Starbound: A Space Odyssey

"We're almost finished with this." Forge said as she lifted her glasses that were falling from her nose, "The computer is going to do the final touches and testing. If everything is alright, we will have a blueprint for the makeshift engine."

"Urgh...finally..." John groaned as he tried to lift his head off the keyboard in front of him, "I now remember, how much I disliked my classes of engenniering."

Forge sighed and also rested her head on the table, "Yeah... engenniering isn't my strength by far...if it was my sister, she would have done everything on less than a few hours."

John looked at Forge and curiously asked, "You always compare yourself with your sister, is she that great?"

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Forge's eyes instantly brightened as she answered, "Yes, yes! She's great! At the age of 15, Githa was already the lead scientist in bioenginnering, mechatronics, biorobotics, and the chief of Tech Abilities Research and Development Department, TARDD!"

John was shocked at the portfolio of Forge Umbra's sister, Githa Umbra.

What really surprised him, was the fact that in the young age of 15, she was already the chief of one of the most important department in the Miniknog, the TARDD.

Almost 30% of Tech Abilities created until now we're developed by the TARDD alone. By comparison, the Independent Scientific Union (ISU) developed 10%, and the Terrene Protectorate was responsible for 50%.

The remaining 10% were mostly created by other private companies such as the USCM, Letheia Corporation and others.

The Terrene Protectorate was only able to stay ahead the ISU and Miniknog's TARDD because of almost unlimited resources, and personnel available, from across all sectors.

Seeing the shocked John in front of her inflated her pride as she continued, "The newly developed Tech Ability known as X-Ray was created by her. She was also working in a secret project that aimed to create a new and more advanced PIPS, since it didn't change for a long time. Is not easy to change and modify Ancient technology such as the PIPS."

[Wow, they are really daring.] John commented inwardly, [Trying to modify the PIPS, the Terrene Protectorate tried to modify the PIPS after reverse engineering it, but why only managed to gather enough technology and info to create the Matter Manipulator. Improve Ancient technology is impossible, at least with our current knowledge and technology.]

The PIPS only became widespread as it is because the Terrene Protectorate was the one that found how to make them inside an Ancient Vault and made it public knowledge soon after.

If it was some company or government like the Miniknog that found the Ancient Vault that contained the knowledge on how to create the PIPS, it would certainly be kept in secret for profit or military advantage.

After speaking about her younger sister with such enthusiasm, Forge suddenly became downcast, "I wonder how she's going...when I left the Miniknog, she was almost 17 years old." Forge sadly whispered.

"How you escaped from the Miniknog?" John became curious about Forge's past after hearing about her genius younger sister, "I heard is very hard to escape from their control, even more so scientists that they deem important."

"It was the Nova Rebellion, they helped me." Forge answered, "I was contacted by a famous rebel called Lana Blake. She got everything ready to me and in no time shipped me away from the Miniknog and into a Nova Rebellion outpost. They offered me job inside the Rebellion, but I didn't want to develop weapons and stuff to be used in war and conflicts, and so I rejected their offer. They didn't seem to be displeased with my choice and they simply asked if I wanted to join the ISU then. I accepted and they got me working there ever since."

Forge looked at John and spoke, "I have finished here. It's time for the computer to do the rest."

"Oh, already? That was fast." John lightly exclaimed.

"We are still low in fuel, John." Forge glanced at John, "You should go to one of the moons around this planet we are orbiting and mine some Erchius Fuel and see if you find some Core Fragments."

"I already have some Core Fragments." John said as he stood up from his chair, "We are only short on Erchius Fuel to power up the FTL Warp Engine."

Of course the Core Fragments John spoke about was the ones he found in that Garden Biome Planet that John first met with Lenny and found the Ancient Gateway that led them to the Ark Outpost.

Although he used some of Fragments as explosives in the past, he still had enough to power up the spaceship for a few minutes, enough time and powe to travel towards the nearby Ancient Gateway.

"Then we only need Erchius Fuel." Forge commented as her fingers flew across the holographic keyboard in front of her, "It should be easy to find enough in these planets. The problem should be how to extract them..."

"It's easy." John smiled as he took his PIPS and pressed some keys.

Forge curiously looked over and saw John taking an orange object from his PIPS that greatly resembled a pistol of sorts.

But with a single glance, Forge was able to identify the tool in John's hands.

She gasped in awe as her eyes glued at the Matter Manipulator that John showed to her.

"Y-y-you..." Forge lifted her hand and pointed at John while her eyes switched between John and the Matter Manipulator, "PROTECTOR!?"

"Huh?" John was confused for a moment as to why Forge was surprised, "You haven't realized yet? I have been wearing the Protectorate uniform all along." John pointed at the Terrene Protectorate's logo just at the side of his uniform.

"Oh...now it makes sense." Forge whispered, "I saw the uniform but I thought it wasn't the real one. From the Miniknog all the away at got to the ISU a have never seen a Protector, even less their uniform. All I you know about the Protectorate came from the Miniknog's teachings and the mouth of others. Of course the Matter Manipulator is something else as I have always been curious about this exclusive tool that only the Terrene Protectorate have in their arsenal."

John never expected someone to be unable to identity the Protectorate's uniform. After all, the Terrene Protectorate are the protectors of the universe, and keepers of peace.

"Want to see it?" John took the Matter Manipulator and put it in front of Forge.

"Really? Can I?" Forge's eyes brightened like stars as they stared at the orange tool.

"Sure. You can see it, but it won't work with you. The Matter Manipulator is a tool that identify finger prints and the genetics of the user, so, it's basically impossible for someone else to use it, but me. The only way to change owners is by going at the Terrene Protectorate's Mainframe back on Earth, but as you probably know, Earth...is no more." John sadly smiled as he handed out the Matter Manipulator to Forge.