A sci-fi serial in 69 parts featuring original art with every chapter.
Braggadocio between American and Japanese robotics engineers on social media becomes serious once corporate backers join the fray and commission build teams for an international...
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Lumin walked up to Eldridge as the meeting ended. "I need to make a quick call. I'll come find you when I'm done so we can talk more about recruitment."
"Sounds fine, Miss Mira, but you may want to consider spending a little more quality time with your old crewmates before Operation Ramone ramps up."
Lumin cringed a bit. "Oof. Don't let me name things anymore, Eldridge."
Eldridge laughed as he started walking away. "No worries. I think the team finds your awkward nomenclature endearing for the most part. I'll see you soon."
Lumin made a couple of phone calls while the cafeteria slowly cleared. The crowd had mostly dispersed by the time she was done. She saw Richard and Yasamin sitting against the far wall drinking coffee and hurried to join them. "Hi guys...did I do alright up there?"
Richard sat up straighter and sent up a sarcastic salute. "Yes Ma'am, General Mira!"
Lumin sat down next to him. "Knock that shit off. I'm serious!"
"Well, you certainly look the part," said Richard.
"Ugh...I know," said Lumin looking down at her outfit. She was wearing a black tank top with gray cargo pants and combat boots. Her "Shuffle Pigs" bomber jacket topped everything off. "I've been cut off from my wardrobe and let's just say the togs that Roundstone's compound has to offer are a bit lacking. I decided just to recycle a security guard uniform."
"I can dig it," said Richard. "It's better than the sweatpants most of us are wearing."
"Well, do you think what I said resonated with anyone?" Lumin asked again.
"I think we're all still freaked out by the situation, but, everyone seems to have a lot of faith in you," said Yasamin.
"Definitely," said Richard. "I'm a little salty about Eldridge utilizing our tech in his robot army without consulting any of us. Who built the damn things?"
"Sato Corp's small army of builders did most of the construction. The majority of them have already returned to Japan, though," said Lumin.
Richard pushed his empty cup across the table. "Well, if these new robots turn out to be as amazing as they sound I suppose it's all good."
"They are," said Lumin. "The robot I piloted operated liked a dream. The new units' upgraded actuators respond faster to bio-feedback from the ferrotank, which makes response times quicker. Also, the control bell auto-synchs to the pilot's body mass in seconds, eliminating the need for any pre-flight calibration."
"And the robots fly. I still can't believe it," said Yasamin.
"The A.I. assisted flight mode was pretty easy to handle but I'll need more practice if I'm going to pull off any evasive maneuvers on my own."
"Sato's battery units are mind-blowing. How long did the power cube hold out?" asked Richard.
"Outside of their shells, the batteries are cylindrical shaped. I flew about 400 miles before mine had to be changed. The spare I was carrying turned out to be a dud, so I had to use GPS coordinates to track down another one. I felt like a pirate searching for buried treasure. It was an odd feeling knowing I had suddenly become part of Sato's weird conspiracy."
