll be powered by the same thing as us: the nuclear generators. Our supply of uranium should last a few decades, and we should be saved before then by one of the other bases!�
---
Vree-Lung sighed as she lifted her robe off. She looked down herself, at her breasts, her stomach, her legs.
“Hey, don’t worry, you’ll l have plenty of time to enjoy yourself once we wake up again!� Charnie walked over and gave her a kiss. “Now, let’s go to sleep!�
She laughed and lowered herself into the cryo-bed. “Goodnight, Char! Sleep well!� The cover lowered down over her and a mist came rolling through the bed.
“Goodnight, Vree…� Charnie said to the now-frozen body besides him. He then proceeded to walk over to a terminal in the wall. “Zax! You know what to do?�
“Of course, Charnie. All systems are optimal. Do you wish to initiate auto-sequence?� As always, Zax sounded like a metallic voice from the wall.
“Yes, Zax. Initiate the program. I’ll see you in a few years!� He lowered himself into his own cryo-bed. As the mist came rolling, he thought about Vree and how long it would be before he saw her again. Then everything went black.�
Chapter 1: Unearthing Trouble
�Swing that pick,
Swing! Swing! Swing!
See dirt fly,
Fly! Fly! Fly!
Throw it back!
Throw! Throw! Throw!
Keep it up,
Don’t fall back,
Work we will,
For the Empero-or!�
The last word was slowly drawn out by half a dozen men in the dark tunnels beneath the Desert of Glass. Grund and his shaft-mates had worked for nearly 12 hours, but their arms still swung strong.
Grund leaned against his shovel and winced into the darkness of the tunnel. His eyes were sore from having to work overtime in the mute darkness of the underground. He closed them hard, then looked up, towards Rich.
“Rich! You done yet?� His voice was hoarse, the dust in the air was starting to stick to his throat and get in his lungs.
“Nope, still got another four or five feet before we can call it a day!� Rich’s voice was hoarse too. It was what happened to everyone who worked in the tunnels. Grund hated it; he hated it even more than the foul air or the poor light. The dust didn’t just get into your mouth, it got in everywhere, even places you’d think it impossible!
“Damn, hoped we’d be done soon. I’m getting hungry!� He sighed and picked up his shovel again and started throwing dirt over his shoulder and into a mining-cart behind him. The vague light from the nearest oil-lamp made his muscles glisten with the sweat of a long days work.
Around an hour later, Rich let his pick fall to the ground with a resounding thunk. Finally! That was the final load! Around him, others dropped their picks too and watched as their partners threw the last dirt into the waiting carts.
“Okay, boys, let’s haul ‘em up and we can get topside!� The leader of their shaft, Indar, let a grin spread on his lips as they all started pushing the carts. It was a long way, but in their eagerness to get some chow, it didn’t take long before the light of day was visible at the tunnels opening.
“So, what’s for dinner?� Rich asked.
“Dunno,� Grund replied, wondering the same thing himself.
“I heard it’s beans again, beans and bread� Waldur, another shaft-mate, put in.
“Ugh. Anyone coming with me into town, then?� Grund asked, looking around at the group.
“Sure, I hear Roberta’s got a hold of some genuine meat! Not salted either, but real, fresh meat!� Indar licked his lips in anticipation.
“Sounds like that does it for me! Let’s go eat!� Rich started walking towards town now and soon the camp lay behind them.
---
“I still don’t get it, I mean, what’re we supposed to be diggin’ for?� Tins took another bite out of his dinner, a large piece of beef. He looked around at them, seeing if anyone had an answer.
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s something old. We sure as hell ain’t mining, that’s for sure!� Mark replied, laughing. “I don’t get it either, I mean, what the hell could be so important they’d actually attempt to dig it out of the Glass Desert? If it weren’t for the force-picks, we wouldn’t even be able to put a dent in this rock!� He shook his head and took another biteful of the meat.
“I heard something the other day… Something about signs of large metal-deposits underneath Glass Hill.� Everyone looked to the corner where old Frank sat. It wasn’t often he said anything, so they were a bit surprised. “Something about strange alloys, alloys that were used in the military.�
“What else?� Grund asked eagerly. “Tell us, Frank, what else did you hear?�
“That’s it. It was the foreman talking to a tech from Mars. The tech told the foreman about it, but then they got out of earshot.� He sighed and leaned back over his plate. “This meat is good… Best I’ve had in weeks.�
“The only meat you’ve had in weeks� Waldur laughed, “But you’re right, it is good.�
The conversation changed course and they started complaining about the isolated area they were now working in and how meat had become an even rarer commodity than earlier.
Later that night, back at camp, Grund lay back in his bunk. He thought of what they’d been talking about over at Roberta’s. The small restaurant was one of the ten wooden buildings in the small town of Iso as it had come to be called. It had sprung up as the camp for the diggers had been founded. In it were mostly prostitutes and places to get drunk, the sort of town that always sprung up near camps in isolated areas. Grund wondered what the hell they were digging for. Could it really be some military secret? He doubted it. From what he’d heard, the glass-desert had existed for longer than any records could remember. Before the Dark Age of Technology, before the New Rise of Man. It must be tens of thousands of years old…
---
Zax started running the initial wake-up sequences for the cryo-beds. For days now, he’d been following the topside activity. Almost a week ago, his censors had registered something making noise in the impressively resilient rock above them. Now, as the sounds had become increasingly stronger, his program decided must be something coming to free the base. A little later than projected, but better later than never, as Vree-Lung always said.
---
“This is starting to get boring,� Grund said the next day. With the force-picks, they’d managed to mine another fifteen feet that day and once again they were nearing dinnertime. “I mean, how’d something even be able to get under this? We don’t even know how the friggin’ place was created!�
“Oh, please, Grund, don’t start up this discussion again!� Waldur groaned, “I had enough of it yesterday!�
“Yeah, but aren’t you just a little interested in what we’re digging out?�
“Nope. Don’t care, don’t know nor do I want to. Anything that’s important enough for a Mars-tech to come down here for is something I don’t want no nothing to do with!� He shuddered and started swinging the pick again.
Grund sighed and got back to work, shoveling the fine splinters of what appeared to be diamond-hard glass into the cart.
---
She opened her eyes. The light was bright. Too bright, it made everything seem blurred. Vree-Lung yawned and rubbed her eye-sockets, trying to clear her vision.
“Where… where am I?�
“You are in the Head Quarters of the Brotherhood of Steel,� said a voice, a metallic twang to it.
“Wha- who? Oh! Zax!� She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Bad move, she thought, just as her head hit the half-open lid. “Ow!�
“Are you okay?�
“What? Oh, it’s you, Charnie!� She looked at his face. It was grayish, making him look inhuman, almost robotic. “Did you just wake too?�
“Yeah, I woke about thirty minutes ago. Zax says everyone from the brass should be awake in another hour.� He shrugged, as if to say he had no idea why.
“Oh yeah, the metabolism-problem the docs mentioned… Well, as long as everyone’s here, it shouldn’t be a problem.� She looked at him as he winced. “What, didn’t they all make it?�
“Uhm… Well, not exactly. Two of the elders died. One of them, Geoff, apparently got cold feet and didn’t go to sleep. We found his remains in the library. He- he shot himself. With a plasma pistol.�
“Damn!� She cringed, the mere thought of shooting yourself with a plasma-pistol was crazy, those things hurt like hell! If it’d been her, she- “Why a plasma-pistol? Why not a laser-pistol or something less… painful?�
“Well, apparently he went… crazy. Zax has shown me a couple of records while I waited for you and the others to wake up.� He shook his head. “He’s the one who killed the other, Frenz. He had a fit and smashed his bed. Frenz died before he ever awoke…. That was when Zax had enough and sent in the Handies. He fled into the library, and that’s where he killed himself after created a barricade. Zax later reopened the place.� He looked shaken.
“ This means trouble. The others will- whoa, back to the basics!� She suddenly recalled a question that she’d been dieing to ask. “Why’ve we been woken up? Where are our saviors?� She smiled a cat-like smile at the thought of a handsome paladin from one of the northern bases coming in after having saved them.
“That’s the problem- it appears we overslept. They never came.� His face looked serious.
“Overslept? How long? 30 years? 40?� At his facial expression she paled. “100?�
“ Add another 37.900 years and you have the answer.� His voice cracked.
“A… another 37.900 years? You mean we overslept for 38.000 years? Impossible! We don’t have that kind of energy! Something must be wrong with Zax!�
“Nope. He says the material under us is still fragile. When help didn’t come, he had the handies dig tunnels deep. Real deep. We’re running on geothermal power! He merely implemented the plans one of your mothers’ students came up with before he graduated to librarian and left for the northern bases. As for time, well… Geoff’s remains turned to dust when I breathed on them. There’s nothing wrong with Zax. We’re just really, really old…�
“So… So why’d Zax wake us now?�
“Well, after the blast, he’s had no contact with the outside world. But, two weeks ago, faint sounds starting coming from outside. Now, they’ve slowly gotten louder, resounding through our walls. He thinks someone’s coming down, but slowly. Very, very slowly.�
---
“Okay, guys, time for another go!� Indar lifted his pick and chopped away at the cliff. They’d now been going at it for nearly six months and the monotonous work was making them all seem like zombies, not caring about anything. Grund started shoveling the pieces as they slowly fell of the rock-walls.
“Hey!� Waldur stopped chopping and stood back. “Look at this!� They all came over and inspected what seemed to be a weird pattern in the wall. A large piece lay on the ground; seemingly it flaked off unlike all the other chips they had to work hard to get off.
“Get the foreman! Now!� Rich said, and Waldur ran off, up and out of the tunnel. Half an hour later, they heard footsteps resounding through the tunnels and shortly after the Waldur came back, leading the foreman along with two Mars-techs.
“What’d you find?� asked the foreman, but was pushed aside by one of the techs.
“Frank, look at this!� the tech said and held up the large flake with the strange pattern. “What do you make of it?�
“Looks like chain-link fencing… But there’s nothing left. Though, that would be accounted for by the heat needed to create this desert. But still, what would it do out here? This is the only place apart from the center of the place that contains any signs of habitation…� He looked closely at the shard, then threw it into a bag hanging at his belt.
“Dunno, but the top says they suspect it might be big, the alloys and all. I agree.� The first tech looked at the workers, staring at them. “What’re you looking at?� he snarled.
“Sheesh, James, don’t be so touchy! They probably don’t understand anything.� Said the other tech, the one called Frank. “Guys, you’ve been doing a good job!� he said, looking at Grund and his friends, “keep it up and you’ll be handsomely rewarded if we find what we’re hoping to find.�
“And just what is that?� Rich asked, very bravely Grund thought. “Uh… Sir?�
The techs laughed. Then the one called James looked him straight into the eyes. “An ancient chapter! A space-marine chapter that disappeared before the time of the emperor, one lost to an unknown disaster. Either that or just some metal-ore whose like has never been seen before.� He turned around. “Let’s go, Frank.�
---
“So what’re we supposed to be guarding the sharding door for?� Jenny grumbled. “It’s not as if guard-duty went very well last time!�
“Come on, Jen, it’s not as if you haven’t lost comrades before! You’ve seen more battle than most of you rookies, you’re practically a veteran-rookie!� Her sideman, Dan, grumbled and then looked at the other guards, they were ten in all, and asked, “Anyone here agree with her?�
“Yeah, I do!� said one of the others and put his hand into the air. “It doesn’t make sense, if they’re helping us out, why should we mount an armed guard?�
“Idiot!� exclaimed their sergeant, Will, and continued “it’s not as if they’re friends! You all know that some 38 millennia have passed! Who knows how the world is today? And Zax predicted they’d reach the door by today or tomorrow, so the elders had us stand guard!�
“Yeah, whatever,� Jenny muttered and went back to fidgeting with her Gatling-Laser. It was, like their Power-armor and other weapons, a bit rusty. “Now we’re at it, why the hell is my shit rusty? I thought this stuff didn’t rust!�
“No, not in a normal persons lifetime, but all metals deteriorate.� said Charnie, who’d appeared in a door opening. “But after so many millennia and with a few leaks appearing in the walls, even our alloys can’t hold forever.�
“Yeah, but this rust is getting to me!� complained another member of the unit. “No matter how much I scrub, it won’t go off!�
“And it won’t no matter how hard you try!� Charnie explained, “the alloy is too strong for that; even the rust it creates is much, much stronger than normal metals. Just leave it, it won’t weaken anything substantially and we’ll start researching a method to fix it once we get contact with the topsiders.�
---
A large clunk reverberated through the passage.
“What the hell?� this time it was Waldur and his partner who’d hit something. “I hit something!�
“Hmmm� Rich looked hard at the spot, a bit of silver glinted in the lamplight. “Looks metallic. Let’s see what else we can find before we call the techs again!� The others agreed and soon they’d excavated a large metallic plate that looked like a door opening.
“Wow!� exclaimed Grund as he saw the symbol on the door. “It’s amazing!� It was a circle with what appeared to be the wheels of three gears inside. Dissecting the circle was a large sword, and holding the circle a bluish design that somewhat resembled a bowl with pointy protrusions. He then continued to take in all the things of what they’d uncovered, as did the rest of the guys. Frank then stuck out an arm and pushed open a small hatch.
“Hey! Careful, don’t touch that!� Rich exclaimed. “Waldur, go get the techs!�
---
“They’re right outside� said Charnie, “Zax can sense them with what’s left of the external sensors.
“Sounds good. Let them come so we can thank them and get topside again. I’m tired of being cooped up in this place!� Jenny looked around at the other members of her unit. They all seemed tense and excited; they’d finally meet their saviors!
---
“It seems to be a door. The symbol is unknown to me, but the have used blue… The whole design is much different from what I’ve ever seen though… Something from the early Dark Age of Technology maybe?� Frank the tech asked his colleague as he fondled with the door. “Or maybe not, maybe it’s even older…�
“We’ll soon find out! Sergeant, have your men ready to fire!� The other tech said to the Space Marine Sergeant from the Ultramarines. He had a squad standing in back of the techs, bolters lowered and ready to fire. “Okay, push the button!�
---
“Okay, get in!� Dan waved them into the elevator. “Lock and load, ready to fire, just in case!�
They all milled into the elevator and then were transported to surface-level. After a bit of silent waiting, they heard some muffled sounds, somewhat like voices outside.
“Damnit, the system seems to have failed!� Dan cursed, as the dorrs remained closed. He hit the open-button, with no result. He cursed and moved his finger towards the down-button. Then they all heard a click and a faint his of air seeping in, and the doors slowly slid apart, revealing the outside world to them for the first time in 38 millennia.
---
Frank pushed the button, concealed behind the hatch Frank had found earlier. A hiss sounded and with a loud whining noise, the hatch opened. Inside was a small room that looked like an elevator on the transport-ships. Inside was a group of soldiers clad in Power Armour.
---
There was silence. Utter and complete silence, as the two groups stared at each other. Then one of the men in the group inside the elevator came stepped out,
“Dan, leader of the third unit in the Alpha-base army, of The Brotherhood of Steel, at your service.�
One of the techs pulled out a small box from his belt and pointed at Dan. “Talk!� He said. Dan didn’t understand him, but got the gist and repeated his small speech, then started to talk about the Brotherhood of Steel. After about five minutes, a small light started flashing on the box. The tech spoke into it and out came words the Paladins could understand.
“I am James, tech from Mars, loyal servant to the Emperor, ruler of the Empire of Man. And who might you be, strange men, and from what chapter?�
Dan looked puzzled. “I just told you, we’re from the Brotherhood of Steel. What’s a chapter, I thought it was something in a book?�
“Army! A chapter is an army within an army of armies. Chapters are what we divide the Space Marines into. So, you are from the Brotherhood of Steel Chapter, then?�
“Space Marines? No, we’re from the Brotherhood.� Jenny looked angrily at the tech. “And we’re not an army within an army. We’re the only army in the wastes of what’s left of Earth. Your armour looks like Power-armor; you might be the descendants of the Brotherhood…� She shrugged. “Or maybe not, no member of the Brotherhood would ever submit to some emperor, bent on ruling the world. And what’s this empire and space-marine-stuff?�
The techs face went red as she spoke. “Descendants? I think not! We are all funded by the great emperor almost ten millennia ago, and the empire is the innumerable number of planets under His protection!� He stared at the paladins. “Now, move aside so we might inspect the new domain of the Emperor!� He gestured to the marines behind him and the pushed Jenny. She stood fast and pushed him back, with considerably more force. The tech flew across the small area until he hit the opposing wall of the tunnel with a sickening splat as his head cracked open upon a small cliff-protrusion.
“Fire� screamed the remaining tech. The space-marines pulled their triggers, but it was too late. The paladins had already released their arsenals, sending bolts of plasma and laser-rays spraying across the enemy. Their armor was tough, but not strong enough to withstand the super-tuned weapons of the Brotherhoods elite-troops. The ten space-marines all fell to the ground, two cut in half by the lasers, another three melted to pools of oozing goo. The last five had various body-parts either cut or melted off. None were alive when they hit the ground.
“You are all under arrest, under the authority of the Brotherhood of Steel for trespassing and attacking a Brotherhood member!� Dan shouted at the remaining people; a man in a uniform and what appeared to be eight workers with picks in their hands. The uniformed man replied with an angry shout and pulled out a handgun from his belt. “Attack them, in the name of the Emperor and the Empire!� He rushed at the paladins with the hesitant workers quickly following.
“Idiot!� mumbled Will and fired his Gatling Laser, taking off the techs arms. When he looked at the other attackers, they were all dead in the same grizzly manner as the space marines had died only seconds earlier. “Take the fool down. Jenny and Dan, stay with me, we’ll have to guard the entrance from now on! I saw one of them get away, he’s bound to warn others topside!�
As the injured tech was taken down, the three set up a small guard-post at the entrance using a mining-cart and some shards of their entrapment.
“We’ll have to show these picks to the scribes,� Will said, inspecting one “They look like they use the same concept as our Supersledges. We should have thought of that, putting all that force into a small point might’ve helped us out 38.000 years ago…� He smiled wryly. Meanwhile, Jenny was inspecting one of the dead marines.
“Strange. Their armor seems the same, except they’ve moved the generators into this separate pack. It looks like they’re using some sort of replaceable fuel. Cold fusion, maybe?
Dan looked around at the mess. He sighed and said: “No matter what, this is one hell of a strange millennium… Bound to be more trouble than it’s worth.�
Chapter 2: Fighting back
�Muties? What do you mean?� Maxel glared angrily at Vree-Lung.
“You know perfectly well, what I mean!� she snapped back. She pointed at the cadavre of one of the Space Marines that lay stripped of it’s armour on the table in front of them. There was no mistaking the greenish teint of the skin nor the grotesquely large proportions of the muscles compared to the rest of the body. “It’s not the pure strain of the FEV we know, it’s a mutation of some sorts. If you look here-“ she pointed to the gigantic genetalia of the male specimen “-you’ll see how these’re not altered the same way as the strain we know. They seem-“ and she held up a jar filled a milky liquid “-to be fully…. Uh… Operational.�
“Super Mutants with the ability to reproduce? Are you trying to tell me, that the world is populated with Muties???� Tarnel, one of the elders came forwards, peering at the corpse with obvious incrudelity. “You must be wrong, our scientists clearly said it was impossible!� his voice almost pleading.
“You seem to forget, my mother was head of the group that made that report! I’ve looked the files over, I’ve seen the holos from the autopsies. Believe what you want, but the strain we’ve encountered would always render the infected specimen incapable of reproduction!�
“But then that contradicts what you say now!� Tarnels face was going red, a purplish blotch highlighting his otherwise pale forehead. In any other situation, Vree-Lung would’ve burst out laughing. Instead, she sighed.
“Look, it’s a virus! It can mutate! Not to mention, this virus is the FEV, it’s man-made. The strain we know originates from The Glow, and was then brought to Mariposa. Who’s to say what else the government had made back then? Other strains might’ve been more successful. Also, if you compare the dimensions of this specimen with these-“ and she held out a holo-disk marked “FEV Mutataion Data, batch 6�, “-you’ll see that they may be big, but the mutants our forefathers fought were almost an additional 20% larger!� She handed the disk to Maxel who looked at it, then at corpse, his eyes showing real distress. “However, as for your question, Elder Tarnel. No. The world is not populated by muties, at least not exclusively. We looked at corpses of the workers as well. They’re all human. Well, as human as you can be, considering the mutations that come naturally over nearly 40.000 years on a world saturated with radiation after the Great War.�
“But Muties and humans, living together? You’ve got to be kidding!� another elder, Smythz, said, incredulity showing in his voice.
“Kidding? No, I’m merely presenting the facts. And you seem to forget Broken Hills! Remember that little community? They did fine there until the last ghouls and muties died of old age nearly 70 years before we got buried here. And if my memory serves me correct, it was founded by a Paladin who’d joined up with a Mutie.� Vree-Lung was getting bored of the conversation, she had better things to do than give the old fools another history-lesson. “Now, if you’ll excuse, I’d like to get back to looking into their weapons.
---
“I swear, Sir! It was Space Marines, and they killed the squad, and then Techs. And then they killed the others!� Waldur cringed as the Captain slammed his armored fist into hid gut.
“Liar! Filthy scum, your mere existence is an insult to the emperor!� His face was getting very red, his rage obvious to the two Space Marine guards standing at his side. “Only the traitors of Chaos would attack their brethren, and everyone knows that no teint of Chaos exists on the very birthplace of the Emperor!� He pulled out his plasma pistol and pointed it at Waldurs head. “Now, you will tell me exactly what happened, or I will send your traitorous soul into oblivion!�
“But I swear, Sir, it’s the truth! By all that’s holy, I swear!� sobbed Waldur, wringing his hands in distress.
“Liar!� The Captain pulled the trigger, sending a bolt of molten plasma plunging down trough Waldurs head and watched, as the former workers body slowly melted into a small pile of goo.
“Srong! Go get the 34th and 35th squads. I want them prepared for battle, full armour. I want heavy bolters and plasma rifles. EVERYTHING!� He sighed and slumped into the sorry excuse for a chair that the so-called office was outfitted with. This was crazy! What had seemed to be nothing more than simple guard-duty was slowly becoming his worst nightmare. A simple mission, go the desert, look after some daft miners, go investigate some mineral deposits. And look what had happened! Two Mars-techs, a squad and a handful of miners, all disappeared into a hole in the ground and the only servivor was a traitorous, lying miner! Well, he’d be damned if he was gonna accept it! This time he’d be prepared for whatever traitorous evil was down there and, in the name of the Emperor, he would annihilate it!
---
“It’s hopeless!� Vree-Lung said disgustedly and threw the tube from the Gatling Laser off into a corner. The rust just wouldn’t go off! No matter what it’d gotten onto, the Power Armour, the Ceramic Plating, the Weapons Systems, it just wouldn’t go off. Luckily, her tests had shown that it really didn’t matter, the radiation that had leaked through the walls of the bunker had somehow altered the molecular structure and the end result was, that the rust was not noteworthily weaker than the original allows. The only real problem was the aesthetics which, unless they were going to have a parade, really didn’t matter all that much. It still frustrated her though, but she figured, she’d be able to find a solution later. However, other, more pressing matters, were building for her and her team.
“M’am?�
“How many times, Larse, must I tell you that you need not call me that? I’m a scribe, and my Name is Vree-Lung. Save the pleasantries for the Paladins, they thrive on it.� She grinned at her aid. His young face blushed at being reprimanded by her, a blush she was beginning to get used to.
“Sorry, Ma- I mean Vree-Lung. It’s just, the team needs you look at the weapons, they finally managed to get one of them open.� His voice hinted anticipating urgency, so she followed him to the other end of the facility where her team was assembled around a table on which several of weapons the intruders had carried were scattered. Severel of them bore the marks of saws and plasma-cutters, but only two lay open with their innards revealed for all to see.
“So, what have you learned?� she asked, looking around at the group.
“Well, they seem to be a sort of projectile-weapon, but with explosive rounds and very simple. These things are made to be durable and very low-maintenance. If you ask me, I doubt they’re meant to be opened for maintenance, ever.� Orth, a senior scribe, showed her the innards of the bolter.
“Well, that would suggest that the normal soldier has no knowledge of the mechanics, wouldn’t it? Which, in turn, would mean that someone else produces these weapons.� Vree-Lung picked up what appeared to be a longer version of a Ripper, a tool used by some raiders and brawlers. “What about this?�
“The same. Strong, durable, almost impossible to break open. It seems like a refined ripper, made for melee combat. The edges are made of a diamond-like material, I’d say it would cut through even power armour…� His voice trailed off as he turned the weapon in his hands.
“Hmm, I’ll have to take this to the elders council.� She picked up the weapons along with a holo-tape with Orths report and turned for the door. A she reached it, as if an after-thought, she turned around. “Oh, and good job guys! If you can, look at their armour, will you? I’m curious to see, what powers them…� And with that, the door closed behind her.
---
“What the hell does he mean, evil disguised as fellow Marines?� Rardur was puzzled, as were his fellow brothers-in-arms. They were walking down a cramped tunnel into the intestines of the Glass Desert.
“And what’s up with getting into full gear, right smack on the emperors own birthplanet?� Asht, another Space Marine chimed in. The scouls on the faces of some of the other marines silently agreed with the notion that this was a waste of their time.
“Halt!� They had reached a small chamber in the glassy-like rock and their seargent, along with the Captain, had stopped.
“This, brothers, is it!� the Captain shouted, his voice echoing from the opposing walls. “Behind this door,� and he pointed at the steel-door behind him, a door holding a strange symbol, a blue, spiked circle with three rusty gears inside it, “lies an unknown evil, an evil that’s already killed the entire 15th squad!�
“Men, weapons at the ready!� the seargeant pulled out his plasma-pistol and the two squads lowered their weapons, pointing an impressive arsenal at the door.
“Asht! Go open the door!� the seargent motioned at a small panel on the side of the metallic surface. Asht complied. As he pressed a large button on the rusty panel, the door opened with a soft swoosh of air. Inside was an empty elevator. The squads looked at the captain, awaiting his next order.
---
“Alert! Alert! Proximity alert! Intruders in quadrant 1!� Zax’s voice rang through the halls and corridors of the Brotherhood bunker. “Alert! Alert!�
“Get your gear, the buggers’re back and they’re armed this time!� Tank grinned as his orders were quickly parried by the Elites. Their Power Armour was, unlike the rest of the Brotherhoods, in mint condition. Somehow, Vrees new alloys had withstood what the alloys from before the Cataclysm could not. The suits, larger, bulkier, more frightening, made his troops look more like giant, armoured Geckos than anything else.
“First Elite Squad is armed and ready for action, Sir!� Gharu, the Seargeant, slammed his fist against his heart, covering the symbol of the Heavy Troops. Unlike the rest of the Brotherhood, this sword did not cover three gears. Instead, it covered a circular shield of what Tank referred to as “Norse Origin� The altered insignia was trademark of a small Unit, called the Heavy Troops, under the command of Senior Paladin Tank. They were heavy infantry and even controlled a force of vehicles. Most had been destroyed by a cave-in from when Zax had excavated for the Geo-thermal plant, but the remaining vehicles were all still functional.
Responding with a fist to his own heart, Tank smiled. “Good, then let’s get these bastards!� He took lead of the squad, pulling up his Turbo Plasma Rifle while walking, checking that all systems were operational. Behind him, the squads in NAPA (New Advanced Power Armour) did the same, cheking their Gatling Lasers and Plasma Weapons. Hey were truly the elites, heavy armoured and just as heavily armed with some of the most powerful weapons the scribes had developed. As they reached the elevator, they all pulled close, then piled in. A few seconds later, the doors opened to the topside floor and they armed their weapons.
“All right, boys, this is it! Time to prove ourselves once more, prove that no amount of sleep will dull our senses or weaken our resolve! Time, once more, to fight for our brethren! Time, once more, to kick some ugly Mutie butt!� He raised his own Turbo Plasma Rifle to firing position and led, alongside a now-silent Tank, the squad to the entrance. They made it just in time. As they rounded the corner, the doors to the elevator opened.
---
“Get ready, here we go!� The Captain raised his Power-Sword and charged out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened, letting a battle-cry rip through the air. The Space Marines followed him, but came to an almost immediate halt. In front of them was their Captain, or rather, the two halves of their Captain. Beyond his mutilated body stood a wall of Terminators with weapons pointing at them.
---
“Ardu, you bloody moron!� Tanks fury made his words seem like thick poison in their ears as he reprimanded the newest recruit into the Elites. “He had a fucking sword, and you kill him? What were you thinking?!?�
“Sorry, Sir, he just… Well, spooked me’s all…� Ardus voice showed true regret and the rest of the Eliters could easily imagine the sheepish expression his face would wear.
