MULTIPLE TIMESTAMP ERRORS DETECTED
APPROXIMATELY -4.2.01 PRE-INCIDENT
It took two more days to get the new lab suited to their needs.
Some of that was due to the lab itself. This was indeed a backup lab, in almost every sense of the word. It was made to provide basic services that Dr. Venture required, and TINA verified that it hadn’t been updated in over a year. Even though she’d brought it back online quickly, each of the three sections needed significant tweaks and upgrades.
One of the first things TINA changed were the voice commands. Apparently the synthetic voice was an early prototype and creeped TINA out. She didn’t even let Emmett or Clara hear a sample before she overwrote it with her own voice.
Section 1 was the familiar control hub, specializing in surveillance and drone control. TINA didn’t give details, but these servers were definitely not designed with her in mind. So, the first priority was integrating TINA into the servers.
From there, she focused on reinforcing their firewalls and expanding the broadcast range. These were mostly software fixes and were quick in comparison to fixes in the other two sections.
Section 2 was for exosuit repair. The fabrication station used a mix of metal casting and forging for larger pieces, and nanites for smaller pieces and repairs. Most of TINA’s time was spent updating the nanite vats and fabrication nanites. Thankfully, there were supplies of raw materials, so Emmett and Athena didn’t have to scrounge around the block for appliances. With the right nanite vats, the new lab would be able to take care of almost any repair they needed.
Emmett made a replacement impact shield. After that, TINA had begun preparations for Clara’s new minimalist suit—the next step in training wheels for her fusion power. At first, these components would help regulate her output, but eventually, Clara’s proverbial training wheels would get smaller and smaller, until she could fly and fire focused blasts of power without needing a suit at all.
Section 3 was the medbay, and it was… complicated. Almost every system needed overhaul. Dr. Venture was human, and the medbay was designed for him. There was a small containment tank like the one Clara had decompressed in, except this one was barely waist high. It almost looked like it had been made for a child—if Clara was in danger of a meltdown, she’d have to curl up into a ball to fit inside.
Even though TINA did the bulk of the work, the others helped out when they could. Athena and Lock mostly helped with moving supplies, while Emmett and Clara helped with more technical upgrades, assembling additional servers and hardware.
In the process of upgrading the backup lab, they’d managed to clear out a small storage room. It wasn’t much bigger than a walk-in closet. Shortly after, Athena started work on the new demiplane, and once it was stable, this closet would serve as its entrance. It would be a little easier to get in and out of than a basement.
~
There was a small dormitory connected to the control hub, which TINA divided into three rooms—one for Lock, another for Athena, and one for Emmett and Clara.
But Emmett didn’t spend much time there. Over those two days, he slept a combined total of four hours. He didn’t even notice until TINA pointed it out. He’d been too busy.
During the day, TINA kept the group busy with tasks. In the evening, Emmett and the others would catch up with McGuire and the growing Resistance in Belport. At night, Emmett would practice his nanite control.
And every moment in between, Emmett was looking over TINA’s proverbial shoulder.
While the team was busy moving and building things in physical space, TINA was doing the same in cyberspace. Not only could Emmett follow the flow of power throughout the new lab, he was also becoming aware of all the changes that TINA was making in cyberspace.
Emmett was curious, so he would’ve asked questions and picked TINA’s brain anyway, but being able to see her work was another thing entirely. He felt like a little kid again, helping his dad fix the car. The front end of their old town car was propped up on blocks. Dad’s legs stuck out as he toiled away underneath it. Emmett scurried back and forth fetching wrenches and tools and asking his dad questions in between.
It wasn’t easy to follow along—not at first. Emmett had no idea how other artificers or technopaths saw cyberspace, or if they even could. TINA seemed to think that Emmett was the first person to even see what she was seeing. His brain gave him both a processing edge and an innate connection to TINA that no other artificer or technopath had. But those things would only take him so far.
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Emmett wasn’t just relearning how to use his legs or hearing sound for the first time—he was developing an entirely new sense. He was in uncharted waters.
He kept coming back to the memory of helping his dad fix the family car. Except this time, the car was a wireframe model of the lab, and TINA was the disembodied voice working on it. Emmett still felt like a child when he asked her questions. He may have known that an engine makes power for the car and that the transmission connects the engine and the wheels, but it had taken him years to understand more than that. Thankfully, TINA could infer his meaning, even if Emmett couldn’t find the words.
That was odd too—so much of their communication was wordless and near-instantaneous, but there were still times when Emmett heard TINA’s voice in his head.
It won’t take nearly as long to learn your way around cyberspace, TINA replied. Metaphors are a way to make complex ideas easier to grasp, and your brain is many times faster than when you were a child.
Still, Emmett didn’t want to be a bother.
And don’t worry. Communicating takes a negligible amount of bandwidth.
With TINA’s reassurance, Emmett stayed beside her. He kept looking over her shoulder and asking questions every chance he got.
~
“Hey, are you okay?”
If Emmett would’ve been normal, he would’ve startled at the intrusion, but his prosthetics dampened tremors and resisted the sudden movement.
Clara’s voice brought Emmett back to the moment. He’d been in and out of cyberspace, but he was currently leaning over the holographic table. He’d been double-checking the internal nanite systems for himself and Lock. Upgrading their nanites was one of the many things on his to-do list. A mix of data, readouts, and displays filled the air. There was even more in his Heads Up Display. He minimized them so that he could see the room again.
Emmett glanced over and found Clara standing in the doorway to the control room. Despite her concerned tone, her arms were folded over her chest. The inside of the new lab was climate controlled, and she was wearing her normal hoodie and leggings, so she shouldn’t be cold. She could be stressed out—things hadn’t really been the same since her dad got captured. Then they’d gone into hiding at the apartment, and now they were sleeping on nanite cots and eating survival paste.
Maybe Clara was upset with him again…
“Earth to Emmett…”
He blinked and leaned back in his chair. His shoulders and neck ached—his hips and back too. He’d lost track of time again.
“Sorry. I’m—I’m here. …What time is it?”
“A little after three.”
Clara walked over beside him and leaned against the table. She squinted at him and her voice was soft, like she was half-asleep. She kept her arms folded across her chest and didn’t reach for his hand.
“You should get some sleep,” she said.
“I’m not tired.”
“You look tired.”
Emmett resisted the urge to sigh. He wanted to tell her not to worry. Emmett liked to think that he knew his limits, but it had gotten easier to lose track of time. To slip into deep focus and forget the rest of the world.
What was so bad about focusing on work? If anything, he needed to work even harder to keep ahead of the Brotherhood and the Menagerie. Losing track of time didn’t bother Emmett… but it seemed to bother Clara and the others.
“You look like Dad.”
Emmett scoffed. “That’s kind of weird.”
Clara rolled her eyes. “Not like that. Dad used to get the same faraway look in his eyes when he was focusing on something. It felt like he was there. Like he was in a completely different place. Lock called it blue screening. I know that’s not what it is, but now I can’t think of it any other way.”
“...That’s not right at all, though. A blue screen is when there’s an error and the computer needs to restart.”
It was Clara’s turn to scoff. “I know what it means. Artificer, remember? Maybe it’s your body blue screening then. Your body has an error because your mind is somewhere else. I know that we’re under a crazy amount of pressure, but maybe this is your body’s way of telling you that you’re doing too much. If you keep pushing, you might do damage you can’t fix. We’ve been through so much, but… there’s no point in surviving if there’s nothing left of you.”
Emmett felt deflated. Clara was right—she usually was. Maybe he was pushing too hard.
Emmett met her eyes. It was hard to ignore the flickers of worry and concern on Clara’s face. She was trying to hide it, but Emmett didn’t miss anything these days.
“I’ll try to sleep. It’s just… I want to finish this real quick. Then I’ll try to sleep. Promise.”
Clara half-groaned, half-smirked. “You said that the other night, too. I guess I’ll have to keep reminding you to take breaks. You’re still human, and you still need to sleep.”
Her hand brushed his as she got up and walked away.
Emmett almost went after her. Almost left his work. Instead, he called out, “I’ll be there before you wake up.”
Clara glanced back one last time, but her smile was gone and she didn’t reply. The door hissed shut behind her, leaving Emmett alone again.
~ ~ ~