Building Zoids in a World of Titans

The workshop was quiet, the only sounds Alex's own breathing and the low hum of the Arosaurer's standby systems. He’d spent the last few days meticulously integrating the new beam projector, a sleek, crystalline monstrosity mounted onto the Arosaurer’s left shoulder. Ziya’s careful guidance had made the process smoother than he’d anticipated, though the sheer power draw was still a concern.

He’d set up a salvaged Titan carapace section as a target, its thick, mineral-infused hide representing a decent challenge. Alex settled into the Arosaurer's cockpit, the familiar worn controls feeling reassuring beneath his hands.

“Alright, girl, let’s see what you’ve got.”

He inputted the firing sequence. The Arosaurer's core hummed, a deep thrum that vibrated up through the seat. The weapon mounted on its shoulder glowed with a soft, internal light.

"System, status on the beam projector."

[BEAM PROJECTOR SYSTEMS NOMINAL. ALL PARAMETERS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE TOLERANCES.]

Alex nodded, his gaze fixed on the salvaged carapace. He adjusted the Arosaurer's stance.

"Alright. Let's see how this thing hits." He centered the targeting reticle on the carapace. "Fire!"

A searing blue beam erupted from the projector, cutting through the Titan carapace with an audible hiss. It punched a clean, smoking hole right through the thick plating. Alex let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

“That’s… that’s good, solid penetration.”

He checked the system readouts.

"Okay, so, continuous fire is out. Limited shots, and then the Core needs a recharge. Not ideal."

He tapped the console.

"Still, that's enough punch to make a difference."

He looked at the target, then imagined the beam piercing through the Stormclaw Liger.

"Yeah. That'll do."

Suddenly, a voice, sharp and clear, cut through the quiet hum of the workshop.

"Alex! What was all that racket?"

Alex froze, then slowly turned. Rhian stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, a look of exasperation on her young face. She’d obviously heard the roar and the beam firing.

"You nearly blew the roof off this place! What if someone heard that? They'll know you're out here with… with that." She gestured wildly at the Arosaurer.

Alex chuckled, the sound a little shaky, a mix of relief and amusement. He stepped out of the Arosaurer.

"Hey, Rhian. Sorry about the noise. Just testing the new beam projector. Seeing what it could do."

He walked over to the scorched carapace section he'd used as a target. "It's got some serious firepower, though. I think… I think it could really injure that Liger if I land a good hit."

Rhian’s eyes narrowed. “'A test'? Alex, you’re not supposed to be testing anything that draws that much attention! The guild masters are hunting for your Zoid, remember? They think it’s some kind of rogue Titan or something worse.”

Alex shrugged, a casual gesture that didn't quite hide the tension in his shoulders. “They won’t find me. Not here. And even if they did, the Arosaurer’s fast enough to outrun any Warden. Besides,” he added, a playful glint in his eyes, “what’s a little thrill without a bit of risk?”

Rhian playfully swatted his arm. "You're impossible! You're going to get yourself caught. Or worse, disassembled. They want your Zoid for the guild, Alex. Not to admire its shiny blue paint job."

"I know," Alex said, his voice softer now, a genuine concern finally creeping into his tone. "But they can't have her." He looked up at the Arosaurer, a flicker of something akin to affection in his gaze. "Not yet, anyway."

Alex turned back to the Arosaurer, its powerful frame still humming softly. He ran a hand over the salvaged carapace he'd used as a target, the metal still radiating a faint warmth.

“You want to go find that Liger, don’t you?” Rhian’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but Alex heard the unspoken question in it.

He met her gaze, a slow nod. “Yeah. I do.”

He paused, turning back to the console. “But I haven’t found it yet. And it’s weird, you know? No one in the guild’s talking about it. No reports, no bounty, nothing. It’s like… it’s really good at hiding.”

Alex’s fingers danced over the console, pulling up local patrol logs, salvage reports, even Warden gossip channels. Nothing. The Thorn-Tusk Boar hunt had been classified as a routine culling, no mention of the Liger’s presence, or the subsequent Warden skirmish he’d witnessed.

“I’ve tried every angle,” he admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. “Cross-referenced Titan sightings, analyzed environmental disturbances, even looked into some of the Xylosian folklore, the stuff Rhian’s dad keeps tucked away in the shop archives.”

He sighed, leaning back against the Arosaurer’s leg. “It’s like trying to find a ghost. But the System says its core components would be… incredible. Maybe enough for another Zoid. Maybe something even better.”

Rhian stepped closer, her expression earnest. "But Alex, it's a Titan. A Rank C, maybe B. You're Rank 9. And they're hunting your Zoid!"

"I know," Alex said, the weight of her words finally settling in. "But I have to try. For the Zoid. For me."

Rhian watched Alex trace the schematics on his console, her brow furrowed.

“Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you just… ask someone?”

Alex’s hand paused over the screen.

“Ask someone what?”

“To help,” Rhian said, her voice earnest. “You’re building something amazing. The Guild has all those engineers. Borin knows how to make anything. Why don’t you tell them? They could help you get better parts, or build faster. You wouldn’t have to be alone out here all the time.”

Alex turned to look at her. The quiet of the workshop felt heavier.

“It wouldn’t work,” he said, his voice measured. “I’m a Rank 9. My job is to watch the small things and bring back scrap. If I walked into the Guild and said I could build a combat machine, they’d laugh. Then they’d ask where I got the idea, where I got the plans. They’d want to know everything.”

He looked back at the Arosaurer, its silent bulk a testament to years of work.

“And the materials… the really good stuff, the stuff that makes a Zoid’s heart beat, it’s not just sitting in a shop. Most people don’t even know what to look for. If they knew I had it, or knew how to find it, they’d want it. They’d want to control it.”

He met Rhian’s gaze.

“I’ve always worked alone. It’s… easier. People get complicated. Machines just need to be built right.”

Rhian’s shoulders slumped a little. “But you’re not alone anymore. You have me.”

Alex’s expression softened. “Yeah. I do. And that’s… that’s different. But the building, the Zoids… that’s mine. It has to be.”

Rhian nodded slowly, accepting the answer even if she didn’t fully understand the walls he’d built around himself. She patted the Arosaurer’s leg.

“Okay. I don't understand, but I trust you.”

Alex looked at Rhian, her small frame silhouetted against the workshop's dim light. She was right. She'd always been right about the things that mattered.

"Thanks," he said quietly. "For sticking around. For… everything."

Rhian just smiled, that unguarded, earnest smile that cut through all his defenses.

Alex turned back to the console, pulling up the forest maps again. The Liger was out there. A ghost in the trees, a storm with claws. Every instinct told him it was dangerous, that he was reaching too far, too fast.

He didn't care.

"I'll find you, and when I do… You're going to be the best Zoid I've ever built."