Lucien couldn't shake the strange pieces inside the pacer from his mind. He had spent countless hours disassembling and reassembling various gadgets, trying to familiarize himself with the technology of this world, yet he kept hitting the same wall: certain components defied explanation. At first, he'd thought they were just redundant or decorative, but the more he studied, the clearer it became that these components weren't just for show. They served a purpose, and they were part of what made the technology function at all.
The next morning, he found his sister, Lara, seated at the narrow kitchen table, her face set in its usual thoughtful lines. She looked up as he entered, and Lucien hesitated. He knew she was usually too tired to entertain his questions about things she didn't have time to understand herself, but he couldn't resist.
"Lara," he began, leaning on the table, "I've been looking at some tech, like the pacer and other devices, and I keep finding these odd parts that don't seem to serve any logical function. They're not electrical or mechanical—at least not in any way I can recognize. Do you know what they are?"
Lara looked up at him, a glimmer of understanding in her gaze. "That's because you're trying to make sense of them like they're regular parts of a machine," she replied, folding her hands. "They're not. They work with ether, an energy source the higher-ups call 'magia.' It's the reason maguscraft—the name for the technology we use—actually functions in this world."
Lucien felt a jolt of curiosity and confusion. "Wait, so… you're saying this isn't just tech? It's mixed with… magic?" The idea made his mind reel. "Magia and ether—so it's all witchcraft and tech combined?"
Lara nodded, smiling at his stunned expression. "Yeah, I suppose that's one way of thinking about it," she said, amused. "It's hard to explain, but think of ether as a fuel source, but one that isn't exactly tangible. It needs proper handling. Not everyone can do it, and people here in the hive have limited knowledge of it anyway."
Lucien fell silent, his mind racing. "Thanks, Lara," he said, already taking a step toward the door, his gaze distant and unfocused as the information settled. "I'm gonna, uh… follow up on this."
Before Lara could question him, he darted out, like a cat who'd just caught a whiff of fresh fish.
The intricate corridors of the hive city buzzed with the usual noise—hollow voices and echoing footsteps, sounds merging together like static. He was halfway down one of the rust-streaked stairwells when Mar seemed to appear out of nowhere, her quiet footsteps barely registering until she was right beside him.
"Hey, Mar," he said, looking down at her.
She glanced up at him curiously, her eyes wide and attentive. Lucien's excitement bubbled over, and he began explaining what he'd just learned. "So, all the tech here—like the pacers, the synthetics, and even things like those clunky welding bots—it all runs on some weird mix of science and what they're calling magia. It's… hard to explain."
Mar tilted her head, her face scrunching up in confusion. "I don't get it. Witchcraft? Ether?" she echoed uncertainly. "And how do you even know all that?"
Lucien paused, realizing that she was right. For someone like her—or him, for that matter—access to information like this was rare. Hive rats, as they were called, didn't usually have the luxury of understanding the tech they used, much less something like ether. They used tools, they took orders, they got the job done. Curiosity like his was a luxury in itself, and Mar's puzzled expression made him acutely aware of just how odd his thirst for knowledge must seem to her.
"Just… stuff I picked up," he said evasively. "I guess I read more than most."
She didn't press him, and he was grateful. Instead, she walked alongside him, listening patiently as he tried to put his ideas into words. They navigated through the city's winding corridors, the fluorescent lights overhead flickering occasionally, casting faint shadows that wavered as they passed.
When they finally reached his cramped workspace, Lucien went straight to the table where his few precious devices were laid out. He picked up the pacer and some scraps he'd managed to barter for over the past few days. His goal was to study them closely, noting every feature, every seam, every unidentifiable piece.
If he was going to master this maguscraft, he'd have to learn to think like the people of this world. Yet the dream in his heart remained stubbornly his own: he wanted to push their tech to new limits, to blend it with the advanced technology he remembered from his old life. And if magia was truly real, if this ether could be manipulated, he knew he might be able to build something monumental.
He powered on the pacer and opened it again, carefully prying it apart with nimble fingers. Mar leaned against the table, watching intently. He laid out the components in a neat row, mentally categorizing them. He'd grown familiar with some pieces, like the circuits and energy cells, but the more he looked, the more he noticed small, puzzling features—tiny stones with runic symbols engraved into their surfaces, thin metallic wires embedded with bits of what looked like quartz or other crystals, and plates marked with what appeared to be archaic symbols, barely visible.
"These are the ones that don't add up," Lucien muttered to Mar, showing her the odd fragments that made up part of the pacer's circuitry. "I mean, I've seen wires and chips before, but these… they don't make sense."
Mar squinted at the small pieces, her brows knitting. "You think it's part of that ether stuff Lara told you about?"
"Maybe." Lucien held a crystal up to the light, watching it refract in a strangely vibrant way. "I don't know what this does exactly, but whatever it is, it's not just decorative. If I could learn how this stuff works…" He trailed off, the thought filling him with an excited urgency. He'd need to know the language of this world to truly master it all. There were symbols, terms, and words here that he'd never encountered, and he wouldn't get far without being able to read and write.
"I'm gonna have to figure out the writing," he said thoughtfully. "I know some basic words, but I'll need more if I want to understand everything."
Mar watched him, a faint smile curving her lips as he spoke. She seemed content to be there, a silent supporter of his quest. He took note of her smile, feeling a flicker of gratitude.
"Alright," he said, taking a deep breath as he turned his attention back to the pacer. He reassembled the device with a practiced efficiency, careful to return each piece exactly as he'd found it. It took him a few minutes to fit the last crystal in place, and when he was finished, the pacer hummed to life, a faint blue light flickering on its surface.
Lucien grinned in satisfaction, looking at Mar. "That's it! It's working again," he said, his voice filled with triumph.
Mar smiled wider, though a hint of surprise lingered in her gaze. "I don't know how you do it," she admitted, a note of awe in her voice. "You're… different, Lucien."
He shrugged, feeling a thrill of pride. He knew he was different. He had ideas and ambitions that were even rare in the war consumed planet of his, and for the first time, he was determined to chase them. The devices he was creating now were a small step toward something far greater. If he could blend the maguscraft with the advanced science he already understood, he could create something unprecedented, maybe even rebuild a machine as powerful as a Strider.
Imagining his old Strider brought a spark of excitement to his eyes. He could still see it in his mind—a towering, 30-meter giant bristling with weapons, armored plates, and blazing thrusters. Here, he could re-create it but make it better, with both ether and technology fused into its core. The thrill of invention filled him, the satisfaction of holding his future in his hands.
As he worked, the hours slipped by, and Mar stayed with him until the small workshop grew dark, lit only by the faint glow of the pacer. She seemed to enjoy watching him work, her quiet presence steady and reassuring.
"Thanks for sticking around, Mar," he said eventually, looking up from his notes. He felt a sense of peace as he studied his plans, his mind teeming with possibilities. With Mar's friendship and Lara's support, he felt like he might actually achieve his dreams, impossible though they seemed.
"Anytime, Lucien," she replied softly, her eyes warm.