A Displaced Samurai

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.

– Alexandre Dumas

Sunday, September 13th, 2048

It was time to pick my next step in growing stronger. Advanced manufacturing, or simply more manufacturing capacity plus air power? I asked Elya to recapitulate the options we had worked out.

Option one, you could take the next step on your roadmap to advanced manufacturing. One token and 400 points would unlock Class II Matter Reconfiguration Machines. From there you could get the blueprint for the Attoscale Architect Mk I for 5000 points.

It is a small but versatile fabricator that can arrange matter in sizes up to a shoe box and down to placing single atoms. Within that size constraint, you would be able to build almost all Class I technology and some Class II stuff. The Architect is also a good stepping stone to building larger Creation Engines.

The second option is Class I Air Cars for 500 points, plus a blueprint for a flying vehicle that considerably outperforms your Variocopter. There are several vehicles in the blueprint price range up to 8000 points. Most require a larger fabricator than you currently have.

The vehicle option greatly interested me. “I guess I’ll have to try building the enlarged version of the Mack fabber I was contemplating” I mused.

I have noticed that. I have also noticed that you contemplated combining it with the technology from the Assembler Mk II. I am willing to bend the rules a bit and help you with that project.

“Elya, you are the best!”

I know.

My decision was made, but I would withhold spending the points until the new and bigger fabricator was ready.

In the meantime, I was back to tinkering. First, I repaired my van. Thankfully, I still had the suspension blueprints from when I converted it to 4WD back in February.

Next, I started work on a thing I called the “Lesser Battlecat”. It would be a little smaller and running on batteries only, to avoid the need for the exotic material in the radionuclide generator. The main weapon would be the tail-railgun, which was the same as in my first Battlecat version.

The design of the head was shaped a bit differently, with two antenna “ears” as in the Type Four Mk II. Like the improved Type Four, its electronics were designed for better EMP resilience.

In terms of materials, I designed two versions. One with titanium, one with “only” Mack steel as part of the compound armor. The steel version would obviously be cheaper, but suffer agility wise from being heavier.

I started disassembling the captured Battlecats, from which I got two intact radionuclide generators. Then I realized that I did not have suitable cyberbrains for new Battlecats, as I did not have the blueprints and all the wrecked ones from today had their brains shot out. I might have to borrow from my future budget and acquire a suitable blueprint.

So I pointed at the pulverized cyberbrains from a dead Battlecat. “Elya, I guess I need another blueprint to replace the shot out brains here. The design should be flexible enough to adapt to quadrupeds of various sizes, and handle at least one extra limb. Such as a gun in the tail.”

Elya showed me a commercial from my home universe. It showed an adorable cat plushie with an oversized head and it moved. Quite fluently too.

In Class I Basic Drones there is the Kuddly Kitty Mk I. While meant as a toy, the designers used surprisingly advanced AI tech to allow adaptation of its electronics to other, future plushies. I can modify that for you into a Mack cyberbrain replacement of equal quality. Blueprint price is 500 points.

“I have never heard of the Kuddly Kitty. What happened to it?”

The company went bankrupt because too few people wanted to buy their overpriced robo plushies.

Oh. Anyway, this was exactly what I needed, and I would get a cute plushie as a bonus. It was even available in multiple colors. So I purchased the blueprint.

Purchased: Kuddly Kitty Mk I (blueprint)

New balance… One token and 8275 points.

I ordered one Lesser Battlecat in the lonsdaleite/steel version and one of the Kuddly Kitties from my fabricator. I also recycled some of my collected Fours, of which I had too many cluttering up my shelter anyway. For now, I kept the eight in the best condition.

Monday, September 14th, 2048

It was time to talk to SHOCKS again. I had some more toys to offer them, and some concerns about the legal standing of liberated Mack girls. Perhaps SHOCKS had already done some work on the issue. We agreed to a meeting the following day.

For the rest of the day, I worked with my new Lesser Battlecat to train its cyberbrain to handle the new body. It appeared not only equal to, but slightly smarter than the original Battlecat. I would use it in future full-blown Battlecats too. A Mk II version was on the horizon.

Also, I might have another thing to sell. The Shiv was a whole sight better than what HANAF had, and I knew that visual augmentations were common in Haven.

“Elya, could we adapt the Ocular Aimbot to work with the locals' Augs? That would make the Shiv a really attractive purchase.”

That is possible for most augmentation models. Low end types are unsuitable though, the Aimbot requires a certain amount of free memory and compute capability.

Tuesday, September 14th, 2048

I showed up at SHOCKS in the morning. With me were the original Battlecat, the Lesser Battlecat and my trusty Shiv. Plus some ammunition in case we were asked for a demonstration. B.S.O.D. greeted me at the door.

“Good morning, Caitlin. You captured some of the new Mack units?”

“The banged up one is a captured one. The other one is a modified version built by me and slightly simpler in design.”

“What was the reason for the downgrade?”

“Using cheaper and more abundant materials. The original Mack version uses a radionuclide generator that requires a fairly rare potassium isotope. I wanted something with less of a material bottleneck. Also, the armor is a lonsdaleite and steel compound design, not lonsdaleite and titanium.”

“Wouldn’t these compromises make them inferior in combat?”

“There are some drawbacks, but I expect that most fights will be decided with the guns. And there I think my version is superior.” I patted the very obviously weaponized tail of my Lesser Battlecat.

“That does not look like a normal rifle?”

“It is a railgun. A shortened version of this one” I pointed at the Shiv.

On the way to the meeting room, we ran into Arina. She saw me, ran up to me and gave me one of her bear hugs. Then she suddenly kissed me full on the mouth. I found myself kissing her back before my brain caught up with the situation.

B. S. O. D. harrumphed. “I would say get a room, but we have a meeting to get to. Business now, shenanigans later!”

Arina looked extremely embarrassed. If she could still blush, I’m sure she would have looked like a ripe tomato at that point. I said “Sorry but she’s right, we have a meeting to go to.”

In the meeting room, a whole bunch of people awaited me. Major Allen, a HANAF logistics officer, and the commander of SHOCKS, Palace Athena herself. If she came personally, things must be dire. Normally she delegated meetings with me to B. S. O. D., who had happened to meet me first a year ago and got stuck being my liaison.

Palace Athena opened the meeting with grim pronouncement. “The losses in the latest emergence were among the worst in the history of Haven. We urgently need something that tips the scales back in our favor.”

She looked at me. “I’m told you have new toys for us. I hope they are good ones.”

First, I laid my Shiv on the table. “This is the "Shiv", a railgun with penetration far better than what you are used to from your existing rifles. I know you have been quite happy with the tungsten projectiles I designed for you. But this is better. You need a Protector style fabricator though to make the ammunition.

“Also, for people with decent visual augs there is a special aim support software available. It links up to the Shiv and detects where the shooter actually looks. Then it uses the trajectory stabilization system of the Shiv to make small course adjustments at launch. It cannot compensate for being extremely off target, but if you could hit the target at all before then you are likely to reliably hit the bull’s eye with the Ocular Aimbot.”

Major Allen replied “I have been a competitive shooter until a few years ago, and I would like to try this wonder gun myself.”

The Major has a suitable visual aug. I could install the Aimbot right away.

I made a show of asking for the exact model, then I offered to install the Aimbot right away. Major Allen replied “After this meeting, if you have time”.

I agreed and proceeded with my presentation. “You might have seen this one before. I call it the Battlecat, and this is the original version as built by the Macks. The other one with the shiny layer is a version I made for cheaper manufacturing.”

Palace Athena replied “We call it the Type 43, but never mind.”

“I would lend it to you for evaluation, but we would have to develop a command interface first. Right now I control it through Little Aug. Perhaps we can combine the rifle test with a little demonstration of the Battlecat.”

Major Allen interjected “There is also the matter that the fabricator at SHOCKS is booked solid for 34 days straight. Something about a recovery project for a Magical Girl.”

“I’d be happy to sell you another one. Or several. They would take a few days to build and assemble, but there is no reason why SHOCKS cannot have multiple fabricators.”

Looking around, I saw a few sheepish faces. But then again, this was the same organization that had been surprised by an emergence a year ago because a warning from Sanctuary went unread at the Mayor’s office.

B. S. O. D. replied “I am representing SHOCKS for the items we purchase ourselves, as opposed to HANAF. And we would like to acquire at least two additional fabricators. Would you agree to the same terms and conditions as last time?”

“Of course. And in a real emergency, perhaps Peter Huygens would let you rent his fabricator for a while.”

“Who is Peter Huygens, and why does he have one of your fabricators?”

Major Allen interjected “An old acquaintance of mine. Former military, runs an air transport company now with an old Griffon helicopter the Canadian military sold off pre-First Emergence. He told me that he invested in a wonder 3D printer to make the spare parts he needs to keep his old bird flying.”

I added “It is the same model you have, just not with all the blueprints I have provided to you.”

B. S. O. D. made a decision. “As negotiator for SHOCKS, I hereby place an order for two of the fabricators. Or more exactly, the complete set of recycler, storage and fabricator. Please deliver as soon as you can. My secretary will prepare the contract for you, after your gun demo with Major Allen it should be ready to sign.”

For the rest of the morning, B. S. O. D. excused herself because of other appointments, but Palace Athena accompanied us to the gun range. While Major Allen landed perfect hits and perforated a few steel silhouette targets that were supposed to be bulletproof, a few HANAF soldiers prepared targets for the Battlecats. I had brought my “simplified” version too.

When the two killing machines ripped body armor and car doors to fiery shreds, a few of the onlookers were a bit pale around the nose. Even Palace Athena looked distressed.

I concluded the demonstration with the plasma gun of the original Battlecat and the shortened railgun of my Battlecat version.

“As you can see, the plasma gun is quite devastating against unarmored humans. Also against the Type One. But against armored Macks and at longer ranges it might leave you wanting. That is why I used the short railgun on mine. It is essentially a shortened Shiv. Not quite as good at long range, but in my tests it would consistently perforate Type Four armor at 300 meters.”

At the end of the meeting, we made a stop at B.S.O.D.’s office to sign the contract. Major Allen could not make a firm commitment on the Shiv yet, as “Funds are damn short lately.”

Finally, I was invited to lunch at the food court. It was absolutely delicious. Working at SHOCKS had its perks.