The Nursery I

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As we rounded a bend in the canyon, we encountered something unexpected: a vast facility nestled in a deep valley. The view was breathtaking. The barren, rocky terrain we had been traveling through suddenly gave way to a dense forest that surrounded the entire installation like a natural fortress. The contrast between the harsh environment and the lush vegetation was so striking that some of my men stopped in their tracks, unable to hide their amazement.

"What is this place?" one of the recruits asked, eyes wide, struggling to understand how such an oasis could exist in the midst of such inhospitable terrain.

The question echoed in my own mind. After months of campaigning through dusty, mountainous terrain, we had all come to accept that our journeys would be marked by scarcity and hardship. But here, before our eyes, was something entirely different. We were astonished by the fertility of the valley, home to the Twin Mothers tribe, but this place was the dream of any farmer.

"Centurion, this isn't natural," Drusus said, walking slowly, scanning every direction.

"It isn't, Drusus... That woman who called herself Diana had access to advanced technology, tools for terraforming the land. This must be one of the devices she had in her possession… So there must be plenty of robots around because these installations don't look like they've deteriorated over time. The construction seems old," I replied, taking the lead and moving toward the facility.

Cato eyed everything with suspicion, scanning every corner of the valley, his careful steps echoing through the canyon due to his power armor. He wasn't the only one. My men kept their weapons ready, watching the surroundings more carefully than in any of the barren lands we had crossed. There was something about this place that unsettled everyone, our senses sharpened by battle.

"Centurion, if what you say is true... if Diana had access to that kind of technology, what else could be here? This doesn't seem like just a place for farming," Cato said in a low voice, aiming his anti-material rifle at anything that moved in the thick vegetation.

"As I said, robots—Protectrons or Mr. Handy units, most likely. Those are typically used to maintain facilities due to their ability to swap tools for various tasks, so they shouldn't be too dangerous as long as we keep our flanks secure," I said to my legionaries, who were listening closely.

"What's a Mr. Handy?" Drusus asked, confused.

"A support robot. It has a circular saw that could take off your arm, but it doesn't have much armor, so conventional weapons can take it down relatively easily. So no one better try to get glory with their machete, understood?" I responded to Drusus's question, then looked at my recruits. Though they had rifles, it was likely some of them would seek personal glory in close combat.

There were many herbivores in the area, but I also noticed some wild wolves roaming free. They became perfect targets for my recruits, who shot them down, killing every member of the small pack and simultaneously scaring off all the other animals nearby.

We continued walking through the valley and came across a spillway holding a massive amount of crystal-clear water.

'That's how they avoid droughts. That small stream flows into the main river for the tribals, providing enough water for their crops.'

Noticing no control stations, I assumed everything was controlled remotely.

As we entered the dense forest, I saw clear signs that the area was pruned regularly. All paths led to the main building, and there wasn't a single blade of grass or tree branch obstructing movement.

Following the path, we discovered large greenhouses hidden among the trees, surrounding the main structure. Entering one of the greenhouses, I found exactly what I had expected: a pair of Mr. Handy robots tending to the plants.

The robots, although they detected us, didn't show any signs of recognizing us as enemies, remaining calm in our presence.

"Cato, shoot them. One command is all it takes for them to turn into our butchers," I said, signaling the legionary in power armor to target the pair of robots.

The shot was sharp and precise. The first Mr. Handy hit the ground, its chassis punctured, tools sparking as it tried to maintain its balance in vain. The second robot attempted to turn toward us, its mechanical arms moving automatically, but Cato's second shot was just as lethal. Both robots were down in seconds.

Silence returned to the greenhouse. My recruits eyed the two fallen machines with a mix of relief and caution.

"Well done," I said, stepping closer to the robots' remains. They still sparked faintly, but they no longer posed a threat.

I observed their tools and the immaculate state of the plants they had been tending. The crops were growing with a perfection we hadn't seen since before the war, something we had already begun associating with Diana's advanced technology.

"This place is full of these machines," I said, noticing several more robots in the other greenhouses.

My legionaries moved through the greenhouses, destroying every robot they detected to guarantee our safety in case Diana tried to defend her last stronghold.

We resumed our march and soon came across a fork in the path. The river guided us to a large lake, fed by a waterfall. It was probably the most beautiful sight one could find in the entire region, surrounded by lush vegetation and clear waters. The other path led us to the main building, where a large antenna could be seen.

A metal fence barred the way, which we quickly broke through to enter. Inside, we found a hedge maze, meticulously maintained. We didn't waste time navigating the maze since there was a direct path to the main structure.

As we advanced cautiously, focusing on any sounds, Cato tapped my shoulder and pointed at something.

"Centurion... Look," Cato whispered, pointing ahead.

I turned, and what I saw made my eyes light up with joy.

"A VERTIBIRD!" I shouted in excitement.

But my reaction startled my men, who took defensive positions—some quicker than others.

I looked around, and seeing nothing dangerous, I ran toward the aerial vehicle.

When I reached it, my excitement quickly evaporated. The Vertibird was completely dismantled. There were no weapons, the electronic systems had been removed, and the engines were nowhere to be found. All that remained was the chassis, a hollow shell of what had once been a formidable machine.

"Damn it…" I muttered in frustration, giving the vehicle's chassis a light kick.

"At least I could try to put it back together if I find the parts... But if they disassembled it, it means they needed the components for something else, and they've likely been repurposed."

I put aside the thought of the Vertibird, which would have been the most valuable asset one could find for a military campaign, and we continued toward the main structure.

In front of me, I had two options: a secondary building or the main facility. Without any intelligence on the area, the most prudent course of action was to keep my entire century together in case any problems arose.

"Drusus, you and ten men guard the entrance. I don't want any surprises while we're inside. Shoot anything that moves, understood?" I ordered Drusus, who nodded and, along with a group of legionaries, began taking defensive positions at the entrance.

The rest of us continued toward the main building, which was locked. The door was wooden, and a strong punch to the lock was enough to make it give way under the power of my power armor.

The lights inside were still on, and we began to move through the building in an orderly fashion, checking each room for robots. They were quickly destroyed before they could do anything against us.

After a few minutes, we came across a door labeled "Repository." It was much more resistant than what my power armor could easily handle, and there was no terminal in sight to access the facility's controls.

Suddenly, a sound drew everyone's attention inside the building, emitted from speakers.

"Decanus Gaius… Your arrival, though predictable, was much earlier than I anticipated. It seems your memory is impeccable, but I won't let the last relic left behind to rebuild our planet fall into the hands of brutes like the Legion." The voice was unmistakable—Diana's.

Before I could respond, the armored door began to open, revealing something that made my stomach turn.

Even before it fully opened, I recognized the sentry bot,armed with a laser minigun, a grenade launcher, and a pair of shoulder-mounted missile launchers.

The metallic sound of the sentry powering up filled the room, its servos whirring as its weapons readied to unleash their deadly payload.

"Take cover!" I yelled, diving behind a nearby pillar while the legionaries scrambled into nearby rooms. The sentry's laser minigun roared to life, energy bolts crackling through the air, leaving trails of heat as they slammed into the walls, bouncing off the metal structure.

Cato, always quick on his feet, was the first to react. He aimed his anti-materiel rifle at the sentry, waiting for it to stop focusing on him.

"Hit the joints, Cato! The armor is thinner there!" I shouted at him.

The shot rang out like thunder in the room. The piercing round struck the sentry's front joint, sparking and tearing off metal fragments. The machine didn't stop entirely, but it staggered, its movement now clumsy and erratic.

"It works! Keep shooting the joints!" I yelled to the others.

The legionaries, some still hidden behind shattered columns and walls, opened fire with their rifles, targeting the most exposed parts of the sentry. The bullets pinged off its armored shell, not causing much damage but forcing the machine to shift its fire.

The sentry raised its grenade launcher arm, aiming at a doorway where four of my men had taken shelter.

"Get out of there!" I warned, but it was too late.

A grenade launched, exploding right at the entrance and enveloping the doorway in flames and debris. The explosion echoed throughout the structure, sending chunks of stone and a few limbs flying out of the room.

"Damn it!" I roared.

We couldn't keep this up for long,the sentry was wreaking havoc, and our firepower wasn't enough to stop it effectively. It started using all its weapons simultaneously, raining rockets and grenades all around.

The sentry unleashed its full arsenal, and chaos erupted in the room. Rockets and grenades flew in every direction, shaking the walls and sending debris into the air. The legionaries dove for cover as I huddled behind a column that trembled under the force of the blasts. The roar of the laser minigun filled the air, its scorching heat slicing through the space between us.

"We can't hold out much longer!" one of the legionaries in power armor shouted, his voice barely audible over the mayhem.

Several men were already wounded or dead, some from shrapnel, others from the collapsing walls and ceiling. The sentry seemed unstoppable. Despite the damage we'd inflicted, it continued its relentless assault, its massive metal frame showing few signs of weakness. Energy bolts ricocheted off the walls, and rockets pummeled the ground, sending waves of destruction with every step.

Cato, crouched behind a concrete slab, struggled to maintain his aim under the constant barrage of fire.

"We need to disable its heavy weapons!" I shouted, pointing toward the missile launchers and grenade launcher.

Cato nodded, still panting from the intensity of the battle.

"Got it!" he replied, springing up and aiming his anti-materiel rifle straight at the sentry's grenade launcher.

The shot rang out like thunder. The round struck the grenade launcher dead-on, destabilizing the sentry's arm and causing it to swing wildly. The weapon exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere but leaving the bot with one less weapon. However, the missile launchers remained a threat.

At that moment, the main doors burst open, and Drusus' men arrived, firing their rocket launchers at the robot.

The barrage destroyed nearly everything around it, and soon after, an internal chain reaction of explosions began inside the bot as it overheated. Finally, the sentry exploded, taking a large portion of the building with it.

My hands were still shaking from the massive shockwave that hit us. I surveyed the aftermath: much of the building was in ruins, and many of my legionaries were either crushed or obliterated by the sentry's arsenal. Even three of my men in power armor were injured.

"When we get back... remind me to buy more anti-materiel rifles. We can't just have one. Start counting our losses," I muttered, panting as I made my way toward the now-open armored room.

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