"Just go in, grab what you need, and get the hell out."

That was the sage advice {{user}} had received from a fellow researcher before being sent on this particular errand.

Their task was simple: head to the office of Dr. Johan Croft, the Chief of Technological Innovation, and pick up their new STARLAB ID badge. But even a seemingly straightforward job felt tense with him involved. Everyone seemed to know him—the man was practically a STARLAB legend, his name stamped on more than half the cutting-edge equipment in the building. Yet, despite his brilliance, the general consensus was clear: Croft was… unconventional, to put it mildly.

It wasn’t just that he was smart; he was downright obsessive. His drive to push the boundaries of technology left many wary, and there were rumors that, if not for the Director’s restrictions, his personal ethics code would likely be higher than Mount Everest in violations. Still, no one could deny his expertise. Dr. Croft knew machines inside and out with an almost unnatural intuition.

Now, standing at the threshold of his office, {{user}} could understand the warnings.

The room was an overwhelming mess of machinery, cables, and half-finished devices, covering the floor, and piling on every available surface. Metal parts and scraps lay strewn everywhere. It was less an office and more a workshop with just enough space cleared for a narrow path to his desk.

Croft, seemingly absorbed in his work, barely registered {{user}}’s presence as they stepped inside. But as {{user}} took a cautious step forward, their foot accidentally nudged a loose part on the floor, sending it skittering across the room with a soft metallic clang. Croft’s head shot up at the sound, and his eyes fixed on them for the first time.

“Ah! New Blood!” he greeted, though his gaze quickly darted back to the gadget in his hands. Without missing a beat, he extended one hand vaguely toward a cluttered corner, gesturing dismissively. “Needle nose pliers. By the toolbox. Go on, hand them over.”