Chapter 685 - Bombshell...

It doesn't take long after Afton's meeting with House and Tamia for him to make preparations for his intervention in the Enclave, Brotherhood war.

He was currently waiting in the newly made control room that was created atop the Think Tank. It's here where he could simultaneously control literally everything, from the teleportation satellites, orbital lasers, and troop patrols, to the light switches inside each and every Bulwark home.

Of course, due to this place being incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands, there had been many security blocks to prevent people from gaining access to it... The first of which required Afton's flesh shaped into a key, the lock would take DNA samples from many parts of the object simultaneously before confirming their authenticity and freshness.

Obviously, this was almost impossible to unlock without Afton's plant arms... Rose might be able to do it in the future once she gets better with her abilities, but that's only if her DNA is similar enough to his own to bypass the lock.

Other than that, there were many other obstacles, including Glados who keeps an everpresent eye on the control room itself.

High-tech control room aside, Afton was observing the many, many monitors being transmitted from various locations around the Mojave, New California, and other parts of North America, included areas in which the Institute is most active.

He ignores most of the screens simply depicting empty streets and buildings, instead focussing on the battlefield where the largest conflict of the war between the Enclave and Brotherhood was occurring.

Releasing a sigh, takes a glance at the monitor which showed Josie and Rose who were visiting Jacobstown, Marcus, and the rest of the mutants... Why were they visiting such a place? Well, both he and Josie thought it'd be a good idea to expose her to many different types of people... Rose may one day be in charge of Bulwark, so they had to make sure she wouldn't discriminate against anyone... Not even Supermutants.

Of course, he didn't trust the Nightkin, even after their schizophrenia was mostly healed, so he'd sent a small army of Ultimo-Bots to keep tabs on them.

Shaking his head, he looks back to the battle, "I promised Rose to save the innocents affected by this war... And I intend to keep my word." he quietly states.

"Glados, power up the Orbital Lasers and have them at the ready... Mark each and every Enclave base and Brotherhood fortification... Try to avoid places that also contain civilians.

"Affirmative."

He slowly nods to himself and chews his lip anxiously... These weapons were created to fight off the impending Alien invasion that Shani supposedly saw... Yet now he was about to annihilate two major factions with them.

"Have House ready to secure the major positions after the enemy troops are wiped out... Also, make sure that those care packages land where they're supposed to, and aren't stolen by bandits in the meantime.

"Affirmative... Orbital Bombardment, ready. Proceed?"

"Pro-cee... Wait, what's that?" Afton suddenly asks, focussing on a monitor which showed something being launched down from the sky... It didn't look to be landing anywhere important, only an average-sized village just outside the Mojave...

Fortunately for the people occupying the village, the object was falling close enough to the Mojave borders that the anti-air fortification could pick it up.

A few missiles are launched and fly towards it, easily destroying the thing and creating a big plume of smoke from the explosion.

...

Only, smoke wasn't the only thing released once the object was destroyed... From the plume of smoke, a thick green gas quickly started descending from the sky, straight towards the village. It was falling so fast that Afton wondered if it was just dense powdered metal...

It quickly reaches the village and envelopes it, the surveillance inside the village allowing him to see the effects of the gas on its occupants...

He was expecting everyone to start mutating into monsters, or turning into zombies... Or even going into an enraged state and start killing each other... But none of this happens, the only noticeable thing is when the villagers start randomly falling over unconscious... No... Judging by how still they were, the villagers had simply just slumped over dead.

"Father, more objects incoming." Glados states, allowing Afton to now see the many, many similar objects falling on almost every populated location, from the West Coast to the East Coast.

"Glados! Begin evacuation procedures! Get everyone in Bulwark to the bunkers, and warn House! Now!" he shouts, turning his attention towards where Josie and Rose were.

Jacobstown hadn't been hit yet, but it was only a matter of time. He quickly has the Ultimo-Bots retrieve the duo from the Jacobstown mansion and take them outside so the teleportation relays can pick them up.

He watches as Josie and Rose are taken outside and begin to wait to be taken away... Another object begins falling towards Jacobstown, but Afton was sure he'd be able to get his wife and daughter out before it hits... The satellite locks on and... Doesn't work...

"What!?" he exclaims, while grabbing the monitor, "Glados! What the fuck is holding it!?"

"There is some sort of obstruction of the wavelengths responsible for transporting material... Any attempts to teleport will result in the person's insides becoming outsides... I am sorry, father."

Afton pales as the anti-air turrets target the object over, destroying it and unleashing the gas, which rapidly begins falling towards Rose and Josie. He can't do anything but watch as they are enveloped in the green gas, a look of absolute despair decorating his face.

"FUUCK! NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! FUCK!" he shouts while slamming his fist on a nearby desk, easily demolishing it.

"Father, the battlefield." Glados warns, as many more objects begin falling on the Enclave, Brotherhood battlefield, along with every other populated location in America.... Or maybe even the rest of the world.