Child of Omens Ruination: Aftermath

Chapter 6: More Than Meets The Eye

Nik: "So. Now that she's taken care of, what can I do for you?"

Nik and Ace sit across from each other in a set of chairs. A couple of feet away from the two is Summer, who is still asleep after receiving her cybernetic implants.

Ace: "How long she gonna be out?"

Nik: "Not for much longer. About a couple of minutes. But you're here on business, so get to askin'."

Ace: "Need to know about Silverhand."

Nik: "Silverhand? Oh boy, your jumping into some serious hot water bucko."

Ace: "So you know him?"

Nik: "Yeah, I've done some work for the guy a couple of times. Let me just say, he's not called Silverhand for nothing. Guy's fitted out with some real hardware."

Ace: "Anything else?"

Nik: "Don't know. What do you plan to do with it?"

Ace: "Come on, Nik." Leaning back in the chair.

Nik: "Look, I'm a DOCTOR. Which means there's something known as patient confidentiality. I can't go spouting off where my patients are. It'll break the trust they put in me. What if I told you where you could find him, and then you go and off him? How would that make me look as a professional, hmm?"

Ace: "Nik, I'm not out here trying to hunt the guy down. He's an important piece of a mission that I'm also a part of. Hear of that Black Ops group in the SMC that got loose?" Nik nodded. "Well, I've been hired to assemble a team to put them down. Silverhand is one of those individuals I need to find. So will you help me out?"

Nik: "*sigh*...Fine. But if this comes back to bite me in the ass. I'm holding you responsible. Got it?" Ace holds his hand over his chest as to swear. "Ok. Silverhand isn't his real name; obviously, he got that name from his boss, or should I say, bosses. He works as the Twins' bodyguard. If you want to find Silverhand, you gotta get through the Twins."

Ace: "Fuck! The Twins?! Why does this day just get worse." He looks over to see Summer beginning to stir awake. "Get her situated. I gotta make a call." Ace gets up and pulls out his scroll, dialing up Neo.

As Summer begins to wake up after her surgery, she holds her head as she starts to feel a terrible headache.

Nik: "Easy there. I know, new experience having the processing power of a scroll in your head sucks. Just concentrate on my voice." Summer closes her eyes and begins to focus on Nik's voice. Eventually, the pain dissipates.

Summer: "Thank you. So...what now? How does this work? Can I shoot lasers out of my eyes? Can I control metal with my very thoughts?"

Nik: "Heh, I wish. No, none of that fancy stuff. The cybernetic in you noggin' is a mini processor. It helps compile data you see and interact with. In short, you can react to things much quicker than your brain can."

Summer: "But isn't the brain always supposed to be better than machines?"

Nik: "Well, your not wrong. A machine AI can't replace the human mind. The thing in your head just takes the place of receiving information that would've gone to your head. It kind of acts like a filter showing your mind exactly what it needs to see without having to worry about all the extra luggage your surroundings create. Like if you are fighting in the rain. Your mind's gotta separate and tell you where your opponent is before it tells you how to react. With the processor, it filters through the info and shows your mind exactly where your foe is."

Summer: "So it just removes the extra steps?"

Nik: "Jackpot. Improving the mind without replacing it. Pretty catchy slogan just came up with it."

Summer: "Where's Ace?" Nik points over to where is Ace is currently on his scroll talking with someone.

Nik: "Wanna know something pretty cool. Your cybernetics allow you a small modicum of hacking capabilities. Just focus on hacking into his scroll to hear the conversation, and after a short bit, bam."

Summer focuses on Ace's scroll and concentrates. At the top left of her vision, a small loading icon appears before it blinks COMPLETE. She then begins to hear the conversation between Ace and Neo as though she were right next to the two.

Ace: "Neo, I need to get in touch with the Twins. Your the only person I know with enough pull to get me a meeting."

Neo: "Oh? And what does my little rodent want with those two? Not trying to go behind my back, are you~?"

Ace: "Pay attention, Neo. One of the people were looking for is acting as the Twins' bodyguard. To get to him, we have to get to the Twins. Can you get me and Summer a meeting or not?"

Neo: "Summer?! I knew it you were going behind my back! With a bag-of-bones like her?! You are a little rat."

Ace: "Neo. It's not like that. And besides, we already talked about this...Can you get us a meeting or what?"

Neo: "Ugh! Fine! I'll see what I can do. But don't expect this to be free. Got it?! I except...~compensation~." The call soon ends.

Summer quickly turns away as Ace walks back towards the two. As to not alert Ace that shed been spying on his call.

Ace: "Well, Nik? She ready to take off the training wheels?"

Nik: "Ready to ride the motorcycle. She's green on the scans from my systems. You ready, Summer?"

Summer: "Oh! Yes, it's just so cool. It's like having a scroll you never have to hold in your hands."

Ace: "Well, that's good to hear, but it'd be safer to keep yourself grounded in reality. Real easy for someone to get lost and confuse the world of technology for the real deal. Now we gotta get going. We got a meeting with Silverhand, and I'm starving. See you, Nik."

Summer: "Okay. It was a pleasure meeting you, Nik. I hope we get to meet again."

Nik: "I sure hope so, Miss Summer. Take care, you two, and remember to wear protection, Ace."

Ace: "Haha, fuck off. Catch you later, Nik."

Around an hour later, Ace and Summer are enjoying some food inside a small diner. Ace couldn't help but notice. Summer seemed to be contemplating something. So he decided to break the silence as he still hadn't gotten any word from Neo about their meeting with the Twins.

Ace: "Summer. You all good?"

Summer: "Oh! Uh yeah. Just I had a question to ask you."

Ace: "Alright then, shoot."

Summer: "Well uh...why does Neo call you a "rat"? Isn't that a demeaning term? I thought you two were friends or, well, more than friends,"

Ace: "Huh? How do you know about that?"

Summer: "Well, Nik showed me how to hack using my cybernetics by hacking into your call with Neo. Sorry."

Ace: "Should've known. Look, a while back, Neo and I were...together. Back then, she couldn't talk as she was originally a mute, but on our second anniversary as a couple, I got her a voice implant which allowed her to speak. The only downside was that I had no clue she was..well, a damn sex-crazed freak. But long story short, we broke up a while after. The reason she calls me a rat is well because I am one."

Summer: "Well, that's no way to talk about yourself. I think you are perfect just the way you are."

Ace: "Uh, well, while your words are nice. You aren't getting what I'm saying. I'm an actual rat. I'm a Faunus."