“...Penfield number three.” Bedan murmured, Gress placed the rounded tool in his outstretched hand.

“Should I be awake for this?” Raz asked, looking past the doctor to the Splinter, only getting a shrug from him in response. A gurgling grunt echoed from the bed beside them, anaesthetic slowly wearing off.

“Likely not, but the oaf beside you has taken enough of my general anaesthetics, local will have to do.” The Doctor had reopened the collar wound to investigate, local numbness left the procedure painless but incredibly uncomfortable. “...Subclavians and brachials are fine, I’m concerned about that scratch on the axillary vein…I’ll patch it over. Vascular CelGel*.” Gress already had the tube in hand.

“Hell of a doctor and nurse pair you two make.” Raz prodded with a smirk to the Splinter.

“Stop talking. You’re moving too much.” Bedan chided.

“Half right.” Gress started to fill the gaps. “Bedan is a hell of a Doctor, I’m just a spare hand that’s pretty good at following instructions.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. Better assistant than half the idiots they gave me in C2 with half the usable limbs…Tell our patient how lucky they are and why.”

“Between the bullet missing them and the fragments of your clavicle not cutting into any of the major blood vessels, well it’s a shame Ingram doesn’t have a lottery.” Raz risked a chuckle, only to be hissed at by Bedan.

“Be still! And as for your clavicle…the bone wax is holding the open breaks but as for a permanent solution…” Bedan sighed. “I’m going to have to build the bone structure back up to fill the gap…A graft would be best but I’m a bit lacking in equipment…Gress, did we get any skeletal CelGel? The hard kind, blue tube.”

“Three tubes.”

“Hmm. Alright, closing up.” Bedan retracted with a sigh, gathering sutures from the side table. “You can talk now, though I’d prefer you keep it short.” Raz swallowed and tried to not shift their open side.

“What happens now, then?”

“Now you need to convince me you’re worth using some very expensive and very limited supplies on. Or rather-” Razgrith winced as the needle found a live spot. “-Why I shouldn’t have you thrown out the gate as soon as I’m done here.”

They looked around, at their unconscious partner, to Gress who gave them an encouraging nod, then to the turned away monitor.

“I’m good with electronics, computers mostly.”

Bedan continued his sewing, behind him Gress circled his hand, keep going.

“Really good, King’s Ironworks was a dead mess after it got bombed, I rewired the entire thing, fixed the radio terminals and everything.”

“You personally rebuilt a half-collapsed foundry’s electrical infrastructure? Don’t lie to me.” The Doctor snarled back.

“Well, not myself, but I planned and instructed the whole thing…this town seems pretty shoddy with its electrics, old settlement era stuff, and I know some stuff in here isn’t working well.”

“Hmm.” Though Bedan’s tone was low and unimpressed, the thumbs up from the Splinter behind him gave Raz hope. “What about the oaf?”

“He’s strong, damn strong.”

Bedan paused, side-eyeing Razgrith while pulling the sutures shut.

“Is that so?”

“I’m not that good with the physical stuff, that’s where he comes in.” Razgrith smiled wistfully. “Been that way since we were kids…”

“Scouring orphans? First or Second?” Bedan asked flatly.

“Second, King took us in - a lot of people in around that time actually.” Raz moved to try and adjust their gown through the pain, Bedan hissed and slapped their hand away, gingerly buttoning the gown together. “Gave us all a new name.” Raz continued tightly. “Baster, the bastard children of the corporations and their wars he said…I never liked the name much.”

“How droll…Well, you’ve made your case, I’ll be putting you to the test on some broken bits here and there, pay off what I’ve done so far and we’ll see about further repairs…for as long as you’re stuck here anyway…I’ll be damned if I let Seere pull me from my patients, but whatever happens once you go back to your King is on you.”

“...I wanted to talk to you about that actually.” Razgrith asked, low and steady. Gress had taken a few steps to the side, letting Bedan and Raz confront each other.

“I want to stay here, in the town.” They started, gesturing to Antonio with their good hand. “Let’s face it, Doctor, Antonio isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. When he’s up and able, I don’t want us to go back to what we were doing before…I’m done with that.” Bedan sighed deeply, his perpetual frown pulling down deeper, his strident tone shriller and more condescending.

“I thought you had a shoulder injury, I should’ve checked harder for head trauma…Odds are there’s not going to be a town for you to so casually move into. Seere is at our doorstep and it’s looking dire. I’ll have three hundred patients dealing with the complications of travel while we go cross country. And that-” He pointed to the bedridden Antonio. “-Is certainly not able to survive that lifestyle. You’ll have to go back to your precious King to watch him die, and he will.”

Both Raz and Gress were taken aback by the Doctor’s bluntness. Raz was nearly in tears as the Doctor turned to the exit.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit far?” Gress breathed to the Doctor mid step, meeting him with furrowed brows.

“Don’t you think Seere and their attack dogs are going too far, boy? Don’t be naive.” The Doctor checked his watch. “He’ll be up in an hour or so anyway, ask him yourself if you think he’s up to it.” He shouldered past Gress to the exit while patting at his coat. “Watch them, if there are any complications, figure it out yourself if you can.”

Gress held out the packet of cigarettes, snatched away by the doctor.

“How’d you get those?” He grumbled, rummaging through the pack.

“You asked me to hold them for surgery, getting forgetful?” Gress winked.

“I’m nearly eighty brat, a little forgetfulness can be forgiven.” He lit the stick, scoffing at the Splinter’s grin.

“Sometimes I think he convinced everyone to quit just to keep them for himselves.” Gress mused.

“...What an ass.” Razgrith hissed, staring at the doorway.

“He’s earned it…It wasn’t just luck that saved you, Doc was between you and the big one all night. He doesn’t talk about it much but he used to be the Chief Physician of C2, and they’re a big deal-” Gress stepped away from the cabinet. “-Apparently, anyway.”

Raz raised an eyebrow at the Splinter.

“Sounds like you admire him.”

“Hm.” Gress turned to Raz, not hiding his soft smile. “Admiration isn't quite right. Like you said, he’s an ass, I don’t really look up to him, and I certainly don’t want to be like him.” Gress paused, checking to see if Razgrith was actually paying attention, sure enough their eyes were wide and interested.

“A lot of people in the town helped raise me and taught me what they know, I return the favour by helping them when they need it. Bedan was the only one who never stopped, constantly pushing me to be better, teaching me more of what he knew. I thought eventually he’d run out or get bored, then I'd be able to move on. Unfortunately, he’s a genius.”

His smile widened. “He always said I was the only one that bothered to listen, so he might as well put it to use. In short, I help out others, but I work for Bedan.”

“So you respect him?” Raz asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Sharp teeth peered from Gress’ grin.

“The bastard demands it at the risk of punishment. And with decades of medical know-how? I don’t want to imagine what he could do if I didn’t.”

They shared a light chuckle, halted by Razgrith wincing at the chest movement.

“Big one’s name is Antonio by the way, Tonio if you want to get friendly.” Raz offered to change the topic.

“...Do I? He’s injured because of me.” Gress started in his sullen way, jumping slightly as Raz groaned deeply.

“If my arm was intact I'd slap you for that, do you really think it’s your fault?” Raz’s normally soft, tired gaze had turned piercing and chilling. They continued before Gress could open his mouth to argue.

“Did you shoot my collar out? Or Kirche’s arm?”

“Well no, but-”

“Did you shoot Tonio three times in the back?”

“No, but his sternum-”

“Did you tell us to come here in the first place?”

“...No.”

“Three for three, so last one.” Raz breathed deep, anger rushing to their features. “Were you the one who sparked the entire ordeal into an unnecessary fight?” Gress didn’t meet their face, but Raz saw his mouth part. “No, you didn’t. Look at me.”

The Splinter followed, meeting their furious eyes.

“King, Scirocco and Kirche. Those are the ones who I blame for this. Not you.” They shook their head to solidify the point. “You’re no more to blame for hurting us than the guns that fired the bullets, and I don’t want to start that kind of argument either.”

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Gress was taken aback, the tonnage of guilt and blame he’d defaulted on himself shaking from Raz’s words.

“...Don’t start crying, there’s been enough of that for a while…and besides. Any part of this I held against you went away when you moved our beds.” Raz smirked. “You’ll be on my good side for a long while from that.”

Gress sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, remembering the verbal lashing Bedan had given him over the act.

“...Thanks, Raz…The Doctor’s still right though, the town’s on the edge of a cliff.” Gress sighed. He became keenly aware of the card in his cloak. Razgrith and Antonio would be safer in Ingram, two more benefactors to the Am-Ray deal.

“Yeah…” They said casually, looking over at the other bed. “Ah well, if I start worrying about it, Tonio’s gonna go mad when he wakes up. Doesn’t deal with stress too well…speak of the devil.” Though Raz eyes went wide and wet at the sight, their smirk didn’t so much as tremble.

Gress followed their gaze to see the bedridden man start to stir awake, small weak grunts came from his chest while his eyes trembled open.

“The hell…Doc said an hour or so…” Gress took a step away from the bed, only partly out of concern their partner wouldn’t be as forgiving as Raz.

“Told you, he’s damn strong.” Raz’ smirk had turned into a wide, relieved grin. “Aren’t you, love?”

“Mhmmm?” He grumbled through breathing tubes, awaking to the pet name.

“Need a recap?” Raz continued.

“Mhmmm.”

Raz looked at Gress with a grin.

“You’re up, cos’ there’s some details I’m still shaky on too.” He returned the smile.

----------------------------------------

“And that about sums it up…” Soune finished, she was leant back in the driver’s seat, hands over her stomach and boots on the dash, intently studying all the minor defects and damages to the roof of the cab.

“This is difficult.” Rhapsody replied after a long pause.

“Yeah…sure is.” She hummed.

“...That was a lie to comfort you. It is not.”

“Then please enlighten me o’ wise robot of the radio. What the fuck do I do?” She pursed her lips in annoyance, truly wishing the device was beside her. Whether to have a better sense of company or something to flick and pester she wasn’t sure.

“You gain nothing from assisting Ingram. You most likely reveal to King that you are aware of the quarry and his actions. You isolate yourself from Kirche.-”

“Just cutting in, that’s a plus at the moment…”

“...Do you think King is lying?”

Soune trilled her lips, tossing the question over in her mind.

“...I really, really hope so.” She decided.

“...Continuing, you also lose the chance to cut off the remaining time of your contract with King.”

“Yeah, that’s the big one…” Soune swallowed back trepidation, there was another way she could push herself into the decision. “Hey, what do you think Ariel would do?”

Rhapsody took a minute to respond, the radio static steadily crackling as he processed.

“All evidence I have of her indicates she would accept King’s offer. Her priority always placed herself and you above all others.” The delivery was flatter than usual from the monotone machine, though it went unnoticed by Soune.

“Right, so.” She sat up straight, speaking casually to the receiver as if it were right to her companion. “It’s easy then, I just get the Splinter, give it to King, cut and run with the benefits. There’s no downside for me here.”

“It is the most logical course of action.” Rhapsody confirmed.

“Yes. It is, so it should be an easy choice to support…”

“Correct.” He crackled back.

“...Yup.”

“Yes.”

Silence.

“...So tell me to do it.” Soune demanded, frustrated with the machine.

“Do what?” She pointlessly slapped the top of the dashboard. “I heard that.”

“Tell me to just finish the job, it benefits you too, you know.”

“Yes it does. Massively..”

“SO SAY IT!”

More painful, static filled science.

“...Just…Tell me to do it Rhap, please.” Soune pleaded, leaning against the steering wheel for support.

The crackling static told her that the machine was thinking.

“...I could do it.” He finally responded.

“Do what? You don’t have a body yet, I just need you to tell me it’s alright to-”

“Not that part.” He interrupted, more corruption in the static. “I could bear the responsibility. If I told you to obey King and apprehend Gress-” Soune’s brow twitched at him using the Splinter’s name. “-I would be the one to blame.”

“No, it’s not like that. I just need a push, I need someone to tell me it’s the right call Rhap.” Soune’s grip on the wheel was turning bloodless.

“...If I, a precise, unfeeling machine, believe it to be the right decision. Then factually, it is… Do you, as a messy, flawed human, believe this is a decision to be made with facts?” Soune groaned, falling against the wheel.

“...I really didn’t need to hear that from you.” She chided, side eyeing the crackling radio.

“You did not want to hear that from me.” Intonation, that was new. “I repeat. I will bear the responsibility, the three hundred plus lives of Ingram deposed will be on my actions. Not yours. We will be free of King.”

More radio silence, Soune stared a hole into the footwell.

“...Order me, if you order me once more to tell you. Then I will. I will obey the Handler and support their decision.”

“I’m not ordering you, I'm asking you.” The argument sounded weak even to her.

“Then ask me, once more.”

“If I do. You’ll tell me it’s okay?”

“Immediately.”

Another long, painful pause. Soune stifled a sob. “It should be so damn simple! Everything I’ve worked for is RIGHT! THERE!” She hit the dashboard again, needing to vent the anger somewhere outside.

“It is.” More cold, razor facts. “If you want it. Then ask.”

He was right, just two words would solve all her turmoil and struggle. Two, simple, short words. Four letters.

Do it.

Just say that, and everything’s fine.

“...Rhapsody.”

“Yes, Handler?”

“...You’re a pain in the fucken’ ass to the highest degree.”

“Confirmed.”

Soune threw herself back with a deep, chesty swear.

“Of all the fucken’ robots in the world I had to get one with a smartass sense of morality!” She vented out with violent gestures to the empty cab.

“I have no morality-”

“Don’t you DARE-” She leaned in with a jabbed point to the receiver. “-try to pull that shit now!”

She deflated, falling back into the reclined seat.

“...You could always do neither. Let Kirche attempt to apprehend Gress, go with the results as necessary.” The machine's form of reconciliation.

“No…No, sitting on the fence here will make me feel worse than picking a damn side…I know what we have to do.”

“We?”

“Yes fucken’ we! You’re not getting out of this for nothing! Start moving up to Ingram, the map data cleared with you, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then try and go overnight, the east guard station’s dead from around dusk eight onwards, they’re too lazy to check for licences.” She explained, shaking her head at the plan forming in her head.

“Confirmed. What will you do?”

Soune sighed, hating the ordeal already.

“I’ll make the meeting with Eleanor and that bastard Doctor tomorrow as early as possible…We need to look into him by the way, he seemed to know Harris.”

“Note taken.”

“After that, well it really depends on how the meeting goes. This all could just be a waste of time, but…”

“But?” The machine prodded, the higher whine of the radio could’ve been mistaken for interest.

“But if this goes how I think it might…They’ll need evidence. Which means you and I will have to head back to the quarry. Without trudge this time. And I'll need to use your sensors for a bit to take some footage.”

“This machine won’t make the hill climb.” Rhapsody informed her.”

“I know…So, we’ll be in a bad position to get caught out. That’s the gambit, really.”

More thrumming, snapping thought pauses.

“How will photos of the quarry be evidence it’s related to King? It would need to capture him there, and without a vantage point we will be caught.” The speakers crackled lower. “It won’t end well for us.”

“...Yeah, that’s the hurdle. What could actually be evidence from the outside? And getting past those turrets is-” Soune shut her eyes to the puzzle piece that clicked in her mind.

“...Fuck.”

“What?”

“Nothing just…we might have an extra rider.”

“Who?”

“Don’t worry about it for now…It’s a long shot anyway…Hey Rhap?” Soune turned her head, mind drifting away from the painful, awful plan she was spinning.

“Yes?”

“You’re sounding more…wordy. Lot’s more questions and thinking going on, what’s up?”

“This vehicle had processing abilities different to what I’ve had access to.”

“Is it better than your normal setup?”

“No, different…This vehicle had a rudimentary conversational program - seemingly to combat isolation effects. It hadn’t been used beforehand. I assimilated it.”

“Always a bigger fish, hey?” She said with a smirk, taking note of his apparent ability to ‘assimilate’ other programs.

“What fish?”

“Nevermind…still need to work on your metaphors…Alright, enough bumming around. I’ve got setup to do. Guess I’ll catch you tomorrow morning, drive safe.” Before she could disengage the connection, Rhapsody cut in again.

“What are you going to do? This ‘setup’ sounds…dangerous.”

Soune smirked, a sharp, self-affirming smirk.

“I’ve got a deal with a devil waiting to happen.”

“...Raise hell, Handler.”

The line disengaged with a click, leaving Soune grinning widely. Maybe not as much work as she expected.

----------------------------------------

* CelGel - A breakthrough medical technology created by Stratos Pharmaceuticals prior to their acquisition by Crisis Control. Originally a semi-solid gel capable of acting as a wound filler and sealer that would replicate the surrounding cells to leave no scar tissue; it now comes in a wide selection of variants capable of replicating the different cell types of the body.

A popular variant, particularly in the military space, that has overtaken the original in production is CelFoam, an expanding form of the original. While the various forms are publicly available, they can prove prohibitively expensive.