Chapter Seven – Knocking Over the Board

Chapter Seven – Knocking Over the Board

“Information is a wonderful currency. Extracting data from customers is how modern media make a profit.

The submission process is simple, and payments are sent electronically within 90 days of that information being validated.”

–Infosec’s Submission Page, 2041

***

Gomorrah’s habit shifted as two flamethrowers unfolded over her shoulders; they burped and two little licks of flame, no longer than an inch or so, burned merrily at the end of their soot-blackened barrels. “Don’t move for a moment, please,” Gomorrah asked politely.

I nodded and knelt next to Raccoon, reaching out to move her, just a little.

I wasn’t keen on medical stuff, but I knew that someone shouldn’t be moved if they were injured. At least, that’s what the ads for some of the medical services said. Sit tight, wait for the ambulance to arrive, and have a credit card at hand.

Didn’t think I’d be needing that just yet. Not that any service with common sense would come all the way down here to help with anything. “Hey, are you okay?” I asked the girl.

Her mask had slipped off, and she was breathing hard. I gingerly moved some hair away from her face, then winced at the gash across her nose. One of the corpses had kicked her nose in before I introduced new holes in his skull.

The way she cradled her chest worried me more. She was hugging herself, but her hands shook and her breathing was rough, little gasps that I recognized as someone trying to catch their breath while their lungs refused to work.

“Myalis, we need something for this.”

The damage seems fairly extensive. A Class I Nano-Regenerative Suite would be the minimum required to prevent further damage.

“Forget further damage,” I said. “How can we get her back to full health? Hurry, she looks rough.”

A Class II Nano-Regenerative Suite would repair most of the damage. Otherwise, you need a surgical suite. She has broken ribs, not to mention several failing organs. Those seem more like environmental issues than anything caused by her assault.

I cursed. “Get that second class in Medical. I have a few tokens to spare, right? Gimme something good, Myalis.”

As you wish.

That cost a single token. You have three remaining.

“Didn’t I just have three left?”

You gained one in Black Bear.

New Purchase: Class II Nano-Regenerative Suite
Points Reduced from… 11,001 to… 10,901!

The box that appeared next to me was… complicated. It had multiple flaps, and what looked like coils of tubing inside connected to semi-transparent containers. There were more things too, but I didn’t know where to start with any of it. “Myalis?” I asked.

Open the right-most flap, take the tube within and press the suction device on the end to the patient’s skin, preferably somewhere close to a vein.

I reached out and grabbed the cloth of Raccoon’s sleeve and pulled it apart. The new armour made ripping it open easy. Then I did as Myalis said, and tugged out a pinkie-thick tube with a sucker on the end and pressed it to Raccoon’s arm. It stuck, and the tube filled with a blackish liquid a moment later.

The second tube should be connected elsewhere. I would suggest her thigh. Also, move her onto her back. Her ribs need room for the suite to be able to push them back into place.

I didn’t need much effort to open a hole over Raccoon’s legs; her jeans were already ripped over the knees, and the patches there were holding on by a thread.

Then the box next to me burst open, and I stared as two pistons lifted out of it, and then opened at the top, releasing a pair of spiders the size of my hand. They scuttled over to Raccoon where I’d laid her down on her back, and with a burst of light from their forelimbs, cut holes through her shirt and her skin beneath before burrowing in.

“Holy fuck, that was disgusting,” I said.

The bones need setting. They won’t move on their own.

“Will they, uh, come out?” The skin over the cuts hadn’t bled, and the holes were already gone and healed over.

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Eventually, yes.

I decided I didn’t want more details.

Raccoon groaned, then shifted over a bit before I pushed her back down. “Don’t move,” I said. “You should be right as rain in a bit.”

She could use a detoxification routine, and better, more nutritious food. Or any food at all.

“We’ll get her a snack after,” I said. “She’s past the worst?”

No, but she would need massive traumatic damage to die right now, and she’s healing at an extremely accelerated rate. In thirty minutes, she will only have to deal with some of the more esoteric damage she has. Given a few days, good nutrition, and time to defecate, she will be free of the heavy metal and chemical contamination currently killing her. The cancers will be repurposed as well.

“Right,” I said.