As the morning light filtered through the wooden shutters of the Governor’s study, Lane sat at his desk, scanning the reports brought in by the scouts. The enemy army had taken their time under the cover of darkness, methodically packing their supplies and preparing for departure. By sunrise, they had begun their march away from Lina’s borders.

  Lane exhaled, feeling the tension he hadn't realized he was holding finally begin to ease. It wasn’t over—not yet—but this was the first real sign that their gambit had worked.

  A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. Mario stepped in, "Good news, I hope?"

  Lane nodded, holding up the reports. "They’ve left. The scouts are shadowing them, making sure they don’t double back.”

  Mario nodded then leaned near the window.

  “Still, we can’t assume they’re gone for good.” Lane set the papers down. “The Duke won’t let this slide. He lost too much face with the Count’s capture. If he doesn’t retaliate directly, he’ll try something else.”

  Mario sighed, rubbing his temple. “Then we make sure Lina is ready for whatever comes next.”

  Lane nodded. “We start today.”

  With that, the two men left the study, stepping into the crisp morning air as Lina took its first breath of peace in what felt like a lifetime.

  +++

  Mario and Lane made their way to the lake, where the morning mist still clung to the water’s surface. Emilia remained at the makeshift hospital, tending to the few remaining patients. With the anxiety of the invasion finally gone, she could now focus fully on her work.

  The air was cool, carrying the scent of damp earth and fresh foliage. Near the shoreline, Zed and the Grayman stood waiting, the drone hovering idly beside them, its quiet hum blending with the gentle lapping of the water. The Manufactory, still imposing in its sheer size, now had scaffolding jutting from its sides as the Grayman worked tirelessly to repair it.

  Lane approached first, his gaze settling on Zed. “I owe you thanks,” he said, his voice steady. “For everything you’ve done so far. And for everything you’ll be doing in the future.”

  Zed met his eyes, his expression as unreadable as ever. “You needed a solution. I provided one. But don’t sell yourself short. You were the one who came up with the most bloodless way to achieve victory. If it had been me… well, let’s just say the outcome would have been far messier.”

  Lane smirked, shaking his head. “You did more than that. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off that bluff yesterday.” Then, turning his gaze to the Grayman, he added, “And of course, you, Mister. I just wish I knew what to call you besides just ‘Mister.’”

  The Grayman gave a small nod, his piercing gaze fixed on the horizon. “Our creators never bothered to give us names, so…” He shrugged, as if the matter was of little importance.

  For a brief moment, a flicker of something passed across Zed’s face—an emotion buried deep, a memory resurfacing. But just as quickly, it was gone, masked once more by his usual unreadable expression.

  "I see," Lane replied, a hint of pity in his voice. An awkward silence hung between them until Zed spoke up.

  "Why not Tek?"

  "Pardon, General?" the Grayman asked, his tone confused.

  "Why don't we call you Tek?" Zed repeated, his expression unreadable.

  The Grayman fell into thoughtful silence before nodding slowly. "Because I am a technician class, right, Sir?" Zed gave a slight nod.

  "I like it," the Grayman finally said, as if testing the name on his tongue.

  "You can call me Tek," he said, a rare beam of pride breaking through his usual stoic demeanor.

  Lane smirked, nodding in approval. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Tek," he said, extending his hand for a shake.

  Tek glanced at the offered hand for a brief moment before clasping it firmly. His grip was steady, practiced.

  Mario watched the exchange with quiet amusement, his lips twitching ever so slightly. "Well, now that introductions are out of the way, why did you bring us here again?" he asked, turning his gaze toward the lake.

  Zed directed their attention toward the Manufactory, its towering frame standing in stark contrast to the natural beauty of the lake. The massive structure, once a marvel of engineering, bore the scars of its violent descent—deep gashes ran along its armored hull, and sections of its reinforced plating were bent and scorched from the uncontrolled entry. Despite its battered exterior, the sheer scale of the facility was undeniable.

  Zed remarked, “Tek had been tirelessly working on repairing the Manufactory, ensuring it was at least operational. At the very least, it could function at around 60% capacity—enough to start producing essential equipment.”

  Tek paused in his work, glancing at Zed before nodding in agreement. "That’s true. The damage was worse than I initially thought. I’ve done what I can with local materials, but some of the key components require alloys and elements that simply don’t exist on a planet’s surface—not in any usable quantity, at least."

  Lane crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. "So, you're saying we’ve hit a wall? That we can't fully restore the Manufactory without… out of this world resources?"

  Zed exhaled sharply. "Not entirely. We can still make do with what we have, but we’ll be limited in production capability. Without those missing components, we can’t restore full automation, and efficiency will suffer."

  Mario crossed his arms, glancing at the towering structure before shifting his gaze back to Zed. "Alright, sounds simple enough. But what exactly do we need to build?"

  Lane stepped in. "Infrastructure, Mario. Tools, equipment—things to make Lina more self-sufficient. We need weapons, farming tools, machines to process raw materials efficiently. The Manufactory is key to all of that, but without the right resources, it's just a giant hunk of metal."

  Mario exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, Mr. Tek handles the technical side while we make sure the Manufactory has what it needs to work with. Sounds fair enough. But what about security? If the Count’s men come back or someone else decides to take Lina for themselves, we’re sitting ducks."

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Zed nodded. "That’s why securing the perimeter is just as important. We need watchtowers, defensive positions—maybe even a fortified wall if we have the materials for it. The Manufactory itself will be a target, especially once word spreads about what we’re doing here."

  Mario cracked his knuckles. "Alright then. Guess I’ve got my work cut out for me."

  Tek, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. "I'll provide schematics for whatever you need. But keep in mind, repairing the Manufactory is still my priority. The more resources I get, the more efficiently I can bring it back to full capacity."

  Lane gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Then let’s get to work. And our first work would be to mine that mountain," pointing towards the north.

  Mario followed Lane’s gaze to the distant northern mountains, their jagged peaks shrouded in a thin veil of mist. The range stretched across the horizon, untouched and rich with potential. He frowned slightly, already considering the logistics.

  "Mining, huh?" Mario said, scratching his chin. "That’s no small task. Do we even know what’s in there?"

  Lane nodded. "Before the Count and his army came, a small group of expeditioners I’ve commissioned reported traces of iron, copper, and possibly other useful metals. If we’re lucky, we might even find rare minerals."

  Tek, who had been silently listening, crossed his arms. "If you can extract sufficient quantities of titanium or tungsten, that would greatly improve our production capabilities. Right now, I’m forced to work with lower-grade metals, which limits what we can build."

  Mario sighed. "Alright, let’s assume we find what we need. How do we actually mine it? We don’t exactly have trained miners, let alone proper equipment."

  Zed stepped in. "The Manufactory, even at its current capacity, can produce basic mining tools. Pickaxes, drills, maybe even a steam-powered rock breaker if we refine enough metal. But manpower will be an issue. We’ll need workers to haul the materials and transport them here."

  Lane turned to Mario. "That’s where you come in. You know the people of Lina better than anyone. We need them to see this as an investment in their future, not just back-breaking labor."

  Mario exhaled sharply. "Convincing them won’t be easy, but I’ll talk to them. If we can show them results—tools, weapons, better infrastructure—then they’ll be more willing to put in the work."

  Lane smiled. "Good. Because once we get that mountain producing, Lina won’t just survive—we’ll thrive."

  Mario was humbled by Lane's statement—it gave him a sense of pride knowing that Lane was counting on him.

  Zed then spoke up. "To make things easier, I'll command the drones to scan the mountain. Their true function is geological surveying, after all. This way, we can ascertain exactly what minerals are available before we start digging."

  Mario and Lane perked up at Zed’s words. They had only seen the drones hover and glide briefly before, but this was something new, more precise and purposeful.

  Without hesitation, Zed activated his control module. A soft chime echoed from the device, and one of the drones hummed to life. In a split second, it adjusted its altitude, reoriented itself, and shot toward the northern mountain range with smooth, calculated precision.

  "This one will take a couple of minutes to reach the area," he explained, his tone calm but confident.

  Without skipping a beat, Zed turned his attention to the second drone. He activated it, and the machine powered up, immediately shooting off in the opposite direction. Its engines roared to life, and it ascended rapidly, its course diverging from the first drone’s.

  That one," he continued, "will take a few days to complete its mission. I’ve directed it to scan the entire continent. It’s a broader mission than the first one."

  He paused for a moment, then added with a hint of caution in his voice, "I had to give it a different route and approach. If I send it again straight up into space, it will most certainly be targeted by the weapons platform guarding that area. So, it will do an aerial survey instead. It’ll stay closer to the ground, ensuring it doesn’t raise any alarms or get shot down."

  Zed’s eyes tracked the drones as they ascended, both on their distinct paths. He knew that while the second drone’s mission would take much longer, it was the safer option given the threats they faced. He was prepared to wait, knowing that the data gathered by the second drone would be far more valuable in the long run.

  As the first drone returned to Zed after just a few minutes, it transmitted a detailed report on its findings. The scan had been swift but thorough, as it focused on the immediate geological features beneath the mountain range.

  Zed glanced at the data coming from the first drone and gave a quick summary to the others. "Alright, here’s what we’ve got beneath the mountain range: a lot of iron ore, mostly hematite and magnetite—perfect for steel. There’s copper in some areas, with traces of gold, though not a huge amount, but enough to be worth noting. We’ve also got lithium and cobalt, which are critical for batteries—good for long-term value. Manganese and zinc were found too, especially useful for industrial purposes. A bit of silver mixed in with the gold and copper veins. And lastly, there are small deposits of rare earth elements—lanthanum and cerium, mainly. Not huge quantities, but valuable for tech and military stuff."

  He paused, taking a breath. "In short, plenty of resources here, but we’ll need to plan carefully for extraction."

  "Perfect," Lane replied, nodding with a sense of purpose. "Mario and I will head out to meet with the administrative officials to arrange for the manpower. We’ll need the right crew to move things along."

  He shifted his focus back to the current situation. "As for raw materials, I believe we’ve got iron ores stacked up in the warehouses. They were meant to be used before the invasion, but with the foundry still in the works, they were never fully utilized." Lane's eyes met Zed's, a quiet understanding passing between them.

  Zed spoke, his voice with a hint of mystery. “Bring the raw materials here,” Zed said, his gaze focused on the ground as he considered his next words carefully. “The Manufactory isn’t what it seems. It’s not just a foundry… it’s more.”

  He paused, as if searching for the right explanation, but then shrugged slightly. “Bring the raw materials here, and you’ll see.”

  +++

  Mario and Lane had returned to the town and meet with the administrators to secure the workers they needed. As instructed, they began loading the iron ores onto horse-drawn carriages. Before noon, they made their way towards the lake where the Manufactory stood. The journey wasn’t long, but the sight of the imposing structure rising above the landscape left everyone in awe.

  The workers exchanged curious glances as they unloaded the ore at the base of the Manufactory. They had been told the structure was a “gift” from a Judge, something that had both intrigued and confused them. It was far grander than they had expected—a towering, mysterious building that seemed to pulse with an energy of its own.

  As they carefully stacked the iron ore outside, they couldn't help but wonder what purpose the Manufactory truly served. The design was unlike anything they had seen before. It wasn’t just a foundry—it felt almost alive, as though it was waiting for something... something they had yet to understand.

  "Looks impressive," one of the workers remarked, wiping sweat from his brow. "I heard it was meant for something big, but this... this is beyond anything I expected."

  Another worker nodded, still staring at the structure. "Yeah, it’s like it's got a life of its own. I’m curious to see what comes out of it."

  As the last of the iron ores were unloaded, the workers gathered around, waiting for Zed’s next instructions, eager to see the true capabilities of the Manufactory.

  Zed commented, "Wood is a versatile material. We’ll need it for structural support, fuel, and certain composite materials. Good thing this area is abundant with it."

  The workers, still gathered around, murmured among themselves, eager yet uncertain about what exactly would come next. Tek, who had been making adjustments to the Manufactory’s systems, finally looked up. "Once we secure a steady supply of both, we can begin production at a more reliable pace. But keep in mind, some components still require materials we don't have on this planet."

  Mario crossed his arms. "Then we work with what we have." He turned to Lane. "So, what’s the plan? Expand the logging efforts while we keep mining?"

  "Exactly. That means we need more hands—and more people," Lane said, his expression thoughtful. He turned to Mario and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Which brings me to your next task."

  Mario’s eyes narrowed. "Uh-oh. What now?"

  Lane smirked. "I need you to meet with the Binatarians."

  At the mention of their name, Mario's face twisted into a grimace. "Oh, come on," he groaned.

  Lane held up a hand before Mario could protest further. "And more specifically, I need you to talk to Sarah."

  Mario let out a dramatic sigh. "Great. Just great."