Chapter 293: Chapter 291 — The Next Step
Chapter 291 — The Next Step
The massive Arc Reactor continued humming beneath the construction site.
Its blue glow remained steady as enormous amounts of energy flowed through countless underground conduits.
The moment the reactor reached stable operation, the entire construction site accelerated.
Everything seemed to move faster.
The Iron Legion units immediately increased their pace.
Their responsibilities remained the same.
Heavy lifting.
Transporting massive structural components.
Positioning armored sections weighing several tons.
Meanwhile, millions of nanites continued their own work.
Unlike the Iron Legion, they focused on precision.
Minute adjustments.
Accurate assembly.
Fine engineering work that required microscopic precision.
Above it all, JARVIS coordinated every operation simultaneously.
The workshop’s computational systems were being pushed close to their limits just keeping up with the sheer volume of calculations.
Every Iron Legion unit.
Every nanite.
Every fabrication schedule.
Every construction sequence.
Nothing conflicted.
Nothing overlapped.
The entire operation functioned like a single enormous machine.
As a result, the construction site changed almost minute by minute.
Fresh foundations were excavated.
Structural supports rose from the ground.
Underground power conduits spread beneath the terrain.
Cooling systems were carefully buried below the surface.
Entire sections of land were reshaped to match Tony’s completed blueprint.
Standing nearby, Dr. Catherine Halsey quietly watched everything unfold.
She had already witnessed Stark technology several times since arriving in Cascade.
Even so...
Watching it operate on an industrial scale was something entirely different.
Normally, a military installation of this size would require months to complete.
Possibly years.
There were simply too many variables.
Engineering.
Logistics.
Construction.
Testing.
Coordination.
Every stage consumed time.
Yet Tony Stark approached the same problem differently.
He measured progress in hours.
Automation had eliminated much of what normally slowed construction.
The result stood directly before her eyes.
...
While observing the growing structure, Tony folded his arms.
After a moment, he spoke.
"You know..."
"I suppose it should have a proper name."
Halsey looked toward him.
Tony glanced back toward the enormous holographic blueprint.
Then he nodded to himself.
"Planetary Defense Laser."
He smiled slightly.
"Simple."
"Direct."
"It says exactly what it does."
There was little reason to complicate it.
Its purpose was obvious.
Protect Cascade.
Threaten any Covenant vessel attempting to remain in orbit.
The name suited it perfectly.
...
Construction of the first Planetary Defense Laser continued.
But that was not the only thing happening.
While Iron Legion units and nanites worked tirelessly, Jarvis had already begun planning the next phase.
Survey drones departed from the construction site.
They spread throughout Cascade.
Mountain ranges.
High plateaus.
Remote valleys.
Industrial districts scheduled for evacuation.
Every promising location was analyzed.
Topography.
Transportation access.
Power infrastructure.
Construction feasibility.
One after another, new locations were approved.
The second deployment site.
Then the third.
Then the fourth.
As soon as a location passed Jarvis’ requirements, planning immediately began.
Nothing waited.
Everything happened simultaneously.
Tony wasn’t building just one weapon.
He was building an entire planetary defense network.
...
Across Cascade, the colony itself continued supporting the project.
Materials arrived without interruption.
Entire warehouse inventories disappeared into military transports.
Factories altered production priorities.
Strategic stockpiles were released.
Industrial equipment moved continuously across the transportation network.
Every request carried Gaius’ authorization.
No department delayed.
No administrator questioned the orders.
Military cargo vehicles delivered shipment after shipment toward Tony’s construction sites.
The entire colony had effectively become part of one enormous manufacturing effort.
...
Not far from the first Planetary Defense Laser, another structure had appeared.
Unlike the Planetary Defense Laser itself, this machine existed for one purpose.
Manufacturing.
It dwarfed the fabrication system inside Tony’s workshop.
The industrial fabricator stood several stories tall.
Its design was straightforward.
One enormous chamber accepted raw materials.
Another chamber produced finished components.
Banks of computers surrounded the machine.
Heavy power conduits connected directly to the huge Arc Reactor.
Tony walked toward it.
Good thing he had come prepared.
Before arriving, he had already stored a larger fabrication machine inside the Parcel System in separate parts so it could fit.
Compared to the fabrication machine already in the workshop, this one was much larger and far more efficient for a project on the scale of the Planetary Defense Laser.
Without hesitation, he began taking the components out of the Parcel System.
Steel.
Titanium.
Rare alloys.
Electronic assemblies.
Conductive materials.
Every resource required for the Planetary Defense Laser gradually filled the intake chamber.
When everything had been loaded, Tony stepped backward.
The machine activated.
A deep mechanical hum echoed across the construction site.
The fabricator consumed power at an astonishing rate.
Almost immediately, the Arc Reactor’s blue glow intensified as additional energy flowed into the system.
Inside the fabrication chamber, the raw materials began disappearing.
Broken apart.
Separated.
Rearranged.
Reconstructed.
Everything followed Tony’s completed blueprints with perfect accuracy.
Approximately five minutes later, the output chamber opened.
Finished components emerged.
Power regulators.
Cooling assemblies.
Structural supports.
Precision focusing mechanisms.
Iron Legion units immediately collected them.
Some flew directly toward the growing Planetary Defense Laser.
Others transported completed parts into organized storage areas.
The moment the output chamber emptied, Tony loaded more materials.
The cycle repeated.
Load.
Fabricate.
Produce.
Transport.
Reload.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The machine never stopped.
Neither did the Iron Legion.
Neither did the nanites.
...
Night gradually settled across Cascade.
Floodlights illuminated the construction site.
Bright white light reflected from millions of moving nanites.
Iron Legion units crossed the dark sky carrying enormous structural components suspended beneath them.
The Arc Reactor continued shining beneath the growing installation.
Every passing minute produced visible progress.
Every passing hour transformed the landscape.
By midnight, the construction site no longer resembled an excavation project.
It had become a genuine military installation.
The armored foundation had already taken shape.
Underground power conduits were complete.
Cooling systems extended beneath the earth.
Above them, the central emitter assembly slowly rose toward the night sky.
Standing beside Tony, Halsey watched the growing weapon for several long moments.
Finally, she spoke.
"If every site progresses like this..."
Tony looked up toward the unfinished emitter.
A confident smirk appeared on his face.
"Then the Covenant are going to have a very bad day."
Neither of them suggested resting.
There simply wasn’t time.
Hour after hour, construction continued without interruption.
...
Eventually, darkness began fading.
The eastern horizon slowly brightened.
Morning had arrived.
By the time sunlight reached the construction site, the first Planetary Defense Laser stood completed.
Its massive emitter pointed toward the heavens.
Armored power conduits connected it directly to the Arc Reactor network.
Its cooling systems rested beneath the ground.
Targeting systems completed their final diagnostics.
For the first time since construction had begun...
The site became quiet.
The machines slowed.
The constant noise finally subsided.
Halsey stood silently, looking up at the completed weapon.
Then she turned toward Tony.
"You actually did it."
Tony followed her gaze toward the enormous installation.
He smiled.
"That’s only the first one."
Even while they had spent the entire night constructing this battery...
Jarvis had never stopped planning.
Additional construction sites were already being prepared.
The defense network continued expanding.
...
Elsewhere, a technical report arrived on Gaius’ communicator.
It contained the complete specifications for the Planetary Defense Laser.
Throughout the entire night, Gaius had remained awake.
His enhanced physiology allowed him to continue functioning without fatigue.
Instead of resting, he continued reviewing report after report.
Mobilization updates.
Evacuation progress.
Industrial production.
Defensive preparations.
Every decision made throughout Cascade would influence the coming battle.
Now another report demanded his attention.
Tony’s.
Gaius opened the document.
He carefully reviewed every specification.
Power output.
Effective firing range.
Construction requirements.
Projected combat effectiveness.
Deployment locations.
Estimated completion schedules.
According to the projections, approximately seven days would be required.
Possibly eight.
Provided current material deliveries continued uninterrupted.
He considered the information carefully.
The Planetary Defense Lasers alone would not guarantee victory.
That much was obvious.
The Covenant remained overwhelmingly powerful.
However...
They fundamentally changed the battlefield.
The Covenant could no longer remain comfortably in orbit while bombarding the colony below.
These weapons demanded a response.
That alone made them invaluable.
More importantly...
The Covenant could not ignore them.
Enemy commanders would eventually face only three realistic choices.
Destroy the Planetary Defense Lasers.
Withdraw from the engagement.
Or remain in orbit and accept increasing casualties.
Gaius already knew which decision they were most likely to make.
They would attack.
The lasers would become military objectives.
Military objectives attracted armies.
He immediately began planning around that reality.
...
A few minutes later, he activated his communicator.
Tony answered almost immediately.
Halsey stood nearby.
Gaius observed both of them.
Tony appeared energetic as usual.
Halsey did not.
Although she remained standing, signs of fatigue were becoming obvious.
Dark circles had begun forming beneath her eyes.
She had clearly worked throughout the entire night.
"Gaius."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah?"
Gaius spoke calmly.
"Have Dr. Halsey rest."
Tony instinctively glanced sideways.
Only after Gaius mentioned it did he truly notice how exhausted Halsey looked.
Before either man could continue, Halsey waved one hand dismissively.
"There is no need."
"I’ll rest later."
The construction was finished, and there was no longer any reason for her to remain at the site.
She had only come to observe the process.
Now she should return to her own work.
Still, she wanted to hear what Tony and Gaius were about to discuss before leaving.
Neither Tony nor Gaius argued.
Both already understood she was unlikely to listen.
Instead, Gaius continued.
"I have reviewed the Planetary Defense Laser specifications."
Tony immediately became interested.
"And?"
"They will force a response from the Covenant."
Tony smiled.
"That’s the idea."
Gaius nodded.
"The Covenant will not tolerate weapons capable of threatening their ships."
Tony’s smile widened.
"Exactly."
"They’ll come after them."
"And when they do..."
Gaius’ expression remained unchanged.
"I intend to destroy their vessels."
Tony blinked.
"With the Planetary Defense Laser?"
"Not entirely."
That answer immediately caught Tony’s full attention.
He waited.
"I need a way to reach them."
Tony frowned.
"Reach who?"
"The Covenant ships."
Silence followed.
Several seconds passed before realization slowly appeared on Tony’s face.
"...No."
He immediately pointed directly toward Gaius.
"No."
"You are not asking what I think you’re asking."
Gaius remained perfectly calm.
"The Planetary Defense Lasers will force the Covenant to commit ground forces."
"They will attempt to destroy the installations."
"The UNSC."
"Naruto."
"Tanya."
"Saeko."
"Mindy."
"Diana."
"You."
"All of you will defend the batteries."
"The landing forces will be destroyed."
Tony nodded.
"That’s the idea."
Gaius continued.
"That is a good defensive plan."
Tony narrowed his eyes.
Something about the way Gaius emphasized the word defensive immediately concerned him.
"While that battle is taking place..."
"The Covenant fleet remains in orbit."
"They retain the ability to deploy additional troops."
"Additional aircraft."
"Additional warships."
"As long as their fleet remains intact..."
"They retain the initiative."
The room grew quiet.
Tony was becoming increasingly suspicious of where this discussion was leading.
"I intend to take the initiative from them."
Tony sighed.
"Of course you do."
Gaius ignored the comment.
"If an opportunity presents itself..."
"If one of their vessels enters range..."
"If destroying that vessel would significantly alter the battle..."
"I want that option available."
Tony folded his arms.
"How?"
"That is why I need a way to reach the Covenant ships."
"Reach them?"
"Yes."
"The Planetary Defense Lasers force them to commit."
"The defenders engage the landing forces."
"Meanwhile..."
"I attack the fleet."
Tony stared at him in complete silence.
Finally, he spoke.
"How exactly do you plan to do that?"
Gaius answered without hesitation.
"This is why I want you to create a launch pod."
Tony slowly closed his eyes.
Now he understood exactly where this entire conversation had been heading.
After a long moment, he opened them again.
"A launch pod?"
"Like a drop pod?"
Gaius nodded once.
"Yes."
"But designed for launch rather than deployment."
Halsey looked between the two men.
"Drop pod?"
Tony sighed before answering.
"Astartes use drop pods during planetary assaults."
"They launch from orbit inside heavily armored capsules."
"They slam into battlefields at extreme velocity."
He paused.
"Sometimes enemy ships."
Understanding slowly appeared on Halsey’s face.
The UNSC also possessed drop pods.
The concept itself wasn’t unfamiliar.
The difference was obvious.
Gaius wasn’t planning to descend from space.
He intended to launch himself from the planet toward a Covenant warship.
Tony looked back at Gaius.
"Fine."
"Let’s assume I somehow agree to this."
"How are you getting back?"
Gaius answered with complete calm.
"I will determine that after securing the vessel."
~~~
Enjoying the story?
Support future Chapters and help the world keep growing on Patreon:
patreon.com/ZanderLee
Every bit of support keeps the story going. Thank you.
Comments