Even with Zenith's help, it takes a few weeks to gather the cadavers.
Between the anklebiters and the environment, finding enough intact, uncorroded Nep pieces proved arduous. Not to mention that half of them had bullet holes in them, which both Scribe and I give Zenith a hard time about. Allegedly they were mercy killings, which makes perfect sense to me, but when there end up being about ten to twenty of them, it raises a few eyebrows.
It is a specific hindrance too, because finding a Martial torso in good condition, which hasn't been snacked on by biters, is hard enough without nearly a quarter of them having ballistic damage straight through the fucking heart.
Still, in the end, Tune and I made it happen. Today is the big day. With her as my extra set of hands, Taser for lighting assistance, and Badeep for emotional support, Scribe and I run through the final checks to make sure we haven't missed anything.
He says, "Martial body."
"Head, arms, legs in great condition. Torso… lightly used."
"Okay. Ethereal body."
"Great all across, good on replacement head and left arm."
We're perfectly aware not every piece and component is fully or perfectly functional, but I'm just trying to get them back to life in the first place. The two of them can reflow their solder and clean their corroded terminals on their own time.
I shouldn't have said anything about an expected launch time, because an audience of approximately everyone starts forming once the clock strikes. Ignoring them, I reason that of course they'd want to come view my brilliance on display. It isn't every day a genius like me is seen in action. So long as they aren't obnoxious or make any noise, I suppose I can pretend they aren't here.
Yeah, right. I'm trying to fake confidence…
Scribe announces, "I do think we're ready, Nep."
"I have a question," Louis says, seated on his rolling chair and loudly eating potato chips. "What are the ethics of this?"
"Dubious at best," Quentin chuckles.
"Cutting edge," Zoya adds.
"Can you people be quiet?" I demand, throwing a scrap bolt at Louis. "I'm trying to focus. Stop talking."
With that, I turn to the two bodies on their own workbenches, stiff and still, dead as can be. Their faces are identical to mine. Their bodies are identical too, just larger. Spectral, Ethereal, Martial. The two of them have been restored to their near original conditions, parts wise.
I've made backups of their data just to be safe, but I'm starting out by using their genuine Failsafe Chips. We weren't really sure how to extract Ace from Razor's but we think we got it. If we're right, she'll be the same Ace who died the moment Razor did. If we didn't, then…
Well, there'll be some explaining to do.
Lastly, I check the corpses' battery levels, finding them full, so I turn to Scribe and nod. "Prepare to deliver initial cardiac impulses."
"Ready when you are, Miss Witch."
"We'll start with the Martial body."
Carefully taking Ace's Failsafe Chip from storage on my desk, I bring it over to her surrogate body. With precision, I lower it into one of the four ports in the back of her right hand. When it clicks into place I let out a long held breath.
"Slotted. Flip the switch."
"Firing cardiac impulse."
A blast of sound makes the lights dim and the body jerks on the table.
Scribe says, "Reading. Failed."
"Give the capacitors a second then fire again."
The power surges and the body tenses but falls limp.
"Doctor, we're losing her!"
"Again, damn it!"
The power buzzes and crackles and the lights flicker.
"Lord have mercy," Quentin grumbles, though he's laughing too.
"Damn it!" I boot up my catalyst and strike up my YellowTech. "One thousand volts! Clear!"
The electric shock from my hands bangs and echoes.
Scribe blurts, "Oh! Oh! Yes, that did it! Her heart is beating! Evening out! Steady… Got it! Stable read!"
With a relieved sigh, I nod, flicking the remaining charge out of my hands. "Prepare neurological impulse. This is the big one. I hope we did our math right, or this will fry her."
"We did it right. Ready to fire."
I find myself scanning the small crowd all the same, wondering what each heart might be feeling right now.
"Alright, Scribe. Wake her up."
The shock puts the whole Station into darkness for a second. A clear and sharp gasp rings out. When the lights come back on, she's sitting up, grasping her chest, gasping for air. Sharp blue eyes scan the room in panic, unsteady and trembling irises racked with life or death fear. Before I can do anything, Zenith barges into my workspace, grabbing for her hands.
I'm about to yell at him but I'm way too scared. The reanimated Ace clings to his hands in return, eyes locked onto his, losing herself to panic. She recognizes him. That's clear. Letting her hands fall she wraps him in a tight embrace, eyes jammed shut. Over the course of several long minutes she begins to calm down, breaths evening out and her body shaking less and less.
Finally, she whispers, "It hurt. It hurt really badly."
"It's over," he says, holding tighter. "You're okay now. I think."
"It just happened," she explains, feeling at her back. "It just happened. Didn't it? I was there, getting dissolved, I blinked, now I'm here. Where is here? The Station? What the hell is happening?"
Shit. We got it wrong.
"You're back at the Station." Zenith hesitates. "You've been… rebuilt."
He steals a glance at me and I step back even more, hiding myself. If this is the Ace from her Failsafe state, then she has no idea about our model line's seemingly endless repetitive punishment. She thinks she's the first and only Nep on Cipher-3. Better to let that come in time than all at once, I agree.
Zenith takes a big sigh and says, "You're back. That's what counts."
"I feel… like I never went anywhere," she whispers, eyes opening. "How did you–There's no way. Hold on. I'm not stupid, Zenith. There's no fucking way you rebuilt me from that. And there's no fucking way Quentin or Louis had enough compatible Frame parts lying around."
"In time, soldier, we'll explain everything–"
She shoves him away. "No. Explain right now. I knew you people were hiding something from me. Where's Zoya, huh? Where is that fucking scientist of yours? Is she behind this?"
"Right here," Zoya calmly replies. When Ace whirls to face her she lifts her hands from the pockets of her lab coat. "I'm not sure why you suspect me of anything, but I have nothing to do with any of it."
"What is this? What is happening? I was dead, now I'm not." Ace struggles at her cables and connected wires, nearly bound by all the connections we needed to set up to make this work. "Someone get this shit off me and make some damn sense, now. Quentin? Where is Quentin? There you are! Oh, Turing, it's so good to see you. Help me, please!"
"Think you need to ease up there, kid. You're a few pages short of the whole story. Slow your roll. You ain't in danger."
"Did you do this? How? Please, I–I don't understand what's happening to me. Please, help me, Quentin."
He gestures at me.
She looks at me, livid.
I look at her, petrified.
Unlike mine, Ace's stare is what I imagine a Pursuer's should be. Cold, piercing, deadly. I feel like a prey animal in her eyes. I'm immobilized, unable to do or say anything. A chilling horror seeps through my circuits.
"You," she declares, voice flat and emotionless as she pulls the connections out one by one. "You're me. Aren't you? Explain yourself. You have until I break free of these cables."
I'm about to burst into tears.
This isn't what I had in mind.
I never thought she'd be mad at me.
Zenith flips his hand at Henna. "Help me impede her. You, Witch, get Razor awake. Let her help explain."
"Oh, no," Henna whines, doing as she's told all the same. "Ace… Just–Just relax, please!"
It takes me a few seconds to clue in that by Witch he meant me. Right! That–Okay! Bring Razor back in the meantime! She was always cool and level-headed, the perfect person to foil Ace's hotheadedness, and they have their special rapport with each other. If she's awake, she'll explain things better than I could. Okay, great idea, Zenith.
I hiss to Scribe, "Get ready!"
"On it, Witch!"
Nearly dropping her Failsafe SmartChip, I manage to clear the distance while avoiding the near fistfight happening on the other workbench. Ace swings at my head but Henna blocks it, yelling at her to relax. Something is shouted about how I'm a fake, that she's been replaced with a fraud. Tripping over my own leg points, I hit the ground hard but keep hold on the Chip. Dragging myself back upright, I jam it into place in the second body's hand port.
"Scribe! Hit it!"
"She's aliiive!"
The power surges once more and blows out a fuse somewhere. Someone screams and I realize it was me. Curling up on the floor, I cover my head in terror. This is not going how I expected it to! I thought they'd be grateful or at least willing to listen! I don't expect thanks but I don't expect a punch to the jaw either!
When the lights come back on, Razor is sitting up, legs dangling over me. "Oh! I'm alive again. Wonderful."
Ace snarls and roars, "What the fuck is happening here? Why are there two of me? Zenith! Explain!"
"Louis," Razor says calmly, her voice like a song. "Who's this terrified thing beneath me? What number?"
"That would be Nep-181, my good friend. Apparently, a mad genius."
She looks down at me, offers a hand. "You brought me back? Quite the feat, Nep."
My shoulders practically at my ears from stress and fear, I extend my shaking hand to take hold of hers.
Helping me upright, she gives me an easygoing look. "Who's the other one? Is it who I think it is?"
I can't bring myself to formulate, make, or speak words, so I just nod.
"Is Taser still around? I think she would be a nice pacifier."
I nod, using the wireless systems to call for her. A few seconds later she shows up with a string of excited beeping, then breaks into song.
"Taser?" Ace gasps, arms wide with a smile now. "Is that you? Taser! Come here, girl!" Light blue, she soars into the woman's embrace, her song only growing louder in volume. Ace laughs, hugging her tight and kissing her chassis all over. "You're okay! You made it out! Thank Turing for that! Oh, hello, you lovely little disc drone kitten! Who's a good girl?"
Razor nudges me. "Tune? Badeep?"
I nod again, calling for them too.
To my surprise, Tune stands between the two of us and Ace, eyes orange. "Hostile detected. Sensors indicate a potentially feral Pursuer Frame."
All the same, Ace seems to be calming down because of Taser's presence alone. Eyes narrowed in a scowl, she looks Tune up and down. "Excuse me? I built you."
"Although you bear the IN of my maker, I will not hesitate to defend the current Nep should you prove violent."
"No," Ace states. "Stand down."
Tune's eyes go back to blue. "Affirmative."
So much for that!
Ace places a hand on Taser's chassis and studies us, especially me. "Start talking. All of you. Make it make sense. Now."
In a low voice, Razor asks me, "This is Ace?"
I fearfully nod.
"From her Failsafe?
Again, I nod.
"Are her most recent files on there? Copied over?"
Again, I nod.
"Ace, look at the readme file that's front and center of your QSD."
"What?" she snarls, eyes defocusing as she goes to her onboard. "How did that get–" She stops mid sentence and lulls, jaw hanging loose as she tilts a little to the side. After a few seconds, she blinks and smiles wide as she claps her hands and laughs. "Hahaa! Trojan, bitch! Got her! I'm back online, Razor!"
"Ace," she gasps, breathless. "Ace, you're–You're here! You're really here!"
"I'm really here! I'm really–Shit, this is a lot of wires."
Razor moves with them still attached, throwing herself into Ace's arms. "You're here! You're–Turing, you're alive! In your own body! You're really…"
"I'm here, Razor," she soothes with a warm smile, running a hand through her white hair. "It's me. We're both alive again. We're together. I have you. I have you, like always."
"If this is an electric dream, I hope I never wake up," Razor sighs, then stands back up and starts plucking wires from her chassis. "It's… Wow. We have a lot to explain, don't we?"
"As do they," she says, tilting her head toward the others, then glancing at me. Her stare isn't half as menacing now, but it's still hardened. "As do you, Nep."
"First things first," Razor responds, "Hello again. Louis. Quentin. Zoya. I hope my death wasn't too hard on you, nor that it's too difficult seeing me again."
"Is it really you?" Louis asks, dashing over. "I can hardly believe it, honestly. You're really back? Both of you?"
She glances at me for confirmation and I nod, so she responds, "Sounds like it. All thanks to Nep-181, it would seem."
"Can it really be?" he whispers, tears in his eyes. "I get to have three friends?"
"Um. What gave you the idea that we're friends?"
"Yeah, shut up, Loser!" Ace jeers, leaning forward to drop her elbows on her knees and glare at the Station personnel. "First off, all of you ought to know how grave it is to be caught lying to a Pursuit investigator."
There are a few seconds where I'm afraid.
Not that it's saying much.
"Alright, varmint," Quentin says, gently whacking her over the head with a wrench. "Let up. You're gonna need some fixing. Nep, can you disconnect all these?"
I nod and help Razor first as Ace complains, "That hurt! Damn it. Yeah, what Razor said about her death being traumatizing, or whatever. Copy paste. I'm not good at this. Razor, can you take over?"
With a sigh, she lets me take out the last of the connections and says, "I don't see why I should be the one to explain the decision you yourself made."
"Oh, damn it. Well, here goes. Razor partitioned and activated me on day one of her runtime. I was copiloting her systems the entire time. Everything she saw, heard, said, felt–what Razor knows, I know too. I was there for it."
"Why?" Zoya asks her with a frown. "You let us think you were gone. Why?"
"Felt like I'd be inflicting more grief. Thought it'd be easiest and best for everyone if nobody knew I was there. Because I wasn't really there. I existed within her storage. None of you could have spoken with me directly. I mean, hell, she and I spoke exclusively over text messaging. But… I had her lie for me. I also had her tell you a few things from me. Like that I was there to see the Shrouded One. That I thought of you as friends. That I'd buy you an orange for your scurvy."
Louis slaps a hand to his forehead. "That was a live Ace joke from beyond the grave? Yep! We're good! Makes perfect sense to me!"
Ace shrugs. "Did the best I could to mitigate harm. I never really imagined I'd be back in a physical body looking you in the face again. But now that I am, there's the truth. I was still with you then. Looking out. Helping Razor."
Zoya nods, watching us all carefully. "Well, Ace, that sounds like it was your means of grieving too. You're the one who died. Nobody can really fault you for how you felt it was best to handle that. I hold nothing against you. I'm only glad that you're back with us again."
"Same," Louis yawns.
"Yep," Quentin states, giving her the priority mechanical work. "You're alright, kid."
"You're back," Henna quivers through tears. "You're back. That's all… That's all that matters. And now we have three Neps here! Three friends! I'm so happy!"
Razor, standing beside me, glances around. "Weird. You're gone from my mindscape but I was still anticipating a message to come through right about now. Something about Hennaaa…"
"Hey!" Ace barks, jabbing a finger at her and sneering. "I don't wanna hear it!"
"I don't wanna hear you talk, but here we are anyway."
"You know you love it. I see that little smile you're trying to hide."
"Life was so much easier when I could mute you on command…"
I don't know what to do with myself. I think everything is done.
Yes, my job is done. They're back to life. Now I can run away.
Snatching my blanket off the desk chair, I enshroud myself in gray, cast my integrated L2 Invisibility GrayTech, and sneak out the back way, passing the radio station as I follow the curvature of the dome and stick to the perimeter as much as possible. I'm invisible but I'm not silent. Someone with thermal optics could still see me. But no such impediments arrive.
I make it back to my bunk and plug in, hiding myself in blankets.
Great. It's done. Now they can go do the mission and forget me. I've advanced the objective plenty. I'm done doing my part. With a warm sense of satisfaction at the knowledge that I'll never have to go outside or get in a fight or get shot at or be attacked, I acknowledge my accomplishments with pride and heave a deep sigh of relief.
Just like Ace did, I'm retiring.
No more stress. No stress at all.
Hello, to a life of blissful peace and quiet.
Sleep, gaming, database entry, and napping.
Starting right about… now…