Hours passed and I'm on my tenth iteration of the design. I return to the slab, scratching out notes on the tablet. What I need is a balance between speed and power.

A hybrid system, perhaps, where the gel is initially fired using muscle-driven force, but with a secondary pressurization chamber that kicks in mid-flight to control the gel’s state.

It took me some time to work out the details, but eventually, I had a new design iteration number eleven. The weapon is lighter, and more compact, with dual firing systems. I load it with gel and aim for the final ore deposit.

This time, the firing is smooth. The gel launches from the barrel in a fluid motion, propelled by the initial muscle contraction. Then, just before it begins to crystallize, the pressurization chamber kicks in, keeping the gel liquid for a fraction longer. The result is a projectile that hardens at just the right moment, hitting the ore with a brutal, shattering force.

The entire ore deposit cracks under the impact, fragments of metal flying in every direction. I lower the weapon, satisfaction washing over me. This design will work. It’s still rough, and still in need of refinement, but it has potential.

I set the weapon down and return to the stone slab, making the final notes on the tablet. The gel-based projectile system will be the cornerstone of my long-range weapon system. With the right modifications, I can scale it up, and create larger weapons capable of firing multiple shots in quick succession.

The short-range systems can come later—spitters, claws, and bone blades—but for now, I have what I require. A weapon that can strike from a distance, hard and fast, capable of piercing through metal and stone alike.

I glance back at the shattered ore deposits, my mind already spinning with new ideas. This is just the beginning. Soon, I’ll have an entire arsenal at my disposal, all of it biological, all of it lethal.

Ordering a few burrowers in to clean up the floating ore fragments, I scratch new notes into the resin tablets, refining the design later. Shifting my focus to the moon's surface, weeks must have passed and it's been quiet.

I step away from the slab and move to a different section of the chamber, where another idea has been forming in my mind a small, scout drone, capable of scouting the moon’s surface undetected the next phase before I try to reclaim the moon's surface.

It will need to blend into the environment, mimicking the harsh, cold surface of the moon. Its body temperature must be modulated to match the frigid terrain, making it invisible to thermal scans. Its body must be able to contort and flatten, its movement must be quick, and it needs to survive long distances by itself.

I sketch a quick design onto the tablet, noting its potential uses: reconnaissance, sabotage, or even as a decoy. The scout will have to survey the aftermath of the battlefield and feed information back to me in real-time.

I can already see its utility. It will also be the first drone to venture beyond the cave network, exploring the surface and identifying any threats or survivin resources.

I turn my attention to the scout drone. It must be far more than just a simple reconnaissance unit; it must be an extension of my awareness outside my sanctuary I quickly grab a blank resin tablet and start writing my thoughts.

The body structure is the first thing to design it has to be sleek and compact, barely over a meter long, with a narrow, elongated frame that minimizes drag in microgravity.

The exoskeleton will be a specialized mix of flexible chitin, allowing the drone to shift and morph its body depending on the terrain or situation. It must be able to flatten against surfaces or squeeze through narrow gaps without making a sound.

For movement in the vacuum, I give it vector thrust bio-jets, tiny vents along its sides and back that use bursts of pressurized gas to propel the drone through space with speed and precision. These bio-jets allow it to shift direction quickly, dodging obstacles or adjusting its trajectory. The jets are silent, perfect for stealth operations in space where sound can’t travel.

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The drone’s vision will be its greatest strength. I can craft multi-spectrum eyes that see across the visible spectrum, infrared, ultraviolet, and even X-ray. With this capability, it will be able to detect heat sources, radiation levels, and subtle shifts in energy across vast distances.

The drone will be my eyes in every sense, capable of spotting distant threats or resources long before anything could detect its presence.

For environmental adaptation, it can focus on mimicry. The outer layer of its body is composed of bio-reactive cells that not only adjust its colour and texture to match the surrounding environment but also its thermal signature.

In the cold of space, it will be able to lower its body temperature to blend perfectly with the background radiation, becoming nearly invisible to thermal sensors. The surface of its body will also shift to imitate the textures and colours of nearby rocks, and metal.

I enhance the scout’s sensitivity to vibrations as well. Though sound doesn’t travel in the vacuum of space, vibrational feedback from impacts or movements on surfaces will be picked up through specialized hairs along its limbs. These sensory appendages allow it to detect subtle shifts in its surroundings, from a ship’s engine thrumming in the distance to the faintest impact of dust on a moon’s surface. It can sense movement long before it becomes visible.

Finally, to ensure survival, I'll equip the scout with bio-elasticity. Its body will be able to compress and expand, adapting to various pressures and forces as it navigates the terrain or the vacuum. This elasticity also allows the scout to fold itself into incredibly small spaces when necessary, hiding in crevices or attaching itself to moving objects undetected.

With its speed, camouflage, advanced vision, and vibrational sensing, this new scout drone will be my ultimate spy, slipping through the vacuum without a trace and providing me with real-time data from anywhere.

I shift my design focus to the internals of this scout drone for survival in the harsh vacuum of space, prioritizing self-sufficiency and adaptability. Envisioning a multi-source energy system at its core.

For energy, I'll equip it with photo-reactive cells to harvest solar energy, even in low-light conditions, storing excess in organic batteries. When sunlight isn’t available, it will have a bio-mineral digestive sac to extract minerals from rocks and soil, converting them into energy like certain deep-sea organisms.

To ensure longevity, I'll create an efficient recycling system that reabsorbs and heals from biological material it loses, supported by regenerative tissues. Given the vacuum of space, I implement anaerobic respiration, allowing the drone to break down chemical compounds using metals and minerals for energy.

Thermoregulation is critical, so I design a bio-reactive shell to insulate against extreme temperatures, incorporating heat-exchange vessels to store heat during exposure. An internal repair system using stem-like cells can quickly patch up any damage.

Waste management is crucial, too. The drone will store waste for later excretion and can convert some by-products into biological resin for temporary shelters or protective coverings.

Finally, I integrate a dormancy system, enabling it to slow its metabolism and hibernate when resources are scarce. With these systems finely tuned, I ensure this drone can autonomously navigate and survive in the depths of space or hidden underground for extended periods.