The drone sparked to life.
Not with a mechanical buzz, but with a faint shimmer—like something in the air around it had clicked into alignment. Logan leaned back, the soldering iron still hot in his hand, watching as the drone's core lit up with pale blue energy that hadn't been part of its original design.
The System was adapting.
The more he built, the more it responded—not just acknowledging new structures but integrating with them and enhancing them, making the old world's tech something more than it was ever meant to be.
Crafting Successful Prototype Surveillance Drone – Tier 1 Range: 2kmFeatures: Motion Detection, Silent Hover, Basic Night Vision Status: Linked to Command Interface
He picked it up carefully. It was lightweight now—too lightweight for the rusted metal he'd cobbled it from.
Chris stepped into the bunker's workshop just as Logan set the drone down beside the turret housing they'd spent the last two hours assembling.
"That thing looks like it should be rattling apart," Chris said. "But it's... humming."
"System-enhanced alloys," Logan replied. "It's not just glue and bolts anymore. Everything I touch gets... rewritten."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "You saying you're magic now?"
"I'm saying I'm an engineer with god-tier patch notes."
Chris chuckled, though his eyes lingered on the drone a second longer.
"You think it's time to deploy it?"
Logan nodded. "We need to see what's moving out there."
He stepped over to the console, tapped the touchpad, and activated the drone's flight routine.
It lifted silently, smoothly, almost unnaturally, so no whir of blades. No vibration. Just movement—like it wanted to obey.
They watched as the console streamed grainy footage from the onboard lens. The feed stitched together a rough overview of the nearby area—still mostly warped from expansion, but stable for now. The drone marked a few places of interest: a collapsed overpass with visible supply caches, a small school building partially fortified with makeshift barricades, and a lone figure moving cautiously along the outer street, dragging something heavy behind them.
"Someone else out there," Chris muttered. "Think they're friendly?"
"No such thing as friendly out here," Logan said. "Just useful and dangerous."
The drone hovered above the figure, then zoomed in.
Not a scavenger.
A courier.
Or at least someone dressed like one—black messenger bag, ragged armor plates, gas mask with a glowing visor. They were dragging a small generator on wheels, covered in solar mesh.
Then a new signal flashed on-screen.
Encrypted Audio Broadcast Detected Origin: Local Relay – Approx. 3.8km NortheastDecrypting...
Chris leaned in. "Broadcast?"
The feed warped for a moment. Static hissed through the speakers, then cleared to a low, calm voice.
"This is Haven. Broadcasting on open band to all survivors in Sector D-12. You are not alone. Food, water, power, and protection are available to all non-hostile parties. Come in peace. We build together."
The message looped.
Then the screen added something new:
Reputation System Detected Faction: Haven Collective Allegiance: Neutral Threat Rating: Variable Status: Expanding
Logan sat still, expression unreadable.
Chris broke the silence. "So… what do we do with that?"
Logan stared at the broadcast for several long seconds. Then he stood, walked to the console, and shut it off.
"We build faster."
—
Logan's bunker had never been designed for expansion.
It was efficient. Secure. Built for one man.
But the System had other ideas.
Once the Tier 1 blueprint tree was unlocked, the interface opened dozens of new nodes. Each one came with crafting costs, upgrade paths, and long-term effects. None of them were just cosmetic. Every wall added more stability. Every turret meant a stronger defensive zone. Every new facility expanded the influence of his growing settlement.
It was no longer just a bunker.
It was a bastion.
He scrolled through his current options.
Blueprint: Perimeter Wall Extension Type: Reinforced Alloy/Composite Material Cost: Nanoplastics x2, Wood Planks x4, Bolts x10 Effect: Defense +15%, Passive Mutant Deterrent
Blueprint: Tactical Sentry Platform Type: Modular Material Cost: Wiring Coil x3, Alloy Base x1, Core Battery x1 Effect: Assigns defensive arcs, compatible with Drone AI Systems
Blueprint: Communication Uplink – Basic Type: Shortwave Enhanced Material Cost: Signal Receptor x1, Capacitor Mesh x2 Effect: Enables outgoing encrypted messages, limited scan radius (10km)
Chris read over his shoulder.
"That comm uplink… we could respond to the broadcast."
Logan didn't look up.
"Not yet."
Chris folded his arms. "Why not?"
"Because we don't talk to anyone until we know we can say 'no'."
"'No' to what?"
"To join. To surrendering. To share resources. We stay invisible until we can survive an attack and win a second one."
Chris didn't argue.
But he was quiet for a long time after.
—
The day passed with work.
They built the first turret housing in silence, save for the occasional clank of bolts or grunt of effort. The System provided real-time diagnostics as they assembled, correcting structural misalignments and suggesting load distribution patterns. It was less like building a defense platform and more like giving shape to something that already wanted to exist.
Once the base platform was installed on the northeast perimeter, Logan slid the custom rail-fed auto-shotgun mount into place. A soft hum vibrated through the air as the System synced with the new device.
Construction Complete: Tier 1 Sentry Status: Active Range: 20 meters Targeting: Motion / Threat Signature / Mutant Priority
Chris smiled for the first time in hours.
"That'll ruin someone's day."
Logan nodded. "That's the idea."
As the red sky began to dim, fading to black, and there was no transition, Logan activated the drone again for its night patrol. It zipped off into the distance, camera blinking softly.
But instead of more monsters, it caught something else.
Campfires.
Distant. Small. Flickering near the base of a half-collapsed overpass.
And around those fires?
People.
Dozens of them.
Wearing mismatched armor. Some carried rifles. Others stick. A few wore armbands with a familiar symbol—a crude version of the Haven Collective's insignia.
They weren't part of the broadcast team.
They were followers.
Or opportunists.
Or worse—enforcers.
Chris leaned forward. "That's a squad."
"They're spreading faster than I thought," Logan muttered.
He pulled open his journal tab and added a new entry.
System Log: Day 3 – Initial Contact With Outside Faction Name: Haven Collective Status: Expansionist Unknown Number of Cells Operating Power Base: Encrypted Broadcast / Psychological Incentive Risk Level: Escalating
He tapped the interface to close the map and stepped back from the desk.
Chris looked at him.
"So what now?"
Logan stared at the new turret as it rotated silently, its targeting lens sweeping through the growing dark.
"Now," he said, "we lay bait."
Chris blinked. "What kind of bait?"
Logan's mouth twisted into something that wasn't quite a grin.
Supply cache. Open field. Visible enough to draw a scout but not a whole party. I want to know how they move, how they think, and if they're organized."
"And if they take it?"
"Then we track them."
Chris frowned. "You're poking the hive."
"No," Logan said. "I'm measuring it."
He turned and walked toward the crafting bench again, pulling out more materials, calculating weights, and placement timings.
And as he worked, the System pinged one last time.
Faction Progress: 32% Next Threshold: Influence Control Warning: External Factions May Become Aware of Player Bastion Encounters May Now Include Diplomatic, Covert, or Hostile Engagements
Logan didn't stop working.
He was ready.
Whatever the world threw at him, this time?
He would answer with steel.