Last chap needed surprisingly little editing done. I was all kinds of scuffed when I finished writing it so I expected a mess, but looking back I'm pretty satisfied with how it came out.
A truly neat realization.
Michael 'Magos' Sobronov
Seeing Hernan driving off I let out a low, slightly exhausted sigh.
Once we arrived to the compound we spent only a few extra minutes going over our plans for the public before I led the understandably eager priest upstairs to check on the apartments.
Needless to say, he was expecting far, far less than what he found when I first gave him the offer.
And thus the reason behind my exhaustion. The man's gratitude was... heavy. Solemn and serious in a way I hadn't truly seen him behave before, it made the weight of everything I was doing feel just that tiny bit more real.
It definitely put some things into perspective, that's for sure.
But as contemplative as his reaction left me feeling I didn't feel like philosophizing on the side walk for the next few hours and so with a low exhale I turned around and scanned the residential tower before making my way up to the lower section balconies.
The base of the building was a bit wider than the rest, and the same went for the first few floors which left a solid amount of free space as one interconnected walkway that gave anyone standing on top an excellent command over the parking yard.
The space was probably intended for restaurant overlooks and other similar excuses to hike prices during the building's construction, something I would revisit later. Right now though? It served as the perfect posting for half of my guard detail.
As much as a single squad, veteran or not, could cover such a large area effectively in any case.
The leader of said squad was currently squatted at the edge facing the factory complex, a half burnt cigar slowly burning out between his fingers while his other hand held a pair of binoculars as he scanned the area.
Apparently some habits died hard, and even with his superior optics the man was simply more comfortable using binos for observation.
To each their own I supposed.
"So." I begin, squatting next to him without a sound "What do you think?"
The veteran soldier didn't startle, but it was a close thing.
Nick Schmidt shot me an annoyed look before schooling his expression and saying "Place seems workable so far. We've got a solid perimeter around the tower and enough vantage points to stop any dumbass looking to try their luck."
"But?" I asked expectantly.
"Its the factory that worries me." He sets his binos on the ground and points two fingers towards the complex "The warehouse almost sticks out directly onto the street, and the both it and the factory are surrounded by taller buildings on all sides. If someone decides to go for an all out assault we are fucked."
"Can't exactly buy out the whole city block so I'm afraid that won't be changing anytime soon." I grumble "And the warehouse needs to be close to the road."
He shakes his head slightly "Just pointing out potential security issues, bossman. The logistics are your biz."
"You aren't wrong there." I nod "We have some ideas in the works to mitigate it." Mom was wasting no time in applying her recently crammed tactical skills, but it occurred to me that she was not actually experienced in this kind of operation yet.
"Still I won't say no to some extra ideas." I say after an objective moment "What would you recommend?"
"Off the top of my head?" He scratches his freshly clean shaven chin "Thick perimeter wall is a must, for both the tower and the factory complex. Can't defend shit without a proper funnel."
"You don't think the residents will mind it too much?" The factory was a no brainer but extending it to the tower made me hesitate.
"They won't complain." He snorts lightly, lighting up another cigarette "Sure it might be tedious as all hell to go through a checkpoint every time you want to get home but that's worth the increased security in this shithole of a city."
"What a lovely place we call our home." I say dryly.
"Ain't it just?" Nick grins at me before looking back at the complex "Other than a wall to keep any random schmuck from entering whenever they want out, what we need is a rapid response option." He pauses "Unless you plan on keeping us exclusively defensive, boss?"
"Much as I would like that, it would be stupid and a waste." I shake my head, earning a tiny nod from him "I already have an AV secured and ready to move when the work here is done."
"AV's a good start." He hums "But one bird won't change all that much."
Instead of answering verbally, I directly flick him the outer schematic of my current flying tank, the loadout and capabilities without any technical details.
He blinks and a moment later he lets out a whistle "Alright I take that back. This girl will probably fuck a lot of peoples' days up." He shakes his head "Still don't recommend relying on it exclusively."
"We will obviously expand combat assets over time." I assure him "But something tells me it isn't the quantity of the vehicles you are worried about."
"Eyup." He smacks his lips "AVs are great for power projection and low range surgical strikes, but in a big fuck off city like this? You need APCs. APCs for days."
Feeling a bit of amusement bubbling up at his tone, I ask "Not tanks?"
"Tanks are old school." He scowls and waves the idea off "Too clunky and expensive, and any dumbass with a net connection can just drone them to death from their basement."
Shaking his head he goes on "Nah, you want something fast, affordable, and armored enough to haul your troops around. I don't need to tell you how most of the urban combat is going to depend on cybernetics these days, but you still need a reliable delivery system to get your boys in and out without leaving them out in the open."
Tapping my metallic chin in thought for a brief while I let out a hum "You make some very good arguments. I'll look into it. Might even design an APC or two myself if I feel like it."
He shoots me an odd look "Is there anything you can't build, boss?"
"This building." I answer instantly "Far too tedious."
The veteran snorts "Right. Glad you were willing to hear me out. Even if it doesn't pan out the boys will still appreciate it."
"And I'm sure I will appreciate them whenever someone decides to test us." I say dryly, much to the man's amusement "No issues with the armory and strongpoint layouts?"
A proper security grid demanded a touch more complexity than simply sticking a bunch of guards on top of buildings and hoping for the best. Thankfully Logos and I spent many a night doing some... architectural minmaxing for the lack of a better term.
Both the factory and warehouse had their own armories and strongpoints, connected through concealed passages and blended into the regular architecture that would give the defenders both the ability to move around unmolested, and attack from concealment where the enemy least expected.
The tower followed the same principle, except it size and shape demanded a far more dispersed garrison layout.
Despite that, most of the defense plan was concentrated on the ground floor and the overlook, with hidden passages that connected the two. It was the first line of defense and while I did make sure there were some strong points on a few floors above it, any sort of fighting up there would have to be a last resort.
And that kind of close quarters mess was better done with my drones anyway.
When the construction crews were done with their work, the ground floor resembled a bunker complex more than it did something belonging to a residential building, the only non defensive parts of it were the core where the elevators and clinics would be situated.
It would make the perfect killing ground for anyone who decided to poke their heads in uninvited, and serve to protect my most valuable workers as they needed to be accessible downstairs for any kind of proper business to occur.
Especially once we were finished with all the pretend windows and lights.
Anyone observing closely would almost definitely notice something was off, but outright hiding it was never the goal. Providing my men with strong points that would give them a massive advantage over any attacker was.
"Can't rightly complain." Nick answered "Cozy place to kill dumbasses from, that's for damn sure." A moment later he stood up and faced me "What about the automated defenses? You said you'd get back to us on those."
Of course, like any self respecting techie I'd already constructed the HMG turrets that would be installed both inside and outside the walls, but not just yet.
"Still waiting for the cybersecurity suite to get done. No point in doing anything before that." I reassure him "I'll give you the layout when it becomes relevant."
"That'll mean we will have to reshuffle patrol schedules again." He points out.
"So they will be reshuffled." I shrug "The current state of things is a stopgap. By the time we are ready to open for business the rest of your former colleagues should have their upgrades done, and the Chief of Security will make a more permanent plan."
The moment I mentioned the position, and indirectly the one who held it, I saw his eyes narrow. The expression disappeared almost immediately but to my Optics it might as well had been a minute long glare.
'Probably should nip that one in the bud.' I sigh internally and stare him dead in the eyes "Is there a problem with my choice in staff, Mr. Schmidt?"
I see his breath catch, and the look he gives me becomes a lot more cautious. He was actively trying to conceal his reaction then.
"Not at all, sir." He replies in a reflexively professional tone, straightening his back and visibly holding back from snapping a salute.
Ah, so we are on autopilot now.
Shame I wasn't about to let that fly.
I simply cross my arms and begin patiently tapping my foot.
The rhythmic taps quickly make him feel awkward and he soon realizes I wasn't about to let this go as he lets out a slow sigh "You won't hear a peep from us about it, sir. We know how to follow orders. The chain of command will be respected."
"That is appreciable, but I'd rather not let resentment build up over something that is easily fixed." I say, not outright reprimanding but still firm "Voice your complaint."
"She's barely spoken to us." He practically forces the words out, not wanting to fuck his new job up by talking shit about his employer's mother but being made to anyway "Just gave us the building plans and patrol routes before leaving."
"That should be the usual practice, no?"
"Which is why I wouldn't be complaining about it if you didn't force me to." He retorts earning a light nod from me, that was fair enough "We are used to working with one of our own doing the coordinating but its not like her orders were incompetent or anything. We'll get used to each other. Just give it time."
"That is good to hear." I nod "I have no qualms about you keeping to your old camaraderie, but let me make one thing clear." My voice flattens as I lean in with narrowed Optics, and I see his muscles tense beneath the skin "Any order from her is an order from me, and any insubordination against her is insubordination against me. Do we understand each other?"
"Perfectly, sir." He nods immediately, not even registering the beads of sweat running down the side of his face "I'll make things clear to the boys too."
"Excellent." I say, pleased "Keep up the good work, Mr. Schmidt." I tap his shoulder lightly.
Leaving the slightly unnerved man behind, I begin strolling up the building floor by floor while I went over the conversation in my mind.
It was true that my mother was inexperienced when it came to leading a proper professional force, and that the more practical choice would have been to give a pro the positon.
But that was simply not acceptable. The position of Chief of Security demanded one qualifier before the discussion about competence or experience even began, and that was Trust.
Anyone in such a position would need to have access to almost everything the company controlled to do their job, up to and including my own private spaces (it was an annoying concession of privacy but practicality demanded that security have a way to rush in if needed) as well as indirect access to much classified data if they were at all skilled in subterfuge.
And giving that sort of access to relative unknowns, promising as they were, was the same as committing protracted suicide.
Once they had well and truly proven themselves though? We could discuss things then. It wasn't like I wanted my mother stressing over things on the daily to be a permanent thing.
Shaking that line of thought off, I began observing the work going on around me as I went up floor by floor, ignoring the gawking construction workers who at least had the professional pride to keep walking as they did so.
While the factory and warehouse were pretty much done now, waiting only for the industrial equipment to be delivered, the tower was still undergoing repairs and basic decoration, flooring, wall panting, that sort of thing.
The central staircase had been widened despite my minor temptation to just skip it entirely and add an extra couple elevators, making the whole building feel much less cramped, so long as we never allowed the hallways to turn into the local trash heap like in the megabuildings.
I might just turn to murder if anyone did that.
I spent a good ten minutes simply looking things over, enjoying the satisfaction of good work being done, and then I'd reached the third highest floor.
Its design was modern, the coloring of the wide hallway was mostly white with a bit of extra soft paints added to prevent it from looking completely sterile.
The apartments were roomy and large enough to support a full family unit without feeling cramped, and a few of them were already filled with unpacked boxes sent over by their prospective residents.
It was the luxury area for those I considered the most important, both to protect, and to reward.
The floor above it was far darker in coloring, purposefully made to feel ominous as I shamelessly ripped off the Arasakas' color scheme of black and red for the entire massive currently empty space.
The only point of distinction was the large looming logo of my company in the form of a stylized half-bone half-cybernetic skull framed by a cog.
Once the first waves of nomads brought my goodies over this would become my workshop, my lab, and my clinic all in one. Once complete it would make my old workspace feel like a caveman's tool shed.
Smiling at the mental image, I reached the top of the building.
The hallways of the uppermost floor was decorated not with modern corporatism or practical brutality but with an artificial facsimile of a warm wooden parquet. Pots already filled with tropical plant life flanked the waiting room, and the entrance to my future home was just as old fashioned in style as that which surrounded it.
It was only a momentary whim when I ordered the work to be done but I couldn't help but delight in the results.
Sure it was a bit over the top but let's be honest here, I was a young man who just got his hands on a personal penthouse.
I wasn't ever not going to choose something overly dramatic but still very cool looking.
Pushing the old style double doors open, I stepped into the living room and dining area of the loft. It was mostly empty for now as the furniture was still coming in but what little was there followed the same old timey style I'd gone with, and was well illuminated.
The large windows facing opposite the entrance gave a perfect view of the downright excessive balcony outside, which was already half covered in decorative greenery.
Shame I had to limit it due to the AV landing pad but I did still need to consider some practicality.
The room was flanked on two sides by separate staircases leading off in different directions, one to my mother's wing of the home, and the other to mine, both the size of large family apartments.
It was too much, excessive, unnecessary...
It was exactly what we deserved.
Just then I heard familiar footsteps coming from the former direction and saw mom inching down the staircase with a large box in her hands. It probably weighed as much as she did but she wasn't troubled by he weight at all.
As it should be.
"Need any help with that?" I call out despite it.
"Its fine!" She answers from behind the box "I mixed the damn armoires up."
"It happens." I chuckle.
She hefts the box down and takes a deep breath, then looks up at me and beams "How was the show?"
"Exhausting." I exhale but smile despite that "Still worth it though."
"I knew you could handle it." She smiles "Did any of them try anything?"
"Stop pretending you didn't watch it." I deadpan and she smirks "I can deal with idiots talking out of their ass on my own."
"If you are sure." She shrugs "Pizza?"
"Please." I sigh in contentment at the very idea and she walks over to the kitchen.
Following along I ask "How are the new recruits treating you?"
"Them?" She blinks, then shrugs and reaches for a slice of pizza before pushing the whole box into my waiting hands, an amused glint in her eyes as she chewed down before answering "I have no complaints. They are still a bit jittery taking orders from an unknown but it shouldn't be a problem."
"Think its just a question of getting used to each other?" I ask, showing a slice down my gullet.
"They seem professional." She says like it explained everything.
Which it did, for the most part.
"Let's hope no issues crop up then." I accept her answer and get back to devouring the food of the gods.
A moment later however I feel a buzz in my head and immediately answer the holo call.
[Ms. Jones.]
[Magos.] The one-eyed Fixer nods in greeting, though the hint of urgency in her tone was impossible to miss [One of my teams caught a cyberpsycho, I need you to get to him immediately.]
Narrowing my Optics I ask [Why?]
[They caught him mid outburst, lost half their team taking him down alive.] She informs me calmly but I catch the regret hiding in her tone [He seems to be resisting it, coming in and out of lucidity as we speak. I've told the team to take him to the lab, but I'm not sure how long the window will last.]
Holding back my immediate answer I pause for a second, doing the closest equivalent of looking the woman in the eye over the holo as I could and asking [Is this man worth saving?]
Translation: Do I try to preserve him, or learn as much as possible?
Her answer is instant and absolute [Yes.]
[Very well. I am on my way. Magos out.] I end the call.
Seeing me stand up, mom frowns "What happened?"
"Emergency came up from Jones." I say and I'm already walking "I'll be back in the morning."
"Stay safe." She calls over.
Smiling at the easy trust I exit into the waiting room and speak "Logos, you hear all that?"
[Affirmative.]
"Think your method is ready?"
[As ready as it will ever be without live testing.] He says after a blink of hesitation.
I grin "Then let's go save us a cyberpsycho."