Several months had passed since Tundra's coronation. Sorbet had become a loyal advisor with his experience ruling the organization after the previous rulers had died.
Tundra had learned about the technology currently in use from Sorbet, believing it would be useful knowledge.
At this moment, Tundra was sitting on a throne inside a large spaceship. He was heading toward the latest reported pirate attack to make good on his promise.
While doing so, he read up on the technology of the recently renamed Tundra Force. "Sorbet?"
Sorbet perked up from Tundra's side. "Yes, my lord?"
Tundra rested his head on his hand and spoke. "The scouters — they seem like a waste of material when they explode, no?"
Sorbet nodded. That was a well-known issue. "Well, yes, technically it is a waste of material, but we don't know how to stop them from exploding, sire."
Tundra nodded, thinking of possible solutions. "Have the engineers considered shutting off whatever reads power levels once it reaches a certain point?"
Sorbet considered it. Theoretically, it could work, but he was not an engineer. "I... don't know, sire. But if you would like, I could connect us to the engineer who made the scouter what it is today."
Tundra nodded, motioning for Sorbet to contact him.
Sorbet quickly ran over to the communications device in front of the throne, inputting a few commands before returning to Tundra's side as the screen broadcasted the engineer's bowing figure.
Tundra looked over the engineer. He seemed frail. "Stand," he commanded.
As the engineer stood, Tundra saw more clearly the mantis-like alien. His carapace was grey and cracked from age. It was clear he did not have many years left.
"My lord... what is it that you wish to... know?" The engineer breathed heavily every few words.
Tundra took note of the engineer's frailty. "What is your name? And why do the scouters explode after reaching a certain reading?"
The engineer coughed before speaking. "My name is... Gichamu... The scouters explode because... the electronics inside aren't durable enough... to read all of the ki emitted."
Tundra thought for a moment. Gichamu's explanation made sense. "And you could not have added a shutoff when it reads a certain amount of ki?"
Gichamu coughed again, which was beginning to irritate Tundra. "Well, yes... sir, but this is a business... that I intend to... pass on to generations."
The revelation that the waste of material existed simply because Gichamu wanted to pass the business on to his children immediately made Tundra stand and look over at Sorbet, who looked at Gichamu in shock
"Sorbet, did you know of this?" Tundra's voice was calm and steady, but there was unmistakable hostility within it.
Sorbet gulped, he obviously knew, but he had hoped Gichamu would be wise enough to not reveal it. "Sire, we gained an immeasurable amount of profit from the scouter business. We cannot simply stop—"
Sorbet stopped speaking when he saw Tundra's furious expression and immediately dropped into a bow, his face pressed to the ground.
"Sorbet, the galaxy is finite. Why do you waste material on such small, meaningless contraptions?" Tundra did not raise his voice; he knew he had been heard. "Did you not inform me of this because you forgot that I value efficiency?"
Sorbet remained silent, unwilling to speak without explicit permission.
Tundra grew more irritated at Sorbet's silence. "Speak, Sorbet."
Sorbet finally forced himself to respond. "My lord, the profits we have gained from the scouters are insurmountable. We cannot abandon it — at least not when the public knows nothing."
Tundra had to physically restrain himself from killing Sorbet immediately. Profit? The amount of credits spent on mining operations should have skyrocketed from the number of scouters being manufactured. Where was the profit in that?
"And you use planets' worth of material for all of the scouters? For profit?!" Tundra's ki exploded outward — dark and oppressive — weighing down on Sorbet as if he were under twenty times gravity.
Sorbet struggled to open his mouth before biting down on the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to stay conscious as his mind began to shut down. "M-my lord..." His voice came out strained as blood pooled beneath him.
Tundra stopped, deciding that extracting the last bit of usefulness from Sorbet would be better.
Sorbet coughed as the pressure lifted.
Tundra looked down at him. "You are to inform the next top engineer to publicly improve the scouter, and ensure Gichamu's family suffers the consequences." Tundra emphasized the word suffers, making sure Gichamu could hear every word.
Sorbet looked up with hope, his bloodied nose still dripping as he staggered to his feet and ran to the communications device. He disconnected from Gichamu's scouter and issued an order to the next best engineer — one known as Kikono — before issuing a wanted notice for Gichamu's family across the scouter database, hoping this act of compliance would save him from Tundra's wrath.
"I have finished it, my lord!"
Tundra's eyes pierced through Sorbet, making him tremble. Then Tundra pointed a finger at him, enveloping him in ki and lifting him into the air. He forced ki into each of Sorbet's limbs before finally forcing it into his brain — detonating it.
Such capitalistic greed had no place in the meritocracy he intended to build.