Business on Hephaestus had been going well.
However, I’d hit a major roadblock regarding my new objective: "Strengthening Lucia."
"…None? Even in an industrial colony this massive?"
I was standing in a cybernetics specialty store—though it was really more of a glorified prosthetic repair shop—near the docks.
In response to my question, the shopkeeper wiped his grease-stained hands on a rag and gave a derisive snort.
"Look, kid, this place is a 'factory.' We deal in replacements for arms crushed by press machines and lungs that won't give out when you’re breathing in toxic fumes. If it’s a function directly tied to labor, we’ve got it in spades."
The shopkeeper pointed to the shelves lined with rugged, utilitarian prosthetic limbs.
"But do you really think the laborers around here have any use for 'Taste Sensor Units' or 'Ultra-compact Organic Conversion Furnaces'?"
"…Can you order them?"
"I could, sure. But they’ll smell your desperation and bleed you dry. Those are imports from a Medically Advanced Colony. A rough estimate… just for the units alone? Thirty million. Factor in shipping and the specialized surgery costs, and you’re looking at around fifty million credits."
Fifty million.
A wave of dizziness washed over me. That was almost exactly the same amount as the kitchen renovation costs. My current savings of six million credits suddenly felt like pocket change.
"Besides," the shopkeeper continued, shrugging his shoulders, "I don’t know anyone around here delicate enough to perform a refit on a high-end android like that. The mechanics in this sector specialize in fixing things by hitting them with hammers."
There was no point in paying a fortune only to have the installation botched.
"…I’ll come back later."
"Suit yourself. Drop by again. If you ever want a sturdy prosthetic arm, I'll give you a discount."
As I stepped out of the shop, Lucia, who had been waiting faithfully by my side, looked down apologetically.
"Master… investing such a high amount for my personal desires is irrational. I recommend freezing this plan."
"Don't be stupid. Once a man decides he's going to do something, there's no backing down. Besides, good food is meant to be shared by everyone."
I scratched my head vigorously.
As expected, high-end luxury parts weren't something you could find in the frontier or industrial sectors, and the prices there were marked up to the moon. If I wanted to find what I needed, I had to go back to the center of the distribution network.
"…We’re heading back, Lucia. To the commercial colony, the Transaction Hub."
"Back there, sir?"
"Yeah. The information pipelines are better, and more importantly, the jobs pay better. We’ll use the Hub as a base to earn a steady income while we hunt for more info."
Back on the ship, we immediately began departure preparations.
Of course, I wasn't about to waste fuel by returning with an empty cargo hold. I pulled up the guild terminal and searched for requests heading toward the Transaction Hub.
"Oh, how about this? 'Transport of Refined Rare Metal Ingots.' They’re heavy, but the unit price is excellent."
"We can secure a sixty percent load capacity for that request," Lucia noted. "What shall we do with the remaining space?"
"We'll cram in as much 'Industrial Lubricant' as possible since it’s dirt cheap here. Consumables like that are in high demand no matter where you go."
I efficiently accepted the request and arranged for the goods to be delivered. With Mina personally piloting the lifter drones, containers were stacked into the cargo room one after another.
"…Alright, everything’s secured. The balance is good."
I tossed a synthetic canned coffee to Mina as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
"Good work. You’re getting fast at this."
"This much is easy… But even after hauling all this, the profit is only a little over a million, right?"
"A million credits is nothing to sneeze at. It’s just that our goal is ridiculously high."
"I know that. Normally, it would’ve taken me years of work to earn a million."
Mina’s eyes started to take on a distant look. I sighed as I checked the invoices. A target of fifty million credits seemed astronomical, but with the Sperm Whale’s massive capacity allowing for "cheating-level" cargo runs, it wasn't an impossible dream.
Still, it would be reckless to empty my wallet into a hobby every time I saved up a bit. You can never have too much money.
"I’d really like to hit one big score, though."
"A big score?"
"Yeah. For example… let's see. During the escape from the Ignis System the other day, I took down two cruisers. I didn't have the luxury of salvaging them at the time, which was a real shame."
I said it casually, but the thought lingered. While the small pirate ships we'd sold had brought in 1.8 million, the numbers for military-grade cruisers would be in a different league entirely. The generators would probably be a lost cause, but the armaments, armor plating, and electronic components? Those were absolute mountains of treasure.
"…You took down? Cruisers?" Mina froze, clutching her empty can.
"Yeah. Three-hundred-meter-class vessels. I did it pretty flashily, so they were probably beat up, but I wonder how much they would’ve been worth if I’d salvaged them."
"…Wait a second. Akito, are you serious?" Mina gave a strained, nervous laugh. "Those are cruisers. Warships. It’s crazy enough that you actually sank them, but how would you even move them? They wouldn’t fit in the cargo hold. I mean, they wouldn't… right?"
"I wouldn't transport the whole ship. I’d just harvest the choice cuts."
The Sperm Whale’s cargo hold was vast, exceeding five-hundred meters in length, but even so, a cruiser wouldn't fit comfortably. Back in my game days, I would just destroy them to collect resources and the occasional equipment drop. In reality, though, there were far better ways to handle it than just blowing them to scrap.
"If I could time it right after the Ion Cannon disables them, I think I could dismantle them quite efficiently…"
"…You’re talking about performing a dismantling show? In open space? During a battle?"
"Exactly. Well, I doubt I could frankenstein two of them together into a working ship, so I guess I’ll have to settle for parts."
"Making a cruiser out of thin air is definitely impossible!" Mina clutched her head. "…Akito, your common sense really is broken."
Well, it wasn't like we’d be clashing with military ships every day. Besides, I needed to have Mina take a look at our own generator and main gun soon anyway.
"Preparations complete. Let’s head out!"
I gave the command and made my way to the bridge.
The objective: the commercial colony.
The Sperm Whale’s heavy hull vibrated as it soared up into the soot-stained sky of Hephaestus.
Author's Note: I haven't actually decided on the exact specs for the Sperm Whale yet… I'm thinking of it as being based on a tanker, but perhaps it should be even bigger for the space age?
If you found this interesting and are looking forward to the continuation, please tap the "★"! It might just upgrade Akito's dinner tomorrow a little bit. Thank you for your support!