Overclocked -CH3- (Patreon)

Wrench chuckled and got to his feet.

This moment felt weird and strange to him.

Something he’d wanted to happen for a long time. Too long and yet it never had.

Nervous and panicky thoughts had been lurking through his brain since he’d come back and decided on this course of action. To kill Club-Head here and now.

Looking to the thug who’d terrorized him for years of his life, Wrench couldn’t even justify the fear he’d once felt. Couldn’t drudge up the worry and terror the man had dragged out of him at every turn.

His face was scarred and torn up. He’d arrived in the habitat that way, a punishment from a previous life choice Wrench had imagined. With brown eyes and short brown hair.

He was tall, bordering on seven foot tall. With wide shoulders, long limbs, and a build suitable to killing and maiming others. Sometimes those in his own habitat that didn’t do what he want, usually those outside when he was put into fights.

Freckles wasn’t far off and looking shocked and terrified at the same time. Behind here was her school, fluttering about far enough away to run if Club-Head turned around. Though they hadn’t abandoned Freckles entirely either.

She was cute, with a physically attractive if modest build, and young. Long brown hair and blue eyes. He could remember looking forward to sleeping with her nightly every year they were together.

Lifting the large pipe-wrench out of his toolbelt Wrench smiled at Club-Head.

“I’m going to kill you Club-Head. Kill you, become the Head, and dump your corpse on the filter,” Wrench proclaimed, undoing his toolbet with the other hand. “Any last words before that all goes down?”

Laughing loudly, Club-Head put a hand on his chest. He pointed at Wrench with the other hand. Hooting and hollering the entire time as if he’d heard the single best joke.

“Want a second to fetch your club? Or do you want to die without your weapon in hand,” offered Wrench.

“Ahh ahhahaha… yeah, no. I’ll just kill you here. Kill you here, have Freckles on your corpse, then go eat your rations from the Adminis,” Club-Head growled with a long sigh, smiling.

Then he started forward toward Wrench.

Wrench had practiced a bit for this moment.

Not much, but some.

First he pushed on his Muscular system and where it attached to the other systems in his body. Dialing up their ability to react. To respond to the requests of his mind nearly instantaneously.

Next he pushed on his Endocrine system, which he’d found could prime his body for a fight in a hurry when he blindly pushed onit.

Last he specifically amped up his Nervous system. Running his brain’s ability to process, react, and direct things to a much more frantic pace. Moving the control and speed of his thoughts into a level where it would take a massive toll from him in a very short time.

He wasn’t quite sure of the specifics, or how to really crank himself into a physically domineering monster, but he’d get there. This was just the first step down that road.

His testing so far had been very limited, done within strict limits, and blindly.

He’d done it right, however.

Because everything was now moving much slower than he’d felt it was just a moment ago. Where Club-Head had been coming his way at a fast walk, he was now sauntering.

Not waiting, Wrench went forward quickly. His newly made muscles and lack of body fat had made him a little awkward on his feet, but not terribly so. He didn’t feel so off balance that he couldn’t correct it as he went.

Club-Head’s face went from smug to surprised. Ever so slowly transforming as Wrench came at him.

The man had underestimated him. He hadn’t expected a sudden attack right at the outset.

For Wrench to come at him with a lethal intent.

Coming up and around from an under-handed swing, Wrench felt the familiar memory of learning to fight in the resistance camps spring up. Even as his body struggled to do what he commanded as it’d never performed such a thing before.

There was no muscle-memory there.

A wrench was most certainly not a sword. Nor did it move through the air as one would expect a sword to. The blow was most certainly not going to land where Wrench was intending it do.

Which didn’t matter at all.

Rather than hitting Club-Head in the head, it slammed into the base of his skull where it met his neck. There was a crunching noise that followed Club-Head falling to the right, moving with the wide swing.

Wrench eased up on how hard he was pushing his nervous system, his mind and perception of time, just as Club-Head slammed into the ground. He bounce twice, then laid still on the grass.

Trying to catch his balance as the swing had been with so much force, only to rebound, Wrench felt extremely awkward. Having to step forward three times just to get his feet stable and flat beneath him.

Hefting his wrench he gave it a glance.

It seemed perfectly fine and untouched. The tool was considerably more durable than the bones in Club-Head’s neck, considering the big brute was on the ground unmoving.

Except for their mouth and eyes.

Their eyes darted this way and that, their mouth opened and closed noiselessly.

Dang.

Broke his neck but didn’t knock him out.

I’ll make it quick. He doesn’t deserve to feel himself going out.

Wrench walked over to Club-Head, lifted his tool, then brought it down with a thump on the back of Club-Head’s head. The clack and clatter of the wrench parts rattling about from the contact was louder than the sond of the thump.

Looking to Club-Head’s face, Wrench saw it was now slack. Their mouth open and eyes doing odd things in different directions.

“Well he’s not home anymore. There we go,” Wrench grumbled and then began going through Club-Head’s clothes to see if he had anything on him at all.

Wrench of course found nothing, though he planned on going to the man’s pen tonight and taking anything he wanted there. That meant going and dealing with the rest of Club-Head’s followers so they couldn’t do the same thing.

It would be easier to cow them now, and put down anyone who wanted to fight for Head position, after killing Club-Head just now.

Or I suppose just Club. He’s not Head anymore.

I am.

Wrench-Head.

“Come on then, Freckles. We can give you over to Chuckles. If he survives, that is. I won’t let any of the Brawlers live if they don’t plan on following me,” stated Wrench. Grabbing Club by the back of his collar, he began dragging the man off toward where the Brawler’s tended to congregate.

“I ah… I think I’d rather remain with you, Wrench,” interjected Freckles. “I clearly made a mistake. Foolish mistake. I’m so sorry. I think I’d like to keep the arrangement we had.”

“You can join the School-Hume, or Chuckles. You canceled our agreement,” Wrench said firmly, and didn’t elaborate further.

There was no reason to. Freckles would argue, debate, and weasel her way through conversations. Even going so far as to just wear a person down for them to agree.

If he never answered her after saying no, that’d be the end of it.

“It was a mistake,” continued Freckles. Following along behind him as he continued to drag the corpse along. “I’m still your woman.”

Wrench only shook his head with a frown. The key to escaping his past was two-fold.

He’d completed the first, and Freckles had done the second part for him all on her own. She’d even done it at the perfect time.

Everything could proceed further and faster than he’d expected.

Up ahead, Wrench could see the Brawlers. They were sitting around the dead center of the habitat. There was a circular area with rocks set down in it. Quite a few people could sit there and gather around.

Someone noticed Wrench coming their way.

Clearly something was said at that moment as all heads turned his way. All the Brawler’s eyes were now locked to Wrench as he drug Club along behind him.

Thank god I figured out how to use the systems already. I don’t think I could have pulled Club along like this without having used what fat-sources I had to give myself some extra muscle.

“I’m your woman,” stated Freckles.

Wrench ignored her yet again. He was entirely focused on taking Club back to the brawlers. To become Head in their eyes, and disparage them from ever bothering him in the future.

None of them had gotten up. They were all still watching Wrench’s approach. The women that were part of this group were also watching Wrench now.

All of those that were in the extended circle of Club were also watching.

Dropping the body in front of everyone, Wrench stood up.

Holding his wrench up, Wrench waggled it about a bit.

“I killed Club. I’m Head,” stated Wrench. “Wrench-Head. Anyone else want to die? Better you say it now. If I’m going to clog the filter and have to fix it later, I’d rather only have to deal with it once.”

Wrench slowly let his eyes move from person to person. Meeting each and every single one of their gazes. He didn’t look away till their broke the stare or nodded their head at him.

Once each and every single person was cowed, Wrench finally nodded his head.

“Fine, great. I’m Wrench-Head. I’ll do my Fixer duties in the morning, then come be on display as a proper Head should. You got an issue, make sure you tell me in the afternoon. Don’t save it for the evening.

“I’ll be dealing with Adminis in the evening I’m sure. Anything else need to be said today? If not, that’s it.

“Oh, and I’ll be cleaning out Club’s pen tonight of anything I want from it. After I leave, you can pick through it how you want. Don’t care.

“All of Club’s rules are gone now as well. I’ll give you all new rules right now. They’re real simple, too. You break my rules, I’ll fucking kill you.

“You all ready to listen?”

There were head-nods all the way around the area.

“No rape, no murder, no assault, no theft. Gambling, prostitution, bartering is all fine,” Wrench laid out in a very simple way. “If you end up in a disagreement with someone over any of those no-no’s, I kill both of you.

“So don’t give a School-Hume a reason for me to kill you, and them, when you inevitably disagree. I’ll make sure everyone knows my rules. It’s that simple.”

“Uh. Wrench-Head, I made an offer to Freckles. I didn’t know that—”

Wrench made a hand wave gesture in front of himself. As if he were dismissing the words before they were spoken. The Brawler who’d spoken was young, looked to be in his early-twenties, with pale-blue eyes, a smile that didn’t seem to leave, and short light brown hair.

“Freckles isn’t my woman. She wanted more from me, I declined to give it. She’s free to return to her school pen, or join you, Chuckles. I don’t care at all. She’s not my woman. She’s free of me,” Wrench stated firmly, and clearly. He didn’t want there to be any room for misunderstandings at a later time. This was his opportunity for the clean break he wanted. “I wish you two the best if that’s what you end up deciding to do. If you don’t, whatever, also not my concern. I don’t think I’m looking for a new woman, but I’m open to offers if someone asks.”

Wrench realized he’d forgotten his tool bag back at the tree.

As that thought zipped through his head, he realized he didn’t want to be over here anyways.

“Alright, I’m done here. I”ll be over there near the tree, taking a nap,” Wrench muttered and threw a thumb back to the tree. “If you think something stupid, like trying to sneak over and killing me in my sleep, I promise you… I’ll wake up, then end your life. Painfully.

“Very painfully, very slowly, and where no Tongsta, Brawlers, or anyone would ever see you, or find you. I know where the bodies go. I can get into the Hab where no one else can. Do not… fuck with me.”

Grabbing Club, Wrench began dragging the corpse back to his tree. He’d have to make sure the Tongsta saw he’d killed Club. Killed him and was taking his place.

Which meant he’d have to be practically sitting on Club while taking aforementioned nap.

Eh… slept in worse. Slept in much worse.

***

Wrench had done exactly what he’d said he would. He’d dozed at the tree and made sure any Tongsta that passed could see he’d killed Club.

Then he dumped the corpse into the filter after taking everything of worth off it. After, Wrench cleared out Club’s pen of anything of actual worth.

He took it all back to his own pen.

All the while rebuffing and rejecting Freckles who relentlessly pursued him. Never-ceasing in her attempts to get him to take her back.

When he finally closed, shut, and locked his pen for the evening, he was certain it’d be over. She’d have to return to the School pen, or Chuckles’ pen. In either case, after that, there’d be no confusing the issue of where she belonged.

Which wasn’t with him.

Exiting his pen the next morning Wrench could feel the death of Club and getting rid of Freckles buoying him. Helping him rise up his spirits and bring about a positive mind-set.

Giving him a great feeling of worth and satisfaction.

His starting goals were complete and he could really start digging into the bigger ones. The ones that’d cause him issues in the long term. Give him pause and make him really think about how to go about it.

Especially those that required things for him to do.

Food would be the biggest amongst those if he wanted to put on muscle mass. He could also make himself bigger, taller, and longer of limb, yet that’d cost even more food.

All things in time.

Wrench adjusted his toolbelt, and set off for the morning rounds. No Admini met-ape had been stuck under his door which meant the sensors had done exactly as he’d stated. They’d reported back with no issues or concerns whatsoever.

Making his way down, Wrench got down into the ductworks and made his way over to the circulation system for the habitat. These were the most important things in the entirety of the habitat.

Without them, the Humes would quite simply die.

Before he made it to the machines, he noticed there was a Tongsta at the far end of the hab. They were looking into the corner of it and didn’t seem to be moving.

Wrench had no idea if it was their owner or someone else. They were more than likely only just now noticing that Club was dead.

The corner that they were at, what they were most certainly staring at, was the dead body of Club. Right where Wrench had dumped them, and left them. Letting the filters pull at whatever foulness the corpse would put out.

Suddenly, the Tongsta slapped a tentacle against the habitat. Causing the whole thing to shiver to one side. Sending a rumbling throughout the whole of it as well.

So strong was it that it almost knocked Wrench right off his feet and send him tumbling to the decking below the machines. Where cables and cords were fed into the habitat.

The Tongsta darted awy from the hab, only to turn back to it. It shimmerred violently, lashed out at the air, then swished away.

“Hm. That… wasn’t what I expected,” Wrench confessed, watching it all happen. “Maybe Club was more of a favorite of one of them than I thought. If they were a favorite… does that mean they might get rid of me for being the one to have killed them?

“Maybe I should lay low. Stay away from the others for a time. Let this blow over. They’ll blame it all on me and want to perhaps take it out on me. Then I’d have to kill even more of them.”

That wouldn’t do much good for Wrench if he murdered even more Humes.

A Hume that just slaughters it’s hab-mates didn’t often last very long. Tongsta could forgive a death here or there, but a number of losses in a short time tended to get them animated.

Involved.

The Tongsta had fluttered away, leaving the area, crossing to the side to land on a wall, then scuttling across it and out of sight. Only to come right back with what looked a lot like a clear bag of some sort.

There was a thunk while the Tongsta fiddled with something at the corner of the tank. The bag had gone out of view and Wrench could only watch and wonder.

Several seconds passed and suddenly the bag came back up.

Now though, it was no longer empty.

Inside of it was Club.

Holding it up in front of itself the Tongsta appeared to be studying the dead Hume.

Another tentacle appeared and latched onto the top of hte habitat. As if the Tongsta was leaning against it.

A whole minute passed before the alien left. Taking the dead Club with them.

Wrench only heard one spoken word the entire time. The rest of it had been mangled gibberish.

It’d said, “Fuck”.

Damnit.

I didn’t even stop to consider if they were a favorite of one of the Tongsta. He must’ve been.

Maybe he was more thantheir gladiator? Their personal fighter and an actual investment?

Hume fights are rather popular amongst Tongsta after all. That’s what I was banking on becoming. That they weren’t that actually attached.

Did I screw up my own chances before they’d even begun?

Wrench shook his head.

Oh well. Whatever.

Take it as we fucking go.

Ha.

There wasn’t anything he could do about it right now. It was well and truly beyond his control and out of his hands. Whatever happened because of this situation, would happen.

One couldn’t expect, predict, or count on a Tongsta to do what a humen wished for. That just wasn’t how the world worked.

Wrench instead focussed on his task at hand. He needed to do a quick double check on evrerything to make sure it was operating within the best possible parameters.

Then he could go back up to his pen and hide from the other Hume. To stay out of sight at least for a day or three. Let their nerves, anxiety, and anger cool while never seeing him.

He only hoped it’d actually work out that way.

Smirking to himself, he was betting this was all going to go sideways as soon as the next Tongsta showed up. That’d be closer to his dark expectations than any other fluffy happy thoughts.

Whatever happened, he could deal with it. He’d gone through worse.

Except that “future” time became now and it only took something akin to ten minutes to happen.

Wrench didn’t fail to notice when the Tongsta came back with a Hume-net.

One that he’d bet on being specifically for him.