Mark and the teens spoke until 10:00 pm, since the next day was the first day back at the institute, they cut their conversation short. While Steve, Alex, and Livia left for their respective houses, Mark was left to contemplate the day's events while looking up at his roof.
The young man expected to lose a friend or two when he entered the snow cabin. Yet, not only did his friends support him, but his relationship with Alex also progressed. Mark was still bothered by the age gap between them. His body was that of a young man, but his consciousness had traveled in time using the system multiple times.
Given all the regressions from before, he was mentally much older than her. In a way, Mark felt that he was taking advantage of the girl. Shaking his head, the young man resolved to find a distraction. The only thing that came to mind was the problems plaguing the newly formed Riggans Ravens.
Mark decided to go to the Raven's Nest. He was not going to get any sleep with all the things in his head. The young man sought to distract his mind from the current subject. Also, resolving the problems of his recently formed organization could serve as an outlet for his overstimulated mind.
As always, he waited until his mother and little sister fell asleep before leaving. Donning the Mirmidón armor, he leaves for the Raven's Nest. These escapades were becoming part of his routine. However, once classes began, it would be harder for him to find time for his clandestine life. Mark needed an alternate way to manage the Ravens.
He arrived at the place around 11:30 pm. Even though it was the middle of the night, the place was buzzing with activity. With the machines repaired, Handy had organized work shifts, and the Ravens had been recycling materials from the junk yard all day long. Stacks of raw materials were neatly arranged. Some would be used to fabricate, while others were to be sold for profit. This was a sure way to subsidize the Ravens' expenses.
As Mark landed near the entrance, he was received by a group of Ravens. Travis and Handy were among them. After exchanging greetings, the men led the young man to inspect the facility. While touring the place, Mark noticed a problem. The machines he fixed were processing the junk efficiently, but the process was slow.
The equipment was not the issue. The Ravens were having trouble bringing the junk over to the recycling facility. Mark examined the vehicles they used. The hover trucks were assembled from parts gathered in the same junkyard. It was a miracle that the machines were working at all.
To solve this, Mark used the system's fabrication ability. While he could not fabricate an entire vehicle, he could improve the efficiency of the existing ones by replacing the faulty components. With a few hundred thousand TP, this task was child's play. In total, Mark repaired 8 hover trucks in less than an hour.
The vehicles' engines operated as if brand new. Yet the exteriors were shabby. These trucks looked like they were taken out of a post-apocalyptic comm-Clip. Handy was bothered by this; he asked for permission to fix the exterior using some of the recycled materials. Mark agreed, the vehicles were an eyesore.
The second part of the problem was moving the heavy loads from the recycling facility towards the storage areas. A mech will be the perfect solution for this. However, this time, the young man could not use system fabrication. Mechs, like the trucks, were too heavy for his light fabrication ability.
Luckily, he had a Mech engineer on hand. They only needed to repurpose one of the 3D printers to produce the necessary parts. Mark entered the design space. This time, he would be designing a utility mech. Unlike the mechs used for battle, these machines were simple and had fewer demands.
Mark took the Ravens' needs into account. At the moment, not only did they need machines to carry heavy loads, but they also needed to handle a range of other jobs. If he were to rehabilitate the abandoned military complex, the Ravens had to do more than just clear the junk around.
To that end, Mark took a page from Rachel's book. He decided to create a mech with modular attachments. That way, the mech could change its functions by simply changing attachments. Making the Mechs too big would be counterproductive. At the moment, they had material constraints.
He found himself considering two choices. The first one, He could build a light mech to carry the loads and help with other tasks. The mech would be large enough to carry multiple attachments and serve as a multi-purpose machine. However, since they were using the same materials recycled from the junkyard, production of the mech will be slow. The Ravens could produce more mechs as they recycled more materials, but fabrication would proceed at a snail's pace.
The second choice would be to make a demi-mech. This machine was a mech that fell short of the standard for a light mech but exceeded the classification of powered armor. A smaller size would use less material, making production faster. Another good thing was the design's simplicity, which would reduce neuronal load. The downside of such a machine was its limited functionality. Each demi-mech could carry only a single module and needed to be serviced to change configuration.
The young man weighed his choices carefully. In the end, he decided to go for the demi-mech. One reason is material constraints. Also, if one of the Ravens went on a rampage, a smaller machine would cause less damage. Having defined the dimensions of his new machine, he began a design process.
Mark took a step back for a moment. This demi-mech would be his first original design. All others were variants of an old mech. Waving away his hesitation, the young man began with a crude sketch. It would be a mech between four and five meters tall. In comparison, light mechs ranged in height from 8 to 12 meters.
The modules could be installed in the back of the mech. These modules would deploy unfolding over the head. With the machine's arms, the pilots could manipulate the modules to perform the assigned task. Mark decided to simplify the modules for quick assembly. Swapping one module with another became a simple procedure. They could use one demi-mech to swap the module of another.
Mark began deciding on the alloy for the chassis. While there was no need to withstand enemy fire, the alloy needed a balance between strength and flexibility. With these qualities, the mech will be able to withstand heavy labor. Using his Metallurgical skills and simulation models, he developed the recipe for an alloy solution in a few hours. This new alloy was meant for civilian use, but Mark took pride in the fact that it could stand up to some of the cheaper military solutions.
Next, he tackled the cockpit. Since the demi-mech was small, the standard mech cockpit would not fit. Instead, Mark opted for a coffin-style cockpit. These components were called this way because of their smaller size. Inside the component, there would not be enough space to sit. Instead, the pilot would be suspended by a harness in a standing position.
Since the demi-mech was meant for civilian use, an ejection system was not necessary. However, to preserve the person's life in the event of an accident, Mark added additional safety measures. These were centered on impact dampeners around the cockpit. Also, a liquid foam solution would be ejected from a set of canisters installed around the cockpit, forming a solid cocoon that would absorb most impacts.
He wanted to tackle the engine next. The engine bay on the demi-mech was much smaller. A smaller size meant less motive power; he saw no way around that. The young man discarded combustion engines because of their size. By his calculations, he could fit an 800 HP electric engine in the space without any problems. For a machine of this size, it would be sufficient power. Ten hours later, he had a satisfactory design.
Mark concentrated on the mech's motion next. As a civilian-grade design, he discarded S.M.T.; only some high-end civilian machinery used it. Besides, He was trying to make a machine with a low neuronal load. To that end, actuators were his default choice.
To compensate for the engine's power. Mark decided to increase the actuators' strength. However, he ran into a problem. His original actuator designs were tearing the housing apart in simulations. The alloy he was using had a lower stress tolerance. Mark had to choose between reinforcing the area around the actuators with other materials or reducing the component's strength.
Since he could only work with materials recycled from the junkyard, Mark opted to regulate the output of the components. He ran dozens of simulations to achieve the perfect setting. After another five hours, he found the right output level. He was satisfied with the machine's current performance. Perhaps with different materials, he could get better results. However, he was determined to use the materials scavenged at the junkyard.
The energy generation was his next problem. For a light mech, the generator needed to provide around 120 kWh. A demi-mech, being smaller, required less power. Mark was estimating a need of around 80-90kWh. The tricky part was the available space; the machine's smaller size worked against it. Mark decided to upgrade his energy generation skill to level five to solve this problem.
However, since his Physics skills were on Level 4, he was forced to raise them all. Fortunately, He did not have many skills in the field. The skill upgrade will not put him into a coma. As the information sank in, the path forward became clear. Mark will use a generator powered by Virtrumite, an exotic element common in the Lishean commonwealth.
This exotic element was one of the reasons the pioneers chose to settle in this stellar region. It was also one of the major exports that fomented commerce and economic development. The exotic element was used to power many things, from small electronics to large spaceships. Since it generated no waste, it was a popular solution for many.
An Idea assaulted his mind. He could theoretically improve the efficiency of the exotic element by encasing it in berylium-copper alloy. Mark resolved to run a few simulations with his Idea. The results he got encourage him even further. The casing dramatically increased energy output. With a few ounces of the exotic element, Mark could power the demi-mech almost permanently.
Mark began to think about other applications for this generator. But he realized he was deviating from the project. The young man resolved to continue with his current tasks and revisit these ideas on a later date. What followed was the routine stuff like programming sensor configurations and calibrations. By the 140-hour mark, he had a finished design.
The final step was naming the design. Mark thought for a moment, and the name came to him quickly. The demi-mech would be a tool to help the Ravens in their endeavors. To that end, the young man chose the name Raven's Claw.
After choosing a name, he left the Design Space satisfied with his work. He ordered Handy to reconfigure one of the production lines to begin producing his demi-mech. Travis would be in charge of the process. The young man transferred the files containing the demi-mech design to the slender man.
Travis was elated. His first task was to produce a new design. As he opened the files to examine them, he fell into contemplation. Some of the design choices were beyond his current understanding.
The slender man decided to inquire a bit about the design. "Sir This design is genius, but there are a few things that are beyond me. Would you mind clarifying some of the choices?"
Mark spoke using his modulated voice. "This design is within your ability to fabricate. However, if you have doubts, I can explain some of the components."
Travis eyes sparkled. Learning from Specter was his whole reason to be there. Showing no hesitation, the slender man began his questioning. "Why have you chosen a demi-mech? Isn't a light mech a better choice?"
Mark had a similar thought. He was originally planning to use a light mech. The young man explained his reasoning. "That is because of material constraints. The demi-mech is easier to fabricate and consumes fewer resources."
Travis nods, after hearing Specter's explanation, he agreed. It was the optimal choice at the time. One by one, his doubts were put to rest. Specter's explanations were easy to understand. Travis moved to the new design lab. This area was refurbished recently and is ready to begin operations.
Before the slenderman left, Mark issued another order." I know that you are eager to analyze the design, but remember to take a break and eat regularly." Through his visor, he tossed a look at Handy.
The man understood the glance. "Don't worry, specter, I will tell some of the guys to keep an eye on him. We will make sure he takes regular breaks."
Mark estimated that it would take them a few days to begin production. Once they have a few units to work with, the Ravens will process the junk faster. Looking at the time, Mark decided to leave the rest to Handy. The man had become his proxy at the Raven's Nest. This was a bit odd for him. Mark never expected Handy to be so reliable.
Returning to Riggan's Point, Mark used the map function to check his room and the surrounding area. It was all clear. Wasting no more time, he entered his room and prepared to sleep. In a few hours, the Institute will open its doors and his last year of high school will begin. The young man's only hope is to do better than the last time he was in high school.