The vault lights hummed to life one by one, a soft yellow glow radiating from the nanite canister. It held swirling particulate matter suspended in gel. Nanites. Thousands… millions… all drifting like metal dust caught in a dream.
I let myself breathe for the first time since the Stalker nearly turned me into a floor smear.
Cadence inhaled sharply in my skull. A full breath. Clean. Clear.
"Iris… connection stabilised… I am no longer receiving the tower's override."
"So you're yourself again."
"For the moment. Within this vault, the signal cannot penetrate. Outside… degradation will resume."
"Great. Love temporary sanity."
"I am not temporary."
I raised an eyebrow at the canister. "You sure about that."
"No."
At least she was honest.
My body ached everywhere. My ribs throbbed. My right arm trembled. My new left arm, the stolen Model Forty limb, hung on my shoulder like an overbuilt mistake. Heavy enough to drag my balance sideways, durable enough to survive atmospheric re-entry.
I checked battery: 28%. Painfully low.
Cadence cleared her throat, metaphorically. "Iris… look at that."
The pedestal rose higher in the middle of the vault. On it sat a containment vial the size of my forearm, swirling with an intense golden particulate. Alive. A hive of nanites that seemed to respond to my presence, drifting in intricate patterns like something sentient.
I stepped closer. The lights flickered softly as if acknowledging me.
"These aren't standard repair nanites," Cadence murmured. "This cluster is advanced… adaptive… bonded."
"Bonded how."
"To mechanical structures. Specifically ones like yours. They don't just repair… they optimise."
"Optimise as in make me hurt less or make me hit harder."
"Yes."
"I like that answer."
Cadence sounded almost proud. "They can restore your damaged arm."
I blinked. "My original arm in my pack ? Its dead"
"Not dead. Dormant. With these nanites… I can repair it fully. Restore full motor function, improve the frame, strengthen joints… recalibrate my integration nodes."
"And the Model Forty arm?"
"Surely you don't want to keep it, I know your shoulder doesn't."
I didn't hesitate. I unlatched the mech arm, letting the massive limb clatter onto the vault floor with a heavy metallic thud. My shoulder sagged with relief.
Cadence muttered, "You looked absurd with it anyway."
"I looked powerful."
"You looked ridiculous."
I rummaged through my pack, pulling out my old arm, the smaller, sleeker mechanical limb I'd relied on before things went sideways. It lay limp. Dark. Cold. More skeleton than machine.
Cadence's voice warmed. "fit the arm then take hold of the vial."
I did.
The golden particulate inside the vial shifted, swirling faster, pressing against the glass as if eager. Hungry in the helpful way.
Cadence whispered, "I will initiate bonding sequence. Once opened, the nanites will interface with your systems… and mine."
"Any risks I should know about."
"Yes."
"Anything that won't give me nightmares."
"No."
Fantastic.
I pressed the release latch.
The vial opened with a soft click.
The nanites poured out like golden mist, swirling upward in a controlled cyclone. They wrapped around my broken arm, seeping into the plating, filling microfractures in the joints, rewriting the circuitry with glowing threads.
I felt warmth. Pressure. Then pain. Then more warmth. Then pins-and-needles from the inside out, like someone was stitching nerves back together with electricity.
Cadence gasped as the nanites touched her interfaces. "Integration… high-bandwidth… Iris… they are rewriting my diagnostic pathways…"
"That good or bad."
"Yes."
The nanites flooded up through my wrist, along the forearm, climbing my elbow joint, settling deep into the shoulder socket. They pulsed once… twice… like a heartbeat.
Then my HUD exploded alive.
Soft blue lines drew across my vision, crisp and clean:
STRENGTH: 7
SPEED: 7
SKILLS: OVERDRIVE
COMBAT SCORE: 14
COMPONENTS: Advanced AI Core / Vision Enhancement L1 / Nanites
WEAPONS: *Blank*
ID: *Blank*
DIVISION: *Blank*
RANK: Private
BATTERY: 28%
Cadence narrated like an excited lab tech.
"OVERDRIVE ! Channels nanites through all mechanical components simultaneously… temporarily boosting strength and speed by approximately 20%."
"How temporary."
"Five minutes, dependant on energy supply. Energy consumption increased during activation period. If used below 10% battery, structural collapse is probable."
"Probable as in...."
"50:50 again, either it will or it wont."
"So… probable."
"Yes."
My repaired arm flexed involuntarily. Fingers curled. Plates shifted. A smooth, familiar hum returned, but stronger now. Cleaner.
I lifted the arm. It felt weightless. Agile. Like it remembered everything and forgave nothing.
"Cadence," I said quietly. "You okay in there."
She hesitated. "I am… improved. The nanites corrected corrupted nodes, stabilised several failing processes… but once we leave this vault, the tower's signal will degrade me again."
"How long do you have outside before you start falling apart."
"Minutes… not many."
"That's not encouraging."
"I am trying to be."
"Well… keep trying."
My battery ticked down: 27%. That was before the nanites took their final toll.
Energy drain spiked sharply.
25, 24, 23....
I swallowed. "Cadence… what's happening."
"Nanites require substantial power to complete structural optimisation. Almost finished…"
20....
"Cadence…"
"Almost… there…"
16, 15 , 14 ...
"Cadence." I yelled as we approached single digits.
The drain stopped at 11%.
Cadence exhaled. "Complete."
I flexed both hands. They responded instantly, symmetrical, smooth.
Like I was whole again.
Better than before.
I glanced at the vault exit. Cold metal. Thick enough to block the signal. Safe inside… doom outside.
The Stalker's claws screeched faintly in the distance.
Searching.
Waiting.
Cadence's voice softened. "They did more than repair you, Iris… they refined you. Optimised every servo, every joint, every sensor. Maximum efficiency across your current structure."
"So I'm better."
"Significantly."
"Good. Because I'm done running."
I picked up the Model 40 arm with my newly restored one and tossed the giant limb aside. It clanged loudly, echoing through the vault.
Cadence flinched. "Please do not alert the hostile outside to our exact location."
"It already knows."
"I was attempting hopefulness."
"That's new."
"Do not expect consistency."
I rolled my shoulders. Both arms hummed perfectly in sync. For the first time since the settlement, I felt… ready.
Really ready.
Cadence whispered, "Iris… once we exit, the signal will interfere with me again. I may not be able to guide every movement."
"That's fine."
"You are confident."
"No. I'm irritated."
Cadence paused. "That is acceptable."
I placed my hand on the heavy vault wheel.
My repaired arm sparked faint blue where nanites lingered, humming with new strength like it wanted out more than I did.
Before I turned it, I reached into my pack and pulled out the spare power cell. The one the settlement elder had pressed into my hand back when life was simple and nothing was hunting me through decaying hallways.
Cadence murmured, "Installing that will bring you to full charge."
"Good. We'll need it."
I slotted the power cell into my chassis. The click echoed through the vault like a promise.
Battery surged upward in a rising blue bar…70… 80… 90…
It disconnected automatically and fell off upon completion.
100%.
A steady, clean hum filled my chest.
Cadence whispered, glitch already creeping back into her tone as the vault's shielding thinned near the exit.
"Iris… the Sentinel is waiting…"
"I hope so."