Ryoji exhaled quietly through his nose, masking the slight irritation creeping up his spine. The relentless questioning from Auger, while certainly thorough, was beginning to border on overwhelming. He prided himself on his professionalism, but even he had his limits. Still, he wasn’t about to lose his cool in front of potential business partners—especially not when he sensed an opportunity brewing.
With Rocko stepping in to redirect Auger’s enthusiasm and Pax shifting the conversation toward practical application, Ryoji composed himself and refocused. He took note of Pax’s interest, as well as her frustration over outdated Mining Guild tech. That was leverage—an opening to push to improve NRM's reputation in the greater market.
But before he could properly answer her question, he was mentally busy figuring out the answer with the Last Hope's engineering team in virtual conference. Making use of his digital mind implant, 25% of his mental capacity was currently in the emergency LimeRed VR conference room he had set up when he started to sense a theme of the Mining Guild's questioning.
LimeRed Conference Room: Engineering War Room
LimeRed was NRM's attempt to copy Tamahagane Corporation's Virtual Collective Experience. While it is somewhat popular, it has been primarily used internally for NRM and FDC communications. This particular Conference Room was NRM’s dedicated rapid-response engineering war room, its volumetric space designed for fast-paced prototyping and crisis-resolution meetings. The digital environment simulated a sleek, futuristic boardroom, with floating schematics and interactive design nodes projected above a long hexagonal table.
At its center, the Last Hope Escape Pod models rotated in real-time, layered schematics unfolding as engineers ran simulations and made rapid alterations. Ryoji’s partitioned mind monitored the discussions at both the expo and within this virtual space, keeping him engaged on both fronts.
“Alright,” he said, directing everyone’s attention to the ongoing simulation. “The Mining Guild isn’t just looking for escape pods—they want something that can function as a modular, long-term survival habitat. This is an opportunity, but we need to move fast. What can we feasibly propose in the short term?”
"Problem is that the Last Hope Series was designed to be only one thing, an escape pod. Every single one of its functions is tailored just for that." Atsuko Nishikawa, lead structural and docking engineer, said as she looked at the schematics. "There is a possibility to have them form into a micro-space station with their docking capabilities, there is a lot of extra bulk and space just wasted dedicated to it being an escape pod.
"Load balancing is also going to be an issue for anything more than the intended purpose of the Last Hope when linked together." Roy Haldeman, another engineer on the project said as he tapped on the power-flow model for each other the variants of the Last Hope series. "Won't be a problem if we develop a hub for which they can attach to, but I am sensing they are going to want more options like a tug or automated sentry."
"If we separate the habitable portion of the pod into its own module, we already have the basis for an universal platform consisting of the propulsion and power units." Atsuko quipped thinking over how she was going to change the structure to do so. "Yes, I think that is the solution to this."
There was a bit of silence as the other engineers that didn't contribute anything at the moment thought about the new platform. After a few moments, there was a collective nod that it was the accepted solution.
"Well then, with that in mind as the Mining Guild is already interested. If we move forward with this, we need to lock them in. Since they will be driving the creation of different craft, we should offer them several prototype-exclusive test models for which they can actively test their ideas with." Zhao Yuhan, marketing strategist, said. He glanced at Ryoji, raising an eyebrow. “That sound like something you can sell?”
With half his mind still in the expo hall, Ryoji exhaled quietly, considering his next move.
Pavilion C12
Ryoji’s mind seamlessly reintegrated as he returned his full attention to Pax and her team, a mere few seconds of lapsed time from their perspective. The quiet exhale was more of an internal re-calibration than anything else. He now had a new pitch, one that transformed the Mining Guild’s inquiries from an unexpected challenge into a business-defining opportunity.
He adjusted his stance slightly, adopting the body language of a man about to offer something groundbreaking.
“I have the authority to do submit a proposal to your leadership so we can save some time with the bureaucracy." he said before pausing for a moment. "From the sound of it, the Mining Guild is in of something more—a modular platform that’s more than just a contingency plan. Something that integrates into your everyday operations rather than sitting around waiting for a worst-case scenario.”
He let that sink in for a moment before continuing.
“The Last Hope Series was designed to be one thing: an escape pod. But what if we take that foundation and break it down into a flexible, scalable system? Instead of forcing a single unit to serve every purpose, we separate the core functions—habitation, propulsion, and power—into modular components that snap together. This would allow you to create not just lifeboats, but temporary workstations, automated sentries, micro-stations, or even mobile repair hubs. The possibilities are nearly endless as the market for craft this size is not usually looked at by major corporations.”
His words were measured, confident—but he wasn’t simply selling an idea. He was letting Pax visualize the potential.
“Imagine a universal platform where instead of retrofitting escape pods into mining shelters or waiting for a full-on station buildout, you could deploy ready-to-use structures with the same emergency resilience but none of the inefficiencies. You’d have a base you can reconfigure at will. Want a cluster of linked pods acting as a small-scale command post? Done. Need a string of sentry hubs monitoring a high-risk salvage site? No problem. Tugs? It could do that.”
He folded his arms, his tone turning slightly more tactical.
“And since the Mining Guild would be our primary field testers, we’d work directly with you to refine each unit. Exclusive prototype access—meaning you’d get the first say in how this system evolves. We’re talking about a whole new class of equipment tailored for your needs, not just an escape pod retrofit.”
Then, with a knowing smile, he added:
“Of course, if you’re just looking for standard escape pods, we’ve got those too. But given how many ways the Guild repurposes its equipment… I get the sense you’d rather invest in something that grows with you, rather than something that just waits around for emergencies.”
Ryoji let his words settle, watching for Pax’s reaction. He had just turned a simple sale into a strategic collaboration—one that, if played right, could secure NRM’s place as the Mining Guild’s go-to supplier and put them on the path of breaking into the greater Kikyo Sector's market.