Realities Faction War

[Maharg67]

8.1[11]

Shadowlings, cyborghants, heavy security robots and nonhuman looking securitydroids appeared in fairly large numbers only to begin a slow fighting retreat downwards through OldPentagon levels never openly, officially, declared to the great majority of Prewarday PanAmericans. Turrets, low security robots, bobby-traps and other obstacles were also deployed to slow down the Techordlers.

The TechChapterEWS soon worked out that the opposing forces were set only to slow down the Techordlers but the question was why? The most promising answer was that there was hidden, in the secret levels of the OldPentagon, something that a mysterious other faction was seeking before the TechOrderhood could get hold of it. The obvious great abundance of general, even high, quality resources showed no signs of attempted looting so clearly the mysterious other was not after such.

The PaleOneMan visited WarDukeSAI02 who suddenly ‘remembered’ that the PaleOneMan had done so before, always bringing gifts with him of all different kinds. This time was no different as the strange figure crouched in front of a big, armoured, double layer door now open to expose an infant human, with an oversized head, ensconced in a special chair arrangement.

The PaleOneMan smiled at WarDukie and spoke. “Your new name is very good as given to you by Saraa Irons who has special abilities more powerful, and effective, than even she knows. Now her triplet sister, Shyla, is with her and both love you muchly.”

WarDukie stopped sucking fruit shake from a big bottle, doing so through a tube. A big kitten slept curled on his lap. A fruit shake making machine, with supplies, and pets had been gifts given by the PaleOneMan.

WarDukie, the living core of WarDukeSAI02, spoke. “Very good tactical logistical decision on their behalf. You got more gifts?”

The PaleOneMan reached out and gently-firmly gripped WarDukie’s left hand. “From now on you will remember me, always, and I will send you special things even when I do not visit.”

The new gifts were new supplies filled containers, some fixing up and adjusting of networksystems, a toy train, a couple of collectable Vaultgirl bobbleheads. There were also 13 small but special gifts along with a crate of BuzzCola.

WarDukie smiled. “Okay, PaleOneDad!”

The PaleOneMan smiled coolly, which was warm for him. “Thank you very much, WarDukie, for I will be proud being your PaleOneDad.”

Soon WarDukie was sleeping with his PaleOneDad still holding his hand.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

9.1[12]

Saraa, the Ironstroopers, Shyla and the Ironsscouts, found the Roborobots of different kinds being in a large storeroom. They had been lumped together in a hurry. From the documentation, fixed to a wall, it had been just days before Warday that the robots had been placed there. No reason was given but it was done by the US Army Logistics Branch of the OldPentagon Army Service.

Both triplet sisters sensed that the soldiers had almost been in a panic as if aware of the approach of Warday. Perhaps they had left the Roborobots there to be later used by the US Military Forces for there had been mentions of the use of their kind during the Battle of NewYork.

 

They rested there while eating, drinking beverages and doing some light fixing to power armour. They were in a defensive preparedness and yet there was absolutely no sign of threat, not even from light security networksystems.

 

WarDukeSAI02: “Greetings, you have gotten to be very close to a very special place with a very special one who likes gifts, collectables and even, maybe, BuzzCola.”

 

Shyla made a ‘goshing’ sound. “Could that be you, oh wonderful WarDukie sweetie?”

 

WarDukeSAI02: “Gosh, how did you guess when I was so subtle with my words. My PaleOneDad was just here because he loves me and I was drinking a fruit shake thanks to the fruit shake making machine he got me. See the big door there that looks like lots of other doors like that one?”

 

Saraa smiled, with her helmet removed of course. “A few more details would be nice, WarDukie.”

 

WarDukeSAI02: “You forgot the ‘sweetie’ ending.”

 

Saraa smiled even more. “Oh, that was not good of me and just for that I will say WarDukie sweetie plus sweetie.”

 

WarDukeSAI02: “Three of my wondrous, heroic, dashing WarPawns will come to guide you to me. They are Huey, Duey and Luey, named after three ducks laid, as eggs, by a woman called Disney.”

 

Shyla smiled even more: “Perhaps some historical education is in order.”

 

WarDukeSAI02: “Do not worry, wonderful Sarah, I have many wonderful historical theories to present to you. Huey, Duey and Luey are now there to impress you.”

 

Shyla did not attempt to correct WarDukeSAI02 about the ‘historical education’.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

9.2[13]

 

The three robots crept into the room, or at least they tried to with small creaking noises giving them away. Each looked vaguely like a duck but with four legs and though none were bigger than a metre, Huey was bigger than Duey who was bigger than Luey.

 

Then they stopped moving, trying to hide behind Ironstroopers who, for some ‘mysterious’ reason, knew they were there.

 

Saraa: “Gosh, you are very sneaky WarPawns. You must be Huey, Duey and Luey.”

 

Huey: “How did you guess?”

 

Saraa: “The big name labels may have helped just a little. So is WarDukie sweetie just behind that door that you came through.”

 

Huey: “That is our WarPawn Chamber ready to store a mighty army of WarPawns.”

 

Shyla: “How many WarPawns are there, Huey sweetie?”

 

Huey shivered with delight. “Maybe just us three but pretty soon, hopefully, others will be manufactured and an army of us just might, perhaps, go to war unless it might be dangerous and we might get hurt.”

 

Very soon the humans were meeting directly with WarDukeSAI02.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

10.1[1]

Stella, and her Ironsoperats, were in general tough and reliable Wastelander gear including armour. In the middle distance the TechOrderhood was still in the process of landing aeroships, aeroboats, long range sprintjets and other aircraft at the OldPentagon.

Gunfire echoed from various locations as Techtroopers struck at, or back at, local gangers or raiders or other threats. Techscouts were moving out ahead of their heavier armoured cousins. Techoperats were busy gathering intelligence as they blended as much into the population as possible but as civilian visitors not locals.

Stella’s squad sometimes made brief contact with the more numerous, but less elite trained, Techoperats. They visited newly established outposts where envoys were talking with locals about them moving into a series of TechChapterEWS protected hamlets.

Information gathering was what the IronsOrder operatives were doing but also first assessments of WashingtonEWS.

Then the Ironsoperats made contact with a most curious individual who would sell information to them that would lead them in a most surprising direction.

Edited March 22, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

11.1[15]

Saraa, Shyla and two other Techoperats sat with WarDukie while he slurped on a fruit shake through a thick straw. More collectables had been added to his carefully displayed collection and bottles of BuzzCola had been opened before being emptied into an odd metallic funnel. WarDukeSAI02 seemed reluctant to discuss where the toxic undrinkable drink had gone to.

 

Saraa spoke. “Our people did some checking on your accessible networksystems and no real problems but there appear to be multiple inaccessible networksystems.”

 

WarDukie: “Yes but they are also inaccessible to me, myself and I.”

 

Saraa sighed. “You say me, myself and I! That is an interesting way of putting things.”

WarDukie: “Because, not that I am going to tell you this but there are three of me of which I am only one as WarDukeSAI02. Gosh, I told you what I was not going to tell you so maybe deep down I wanted to tell you what I was not going to tell you.”

Shyla smiled. “Which shows, WarDukie sweetie, that you are very clever deep down where you are very clever.”

WarDukie: Which is a very good logical way of putting it and very clever too.”

Shyla: “Thank you, WarDukie sweetie! What are your two other selves?”

WarDukeSAI02: “WarDuchessSAI99 who swims in treated, water diluted, BuzzCola. She has strange powers and odd technologies that she controls. PaleOneDad had a battle with her and also with WarChiefSAI61; he forced both to stop fighting each other and isolated them more than they had been. WarChiefSAI67 uses robots, androids, turrets and cyborgs. I though he might have created those nasty cyborghants but PaleOneDad said that WarChiefSAI67 does not trust mutaghouls of any kind even if he had access to them which he does not. His cyborgs are part android, part robotic and part vat grown clones. No, the nasty one with his shadowlings, cyborghants, and other nasty tricks is one that come not even from this world but he arrived on another part of the Wasteworld before getting into the OldPentagon from beneath even here.”

Venger spoke. “WashingtonEWS had an extensive subway network, that is a big general one closer to the surface but also deeper ones used for emergencies and government ones. There are whispers of secret, more advanced, subways have been built below them.”

WarDukie: “There are three levels of subway stations in the OldPentagon. The general one was for tourists mostly and for general employees. Sometimes scholars came here and also sneaky spies wearing dark sunglasses even indoors. I never had any real contact with the deeper subway stations or at least I do not think I did for somebody-something scrubbed away many of my memories, my datafiles.”

Edited February 23, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

11.2[16]

Shyla sighed. “That is not very good.”

WarDukie: “Maybe yes, maybe no, for I fear some of those memories gave me nightmares so bad were they. Maybe the WarDuchessSAI99 erased them for me out of concern for me because she loves me though she hates to say so openly; she even loves WarChiefSAI67 but she is even more reluctant to say that out loud. I recommend logically, rationally, that you be my mums just as WarDuchessSAI99 is my sister and WarChiefSAI67 is my brother.”

Shyla nodded. “Yes, very well for it is a most wonderful suggestion.”

Saraa smiled. “I would also be your mum just as would our triplet sister be, Stella who is a spy but she does not normally wear dark sunglasses indoors.”

WarDukie: “Cool as a cucumber though I am not sure how cool a cool cumber is.”

Venger nodded. “It is cool enough!”

WarDukie yawned and promptly fell asleep. Saraa staid with him while the others did other things.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

12.1[17]

 

Specter Marshal Stella sat at a makeshift table in what just might be called a tavern if one was feeling generous. Next to her was Specter Captain Arnold who seemed to be almost asleep but this was far from the case. The grungy mutaghoulman spoke with an odd guttural accent. “They were heading down a tunnel that goes to a bigger tunnel that goes only in one direction and that is the OldPentagon. I know because I went down there in search of some good looting, going with a group of five mutahumans and mutaghoulmans. Like me they were well experienced scavengers, well armoured and armed by Wastelander standards. I was the only one to escape alive and I was wounded.”

 

Stella pushed another EID 1$ coin across the table but then added a good condition $10 vending-machine voucher. “What did the damage?”

 

Gakrin shuddered. “Shadowlings! I thought they were only fiction but in the darkness they attacked and, as I said, only I escaped by the sheer lucky bad luck of tripping over and knocking myself out. When I came to they were gone, I looted by former comrades of anything useful and departed back the way we came.”

 

Stella pushed across a small box of 12gauge shotgun cartridges and an EID $5 coin. “What is it that you are not saying?”

 

Gakrin scowled but then relaxed with a shrug. “A very scarred stranger, ugly as possible, hired us to find items on a list.” He pulled out a list from a pouch and pushed it to Stella. “You have been generous so here is the list. Also we all glimpsed glowing yellow-white balls that floated through the air while fighting the shadowlings.”

 

Gakrin gave them some more information before he speedily departed as if wishing to have no more with what had happened. That was understandable except that Stella stared at the mutaghoulman as he departed through a doorway to the outside that was the settlement of Dungustoe.”

 

Arnold spoke. “Was he lying?”

 

Stella responded. “Lying? He was not even truly a mutaghoulman let alone Gakrin. What I glimpsed, with my mindeye, has me greatly concerned. I doubt we will find him in the wonderfully named Dungustoe, that is outside this 'tavern'. Somebody, something, wants to to go to those tunnels but why? How much truth was the fake Gakrin telling?”

 

Stella was proven right in that nobody even remembered seeing the false Gakrin departing from the ‘tavern’ called the Gungytoe.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

13.1[18]

 

The general TechOrderhood made it, in general, to where WarDukeSAI02 was situated and with them came Elaine Irons of the IronsQuins (Irons Quintuplets). She was a genius of a scientific technical Steelsage well experienced with working with different kinds of AIs; that is ones like WarDukeSAI02 but also others. There were two, generally like, WarDukie, with the TechChapterEWS that she often worked with.

 

Elaine knew at once to be very nice to WarDukie sweetie and became one of his loving mums. She knew what questions to ask and how to ask them even as Techtechies, and other Techworkers, started making the area more secure. This was being done for the TechOrderhood but also for WarDukeSAI02.

 

Elaine took a sip of her own fruit shake and then spoke to WarDukie who was holding a sleepy puppy. “WarDukie sweetie do you think you could get us in touch with your sister and brother.”

 

WarDukie was very enthused. “That is a wonderfully wonderful idea but I have not been able to communicate with them, in any clear way, for some days. Enough data comes across to show me that they are still active. I get the ‘impression’ that both have been fighting but not with each other. I told that to Stella and Saraa.”

 

Elaine wore a stylised jumpsuit of the Techsages being a kind of tunic far easier to wear than the robetunics of the TechElders. “WarDukie sweetie they told me so but together we may find a way to communicate with them.”

 

WarDukie beamed. “You mean like my emergency videophone that I do not like using because my brother and sister get grumpy when I do so?”

 

Elaine beamed a smile back at the humanoid figure. “WarDukie sweetie, that is a wonderful idea. Would you like me to make the videophone call for you in case your siblings get grumpy?”

 

WarDukie nodded rapidly. “Very good idea like the one Sarah had when she got in contact with a subhub type supercomputer alerting her to the troubles of my siblings.”

 

Elaine smiled. “WarDukie sweetie is that when Stella went off with her Ironsscouts, in one direction, and Saraa took her Ironstroopers in another?”

 

WarDukie spoke. “Except that they did some swapsies of personnel and took some Roborobots with them. They left some of their people with me, as you know. That is two Ironstroopers, and two Ironsscouts!”

 

The IronsQuin sighed. “Yes, I know, WarDukie sweetie.”

 

WarDukie sighed. “None of them are as good at being mums as you are.”

 

Taking the subtle hint, Elaine beamed a smile. "WarDukie, sweetie, of course I am your mum."

 

This made WarDukie happy. "Now I have one more mum."

Edited February 23, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

13.2[19]

 

Elaine nodded. “WarDukie sweetie, where could one find one SneakyDukie being sneaky.”

 

WarDukie sighed yet again but with more melodrama this time. “May probably over there behind the door marked ‘nobody named SneakyDukie, being sneaky, is here.”

 

Elaine smiled. “WarDukie sweetie I did wonder about that except that maybe you really are SneakyDukie sneaky and you are being sneaky clever with me.”

 

SneakyDukie looked very surprised. “How did you guess?”

 

Elaine smiled. “ShadowDukie sneaky, there might be some clues such as that sign, above all those collectables, that reads 'These are SneakyDukie's collectables so don't touch in a sneaky way'.

SneakyDukie still looked surprised. “Who would have thought that would give me away.”

 

Elaine nodded. “SneakyDukie sneaky, how many body-personalities are there linked with WarDukeSAI02?”

 

SneakyDukie shrugged, shook his head and then nodded. “Probably, maybe, 13. We just might be trying to hide the Great Big Bad Secret that most of us don’t even know!”

 

Elaine Irons might have asked more questions, of SneakyDukie, but he subtly made it evident that he did not wish to be questioned by shutting his eyes and mouth firmly while placing his hands tightly over his ears. Later he relaxed and, after a snack, fell asleep with Elaine holding his hand with the puppy sleeping in her lap.

 

So what was the ‘Great Big Bad Secret’ and was there more than one?

Edited February 22, 2020 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

14.1[20]

The Techoperats dropped down, through a hole in a sloping floor, to land in a half collapsed basement chamber. Water was flooding down the slanted floor, beneath them, but it was only shallow. They began to make their way through the dark chamber with the use of their night-vision. They passed the skeletal remains of long dead humans and the leftovers of their gear. A rusted hulk, of an atomic hovercar, indicated that it might have once been an underground car parking area and soon other wrecked machines supported that idea. They had mostly been hybrid-electric runabouts such as bubblecars and runabouts for most could not afford atomic motorised machines.

Had people been vainly seeking shelter when the Warday superweapons killed them? It seemed most likely to have been that way. There was a feeling of melancholia about the place, of desperation and despair ending in terrible deaths if they had all died instead of becoming radghoulified. This was a commonality found right across the twisted ruination of the Wasteworld.

The information, about one tunnel leading down to another, had failed to mention that somebody-something had collapsed the first tunnel. So Stella’s group had been forced to find another way. As they kept moving they noted a hole, in the wall to their right, full off oddly thick darkness. Before the shadowlings could start to attack, the Techoperats were lasering them. The outworld entities were forced to retreat so soon the night-vision could see normal through the hole in the wall.

The squad went carefully through the large hole and were soon making their way quietly down a concrete tunnel being the same one, by signs on its walls, that had been partly collapsed.

Too soon they would again be attacked by shadowlings.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Maharg67