Chapter 58: To-do-list
9:47 PM
July 30th
Ripley
I seated myself in the upper bar’s main lounge, taking a moment to get my thoughts in order. There were alot running through at the moment, and what better moment than to use my Thought Multiplier. I was wondering… if you could multiply thinking of an emotion, could you reinforce that emotion?
Thought Multiplier: ‘Calmness’ X ‘Missy’s Debriefing’
A surge about what it meant to be calm showered me, but the droplets each held twists and turns of Missy’s speech. It was a perplexing feeling, to be forced into calmness, it reminded me of when I’d been spoken to by the Lieutenant’s mind-manipulating speech ability. Strangely, this wasn’t as violating, I welcomed it as I processed every bit of it carefully and tastefully.
I could die. I knew that, a month ago, a Tier 0 had nearly torn my limb off. Now, I was running into the lion’s den. Still, I wasn’t fearful of the upcoming mission, nor really excited, instead… I was almost satisfied. Almost because, there still was some primal knowing that I could end, and my life would cease to exist and really no one would care, but somehow there was a strength in that.
I had to become everything I believed I was by then, a mercenary, a Shard Op’. Ripley. A Gold BUG Adapter, the same as R0N1N. A name that was renowned in the underworld across continents. The one man army who single-handedly had slain entire Yuzhou military facilities by himself.
So, if I wanted to become anything like him in the span of a month. Then it was time to organize myself, I opened up a virtual notepad and began mentally typing.
Ripley’s to do list before the big day:-
Number one. Reach 80% Development
Number two. Talk to your mother about it.
I probably should have switched those around… but alas just because one was written before the other, doesn’t mean it had to be carried out in that order. Riding the high of calmness, I opened up my contacts, and selected my mother’s sigil.
Just in time for that serene peace to leave me.
Still, it wasn’t like I panicked all of a sudden, it was closer to having your grip over an umbrella tremble in the cold rain and wind. I held on, but for a moment I felt the drenching sorrows soak me.
“Ripley?” My mother sounded surprised.
“Hey mom.”
“You didn’t lose another limb? Not that you even have any left.” She laughed at it, but I could feel the worry in her tone.
“No, nothing like that.”
“Are you okay?” She had that slight inflection, you know… that motherly inflection all mothers have when they know something is wrong.
“There’s a job… a dangerous one. The kind that gets your name known, the kind that can get it… erased. What should I do?” God, I sounded like such a kid.
“Ripley… do you know what you want?” She held no judgment in her voice.
“Yeah. To live, I don’t know… I don’t feel scared. But I feel… anxious, like I’m standing on the edge of a giant pit that has treasures at the bottom of it, but I can’t take that leap.” That anecdote was all too familiar, if I hadn’t jumped down that balcony with Diana, what would have happened to me?
“Honey… we all want to live. To perservere as you say… but what is it that you really want besides that?” Somewhere in there was the wisdom of the ages, that unknown calling you just needed to hear.
“To win.” My voice faltered. “For once in my life. I want to win in something without having anything taken from me, I don’t… I don’t want to lose. Anyone, anything. Not my arm, not my leg. Not you. Not these people who are admittedly the closest things I’ve had to friends…”
“Ripley… I know I say ‘one step at a time’. But sometimes there’s a gap we need to cross in life that a step will send us tumbling downwards, and all you can take is that leap. A blind leap of faith, but if you don’t… you know you can come back here. Spend the time with me, I’m happy just knowing you’ll be here when I’m…”
“Don’t say it.” I was strict, probably the strictest I’ve ever been with her. “You’re not leaving. You- you’re going to live a long and happy life, with too many grandkids to count.”
“You’d need to get a girl first for that.” She snickered. “But I’m fine with adoption if it’s a guy you like.”
“It’s not a guy I like.” I reprimanded.
“So there is a girl… is it Diana?” She sounded too quick to say that name.
“No, not her… sounds a bit ill advised to suggest I get it on with a cop considering my current line of work.” Even through the building tears, I still managed a laugh. “It’s… Elsa. Mirage.”
“Oh. Her.” My mother stayed silent for a second. “You know you shouldn’t think you’re the type who can fix someone, knowing you.”
“Harsh!” I spoke out. “It’s not… that. When I’m with her, in any form of her, I feel safe. It’s a long story actually, but technically a part of her had died for me, and it’s nice because for once in my life I feel like… I’ve truly found someone else who’s been through what I’ve done. Getting people hurt by accident and… living on with that guilt.”
“Ripley… you’ve never hurt me. Or your father, or… S////. I know you feel like it’s your fault, but it never was… he came to you that night because deep down, you weren’t just his son — you were someone he looked up to, even as a kid. All of the guidance he wanted to impart onto you, you reflected it back to him, and so what if a big bad evil corporation took him away? He left a son he would always be proud of, one who unfortunately beats himself up constantly. Because you have a heart of Gold, Ripley, whether you believe it or not. Implant, or not.”
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Mom.” I started, tears welling up.
“Yes.”
“I was the one who fixed the Personality Matrix. I have one in my head.” It was the only thing keeping me together.
“I know, Ripley… I’ve always known. I just wished my love was enough to get you through it without that.”
“Mom.”
“Yes, Ripley?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, I always have.”
“Mom…” I sniffled back the tears. “What happened to the BUG in grandfather’s storage unit?”
She stayed quiet for a moment, I didn’t interrupt her silence, but let her gather the courage to speak it.
“Your father tried selling it. To get you into tuition… it… it was on him the day he died.”
“Sell it? To who?” I had my suspicions, but I needed to be right.
“To Mr. Skeleton.” Everything felt strangely correct, Skeleton was obsessed with my grandfather, he had one piece of the puzzle but couldn’t unlock the rest without my Shard Op’ Claw. The question then, was how did Skeleton know about Livewire?
“Thank you, for telling me… and is it okay if I spend the night at your place?”
“It’s our place, Ripley.”
“Right… I have some ideas that need workshopping. You’re going to call me crazy.”
“Please, I’ve done things you would never believe with a pair of tongs.” She gave an exasperated chuckle. “No seriously, you think Toxin Club was bad when you were in it? I’m half the reason that place got an actual chair, the other half was when Shaun was bleeding out and complained he was uncomfortable sitting on the floor.”
“Speaking off chairs… it involves an Arachne.” I felt like an idiot saying it out loud.
“Oh… tell me more…” If you’ve ever heard your mom purr, I understand your pain.
I took a second before speaking. “What if I strap one to my back?”
———
“Sure you don’t want to spend the night, Rip?” Mirage offered quietly, once everyone else had retreated back to their own abodes or somewhere else entirely.
“I’d love to, but I want a quiet night with my mom…” I gave a gentle smile as I wore my helmet, I’d never truly appreciated the gift of having a private vehicle… Topaz scratching the motorbike was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Speaking of Topaz, he startled me as he whispered into my ear. “You know she’s into you?”
“Shut up… actually, fuck it…” I whispered back. “I’m not a fucking idiot man, I’m just nervous! I’ve never had actually asked a girl before! It was usually just weird sequences of events at a club! I don’t know what it’s like to have a girlfriend!”
He took a step back, making sure to speak only when she was out of ear’s shot. “Okay, she might not be thaaat into you. Getting there, Romeo, but she’s a tough catch, believe me. I’ve seen plenty of tigers I would jump on approach her at a bar and she gives them a hard no. But… honestly, the main reason are her Personas. You want Mirage, tame her Personas. All three of them, yes, including Midnight.”
I gave that some thought, but maybe that wouldn’t be so bad… What was better than one girlfriend? Four.
———
Note to self. Do not make a list while you are driving… the dent in my motorcycle proves otherwise.
———
“You know this is crazy.” My mother sighed as I showed her the schematics of the Soulbranch Spine. “It’s a mess, sorry Rip, the wiring’s theoretically going to work but back in school they used cases like this for experimental design gone wrong. You could be walking backwards if you get one in your body. I can’t let you go through with it.”
“I know…” I smiled, I wasn’t the same old pup Mr. Skeleton could prey on anymore. He wanted my patents, fine… he could get them.
The prototypes.
I switched pages, showing her Mk.2 of the Soulbranch Spine. Just one of the things I’d wagered was possible under Thought Multiplier’s enhancements. “Oh…” She scanned in surprise through the large pictograms. “Ohhhh… you based this off the endoskeleton?”
“First generation was my design entirely, second uses the endoskelton in cooperation. I worked on that thing for weeks, I know it in and out.” I pulled up detailed diagrams of the various notes I’d made of each piece. “I’ve operated with all the individual pieces this thing uses at my job, it’s simple but complex. I think that should be our motto, we’re not building something new, we’re organizing old parts to become more efficient. Like a scavenger.”
“You want to be a Vulture?” My mom looked at me like I was crazy.
“Remember what I said about… only staying here for one day?” I breathed through my teeth. “Yeah, I’m taking a page out of someone’s book and living homeless for a month.”
———
“You have the first week to yourself, then dinner every Tuesday, lunch on Wednesdays, breakfast on Thursdays.” My mom reminded me for the hundredth time. “And a shower before each!”
“Yeah, yeah.” I hefted up the backpack and duffel bag that had been grossly overprepared, how on earth was I not going to get mugged on the first day. “Love ya!”
“I love you too! You idiot!” She said as she closed the doors, my mom wouldn’t be entirely out of the blue for this month. While I was on… part-collection duty, she would be handling the overwhelming calculations, material theorizing and schematic drafting. I would be low on funds, even with Skeleton’s upcoming paycheck, and so I had to resort to becoming far more… resourceful.
That meant hooking myself up to the VultureNet through the new Bronze-Grade Access I had to Little Requiem’s more… darker services. Vultures were simple enough; a gang fight happens, there are bodies. Bodies aren’t recovered, a High Vulture posts the location on the VultureNet where anyone who signed up for a hefty fee of ten-thousand Shardyne for Iron access could see the location.
Higher tier access meant faster notifications, and better locations for spoils. Thankfully, I only had to pay for an Iron-Access into the system… I had someone hack my way in to getting Platinum-Grade Access, available for a measly 200,000 Shardyne a month.
Twilight rang in my ear, for once talking to me through a Neurolink. “O-okay Ripley! Got you in, remember it’s law of the jungle among the Vultures! And you ain’t got an official access so don’t be afraid to show your fangs if they pester you-u!”
“I got it!” By that, I meant I had just received a notification about a drive-by turned shootout two kilometers south-east of me. I revved up my bike, and right now… I didn’t have a list to write.
It was already done.
Ripley’s to-do-list before the big day! (August 30th)
* Reach 80% Development… Currently 31%
* Talk to your mother (DONE!)
* Ask Mirage and her Personas out on a date… and hopefully not rejected by all four. (Uhhhh… I’ll give it some time)
* Look at R0N1N’s Shardware. (He needs me to be his technician, hopefully he doesn’t cut me apart)
* Improve your Shardware (I’m thinking Iron VII at minimum)
* Build the Arachnodyne (Progress… don’t have an Arachne)
* Figure out a way to make more Livewire. (30,000 Shardyne a gram?!)
* Take down a Bronze Tier II (Or really any Tier II)
* Get all four Features to 2.0 (Psyche’s down!)
* Win(ner takes it all)