A.V.I
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***
Once he had returned to the HQ, Aspen immediately went to the simulation room where all of the simulation pots were. He walked to the center of the room and moved a few pods out of the way after unplugging them. Once the space was cleared, he took out the Quad simulator Pod from his inventory and placed it in the open space. He then plugged it into multiple outlets that were on the floor.
Although the Quad simulator Pod had been upgraded with an integrated battery, all that did was make it possible for one to use it without having to use external energy. And right about now, instead of being a good thing, it was only limiting as it only allowed for 4 uses per week before the battery naturally recharged. But if it was getting power from an exterior source, then the number of uses wouldn't be an issue any longer.
Once he had finished, Aspen left instructions for his newly summoned comrades to use the Quad simulator Pod once they were done with their surgeries. He was planning on making them advance to at the very least Gamma tier, before starting out his attack on Ajax's base.
He knew that they would have some extra backup apart from the mechs his previous self had died to. But he also knew that as long as he managed to produce some of the Monarch class mechs he had in mind, or at the very least equip his entire group with the Apostles, then his revenge would be accompanied by overwhelming destruction of enemy forces.
He didn't want to equip his men with the Vanguard class that was starting to be developed because then it would be pretty damn obvious who was the one attacking a base backed by the Volkov family with a bunch of mechs that had just been released for sale.
The more Aspen thought about it, the more he felt like he could take on the entire base and their 150+ mechs by himself in a Monarch. But he knew that this revenge was not his alone to have, it also belonged to Ghost, Maximus, Santos, Raven, and Jess.
'It might actually be better to attack with just the 5 of us if I can manage to develop some Monarchs that are tier 4 or 5,' Aspen thought to himself as he reached the factory. 'If I can make them with load requirements that aren't as demanding of the human's mental pathways… but that might demand more controls to be added which the Neural Links help replace.'
He let out a sigh as he entered the building, "I'll figure something out…" Aspen said to himself as he approached Presley and Patricia, who had started to make some progress on the task he had assigned them. "How are things coming along?"
Patricia looked up from her tablet and the schematics that were laid out before her. "It's barely been 2 hours… and this... This reactor configuration? Never seen anything like it. Looks like you'll have to be on your own to create the 'downplayed' version of it."
Presley, on the other hand, had a smile on his face. "Big guns go boom. Need I say any more, sir?"
Aspen nodded, understanding the satisfaction explosions and guns brought to men. "We are simple creatures, Presley." He paused for a second as if in thought before turning to Patricia, "Don't worry about the reactor, I'll figure something out. How about you work on the design aspect and look into the suggestions I gave earlier for the internals and the frame."
Patricia sighed, "I'm a researcher, you know?"
"Mech researchers are also designers," Presley said in a low voice which earned him a smack to the back of his head from Patricia.
Aspen smiled at the quarreling couple and grabbed the reactor's schematics before walking out of the room and into one of the design rooms adjacent to the meeting room he was just in.
"Alright, time to see what I can do," he said to himself as he dug into the schematics.
***
2 Weeks later
***
First Person POV: Victor Volkov
I hadn't heard much from the men I had left behind overlooking Azrael and his brother's actions. About a week after our meeting the two left the city and headed West. They were both gone for a few days before I got word of Azrael's return in a sleek midnight purple VTOL that was being expertly piloted.
According to the report, he had left just as fast as he had arrived. The VTOL was reported to be easily exceeding the speeds of our VTOLs War Emergency Power. Considering that we were privy to top-of-the-line weapons and vehicles, this was a shocker and one that proved my thoughts. That man wasn't acting on his own accord, but through someone's orders.
That was a shocker and a half, but color me fucking shocked when I heard of a new mech upstart. Azrael Vanguard Industries, or A.V.I as they had taken to calling themselves. They had come from out of nowhere, yet they had a factory and an HQ in the Cepoki Mountain Range.
That means that this new group had been lying low without attracting any attention to themselves for ages. They had come out stating that they had created a new class of mech that could outperform even a Reaper while being around the price of a Viper-class mech. It was called the Vanguard class and they said they would unveil it at the upcoming mech conference that was just 2 weeks away.
I needed to inform father of these new developments. If what is being claimed turns out to be true, then we need to get our hands on the first batch of mechs being produced before anyone else.
I pulled up father's contact information and started a call. After only a few seconds of waiting, the image of father's head and shoulders appeared before me, hovering over my desk.
"Father," I greeted, to which I only received a curt nod. "I have some news that may be of interest to you and the corporation and I highly doubt this news has made the rounds to you or much of anyone else yet."
I was about to continue, but he spoke first. "Before that, give me a report. How are things going with what I assigned you to do? How's Valina holding up?"
I furrowed my brows slightly at his question. "Well, if I may be honest… no development has been made. Whoever targeted our dear Valina's forces seemed to have come and gone with the wind."
I noticed his expression shift to one of curiosity at my words. "How could that be? Was there no traces left? I mean, no one can be that good."
"Under normal circumstances, you'd be correct," I say, nodding my head in agreement. "However, whoever did this did not want to be found or maybe did it as a warning. I had obtained some information on possible suspects, one who is believed to be dead since he was the man leading the rebellion against us on this planet."
He took my words with an unchanging stare, "Hmm, a dead man, and who might the other suspect be?"
"Suspects," I replied. "Not one, but two men. They had been involved in a little scuffle with the two sister lost, but it wasn't considered much. I met up with them, one was clearly in control. His name is Azrael Fallcrest. No information about him until about 2 months ago. I believed him to have been a former Death Merc which was confirmed by his change of attitude as soon as I brought it up."
He nodded at this, "So, do you think it was them?"
I shook my head in response, "They have no motive and seem to be doing well to want to attract some unwanted attention. And that brings me back to what I was calling you for. There's this new start-up manufacturer on this planet. They built their HQ and one of their factories without anyone ever noticing."
I paused to see if he would say anything, but he just kept quiet. "They came out and mentioned that they'd be unveiling a new mecha class that would put Reapers to shame for about the same price as Viper-class mechs."
This statement seemed to grab his attention as I saw him shift and lean forward. "And…. is it true?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "No clue on how true it is, but if it is true, then we have a new player in the mecha manufacturer field. One with unknown backing and power. And worst of all…. Its owner is Azarael Fallcrest."
With that, his image slumped back into his chair as he ran a hand down his face. "Please tell me you didn't completely burn this possible bridge with the investigation."
I swallowed hard, the disappointment in me reeking off of my father made my throat knot up a bit. "There's a possibility that things may still be workable… Which is why I believe that you should have someone sent to Cenolla. They stated that the unveiling of this new mech will be in two weeks during the upcoming annual Mech Conference in Ciolla, the capital city of this planet."
He sighed as he straightened his posture. "This is something that has to be handled by people of the main family. It will show sincerity and our desire to elevate our relationship. We may be a magnate, but knowing how to play with these small up-starts is the reason we maintain our position in this galaxy. I'll inform your uncle about this. Expect him within a week and a half."
He paused as he thought for a second, "If trade negotiations to obtain some sort of manufacturing or at the very least, distribution rights from them are reached… then stay on the planet. If not, I want you to return with your uncle."
I nodded at his orders, "What about Valina? Do I take her with us or leave her with her boy toy?"
"Leave her," he responded immediately. "I've already done more than I promised I would do for her. She doesn't want me interfering in her affairs unless it is to foot the bills, then so be it."
"Understood," I said as I locked eyes with his image. "I'll be awaiting uncle's arrival. I'll keep you posted if anything changes or happens."
Father didn't say anything and quickly terminated our connection. I slumped in my chair while letting out a sigh. "I've disappointed Father once again, how do I fix this?"
Third Person POV
***
The galaxy was abuzz with whispers of the sudden emergence of Azrael Vanguard Industries. Mech manufacturers, mercenary factions, and corporate conglomerates scrambled to make sense of the implications of their claims. Some of them saw opportunity whereas others saw a rising threat, and a few dismissed it as an overblown publicity stunt. Regardless of personal opinions, all eyes were now on the upcoming Mech Conference in Ciolla.
In the halls of the Terran Industrial Consortium, Director Eliana Rensworth reviewed the intelligence reports with growing concern. The claim of a Reaper-class performance at Viper-class pricing was outrageous. If true, it could destabilize the market, undercutting the prices of major manufacturers, bringing all prices down, and shifting the balance of power in not only mercenary contracts, but also governments and corporation control across the sector.
"If this is real, we need to either acquire them or ensure their failure," she muttered to her aides. "Prepare an offer for licensing agreements. If they refuse, we have contingencies."
Meanwhile, on fringe colonies, mercenary groups operating in the lawless zones of the galaxy watched their Nexus' with keen interest. The Crimson Skulls, one of the more formidable mercenary groups, saw potential in securing access to these new machines. Their commander, Helios Halloway, leaned back in his chair, scanning the announcement holocast.
"Vanguard-class mechs, huh? If these things can actually do what they claim, we're looking at a game-changer. See what you can dig up on A.V.I. If their leadership is reasonable, we make a deal. If not... well, we'll take what we need."
In the academic circles, top engineers and researchers debated the validity of the announcement. At the Korlios Institute of Advanced Mechatronics, Dr. Helena Brask, a leading researcher in materials, was intrigued by the concept.
"If they've found a way to bridge the gap of quality of materials and electronics gap between Reaper-class performance and low-cost manufacturing, their design philosophy must be revolutionary. I wasn't planning on attending this conference since much hasn't changed in the last 5 years, but now I need to attend that conference. If nothing else, I may learn something new."
Even in the underworld, crime syndicates and black-market traders saw an opportunity. If the Vanguards were truly powerful, they would become a prized commodity, much like stolen Reapers had been. An infamous broker, known as Solomon, reached out to his contacts.
"Find me someone inside A.V.I. We need specs, blueprints, and whatever else we can get our hands on. If we can't buy them, then we'll find a way."
And then there were those within the Volkov family itself. As Victor's father relayed the information to other members of the inner circle, discussions erupted over the next steps. The potential profits and risks were both enormous and a wrong move could either cement or shatter their influence within this new company.
Unbeknownst to them all, Aspen hadn't been wasting his time as he had developed an extremely advanced AI, though one with constraints, and was watching everything unfold, witnessing the ripples his actions were creating. The pieces were moving on the board, and soon, his false identity will be cemented allowing him to carry on with his initial task of cleansing this universe.
The Mech Conference in Ciolla was fast approaching, and with it, the unveiling of the Vanguard-class mechs would mark the beginning of a new era. His development of Apostle-Class mechs along with the development of the Monarch-class mechs had also been coming along smoothly. It would take at most a week once the conference was over for a working prototype of both to be finished and assembled.
Aspen hadn't slacked in his training either as he now found himself nearing 22,000 piloting hours thanks to the Quad Simulator Pod, leaving him almost halfway through Beta-tier. His power of focus and precision had been honed over almost 3 years' worth of experience in simulations, no longer losing himself in the sweet taste that reaping the souls of the wretched gave him.
In another month or two, he would become a complete nightmare for anyone who would dare stand in his way. "I may be returning back to Autumn sooner than I thought," Aspen said to himself as he took a sip of whiskey before suddenly dropping his glass.
"I just raised a fucking flag, didn't I? Fuck."
Word Count: 2512 Words 👏
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