"So, no word on how you got that black eye?" Viktor asked while treating Dorio and performing a basic diagnosis. "I thought you were visiting Gloria and her son."
The muscular woman had come to the clinic worried because, ever since she got hit in the eye, her optics had been failing intermittently.
"I did," Dorio said, pointing at the black eye with her trembling index finger. "This is the result!"
Viktor turned to look at her, confused.
"Did Gloria hit you or something?" he asked. "What happened?"
"First, I didn't do anything," Dorio said, not getting up but turning her head annoyed. "Second, it was that restless brat who did this to me!"
It was a stupid and accidental incident overall, but she was still upset.
"Right…" If Viktor actually believed that excuse, only he knew. "Anyway, I have news."
"Good news or bad news?"
"Dorio, there's just news," Viktor said, pointing to the diagnostic screen. "You're going to have to change your optics. The ones you're using are pretty worn out from time and use, and that hit completely ruined the synchronization," he explained.
"So that's bad news," Dorio crossed her arms in frustration.
She could afford better optics—working for Faelan was profitable and she had decent savings—but the fact that David was the reason still bothered her.
"You shouldn't be upset. Actually, they wouldn't have lasted more than a couple of months before serious failures started," Viktor comforted her while touching the screen. "Look, these are the optics I have right now. Personally, I recommend these three models on the right—they're the ones most compatible with your systems and a generation better than what you currently have."
"Ah, just pick whichever you think will suit me best," Dorio said, seeing that the specs weren't very different between the three models, so she trusted Viktor's experience for the choice.
"Alright, let me call my new assistant to bring them from the warehouse," Viktor's eyes blinked as he sent a message.
"You have a new assistant?" Dorio looked at Viktor with curiosity.
"Well, the duo has grown. They're busy with their own matters, the company, and everything else," Viktor explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "As you can understand, they can't spend as much time helping me at the clinic anymore, so I had to find someone."
Soon, a twelve-year-old blonde girl with green eyes entered, carrying a tray with Dorio's new optics packaged in secure boxes.
"Misty, come here a moment," Viktor called, pointing at Dorio. "Dorio, this is my new assistant, Misty Olszewski. Misty, this is Dorio. She works for the basement tenants and is a regular client, so you'll see her around a lot."
"Sup!" Dorio greeted Misty. "If you have trouble with any rude type, just say the word."
"Mmm," Misty replied, looking at her distractedly.
"Misty?" Viktor snapped his fingers in front of her.
"Huh? Oh, sorry," she apologized before quickly leaving, nervous.
Only when they were alone again did Dorio look at Vik.
"A kid, seriously, Vik?" she asked with light sarcastic mockery. "Didn't you think about hiring a capable adult?"
"She's been having some problems in Heywood lately since her parents died, like most people here," Viktor shrugged without feeling guilty. "The girl sometimes sees things, and the other kids tease her for her strange behavior. She reminded me of someone, and she's nice, hardworking, and—most importantly—honest."
"I guess she's cheap too."
"I pay her the same salary I gave Kiwi and Faelan," Viktor said, beginning a security check on the new optics and removing hidden programs as usual. "Besides, I guarantee she eats way better here."
Though he made sure she never saw any trace of his wine bottles.
"Doesn't she have any family?" Dorio frowned, knowing Misty was an orphan.
"I think she has some relatives in Warsaw, but their relationship isn't good, so she decided to stay and try to survive," Viktor revealed as he started preparing for the operation after checking everything was fine. "Still complaining about me hiring her?"
"Have Kiwi and Faelan met her yet?" Dorio asked as she got comfortable for the operation.
"Not yet, they haven't crossed paths," Viktor denied while checking his surgeon's arm. "Actually, I was thinking of asking Faelan to take a look at her."
Dorio sat up straight.
"You think she could be like him?!"
"Down," Viktor pressed her back firmly. "I don't know, but I gave her a medical exam before she started working. She's healthy, doesn't 'consume' any of those street adulterated things, and I couldn't find a reason why she acts like she sees things." He took the anesthesia. "So I thought maybe she's not acting and really does see something—things others don't. The rest is easy to guess..." He injected Dorio. "Take a nap, we can talk more later."
Dorio had more questions, but drowsiness quickly knocked her out.
…
Producing enough C-65 and X-27 for Hanako's order kept Faelan quite busy. He even had to use the company beds to sleep and the small kitchen to eat using products from the garden.
Even during breaks, he was tinkering with the weapons he bought with Galina, removing bad parts and replacing them with ones he salvaged from others.
"Still alive?" Kiwi asked, poking his cheek the afternoon he finally finished enough for Hanako's order, collapsing on a sofa.
"Get that smug look off your face or I swear I'll throw a tomato at you," Faelan said, eyes tired and voice slow. "Did something happen?"
"The Zetatech order has arrived," Kiwi reminded him jokingly. "The boxes are in office four~."
Faelan stared at her, unwavering and unblinking.
"I'm not touching that stuff, nor doing anything else for at least three days, minimum!"
He wanted to eat in peace until he was full, take a good shower, replenish his kiwinium supply for a few hours, and sleep until he woke up on his own.
No, he didn't want it—he needed it.
"You could have given her a longer deadline," Kiwi teased affectionately and exasperated. "If a week is too short, say two or three. What does she know about how long it takes to make all that? You shouldn't push yourself so hard."
"You're right, sorry," Faelan apologized for worrying her as he sighed.
Slowing down a bit didn't sound bad…
Maybe it was a good time to give that thing to Kiwi?
"Let's go home. Would you mind ordering a vehicle?"
Kiwi nodded and ordered a Delamain with the Excelsior package included, just to feel more at ease.
Later, after running over some scrap dealers and the Delamain taking care of some blind attackers...
They both went down to their house through their private access, avoiding disturbing Vik since he seemed to be with a patient.
Faelan stretched out comfortably on a patch of fresh grass, feeling the natural feedback helping him recover a bit. Kiwi took a tablet to check the latest news.
"Hey, Kiwi."
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember a few years ago when I got a bit obsessed with the idea of making implants myself?"
"Of course I remember. Every time Vik removed an implant from a patient, you'd take it and dissect it like crazy," she looked up from the tablet at her boyfriend. "What's this old topic about? I think you're pretty busy for another attempt."
Oh, did she think he was going to try again?
"No, that's not it," Faelan took a deep breath. "I did it. And better."
Kiwi frowned.
"You did what?"
"I made a functional bioimplant," he revealed. "More like, I perfected a technology to make bioimplants using my mystical stuff and current tech."
Kiwi stared at him.
"You're joking."
"No, I really did!" Faelan insisted. "Arms, legs, bones, muscles, nerves, organs… All functional, better, and without cyberpsychosis."
Kiwi turned to face him, crossing her arms and legs slowly.
"And I didn't know because…?"
Uh-oh, that slow movement was when Kiwi got really irritated.
"Because while I was working on it, I came up with a crazy idea," Faelan turned his head to look Kiwi in the eyes. "It was supposed to be your surprise birthday present when you turned eighteen, but with that Kawatatsu guy still at large, I'd feel better if you had it now."
"I can defend myself and I have an extra life."
"And with my gift, you'll be able to do that and more!"
Kiwi went from annoyed to exasperated.
What else could she do when her boyfriend was secretly preparing something for her with good intentions?
"Alright, what is it?"
Faelan opened a hand, placing his palm on the ground, sending a green pulse, and a wall of roots parted to reveal…
"A coffin," Kiwi gave him a deadpan look. "Your birthday present is a metal coffin."
"Wh-? No!" Faelan shouted, a little indignant. "Do you really think I have such bad taste? It's not a coffin, it's a special biological container!"
"Oh, my birthda—"
"No!" Faelan jumped up from the ground. "My gift is inside the container, not the container itself!" he explained, somewhat desperate.
Kiwi gave a faint smile with her lips.
"I figured, I was just messing with you."
Faelan: …
"Alright, enough jokes," Kiwi stood up and approached the container, curiosity eating at her inside as she tried to guess what was inside. "What's the password to open it?"
"The date we started dating."
Kiwi gave him an approving look.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A cold breeze came out of the container as it opened, emanating a blue light from inside.
PSSHHH!
Kiwi stood still staring inside.
"Fae, what am I looking at?"
"Bioimplants."
"They don't look like bioimplants," Kiwi said dryly. "Looks like a woman. A beautiful, wet, naked woman."
Faelan coughed. He had a solid reason for the situation.
"This is the surprise! I made several bioimplants and assembled them together to make this," he approached and pointed at the woman. "What you have in front of you isn't a real person, even though she looks like one and is almost entirely organic. And, uh, that's why she's naked—I just assembled everything and forgot because she's not really a person," he murmured quietly.
Alright, maybe that reason wasn't so solid when said out loud…
Kiwi looked at the woman (who wasn't real) in confusion.
"I don't understand. What do I do with this?"
"Here." Faelan opened the woman's mouth, revealing a connection port hidden in the upper palate. "Once you connect, you'll be able to configure and synchronize to take control. With your Netrunner skills, you'll be able to move her with a single thought."
Kiwi blinked once and twice.
"You mean you made me some kind of... combat doll?" she asked, unable to hide the astonishment in her voice.
She'd already noticed the long daggers resting next to the woman; it wasn't difficult to discern their purpose.
"That's it!" —Faelan nodded, evidently pleased by his partner's reaction. —Although the method for connecting and taking control is a bit archaic, it is safe, as no one, not even the Children of Voodoo or the best hacker in the world, could get their hands on it since they have no way of remotely accessing its interior. It can only synchronize with you. Not only that, once you have enough practice, you could even impersonate someone else!
—Won't it break easily?
—I assure you that won't be a problem. —Faelan pointed to the Frankenstein woman's stomach. —As I told you, it's formed from bioimplants. Its internal organs are designed to repair any damage as long as it receives the necessary nutrients. That is, if it is damaged, just feed it until its body heals. —He took some papers from the container and gave them to Kiwi. —Here, these are its specifications.
"Fine," Kiwi sighed. "Go find her clothes while I read this. I won't be using what looks like a Clouds doll for VIPs. Also, does she have a name?"
"No, but when I did the project, I called her 'Hollow.'"
Formed from bioimplants, she had no consciousness or soul, so it seemed a fitting name for her creation.
"Hollow..."
After dressing Hollow and Kiwi connecting with her, she spent some time familiarizing herself with controlling the body. Kiwi was increasingly impressed; she thought manipulating the body would put a significant strain on her processors, but as long as she had some intention, the Hollow's movements became more fluid.
Faelan was exhausted, so he went to sleep while Kiwi amused herself with her gift.
To think he spent years building this thing in secret just to surprise her on her birthday, thinking of her safety…
"You're a freak," Kiwi smiled as she looked toward Faelan's room, feeling a pleasant warmth in her chest. "But you're my freak."
She would make sure to fill her boyfriend's kiwinium reserves to the brim when he woke up, so much so that he was going to need to expand them. In fact, maybe she should think of something special…
Her gaze unconsciously shifted to Hollow, and making sure Faelan was asleep, she examined it closely, very closely.
"My God, this is professional," she thought in absolute amazement. "It was meticulous down to the last detail."