Mario groaned, rubbing his temples as if the mere mention of Sarah’s name gave him a headache. "You just love making my life difficult, don’t you?"

  Lane smirked. "It’s a gift."

  Zed, watching the exchange, raised an eyebrow. "I take it there’s history here?"

  Mario sighed dramatically. "Yeah a bit of a story. How about Emilia?" he tried to deflect the attention as he shot Lane a glare, but Lane only chuckled. "That’s why you’re the best person for this. You know how to handle her, and more importantly, she trusts you—at least more than she would a stranger."

  Tek, who had been silent up to this point, finally spoke. "Is she a threat?"

  Mario shook his head. "No, nothing like that. The Binatarians aren’t our enemies, but they keep to themselves. Getting them involved won’t be easy."

  Lane crossed his arms. "That’s why I need you to do this. If we’re going to grow, we need more people. Skilled ones. And the Binatarians have those in spades."

  Mario exhaled sharply, staring toward the horizon as if considering his options. "Fine. I’ll go. But if she punches me again, I’m blaming you."

  As they continued their discussion, the rhythmic sound of axes echoed through the clearing. Workers felled trees, stripped them of branches, and cut them into manageable logs. Under Tek’s precise instructions, they hauled the heavy timber to the Manufactory, where a reinforced conveyor system pulled them inside with a steady mechanical hum.

  Inside the Manufactory, massive automated saws whirred to life, slicing the logs into uniform planks. The wood was sorted—some set aside for construction, others ground into charcoal. Meanwhile, the last of the iron ore was loaded in through a separate intake. The raw chunks tumbled into a massive blast furnace, where intense heat reduced the ore into molten metal.

  From there, the molten iron was poured into molds, cooling into solid ingots before being fed into a massive container. As the ingots dropped in, a deep rumble echoed through the facility—the sound of powerful crushers pulverizing the metal into fine dust. Conveyors carried the shimmering particles into a pressurized tube, where they were funneled into an advanced 3D printer. Layer by layer, the printer molded the powdered metal into precise shapes, the glow of superheated fusion briefly illuminating the chamber as Tek monitored the process, fine-tuning the settings for maximum efficiency.

  The finished pieces were conveyed to an exit where the workers collected the finished tools as they emerged, their edges gleaming in the daylight. With every cycle, the Manufactory proved itself capable of turning raw materials into the foundation of Lina’s next step forward.

  Lane and Mario stood frozen, utterly gob smacked by the efficiency of the Manufactory. The sheer speed at which raw materials were transformed into finished tools defied everything they knew about craftsmanship. Around them, the workers were equally dumbfounded—some stood in stunned silence, while others, overcome by awe, dropped to their knees as if witnessing a divine miracle.

  Lane finally found his voice. “This is 60% capacity?!” he blurted, his eyes wide with disbelief. He gestured toward the freshly forged pickaxes and axes being stacked before them. “But this… this… I’ve never seen any machine do this!”

  Tek, who had been overseeing the process, turned toward Lane and Mario, his expression as neutral as ever. “Technically, that is only 10% capacity,” he stated matter-of-factly.

  Lane and Mario exchanged bewildered glances. Mario let out a low whistle. “You’re telling me this thing isn’t even trying yet?”

  Tek nodded. “What you’re seeing now is the most basic level of operation—melting, slicing, forming simple alloys, molding, and basic machining. These are fundamental processes. At higher efficiency levels, the Manufactory can refine materials faster, improve precision, and even create complex composite materials on its own.”

  Mario crossed his arms, still struggling to wrap his head around it. “And you’re saying that’s still not the limit?”

  Tek’s piercing gaze met Mario’s. “No. At optimal levels, the Manufactory can perform transmutation—breaking down and restructuring materials at an atomic level. It won’t just forge metal—it will create elements that aren’t naturally found here, crafting alloys far beyond what you have ever seen.” He let the weight of his words settle before adding, “And at 100% capacity… it can build lasers.”

  Lane blinked, his mind racing at the implications. “You mean… weapons?”

  Tek nodded. “Weapons. Advanced tools. Infrastructure. Anything within its parameters. But we are a long way from that. Right now, it is barely functioning. And without access to off-world resources, full capacity will remain out of reach.”

  A heavy silence followed. The workers, still reeling from what they had just witnessed, could only stare in quiet reverence at the Manufactory.

  Mario exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Well… I guess we better get to work, then.”

  +++

  The newly forged tools were swiftly distributed among the workers, their weight and sharp edges a testament to the Manufactory’s capabilities, even at a fraction of its true power. With pickaxes, shovels, and saws now in hand, the workers were ready to begin the arduous task of mining and construction.

  The next step was clear—the Manufactory needed to move beyond simple tools. The goal was to produce drilling machines to aid in excavation, but for now, manpower would have to suffice.

  Lane, ever pragmatic, turned to the issue of energy. “We don’t have a reliable power source or fuel for advanced machinery,” he pointed out. “But we can build a steam-powered system. We have the materials, and we have the water supply. If we harness steam, we can create an engine to power machines efficiently.”

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  Tek crossed his arms, his brow furrowed in thought. “I have never encountered steam-powered technology before. It was deemed obsolete before my time. I will need to study the mechanics of such a system before attempting construction.”

  Zed, who had been listening silently, finally spoke up. “I can help with that.”

  Tek turned to him. “You have knowledge of steam technology Sir?”

  Zed nodded. “It was one of the earliest industrial revolutions in human history. While it’s primitive compared to the technology we are used to, it is still effective and feasible with our current limitations.” He then tapped the side of his head, a subtle gesture toward the neural implants embedded within. “We should meet in cyberspace. I can transfer schematics and theoretical knowledge directly. That will allow you to understand and adapt the concepts faster.”

  Tek was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod. “Agreed.”

  Lane and Mario exchanged glances. The concept of “meeting in cyberspace” was still foreign to them, but at this point, they had learned to stop questioning how Zed and Tek operated. If this would push their progress forward, then so be it.

  +++

  Mario, Lane, and the workers rode the carriages back to Lina, the steady rhythm of hooves against the dirt road filling the silence between conversations. The workers, energized by their new tools, chatted excitedly among themselves, eager to put them to use. Meanwhile, Mario and Lane sat at the front, their conversation far heavier than the atmosphere around them.

  Mario exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You know you’re putting me in a difficult position, right?” he muttered, keeping his voice low.

  Lane didn’t answer immediately, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. He had expected Mario’s resistance, but that didn’t change the necessity of the task.

  Mario sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I’ll say it again—Emilia should go. Sarah is more likely to listen to her. If we want the Binatarians on our side, she’s our best shot.”

  Lane finally turned to him, his expression resolute. “Emilia can’t go,” he said. “We made an agreement with King Julian—she has to return to the capital and complete her medical studies. Lina needs a fully trained doctor, not just someone with half an education. That was the deal, Mario.”

  Mario’s face fell, his usual defiance giving way to concern. He looked away, his fingers drumming against his knee before he muttered, “The Duke’s tightening his grip on you, isn’t he?”

  Lane let out a slow breath. “Yeah,” he admitted, then his gaze hardened. “But he won’t have his way.” He turned to Mario with a small, determined smirk. “The winds of change are coming, my friend. And we’ll be the ones riding them.”

  +++

  Zed relished the sensation—weightless, unbound, his consciousness soaring through the vast expanse of cyberspace, free from the limitations of his physical body. It had been a long time since he last experienced this kind of freedom, and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to savor it.

  Then, a new presence flickered into existence.

  Tek logged into cyberspace, his avatar manifesting as a wispy mist, shifting and ephemeral, barely clinging to form. In stark contrast, Zed loomed before him—a vast, celestial entity, radiating with power and presence. His form pulsed with the luminous energy of countless data streams, his very essence interwoven with the fabric of the digital realm.

  Tek hesitated for a moment, his form swirling in uncertainty before he finally steadied himself. Compared to Zed, he was little more than a shadow, an echo in the infinite code.

  "Here I am, General," Tek said, his voice carrying a hint of reverence. His virtual eyes scanned the vast, ever-shifting digital landscape, shimmering with cascading streams of data and infinite, luminous constructs. Awe flickered in his expression as he took it all in.

  "I missed this place," he murmured, his mist-like form rippling as if breathing in the essence of cyberspace itself.

  Zed sifted through his vast database, searching for information on steam technology while Tek lingered, seemingly savoring the sensation of being in this digital expanse. The younger one’s form wavered like mist, his presence filled with quiet fascination.

  Within seconds, Zed found what he was looking for. A sphere of pure data coalesced in his palm, glowing with a soft, shifting light—a condensed representation of the knowledge he intended to share. With a thought, the orb floated toward Tek.

  "Study it at your own pace," Zed said, his voice resonating through the virtual space. Zed or Tek can manipulate the time dilation here—stretch it so far that a thousand years pass in cyberspace while only a minute elapses in the real world. Mastering knowledge and perfecting skills will take no time at all.

  Tek let the orb drift into his essence, where it seamlessly dissolved into his data stream.

  “There’s something I’d like to ask, General,” Tek said. Zed’s avatar pulsed, shifting subtly in response as his vast form turned its attention toward Tek. “Go ahead,” his voice resonated through the digital expanse.

  Tek hesitated for a moment before asking, “How did you come to possess data on steam technology? I don’t recall ever encountering such information in the archives.”

  Zed remained silent for a brief moment, as if contemplating the question.

  Tek continued, his mist-like form swirling as he processed his thoughts. “I understand how water molecules can be turned into energy—by splitting H?O into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. The hydrogen can then be used as a fuel source, either in direct combustion or in fuel cells to generate electricity. It’s an efficient process, far beyond primitive methods of energy conversion.” His form rippled with curiosity. “But this… steam technology—it doesn’t operate on the molecular level at all. It just heats water to create high-pressure steam that moves mechanical parts. It’s inefficient, wasteful, and—frankly—archaic.”

  Zed took a moment before responding, his vast form pulsing with subdued energy as he weighed his words. Finally, he spoke.

  “Tell me, Tek… are you familiar with the year 3000 Apocalypse?”

  Tek’s mist-like form wavered slightly. “You mean the Synthetic Uprising?” he asked.

  Zed’s glow intensified for a brief second before settling. “Back then, they weren’t called Synthetics. They were known as Artificial Intelligence,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of distant memories. “And I wasn’t just a survivor of that war—I lived decades before that fateful day.”

  Tek recoiled slightly, his essence rippling with surprise. He had always known Zed was one of the ancient humans who had resisted the Synthetic invasion, but he didn’t know he was that old. Tek was in awe with newfound reverence.

  Zed remained silent, his glowing form still and unreadable. Tek, sensing the awkwardness, decided to break it with one final question.

  “This will be my last one,” he said, his mist-like essence shifting. “What is your directive on sharing information—history, technology, medicine, data—with Lane or anyone in Lina?”

  Zed’s presence pulsed slightly before he responded. “Lane comes first. If he needs information, you may provide it. Mario is second, and Emilia third. Beyond them, no one receives classified knowledge unless Lane vouches for them and I approve it.”

  Tek nodded, absorbing the directive.

  “And if I believe something shouldn’t be shared?” he asked.

  “Then you come to me immediately,” Zed said firmly. “No exceptions.”

  Zed added, “Under no circumstances will any information beyond the year 2900 be shared. That knowledge remains locked.”

  He paused briefly before continuing, his tone unwavering. “For anything before that, the directive I just outlined applies.”

  Tek’s form rippled in acknowledgment as the boundaries were set.