The Legendary Junkmaster

As Zach booked them a few rooms at a multistorey shack, Jason took a good look around town. Syssie appeared to have gone back into her previous mood as her avatar had suddenly disappeared. 'I'll never understand women.' Jason sighed as he shook his head. He went from one stall to another and noticed that the Murk Point seemed to be filled with strange contraptions that he had never seen before!

He could distinguish at a quick glance what each of them was for. Most were strange types of weapons that fired darts, harpoons, and other things. All in all, he got the feeling that this place was somewhere that bred hunters and creativity. If he was not caught up in finding the place that Zach had recommended, then he may have been tempted to exchange some information with the stall owners about their creative processes.

'It should be around here somewhere...' Jason ducked under a piece of cloth that was strung up between two stalls. The entire atmosphere was that of something like an unorganised marketplace. He had to stop and ask a few stall owners for directions until he finally came across a large shack made of splintered wood and rusted sheets of metal. 

He could tell from a glance that this was a more permanent structure. One that had probably been built to the best of the owner's capabilities. The sound of several people hard at work floated out from inside, letting Jason know that he had found the right place. 'I'd know those sounds anywhere...' Jason grinned as he manoeuvred the ANT-V towards the large doorway.

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"Hey! Is the owner around here?" Jason yelled over the noise towards the few people busy working away at different stations inside. 

However, only one of them spared him a glance before her eyes lit up when she spotted the ANT-V! Her excitement was obvious as she hurriedly sat down the item she was working on and removed the thick gloves from her hands. Her white tank top was stained black in spots and her red hair created a stark contrast against her pale white skin. 

The woman flicked her head, causing her long braided ponytail to fly over her shoulder as she ran towards Jason. He eyed her warily as she never once looked at him as a person. She seemed fixated on his creation, which had him worried that using the workshop may cost him more than he was willing to pay.

"Hi, there! I'm Sarah! The owner of this fine establishment! Are you here to have some repairs done on this vehicle?" Sarah's eyes glanced over the various parts and mechanisms of the ANT-V as her eyes shone with excitement.

Jason coughed and put on a frown as he glanced down at her. "No... I'm actually here to ask about renting a workspace in your store for a few days. The caravan owner I'm travelling with recommended you. His name is Zach..."

"Hm... Zach... Ah, sorry. Rent a space you say?" Sarah's eyes finally focused on Jason's face as she frowned. Moments later, her frown turned into a beaming smile. "Sure, that's no problem! Are you willing to make a trade?"

"If you want my ANT-V that's off the table." Jason rolled his eyes at her as he guessed what she was going to suggest. 

His guess appeared correct as Sarah pouted before tapping her cheek. "Did you make this?"

"Of course..." Jason raised an eyebrow as he wondered what her next offer would be.

"How about this? You help out with our workload and let me study this vehicle of yours." Sarah grinned, as if she had just given him the best deal of his life.

A deep frown appeared on Jason's face as he considered her offer. He had thought she would demand expensive materials or a lot of cash. "You can study it... But you can't take it apart. I need it to get around so I can't let you work on it. That's the best I can give you."

"Deal! let me show you to your area!" Sarah beamed, catching Jason off guard. 

'I guess she's just enthusiastic about new things. She probably would have been happy with that in the first place...' Jason sighed as he followed Sarah into her workshop. His eyes darted towards the corners that he could not see properly before. There he found teams of people working hard on strange vehicles.

They looked like small boats similar to what Sentinel had used to take him to the Aquarium. however, these came with four thick sturdy legs instead of a propeller. Jason paused as he glanced at him. The absence of the metallic legs clanking against the ground caused Sarah to glance over her shoulder. 

"Oh! You have an interest in the Murk Walkers do you?" Sarah beamed as her gaze turned on the strange crafts.

"Murk Walkers?" Jason turned his gaze on her as she stared at them.

"Yeah... Wait, you don't know? These babies are what we use to hunt the creatures living in the Murk. You know... That black liquid out there? They're pretty handy for scavenging the ruins as well. They're what I want you to help out with... We want to see if we can make them faster and more suitable for the deeper areas."

Jason hummed as he understood what she was getting at. It was probably why she was so interested in his ANT-V. With its extending legs and the way they worked, it would go a long way to helping them reach their goals. However, just because it was roughly the same idea in principle did not mean it would work. The Murk Walkers would have to contend with serious resistance from the liquid and be able to hold much more weight.

'Hm... That's quite a problem. They'd need a stronger but lighter metal. Maybe a design change to help the liquid flow around the legs more easily.' Jason immediately began thinking of ways to improve the Murk Walkers. His expression turned serious, and Sarah could not help but smile when she looked at him. She knew that look all too well. It was the same look she would get whenever she saw something that she wanted to tinker with.

"Hey, forget about it for now. Come on over. Your station is just over here." Sarah laughed as she jogged Jason out of his thoughts. "Don't worry about it too much. If you're able to offer even slight insights into how to improve them, that would be great."

Jason nodded slowly as he looked at a large work area set aside near one of the Murk Walkers. The tools had clearly seen better days, but he had worked with less. 'I might need to create a few tools myself.' Jason sighed as he cast an eye over them.

"Do you need materials? I can offer you a good price." Sarah's eyes lit up once again as she eyed him up. But was disappointed to see Jason shaking his head. 

"No need. Can you send someone to let Zach know to bring my stuff here for now? It's at that place just down from the main gate. I'll have a look at these vehicles in the meantime." Jason's attention immediately went back to the Murk Walker next to his station. 

"You're pretty eager... It's fine, I'll send someone along now. I'll leave you to it then." Sarah chuckled as she walked off and shouted to a young boy nearby.

'Yeah, you may be thinking of using me to make this better... But this is also a chance for me. Apart from the ANT-V I haven't worked on any vehicles so this will give me a chance to see what I'm capable of.' Jason felt a broad grin creep across his face. Although the ANT-V was good for getting around, if he could get a handle on what makes a vehicle a good one, then he was sure he could create something better for moving around the Empire.

Just as he used his scanner to get an idea of what made of the Murk Walkers, a wave of nausea ran through his body. He suddenly felt dizzy as a drowsiness invaded his mind. 'What... the hell...' The ANT-V appeared drunk as it swayed around the area, with Jason holding his head in pain. He tried to call out for help, but his voice got stuck in his throat. As his head began to dip and his eyelids started to close. A voice spoke to him in his mind.

'Rest easy... I can take it from here...' The voice said as a blue light began to glow in Jason's eyes...