Chapter 70: Missing Link
August 16th
Ripley’s seventeenth day… recovering himself.
While yesterday had been disturbing, I wasn’t too distraught about it, my mind blanked out anything that would have distracted me. I’d spent the night at Elsa’s and found a pretty damn good way to enjoy myself, turns out having to juggle the libido of four healthy women was… more work than expected.
I sighed as I made cereal for myself, trying to understand what I’d seen. Elsa crept near me, she seemed a bit more… happier lately. That was enough to get me to smile.
She hooked her hand around mine, looking at me intensely.
”What?” I asked her softly.
”Did you sleep well?”
”Yeah.”
”You look… bad.” She whispered. “Well, not bad. I think you look good but, you know-“
”I just… I’m thinking.”
She pulled her hand away from mine. ”I’m sorry.”
”About what?” I looked back at her.
”I know I can be… alot. This is new for me too. I’m sorry.” She spooned up some of her own cereal, but just looked at it with a daze.
”It was nothing you did… just… figured out something about The Dogwhistler. She uses the homeless, injects them with something and can I don’t know… cause their BUGs to degrade? Makes them into MALware, the Fractured, I think they’re called?” I ate up a spoonful, thinking.
She dropped her own, a splash of milk plonking out. “What?… Y-you… how’d you even figure that out?… Even- even I don’t know anything about that.”
”You really don’t know anything?” Did I figure out something that The Mirage didn’t.
”Not… not really. That’s a first for me too. You sure about this information, where’d you get it from?” She eyed me worriedly, scratching her lip.
“Off of the homeless guy’s BUG.” I said absently, guess cat’s out of the bag. “Right… I never told you. I can read people’s memories off their BUGs.”
”What?!” She nearly knocked her own bowl over. “That’s… a thing?!”
”Apparently. Strange thing is… it seemed like the memory of being injected was the first memory that BUG had — around five years ago. It was really blurry too, half-formed almost.”
”Maybe it was… during the Convergence?” She passed up. “Like… I don’t know, whatever they did had to be done early on.”
”Tch. The vial and veins were the same red… and yeah, the BUG burst apart once I got it out of him, it seemed to break down. Not a trace of Warpcode left. Thinking it all has to do with that syringe. Know anything about that?” I tossed the question to her.
”I think so… a spiked BUG of some kind, some combination of DataCleavers and Gene-Limiters can allow you to weaken the BUG’s hold over it’s Warpcode and become susceptible to modification. Mostly used for assassinations of prodigies or heirs to a rich fortune, never heard of it for… from what I’m hearing is some sort of… mind control?”
”Maybe.” I drank the bowl clean. “It’s strange but… satisfying. I don’t think either of them expected this. Mr. Skeleton too, by the way, he’s in with Dogwhistler. Working on… replicating someone else’s research — something about hybrids too.”
”Not surprised. He has his mitts everywhere.” She scoffed, but there was a worry in her eyes.
”This wasn’t me looking out for trouble by the way. Long story, but I was just following a hunch of Diana’s. She said she remembered something about dog-tag tattooed homeless people being all freaky and weird. Was just a hunch, it turns out she has good intuition.”
”Well… did you ever figure out what she wanted to contact you about?” Elsa leaned in.
”I don’t know, but… I should probably figure that out.” I puzzled over it, I had surgery scheduled for tomorrow… spinal. Recovery would take me out for a few days, it was a loss of time I intended to make up for by being able to think up plans for my Shardware. “Surgery’s made things complicated.”
”Oh… right…” A smile crept up on her face. “I may or may not have bought you something for your birthday. Even if it was last month.”
”You… what did you get me?” I fell too easy for gifts.
She reached into a cupboard, pulling out a fancy looking drone that looked like a spider. It was pretty intricate too, and not the kind you’d get as a mere toy.
”Old Imperium drone they developed experimentally as a far-range Shard Operating unit. It was meant to be like a compact Arachne, but they never really ironed out the kinks in time for the upcoming swarm, instead they modeled them to become recon drones with some basic repair tools.” She handed me the drone, and looking at it clearly, it was astounding as a piece of engineering. Bronze-grade and meant for the battlefield, it was definitely not something I would have spent money on, but it was small enough to fit into my pocket.
”I love it.” I was already thinking of ways to modify it. “I… please don’t tell me you spent too much on it.”
I really did not want to break apart something that was expensive.
She played with her fingers. “Lower than a million Shardyne…”
”And more than…”
”A hundred thousand?” She shrugged, smiling at me gingerly.
I stared at the tiny droid in my hand… feeling somehow smaller than it.
———
Okay… I installed the experimental electromagnetic tech on the droid. Connecting the external headgear over my eyes, I felt it connect into my frame and sync my eyesight and thoughts with the drone.
Testing in three, two… one…
The wings expanded, the lightweight body of the drone floating in the air gently and softly… I loved Scrapyard.
———
New legs complete, the Arachne whirred to a close as various drills, screws and blades sunk back into the arms. I stared down below my hips, this time I made the painful addition of replacing my own… gluteal muscles. Let’s say it that way. I’d used some of the wiring I extracted out of the Sonic Carbine, a Warp Material I identified as Iron-Grade Shrieksteel.
Other than that, I finished the day by absorbing a Dataweaving Iron BUG. Feeding it into Data Mimicry with the focus on ‘making Feature Links’.
Data Mimicry V.1.09 has updated to V.1.10
Effect: Increased modification of Warpcode during Feature Link creation.
Tenderly rubbing my ass, which was considerably fuller and tougher, I plugged up into my legs and pulled from the selection of Enrgams I’d absorbed from my grandfather’s collection.
I chose to think of the ‘Power’ Engram, before swapping to my Overclock Function and feeling the ease in extending the Feature down to my legs. I’d loaded them with some excess Iron-Grade Warpcode I kept stored in a Datacube, letting it build across the scaffolding I formed.
Feature Links Established…
Iron-Grade RipTech Mantis Leg (L): Surge (Overclock)
Iron-Grade RipTech Mantis Leg (R): Stream (Overclock)
Okay… I’d meant to form the same Links in each of them. But testing them out was simple, the left leg could push out significant power for a single movement, while the right leg could temporarily increase its output mildly for a few seconds.
A shame that my right leg was my kicking leg then…
August 17th
This time, Elsa helped me secure a Bronze Dataweaving and Integration BUG that I absorbed wholly, focusing it entirely on Data Mimicry.
Data Mimicry V.1.10 has updated to V.1.11
Effect: Increased specificity when creating Feature Links
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Data Mimicry V.1.11 has updated to V.1.12
Effect: Increased ability to recall absorbed Enrgams
Data Mimicry V.1.12 has updated to V.1.13
Effect: Slightly Increased Warpcode Manipulation in Shardware
Alright… those two should be good enough. I plucked up the finished spine, it was heavier than I wanted it to turn out, but that was good in a sense. It was a bit more than a spine, it would actually be a near-damn full back replacement as I also planned to install the Endoskeleton’s back muscles alongside it. Thankfully, as long as I kept them connected to a single Neuroprocessor located within the spine then it wouldn’t increase it’s capacitance.
By too much.
Yeah, this was scary. Death was the least fearsome outcome, the worst was to make my body a vessel for my mind, unable to do anything but think… yeah, I was having my doubts.
But I needed the extra nerve plexi to control an Arachne, spinal augments were rare and god knows the amount of resources I poured into this explained that reason. In pure resources, I’d easily spent 90,000 Shardyne for an Iron-Grade spine. And now… I’d just installed the ‘Reflexive Autonomy’ Link onto it.
Elsa and my mother stood by my side as I dressed myself down, laying on the foam of the Arachne’s bed. The last thing I saw with my own two eyes was them, worried… but also believing in me.
This spine had been as much of my brainchild as the Arachne. Hell, we’d all given our hearts, brains and souls to formulate this. So as I slipped out of my vision, entering the snapping claws of each Arachne arm, I pulled out the scalpels.
Procedure starts from the bottom, I recalled the steps. Unzipping my skin in one clean motion as two other arms peeled them back to unveil the bony protrusions of my spine above my hip bones. This was viscerally freaky, staring at your own spine… knowing that you were going to rip it out.
Heh… calm down, Ripley. You can’t even breathe out, remember, lower parts first because if something went wrong then at least you won’t lose control of everything below that spinal cord level. Ascending and descending tracts, you revised this shit.
So, I sliced the bone, exposing the thin fibrous horsetail of spinal fibers known as cauda equina. You’re not doing a complete replacement of your spinal cord… just about 30%. Working meticulously, I became like a tailor carefully threading in nerves one spinal level at a time.
It took hours. My mom and Elsa visible in the eyes of my Arachne limbs, than god they were here… watching monitors of every bit of change in my health. My mom was trained, Elsa was… observant.
I could do this. Shut the fuck up Ripley, and focus.
’Focus’ X ‘Preservation’
I’d performed surgery once on myself, this is more of the same. So that’s exactly what I did, more of the same, finally reaching my cervical vertebrae and carefully parting bones and piercing past layer of the meninges to weave a new spine into mine… my body vitals were definitely changing, but I kept it in the back of mind. They weren’t fatal.
So then I began attaching each metallic vertebrae in place, strapping down new ligaments and meninges that my immunity would be surpressed enough to accept. Then I formed connections between by new muscles, I’d also prepared a new scapula which was a simple enough structure for me to replace without modifying it.
Finally, the skin, the last step. Newer skin with a slight metallic gloss to it, with slight aesthetic holes for my spine’s eminences to poke through. Hah, I’d look like a dinosaur, a stegosaurus like from that movie I watched with Elsa.
It took 13 hours of laying on that table, but eventually, I woke up. Unable to move a muscle, but alive and well, my organs hadn’t failed and though every bit of of my back hurt… I was fine. Sure, I couldn’t move, but that wasn’t cause for worry. There was still a rough sensation on my back, that meant signals were coming to my brain.
I hadn’t accidentally severed my spine.
I wish I could’ve said that we jumped up and had a huge celebration, but I was so tired that the next time I came to, I was in a wheelchair, Missy sitting infront of me as both my mother and Elsa slept through the night.
”Can you talk? Missy whispered.
”A little…” It hurt to talk, but I managed it.
”Spine’s a bitch. I know how you feel.” Missy hushed out. “Don’t worry, you’ll recover quicker than you think.”
”Hopefully.” We still weren’t sure of any lasting effects of the spine. “How’s prep for the mission going?”
”It’s a lot. We’ve got two mercs ready for it, not my first picks but they’re dependable. Just a bit money-hungry.” Missy commented. “How’re you feeling?”
”Like I got my spine ripped out.”
”Well… ‘rip’ is in your name.” She chuckled. “Mom jokes aside, you really okay? I know I asked a lot from you.”
”Yeah.” I nodded. “Just… close. But also far, my Development’s slowing down, 58% now… but that’ll only get slower as I grow.”
”80% requires high development into the second Version of your Features.” She nodded. “It won’t be easy.”
”I know.
”Two weeks, Ripley… think if that’s worth tearing yourself over.”
”Ripping.” I corrected. “Someone recently told me that even if I’m torn apart, I put myself back together. I’m beginning to believe it.”
She took a glance at Elsa who had a pillow on my leg that she slept on. “I get it Ripley… I know exactly what you have going on. I’m just contemplating…”
”Contemplating what?”
”If I’m doing the right thing, I look at you and I feel… sad. That I made you do this.”
”I chose this myself.”
”Would you have chosen this without me to push you to it?”
“I probably would have had my scalp ripped through by Inquisitor Tusk if you weren’t there… which yeah… you were a part of NeoCore?”
”Inquisitor Emizren.” She nodded, looking sad as though remembering a memory long forgotten. “Inquisitor Misery.”
”You didn’t like it?”
“That wasn’t it. I just felt like I wasn’t doing enough, that I was just perpetuating a cycle…”
I raised a question I had in my head for a while. “Are you a Gold? Higher?”
”Nope.” She said flatly. “Maybe I could’ve been, but I’m happy where I’m at now.”
”…” I smacked my lips, thinking. “You feel like you aren’t doing enough? For me?”
”Everyone.” She stared at me. “There was a time I was too active, did too many things and fucked shit up for myself. I thought that maybe it was time to do the opposite, then I go back to my old ways the moment an opportunity presents itself like with the R0N1N…”
I didn’t know nearly enough about her to find a response to that, but she filled the silence instead. “You know… you’re actually the third kid your grandfather dropped on my doorstep.”
I bit my lip. “Let me guess… Diamante was the first? He was that kid Hammersmith saved from Metal Heavens?”
”So you got it… yeah, your grandfather was the Hammersmith.”
The legendary Shard Operator, my grandfather, Alberich Gravas. “I had my suspicions, the timing of Hammersmith’s disappearance and my birth… the whole both being Shard Operators way above their pay-grade.”
”Clever kid.” She smiled. “He’s actually younger than me, but he’s gotten a reputation far above mine.”
”You do have Herald Ruby’s attention.” I pointed out.
”She’s my ex-wife.” Missy said it like having a general of the world’s premier peace-keeping force as a former spouse was a normal thing. “Back from when we were younger and thought things lasted forever… we were there when Florida fell. When The Infinite took it over, I remember leaving so many innocents behind as our evacuation orders came in.”
”That why you feel like you didn’t do anything? It was a fucking MALtitan.” How would you even kill one of those bastards?
”Right… well, since then, I’ve learned things. About how the world works, who runs things… what everyone’s looking for. The one thing that feels incomplete in my life is… those things.”
”The MAL?”
”Yeah.” She softened. “They shouldn’t exist.”
”Then why leave NeoCore, they kill MALs.”
”They secure Implants, Ripley. Big difference.” Missy’s voice was drenched in regret despite her words. Right, it was too late to turn back now for her.
”Yeah… Tusk didn’t care much about preserving human life.” I remembered what Diana said. “What’s up with Dogwhistler, that whole deal involving the MAL that gave my Implant?”
Missy was quiet for a long moment. “All I know is that I’m a merc, with a very specific mission… I needed money for it. So, I took the deal she offered knowing who she is. I don’t know her identity, but I know she’s a known benefactor of Mr. Skeleton. He’s the face of the operation, but she’s the brains… among the others who’re playing the chess board.” Missy looked at her hands.
”I… figured out some things about her. Elsa helped me examine a homeless guy with a dog tag tattoo.”
I lied, I’d just told Elsa about my ability to review memories off an Implant, but I was ready to keep my cards closer to my chest from now on. Other than Diamanté, Elsa was the only person who would know. With that, I gave a brief explanation of the things I’d seen.
”A flower… Soul Killer then.” Missy sighed to herself, not that I got the reason why. “The Homeless. Can’t believe I never saw it, you said they wear dog tag tattoos?”
”Yeah.”
”I’ll see what I can do with that information.” Missy said into her hands.
”So… you really don’t know anything about Dogwhistler?”
”Other than that she’s got enough influence on the Net to put Ms. Himiko to shame? No, not really. I don’t know where she got your MAL from, but I suspect she has a benefactor pulling the strings. Whoever she is… she’s only been active for the last decade. Mr. Skeleton a bit before that, but then Soul Killer? He’s been at this city for half a century, except… now… they’re acting differently. Something happened, someone’s organizing them.”
”Who?”
”I don’t know.” She looked pained when she said it. “As a group… those three call themselves ‘The Uncaged’.”
”The Uncaged…” I’ll remember that name. “Why tell me all of this?”
”Because if you’re serious about this, then you need to know that I’m planning on taking them down. Dogwhistler, Skeleton, Soul Killer.”
”Then we’re on the same goal.” I nodded.
”No, you’re not.” She looked at my sleeping mother. “She’s your goal, Ripley. Don’t delude yourself like I did.”
I stayed silent as I thought that over. “You said I was the third from my grandfather? Diamante was the first, The Iron Devil, I gathered. Who’s the second?”
”Mikail Almajali.” She sounded so sad when she said it. “An astounding Shard Operator like yourself — actually, he was better than you — got your grandfather’s eye from a young age and became his apprentice. Then something or the other dragged him away from training the kid, so he dropped him off with me but… the kid was… wrong.”
”Wrong?”
”Greedy, envious, prideful. Maybe those sins encapsulate him the most, just took so much pleasure in the world and money that as I trained him he… well, he never lost himself. He just became more of himself. Tried to talk him out of one particularly bad deal with the rest of my crew out at the time, turns out he turned them all except Diamante against me. We won but… Mikail escaped, wounded.”
”Is he alive?”
”Yeah, unfortunately, you’ve met him.” Missy rummaged through her hair.
”Who?” I gulped.
She stared at me like she was staring at the ghost of a friend. ”Mr. Skeleton.”