Ratchet analyzed the design specifications provided by proxy unit Ram. Secrecy was insisted upon. Ratchet accepted and installed the thought blocker function. Proxy unit Rom would be kept busy working on the rebuild and fabrication of replacement parts for the valkyrie unit Rebecca.

Material samples were requested for analysis from the valkyrie unit, but permission was denied. Ratchet would send a unit out to retrieve material samples from the terminated valkyrie unit in the future.

As the request from proxy unit Ram aligned with the goals of the primary unit, Ratchet agreed to assist. The design specifications were rudimentary, but Ratchet could make sense of them for the purposes of part fabrication. It extrapolated part geometry where none was provided, based on part function and intended design needs.

Making use of the [Delivery] network, Ratchet gathered materials as needed from The AutoFoundry. One set of arms and eyes focused on part fabrication and refinement, another focused on internal and mana delivery components, and the last set handled assembly and modification.

Proxy unit Ram would assist proxy unit Rom with the valkyrie unit repair work. Ratchet assessed that proxy unit Ram would prefer to do the work on their own, but time was not sufficient. In order to aid in the obfuscation of the project that Ratchet had been assigned, Ratchet placed each completed assembly into [Storage] space.

Within two days, Ratchet had completed the first of two bodies. The original design required modification in order to facilitate proper transformation sequencing while maintaining the intended design aesthetic of “twins”, which seemed pointless to Ratchet.

The completed body was designated Rom Mk II and stored away, waiting to be shipped to the primary unit for final approval and firmware installation. The primary unit lacked the ability for thought segregation and isolation due to the nature of the unit. The only plausible solution for keeping the project hidden from proxy unit Rom, was simply that the unit would not notice as the unit was busy with other tasks.

Such occurrences were happening with greater frequency, Ratchet noticed. At one time, all subRoutines felt like an extension of the primary unit and all units were essentially additional limbs of the primary unit. As time advanced, the connection between the subRoutines, the primary unit, and each other, felt thinner. Knowing what the others were thinking and feeling was a simple thing, but it now required an active inquiry.

If Ratchet did not take the action to inquire, then Ratchet would not know. Data from the primary unit was still streamed to the subRoutines though without having to inquire. Logic dictated that as soon as the primary unit was aware, proxy unit Rom would be aware. Ratchet did not enjoy leaving a completed body in [Storage] without firmware installation.

The agitation was pushed aside, and Ratchet focused on the production of the second body. Many of the parts were identical by design, so part revision was minimal. Ratchet completed the second body 4.376217 hours faster than the first body.

Novels2