Underwater Base 005, “Leviathan’s Depths” Trench, Northern Sea
Novo Franklin, Periphery Space
September 16th, 2980 AD
Ten days of gathering, working, improving, and more, just for this moment.
After finding lithium, improving the power cells to Lithium Fusion Power Cells, improving the Armor Shell of both the base and Marine Mech, I was finally ready to construct the Whale Class Submarine. I would name it in honor of the creature I thought of offhand when I first saw it.
“Alright Ada. Let’s build Moby Dick. Make sure to load it with all the materials in base storage.” I ordered within my Marine Mech cockpit.
“Affirmative Sir.” The AI announced, and the constructor drones began to work.
From the bottom up, the massive machine slowly came into being, gleaming white in color, and upon completing, floated over the expanse like the leviathan it was. Without another word, I made my way to the belly of the machine, and it opened up without any command from me, grabbing a hold of the mech an swinging me so the mech was face down. The bay closed, and then drained of water immediately. Exiting out of the rear head hatch, and up the ladder into hanger bay and control, I was surrounded by more white walls and a variety of mechanical systems.
“Welcome aboard Captain.” Announce the baritone voice of the ship AI.
With a grin I made my way to the bridge. “Alter the Mech for land-based combat, and set a course for base-four.”
“Affirmative” the AI replied, and the sound of gimbled arms got to work in the hanger behind me as I strode through the Captain’s suite, and onto the bridge. The set up wasn’t all that different from the Cyclops submarine, save it was larger, and had an elevated space for a better view. While it could be operated by one person, with enough Ais, this ship was truly designed for a crew of around twenty people.
Maybe it was pride, or greed, or the Self-Reliant Alaskan in me, but I didn’t really feel like sharing my room and stuff with others. Things can change though, so I would have to keep an open mind.
The ship moved itself with grace, and at fifteen knots. At that speed, I spent time making the captains suite to my desires. Upon reaching base four, I had the drones empty it of resources, and then moved onto base three. I had the ship accelerate to maximum velocity of thirty-three knots. If I were without the mech, that speed would be around forty knots, and fifty in overdrive. Base three was about fifteen kilometers distance from base four, so it took a little under fifteen minutes to reach it. I had already emptied it of most materials when I made base-four, but there were still things to be had.
Upon reaching base four, I stared that the comparatively small base to the Union I had built it next to. My submarine was about ass long as it was tall, and that really showed me how far I had come since then. I kept staring upon the machine, before finally making a decision of what I would do for it. I would leave it as a marker for the future. A reminder of my path when I first began. With that, I began to empty base-three.
Once emptied, I moved onto base-two, which took only a little over four minutes since it was only five kilometers away. It was emptied out. Then I finished by going to Base-One.
Reaching the base, I was surprised at how small it was, remembering how little I was trying to actually build up at this point.
“Almost tempted to just remove it to get materials back…but then again, it’s a measure of how far I’ve gone since all those weeks ago.”
I emptied it of what little it had, and sat on the Captain’s chair I made. I had a few choices of where to go from here now. I was no longer limited as I was before, now possessing a level of freedom I didn’t have in my old world either. I could just o what I thought of. Rising up, establishing my underwater kingdom, trade with the surface, and rock on from there.
On the other hand, I could just explore the oceans to my heart’s content. No one could top me, and just trade in ports as I found them, build a crew as I went, yar-har, a Pirate’s life for me. Well…of the Jack Sparrow slash Luffy D. Monkey slash Captain Harlock sort than the Edward “Black Beard” Teach sort.
On the other, other hand…I could find out if I could leave or not. As in leave Novo Franklin and explore the Inner Sphere. Sure, things were going to get interesting this century, but did I have to actually do anything? The answer is no. Screw the Houses, the Clans, Comstar, and so on.
“I am my own Man! Master of my own Destiny!” I shouted.
Then again…I had it somewhat easy with the Empire, but other parts of Novo Franklin were more like the hellish picture some of the bad planets, like Tortuga, painted with the blood of so called “Kings”, ruling like despots on a tiny piece of land in a microcosm of the Inner Sphere.
I could do something about it all. I could raise these people up to better places, a better life. It wasn’t my responsibility, unless I take it as one upon myself.
I sighed, as this wasn’t the first time this month I had thought this line of choices. My desire to remain independent warred with my desire to build up the lives of those around me who didn’t have the means to get anything better.
I leaned forward in thought, looking over the pros and cons of each of the choices. As I did so, that’s when I felt the star fall. I paused, waited for the forge to reach out and grab it.
-Huragok Ally (Halo - UNSC) (200CP)
Something of a surprise and most definitely an attention-grabber, a Huragok is supposed to be one of the members of the Covenant Homogeny and has normally been seen only in their presence. Yet Huragok, also known by those in the UNSC as 'Engineers', are primarily pacifistic and dedicate themselves purely to repairing and working on any technology around them. This particular one seems to have gotten lost and ended up deciding to follow you for the sake of making sure your technology was functioning. Aside from melodic whistling sounds that sound slightly similar to Earth whales, Huragoks communicate using either sign language with their tendrils or through text messaging thanks to their penchant of being biological supercomputers. Huragok are highly prized for being able to fix almost anything they touch, and you should expect a lot of questioning if someone spots you with one.
I blinked as a mist filled with sparkles appeared on the bridge, and revealed the floating space snail.
Its eyes opened, gazing upon me before closing its eyes and whistling, doing a floating rendition of a “happy dance”. I couldn’t help but smile because it was as cute as I thought it was when I first saw the thing in ODST.
“Well, hello there. Wasn’t expecting you at all.”
It nodded in agreement before taking a look around, and floated over to a console. With a touch of its tentacle, it connected itself to the entire ship, and by extension to my PDA.
“Alert: Text Message Received from local source.” Ada announced.
Pulling her out from my carrier pocket, I took a look and it turned out to be from a “Shifts with Breeze”.
My name is Shifts with Breeze. It’s a pleasure to meet you Star Forger.
“Star Forger?” I asked, a beep following up soon after.
Yes, that is what I learned from the great source before being brought here. I was able to escape my bondage from the clumsy actions of the Unggoy, and from there I made my way to a deeper place upon High Charity. I didn’t know where I was, so deep in its bowels, but without warning, I was pulled away from that place to a plane of stars. It was there the Source of all give me a choice. Join you, or remain. Given my eventual execution if I remained in my place, I took the chance and joined with you.
Memories of Halo, and various locations an races painted the picture, and I nodded.
“Given your kind were forced to be living suicide bombs, and shield generators for the ground troops, I’m not surprised what your end would have been.” I replied with a frown. That brought up many issues to my situation. My appearance with the submarine and Marine Mech would have been shocking enough, but an actual for real alien? A step too far, and for the wrong sort, the kind that would set the world upon my head.
Looking at Shifts with Breeze, I smiled again. “Well, I’m glad you are here. Welcome to…my crew I suppose, though it comprises only of the two of us currently, unless you count the AIs too, then it’s five of us.”
It bowed its head with a low whistle before more text appeared.
I am glad. So, Star Forger, what are your plans?
I crossed my arms with a sigh. “That’s my current conundrum.” I started. I explained to the snail my circumstances, this world, and what I’ve done since coming into the ocean, and now my current situation.
Shifts with Breeze listened patiently, though it was manipulating the ship slightly, improving the system seemingly, before turning back to me.
I can understand your dilemma. Though I am no longer under threat of the Covenant, I share the desire to simple fade away from the world despite the freedom I now possess. So, if I may make a suggestion?
I waved my arm. “Please.”
I suggest we simply do what you felt strongly about, and sail the seas of this world. In that time, we can improve your equipment, with my help, find more resources, and take our time to pick what our true path will be. Leaving this world, or taking part in it.
I softly nodded. It gave me the excuse to not just jump into the issues of the land, and frankly, unless I need to do something, procrastination was my big flaw.
“Alright. I agree. I can always return to land at another time. Computer, set a course for Base Five.”
“Affirmative Captain.”
With that decided, I gave the snail a tour of the ship. While it likely knew the schematics via its connection to the ships computer, I wanted it to actually see the things, and have someone to talk with. I altered the PDA to allow Text-to-speech so Shifts with Breeze could talk rather than just text me.
It, She…I’m gonna call it a She since it’s using Ada’s voice and it’s easier to keep track of. I'm also gonna call it Breeze for short. Breeze was impressed by the Marine Mech, though she spotted several issues and ways it could be improved upon. With her and Ada brainstorming the designing program built into the emergency AI, they made a great many improvements upon the mech, turning it into an entirely different beast than it was.
They began by removing electrical cables and computer parts from the body entirely and integrating them into the endo-skeleton via nano-construction techniques. It removed a solid ten tons of weight, increased its computational capabilities by several generations compared to the systems standard mechs used. The only parts that remained were the connection points for weapons and external parts, which were changed out for the power transfer technology from Alterra, allowing them to access electrical power via wireless power systems.
The Myomers were swapped out completely with an entirely new form of the same system. Again, Breeze, with her super computer brain, and Ada’s powerful computational capabilities, figured out a way to create nano-myomers. The cables were only a centimeter thick, but due to Plasteel and more efficient energy transfer systems, each were individually as powerful as their standard counterparts. Add on top of that a more efficient musculature system design to maximize the number of cables in the space, this made the Marine Mech five times stronger than contemporary mechs of equivalent weight. It in turn made it faster as well, and melee combat would be far more deadly when facing this machine.
If the number of strands were reduced to match the standard mech capabilities, there would be enough room to add several tons of equipment. It made me think of the LAMs, and how different they would be if they had access to such technology. Future stuff.
The integration of Holo-Plasteel screen technology for the HUD was added to the cockpit give a more user-friendly interface, that was also more “immersive” in that it didn’t distract. It in fact added to the visual organization.
Then they added armor, which was now a plasteel layered composite that functioned similarly to Standard battle plate, but with nano-circuitry installed throughout for sensor feeds, and the two additional technologies the mech now sported. The armor was functionally BAR 14. It would still take damage if hit by a sufficiently powerful weapon, but it would have to be one of the higher end weapons to do it. At least a Medium Laser or AC-5 anyways. Missiles, machine guns, flamers, and small lasers won’t do squat. Unless there are multiple weapons of that level all hitting the same spot at once, then it’s a different story. Even then Alterran repair tool technology was integrated into the torso and limbs, making self-repairs a breeze, though it appears to draw more than a bit of energy to do so.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
The heat sinks were changed out for an entirely new heat exchange system that, according to the readout, were heat dispensation rods that were five times more efficient than a standard single heatsink. The machine came with eight of them, and each one was a dense three tons per rod. Normally this would be worrying, but with the improved myomers, this was rendered moot as a standard mech could lift ten percent of its own body weight in addition to everything it already had. It was half its body weight for this machine. This left an extra ton to spare.
All this improvement almost made me miss the star that was falling, but it did not matter as it missed and left behind its energy for a later time.
The Lithium Fusion Power Cells were left mostly unchanged, except that the efficiency rose to four times what it was. Covenant tech is bullshit apparently. That said, instead of four power cells, it was reduced to two, the free weight gained from it being handed over to the heating rods and equipment. They Gyroscope was replaced by a gravity gyro that utilized vortex technology from Alterra to create an artificial singularity. As a result, the “gyro” was near zero mass save the containment vessel, weighing only a third of a standard gyro. The only issue with it is it you lost power, in which it shut down, or you got damaged enough to lose containment…
The less I thought about that, the better.
In the original Marine Mech, there weren’t any jump jets, or underwater motive equipment built in. It was mission equipment that could be equipped on hardpoints that used the carry weight of the machine to equip it on top of everything. Now, the machine had integrated thrusters that worked underwater, on land, and in space with proper equipment. Underwater, they were just water jets that allowed the machine to go move through the water at forty knots. On land, they became jump jets that ignited the air as it passed through the thruster, and can practically fly until the heat required you to stop and drop. In space, you needed to equip a fuel pod.
They wanted to replace it with anti-gravity propulsion, but this was just a modification. They’ll do that next time…they said.
The Neural Helmet was almost done away with, but they kept the function to increase the connection between the pilot and machine. It was replaced by a lighter helmet instead, and as a result of the Nano-circuitry throughout the mech, its response was unmatched by even the most capable pilots. With integrated circuitry, there was no need for a combat computer, or sensors, and what not. There were even additional sensors that normally were not in battlemechs, like an Alterran Scanner, and a mineral detector. They were integrated with the endo skeleton. This gave the cockpit massive space, allowing a lavatory, fabricator, and a cot. It also possessed a full head ejection system, which used four lithium fusion power cells of standard size, not mech size, to power turbofans to give it flight capabilities. The special equipment was also in the head for additional safety upon ejection.
The weapons were swapped out for mech scale Covenant Weapon systems. Thanks to Alterra technology, upscaling infantry scaled weapons was a breeze for Breeze and Ada. Each shoulder now carried a missile launcher equivalent that is basically a needler. It fired out as many as I need it to, and can target anything, and follows it regardless of interference because it’s bullshit. The chest came with four small plasma repeaters that acted as machineguns effective for infantry and light to medium vehicles, with an effective range equal to a medium laser. The arms were equipped with plasma cannons that were upsized plasma rifles.
In the head were a pair of light medium grade lasers that were full-on rapid-fire weapons now. Not pulse, rapid fire. They kept firing in a pulse until you stopped, with each pulse doing equivalent damage to a full medium laser beam. Ironically, they ran the coldest of all the weapons.
That was all the range weapons, and they kept it “simple” to start.
For melee, Breeze managed to get anti-gravity technology to work in this universe with slight tweaks, and now the hands and feet of the mech had gravity impactors. So, as if punching, kicking, and stomping with five times standard force wasn’t enough, now it basically doubled with a burst of anti-gravity.
They even included a handheld Plasma Sword and Shield in case I felt like it.
Finally, there was the special equipment, of which a smaller version was equipped for the head alone.
Simply put. Covenant Force Field, and Cloaking. The Nano-Circuits essentially made it so a body tight plasma field would surround the mech and protect it from anything for a time. Once depleted, I would be exposed until it recharged again. That same system allowed for the armor to shift itself to blend with the environment around it. It didn’t hide its heat, or magnetic field, but sight was a no go. The only downside was I couldn’t use both at the same time.
The Marine Mech is pretty much an entirely different machine now, because of these two, and they did it all by the time we reached Base Five.
“God damned super brains.”
As I looked down upon the base, I looked over to Breeze.
“I don’t know how you’re going to get in there, without having a suit for yourself?”
With a whistle, she replied.
“Do not worry. I wish to continue improving this ship. Take the mech and have the system alter it to the new standards in the meantime.”
With a shrug, I took the Marine Mech out and into the base. It was a simple matter of enacting the “Modification/Upgrade” system, but I needed the materials. The drones brought them over and the process began. The insanely fast construction system of Alterra made the whole process take no more than five minutes. Upon completion, I looked at a skinny machine that was more at home in Armored Core than Battletech.
I felt a little torn now, because this thing was overpowered by local standards. The combination of Alterra, Covenant, and Battletech technology came together to create a monster. On one hand, this thing would probably allow me to one man army this whole planet. On the other, if there were any off-worlders, they would see it and freak the fuck out, and then tell everyone about the super mech.
I sighed as I entered it and exited the base, giving it a test run. It stomped on the floor with thumps sounded quite different than normal. Enough to make me ask about it.
“Walking sounds and feels different. What’s up with that?”
“The Gravity Impactors in your legs also act as a form of stabilizer. With them you can easily walk, and run upon the ocean floor.” Breeze answered.
“Run?”
“Yes, because the impactors grab hold of the ground regardless of the environment.”
“…Does that mean it can technically walk up walls?”
“It could, but I do not recommend it unless in a low gravity environment. You would be more efficient going up mountains for certain.”
I shook my head, but paused as I felt another star fall, only for this one to also pass and leave behind its energy.
With a shrug, I increased the speed and began to run underwater. It was less a run and more a fast walk actually, but it still allowed me to move around twenty-five knots underwater. It was also loud. Anyone with sonar could hear me coming.
“Alright. Now let’s swim.” I said as I pressed the pedals and engaged the thrusters. The mech automatically moved into a pose that allowed water to flow around the mech in the easiest manner while still being mostly upright. Leaning the machine forward, I felt the head look up to keep me upright, and the speed increased to the maximum velocity of forty knots. The heat indicator rose a bit, but then leveled off and remained there. I flew about the dark water, sonar giving me an accurate picture of the landscape despite the total darkness, and gave it a real run down.
I smiled as I did stunts and moved about in the water like a combat jet when Breeze interrupted me.
“Star Forger. I do not wish to interrupt your fun, but it appears an issue has fallen upon us.” Came a different voice. I knew it was Breeze due to the identification, but the voice was not the female Ada voice, but a chorus of voices, male and female.
Shaking myself out of that surprise, I turned and set a course back the Moby Dick.
“What’s the issue?”
“I know I said I would be happy to simply drift across this ocean in freedom, but you also said that you also felt an obligation to uplift the people on the surface. I have improved the ship’s communications, and we are now capable of receiving and sending transmissions on all frequencies of several forms of communications, up to several hundred nautical miles underwater. I picked up this distress call.”
I blinked and frowned as I listened.
“-pital is under attack! This is Princess Sapphire Emeri calling out to all units! Father! Can you hear me?! Our home is under attack! Does anyone hear me!” the voice sobbed as sound of explosions an autocannon fire filled the airwaves.
My eyes widened. I didn’t care about the empire, but my friends! Bron! Roake! The family!
“I see the spike in your biomonitor. You had friends there.”
“I did…”
“…I changed my mind. Go help them Star Forger.”
I blinked. “Why?”
“While I am free, my race is still enslaved, but if I had the means to save even a few, I would. You have little time to think on this, so I suggest you go save them.”
I scowled as I listen, and nod. If I were him, I would too.
“Alright. I’m off then. I’ll take the Mech, keep improving the sub, and prepare to retrieve me when I leave.”
“Affirmative, Star Forger!”
Without another word, I turned the mech and increased to maximum speed towards the surface, leaving the trench behind.
Upon reaching the edge of the trench cliff, I shifted to move toward the shoreline. It felt like forever, as I counted out of the minutes it took me to travel. It was thirty-one minutes before I reached the shoreline and immediately boosted out of the water.
I flew up and over the fishing village who looked like they were doing another normal day, until I decided to appear. Everyone looked up on shock, or fright as the machine flew over them on roaring jets of flame before leaving them behind. My speed rose from forty knots to four hundred kilometers per hour, and I kept it up until the heat gauge was at the limit before cutting off the thrusters and landing in a run.
The machine stomped at a blistering one hundred and ten kilometers per hour, which for a fifty-ton mech was insane without MASC, but the nano-myomers made that possible. I was surprised to see that cooling the mech only took thirty seconds, and the moment it was green, I boosted again to four hundred. The land below me blurred as I covered the distance between the shore and the ‘capital.’ It was eighty kilometers distance, but I was making good time.
Listening to the radio, it was more of the princess calling for aid, but I was also picking up the emperor trying to call his units to a retreat. It appeared they were unable to hear each other. I frowned, and the system was able to give me a rough idea of where the emperor was compared to the capital.
With a grunt, I shifted my course toward the fight. Might as well get a handle on this before going in. So focused I was, I missed the star, and the energy itself behind.
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Carson was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Ever since he won those mechs, vessels, and lands from Becker, he was inundated with calls from others saying he was going to try and take their lands and mechs next. It was nonsense, as he wasn’t the aggressor, but he was a finisher. You gamble? You better be prepared to pay for it. That’s how he played. That’s why he was one of the more peaceful kingdoms on this world. It made fools underestimate him, and he always got good out of their failures.
Now, because of his latest victory, everyone near him became paranoid, and decided he needed to be put down.
His Awesome was standing with most of its armor gone, with only his one chest, and rear PPCs able to fire. The Enforcer was down, cockpit burning after the bastard alliance double tapped it after it fell. Jason was his best, and now he’s gone. His mind went to his son, Harold, who joined him on this battle, his first, and the Phoenix Hawk he piloted was limping backwards as he fired off his medium lasers at vehicles that got too close.
PPC bolts flew past him and barely missed his son, the pair of Panther mechs sniping at them both from a great distance.
“Dammit!” he cursed as he fired back at the distant sniper. It slammed into the right torso of one, taking off tons of over half a ton of armor. LRMs replied once more as two enemy mechs, a Trebuchet and Catapault, fired a swarm of explosive warheads. They slammed into him mostly, and he had no choice but to weather it as his son kept firing at anything that came too close.
His armor was in the red and one more hit like that would be it for him.
A sudden shot from a tank slammed into the right leg of the Phoenix Hawk, sending it crashing to the ground, his son shouting painfully as he crashed on his side.
Bringing his machine to a stop, he moved in front of his son to stop any more shots upon him.
“Son, get out of your machine! Now! Eject!”
“I can’t. The system’s locked. I can only run now.”
His son’s tone matched Carson felt about his odd of that working out. Ice formed in his gut, and Carson felt his heart thunder in his chest. With a deep breath, he stopped his mech and activated his loudspeaker.
“This is Carson. Stop your attack…You’ve won. It’s over.”
The fight came to a stop a few moments afterwards, before another call came over the radio.
“Well, this has been quite a day. Are you formally surrendering?”
“Yes.” Carson hissed. “I cannot win, and I will not let my family die here with me. All that I have is…yours.”
“Good. Unfortunately for you…I have no intention of letting your family live Carson. We’re already burning your home as we speak. We’ve been jamming your communications, so how about we listen now.”
“What?!” Carson’s eyes widened. The radio, all static before suddenly came in clear.
“-ess Sapphire Emeri! Father! Can you hear me. The town is burning…we cannot hold them off anymore. Father. Please…” came the pleading voice of his little girl.
Hot tears straked down his face as his teeth gritted in rage. “YOU BASTARDS!”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, your deaths will be quick. So, time to say-“
“Goodbye”
The new voice cut through the air loudly, catching everyone off guard, when the Trebuchet suddenly got struck with a Death-From-Above strike by an unknown mech. It was a thunderous strike that echoed in a boom, sending dust and fired everywhere where the mechs were.
After a few moments, the Catapult began to back off when white and green bolts of energy flew out of the cloud of dirt and smoke, hitting it with a rapid motion. Each bolt that struck melted off armor, and caused the machine to shake and heat up. Then the unknown machine dashed out at frightening speed, and punched the Catapult dead center. The hit caused a screech of metal, followed by a loud boom that caved the entire front of the machine inwards. In but a moment, two mechs were dead.
Carson blinked, mind catching up on the fact that what just occurred, had actually occurred. The machine, a gangly, deep navy blue thing, turned away and activate its jumpjets, only to slide across the ground like it was sliding instead of jumping like expected.
The two Panther mechs fired their PPCs at the oncoming mech, who nimbly moved aside and crossed the distance between them in seconds.
Zooming in, Carson watched at the larger machine lashed out at one with a forward kick that hit the chest of the smaller machine, and watched as it just separated the torso and head from the legs entirely, with a deep foot indent where its chest was. It looked more like a crushed tin can than a mech torso now.
The other Panther tried to strike out with its own punch, only for the unknown mech to actually grab the arm, and then lift and THROW the mech like it was a child! The pilot was not expecting to actually be tossed, and landed badly, rolling a distance before stopping. It was prone, on its chest.
The Mech actually jumped this time, and landed on the back of the Panther, crushing it completely.
All of this, within thirty seconds.
Carson broke out in a cold sweat as he watched the mech turn and skate back towards his direction, the shoulders firing some kind of purple missile at the vehicles ahead of hit, each striking and looking like a needle penetrating a toy, before exploding.
Another three seconds and the vehicles were all dead. Then it quickly approached, and then passed him by.
“Your home is under attack. I have friends there. I will save them both. You owe me.”
Without another word, it jumped into the air and flew away from there. Despite no longer being in danger, despite the man’s words, Carson was still in shock at what just occurred.
“Father…are we dead?”
“No. Given what just happened though…I might become a believer in the afterlife.”
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I boosted forward, only five minutes until I reached the town. I barely noticed the star that fell, and left its energy behind again.
No matter. I had a job to finish.