Two days later.
Inside the Arkbound lab, the second NEAR unit powered on. Hydraulic pistons released soft hisses, and the eyes of the metallic figure glowed with deep, synchronized pulses. The bot's head tilted slightly, scanning the room before locking its gaze on Korin and Lira.
"System online," the bot announced in a smooth, even tone. "Good morning, Lira. Good morning, Korin."
Korin leaned forward. "It… remembers our names?"
Lira stared at her monitor, stunned. "Neural mesh held. Raen's design is beyond anything I've ever seen."
Before they could even process the moment, Raen strode into the lab, hoodie half-zipped, his eyes sharp and alert.
"It's live?" he asked, stepping close to the bot.
Korin gave a satisfied nod. "Second NEAR is fully operational."
Raen didn't wait. He activated his comm and sent a quick ping."Saelyn. Nyra. Get down here. Lab. Now."
Fifteen minutes later, Saelyn and Nyra arrived, brisk and focused, both in formal wear, still holding work tablets.
"What's going on?" Saelyn asked, scanning the scene.
Raen gestured to the two standing prototypes. "We're stress-testing the bots. Movement, speed, power load—everything."
Nyra immediately raised her voice. "Wait, wait—are you crazy?! We can't risk showing these in public! What if something leaks? This isn't a garage bot anymore, Raen. This is revolutionary."
"I get that," Raen said, unfazed. "But unless we test it under real stress, we don't know what we're selling. I need to break it before the world sees it."
Korin chimed in from behind the bot. "You might not even get the chance to break it."
He held up a data pad. "These units are already capable of running at 100 kilometers per hour and lifting over 100 kilograms."
The room fell dead silent.
Saelyn blinked. "Wait… how much?"
Nyra's eyes widened. "Did you just say one hundred kilometers per hour?!"
Raen nodded slowly, a smirk forming. "Told you. This isn't a robot. It's industrial-grade evolution."
Saelyn crossed her arms tightly. "If anyone even hears about this…"
"That's why we test it somewhere private," Raen interrupted. "We need to see failure points. Before expo."
Nyra hesitated, then spoke up. "There's a two-acre land plot behind this building. Going for 2 million Lux. We could use it for testing. It's quiet and isolated, but it's wide open."
Raen's gaze sharpened. "Can we lock it down?"
"Paperwork can be done by nightfall," she said. "But no walls. No cover."
Raen turned to Saelyn. "Think you can secure it?"
She nodded. "Materials will be arranged. I'll coordinate delivery and basic walling. Leave it to me."
Raen gave a rare, genuine grin. "Then it's settled. Secure the site. We're going to push NEAR to its limit."
He turned to the bots, standing still and silent, and muttered like a proud inventor whispering to his creation:
"Let's see what you're really made of."