CHAPTER 46: CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY CREATED BY ALARIC

The afternoon began to warm after the midday rain lingered above the headquarters of Craftpartner, an independent tech company led by Alaric. From the outside, the three story building was unassuming, but inside, it served as the heart of visionary projects far ahead of their time.

That day, the second floor workspace was livelier than usual. Desks had been pushed aside, cables ran everywhere. Monitors glowed as several team members wore specialized AR glasses while taking notes from their leader.

Alaric stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by six of his top technical team members. This time, the project they were working on was no small matter. It was an international competition called the "Smart Humanity Tech Challenge."

The competition brought together innovators tasked with creating practical technology that could solve real-world problems with high efficiency.

Unlike usual, Alaric wasn’t working alone or with only a couple of assistants. This project was too big for that. And too complex.

With his sleeves rolled up, the young man who had been working since morning stared at the large prototype placed in the center of the room. It was an integrated system powered by micro-energy and analytical AI, designed for disaster emergencies to automatically and efficiently distribute logistics.

He was now deep into the development of NexuCore – E.A.R.T.H. (Emergency Autonomous Relay & Tactical Hub).

The name "EARTH" emphasized that the system was meant for disaster situations on Earth and reflected the theme of humanity fused with technology. NexuCore remained the core brand, while EARTH was the prototype version or submodule built specifically for emergencies.

"Let’s just split the tasks," he said casually, though his tone remained firm.

"Yes, sir, which part should I handle?" asked one of the team members standing near the small server module.

Alaric glanced at the holographic schematic hovering in front of him, then pointed. "Brandon, connect the transmission cable to the main relay. But don’t plug it into the central system just yet. We’ll test the dummy route first. Check the data signal every five seconds. If the delay is more than two milliseconds, swap out the cable."

"Got it!" Brandon replied quickly.

"What about me, sir?" asked a female staff member.

"Rina, you handle the AI control module. Add a micro scale weather prediction algorithm so the logistics distribution can avoid storms or potential landslides. Use the dataset I shared yesterday, and also add the recommendation script from the extended R&D folder."

One by one, the tasks were handed out. Alaric knew exactly when to take control and when to entrust others, depending on how far each of them could go in handling their roles.

Now and then, his eyes flicked toward the hologram on his wrist, where a calm voice from his smart system acted like an invisible personal assistant.

"Recommendation: add passive cooling to the main energy module to prevent overheating during prolonged use."

"Note: distribution system is at 87 percent optimal. Minor adjustments to the delivery wheel rotation will increase efficiency by 20 percent."

Alaric nodded slightly, then passed the update to his team. "Add a passive cooling panel. Use a honeycomb design to keep it light. Gian, check the delivery wheel axis. We’re switching it so it can rotate in both directions, not just one."

Gian, who had been welding part of the external frame, responded at once. "So we’re going with a dynamic hydraulic drive?"

"Exactly. Make sure it’s not brittle. Use elastomer joints. If that’s not enough, we’ll send it in for revision."

Time flew by. Several hours passed as the sound of 3D printers, keyboard tapping, and cooling fans filled the room.

The sleek, modular device resembled a portable drone hub, measuring around 35 by 35 by 20 centimeters. It looked easy enough for one person to carry, or to be mounted on a vehicle or robot.

Its outer shell was a combination of lightweight metal and heat-resistant ceramic, matte black with cyan lines that glowed when activated.

On each side were auto-connecting ports for additional tools: logistics drones, lifting robots, even environmental sensors. At the top sat a touchscreen panel and holographic projector used to display disaster maps and logistics status.

Finally, the central monitor lit up brightly and a soft system voice echoed clearly.

"System integration successful. Prototype unit is now fully active. All functions stable. Congratulations. You have completed this project with excellence. The modifications made have increased performance by 24 percent."

The room fell silent for a moment, then cheers broke out.

"Wow, we did it!" Rina shouted happily.

Brandon dropped into his chair, laughing in relief. "Can’t believe we made something like this in just two weeks."

Rina raised her hand for a high-five with one of the others. "Awesome, the system works flawlessly."

Alaric smiled widely. There was a rare sense of satisfaction on his usually neutral face. He raised his hand slightly, glancing around at everyone who had helped bring this technology to life.

"Great work, everyone. I really mean it. Without you, this never would have happened. You’re incredible."

Alaric then walked to the side of the room, picked up his phone, and sent a few quick commands. "Alright, before we all head out, food’s on me. Not a feast, but enough to fill those empty stomachs after a full day of hard work."

"Seriously, boss?" Gian asked, eyes bright.

"Of course," Alaric said with a grin. "You guys look like overheated CPUs. Besides, this is appreciation, not formality. Mr. Slamet, you’re joining too," he called out to the older security guard by the door.

"Me too?" Mr. Slamet asked, surprised.

"Of course. You’ve been guarding this place all day. Come upstairs and eat with us."

Soon after, the food arrived. Two giant boxes of one-meter-long pizza in various flavors, several boxes of honey glazed chicken rice, cold drinks, and small cakes. They all gathered on the third floor in the break room. It wasn’t a huge party, but it felt like a family celebrating after completing a mission.

Alaric sat at the end of the table, watching everyone eat with satisfied faces. Deep inside, he understood something clearly—great technology isn’t about how advanced it looks. It’s about how deeply it brings people together to create real change.

That was enough to boost his confidence for the international competition tomorrow, even if he had once doubted whether he was good enough to win without being perfect.

Before he knew it, the day had come. In the sky above, the clouds looked like brush strokes on a canvas.

The tall building where the event was held stood proudly in the city center, its interior a blend of futuristic architecture and respect for human ideas.

This was NovaTech Hall, the venue of the Smart Humanity Tech Challenge. A gathering of young innovators who had already entered the world of technology and careers at an impressively young age.

Alaric stepped into the main hall, wearing a thin black suit jacket with metallic accents on the right sleeve. It held one of the early modules from his invention.

He looked around, awed by the range of creative technologies on display. Booths lined both sides of the hall, with participants busily preparing their demos.

Some of the tech presented was truly impressive. Participant number three introduced a micro-shield system for emergency vehicles using transparent piezoelectric material that could instantly harden under extreme pressure and return to flexibility once the threat passed.

Then participant number four presented something even more unusual. A neurotransmitter helmet that allowed brain-to-brain communication. With two people wearing it, they could talk without speaking.

Imagine the potential in medicine, trauma therapy, even education. The judges seemed intrigued, and the crowd began snapping photos of the demo.

From a distance, a man in a navy suit with a gold pin on his chest had been quietly watching Alaric. He wasn’t a judge, but all the staff knew who he was the CEO of Vaelion Corp, a major global tech company involved in AI and alternative energy.

He had yet to say a word, but his eyes had been following Alaric since the moment he entered the room.

Then it was Alaric’s turn. Contestant number five.

He stepped forward confidently. Calmly, he smiled. He wasn’t fazed by the impressive presentations that came before. He believed technology wasn’t about being the most complicated or the flashiest. It was about being the most useful for the future.

Without rushing, he opened the black box he had brought to the stage. Slowly, it activated, revealing a sleek, matte-black tower with glowing cyan-blue lines.

It stood waist-high, with a mechanical arm on the right and a scanning panel on the left. At the top was a circular module rotating slowly, casting a soft scanning light across the space.

"This is NexuCore," Alaric began, his voice steady. "A logistics distribution system powered by micro-energy and analytical AI, designed for use in disaster scenarios."

The audience began murmuring. Some judges leaned in.

"NexuCore comes with five core modules: terrain recognition, automated route planning, tracking of trapped individuals, targeted logistics distribution, and real-time decision-making based on environmental data."