Adrian's words were not a magic wand that erased the logistical nightmare, but they were a compass, providing a true north in a suddenly complex landscape. The pressure didn't vanish, but its character changed. It was no longer a crushing weight threatening to split them apart; it became a shared load, a problem to be solved together, like the aerodynamic challenges of the Chimera or the sourcing of a rare part. The symphony of tension resolved into a new, determined allegro.
The first order of business was the Chimera. It was now a complete, rolling chassis, a predator in repose. But the final 10% of the work, as Leo often grumbled, took 90% of the effort. The devil, as always, was in the details the details that would separate a good custom build from a legendary one.
