Richard leaned back in his chair as Lina's voice faded, her detailed breakdown of power systems echoing with pure technical perfection. Efficient? Sure. Elegant? Definitely.
But it wasn't enough.
Not for what she deserved.
He muttered, "System."
The interface pulsed to life—a cool digital cascade of blue-white code across his vision. Familiar now. Intimate. Alive.
[Yo.]
[Looking to empty your savings again, Big Shot?]
Richard rolled his eyes. "I need a scalable quantum brain and a compact nuclear heart."
[Well aren't you poetic today.]
With a swipe, Richard opened the System Shop and filtered: AI Vessel Core > Quantum-Class. It didn't take long. There it was:
[Blueprint: Quantum Cogitator Core]
Price: 850,000 SP
Available SP: 6,752,234
He opened the expanded schematic.
[ System Shop Blueprint: Quantum Cogitator Core ]
