But before I venture into potentially hostile territory I have to get my guests situated and a suitable force mustered. I have one of the ants and its escorts lead the group of prisoners into the starting room where they will be staying for the foreseeable future. I also station one of the other ants to guard the core in case something were to happen in my leave.
As for the rest of my drones, I send one of the spiders to start scrapping the corpses of those moose things which leaves me with myself, an ant, 5 spiders, and the scout rats. I might be able to bolster those numbers up once the scrap starts getting processed again but until then this is all I got.
Speaking about scrap I haven't looked at the drones that attacked me yet. Better do that before I they get scrapped. Walking to the most intact corpse I pull up the description for the drone.
"The Multi-use Rural Courier or the MRC is the most common courier drone used in open areas. While lightly armored and armed they make up for it with their increased speed and maneuverability. Although they were primarily used to ship things between various settlements they were built to support modules and thus could be used in a variety of situations if fitted correctly."
Interesting. Although not very helpful seeing that this is where everything is currently, that may change later. As I am finishing that though the one drone stationed to carry the corpses to the refinery tugs at the moose thing to little effect.
"Oh yeah, you're probably not big enough to do that. Well, I got arms now, might as well use them." I pick up the scrap with a grunt and place it on my shoulder while walking over to the refinery. Sliding the corpse into the chute the refinery greedily gobbles it up. Repeating this process for the two others, my supply of building materials return back to reasonable levels.
Well, with that done I can now start the trip to the tower. Gathering my cobbled-together expedition group I walk out of the factory and onto the street. My scouts inform me that the tower was about a 10-minute trek from my current position. Following the instructions of my scouts my drones and I slowly make our way past the various ruined buildings and destroyed wrecks of rusted-down drones.
As we were turning a corner my scouts hurriedly notify me that potentially hostile drones meandering about on the street to my left. Instructing my drones to stay back I risk a glance from behind the corner. The drones were roughly the size and shape of a hound and there were 3 of them all searching for something.
Stolen story; please report.
*Well then, I guess it's time to find out how good this suit is at combat." I rush forward with my drones and reach a third of the way to the hostile drones before they notice me lumbering toward them. They form a combat stance and brace for impact, predicting that I would charge through them with my greater bulk. But I decided to surprise them by suddenly making a bolt to the right of the drones and kicking one in the midsection, caving in its metal frame.
Then while they are distracted with me, my drones crash into the hounds and crushed one's head in with a powerful crunch from the ant. The spiders riding on the ant quickly disembark and attack the final one with quick snips and bites at the defenseless drones. I put down the hound with a stomp on its head and the drone spasms for a few seconds before finally succumbing to its wounds.
"Well then, that went better than expected. Great job guys. Oh yeah, scouts, mind marking down this location so we can grab the scrap on our way back?" One of the scouts in question messages in the affirmative and continues to do reconnaissance on the path ahead.
With the short skirmish over I continue on the path with my drones quickly falling in behind. For the most part, the rest of the trek was uneventful, asides from the occasional spook from the bird things. Thankfully they seem to be hesitant about going after my little group, likely because of the risk of retaliation.
It did not take very long to eventually reach the looming tower and as I make my way up the stairs to the front door I hear a yell come from inside the tower.
"You there! Halt at once or you will be fired upon!" The voice announces from somewhere on the second floor. Deciding not to risk it I order my drones to stop moving as I begin to scan the building for the origin of the voice.
"Hello, whoever you are. I would like to have an audience with the chief of this land. It seems I have acquired possession of something dear to them."
The voice is silent for a moment, probably conversing with someone, and then yells back "Very well, leave your drones outside."
Deciding worst case scenario I just make another Vessel Drone I tell my drones to be ready to leave if I am to be destroyed. After that, I stride into the unlocked doors and I immediately am faced with a wall of pikes and some sort of ranged weaponry pointed at me.
"What is it you want and what do you have that you believe is important to me?" The lead robot a red painted, questions.
"Well, it seems I have under my possession a few of your numbers after the apparent chieftain's son attacked my compound." A few bots in the line shift as if realizing what I was talking about.
The Chief held a steely glare as he growled back "What. Have. You. Done. to my son?"
"Oh, nothing yet. But it would be a shame if something were to happen to them. Isn't that right?" The Chief does not respond. "Shall we begin negotiations?"