State Poland, Free Rzeszów, TACTA. Rented Workshop
Ghosts of the Future Team, August 17, 2049, 10:25 AM
The morning sun had long since shed its gentle warmth, climbing higher in the sky. It was now scorching the air like a blazing furnace. It was hard to believe that autumn was just around the corner. Residents and visitors of the city alike huddled in air-conditioned sanctuaries, determined to escape the sweltering heat. Today was, without a doubt, the hottest day of the entire summer…
…Yet within the rented workshop, the atmosphere burned even hotter than the streets outside, brimming with its own fiery intensity.
The relentless clatter echoed through the vast hangar — numerous machineries, three material assemblers and a towering assembly frame working in perfect rhythm. Their mechanical symphony was accompanied by the low hum of cooling systems and air filtration units, as well as the steady buzz of engineering robots. Together, the grinding, clanking, creaking, and pounding created an industrial melody of ceaseless production.
The air carried a heavy mix of heated metal, composite plastics, rubber, and the sharp tang of ozone from the welding stations. Watching the androids and service bots darting across the floor, it was easy to believe that time here flowed twice as fast as it did in the world outside.
The resources salvaged from dismantling two unfortunate luxury sedans – bulky as they were – had long since run out. Since then, Alisa had already placed two orders for additional components, particularly raw materials for composite plastic panels, and it seemed a third order would soon be inevitable.
Maksim, who had joined the bustling epicenter of “technological madness” alongside Nikola not long ago, disconnected from the VR controller of the assembly frame. He had just completed the installation and configuration of a rapid-fire autocannon on a platform nicknamed Sleipnir — a heavily armored vehicle that Dasha had salvaged from the University. Despite the name, it only had four legs, not eight like its mythical counterpart.
With this final addition, the young engineer had completed a major milestone for the team: they now had their own armored mini-tank, ready to provide support during the “hot phase” of their mission.
Glancing at a few green and orange testing glyphs flashing in AR, he allowed himself a satisfied smile and leaned back in his work chair.
“Alisa, I see we’re running pretty low on funds?” he asked, glancing at his sister, who stood motionless by the workbench, her eyes closed. Not that she needed her physical vision right now anyway.
“Yeah, I transferred 2.4 million grants to the special account. That’s for the nineteen Quantum Cores, which should arrive around 23:20 tonight. But hey, as they say, a true pro isn’t the one who hoards money — it’s the one who spends it fast and smart,” she replied with a grin. “So, what’s up? Something you’re thinking about?”
“Just thinking about stocking up before the mission,” he answered with a chuckle. “But first — can you get in touch with your supplier and dig up the specs on that truck he promised? Ideally, I’d like the full documentation.”
“Sure,” Alisa nodded.
Before the Ghosts’ leader had even finished washing his face and downing a glass of water, she was ready.
“Done. I uploaded the documentation to the clan’s cloud. And went through it myself, too — just in case I can help with anything.”
“Well, you’re definitely a faster reader than me, sis,” Maksim grinned. “So, what’s the deal? Is it purely Earth-made, or has it been upgraded?”
The blond stepped away from the assembly frame and walked over to the corner of the workshop, where her brother had tucked himself away from the chaos of darting robots. Grabbing a folding chair leaning against the wall, she unfolded it and sat down nearby.
“Alright, here’s the breakdown,” she said, swiping an AR schematic into view. “Technically, it’s an Unimog U9K, 2035 model, Earth-manufactured. The main upgrades are the powertrain swap for an algeon generator and, of course, full armor plating.”
“Ah, that’s the TACTA version of Earth’s methanol-oxygen fuel cells, but running on algeon biofuel?”
“Exactly,” she said with a quick nod. “It’s Oxy-algeon, by the way. Great fuel — efficient, non-toxic, and here’s the fun part: it’s already being produced and sold here in Rzeszów. A couple of local farms jumped on the opportunity. I’m pretty sure it’ll be the next industrial standard before long.”
“Hm... interesting,” Maksim murmured thoughtfully, opening the Informatorium and navigating to the section labeled Energy: Biofuel: Generators and Fuel Cells. “What do you think about switching our assault units to this?”
“Yeah, that could work, especially for the Hurricanes. They’re ideal candidates for extended missions. Want me to crunch the numbers?”
“Please do. It should give our assault drones a significant boost in operational autonomy.”
The blonde nodded, redirecting two secondary threads from Daria’s work and assigning them to the new task.
“By the way, big brother, what exactly were you planning to buy? Maybe we can hash it out now while we’ve got a moment.”
“Good idea. Let me call Nikola first,” he said, then typed a quick message into their conference chat: [Redhead, how’s it going on your end? Almost wrapped up? Can you swing by?]
Barely half a minute later, the door to the adjoining room swung open. Alisa had rented the additional space since their main workshop was bursting at the seams. It also served as storage for completed drones, especially the kamikaze ones, which contain explosives and needed special handling. That’s what Nikola had been busy with before Maksim called her over.
“It’s a start-but-never-finish situation in there,” Nikola said with mock optimism, leaning against the doorframe and wiping the sweat from her forehead. “By the way, it’s like an oven in here. What’s up?”
The guy flashed a wide grin and, with a dramatic magician’s gesture, switched Alisa’s shared AR screen in the conference feed to his own. The Informatorium app popped up, displaying a curated selection of TACTA combat armor sets he’d prepared earlier.
“You’re gonna like this,” he said. “Come sit by Alisa. There’s water on the table if you’re thirsty.”
“Sure thing.” Nikola dashed across the room, dropping into the chair beside the blond and snagging a bottle of mineral water from the table. “Oh, gear! Nice.”
Maksim checked Daria’s network status and saw it set to Do Not Disturb. Deciding not to pull her away from her coding session, he turned his focus back to the discussion — combat prep was their top priority anyway.
“I’m saying we need to invest heavily in weapons and gear, and we need to do it now,” he said seriously. “I know funds are tight, but this mission is the hardest one we’ve taken on so far. And I have no doubt we’ll be greeted with nothing less than ‘exceptional hospitality.’ Sure, the drones will take the lead, but you all know I’m not willing to risk…”
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“Yeah, yeah,” Nikola cut in, her plastic fingers tapping a quick rhythm against the tabletop. “Hiding in the back isn’t an option. If we play it safe, system stats won’t go up, and we won’t unlock any new skills. That means everyone’s going in. Even Dasha.”
“And that’s exactly the problem,” Maksim agreed, turning to face her. “Our armor’s practically falling apart. Some of it’s barely holding together.”
“Max, we’ve got enough for four full sets,” Alisa pointed out, scrolling through the catalog he’d displayed. “Even if we go for the most expensive option you’ve listed as number one. So, what’s the holdup?”
He sighed and switched to another page, already anticipating the look on Nikola’s face the moment she saw the top item on his list.
As expected, Nika practically jumped in her seat, unable to contain her excitement. Honestly, who could blame her? Sitting at the very top of the list was a Cybernetic Battlesuit, Commando class, Berserker type.
The lightest in the “Powered Armor Suit” category, it was also the fastest and most flexible. And yet, despite its lightweight build, it boasted the best set of synthetic muscles and boosters available, making it the strongest as well. The suit connected directly to the pilot’s cyber-core, prioritizing speed and strength over heavy armor.
What’s more, this specific model wasn’t just compatible – it was explicitly designed for Berserkers, capable of supporting up to Level 5 functionality. The stats were absolutely jaw-dropping.
But so was the price. At a staggering 190,499 grants, this beast cost almost as a thermonuclear reactor.
“Maa-aa-aax…” Nika drawled in an odd tone, shifting restlessly in her seat. “Kurwa, I’m about to burn a hole through this chair… I want it. I need it. Holy shit, didn’t we still have money lying around?!”
“I thought so too. Alisa, we had over a million left, didn’t we? So why am I only seeing a little over a hundred now? Care to explain where it all disappeared to?”
“Ah, crap!” his sister blurted, smacking her forehead dramatically. “I completely forgot — ugh, such a stupid oversight! Check the ‘Clan Account’ tab for me, will you?”
Without a word, Maksim did as she asked, fully aware that Alisa could see both the live feed from his visual implants and the processed data from her sub-brain interface.
“Sorry, that one’s on me and Dasha,” the blonde admitted, her gaze dropping guiltily. “The money’s still there; it’s just spread across sub-accounts, which is why you couldn’t see it. I already pinged Dasha — we’ll push a patch in an hour. For now, just look through my feed, okay?”
Alisa shook her head and made a broad, sweeping gesture with her hands.
“Once the patch goes live, you’ll have access too. Look, I’ve set aside 300K for Nika’s upgrades, but we’ve only spent 120K so far. For the vehicle pool, it was 200K, and we’ve burned through 120K of that. Well, and there was one big unplanned expense — a regeneration capsule. So yeah, we’ve got money left. Max, just lay out the whole list, and we’ll figure it out.”
Maksim nodded, quickly compiled his planned purchases, and sent them to the group chat:
// EQUIPMENT LIST FOR ACCELION LABS MISSION
* Cybernetic Battlesuit: 190,499
* TACTA Medium Armor (full set) NMSA-Bastion-1.3a: 6,900
* 2x TACTA Light Armor (full set) NLSA-Aether-1b: 6,100
* Medical Kit Add-on – Mobile MedBot VitaGuard M3: 49,300
* 5x Regeneration Rods (consumables for MedBot): 4,999
* Gauss Needle Rifle – Vector Spike GNRc3-m4.2: 3,199
* 20x Needle Cartridges (200 units): 160
* 2x Rechargeable Battery (Class S3) + Charger: 49
“Here’s what I’ve planned. The most expensive items are Nika’s armor and the MedBot. The armor speaks for itself, and the MedBot will replace the regen capsule in the field. As for weapons, I only picked something for myself — Earth-standard rifles just don’t cut it under Mind Acceleration. Nika, anything to add? Alisa, your thoughts?”
Redhead rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then nodded with confidence.
“We’re gonna need solid melee weapons. I have a feeling close combat’s going to be critical there. Plus, you know, the ‘Wild Cats’ — all their cyborgs carry at least one sword.”
“Got it,” Alisa replied with a nod. “What’s your preference? I can check if it’s cheaper to grab a blueprint for the material assembler.”
“Well, I’m not fencing with the shaiszu, I’m cutting through them. So, a cutlass for my right hand,” Nika answered. “And if the budget allows, a laser pistol for my left. I saw that combo in a video about the Protectorate combat. Should work perfectly with the speed and dexterity from Berserker mode.”
“Alright, we’ve got the funds,” Maksim agreed. “Let’s go ahead and get two pistols and a set of S2-class batteries. The charger I already added to the list is compatible with them.”
Alisa gave a silent nod, and the pistols were added to the cart. Nika smirked with satisfaction, flashing a thumbs-up. After taking another look at the armor specs in the Informatorium, the cyborg girl paused thoughtfully and added:
“I’m guessing TACTA includes not only detailed documentation with the purchase but also a VR module compatible with standard and military-grade training simulators, right? If possible, I’d like to run that program on Moira’s base. While I’m in the regen capsule, I could use the time to train… It’s critical for the mission – just in case there are any quirks with this armor that I need to know about.”
“Great idea,” Maksim said approvingly. “Developing a full-fledged training environment in the System is definitely something we should focus on later. It could be a game-changer for us and even a marketable product down the line. But for now, since we’re short on time, Alisa, can you set up a temporary VR combat simulation just for Nika?”
“Of course.”
After the discussion, Redhead headed back to the neighboring room to continue working on the completed drones, while Maksim and Alisa finalized the transition of the assault drones to fuel cells and began prepping the necessary modules. They also updated their order to TACTA, adding a blueprint for producing fuel cells in their fabricator, a large 200-liter barrel of Ox-algeon fuel, and a universal refueling station.
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At 1:49 PM, Radoslaw called with news. All the work on the semi-trailer was complete, and the TACTA specialist’s expert certification had confirmed everything was in perfect condition. As an added bonus, the Master’s team had taken the initiative to upgrade the hitch mechanism. Now, the trailer could remain connected to the truck even when the gravity compensator was running in vibration protection mode.
Delighted, Maksim left Alisa and Nika to their work on the drones and rushed to inspect the results. The surgical complex, which had been delivered to the auto workshop a couple of hours earlier, was already installed. Radoslaw, visibly proud, couldn’t help but praise his team multiple times, emphasizing that they’d gone above and beyond — “giving it 300%,” as he put it. Max ran a series of tests, checking the system in both vibration protection and overload compensation modes, and had to agree: the craftsmanship was flawless.
Now the Ghosts had a powerful dual-purpose vehicle at their disposal: an advanced mobile cyber-hospital or a truck capable of carrying up to a hundred tons of cargo. It could technically handle even more, but that would require significant additional upgrades to the trailer — something unnecessary for now.
Since the work had already been paid for, all Maksim needed to do was sign the handover paperwork. While at it, he managed to persuade Radoslaw to make a few last-minute upgrades to both pickups. It wasn’t a full overhaul — there simply wasn’t time for that — but they still outfitted vehicles with semi-automatic drone catapults. Each of them could now deploy up to four Hornets at a time, allowing for eight assault drones to launch directly “on the move.”
There was also enough space in the truck beds to install kamikaze drone launchers. Resembling multiple rocket launch systems, these setups could fire up to twenty Tonbo Sanda drones simultaneously from each pickup. The launchers were manually operated, so the drones would have to be reloaded by hand, but they were simple to craft and required no expensive consumables. The final addition was a pair of basic “rails” with locking mechanisms, designed to launch two reconnaissance drones, Eyes.
As usual, Radoslaw put on a show of grumbling and tried to inflate the price. But after a brief negotiation, the terms were settled, and both parties shook hands to seal the deal.
Once the cyber-hospital trailer was delivered to the workshop and positioned closer to Alisa, preparations for the operation began in full swing. While Mei Li tested and calibrated the surgical robot, Maksim loaded the regeneration capsule into the trailer, securely installed it, and connected it to the water, air, and power supply.
The final touch was to transform the trailer into a fully operational mobile hospital. Maksim installed an air purification and atmospheric control system for the surgical compartment, which had already been outfitted by Radoslaw’s team. As for the auxiliary equipment — surgical lamps, high-precision cameras, a sterilization unit for tools, additional manipulators, and more — Alisa, to save time, had ordered it in advance from the city’s crafters.
Two androids meticulously cleaned every inch of the trailer’s interior. Maksim activated the vibration protection and air purification systems, while Nikola stepped through the “decontamination chamber,” another piece salvaged from Zelman’s clinic. Moments later, she was prepped and positioned on the surgical table.
The operation commenced.
Alisa remained inside the trailer, closely monitoring the procedure to ensure the surgical systems ran flawlessly. Maksim, on the other hand, headed to the adjacent hall to focus on testing the assembled drones. One by one, they were calibrated, verified, and made mission-ready, left standing in neat rows as they awaited inspection from the city’s official.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and before anyone realized, the night had arrived...