Cyber Dreams 3.4 - Easy Come, Easy Go (Patreon)

Maybe TMI about cybernetic arms incoming . . .

Juliet sipped at the chilled, pale wine, rather enjoying the flavor and the buzz that accompanied it. Her stomach was near empty, and it hit her pretty hard, so she was trying to sip slowly, though Doctor Ladia was on her second glass. The doctor’s desk had a high-end holoprojector built into the surface, and the images she was displaying were very solid and real-looking, far better than the projector in Juliet’s deck. At the moment, she was pointing to the shoulder of a human skeleton and the muscles and tendons involved in the joint.

“You see? It’s really quite important that the synth muscles are woven into the supporting structures of the chest and back. The doctor who did your arm augment originally did a fairly competent, if inelegant, job, but I’d want to replace all those synth fibers, nerves, and boosted electro-fibers.”

“So, I need the whole thing replaced? Not just this?” Juliet tapped the red plasteel of her cybernetic arm.

“If you want the best functionality and if you want to avoid long-term problems—back aches, pulled muscles, possible infections. You see, the electro-fibers aren’t being used anymore; their bios chip was in the lower half of the arm, and they wouldn’t work in conjunction with that prosthetic anyway. You should be fine for a while, but your body will start to have problems with the artifacts of the old system.”

“Yeah. I figured this was temporary, but I’d had this hope that I wouldn’t need to have the whole thing removed.” Juliet reached over with her left hand and rubbed at her right shoulder, enjoying the feel of her fingers kneading her hard-earned muscles. “It just seems . . . I don’t know.” She sighed and tried again, “It feels kind of sad to me. To cut away part of my body to replace with some plasteel.”

“Humans are funny animals, Lucky. Did you feel sad when you replaced your eyes? How about your natural eardrums?”

“Not really, but it was kind of a rushed decision. The eyes, I mean.”

“Well, it's a matter of desire and acceptance. I’ll bet when you were a little girl, you couldn’t wait to get your first retinal implants, your first auditory implants, and your first PAI. All your friends were getting them—they represented freedom because they opened a world of opportunities for you. You haven’t spent the last ten or twenty years fantasizing about getting chromed-up arms, right? Don’t get me wrong—some of my clients are very eager for new arms or legs, but we’re all different. It’s just a matter of wrapping your mind around the necessity and the benefits that will come along. Let me show you something.”

Juliet digested the doctor’s words while she tapped at her datapad, and then a new image appeared. “You met my receptionist, Tricia, right? What am I saying? Of course, you have—she brought us this wine.”

“Yes! She’s very nice.” Juliet smiled, remembering how pleasant Tricia had been when she arrived.

“Look here,” A holographic image of Tricia appeared, and Juliet saw that she had a cybernetic implant on her left leg far different from the one she’d sported out in the reception area. Tricia wore a sports halter and athletic shorts, exposing her long, muscular legs. Her left leg ended at the knee in a metallic blue and black cybernetic implant, shaped much like her natural leg. “See? She was in a similar position to you when she first began working for me. She’d lost her leg at the knee, and a well-meaning doctor installed this prosthetic.”

Doctor Ladia touched her pad, and the image changed to show some sort of detailed scans of a pelvic area and lower back, Tricia’s if Juliet had to guess. “See the way her spine is out of alignment? See the hairline fractures here and here, in her hip and femoral bone?” Juliet saw where Ladia was pointing and nodded. “The prosthetic was powerful but oversized for her frame and didn’t have proper supporting structures built into Tricia’s frame. She was in constant pain, and she’d only had that prosthetic for a little over a year.”

Ladia touched her pad again, and the image changed to show Tricia with the pale pink, elegant, full-leg prosthetic that Juliet had seen her with. Ladia gestured, and the hologram zoomed in to show a close-up of Tricia’s back, and, like magic, the skin faded away to reveal the muscle fibers and bones—thankfully stylized and bloodless. Juliet had figured out by now that Tricia was sort of a living brochure.

Ladia continued, “You can see the synth fibers and supporting compression cartilage I added to her frame here and here—highlighted in pale blue. Did you notice how she walks? She’s totally pain-free and has begun dancing again, something she’d thought she’d never be able to do again, at least not competitively.”

“It looks wonderful, doctor. I won’t deny that. Couldn’t you have reinforced her thigh, I guess her femoral bone and hip, or something? I mean, did you have to give her a full leg?”

Ladia smiled and took a sip from her glass. “Of course, I could. Of course. I wanted her to have the best result, though, not just a good enough result.” She shrugged, her lips curved pleasantly as if to say, “It is what it is.”

“Okay. So, I get it—you think I should get a full arm replacement with appropriate support work.”

“Well, yes. I’d have to insist, in your case. It would be a terribly invasive and difficult job to remove the work done for your first augmentation to make something that worked well with a partial prosthetic.”

“Right . . .”

“Let me show you some options.” Ladia touched her pad, and a holographic model of a silvery arm appeared. It looked like a sleeker, more expensive version of what she already had, but, of course, it was an entire arm, including the shoulder. “Chrome is popular for various reasons—it goes with any color, and this product is triple electroplated and very durable. Easy to repair, too, should it get scratched. Do you like chrome?”

“Sure, I mean, it’s pretty. I’ve seen plenty of people with chromed limbs, and, as you said, it can go with anything, but, well, I never saw myself with it. It seems flashy.” Juliet shrugged, nervously fidgeting with the red plasteel articulated plates at her wrist.

“Are you fond of your red arm?”

“No, not really.”

“Think of the most beautiful, amazing cybernetic prosthetic you’ve ever seen. How would you describe it?” Ladia frowned as though also trying to imagine the perfect arm.

“Well, I kind of liked my old augmentation because my arm looked normal. I think Tricia’s leg is beautiful . . .”

“Mmhmm, yes. Let’s see here, something a little more muted, perhaps.” Ladia tapped her pad a few times, and then a new arm appeared—graceful, smooth, and pale cream, almost white in color. “This is the same manufacturer as Tricia's leg. The plasteel is treated with an electro-plated, nearly indestructible enamel. See the soft sheen? It’s not quite shiny or matte, and the color is called muted pearl—it’s meant to blend in with someone of a skin tone similar to yours, but not as though it’s trying to look like flesh. Studies find that plasteel arms attempting to match flesh are seen as off-putting, while the human eye appreciates elegant soft shades.”

“I noticed that about Tricia’s leg. It’s such a pale, pretty pink . . .” Juliet’s voice was hushed as she leaned forward, admiring the arm.

“Well, this arm isn’t just high-end for its elegant styling. It comes from the factory perfectly sized for the end user. It’s built of the latest high-grade plasteel alloys and has high-capacity bio batts, the lowest response times in the industry, and powerful actuators. More than that, the manufacturer sells it with a full suite of synth-muscle fibers and skeletal tie-ins that will make it a perfect match for your frame.”

Juliet liked the arm. She liked the idea of it, but she frowned, thinking about Tricia. “You know, doc, I like that arm. I think it’s pretty, but I don’t dress like Tricia.” She gestured to her tank top. “I do hard, dirty work sometimes. Do you think I should have a pearl-colored arm?”

“It’s not going to be easy to stain or even scratch this arm, Lucky. I could sell you a black or dark gray arm that wouldn’t look out of place in a machine shop, but what if you want to go out? What if you want to wear a nice dress?” She paused, frowned, and said, “Well, we haven’t spoken about synth-flesh, have we? I have a few brands of cybernetics that come equipped with programmable skin. I could have your right arm looking just like your left. I’d have to tie the synth-flesh into your circulatory system, so you’d have to be careful about injuries, but that’s nothing a good nanite suite couldn’t handle.”

“I am interested in a nanite suite . . .” Juliet frowned at the arm, still admiring its elegance, and then asked, “Why’d you show me the pearl color and not the pale pink like Tricia has?”

“Well, your eyes are a rather natural green color. I recognize those implants—you could have far flashier-looking retinas if you wanted. I figured you might like something a little less . . .”

“I’m not exactly dressed nicely, am I?” Juliet chuckled, bailing the doctor out.

“You know what? I think I have an idea. I sold one of these to a mercenary woman a couple of years ago; she was tough but beautiful, kind of like you, Lucky.” Juliet blushed at the woman’s words, but she watched as the doctor tapped on her deck, and then a new arm appeared, it was smooth and graceful, kind of like the one the doctor had just shown her, but it was thicker around the meaty parts, and it was two-toned in color. Parts of it were black, and parts were matte silver.

Juliet admired the way the arm looked sleek but powerful, and she also liked that the entire hand was coated in the black, tactile material that only coated the inside of her current hand. “I like that a lot. It’s definitely not some chop-doc job, but it also wouldn’t look like I’m trying to be something I’m not.”

“This arm was a custom order from Olympia Tech—they specialize in prosthetics that are supposed to enhance the human form. You won’t find stronger alloys. I’d need to reinforce your shoulder, spine, and some of the muscles in your back and chest. Nothing terribly difficult, mind you; I still have the programs in my autosurgeon. Still, like the Lace Industries arm, I’d need to order this to fit you perfectly, along with all of the peripheral synth muscles, fibers, and skeletal enhancements.”

“Well, I’m still not sure that’s for me, but I do like it. Can you talk to me some more about something with synth-flesh? Something that would look like my natural arm?” Juliet could picture herself with the sleek, powerful-looking arm, but she found it much easier to imagine herself without it. She wondered if it mattered—she’d likely get used to whatever she chose.

“Of course.” Ladia tapped at her tablet, and then an animated hologram began to play, showing the metallic skeletal structure of an artificial arm. Then the metal bones were coated with dense layers of some kind of mesh “muscle” fibers and long, rubbery-looking tendons. Sleek, gel-coated electronics, including what Juliet thought were some batteries, sank into convenient gaps in the muscle tissue and metallic bones. Finally, over it all, blood vessels and then a layer of skin, including fingernails, materialized. The finished, natural-looking arm rotated momentarily before the animation began to play again.

“I won’t lie; I like the idea of that,” Juliet said, nodding.

“How about I play the advertisement? This is a new model, and I’m not an expert on all the ins and outs. On paper, they outperform some of the bigger, full-metal jobs.” Ladia touched her pad again, and then a too-perfect, smooth, feminine spokesperson’s voice began to recite the benefits and features of the arm in the hologram.

“BioFusion’s 2109 model, available today! BioFusion has put decades of research and customer feedback into our latest suite of cybernetic prosthetics. Allow me to highlight just a few of the proprietary technologies included in this remarkable series: FlexiTitanium Alloy Bones: Our proprietary alloy bones mimic the natural structure and flexibility of human bones, providing exceptional durability and shock absorption. The lightweight yet sturdy material ensures a perfect blend of strength and agility.

“BioCharge Batteries: The revolutionary BioCharge batteries recharge from your body's natural biological functions, harnessing energy from your metabolic processes. Our BioCharge batteries recharge up to forty percent faster and hold a significantly larger charge than our nearest competitor’s.

“SynthFlex Muscle Fibers: Muscle fibers designed to replicate the elasticity and responsiveness of human muscles while more than tripling their output on a pound-for-pound basis.

“TendoniX Tendons: Our patented TendoniX tendons are engineered to deliver ultra-responsive, smooth motion. These high-tech tendons ensure precise control and dexterity, offering seamless integration with your body's natural movements and unparalleled reflex response.

“PAI-Pal Technology: Our high-end coprocessors are designed to augment your PAI’s software, ensuring you have minute control of the prosthetic and all of its systems—you can dial the output from natural strength to herculean with a simple thought.”

As the spiel came to a close, Doctor Ladia chuckled and sipped at her wine, shrugging. “I’ve heard good things about them, but you’d be my first customer to order one. They aren’t cheap.”

Juliet licked her lips, thinking. She really liked the idea of a high-end arm that looked natural while outperforming most bulkier chrome-job cybernetics. “How long would that take?”

“Let me see,” Ladia tapped at her deck for a few seconds and then said, “They’re quoting a three-week delivery guarantee.”

“I love that arm, doctor. My problem is that I’m probably going to leave Luna soon, and I really don’t know exactly how long it will be before I’m back.”

“Well, you’re going to settle somewhere, right? If you don’t return here, I can ship it to you. I’d hope you come back, though.” Ladia smiled and refilled Juliet’s wine glass.

“I think I’ll be back. No, I’m sure I will—I just don’t know exactly when. Yeah. Let’s do it, doc; let’s order one of those. Do I have to pay upfront?” Juliet felt excited but also a little impulsive—the arm couldn’t be cheap. Was she drinking too much?

Suddenly Angel interjected, “Juliet, I think that’s a great choice, but I’m not finding that exact model on my net searches. I’m unsure of the retail value, but I can see that BioFusion is well-known for high-end augmented cybernetic prosthetics. Some publicly listed models retail between 22,000 and 49,000 bits.”

“Oh, thank you!” Juliet subvocalized, happy to have a little foreknowledge before the doctor started to quote her prices.

“Let’s see here, Lucky.” Doctor Ladia looked into space for a few seconds, then smiled and said, “You have an immaculate SOA record, and BioFusion won’t charge me until they ship. I’ll bill your SOA account at that time for the arm, and you can pay me for the surgery when you come in. How does that sound?”

“That sounds good, but how much are we talking about?” Juliet was alarmed at the slight slur in her voice and felt her cheeks flush.

“I’m very upfront about pricing, so I don’t mind telling you that they’re quoting me an invoice price of 75k. I charge a five percent markup, but that’s lower than many other cybernetics dealers. That price includes all peripheral upgrades for your supporting musculoskeletal system.”

“Let’s do it.” Juliet nodded, confident she’d made the right choice. “Order one of those.” She smiled and sat back, setting her wine glass on the doctor’s glass-topped desk.

Ladia smiled and clapped her hands once, though not loudly, more a minor show of enthusiasm. “I’ll need to give you a thorough scan for measurements, but I’m pleased we found something you like. What else are you here for, Lucky?”

Juliet thought about the question, about all the different things she wanted to get—EMP-hardened sensory implants, a high-end nanite suite, an upgraded data jack with a powerful processor to help Angel. She’d even spoken to Angel about figuring out something to help cool her psionics lattice. However, that was theoretical at this point, and Juliet had a lot of trial and error left to do with that particular “upgrade.”

On top of the cybernetic upgrades she’d been hoping for, she wanted more gear, guns, armor, netjacking equipment, a shimmer-coat for camouflage, and specs for increased thermal penetration; the list went on and on. Juliet wasn’t sure where she’d end up, but she’d need a place, maybe a vehicle, some operating cash. “Not to mention I just promised this lady the better part of a hundred k for a new arm,” she subvocalized, trusting Angel to know what she was thinking.

“There’s a good chance you’ll earn some money before this arm ships.” Angel tried to help.

“I need my eyes and ears hardened to resist an EMP, and I need a medical nanite suite with a management organ,” Juliet said, settling on the two most essential upgrades she could think of.

“Oh? I shouldn’t be surprised, you being an operator. Your eyes are Hayashi Crystal Optics?”

“You can tell that?”

“Well, the AI operating my door scanner can.” Doctor Ladia shrugged, clearly not apologetic about the liberty she’d taken.

“Well, then you know the answer; they are.”

“The main processing chip can be shielded. In fact, Hayashi endorses an aftermarket coating made by Impact Tech.”

“So that’s all they need?”

“The coating is rated for most military-grade, anti-personnel EMP attacks, but it won’t save you from something much bigger, like a nearby nuke,” Ladia chuckled.

“Expensive?”

“Not at all! I can do the job in a matter of minutes. The coating isn’t cheap, but let’s say twelve hundred. Fair?”

“The coating from Impact Tech sells for two-hundred-fifty bits, Juliet,” Angel announced.

Juliet figured the doctor had to make money, and her expertise came at a price. “Fair enough, doc. What about my ears? My biggest problem, when they go out, is a loss of balance.”

“A very common complaint among soldiers, security corps, and operators. I can add a backup, EMP-resistant chip that will kick in if the main auditory implant goes offline. It only provides four-channel sound and inner-ear functionality, but it is incredibly durable. It’s also made by Impact Tech. Of course, I also sell fully hardened, high-end implants for eyes and ears, but we’re talking a lot more money . . .”

“No,” Juliet said, holding up her hands as though in surrender, “I think the Impact Tech upgrades are good enough for now. Talk to me about medical nanites.”

“You want an organ, so that narrows things down. Let’s talk functionality. I suppose you want something to halt blood loss?”

“Yes!” Juliet nodded emphatically.

“Pain management?”

“That’s a thing? Of course, it is . . .” Juliet trailed off, remembering the pain of her severed arm, then nodded and said, “Yes, that’s important.”

“Perhaps this would go faster if we talk budget? I have a model with a suite of nanites that will supply oxygen to your brain for up to an hour, provided you aren’t in an oxygen-poor environment. It will provide electroshock to your heart should you suffer cardiac arrest. The nanites are capable of cauterizing bleeding vessels, and they are equipped to filter your blood to remove toxins, though not exactly rapidly.”

The doctor touched her datapad, and a cylindrical, black, rubbery device appeared, an open seam running down one side. “This is a Horizon Medical Suite. Like many medical nanite organs, it’s designed to fit around your abdominal aorta to access your blood supply easily and quickly. It’s my entry-level, catch-all nanite suite, and it retails for eighty-thousand Sol-bits. If you need a processor to interface with your PAI, that costs an extra twelve thousand.”

“I don’t think I need . . .”

“You do not,” Angel said.

“No, I don’t need the processor. Doc, how much is the next level up, and what’s the benefit?”

“I have a WBD model that does everything this one does, but about twenty-five percent faster. It retails for one-thirty-five.”

“Is this something you can do today?” Juliet glanced at the time on her AUI. She’d been talking with the doctor for nearly forty minutes.

“The Horizon?” Ladia asked. When Juliet nodded, she said, “I told you I had four hours! I can do this operation in less than two. So? How about it? Shall I fix up your eyes and ears and get this thing installed? I can scan you for the arm order at the same time.”

Juliet really liked the doctor, and her “gut” hadn’t given her any warnings about her; she felt totally relaxed, unlike each of her visits to Murphy. She frowned at that thought—why had she liked Murphy so much? The answer was obvious; she liked Murphy because she’d been a genuine-seeming, gruff personality that Juliet had looked up to. She was a tough woman who’d made a business for herself and seemed like a no-nonsense, “good guy.” It still really stung that Juliet had been blind to the doctor’s duplicity.

For a moment, she sat there, thinking about things, watching Ladia sip her wine and flick through the menus on her data deck. She wanted to use her psionics lattice. She wanted to try to hear what the doc was thinking, but she worried it was a slippery slope. If she listened to her doctor or every merchant she met, what did that say about her? If she gained an edge in a negotiation, was that the same as stealing? What if it became a habit, and she began to use it with everyone she met—friends, colleagues, coworkers? Did she want to know everyone’s secrets? How would she feel if everyone knew what she was thinking?

She wondered about that, imagined all her snarky judgments on display or, worse, her private thoughts about people she found attractive. What if people could read her secrets or her fears or regrets? She hated the idea. Still, Ladia wasn’t just anyone—she was about to have Juliet utterly helpless without a friend in sight, not a friend within a hundred thousand miles.

“Sorry I’m being quiet, doctor. I’m thinking my finances through.”

“Not a worry, Lucky.”

Juliet smiled and then gently closed her eyes, calmed her breathing, and tried to picture Ladia’s face, tried to “hear” what she was thinking. Perhaps it was the wine or the quiet office, or the gentle, distant classical music coming from the lobby, but Ladia’s thoughts came to her almost instantly:

How’d such a pretty girl get wrapped up in a life like that? I wonder if she’d be interested in working with Carlos. He’d owe me plenty if I helped him recruit someone like her. God, I could do wonders with those cheekbones. Well, don’t rush things. We can feel her out as we get to know each other; she’ll be back for the arm and probably more if I’m any judge.

Caught somewhere between flustered and flattered, Juliet opened her eyes and said, “I’ll need to stay awake. I’ll need my PAI to tie into your autosurgeon.” She saw the doctor’s narrowed eyes and pressed on. “Listen, my last cybernetic surgeon tried to kidnap me. I’m paranoid.” She shrugged, indicating there wasn’t anything more to say on the matter.

“It’s fine, Lucky. I’ve had operators who insisted on having a friend watch over them during my work. I understand. I’ll need to apply a nerve block pretty high in your spine, though, because the autosurgeon will cut open your stomach. Only about a two-inch incision, thanks to its precision, but it’s still going to be a real surgery—not something as easy as popping an eyeball out.” She laughed as though she’d made a great joke, and Juliet took a couple of seconds but finally saw the humor in it and laughed along.

“I like that, Doctor Ladia. Well? Can we do this? I’m hoping to get some more shopping done today.”