The hum of activity filled the new warehouse. With ten bots lined up in pristine formation, and new machinery humming in the background, Arkbound was alive with purpose. But something still tugged at Raen's instincts.
He stood before a holoscreen, data feeds flickering with irregularities—external surveillance spikes, intercepted signals. Someone was watching.
"Too much attention," Raen muttered. "We need to go dark before someone tries to make a move."
The Ghost Field
Raen turned to Korin and Lira.
"We're building a perimeter tech. Something that disables unauthorized surveillance and recon devices. Not a jammer—a smart disabler. Codename: Ghost Field."
Korin nodded, intrigued.
"You mean like a silent firewall for the physical world?"
"Exactly," Raen said. "It should detect, identify, and shut down any signal or drone that doesn't belong to us—no warning, no noise."
Lira smirked.
"Alright. I'll start the signal filter logic. Korin can tune the EMP microbursts."
A Strategic Pivot
Later that afternoon, Raen gathered Nyra in the upper command room of the warehouse. From here, they could see the bots working in sync below, assembling new modules with mechanical precision.
"Nyra, it's time," Raen said."We don't need to sell these bots anymore."
Nyra raised an eyebrow.
"You sure? You saw what Barron offered."
Raen gestured toward the factory floor.
"Look at them. These bots can operate for a year without charging. If we sell them, we lose control. But if we keep them—and sell the services they provide—we own the future."
Nyra folded her arms, listening.
"We'll form Arkbound Construction," Raen continued."We offer end-to-end services. You want a building? We deploy our bots. You want roads, infrastructure, smart labs—we handle it all. They pay us for the outcome, not the machine."
"And what about Barron?" Nyra asked.
Raen took a breath.
"We fulfill the five-bot order. After that—no more bot sales. Only services. We deploy the bots, complete the job, and bring them back. We stay in control. Always."
Nyra slowly smiled.
"That… changes everything."
"It has to," Raen said."When we're ready, we expand beyond construction—maintenance, security, logistics. Sector by sector, Arkbound becomes the backbone of civilization."
Nyra nodded, excitement in her voice.
"Then I'll find someone experienced to run Arkbound Construction—someone who understands big builds but can follow our playbook."
"And make sure they're loyal. This tech attracts enemies."
A New Beginning
That night, Korin and Lira ran final tests on Ghost Field. Raen watched them from above, silent and focused.
They weren't just protecting their tech anymore.They were laying the foundation of a new industry—one Arkbound would own.