Jeurridam Ch. 11: The Vault Matrix

"Well," Dale began, "I'm willing to put all differences aside to find my son. We can join forces if things take that sour of a turn."

"And who said I wanted to partake in this battle? I've already lost too much as is and I'm not losing anything else..." Alistair said, quick to shoot it down.

"Alistair, please..." Heaven begged.

"Kid... I understand you're on ice right now but if I help you this time, I lose everything." Alistair, responded.

"Well it's a loss I'm willing to accept." I said, standing beside Heaven.

"Me too." June responded, "For my brother Swish! I know he'd sacrifice everything all over again just to help us out. And what would your son do?" It struck a chord with Alistair.

"Okay..." He said.

"Alright, we're going to Zanir..." June said, looking at us all.

"But Merchant Clan must stay..." Heaven added.

"As well as Logatti Clan..." I finished.

"Where Zanir is camped out at is a strict no conflict area and I'm only bringing the leaders! Dad," Heaven said walking over to Dale, "Can I trust that you will act decent when I take you to him...?"

"Of course..." Dale said, his face void of any emotion. Heaven wasn't bought at all.

"Can... I... trust... you?" He asked again, his tone biting.

"Yes!" Dale responded. Heaven shook his head.

"I don't believe you... If you come, we're blindfolding you." Heaven said. Dale wasn't happy at all with how much strife Heaven was giving him but it truly put into perspective how all his kids felt about him. If one of them had a problem it was just that kid's problem. However if all of them had the same problem then it most certainly was something Dale had to change...

"Very well." Dale said, "Miguel... Take our forces back to A99." It was clear Dale was very much hurt by Heaven's brackish attitude towards him.

Alistair squeezed his watch.

"All Merchant Clan fighters stand down and let the Logatti leave without incident." He said.

"Roger." A Merchant Clan commander said back. We watched as the militants left the garage. The tension diffused a bit but weren't at all dissipated. Everyone was on edge about Dale's arrival to Area 51.

"You know," June said to Heaven, "We don't have to bring either of them to give the information... I just don't like the idea of bringing Dale to the place..."

"I'm not so certain how Zanir would react either..." Heaven responded, "But it could drive the message home. We'd have two leaders of the Mojave teaming together for one cause... It'd show the importance of what's at stake! It's not just about Ezekiel! It's about our home!"

"But still. Your father is not someone..."

"Look..." Heave said losing patience, "I'll watch him... make sure he does nothing to place us in jeopardy. He'll be blind folded..."

"He should also be tied up." June added.

"If it makes you boys feel more secure then sure..." Dale said, not pleased one bit about what he had to go through.

We soon were on the road, heading north to Area 51. Dale was blindfolded and tethered to the turret above his head. The whole ride back, Heaven watched his father, the boy's eyes filled with nothing but resenting feelings towards his father. I knew Heaven and his father's relationship was, bad but I didn't know it was this bad! It just seemed Heaven was quiet for so long and things finally unraveled and snapped. Not to mention, he was still quite worried on whether this was a wise decision or not.

It was not long before we were parking the buggy in the lake bed. Heaven and I untied Dale from the turret and he took his blindfold off. Upon seeing this place, Dale became very confused.

"What is this place?" Dale asked, looking at the various desert buggies neatly parked here. Heaven didn't bother to respond, only leading him forth towards the facilitation area. June and Alistair met up with us.

"Basil is not going to be happy about this..." June said.

"Fuck Basil... If he has a problem he can suck it. Today's reeeeeeaaaallllly not the day..." Heaven said coldly. It left Dale, once again surprised. This was not the same son he knew three months ago.

"He's hungover..." I mouthed to Dale, hoping to lighten the mood.

We reached the square, the median between the hangars and the main facilities.

"BASIL!!!!!!!!!" Heaven screamed out. It didn't take long for the anxious little leader to appear. He wasn't at all happy.

"Why do you all persist on bringing more and more people? What the hell is wrong with you?" Basil asked.

"Because shit is getting rather serious and he's another person who can help now where the hell is Zanir?" Heaven responded.

"Why? What's going on? Who is he and why is he here?" Basil insisted.

"I'm his father," Dale said, "Leader of the Logatti, now where is Zanir. I need to speak with him..."

"Logatti? You let him know where this place is? Heaven, how could you?" Basil asked, quite upset.
"We blindfolded him and tied him to a turret and spun it around so he couldn't possibly have the slightest clue about this place's location. He and I aren't exactly on good terms right now but can you please show us where Zanir is?" Heaven asked, nearing his limits of patience.

"Well if you're not on good terms, why bring him here?" Basil asked.

"BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MATTER!!!!!! STOP BEING SO DAMN CHALLENGING AND TAKE US TO ZANIR!!!!!!!" Heaven exploded. Everyone stopped to look at us.

"Okay..." Basil responded, leading us to the hangar where the power cell was being built.

There Zanir was, overseeing the construction. He patrolled around, making sure not a bolt was out of place.

"Zanir..." Basil said. Zanir looked at us, knots forming in his stomach as his eyes fell upon Dale. He came over.

"What the fuck?" He asked.

"Long time no see?" Dale teased, knowing it'd piss Zanir off.

"Explain..." Zanir demanded staring at the man with nothing but rage.

"Zanir," Alistair began, "You know about the Occupancy, right? Revivalists are in Jeurridam to stay and a few people have been disappearing in Henderson, where things are a bit serious. We've learned that Ezekiel didn't come home last night."

"Are you insinuating that Zeek has been taken by Revivalists? Why would they do that?" Zanir asked.

"For a number of reasons," Alistair responded, "They'd know his title, they'd know who he has ties with and they'd use him for a ransom to get to you... ultimately, we believe it is about you."

"How the hell would these people even know about me? Why is this man here?" Zanir asked, disgusted by the sight of Dale.

"I'm here because I'm rangling up what's mine, and my kids are here!" Dale said in his defense. Zanir rolled his eyes.

"I don't get it? You want me to find Zeek? For all we know he could have run off again! Jeurridam is huge and things are not so hot for me right now... Finding Zeek would be a huge undertaking and I don't know if I can..." Zanir said.

"And what's stopping you?" Dale asked, not satisfied with Zanir's answer. Zanir looked past us all.

"Him..." He said. We all turned to see the giant thirteen foot tall sentinel standing there, in shock to see Dale. Beside him was Beth, holding a laptop. Her eyes fell upon her father.

"Dad?" She asked, not able to believe the sight.

"Awe, my baby girl..." Dale said, rushing over to her with arms out stretched. Beth sidestepped him, not wanting to be touched by him.

"Why are you here? Who brought you here? Why'd Basil even let you in! You shouldn't even know about this place..." She said, deeply upset.

"I'm here because of the Revivalists. After seeing them come into Jeurridam, I had to rangle up my family... It's too dangerous for you all to be out here by yourselves..." He said, looking back and forth between Beth and Heaven. Big Daddy whirred in skepticism as he began to make his way over to Zanir. The sentinel gave Dale some serious side eye.

"Zeek's gone missing and now we're blaming the Revivalists..." Heaven sighed, clenching his head. It was clear he hated the extreme direction this was going.

"What? How...?" Beth asked, quite shocked.

"The Revivalists are occupying Henderson right now." Alistair said.

"Are we absolutely positive this is the Revivalists doing?" Zanir asked.

"Not quite... I'm sending informants to ask questions at the Henderson Justice..." Alistair said.

"Why there?" Dale wondered.

"That's where Zeek worked to pull in a few extra pesos." Heaven answered.

"Wow... this boy was working in a judge's office? How did he manage to get that?" Dale asked, unable to believe it.

"It's beside the point! The point is that Zeek is gone and no one knows where he is..." Heaven sighed.

"And what are we going to do if the Revivalists have them? We certainly can't face off with them." Zanir said.

"I'd back you..." Dale said, warranting a look of surprise from, Beth, Zanir and Big Daddy.

"So will I." Alistair added. Big Daddy whirred out angrily, warranting a sharp head turn from Zanir.

"What do you mean you're not letting me partake in this? It's me decision... I'm doing it!" Zanir fired back, as big Daddy whirred in response, "No, these people are not worthless! In case you haven't realized, they've helped you out," Zanir was starting to get angry, "I get Dale betrayed you but it's not about you! It's about Zeek and the fact that he and this city may need our help!"

Big Daddy stomped, pushing on the frame of the power cell, causing the entire hangar to rattle.

"STOP!!!!" Zanir screamed, "This isn't about you! YOU'RE NOT THE ONE IN DANGER!!!!!," The sentinel pointed at Zanir, whirring wildly, "I know I'm in danger, I know what's at stake! You and the Leer can fucking LEAVE!!!" Those words seem to upset the sentinel. He began to rampage in the hangar, pushing over what Zanir and the engineers worked so hard to build. The workers had to flee or risk being crushed by falling debris. All this did was make Zanir angrier and angrier, "QUIT!!!!!!!!! I SHOULD HAVE NEVER ENDED YOUR COMMAND PROTOCOL!!! You're acting like a child, destroying this stuff! This is not fair AT ALL!!!!! You act like I asked for ANY OF THIS!!!! I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOU TO PUT THIS BRAIN IMPLANT IN MY HEAD! I didn't ask for the responsibility of being in charge of the MOST SENSITIVE DATA IN ALL OF HISTORY!!!! Everything I've went through was BECAUSE OF YOU!!!!!!!! I've lost a person I loved already and I'll be DAMNED before I lose another!!!!"

Big Daddy and Zanir were face to face. The mech was completely taken aback by this. He looked down, seeing Zanir was levitating under some strange power. The mech whirred in alarm.
"I'm hovering?" Zanir said, looking down. He slowly drifted back to the tarmac of the hangar, seriously shocked.

Not a single jaw was held in place. All hang from surprise. Zanir clenched his head as he tried to make sense of this. Big Daddy whirred, telling Zanir exactly what had caused it.

"It's the nanites?" Zanir asked, surprised, "They're made of gravitanium?"

"Yes," Beth said, stepping forth with the laptop, "According to your vitals, your nanites comprise of over thirty percent of your body's organ mass after your latest injuries. Like the nanites that compose of the gravity blades, yours are triggered by electricity via your nervous system. It just so happened that thirty percent nanites for organ mass is enough for you gain gravity repelling properties." Big Daddy whirred once again.

"So this is a side affect of my brain implant?" Zanir asked, big Daddy steadily whirring, "No this is not enough reason for me to leave. I know how important the brain implant is, how much more advanced it is than others, but a friend needs me! Everyone here would stop at nothing to help you if you needed it. Stop being so damn SELFISH!!!"

"Zanir..." June said. He looked back to see everything lifting off the ground around him.

"Shit..." Zanir said, panicking. Everything fell to the ground with a thud.

"Okay," Beth said, recovering from the fall, "The gravity-kinetic abilities are highly emotion based. Anger reduces gravitational pressure. Fear, panic and stress may amplify it. This is a very, very dangerous property to harness..."

"I can't believe this." Zanir sighed, pacing around back and forth. This was something hard for us to wrap our heads around. We couldn't imagine how hard it was for Zanir. This was yet another thing he'd have to learn about, to control, to master...

"We can get through this..." Beth said, hoping to calm the boy.

"If it isn't one thing it's another! Shit just never goes to plan..." Zanir said, sounding as calm as ever. However, the amount of frustration written across his face spoke volumes. He certainly felt hapless under all this pressure. Big Daddy whirred out once again.

"I know we need to leave but I'm not leaving... without... ZEEEK!!!!" Zanir fired back, "You're your own person... and can get up and go. You have the power to take your sensitive data north... Again, I didn't ask for this, didn't ask you to do this to me! If you want to continue with your vision of spreading a mechanized military. Do it yourself... You made it clear it's all about what you want..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." June said, stepping before Zanir, "You risking everything? The future of the world rests on your shoulders and you're stepping before an entire military for one person...?"

"That person, is my son!" Dale said defensively.

"I hate to say it, but June is right. Everything we've done over the past few months, has been for you Zanir. We've built you up, so you can accomplish this all... I'm not saying don't help Zeek. I'm saying don't go about this the same way you go about everything else, head first..." Beth said.

"You think this is just about Zeek and not ALL of Jeurridam? I always think out everything. Why are you saying this?" Zanir asked.

"Because, we're going against people who have more advanced weapons than we do, more advanced tactics and an insane amount of numbers... How do you expect to go head to head with them..." She asked.

"I don't want to get head to head with them. I know nothing of the Revivalists apart from what I've heard, what I've read. I don't know how they operate! I just want to find out where they have Zeek, where their base of operation is. I'm not going to engage them like I'd do rogue banditos. That would be stupid... I'm going to get something from them that I know could hurt them, information..." Zanir said back.

"I can help with information. My informants are all in Henderson, figuring out what's going on, what's where. We do know that the abducted people have been taken to a vault to the west within Dredge Valley..." Alistair said.

"Really? So we're going to start with the Vault Matrix?" Zanir asked.

"Yes... It's a labyrinth. If the abductees are there, getting in would be one thing. Getting out would be something else entirely though if not impossible." Alistair said.

"I know where I can get maps of the vaults. Every single vault, even the ones here, are connected to a central Vault Network near the Hoover Dam." Zanir said.

"We have detailed maps." Basil said.

"You're partaking?" Zanir asked, surprised.

"No... Not at all. I'm only helping because, despite us being Revivalists posers, we all have a common enemy and that is the Revivalists! I won't get my hands dirty like you all but I will do what I can. Just know that you won't be allowed back here after this... Once you leave this place this time, you can't come back. I don't want you bringing war back here. We'd get decimated..." Basil said.

"I told you, we can protect you! We can help you even build." Alistair said to him.

"No! After this, I don't want anything to do with you people! You came here and brought your problems! I put up with it long enough. I'll help you while you're here but once you leave, we're done..." Basil responded.

"That's fine..." Zanir said, not really caring, "Let's get a move on. I want to be up in the highlands..." Zanir pulled up his hollo-watch, summoning forth Orb.

This moment was one of the most heart shattering ever! Zanir slowly turned to to Big Daddy, punching in codes.

"You're completely free. The Leer is no long under my command. It's under yours... All the sensitive data you created, is back in your hands." Zanir said. Big Daddy shook his head, stepping forth, refusing to let Zanir go.

The angry boy sent his gravity blades in with a mere thought, the invincible weapons stopping the sentinel right in his tracks. Big Daddy whirred out in his defense. Zanir's hardened gaze softened up as Big Daddy began to reveal some very sensitive information.

"Nooooo.... No... How could I forget... how could I forget?" Zanir said, Big Daddy steadily stepping forth, trying to plead with Zanir. The blades grew tense, causing Big Daddy to halt once again, "Stay back!!!" Big Daddy did as was told.

"Oh my God..." Beth said, looking down at her laptop. Her laptop was still linked to Big Daddy's communications.

"What?" June said, rushing forth. Big Daddy whirred out to Zanir in a last ditch attempt to plead with his son.

"You split the information between the Leer and the brain implant because you knew something like this would happen. You knew that if it ever came down to something like this, I'd still be dependent on you! That's just... wrong. So wrong... But I did something you told me never to do and that was duplicate the information on the brain implant to something less secure... You want your complete information, here..." Zanir said, grabbing the laptop from Beth, "Here's all one hundred percent of it!" He shut down the laptop, taking off the bottom plate. He got the solid state drive out, tossing it to Big Daddy, "Put it in the Leer for security..."

He left Big Daddy standing there, heart broken. The sentinel had to watch his son walk away and it was nothing he could do. He couldn't force him to comply anymore, not after seeing how dangerous Zanir was becoming. It was just a brutal and heart wrenching separation.

We got the map from Basil, the boy walking us to our buggies. He seemed quite conflicted.

"I wish I could help more, had something to back you up but we don't have a strong militant force. We're literally nothing and for that, I apologize we have to depart like this." Basil said.

"I understand. You have a city to run. Good luck and fairwell." Zanir said, his tone having a serious bite. Basil nodded, hating this reality.

"My offer still stands, boy. The Merchant Clan will always be here to help... Your city is starting off in a similar fashion to mine and I can help." Alistair said.

"I'm sorry," Basil responded, "But the trust just isn't there... I can't afford any more risks..."

"Very well..." Alistair nodded, smiling at the boy.

We were off, heading to the highlands. Dale reluctantly was tied up and blindfolded again. He was in the buggy with Heaven June and Alistair. Beth decided to ride with Zanir and I. She plugged up a back-up SSD to the laptop. She began reviewing the changes in Zanir's vitals more thoroughly.

"Okay, there are some things I've terribly overlooked..." Beth said, shocked.

"Like what?" Zanir asked, wanting all the details on the matter.

"Each one of the nanites in your body has the capacity to repel gravity just as well as the blades. Considering the nanites compose of thirty percent of your organ mass and are now your blood, that is an extreme... amount of power! An god level amount!" Beth said.

"Am I hearing this right?" June asked over the air.

"Yes, the same blades that have the power to lift a truck off the ground, penetrate any material! Travel at speeds that outpace bullets! These blades alone are quite powerful, and it's just over thirty of them. Zanir has millions upon millions of nanite clusters in his body, fuzed with organs, fuzed with his blood!!! I can't even begin to put into perspective the amount of power that is coursing through his veins. Zanir is a walking doomsday weapon..." Beth said.