Chapter 81: To run away, or towards?
August 29th
Ripley’s last day… to get to 80% Development.
I’d done everything… everything possible to do this! I even sacrificed the Light Module since Accomodation BUGs aren't worth having access to for only a limited time.
Then why?
Development: 79%
I was right there, right fucking there! Every BUG I had other than those in my Mimicset were all used up! Then why? Why couldn’t I just… get there…
Psyche V.2.07 has updated to V.2.08
Effect: Increased ability to process information from external sources.
Energized V.2.03 has updated to V.2.05
Effects:
* Manipulation of Warp Energy into other Adapter’s Shardware is more efficient.
* Improved efficiency of Warp Energy into Bronze-Grade Shardware
Technician V.2.05 has updated to V.2.07
Effects:
* Increased ability to perform self-repairs
* Increased ability to perform forced modification of other’s Shardware.
Data Mimicry V.2.02 has updated to V.2.04
Effects:
* Protocol: Rewrite is slightly better at manipulating Bronze-Grade Warpcode
* Improved ability to synchronize two Features of a different type into a Module.
Shit… was there any way to do it? I tried selling the Bronze SIM out, got its Mutations scanned which were pretty simplistic but with powerful muscle and sight enhancement genes. Thing is, used SIMs were bought on the basis of their Active Mutations.
With three Mutations that were in all fairness pretty fucking common, I’d only gotten an offer for 35,000 Shardyne — and scrapping up whatever funds I had only amounted to 42,000 Shardyne.
Even the worst Bronze BUGs were sold for 50k. Maybe if I found a really shit one? Something passed around by like six people? I scrolled through Little Requiem’s list even using the Thought Multiplier to help me read through, but found nothing in my budget.
What the fuck?
Diamante strolled in, whistling to himself as he brought along a tray of several guns all plugged in with a Datacube containing an Engram. “Just… this, and we’re done.”
”Right.” At least I had work to get myself distracted, it didn’t matter how many guns I Linked, the grenades I built, the repairs and modifications I made to my own Shardware. None of it would get there, none of it would get me to 80%.
”How’re you feeling about tomorrow?” Diamante polished one of the guns, taking care to get it to the utmost shine possible.
”Dissapointed.” I answered honestly. “Because it looks like I can’t join in?”
”Development?”
”79%…” I said reluctantly.
”Shit… eh, that’s close enough. Pat on the back for what you’ve put yourself through honestly. Well fought.”
”You don’t think Missy would make an exception?” I said with a glimmer of hope.
”Nope.” He returned to shining his guns. “Not sure why you want to send yourself to death anyway, you designed a whole new Shardware, you could make millions off its patent.”
I scoffed back. ”Why’re you going there?”
”Because I’m a weapon, Ripley. And I want to be used to fight the right war.” Diamante put the gun down, staring at me intently. “Kid, everything you’ve done. You’re special, I know that. Your mom knows that. Missy knows that. Elsa knows it, hell you even got her to be with you cus of it! Don’t waste your life running from one bullet to another, man. I’m saying this as someone who not just likes you despite the fact that you’re a little bitch, but also respects you.”
I laughed at the irony of it. “Were any of you expecting me to get to 80%?”
”It takes years, Ripley. Years… you sometimes go weeks without a percentage increase. How many Shardyne’s worth of BUGs did you install? You think R0N1N gave them to you because he really thought you could fight? Hell no! He gave more than you were getting paid because he knows that he can make it through without you. You just make it a bit easier. Deep down, he’s a good guy, and he knows your story… He hates the corporations, and both you and your mom have been victims to it. He wanted to help you out by giving you a way out. That money was meant to send you running and packing your bags.”
”Well. I got a little attached to you guys.”
”That’s exactly what we were afraid of.” Diamante lowered his gaze. “We found you helpless and lost with a Gold Implant in your head, we debated for hours about what to do with you. I won’t name who, but one of us would still take your head off and ship it for a chance to get out if Missy didn’t personally threaten them. We… you reminded us of him. At least to me and Missy.”
”Mr. Skeleton?”
”…yeah. There’s that look you both have, the kind that was cloudy and missing something, but behind that mist were knives. Sharp enough to rip through Titanium. Clever as all hell. Determined like no one else. We didn’t want you going down the same route he did. He lost himself in the money, in the power, in desire. Fucked us up too, broke what we had to… be a part of something bigger.”
”The Uncaged.”
”Yeah… don’t want to say more but… we trusted him. We loved him like a brother, but it was because of us who drilled him in the ways to fight — to profit — that he changed. I wish I could’ve turned everything back, every day. This battle you’re trying to get yourself into, with Dogwhistler, Skeleton and Soul Killer. It’s not worth it… hell, you could fucking join NeoCore with your skills. They don’t give a damn about your background! As long as you make yourself worth it, they’ll hire you… I’ll fucking drive you over to a recruitment center right now if you want to! And you’re nothing if not worth it.” Hearing all the praise from Diamante feld… satisfying, but at the same time left me wanting.
I just focused on the gun, slowly using the Warpcode in the cube to charge its Engram up… for a Feature Link. It was almost taunting as I trickled Warpcode in.
I controlled the very thing I needed to succeed. But even this cube had nowhere enough for me.
Once I was done, I sighed. ”Well… that was nice to hear. At the very least… but just let me ask you a few questions.”
”Go ahead, Ripley.”
”Is Elsa going on the mission?”
”She is.”
”Who could I sell my Arachne to, realistically… If I wanted the millions to save my mother?”
”…Without the backing of a degree or institute, the corporations’ll just have an assassin dig it out of your back. The gang leaders wouldn’t bother with something so niche, other than Metal Heavens, but again they’d just drag it from your corpse. Mr. Skeleton, he’s the only one with the funds and desire for tech like yours. If he’s in a good mood… you could get up to twenty… thirty million for the blueprint? He’ll have ways to regurgitate it back to NeoCore, they’re probably the one’s who’ll want it the most once they’re fighting the MAL in the swarm.”
”The Fifth Swarm… how exactly do you intend to deal with it?”
”Join up with an underground coalition of criminals who just want to do the right thing… an Independent Mercenary Unit, make a little money out of it. I’ll fight and protect this city, it’s my home. And when a MALtitan comes looking for us? I’ll be there ready to fight it — and The Uncaged.”
”Then we’ll both be doing the same thing…” I finished up another gun. “I’m not leaving this city, I don’t want to leave you guys… and I don’t want to sell myself out. This Arachnodyne is as much a part of me as my organs are.”
His metal teeth grounded into one another. “Any other questions?”
I thought about the various thoughts running in my head from time to time. ”Yeah, actually. What the fuck is a Warp Tendency? I’ve heard the term thrown around a few times but don’t get it. The box with my MAL was safeguarded by a Silver DataShield they said had a Fire Tendency, what did that mean?”
”Pushing into Silver-Grade paid info here, a Warp Tendency is the flavor and nature your Warpcode or Mutations take as an Adapter — they only come up in Silver Implants or higher, part of the reason why they cost millions. Typically, they form around Tier II, and determine how destructive or malleable your Warpcode is. They come in six packages, but I’ve heard that higher Grades get access to more by combining them… otherwise they’re Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Spark, and Shadow.”
”Which one do you have?”
”Fire.” Diamante showed his arm, but it seemed more of an action for himself than me. “The nature to destroy, to break and disintegrate. My Warpcode influences my Features to become more… aggressive. I can destroy hundreds of Tier Is with my worst body, because that’s what I was designed to be.”
”What Tendency do you think I would take?”
”Water… To conform to the changes around you, to fill up a vessel and shape according to how life around you changes. Typically, they make pretty damn incredible Shard Op’s, otherwise I could see you with Spark. To brighten and enhance, to be unafraid and shine. You’d have general enhancements to all aspects of your Warpcode, but it’ll be loud and visible. Kinda fits you.”
”Yeah.” I chuckled.
”You want this, Ripley?” Diamante didn’t offer me anything, but I knew what he meant.
”I do. And… I won’t end up like him.”
”Then make me a promise.”
”What?”
”You’ll turn off the Personality Matrix in your head, and you’ll remember that friend of yours who died. I bet the damn thing isn’t even letting you hear her name.” He stopped working on the guns, putting all his focus on me.
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”I-“ Why was he talking about? But… I was hesitating at the thought. “If I do that then…”
”You might break, I know.” Diamante put a hand on my shoulder, and connected his inhuman gaze to my soul. “But you’ll have me and Emizren. You’ll have your mother… and Elsa. It’s not right, what’s happened to you, but your mind deserves to know and feel what it’s supposed to. Otherwise, you’ll make decisions that will amount to nothing but self-gratification. Because when the world becomes too much, when will you be enough? You’ll chase anything, as long as it means you can keep running away.”
The words struck a chord with me… and I wasn’t the best in music, but even I knew what a symphony was.
I could feel one stirring up inside of me.
”Yeah… I think… deep down, I’m trying to run away from ‘the me that was weak’. Without an Implant, without a father, without… any of you. Even if you guys were keeping the distance because of this mission or the The Uncaged debacle, I’m grateful for everything we’ve done together. That’s not enough for me to throw away my life, not enough to go on this mission… but… ever since I’ve gotten this BUG. The longer I’ve had it, the more I start to feel like it’s a responsibility, like it has its own goal to accomplish and I’m the only one who can carry it out. I don’t believe in faith, but I feel like I was destined to fall on this path. To join up with you guys. Maybe… I’m not such a great person, maybe I will never accomplish great things, but the happiest I’ve been in a long time was running alongside you… but maybe it’s time I also sit down with just myself.
Taking a deep breath, I steeled the blood rushing through my vocal cords. “I’ll do it, Diamante, I’ll turn off the Matrix. I’ll deal with the consequences.”
”We’ll deal with it.” He hardened his hold on my shoulder, and yet I felt lighter.
“So… you’re saying I can come tomorrow?”
”That was never my decision, Ripley. Nor was it Missy’s.”
He was right, it had been me who had asked if I should set a goal for myself.
”Still, need to get that other 1%.”
”Tch, forget 1%, I’ve got the good shit.” He stood up, walked away and I followed him back down into the armory, back to the wall of BUGs and SIMs.
He touched the keypad attached to the wall, and what came sliding down clearly had the marking of S2103
A Silver. The only Silver here.
The box opened up, and sitting right there in its pristine glory was a Silver BUG.
”You want me to take it? Why haven’t you used it yet”
”It’s a useless ass BUG, Ripley. Gone through four owners and it’s got Network, Integration and Technician. Hardly a good combo, but Silver is Silver.” He kicked the box towards me, but I saw the regret starting to form in his eyes. “Take it.”
I hastily grabbed the Silver orb, enjoying its pristine shine under the harsh ceiling lights of the armory. My hungry reflection shined on it’s clear surface, the orange of my new Shardware eyes bright and clear.
”Will this take me out for the day? The mission’s in like… 14 hours.”
”Now you’re hesitant about Warp Burns?” Diamante moved to take it from me, but I snatched it away, holding it close to my chest. He looked at me like I was a child. “If you want, there’s a few Bronzes in here I could exchange for it.”
”No.” I began to run my Warpcode over the Implant. “It’s perfect.
———
I puked all three meals I had, one for each Feature I’d absorbed. They were beyond heavy, it was like chewing metal with my teeth every second I tried. Slow, draining, but empowering. The last bit was what mattered.
Because the gains? They were worth it.
Integrity is now Bronze II
* Iron-Grade Integrity Boon: Reduced Warp Burn effect when consuming Warp-Code.
Energy is now Bronze III
* Iron-Grade Energy Boon: Increased Warp Energy recovery by 1% for every 1% of Energy used, this depends on your metabolism.
Capacity is now Bronze IV
If I knew my Capacity would become this, I would have hunted down a Silver ages ago, and probably do some more Shardware work.
As for my updates, I aligned them with one goal in mind.
To win.
Psyche V.2.08 has updated to V.2.13
Effects:
* Improvement to Thought Multiplier effectiveness.
* Preservation Protocol reacts more effectively to danger.
* Improvement to mentality during combat.
* The Adapter is better able to withstand the mental strain of controlling Shardware.
* Heightened ability to formulate solutions to what the Adapter is struggling most with.
Energized V.2.05 has updated to V.2.11
Effects:
* Reduced wasteful manipulation of Warp Energy.
* Greatly enhanced Warp Energy Projection.
* Greatly enhanced durability of Shardware being channeled with Warp Energy.
* The lower the Adapter’s Warp Energy supply, the more effective it becomes.
* When the Adapter is struggling most, their Warp Energy greatly enhances all of its natural effects.
Technician V.2.07 has updated to V.2.15
Effects:
* Greatly improved creation and modification of Shardware at or below Bronze Grade.
* Heightened understanding of Warp Material properties.
* Scrapyard is much more effective at simulating Bronze-Grade conditions.
* Massive improvement to recollection of Shardware.
* Breakdown is much more effective at gathering manufacturing processes of Shardware.
* The Adapter recovers much more quickly from Shardware that they have made or modified.
* The Adapter becomes much more proficient at ideating Shardware modifications when they are struggling most.
Data Mimicry V.2.04 has updated to V.2.10
Effects:
* Massive increase to Warpcode reading speed.
* Massive increase to Adapter’s resistance to negative Warpcode effects.
* Great increase to the Adapter’s ability to rewrite Implants.
* Greatly increases the depth at which an Adapter can mimic Features
* Feature mimicking speed is greatly enhanced, any Module within the Mimicset has a bonus to speed.
* The adapter can draw out more from their mimicked Features when they are struggling most.
With three hours until we were supposed to meet up, I lounged amidst a sea of floating blueprints and rearranging metal. Let’s see how much I could do until then.
———
“Three Facilities. North, West, and South.” Missy pointed to the table’s map. “Me, Topaz and Quickshot will head South. From what we know it’s one of their main production lines for new firearms.”
I looked at Quickshot, she was a tall tanned woman who seemed to be a SIM user but I did note down that she had mechanical fingers. The strangest thing about her was that she carried a large Shardware Bow. Who used a bow in this day and age?
”The North Facility is where they produce their automated drones, it’s going to have a lot of eyes wandering the place. Mirage and her Personas will wreak some havoc in there, then Diamante will enter and pretend to be some experimental drone of theirs. Quartz and Stonewall will provide support if anything goes wrong.”
I tried to hold in my laugh. “Who came up with this plan?”
Elsa held my hand, whispering in my ear. “Daylight.”
I smiled before taking a glance at Stonewall, a fairly big man who also was a SIM user, he had cracked scales that resembled chunks of black stone running up his arms. Other than that, he seemed pretty friendly, he even brought some snacks.
“Finally, comes R0N1N and Ripley’s facility to the West. Their experimental Shardware division, Goliath is most likely to be housed here. This place is under tight security, so tread carefully.”
I sensed that it was directed more to me than the R0N1N.
“I trust you’ve all read through the reports of Shandian’s general security makeup. Remember, everyone’s heart is being monitored so if you kill anyone it’ll send an alert through the whole system — that’s why you’ll need this.”
She opened up a few briefcases filled with small vials that ended with a very long and sharp needle sticking out of them.
”ParaStims. I’ve supplied enough to get everyone ten Iron-Grade vials and four Bronze-Grades, they’ll paralyze anyone you inject it with and leave them unconcious.”
We all took turns collecting the vials and organizing among ourselves. Diamante said something about bringing multiple bodies of his for the mission, and true to it, he had another two inert mechanical robots sitting on the couch. They weren’t as sophisticated as his normal body nor that ‘Angelina’ form of his, but they bore a resemblance to the Shandian Security androids I’d seen scattered in the mission debriefing.
”New eyes?” Missy put a hand on my shoulder. “I’m glad you’re with us.”
”Took a shit ton of work, and yeah, new eyes.” I was still getting used to how clear everything was, not to mention… seeing through metal. I’d scooped out my organic pair just a few hours ago, but absorbing that Silver BUG really improved my recovery speed to these optics and the healing. “You think you’ll be okay?”
”Me, yeah. I’ve done shit like this before, it’s always nerve-wracking, but if you follow the script for as long as the corporate actors will cooperate, things don’t end up too bad.” She glanced around the busywork everyone involved themselves in.
”I’m proud of you, soldier.” She pat me once more, then turned around to get herself ready.
Our stealth-suits were form fitting, and the black cloth was made up of tiny crystals once you stared closer at it. The freakiest thing was that if you activated Shardware, the cloth would retract and give space for the modifications. It even opened up holes for my Arachnodyne arms to extend through.
I needed to learn how that worked, I was tired of cutting apart my clothes to make space for the arms.
As everyone got ready, I took stock of their preparations. We were all dressed up in our form-fitting padded stealth suits, but some of us didn’t adhere to it. Topaz was still as flashy as ever, talking up some other guy who was wearing an even more intricate stealth suit than our own, even hiding their head with a completely black dome of a mask.
He was completely covered from head to toe, but it was strange, the more I looked at him — the less I found myself able to tear my eyes off him. It was the opposite of whatever attention-slipping Mutation Topaz had. Was that his brother? Quartz?
Elsa grabbed me from behind, her arms sliding down my chest. “You going to be fine?”
I cupped her hands with mine, feeling her warmth let me focus away from Quartz. “Yeah.”
”Those are some pretty fancy upgrades… you’re amazing, Ripley.” She snuggled her head into my back.
”I know I am.” I turned to her and placed a kiss on her neck, her long hair falling on my face like a waterfall of black and white. “Good luck kiss?”
She leaned into me, and I really wished we had more time because I wanted a bit more than just a kiss.
But, as cars drove off and R0N1N scooted into the driver’s seat of the van, I took a deep breath and opened up the list I'd made one month ago. A surge of pride followed me.
Ripley’s to-do-list before the big day! (August 30th)
* Reach 80% Development… (How about 94%?)
* Talk to your mother (DONE!)
* Ask Mirage and her Personas out on a date… and hopefully not rejected by all four. (Got all four!)
* Look at R0N1N’s Shardware. (Fancy shit. Let’s do this!)
* Improve your Shardware (Bronze I should be good…)
* Build the Arachnodyne (and it’s better than I thought it would be!)
* Figure out a way to make more Livewire. (Costs way more than I thought it would, but I got it)
* Take down a Bronze Tier II (Or four all at once)
* Get all four Features to 2.0 (Got them all!)
* Win(ner takes it all)
There was just one thing left to do.
Win.
———
Shardware Capacitance:
Capacitance Alterations:
* All Iron-Grade Shardware Capacitance reduced by 2 Tier.
* All Bronze-Grade Shardware Capacitance reduced by 1 Tier.
* All Musculoskeletal Shardware reduced by 2 Tiers.
* All Shardware Operating Shardware capacitance reduced by 5%.
* RipTech Arachnodyne Capacitance reduced by 1 Tier (Feature Link: Capacitance Limiter).
Capacity: Bronze IV [Effective: Bronze VII]
* RipTech Neuroframe: Bronze I (Iron X) [12.5%]
* Right RipTech Claw (Livewire): Bronze III (Iron X) [7.5%]
* Left RipTech Claw (Slicer): Bronze II (Iron IX) [6.1%]
* Left Mantis Leg: Bronze I (Iron VIII) [10%]
* Right Mantis Leg: Bronze I (Iron VIII) [10%]
* Riptech Soulbranch Spine: Bronze I (Iron VIII) [11.1%]
* Riptech Arachnodyne: Bronze V (Bronze III) [15%]
* RipTech Liver: Iron IV (Iron II) [6.12%]
* RipTech Shardvision Optics: Bronze I [Iron X] [12.5]
Internal Capacitance = 90.6%
* Dreadwire Mask: Bronze I (Iron I) = 5.5%
* Mazhyr Stealth Suit: Bronze V (Iron V) = 7.6%
* Mazhyr Interloper Smart-Pistol: Bronze I (Iron I) = 5.5%
External Capacitance = 18.3%
Total Capacitance = 108.9%
Shardware Breakdown According to Grade and Feature Links:
* RipTech Neuroframe [Bronze II]: Neural Matrix [Psyche]; Info-loader [Database]
* Right RipTech Claw (Livewire) [Bronze IV]: Breakdown [Technician]; Warp Strands [Energized]; Procedure Repetition [Database]
* Left RipTech Claw (Slicer) [Bronze III]: Datajammer [Jailbreak]; Warp Threads [Energized]
* Left Mantis Leg [Bronze I]: Environmental Coordination [Analyze]; Surge [Overclock]
* Right Mantis Leg [Bronze I]: Environmental Coordination [Analyze]; Surge [Overclock]
* Riptech Soulbranch Spine [Bronze II]: Reactive Autonomy [Psyche]; Stream [Overclock]
* Riptech Arachnodyne [Bronze VII]: Warp Strands [Energized]; Capacitance Limiter [Accomodation]
* RipTech Liver [Iron V]
* RipTech Shardvision Optics [Bronze X]: Shardware Scanner [Technician]; Structure Analysis [Analyze]
External Shardware Breakdown:
* Dreadwire Mask [Bronze III]: Target-Lock [Analyze]; Drone Communication [Network]
* Mazhyr Stealth Suit [Bronze VIII]: Warp Constriction [Energized]; Bioshard Inhibitor [Network]
* Mazhyr Interloper [Bronze II]: Target-Aim [Sustain]; Target-Lock [Analyze]