98 M1 - Term: 2 to 3, Break (1/2)
Attendance at Fortescue Military Academy M1 Y:2142
House Thoth, Squad Leader, Squad Zero
M1 Rank: 1/1275, Tier 3 M-Rank: Null
Term: 2 to 3, Break
Daedalus Operating Capital: <1,660,000> bitcreds
The jets of the VTOL were loud.
Barran covered his ears and yelled, ”Is this the place?”
Daedo pointed to his helmet and then at Barran's head.
Daedo: put your helmet back on. It has noise cancelling.
Picard: It's damn hot. Forty-two degrees C. I'm glad the Daedalus bodysuit is Axel's top model.
Daedo: when we land you and Barran will be in the Mechs. They have climate control. You won't notice a thing.
Barran: Yeah that's much better. I forgot how loud these things were.
The VTOL landed and as the jets powered down the ambient noise reduced. Daedo and Mace got into exos, while Picard and Barran were jumping into their assigned the two mechs. The exos were not the same as the arena version, they hadbeen fitted with full life-support capability similar to the mechs.
Daedo: Barran; zone one is marked on your HUD reactor to go down first. I'll come and start it up.
The zones and assignments were pre-planned it was simple enough to use the same systems they used for combat in what was ostensibly a mobile refinery and manufacturing plan. The machines were small compared to industrial scale, but they could use these machines to build more. All they needed were raw materials, most of which surrounded them.
Mace was herding the robots from the VTOL as Jeram looked on. He was not part of the plan merely the taxi driver.
Jeram: when you guys told me that playing interstellar colony builder is what you did for fun; I thought you were crazy. But, I admit it now, this is pretty awesome. And damn its hot. It just hit forty-three!
Daedo wasn't sure if Jeram bought the story, but there wasn't much they could do, and they would simply not tell him anything else. If he was able to work something out, so be it. Even then it was three steps from the truth Daedo wanted to hide. The land and rights were all in Daedalus hands now. The Mauritania government was accommodating to say the least. Daedalus was an EU company and Mauritania, like all African countries, was an EU treaty state.
The setup was to the northwest of the Richat Structure, otherwise known as the Eye of the Sahara. Buried deep below the earth was the arkernite Daedo was after. The prospecting drones had found a sample next to a kernite deposit, but only at this location. There was no sign of it anywhere else.
Barran: the eye is cool. Can I walk on it later?
Daedo: no, it's iconic and unique in the world. We promised not to harm it in any way, and it's not part of our land. We are on the boundary of our property here.
Daedo was going to mine the arkernite beneath it and had the rights to do so. It could easily be done without eroding or collapsing the anomaly.
The two fifteen-tonne mechs easily lifted and walked a two-tonne reactor into position. Then the foundry, and after that the modified recycler which would be used initially to refine before they could build a proper refinery in situ. The machinery was still heavily wrapped to stop sand getting into unwelcome places.
Barran dragged out the mobile constructofoam plant. They had enough material to build a shed big enough to accommodate the base for the first month. Ikaros had prepared four heavy bots to assist, ensuring he added all the heat and sand protection measures he knew about from his years spent in the Fortescue facility.
Daedo was fortunate to be able to draw on his Father's experience. Ikaros had repaired machines and bots for Fortescue customers for years. Machines which operated in harsh conditions, such as the Sahara, were uncommon, but would show up regularly in the main Fortescue repair facility
At this stage, the work was not highly skilled. It had been planned and programmed to the nth degree. Picard and Barran had the entire design appear virtually on their HUDs and Mace monitored to ensure everything went to plan. Daedo was nervous without his Father here to oversee everything, but it was a necessary part of the deception. This supposedly was a cadet exercise.
After an hour of setting up the base was almost complete.
Picard: Um. Daedo. We have visitors.
Daedo looked to the west, Picard had pinged and shared her HUD. An ancient vehicle approached, and it was open air with four occupants. Interestingly, other than the driver they all had guns. The one at the back was operating a vehicle mounted gun.
As they pulled up, one of the occupants fired a warning shot. He had much darker skin than Daedo, which was normal for the locals, he wore a scarf around his face but was surprisingly uncovered on the shoulders.
Barran: they're firing on us. Should I take care of them?
Picard: he fired into the air, and I am certain they could shoot you all day and run out of ammo before you noticed.
Barran: look at their autotruck, its… Is it powered with fossil fuel?
Daedo wished Vannier was here, the locals didn't look happy. Confident in his exo he made his way over to the visitors. The entire squad was unarmed, ranged-weapon-wise, except for the VTOL which had two sentry guns. Those guns would be massive overkill if something went wrong. Daedo knew that his squad would have to separate the men from their weapons by armoured hand if it came to that.
Not wanting to remove his helmet Daedo spoke to them using the external comm system.
”Hi, can I help you?” Daedo asked politely.
They spoke in an incomprehensible language.
”Do you speak universal?” Daedo asked.
Their body language indicated they did not. And they were not happy; pointing at the construction work and the VTOL in an animated fashion with their assault rifles.
Picard: try French.
Daedo spoke French which he had learned as part of cyberschool, ”Do you speak French?” He asked.
It seemed they understood French as they looked at one another and one spoke, ”You should not be here.”
Mace: show them the government documents.
Picard: you really think that will help?
Mace: its worth a try.
Barran: Pfft. point the big guns at them and tell them to fark off.
Daedo ignored Barran although his method was more likely to succeed. But they were going to be neighbours, and he didn't want to have to set up security which would have to deal with antagonised locals. The security itself was not an issue, it was what came after.
”We have permission. And we own this land,” Daedo said simply. He brought up the local government documents showing title, registration and mining rights.
The documents did not make the locals angry, but the words certainly did. ”You do not own this land it belongs to our people. The Wadan.”
”Unfortunately for you, the sovereign government of this area disagrees with your claim. Your argument is not with me but with them,” Daedo said.
”No. You are here. You must leave. You do not have our permission to build here,” the local said angrily.
Daedo looked around. Other than the Eye of the Sahara, there was nothing to be seen except sand.
”You aren't using it,” he stated simply.
”It is sacred land,” the local replied. ”Not for you. You are not welcome.”
”Why is it sacred?” Daedo asked.
”I cannot teach you!” The local said angrily. ”You would not understand.”
”We plan to be here for a long time because we have the right. We can talk and work something out so you will be happy. But in the end, if you are not happy, we will not leave. We are not weak, and we will not be pushed around,” Daedo said emphatically.
One aimed his assault rifle at Daedo, while another presumably translated for the driver and another passenger. The driver pushed the assault rifle barrel down towards the ground and said something in their native tongue.
The translator yelled, in French, as the vehicle turned around and took off, ”Come to village and talk if you not afraid.”
Daedo: Mace can you track them?
Mace: already done.
Jeram: that was hairy. How do you manage to come to the most remote and inhospitable place on earth and still be treading on other people's toes?
Barran: it's a talent. Angry people find us wherever we go.
Picard: no one was angry at us in Nanterre or Munich.
Barran: just seems that way to me.
Daedo: or Zurich.
Barran: ok!
Picard: or Loire Valley.
Barran: that's enough. Ok just here and the Academy. Happy now?!
Daedo: we need to finish up and then head around to their village.
Picard: I know why they have an ancient vehicle. There are no mag roads within a hundred kays of here.
Barran: yeah. Hovercars wouldn't work.