Overclocked -ch10- (Patreon)

Wrench pulled the door open that led out of the ducts and stood there for a moment. The sound of the woman scrambling to her feet, the cloth rustling as she did so, was obviously.

“Hello there,” Wrench said, not exiting the doorway.

“Ah! Yes, hi. Hello!” came a female voice. It had a fun higher-pitch quality to it with a crisp pronunciation. “I wanted to talk to you about a request. You said to speak to you about them.”

Stepping out from around the wall where he couldn’t see her came the woman.

Standing in front of him, he could now see she was a Deme.

Large dark-blue eyes watched him from beneath straight and manicured brown eyebrows. She had inhuman ears that were perched on the top of her head. Large rounded things with a white furry edge around the rims of them. That coloring ran down around the base of her ears, became hair, then down behind her. On each side of those white stripes were dark brown stripes.

The rest of her hair was all the lighter-brown color that her eyebrows were.

She stood at around five-foot one or five-foot two and was looking up at him. Dressed in a full dress that emphasized her certainly above average body, he noted that she wasn’t over-flowing with curves either.

If she was, it’d likely have overwhelmed her small stature and made her look a bit off.

He noted that her clothes were in good condition, but overly worn. Dirt here and there but nothing too far outside of what one would expect for a Hume.

Repaired, reworn, repaired again.

Either their Hab is a bit out of alignment on materials, or she’s not exactly in with the main group. Being here by herself without any others means she’s a Solo as well.

She’s pretty. Pretty enough to be a Solo with a good body but… hm, there’s something missing.

This is all sorts of odd.

There was no red-tag in her ear that marked her as a Deme, but it was obviously that’s exactly what she was. There were many Tongsta that removed the tag as soon as they acquired the Deme.

In fact, didn’t Goodie pull them all out, too?

Ha. I didn’t even notice it, but now that I think about it, she did.

He had a stray thought that maybe that’s why she was on the outs in her Hab. That being a Deme wasn’t welcomed there. He hadn’t noted any other Demes, but he hadn’t seen her either.

“Yeah. Hi. I’m Wrench,” he said, holding her gaze.

Unable to maintain that stare, the woman looked down to his knees instead. Her hands coming up in front of herself and clutching to one another just in front of her stomach.

“Stripe. I’m ah… my name is Stripe,” answered the woman, nibbling at her lower lip.

“Alright. Come on in, Stripe. Let’s have a chat,” Wrench said and then stepped to the side. He slid his right hand behind his leg and held tightly to the pipe-wrench he was holding. If she did anything stupid he’d club her and then dump her corpse later onto the filter.

He’d considered using the sword, but the pipe-wrench felt better than a sword here.

A blade might get blood everywhere.

“Oh, thank you. I was a little nervous about this if I’m being honest,” confessed Stripe, quickly moving into the ducts. Wrench closed the door behind her, then stepped in front of the door. Holding onto the Wrench, while keeping it partly out of sight, he waited for her to continue.

Then realized she wouldn’t.

She was looking around at the ducts interior, then finally back to him.

“Why were you nervous?” he asked, gesturing to the nearby doorway. Inside was the conference room he’d set up and had put out a few snacks for his guest.

“Oh, I thought you’d want to talk to me out there. They’re listening right there. Waiting. Wanting to know what you’ll do next,” Stripe murmured, her head turning to look at the door he’d indicated. She moved toward it, her hands still held in front of herself.

“Well. I’ve been working, all day. This Hab only has me as the Fixer. No Adminis, no Brawlers, no other Fixers. Just me,” Wrench answered. It wasn’t a secret that he was alone. If anything it reinforced his narrative that he was the lord of all here.

“I thought it was something like that. It makes more sense that way,” Stripe said and then entered the room. “Oh! I… may I? Is that for me?”

“Yes, it is. Please. Help yourself,” Wrench allowed with a grin, moving to the door. He didn’t enter immediately but waited to make sure he could see her. Once he confirmed that she was at the side-table and quickly putting things together on a plate he entered the room.

Stripe made a happy chirping noise as she quickly put more than half of what was out, onto her plate. She didn’t seem to consider that he’d put out what he thought would be suitable for two people.

Or she was just that hungry and couldn’t contain herself.

Look at her go.

Hungry, hungry, little lady.

Isn’t she?

Kind of cute.

Like watching a small animal grabbing all it could.

Pausing, one hand stretched out to grab another apple, she looked to him. Staring at him with wide eyes as if she were staring down a predator.

“I… can I have a lot of this?” she asked, her common sense kicking in a bit late, but still kicking in. “Is this meant for others, too or… was it just for me?”

Unable to help himself, Wrench grinned.

He liked her personality. She seemed perfectly harmless.

While he didn’t trust her, he could at least let her take what she wanted from the table.

“Help yourself to any or all of it,” he answered, still grinning. “I don’t mind at all.”

Grinning at him, Stripe quickly went back to the food, putting at least three fourth’s of what was laid out onto her plate. She grabbed two cups of water and then sat herself down at the table.

“You’re a gracious host. Thank you, Wrench,” said the Deme. “We haven’t eaten much at all since the Hab was having issues. Then we didn’t eat today at all since that Tongsta pushed us all into our carrier.”

Picking up the fork she’d carried over with her, the Deme carved a chunk off what was affectionately called pasta-steak. Something that was very similar to steak in flavor, but had the density of pasta. One could pull it apart quite easily with the side of a fork let alone with the tines.

“Well, enjoy yourself for a moment. After you’ve gotten a few bites in you, you can start in with what you wanted to discuss,” offered Wrench. Just from watching her, he could tell she was hungry. Her cheeks were bulging with food as she chewed rapidly. Already pulling off another section of pasta-steak despite her mouth being quite full.

Nodding her head, Stripe made a humming noise that sounded quite pleased as she continued on with her food. Even going so far as to do a shimmy in her seat.

Dancing back and forth almost without realizing it while she ate.

Wrench could only smile as he loaded his plate with the left-overs she hadn’t taken. He joined her at the table and put his wrench down near his boot with the handle sticking up.

Right where he could grab it and then brain her if he needed to.

Pausing suddenly, Stripe looked at him. Her eyes flicked to his plate, back to him, then her own. She started to chew hurriedly again, then began swallowing. Her throat contracting roughly with each in a very inhuman way.

Demes are always so different and interesting. It’s a bit of a shame they’re genetically conditioned to being subservient to Tongsta. They’d have made it a lot easier if they joined the resistance.

“You said I could have as much as I wanted,” Stripe whispered, lifting up a napkin and dapping it at her full-lips.

“I did. I meant it, too. Why?” he questioned.

“You’re eating, too. But only what I left behind,” she said, her eyes flicking over to the now empty side-table.

“Yeah. I can go get more though. I’m not limited to what’s here. You are. So I really don’t mind you eating your fill,” Wrench explained. “Now, do you want to ask me whatever it was you wished?”

“Ah! Yes, thank you. Thank you,” Stripe said with a bob of her head. “Can I sleep just outside of the pens? Where you invited me in, to be more specific? I know that area is well secured by cameras.

“Normally I wouldn’t have an issue for my own safety in the Hab, but… there’s no security here outside of what you’re offering. If I could sleep there, that’d be wonderful. I don’t think anyone’ll try to make a move on me if I sleep there.”

“Uh… sure. That’s not a problem,” Wrench said easily. He’d honestly been expecting her to ask if she could sleep in the pens. His thoughts had already been considerably further ahead on trying to figure out on what he could barter with her to let her do so.

“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” Stripe murmured, taking a much more delicate approach to her food now. “Uhm… do you plan on feeding us, by the way?”

“Individually, yes. I’m going to have everyone come up here to get food. Where I can watch it,” Wrench stated firmly. “That way there isn’t anyone trying to take someone else’s food. There won’t be anyone picking it up for someone else either. They can come up here to eat, or not at all.”

“That’s good. Yes. Though… ah… you’ll have a number of people who want to remain in that area, or to come inside,” warned Stripe. “Now that you’ve cowed the Brawlers, they’re not acting as they used to.

“I think there’ll be issues tonight though. I’m positive they’ll take out their anger on others then make them swear to not bother you with it.”

Wrench had honestly already expected that.

He’d also already had plans on how to curtail it.

It would be yet another demonstration of his ownership of them as long as they were in his Hab. That there would be orderly conduct adhering to his laws, or there would be death.

Stripe was watching him, her large-blue eyes peering at him curiously.

“I understand. Thank you for the warning. Did your Tongsta send you with any bedding material at all?” he asked.

“No. Just whatever we could grab. Most of us just left our belongings in the Hab. Our Fixers are working on it and… and we felt it’d be safer to leave it all there. Just in case the Brawlers here robbed us,” answered Stripe.

“Well. No robbery. I won’t be allowing that at all,” Wrench remarked with a smirk.

“Mm, yes, I’m glad for it. I was very concerned for my well being. Hard enough to be a Solo, more so without the ability to secure myself,” offered Stripe conversationally. “More so that I’m Breeder grade and our Tongsta didn’t allow contraceptives. Everyone in our Hab is very careful about that sort of thing.

“Well, unless the Brawlers catch them or do something cruel. That’s happened a few times. The victims… they end up in the filter one way or another.”

Sniffing once, Wrench knew that was all he really needed to hear. It was more or less what he’d been expecting.

Seems I’ll be taking a few lives tonight.

I’ll need to go take a nap, talk to Dusky, then get ready.

Thinking ahead of what was likely going to happen tonight, he found himself a bit worried. Then let that fade away quickly.

In this world, at this time, he was a force that couldn’t be reckoned with.

“I’ll get you some bedding material,” Wrench offered, focusing his attention back on Stripe.

“You will? Why thank you. I’d appreciate that. I’m afraid I have nothing to offer in exchange,” Stripe murmured with a pained look on her face.

“Consider it charity. You’re also welcome to invite anyone you trust or feel safe with to sleep up near the entrance with you,” Wrench put in before she could continue. This would be a good opportunity to get information from Stripe without making it seem like he was trading her for it. Even if he really was. “Now, tell me more about your Hab. Solos, Schools, Brawlers, Fixers, Adminis. All of it.”

***

Wrench had waited until the Hab automatically shut down all the lights. When everything that wasn’t part of the pens or ducts was turned off to conserve energy.

When the field itself would be absolutely pitch black outside of whatever light could be made from the inhabitants, or where the Hab was. Given that they weren’t in any type of Tongsta family area, that meant there was just about zero light at all.

For anyone out there in this, it’d be damn near impossible to see anything that wasn’t five feet in front of you. The cameras could see perfectly of course, but Wrench couldn’t

If he waited for something to happen that he coudl spot on the camera, then went to intervene, it’d probably be too late to stop it from occuring.

He’d be stopping it from continuing, at that point.

Standing just outside the back exit of the ducts, he was quietly tapping through his systems window.

He’d found that he could actually go in through that image, rather than the listings, to find details and linked possibilities. It was far easier than he’d expected and found it to be rather intuitive.

Backing out of what was a representation of his brain, he hesitated for a moment, then touched where his eyes were. The Nervous system was highlighted and he was suddenly looking at a blown up image of his eyes.

At the back of it were a number of cylindrical objects. There was a listing for them that was simply Rod and Cone. Thinking on it, he wasn’t really sure which to click.

“I want to be able to see in the dark,” he grumbled aloud, then focused his thoughts on that. That he wanted to see in the dark and pushed that wish at his Nervous system.

The screen zoomed in on the Rod and a slider came up. It was listed at one-hundred percent.

Wrench shrugged and then pushed it all the way up to four-hundred percent. He had no idea how much that’d make a difference but it was better than nothing.

Suddenly the world shifted and he could see perfectly through the dark tha was all around him. Everything was in black and white, however.

A grayscale that made him feel quite strange but it was far better than what he’d been looking at the world in before. Suitably pleased, but not wanting to damage himself, Wrench began dialing the percentage back down.

When he was between two-hundred and two-fifty he felt like it was the most managable. That he could see a good ways away, but it wasn’t so over-cranked that he’d fry out some part of his eyes.

He was ready for this now. Everything was dialed up and set for combat other than his awareness of time.

Hefting the short-sword Wrench set off at a quick jog. Moving around the side of the building against the Hab glass. Reaching the attached gate that’d prevent people from coming around this way he hesitated for a moment, then opened it.

The lock had popped for him as soon as he got close enough, letting him pass through.

Exiting, he went back toward the front entrance.

All the watchers who’d been keeping an eye on the entrance had all fled.

Without any light to see by, they weren’t sticking around.

When he got there he peeked around the corner.

Stripe was there by herself. Rolled up in the bedding material he’d provided for her, and sleeping quietly. Her back pressed to the door of the duct entrance.

Apparently despite his offer of letting her invite others up, she hadn’t done so.

That or… she never went back down to the field after coming up.

I wonder if she plans on staying up there the entire time.

Given what she said, I suppose that’s as valid an answer as anything.

Moving off quickly, Wrench went down to the large encampment that’d been made by all the visitors. They’d broken themselves out into groups and were sleeping apart from one another.

Most of them had clearly moved into the groups they typically slept with. Keeping to their own groupings and not bothering with anyone else.

The Schools were with themselves, the Solos sleeping as one big group, the Adminis were with the Brawlers surprisingly though. That group wasn’t the largest, but they were the center point for everyone else.

Thankfully the Schools and the Solos had slept close enough to one another that Wrench could monitor both. The schools had broken up into smaller groups but were all part of a larger whole.

Except, as Wrench closed in on the groups he realized he was too late.

Spread out around a School of what looked to be twenty were a number of Brawlers. They’d formed a circle around the group. In the center were two Brawlers actively in the process of tearing clothes off of women.

The School was watching it happen, not interfering, and waiting quietly. Hoping that they’d be skipped more than likely. With Brawlers all around them there wasn’t much they could do about it.

Other Schools were aware something was going on, but given the inability to see very well, they probably weren’t quite sure.

Wrench didn’t want to let this go from attempted rape to actually rape, so he didn’t hesitate. What’d been a quick walk was a sprint as he darted forward to close the distance.

Coming right up to the closest Brawler at the edge of the circle Wrench stabbed them through the back. The tip of the sword poking out through the front.

Ripping it out he walked forward to the two men who were wrestling with their panting, squirming, and fighting victims. They weren’t going willingly thankfully.

Reaching them, Wrench kicked one in the jaw. Sending them flying backward.

As casual as could be he stabbed this Brawler through the chest. Pulling the sword out he stabbed them twice more. Making sure that it’d be impossible for them to survive.

“What?” asked the other Brawler. They’d been close enough to hear the kick. “You were told not to—”

“Told not to defy me,” hissed Wrench, stabbing his sword down through the man’s neck and downward into their torso. Shifting the blade around savagely Wrench did his best to carve up any organs he could reach.

Not wanting to let any of the Brawlers escape, Wrench began walking over toward the next closest one. Right as he reached them, they’d apparently decided whatever was happening was too much for them.

Wrench swung his weapon just as they stood up.

Catching them in the midsection he felt the blade hit their spine and stop cold.

Jerking it back out, Wrench pulled it back and stabbed forward. Running them through between ribs.

By the time he’d finished the other Brawlers had high-tailed it out of there. Sprinting off into the distance.

Standing there, Wrench watched them sprinting off.

All of it had happened in a very short period of time and under complete darkness. Without any noise happening at all, almost.

Sniffing once, Wrench stuck his sword into the dirt. Grabbing the nearest corpse he dragged it over to the side of the School. He began stripping it of worldly possessions.

He’d make captain pretty-face deal with the corpses again. Then I’ll make him pay a price.

Around him there was soft mewling voices, whimpers, and sobbing of scared School-Hume. People who were literally and figuratively in the dark.

That’d just been attacked by people from their own Hab, without being able to do anything about it.

“You’re fine. You’re… you’re all fine. It’s alright,” Wrench said as gently as he could. “I’ll remain here until the morning. It’s Wrench.

“I’m staying here to protect you all. So just… just get some sleep. Rest. It’s fine.”