Chapter 292: Chapter 290 — Foundations
Chapter 290 — Foundations
Nobody knew when the Covenant would arrive.
A month.
A week.
Tomorrow.
An hour from now.
No report could narrow it down further.
No intelligence officer could offer a reliable estimate.
The uncertainty only made every passing moment more valuable.
Every hour spent preparing was another hour that might save lives.
Every completed project increased Cascade’s chances of surviving the battle to come.
...
Throughout the day, Tony Stark and Dr. Catherine Halsey remained inside the workshop.
Neither had any interest in taking a break.
The orbital defense laser had become their highest priority.
Jarvis continuously simulated every aspect of its design.
Targeting solutions.
Thermal dissipation.
Power distribution.
Structural integrity.
Again and again, simulations ran across the holographic displays surrounding the workshop.
Whenever Jarvis identified a weakness, the design was immediately adjusted.
Then another simulation began.
Hours passed in that cycle.
Refinement.
Testing.
Correction.
Repeat.
The process continued without interruption until evening approached.
Finally, Jarvis spoke.
"Initial design complete, sir."
The countless holographic windows disappeared.
Only one remained.
Hovering above the central table was the finished blueprint.
It was enormous.
Far larger than any standard UNSC planetary defense installation.
Its central structure dwarfed conventional artillery batteries.
Multiple Arc Reactors formed its power core, feeding an immense energy distribution system designed for only one purpose.
Destroying Covenant ships in orbit.
Tony folded his arms while studying the hologram.
Even by his standards, it was a massive undertaking.
Beside him, Halsey quietly examined every visible component.
Neither of them underestimated the engineering challenge.
...
Since lunchtime, materials had been arriving continuously.
Truck after truck entered the workshop compound.
Industrial alloys.
Construction materials.
Electronic components.
Power systems.
The deliveries never seemed to stop.
Several times throughout the afternoon, Tony had been forced to leave the workshop simply to prevent the incoming supplies from piling up outside.
Each time, he stored everything inside his Parcel System.
Without it, the yard would already have been overflowing with materials.
Fortunately, the design work had finally reached a natural stopping point.
Tony leaned back slightly before speaking.
"Jarvis."
"Bring up Cascade."
"Yes, sir."
Immediately, the blueprint faded.
A detailed holographic projection of Cascade appeared instead.
Cities.
Industrial districts.
Mountain ranges.
Spaceports.
Military facilities.
Transportation networks.
Every major feature of the colony floated above the table.
Tony studied the map for several moments.
Then he gave another instruction.
"Jarvis."
"Find the most suitable locations for deployment."
Jarvis responded immediately.
"Criteria?"
Tony answered without hesitation.
"Maximum firing coverage."
"Stable terrain."
"Access to industrial infrastructure."
"Distance from strategic military installations."
He paused briefly.
"And account for the evacuation."
"Yes, sir."
The holographic map shifted almost instantly.
Several locations illuminated across the colony.
Jarvis highlighted the first one.
"Primary recommendation."
A large mountain range became highlighted.
Jarvis explained.
"High elevation."
"Excellent firing angles."
"Direct connection to existing power infrastructure."
Tony nodded slowly.
The advantages were obvious.
High ground would provide excellent firing arcs while existing infrastructure would greatly simplify construction.
Another location illuminated.
"Secondary recommendation."
Tony looked toward it.
It was located near the edge of one of Cascade’s larger cities.
Specifically, inside what had once been a civilian district.
He raised an eyebrow.
Jarvis immediately clarified.
"Current evacuation schedules indicate civilian relocation completion within six days."
"Population density will become negligible."
"Existing transportation infrastructure significantly reduces construction time."
Halsey gave a small nod.
That recommendation made sense.
Construction speed mattered.
Every day saved meant another day the defenses could protect the colony.
More locations began appearing across the map.
Former residential districts.
Industrial sectors.
Mining regions.
Large transportation hubs.
Tony noticed something.
Nearly every highlighted area shared one common characteristic.
The civilians were leaving.
Jarvis confirmed the observation.
"Recommendation."
"Prioritize locations scheduled for full evacuation."
"Construction can begin immediately after relocation."
"Heavy industrial equipment already present."
Tony smiled.
"Now you’re thinking."
Standing beside him, Halsey quietly continued studying the map.
She suddenly realized another benefit of the evacuation.
Saving civilian lives was only one advantage.
Entire districts would soon become empty.
Road networks.
Power grids.
Factories.
Warehouses.
Industrial facilities.
Once civilians had safely departed, those resources could immediately support military construction.
Nothing would be wasted.
The hologram zoomed outward.
Additional recommended locations continued appearing.
Then Jarvis spoke once more.
"Current analysis suggests construction of seventeen batteries is feasible using available resources."
Tony blinked.
"Seventeen?"
"Assuming continued resource allocation from Cascade’s industrial sector."
"Yes, sir."
For the first time all day, Tony’s grin widened noticeably.
Seventeen orbital defense batteries.
Now that was beginning to sound interesting.
...
Elsewhere across Cascade, Tanya had been placed in charge of coordinating a large portion of the evacuation effort.
Fortunately, the operation was progressing far more smoothly than anyone had expected.
Despite her youthful appearance, very few questioned her authority.
The orders assigning her carried Gaius’ authorization.
That alone settled most disagreements before they even began.
Beyond that, Tanya possessed the confidence of someone who had commanded soldiers before.
Anyone attempting to question her decisions quickly realized she already understood the situation better than they did.
After all, although many of these officers had more experience commanding during war than Tanya, she had spent time studying strategy, logistics, and military administration. Combined with the analytical abilities granted by her Devil Fruit, her capacity for calculation and planning was extraordinary.
Inside one of Cascade’s evacuation command centers, Tanya stood before an enormous holographic display showing population records.
Officers surrounded her, ready to record instructions.
She looked over the information one final time.
Then she began issuing orders.
"Priority categories are being established."
Immediately, the officers began taking notes.
"Tier One."
"Children."
"Families."
"The elderly."
"Medical patients."
"Non-essential civilians."
She spoke calmly.
"If the Covenant arrives sooner than expected, these individuals will be the most vulnerable."
"They leave first."
No one argued.
Instead, they continued writing.
"Tier Two."
"Essential industrial personnel."
"Engineers."
"Scientists."
"Medical staff."
"Power grid operators."
"Transportation specialists."
Several officers exchanged surprised looks.
One finally raised a hand.
"Shouldn’t they be evacuated sooner?"
Tanya shook her head.
"No."
"If they leave immediately, Cascade’s ability to prepare collapses."
She pointed toward the colony data displayed before them.
"Factories require workers."
"Hospitals require doctors."
"Power stations require technicians."
"The colony must continue functioning until the later stages of evacuation."
The officer slowly nodded.
The explanation was perfectly logical.
Tanya continued.
"Tier Three."
"Military volunteers."
"Security personnel."
"Emergency response teams."
She looked around the room.
"They remain until the end."
"Not because they’re less important."
"Because they’ll still be needed."
Finally, she summarized the entire strategy.
"The objective is simple."
"Preserve the maximum population while maintaining operational capability."
"Evacuation without preparation is useless."
"Preparation without evacuation is equally useless."
The command center became quiet.
Several officers nodded one after another.
None of them could find fault with her reasoning.
Tanya turned her attention back toward the evacuation projections.
Millions of civilians.
Thousands of transport vessels.
Limited time.
It would become one of the largest evacuation efforts in Cascade’s history.
It had to be executed correctly.
...
Meanwhile, Gaius continued reviewing reports inside the residence.
Military deployments.
Industrial production figures.
Evacuation progress.
Available defensive assets.
Every report received his full attention.
For a brief moment, however, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Toward the Shared Gate.
More specifically...
Toward the warriors waiting beyond it.
His warriors.
The Ultramarines stationed upon Varrak Prime.
Summoning them would be simple.
A single command.
A single activation of the Shared Gate.
Experienced warriors would arrive almost immediately.
Veteran commanders.
Capable administrators.
Men who understood warfare.
Men who already understood his methods.
Very few individuals in this universe possessed military competence comparable to an Ultramarine.
The temptation was considerable.
For several moments, he seriously considered it.
Then he dismissed the idea.
The Right of Crossing did not alter time.
Time flowed equally on both sides.
Every day he spent here was another day passing upon Varrak Prime.
His officers.
His brothers.
His commanders.
They governed his world while he remained away.
Removing them now would weaken the very planet he was responsible for protecting.
Another possibility briefly entered his thoughts.
The Dreadnought.
If the situation became desperate...
He could summon the ancient warrior.
The thought remained only briefly.
Then it too was dismissed.
A Dreadnought existed for war.
For battle.
For duty.
Outside battle, they slept.
Their ancient bodies had long since been destroyed.
Only their sarcophagi preserved what remained of them.
Without proper maintenance facilities.
Without dedicated vaults.
Without stasis chambers.
Every additional moment awake became suffering.
Summoning one before battle had even begun would accomplish nothing.
Especially when nobody knew how long it would be before the Covenant arrived.
Days.
Weeks.
Perhaps even longer.
No.
Neither the Ultramarines nor the Dreadnought would be summoned.
Not yet.
This battle would first be fought using the forces already available to him.
Only if circumstances demanded it would that decision change.
Satisfied with his conclusion, Gaius returned his full attention to the reports before him.
The Covenant remained the immediate concern.
Everything else could wait.
...
Outside the workshop, the sun slowly descended toward the horizon.
Orange light stretched across the distant landscape.
Even so, neither Tony nor Halsey intended to stop working.
The first orbital defense battery would not build itself.
Throughout the afternoon, materials had continued arriving without interruption.
Industrial alloys.
Construction materials.
Electronics.
Power conduits.
Factory-produced components.
Tony had repeatedly stored everything inside his Parcel System before the shipments overwhelmed the workshop grounds.
Now those materials would finally be used.
The construction site had already been selected.
It was located far from any civilian settlement.
The evacuation had only begun a few hours earlier.
Most cities remained occupied.
Tony had deliberately chosen an isolated region.
There would be no waiting.
No relocation.
Construction could begin immediately.
Only a handful of personnel accompanied them.
Several drivers.
Security personnel.
Nothing more.
After all, humans would not actually build the installation.
Halsey looked across the empty landscape before glancing toward Tony.
"You’re going to build it right now?"
Tony smirked.
"Why wait until tomorrow?"
With a wave of his hand, several metallic containers emerged from the Parcel System.
They unfolded automatically.
Ten silver Iron Legion units stepped out.
Unlike Tony’s personal armor, these machines possessed no decorative colors.
No red.
No gold.
No unnecessary design elements.
Everything about them reflected their purpose.
Work.
Tony looked toward the machines.
"Jarvis."
"Clear the construction zone."
"Yes, sir."
Repulsors ignited.
The Iron Legion immediately spread throughout the designated area.
Some lifted and removed enormous rocks.
Others cut down trees.
Several began marking precise construction boundaries using the completed blueprint.
More containers appeared beside Tony.
These were different.
They contained millions of nanites.
The lids opened.
Metallic streams poured onto the ground.
From a distance, they resembled flowing liquid metal.
Or enormous swarms of metallic insects.
Halsey watched silently.
Even after witnessing the technology multiple times, it remained astonishing.
The nanites rapidly spread across the construction site.
Grass disappeared.
Roots were extracted.
Uneven terrain became perfectly level.
Small stones vanished.
Every movement was coordinated flawlessly by Jarvis.
Nothing overlapped.
Nothing was wasted.
Each individual nanite functioned as part of a larger collective.
However, even nanites required power.
Construction on this scale demanded enormous amounts of energy.
Because of that, the first structure built was not the orbital defense laser.
It was the power station.
The ground opened as a large excavation was dug.
Tony reached into the Parcel System once more.
A massive Arc Reactor emerged.
The nearby security personnel instinctively stepped backward.
Even after becoming familiar with Arc Reactor technology, its sheer size was still intimidating.
The reactor descended into the prepared chamber.
Power conduits followed.
Charging stations were assembled around it.
Almost immediately, streams of nanites began moving between the reactor and the construction site.
Working.
Returning to recharge.
Then immediately returning to work again.
Viewed from above, the countless metallic streams resembled rivers flowing across the landscape.
Sometimes they formed long metallic lines stretching across the ground like enormous wires.
Other times they spread outward into metallic carpets covering entire sections of the construction zone.
Some nanites excavated deeper foundations.
Others transported materials.
Others cleared away debris.
Still others precisely assembled the foundation according to the completed blueprint.
The Iron Legion handled heavy construction.
The nanites performed precision work.
Jarvis coordinated every movement.
And standing quietly at the center of the operation...
Tony Stark watched the first orbital defense battery of Cascade begin rising from the earth.
If the Covenant arrived tomorrow...
It would not be enough.
But if they arrived in a week...
The situation would look very different.
~~~
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