Ninety hours had passed on Pandora, and once again, the sun had set, and the moon had risen. Over and over again.
And without waiting for the consent of the mortals living beneath the sun, two months had gone by, and a full year had finally passed.
On the shores of Outer Heaven, Maxwell sat in a beach chair, a small umbrella nearby as he lazily sipped on a chilled coconut water. His gaze drifted toward the Minerva squad members playing volleyball.
"So... when are you going to hand me over the blueprints for the Smart Pistol? I'm tired of fixing Marvins and Spectres," Moxxi asked beside him, her red bikini leaving her tanned skin exposed, small beads of sweat glistening as they trickled down.
"We need to figure out a way to keep this technology safe from other corporations first."
"It'd be a lot faster if I had Tannis helping me. I'm sure we'd have thought of something by now."
"She still hasn't left the lab?" Maxwell put down the empty coconut shell. "I didn't expect refining Eridium to take this long. The Marvins made the collection process seem so easy."
"Why does Eridium even need to be refined? So far, you haven't told me much beyond it being expensive." Moxxi grabbed a beer, noticing Maxwell closing his eyes for a moment. Here came the explanation.
"Eridium is incredible, but it needs to be refined to remove a byproduct called Slag. Slag has no real use beyond being a potent element that weakens anything it touches." Maxwell searched his memory for information. So much time had passed that some of his Borderlands knowledge had started to fade. "But refined Eridium is a different story. Tannis explained to me that raw Eridium is twenty-three times more energetic than uranium. The problem is that, outside of Pandora, every other planet has only trace amounts of it."
"Ah, right, can't forget it's a resource used to enhance Siren powers."
"That's amazing, but when we start selling Eridium, I believe our biggest buyers will be other corporations. Aren't you worried they'll track the shipments back to Pandora?"
"They will. That's exactly what they'll do. But we already have a large enough stockpile for both sale and consumption. Unfortunately, we don't have enough firepower to come out on top without heavy losses. Knoxx's Prometheus division is nearly four thousand strong, not the biggest, but a few dozen Devastators are enough to even the numbers."
In the middle of their conversation, heavy tremors grew closer. Maxwell didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"Pilot, scientist Tannis requests your presence. She says she has successfully developed a refining method."
"Finally. I thought it would take longer. I was starting to think I'd have to pull the Destroyer's remains out just to get her to focus." Maxwell stood up, glancing at Moxxi. "Wanna come along?"
"I was planning to play with the girls for a bit, but you don't want to put sunscreen on me." Moxxi stretched her legs on the beach chair, eyeing Maxwell coyly.
"We both know that would end in a sticky mess, so let's spare the girls from that sight."
"You're right. With those strong, thick arms, you'd end up holding the container too tightly and end up giving me a nice shot."
Maxwell let out a deep sigh. Not out of irritation, but because his body was desperately trying to cool down the sudden fire burning in his abdomen.
"Are you coming or not?"
"I'll go. The girls won't miss me anyway." Moxxi stood up, but the moment her feet touched the soft sand, she immediately recoiled. Looking at Maxwell, she asked sheepishly, "Can you carry me?"
"Sure, but don't try anything funny." Maxwell scooped her up in a princess carry. The hot sand didn't bother him thanks to his high Endurance.
"My hero!" Moxxi kissed his cheek, wrapping her arms around his neck.
BT merely observed the interaction between the two humans. He went ahead first, ensuring there were no threats from the local wildlife.
It didn't take long to leave the beach, but Moxxi refused to be put down.
"You really know how to act like a child when you want to," Maxwell sighed with a smile, making his way toward a solitary lab on top of a hill. The island had been divided into sections to organize Outer Heaven. The area they were currently in was a private zone, accessible only to Maxwell and his closest allies.
Tannis had built her lab nearby, enjoying the solitude, though she considered the visits from the little Lance Assassins both intrusive and irritating.
A beach house had been built near the shore at Moxxi's request, not a mansion, but a comfortable and peaceful retreat. Maxwell had wracked his brain over what to choose from the [Civilian] tab, but nothing would make him stronger or more useful to Ouroboros. So, in a rare moment, he chose something for himself.
A PS4.
He had spent some credits buying materials to build the beach house, so splurging a little on physical game copies didn't hurt. He often invited the little Lance Assassins to have fun while Moxxi cooked lunch.
Maxwell also spent his free time training hand-to-hand combat with Athena. Though the focus was mostly on swordsmanship, he ended up acquiring another skill in the process.
[CQC]: A close-quarters combat technique that allows seamless transitions between unarmed strikes, short firearms (pistols and knives), and enemy control. Ideal for silently incapacitating opponents, making it a tactical choice for stealth missions.
Royal Guard: Proficiency in countering melee attacks with CQC, blocking and redirecting enemy punches, knives, or rifle strikes.
Riot Control: Expertise in disarming armed opponents, neutralizing their weapons to leave them vulnerable, or turning their own weapons against them. This knowledge enables takedowns via throws, stuns, or restricting movement by targeting key areas such as the arms, neck, or other vital points.
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Name: [Maxwell Willians]
Regeneration: 2
[STR: 39] [END: 47] [DEX: 40] [INT: 44]
Skills: [Trigger Discipline Lv.65] [Blade Mastery Lv.100 (MAX)] [Mithridatism Constitution Lv.15] [Assassin's Instinct Lv.96] [Fast Learner Lv.2] [Neurolink Lv.5] [Driving Lv.11] [CQC Lv.3]
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Cyberware Installed: [Amped Hand] [Cloak] [Grappler] [Stim] [ECHO Vision] [Double Agent]
Functions: [Hangar] [Questboard] [Most Wanted List]
Credits: 580
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He hadn't neglected his physical training either, quickly recovering his stats thanks to [Fast Learner] reaching its second level.
Arriving at the lab, Maxwell set Moxxi down. She complained about her legs being numb, to which Maxwell responded with a chuckle before stepping inside.
The place was a mess, various containers filled with glowing purple liquid, dissected parts of the Destroyer, and a massive eye floating in a large water-filled tube. A fitting environment for someone like Tannis.
Knock knock.
Maxwell rapped his knuckles lightly on the door, the sound catching Tannis' attention. Her hair was disheveled, dark circles heavy under her bloodshot eyes. Despite the clear lack of sleep and hygiene, a grin stretched across her face as she held up a flask filled with brilliant purple liquid.
"I did it! Pure Eridium, 97% Slag-free." Tannis was about to launch into a technical explanation but stopped upon noticing something.
"Why are you two nearly naked in my lab? Actually, never mind." She handed the flask to Maxwell.
"Good work. How much can we produce per day?"
"About 200 pounds, give or take." Tannis yawned, rubbing the itchiness from her eyes.
"Perfect. Send the refining machinery to the Marvins. I want them to start immediately."
"Fine, fine. Now can I get back to my research on the Destroyer's corpse?"
"Knock yourself out. Just don't blow anything up. I'm heading to the Badlands to strike a deal with a merchant." Stowing the flask in his Echo deck, Maxwell left to get changed, Moxxi following.
With everything ready, the three took the nearest Fast Travel to Marcus' shop.