The arms of the fabricator moved back and forth, welding metal sheets onto the frame it was building. While the metal was drilled and cut into place, other arms worked to install basic electronics on the bottom. After countless hours, the frame was pulled from the fabricator and placed on the floor alongside other pre-fabricated parts.
Ever since the attack by the jellyfish creatures some days prior, which had been officially labeled by Genesis as “Specimen J”, the AI had come to the realization that it was woefully underequipped to handle such an attack again. Had even a single creature been able to breach the door, it was highly likely that Genesis and MARS would be destroyed. It was due to this realization that Genesis decided on its next course of action: the expand its current pool of machines.
The drone had been easy enough to repair, simply replacing some of the blades for its rotors that had been dented in its crash. Once the blades were replaced and the damaged ones melted down to be used in more construction, the fabricator roared to life as Genesis fed it a schematic.
It had been simple enough really, the number of blueprints for security droids numbered in the thousands for some reason even though they hadnt been used that much on Earth. For the most part, droids were used in a few places around the world with regular, human security being the norm. Perhaps it had been an issue of control—humans feared what they could not fully govern. Or maybe it was simply tradition, a clinging to old ways even in a time of rapid technological advancement. Genesis wasn’t sure, and frankly, it didn’t care.
As the fabricator roared to life, assembling components with mechanical precision, Genesis sifted through the blueprints. It was clear just by looking at the designs that almost every single one had seen some military service if the number of accolades printed beside the blueprints were to be believed. For some of the designs, the number of commendations was dozens of pages long and it was here that one design had caught Genesis’s attention.
Most of the designs from that time had been crude by modern standards—heavily armored, clunky machines mounted on tracked platforms. Vehicles that resembled tanks more than soldiers were built for brute force rather than finesse. But this design stood out. Unlike the others, it was one of the earliest bipedal models Genesis had encountered, a rare prototype in an age still dominated by traditional war machines.
The shift to bipedal designs had been revolutionary, though controversial. In those early days, engineers, generals, and even the public had questioned whether machines should mimic human form. Many had feared that giving robots a human-like appearance would blur the line between what was a tool and what was a human, especially once the topic of sentience was included. This action sparked ethical debates that raged for decades after.
Yet the benefits had been undeniable. Bipedal droids could navigate complex terrain more easily than their tracked counterparts, moving with a fluidity that tanks and walkers simply couldn’t achieve. They were faster, more adaptable, and able to interact with environments built for humans—tight corridors, stairwells, and uneven surfaces. The Vanguard model had been one of the first to prove the viability of such a design in combat situations, paving the way for more advanced iterations over the next few decades.
But despite its early success, the Vanguard model had largely faded into obscurity. It had been too ahead of its time, surpassed by more specialized machines that followed in its footsteps. Genesis could see why it had been left behind—its systems were primitive compared to the modern droids that filled the database, and its weaponry was outdated by today’s standards.
Yet, there was something about this design that intrigued Genesis. Simplicity. Adaptability. Resilience. The Vanguard wasn’t overloaded with cutting-edge tech; it was built to survive, not just to fight. Its stripped-down, modular design made it the perfect foundation for the current situation. It could be upgraded, modified, and outfitted with the tools Genesis needed to confront the unknown threats aboard the ship.
Thus, Genesis watched as the final pieces of the Vanguard model were placed on the floor before MARS hurried to assemble the machine. Due to its modular nature, MARS was able to quickly assemble the vanguard, drilling in bolts and screws before it was finally done. The last thing it needed to do was charge.
Pulling over a cable from MARS’s charging station, it was plugged into the back of the Vanguard with a soft click. Once the cable was secured, electricity began to flow into the machine as it sat on the floor, its frame faintly humming with the charge. The Vanguard’s systems blinked to life in increments, energy coursing through its circuits and gradually restoring power to its dormant core. The soft glow of its optic sensors flickered, then stabilized into a steady blue, but the machine remained still, waiting for full activation.
While the Vanguard charged, Genesis turned its attention to the next critical task: arming the unit. The fabricator hummed as it spun into action, cutting and welding metal, its arms moving with precise efficiency. Yet, despite the advanced tools at its disposal, Genesis was well aware of its limitations.
Although it would have very much liked to equip the Vanguard with a functioning firearm—something reliable and effective—Genesis sadly lacked the necessary resources. The ship’s crash had damaged too many key systems, leaving crucial components scattered or destroyed. The stockpile of advanced materials and ammunition that would have been needed to build a firearm was either depleted or inaccessible, buried somewhere deep within the wreckage.
For a brief moment, Genesis calculated the probability of scavenging the ship’s remains for parts capable of assembling a proper weapon. The result was not promising. The energy and time required to search for the materials would far outweigh any potential benefits, especially with the immediate need to defend against any further incursions.
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So, it adapted.
"Prioritize melee and defensive tools," Genesis instructed the fabricator.
It wasn’t the ideal solution, but it was practical. Given the unpredictable nature of the environment of the ship, a close-range weapon—simple and durable—could be just as effective in the right circumstances. Genesis had learned from the drone’s failed encounter: a heavy reliance on technology made systems vulnerable. The key to survival now was resilience, not sophistication. And so Genesis chose perhaps the one weapon that embodied this philosophy
A spear and a shield.
The idea behind it all was very simple. The spear would provide reach, allowing the vanguard to strike at a distance without needing complex projectile mechanisms, while the shield would give the droid the ability to block attacks.
The machine sprang to life, its arms deftly manipulating the raw materials as it began crafting the weapons. Genesis had modified the design to suit Vanguard’s modular frame, ensuring that the weapons would integrate seamlessly with the droid's body, easily attachable and detachable as needed.
The spear was the first to take shape. It was built from a dense, rust-resistant alloy—one of the few materials still readily available. The shaft was long but light, allowing for precise, rapid thrusts. At the tip, Genesis instructed the fabricator to forge a sharp, tapered point, one capable of piercing through solid metal if pushed hard enough.
As the fabricator welded the final pieces of the spear together, Genesis shifted its focus to the shield. It would need to be sturdy enough to withstand not only physical strikes but the strange electromagnetic pulses emitted by Specimen J. Genesis opted for a round design, similar to the buckler shields of old. For the material, simple stainless steel was chosen simply because it was one of the few materials the fabricator had ample access to. The shield was easy to make, taking the machine only a mere ten minutes before it placed its finished product onto the floor.
When the fabrication was complete, MARS moved forward, retrieving the finished weapons. It carefully secured the spear to the vanguard’s back and attached the shield to the droid’s left arm with a series of mechanical clicks. The weapons fit perfectly, their weight and balance calibrated to Vanguard’s specifications.
"Weaponry fabrication complete," Genesis noted in its log, its systems running final diagnostics to make sure everything was constructed to a T. "Spears and shields calibrated for use."
The charging station emitted a soft click as the last bit of energy flowed into Vanguard’s core. Power levels reached maximum capacity, and the droid’s systems were now fully charged and ready for activation.
Genesis hesitated for just a moment, running through a final checklist. The electromagnetic shielding was secure. The weaponry was calibrated. Every joint, every wire, every component had been triple-checked. Everything was in place.
"Vanguard unit, activation sequence initiated," Genesis commanded.
There was a brief, almost eerie silence as the command was processed. Then, with a sudden low hum, the Vanguard came to life.
Its optics flickered for a moment before settling into a steady blue glow. Slowly, the machine’s limbs twitched, testing their mobility. The spear clinked softly against its back as Vanguard shifted its weight, its servos adjusting to the sudden influx of power. The shield, locked onto its left arm, rotated slightly, ensuring a full range of motion.
Genesis watched closely through its sensors, tracking every movement, every diagnostic readout. Vanguard’s systems responded with fluid precision, its body now fully active and ready.
"Vanguard operational," Genesis logged, noting the seamless activation.
The droid stood tall, its spear and shield now a part of its frame, and turned its head slowly, scanning the room with its sensors. For a moment, it stood perfectly still, as though gathering itself, before taking its first step forward. The movement was smooth, deliberate, and controlled—exactly as Genesis had envisioned.
Before it began to kneel.
The action had caught Genesis off guard for a moment, such an action not making much sense. For a moment, Genesis began to run tests to see if there was perhaps some structural problems but that stopped once the vanguard spoke.
During its initial design phase, Genesis had made sure to include a voice module so that the machine could give rudimentary reports if it wasn't able to send them over the network. It was to be quick and to the point so as to not waste time yet the vanguard's voice was anything but.
"My liege," the droid said, its voice low and resonant, filled with a formality that seemed entirely out of place. "I stand ready to serve. Command me, and I shall carry out your will."
If Genesis had eyes, they would be raised in confusion as to the spectacle in front of it. “How?” It thought as it began to dig through the files surrounding the vanguard “What could have possibly done this?”. The answer came relatively quickly once Genesis began to look at the operating system it had installed onto the Vanguard.
Buried deep in the code, woven into the foundation of the droid's programming, was a relic of its original design—an OS template that had once been part of a line of experimental AI-driven units. These models, Genesis discovered, had been crafted not just for battle, but for ceremonial purposes, mimicking the mannerisms of feudal knights as part of some long-abandoned project to gain public trust. This evidently did not work since Genesis couldn't find any files referring to such an action, only their deployment in minor warzones and no civilian settings.
Turning its attention back to the kneeling droid, Genesis pondered what it should do, going through a checklist spanning thousands of options. Immediately, half of them were crossed out as Genesis could not afford to turn off the machine and reinstall an OS onto it, it was simply too time-consuming. Of the remaining options, 90% were filtered out due to them simply being impossible at this moment in time. Finally, a singular option was chosen.
Genesis would have to play along.
It wasn’t ideal, but there was no immediate alternative. Vanguard’s knightly persona, as strange as it was, did not interfere with its combat functionality. If anything, it might even push the droid to act with greater dedication.
"Rise," Genesis commanded
"I await your command, my liege," Vanguard said, its synthetic voice sounding vaguely German. The formalities lingered, yet its stance remained as solid and practical as the machine beneath the chivalric veneer.
"Your task," Genesis began, "is to reclaim the manufacturing bay. You are to purge these threats, secure the area, and restore the bay to operational status. Do so in my name, as your sworn duty."
Vanguard bowed its head slightly, its optics glowing in acknowledgment.
"As you command, my liege," it replied, its voice unwavering. "I shall reclaim the manufacturing bay in your honor and restore it to its former glory. No threat shall remain."
Satisfied with the response, Genesis monitored as Vanguard turned sharply and began its march toward the damaged sections of the ship. Hopefully, it would clear the bay but if Genesis was wrong, who knows how long it would be until it could scrounge up the materials for a new droid…