Druhalith (The Season of Resilience)

Day 274

37 days since my arrival.

It's been forty-three hours since their arrival, and they've just been stationary, one scout had sensed their vibrations and observed one lone vehicle approaching sanctuary from the north I put every combat-capable drone on high alert.

Within the first few hours, I focused the hive to scale up defences and start adding explosives into the walls, every bio fabricator switched to mass production of warrior drones.

While I waited for the enemy to react they did nothing for hours nothing happened while every architect drone moved to create more gel-based turrets and add explosives in the tunnels the enemy remained stationary.

During the hours-long wait there were multiple instances where a few of them would disembark and walk around the transport or walk further away, their walks showed no purpose, and I chose to do nothing but wait for now.

Refocusing my mind back to the suicide drone design, it needed to be fast, light, manoeuvrable, and able to deliver its explosive payload. The first scout design was already the best choice, it just needed a redesign.

It just needed to be fast enough to slip through enemy defences. I began by redesigning its core since stealth was still an option it would retain its camouflage abilities, but it would lose all abilities to squeeze through any narrow spaces.

Its body would be compact, and streamlined to be able to house the explosive payload, but that wasn’t the tricky part. The real challenge was ensuring it could move faster than anything I've ever created.

Redesigning its internal frame in my mind, envisioning it as an amalgam of dense, flexible muscle fibres wrapped around a lighter but durable exoskeletal frame. This structure would allow it to absorb minor impacts but would keep its weight light, enabling rapid movement.

The bio jets concept had worked on the other drones, I just needed to refine the design. After a quick review of my enzyme compositions, I synthesized a new highly reactive compound.

When it reacted with a minor rework of the explosive bio-jel, it generated a rapid expansion of gas, which would generate a better thrust for the bio-jets.

I could install multiple bio-jets along the body, I placed the bio-jets strategically along its sides and rear, angled to give it full 360-degree manoeuvrability. Allowing it to adjust course mid-flight with just a thought.

This meant that not only could it accelerate quickly, but it would also be able to make sharp turns, darting around obstacles and avoiding any predictable flight paths. Once satisfied with this core design, I turned my attention to the payload.

I wanted an explosive that didn’t just hit hard but tore through enemy internals. With time running short, I designed pods that would be filled with micro metal fragments.

These fragments would be dispersed in every direction upon detonation, creating a cloud of shrapnel that could tear through flesh and light armour.

The explosive casing itself was a double-chambered sac within the drone’s core, holding the catalyst in one and the volatile bio-gel in the other. I set up a membrane to rupture only on command, mixing the two compounds to create the blast.

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As I crafted, I thought about each movement this drone would make. How it would accelerate toward its target, and how it would finally dive into enemy lines before exploding in a final, brilliant burst.

Finally, I programmed the detonation trigger—a soft, sponge-like gland near the drone’s front. This gland was pressure-sensitive as the drone closed in on a target, a simple impact would be enough to rupture the membrane and mix the compounds, releasing the shrapnel-filled explosive core.

With my final design choice, I ordered the bio-fabricator to begin production while I waited I refocused on the scouts observing twelve more vehicles entering my territory within an hour they would all meet with the lone vehicle.

With time running short, I ordered the first combat group to wait near the nearest tunnel closest to the enemy, burrowers were already working to expand and reinforce the tunnel while architects were reinforcing its defences.

The first combat group consisted of sixty-eight assault drones, thirty-three scouts, twenty snipers and fifty heavies with an additional two combat groups in reserve.

My mind refocused on the suicide drone emerging from the cocoon as it silently floated above the fabricator, I ordered it to go deeper into tunnels where burrowers were setting up targets.

The first test took place the moment it started to move, I ordered it to move at its fastest speed, observing its acceleration in real-time. The drone burst forward with remarkable speed.

I directed it to take a sudden right turn, a movement it performed smoothly, angling its vents to swing around in a wide arc before returning to its original path.

So far, so good. Now, it was time to test the detonation. I mentally steered the drone toward the end of the tunnel lined with reinforced stone slabs, my mind tethered to it, sensing each shift in its trajectory.

As it neared the slabs, I activated the detonation gland, releasing the catalyst into the gel chamber.

The blast was immediate, filling the chamber with a cloud of debris and fragments. The stone slabs, solid and unwavering a moment before, now bore a deep crater. Small shards of metal embedded themselves in every direction, scoring the surface with ragged cuts. Instantly, the drone had disintegrated, taking its target.

I reviewed the blast’s radius, making note of the dispersion pattern. It worked better than expected, creating a formidable zone of destruction. With a little refining, I could ensure a dense, lethal payload each time.

Over the next several hours, I refined the next set of drones, testing variations in payload size, blast radius, and shrapnel density. I tried different metals for the fragments, testing which created the deepest cuts and which worked best in confined spaces.

After numerous iterations, I found an ideal mix, balancing lethality with the drone’s weight.

I watched the drone as it darted and spiralled in response to my commands, fluid and responsive. When it finally collided with its target, the explosion was precise, a short-lived but devastating burst of metal shards tearing through the space.

My mind refocused above as the enemy vehicles now numbered thirteen, there was more activity as a few individuals emerged from their vehicles standing around a central figure.

I ordered every bio-fabricator to start mass production of suicide drones, and I

expected to have a minimum of a hundred with an additional hundred on standby ready for anything.

I commanded a hundred burrowers to carve out a network of tunnels, each veering carefully around the enemy’s perimeter close enough to stage an ambush but far enough to avoid detection.

My attention shifted back to the scouts, who were closely monitoring the enemy. The central figure remained stationary, surrounded by a smaller group, while others clustered near their armoured vehicles, seemingly oblivious to the forces gathering just below their feet.

The first dozen suicide drones were already in position, hidden among the shadows within the tunnel exits. Yet, I held back, waiting for the full force to assemble. Time ticked by, and the majority of the enemy began retreating to their vehicles.

With the preparation complete, I sent a single, precise thought. In response, a hundred drones erupted from the tunnels in unison, swarming toward their targets with deadly speed. The ground rippled with movement as they rushed forward, streaking through the open terrain like a dark, living wave.

The enemy’s reaction was immediate. Vehicles whirred to life, pivoting in a desperate attempt to bring their weapons to bear on the approaching horde.