Dorian shrugged and nodded at me. We left the workshop leaving Arlik and the Doctor inside. Ah, yes, the workshop — a place we rented with government grant money, much to the dismay of its previous owner, a car mechanic who felt the sting of rejection when his business was relocated to a neighbor's backyard. Oh, the rent was paid, my friends, but alas, his butt remained hurt. Grant money, so generous and yet so underappreciated. But let's not dwell on such trivial matters, shall we? The real masterpiece here was the perception of our project, a true marvel of misunderstanding and misjudgment.

We were unceremoniously banished from the glorious capital and exiled to the depths of nowhere, affectionately known as the shithole. Ah, the illustrious Dr. Vith, fresh out of our prestigious academy, had dabbled in some research with Shawn and his cronies, but leading a team? Clearly, an unprecedented challenge for this young upstart who trailed behind me and Dorian by a measly two years. As for myself, I had just embarked on my PhD journey, while dear Dr. Vith had already crossed the finish line months ago. Yes, you can imagine the ego problems I faced at first. And let's not forget the enigmatic Dorian Lia, a foul-mouthed surgeon turned engineering prodigy. I had no idea how that happened. As for Miara Doren, the audacious test pilot, a sergeant who had gallantly surpassed us in rank. Ah, the Dorens, those titans of brei mines and their vast riches, and here comes their sole heiress, flinging herself into the perilous embrace of our half-assed research endeavours.

But lo and behold! We were cast away to a desolate wasteland, AKA the shithole. No provisions, no skilled mechanics, not even a shiny terminal in sight. Astonishing, isn't it? The offspring of an arcanist left dangling in the winds of neglect. Perhaps because his dear old dad kicked the bucket. Who can truly fathom the machinations of fate? Either way, it was messed up. Nobody seemed to give a damn. We all knew if we could make it work, the possibilities would be endless. Nah, scratch that "if." It was a matter of "when" we'd pull it off.

Why did I apply? Good question. Several reasons, but the most important one. Huh.