5 Days after 'Wake'
The Maxims were meant to be war machines, built to spearhead the march into enemy lines and decimate what stood in their way. Today however, their biggest enemy would become known to them. Rust and Weeds.
Rust, is understandable, after all, on this desolate planet, after all these years, with no maintenance, Fort Blanche could really have been said to have seen better days.
But Weeds? Here? On this, again, desolate, lifeless place?
It turned out the answer were yes, and the newly purposed Maxims were regretting, both the question and the answer. Of the Mecano trio, Monitor and Mender were more...expressive about their opinion on this rundown joint.
[(DS*#*@(FS)A(WS"WR??!!!!!]
[@(#R*FU($KO:DAS+_FFRUDSA-]
"Alright, alright, calm down, jeez. How do you have such a foul mouth? I don't have such a foul mouth and I was born 5 days ag-"
Aedhira froze, as if to realize midway that his age was rather humbling.
"Case in point, but seriously, look at your brother? He's so nice and reserved"
Mender felt offended at Aedhira's claim and would have pounced on him had Monitor not held him by his handles. Monitor then looked at his sire, seemingly shook his head in pity then let out a sigh(?).
[Sire, you can only say that since we are more verbally expressive than Mentor. He is the worst one]
"Why's that"
[He's more physical in is express-]
*SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*
Before Monitor could finish, a shrill noise echoed throughout the corridors. Aedhira looked behind him, to notice Mentor on his knees, seemingly incinerating a weed with his auxiliary welding tool. Mentor glanced at Aedhira for a second before returning to the solemn task of purging weeds from his sight.
Aedhira closed his eyes and pressed on his temple as if he had a headache, but this was just for dramatic effect. Homunculi don't get heacaches.
His eye's twitched uncontrollably before looking around for no one in particular. He sighed (for real this time) and turned back to Mender and Monitor, both of whom just seemed to shrug.
Aedhira sighed harder.
"Whatever, I need you tw- you three, I need you get the power back up. We're all working in the dark here, and I, being 5 days old, am afraid of the dark." He said righteously
"So you should go into the dark to get the power back online, so i don't have to wander around in the dark" He said....more righteously.
The trio- no just Mender and Monitor since Mentor seemed to be intent on destruction of local wildlife, stared, if staring was possible with their rudimentary emoji like faces being displayed on their visor, stared at Aedhira dumbfounded.
Dumbfounded by his logic obviously. Weren't they 7 hours old? Where was the justice on this desolate planet.
"Yeah, go on now"
The two looked like they had something to say, before seemingly giving up. Then the two held Mentor by his handles and dragged him off, marching into the dark corridors.
And Aedhira followed along.
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As the Maxims ventured into the dimly lit corridors of Fort Blanche, Aedhira couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping over him. Despite being a mere five days old, he had already experienced more than he could have ever imagined. Yet, the darkness of the unknown still held a certain fear over him.
He watched as Mender and Monitor guided Mentor through the corridors, their metallic forms reflecting what little light there was. Aedhira couldn't shake the feeling that something lurked in the shadows, something waiting to pounce on them at any moment.
But he pushed those thoughts aside. He had a task to focus on, and he couldn't let fear cloud his judgment. With a deep breath, he steeled himself and set off after his Maxims, determined to see this through.
As he followed the trio deeper into the fort, Aedhira couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of the structure. Fort Blanche covered twelve kilometers below the surface, a fact that still baffled him. How could such a massive facility exist on a planet devoid of life?
But as he pondered this, a faint humming sound reached his ears. It grew louder as he approached, until finally, he rounded a corner and came face to face with a massive generator. Spherical with all kinds of tubes connected to it. Or rather, it hanged from them.
It loomed before him, a hulking mass of metal and wires, emitting a soft glow in the darkness. It....was in bad shape.
Aedhira couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sight. This generator was the heart of Fort Blanche, the source of its power. And now, it lay dormant (hopefully not dead) waiting for someone to breathe life back into it.
With a determined expression, Aedhira clicked his tongue and stepped forward and began to assess the situation. The generator seemed to be in relatively good condition,despite its appearance ,despite its age. But there were signs of wear and tear, signs that it had been neglected for far too long.
But Aedhira was undeterred. With the help of the Mecano Trio, he set to work, repairing damaged wires, replacing components corroded by the raw mana going haywire inside its core, and reactivating dormant sub-systems.
It was slow, tedious work, but Aedhira didn't let up.
17 system hours passed as they worked tirelessly to bring the generator back online. And finally, after what felt like an eternity, they succeeded. With a heavy...almost hoarse...groan that echoes in the room, the generator flickered to life like a faulty engine, sending electricity coursing through the fort once more. It wasn't stable, but it was holding.
Aedhira couldn't help but smile as he watched the lights flicker back on, illuminating the corridors with a warm glow. It was a small victory, but it filled him with a sense of accomplishment like nothing else.
But their work was far from over. Fort Blanche may have power once more, but there was still much to be done.
Now they had to get the Transmutors for conversion of material into workable stuff, Fermicators and Replicators for building and crafting.
Yet, Aedhira had been going on for 17 system hours. He probably (not) needed rest. (not)
With renewed determination, Aedhira turned to his Maxims and issued his next command.
"Get to work. We (you) have a fort to restore."
He, then laid on the cold floor of the room while the generator thrummed next to him.
And took a nap.