R4 was 15 minutes early to the meeting place mentioned in the gig. The building was a tall Brutalist tower which seemed to bloom at the higher heights as overhanging offices literally looked down upon the people below. R4 looked up and, through one of the windows, saw a heavyweight man in a black suit eating peanuts while watching the pedestrians scurry beneath him.
“Red, how can I see that?”
“Your right eye has slightly above average vision. I recommend finding an eye cyberware for your left eye to balance things out. If you get a tier 1 version it can be installed during your ascension.”
“Pardon?”
“Yes, during your ascension to tier 1 you will be broken down and rebuilt. Should you have any cyberware you want it can be installed at that time with no issue.” Immediately a pop up for dozens of different parts appeared. “I have found a very good deal on something called a lunar lady and butterfly’s grace.”
“Aren’t those sex cyberware?”
“Lunar lady is often used for that, but it has a complex interaction with the adrenal system which can be subverted allowing you to use flare protocol and calm protocol with less damage to your system. Currently your regeneration is fixing the damage, but it shortens the time you have left. Using calm protocol earlier has dropped your time remaining from 364 days to 360.”
“So I used it twice and now I have 4 less days before I die?” R4 exclaimed. She drew some looks, but several people on the street had either implanted phones or earpieces, so no one spoke up.
“Correct. Also the Butterfly’s Grace cyberware has the effect of spreading pheromones, which can be used to affect the minds of nearby individuals. At higher tiers it is possible for humans to track one another by scent, not to mention certain machines can. Being untraceable is but one benefit. It can also be used to shed heat in emergencies, and swaying minds of the unwary as well.”
“Just what tier do you expect me to go to?” R4 asked, trilling quietly so none would overhear.
“Mara has many plans for you, but this is the first step towards them, and I do not want to make you late.”
The gig had directions to the proper room, and R4 found her way there easily enough. The door clicked open at her touch, and she received a popup that [[Keys to the Kingdom had downloaded the key.]] R4 smiled, until she felt a twinge on her mind. It was almost like a tune, and she began to hum it, before finding trilling allowed her to follow it more accurately
“Red, what’s that?” R4 asked, managing to speak without losing the tune. “It’s almost like a song stuck in my head,”
“Keys to the Kingdom is diverting brainpower to attempt to pivot and using your vocal chords to boost the signal.
“What? Stop, that’s really dangerous.” Immediately the tune halted. R4 took a deep breath and reoriented herself.
A quick stop back home to freshen up had given R4 a chance to dress for her best. Since this was her first real gig she wore her new dress, with shorts underneath just in case she had to go anywhere hazardous, or she had coworkers with no sense of personal space. A sturdy apron and a pair of work goggles completed the look, though the goggles were currently perched on her head. She also wore a black tool belt, which had an empty holster for a pistol. She had purchased one, but it was a cheap one from a gun store she had passed on the way. The room had four seats, and R4 quickly took one and went to review what little information she had received on the gig.
“First,” a male voice teased.
“Cheater, a second male voice replied.” Both took a seat, before noticing R4 already sitting down looking at them.
“Welch and Smucker?” R4 asked, checking her phone, before standing and extending a hand. “I’m R4.”
Welch was tall and muscular, though R4 immediately noticed his body was covered with bruises, which she could see as he wore an unbuttoned shirt with the sleeves torn off. His hair was closely cropped, and was dyed a darker purple than his bruises. Stained jeans and heavy duty brown work boots gave the impression of a man who just could not be bothered to care, though the gun belt around his waist and the two firearms R4 could see looked either new or well cared for. Smucker in contrast wore white armor with what looked like red stains, at least until R4 realized it was just dyed to look like that. He also wore a red and white helmet that reminded her of a motorcycle helmet. On his back he carried a pack emblazoned with a winged serpent curled around a rod, and he too carried a pair of pistols on his hips.
“Hey, it’s the fruit loops.” A man spoke up, entering the room. This man’s outfit screamed cowboy, from the wide brimmed hat to the seemingly jean vest and chaps over jean pants to the pair of silver revolvers on his hips. The robotic hawk and complex looking electronic glove were a break from tradition.
“Data Rustler, long time man.” Welch said, standing back up and grabbing the man in a bro hug. “Thought you’s going legit dawg.”
“Rent went up, and the paycheck didn’t.”
“True dat bro. Smucker and I needed some extra scratch and this job seemed like some quick credits, ain’t that right Smuck?”
“That is accurate.” Smucker replied with a clipped and precise tone that caught R4 by surprise. Further, he added nothing further.
“Who’s the girl?”
“Good evening, my name is R4 and I am a tech.”
“Yeah, sure kid.” Data replied. “For Rust sake they stuck us with a kid? You even 18?” R4 opened her mouth to reply, “Wait, you’re a remote? Seriously? How long have you been in the city kid?”
“About a week, bit more.” R4 replied.
“Figures, only a remote would wear a dress to the undercity.” R4 glanced at her new dress. She had managed to fix some of the battery issues making it the best armored outfit she had besides her jacket. “That’s it, I’m out.”
“Per stipulation 123 on subsection G of your contract you may back out of your agreement up to 1 hour before it is to begin while suffering only the minor penalties of a black mark on your record and a short term ban on the app. This time has passed. Backing out now will inflict a penalty of 400 credits as well as a ban lasting up to 2 weeks from the app.” A robotic voice spoke, just before a pale silhouette appeared on a screen that lowered from the ceiling. R4 noticed that the screen had a camera, allowing it to see all of them, as well as a second lens that let it focus in on them. It was currently focused on Data. “Data Rustler, Tier 1 Web Walker 4th degree, real name Dhorbitt Riccardo, you have 3 short term black marks in the last 4 months. A long term black mark at this stage will lead to your expulsion from the app as well as a deletion of all data.”
“Dude, Droppin’ real names like that, what’s your deal?” Welch asked.
The focusing lens shifted to Welch. “Welch, real name Jabari Smith, Tier 0 Solo 2nd degree, do you have anything to add? It has been noted you have one previous black mark within the past week. This was ignored due to your previous success record of 43% and your team survival record of 85%.” The camera swung to R4. “R4, Rachel Smith, Tier 0 Remote Tech 6th degree has a success rate of 100% despite her short time within this city.”
“Doing one job only tends to do that.” Data muttered.
“Ms. Mamik, I do not mean to interrupt, but where is the server we are to work on?” R4 asked. She gestured to the room. “This does not seem to be it.”
“The server is within the undercity.” The voice replied flatly. R4’s heart dropped into her stomach.
“As expected.” Smucker spoke. “I presume the usual additional credits will be sent to our accounts.”
“Additional compensation of 4000 credits per person will be provided on mission completion.” R4 heard her phone beep and checked the app. She had been given 400 credits
Routine maintenance work
Team size: 4
Hazard: 1 (meetup)
Company: Veritable strategic solutions
Contact: Laura Mamik
Reward: 400 credits
Looking for skilled self starters for a fast paced opportunity. Potential applicants should have a background in mechanical engineering with experience with computers and biological processes being a plus. Veritable Strategic Solutions is looking for some contractors to do work within a remote server room. Must supply your own tools. Materials will be supplied. Expected time: 4 hours plus travel.
Routine maintenance work
Team size: 4
Hazard: 2 (gang presence, undercity)
Company: Veritable strategic solutions (Gentek)
Contact: Laura Mamik
Reward: 4000 credits 250 exp.
Looking for skilled self starters for a fast paced opportunity. Potential applicants should have a background in mechanical engineering with experience with computers and biological processes being a plus. Veritable Strategic Solutions is looking for some contractors to do work within a remote server room. Must supply your own tools. Materials will be supplied. Expected time: 4 hours plus travel time.
Note: you will be traveling within the undercity.
“The job comes in three parts. You will pick up the materials here, they are already packaged and opening them will be seen as a breech of contract, before departing. You will make your way to subsection 4 elevator shaft 43, and arrive at floor -4.”
“That’s Blue Steel territory.” Data shot R4 a look. “You’re going to have a fun time. Red hair and all.”
“Once you arrive you will take the Mobile Utility Lifting Engine and escort it to the designated point. It knows where to go. Once you’re there setup should prove straight forwards.” The lens locked on R4. “You have constructed a computronix engine before have you not?”
R4 considered the question, and her face twisted in confusion before checking something on her phone. “Yes?” She replied, confused.
“Oh this is going to be fun.” Data muttered. “She can’t even do her job.”
“Are we talking the stage 3 nuclear powered core, or one of the anti-matter based ones?” R4 asked. “Or is this the positron self learning quantum brain versions? Is it preprogrammed, or will I be using Naga. If you’re using Medusae then it’s going to be an issue since Medusae is a Tier 1 language and you can’t program it without tier 1 levels of brain power. If we’re talking Basilisk or Oroboros that’s tier 2 and 3 respectively and there’s no way I can program that. Orphion and Jormungandr are secret programming languages so I can’t do those either.” She shot a look to Data. “Though I guess technically programmin’ th’ thing is your job.”
Data opened his mouth, then closed it.
“You’re on a tight schedule, get moving. We do not pay by the hour.” The screen went dark before receding into the ceiling.
“Well, might as well. Which vehicle shall we take?” Smucker asked.
“Yo, no way we ridin’ in Data’s weak sauce banger.”
Despite Welch’s protests, they did indeed pile into Data’s vehicle, a delivery truck marked in a decidedly western theme with cactus and wooden fences. The van even had a cowboy hat. Data drove, while Welch took shotgun, a four barreled monster of a shotgun in his lap. Smucker and R4 both found themselves in the back, next to four large metal backpacks and a strange boxy robot with four legs and a single headlight. It was a tight fit, partially because a third of the van was taken up by some manner of computer covered in blinking lights and quietly humming fans.
“Have you worked with a MULE before?” Smucker asked.
“First time, but it knows where to go correct?” R4 scanned it with her phone and an app downloaded to allow her to give it commands.
“Hey, hands off the MULE, I’ve got it. Bad enough some green horn nobody of a tech tagging along, go back to your family ranch and break something there.”
“Kin ya’ jus’ focus on th’ job an’ not be hasslin’ me? I’ll do my part an’ do it dang well. I ain’t some helpless kid.” R4 snapped back. “I don’t know what ya’ have ‘gainst me, but drop it.”
“Look kid.” Data turned around to face her. “You are a maggot, there are hundreds if not thousands of you feeding off this city. You’re neither Tier 1 nor anyone of note. You weren’t born here, and you don't belong here.”
“Data, eyes front!” Data whipped around, and the entire van jerked as he blared his horn. “Rust eaten wage slaves, OPEN your F****** eyes!”
R4 watched as Data cursed up a storm, and ignored a suspiciously human sized bump, before whispering to Smucker, “Is he always like that?” Smucker did not respond.
A few minutes later they parked and Data pressed a button that opened the back doors. “Alright, everyone out.” At his words the MULE hopped out, R4 and Smucker following. Smucker immediately drew his firearm and leveled it on a pair of blue haired men in dark blue jackets and jeans
“Woah man, we don’t mean no trouble.” One of the men, a teenager really, backed off. R4 saw the gun in his pocket.
“Back off the van before I scramble your optics.” Data yelled, stepping out of the vehicle. R4 felt a buzzing run through her horns and the two men vanished. “Alright, everyone unloaded.”
“Got all I need.” Welch replied, gesturing with his shotgun.
“Confirmed.” Smucker replied.
“Can’t forget the backpacks.” R4 replied, two packs in each arm. “I’m not sure what’s in them, but they’re heavy.”
“You carry those.” Data replied.
“All of them?” R4 asked. She adjusted one, then another. “Yeah, I think I’m gonna’ need some help.” She adjusted a third, “Uh guys, I think I kin get 3, but I’m not goin’ ta’ be much use otherwise.” Welch took one of the packs. “Thank ya’ Welch.” R4 quickly arranged her packs, and with a bit of osteoplast work she had something that partially resembled a sherpa’s pack. As she shrugged it on she noticed she had attracted a few onlookers. “What’cha lookin’ at? Y’all better not be a bunch a’ vultures waitin’ fer a slip up, ‘cause it ain’t happenin’.” With a huff she took off after the group, who had already gotten a bit of a lead on her with the MULE following after them. As she ran R4 noticed every one of the watchers had blue hair, some light some deep sapphire, but blue everywhere. As she followed the group she noticed more blue graffiti, with a few tags being tagged over in red.
“Is there a red verses blue war goin’ on?” she asked. She did not receive a response. “Ok then.”
She followed the team into a large concrete structure with an arrow pointing down emblazoned in neon. Data scanned his phone and one of the several elevator lights turned on. The group stepped in, and just before they could descend someone stuck their foot in the door.
“Hey, good timing.” a young man with bright blue hair spoke up.
“Out.” Data ordered. This is our elevator, get the next one.”
“No can do cowpoke.” As the doors opened back up he and three other men stepped in. All were armed, and all dressed in blue. The first was the leader, and had the sort of corrected features common to Tier 1’s, while his fellows lacked this. Each wore a blue bandana over their face, as well as a blue hat, one being a motorcycle helmet the other two baseball caps. The leader had no head covering and wore a jean jacket and blue jeans. “See, we reserved this time slot, and we’re not so happy a corp bought it out from under us.”
“I think you need to step back.” Data replied, R4 could feel the signals building up like static across her horns. “We’re doing official business, and some punks like you aren’t getting in the way.”
“And what are you going to do about it?” The leader asked.
“Um, I don’t mean to bust up your stand off, but I think th’ elevator is about ta’” The entire elevator let out a loud buzzing sound and flashed red. “We’re not over weight are we?”
“No.” Smucker spoke. “But we will lose our slot if we do not get a move on.”
“Hey yo, Step off ya hear? We ain’t a taxi service for you Blue Steel punks.” R4 saw Welch’s fists open up as the skin peeled back and revealed steel spikes. One of the Blue Steel gangsters drew a kukri while another drew a BAR knife that sparked.
“So you really want to tick off the corporations? Is a bit of time worth your life you little punks?” Data spoke, implants beneath his hat began lighting up. “Shall I send you crying back to mommy with burned out eyes, or full of holes.”
“You corps need to learn some manners. No only are you poaching our land and our spots, but you bring a Red into our territory.” The Blue Steel leader pointed to R4.
“Wait, what did I do?” R4 asked. She pointed to her hair. “You’re gonna’ raise Cain because I’m a redhead?” The elevator blared again. “Look, we’re not over the weight limit, what floor are ya’ goin’ to?”
“You idiot, we can’t just,” The Blue steel gangers stepped in and the elevator descended. “What is wrong with you?” Data yelled.
“We’re on our way, an’ we’re not paid by th’ hour.” R4 snapped back.
“You can’t just let a rival group on the same elevator. Do you know nothing?” Data snapped. “Idiot Remote, I should put a bullet between your eyes right now, maybe you’d actually gain some IQ points.”
R4 felt her claws slip from her fingers. “Try it idiot, I’m carryin’ th’ boxes, an’ good luck settin’ up the machines without me? Ya send a power surge through th’ lines an’ I’m bettin’ losin’ yer’ paycheck’ll be th’ least a’ yer worries.”
“At least I have a paycheck, you remotes wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if it bit ya’ on th’ neck. You Solarians have no concept of the grind.”
“You think I don’t,” R4 paused and sniffed. “Is that popcorn?” She looked to see the Blue Steel gangsters munching on popcorn, or something that looked like popcorn.
“No, don’t mind us, just enjoying the show.” The leader replied.
R4 quickly trilled to her phone, which immediately trilled the entirety of the rules of the elevator back to her over the course of three seconds. “You’re not supposed to have food on the elevator.”
“And, what are you going to do about it?”
R4’s stomach growled, and she put her hand into her pocket. The Blue Steel gangsters tensed, hands moving to their own weapons, but R4’s instead drew out a protein bar. She eyed the camera watching her, eyed the bar, and put it back. She eyed Data, who was still glaring her and whose hand was on his weapon. She looked to Welch, who was counting his ammunition while casually menacing with his shotgun. It wasn’t actually aimed at anything other than the floor, but it was in the general direction of the Blue Steels. Smucker was reorganizing his medical kit. R4 looked around at the rest of the elevator. It was an octagonal room of gray steel and other metal alloys. There was a dim blue light shining from above. R4 eyed the numerous buttons, noticing the lights for -4 and -6 were lit up. “So what’s on floor -6?”
“Wouldn’t a Red like to know.” The leader replied.
“Fine, keep your secrets.” R4 replied. “And what’s a Red, I’ve got red hair because my folks do and I didn’t feel like dying it black. No one said it was a capital offense.”
“Red heads don’t have souls.” One of the other Blues replied.
“I have evidence you do, and the prototype tells me it is delicious.”
“Not now.” R4 trilled before switching back to Common. “Who came up with that idea? Did someone get on the wrong end of a bad breakup?”
“A Red like you wouldn’t get it.” one of the Blues replied as the leader replied, “Probably. The Reds and Blues have been fighting since the first days of Nu’Grav.”
“That’s a lot of hate. I don’t suppose there’s a way ta’ keep out’a it?”
“Sure, shave your head,” With a flash of claws R4’s head was shaved, again, and the hair vanished into her bag. The leader blinked. “Did you just…” He was interrupted by a low ding as the elevator doors opened.
“Oh, here’s our stop.” R4 spoke as the MULE stood up. “Nice meeting you.”
As their team quickly stepped off the elevator R4 noticed the odd look Welch was giving her, while Data was staring daggers. Yet all that was forgotten the moment her feet touched the floor of the undercity.
Immediately she felt the strange reverberation of walking on tier 2 concrete. It had a strange lack of give, and even her soft boots made an odd shuffling sound walking across. The tunnel smelled of sterile alcohol and gunpowder. There had been lights above, yet now they were dim and left large sections of shadow beneath.
“Come on, we’re not getting paid by the hour.” Data said, making a gesture that sent the MULE marching. “R4, you take the rear. If we get ambushed and have to run I don’t want to lose anything important.”
“Do the three packs I’m carryin’ count as important?” R4 replied. Data pretended he didn’t hear. He led the way, taking a moment to check his phone against the various landmarks, and complaining that several had moved.
“Can landmarks move?” R4 asked.
“You came down here without knowing? Is this your first time down here ya’ foo’?” R4 winced at Welch’s loud tone, as did Data.
“First time willingly.” R4 replied.
“Then you’re either an idiot or you got nerves of steel girl, because down here,” he pivoted and blasted his shotgun, brilliant red sparks shooting forth into a shadowy mass which smashed right into his legs and sent him sprawling. “Glitter huffing rust bucket!”
R4 immediately rushed to his side, gloving her hands in force and grabbing the creature. Its skin seemed to come apart like wet sand, until all that was left was a box covered in wires and two blenders. “What the?”
“Scath!” Data called out, drawing his weapon.
R4 tried to draw her firearm, before remembering it was still in her pocket rather than its sheath. She reached for it, but some instinct warned her it would be too late as one of the scath grabbed onto her arm and yanked it from her coat. Panic flooded her mind as R4 scrambled to rip it from her arm. In her panic she forgot her claws, only to remember as she felt her claws grab the creature by the head and rather then push it off they shredded right through it. A low hiss reached her ears and she swung wildly at a second lunging scath, catching it right in the throat and sending its head flying off. Finally catching a break she drew her firearm, just in time to double tap another of the scath, the first blow catching it in the side and the second in the neck as it stumbled. A shot from Smucker finished it off, his own weapon blowing its head off with a thunderous rebuke.
Just like that it was over. R4 had killed two and assisted Smucker with his one. Even as they dissolved R4 couldn’t help but thing they looked like the mangy coyotes she used to shoot on her parent’s farm. Data stood over one which lacked any bullet wounds though its eyes seemed to have exploded from within, while Welch,
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“Hey, get this thing of me!” he exclaimed, pushing the large hound-like creature off. Now that it was dead its body was quickly coming apart, but he was still buried under 40 kg of sand. R4 quickly checked the scene to make sure it was safe, noting two other bodies already lying in small piles nearby, before she and Smucker each took an arm and pulled him up. “Woo, first shootout of the day. Nothin’ like it, eh Remote?” He eyed the pistol in her hands, “you really fighting with that thing? Girl, you braver than I thought.”
“Stop chatting with the remote, those gunshots rang the dinner bell, keep up.” Data broke into a fast jog, with Welch and Smucker keeping pace. R4 started strong, keeping pace easily, yet as they continued she felt herself begin to tire. She quickly lost track of how many turns they had taken, the under city a maze of corridors and rooms. Six times they went through a large round room, the first time through a high walk way, the rest through other walkways. Only on the third time did R4 notice that a strange plant was growing at the bottom of the room, and on the fourth she noticed it was actually a different plant. The fifth and sixth time confirmed rather than going through the same round room, they were identical rooms.
“Did the architect copy and paste that room?” R4 asked, her breath now coming in catches.
“Likely.” Smucker replied, before gasping. “Data, we need a 5’er.”
“What, our little Tech can’t handle it?”
“Dude,” Welch gasped. “We’ve been running for 20 minutes, ease up.”
“Fine, there’s a nook up ahead.” R4 saw the spot, a side room that seemed to have been carved to house something at one time. As she approached she saw the door had been ripped open by something with three large claws.
“Y’all, is this safe?”
“It’s the undercity, of course it’s not.” Data snapped. He took out his phone and checked something. “Damn Corps.”
“Don’t tell me we’re lost.” R4 muttered. Data shot her a look, “This was supposed ta’ be a 4 hour job, it’s already been 20 minutes a’ runnin’. I’m guessin’ we’re not getting’ paid mileage.”
“You shut your ignorant Tier 0 mouth Remote.” Data shot back. “I know exactly where I am and what I’m doing.”
R4 gritted her teeth, fully knowing she was about to say something she’d regret. “So, if y’all are so great an’ wise, Mr. Tier 1 Web Walker, why did we just spend the last 20 minutes running AWAY from our goal?”
“Hol up, what you talking ‘bout?”
With a gesture and a bit of trilling R4 called up the map on her phone. “Look, here’s the elevator, an’ here’s th’ room we’re supposed to be in. Easy 5 minute walk.”
“What the F*** man?” Welch exclaimed, examining the map.
“That path goes right through the Flesh Eater’s territory.” Data replied. R4 gave him a confused look, though Welch went pale. “If you weren’t a f***ing remote you’d know that.”
“I’m guessing that’s a dimdwell gang.” R4 replied.
“A cult actually.” Smucker replied. “They’re worse. They’re backed by a rogue AI. Warlocks, a cult of chrome damned warlocks.”
[[Do not eat human flesh]] Flashed across R4’s eye. “So we’re going out of our way to avoid them? I guess that makes sense.”
“See, I know what I’m talking about.” Data shot back. “This route takes us around their territory, things would have been just fine if we didn’t run into those Scath. Now we have to shake them before we get there, or they’ll be scratching at our door for the entire set up and if they get in we’ll be footing the bill for anything they damage. Why can’t you get that?”
“Ok, I understand yer’ logic, an’ I kin agree with it.” R4 replied. “A heads up would ‘a been nice, but I get it.”
“Well I thought with your 3D mind you would have thought of something so simple.” R4 decided not to correct him, though it urked her to do so. “I guess that’s on me, I thought you might actually have some intelligence in your organic skull. Guess that’s on me.” He huffed before sitting down and taking out some manner of interface device from his bag. He eyed the red blinking light before finding a power outlet to plug into on one of the walls
As the group settled down for a rest R4 eyed the nook. It was a large concrete room with several power outlets and long scratches on the floor from where large machinery had been moved quickly. She noted that the corners had been smoothed out, and the concrete was darker there. Approaching her horns started to buzz as they picked up a signal.
[[Metamorphic concrete.]] “Looks like this room is undergoing construction, being recycled by one of the AI for other use.”
“They can do that?” R4 asked.
“They do so constantly, just very slowly. They can do it faster, but that requires lots of processing power, energy, and nanites. Metamorphic concrete has a few nanites in it, so it can be reshaped, but looks like this room isn’t high on the priority list. It still has power.” R4 noticed the others plugging into the outlets to charge various gear. “While you’re here,”
Plug it in plug it in
Team size: 1 (secret)
Difficulty: bloodless
Company: Fangs of Mara
Contact: The Red Queen
Reward: 200 exp. Construction blueprints (Payment Advanced)
An opportunity to study morphic concrete has come up. This material comes in many tiers and is usually the domain of the more powerful AI. Nu’Grav is literally built upon this material. A remote observation post would be quite useful, and this place even provides a source of power.
“You can feed on electricity?” R4 trilled, opening up her tool arm as the construction blueprints seemed to appear in her mind. It wasn’t so much reading a book as remembering something she had read a while ago, save she never had. Fishing around in her bag she had some odds and ends, which she quickly fed into her tool arm to fabricate what she needed. Most of the material was bone, which she noted was tier 1. “How am I using tier 1 material at tier 0?”
“Your ravager cyberware is tier 1, and it is providing the material. Your tool arm will not last the year at this rate, nor will you.”
“Is that a threat Red?” R4 trilled back. A tickling from one horn that crawled across her brow to the other was the only response.
“Purchase the premium membership to unlock more questions.”
“One day I am, jus’ so I kin’ annoy you.”
“How exactly are you adding your accent to resonant?
“Purchase premium to unlock more questions.
“… you win this time R4.”
The device R4 ended up building looked somewhat like a webcam on a tripod, save the tripod was made from reddish bone. She used a few repurposed lenses from some broken web cameras she had found here and there, and some components she had purchased. The majority were bone, and she promptly ate a protein bar afterwards.
“What’s that?” Welch asked.
“It’s a camera.” R4 replied. “This room is full of morphic concrete, and I want to record how it works for my work.”
“Morphic concrete cannot be controlled by humans until Tier 3, and even then it is a slow process best left to AI.” Smucker spoke up. “Also you’re not getting a signal in here.”
“Good catch.” R4 quickly plugged an SD card in and opened an app on her phone. [[Undercity Lore]] opened up and she dropped a talon, before realizing she had never downloaded the app. A moment later she realized it was the same app she had used to recover a map of their gig. “Ok, I’m good to go.”
“About time.”
R4 followed Data’s lead, and managed to keep pace without too much trouble. The way back was nothing like the way they had come. Rather than tight tunnels this route followed large caverns dripping with water from metal stalactites. R4 eyed the pools beneath, deep pools of water strangely free of pollution and made from morphic concrete. An urge to jump into one began building in the back of her skull, a longing to take another break and swim. She felt her horns twitch, which was certainly an odd sensation. She could practically feel the inviting warmth coming from them, her fangs itched between her teeth, and she barely stifled a yawn. As they continued she thought she could almost see steam coming from one of the pools. It was only because she was looking longingly into the water she saw it.
“Heads up, four bodies in th’ drink. Two in blue, one in black, and one in a yellow raincoat.” R4 pointed. “Possible ambush.”
“Say what?” Immediately Welch took aim, and his gun began to click. “No way that’s an ambush, probably some blues chased the guy in yellow down here and they all fell in the pool. That pool’s hotter than a wastelander cookout. Rust man, why didn’t you tell us we were going through a hot zone
“It’s just mild radiation, pop a RadTab™ and don’t linger.” Data replied, yet R4 saw him pick up the pace just a little more.
“Man, this gig is just one thing after another, Smuckers, grab me a tab.” Smucker handed over a tablet to Welch, before offering one to R4.
“2 credits.”
“Thought you were the team medic.” R4 replied, sending him 2 credits as she took the tablet. She noticed it was cherry flavored, which almost covered the taste of iodine beneath.
[[Biomonitor: RadTab™ consumed. Shedding radiation. Current radiation is at acceptable levels.]] [[Ravager_prototype: foreign chemical is reducing radiation absorption. ATP regeneration reduced. Adjusting countermeasures]] The second popup caused R4 to raise an eyebrow.
“Team medic just means Smucker here carries the medicine and doesn’t charge for his services. You’re still paying market price for the stuff he uses.” Welch replied. “Rust, you’re getting’ a steal. Before I met ‘im had a medic named Katt who charged 200% on anything she used.”
“That’s horrible.” R4 replied.
“Yeah, got her back though. Last time I saw her she was pinned down with two Mars Corporation mechs laying down suppressive fire. I saved 2400 credits that day.”
“I really don’t know how to feel about that.”
After about ten minutes of walking the group came to a cliff face. Rather than stone the cliff was made from morphic concrete, and resembled a pile of sand after half of it has been washed away by rising tide. Below the cliff the concrete gave way to metal, small blue lights providing illumination.
“I didn’t know rappelling was going to be a requirement fer’ this assignment.” R4 spoke up, already reaching into her bag. “Is th’ MULE goin’ ta’ be ok?” She watched as the MULE walked down the cliff face without even slowing down. “Ok then, guess that works.”
“Geronimo!” Welch called, jumping off the cliff face and dropping the ten meters without care. He landed hard, and R4 saw sparks light up around his legs. “See Dawg, told ya’ those cyberlegs were worth it.
“Step aside.” Data spoke, jumping after. He jumped, and hit hard. R4 heard a low CRACK as something gave. He cried out in paid. R4 looked down at the wounded Data, then to Welch.
“Welch has special legs that allow him to drop long distances without harm. Apparently Data does not, and Tier 1 Force can only do so much against fall damage.”
“I see.” R4 replied, hammering a spike into the metamorphic concrete. She quickly took out a rope and tied it on. The rope already had several knots tied into it. With a gesture her hands were coated in telekinetic force. “Y’all want to go first?” Smucker nodded. “Have at it, I’ll keep watch up here.”
With that R4 watched Smucker make his way down, while Data groaned something on the floor below. R4 took out her pistol just in case something tried to follow them. She eyed the weapon for a moment, feeling the cheap stamped metal rough in her hands.
“If you’re going to use a gun, you need a better one.”
[[Non-cyberware]]
Rite™ Munitions Trigger Finger pistol
DC 8
2D6 damage
Scaling: 4
Exceed: N/A
Range: 10 meters
Ammo 7/9
N/A
This is a basic pistol I wouldn’t use on anything bigger than a mundane human. Come on R4, you can do better. Your claws are superior in every way save range.
“And in comparison”
[[Cyberware]]
N/A
R4, get the cheapest set of scratchers, cyberhands, or whatever you want for this. I don’t need quality, I just need the proper RFID to cover for you
Telekinetic claws.
The exact method by which the feral ravagers can use a tier 3 ability that usually requires at least 16 mind and 6 empathy appears to come down to several nodes of nervous tissue.
DC: variable (pending) (presumed 4 or 5)
Damage: variable (pending) (presumed 1d6)
Scaling: 4
Range: Melee
Note: Ravager claws suspend a haze of ravager toxin, inflicting it on anyone they strike. Requires poison or adrenal cyberware to properly adjust toxin.
“What am I seeing here?” R4 trilled, shooting a glance to her phone watching Smucker descend. It was now open to her [[My MESH]] app, which was doing a better job then just projecting it to her eye would.
“So melee weapons are generally harder to use than guns, which are point and click. They also have range. Using the absolutely perfect and not at all arbitrary d6 system the AI devoted countless computational hours and human lives to for every d6 of damage the difficulty of using a gun increases by 4, and aiming for an important spot increases the DC while also increasing the damage. There’s more to it. Your claws work the same way, though the exact DC to damage is something I’m still working out. I think it’s 4 to 1, same as guns, but I won’t know until you get some extra cyberware I can shove the workload onto. I’ll send you some deals after work.”
R4 blinked when she saw Smucker had barely made any progress in moving, until she remembered the entire exchange happened in less than a second. She turned her head back towards the tunnel and ice ran through her veins. A humanoid figure crouched in the tunnel, a ripped yellow rain slicker covering them.
“Hey, we got someone up here.” R4 called down. She eyed the figure as they crawled closer. She raised her gun and stepped forwards.
“Forget about them,” Data called out, through clenched teeth if R4 wasn’t mistaken. “They’re secondary to the gig.”
R4 still approached. They look hurt, their leg dragged behind them. They wore a heavy yellow raincoat that obscured their figure save for their pale hands, and a pair of torn up boots. As they crawled they left a puddle of water behind them. The figure rasped out something R4 couldn’t quite hear.
“They look hurt, I think they broke their leg somehow and fell in the water.” The words stuck in R4’s mind. That water was radioactive. They were dead, even if they could get help.
“Then they’re dead, no amount of Radtabs™ can fix that.”
Perhaps it was a sound, or a delayed reaction, but something called R4’s eyes back to the wounded man. Was that the same man she had just seen, or were there two men wearing yellow jackets in the undercity? That would make three given Gris the Deep fish. Their hood was up, but that struck her as odd, as did how the hood hung on their head. It didn’t seem to flop over their head, as it was being supported by something. Almost as if they were wearing a second hat under their hood to give it shape, yet that too wasn’t quite right. It was almost as if they had a helmet,
Or horns.
R4 jumped back just before the creature lunged, its claws glistening with captured water.
“Run!” R4 turned and bolted, pushing with all she was worth. She saw the rope, and knew she wasn’t going to have time to stop and grab it. She eyed the wall, tier 1 metal, too tough for her claws, “Initiate flare protocol!”
With a flying leap she threw herself to the wall, claws out. The wall let out a pained shriek as she jammed her claws in it and skidded down, leaving a long scratch mark as she fell. Throwing a glance back she witnessed the hooded monster stop at the top of the cliff, six gleaming silvery claws hanging a half meter below each sleeve. She saw Smucker looking up at the creature, and she could swear she saw the thing’s fang filled smile as it raised its arm. “Welch, catch Smucker!”
It took Welch a moment to comprehend what R4 was saying, but to his credit he was a skilled solo and knew his business. With a single blow Yellow Coat not only cut the rope but sent a chunk of Tier 1 metamorphic concrete flying into the wall hard enough that it stuck like a javelin into a target. Smucker let out a yell as he dropped the remaining 10 meters, only for Welch to jump, catching him and landing with a deep THUD.
R4 stared up as Yellow Coat stared down. Its left eye glowed a dull red as it paced the top of the cliff. She reached for her pistol, but Data moved faster. “Target: Unknown_humanoid. Specify: Identified_point. Initiate: Data_herd_shutdown.” As he spoke his vest and hat lit up, a RGB circuit pattern flashing to life. R4 felt a low hum as he sent a signal that lodged itself into Yellow Coat’s cyberware, and did nothing. The entity’s red eye flickered once, but did nothing else. “Dagnabbit, what the,” The creature’s eye flickered twice as it maw spit a phrase that contained 245 gigabites of code that immediately crashed R4’s translation module sent Data into spasms. His mouth opened to let out a horrific scream as he foam poured from his lips.
“Grab him and run.” Smucker spoke calmly.
“Yeah, Data’s got that Tier 1 body, he ain’t going to die flopping around, but the F*** that thing is looks dangerous.”
R4 hesitated only a moment before picking up Data and running. She felt his weight as only a faint nudge in her mind as her tier 1 strength surged.
“Quickly, take a right!” Smucker shouted, his voice loud but his tone even. He vanished into a side passage and Welch followed. Just as R4 reached the turn she heard a loud scream. R4’s ears heard just a sound of of outrage, of a starving hunter denied a meal. Within the scream was a 100 pages of gibberish, yet one word was repeated again and again.
“Atropus”
Even as ice crawled up her spine R4 managed to follow Smucker until he held up a hand and stopped dead still. R4 tried to stop, she really did, but given she was carrying a now no longer convulsing Data as well as three backpacks worth of gear she didn’t quite manage.
“Look out!” Welch turned just in time to see R4, and she promptly bowled him over before tripping over him. The three backpacks made a loud BANG and the collision elicited a groan from Data.
“Watch it, you trying to ring the dinner bell?” Welch shot back, picking himself up. R4 took a bit to right herself, her backpack not helping. “What was that thing, I ain’t never seen a scath on two legs.”
“Talk later, get in.” Smucker held open a door and ushered them all inside. The moment they were inside he slammed the door and locked it. “R4, can you weld this shut?”
“No, but I can glue it shut” She immediately began layering the door with tier 1 bone.
“Bro, what was that thing?” Welch asked.
“Unknown.”
“Don’t you watch all those nature documentaries? Maybe that thing was, like, a mutated baboon or something. Some kind of lab experiment one of the corps let loose. Gentek or something?”
“Gentek, Mitian, Mars Corporation, perhaps one of the smaller corporations like Biotek. All use human testing. A terror weapon designed by Lok-1 would be my guess. It hid among corpses in a place we thought dangerous.” He paused, tapping his helmet which promptly lit up for a few moments as he examined Data. “Welch, watch that direction. R4, give me a hand.”
R4 watched as Smucker examined Data, rolling his pant leg up and getting to work. Beneath his brown pants, and the chaps that had to come off first, his right leg was badly bruised. As Smucker ran several tools over his body, pulling each wand and scanner from his pack as if he was a magician pulling rabbits from a hat, he mumbled his findings. R4 listened closely, and understood a bit of what he said.
“Ok, looks like your tibia and fibula are cracked, but being tier 1 you should heal from that in a few days. You’re lucky you’re tier 1, if you weren’t you’d probably be dead instead of just injured. In AI terms, I’d say you’re at 3 wounds out of 6.”
“Dagnabbit.” Data muttered. “I just got those free wounds, and they’re already gone.”
“I can ease the pain, but you are on borrowed time. Three day rest after this.”
“Just keep me going Doc.” Data eyed R4. “Don’t make me look bad in front of this Remote.”
Smucker drew a small injector and administered something to Data, then stretched a sheet of fabric across his leg which tightened after he gave it a slight jolt of electricity. “This will hold. How far are we from our goal?”
“Not far. Maybe five minutes run.”
“You ride the MULE, you need to stay off that leg or it could get worse. Focus on getting us there. Remote, I hope you can get that door back open.”
Data huffed, but he did not offer further complaint. R4 kept an eye out as they walked, and what she saw did not inspire confidence. While previously their footsteps were quiet against the metal that made up the hallways and the morphic concrete, now a strange groaning sound echoed with every step. It recalled to her the sound of walking across a catwalk while helping her father repair an old windmill, one that was shortly after demolished and replaced. She caught what she almost thought was the scent of rotting meat, save it wasn’t quite right.
Turning a corner R4 felt a chill run down her spine, yet as she looked over her shoulder she didn’t see anyone watching her. Rather, she saw a camera, its unblinking lens staring at her. She moved to one side, then to another, but it did not respond to her presence.
“Yo, R, what are you doing?” Welch called back already a few meters ahead of her.”
“There’s a camera, I’m trying to figure out if it’s watchin’ us.”
“Hey, Data, is that cam scannin’ us?” Welch asked.
Data looked at both of them with distain in his eyes before sighting and squinting at the camera. He paused, eyes going wide. “It is, and it’s feeding to our destination. There’s a low tier AI running security, it’s… eating popcorn?” He paused. “Time to run, giddyup MULE.” Immediately a signal went to the MULE and it took off. R4 began to jog after the thing, as did Smucker. Welch had no problem keeping up, and Data grunted in pain at the now rough ride.
“This much movement is bad for your leg. You should slow down.”
“Shut up and run.” From the tone of his voice, R4 didn’t question it, and neither did anyone else. “Two hundred meters, then turn left. Look for a door marked with a gray eye.”
Exactly as he said, the group came upon a door marked with a gray eye. The sight shot shivers down R4’s spine, for she was certain it was the eye of a corpse just barely open. Data quickly hit a series of buttons on a hidden keypad beside the door and it slid open silently. Data went in first, followed by Welch and Smucker, with R4 bringing up the rear. The moment R4 made it inside she felt the door close behind her and heard a click, followed by several more as several locks initiated. R4 quickly added a layer of bone to be sure.
“Ok, we should be safe in here.” Data spoke quietly. He looked around the room, prompting the rest of the team to do the same. The room was dim and utilitarian. Several servers beeped and hummed, and R4 immediately noted one was making a low grinding sound that she would need to take a look at. As the group walked in the lights flickered, the vibrations adding stress to a light system that was clearly in need of work. “Welch, you’re on security. I’ll patch you into the local cameras but make sure you’re ready to shoot. The local AI is on high alert for some reason, and I don’t know why. Smucker, see what you can do for my leg. Remote,” He glared at R4. “This is where you do your job, so get to it. We’re not getting paid by the hour.”
R4 had taken a look at her duties while in Data’s van, but now she examined her phone and the list of things to do more closely. The list was short, but intricate. She quickly unpacked the four backpacks full of gear, finding it was mostly consumables and spare parts. A quick look was all she needed to tell why so many spare parts were needed. “What the, this stuff is all Chinerium.” R4 grimaced and opened up her tool arm. “This may take a bit.”
It in fact, did take a bit. On the very first server that needed maintenance R4 had three screws break on her, forcing her to do some creative adjustments, drilling out the entire screw casing before replacing it with her osteoblasts and pressing a new screw in it, which she doubted would come out without breaking. While she had it open she took out the damaged fan, which was down a blade, and cleaned out the shattered blade pieces. Taking a look at the fan she was given to replace she declared, “This thing has a snowball’s chance in Hell of lasting the month.” She rolled up here sleeves and got to work. The next machine had fraying wires, with the plastic melted from excessive current being forced through them. The one after, R4 wasn’t sure what had happened, but the motherboard was completely cooked and had to be replaced.
“That looks like a cyber attack.” Data spoke up, sniffing. “Someone didn’t spring for the good circuit breakers and a charge built up until it cooked.” He watched as R4 quickly swapped it out and replaced it with a new one. “Hand it over.”
“Pardon?”
“The orders didn’t mention what to do with the old components right? So hand it over. I’m team lead, I make the calls.”
“An’ what if I want it?” R4 asked. “Like ya’ said, no one cares about th’ old components.”
“No one cares until someone brings it up.” He glared, his eyes beginning to glow. “All it takes are a few words from me and suddenly our employer becomes VERY interested in why you want a damaged motherboard. I mean, it’s not like you’re going to sell it to a rival company trying to find out secrets, I mean, that would result in your pay being canceled. You might even be terminated,” He put his fingers to his head miming a gun, “Permanently.”
R4 gritted her teeth. “Why do you want it?”
“Same reason as you, but I’m Tier 1. They’ll listen to me because I’m hard to replace. You, they’re throw you away like yesterday’s meal wrapper.” He reached out a hand. “So give.”
R4 eyed him. “Fine, here. Take it.” As she handed it over she extended a single claw and cut the board in half. “After all, you’re the leader, since it’s not in the job what to do with the junk it’s your call.” R4 watched his expression as the motherboard seemed to fall apart in his hands. “Well dog-rabbit, that Chinerium is cheap junk.
“I’ll get you for this.”
“For breaking something you were supposed to throw away anyhow? Is there something you’re not telling us?” R4 asked.
“Hey, Remote, how ‘bout you shut your mouth before you get us all killed.” Welch called. “When you on a job you’re loyal to your employer. Period. None of this over employment stuff, no secret agendas. If you’re cut, you bleed company colors, ya’ hear?”
“Welch is correct. On a gig you are loyal to your employer, period. Period. Period.” Smucker spoke, adjusting his helmet, though R4 saw a slight flash of light she thought might be a wink.
“So as long as I’m on this gig, I work for Veritable Strategic Solutions, and none other.” R4 replied. “I get it. It’s like back home, when yer’ workin’ with another family ya’ follow their way a’ doin’ things, even if yours is better.”
“30 credits she dies before the gig’s over.” Data spoke up.
“Dude, no way I’m takin’ that bet. You’ll just kill her to win.”
“I’ll take that bet, but if you do kill her it’s off.” Smucker replied.
“Gee, thank’s guys.” R4 replied, going back to her work. “If you need me I’ll just be over here, doing my job.”
There were so many pieces R4 spent the next three hours head down and dead to anything that wasn’t held together with screws, clamps, or duct tape, and she found a LOT of duct tape. One server had several overheat warnings, because it had been wrapped up in tape like a cocoon. As R4 cut it the entire thing fell apart, spilling wires and circuit boards everywhere. The noise was so loud Welch jumped, and promptly crunched a section of fan that rolled under his foot.
“What the F*** Remote?”
“Don’t blame me, blame whatever hack job set this up.” R4 went back into the thing, crawling inside the case. She threw out a roll of tape that had been left over. “Couldn’t even spring for the good tape.”
As R4 worked she noticed strange scratches within the machinery. “Hey, do mice live down here?”
“Occasionally you’ll see some, but this place is pretty tight.” Welch replied. “Hey Smucker, you mind keeping an eye out, I have to go take a leak.”
“There is a rest room approximately 30 meters south.” Data spoke, not moving from where he was sitting, his head tilted back as he stared into space. “There has been a team that used it about half an hour ago, they didn’t lose anyone so I think it’s safe. They had worse gear than us, and only 3 members. Our remote might not be enough of a detriment to lose the fight.”
“Oh shove off ya’ worm ridden virus plagued wirehead.” R4 retorted.
“Is that the best insult you could come up with? I’ve heard better on public television.” Data replied. R4 heard her first server begin to hum. “Hope you didn’t leave anything in there, bosses want this stuff turned on pronto.”
“Do they want it done right, or do they want it done now?”
“They want it done right now.” He hummed to himself. “The F*** remote, you botched your connections. Drive 4 is supposed to plug into drive 37, not 36.”
“Um, R4, can you let me out? The door’s welded shut.”
“And how can you tell that. The directions said every drives 4-12 must connect ta drives 36-44.” R4 got up from where she was working and moved to the door. Taking out her ostoblast/osteoclast assembly she started to remove the bone, before an idea occurred. With a little work she replaced the solid block of bone with a zipper design. With a final gesture she ran her finger up it, and the door opened without issue, to the relief of Welch. She turned back to Data, who was miming flicking through a book before finally finding what he was looking for.
“If you review the handbook you’d know that in multi-drive connections like this you always increase the number by one, reverting the final to the first, so only someone familiar with the system can correctly hop from drive to drive. Go back and do it right.”
“Fine.” R4 approached the drive and reached for the off switch when she heard the sound of a gun cocking. “What’s yer’ problem now?”
“I just restarted the boot up sequence, if you turn it off I’ll have to start over.”
“An’ how in the seven hills am I supposed ta’ fix it with all th’ fans goin’. I ain’t getting’ my hair caught jus’ cause y’re impatient.” R4 snapped, conveniently forgetting she currently lacked any hair.
“That sounds like your problem, and as team leader I’m telling you to fix it without turning it off, or learn how to breathe with additional ventilation in your chest cavity.”
“I don’t like this guy.”
R4 nodded, but said nothing. She quickly moved the server so she could get at the cords. Between each of the racks dozens of hair hungry fans whirred in anticipation of catching a loose strand and pulling R4 into their plastic embrace, or it would had she not given herself an impromptu haircut a few hours back. Of course it took her only a few moments to rearrange the wires she needed, a little telekinesis speeding her actions while also keeping her safe from the hungry blades.
THUMP!
“Hey, I think Welch wants back in.” R4 spoke up as she finished.
THUMP! THUMP! With each blow the lights seemed to flicker.
“Guys, is someone going to let him in?”
“I’m busy.” Data replied.
“He knows he must recite the password before he comes in.” Smucker replied.
“What’s the password?” R4 asked. Smucker did not reply. “Fine.” She stepped out and walked to the door. “Hey Welch, you lock yourself out?” She eyed the door, it had a wireless lock, but also an emergency latch on the inside. The emergency lock connected to each of the other locks, allowing someone on the inside to open the several locks on the outside all at once.
As she reached for it an electric jolt shot up her arm. “Red, what was that?” She trilled, before a weight of fatigue pulsed through her mind. Her stomach growled and for a moment the room began to sway. R4 staggered, nearly falling to the floor. The lights flickered for a moment, before stabilizing.
“Are you alright?”
[[ATP 50%. You are starving]]
“What the, Red, what was that?” R4 spoke, pausing as she realized she was speaking common rather than resonant.
“My name is Smucker, not Red.” Smucker replied, drawing a device from his pocket and scanning R4. He paused. “That can’t be right. Are you diabetic?”
“Not last I checked.” R4 replied, rising and staggering. “I just got a pop up that I’m starving though. She quickly took a protein bar from her pocket, but as she opened it only a sickly pale dust poured out. “What the?”
THUMP! THUMP!
“Step away from the door.” Data spoke in a clipped but urgent tone. R4 hopped back, or tried to. Her right leg was slow to respond and she fell to the ground, her head continuing to swim. As her vision cleared she noticed something.
“Was the door always that rusty?”
“That is Tier 2 steel, it does not rust.” Smucker replied, before eyeing the door. “Or it shouldn’t.
Another wave of nausea and sickness washed over R4, causing her to nearly lose her lunch. Instead, a viscous bile filled her lips, which she managed to spill into a corner of the room rather than the center.
[[You are dying, initiate flare protocol]]
“Initiate flare protocol.” R4 whispered. Immediately she felt a clawing in her gut. She immediately tore into her 4 remaining protein bars, casting the wrappers aside and throwing them into her mouth. It wasn’t enough. Unwillingly her eyes fell upon her coworkers. Just a bite, maybe two. They wouldn’t miss it.”
“Don’t.”
Tap… Tap… Something tapped on the door, a spiderweb of rust pulsing from a single point. R4 held her breath, Data disconnected from the servers and drew his gun, Smucker knelt and took aim. For a minute nothing happened. Then, as if a cloud had passed from the sun, an oppressive feeling R4 hadn’t known she was feeling passed.
[[Omen of Atropus has ended. You have gained 500 exp]] R4 noticed her coworkers both checked their phones as well.
“1000 exp, what the… No, no you don’t. Get out of my HEAD!”
“That, is troubling.” Smucker added.
“What, that we got exp from surviving something?” R4 asked.
“Yes.” Smucker replied. “Exp is processing power, held in trust and used within vast machines to enhance body and mind at the cost of empathy and soul.”
“Can’t you use exp to boost empathy though?” R4 asked.
“Maybe at the third tier they can, as part of some experimental procedure, but not at our tier.”
[[User Data Rustler has gifted you 1000 exp]] R4 eyed Data as he glared at her. [[Error: Exp cannot be transferred.]]
“No, NO. Don’t you send that to me. I want NOTHING to do with that nonsense.” He turned to the door and stared. “All the cameras outside the door are shot, and I don’t want to open the doors to let out Silvie if whatever THAT thing was decided to stick around to grab us.”
“I’m going to try to raise Welch.” Smucker spoke up. R4 noticed his mask began to blink green for a few moments, before it flashed red. He immediately tried again, his mask flashing green, then red. Green… then red. Green… then red.