Fhaldrum (The Season of Awakening)

Day 12

1 A.E.

192 days since my arrival

With so many targets scattered across vast distances, I needed a force capable of infiltrating, assassinating, and eliminating key targets of opportunity. Most outposts were lightly defended, relying heavily on automated systems, with only a few clones present for oversight. Their overconfidence in automation would be their undoing.

If I could strike at their logistics hubs and transport lines, it would work to my advantage. I had all the intel I required on every facility, including those that were understaffed or completely abandoned, left to operate on automation alone.

The rework of the scouts was designed to be more lethal and stealthy. The success of the operation would depend on how many targets I could eliminate before making any significant moves myself.

I grabbed a resin tablet and started sketching. The new design it would retain the original base concepts—finesse, speed, agility, and sensory superiority—but with key upgrades. I focused on the material biology to improve its natural armour, making it more resilient to damage. The last thing I required was for logistics to be hindered by excessive losses. These drones had to move quickly and endure punishment, as they would be deep behind enemy lines.

The moon’s mineral resources were rich in iron, which was plentiful. I would use it for drone production at forward bases, ensuring that the drones still maintained fluid movement with stronger and denser armour.

The four limbs of the drone would remain elongated, each ending in clawed digits. However, the upper arms would be modified to house a dart launcher, replacing the previous gel launchers. The lower arms would retain the rapid gel launchers. To accommodate both systems, the internal structure would need an overhaul, making the drone taller, almost matching the height of the assault variant.

The drone would also need a rework of its bio-jets along its hips, shoulders, and back to counter the recoil from the dart gun. Its feet would be reinforced to grip onto surfaces as the darts were launched.

The most vital feature of the drone would remain its multi-spectrum eyes, offering a full 360-degree view. There wasn’t much to improve here, as the design worked well.

Stealth and long-range cover would be crucial if the drone needed to travel great distances undetected. I would pair it with snipers for long-range cover and adding a camouflage ability to the drone’s shell to enhance its stealth capabilities.

The mini hive on the back would stay, but with a modification. Instead of producing the previous insect iteration, it would now replicate the most vital features of the suicide drone and the surface scout, depending on the mission. These tiny drones would use bio-jets for movement, either for surveillance or destroying critical infrastructure. I would call them “spies.”

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I designed an internal explosive, with ammunition types including acidic and explosive variants. Their small size limited their payload, but their precision and versatility would make them invaluable.

These tiny drones would serve as mobile surveillance tools or kamikaze devices for sabotaging critical infrastructure. Equipped with bio-jets for manoeuvrability, they could infiltrate tight spaces and relay vital information or detonate on command.

I wasn’t sure if they would need something for melee combat yet. The clawed digits worked well enough, but I’d hold off on further modifications until I saw the results from their first combat missions.

I grabbed a tablet and reviewed the sniper drone design. There was only one modification to make, I needed to modify the other arm to house a bone dart launcher, while keeping the original arm for the gel launcher. I would also switch the gel launcher to use an acidic variant for greater efficiency.

The redesign extended to logistics. A modified surface scout would act as a mobile supply depot, carrying biomass to sustain operations. This would increase its size but, by working alongside scouts, I’d have early warning of any enemy detection, minimizing the risk.

This logistic drone would remain dormant near the infiltrators, conserving resources until needed. To minimize risks of discovery, each scout would be equipped with an explosive failsafe, ensuring no trace of their presence remained if compromised.

I considered the possibility of injuries during operations. The jellyfish-like medic drones, which had proven effective in my surgeries, could be adapted for forward deployment. Establishing secure locations for them would reduce casualties and maintain operational efficiency. I revisited their design, enhancing durability and accelerating their healing capabilities to meet the demands of a battlefield environment.

With the new bio-fabricators up and running, I had them start producing the latest variants. The war sub-mind would begin testing a team of five infiltrators and two snipers per group.

Next up was the mosquito drone, my counter to their aerial forces. I needed to prioritize speed and manoeuvrability in its frame as core features.

The mosquito would have a thick, chitinous exoskeleton reinforced with keratin and iron filament fibres, providing protection against micrometeoroids, radiation, and high-velocity impacts. It would also feature adaptive camouflage, allowing it to blend into its surroundings for ambush or evasion tactics. On standby, it would stand on six legs.

Inside, its organs would be protected by bio-gel, acting as a shock-absorbing medium for internal systems. Its streamlined body would be segmented to add flexibility, allowing for fluid movement.

The bio-jet system needed a complete redesign. The internal muscles would have to match the drone’s size, utilizing a potent biofuel broken down into high-energy gases. These gases would be expelled through a larger muscular nozzle to provide thrust. The system would produce minimal waste, converting fuel efficiently using specialized enzymes. Flexible tendons and cartilage-based actuators would control precise vector thrusting.

The mosquito would also need additional stomachs to digest the biofuel and more specialized enzymes to ensure maximum fuel conversion with minimal waste. By-products would be repurposed for structural repairs, as its range was limited. Excess fuel would be stored in expandable pods, enabling longer missions.

For vision, I placed multi-spectrum eyes across the drone's surface, giving it full 360-degree visibility. If the drone suffered critical damage to its vital organs, a network of stem-cell reservoirs throughout its body would repair the damage, ensuring it could keep functioning.

Its primary armament would consist of bone darts, tipped with either acidic or explosive payloads. I fully redesigned the dart weapon system, reinforcing the tips with hardened bone and iron to ensure maximum impact and penetration.

The missile system was still a work in progress, but in the coming days, it would deploy with missile pods once the necessary biological components were ready.

In terms of defence, the drone had one final option—suicide. If victory was unreachable or if it sustained too much damage to return, it could always turn and take down the enemy in a final, destructive act. With that, I sent the design to the bio-fabricator. It would take time, but I estimated I could produce eight or nine a day, depending on available biomass.

With those two designs in motion, I moved my body to a sealed section of the tunnels to investigate a possible solution to the biomass shortage. As I walked through the tunnels, I examined the work that had been done. The walls were coated with a combination of hardened resin and living arteries, shimmering under the dim bioluminescent glow from embedded fungus nodes.

The walls were coated with a combination of hardened resin and living arteries, shimmering under the dim bioluminescent glow from embedded fungus nodes.