Dax Wrenchphibian's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Dax Wrenchphibian tightened the last bolt on his prototype engine and stepped back. His orange hands trembled with excitement. For three years, he'd worked toward one goal: building the first warp drive that could break light speed. The metal frame hummed on his workshop table. It wasn't much to look at yet, but the math was solid. Tomorrow he would run the first test. Morning light streamed through the workshop windows. Dax dragged the futuristic solar panel array outside and angled it toward Nereidum's twin suns. The reflective surfaces caught the light perfectly. He ran cables back to his workshop and connected them to the engine's power input. The panels would generate enough energy for a real test. His heart raced as the displays flickered to life. Numbers climbed steadily on the screen. This was it—the moment that would prove his calculations worked. He pressed the activation switch and held his breath. The engine whirred for three seconds, then sparked. Smoke poured from the primary coil. Dax grabbed a fire suppressor and sprayed foam across the prototype. His hands shook as he disconnected the power cables. The workshop was too exposed. Too small. He needed a proper facility—somewhere hidden where he could work without drawing attention. That afternoon, Dax hiked into the rock formations beyond the settlement. He found a cave system with a natural chamber deep underground. The titanium door he installed sealed the entrance completely. Inside, he had room for a full-scale laboratory. Down here, away from everyone, he could build the real warp drive. He could finally break light speed. For the next week, Dax hauled equipment down into his underground laboratory. He moved the solar panels to the surface above the cave and ran new cables through the rock. He set up the titanium-copper telescope near the lab entrance, pointing it through a natural crack toward the night sky. The green obsidian lens would help him study distant stars and measure their speed. He needed accurate data to calibrate the warp drive properly. Each night, he recorded readings and adjusted his calculations. The failed test had shown him where the design was weak. Now he knew what to fix. His new lab gave him everything he needed—power, space, and privacy. Here, hidden beneath Nereidum's surface, he would build the engine that changed everything.