Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Inspection

Sitting back into the couch and crossing his arms, Jack raised his eyebrows and made an insistent, expectant expression at Bo. “Okay, with that language, girly, I think you need to spill the beans, don’t you?”

Bo had a sour face. “Ira is here.”

“It’s perfectly fine.”

Ira cleared her throat. “I know Jack’s powers quite well.”

Bo glanced at her, then back at Jack. Her face got more sour and accusatory. “Taker-backer.”

Jack smirked at her. “I said ‘another time,’ didn’t I? It’s been a whole minute at least.” At her withering gaze in answer to this, Jack showed his hands. “I’m kidding. If you don’t want to share-”

“Just shut up, already. I’ll tell you. Fair’s fair.” She plopped back on the couch, sighing and turning her gaze forward. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she got out the first word. “Flawlessness. That… that’s the first word to describe what I saw. Not exactly a word I associate with you. No offense.”

“Right. None taken.”

“In comparison to visions of my own Allotment, it’s like a diamond to a shard of bitumen. I could see the angles and turns and branches in a way I never have before. Not even close. Crystal clear and gut-punching. Jamming into my brain like a knife, too fraggin’ intense and real. A real look into the mirror of our tech’s composition, as opposed to… a dark mirror. A romp through an oily bog or a noxious cave.” Her hand came up to rub at her forehead. “It felt… untouchable. Unmovable.”

She can see the evidence of Q-Loth’s surgery and the Symmetrical Seal, I think. Jack scratched his cheek and nodded, shifting uncomfortably. “Mmn. It’s, ah… something about my powerset, basically.”

“What the hell does it have to do with Shaper of Metal, though? Is it some weird Secondary Mutation you haven’t mentioned?” She left a pause for an answer, but looking at Jack, she immediately followed up with, “Right, let me guess: you can’t tell me.”

Jack smiled apologetically and offered his hands. “Not yet, anyway.”

Bo took a deep breath and let it out. “It’s fine.”

“Anyway, thanks for the compliments, Bo. Flawless, untouchable, like a diamond. Even beautiful, did I hear?”

She glared at him murderously. “If you decide to take it personally, or repeat it to anyone else, I will have to make you significantly less ‘flawless,’ and I’ll let your imagination work out the end result. Got it?”

Amused despite her ‘hair bristled, fangs showing’ display, Jack nodded. “I got it.”

Ira, looking between them wide-eyed, suddenly hopped up and brought her hands together, plastering on a smile. “Drinks, anyone?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Bo said, rising and glancing between Ira and Jack. “Gonna head out. But, you know, you should stay and have a drink.” Somewhat awkwardly, she headed for the door.

They both watched her go, Ira slowly sitting back down on the couch rather than going for the drinks. 

After the door closed, Jack took a breath and said, “She’s been acting a little odd in regards to us.”

Ira regarded him warily. “Oh? How so?”

Jack — suddenly wondering if he should’ve commented at all — considered how he should phrase it. Perhaps a question with a question? “Have you truly not noticed it in any capacity?”

Ira’s hands fidgeted a bit, and she folded them in front of her. “Ah. Well. Perhaps.” She cleared her throat and seemed to think carefully before speaking. “Things are difficult to navigate as a fake human. This matter is perhaps an embarrassing subject to discuss directly, for your culture?”

Jack was thrown off and a bit at a loss for how to reply. Cultural mix-ups were highly likely. Was she asking to hint and hope it’s as embarrassing as in her culture? 

Heaven knows what the correct path through this confusion is. But there is also that bond effect to discuss. 

He scratched his head and shrugged. “Maybe, ah… I guess it’s not a big deal. Well. Moving on, though — sorry again if I went overboard on the celebration earlier, but I do think that kinda… happened for a reason, right?”

Ira took a breath and nodded slowly. “Mm-hmm. It’s perfectly fine, though. I really don’t mind.” She seemed a little exasperated. “As you know, I personally, as the real me, didn’t have qualms about physical contact before. Or now.” There was a pause, but she didn’t quite let Jack fill it as she continued, “Of course, you’re primarily concerned about the emotional feedback, and, as I warned, these things-”

Jack was waving his hands, forestalling what he knew she was going to say. “It’s fine, it’s fine! I don’t have a problem with it at all! Zero. If it had been just me… and Neex… and whoever else… rather than Ira, I’d be all about celebrating naturally and you being yourself.”

Ira nodded again, eyes flickering but inevitably settling on him. “Okay.” She otherwise seemed to be deliberately waiting for him to continue.

“So… our exclusive issue of concern is cover. Impropieties and such.”

“Yes. An uncomfortable subject to discuss. Obviously.”

“Obviously,” Jack repeated. “Sooo… I might kinda want to learn how to…” He moved his hands awkwardly, feeling like he was navigating dangerous waters. “... block that out a little better to avoid the feedback loop at the wrong time.”

Ira blinked. “Oh.” She blinked a few more times and seemed to relax. “Oh! Of course! That’s easy, Jack. Just focus on doing so preventatively. I’ve already done that regarding you, after all. You remember.” She grinned. “When I was sneaky.”

“Yeah, um, I don’t really know how to do that.” Jack shrugged.

Ira blinked, this time with a warble of her pupils that was very Neex-like. It actually felt good to see. She had gotten very disciplined lately. Her expression was a bit crestfallen. “Oops! I had an oversight, sorry!”

Jack smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine.”

“Alright, just… close your eyes now.” Jack sat back and did so as Ira continued, “Now feel our connection. The bond link. Technically, just the communicative portion, but you are unlikely to feel the rest, anyway. It should feel like right before you send something. Perhaps… like poised muscles and cords of the larynx right before speech. Try to reach that point, and I will tell you to pause.”

Jack took a breath and attempted what she said.

“No,” Ira said immediately, patiently. “You just bridged. For me, that was almost like you sent me a question mark, prompting me to reply.”

“I see,” Jack muttered. “I’ll remember that one. Okay, I’ll try again.” He went much, much slower this time, like the tiniest feather brush… 

Ira made a somewhat strangled noise. “Eep!”

Jack shot up, his eyes flashing open. “What, huh, what happened!?”

Ira had her body and arms scrunched up, and her hair was looking more tentacle-like. Her face was contorted, pupils swirling. She unclenched momentarily, saying breathlessly, accusatively, “You emulated a feathery touch! It tickled!”

Jack ran a hand over his face and tried not to erupt in laughter, mostly succeeding. He showed his hands. “Sorry, sorry, hehe. Was thinking to bridge as light as a feather…”

“Don’t do that!” Her eyes and face were all admonishing pout. 

“Right, ah… Out of curiosity, could I just ask Memoria to block it?”

Ira shook her head emphatically. “Don’t do that, either! It would be crude and uncomfortable at this stage of our bond’s development. It would be like putting on muzzles.”

“Right. Bad idea. Okay.” Taking another deep breath, Jack sat back.

“Remember,” Ira said, “find the connection. Feel out its shape, like an organ. Muscles you allow automatically, intuitively, but must now be manually controlled…”

“Hmm…” Jack nodded thoughtfully and closed his eyes. He felt for that connection she spoke of, but this time he thought of it more as if he were using Interpret than what seemed automatically natural: Control. That wasn’t literal, but it immediately helped in not suddenly triggering contact.

At first, it came up goose eggs. Silence persisted as he searched within for what she spoke of.

Finally, he found the semblance of a shape. He couldn’t identify it as an ‘organ,’ per se. It was more like an unexpected geometry, perhaps a wall, in his head. Gently, he touched this, felt something like a pulse-

“There!” Ira called excitedly. “You found it! Okay, okay… Now, you just need to squeeze it down, in whatever way you’re visualizing it-”

“Kinda with a hand, more or less.”

“Perfect! Mold it smaller.”

Jack awkwardly tried to do what she said. At first, it was like trying to push a building. But he found that he could ‘grow’ his hands, or his manipulators in that space, far larger. Or maybe he was simply zooming out, and the ‘geometry’ became smaller.

It was perhaps like a portal, or a thinner, finer membrane than the heavier, cruder stuff around it. He had to totally envelop it to squeeze it. He did so gingerly at first… 

Neex popped into his head. “A very small difference, but you’ve started it!” Her voice was only slightly different, as if suddenly there was interference. “Don’t worry about being gentle now that you have the proper access and grip. Squeeze it down.”

“Okay. Will do. Slowly, though.” Jack had to steel himself before doing this, taking a deep breath. “Just tell me to pause if needed. I’ll do it on a dime. Or touch my shoulder.”

“Of course. But you can’t really cause damage. It’s very flexible and accommodating to whatever handling is desired. Understand, you’re making your own virtual interface. What seems ‘rough’ to you really isn’t. I believe the phrase is: go to town!”

“Right…”

Jack began to ‘squeeze’ the portal as if his hands were grabbing it and making it smaller. Very quickly, its geometry altered, as if being ‘folded,’ causing him to hesitate.

“Keep going,” Neex coached affirmatively, her mental voice definitely distorted and seemingly from further away. “It’s perfectly fine and natural!”

Jack nodded to himself and continued squeezing… and squeezing… and squeezing. The concept of what he was doing began to break down a bit as the ‘hands’ idea was insufficient. Made small enough, pressure from one palm alone, or even a thumb and forefinger, was more apt.

In any case, he finally abandoned the whole idea of a bodily manipulator at all. The truth was that it was just some raw force linked to his will doing it. The manipulator was no longer needed.

He squeezed it down into a knot or bead, perhaps even a pinprick. At that point, the connection was utterly blocked, and he couldn’t reach through it to Neex for contact at all. No feedback came through. It took effort to hold, that was for sure.

Jack opened his eyes finally and saw Neex smiling at him, positioned close by. And it was really Neex this time, blue-skinned, bar-pupiled, with her head-tentacles swaying above her. She gave him a thumbs-up. 

He almost lost his hold on the connection, such was his joy at seeing her natural look again. He grinned widely. “There she is! I missed you, Neex.”

Her own grin widened in pleasure. “I missed me, too.”

Jack laughed and moved his hand over to her head tentacles, which promptly and eagerly gripped his hand. “Nice tentacles.”

Neex’s eyes craned upward, flickering and blinking, as if to watch the exchange. After a few moments, her expression went flat, pupils turning to skinny bars. “Okay, that’s enough, you all.” She reached up and took Jack’s hand away from the tentacles with both of hers; they released it only reluctantly and flicked a bit in protest afterward.

She lowered his hand down to the couch and kept her eyes on it as she gently rubbed her thumbs over the top. With a faint curl in one corner of her mouth, she declared ironically, “Nice human hand.”

Jack chuckled. “Thank you very much. I take good care of it. A special polish, even.”

Neex rolled her eyes as she looked up, her pupils doing a swirl. “You do not polish your hands. Liar.”

Jack shrugged noncommittally as they held each other’s eyes for a moment. “So, assuming tomorrow actually has free time-”

They were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

Both of them jumped up like lightning bolts, as Neex hurriedly snapped back to her Ira disguise, in what could only be called a ‘blorp.’

Grimacing as he imagined the interrupter to probably be the oft-annoying brat of the century, Augur, Jack went over to the door, glancing once back at Ira to make sure she was ready. She had moved away from the couch and stood in her typical ‘hands behind the back’ pose. She nodded to him.

He opened the door a crack. A short, old woman was at his door, adjusting black gloves as she glanced down the hallway. She had her graying dark hair in a tight bun locked with two spikes. She had oversized, weird goggles on the top of her head, and was wearing a very crinkled military uniform, with a blatant ANP’s blue longcoat on over it. She smelled strongly of a thousand chained-together cigarettes. He didn’t otherwise recognize her.

“Can I help you?” Jack asked.

The old woman met his eyes, looked down and back up, her face unreadable. Her eyes were intense, laser-like. Her hand moved to lightly flick the door with a finger. “Invite me in, Cadet.” Her voice, though clear, had a thick Origin accent. That was something pretty much no one other than the very, very old had. It also oozed command and the ensuing expectation of automatic compliance.

Jack’s mouth moved faster than his brain. “Why?”

She met his eyes with a withering gaze that could fry Bo like an ant under a magnifying glass. It was something like ‘You’re not actually this stupid, are you?’

Jack didn’t offer any further protest, swallowing whatever else he might say and opening the door for her. “Ma’am.”

She slipped in quickly, passed her gaze in a sweep, noting Ira in the process, then turned around and glanced significantly between the door and Jack, obviously waiting for him to close it.

He did so, then cleared his throat. “Can I offer you any refreshments, Agent…?”

“No, thank you,” the old woman replied idly, ignoring the implied question, as she was already moving over to Ira. She moved very close, inspecting her rather clinically up and down, to which Ira endured with only a few blinks and a slightly confused demeanor. Her nose also scrunched once, likely from the heavy smoke smell she’d just been assaulted with.

Jack walked closer to this bizarre scene, feeling annoyed and increasingly protective.

The old lady went all the way around Ira before stopping back in front of her, mimicking her pose with her arms held behind her back. She was only very slightly taller than the extra-dainty Ira. Now she was studying her face.

Just as Jack was about to get in trouble with a comment, the old woman, nodding slightly to herself, said, “I’m here for rather a dual purpose, Cadet. I just got back into town… Reviewed messages… Came to see you two immediately. Very interesting. Very, very interesting developments.” She dropped her goggles down over her eyes and began adjusting them, switching frontal lenses by mechanical operations. “Cease your disguise, if you would? And perhaps strip down, that would make it-” She cut herself short as she glanced over at Jack. “Ah, well… belay that. Unless… are you two already…?” 

“No, no!” Ira said hurriedly in flagrant exasperation, as her skin went paler, and she brought her hands around to wave. “I-I’d rather not at the moment! Just because- Well… Um, first off, wh-who are you? I’m not sure if…?” Her eyes flickered nervously between Jack and her.

Jack stepped forward, trying to contain his growing anger at the situation, despite how the old lady’s general aura was massively intimidating. Insistently, he said, “We kindly request more information, ma’am. Agent. Your designation would help. Ma’am. Agent.”

The old woman flipped her goggles up and looked between them, brows furrowed, squinting, in something between curiosity and consternation. “You don’t recognize me? Did I forget to-? Ah. I did. Hmmph.” She sighed. Momentarily, Jack sensed a powerful, if brief, wave as the old lady muddled with Allotment and used her powers. Her face contorted and changed like rearranging putty, and a different old lady’s face appeared, now perhaps older, much thinner, and much more severe. Her hair turned stark white. She had an intense expression, pin-point focused, like she perpetually saw more things breaking down the longer she stared. Cold, hard, dark eyes. 

It was a face that any military nerd would recognize instantly: Stitcher. A public figure, a renowned and accomplished heroine, a living legend, a bona fide ANP super-power, all of those things, right there in his quarters. How and why that was more impressive and intimidating than Memoria being there, he didn’t know. But it absolutely was. Intrinsically so.

In Jack’s slack-jawed, stunned moment, Stitcher continued, “I still struggle with self-mod intricacies, even now.” Her natural voice was high, richly delicate, yet clear. “Ride a bike for more decades than most bother living, and then suddenly, you have an inverted motorcycle. A lesson there for you, dear would-be heir-of-steel. Hmm? Inevitably, at higher levels, you crush your weaknesses in the fist of grand and obscene expectations coming due. The odds are against you making it there, but it’s certainly rewarding.”

Neex, unfortunately, didn’t recognize her, likely at most only reading about her. Her eyes flickered uncertainly between Jack and Stitcher. “I-...”

“Oh, you don’t recognize me, then?” Stitcher didn’t seem offended, but highly amused, a touch of humor evident in the lines of her face. “I should’ve predicted it. I’m Agent Stitcher. Or Doctor Stitcher. The jury is out on which version takes precedent. And I assure you, my dear Deucalian wonder, I have the clearance. I have all the clearances, actually. Dreams and nightmares spanning all of our tragic and scintillating history on this abused rock, oh yes.”

Jack managed to pick up his jaw. His throat was a bit dry as he said, “It’s… It’s an honor, Doctor Stitcher.” He met Ira’s eyes and nodded approvingly to her.

“Doctor is fine, honestly…”

Ira nodded with more confidence, trying a polite and apologetic smile. “Sorry for the confusion, Doctor.” Momentarily, she dropped her disguise, becoming Neex fully once more, and fidgeting under the attention.

The doctor returned the smile with a dry one of her own, as she flipped her goggles back down. “Ah… here we are…” She took Neex’s face in her hands, turning it this way and that as she inspected her. “Open your mouth and say, ‘ah,’ please.”

Neex did so, eyes shifting over to Jack. “Ahhh…”

“What a biological beauty you are, hmm? Autonomous arms with a spot of their own intelligence… And not just cephalopod-inspired, hmm? Insulation to protect against the remarkably enhanced bioelectric shock defense, a comprehensive fatty layer underneath, but so thin, so delicate… a special matrix, oh I must see how it works…” Her mutterings to herself then shifted into what was likely Mandarin. Most very old people were bilingual in that, and probably trilingual in some other of the old mix.  

“Maybe this is better in private,” Jack offered with a touch of discomfort.

Stitcher paused, flipped up her goggles, looked between Jack and Neex, and then her eyes shifted aside. “Yes… Well, I couldn’t resist; it’s just a little prelim…” She trailed off, one hand going to her chin, the other a fist at her waist. Her laser eyes returned to Jack. “I’d like to have a look at you, too, Cadet. But did you want your little chat first? Agent Boiler left me five messages, so she must be anxious about some silly bet she made that came due, hmm? Not that I mind, considering how fascinating your situation is, but I do prefer to put that poor girl’s mind at ease if it's in my power. She can be rather delicate. But she’s always been a selfless soul and a sweetheart, despite her regrettable pastimes with boys and such. Oh, but that was long ago, wasn’t it? Perhaps this is good, then, after… Yes."

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