“Nobody move!”
Sam switched to Pink and blitzed over to Mia. She pulled the girl to her feet and guided her back to me and Liam. Mia looked sick, her eyes were unfocused and they flicked around erratically.
“Come on, girlie. Now’s not the time to go limp!” Pink complained. “I can’t do my zoomies with passengers! Ah, where da hell is Purple when you need her!? Quit sleepin on us and wake up, ya lazy bitch!”
My first instinct was to reach for my pistol to ward off the potential enemies but all my stuff was in my place upstairs. I was defenseless for the moment and Liam seemed to pick up on this.
He transformed his arms and separated them into multiple different appendages, all wrapping around the statues to prevent them from moving.
“If they can move, that should stop them,” he murmured. “Mia, are you okay?”
All we received from her was incoherent babble. When Pink deposited her on the floor, Mia’s hands started flailing around like someone who was just waking up from the world’s worst hangover. Her hands finally found purchase on her temples and her grip tightened, fingers digging into her hair like she was trying to stop her head from falling off.
I turned to Pink. “What’s wrong with her?”
“I dunno! Goldie, what’s this chick’s deal?” Pink asked before twitching. Gold immediately kneeled down and began examining the frightened girl who was in the middle of the most bizarre seizure I had ever seen. “Extreme disorientation and vertigo. Her perception is split,” Gold looked up over her shoulder, staring back at the statues. “Shared visual, auditory, and nerve input. Her mind’s being overwhelmed.”
I shook my head, trying to make sense of her words. My gaze drifted over all the different statues, noting that some of them had moved slightly. “They’re all Mia – her power? Both?”
“Yes,” Gold said. “Something triggered the manifestation. She’s never used her power before and she didn’t know that she was using it. Unprepared, it probably felt like a…” Gold stopped for a moment to think. “I can’t be certain but the fright she got must have sent her entire body into shock. Her mind is still adjusting, hence her state now.”
I recalled the splitting headaches the night of my Awakening. Everything I touched felt like I was being hit over the head. I could barely focus. It wasn’t after I had gotten home and slept that I realized I had developed powers.
“So she can hear us?” Liam looked at the closest statue in his grasp. “So if I—”
“No!” Gold stopped him before he could start. I could see one of his many appendages begin to retract in an attempt to pull one of the statues closer to us. “She’s adjusting. There’s no telling what they will do to us. Right now, they’re docile, but they’re strong and she can’t control it. Get too close and she could kill us.”
My eyes flicked to the one that had been reaching out to Mia in the kitchen. Despite being restrained by Liam, it still managed to move closer to us without us even realizing.
“Looks like they’re trying to get closer,” I pointed out.
“What the hell?” Liam looked over toward the one I was staring at. “I was holding that one – I didn’t even feel it move!”
“Eyes on all of them!” Gold shot to her feet and backed away from Mia. “We need to leave the room, all of us.”
“And leave her here?” Liam said in disbelief. “What—”
“They’re part of her power!” Gold growled. “They’re trying to protect her. They think we’re a threat.”
Liam wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “How can you know that!?”
“I'm a Mentalist, remember!?”
While Liam glared at Sam’s back, I was resolved to keep my eyes on all the statues I could. I lifted a hand and placed it on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze.
Gold clearly didn’t like being argued with and Liam doesn’t respond well to yelling. If I didn’t step in, they would come to blows.
“Come on, we gotta trust her here,” I said calmly. “Look at the statues. They’re all Mia. Look at what they’re doing,” I continued, gesturing to all the statues. Every single one of them was focused on Mia. “She’ll be fine, right Sam?”
“Yeah,” she replied. “They won’t leave this room. Not until she comes to her senses.”
“I don’t like this,” Liam hissed. “What if this is some fuckin weird attempt to get her back to that lab? She doesn’t deserve to go through that crap again. We don’t know if this is part of her power.”
“It is,” Gold said, trying to sound more reassuring than annoyed. “This isn’t the power of any local super or an international one either, she’s just adjusting. Think back to the first time you used your power. You weren’t in a stable state of mind, right?”
Liam grunted and looked away. His silence was enough of an answer.
“Our best move is to back away and give them some space, if we stick around all they’ll do is rip us apart,” Gold grumbled. “And I for one, am not in any rush for that to happen.”
She stayed facing the statues and backed away towards the door. I followed shortly after with Liam being the last to leave after a moment of silent contemplation. As Sam closed the door, I must’ve blinked because the statues all moved. They surrounded Mia, the bronze one from the kitchen cradling her body with the utmost care.
The door clicked shut and Gold switched back to Blue.
“Can’t say I was expecting that,” Sam breathed, relieved. While she seemed satisfied with the outcome, Liam was… less so. There was a scowl etched onto his face but thankfully, he didn’t say anything. I sat somewhere in the middle, unsure about how to feel about this situation. “Well, there goes my relaxing afternoon plans.”
“So… we just, what, wait for Mia to go through her adjustment then?” Liam asked. “How long is that going to take?”
Sam crossed her arms and gave him a flat stare. “Look, I get that you find it hard to trust anyone, but I’m the Mentalist here, that means I know information you’d never figure out normally and stopping to explain could get us all killed. So, when I tell you to do something, you do it. Me and Max stuck our necks out for you and we’re a team now, neither of us are about to fuck you over.” Her words seemed to strike a chord with him and a sulky look took over his features. The two shared a silent exchange before Sam took a deep breath and sighed.
“A couple of hours, maybe? Tomorrow morning at the latest, it depends on the person.”
Liam pursed his lips and nodded.
“Alright. I’ll stick around,” he said. “What’re you guys going to do?”
“I have a workshop to set up. There’s equipment I want to make and other stuff that needs improvement. While Mia goes through her uh… adjustment, I guess I’ll kill time by doing that.”
“We’ve already been out today so I’m not in any rush to go out again,” Sam shrugged. “I’ll just help with that.”
“I guess I’ll help too,” Liam said, rolling his shoulders a bit. “You know, I’ve always wanted to see a Mechakinetic work. Some of the stuff you guys can make looks really cool,” his gaze flicked back to the door.
Sam already knew what to say.
“She’ll come and see us once she gains her bearings,” she said. “Then, we’ll really be able to see how her powers work.”
----------------------------------------
The moment my fingers touched the object, I felt a stream of information pour into my head.
I couldn’t suppress the urge to smile when the thousands upon thousands of options popped up inside my head. I could see each path and where it led, only held back from reaching it by the paltry amount of charges at my disposal. Nevertheless, this was my element, where I excelled.
It was starting to become apparent, the endless reach of my power, the potential. Before, I had envied others like Ajax, Deadlocked, and Nanoforge for their incredible specializations. Their ability to create wonders with ease had left me feeling inadequate.
Until Sam, I hadn’t appreciated the potential of my power. While I wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, I wasn’t stupid either. I’d consider myself average perhaps. I did well in school, but that wasn’t the best measure of intelligence, especially not in my situation. Critical thinking and the ability to think outside the box were what I needed; what my power encouraged – what I truly needed to start using it properly.
The 3D printer in my grasp was like an open book to me. From where it was now to its theoretical conclusion, I could see it all – each step, each improvement. The only question was where to take it. I could focus on the small scale, like what I had now. It was designed for hobbyists to create small things. If I put enough charges into it, eventually I could be printing objects smaller than the eye could see. I knew what I wanted, a wide variety of machinery, which is why Sam suggested I buy several with the money I had. A medium scale would be the best place to start. I’d be able to print out basic modules for my suit and alter them with my power. Eventually, I’d be able to make something larger to print cars, ships, and planes.
Though, I’d need schematics and a bigger workshop for those sorts of things.
[Charges: 25/25]
[Type]
* Hobbyist 3D Printer - Duality-6 V4
I browsed the [Models], taking note of each design. Just like always, there were thousands of different small-scale ones from different brands across the world. I ignored them as they weren’t what I was looking for. I needed a bigger design. Thankfully I had done a bit of research on my phone as we were buying them.
When I found the one I was looking for, I placed the printer on the ground and eagerly paid the single charge it took.
Just like always, the object rippled and reformed into a much larger design. It came up to above my head and had a full steel white casing with a glass window into the printing area. Currently, it had a cubic meter of workable space and for its purpose, that would be enough. I’d be using this to make parts for my suit or a base to upgrade. Later on, I hoped that I might be able to scan data into it and duplicate my guns and other gear without having to use my power. That would be an incredible development but I had a sneaking suspicion that it would be easier said than done.
[Charges: 24/25]
[Type]
* Commercial 3D Printer - Ender-6 V9
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
The hilarity of this was not lost on me. I had just turned an $800 machine into a $45,000 one. It was akin to a modern-day Midas touch.
“Wait…” Liam said somewhere behind me, sounding confused. “What just happened?”
“Remember what he did with the door at the Bunker?” Sam replied. “It’s in his name, Upgrade. Far too on the nose in my opinion. I would’ve gone for something a bit more subtle, but it’s essentially what he does. He makes things better.”
I didn’t miss the cheek in her tone when criticizing my name. Rather than choosing to take her bait, I opted to ignore it and continue to observe the different MK upgrades.
“So he just… touches things and makes them better?” Liam asked, bewildered. Sam just nodded. I looked over my shoulder to see the gears in our new friend’s head turning before his face lit up. “So like… anything?”
“As long as it’s non-living,” I added.
Liam’s stunned silence allowed me to focus.
[Charges: 24/25]
[Models]
* Ender-6 V9
* * Ender-6 V9 MK II (Cost: 2)
* * * Ender-6 V9 MK III (Cost: 3)
* * * * Ender-6 V9 MK IV (Cost: 4)
* * * * * Ender-6 V9 MK V (Cost: 5)
I noted the differences between the MK IV and the MK V variant. There was a substantial power increase. I wasn’t an expert in power requirements but the jump from 240 Volts to 500 was concerning. It looked like I’d need to work with Sam on getting our own off-the-grid power working sooner rather than later.
Regardless, I underpaid each step, spending only four charges to reach MK V. Ten hours until it finished left me with twenty charges to spare. One project was in the works, with many more to start.
“We’re going to need power,” I said, turning to Sam. “Any ideas for the generator and the solar panel?”
Sam looked bemused. “Already?”
“Better safe than sorry. When that one’s done it’s going to eat a bunch of power. I think we’ll draw too much attention if we don’t address this now,” I said. I knew I could run it off of the wall, but the moment I started introducing more machinery, the building would start getting investigators. “Is it still down in the car?”
“Yeah, along with the generator,” Sam looked over to Liam who was still staring at the upgrading 3D printer, entranced by its possibilities. “The safest place for the generator will be in the basement and obviously the solar panel will only be functional on the roof.”
“I’ve got twenty charges left to work with today.”
“Twenty– what?” Liam looked beyond confused.
Sam rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a smile. “Come on, we can explain it on the way.”
Sam gave him the run down on my power as we moved with me chipping in every now and then to clarify some details that even she was a bit foggy on. The subject switched to her powers when she was forced to use Red to carry the generator down to the basement.
“You two are something else,” Liam exhaled as Red placed the generator down in an empty space. “You know, I’m kinda glad I’m shaking it up with you guys. Definitely powerful, unlike some of the other people I’ve come across.”
“Oh?” That piqued my curiosity. Sam’s too, if her dusting off her hands and switching back to Blue was any indication. “You’ve met other independents?”
“You haven’t?” Liam looked surprised. I shook my head while Sam shrugged. “Oh, wow.”
“I’m still pretty new,” I said moving over toward the generator. I touched it and opened the upgrade paths. I’d focus on [Efficiency] and [Output]. Overall, it seemed prudent to get them to the MK IV stage, which would cost me six charges by underpaying and take twelve hours to finish. “Haven’t really met any that aren’t out to fuck with my life.”
“Eh, they all kinda want to do that. The degree just varies,” Liam disagreed. “Swatter tried to threaten me into joining her little group or whatever.”
“Never heard of her,” Sam said.
“She’s like, eleven,” Liam replied. “I told her to go kick bricks and she tried to beat the shit out of me. You guys can probably imagine how that went.”
Not well for her.
“That’s probably why I don’t know her,” Sam nodded in understanding. “I don’t waste my time looking into non-issues.”
Ouch.
I upgraded the generator and stood up.
“Alright, that should take nine hours to finish. I’ve got 14 charges left.”
Sam nodded. “You should use the rest on the solar panels and integrate one of them into your armor later. Get it good enough and it’ll be a very good defense against lasers.”
I nodded in agreement and we returned upstairs to get the solar panels from the back of the car. They took up the whole backseat and due to their size, we asked Liam to transform and carry them up to the workshop. Sam could easily do it with Red and Purple but they’re a little negligent and this panel was more fragile than the generator.
Once we got it up the stairs I used my power on it, observing the options available to me. There weren’t many trees to progress downward, not with devices like this that served such a specific purpose. The best I could do was increase its [Energy Tolerance], [Efficiency], and [Durability].
Following Sam’s suggestions, I poured the rest of my charges into it, underpaying and ensuring all three of those components reached MK V.
“So now you just wait?” Liam asked, watching as the solar panel rippled and turned to a liquid. “You know, I thought there’d be more… building involved.”
“Max cheats,” Sam chuckled, ignoring my scoff. “He’s not like other Mechakineitics. Doesn’t need raw materials to do anything. Only something to work off of.”
“That’s… kind of insane,” Liam scratched his chin in thought before turning to me. “Hey, do you think you can upgrade my computer? My uncle won’t buy me a new one and I’m running crappy old hardware. Shit lags whenever I play anything too new.”
I pursed my lips, understanding his plight. “I could, but not today. At the moment there are more important things for me to work on. If I have a spare charge or two one day I’ll let you know and swing by.”
“Thank God,” Sam breathed in relief. “For a moment there, I thought you were actually going to agree. I’m not sure I could have stopped Red.”
Liam laughed. Sam seemed to share in the amusement too. It was nice to feel a sense of normalcy between the three of us. I had been concerned that wouldn’t be the case after Mia’s little episode earlier.
“If I’ve learned anything in the last couple of weeks, it's that I need more tools. Better armor, better weapons, better everything,” I said. “A better computer for gaming can wait awhile.”
Liam didn’t seem to mind. “Sure, I’m in no rush.”
“We’re going to need better gear anyway now that Gaea’s calling on us,” Sam said, changing the subject. “Working with Springsong was both a blessing and a curse. Gold’s been mulling it over and with the three of us as we are now, we’re already shaping up to be competition for the other gangs.”
And just like that, all the lingering humor evaporated.
“Are there actually other gangs aside from The Cains, Pandora, and The Queen’s Court?” Liam asked. “I know there are independents around but I haven’t heard of any groups by name,” he paused for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “Though, I haven’t really been one to stay up to date. I never really cared much.”
“Neither did I, to be honest,” I admitted, looking toward Sam. “Do you know of any?”
“There’s a few,” she said with a sigh. “But none are in the same league as those three. Mostly, they’re like us, except much weaker.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “Weaker?”
Sam gestured to me. “No Mechakinetic or Mentalist support. Mostly, they’re just running around like headless chickens. No real direction, no real goal. They react instead of acting and it makes it very easy to predict and lure into a trap. The vast majority end up in one of the big three or run off to the ECU.”
It was unsettling how much sense that made.
“So where do we rank?” Liam asked. “You said Gaea requested us by name.”
“Only because Springsong knows we were heavily involved with discovering the Bunker. Make no mistake, we’re by no means very important, at least not in the eyes of Pandora and The Queens Court.”
“The Cains on the other hand probably have a few empty graves ready for filling,” I remarked mirthlessly. I could only imagine how many of them we had personally pissed off by now. Grim was probably brainstorming ways to rip us to shreds before we could ruin another one of his operations. “Which means we need to tread very carefully.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Sam agreed. “Unfortunately, we’re trapped right in the middle of it all, but we’ll get out of it,” she said with confidence. “We will. I’ll make sure of it.”
“You’re the strategist,” Liam shrugged.
“Aye aye,” Sam gave an easy-going salute. “I will do my best to keep us all alive.”
Liam let another smile slip. “I don’t think that will be much of a problem for me.”
Sam narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “Okay smart ass. I’ll do my best to keep myself and Max alive!”
“What’s our approach for this meeting?” I asked, making sure to keep us on track. “I just want to make sure I know what we’re walking into. What should we expect?”
“Ugh…” Sam’s expression dropped, a wave of fatigue falling over her like a curtain. “If this is anything like other super meetings I’ve snooped on, then we’re in for a lot of bickering, dick measuring, and copious amount of thinly veiled insults. Silver lining for this is that Gaea will be there to keep everyone on a tight leash.”
“None of that sounds very productive,” I said, revealing my doubts. With the way she put it, this whole event seemed like a waste of time.
“Worst case, someone oversteps and Gaea makes an example of them,” Sam said grimly.
“Again,” Liam spoke up. “This sounds like a terrible idea.”
“We’ve got to go,” I sided with Sam. “If we don’t show, we look bad and I don’t think that’ll be good for our rep.”
“Now you’re getting it,” Sam said with a light smile. “We should— oh.”
I looked at her to find her gaze locked on something behind me. I turned to find the bronze Mia statue standing at the workshop entrance. Its face was expressionless with smooth featureless eyes. The eerie feeling of dread I got just staring at it made me want to run away and hide. It just seemed so… unnatural.
I didn’t even hear it come in.
“It followed us,” Liam said under his breath. “Does that mean Mia’s awake?”
“Not quite?” Sam murmured, pushing her way past us. She came to a stop where she stood her ground to directly address the statue. “I know you can hear me. You’ve been following us for some time. Don’t think I didn’t notice you in the garage.”
Liam and I exchanged shocked glances before glaring at Sam.
“That would’ve been nice to know,” he grumbled.
Sam ignored us.
The statue continued to stare.
“Well? What’s this about then, because you clearly didn’t bother to hide this time.”
There was no answer and the eerie feeling in my stomach began to compound. Maybe it was a bad idea to give Mia and her statues some space?
The bronze skin on the statue suddenly cracked before peeling away. It took a few shaky steps before shedding its skin like a snake, the bronze floated away like dust in the air. It stumbled for a moment before regaining its bearings. When it straightened up, we were faced with a perfect copy of Mia.
Liam summed up my thoughts perfectly. “The fuck…?”
“Ooooh, that’s weird,” the presumed Mia clone said. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
Sam was completely silent but I could tell she was just as confused as us.
The Mia clone stretched out her arms and back, eliciting a few uncomfortable pops. She then noticed our stares and steadied herself.
“Okay, I heard something about a meeting, Gaea, a bunch of assholes, and the people who kidnapped me. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m not about to be left out of this.”