Deep within the underground tunnels of Mostauk, inside one of the many workshops, Victor "Scrappy" Malone toiled away, his small frame hunched over. Scrappy hummed to himself as he tinkered away, flipping through blueprints and tinkering with various pieces of machinery.

It was clear that he was a man of great ingenuity and determination, devoted to his craft. Lord Mortis recruited him decades ago. Most of the best engineers and scientists lived in Camelot, under the protection of the Dust Knights and aided with the energy provided by Excalibur.

His talent in developing and designing weapons was truly incredible. Most of the other engineers in the Far Westland were versed in Lo-Tech. Scrappy proved useful years ago, developing the blood purifier embedded in his throne.

Scrappy's keen eyes studied a set of pieces of armor resting on the workbench. The armor, crafted from weathered carbon under armor and rusted metal plates, seemed to be just a bunch of metal poorly welded.

Another full set of armor was worn by a minion of Lord Mortis. It was the first time they tested that version. All the other versions were hidden between torn pieces of flesh and blood.

The minion stood awaiting Scrappy's guidance. They promised to pay him a hefty sum, so he wanted to end that as quickly as possible. The barrels of Powerjuice were scarce, and he wanted a big shot of the new spicy version. Scrappy screamed at him.

"Walk!"

The minion began to move, testing the range of motion in the armor. At first glance, it seemed to be a remarkable design, a testament to Scrappy's engineering prowess. Nonetheless, it seemed like a rusty knight of the medieval ages, instead of the sight of the Hi-Tech Dust Knights.

The minion’s face twitched in discomfort as if its skin was being peeled off by a carver’s knife, while a thin layer of sweat covered his brow as if it was being sprayed with hot water.

"It hurts!"

"Yeah, I know. It hurts my eyes too. This crappy metal we have is awful"

"It's hot!"

"Yeah, I could drink some iced water right now."

Just as Scrappy was about to make adjustments, Lord Mortis's presence filled the room. His dark silhouette cast an intimidating shadow over the workshop, his gaze sweeping over the array of failed prototypes. With a stern voice, he inquired about the progress of the armor.

"Scrappy, have you cleaned the blood and bones?"

The minion, unaware of Lord Mortis, started to berate.

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"This thing sucks, tell that sucker of Lord..."

Startled by Lord Mortis's sudden appearance, the minion inside the armor recoiled, anger giving way to trepidation as he recognized the ruler of the Mostauk. Scrappy exchanged a nervous glance with Lord Mortis before regaining his composure.

"Everything is in order, my Lord," Scrappy replied, his voice tinged with apprehension. "I was just testing the latest modifications."

Lord Mortis approached, his penetrating gaze scrutinizing the armor and its occupant. The minion inside the suit voiced his frustrations, complaining again of pain and the intense heat emanating from the back, where a primitive energy distributor powered the contraption.

Ignoring the minion's protests, Scrappy directed him to pick up a heavy weapon—a machine gun typically used in the buggies that roamed the wastelands. The minion, fueled by fear, obeyed, lifting the weapon with apparent ease.

However, a strange noise emitted from the battery on his back was a disconcerting sign that something was amiss.

"What was that? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes!" Scrappy lied "It's something normal. That means the armor... works"

Scrappy's voice commanded the minion to move toward a designated target and unleash a barrage of bullets.

The minion, encased in the armor, followed the order dutifully. But the lack of precision in his movements, combined with the growing heat and strain on the armor, quickly became evident.

As the minion struggled to maintain control, the suit's internal systems began to overheat, causing the metal plates to glow ominously. Panic gripped the minion as he fought against the increasing limitations of the malfunctioning armor. Desperation took hold, and he yearned to escape its fiery grip.

"Help! Get this thing out of me!"

Lord Mortis and Scrappy looked at the minion trying to move the frame, dropping the weapon.

"Without a correct distribution of energy, it's just a heavy suit," Scrappy said "Now I have to scrap the burning flesh"

In a sudden eruption of flames, the armor exploded with a forceful blast, sending shrapnel and flames cascading through the workshop. Scrappy covered his face while Lord Mortis stood still in silence. The minion's anguished screams pierced the air, his pain echoing off the walls.

Reacting swiftly, Lord Mortis utilized his formidable psychic powers to destroy the armor and quell the tortured cries. The explosive remnants dissipated into smoke and ashes, leaving a somber silence hanging in the air.

Scrappy stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock and realization. It was a sobering reminder of the challenges they faced and the dire consequences of his experimentation. Lord Mortis, his expression inscrutable behind the metal mask, surveyed the aftermath.

"Back to the drawing board, Scrappy," Lord Mortis spoke with a tone that brooked no argument. "We will find a way to perfect the armor. Even if that means you wearing it. Remember, failure is not an option."

"I don't have great metals, my Lord. The ones from the mine and the foundry are used in the vehicles. They should be better used in the armors."

"You need to improve the energy distributor. We need something to match the Dust Knights. Something even better."

"They use Blue Plasma! I don't have that, I don't have the technology to use it, I don't have canisters to hold the Blue Plasma, I don't..."

The simple gaze of Lord Mortis made Scrappy quiet.

"What about the hologram map?"

"Yes-yes, the hologram map!"

Disregarding the burnt corpse inside the failed armor, Scrappy went forward to a rectangular table with several panels around it.

"The Dataslate we have has been decoded. Some of it seems to be deleted or corrupted. Here we have..."

Scrappy pressed several buttons until the hologram of a massive web of underground tunnels and structures appeared. The places glowed green and blue, with some spots in red.

"Has everything been decoded?"

"Yes-yes! Come and see, my Lord. I was right about killing those settlers!"