Sunny had explained that this was an open pit mine, as opposed to the tunnel bore mining that he did. Seems that the previous world liked fast and cheap mining operations. I couldn't blame them, but my mind boggled as the scale of an operation like this. The open space was more than 4 billion cubic meters.
We pulled up to the lip of the giant hole and disembarked to take a look. After ordering the synth drivers to stay put just in case we needed to leave in a hurry. I got out of Gretta and joined Sunny as he rolled to the edge of the pit. I whistled at the incredible view before us. “This is something else Sunny. The engineering alone to reinforce the sides, and the amount of earth moved is impressive.”
Sunny snorted, “Hrumph, if you call digging a hole in the ground impressive. Now a three dimensional multi-branching precision automated tunnel, that takes skill and talent. Did a spot of that work before I joined…. Well you know. It was the reason I went full cyborg. I wanted to be able to run complex tunnel operations like that, someday.”
After surveying the ground for quite a while Sunny looked satisfied, “Alright let's get this crew in gear. It's going to be quite a slog to haul the ore up this massive pit. I think I will set up the mining crew down there, and have the crusher and smelter run locally at the bottom. I can have the labor drones drop the refuse and smelted ore up top, as the miner synths and I find juicy deposits down below.”
“Sounds like a plan Sunny, you da’ boss for mining.” I said, still somewhat preoccupied thinking about all the repairs and work I needed to do now that we had stopped. Not to mention the bombshell that Fe had dropped on me. And I was worried about all the changes going on in my Squad Leaders, John and Grace. Good thing I don't worry easily. Oh wait.
Sunny chucked, “Finally I get some respect. I think we can set up camp on the near side of the pit, closer to town. These tailing berms can be pushed around by the dozer to create nice firm walls to protect our camp.”
With that, Sunny went back to his dozer and turned back to make the parking spots for our camp. As soon as I understood what he was doing. I jumped in Gretta and helped kick, and push the dirt into a rough circle shape. We were building earthen ramparts to provide a raised spot for our camp guards, and to provide shielding and protection for our vehicles and equipment. It would be a lot more difficult to target my handiwork this time.
As we continued to push the rock and fine sand and gravel around, Sunny came on the radio. “You know Gabby I think this material could be converted into hardened concrete, we could give ourselves a better floor for our fort and much a bit better protection and cover on the ramparts, with a wall our synths could crouch behind.”
Our conversation was interrupted, “It’s called a parapet, Mr. Ciervo.” John interjected.
I was flabbergasted that John spoke up, “Uh thanks for the assistance John, anything else we should do for our fortifications?”
“Yes, plenty.”
Shaking my head inside my cockpit, “Well are you going to tell us?”
John seemed to think for a moment, “Well okay. Sunny is correct that hardening the walls would make this much more defensible, depending on our attackers a ditch or moat would be advised but difficult in this terrain. If we used sintered tailings we should be able to make modest mega-materials like duracrete to enhance our earthen fort.”
Sunny was quick to agree, “Great idea Johnny, I think you are right. We should be able to adapt my smelting machine to provide the requisite materials and heat.”
>>Big Fe, did the Squad Leaders already get into our books? Really, amazing.>>
<
As the foundations of the earthen walls began to take shape we left room for two entrances. The first led north back toward town. This was our escape route and likely attack point. The second entrance was right on top of the ramp that wound, corkscrew-like, down the side of the massive pit and gradually made its way to the bottom of the open mine.
I might have to spend some time learning construction and fortifications, this was turning out to be more fun than I had thought. I could only dream what I could do with other mega-materials like supersteel, nanofabrics, and metalloceramics.
<>
Close to midnight, we had to call it quits. This fortification would likely take us several days to complete, but the lights from Gretta and the ground vehicles were not enough to illuminate the camp site. I had also decided to switch my priorities. Now that I was sitting far from civilization I wanted to armor and get the rest of my synths online as quickly as possible. The platoon of 40 was activated but needed additional calibration and equipment. Then I could go back to the vehicle repairs, and then back to the synth neuro-psych development. Being responsible and grown up kinda sucked. But having a functioning armed guard 24/7 was a must have.
The plans that John had devised based on his learning from the text that he was reading it in his spare time had us setting up a ditch in berm structure surrounding the larger camp. The ditch was 3 meters deep and the berm was 6 meters tall, only Gretta would be able to look over the walls of our temporary camp site. More like a fortified compound when we lined the walls, floors, and ditch with duracrete slabs.
John’s plans for our compound were impressive enough on their own but the way he took charge of the fortification efforts and was able to guide Sunny and I will keeping the engineering and excavation done by the synths was even more impressive. I had no ideas my synths could adapt their advanced intelligence in such different areas as John had done. Sometimes I even impress myself.
>>What do you mean ego? You helped create them too, Big Fe!>>
The last two days had gone by in a blur. Miles had contacted me about helping him with his secret project, and we had finished the rough reinforcements of our berms and flooring. We had more work to do to complete the hardening but the general shape was in place.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Sunny and his team of 4 miner synths and 2 PCC heavy drones headed down the pit to begin setting up the mining operation. They were going to smelt, separate and refine the metals all on the bottom, then driver synths could haul lighter loads of pure(er) ingots up here for storage. They had started with their usual routine of drilling pilot holes, and conducting material and mineral assays. They were looking for what Sunny called, “Measured and Indicated resources.” He had explained once the levels of inferred, indicated and measured blah blah blah.
>>I mean, Big Fe, mining was interesting to a point. But I rather work on the machines or build stuff with the refined, and evolved materials.>>
Sunny had continued to talk about economic break even for bore mining versus strip mining, and how most people just brute forced it. But not Sunny, no he had a nose, or a sixth sense, so he claimed, about good mining sites. The frustrating part was his batting average was better than mine, even when I used my clairvoyant powers. I guess a lifetime of mining and salvaging did teach him a thing or two. And I shouldn't be bitter, whatever he found valuable ore, we all profited.
Soon the camp fell into a simple routine, Sunny and the synths would head down early in the morning, I would work on repairing or installing armor on the synth squad, and Sunny would return in the evening. I would sometimes join them for dinner, when I wasn't too engrossed in repairs and refits. Or when the smells from the camp kitchen became too enticing to ignore.
Sunny made steady progress in exploring and mapping the existing deposits. And it took me four days but I was able to outfit 42 synths in a combination of Grasshopper Interdictor power armor (10), Chaparralito Roadrunner power armor (10) and infantry cyborg armor (21) infantry heavy cyborg armor (1).
On the weaponry side we had the original Rosatom General Energy? Pulsed Particle Guns (RGE PPG) rifles in 10mm (10) along with the DBwerks? 20 gram Universal gauss Rifles (10). We had given most of those to the camp guards for perimeter defenses. For our first Infantry squad we had the:
- Road-synths 10x
- 2x PCC-AGL -Rifle (grenade launcher)
- 2x GMG-16 Shaker Rifle microjet rounds (micro launcher)
- 4x XO-33 3cm Plasma Caster (larger plasmer rifle)
- 2x 20 gram Universal gauss Rifle (original kinetic weaponry)
For the aerial scout troops we wanted some weaponry with less recoil. While plasma still had some recoil it was better than the kinetic weapons and the heavy weapons platforms:
- Hopper-Synths 10x
- 4x Rosatom General Energy? Pulsed Particle Guns (RGE PPG) in 10mm rifle
- 4x XO-33 3cm Plasma Caster
- 2x 20 gram Universal gauss Rifle
We still had an eclectic assortment of synths for the camp guard, but at least they were now fully kitted out and mostly calibrated. I really liked the Armadillo ExoSkeleton for guard duty. Because it was battery powered it didn't have the range and duration for field maneuvers, but for camp duty they were perfect and we, *cough* Big Fe or John, could manage their rotations to ensure minimal down time for recharging. They now has more uniform equipment divided into 3 groups of 6 each (2-8 typically down at one time):
- Camp Guards 20x
- 12x Various cyborg body armors
- 3x Armadillo Light ExoSkeleton
- 5x various armor suits (battlefield salvage)
- 3x PCC-AGL -Rifle grenade
- 3x GMG-16 Shaker Rifle microjet rounds
- 2x XO-33 3cm Plasma Caster
- 6x DBwerks? reliable 20 gram Universal gauss Rifle
- 6x Rosatom General Energy? Pulsed Particle Guns (RGE PPG) in 10mm rifle
The penultimate synth was John and I had given him the massive heavy infantry cyborg armor we bought in Neu Ca?on. He now looked like a walking tank. While he was slower and less agile he could take a medium missile and keep walking! And we needed him to command the ground troops.
John now stood an entire foot taller and was nearly six inches wider. The top of the line Black Market◆/ BDwerks? cyborg armor was for heavy duty combat borgs. It was primarily composed of a supersteel outer layer for hardness, with a middle layer of nanofabrics for shear stress, and finally an inner layer of metalloceramics for thermal and energy mitigation. The other ‘borg armor has similar layouts but were not as thick and didn't have nearly as complete a coverage.
Grace was in a stock Grasshopper armor but I had managed to squeeze in light cyborg armor inside the power armor suit so she had some redundant defenses if the armor was ever breached. I had also loaned her my jetpack so she had much greater enhanced flight capabilities, but was the only one so equipped. I wasn't ready to take aerial combat yet.
>>You know the drill, add it to the list Fe.>>
I still had 12 camp synths.These synths had no combat training at all, but were general repair, driving, cleaning, and maintenance synths. They were the most stock of all the synths, I had just gyvered together the Power Construction Corp? (PCC) and Black Market◆ skill sets to give them more versatility. Sunny had 4 mining synths, I eventually wanted to give them modular arms like Sunny had, but that would have to wait very far down the list.
“Frell! Another thing for the list.” I was starting to think I would never finish all of my projects, side projects, and tangents.
I had 2 of the camp synths detailed to my engineering trailer to hold items, and do menial labor while I was wrenching. Frick and Frack were devoid of personality but I could tell they enjoyed being assigned to the engineering tasks. I had been meaning to get assistance this entire time, but didn't have the wherewithal until I refreshed all the combat and camp synths all together.
Feeling better that we had doubled our fighting forces and uprated their armor and weaponry considerably. I hope we don't get into another full scale battle again, but we should be able to hunker behind our walls and deal with any raiders or monsters, I am sure I wasn't going to jinx us.
I loved my routine of sleeping in Gretta. The smell of supersteel and a few stray splatters of hydropnematic fluid we more comforting than any hotel room or normal mattress. As I unrolled my hammock and strung it across the four person pilot’s compartment I wondered if I would ever settle down again. I try to not think about my dad, and the life we had before. But I survived losing my mom, when I was young, and now more recently my dad. This time it was different though, I had no family left.
Well I guess that isn't fair, I still do have my grandparents. And they really are lovely and must be grieving the loss of their son. But I cannot see them, or that house without ripping open the gaping wound of loss. I much prefer machines. Complex or broken, machines can always be studied and repaired. With my mini-fridge, drink cooler, and now incineration toilet, I finally had my Power Construction Corp? (PCC) 54r Provender Industrial mech rigged for long term living. I stowed my gear into my personal locker, as far from the toilet locker as I could get in the entryway. As I crawled into bed, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
I drifted off to sleep and encountered an entirely different dream. I felt overwhelming feelings of welcoming and at peace. Frankly I wasn't sure that this dream was connected to the same story. The only commonality was a single giant with arms, having looked at it, I realized they looked like a giant rodent. It has a body at least 15 meters tall and 45 meters long. A combination of high tech super sized power armor and antique plate armor covered the giant rodent. I didn't know animal species nearly as well as my dad did. I think my dinosaur experience proved that, but this creature looked like a giant capybara. If I even had the right animal.
My mom used to interpret dreams and talk about them, she would create dreamcatchers and talk about the spirit world. But she died when I was quite young. Not sure why I thought of that now, but I recall mi abulita making dreamcatchers when I visited last. Kinda a strange hobby for a scientist.