The desert night was a black void studded with shattered diamonds. The quiet wasteland town was silent, only the wind and sand tirelessly traversed the broken walls, playing an eternal elegy of desolation.
As the Maine Team's Combat-Junk vehicle drove up, the workshop's heavy metal door slid open silently, anticipating their arrival. The steady light within cast a neat, sterile halo on the dim, sandy ground.
Osiris' tall, dark red figure stood in the center of the halo, like a mechanical colossus. The servo-skull "Buddy" on his shoulder floated quietly, blue light swirling in its eye sockets.
"Boss, the goods are here." Maine was the first out, his voice loud, carrying an undisguised sense of accomplishment. He personally carried the heavy metal case, placing it on the designated workbench and flipping the lid.
Inside, several faintly glowing, bio-active liquids and crystalline substances were visible in a temperature-controlled container. "And a batch of ethanol-wheat seeds. They go for a mountain of Eddies on the black market, but we figured you needed the enhancers more."
Osiris's crimson optical lens scanned the materials, his sensors emitting an almost inaudible hum. He focused solely on the augmentation materials. A mechanical tentacle deftly extended, its precise probe rapidly scanning the contents.
"Bio-active catalyst, 98.7% purity. Gene-adjusted serum sequence complete. Muscle fiber inducer concentration meets theoretical optimum value…" He murmured a string of data, a rare, clear trace of satisfaction entering his steady synthetic voice. "Very good. The quality and preservation status both exceeded expectations. Maine, your efficiency is commendable."
"So, Boss, Dorio's overhaul…" Maine eagerly cut to the chase.
"The conditions are met." Osiris turned to the silent but fiercely anticipating Dorio. "Based on these materials and your existing physical foundation, I can perform a thorough biochemical enhancement. The process will last thirty-six to forty-eight hours, involving deep metabolic reconstruction and neural link optimization. Estimated success rate is 94.3%. Are you ready?"
Dorio took a deep breath, stepped forward, her eyes as firm as a rock: "Ready to start anytime, Boss."
"Very good." Osiris indicated for Dorio to walk towards the specially modified medical chair, which was covered with interfaces and mechanical arms. "Maine, you will wait in the designated rest area. The process requires absolute focus; any interference is unacceptable."
Maine and the others retreated to the rest area, their hearts filled with anticipation. They watched Dorio calmly lie down. Osiris's mechanical tentacles slowly descended like living metal vines, their cold tool tips glowing with calibration light.
The enhancement process began. In the silence, there was only the low hum of operating equipment and Dorio's gradually steady, deep breathing. The wait was long, the team quietly fidgeting.
About two hours later, Osiris temporarily paused the main operations. "The first stage of metabolic reconstruction is complete. She now needs to absorb energy and rest. You may observe, but maintain silence."
Maine and the others tiptoed over. Dorio lay in a deep, sweat-sheened sleep. The most immediate change was her imposing physique; her exposed muscle lines were perfectly sculpted, subtly exuding a powerful, restrained sense of strength.
"Oh my god…" Pilar whispered. "This effect… this is preem!"
"This is merely the foundation," Osiris calmly explained. "The true transformation will occur after the subsequent neural and muscle optimization. For now, she rests."
Just as the crew was gazing at the sleeping Dorio, Rebecca quietly leaned next to Maine, her voice tight: "Boss… I'm still worried about Sasha. It's been too long since the mission started, and there's been no signal. That's not right."
Maine frowned, turned sideways, and quickly worked his communicator—only intermittent static returned. He clicked his tongue, trying to sound dismissive: "Don't start spooking yourself. Biotechnica's internal shielding fields are always gnarly. She probably hasn't found a clean window yet."
Despite the feigned ease, the flicker of doubt in his eyes did not escape Rebecca. It certainly did not escape Osiris's highly sensitive audio receivers.
"Sasha… can't be contacted?" Osiris's voice smoothly interjected.
Maine quickly explained: "She took a solo data theft gig at Biotechnica. She insisted on going alone, but now we can't raise her."
Osiris's processing core instantly prioritized the information: a key team asset was at risk, and the mission site was a major corporate entity.
"There is nothing further here that requires your assistance for the next few hours," he said calmly. "If you judge that support is needed, you must go and confirm her status immediately."
"Thank you, Boss!" Rebecca instantly replied, relief and urgency flooding her voice.
"Take this," Osiris gestured for the servo-skull—"experiment no. 1"—floating nearby to move forward. "Based on the data you brought back from the Outpost, I upgraded its reconnaissance and anti-interference modules. This mission can serve as a real-world environment test for its new stealth protocols."
Maine took the silently floating skull, feeling the stable energy fluctuations. He looked at Osiris, nodding heavily: "Understood. We'll roll out now."