Morning broke over Forsaken Outpost, draping the scrapyard town in pale, rusty hues. Kass woke to the rhythmic hum of machinery and muffled voices drifting through the thin metal walls of Corvin's hut. He rubbed his eyes, groggy from exhaustion but stirred by anticipation.
Corvin stood at a makeshift stove, stirring something thick and pungent. "Morning, Scrap King," he teased, not looking up. "Hope you rested enough. First days out here are never easy."
Kass stretched, wincing at sore muscles he hadn't known existed. "Better than expected. Thanks."
"Good," Corvin replied, handing him a steaming mug. "Synth-coffee. Tastes terrible but wakes you up." Kass took a cautious sip and coughed, drawing a chuckle from Corvin. "Told you. Now hurry up, we've got work."
They emerged into daylight, the scrapyard bustling with scavengers, traders, and exiles. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid tang of corroded metal. Corvin led Kass toward the edge of town, past the bustling Scrap Bazaar where merchants haggled fiercely over salvaged parts.
"What's our goal today?" Kass asked, shielding his eyes from the glaring sun.
"First scrap haul," Corvin replied. "You got lucky with that cockpit, but you'll need more parts to get something usable out of it. Good place to start is near Rustfalls—dangerous, but worth the risk."
Kass nodded, remembering the warnings about Rustfalls' acid ravines. Yet danger didn't deter him—it fueled him. Corvin noticed Kass's determined expression and smiled knowingly. "You're either brave or foolish. Probably both."
They reached the outskirts, where metal skeletons loomed ominously against a sky swirling with acidic clouds. Corvin handed him a makeshift tool belt. "You know your way around machines, that's clear. But out here, quick hands keep you alive."
The descent into Rustfalls was treacherous, paths slick with corrosion and unstable debris. Kass's pulse quickened as they navigated deeper, shadows closing around them. Ahead, something metallic glinted sharply.
Corvin crouched low, scanning carefully. "Crashed scout mech. Recent, too—probably a salvage beacon still active."
They approached cautiously. The mech's hull was scorched and partially submerged in acidic runoff. Kass examined the remains, noting the damage. "Core might still be intact," he murmured, excitement creeping into his voice.
Corvin watched him, impressed. "Good eye. Let's hurry, though. Beacons attract trouble."
Kass worked swiftly, stripping valuable components and stashing them carefully. The Nexus hummed softly through his wrist-mounted Aetherlink Node, cataloging each piece and updating his SV total. As he pried open an auxiliary panel, the interface pulsed:
`+ 50 SV added to Blueprint Nexus.`
A distant explosion suddenly echoed, reverberating through Rustfalls. Kass and Corvin exchanged wary glances.
"That's from deeper in," Corvin muttered. "Blaze gang territory."
Before Kass could ask, figures emerged from the shadows, clad in red-streaked jackets. Their leader, a fierce-eyed woman with electric-blue hair, eyed them sharply.
"This your doing, old man?" she snapped.
"Easy, Lira," Corvin responded calmly, stepping protectively in front of Kass. "We just found it. Didn't set it off."
She scowled, then studied Kass intently. "Fresh meat? Don't see many new faces bold enough to hit Rustfalls day one."
Kass straightened, matching her gaze evenly. "Just surviving. Same as everyone."
Lira smirked. "Survival means knowing whose territory you're scavenging. I'll tell you what kid, since I'm in a good mood today, I'll only take half of the scrap you collect today. Call it a fine for trespassing."
Kass didn't flinch. "You're not taking anything," he said flatly, meeting her eyes. "Find your own wreck." The crew behind her shifted—one stepped forward, hand brushing the hilt of a shock baton—but Lira raised a hand to stop him. Her smile didn't fade, but it hardened.
"Oh, we have a hero," she said coolly. "Heroes don't last long around these parts."
She turned abruptly, signaling her crew to follow. As they disappeared, Corvin exhaled sharply. "That was close. Blaze doesn't forgive easy."
"Noted," Kass murmured, gripping the salvaged parts tighter.
Corvin watched Lira and her crew vanish into the shadows before turning back to Kass, his expression softening slightly. "Lira's tough, tougher than most out here. Born in Forsaken, grew up in Rustfalls. She runs Blaze like a warband, keeps them in line, but never backs down. You cross her, you'd best be ready to finish what you start."
Kass didn't answer right away. Then, he sighed and said, "I made my choice. If Blaze comes for me, I won't be caught empty-handed." He glanced at Corvin, determination settling into his features like cooling steel. "Let's keep moving. I need every bolt and bracket if I'm going to be ready when they do."
They spent the rest of the day combing Rustfalls, picking through other wrecks and carefully avoiding any more run-ins with scavenger gangs. Kass found himself enjoying the careful rhythm of scavenging—assessing the wrecks, estimating their worth, and carefully extracting components. Corvin shared stories as they worked, tales of salvage gone wrong and close encounters he'd survived. Each story was a lesson, a reminder of how swiftly fortune could turn.
By the time the acidic sunlight began to fade, Kass had accumulated a respectable collection of parts. He paused, exhausted yet invigorated, wiping grime from his brow. "Think this is enough?" he asked, gesturing to their piled haul.
Corvin chuckled. "Enough to start, sure. But there's never really enough. Not out here. You'll learn that quickly enough."
Back at the hut, Kass laid out their haul carefully. Corvin watched, impressed. "You did well today. Good instincts."
Most of the haul came from the scout's remains: a partially intact servo arm, scorched but still usable; a damaged optics cluster that might be repaired with a little coaxing; and a cooling coil wrapped in melted alloy, its core surprisingly unscathed. Kass had also managed to pry free a reinforced joint assembly—heavy, but perfect for anchoring a light frame—and a cracked but functioning power coupler. It wasn't glamorous, but every piece had potential, and in the hands of someone who understood how systems talked to each other, it was a treasure trove.
Kass nodded, distracted, already visualizing his first build. He activated the Nexus interface, watching as schematics unfolded before him:
`BL: 0 | Design Slots: 1 available | SV: 120`
He grinned, determination igniting within him once more.
Corvin chuckled softly. "Scrap King indeed. Now, let's see if you can turn those scraps into something worth fighting with."
The evening stretched long into the night as Kass meticulously sorted through each salvaged piece, mentally matching them to the Nexus blueprint's ghostly schematics. Corvin watched from a distance, occasionally offering advice but mostly letting Kass find his own way. Each piece slotted into place brought satisfaction and clarity, slowly transforming the fragmented puzzle into something coherent, something powerful.
As the hours passed, Kass found himself reflecting on his exile from Aetheris Prime. A lifetime ago, yet just days past. His father's cold gaze haunted him briefly, the sting of betrayal and humiliation still fresh. Yet now, beneath the soft glow of the Nexus, he felt a strange gratitude. This exile had thrust him into harsh realities, yet it also gave him the tools to rise, to prove himself worthy.
By midnight, Kass stood before the crude assembly, exhaustion mingling with pride. The Nexus display shimmered softly in acknowledgment:
`Prototype Design Completed: Awaiting Activation.`
Corvin placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Good work, Kass. Tomorrow we test your mettle…and your metal."
Kass chuckled, feeling genuinely hopeful for the first time since arriving at Forsaken. "I'll be ready."