The hum of construction filled the lower levels of Arkbound HQ as the elevator slid open to the conference floor. Nyra stood waiting by the glass-paneled room, grinning.
"He's here," she said. "And the first 100 new NEAR units just came online."
Raen nodded. "400 more to go."
Inside the room sat a man in his early 30s—clean look, sharp eyes, a datapad in hand already full of observations. The moment Raen stepped in, the questions started flowing.
"Are those reactors in the bunker running aetheric resonance modulation or a chained frequency protocol?"
Raen raised an eyebrow. "Aetheric resonance. Stabilized to run for twenty years."
The man nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. And the starship chassis, is it built for atmospheric breach or purely orbital design?"
Lira and Korin entered just behind Raen. Korin chuckled. "He's a machine."
"Good," Raen said, pulling out a chair. "Because I need someone obsessed. You're the team lead for Arkbound Space—if you want it."
The man blinked. "Wait. Already?"
Raen ignored the question. "We're not launching a company that makes boosters or rockets. That's old world thinking. You've seen what our bots can do. Our starship will be different—sci-fi level tech. Gravity stabilizers, spacefolding capability, hybrid ion glide. All powered by Aetheric Resonance Reactors."
The man let out a small laugh. "I think I might be in the wrong place, then."
Raen leaned forward, steady. "Then wait a hundred days. If by then it still feels like the wrong place, you're free to walk."
Nyra slid over a location dossier. "But before that… we need you to do something."
Raen added, "We've acquired a vast land sector—outside city limits. I want you to go there and pick the spot that will become Arkbound Space HQ. Choose the ground you'll build the future on. When you get there, you'll meet someone—Kael. He's head of Arkbound Construction. He'll be waiting."
The man stared at the file, eyes flickering. "What's there for me to be shocked by?"
Raen smirked. "Go. See for yourself."