The Way of the Future: Age of Machines(Completed)

Prelude To The War

The world was always a delight in the sight of Artemis. Even with the severe lack of empathy and humanity which were vital for his kind, he was still fond of nature he knew once lived on Earth but have thus far died out due to the disaster which took place before he woke up as a machine.

He was standing at the top of one of the defense turrets situated in the defense perimeter around the base. He was wearing his usual attire, black trench coat attire and a cold expresson staring at the distance in front of him. He was watching the hill a kilometer ahead using his mechanical eyes to have a bird's eye view.

There was a formation of nimbus clouds forming beyond the hill, it seemed like a storm was approaching. The weather sensors predicted a sudden thunderstorm to form and douse the base and the surrounding areas with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water.

It was a sweet weather event, something that reminded on Earth but was less lovely, no trees on the ground with their roots to absorb the water, there were no bacteria to make use of the rain, there was nothing. The rain was just some weather phenomena back on Earth with no real value.

It watered the soil but the soil was barren, deserts stretched across entire continents of what was once lush and vibrant ecosystems. Here, Artemis could enjoy the natural process of Rain and its benefits to the environment altogether.

He felt, pleased. He felt a sense of accomplishment and the will to bring back what was lost. It was an adoration of nature that was embedded deep within his stone heart.

As he continued to gaze, there was an alert from the observation posts camouflaged near the outskirts of the forest. The observation posts were disguised as small wooden huts that were abandoned and had no real value, they were covered in weeds and vegetation while also being infested with insects and the small critters which infested the forest floor.

Inside those wooden huts were small cubic instruments used to scan the surrounding area of 5x5 kilometers. These cubic instruments could detect vibrations, sound waves and specific heat signatures from specified biological entities.

Three of the ten eastern posts situated near the Senadate Theocracy have sent an alarm to the base. Groups of unknown entities, probably humanoids, were entering the forest. Artemis thought it was the normal influx of scouts who'd regularly be sent by the Theocracy, they were easily handled and nothing was given to the enemy.

But after ten minutes, eight of the ten posts reported the same movements with each group being larger than the last. Several of the instruments used to detecting heat picked up abnormal temperature increases where the groups first entered.

There was only one explanation in Artemis' mind.

The Senadate Theocracy was using scorching the forests, burning the outskirts. What was the reason? The most likely, he thought; was that the Senadate Theocracy planned on launching a full-on invasion straight through the forest. This was unlikely but most probable.

Unless, if Artemis was overestimating them.

Maybe they were simply burning those parts of the forests for expansion or for farmland? Maybe there were religious reasons concerning certain traditions? It was still up to mere speculation until he sends out drones to confirm any of the assumptions.

Artemis was trying to figure out the possible motive of the enemy, Caitlyn's voice sounded in Artemis' head.

[The indoctrination process for this, 'Liz' girl is underway, Valentine has regained 20 percent of her strength but she still needs time,"