[Nexus reporting: Research complex established.]

[/New_techonoloy_avaiable_for_research: Defensive system improvement research, Offensive system improvement research, Communication system improvement research, Crystallus creation and processing improvement research, Construction system improvement research, Computing system improvement research, Sensory system improvement research, Energy production system research, Shielding technology research, Gravity technology research, energy technology research, quantum technology research.]

[Hull construction progress: 15%]

Pioneer slowly walks around the main colony as it observes the busy drones moving back and forth to transport materials between different sections of the colony, so far Nexus's plan to set up specialized facility sections instead of randomly placing down facility here and there has been working nicely for both the drones and the facility.

As the machine stops near Nexus, the overseer drone pauses its work and turns to Pioneer to see what its maker wanted in it. Nexus has been working hard ever since it left the factory, perhaps it wouldn't be wrong to call Nexus as Pioneer's children, while the drones grow in number and EXP, Nexus continuously improves itself by upgrading the base and optimizing the data flows. Perhaps Nexus is smarter than Pioneer in some aspect by now.

Pioneer quickly instructs Nexus to build more Research Facilities and Magical Energy Reactors as well as Data Processing Facilities to improve R&D process and increase technology researching speed, it also gives the supervising of Pioneer 1's hull production to Nexus before Pioneer leaves the colony to visit the newer outposts on the far side of the tunnel.

After seeing its maker left the area, Nexus returns to its work as it pulls up the information panel and gets into Pioneer 1's hull plan, then it pulls up other relevant data to Pioneer's works to see if it can improve the design any further.

Nexus spends an hour working on it before uploading the plan to the nanite factory complex, the design hasn't changed much aside from few minor details to improve its Maker proficiency. Now that Nexus has done helping its Maker, the elite drone returns to its usual managing works as it orders the drones around and further improving the colony.

[Pioneer 0 has leveled up]

[Pioneer 0 is now level 31]

[Pioneer 0 received 1 unallocated point]

The core has leveled up again as it makes its first stop at Outpost 2 which is 20 minutes of travel time from the Satellite Colony on the highway, the outpost's development plan seems already finished as the place has a bit of everything, 8 Magical Energy Reactors, 2 Nanite Hive Factories, 4 Service Depots, 1 Ordnance Production Factory and some dozens of defensive installations. Enough to make the outpost a hard place to be overwhelmed by the weak bugs and a nice obstacle for slowing down stronger bugs.

If Nexus's exploration and expansion plans go well, maybe Pioneer will order Nexus to improve and turn the place into a proper satellite colony instead of a small outpost, or maybe it will become a part of the main colony as it grows in size. Pioneer notes this down in its data drive before it leaves the area and continues its outpost inspection run.

At its next arrival destination, Outpost 5, Pioneer finds the place is a mess, according to the local Data Processing Facility, this area is the frontline of the land conflict against the bugs, Quadro 1000 arrived in the area an hour ago, took over the control of the local's Battle Drones and pushed the bugs back to clear the area. The General Purpose Drones assigned to the group should return to the outpost anytime soon to collect ammunitions and repair materials needed to resupply the battle group on the front line.

Pioneer takes note of the base's rather poor layout and location as it turns around and returns to the main colony area, the place will receive some renovations and relocation in the future once the frontline gets pushed back a bit farther, far enough for the drones to make a new outpost and remove the frontline status from Outpost 5 would be ideal.

[Nexus reporting: Hirudocrystallus nodes' harvesting rate in the main colony is at 100%]

Pioneer steps on the highway and makes a beeline to Satellite Colony 2 for an inspection, the core also thinking of paying the adventurers a visit to check them after done working at the Satellite Colony 2. And maybe if Nexus got the hull produced faster somehow, Pioneer would take the body and return to the adventurers' shelter later.

[Welcome to Satellite Colony 2, Pioneer 1 | Commanding Drone: Google Nexus X1 unit 02]

Pioneer 1 slowly steps into the nuclear-glassed chamber while looking around very slowly, the place was once a desolated area, now it has become a beautiful place which brightly lit in purple light by the Hirudocrystallus growing everywhere, on the floor, on the wall, even on the ceiling, it seems like the higher than average background radiation has some kind of impact on the crystallus' growing speed.

Pioneer 1 quietly walks around the still-in-development satellite colony as it checks the facilities and the drones' condition carefully. As the core notices the spot where Pioneer 0 fallen and reborn as Pioneer 1, which is now a big Hirudocrystallus node slowly and steadily growing. The core suddenly orders one of the harvester drones nearby to cut a shard of Crystallus for the core. Pioneer wants to keep it for some reasons that it could not explain at that moment, the core assumes maybe it is because of the evolution core has changed many things inside it.

As Pioneer covers the crystal shard with a layer of structural nanite to encase it, the core discusses a few things with the base's Nexus, together the two devised a proper development plan and a crystallus containing plan for the satellite colony, Pioneer wants to make sure the place is properly protected since it is so close to Outpost 1, which is also the frontline on this side.

Pioneer wants to build two thick, durable and reliable gates to close off the entrances if needed, aside from that the machine also want Nexus to extend the base and make Outpost 1 a part of the colony instead of confined in the chamber, only the refineries and some defensive structures should be the only thing allowed in the chamber to maximize crystallus growing surface.

[Nexus reporting: Hull production completed]

It seems like its aide done its job much better than Pioneer predicted, and now that the core has finished its inspection trip for this tunnel, the core can quickly run back to the main colony to get the body it wished for.

The trip from the Satellite Colony 2 to Main Colony is a bit faster than usual as Pioneer quickly moves to the factory complex to get its body. The new hull is somewhat similar to Pioneer 0's hull just as planned, standing at 3.5 meters tall in standard profile config and equipped with the latest technology the colony can offer, Pioneer 1 can finally lead its drone army into battle and managing the colony with extreme efficiency just like it wanted again.

As the core happily detaches itself from the temporary body and flies toward the new body with the help of its nanites, Pioneer 1's hull automatically detects the core as it lowers its body and opens its torso for the core to get in and connect itself to the most technologically advanced robot ever developed and constructed by the colony. The new body also downloads the data from the temporary body's data drive and moves the cased crystallus shard into its small and empty equipment bay as well.

[/Primary_control_module: Detected]

[/Transfering_admin_control: Primary Control Module]

[/Rerouting_power]

[/Rerouting_data]

[/Reactor: Online]

[/Sensors: Online]

[/Weapon_systems: Online]

[/Shielding_system: Online]

[/Mobility_system: Online]

[/All_systems_nominal]

As Pioneer's new body rises up and its old, small bodies falls into lifeless chunks of minerals as the nanites relocate themselves into the new hull, Pioneer quickly goes through the list of new features that the new system have, standard 40mm snub nose cannon, high powered Arc coils, multiple types of sensors ranging from optical to seismic types, Reactive Ionic Electroactive SuperStructural Plating from head to toes, etc. The body is ce-

[/Secondary_hull_nominal]

Secondary hull?...Pioneer did not remember putting anything like this in the design parameter nor the blueprint it gave Nexus 5 hours ago, the core is confused as it orders its body to scan this 'secondary hull' while watching the General Purpose Drones disposing of the remnants of the temporary body as Hirudocrystallus feeding material.

[/Scanning_completed]

The core looks at the result as it quickly turns to Nexus, at that moment Pioneer 1 speaks naturally for the first time as it points its right hand at its aide and sends it a copy of the scan result.

"What is the meaning of THIS?!"