After some much-needed rest, Rex finally stirred and stepped out of the charging tank. As usual, he stretched his stiff muscles from inactivity, then started getting dressed. Once ready, he made his way to the ship's cockpit, where Cleo and Carlos were huddled, staring at something.
Carlos noticed Rex and immediately walked over, giving him a nudge from behind. "Come on, Rex, you're going to want to see this."
He guided Rex to a seat, and as soon as Rex sat down, Cleo queued up a video on the big screen.
[Intergalactic Imperial News]
<<"A few days ago, on the newly discovered planet of Hanarix, an individual of unknown origins massacred colonizers. Nexum Dynamics, the megacorporation overseeing the colony, has issued a warrant for the criminal's arrest. Here are the images of the attack.">>
The video showed the ship flying in circles above the colony, firing relentlessly. But something was off; there were no insects visible in the footage, only the colony being ripped apart by what looked like direct fire from their ship. Rex's jaw clenched. This wasn't what happened.
The clip continued, showing Carlos boarding the ship with the cargo drones. The news anchors claimed that the colony's entire bank had been looted. In reality, they'd taken just food and some chips.
Rex's face darkened. "Who the hell edited this?!" he growled, fists clenching. Being lied about this and worse, made to look like a fool, hit him where it hurt.
Cleo spoke up. "This isn't just any news outlet. It's likely Nexum Dynamics pulling the strings. They probably want the egg back, and they're going to use everything they've got to make that happen."
Rex leaned forward, a fiery determination in his eyes. "Nexum Dynamics... Mark my words, Cleo. I don't care how long it takes; we're going to bring them down."
Carlos, leaning back in his chair, shook his head with a chuckle. "Sure, Rex. You planning to do that before or after we die of old age? We can't exactly take on a megacorp."
Cleo chimed in casually, as if talking about the weather. "Actually, Carlos, that's not entirely true. Rex can't die of old age anymore. The modifications I made mean his cells are constantly replaced by living metal. He's immortal now, like my species was."
Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so you're telling me Rex is going to live forever, and I'm the one who's going to get old and die? That's just... unfair." He paused, then added, "Hold on.. then Cleo, just how old are you?"
Without missing a beat, she replied, "According to the imperial galactic system, I'm 2,600 years old."
Rex and Carlos exchanged glances.
"Don't you dare, Carlos," Rex warned, tossing a chip at him. "Age doesn't count when you're immortal!."
Carlos smirked but let it go. "So, Cleo, is there any way to delete that video?"
"Not entirely," Cleo responded, her hands flying across multiple holographic screens. "I can wipe it from this planet's networks, but removing it galaxy-wide is impossible."
"Do it," Rex said, exhaling slowly. "That should buy us some time before they start hunting us down."
"Understood." Cleo continued working, screens flickering as data streamed by.
Rex leaned back in his seat, rubbing his temples. "Is there at least one piece of good news today?"
"Affirmative," Cleo said, not missing a beat. "I've assembled new miner drones to speed up excavation for the underground city. Additionally, four new combat drones are fully operational. The girls are ready to start selling the loot from last night's mission, and I've got coordinates ready to send to the smugglers. Shall I proceed?"
Rex perked up slightly. "Well, that's something. Yeah, send the coordinates. Oh, and, Cleo, can we use the combat drones for mercenary work?"
As Rex scrolled through new missions sent by Talon, Cleo's holographic screens lit up once more. "It's possible. I'll need to run some additional tests, but theoretically, yes."
Rex smiled. "Now we're talking."
While Cleo busied herself with getting the coordinates out to the smugglers, Carlos went outside to prep the trucks for return. Meanwhile, Rex was glued to his screen, sorting through the latest missions Talon had sent him.
After browsing through over forty missions, he narrowed it down to two, each worth 100,000 credits:
[Siege of the Crimson Spire]
Objective: Secure and extract rare nanomaterials from a heavily fortified skyscraper controlled by a rival corporation, Crimson Star Industries.
[Nest in the Ruins]
Objective: Eradicate a dangerous insectoid hive that's been disrupting mining operations in an ancient alien ruin.
Rex decided on the Siege of the Crimson Spire first. After dealing with those hive-minded insects at the mining colony, he figured he'd need more combat drones before tackling another swarm.
Carlos's voice suddenly cut through his focus. "Hey Rex! Trucks are ready! We gotta roll since we're outta credits to cover another day of rental!" His voice echoed from somewhere outside the ship.
Rex sighed, shut down his screen, and headed out of the cockpit. "Cleo, the drones are loaded in the trucks, right?"
"Affirmative," Cleo responded over the communications. "There are two combat drones in each truck and one cargo drone carrying ammunition boxes."
Rex grinned, deliberately keeping the communicator on. "See, Carlos? Cleo knows exactly what a man needs. She's perfect."
Carlos, already leaning against his truck, rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, stop flirting and get in. We've got a mission to get to before it gets too late." He climbed into the driver's seat, firing up the truck.
The truck didn't have traditional wheels. Instead, it hovered about 15 centimeters off the ground thanks to the gravitational neos beneath it, which made these trucks perfect for cargo transport across uneven terrain.
It also let them haul more weight without worrying about busted axles. Of course, this technology came with its share of dumb accidents since too many people tried to fly them like ships, even though they were barely allowed off the ground. There were rules for a reason, but not everyone listened.
Once Rex climbed into his truck and got comfortable, they started their drive toward the city. After about an hour of monotonous, almost mind-numbing driving, Cleo's voice crackled through the communicator again.
"Attention. Multiple enemies are approaching. Their identities match those of last night's bandits."
Rex perked up, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. Thanks to the clear outline of friends and enemies on the HUD, he spotted them too; though they were trying to stay undercover, it was obvious who they were.
"See, Carlos? This is karma for you almost falling asleep."
Carlos snorted, his voice indignant over the communications. "What the hell are you talking about? I could hear you snoring from here!"
"Enemies are one kilometer away and closing fast," Cleo interrupted. "I recommend deploying combat drones once they're within 200 meters."
Rex nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Sounds good. You're in charge of the drones, Cleo. Let's make this quick." He grabbed his electric rifle and checked it, making sure it was ready for action.
Carlos was already doing the same, his usual smirk turning into something more focused. "Let's hope these bandits brought something new this time, or this is going to be over in ten minutes."
"Big brother, are you sure it's a good idea to go hunting today? Someone destroyed our camp last night," one of the bandits muttered nervously, glancing over at the bandit boss in the vehicle's passenger seat.
The boss let out a loud, dismissive laugh. "Of course it is! Those mercs only care about the big score, not a few stragglers. If we made it out, we're in the clear for now. Stop worrying."
He turned to the rest of the group, his voice booming through the car's radio. "Get ready, boys! These unprotected fat sheep are about to pay for tonight's drinks!"
The bandits cheered. There were eight vehicles in their convoy, with twelve bandits in total, and this was usually more than enough muscle for a simple raid on transport trucks.
"Haha, follow the boss!"
"Let's gut 'em!"
"I hope they've got some women! I could use a little company tonight," another bandit snickered darkly, earning a few chuckles from his comrades.
They were already picturing the loot, unaware of what waited for them. The trucks grew closer, and just as they reached 190 meters from their targets, the cargo doors on the two lead trucks hissed open. From inside, sleek, one-meter-long combat drones rolled out, their cold, metallic frames glinting under the sun.
"Drones! Take them down!" one of the bandits yelled, panic creeping into his voice.
Gunfire erupted, but their bullets barely dented the drones' reinforced armor. The bandits scrambled, firing wildly, but it was already too late. The drones whirred to life, their mounted miniguns spinning up before unleashing a storm of lead. A deafening roar filled the air as bullets rained down on the convoy.
"Shit, retreat! Get the hell outta here!" The bandit boss bellowed, his bravado evaporating in an instant.
But just as he gave the order, an explosion tore through the air. The vehicle directly behind him went up in flames, flipped by a direct hit from one of the drone's 20-centimeter missiles. While the missiles weren't the most powerful, they were more than enough to take out lightly armored cars.
Chaos ensued. More missiles followed, each blast shaking the ground as the drones systematically dismantled the convoy. In just three minutes, the bandits' vehicles were nothing but burning wreckage scattered across the barren terrain. The miniguns fell silent, the last echoes of gunfire fading into the distance.
The trucks came to a stop, and two figures stepped out, casually walking toward the smoldering battlefield. Rex slung his electric rifle over his shoulder, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Told you it'd be over in ten minutes," he muttered, glancing at Carlos beside him, who was already lighting up a cigarette, his expression bored.
"Three minutes, actually. You're getting rusty," Carlos said with a shrug, exhaling a puff of smoke as they surveyed the carnage.