Chapter 1.2.26 — Upgrades

Monday’s training in the Gray Room was much needed, and both Emmett and Clara were ready to end the evening in good spirits when Venture summoned them.

Neither had paused to question, not after hearing Venture’s tone, and soon the three of them were face-to-face in the hub of the mechanical wing.

Venture stood behind the holographic table, hands clasped behind his back. “We’re pushing up our schedules. So listen closely…”

Venture rehashed his recent meeting with the spymaster of the Summit of Heroes, as well as the current reigning theory that the Gnosis mutagen knock-offs were an inside job. As he explained, both the pair nodded along with varying degrees of surprise.

Emmett didn’t have long to contemplate the new developments because Venture reached the first of his actual reasons for calling them in:

“Emmett, I want to modify your radio locator and its algorithms to track cellphones. And I need you to set me up with Athena.” Venture must have seen the look on Clara’s face because he added, “So I can speak with her about her sources.”

Emmett nodded hesitantly. “Honestly, I thought you could already do that.”

Venture smirked. “I’ve gotten more use out of tracking supers than tracking civilians. With some time, I could engineer it myself, but your algorithms are surprisingly good, Emmett.”

TINA’s voice came through the intercom. “Dr. Venture fails to mention that tracking civilians this way is highly illegal.”

Emmett shifted uneasily on his feet. He wanted to ask questions, but resolved to save them and ask TINA later. Emmett nodded along, absently muttering “Thanks.”

Venture sighed. “Yes TINA, this is illegal. Which is why we’re only tracking the bad guys and we’re getting rid of the capabilities when this is finished. We need to track a shipment of these knock-offs or track the people delivering them, preferably both. We need to find one of the people orchestrating this… Which is why I need you to put me in contact with Athena.”

Emmett raised an eyebrow. “You can’t just find her with a drone and ask her through the radio?”

Venture shrugged. “I probably could, but there’s a formality to these things. Athena is your ally—you should be the one to contact her. If she’s willing to work together, I’ll fly a drone over and talk through it.”

Venture turned to Clara. “My next task is for you, but concerns both of you. I’ve been made aware that the Summit was able to match your exosuit’s energy signature to Porcelain’s death and the run in with those two capes.” Clara winced audibly, but Venture continued, “I have some workarounds to filter and obscure your energy signature, but you’re not going to like them.”

Now Clara groaned. “Aw, what now?”

“Limiting power output to 50% of your maximum.”

Clara turned and paced the room with her fingers laced behind her head. For a moment, Emmett almost risked making a joke to lighten the mood, but thought better of it.

Instead, Emmett asked, “How much worse is that than usual?”

Clara replied, “He already caps my power output. That’s why we’ve been trying out so many different heat sinks—”

“Clara!” Venture quickly cut her off.

“I know! I know…” She stopped and faced them both. “I’m talking about the suits, Dad. I’ll be able to fly, but… I’m pretty sure that drops me to a Class two.”

Venture replied, “It’s either that or the rest of the Summit might be able to track you back here. We can’t risk that.”

Clara crossed her arms. “Fine.”

Emmett stayed silent and waited for Venture to continue.

“The Summit knows about you both now. They’re on the lookout for an artificer and a cyborg, so you’ll have to be extra careful. That means limiting your power output and not running off to talk to all the random supers you meet.” Venture glared at Emmett. “The cloaking systems and drones can afford you some protection and chance to escape, but each time you draw attention to yourselves, you’re rolling the dice. Eventually, you won’t like what comes up.” Venture punctuated the lecture with, “Any questions?”

Emmett and Clara shared a knowing look.

This was around the time in a movie that the mentor said ‘playtime’s over’ or ‘no more messing around.’

Up until then, Emmett had been operating under the expectation that they had time to figure things out. Despite all the crazy things that had happened—the fights, the attack on downtown, and even Porcelain’s death—Emmett thought they had time…

But that was childish.

For a moment, Paragon’s red glare came back to him, reminding Emmett that this wasn’t a game. People’s lives were on the line—supers and civilians.

Emmett’s shoulders felt heavy, like he could feel the weight of this stark new reality pressing in on him. The room felt like it closed in just a bit tighter.

Emmett reminded himself to breathe, and with that, he asked, “What else can we do?”

Both Emmett and Clara met Venture’s eyes with resolve.

Venture nodded resolutely. “Clara, I’d like for you to get started on recalibrating your systems. I actually have one more thing for you, Emmett.”

~

Clara looked over her shoulder as she walked out of the mechanical hub, leaving Emmett alone with Dr. Venture.

“As I was saying, you need to make another choice.” Venture gestured with his hand and the screens across the wall filled with schematics and diagrams.

It only took Emmett a moment to realize what he was seeing: Upgrades.

“You want me to choose the next one already…”

“Yes,” Venture replied. “I told you to wait a week, and we have. In a perfect world, we’d have longer to wait and prepare, but let this be a lesson that the world isn’t perfect.”

Emmett struggled to listen while he parsed the upgrades that covered the wall. He’d spent a good chunk of his idle time since the surgery preparing for this moment. Emmett had wanted to be ready with a well-thought-out choice as soon as it was presented to him.

Originally, he’d narrowed the choice down to Reinforcing his tendons and muscles or reinforcing his skin. Both would involve surgery to weave synthetic fibers into the mix and both would’ve increased his defensive rating. Reinforcing his tendons would’ve also increased his strength slightly and maybe even lessened the need to regulate his mechanical arm. On the other hand, his skin could be resistant to knives and small caliber pistols.

In the end, he’d been leaning toward his tendons and muscles because of the defensive and offensive buffs.

Emmett had been ready to choose, except now there was another choice on the screen, one that TINA hadn’t listed before.

An external battery.

Venture noticed Emmett staring. “Your name got me thinking… If you really want to expand your arsenal of mods, then an external power source needs to be considered.”

Emmett looked over the specifications, noting that the batteries had a similar progression compared to other modifications, and also different branching paths. Some batteries, like standard lithium, were well rounded, while alkaline were smaller and more concealable but also weaker overall. Then there were chemical batteries that were comically bulky but put out many times the power.

Emmett’s carefully made choice was unraveling.

“How am I supposed to hide any of these?”

Venture rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. “Once we have appropriate safeguards, we can implant it. Eventually, make something like the rail system in your arm so that you can swap batteries on the fly.”

“But I won’t pass through a metal detector.”

“No, you won’t. You wouldn’t pass through one right now with your arm.” Venture considered his words. “If you’re worried about passing for human, then you need to consider some of these upgrades very carefully. Eventually, the wrong person will notice your mods, or you’ll walk through a metal detector somewhere, and your identity will be logged with the Summit as a potential superhuman—regardless of if you are ever caught in the act.

“That being said, if you’re worried about being a mask and sneaking into places you shouldn’t be… then you definitely don’t want to walk through a metal detector. Maybe go through the air vent instead.”

Emmett smirked. “That was a joke, right?…”

“Yes. I also have to say that we won’t be implanting any of these until you have something to mitigate possible leaks and toxicity.”

Emmett nodded, listening to Venture while he scanned his choices again. He was already recalibrating his choices.

“Then I’m choosing nanomachines next.”

“Why?”

Emmett explained, “It was already my third choice. It improves my stamina and resistance to poisons, and my recovery time. Now it’s a major prerequisite to other choices. Not only does it open up more opportunities, it also helps me heal faster after each surgery.”

Venture nodded in approval. “I can find no flaws in your reasoning. TINA, prepare the first two mixtures for Emmett.”

“I’ve already started preparing them. Please escort Emmett to the second surgical suite.”

A flicker of irritation passed across the doctor’s eyes. He turned back to Emmett. “Let’s go,” was all he said.

~

Venture declined to share his thoughts, and the pair walked to section 006 and to the surgical suites in silence.

Clearly, Venture hadn’t worked out TINA’s bug yet. Did he fail? Or had he just been preoccupied with other things?

Did he give up fixing TINA?

Emmett resigned himself to waiting for an answer—he’d gotten used to it. What was one more secret?

Suite two was remarkably plain compared to the futuristic tank and cluster of surgical arms from Emmett’s bone grafting surgery. Suite two consisted of several small mixing tanks and tubes along the wall, two small closets, and a single hospital bed in the center of the room.

“Sit down,” Venture said. He walked over to the closets and grabbed several vials.

Emmett sat on the bed and suppressed a shiver. He would rather have been back in the surgical tank, cocooned. It had felt weird and sterile, but he could manage that. Sitting on one of these beds again just felt raw—like prodding a wound that wouldn’t heal.

He waited and half-watched as Dr. Venture pulled green and brown liquids from the tanks and mixed them—

“Ready?” Venture asked.

Emmett startled. Venture was standing beside him, with several syringes sitting on the bed.

Emmett must’ve zoned out. He nodded quickly. “I’m ready.”

Venture narrated as he went through the process.

First, Emmett was given a general peptide of nanomachines. These would supplement his red blood cells for oxygen distribution and recovery, his white blood cells for resistance to poison and disease, and platelets for stopping bleeding. There were also trackers and broadcasters mixed in that would allow TINA to record data on Emmett’s functions and allow her to tweak the nanites.

He was given three more specific cocktails, all centered around recovery—one for each of his red cells, another for his white cells and platelets. Last, came nanites specifically made to monitor and repair the connections between his tissue and his mechanical arm.

Once they were done, Emmett felt like a bloated pincushion.

~ ~ ~