59: A Plan in Motion

The decision to invest in the M2-Scout droid had given Alex a renewed sense of purpose. For the past few days, the monotony of small repairs had been wearing on him, but now he had a tangible goal. He knew it would take time—weeks, maybe months—but once they had the droid up and running, they could finally break free from the grinding routine of low-paying repair jobs.

The morning after his late-night search, Alex woke with a quiet determination. He stretched, feeling the cold morning air pressing against the small heater that struggled to keep the room warm. Serena was still asleep, her form curled up under a pile of blankets, and Nia was tucked in beside her. Elara was already up, sharpening her blades in the corner, her eyes sharp and focused as always.

Alex slipped out of bed and padded over to the console, pulling up the marketplace to review the M2-Scout droid again. The price tag still made his stomach churn—15,000 Energy Credits was no small amount, especially considering how slowly they were earning credits now. But it was achievable. It had to be.

I need to start saving, Alex thought, his mind racing. Every credit counts from now on.

He opened the job listings, scanning through the available repair jobs. They were the same as before—small, quick-to-repair items, nothing exciting or particularly profitable. But they were steady. And right now, steady was good.

One step at a time, he reminded himself.

Alex spent the next few days focused on taking as many small repair jobs as possible. The process became almost mechanical: he would sit on the energy-absorbing mat, let the AI handle the bulk of the repairs, and move on to the next item. It wasn't thrilling work, but it was efficient.

Every morning, a drone would arrive with new items—old regulators, communication devices, energy cells—and Alex would spend hours working through them. Serena would take care of packaging the repaired items and sending them back via the same drone, her movements swift and precise. She never complained about the routine, but Alex could see the weariness in her eyes. The steady flow of work had brought them a level of comfort they hadn't known in the Rust Quarter, but it wasn't enough.

Elara was more perceptive than the others. She often watched Alex closely, her sharp gaze never lingering for too long but always returning. He could tell she suspected something—maybe not the restriction on leaving the outpost, but that he had a deeper plan in motion.

"Do you think we'll ever leave this place?" Elara asked one evening, her voice low as she leaned against the wall. Serena and Nia were asleep, the soft sounds of their breathing filling the room.

Alex paused, glancing up from the console. "Eventually," he said. "But we have to be smart about it."

Elara nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. "And you've got a plan?"

Alex hesitated for a moment before giving a brief nod. "Yeah. It's not going to be fast, but we'll get there."

Elara studied him for a long moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're hiding something," she said, her tone blunt but not accusatory. "But I trust you."

Alex sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not hiding anything that'll put us in danger. I'm just trying to make sure we're ready for what comes next."

Elara didn't press further, but Alex could feel her watchful gaze on him as she turned and walked toward the door.

As the days passed, Alex found himself growing more and more frustrated with the slow trickle of Energy Credits. Even with the AI handling most of the repairs, the income from these small jobs wasn't adding up fast enough. At this rate, it would take months to save enough for the M2-Scout droid.

One night, after another long day of repairs, Alex sat at the console, his mind spinning with impatience. He pulled up the job listings again, scrolling through the same mundane tasks.

There has to be a better way, he thought. Something faster, more efficient.

"AI," Alex said, his voice low, "are there any higher-paying small jobs that I can complete quickly? I need to maximize my time."

The AI processed the request for a few moments before displaying a new list of results. The jobs were still within the outpost, but they offered slightly higher rewards than the ones Alex had been doing. They involved more complex repairs—old energy modules, malfunctioning power cores, and devices with minor structural damage.

"Estimated repair time for selected jobs ranges from 20 to 45 minutes per item," the AI reported. "Payouts vary between 800 and 1,500 Energy Credits per job."

Alex's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed—jobs that required more skill but offered better payouts. He could still complete them relatively quickly, especially with the AI's help, but the rewards were far more substantial.

He immediately accepted several of the higher-paying jobs, his heart racing with anticipation. This could be the breakthrough he needed to reach his goal.

Over the next week, Alex threw himself into the new jobs with a renewed sense of focus. The repairs were more challenging, but they were also more rewarding. Each completed job brought in a significant amount of credits, and Alex could feel the numbers in his account slowly creeping toward the 15,000 he needed for the droid.

The workflow became almost second nature. Alex would sit on the energy-absorbing mat, his body relaxing as the AI took over, guiding his hands with mechanical precision. Each repair felt smoother, more efficient than the last, as Alex's understanding of the technology deepened with every passing day.

Old energy modules were stripped down and rebuilt with fresh components. Power cores were recalibrated and rewired to function at full capacity. Communication devices with structural damage were repaired, their casings reinforced to withstand the harsh conditions of the outpost.

Serena handled the deliveries, sending the completed items back with quiet efficiency. She never questioned Alex's growing intensity—she understood that the faster they worked, the closer they got to something better.

Nia, always full of questions, often sat beside Alex, watching in awe as he worked. She would pepper him with questions about how the devices worked, her young mind curious and eager to learn. Alex answered her as best as he could, though he always made sure to leave out the part about the AI handling most of the work.

It was a quiet but productive routine. Day by day, credit by credit, they were inching closer to their goal.

As the second week came to an end, Alex sat at the console, pulling up his account balance. His heart raced as the numbers flashed on the screen.

Current balance: 13,800 Energy Credits.

He was close. So close he could almost taste it. Just a few more jobs, and they would have enough to purchase the M2-Scout droid. Alex could barely contain his excitement. With the droid in their possession, they would be able to complete multiple jobs at once, exponentially increasing their income.

He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. It had been a long two weeks, but the progress was undeniable. For the first time since they had arrived at the outpost, Alex felt like they were on the verge of something bigger.

But as the excitement settled in his chest, so did the tension. The restriction placed on them by the system still loomed large in the back of his mind. They were making progress, but they were still trapped. And until he could find a way to break free from the outpost's limitations, they were vulnerable.