System overclocked 2 -ch5- (Patreon)

Wrench felt tired.

Worn out.

At a mental level, he was as if he were a hand-towel filled with water, now wrung dry. Flipped over a clothes-line and left to dry in the wind.

The Admini had been more than willing to go over an endless amount of information. Most of which wasn’t very useful to him, though it did give him a great deal of insight into what he could expect from the Tongsta.

They weren’t very good at taking take of Hume, as far as Wrench could tell. Bodies that were filtered were just removed and that was the end of it. There was never any real effort on the Tongsta to figure out what was going on.

Supplies were typically met, but not always. When supplies did get dropped off, everything provided was low grade.

It isn’t exactly hostile, or without care at all, but it’s definitely somewhat of a… absent parent, I guess. We’re mostly left to our own devices, for better or worse.

Letting out a long sigh, Wrench looked up to the security monitors. While he’d been away, the labor tasks he’d left out for everyone had been completed. It’d only taken him wiring up the displays into the system, then the feeds into the system, and they now could see every entrance.

As to the Fixers who’d been here, they’d all been sent away to Wrench’s pen and told to live there. Tasks would be provided them every day as well as tools.

“I’ve finished setting everything up,” Stripe said from behind him. It’s about two hours from sunset. Did we want to try out the cafeteria here?”

“To hell with that,” Wrench muttered, tearing his eyes away from the cameras and looking to Stripe. “We’ll just use the dispensers here. No reason to step out there at this time. Maybe after we put up that wall on the Skybridge tomorrow morning.

“Might be worth exploring a bit after that. Until then, I wouldn’t want to risk anyone or anything.”

Stripe nodded slowly at that, then she smiled at him.

“You’re never passive in a situation,” she said suddenly.

“Not unless there’s a reason to be. I’m not going to let someone else dictate my life. Well, not unless I have to,” Wrench muttered. “Goodie is a given. Other Tongsta… maybe, depending on the situation. Hume? Not unless they have a valid reason to tell me what to do.

“Or if they’re in charge and they’re running things fine. Then I’d leave it alone and be passive. Honestly, I’d have preferred just staying in our Pens here and waited for Goodie. Now we’re doing work for the sake of doing work to make sure we survive long enough for Goodie to arrive.”

“That makes sense,” Stripe admitted with a slow nod of her head. “I’m… I’m really tired. I’m going to turn in for the night. I know we normally stay up and talk but I’m just-I’m so tired.”

Wrench felt a pang of regret about that, but he couldn’t blame her. It’d been a long few days for them all. Stripe had pulled her weight and then some.

Nor did she have his special abilities to make everything easier for herself. He could up his recovery rate and eat more food, and be perfectly fine.

Other than perhaps a headache and feeling mentally wrung out, which both he could power through. Physical energy and the will to move could over-come many things.

“I understand. Thanks… Stripe. For everything. I wouldn’t be here without you. Glad to be here with you, no less,” murmured Wrench feeling rather odd. There was a lot that wasn’t being said between them, but things were slowly coming to a boil.

Stripe smiled, laid her head to the frame of the door and let out a long sigh.

“Thanks, Wrench. Can we talk more in the morning?” she asked, her eyes large and gazing into him.

“Of course,” he said quickly.

With a small nod of her head, Stripe stood up straight.

“There’s four rooms. I gave us each one. I think the Fixers were sleeping in here, too,” Stripe offered and then waved a hand at him. Turning, she left and entered the hall.

Four rooms.

In the end, we never discussed inviting Joy into things. Except that by bringing her along in the first place, I suppose I voted for her to be included then.

As if on cue, Joy’s head peeked around the corner, followed by the rest of her. She hit him with a beautiful smile and put her hands behind her back.

“Hi, Wrench,” she said, sounding awfully… warm. Bubbly, even. As a School Hume would be when deep in their School and all needs met. “I’m really glad to be here. So… thank you for letting me stay. I appreciate being part of your-your School.

“I even got a chance to go to the medical ward and check on my friend. They’re still recovering and will be there for a few days. They got hit really hard in the head and the machine that would normally fix that is broken.”

Ah… I couldn’t fix that one. It needs a full replacement.

“Peaches mentioned you already tried to fix it but couldn’t get it working due to a lack of parts,” Joy continued, slowly moving back and forth as she stood there. She was so different than the person he knew as Pain that it was impossible to see them as the same person at all. “I saw you put that on the request for the Admini as well. Stripe showed me. I can’t help but think that maybe you did that for me. So… thank you, Wrench. Thank you so much.”

“It’s fine, Joy,” Wrench settled on after thinking on how to respond after a few seconds. “We’re School, now. There’s only four of us so we have to watch out for each other.”

“Mmm, yes. Exactly,” Joy whispered. Then she broke eye contact with him and looked to the side. Bending over, and inadvertantly giving him a fun view of her expansive cleavage, she grabbed something off to the side. Then she stood up and entered the room. “Help me?”

In Joy’s hands was the tool bag he’d given her. There was a very earnest look on her face as she stood there holding onto the bag.

I want to learn everything in here, what their names are, and what they do. Or at least, examples of how to use them.

“I’m in a School that does a lot of Fixer work so… I must learn. Because School supports School,” Joy proclaimed, her hands pressed to her breasts and walking toward him. The bag was likely heavier than she had the ability to carry easily. “I’m not looking forward to the Brawler training when it comes, though I’ll give my all for the School. Seventh said we’ll start with light exercises as… as I have no muscles, she said.”

Setting the bag down in front of Wrench, she gave him a triumphant smile despite the fact that she was already red faced from carrying it that short distance.

The determination in her gaze was nearly a physical thing.

“Now. Where do we begin?” she asked and then bent down to start rummaging through the tool bag.

Maybe Joy and Pain aren’t that different after all. Just a different starting point.

***

When joy finally was satisfied with his instruction, she smiled, touched his shoulder in a way that was very School Hume, and left. Saying she was going to go get dinner and then go to bed.

Feeling somewhat winded after talking for so long, and so much, Wrench leaned back in his seat. It’d been nice to watch Joy leave while trudging along with her tool-bag.

Turning around Wrench looked up to the cameras.

Standing in front of the door was a young woman. She was dressed just like all the other women in the Hab were, though her clothes looked either new, or well cared for. Her hands were empty and she looked as if she were trying to psych herself up for something.

Her head down and animatedly moving her hands around.

Tapping into the system, he pulled up the audio.

There was nothing being said. Whatever the woman was doing, was silent, and likely all inside of her head.

His first thought that she was amping herself up definitely seemed correct. Watching, listening, he just sat there, staring at the monitor.

“What-what’s she doing?” Seventh asked from directly behind him.

“I have no idea. Best guess is she’s trying to work herself up or something,” murmured Wrench.

“Oh. Oh, yeah. I could definitely see that. I was like that for my first fights when I was a pre-teen,” Seventh remarked, leaning against the back of Wrench’s chair. He could feel her forearm resting against the back of his head. “Though… what could she be trying to work herself up for. Was she supposed to be a bribe for the other Fixers?”

“Dunno. Not sure I care enough,” he answered.

“Go see what she wants. Then come and give me what I want,” suggested Seventh with a promise to her words. Her right hand came around and pressed to his chest. She lightly began to rub at his torso. “I’ll be in your Pen. And in case you don’t know, it’s the last one on the left. My Pen is the one right before yours.

“I’ve really been looking forward to this. Oh, I did find a null ring.”

She lifted the hand on his chest and showed off the ring on her ring finger. It was indeed a null ring.

“See you in a bit, Wrench. You’re the only one who could ever deserve to be on top of me,” purred Seventh, who leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of his head. Her hand was dressed across his chest and shoulder and then she was gone. Leaving him sitting there.

He suddenly wanted to talk to the woman at the door and quickly go to his Pen. While he definitely wanted a deeper relationship, one that was more than just sex, he wasn’t going to turn down Seventh anymore.

Most especially after Stripe had given him permission previously, and told him to take care of Seventh. The only way it would be more obvious would be if she shoved Wrench into Seventh’s Pen and yelled, ‘here you go!’ while closing the door behind him.

Clearing his throat, then adjusting the bulge that was very present in his pants, Wrench stood up. Looking to the monitor, he watched it closely.

The woman was still there. Visually trying to work herself up for something and staring at the door the entire time. Beyond her there was the Deme School, a few Solos, and nothing else.

There wasn’t anyone waiting around the corner that he could see, and no one nearby that could rush the door. Whatever this was about, it was entirely about the woman and her being here.

A strange thought popped into his head.

“Oh. The Admini,” Wrench blurted out with a chuckle. “That’s right. I asked for them to send an Admini over. I wanted to a liaison so I didn’t have to listen to a bunch of worthless drivel.

“This must be her. She’s probably terrified since I’ve already shown I can kill people without a concern. That makes a whole lot of sense. I’d be nervous if I was her too.”

Feeling better about his assumption Wrench waited. If this was the Admini he’d requested, she’d have to knock or hit the doorbell at some point.

Especially since the lights would be going out relatively soon. He doubted anyone would want to be out and about at night in this Shelter.

His memories from what Pain had told him about the place, left him feeling like being out at night was asking for trouble.

To become troubled or be troubled.

As if summoned by his concerns, the lights flickered, then simply turned out. It was a bit earlier than expected, but apparently not out of the norm.

No one screamed, shouted, or yelled. There wasn’t even a discordant murmur coming from the cameras. Even as it switched to it’s night vision mode, he saw everyone leaving the area in an orderly, if swift action.

Except for the young woman. She was now staring into the darkness behind her and was clearly on the verge of just running away. Running back to the Supply Depot and taking whatever punishment was given to her for not appearing.

Her shoulders stiffened, she turned back to the door, and then hit the doorbell. It was surprising to say the least. Wrench had thought she was about to take off running entirely.

Getting up, Wrench went to the hall. Though he did pick up a metal-clad club he’d fab’ed earlier on his way.

“Is-is everything okay?” asked Joy. She was standing in front of what he assumed was her room. Gripped in her hands was a pipe-wrench.

Grinning, seeing an odd reflection of Pain in her bearing, he smiled and waved a hand at her.

“It’s fine. Go brush your hair and relax. It’s someone I was expecting,” he said soothingly. Brushing her hair was always her first response to any type of stress if she wanted to immediately wind down.

Heading to the door, Wrench opened it.

Holding the club behind his back he stuck his foot into the door and peered out into the darkness and beyond. The light from th e hall was enough to illuminate her face, but it likely put his own into shadow.

“Yes?” he asked. He shifted the door a bit so he could bring the club down on the woman’s forehead if he needed to. Just because he assumed it was an Admini, didn’t mean it was.

“I-I-I’m here at your request. I was sent by Shinista. I’m Bird,” the woman said, lifting her chin up and facing him squarely. She was pretty, with fine features, a small frame, and an athletic build.

Her eyes were a dark blue and her hair a brown that was long and carefully pulled back from her face in some type of interwoven style of braiding.

She looked like a young woman that was likely attractive for being an Admini, though not compared to Solos or Schools.

“Ah,” Wrench stated, then opened the door fully. “Come in. You arrived later than expected. We’ll be quick as can be about it and that’ll be it.”

“Yes, that’d-that’d be best. To be quick about this and move from there,” agreed the woman. She entered the Duct and stood several feet away from Wrench, looking around.

He closed the door behind her, locked it, threw the bolt, and dropped the bar. Glancing at the latch, he saw that Joy and Seventh had ended up hanging it perfectly. He’d already confirmed it once but it being used compared to being set intentionally were two different tests.

Looking back to Bird, he saw she was standing with her shoulders apart, her hands balled into fists, and squared up on him.

“I’ll gladly do whatever you want me to, but if you hurt me-if you hurt me, I’ll do my best to-to-to make your life miserable,” she got out in a quavering voice. The words were firm, the delivery was not. “So take me to your bed and let’s be done with it, just as you said.”

My bed?

Blinking stupidly Wrench processed what she’d said.

Then he laughed.

“Oh. Got it. Yeah, sorry, you’re not here for sex,” mumbled Wrench and walked past her. He went straight into the supply room. “You’re literally here to work. I needed an Admini to come over and cross-check all my records and accounting.

“The system needs an Admini to sign off on my inventory and record keeping so that it can be sent up to the Tongsta. I think previously they’d typed in some Admini’s password to subvert the system but… I don’t know that password. And if we’re being honest, I wouldn’t want to use it anyways. Whoever takes over this position for me when I’m on the way out should know the right way to do things.”

Wrench picked up a clip-board with his inventory met-ape sheets on it. Everything had been cataologued, listed, and sorted out. It’d take him some time but it hadn’t been awful.

The previous Fixers had been horrid and awful people, but they’d at least managed to keep their storage in good order some how.

Bird was staring at him wide eyed from the doorway.

“Honestly, I think you’d have had a better time with having sex with me. I’ve always hated doing inventory, but there it is,” continued Wrench. He walked up to her and gently put the clipboard to her chest and held it there till she took it from his hands.

“There’s an open room if you want to sleep here for the night rather than go out there after you’re done. Feel free. There’s a dispenser in a breakroom that’s operating. It doesn’t put out a whole lot, but enough that going to the cafeteria becomes just as much of a hindrance as having less choice.”

“Inventory?” Bird asked, looking at the met-ape on the clipboard. She shifted it around till it was right side up and began reading what’d been happened to her. “I’m here to do inventory?”

“Yeah. I already did it. Now you need to confirm it,” simplified Wrench. He gestured at a terminal in the corner. He’d done all the work there. “I saved it there. Feel free to open it and go through it if you want an electric copy. It’s unlocked and open to guest users at the moment.”

“Inventory,” muttered Bird again, her eyes slowly going back and forth across the met-ape. “You wanted me here to do… inventory.”

“Yeah. I did. I need an Admini liaison. I want someone who can go back and forth for me so I don’t have to waste my time,” Wrench explained. “Admini’s talk too much. It’s not for me. Having a liaison to talk to them is just easier.

“That’s you now. And as my liaison, you also get to handle all the Admini duties I need to get handled. So… it’s quite like I said. Sex probably would have been funner than this. Inventory sucks.”

Wrench almost patted the woman on the shoulder but reigned it in. He instead left her standing there. He walked down to the end of the hall, opened the door and stepped inside.

The interior was a lot like a Pen and had all the items a Pen would have.

Save one naked and sexy Seventh laid out on his bed waiting for him.

She flashed him a smile and then crooked a finger at him.

Earlier, Wrench had a momentary flicker of regret that he wasn’t jumping into bed with Bird. That had been a purely sexual response, thankfully.

Now though, that response seemed childish.

As if asking for the glass of water in front of you, while having an entire year’s worth of water in a silo right next to you.

Seventh was incredible to look at in all her muscled and athletic glory.

“Come on over here. We might not be making Eighth tonight, but no sense in not practicing like we are. Nothing quite like a good practice run.

“By the way, I’m really good at training and practice, you know,” growled Seventh a second before her knees spread apart. “Really good. I have endurance that can’t be beat.”