Dominic stood in the shadow of the transport ship's massive cargo hold, his eyes scanning the two mechs that now stood tall in front of him. They were like giants, towering in the space with an eerie silence, their mechanical bodies glinting under the dim lights of the hangar.
The first mech, a CMC Scythe-class, had been salvaged from the wreckage of the CMC transport. It was a medium-class mech, built for speed and precision. Its armor was lightly scuffed, but the internal systems were still functional. Dominic had stripped away the old weapons systems and replaced them with more powerful, more efficient ones—using parts from his own personal collection of spare parts. Its arms had been upgraded with reinforced servos, and the legs now carried a more advanced propulsion system. He had integrated an AI interface, something custom-made, to bring the machine to life.
The second mech was an older, heavier model—a Juggernaut-class. It was a brute of a machine, built for ground assaults and heavy artillery. The chassis was thick with armor, but the inner workings were rusty and neglected. Dominic had put in long hours fixing its damaged power core, rewiring its neural systems, and reinforcing the cockpit with thicker armor. He had swapped out its aging plasma cannon for a more efficient particle beam gun that could tear through most defenses with ease.
Both mechs were in pristine condition now—tools of war, rebuilt for a new purpose. And that purpose was far from simple survival. Dominic wasn't just a scavenger anymore; he was a trader. A dealmaker.
The cargo bay doors of the transport ship slowly slid open, and the ramp descended with a soft hydraulic hiss. The dusty wasteland outside stretched out in all directions, but beyond the horizon lay a much greater prize. The orbital station Exprimation, the second-largest in the system, was where the money was.
Dominic had visited Exprimation before, a few years back. He remembered the glittering stations and the high-rise spires, the cold metal of the corporate giants that controlled the station's trade. The place was a hive of activity, a marketplace for tech, weapons, and machinery. It was also where the CMC and rival factions conducted their business—bidding wars for the latest mech tech, offloading scrap metal and stolen equipment for profit. It was the perfect place to sell these two mechs and move onto bigger plans.
Dominic had no interest in staying on Exprimation for long. He was a scavenger at heart, not a businessman. But the mechs could fetch a high price, especially in the condition they were now in. The CMC would certainly want them back, though the idea of selling them to the highest bidder appealed to Dominic more. The money from these sales could help him get off this desolate planet once and for all. He could go to places where there was more, where he could keep building, keep evolving.
He stepped into the cockpit of the transport ship and started preparing the ship for launch. The systems hummed to life, lights flashing across the dashboard as the artificial intelligence inside the ship ran diagnostics.
"All systems operational, Captain."
The voice was crisp, mechanical, and efficient. It reminded him of the neural implant he had salvaged and connected to the ship's systems. The heart that pulsed in his chest had only grown stronger since he had linked it to the ship. It felt as though everything was in perfect harmony now—his mind, the ship, the mechs—all working together for one purpose.
He looked out at the wasteland one last time, the sun setting behind the jagged hills. The desolation had become his domain, but now he was ready to leave it behind.
"Let's go," he muttered to himself as the engines roared to life. The transport ship slowly lifted off the ground, its massive frame shaking as it ascended into the air. The ship's hull creaked and groaned, but Dominic wasn't worried. The modifications he had made were solid, and the ship was now stronger than it had ever been.
The stars were slowly coming into view as the transport broke through the atmosphere, leaving the barren planet below. As the ship cruised through space toward Exprimation, Dominic couldn't help but feel the weight of the moment. He was moving beyond the life of a scavenger. He was taking control of his own future.
And as the station grew larger on the horizon, he could already feel the presence of the CMC on his tail. They wouldn't let this transaction go without a fight. They never did. But Dominic wasn't afraid. He had the mechs, and he had a plan. The CMC would be in for a surprise.
The ship's AI spoke again.
"Approaching orbital station Exprimation. Prepare for docking."
Dominic's hand rested on the control lever, his fingers tightening around the grip. He glanced once more at the two mechs behind him, their silent power waiting to be unleashed.
He was about to step into the belly of the beast.
But this time, it was him who would be in control.