Chapter 21 (Part 5)

A considerable number of people gathered to see my "new toys." Kirk, Chad, John, Susan, the mysteriously appearing Rick, and even Roosevelt were all present. The sheer number of onlookers made me a bit uneasy.

"Impressive," Rick said, circling around the suit, assessing the final design of the upgraded wanderer with an expert's eye.

"I see you've decided to create not only powerful armor but also some impressive weaponry. May I?" Chad asked, glancing at the Knight rifle in my hands.

"The safety is here, and the additional firing mode shouldn't be used without the suit. It'll knock you back and burn your entire body." I carefully handed him the rifle, stepping back just in case.

"Powerful stuff," Chad remarked, firing a few test shots and examining the neat, melted edges of the target. "Must be expensive."

"Each assault rifle costs about five thousand eurobucks. Everything is made from expensive alloys and crafted using a modified printer I designed. You can't make something like this on a standard second-class machine; the work is too delicate." I took back the rifle and connected to its ballistic computer. "Alright, everyone, I'm sending you the rough route now and linking us to a virtual combat simulation. Everyone else, please step back and watch through the drones."

Our group was far enough from the camp that there shouldn't have been any outside observers. Just in case, I set up an antenna to block satellite surveillance within a 250-meter radius. Once everyone cleared the danger zone, I gave the signal, and we started the test. The first phase of training took place in virtual reality using Militech training chips that I had acquired long ago. The prices were steep, but I managed to get a few. I've been using them for a while and have significantly raised my skills to corporate assault standards. The simulations included all sorts of scenarios, from building raids to fortification assaults. After successfully completing several raids, our team finally moved on to testing our capabilities in reality.

First, we split into two main groups. The brothers worked as a pair, and I was partnered with Vi. Inga played the support role, ready to join any team if needed. Her task was simple: provide cover fire during a retreat and extract any theoretical casualties. Standard tactics for modern field medics.

The guys, meanwhile, were practicing their assault group behavior, carrying out various tasks assigned by Vega, our tactical command center. The AI quickly grasped human tactics, giving us plenty of useful advice and correcting any mistakes she observed during her analysis of our completed exercise routines. After the final round of testing, we were tired but satisfied as we stepped out of our power suits. Everyone eagerly accepted my offer to try out the technical marvels. The armor had an adjustable height feature within ten centimeters, which was quite decent, although the design didn't allow for more. Luckily, everyone fit inside.

Half an hour later, the others finally stopped goofing around and exited the suits, their faces beaming with satisfaction as they saw our stern expressions.

"So, how was it?" I raised an eyebrow, looking at the approaching group from my seated position.

"Much better than your first Wanderer in terms of system responsiveness, not to mention the earlier Nomads," one of them replied.

"The weaponry deserves a special mention too. The Knight rifle has excellent accuracy and lethal power, capable of easily piercing armor over five hundred standard units. The shotgun is sometimes overly powerful, but that's a plus. The pistol is quite ordinary and resembles a large-caliber Unity fifth modification, just with more stopping power. Overall, these are excellent pieces," said the avid shooter, giving a brief review of my creations.

"The suits are pretty comfortable, and fatigue takes a long time to set in. The ventilation system is well-designed, allowing you to stay inside for extended periods," John summarized, affectionately patting the Wanderer standing nearby.

"I suggest we head back to the camp. We've been away for quite a while, and it's time to return," I said, glancing at the sun, which had traveled a significant distance across the sky, nearing the horizon.

"Good point," O'Brian chuckled.

"Alex, I suggest making some adjustments to the biometric reading system," my assistant's voice echoed in my head.

"I'm listening."

"During my analysis, I noticed a few aspects that, if replaced, would speed up the response time of the movement readings by twenty percent."

"I trust you completely on this."

"In that case, I've already prepared the source files and sent them to your electronic device."

"If you were human, I'd kiss you," I replied sincerely to Vega as I delved into the data she had sent me.

"I'll take that as a compliment," the AI responded, forming a smile on her face. This time, it looked much more natural and pleasing to the human eye compared to her previous attempts at mimicking human expressions.

Before heading back, we got back into our suits, sharing our overall impressions along the way. The brothers couldn't stop praising the responsiveness of the armor, while Vincent occasionally added useful comments about the weapons. I realized that I really needed more specialized modifications for various combat conditions. Since the weapons were initially designed to be modular, it wouldn't be difficult to swap out unsuitable modifications during a firefight, thereby enhancing our firepower.

"Do you think it will be enough?" Inga suddenly asked, using a private communication channel.

"I don't know, but I hope Bartmoss and I didn't make any mistakes in our calculations. Otherwise, you'll have to join the fight too, and I'd rather avoid that," I answered honestly.

"The mission success probability is 64%," Vega interjected into our private conversation.

"Vega, don't eavesdrop," Inga said, blushing slightly and furrowing her brows in a cute way.

"Apologies, I didn't account for the use of a private communication channel," the AI admitted, continuing to eavesdrop silently. Even synthetic life forms know the feeling of curiosity.

"In any case, I want to help these kids. We could easily be in their place. Don't worry, we're better prepared than anyone," I reassured her.

"I'll take your word for it."

The conversation naturally dwindled, and we continued our leisurely run toward the camp...