Zazz's Arc

Chapter 2 of 10

Zazz needed to understand the rifts before building anything permanent. The robot extended a sensor arm toward the nearest tear in reality. Purple energy crackled and sparked against the scanning equipment. Numbers flooded across Zazz's display—wavelength patterns, dimensional frequency, matter displacement rates. The data was chaotic but followed rules. Every rift pulsed at specific intervals. Energy spiked, then dropped, then spiked again. Zazz recorded everything and stepped back from the void's edge. The first lesson was clear: the rifts weren't random. They operated on a cycle. If Zazz could map that cycle completely, sealing them might actually be possible. Mapping the rifts meant sending drones into the void itself. Zazz surveyed the flat area where the research station would stand. The robot needed something tall and sturdy to launch drones safely into Astrion V's strange atmosphere. Zazz began welding steel beams together, building upward piece by piece. The framework grew into a tower, stretching high above the ground. Bright landing lights attached to each level would guide the drones back through the purple haze. When the last light clicked into place, Zazz powered on the system. The tower hummed to life. Now Zazz could send drones out to record the rift cycles and bring them back for repairs. The real survey work could finally begin. But the tower needed power to run all night. Zazz turned away from the launch structure and scanned the barren ground. Astrion V's sun burned bright overhead, even through the purple haze. Solar energy was the answer. The robot unpacked panels from storage and assembled the array in rows. Each panel held crystalline cells that caught the light and shimmered. Zazz connected cables from the array to the tower's power core. The system activated immediately. Energy levels climbed on Zazz's display. The tower lights glowed brighter. The drones could launch and return any time now, day or night. Zazz looked up at the floating crystal island above the void. The first drone mission would leave at dawn. For the first time since arriving at Astrion V, Zazz had everything needed to start finding answers. Zazz accessed the communication terminal inside the temporary shelter. The robot needed to send data somewhere safe. Raw rift readings wouldn't help if the equipment failed. Zazz opened a file on orbital relay systems and started reading. A data relay satellite could receive information from the ground and store it in space. The documents showed how to detect dimensional patterns and track spatial changes. Zazz downloaded schematics and studied the satellite's design. Its panels would catch starlight. Its antennae would reach across vast distances. If Zazz could build one and launch it into orbit, every measurement would be protected. The robot saved the files and shut down the terminal. Tomorrow the drones would fly. The day after, Zazz would begin building the satellite. One step at a time, the path to sealing the rifts was becoming real.