Chapter 29: Frames of War (1)

- Alexander - 

Sitting alone in the Meriff's office, I monitored the Vault Hunters' movements. Their decision to head into the Outlands was foolish; the terrain was unscouted and filled with death traps.

The natural gases of the moon released special chemicals that, when in contact with human skin, began freezing the blood from within the body. One wrong step could lead to a slow, painful death.

Jack's plan to create a robot army seemed equally foolish. What technology could possibly build a sizable force in time? His methods were erratic, driven by emotion rather than strategy. Without Angel's facilitation, his leadership of the Vault Hunters would have been null.

Even if we could manufacture such robots, the time and cost would be prohibitive. Flesh was far more powerful when properly invested. Humanity's potential far surpassed its creations. Machines could only be pushed so far, their limitations rooted in their creators. The future called for iron men, not men of iron - Men willing to don the mantle of my will.

I looked over the Meriff's logs. He was a weak, useless man. Jack's anger at him was justified but ultimately worthless. Killing him outright would leave a power vacuum. Concordia needed to be rebranded, and since Jack had rejected my offer, it was now mine.

The restructuring of Concordia had already begun. New jobs were created, and a new currency was introduced. The initial unrest was quickly quelled by my men's patrols. The Lost Legion's attacks slowed, focusing instead on Jack. Whatever this vault was, it was something peculiar, driving an entire platoon of men and women to die for one woman.

Despite the ongoing battles, my men efficiently controlled the local population. Recruitment of local forces began, the call to arms resonating across the planet. Former bandits now brandished the banner of the Legion, their lives transformed.

Currently, I am out of my power armour, its frame undergoing maintenance. The armour, for all its glory, required heavy upkeep. While it had no strain on my physique, it took a toll on its frame. No material could withstand the constant force applied.

Working administrative tasks within the armour was cumbersome and highly inefficient, it was similar to wearing a bomb suit while baking.

Wearing the Iron Legion's combat armour, I sat at my desk. The design was bulky and robust, featuring reinforced shoulder pads and heavy-duty arm guards extending down to my gloves. My legs were protected by reinforced armour and sturdy boots. My face remained masked by an iron humanoid faceplate, its eye slits narrow with reinforced glass.

Lost in my work, I was suddenly interrupted by Moxxi, her hips swaying as she approached. "I see they left without you, sugar. Wanna spend some time in my embrace? I'm sure it'll be worth it~" she teased.

"You wish to renew your contract?" I inquired, not bothering to rise.

"Always the party pooper, but you're right. Your men do help more than I expected," she admitted.

"So the terms and percentage?"

"I'll keep it the same, knowing you'll decrease my cut for asking," she said, smiling.

"Wise choice," I replied, updating her contract. "Your old leave is still active, your lodgment is to be decided by Jeremiah. I'll inform him once we're done here."

Watching her leave her hips swayed from side to side before slowly dropping something, her arse perched right up, "Oops~." 

Ignoring her flirtations and obvious attempts at seducing me I remained back to my work. Claptrap had been sent back to Pandora for proper upgrades, while Hyperion appeared to alter the robot's combat initiatives they didn't appear to upgrade his Hardware.

For all their work they were still most useless, it showed when it took nearly one and half years to alter his artificial matrix to shoot at enemies. Either this showed their incompetence or lack of care to the Iron Legion's force. 

Both fronts greatly disappointed me. Regardless Cosmo's satellite dish served two purposes, one was to have coverage over Elpis and the other was to find Angel. Soon her physical presence would be found. 

It appeared Jack after obtaining the Artificial intelligence secretly snuck back into the Helios station, more specifically his office. 

-

Lilith's voice crackled over the ECHO device, carrying a mixture of urgency and hope. "Jack? Lilith here. Good news is we found an old Dahl robot factory, abandoned for the most part! We'll ECHO the Vault Hunter. Bad news is the scavs living there do NOT like us!"

Jack's response was enthusiastic, his usual bravado evident even through the static. "Hey, that's awesome! Apart from the you-being-shot-at part, of course. Great work!"

"Uh, thanks!" Roland chimed in, his voice more measured. "We'll be in touch once we've dealt with these guys -- it's gonna be harder than it sounds!"

Jack's tone remained optimistic. "Yello? This thing working? Vault Hunter, you gotta get that factory's production line running again."

The Skipper, now known as Felicity, interjected, her voice carrying a new sense of identity and purpose. "I know the facility he's talking about -- I can help you navigate it. First, you'll need to catch a train."

In the Triton Flats, the Vault Hunters arrived at the Lunar Junction. Felicity's voice guided them, calm and composed. "This station hasn't been fully operational in a long time, but I can get it running again. There'll be a console around here somewhere -- get me to it and I'll do the rest."

As they entered the train station, Felicity mused aloud, her thoughts reflecting a newfound sense of freedom. "I've been thinking -- now I'm free of... him, the future's so iridescently bright. A new life betokens a new name. Felicity. It means happiness. From now on -- I'm Felicity."

Athena, ever the pragmatist, nodded slightly. "Um, sure -- Felicity."

The rest of the team acknowledged her new name with varying degrees of indifference, but Felicity didn't mind. She felt a sense of control she hadn't experienced in a long time.

They approached the console, and Felicity instructed them, "Okay, plug me in. I'll call the train -- it might take a few minutes."

The system responded to its automated voice a relic of a bygone era. "Ten-HUT! Train incoming!"

Jack's excitement was palpable as he gave the next set of orders. "Okay, let's check out the factory and get things moving ASAP -- we need mucho robot bodies if we're going to retake Helios and save the day and stuff. Capiche?"

The train arrived, its brakes screeching as it came to a halt. "Here we are. All aboard!" Felicity announced, her tone filled with anticipation.

As the Vault Hunters boarded the train, Jack's initial excitement gave way to a sense of practicality. The train clattered along the tracks, heading towards the Titan Industrial Facility. Jack couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"So, this is where we're gonna build the super-awesome robot army? Honestly? I'm a little, uh, disappointed," Jack admitted, his voice tinged with skepticism.

Felicity, ever the optimist, countered, "Aren't you the naysayer! Evidently, this place became a regular ghost-town when Dahl packed up and left after the Crackening. But we just need to get to the powersuit section and get things up and running again."

Their arrival at the facility was met with immediate resistance. Torks, the local fauna, swarmed the area, their aggressive behaviour making it clear they were not welcome.

"Ugh. Torks," Felicity muttered, her distaste evident. "This place could have a serious tork infestation -- hope they've not destroyed any key systems in there. Still, you know how to handle yourself, which is something."

As they navigated the maze-like corridors of the facility, they encountered a series of jammed doors and malfunctioning systems. Felicity directed them to a console, her voice guiding them through the chaos. "The door's jammed -- maybe some kind of manual override. We need another way in. Find a console and hook me up to it. I bet I can do something about this!"

After some searching, they found the console. "Perfect. Just give me a moment to look around -- there's barely any power running through this."

With a hum of energy, the system came to life. "Ta-DAAAA! More nasties," Felicity announced as more torks swarmed them.

As they continued deeper into the facility, the team encountered a mix of hostile creatures and scavengers. Felicity's guidance proved invaluable, her knowledge of the facility's layout allowing them to bypass many of the more dangerous areas.

"These filthy wire-chewers are everywhere! I hate them! Plus it looks like local scavs have set up shop. Push through here and find me a console to plug into so I can find out what's ahead. And kill me some bugs while you're at it," Felicity instructed.

Following her directions, they battled through the infestation and reached the console. Felicity's excitement at exploring new systems was evident in her voice. "I'd forgotten how fun exploring new systems can be! Right then. Past this building is the Stingray Factory Complex and, beyond that, the Bot Factory. It's a pretty straight shot. I should be able to get us past any locked gates. You can get us past any stupid people."

The Vault Hunters pressed on, their progress marked by fierce skirmishes and the ever-present threat of ambush. As they approached yet another jammed door, Felicity's frustration was clear. "Another jammed door! Well, maybe it'll open if you give it a good pull."

With a combined effort, they forced the door open, only to be met with a fresh wave of attackers. "You might need to kill that!" Felicity suggested.

After dealing with the threat, they continued their journey. Felicity's observations on the state of the facility were a constant reminder of the challenges they faced. "Great, almost zero juice running through this place and the old turrets still work. That'll be me soon, won't it? A weapon. Again."

As they navigated the treacherous landscape, Felicity's thoughts turned to her own future. "Ugh! For something so ugly, they sure do breed a lot."

Reaching the entrance to the Stingray Facility, Felicity's tone was pragmatic. "This is the entrance to the Stingray Facility. Could you get me access to that gate console? I meant that rhetorically. I mean, 'you need to.'"

After some effort, they accessed the console, only to face a new challenge. "Uh, we've got a problem. The security system's being all fighty and feisty, soooo... Oops. Sorry! I'll work on opening the door, you deal with the turrets!"

Wilhelm's assessment was equally blunt. "Get it done. Whoever programmed you is an idiot."

Timothy remained focused. "Great! And thanks for this."

Aurelia's tone was dismissive. "More than happy to."

Felicity worked quickly, her voice steady despite the pressure. "I've hacked the turrets so they only fire at torks! Should help a bit. I'll get this stubborn thing open... hopefully."

Jack's voice cut through the tension. "Hey, kiddos! How's it going down there? Having fun? Keeping things on track with the whole robot army plan?"

Timothy's humour lightened the mood. "Yep, we're carving a path using the tried and tested system called violence."

Aurelia's satisfaction was evident. "I care not a jot about your robot army, but I've gotten to kill oodles of things! That's been fun."

Jack's approval was clear. "Peachy! I'll see you soon."

As they cleared the area of torks, Felicity's frustration with the jammed door grew. "News flash, this door's being a huge pain in my digital arse. There's a jump pad nearby I can activate, let's use that to get in."

Felicity's strategic thinking paid off, and they used the jump pad to bypass the obstacle. Athena's determination was evident as she prepared to leap. "Here goes nothing!"

Wilhelm's grunt of approval was followed by his own jump. "Geronimo!"

Nisha's excitement was palpable. "Ha-hoooo!"

Timothy's reluctance was clear. "Aaand nauseous again..."

Aurelia's confidence was unwavering. "Airborne AND fabulous!"

Felicity's directions led them through the facility, avoiding electric fields and other hazards. "Charming! Looks like scavs have put up crude electric fields, presumably to keep out torks. Follow that cable, let's see if we can shut it down."

Navigating the crawl spaces and following the cables, they reached the master fuse box. Felicity's instructions were clear. "There's the master fuse box. Shutting it down should get us past this last electric field. Though, I suppose it'll probably shut down all the other fields as well -- so eyes peeled for torks."

With the electric fields disabled, the team faced a new wave of torks. Shizz and Grizz, local scav leaders, voiced their surprise. "Torks! How did they get in?!"

"Ugh, they're bloody everywhere!"

As they approached the gate, Felicity's disdain for the scavs was clear. "I might once have helped run a scav gang, but that didn't stop me finding these repulsive scraps of humanity disgusting. Each one you kill's making the universe a cleaner place."

Their progress was interrupted by the sudden activation of a laser. Jack's frustration was evident. "Man, that thing's driving me nuts! We get it -- you've captured our huge scary laser! Gold star!"

Finally, they reached the main hall of the Stingray Factory. A voice called out for help. "Hello! Uh, help?! I'm being held hostage in the main control room, just ahead of your current position! Any chance you could, you know, rescue me? The bloody scavs'll eat me when they realize I'm not what I say I am!"

The Vault Hunters cleared the area of scavs, and the voice thanked them. "Aw, thanks so much! Feels like I've been trapped here forever. Come on over, I'll open up the door for you."

Approaching the door, the team found Gladstone, a Hyperion scientist. "Am I glad to see you! Here I was, doing some help-yourself exploring, working on a pet project I've been cooking up, when the scavs swept in, about to cut me up bad, when I persuaded them I'm a medic."

Aurelia's tone was cold and calculating. "Is this true, Jack? Or shall I shoot him?"

Gladstone's introduction was quick. "Ah, sorry, bruv. Gladstone Katoa, D Division. What brings you here?"

Jack's interest was piqued. "Oh, D Division? That's where they hide all the brainiacs who work on all the super-secret awesome stuff, right?"

Gladstone confirmed, his enthusiasm evident. "Uh, I work on experimental tech -- the Division greenlit me using the resources here. Why are YOU here?"

Jack's explanation was matter-of-fact. "Well, Gladstone Katoa, I need to get back to Helios and retake the big-ass laser on it from a buncha freaky-looking Dahl military types -- and if we don't, the moon's going to go boom and take half of Pandora with it. You know. The usual."

Gladstone's confusion was evident. "Oh, man! I wondered what was going on! So, why are you here? Shouldn't you be somewhere more... space station-y?"

Felicity's introduction was succinct. "Jack wants to build a robot army driven by my AI, then retake Helios with it. I'm Felicity, by the way."

Gladstone's realization was immediate. "Oh... Gotcha. You're after my prototype. Well, it's not finished!"

Jack's curiosity was piqued. "What? No, we're here to build robots. What prototype are you talking about?"

Gladstone explained his off-the-books project, a sense of pride in his voice. "Oh, right. I was working on an... off-the-books project, creating a master bot capable of digistructing an almost unlimited supply of other bots! My prototype's almost done, but the scavs stopped me from installing some key parts. Besides, I wouldn't want something that powerful to fall into their grimy hands."

Jack's excitement was palpable. "This guy! This guy right here! Tell me more!"

Gladstone outlined the plan, his enthusiasm contagious. "Yeah, bruv! We'll just need to finish putting the hardware together. After that, install a military-grade AI and POW! It should pump out combat-ready loaders!"

Jack's confidence was evident. "Way ahead of you, man! What do you think ol' Felicity's here for?"

Felicity's reluctance was clear. "What? You want me inside some kind of 'constructor' bot? That's not what I had in mind."

Jack's approval of the name was swift. "Ooh, 'Constructor'! I like it! Nice! So, uh, tech dude -- this prototype can digistruct combat loaders, right? Cause, to be honest, those powersuits seem kind of... lame."

Gladstone confirmed, his excitement palpable. "Yeah, totally! But first you'll need to finish putting together the prototype. You'll need to get access to the main Bot Factory itself through the Transportation Gate. I'll monitor the systems from here."

Jack's enthusiasm was infectious. "Alright! Go Team Robot Army!"

Felicity's concern was evident. "Do I not get a say in this?"

Jack's response was dismissive. "Sure, yeah, whatever makes you happy, just -- make my loaders deadly."

Jack's warning was clear. "By the way, last guy who double-crossed me's got nothing but a bunch of bullet holes and a stupid look on his face. Get me?"

Gladstone's loyalty was evident. "Why would I cross you, bruv? You're trying to save the moon, and you seem like a stand-up guy! Plus, you're about to help me complete my life's work!"

As they moved through the facility, Gladstone's gratitude was clear. "Hyperion just didn't have the resources on Helios for my project, and there was all this old Dahl tech just lying around. They gave me an escort team, but the scavs chewed them up pretty quick. I wonder if that's what happened to 'em. Anyway, then I was on my own. I knew they'd send a rescue party though -- never stopped hoping."

Jack's response was candid. "Uh, yeah, Hyperion didn't send us. I did."

Gladstone's admiration for Hyperion was evident. "But you're Hyperion! Oh, bruv, they're the coolest company! Best three years of my life -- would never want to work for anyone else! You picked a winner here, Felicity!"

Felicity's optimism was clear. "I don't want to count torks before they're hatched, but -- you know what, I think you're right."

Reaching the Robotics Factory, Gladstone's excitement was palpable. "Robotics Factory up ahead! That's where I was working on my prototype before the scavs showed up and claimed the place."

Approaching the gate to the Production Plant, Gladstone's surprise was evident. "Ha! Look at them go! Maybe you scared them off with your, uh, extremely scary Vault Hunter-ness!"

The team's progress was interrupted by the arrival of Dahl powersuits. "Uhhh, apparently not. Uh, they've got a Dahl powersuit. Sorry, bruv."

After a fierce battle, Jack's confidence was unwavering. "Our combat loaders are gonna be WAY more kickass. Speaking of which, how's that goin'?"

Entering the Robot Production Plant, Jack's skepticism was clear. "Finally here! So, this is the birth canal of my new robot army, huh?"

Gladstone's reassurance was immediate. "Yeah, this is where I was doing most of my work before the scavs came and forced me to be their medic. We'll need to clear the area of them before getting to work."

After clearing out the scavs, Jack's doubts resurfaced. "Yeah, I don't know about this place. Kinda looks like a junkyard. Are you sure we can build something badass up in here?"

Gladstone's confidence was unshaken. "Course, bruv! The scavs make it look WAY worse than it is. First thing we need to do is restore the main power. Head over to the breaker room and see what's what."

Reaching the door, Gladstone's ingenuity was clear. "Locked up. Hm. Let's see if we can get you in through the window. Let me see if I can get the cover down."

The scavs' response was immediate. "Hey Vault Hunter! Piss off!"

Gladstone's frustration was evident. "Those guys are rude! Looks like scavs have barricaded themselves inside. That security glass is vulnerable to cold, reckon you could freeze 'n' smash!"

After dealing with the scavs, Gladstone's instructions were clear. "Okay, the main breaker should be in this room, just flip it on."

With the power restored, Gladstone's excitement was palpable. "That, good people, is the sound of progress! One step closer to saving the world!"

Gladstone outlined the next steps, his enthusiasm undimmed. "OK, let's get down to serious business now. The first thing we need to do is complete the eye part. That's the really clever bit. I already have the process set up, but we'll need the material from a few of the security bots. I was never able to get them myself."

Jack's assessment was blunt. "Lemme guess -- all brains, no balls."

Gladstone's laugh was genuine. "Heh, yeah, something like that. The little buggers pack quite a punch! Head back to the security office that looks over the main room, and call them in. Of course, that might attract more scavs too, so be prepared."

After calling in the security bots and collecting the eyes, Gladstone's excitement was evident. "Next up, head to the Oculus Lab. I'll walk you through the process. It should already be set up."

Reaching the Oculus Lab, Jack's skepticism was clear. "An 'eye converter'? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of! Why in the hell would they make an eye converter?"

Gladstone's pride in his work was evident. "THEY didn't make it, I did! I was here for a long time preparing this lab for my prototype. This is highly sensitive, experimental technology!"

Jack's dismissive attitude was clear. "Really? Because it looks like a toaster."

As the process began, Gladstone's excitement was palpable. "There it goes! All my hard work, finally paying off! We're seeing history in the making."

With the eye complete, the team's reactions were varied. Athena's assessment was practical. "Brand new weapon for a brand new war."

Wilhelm's excitement was palpable. "This is so friggin' hot."

Nisha's approval was clear. "That looks incredibly dangerous. I like it."

Returning to the main room, Gladstone's instructions were clear. "Now head back to the main room -- we need to plug that baby into the main torso."

Reaching the torso cage, Gladstone's excitement was palpable. "Flip that latch and the cage should open."

The team's reactions were varied. Athena's curiosity was evident. "Is this what we're building?"

Wilhelm's excitement was clear. "We building that thing?"

Nisha's approval was palpable. "That's what we're building?"

Timothy's awe was evident. "THIS is what we're building?"

Aurelia's excitement was undeniable. "Is THIS the robot in question?"

Gladstone's pride in his work was evident. "Ugh, I was so close to finishing this when the scavs arrived. It'll pump out a lot of robots, enough to make the difference against Dahl, or whatever they are."

Jack's skepticism was clear. "Ohhhh, it's, uh... looks kinda like a... dumpster wrapped in sadness. No offense."

Installing the oculus, Gladstone's excitement was palpable. "This Constructor will be able to digistruct highly complex machines at an unsurpassed rate! Now that's done, we need to mount the torso onto the crane system."

Using the console, Jack's excitement was undeniable. "Yeah, this is gonna get awesome. It got awesome."

Felicity's assessment was clear. "It's a brute, isn't it?"

Gladstone's pride in his work was evident. "Construction's complete. Finally! The shell just needs to go through testing in the diagnostics chamber. We'll be able to install the AI core -- Felicity -- there!"

Felicity's concern was evident. "You know, Jack, I really didn't enjoy killing those scavs. Maybe this is all a mistake."

Jack's dismissive attitude was clear. "I don't like killing either, babe."

The Constructor shell glided smoothly along the rails towards the testing chamber. As the Vault Hunters followed it, Felicity's unease grew palpable. "Wait, WAIT! I don't want to have my memory wiped, I don't WANT to turn into -- look, can't you just put a COPY of me into the Constructor?"

Jack's pragmatism was relentless. "Exactly how long will it take to copy you?"

Felicity's desperation was clear. "Couple of days, at the absolute most!"

Jack's decision was final. "Uh-uh. Too long. Zarpedon will have popped the moon like a zit by then. Look, I'm real sorry, kiddo -- this is the only way."

Jack turned to the Vault Hunters, his voice resolute. "Vault Hunter -- do it!"

Athena, ever the soldier, responded with a hint of regret. "Sorry, Felicity. The moon can't wait."

Wilhelm, his voice cold, stated simply, "Installing."

Nisha's tone was dismissive. "Sucks to be you. See ya."

Aurelia, her voice detached, added, "I... don't feel particularly enthused about this."

-

{Status}

Name: Alexander 

Race: Vintorium Supremus

Age: 13:0:0 

Health: 100% (Burning through Aether to maintain humanoid form like 1 point per second)

Aura: 1000/1000 (Regen 1 per second)

Current abilities: Energy projection, Clairvoyance, Physical empowerment, Mind Control

Equipped: Iron Legionare Armour, Silver face-plate mask 

Unequipped: MARK IV T11

Inventory:

"The Executioner" Altered Handcanon - By The Iron Legion

"The Judge" Altered Semi-automatic Rifle - By The Iron Legion

"Unknown" Halberd - by Unknown. 

{Followers}

Generals:

Xion E. Demillion (<15'000)< p>

Isaac Sato (<10'000)< p>

Jeremiah Iga (<25'000)< p>

Ironhold Civilians: +100,000

New Haven Civilians: +50,000

Legion Soldiers: +50'000

Skags: 20

Rakks: 20

Badass: Rosey (Skag)