Chapter 65: Bountiful Investment
August 5th
Ripley’s sixth day as Diamante’s Bounty Target
Getting out of Little Requiem with a bounty on your head wasn’t the most difficult thing to do, not if you had connections or reputation, Diamante had told me to stand tight and wait for him. It took around two hours for him to return with his familiar body, entirely metallic with a long and flowing trench coat worn over it.
“So you really can switch bodies. What does that feel like?” I hopped up, still uncomfortable with my wrecked knee.
”Painful, nauseating. Even if you don’t have a stomach, your brain still remembers that feeling.” He grumbled, motioning for me to follow him.
”You must have a pretty powerful Accommodation BUG.” I pointed out.
”No, I won’t let you mimic it. It’s caused me enough pain, not gonna start spreading it.” He jumped across from our roof to another, making it look as easy as a hop over a puddle.
I wasn’t so nervous now, even with a busted leg I had a claw that tangled over a large piece of jutting metal that let me swing over. “With Metal Heavens?”
”You know that I’m The Iron Devil they fear so much, but it’s a long story.” He jumped across another building, and I followed after.
”Heard one group call you The Silver Saint.” I braced tightly, this was fun, but my legs really needed to get some upgrades.
”Yup. That’s another thing I’m known as, but both names were titles I didn’t ask for. In simple, I assaulted Metal Heavens, tore their faction into two equally shitty and crazy groups, some see me as a revered freedom fighter, the other brandished me as their mortal enemy.” He took me down a stairwell in this building.
”Who were you before all of that?” I bit into the real meat of the topic.
”That’s where we end this conversation. Some pasts empower you, others chain you. And I’m not being chained again.” That was enough of an answer from him, I respected it.
“So…” He started as we emerged into a tunnel. “Tell me about your Shardware plans. A fuckin’ mobile Arachne.”
”I’m trying to push into Bronze Grade. My Grandfather had these eyes in the Enskel, we’ve identified them at Bronze I Capacity. Then there’s the Arachne I want to use. I found a good baseline model to do some preliminary testing with, but crafting it for mobile and combat use is going to be difficult.”
”Why not use a Tsuchigomo Exoskel? Yuzhou’s had a working model in similar capacity for years.” He said it like it would be easy for me to find such a…
”Do you think we’ll find one at the facility?” My breath hitched.
”If R0N1N’s willing to take a detour, then yeah.”
”Damn… well, right, the reason I wanted an Arachne as the base is because of the Shardware Manipulation. I’ve been training up with the simulations and protocols offered to me for general combat skills, but my main strength has always been with Shardware. If I have six extra tools to manipulate them during combat, I think I could be that much more useful.”
”The Arachne all you planning?” He seemed ready to tear my ideas apart.
”Found other interesting trinkets during my stay here, plus got a good stream of funds to invest. Have a few changes for my Claws and legs brewing up, but for that I need more Livewire.”
”Raw materials?”
”A shit ton of metal, and human hair.” I simplified it as I sent him the breakdown of Livewire’s chemical composition without Warp Energy influencing it. Just the bare details, not enough to warrant him any significant ownership over it’s manufacturing.
He whistled. ”Shit. That’s… a hefty price. To get the amount currently on you would be nearly 80,000 not including the Shard-bits needed to infuse some Silver Energy into it.”
“Yeah, but Mr. Skeleton gave me a Silver-bit ages ago for selling my skin. We’ll have to stop back at my grandfather’s storage to get it, among other tools I sent back there.” I stretched, this was going to be a long walk.
———
We returned to the Metal Heaven’s armory as the sun had set, it was a difficult hike with the several duffel bags and backpacks worth of Shardware I had brought with me. Setting down in the lounge of the place to organize my findings, I also mulled about how to spend my money.
———
August 6th
Ripley’s seventh day as… a Shard Op’?
One sleepless night later, I’d managed to infuse and condense some of my findings across my legs and arms. Nothing too major, just general strength adjustments that tipped them to the edge of a Bronze Grade Shardware piece, the true renovations would be done later on with my ideas for Feature Links.
My orders also arrived, dropped off a few kilometers away at a dropbox which I made a quick visit to. Diamante was adamant that this place remain off people’s radars. Nothing too major, some Bronze Grade Neuroprocessors and other assortments of higher grade materials, including some Warp Materials.
I was beyond excited to finally incorporate them into my Shardware, the main two were Yttrium Steel, a metal that generated an electromagnetic field when Warp Energy was scattered through it, and Magmatite powder which was capable of turning heat into electricity or vice-versa.
Finally, came Livewire’s complex requirements for its creation. With only 150 thousand, I offered Diamante 100 of it to buy some interesting Shardware and a Bronze-Grade BUG I thought would be useful to me.
An Analyze and Database BUG, a combination as old as time. This one belonged to an old Shard Op’ of Metal Heavens, and it primarily held a focus on categorizing, identifying and simulating Shardware creation.
The actual Shardware I bought was quickly scrapped, put together and scrapped again, but I learned alot about Metal Heaven’s… techniques. They were resourceful, I’ll give them that. They had a knack for experimenting, and I only took the most wildly outrageous pieces of tech. Like a jaw that shot out a tongue-spear, or Shard Op’ claws that had an electromagnetic grip.
I also found out quickly why they were never used. Inherently wasteful, and a mismanagement of parts made them kind of… shitty. Though, the principles were interesting enough that they did enlighten me.
Finally, two incredibly different people came over. The first was my mother, who arrived being carried in Diamante’s arms, to which I heavily protested. The second was…
The R0N1N strode in, his body a little worse for the wear as nicks and scratches ran over the clean shine of his Shardware. “Where have you been?”
Was he talking to me? “Training, and collecting parts.”
”Well then I hope it’s been successful.” He detached a leg off his body and threw it on my table. “I need you to repair it. If you’re not busy.”
“Now?” I slid the muscle fibers I was working on aside, my heart hammering away. “I’m free.”
”Are you… certain?” He gave a once over to my littered table. “How many projects are you working on?”
Diamante intruded as he entered the room. “Lowballing it, he’s making a unique Shardware piece at Bronze Grade, creating Feature Links for his own pieces, fabricating an experimental Warp Material, putting sharper blades in his legs, a new blade for one arm building firearms.”
”You have less than three weeks to finish all of that?” R0N1N did not look amused. “And get yourself to 80% development? I am certain you will not succeed.”
”I know it’s alot, I’m overwhelmed too. But even getting half of it done will improve my chances.” I stiffened, pouring my sight over the leg R0N1N handed to me.
Diamante couldn’t help but open his speaker. “Spine replacement too.”
”A spine?” R0N1N said with an air of confusion. “Ripley, how do you intend to be mobile during the mission? A full spinal cord replacement requires weeks of recovery. Unless… you plan on having me carrying you? It is inconvenient, but if you are capa-”
“I can handle it.” I gnashed my teeth, unable to tell if that was joke with how serious he had been. “For now, I’ll focus on your leg. It’s Yuzhou in design principle, but the components… Imperium? That explains the efficiency of it’s power distribution… who did your work?”
“Hammersmith.” R0N1N pulled up a chair next to me, now that I stared into the creeps beneath his mask, his eyes were gentler than I assumed.
My breath caught inside my throat, the Hammersmith… somethings didn’t make sense about him, but I had a suspicion that had been growing.
It would make sense as to why I was kept alive by Missy, but also raised many more questions.
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”Guess you could say we’re similar in that regard.” Diamante took a seat on the couch, apparently enjoying my anxiety at having to work for an international Military.
”How’ve you been maintaining them without him?” This work was extremely intricate, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it without an in-depth blueprint. “And the damage is all internal? The joints seem burnt? What did this?”
”Me.” R0N1N. “I possess a Unique Function that has a basis from Overclock, it’s known as Overmind. For a few moments, I can improve my mental faculties by several thousand times its original output, improving my own Warp Energy manipulation. The Shardware I use is made up of a unique Warp Material similar to Yttrium Steel, a more concentrated variant called Yeritite, by performing precise calculations of the magnetic fields produced, I can vastly improve my speed and strength.”
Diamante laughed. “You should see him slice bullets in half! Actually, why don’t you?”
A video was sent over to my frame, and I watched it diligently. There was chaos everywhere, the police and Muramasa at war with bystanders caught in between them. Various shields erupted to protect them, but there was one figure slipping in between the cracks of Muramasa’s defence.
The R0N1N. He moved so quickly that it looked like he was teleporting from one Muramasa group to the other, blood erupting from the wounds of his blade by the time he slew another group. Then a silver glint caught my eye, Diana’s body wreathed in lightning zipped across tables to the main stage and expertly dispatched some of Murasmasa’s guards. Moving like liquid mercury, she was an elegant player in the victory that day.
”Damn, so your Shardware can’t handle the output you push into it? Not surprised, most Shardware built to move at that speed are orbital flight suits, and you won’t find those outside NeoCore or SynTec.” I turned over the video once more, how was The R0N1N stopping his momentum? I scanned each frame, noticing the blue glow of his feet that sucked his position to the ground like a vacuum. Was he…
I tilted the heavy limb to stare at the sole of the feet, three disks jabbed tight in there which I hesitated to prod at, not if I was right about what they were. “Is this… Gravitanium?”
”You are correct.” R0N1N curtly nodded.
”I-“ This was a Gold-Grade Warp Material? It could manipulate localized gravity fields! “Do you have any… extra?”
”I do not.” His green eyes were calm and serene as they slipped between the gaps of his mask. “But they aren’t prone to damage, if you wanted to know.”
”I was hoping to buy some off you.” I sheepishly answered.
Diamante laughed like a maniac. “Y-you? Buy a Gold-fucking-grade Warp Material?? As if that Silver-graded thread you own wasn’t enough?”
”Hey jackass, I’m at least trying!” Besides, Livewire was actually also Gold-graded… well, Silver-Gold, but I wouldn’t let them know that.
R0N1N looked mildly amused, but also bored at the exact same time. “I have access to some other materials, most of it is used for my own maintenance. I have no need for luxuries, so Shardyne is simply an method of utility, if you believe you have a method of using my assets in a reasonable way then I can supply them. For the sake of the mission.”
”Access?” I said eagerly. “You have a list of contacts here for Material vendors?”
”No. Most of them are not in the city, I do… have Shards however.” He pulled a jangling helix out from his pocket. A small pulse of energy caused it to release a spewing twist of light that formed a single Iron Shard.
”A Shard Convertor?” I eyed the tool. “Is this where you keep your money?”
”My accounts tend to be seized.” He explained.
I tried to hold myself together, but was he serious about supporting my strength? “So just to clarify, you’re offering to buy me things?”
”I’m only increasing the likelihood of your survival, I need a proper Shard Operator who I can trust, one with sufficient skills and survivability. Maiden is the only other Shard Operator I was told about, but she rejected to join us.”
“Who’s Maiden?”
Diamante looked a bit nervous for a second, but answered regardless. “An old friend of ours… well, mine. She and Missy don’t get along too well, hency why she rejected to join us. We planned on having her be our Shard Operator.”
“So I’m your second-pick?”
“Oh, no! You were way lower!” He imitated scrolling down a list with his hands. “No offense kid, you’ve only had a BUG for around two months.”
“Fair… so I’m supposed to repair the R0N1N as he… what? Takes on a whole Yuzhou base by himself?” I knew the guy was tough, but this was a corporation we were talking about.
The R0N1N shrugged. “Knowing Yuzhou, I will be forced to combat several Silvers by myself in all likelihood, the backlash on my body will be difficult to deal with without an Operator who can perform emergency repairs.” He said without understanding the weight of what it meant for me to do this.
This was the most pragmatic man I had ever met.
”How much… are you… offering for this investment into me?” Did I meet someone with no greed in their heart?
”I can safely part with… a million Shardyne? Is that acceptable?” He looked almost guilty as though he was lowballing the offer. “Apologies, but I’m already spending on various-“
”That’s enough.” I was not going to have him self-doubt this generosity. I even had to keep myself from bargaining higher.
He sighed, shaking the bracelet sized convertor until it glowed bronze. A rain of Bronze Shards fell forth, 200 if the my rapid counting was correct. The engineering behind a Shard Converter made it almost as expensive as ten Silver Shards… and I was more than eager than ever to one day get my hands on one.
”Acceptable?” He picked one up, my own wide-eyes reflected back in the bronze.
”Yes.” I choked.
”Then I hope it’s not being put to waste. Do not underestimate your value to me, Ripley. I need your survival for my own, but this money won’t buy you time to finish your projects. If you do succeed in them, I am curious to know how you will fare.” He then glanced at his leg. “But I do need urgent repairs.”
”Right away, sir.” I immediately went to work.
———
Ripley’s seventh day, now with The R0N1N as a sugar daddy.
My mom stammered at the sight of the 200 Bronze Shards. “He gave you this? R0N1N?”
”I’m confused myself, but you don’t shoot a gift horse in the mouth.” That’s how it went, I think.
”Did he attach any debt?” My mom picked them up in her palms, it was an incredible amount of wealth.
”I think it’s an… investment? If I knew he was going to give me this, I wouldn’t have spent a week in Little Requiem. Not that I didn’t get unique benefits from it.” I soldered a small joint in, there were so many interconnected parts in the leg I feared even a single mistake would wreck catastrophe.
I was touching a legendary Shard Op’s work after all. The Hammersmith's... and the more I worked on it, the more familiar I became. And that wasn't just because of Procedure Repetition. There was a qualitative familiarity to its design, one I was slowly... coming to terms with.
A call rang in my ears. R0N1N, I slammed my thought on the accept button.
“Is my backup leg ready?”
”Your backup?- This isn’t your actual leg?” I was already bending backwards to deal with it.
”No. My actual leg is only used in important cases, I would suggest you find a similar method for your own Shardware. Once your involvement is known, your Shardware can be identified even if you used a mask during your stunts as Deadwire.” He explained.
”Dreadwire.” I corrected. “But… yeah, I have an idea in mind. It’ll take a few days for me to get it dealt with.”
“I understand, Shard Operating is a difficult job.” I had no idea what the R0N1N’s actual personality was, nice one second and cold the next. “I trust you will be done with my leg in a few hours?”
Uh… what was the respectable way to say… no.
Diamante ended offering him a spare leg hanging around, and the two apparently went bounty hunting while I was to perform repairs.
”So…” I had to push some shame aside as I had already gained so much from his investment, but would my next request push him over the edge? “It’s a tough job, working with unfamiliar tech. You said you have a Unique Function called Overmind? Did… Diamante tell you I can mimic Functions?”
”No.” R0N1N stayed silent for a few seconds. “Apologies, I was killing a Silver. Yes, I’ll let you mimic it, but understand that it’s a taxing ability. What grade is your Neuroframe?”
”Iron VII.” I had just upgraded it.
”Bronze II. Then I’ll let you test it, or else the Frame would explode.” Founders, my list of requirements for various boons were growing.
”It’s a deal.” I muttered, the call cutting. The R0N1N’s generosity only ever grew. “Fuck, I need to get this leg done for him, ASAP!”
I tossed aside all the other scrap on the table, except for the Bronze Shards which I very neatly put into an orderly pile. Reaching into my bags, I took out some of the various BUGs I’d come across. Mostly Iron, but I had two Bronze’s within them.
My mother didn’t question the pile of wealth I’d just pulled out, but there was no doubt that they’d been retrieved off corpses. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and I felt guilty knowing that she felt guilt for this…
“This isn’t permanent… this won’t be my new life.” I felt the need to tell her. “It’s just a rough patch until you’re cured, and then I’ll… I’ll fix things.”
Even my Personality Matrix. These BUGs were evidence that I’d become a changed man to my mother, and not a good change. Seeing her quiet shame, it clicked something in me that this wasn’t sustainable for me in the long term…
As soon as the mission was dealt with, I’d begin making progress to amend things within me… and extend it into our lives. For now, my duty was towards my goals. No matter the cost.
One of the BUGs was a Bronze Technician and Sustain BUG, the other an Accommodate and Psyche BUG. While they were good BUGs, they weren’t outrightly more powerful than my own Mimicset.
Then, pulling the final BUG out of my arm, was the Analyze and Database BUG. Both were useful, but would it be better to mimic them or to convert them into a more permanent power?
I’d only managed to absorb half a Bronze BUG before, and that took me places I never thought I’d see. Absorbing a full BUG was a risk, but I needed a new Technician Protocol. Preferably, I wanted to absorb the Technician Feature from the first BUG and the Database Feature of the one in my Mimicset…
So lining up both in my hands, I focused intimately on their inner workings, unraveling the rivers of code into something I could digest. I pulled, and my body drowned under the suffocating weight of it.
A protocol for my Technician BUG… to create anything.
Absorbing Warpcode… forcing compatibility.
Technician V.1.14 has updated to V.1.15
Effect: Shardware theory can be much better recalled.
Technician V.1.15 has updated to V.2.00
Effect: Protocol Scrapyard has been established, allowing the Adapter to create a virtual field where they can manipulate reconstructions of Shardware based on knowledge and memory of them.
I gasped for breath, feeling my mind ebb and flow to the code it formed into a protocol. Scrapyard? Now that was interesting, I pulled on it, my head throbbing as years of knowledge poured out in front of my eyes… designing reality to my imagination.