Chapter 134
Chapter 134
In the small, dark room, the sound of breathing rose and fell. The windows had been boarded up, blocking any view of the outside. Only the faint glow of two emergency lights illuminated the anxious faces.
Suddenly, a knock came from the door, and everyone tightened their grip on their weapons. The door opened, and a Militia member, panting heavily, said with a cheerful tone, “Everyone in the Steel Brotherhood is asleep. I tried to wake them up, but they wouldn’t budge.”
“Move!” After hearing the Militia’s report, Knight, the commander of the operation, made a decisive decision. “We’ll go and disable the jammer first, then bring in the rest of the troops. Everyone, be cautious of the automatic weapon stations. Don’t let anything go wrong now. Control the Steel Brotherhood members who don’t resist, and don’t kill unnecessarily.”
Knight then looked at the exhausted Liam and said, “General Liam, you should rest here for a while. We’ll come back for you once everything is done.” He then instructed two scouts to stay behind as guards.
As Knight was about to leave, Liam, struggling to hold back his fatigue, said, “Besides avoiding unnecessary killings, make sure to preserve all their computers and other data. The Steel Brotherhood is a gatherer of knowledge and technology in the Wasteland. If anything is lost, we might never find it again.”
“Of course, you don’t need to worry about that anymore.” With that, he put on his Power Armor helmet and left the room. Liam, on the other hand, climbed to the second floor, found a cushion, and sat down to meditate, quickly entering a deep state of meditation.
After an unknown amount of time, Liam emerged from his meditation. He felt not only completely refreshed but also noticed that his cultivation had advanced significantly, equivalent to a month’s worth of practice.
After checking his body, Liam realized he was famished. He stood up and pushed open the door, intending to go downstairs to find something to eat.
As soon as he opened the door, the room was flooded with the sounds of music and chatter. Descending the stairs, Liam found the door wide open. It was still night outside, but the street was bustling with people gathered around bonfires, eating, drinking, and dancing.
What’s going on here? Liam was utterly confused. As he stepped to the doorway, Knight approached with a cup in hand, then handed Liam a cup of Dual-Headed Bull’s milk and announced to the crowd, “This operation was a huge success with no casualties. It’s all thanks to Wizardliam. So, let’s raise a toast to him.”
With that, Knight raised his cup and shouted, “To Wizardliam!” The crowd echoed his words, raising their cups and shouting, “To Wizardliam!”
Liam was moved by the atmosphere and raised his cup along with everyone else, downing the milk in one go. Knight then led him to a table, where Liam noticed Desdemona and several other important figures were seated.
“Thank you so much for this,” Desdemona said. She then began recounting the events of that day. It turned out there was hardly any fighting. After disabling a few remote-controlled machine gun towers, they quickly stormed the airport and dismantled the jammer. Then, House used the molecular teleportation device to bring in the main force.
After that, things were straightforward. They captured all the Steel Brotherhood members in the base and secured a fully intact facility, including a giant robot, airships, and a vast amount of classified technological information.
“When we returned, we found you sitting motionless. We couldn’t wake you, and we were a bit worried. But your robot, Curie, confirmed you were fine, so we decided to wait. We chose to celebrate in the street tonight, and now you’ve finally woken up,” Desdemona concluded.
"Ah, thank you for your help", Liam said. "Today is our time to celebrate; let's put everything else off until tomorrow." For the rest of the night, Liam enjoyed the feast made from the provisions seized from the Steel Brotherhood, celebrating with everyone until late into the night.
The next morning, everyone returned to the House to discuss the Federation's future. After a morning of intense deliberation, they set the tone for the days ahead.
The Federation would establish a unified governing body, and each organization would undergo changes. The House would expand to the surface and transition into the Federation's research center. They would produce the first generation of Synths, which lacked self-awareness, to address the labor shortage. (Liam's Steam Robots were too large and couldn't handle the finer tasks.)
The Railway would transform into the Federation's intelligence and trade organization, responsible for reconnaissance and maintaining the exchange of resources between settlements.
The Militia would serve as the armed force of the settlements, tasked with clearing out threats in the wild. After receiving part of the Life research department from the House, they would deepen their studies on Plants and promote the cultivation of new species to gradually improve the Federation's environment.
As for the loot from the Steel Brotherhood, the airport would be developed into a new settlement. The collected technology would be handed over to the House. The Predwen and Falcon Helicopter would become part of the Federation's direct forces, with elite members from the three organizations forming a specialized unit to use these assets and eliminate all harmful forces in the Commonwealth Wasteland.
The giant robot Liberty Prime, unable to sustain prolonged combat due to insufficient energy, would be stored at the airport as an emergency backup.
The Steel Brotherhood captives would be sent to the new education center on Wondrous Island, with the hope that labor and education could change their extreme racialist ideologies.
Three days later, Liam attended the Federation's founding ceremony in Diamond City and appointed Preston as the leader of the Volunteers in his absence.
As he was preparing to leave for Sanctuary Hills to gather his belongings, Preston, accompanied by Knight and Desdemona, intercepted Liam. "We heard you're leaving?"
"Yes, I've been here for a long time, and it's time for me to go home", Liam replied, noticing the change in their expressions. He quickly added, "But of course, I'll still come back from time to time. Maybe as I travel more, I'll find a way to fully restore the Federation."
Clearly, Knight had learned about Liam's identity from his wife and said, "Safe travels, but remember, the Federation will always welcome you back."
"Don't worry, I will come back. After all, there are so many important people and things here to me." With that, he embraced the other three, then returned to Sanctuary Hills to pack his things and opened the portal back to the Multiverse General Store.
(End of Chapter)
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