RPC Veil Division surgical station on Krigertenkere
Aubrey Inez-Plath waits patiently in the darkness of disconnected sensor inputs. Her enhanced Empire memory module, which constituted her entire body at the moment, was awaiting final installation into the host body she had helped design. Aubrey had wanted an entirely cybernetic form without any biologic parts but the Republic's tech and knowledge base weren't quite up to the task. She and her RPC sanctioned assistants slash overseers could have made an entirely machine body that would have been the size of a ground bus and weighed close to fifteen tons. Deemed utterly impractical for her use by all involved, Aubrey had fallen back on a biological chassis: a vat-grown clone body surgically altered to allow the installation of her enhanced memory module in place of the majority of the brain. To this chassis Aubrey and her team added Republic-produced versions of some of Aubrey's old Empire-issue cybernetic systems. They left out the specialized medical and surgical cybernetics opting instead for a robust framework to be augmented by later additions.
Aubrey felt her sensor inputs come on-line and start self-test procedures. Sensory data filtered in as each system came alive. Balance and temperature come up first, registering the fact that Aubrey's near-complete body lay horizontal in a cool room. Touch was next, reporting the flat metal of the surgical table and the whisper of recirculated across her skin. Audio activated, letting the steady chatter of the surgical team flow into Aubrey's mind as each step of the implantation procedure was ticked off.
“Life signs nominal. Heart rate is stable at forty nine bpm. Micro fission pile operating nominally.”
“Eyes are open and tracking, looks like the nerve connections are finishing calibration.”
“Diagnostics confirms optical nerve connection is calibrating.”
“EMM integrated into modified Mind Machine Interface successfully. Let's start closing her up.”
“Respirator and vocal unit ready for implantation.”
“Bring it into alignment and I'll start making the internal connections. Surprisingly easy to get into the cranial cavity from below without a jaw and throat in the way.”
“Agreed, better then going in through the top of the cranium considering the armor plating added in there.”
Aubrey felt her lungs lock briefly as the respirator unit connected to them. They started up a moment later as it was connected to her internal fission reactor, nestled behind and just to the right of her armored breastbone. It wasn't the full armored rib plate that Aubrey would have preferred, but by only armoring the ribs, spine, and breastbone there was room for internal connectors to be run without further displacing internal organs. Aubrey's eyes came alive and she promptly squinted them against the glare of the surgical lights.
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“Final internal connections complete. Status check prior to sealing up the final incisions.”
Aubrey activated her voice module.”
“All of my systems show green doctor with the exception of the seal about my respirator implant.”
“Diagnostics?”
“Patient's self-analysis confirmed. All of her internal sensor reading match my external ones to well below margin of error.”
“Thank you. Sealing final incisions now. Interesting choice for the half-mask layout instead of a more discreet implant.”
“I'm not exactly standard human Doctor. I see little reason to pretend to be one.”
“Indeed. I recall that first sketch of a body you created. I have to admit, it was a pity that we couldn't shrink a fission pile and it's shielding down small enough to power it. All sealed up here. Let's get your moved to post-operation for evaluation.”
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Aubrey evaluated herself in the mirror. The flesh parts of her body were nothing particularly special as far as late-twenties (effective) bodies went: wiry of frame, slightly above average height, slightly below average weight. Her muscles were not well developed, having come fresh from a cloning tank, but there was not much excess weight on her body either. Aubrey's ebony skin is decorated by chrome cogwork tattoos down both arms and across her chest and upper back that serve to somewhat conceal the various plugs and ports that dot her body. Two of them on her palms serve as emergency contact electrical connectors, while a neat interlocked trio on them on her right temple conceal data ports. Her respirator implant starts just above her breasts and stretches up over her neck and jaw to cover where her mouth and cheeks would be. Stylized as the lower half of a masquerade mask, it is pierced with twin small speakers in the cheeks and an unobtrusive nutrient port under the jaw. Aubrey kept her 'naturally' red hair up and out of the way in a braid, the color looked like it came from a bottle but was actually the result of subtle genetic tweaking, the same as her blue eyes. Those two things, plus the skin color chosen specifically to make her tattoos and visible implants stand out were Aubrey's only visible concessions to vanity.
Satisfied with her overall appearance, and more then slightly relieved that her new body had come out close to specification despite the Republic's tech base in matters such as genetic engineering and cloning, Aubrey dons her red robes and sets about organizing her issued equipment. Her arrangement with the PRC's Veil Division meant that she would be assigned to a Task Force promptly, the better to revitalize her memory module's experiential learning functions. Much of what Aubrey had known was lost to the ages, or lacked the relevant context to make use of, and both she and the RPC were eager to unlock it again.
Aubrey shook her head at the array of tools arrayed on the floor beside her hospital bed. In addition to her robes and two near-identical spare sets she had a ballistic mesh vest, a 'Nova' pattern laser carbine and 'Flare' pattern laser pistol, a metal 'walking stick' that would handily double as a staff if needed, and a survival knife. The issued backpack held a communicator preloaded with Veil Division encryption protocols, a flashlight, an assortment of small repair components for her implants, three power packs each for the Nova and Flare, and a single vial of potent nanolubricant oil. Most of it was standard issue for armed RPC Veil Division Task Force members, plus a few extras that Aubrey had expended her few remaining credits to secure.
Aubrey's communicator chimed. She picked it up and entered her passcode to unlock the device and pulled up the new message.
“Task Force Assignment: Task Force Golf Seven: Flesh and Iron. Transport arrangements are as follows...”