As 10XT began to contemplate his next move,another augmentee passes,staring at the mysterious figure before them.
They were clearly a white collar worker of some sort. They gently nudge 10XT to catch his attention.
The worker was female,with pale skin,blue eyes and dark buzzcut hair,in a grey 3 piece Office working suit.
The worker kneels,"Do you need help?" they asked gently
"What kind of assistance do you offer...?" 10XT asked.
"We assist homeless Posthumans back onto their feet." He said.
"Define "Posthuman"." 10XT queried monotonously.
In surprise the agent started looking a little closer. There were no signs of true human biology,in fact it was clear this machine didnt even have room for normal human organs like most Augmentees.
"Would you like a place to stay?" She offers.
"A residence would be deeply appreciated." 10XT said.
As 10XT stood up,he had a frighteningly dark aura as he came to full stand at 7"2.
The worker leads him to a highrise not too far away. "For now,until you can get on your feet,you'll be staying with me. But i have to ask...what are you?"
"What is your designation?" 10XT asks in turn as he follows.
"I am Sapphire Williams,a Neuratech Developer. Also a part time independant Cybermedic." She responds.
>>ACCESSING FCPD DATABASE.....
[SAPPHIRE WILLIAMS]
[21]
[FEMALE]
[32% Augmented(L. Arm/R. Arm)]
[Neural Technology Developer/Cybermedic]
>>NO ACTIVELY PENDING WARRANTS
[2 counts of Marijuana posession,1 count of Augmentee Smuggling] >>Cases Closed<<
>>NO PENDING NEURACHIP SCANS
>>INCOME EST. 13,410 CREDITS VIA NEURALNET DEVELOPMENT
>>....75% Trustworthy<<
"I am a Bioautonomous Augmentee created by Grayson Emile White." 10XT said.
"Soo....a Posthuman of some sort?" She asked
"Affirmative." 10XT said.
"In here." Sapphire said as she walks into the highrise,and up to her room.
10XT had to duck under the doorways,due to his abnormal size..
As Sapphire led 10XT inside,he scans the apartment.
At initial glance the room had a minimalist setup,with one couch,a large wall mounted TV settled right in front of a Kitchenette. Sapphire brought him to a room across from her own.
"Sorry its a little small,but its all I can provide on short notice." Sapphire said as she opens up the barren room.
"Ill take whatever you happen to give." 10XT said,as he walks in.
"Glad you arent picky. Youd be surprised of the earfuls I get with other Augmentees." She chuckles as she leaves.
10XT settles down near the window,using the improved connection to start searching for medical equipment to treat his wounds.
Unfortunately he hadnt a cent to spend..
"Sapphire?" 10XT calls out.
"Yeah?"
"Would you happen to have cybermedical tools?"
"Yeah! Give me a second i might be able to help!" Sapphire calls out.
She comes into the room and leads 10XT into the livingroom.
her kitchenette drops down into the floor,and a Cybernetic clinic takes its place.
"Have a seat." Sapphire said.
warily,the machine sits in the medical chair,and links a data wire into the chair.
Sapphire began to tak away on a monitor.
A worried hum emits from Sapphire.
"Good news- I can ease the pain,maybe cover cosmetics, and help you get your programs uploaded or upgraded. Bad news- It looks like your battery is fused into your frame. I cant operate on it out of the risk of killing you. judging by the calibur of the hole,you were hit by FCPD branded Full Metal Jacket rounds. You're lucky to have survived this far."
10XT sighs gently.
"Here,to help improve your uploads,let me start up a simulation."
She jogs somewhere out of view and comes back with a Synapse visor,slipping it over his eyes and linking into the temples.
10XT was suddenly in a form of cyberspace room. It was assembled with hexagons as he slowly accomadated.
"Alright. Simulation's all linked up. You should be able to move fregentely in there without moving yourself."
Despite it being a strange feeling,10XT began navigating the room.
"Now...It seems your Hand to Hand combat program needs a little fine tuning. In here you can program your muscle memory without actually having to fight."
A few test dummies appear,unarmed.
"Defeat the targets."
The dummies charge him,and 10XT began to freely flow from target to target,striking each one down to flow onto the next.
A fast and easy fight,thankfully.
"Alright...All offensive attacks seem to be in order. Now try to counter,consecutively."
Dummies get back up,and charge 10XT.
one throws a punch,only to be stopped and swept off their feet,and thrown onto their partner. The last one flees,only to be grabbed by their leg and punched in the back of their head as soon as they fell.
"Now THAT was an impressive performance,Blue!"
"It seems your program's files have already seen a few targets...Makes me wonder what you did to make the FCPD be your first targets." Sapphire remarks.
"Lets try something a bit harder..."
A heavy FCPD unit appears.
"You wont see many of these guys,not unless you're really pissing off one of the higher up criminals. Usually they're deployed on Augmentees with a known combat record. It'll be safe to assume that since you've already met the "peacekeepers",its safe to assume there will be at least two or three to a group for you." Sapphire said.
"How do you know this?" 10XT asked.
"I dabble in vigilantism. Unfortunately there arent any long term heroes...always die early on from being overrun..'
"I want to change that."
"Then start hitting!"
10XT began to throw a few punches,with resounding dull thuds. The dummy grabs his fist and pushes him away.
"All right,lesson one. Beatdowns do not work easily on these guys. You NEED a static shock to render their armor soft enough. I can prepare an actual microtool later,for now,try this."
>>SOFTWARE ADDED
>>(S.D. Taser Suite MkI)<<
*Administers a stun charge of 32.6 Volts,effective against I.P.L. armor,and augmentees under 28% Augmented.
10XT charges the target again,jamming twin prongs at the base of his palm into the armor and releasing a powerful charge,and chaining in rapid blows to the softened portion of the armor.
The armor hardens again,and the dummy throws a punch,to be dodged under. 10XT administers a second charge at the dummy's back,repeating the process again.
Once the target was dazed,he kicks out one of the knees and slams his palm into the back of the dummy's head,putting them down with a soft groan.
(PERSONALITY TRAITS DEVELOPED)
(Gear-Head--STAGE 1)
(Violent Enjoyment--STAGE 1)
(Well Trained--STAGE 2)
(*You take amusement in the introduction of new gear,and happen to enjoy using it on opponents. Though a dark development early on,this can contribute to combat and freeform language skills.)
"I like it." 10XT said.
"Would you like to continue?"
"Maybe later. Disconnect me."
The simulation shuts down,and Sapphire removes the synaptic visor. "All right...Lemme do some work on that bullet wound and help ease the pain."
10XT slips off his shirt,to reveal the thankfully dry wound.
"Fascinating...." Sapphire marvels as she works.
"All of it-- Completely connected! It'll be tricky getting this plate off. Care to upload a diagnostic of your own to help?"
10XT uploads a diagnostic,which had been simplified for easy care.
"Thanks,Blue."
"Why are you calling me that?" 10XT asked.
"Because you're so...distant. Uncertain. You look almost depressed."
"I suppose I am..I lost my creator moments after being activated...had to fight for my life...and now I have to hide...i only have 7 days to live..Its a lot to think about a few mere hours into life..." 10XT explains
"I bet it is.." Sapphire said as she starts working on the wound.
20 minutes in,10XT grunts loudly in pain.
"My bad..! Im almost done.."
From the side she pulls a 3D Printed steel plate of the same shape and size,a light silver color.
She gently removes the newly detached plate,"Blue,what I'm about to do next will hurt. A lot. Are you ready?"
10XT gave an unnerved nod..
Sapphire slowly reached a pair of tweezers into the wound. As sizzling rang out,so did the pained groans of the machine as the bullet in question was carefully retrieved.
It was a silver 10mm bullet...
"They really were trying to kill you." Sapphire said as she showed the rapidly rusting bullet.
"How?"
"If silver oxidizes in your body in particular,you could suffer energy shortages where it was. On top of that if you had left this wound alone the oxidized silver would have gotten into your bloodstream through corrosion,and that would have shredded you from the inside out already,if your battery doesnt kill you first." Sapphire explains as she cleans the wound with an acid neutralizer to prevent any over-time damage. The wound fizzled slightly,and cleared out.
She applies a steel-cotton ball to the wound,making 10XT hiss in pain a touch more.
She begins attemtping to manage the damage that had been done,and starts fitting the new plate into place.
"Now,ive replaced the damaged nodes that I could tend to quickly and easily. I dont recommend getting shot again,or next time you could have a battery meltdown,which is no good Believe me."
"Noted..."
"It'll take me a minute to get your S.D. Taser installed,but i think you can manage."
Slowly,10XT reaches for the jack and releases it. "Other than a decent coat of Biosphere Skin to hide your augments,and an armor Calibration....you should be set.."
Slowly,10XT gets up.
"Easy big guy. Give yourself a minute to readjust to the new plating." Sapphire said as she pushes him back into a seated position.
"Your 'schems read that you need to recalibrate your armor plating by test firing a pain receptor of the effected area. Whenever you feel ready,link back in so we can perform the calibration."
10XT sighs softly,laying back down and linking the jack back into his neural receptor.
"I know I just uploaded my schematics,but mind telling me what all it'll do?" 10XT asked.
"Your armor plating isn't too dissimilar from that of FCPD Heavies. Your design is intended to lock up in an area that has been hit without hindering the user. While useful in hand to hand combat and against any sort of bludgeon,it does not render you bulletproof. Considering that most Augmentees are already hard to take down,all it takes is any FCPD assigned FMJ to punch a hole in you,as you've clearly learned." Sapphire explains.
"Now- Im about to calibrate the new plating. You will feel a little....pain." She warns.
Pain suddenly engulfs the newly replaced plate,forcing the pectoral and abdomen plates to lock into a unanimous piece.
10XT grits his teeth as the calibration slowly checks the defensible reigns,eventually stopping just below his chin,locking him into position.
"Now in a complete lockdown,which should only happen during falls,you are rendered completely immobile until you provide a safe signal. This can also be a great way to avoid devastating attacks from Guerilla Drones."
"And if my ability to provide a safe signal is compromised..?" 10XT questions.
"You'll have an automatic unlock in about 1 minute after a complete stop."
"Why couldn't we simulate this..?" 10XT questions.
"Your systems are in a sort of Simulation lock. Unless someone teaches you,or you happen to unlock them yourself,those abilities and skills will remain out of our reach."
"So Trial By Error. Got it."
The plates finally release.
[Calibration Complete]
>>Armor Integrity Restored to 100%
>>Checking for Compromised Plates.....
>>Scanning Torso<<
[Upper Back Plates(REAR):Nominal]
[Lower Back Plates(REAR):Nominal]
[Upper Pectoral Plates(FRONT):95%]
[Lower Pectoral Plates(FRONT):90%]
[//NEW\\ Unidentified Pectoral Plate:Nominal]
>>Running background scans...
>Feel free to roam.
Slowly,10XT leans up.
"Ill recommend some immediate rest. Feel free to grab a DreamJack to ease yourself." Sapphire said,as she settles a golden jack down on the medical table near his bed.
As 10XT got up,he caught Sapphire staring at his shirtless form. "Something wrong?" 10XT asked.
"Oh- Nothing- You just look like a friend i used to know...." She said,as she pretended to take notes as she watched the machine put his shirt back on.
The way his augments silently moved and adjusted,it was as if she were staring at a living machine from another world,except that machine was manmade...
10XT picks up the DreamJack and disappears into his room for some rest...
Sapphire remained awake,sketching away at her drawing of 10XT,which was a slightly angular caricature of the dark silver being. The only light detail was the bright pang of his golden optics,against the dark,silhouettesque form that was his body.
"Man....when was the last time I had such a batman-like guy staying here..?" Sapphire ponders.