Steel and Silence

October 26, 2025 — 10:15 AM

Sentinel Subic — Hall 3A, Prototype Integration Lab

The hiss of compressed air. The rhythmic whir of a milling head. The occasional clink of metal tools being exchanged mid-process.

The lab wasn't loud—but it was alive.

Carina Velasquez stood at a reinforced viewing platform above the main integration bay, arms crossed, observing as her lead mechanical engineer aligned the carbon-ceramic turbine housing into a custom-built test rig. It looked nothing like a traditional engine. There were no bulky pistons or towering cylinder blocks. Just a sleek, honeycomb-core structure that looked more aircraft than automobile.

Matthew stood beside her, quietly sipping from a black thermal flask.

"No leaks in the cooling chamber?" he asked.