The HQ was quiet.
For the first time in weeks, the thunder of Hivebug claws and the shrieks of their swarms had faded into silence. The air still stank of scorched alloy and ozone, and black scars marred the perimeter walls where turrets had fired until their barrels glowed white-hot. But for Sirius Blake, silence didn't mean rest.
He sat hunched over his workstation in the FAWS calibration bay, light from holographic schematics painting his face in pale blue. ARI's interface hovered in the corner of his vision, a constant reminder that the defense of Vetra-9 had been a victory, yes, but not a solution.
> "Sirius, defensive systems at HQ are now optimized," ARI said calmly inside his mind. "Probability of future breaches: minimal. I recommend shifting focus to frontline equipment improvements."
Sirius rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling the familiar ache of too many hours bent over tools and terminals. "Agreed. The HQ's safe enough. But the soldiers out there? They don't have walls and turrets to hide behind. They've only got what they carry."
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. The memory of the last assault played in his head: Jinx laughing like a maniac as Hivebugs leapt at him, Whisper kneeling in blood to patch wounds without flinching, Stone standing unshaken as the wall shook around him, Bear's frame roaring as he smashed through the swarm, Shade's calm voice warning of Hivebug formations before anyone else saw them. His squad was scattered now, posted to different assignments, but they were the measure in his mind. If his work couldn't keep them alive, what good was it?
He cracked his knuckles and leaned forward again. "Alright, ARI. Let's get to work."
A new schematic spread across his display: not a single device, but an integrated suite.
> "Blueprint mission parameters: frontline survival enhancement," ARI explained. "Objectives:
1. Stabilized weapon systems to prevent Hivebug neural interference.
2. Modular armor upgrades to increase protection without sacrificing mobility.
3. Portable automated defensive units for squad deployment.
4. Rapid calibration drones for mid-combat repair."
Sirius' lips tugged into a smirk. "Ambitious. I like it."
> "Completion will significantly increase troop survival and combat efficiency," ARI added.
"Then let's make it happen."
Days blurred into nights as Sirius worked, his world shrinking to the size of his bench. The smell of solder clung to the air. His fingers grew raw from handling alloys, his eyes bloodshot from staring at schematics and glowing readouts.
Weapon stabilizers were first. He disassembled a frontline rifle, laying its guts bare, and muttered as he worked. "Every time Hivebugs spike interference, optics jitter. Soldiers panic. We need a stabilizer module that's idiot-proof."
> "Recommendation: triple-layered shielding around neural circuits. Reduces interference probability by ninety-two percent," ARI suggested.
Sirius pulled a small module from the parts bin, tested the casing against ARI's overlay, and snapped it into place. Sparks jumped. The rifle hummed steady. "That's it," he said, grinning.
Armor enhancements came next. He lifted a plate of alloy onto the bench, running his hand across its battered surface. "Stone would call this junk. Let's see if we can make it sing."
Shock absorbers smaller than his fingernail lined the inner mesh, designed to disperse force without adding weight. ARI simulated Hivebug strikes against the design, projections flashing: claws deflected, mandibles slowed, impacts absorbed.
"Light, strong, flexible. If Bear can wear it without complaining, anyone can."
Portable defense units followed. He cobbled together the first prototype from turret scrap, a squat machine with a short-barreled gun and spindly legs. "Infantry can drop this anywhere—give them a guardian angel in the dirt."
> "Warning: power consumption high. Firing duration limited," ARI noted.
"Then we make it smart. Burst fire only. Save ammo, save lives."
Calibration drones were the most delicate. Tiny, no larger than his palm, they hummed as they floated from his bench. Tools extended like insect limbs, programmed to recalibrate barrels or reset targeting optics mid-battle. Sirius watched them hover, eyes gleaming.
"Soldiers won't have to pray their rifles hold out. These little guys will make sure they do."
The bay was never empty, even in quiet hours. Technicians came and went, muttering over reports, checking diagnostics. More than once, Sirius caught Sparks watching him from across the room, her copper hair tied back, arms crossed.
Her eyes followed his hands as he soldered circuits faster than most could assemble a sidearm. She didn't say anything, but her suspicion burned like a torch.
One evening, as Sirius tested the stabilizer module, Sparks finally spoke. "How do you keep getting this right the first time?"
He looked up, forcing a lazy grin. "Gifted hands. What can I say?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Gifted, huh? Or just… lucky?"
Sirius shrugged, feigning innocence. "You should know by now—luck follows me around."
She didn't look convinced.
By the end of the second week, prototypes littered his bench. Some scorched, some functional, a few glowing with steady reliability.
> "Sirius, probability of equipment failure in frontline conditions: less than one percent," ARI reported.
"Good. That's what they need. Reliable tools, not flashy toys."
But ARI didn't stop.
> "Warning: Hivebug neural frequencies show signs of adaptation. Current stabilizers will remain effective for approximately six months. Probability of obsolescence within that timeframe: forty-eight percent."
Sirius' stomach tightened. "Six months? That's nothing."
> "Correct. The Hivebugs evolve. So must we."
He leaned back, rubbing his temples. The arms race wasn't just bullets and claws anymore—it was ideas. Every solution he built had an expiration date. The Hivebugs wouldn't stop adapting. Neither could he.
At last, Sirius compiled the data. Schematics. Stress tests. Simulations. He sent the finalized blueprints for frontline gear up the chain to FAWS command, each one annotated with notes that only a true armorer would think to include: field maintenance shortcuts, emergency bypasses, durability warnings.
Then he drafted the turret report for Commander Varek, documenting every calibration, every field adjustment, every overlapping firing arc. He placed the packet directly in Varek's hands.
The commander skimmed it, lips twitching into a rare almost-smile. "Blake… this level of detail and foresight is exactly what the frontlines need. Well done."
Sirius saluted, masking his exhaustion. "Just doing my job, sir."
Varek clapped his shoulder once before walking away. Sirius stood there, heart pounding harder than it had during the Hivebug assault. Praise was nice—but exposure was dangerous.
The bay emptied for the night. Sirius sat alone, drones hovering silently in standby, turrets humming low in the distance. Sparks of solder still burned in the air.
> "Mission complete, Sirius. All objectives finalized. Reports submitted. Readiness for deployment: one hundred percent," ARI said.
Sirius leaned back, closing his eyes. "And no one's the wiser."
> "Correct. Confidentiality maintained. You are the only one with access to these optimizations."
His grin was faint but real. "And it stays that way. Nobody can know."
The prototypes gleamed faintly under the bench light: stabilizers, armor plates, drones, turrets. Tools for survival, weapons against extinction. And yet, staring at them, Sirius felt the same itch he always did when a project was done—restlessness.
"This isn't enough," he whispered.
> "Clarify," ARI prompted.
"If the Hivebugs are evolving this fast, we can't just play catch-up. We need something bigger. Smarter. Stronger. Something they won't see coming."
> "Special Project protocols remain locked until prerequisites are completed," ARI replied.
Sirius smirked, eyes narrowing. "Then let's start unlocking them."
The HQ was quiet, but the war was still out there. And Sirius Blake, with grease on his fingers and a secret AI in his skull, was already sketching the blueprints of humanity's next survival.