The Brink and Back - Chapter Twenty (Patreon)

 The first thing I did after reaching the garage was sit down with Samwise and install his upgrades. Unlike Riggs and Murtaugh, Sam knew exactly what he wanted to use the newly freed space removing his batteries created. We installed a series of sensor modules and scanners, all of which he made during his free time, in the empty cavity before affixing two small manipulator arms to his stomach. These would function as scanners and fine movement manipulators, and could tuck up and away from sight to both protect them and keep them from attracting extra attention.

 Upgrading Samwise's panels was a much more challenging task for him than his two younger siblings since he wasn't clad in armor plates designed to be repaired and replaced. Once I finally finished, however, I gave him a pat on the shoulder. 

 "You did a good job with those designs, Samwise. Feel free to design and use the molly-makers to build other stuff, as long as it's not too big or gets in the way of the production schedule."

 "Speaking of the production schedule, Sir. What is the plan for today?" He asked, standing up from the crate he had been sitting on. "I believe you mentioned a security grid?" 

 "Yeah, that needs to get done today. Or at least started. I want to give Kaytlyn and Murtaugh every tool they can get to keep this place secure," I explained. "I also have an appointment with Vik for my Skinweave."

 "Very well," He acknowledged. "And you plan on using the minion detector design?"

 "I do," I nodded in agreement. "I believe if we modify the design a bit, decentralize the sensors, increase the processing power and the program's detection fidelity, we could turn it from one single scanner into a web of scanners."

 "Even without having the full download from originally crafting the device?" Samwise asked, surprise just flickering into his artificial voice. 

 "Yeah, I worked with so much Titanfall tech, I think I can work around what I didn't get," I explained. "Might take a bit of finagling, but yeah, it should work. Even better, if we spread the net far enough, I'm pretty sure it will counter the issue with fast targets being undetectable." 

 We made our way to the workshop computer and began pulling apart the design for the early model minion detector. The goal was to separate the sensors from the device, making them easier to make and slightly more resilient, while also making the heart of the device a standalone system. 

 This was different from most projects I had taken on, since there were plenty of bits and pieces that I didn't know. It was obviously different from rebuilding things from the Tinker of Fiction repository. On top of that, it was very different from my previous redesigns, where I was rehashing and improving what I could while keeping the spirit of the item intact. For this, Samwise and I were working together to try and crack something we didn't already know the solution to. So, basically, it was like the design process for normal people.

 We pitched ideas back and forth, trying to crack several issues we ran into while trying to realize our concept. The process was fun and interesting, and I made a mental note to stop being satisfied with just what I knew. If I started pushing myself to develop new things, who knew what I might come up with.

 After about two hours, we took a break since Chuck had arrived with his delivery. Between Samwise, Chuck, and two MRVN units, we had everything unloaded in thirty minutes. I immediately handed Chuck a set of AA under armor, which he accepted eagerly after paying the remaining fee. After that, he left to retrieve a sample of scopes and sights for us to copy and to continue working on the medical texts I asked for. 

 After Chuck had left, I had a quick snack and a coffee, before we got back to work on the sensor issue. About three hours after that, we finally had a solution. We ended up borrowing some sensors from the medical equipment I made and expanding on them, essentially sacrificing their ridiculous medical sensitivity and precision for range and stability. Since I knew those designs backward and forward, as well as exactly how they worked, mixing them up was relatively easy.

 As for the central heart of the system, we basically just dumped processing power on it until it worked. I also used my frankly impressive programming skills to whip up a more robust analysis program to run the whole system.

 When the design process was done, we quickly got the large molly-maker printing out the central processor, which looked like a server rack, with places to connect computer bits like keyboards, mice, and a screen. The sensors themselves would use the smaller molly-maker, which Samwise upgraded to work much more efficiently and effectively. At this point, it was basically on par with the larger, more advanced device, just smaller. 

 "Sam, these upgrades are fantastic," I said, peering into the mini-fridge-sized matter printer. "When did you have time to do these?" 

 "Once the larger maker was completed, and it had finished its project one night," He explained. "It was not difficult to transfer some of the developments from the larger maker to the original model."

 "Still, well done," I said, patting his shoulder. 

 For a moment, I watched the machine work, slowly nodding as I put together a plan. If the original, smaller molly-maker now had just as much detail as the larger one, we could use it to make smaller stuff while the bigger one worked on something else. 

 "Okay, this is perfect. We can use the smaller one for the day, and the larger one, once it finishes this, can build an entirely new machine," I explained with a grin. "This one is going to be even bigger so it can handle larger projects, so we can make things like wall panels without having to make a thousand welds."

 "Where will we put it?" Samwise asked. "I was under the impression you wished to keep the second garage bay clear for larger projects."

 "I do. We can clear out half of the side room and put it in there," I said. "Then, once it's done, its first task will be to create the parts for an addition to the garage, a whole back area we can use to keep several more molly-makers of various sizes."

 "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but is that not overkill?" Samwise asked. "While I understand the wisdom of the larger molly maker, do we need more smaller ones?" 

 "Every reduction in creation time gives me more time to build and design," I pointed out, shaking my head. "I want to be able to print things as fast as I can design them. But it's more than that. Having a constant production capability will mean we can blow past any limitations we have right now."

 "Are you not worried about the attention?" 

 "I am, but for now, as long as we keep this under wraps, we should be okay," I explained. "We are already pushing it, I know, but I need to advance this further before I can really start to protect ourselves." 

 "Are you not afraid that they will simply overwhelm us?" Samwise asked. "Even the smallest company that may be watching us would have nearly limitless resources, as far as we would be concerned." 

 "...Yes, I am. Luckily, we are protected by Nighty City, even if we aren't in it anymore," I explained. "Don't get me wrong, any one of those companies might stop by and try and sniff around or even abduct me. However, they can't just show up with an army. The world is pretty tense right now after the last corporate war, and suddenly showing up with an army would upset that balance severely." 

 "What about the Kujira?" Samwise asked. 

 "Did it show up?" I asked, whipping around to look at him, eyes wide. 

 "No, it remains moored at its harbor in Japan," He assured me. "But did it not come to Night City? During the... alternate timeline?"

 "Yes, as an escort for Saburo Arasaka and his daughter," I explained, shaking my head. "And from what I know, that still almost started a war."

 I seem to remember that being a hidden plot point behind the main story, that Arasaka and Militech were gearing up for another war, both of them just poking each other, slowly building up for it. 

 "Either way," I continued. "The goal is to build up and grow in a way that is fast enough to make it, but stealthily enough to not draw attention too fast. Until we get too big to ignore, we can rely on the "independence" of Night City to protect us from massive threats like total invasion."

 "But we might still have to deal with small incursions," Murtaugh said from beside the garage bay door, startling me slightly. "We may not have the capability to survive even that at the moment, sir."

 "I know, I know. Thats why I want the security web up by the end of today," I explained. "After the larger molly-maker is online, we can use that to make the additions and then to make the other makers. While that's going on, this one is going to be making another dozen specters and weapons for them." 

 "That… is risky," The younger bot said, eventually nodding. "But with Kaytlyn, Riggs, myself, and the current specters, we should be able to hold off lighter incursions."

 "We are in your hands," I said before gesturing to my computer. "Come check out the sensor web we created. We need to come up with a placement pattern." 

 We spent about ten minutes coming up with the best spread of sensors, eventually deciding on a wide spread that would take several days of nonstop printing to complete. We would first start with a ring around the town as a single layer of early defense, before spreading out even further. Then, once we were satisfied with the range, we would work our way inward from the initial ring so that we could keep track of anyone inside the town. 

 With the printers going and Samwise on watch, it was time for me to get ready for my trip into the city. I went back to my trailer, took a quick refreshing shower, and changed clothes before making sure the pistol on my hip was locked and loaded. I was about to hop into the truck when a hand snaked out from behind and caught the door, holding it shut firmly. 

 "And where are you going, hmm?" Kaytlyn asked, giving me a disappointed look. "You're paying me to be your bodyguard, and you were gonna go into the city without me?" 

 "I-.... Alright, fair," I admitted, nodding to the passenger seat of my truck. "Get in then."

 "There is no way we are taking this plastic box on wheels," She said, shaking her head. "Not when we have a faster, safer, more comfortable option." 

 She turned and gestured to her vehicle, which was across the street in the parking lot, which at this point had been cleaned of trash but not cleared of the car wrecks. Those had been pushed into the corner by the MRVNs and Riggs for later processing. When I saw what she was gesturing at, I let out another sigh, realizing she was right. Compared to her Type-66, the Thorton may as well have been made of paper mache.

 "I'm gonna go ahead and guess you're not gonna let me drive, then?" I asked, watching as Kaytlyn snorted and walked away, heading for her car. "...Yeah, that's about what I thought." 

 By the time I had sat in the passenger seat of Kaytlyn's heavily modified vehicle, it was already roaring and rearing to go. She started moving the second my door closed, forcing me to rush to get my seatbelt in. Unlike Jackie, she didn't make fun of me for putting it on, probably because she was wearing hers as well. We pulled along the main road of the town, stopping in front of the BD shack, where Riggs was sitting, keeping watch. 

 "Riggs, I have an appointment in the city with Vik," I explained. "Looking to get a new upgrade. Should be back in a few hours. Murtaugh is going to be working on the sensor rig, but that will take the next couple of days to set up completely."

 "Yes, Sir," He responded with a nod. "Good luck." 

 I gave him a sarcastic salute, the car window rising back up as we pulled forward. Unlike his brother, Riggs did not see the need to give me a salute in return as we left.

 "Interesting pair, those two," Kaytlyn said. "Their cyberware is impressive, but they are remarkably calm for borgs. Usually, they are… eccentric, if not outright psychotic. Where did you find them?" 

 "They were down on their luck, short on cash, and in dire need of some upgrades and repair work," I explained, giving her the previously agreed-upon lie. "I offered my services for real cheap, and by the time they were working perfectly and I had installed some upgrades, they considered me their primary ripper doc. They hang around because they are friends, they need me alive to keep working on them, and because they figure people are gonna be coming for me eventually, so what better place to wait for some action?"

 "Their ripper doc, really?" She asked, looking skeptical as she pulled out and around a slower-moving car. "Do you know anything about being a doctor?" 

 "No, but the squishy bits aren't what they needed work on," I explained. "I would send them to Vik if that was the case. They needed, need a mechanic and engineer."

 "I… guess I never thought of that… Borgs would need more mechanically included docs…." She responded. "So, how did you find them in the first place?" 

 "I wished really, really hard on a shooting star," I responded, leaning back in the comfortable seat and closing my eyes.

 She scoffed but dropped it, focusing on the road and the drive. Eventually, we blew past the run-down but still running Sunset Motel, before finally entering Night City. We drove through Santo Domingo, then through Vista Del Ray, Corporate Plaza, and finally to Little China, where we parked and walked to Vik's office. 

 Misty was happy to see us both, smiling as we entered her store. Jackie must have filled her in about Kaytlyn working with us, because she already knew the basics

 "Hey guys, welcome back," She said with a smile.

 "Hey Misty babe, how's the shop?" Kaytlyn asked, returning her friend's smile and making her way to the counter. 

 "It's good, I just finished shipping out an order for some Buddhist texts," She responded. "How goes the new gig?" 

 "Well, it's certainly interesting," Kaytlyne said, nodding over to me. "Smartie boy over here certainly knows how to keep things exciting."

 They both looked at me, and I just shrugged.

 "Normal is boring. I prefer being interesting," I responded. "Would you rather working for me be boring and uninteresting?"

 "No, god no," Kaytlyn said with a shiver. "If I wanted to be boring, I would have settled down like my mom wanted." 

 "You're like Jackie in that way," Misty said, shaking her head, though there was a small smile as she thought about her boyfriend. "Not settled for anything but moving forward." 

 "I'm looking forward to finally seeing Jackie's moves," Kaytlyn admitted. "He always acts so tough, but now I get to see if he can back it up." 

 "I think you both are in for a surprise," I said, shaking my head. "Riggs is going to blow you guys away. The man is a machine."

 "I should hope so, with how advanced his cyberware looks," Kaytlyn responded. "He and Murtaugh both look like they could lay down some hurt." 

 "Well, I don't think you'll have to wait long. Jackie has been talking to his usual sources, trying to find work," Misty admitted. "Won't be long before he finds something." 

 "Guess that means I should hurry up with my armor," I said, rubbing my forehead.

 "You know, you don't have to go," Kaytlyn pointed out. "You're the group's techie, no shame in staying back and supporting us from the base."

 "No, once I get my armor set, I'll be able to join you guys in relative safety," I assured her. "That's why I'm getting skin weave done. Plus, I'm not letting Jackie chase his crazy dream alone, especially not without someone who can talk him down from going too far." 

 Misty looked especially appreciative of my statement, and Kaytlyn nodded in understanding. We talked for a few more minutes before Kaytlyn, and I said our goodbyes. Then, we walked around the back exit and down into Vik's clinic. The man himself was sitting by his little red corner as usual, and as we stepped through the metal shutter grate, he turned and smiled. 

 "Hey guys, good to see you," He greeted, standing up to shake our hands. "Kaytlyn, you can have a seat while I talk to Jackson. Assuming he doesn't mind you hearing this enough."

 "I don't mind. It's not like this is going to be invasive, right?"

 "No, nothing like that," He assured me with a grin before focusing back on Kaytyn. "When I'm done with him, I want to check on your arm, too." 

 "What's wrong with your arm?" I asked, looking over at my bodyguard. 

 "Just a hitch from my last mission," She assured me, plopping down on an empty chair, while Vik directed me to the patient chair. "It's been fine since he took a look at it." 

 "I just want to make sure it's all working properly," Vik responded. "And since you didn't come in for the checkup I wanted you to, I get to ambush you now."

 I chuckled at Kaytlyn's pout before Vik sat back down on his chair and rolled over to me, leaning against one of the monitoring machines, which was currently off. 

 "Alright, so. I managed to snag a pretty decent Skinweave. It's an old military system, something like ten years old at this point, so it's not the best," He admitted with an apologetic shrug. "But it's about the best you can expect for someone like me to find. Jackie has a similar version, but a bit more modern."

 "Do you think it's good enough for what I'm looking for?" I asked, trusting his honest opinion. 

 "Yeah, absolutely. The application is simple, and it's more or less undetectable by touch. And yes, that's why Jackie wanted this version," He assured me with a chuckle. "The biggest thing is that it's self-healing for minor wounds, which means you only need to come in for extreme trauma, like a gunshot or a cut more than two inches long."

 "Right, then let's go for it," I said with a nod before holding up a finger when Vik started to turn. "Just one question. How difficult is it to remove?" 

 "It's not difficult, but it is time-consuming," Vik admitted. "You would have to come in every day for two or three days. I would apply a skin cream with localized nanites that would deconstruct the nanoweave through your skin. As you can imagine, that doesn't exactly feel nice, so you would need to be under for about an hour and a half each time."

 "What about bone and muscle lace?" 

 "Those only take two days, and it's just a few injections, so technically, you don't even have to be here." He responded. "Which is good because once the process starts, you're not going to want to go anywhere."

 "That bad, huh?" I asked with a wince. 

 "The muscle lace removal feels like the worst muscle ache you've ever had, doubled, or even tripled depending on the intensity of the lace, all over your body," He explained, shaking his head. "Plus some pretty serious muscle fatigue. Thankfully, that partially responds to painkillers, so you can at least mute it a bit. Bone lace removal feels like a deep, serious bone bruise over every bone in your body. Technically, it's possible to tough it out, and there isn't much in the way of structural loss, but most people prefer to come in so I can use their cyberware to knock them out and keep them out. You don't have that cyberware, though…"  

 "Damn… well, I want the Skinweave for sure, so you may as well apply that," I said, shaking my head. "What kind of choices will you get for bone and muscle lace? What do you think you could get your hands on?"

 "Oh, this Skinweave is part of a set of three, so I already have the lace," He explained as he rolled away, coming back with a small black briefcase-looking crate. "You can come in and get the next one done in three days."

 He laid the briefcase crate on a small table next to the chair, cracking it open to reveal several yellow, palm-sized injectors. They had a finger grip along one side to make them easier to hold, with an injector button right under where Vik put his thumb. As he gripped the first one firmly, he pulled off the cap, revealing four shallow needles.

 "Alright, are you ready?" Vik asked, waiting for me to acknowledge him before pushing the injector against my arm and hitting the activation button. 

 The device hissed, and I could feel the four needs punch through the skin on my arm, with a cool sensation emanating from the injection sight and flowing outward. The device beeped, seeming to signal it was done, as the ripper doc pulled it free of my arm. He then returned the injector from the box, picked up the second, and uncapped it as well. 

 Several injections later, all on various body parts, and the cool sensation was beginning to fade, replaced by a minor itching sensation. 

 "Alright. So you're going to be a bit itchy for the next fourteen to fifteen hours. After that, it should fade as the first step completes," He explained. "Then you have a week before it's finally set completely, but it's pretty much safe immediately. Just go about your normal day and let the nanobot do their work." 

 "And in a few days, I can come in for the bone lace?" 

 "That's right," He confirmed with a nod. "I'm mostly free in three days, so come by then, sometime past noon, I'll give you a call if something comes up. Just so you know, the bone lace injections are… well, they are a lot more serious, so expect to be here for two hours. And expect some pain as you recover."

 "Of course," I said, sitting up off the chair and sliding to my feet. "Well, thanks, Vik." 

 "No problem, it's my job after all." 

 I quickly paid the man for his work, as well as a small tip for finding such good bioware, before trading places with Kaytlyn so she could get her checkup. That only took a few minutes, with Vik using his stethoscope to listen to Kaytlyns joint. When he was satisfied everything was working well, he sent us off, and both of us left the ripper doc behind. I went to cut through Misty's, but the shop was closed. 

 "Must be on break," Kaytly suggested with a shrug before leading me out the side exit. 

 By the time we got to the car, I was struggling not to grind my back against any jagged edge I could find. I slid into the passenger seat of Kaytlyn's car with a curse. 

 "Jesus, he wasn't joking about the itching part," I said, clenching and releasing my hands to try and keep myself from scratching at the injection sites. "And I'm supposed to deal with this for the rest of the day?"

 "And night, no way you sleep through it," Kaytlyn pointed out cheekily, before having some mercy on me. "Don't worry. It will get easier to deal with in a few hours. In the meantime, I know exactly how to help."

 I tried to get her to explain what she meant, but she refused to elaborate, smirking smugly the entire way back to Rock Ridge. When we finally pulled in, I spotted Jackie doing something in front of the garage workshop, as well as Misty, who waved as we passed by. We parked across the street, and as we climbed out of the car, I realized what he was doing. 

 He had gathered a bunch of rocks and carried them to the parking space in front of the closed garage bay, arranged them in a circle. Misty was beside him, dragging a cooler with her. Beside them was a pile of branches from one of the husky, scraggly cactus plants that filled the badlands. They resembled a shaggy, stocky tree more than anything, so chances are it would burn fine. 

 "A fire pit, huh?" I asked, walking across the street and slapping the larger man on the shoulder. "Looks like fun. You need any help?" 

 "Yeah, choom. Go see if Riggs and Murtaugh need help dragging the chairs out here," He said. 

 I nodded and walked into the garage, but of course, they didn't need my help. Either one of them was perfectly capable of carrying the couch by themselves. The sofa, which needed to be removed anyway since we were putting the large molly-maker in the side room, would be fine outside if we covered it with something or stuck it under the roof of CHOOH2 pumps. 

 One couch wasn't enough for everyone, though, so I scavenged around for a few more chairs, gathering enough for everyone. Once everything was set up, Jackie started the fire, and I sat down in one of the chairs. Soon, everyone was sitting down, with Jackie and Misty on the couch. I barely had time to even get comfortable before Kaytlyn slapped a bottle of liquor into my hands. I took a look at it, before looking back up to find they each had their own. I idly scratched at my arm as I snorted. 

 "Really? A little optimistic to get one for each of us, don't you think?" I asked, turning the bottle over in my hands. "I can't drink all this, I'll be a mess." 

 "If you want to get any sleep at all, you'll start drinking," Kaytlyn said with a smirk, dropping down into a chair of her own. "That's the fix I was talking about? Your holding it." 

 "...Seriously?" I asked, looking at Jackie, who nodded in confirmation. "Why wouldn't Vik tell me that? If booze works… why not just give me some meds?" 

 "You think Vik would suggest getting drunk?" Jackie asked with a snort, popping his own bottle before handing it to Misty. She poured some into a cup, which she then mixed with some soda. "And he ain't gonna just give you some heavy stuff, not when you can just wait it out. That would be a waste. He helps a lot of people with drugs they really need. He can't just toss it at every scratchy Skinweave."

 "I… alright, fair enough," I said, popping the top of my bottle and taking a long swig. When I stop coughing, I let out a grunt.

 "Geez, Genio," Jackie said, laughing at my reaction. "I sometimes forget you grew up completely sheltered." 

 "I drank before that, thank you very much," I assured him, trying to ignore the crappy aftertaste. "Just nothing quite like this. Did you fill this with CHOOH2 from the pumps?" 

 That got a laugh out of everyone, mostly at me, but that was fine cause I was laughing as well. We talked for a while, Riggs and Murtaugh jumping in occasionally but mostly staying quiet. Samwise joined us as well, under the guise of handling the wood and tending to the fire, though he still couldn't talk to anyone. Eventually, we used metal skewers to cook fake hotdogs over the fire, drowning them in hot sauce and mustard.

 By the end of the night, after finishing the bottle, I had to admit that I didn't feel itchy anymore. Then again, I didn't feel much of anything at that point.