On their way to the bottom floor, the vibrations grew stronger. Elizabeth buried her face in Luna’s legs as the elevator started to shake as well.

When the door opened, it revealed a large open room stacked with crates of weapons, discarded vehicles, and automaton parts. The room was illuminated by bulbs mounted on the walls, which were powered by wires connected to a light-filled orb in the center of the chamber. At the end of the room was an almost demolished brick wall that separated the area.

On the other hand, there were wooden targets and automatons that carried portable pipe launchers and loaded them with explosives. A metal platform with six spiky legs carried an embalmed robotic human-looking skeleton in a giant glass cylinder. It was filled with eerily glowing green liquid and barked orders at the automatons.

"Continue with prototype numbers seventy-nine, eighty, and eighty-one."

The skeleton in the cylinder said this in a squeaky high-pitched voice. Its eyes glowed each time it spoke. The automatons were about to fire again when Luna picked up some junk metal on the ground and chucked it straight at the platform. It was a direct hit, but the glass did not even have a scratch.

"Ferris!" Luna yelled, and the automatons stopped. "Ferris!" The platform turned around to face them and quickly ordered the automatons to shut down.

"Can you feel it upstairs?" The skeleton approached them while Elizabeth hid behind her. "I was hoping to finish before someone got back."

"Just because no one is upstairs doesn’t mean you can tear down the house. What on Pandora are you doing down here?"

"Ahhhh... It’s your order actually." The skeleton returned to the automatons while Luna and Elizabeth followed. "It’s the third prototype for the collapsible anti-heavy weapon launcher. Check it out." Luna reluctantly grabbed one of the pipe launchers from the automatons; it had two ends, with valves and pressures that confused her about which end to aim at the targets.

"So how does this work?"

"Well, it fires a pressurized explosive that requires a barrel capable of" Before he could finish, Luna accidentally fired the weapon. Elizabeth screamed as Ferris shielded Luna and the child. The projectile hit the target at the far end of the room. On impact, it caused a loud explosion that caused the room to vibrate loudly as the lights flickered.

The target on the other end was destroyed, and two automatons scurried from the sides and prepared another one. The weapon Luna held was destroyed, with the rear end of the weapon split in two.

"Don’t do that." Ferris said to her as she dropped the weapon.

"You were testing weapons like these in the armory?!" Luna kicked it away. "I have barrels of fire and explosive jelly down here! You could have destroyed the house! And Annie is up there!"

"It’s a controlled environment. And I told Baxter to warn everybody, so if anything... you can say it's Baxter’s fault."

"We have a yard where you can test these things."

"Think that’s wise? Setting explosives out in the open?" The skeleton started to walk around Luna and surveyed them while Elizabeth continued to hide from it. "And what happened to you? And who is with you?"

"Long story, Anyway, I want you to meet someone." Luna placed her hand on the child’s shoulder. "Ferris, this is Elizabeth. She is a client I’m working for."

"Client?! You?! Are you working with children?" The platform tried to approach Elizabeth, but the child hid from it. "Did the world end while I was down here? What happened to our rule?"

"I know my own rules. I wanted you to meet her because I want to order equipment and armor for her as well." Ferris inspected both of them.

"Hmmm... I knew you had an issue with substance abuse... but this? So what is she? You’re long-lost daughter or something?"

"Do you want me to break you open?"

"Calm down there, Just curious, There is a resemblance after all. Well, let me introduce myself. My name is Ferris Nader, little miss, at your service." The machine’s legs bent and imitated a bow. But Elizabeth still looked wary. “Ah, don’t be afraid, little miss, this is not my real appearance. This is just my mobile body. Rest assured I have skin, hair, and am even much more handsome than what you are seeing."

"Ferris is my brother and my... quartermaster. He is across the continent, back in Braenarim. He is at Vanir University as a student."

"Don’t say student; that’s so lame." Ferris stopped her. "I like to think I am an invited independent researcher."

The elevator bell dinged, and Annie, along with Baxter, arrived. When Luna saw Annie, she approached her and gave her a tight hug. Annie was the first to let go and gestured at Luna.

{We thought you would arrive yesterday.} She saw Elizabeth, who held on to Luna’s hand. {Who is she?}

"Annie, this is Elizabeth. She is my... well, our client. And Elizabeth, this is my sister Annie."

Annie looked at Luna bizarrely. {She is a Client?!}

"I know Annie. I know. It’s a long story, which I will tell you and Baldric later. Speaking of Baldric, where is he?"

{He said he might stay in the city overnight. A council summons came for you.}

"Is he attending in my place?"

Annie just shrugged. {I guess so.}

“Well, as long as he’s there, I don’t care." Luna said in a sing-song tone. "Baxter is the bath ready?"

"Of course, Miss Luna, It has been set and is ready for use. I have also assigned assistant bots in the bath as well." Baxter bowed, then returned to the elevator.

"Right then, Annie, perfect timing. Can you guide Elizabeth upstairs? I just need to talk with Ferris for a bit. "

Elizabeth was reluctant to join Annie, but Luna pushed her gently forward towards her.

"Don’t worry. Annie is the best and I will only take a little while, alright?" Elizabeth nodded and slowly followed. Once all three of them had entered the elevator and gone back up, Ferris finally spoke.

“What are you doing? Taking a contract involving children?! You just don’t learn, do you?!"

"This is different."

"How the hell is this different?! Do you not remember what happened at the Nurin contract?!"

"I know full well what happened there."

"If you do, then what are you doing right now?!"

"Look, it just sort of happened alright." Luna said defensively. "It was supposed to be just a simple smash and grab, but one thing just led to the other. Ferris, Look, this kid, this contract; something bigger is happening behind all this, and I can feel it.

"Then hand her over to the authorities-"

"No!" She replied outright. "Ferris listen. I know this goes against everything we swore to never get involved with again, but I can’t just drop this and run."

"Why not? This isn’t our... your problem."

"I don’t know. It’s just. I can't."

Luna could not even explain to herself why she was doing this. When she did not continue, he replied after a long silence.

"What is the contract anyway? What does the kid want?"

"I am escorting her to Braenarim. That’s it." Before Ferris could reply, Luna cut him off and continued. "Long story short, Solomon’s contract was a simple rescue mission, and they were the victims. An enforcer escort was supposed to deliver the kid along with many others to Yeten and then to Braenarim, but the enforcers that were protecting them ended up betraying them and killed all the other victims but only spared this child."

Ferris cursed.

"Look, I don’t know who we can trust right now, but until I know why people want this kid, there is no way I am handing her over to anyone else."

"Did the kid tell you why she was singled out?"

"She is a mage. But-"

"Drop this." he said firmly. “Luna, I am serious, drop this kid and never look back."

"She is a mage, but I don’t think that is the reason why-"

"I don’t care what other reason there is behind all this, her being a mage is putting you and everyone else in danger. Drop this Luna, Now." The platform approached and stared her down. "Not even Merlin can hold them off if you get caught harboring mages."

"I can’t leave the child to die, or worse!" Luna stood her ground.

"If the church, the huntsmen, or other bounty hunters find out you are hiding a mage, you know what happens next, right? What will happen to you? Or to Annie and Baldric? Also to me!"

"I am not, Leaving, The child, to die."

Neither of them talked as the two sized each other up in total silence.

Ferris broke the uneasy stillness. "This is what happened in Nurin Luna. This is exactly what happened in Nurin. Step by step. First you get involved with kids; next thing I know, a whole city is on fire."

"I’m sorry alright. But we can’t just abandon this kid. I’ll change the ending this time. I’ll make sure if this goes south that I take the fall." Luna could hear Ferris huffing from his nose.

"What will you tell Baldric? He will freak out, I guarantee you that."

"I don’t know yet. I’ll convince him somehow."

Well, you handle that can of worms, because I want nothing to do with that, especially when the two of you are fighting."

"It won’t come to that."

"Yeah sure. Anyway, my next lecture is going to start soon-"

"Wait! Ferris before you go, I need a lot of new stuff."

He sighed heavily. "What kind of stuff?"

"Well… new armor, weapons, and... servo is gone. Along with the steambike."

Ferris did not reply for a long time.

"Ferris, are you still there?"

"I am not entertaining this right now. Contact me this afternoon. Mother fu-" He cut off and the platform stood still and motionless. With that, Luna approached the elevator and headed back up.