1. Basic Thrusters (level 1): Available
2. Null Tunnel Drive (level 5): Available, damaged

Mining

1. Alter Mode: --in progress--
2. Grapplers (level 1): Trinium, 1500Kg
3. Asteroid Cannon (level 5): Trinium 200Kg, Mithril 80Kg

Configuration

1. Restructuring (level 1): Trinium, --based on size--
2. Integral Storage Capacitors (level 5): Trinium, 8 Ton

Bulco gave off a low whistle. “Man, that shit is something else. Am I getting this right? As long as we have the required resource we can upgrade the ship?”

“Nathan,” Nori said slowly, not taking her eyes off the screen. “That Asteroid Cannon thing ... I’m not sure what it is, but if it can shoot off asteroids, I bet it can do some real damage to the Warped. Can we build it? We have all the required resources onboard.”

Nathan nodded and closed his eyes.

A message appeared on the screen.

Existing upgrade in progress: Alter Mode

Cannot start a new upgrade: Asteroid Cannon

“Damn,” the tall Navigator muttered. “That thing could have been a game changer. Can you cancel the current upgrade?”

Bulco frowned. “Why did you start this upgrade in the first place? These kinds of decisions should be made by everyone; we don’t have an unlimited supply of resources after all. What does it even do?”

Nathan looked at Lana helplessly.

“He doesn’t know,” she said. “It just started on its own immediately after his synthesis process had completed. And as far as he can tell, it took no resources to run.”

Nori frowned. “Any idea when it will be completed then?”

Nathan nodded.

Alter Mode upgrade: 9%

Nori looked at the display and shook her head. “We’re not even a tenth of the way there.”

“What I don’t get,” Bulco said, “is that we have a defense category. Why not an offense one?”

Nathan pondered the question. Weapons were a tool meant for sowing death and destruction. Unity wasn’t like that … She was gentler, she had a different purpose.

“Unity wasn’t meant for battle,” Lana translated. “Did I get that right, Nathan?”

The young man nodded.

“I guess I can salvage an anti-aircraft cannon from one of our military bases, mount it on the hull, and load it with Warped Buster rounds,” the large man said.

Nori shook her head. “And how would you control it from inside the ship? Besides, it would take too long to set up, and we still haven't completed our mission. We got the resources we need, now let's make some ammo out of it.”

She got into her chair and gently guided the ship to the docking bay. Unity’s new configuration required her to adjust her previously calculated vector, but the ship responded easily to her commands, and in no time at all, a low shudder ran through the hull.

“We’re docked,” she said.

Their chairs folded back into the floor, and Nathan’s pod peeled off him, leaving the man standing on his feet.

They had a newly formed ship and a cargo hold full of valuable resources.