"Yeah, yeah... Did you come here to rub in the past or to get my help?" Peace asked, still not understanding the gravity of the situation that was responsible for MachMan's frustration. When he finally revealed his arm, she seemed to understand it somewhat more seriously. "Yeah... take a weapon like this through somewhere less fortunate and you probably wouldn't be able to drag yourself in here. Now I see why you're wearing that thing,," she winced, examining the wounds. "Well, this is the part where you're lucky you came to me. If you heard me say all that and you're still here, that means you're desperate enough to consider taking on some new parts and aren't going to be disappointed when I say the natural part's not going to heal right."
She pondered for a bit, then indicated he could shut it back up if he wanted. "I don't think I'll need to amputate anything. There are parts that won't heal right, but there's no reason I can't supplement what's missing rather than replacing the whole thing. I suppose I still owe you a thing or two, so if you want, I'll do this one on the house. We've still got plenty of spare parts anyways. So the only question left is when you'll want the work done? If you want to sit down and get sedated, I'll work on it now? Or if you'd rather pick some other time, just let me know when's best." She crossed her arms and inspected the wound again idly, kicking one bare leg habitually. "Load, start bringing me the parts from the cryo machines we disassembled. I think they'll be useful here. It'd be good to 'ice down' those wounds until the operation starts in case there's any danger that whatever is hampering your regenerative functions spreads. I should probably also ask," she paused, turning on her perch to face MachMan again, "if you care about the way it looks? I know you're not hanging out with as many women as you used to, but, you never know..."
Load brought over the rest of the equipment quickly enough; it was not recognizable from the machines MachMan had seen earlier, so it must all be internal pieces. "Vector could help," she mentioned.
"Good thinking. I saw him working with Load earlier, I'd say another pair of steady hands could only help us. Do you think he could come in and help?" Peace asked, already beginning to prep by using a small data pad, brought up in mid-air in front of her lap.
Search for Scavenger
last edited by
Peace's prognosis wasn't favorable, though it sounded like she would be able to make some repairs without requiring amputation. Mazer was initially happy with that possibility, but he then began to wonder how effective a "patchwork" of repairs would be compared to a scratch-built limb. Mach's unseen gaze looked to Load as she was given orders by Peace to retrieve equipment, but said gaze went back to Peace as the sitting Navi asked him a question directly. He moved to speak, but he realized she wouldn't hear him due to his helmet, and decided to relay through Mazer with text only messages. [[i]"Looks are a low priority. I want functionality."[/i]] ["Mach says he's more focused on functionality than looks, but before we do anything... I don't doubt your ability, but I think I should be the one who makes the repairs, or at least be heavily involved. I want to fully understand how it all works, so we won't have to bother you every time Mach needs repairs or a tune-up. Know what I mean?"] Mazer relayed, adding his own concerns.
Load then brought up the subject of Vector, which caused that uncomfortable sinking feeling in Mazer's stomach to return. It took a few moments before he replied, ["They... they didn't make it."] He purposefully said "they," to head off the inevitable followup question of "what about Aera?" Meanwhile, Mach's exposed arm quivered and his hand balled into a fist, as if he was somehow ignoring the pain from before. Mach's mind was riddled with a myriad of different thoughts, but he was able to dedicate a significant amount of "brain bytes" to the subject of his limbs. He knew this arm was honestly better off than the other, and he remembered having half of a foot chopped off, so the repairs would be extensive and possibly lopsided. If they could still use chips and abilities, he didn't care if his replacement limbs didn't have the soft touch of skin. In fact, the Spectre's own hands weren't even physically attached to its main body, and they were very difficult to deal with due to their mobility and all-range attack abilities. If they had the ability to give him something similar, maybe that could help tip the scales in his favor in the inevitable rematch. That settles it.
[[i]"If you can't restore them, replace them,"[/i]] stated the message on the computer screen. ["Are you certain, Mach? There's no going back from this,"] Mazer cautioned aloud. Since the rest of the room's occupants didn't see Mach's message, it would almost seem like Mazer was talking to himself. [[i]"Understood, but I must get back in the fight. If that requires amputation and replacement, so be it."[/i]] Mazer read the message and scratched the side of his head as he mulled it over. He doubted his own ability to make a superior replacement, even with Peace's help, so he was obviously hesitant to go along with something as irreversible as amputation. Mazer rubbed the back of his head and neck with both hands and groaned in frustration. ["Mach wants to be fully combat-ready as soon as possible, even if that means full replacement of his limbs... but man, I just don't know..."]
Load then brought up the subject of Vector, which caused that uncomfortable sinking feeling in Mazer's stomach to return. It took a few moments before he replied, ["They... they didn't make it."] He purposefully said "they," to head off the inevitable followup question of "what about Aera?" Meanwhile, Mach's exposed arm quivered and his hand balled into a fist, as if he was somehow ignoring the pain from before. Mach's mind was riddled with a myriad of different thoughts, but he was able to dedicate a significant amount of "brain bytes" to the subject of his limbs. He knew this arm was honestly better off than the other, and he remembered having half of a foot chopped off, so the repairs would be extensive and possibly lopsided. If they could still use chips and abilities, he didn't care if his replacement limbs didn't have the soft touch of skin. In fact, the Spectre's own hands weren't even physically attached to its main body, and they were very difficult to deal with due to their mobility and all-range attack abilities. If they had the ability to give him something similar, maybe that could help tip the scales in his favor in the inevitable rematch. That settles it.
[[i]"If you can't restore them, replace them,"[/i]] stated the message on the computer screen. ["Are you certain, Mach? There's no going back from this,"] Mazer cautioned aloud. Since the rest of the room's occupants didn't see Mach's message, it would almost seem like Mazer was talking to himself. [[i]"Understood, but I must get back in the fight. If that requires amputation and replacement, so be it."[/i]] Mazer read the message and scratched the side of his head as he mulled it over. He doubted his own ability to make a superior replacement, even with Peace's help, so he was obviously hesitant to go along with something as irreversible as amputation. Mazer rubbed the back of his head and neck with both hands and groaned in frustration. ["Mach wants to be fully combat-ready as soon as possible, even if that means full replacement of his limbs... but man, I just don't know..."]
last edited by
Peace crossed her arms and watched MachMan as his operator talked. "I get where you're coming from, but teaching you how to do these kinds of modifications would not be easy. When you look at Cruz, you're looking at someone who was reassembled from data that was smashed in the most literal sense; all there, but fragmented. I'm telling you this because I want to stress that I put her back together and have done so several times since, but instructing someone else how to do so would be considerably more difficult than doing it myself. I can try to give you the basics, but rather, just let me provide you self-functioning repair kits... You'll be able to fix the parts in case of serious damage, though you'll only be able to use them during a lengthy shutdown. That way, you won't have to hunt us down on our new amphibious TerrorMan Mk. III every time you want to get it fixed. Though, as long as you keep within normal routines... that is, not some battle against whatever did this in the first place... you'll regenerate just as you did with your old parts."
Peace and the others quieted down as MachMan addressed the elephant in the room, that being who had not entered the room along with MachMan. "Oh damn..." the leader murmured. Load's expression didn't change, but notably, she stopped carrying around mechanical parts and stared silently. It was rare to see her not busy with some kind of maintenance or armament. "That's... whatever did this to you, you can't fight it alone again," Peace warned him. "If you couldn't do it with your SPs, trust me, my replacement parts in your arm aren't going to make it any better. Whatever that thing is, though, it's a weapon, and a dangerous one. The Terror Girls ought to assist you in taking it out. If you can wait a few days while I put the finishing touches on TerrorMan Mk. III, we can join you... assuming you're going back."
It probably wasn't what MachMan wanted to hear, especially given the TerrorGirls' track record he'd been acquainted with at length. Based on what his operator was saying, it was clear MachMan wanted whatever could give him an advantage, even if it meant taking the arm off entirely. "Look, if you take the arm off, sure, installation and repair will be easier, but that's like chopping your nose off to spite your face! If you just spend the day, day and a half tops, I'll put in the replacement parts, prepare kits for diagnostic and repair, and instruct you on their usage. Priority number one. But if we go the other way and rush this, it's not the kind of thing that's reversible. I know maybe it doesn't matter to you so much, or you think it doesn't, since you're a navi, but there might come a time where you miss the feeling and familiarity of the arm you were programmed with."
Peace and the others quieted down as MachMan addressed the elephant in the room, that being who had not entered the room along with MachMan. "Oh damn..." the leader murmured. Load's expression didn't change, but notably, she stopped carrying around mechanical parts and stared silently. It was rare to see her not busy with some kind of maintenance or armament. "That's... whatever did this to you, you can't fight it alone again," Peace warned him. "If you couldn't do it with your SPs, trust me, my replacement parts in your arm aren't going to make it any better. Whatever that thing is, though, it's a weapon, and a dangerous one. The Terror Girls ought to assist you in taking it out. If you can wait a few days while I put the finishing touches on TerrorMan Mk. III, we can join you... assuming you're going back."
It probably wasn't what MachMan wanted to hear, especially given the TerrorGirls' track record he'd been acquainted with at length. Based on what his operator was saying, it was clear MachMan wanted whatever could give him an advantage, even if it meant taking the arm off entirely. "Look, if you take the arm off, sure, installation and repair will be easier, but that's like chopping your nose off to spite your face! If you just spend the day, day and a half tops, I'll put in the replacement parts, prepare kits for diagnostic and repair, and instruct you on their usage. Priority number one. But if we go the other way and rush this, it's not the kind of thing that's reversible. I know maybe it doesn't matter to you so much, or you think it doesn't, since you're a navi, but there might come a time where you miss the feeling and familiarity of the arm you were programmed with."
last edited by
["Hm... you have a point there..."] Mazer pondered aloud in response to Peace's explanation regarding his involvement in the repairs. ["That should be good enough, and I can poke around in my free time to learn more about them."] It wasn't exactly the answer he wanted, but Peace provided an acceptable work around, so it had to do.
Peace's warning; however, definitely did not sit well with neither Mach nor Mazer. They both at least had an inkling of what it was capable of, and Mach had his mind set on upgrades, not just repairs. [[i]It's my fight.[/i]] read the message that scrawled across the screen. It didn't convey emotion, but Mazer correctly assumed its quick and simple response indicated some irritation from his Navi. ["Though we appreciate the offer, we should do this ourselves. The enemy we fought absorbed programs to add to its own strength, if it's just us, there's less for that thing to "feed" on,"] Mazer relayed with a bit more tact than his Navi originally conveyed.
"To spite my face?" Mach said to himself, before he took control of some of his armor's hatches. With a few metallic clicks, the ellipse-shaped collar around his neck released the opaque canopy-like helmet, allowing it to lift open thanks to a hinge behind his head. As it rose slowly, his head finally came into view. His metallic orange hair was missing, likely deactivated so the helmet could fit, and it looked like his right ear pylon was missing. In fact, the entire right side of his face was damaged and twisted from what looked like a laser blast. His mask was melted inwards, and seemed to outline his upper and lower jaws and cheekbone. Above that, a dark crater was all that remained of his right eye. His good eye; however, glared down at Peace.
"There's not much left to spite," MachMan growled as he responded to Peace's expression in a literal sense. He didn't expect that sarcastic comment to placate the Navi, who might be his only resource for help, so he further explained. "Familiarity alone isn't enough to hold myself back with weakened limbs. If they can be replaced with something more effective, that's what I need." Though his voice gave the appearance of stalwart confidence, his mind continued to try weighing the facts and wrestle with doubts. What if the replacements aren't as effective as his "bandaged limbs"? Well they can always be upgraded, and wouldn't his limbs never fully heal? But what about feeling? Tactile feedback can be replicated, and he had nothing left worth touching. She's gone. But will it be worth the cost?
Speaking of feeling, he felt something trickling down his face. He reached up in an attempt to wipe it off and identify it, but he couldn't bend his arms around the somewhat bulky chestpiece to his face. His expression twisted into a scowl before he prompted the canopy to close back down. It locked in place with several clicks, and regen/stabilization data flooded the helmet to address whatever it was, but now he was silenced again.
Peace's warning; however, definitely did not sit well with neither Mach nor Mazer. They both at least had an inkling of what it was capable of, and Mach had his mind set on upgrades, not just repairs. [[i]It's my fight.[/i]] read the message that scrawled across the screen. It didn't convey emotion, but Mazer correctly assumed its quick and simple response indicated some irritation from his Navi. ["Though we appreciate the offer, we should do this ourselves. The enemy we fought absorbed programs to add to its own strength, if it's just us, there's less for that thing to "feed" on,"] Mazer relayed with a bit more tact than his Navi originally conveyed.
"To spite my face?" Mach said to himself, before he took control of some of his armor's hatches. With a few metallic clicks, the ellipse-shaped collar around his neck released the opaque canopy-like helmet, allowing it to lift open thanks to a hinge behind his head. As it rose slowly, his head finally came into view. His metallic orange hair was missing, likely deactivated so the helmet could fit, and it looked like his right ear pylon was missing. In fact, the entire right side of his face was damaged and twisted from what looked like a laser blast. His mask was melted inwards, and seemed to outline his upper and lower jaws and cheekbone. Above that, a dark crater was all that remained of his right eye. His good eye; however, glared down at Peace.
"There's not much left to spite," MachMan growled as he responded to Peace's expression in a literal sense. He didn't expect that sarcastic comment to placate the Navi, who might be his only resource for help, so he further explained. "Familiarity alone isn't enough to hold myself back with weakened limbs. If they can be replaced with something more effective, that's what I need." Though his voice gave the appearance of stalwart confidence, his mind continued to try weighing the facts and wrestle with doubts. What if the replacements aren't as effective as his "bandaged limbs"? Well they can always be upgraded, and wouldn't his limbs never fully heal? But what about feeling? Tactile feedback can be replicated, and he had nothing left worth touching. She's gone. But will it be worth the cost?
Speaking of feeling, he felt something trickling down his face. He reached up in an attempt to wipe it off and identify it, but he couldn't bend his arms around the somewhat bulky chestpiece to his face. His expression twisted into a scowl before he prompted the canopy to close back down. It locked in place with several clicks, and regen/stabilization data flooded the helmet to address whatever it was, but now he was silenced again.
last edited by
"Don't be pigheaded," Peace protested, but she lowered her eyes and frowned harder. "I guess you're right... Unless I get this new TerrorMan truly combat capable and he's a heck of a lot better than our last one, he'd be a giant, flying snack for your... whatever your enemy is." It wasn't easy for her to admit that her past creations deserved crappy performance reviews, but this wasn't the right time to play tough. Seeing his face made it clear it wasn't a good time to keep making jokes either. Peace started to open her mouth, clearly wanting to add that she could do something about his face, but she'd already brought up aesthetics earlier and he'd turned that down.
Load was on the move again and began examining the armor housing his left arm. "We can use this," she pointed out, which might make him think she was planning to use his armor as more salvage.
"She means that with the cryo technology and this 'cast', we should be able to create a pretty safe state with which to work on the body modification. We're going to need you to relax at least, or even better, go to sleep for a while. If you're willing to go under anesthetic, that is," Peace interpreted, already beginning to draw up designs and hand them over to Load. "Don't be a tough guy for once, okay? Just take the anesthetic and it'll be done when you wake up..."
If MachMan decided to go that route, she'd quickly produce something like a gun, but with a syringe head at the end instead of a muzzle. The trigger seemed to work only to push the plunger inward, causing the liquid to come out through the needle once injected. She'd do that and soon enough, MachMan would doze off. If he refused, she'd spare the needle, but would be completely silent regardless, explaining it as a need for concentration. He'd see the process that Mazer would see regardless: converting the 'cast' into something capable of preserving his parts, then closing the case up. She wasn't going to amputate by hand; it was clear now that the armor itself was going to handle the task of taking the arm off. Thin lasers would shear off what remained of his limb, while the closed environment kept his arm from leaking data. Even if he was awake, he'd stay remarkably unaware of any sensation at all, other than an odd feeling as though his arm was terribly deep asleep. From there, the armor would set a thin, metallic, skeleton arm in. This would be the last step before the cast opened back up. From there, Load would go to work with the finest details, plugging in "muscles" formed of some kind of colorless gell to sockets along the frame, then encloasing them in an insulated casing, followed by a layer of thick armor plating for the outside. She'd tried to match the blue coloration of the majority of his armor. The resulting look was pretty sleek, but as she'd described it: entirely without feeling.
Peace would watch his face curiously as she finished the procedure, to gauge his reaction. There'd be the matter of those repair and maintenance kits she'd mentioned earlier, but for now, she just wanted to make sure the arm was functioning. If MachMan tried to flex his fingers or move the arm, he'd find himself capable, but it was an odd sensation, almost like playing a video game or running a simulation: like an avatar moving along with controls, but with no tactile sensation. She hadn't mentioned it yet, but when the cast had come off, she'd left the cryogenically preserved remains of his severed arm inside of it. She hadn't mentioned reattaching it, but perhaps she hadn't ruled it out either. Load was holding onto it now, with a remarkably at ease expression, considering there was a severed hand inside the case she was carrying.
Load was on the move again and began examining the armor housing his left arm. "We can use this," she pointed out, which might make him think she was planning to use his armor as more salvage.
"She means that with the cryo technology and this 'cast', we should be able to create a pretty safe state with which to work on the body modification. We're going to need you to relax at least, or even better, go to sleep for a while. If you're willing to go under anesthetic, that is," Peace interpreted, already beginning to draw up designs and hand them over to Load. "Don't be a tough guy for once, okay? Just take the anesthetic and it'll be done when you wake up..."
If MachMan decided to go that route, she'd quickly produce something like a gun, but with a syringe head at the end instead of a muzzle. The trigger seemed to work only to push the plunger inward, causing the liquid to come out through the needle once injected. She'd do that and soon enough, MachMan would doze off. If he refused, she'd spare the needle, but would be completely silent regardless, explaining it as a need for concentration. He'd see the process that Mazer would see regardless: converting the 'cast' into something capable of preserving his parts, then closing the case up. She wasn't going to amputate by hand; it was clear now that the armor itself was going to handle the task of taking the arm off. Thin lasers would shear off what remained of his limb, while the closed environment kept his arm from leaking data. Even if he was awake, he'd stay remarkably unaware of any sensation at all, other than an odd feeling as though his arm was terribly deep asleep. From there, the armor would set a thin, metallic, skeleton arm in. This would be the last step before the cast opened back up. From there, Load would go to work with the finest details, plugging in "muscles" formed of some kind of colorless gell to sockets along the frame, then encloasing them in an insulated casing, followed by a layer of thick armor plating for the outside. She'd tried to match the blue coloration of the majority of his armor. The resulting look was pretty sleek, but as she'd described it: entirely without feeling.
Peace would watch his face curiously as she finished the procedure, to gauge his reaction. There'd be the matter of those repair and maintenance kits she'd mentioned earlier, but for now, she just wanted to make sure the arm was functioning. If MachMan tried to flex his fingers or move the arm, he'd find himself capable, but it was an odd sensation, almost like playing a video game or running a simulation: like an avatar moving along with controls, but with no tactile sensation. She hadn't mentioned it yet, but when the cast had come off, she'd left the cryogenically preserved remains of his severed arm inside of it. She hadn't mentioned reattaching it, but perhaps she hadn't ruled it out either. Load was holding onto it now, with a remarkably at ease expression, considering there was a severed hand inside the case she was carrying.
last edited by
["Hm, good point. I'll close it up,"] Mazer commented after Peace mentioned utilizing the armor as a "sterile" environment to operate. The rectangular armor plates re-materialized and closed up over Mach's forearm and hand. After it closed up, Mach let his arm hang down at his side, and listened as Peace mentioned the use of anesthetics for the procedure. Mazer was also listening intently, and initially was suspicious of the introduction of anesthetics to put his Navi under. Normally he'd just put Mach in a "sleep mode" of sorts, so something like an injection was unnecessary... but when he looked in the boot options on his PET menus, the sleep mode option was unavailable. Made sense, you wouldn't want your Navi to basically go unconscious in an unpredictable, possibly dangerous environment.
["I don't think we have much of a choice here, doesn't look like I can put you in sleep mode while outside of the PET. I'll keep a close eye on your status just in case the anesthetic has some weird reactions. In the meantime, go ahead and get on the table, I don't want you falling over while you're under,"] Mazer directed his Navi. Mach looked at the odd needle-gun, and also initially didn't like the idea of being put under by a program that had tried to destroy him more than once, but if Mazer was fine with it, that's all the reassurance he needed. Without a word, Mach clunked over to the gurney-like operating table.
He paused in front of table, then started to shift in place. He shifted his weight to one side and started to bend and swing his leg, trying to get a feel for what little dexterity and flexibility he still had. Still too proud to ask for help, turned so his back faced the table and tried to sit down near the middle of said table, then tried to swing his legs up and over so he could lay down. Once he did so, he got his arms back on the table and stopped moving. Once Peace administered the anesthetic, Mach's vision gradually became hazy before he eventually lost consciousness. ["Okay, looks like he's out,"] Mazer remarked after looking over his Navi's readouts on the screen.
As Peace began, Mazer interrupted to guide the Navi. ["The damage goes all the way up to, and including, his shoulder. I'm honestly surprised he could still move his arm to begin with."] He remained quiet as the limb was removed, and the replacement started to be installed. He continued to watch intently, but occasionally asked questions throughout the hour-ish long procedure, mostly so he could better understand the new limb's design and structure. He was particularly interested in the "muscles" that were installed in the arm; he honestly expected simple servos to act as the joints, but synthetic muscles were actually a brilliant (albeit complicated) method to give lifelike and precise movement to a prosthetic. ["Those muscles, are they like a pressurized gel, or do they actually contain fibrous materials like organic muscles? And what sort of commands are sent through to make them contract and relax?"]
In the end, the limb had a sleeker profile than his normal arm, which was probably an advantage due to the Navi's high speed maneuvers; less drag and weight. Once the procedure was completed, Mazer attempted to wake the Navi with a few commands. Mach was roused from his slumber, and looked around instinctively to re-establish his position. It didn't look like he moved at all from where he last remembered. He also checked his internal clock, only about an hour had passed. [[i]"It's done already?"[/i]] read the text that scrolled across Mazer's screen. ["Yes, but just your left arm. Want to try moving it?"] Mazer suggested.
Mach responded only by trying to lift his left arm up and into view. His brow furrowed as he didn't feel any sort of response, but quickly enough a robotic arm came into view. The lack of feedback made him almost question the "owner" of the arm and hand that was in his field of view, but after he opened and closed its fingers, it appeared that arm was under his control. He opened his hand, then tried to touch his thumb to his pinky, then ring, middle, and index fingers in sequence. It functioned as advertised, but he felt nothing as the metallic fingertips tapped against eachother. She was right, it would take a little while to get used to, but he felt no pain whatsoever. [[i]"Alright, and the rest?"[/i]] he asked via text message, then looked a bit more around the room. His eye then fell upon Load, carrying a familiar object. A sobering unease washed over his mind; that was his arm in her hands. He'd given up a piece of himself. But it was too late to turn back now.
Mazer had a similar feeling, but he showed more reluctance than his Navi. ["Mach... is asking about the removal of the rest of his three limbs. I could probably figure it out after watching you, but if you still have time to work with him, would you be game for it?"] he asked, directing his question to Peace specifically.
["I don't think we have much of a choice here, doesn't look like I can put you in sleep mode while outside of the PET. I'll keep a close eye on your status just in case the anesthetic has some weird reactions. In the meantime, go ahead and get on the table, I don't want you falling over while you're under,"] Mazer directed his Navi. Mach looked at the odd needle-gun, and also initially didn't like the idea of being put under by a program that had tried to destroy him more than once, but if Mazer was fine with it, that's all the reassurance he needed. Without a word, Mach clunked over to the gurney-like operating table.
He paused in front of table, then started to shift in place. He shifted his weight to one side and started to bend and swing his leg, trying to get a feel for what little dexterity and flexibility he still had. Still too proud to ask for help, turned so his back faced the table and tried to sit down near the middle of said table, then tried to swing his legs up and over so he could lay down. Once he did so, he got his arms back on the table and stopped moving. Once Peace administered the anesthetic, Mach's vision gradually became hazy before he eventually lost consciousness. ["Okay, looks like he's out,"] Mazer remarked after looking over his Navi's readouts on the screen.
As Peace began, Mazer interrupted to guide the Navi. ["The damage goes all the way up to, and including, his shoulder. I'm honestly surprised he could still move his arm to begin with."] He remained quiet as the limb was removed, and the replacement started to be installed. He continued to watch intently, but occasionally asked questions throughout the hour-ish long procedure, mostly so he could better understand the new limb's design and structure. He was particularly interested in the "muscles" that were installed in the arm; he honestly expected simple servos to act as the joints, but synthetic muscles were actually a brilliant (albeit complicated) method to give lifelike and precise movement to a prosthetic. ["Those muscles, are they like a pressurized gel, or do they actually contain fibrous materials like organic muscles? And what sort of commands are sent through to make them contract and relax?"]
In the end, the limb had a sleeker profile than his normal arm, which was probably an advantage due to the Navi's high speed maneuvers; less drag and weight. Once the procedure was completed, Mazer attempted to wake the Navi with a few commands. Mach was roused from his slumber, and looked around instinctively to re-establish his position. It didn't look like he moved at all from where he last remembered. He also checked his internal clock, only about an hour had passed. [[i]"It's done already?"[/i]] read the text that scrolled across Mazer's screen. ["Yes, but just your left arm. Want to try moving it?"] Mazer suggested.
Mach responded only by trying to lift his left arm up and into view. His brow furrowed as he didn't feel any sort of response, but quickly enough a robotic arm came into view. The lack of feedback made him almost question the "owner" of the arm and hand that was in his field of view, but after he opened and closed its fingers, it appeared that arm was under his control. He opened his hand, then tried to touch his thumb to his pinky, then ring, middle, and index fingers in sequence. It functioned as advertised, but he felt nothing as the metallic fingertips tapped against eachother. She was right, it would take a little while to get used to, but he felt no pain whatsoever. [[i]"Alright, and the rest?"[/i]] he asked via text message, then looked a bit more around the room. His eye then fell upon Load, carrying a familiar object. A sobering unease washed over his mind; that was his arm in her hands. He'd given up a piece of himself. But it was too late to turn back now.
Mazer had a similar feeling, but he showed more reluctance than his Navi. ["Mach... is asking about the removal of the rest of his three limbs. I could probably figure it out after watching you, but if you still have time to work with him, would you be game for it?"] he asked, directing his question to Peace specifically.
last edited by
"There's no fibers involved. For the sake of simplicity, what you've got here is basically the skeleton of a hand fleshed out by a gel that mimics roughly the same texture and durability of Machman's original hand. That's all packed in with an insulated layer. Outside of that is another layer of armor," Peace explained, giving only the slightest details. "Here, the goal isn't precisely to replicate the human hand, it's to construct something a navi can use comfortably. It's a little different, comparing human physiology to what's typical for navis."
Peace was satisfied enough with her handiwork, but the problem was that it was only a fourth of the job. She hadn't realized every limb was going to need the same treatment. "Aw crap... you're going to need to go back under then," she murmured readying her syringe gun again. If he didn't object, she'd give him another dose, notably a bit deeper than the last one. Once he was under she'd set up the case on his opposite arm to begin the same amputation process as the one she'd done earlier. "Load, we're going to need to go a little low tech for this next one. I'll prepare the storage units while you handle the amputation. If all goes well, we should be able to finish in 1.5 hours."
The other lady nodded, her deeply purple hair, bobbing to cover one eye briefly as she did. Load picked up another small, gun shaped tool, this one emitting a light from the end. She pointed it at the floor, then gently adjusted a large knob at the end with the tips of her large, metallic fingers until the light became a short beam.
"It's not going to be covered up this time, so you may not want to watch," Peace warned Mazer, before Load got to work on the amputation. Her work was as precise as a machine's, even though most of her body looked human. By the time the first leg was off, Peace had finished the first container. They loaded it up, then repeated the process with the second leg. "We'll keep these in storage too, in case he needs them later," she remarked.
The other arms amputation had been done for some time, so Load went to work on removing the storage unit while Peace set the first of the skeletal, mechanical legs. One she'd gotten it fastened in, she lay down another layer of insulation, wrapping first the calf muscles and heels to give stability to the rest of the shape, before filling in the other parts, sculpting with one hand and wrapping with the other.
Load did similarly with the arm, and by the time each had finished a limb, they were able to work together on the final leg. "Shoot," Peace complained, as she wound the insulation too tightly at the top or the leg, creating a small tear in the bottom. While Load grabbed more of the wrapping to seal the hole, she tore a strip from the lower hem of her shirt, plugging the slit. Load would remove the piece carefully, then finish the wrapping.
Once all insulation wrapping was complete, they'd armor each piece up, creating a set to match the first arm. The entire process took about an hour thirty as anticipated, though they'd likely have made it quicker if not for the small mishap near the end. Peace wiped sweat from her forehead; a bit of her panties, pastel green, showed under the hem of her shirt as she did, but it was hardly the time to be excited about that. "Unless he's got anything else that needs to come off, that you know of, I'd say we are done."
"... Is he not supposed to have a penis?" Load inquired, looking up from the leg they'd installed.
"Ahem! This isn't the time for that, I'm pretty sure he doesn't need one of those to fight," Peace scolded her ally, crossing her arms with a serious frown. "You can go ahead and wake him up."
Peace was satisfied enough with her handiwork, but the problem was that it was only a fourth of the job. She hadn't realized every limb was going to need the same treatment. "Aw crap... you're going to need to go back under then," she murmured readying her syringe gun again. If he didn't object, she'd give him another dose, notably a bit deeper than the last one. Once he was under she'd set up the case on his opposite arm to begin the same amputation process as the one she'd done earlier. "Load, we're going to need to go a little low tech for this next one. I'll prepare the storage units while you handle the amputation. If all goes well, we should be able to finish in 1.5 hours."
The other lady nodded, her deeply purple hair, bobbing to cover one eye briefly as she did. Load picked up another small, gun shaped tool, this one emitting a light from the end. She pointed it at the floor, then gently adjusted a large knob at the end with the tips of her large, metallic fingers until the light became a short beam.
"It's not going to be covered up this time, so you may not want to watch," Peace warned Mazer, before Load got to work on the amputation. Her work was as precise as a machine's, even though most of her body looked human. By the time the first leg was off, Peace had finished the first container. They loaded it up, then repeated the process with the second leg. "We'll keep these in storage too, in case he needs them later," she remarked.
The other arms amputation had been done for some time, so Load went to work on removing the storage unit while Peace set the first of the skeletal, mechanical legs. One she'd gotten it fastened in, she lay down another layer of insulation, wrapping first the calf muscles and heels to give stability to the rest of the shape, before filling in the other parts, sculpting with one hand and wrapping with the other.
Load did similarly with the arm, and by the time each had finished a limb, they were able to work together on the final leg. "Shoot," Peace complained, as she wound the insulation too tightly at the top or the leg, creating a small tear in the bottom. While Load grabbed more of the wrapping to seal the hole, she tore a strip from the lower hem of her shirt, plugging the slit. Load would remove the piece carefully, then finish the wrapping.
Once all insulation wrapping was complete, they'd armor each piece up, creating a set to match the first arm. The entire process took about an hour thirty as anticipated, though they'd likely have made it quicker if not for the small mishap near the end. Peace wiped sweat from her forehead; a bit of her panties, pastel green, showed under the hem of her shirt as she did, but it was hardly the time to be excited about that. "Unless he's got anything else that needs to come off, that you know of, I'd say we are done."
"... Is he not supposed to have a penis?" Load inquired, looking up from the leg they'd installed.
"Ahem! This isn't the time for that, I'm pretty sure he doesn't need one of those to fight," Peace scolded her ally, crossing her arms with a serious frown. "You can go ahead and wake him up."
last edited by
["Hm, I see... so modifying the limb beyond changing the armor configuration would require some significant work..."] Mazer remarked aloud after Peace described the arm's construction. It seemed like she'd put some significant thought into recreating lifelike limbs, but Mazer feared Mach would prefer something with function over form; his "real" arm was on a slab, so he'd likely think 'why not optimize his synthetic replacement to the max extent possible?' He felt that conversation would have to be made, but probably in a more private setting, he didn't think Peace would like the idea of her prosthetics being weaponized.
Shortly afterwards, MachMan responded to Peace's advisory with a simple thumbs-up using his new limb. It responded surprisingly well, but he didn't have much time to further experiment with the limb, as he soon went back under the needle. Though Peace suggested Mazer look away for the amputation of Mach's legs, Mazer didn't respond and watched intently, mostly out of concern for the Navi. However, he'd be lying if he claimed the sight of the procedure didn't cause an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. That said, any feelings of queasiness were overshadowed by doubt and internal debate. They were far past the point of no-return, but Mazer still hadn't fully bought in to his Navi's wishes. At least Peace didn't just toss the limbs out, in case they somehow wanted them back...
Mazer gritted through the uneasiness to focus on the construction of his Navi's new legs, he had to understand them as much as possible, even with the self-repair packs Peace planned to give them. They were built similarly to the arms, so at theoretically they'd operate under identical methods. The wrappings, and specifically the apparent fragility of said wrapping was concerning; would it stand up to any significant fire, or would it be weaker than Mach's original skin? He made a mental note to test that later.
Once he saw Peace work on completing the finishing touches, the NetOp opened a notepad on his computer and began to type down his observations and mental questions, while the memory was still fresh in his mind. He heard Load's voice over the din of clicking keys, and he thought he heard something... odd, but it wasn't clear. He paused his note-taking a moment or two after Peace responded. ["Right, hang on while I wake him up,"] he replied before he gave his Navi a once-over both visually and with a quick reference of the program's status readouts. Nothing was immediately alarming, so he roused the Navi the same way as before.
MachMan was again greeted by the sight of the cavern's ceiling, as well as a dead numbness from now all four of his extremities. ["It's done, Mach. Let's take things slow, and try them out gradually,"] Mazer's voice advised. Mach slowly raised his right arm, and saw a mechanical identical (though mirrored) to his left arm. After a quick test of its fingers, he focused on moving both arms down to his sides, then drew his elbows up before attempting to grip the sides of the gurney. He wouldn't feel any feedback, but he looked left and right to see if at least his forearms were in the right positions before he tried to tilt his lower torso upwards so he could sit up and see his new legs.
Similar to his replacement arms, his legs were slightly thinner and encased in dark blue armor. While the plating wasn't polished, its surfaces were still fairly lustrous like a piece of electronic equipment fresh from the packaging. He commanded his feet to tilt outwards at the ankles, and saw them respond without any noticeable lag. He also noted their range of movement appeared similar to his original joints, though he didn't get any feedback to determine the amount of strain. "Hmm..." the Navi muttered as he tried bending his knees, then tried to swing his new legs over the side of the operating table. It was difficult to gauge if his feet touched the ground due to the lack of feedback and the chest armor obscuring his view, so he continued to shimmy forward until he could feel pressure from his hips/lower back. Mazer could sense the apprehensiveness from his Navi due to the very careful, gradual movements, so he tried to guide the Navi. ["Your feet are touching the ground, looks secure. I'd keep a hand on the rail of the gurney if you're trying to stand,"] Mazer cautioned.
Mach nodded, though no one could see it thanks to the opaque canopy, and looked over to one of the railings. He slowly reached towards it with his right arm, and wrapped his fingers around the rail and squeezed. Again, no feedback. To evaluate his own grip, he tugged at the rail, and determined everything was solid. He then tried to focus on standing, and pushed off in an attempt to put his center of gravity directly above his feet. He tried to use the feeling in his back to keep himself steady, and soon found himself standing, then slowly released the railing to stand unassisted. [[i]... this is weird...[/i]] Mach thought to himself, and chose to take a moment to process everything before trying to walk.
["Looks like everything's working, we'll take a bit to get Mach used to his new limbs. Do you have those repair kits you mentioned?"] Mazer asked, to keep things going along, even though his Navi appeared content in just standing and taking everything in at the moment.
Shortly afterwards, MachMan responded to Peace's advisory with a simple thumbs-up using his new limb. It responded surprisingly well, but he didn't have much time to further experiment with the limb, as he soon went back under the needle. Though Peace suggested Mazer look away for the amputation of Mach's legs, Mazer didn't respond and watched intently, mostly out of concern for the Navi. However, he'd be lying if he claimed the sight of the procedure didn't cause an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. That said, any feelings of queasiness were overshadowed by doubt and internal debate. They were far past the point of no-return, but Mazer still hadn't fully bought in to his Navi's wishes. At least Peace didn't just toss the limbs out, in case they somehow wanted them back...
Mazer gritted through the uneasiness to focus on the construction of his Navi's new legs, he had to understand them as much as possible, even with the self-repair packs Peace planned to give them. They were built similarly to the arms, so at theoretically they'd operate under identical methods. The wrappings, and specifically the apparent fragility of said wrapping was concerning; would it stand up to any significant fire, or would it be weaker than Mach's original skin? He made a mental note to test that later.
Once he saw Peace work on completing the finishing touches, the NetOp opened a notepad on his computer and began to type down his observations and mental questions, while the memory was still fresh in his mind. He heard Load's voice over the din of clicking keys, and he thought he heard something... odd, but it wasn't clear. He paused his note-taking a moment or two after Peace responded. ["Right, hang on while I wake him up,"] he replied before he gave his Navi a once-over both visually and with a quick reference of the program's status readouts. Nothing was immediately alarming, so he roused the Navi the same way as before.
MachMan was again greeted by the sight of the cavern's ceiling, as well as a dead numbness from now all four of his extremities. ["It's done, Mach. Let's take things slow, and try them out gradually,"] Mazer's voice advised. Mach slowly raised his right arm, and saw a mechanical identical (though mirrored) to his left arm. After a quick test of its fingers, he focused on moving both arms down to his sides, then drew his elbows up before attempting to grip the sides of the gurney. He wouldn't feel any feedback, but he looked left and right to see if at least his forearms were in the right positions before he tried to tilt his lower torso upwards so he could sit up and see his new legs.
Similar to his replacement arms, his legs were slightly thinner and encased in dark blue armor. While the plating wasn't polished, its surfaces were still fairly lustrous like a piece of electronic equipment fresh from the packaging. He commanded his feet to tilt outwards at the ankles, and saw them respond without any noticeable lag. He also noted their range of movement appeared similar to his original joints, though he didn't get any feedback to determine the amount of strain. "Hmm..." the Navi muttered as he tried bending his knees, then tried to swing his new legs over the side of the operating table. It was difficult to gauge if his feet touched the ground due to the lack of feedback and the chest armor obscuring his view, so he continued to shimmy forward until he could feel pressure from his hips/lower back. Mazer could sense the apprehensiveness from his Navi due to the very careful, gradual movements, so he tried to guide the Navi. ["Your feet are touching the ground, looks secure. I'd keep a hand on the rail of the gurney if you're trying to stand,"] Mazer cautioned.
Mach nodded, though no one could see it thanks to the opaque canopy, and looked over to one of the railings. He slowly reached towards it with his right arm, and wrapped his fingers around the rail and squeezed. Again, no feedback. To evaluate his own grip, he tugged at the rail, and determined everything was solid. He then tried to focus on standing, and pushed off in an attempt to put his center of gravity directly above his feet. He tried to use the feeling in his back to keep himself steady, and soon found himself standing, then slowly released the railing to stand unassisted. [[i]... this is weird...[/i]] Mach thought to himself, and chose to take a moment to process everything before trying to walk.
["Looks like everything's working, we'll take a bit to get Mach used to his new limbs. Do you have those repair kits you mentioned?"] Mazer asked, to keep things going along, even though his Navi appeared content in just standing and taking everything in at the moment.
last edited by
Peace seemed to pick up on why Mazer might mention adding additional functionality to MachMan's new limbs and frowned critically. "I'm sure you can handle your own weapons without me building more in for you," she scoffed, continuing her work. Once they were done, both girls stayed quiet while MachMan tested their handiwork. Everything seemed functional, though it was clear MachMan was going to need to do some adjusting to his new limbs. "Yeah... if you're going to go after whoever did this to you, promise me you'll at least take a day to get used to all of this new hardware. I'd hate to see it all go to waste," she sighed.
Next, she prepared the aforementioned repair kits, which was quite a bit faster than crafting new limbs. "They're similar to what I give Load and Cruz to use on their own repairs, although lately, we're ending up in a lot of situations that make it harder for us to use them. These will repair damage to those new limbs of yours. For the rest of your body, your old regenerative capabilities ought to still be in tact. Remember that you can only use these in a safe place, so generally, I'd recommend repairing and maintaining them inside your PET while jacked out, just like you'd normally recover. The repair kits will last you a long time, I think; long enough to either figure out how to do it yourself, or at least until I get the new TerrorMan set up and an actual laboratory set up. Even if the limbs get entirely obliterated, you ought to be able to restore them using these kits, as they are 'part of you' now. The resource drain will be greater, though, if you're doing that."
"If you get used to them, they'll be stronger than your original limbs," Load added. "Mine are, at least. And more precise."
"Uh, maybe. Of course, you had a long history of combat before, so it'll probably take at least a bit before they're as good as your old ones," Peace shrugged.
Scavenger spoke up after having been quite for a while; perhaps she was just waking back up. "We'll both be learning," she pointed out. Unrelated to the rest of the action, and perhaps startlingly, MachMan would receive a high priority personal message while Scavenger was speaking...
*MachMan received DragonierMan's homepage coordinates*
((To be continued in DragonierMan's homepage if MachMan wishes, but only after Azure posts there and I have modded once))
Next, she prepared the aforementioned repair kits, which was quite a bit faster than crafting new limbs. "They're similar to what I give Load and Cruz to use on their own repairs, although lately, we're ending up in a lot of situations that make it harder for us to use them. These will repair damage to those new limbs of yours. For the rest of your body, your old regenerative capabilities ought to still be in tact. Remember that you can only use these in a safe place, so generally, I'd recommend repairing and maintaining them inside your PET while jacked out, just like you'd normally recover. The repair kits will last you a long time, I think; long enough to either figure out how to do it yourself, or at least until I get the new TerrorMan set up and an actual laboratory set up. Even if the limbs get entirely obliterated, you ought to be able to restore them using these kits, as they are 'part of you' now. The resource drain will be greater, though, if you're doing that."
"If you get used to them, they'll be stronger than your original limbs," Load added. "Mine are, at least. And more precise."
"Uh, maybe. Of course, you had a long history of combat before, so it'll probably take at least a bit before they're as good as your old ones," Peace shrugged.
Scavenger spoke up after having been quite for a while; perhaps she was just waking back up. "We'll both be learning," she pointed out. Unrelated to the rest of the action, and perhaps startlingly, MachMan would receive a high priority personal message while Scavenger was speaking...
Quote (Hime)
MachMan, this is the Shogun. I am being taken to DragonierMan's homepage. The address is attached; there's a chance it's private, but if it is, he's going to be opening up the homepage for a very brief period so Yasu can enter in a moment. I don't know how much you know, but I've been attacked and kidnapped by Yasu and DragonierMan. I can't ask the generals to help, as apparently, Yasu is in the process of misleading them as to my status, and none of them know the secret of my identity... they're likely to trust her before they trust me. I know it's a lot to ask of you, but please, come help me if you can. Fighting DragonierMan and Yasu at once would be near impossible, so instead, I have two ideas:
1) Only remove my chains, then we can both escape.
2) Remove Yasu's eyepatch... If she's a fake, there's a good chance she's duplicated some kind of scar or injury under that patch. But the real Yasu has an eye beneath that patch; I don't believe the faker could know that. Proving that Yasu is a fake ought to put DragonierMan on our side.
*MachMan received DragonierMan's homepage coordinates*
((To be continued in DragonierMan's homepage if MachMan wishes, but only after Azure posts there and I have modded once))
last edited by
After standing still for a few moments to establish a balance baseline, Mach started to rock from side to side, shifting weight from one leg to the other. Satisfied with that, he then flexed his ankles to stand on the balls of his feet while Peace spoke of the need for time to adjust. Mach heard it loud and clear, but didn't respond; "adjusting" was what he was doing right now, and he planned to get "adjusted" as soon as possible. He had an enemy to kill, and SPs to avenge. Mazer, on the other hand, wasn't wearing the same blinders as his Navi. ["We'll do a shakedown run before heading back into combat, don't want Mach tripping over his own feet."]
Mach continued his own "shakedown" by lifting one leg up and attempting to balance on the other. There were a few wobbles, but he started to get the hang of it while half-listening to Peace explain the repair kits. Mazer listened more intently, and brushed his chin with the side of his thumb. ["I see, we'll use them wisely. I really appreciate everything you've done for us, we owe you one."]
Mach moved to take a step, but paused mid-stride as a high priority message came in from... Hime? He nearly toppled over, but ended up catching himself in an awkwardly heavy-footed step before he reviewed it. He wasn't surprised to see a request for help from the Shogun, nor the fact DragonierMan allied himself with Yasu, but he didn't expect them to move so quickly to secure the Shogun. He'd promised Yasu to stay out of the way, but the final sentences of the message gave him pause. The Shogun, who arguably knows Yasu better than anyone else, thinks this Yasu is fake? Mach and Aera both had their suspicions, but had no evidence beyond feeling that "something wasn't right." It could be a trick, but in Mach's mind, if Hime was willing to reveal her true identity to pass this info, it had to be important.
"Mazer, we have a mission," Mach's stern voice rumbled from the PC's speakers via the PET. Mazer flinched from the sudden sound of Mach's slightly raspy voice, and readjusted his glasses before he responded. ["Wait, what?"] Mach quickly forwarded the message so it would display on Mazer's screen, then spoke to it's contents. "The Shogun is being kidnapped, and she also appears to believe the Yasu we spoke to isn't the real First General. I think Aera was right all along, I gave up my own suspicions from the lack of evidence, but this changes things. I need to get there ASAP, and ready to fight if needed." Mazer scanned over the message while listening to his Navi's demands, but he was playing mental catch-up; he was 'afk' during the conversation with Yasu. ["Hang on. You're barely walking and in little more than an armored cast, and you want to jump into combat with DragonierMan AND Yasu?"] Mazer asked incredulously
Mach's brow furrowed, his NetOp did have a very valid point. His fully digital mind raced, trying to figure out courses of action to meet the mission requirements as quickly as possible; he'd rather be slightly less than 100% combat capable and on time, than to miss what sounds to be a very limited ingress window. A moment later, he had something in mind. "Have a plan, but I need to be back in the PET for this to work. I think we can do this without 'going kinetic' against either DragonierMan or Yasu. Trust me on this," Mach urged while still standing like a statue on the cave floor. Mazer scratched his head and tried to mull it over, but he couldn't read Mach's mind, and wouldn't be able to keep up if he could. ["Hm... alright, stand by,"] he conceded before he shifted his focus to the rest of the programs in the room. ["Sorry to cut and run, but we might have a chance to solve this Shogunate issue. Thanks again for the help, we'll let you know how it all turns out, I hope..."]
MachMan would promptly receive any repair kits that were prepared at the time, then download them to the PET before Mach himself teleported out of the cavern.
((Logged out))
Mach continued his own "shakedown" by lifting one leg up and attempting to balance on the other. There were a few wobbles, but he started to get the hang of it while half-listening to Peace explain the repair kits. Mazer listened more intently, and brushed his chin with the side of his thumb. ["I see, we'll use them wisely. I really appreciate everything you've done for us, we owe you one."]
Mach moved to take a step, but paused mid-stride as a high priority message came in from... Hime? He nearly toppled over, but ended up catching himself in an awkwardly heavy-footed step before he reviewed it. He wasn't surprised to see a request for help from the Shogun, nor the fact DragonierMan allied himself with Yasu, but he didn't expect them to move so quickly to secure the Shogun. He'd promised Yasu to stay out of the way, but the final sentences of the message gave him pause. The Shogun, who arguably knows Yasu better than anyone else, thinks this Yasu is fake? Mach and Aera both had their suspicions, but had no evidence beyond feeling that "something wasn't right." It could be a trick, but in Mach's mind, if Hime was willing to reveal her true identity to pass this info, it had to be important.
"Mazer, we have a mission," Mach's stern voice rumbled from the PC's speakers via the PET. Mazer flinched from the sudden sound of Mach's slightly raspy voice, and readjusted his glasses before he responded. ["Wait, what?"] Mach quickly forwarded the message so it would display on Mazer's screen, then spoke to it's contents. "The Shogun is being kidnapped, and she also appears to believe the Yasu we spoke to isn't the real First General. I think Aera was right all along, I gave up my own suspicions from the lack of evidence, but this changes things. I need to get there ASAP, and ready to fight if needed." Mazer scanned over the message while listening to his Navi's demands, but he was playing mental catch-up; he was 'afk' during the conversation with Yasu. ["Hang on. You're barely walking and in little more than an armored cast, and you want to jump into combat with DragonierMan AND Yasu?"] Mazer asked incredulously
Mach's brow furrowed, his NetOp did have a very valid point. His fully digital mind raced, trying to figure out courses of action to meet the mission requirements as quickly as possible; he'd rather be slightly less than 100% combat capable and on time, than to miss what sounds to be a very limited ingress window. A moment later, he had something in mind. "Have a plan, but I need to be back in the PET for this to work. I think we can do this without 'going kinetic' against either DragonierMan or Yasu. Trust me on this," Mach urged while still standing like a statue on the cave floor. Mazer scratched his head and tried to mull it over, but he couldn't read Mach's mind, and wouldn't be able to keep up if he could. ["Hm... alright, stand by,"] he conceded before he shifted his focus to the rest of the programs in the room. ["Sorry to cut and run, but we might have a chance to solve this Shogunate issue. Thanks again for the help, we'll let you know how it all turns out, I hope..."]
MachMan would promptly receive any repair kits that were prepared at the time, then download them to the PET before Mach himself teleported out of the cavern.
((Logged out))