Tiger MK-1 Tier 1 Attachments:

Mounted Machine Gun

Description: A small turret mounted to the head of the bike.

Smoke Trail

Description: Activate to release a large cloud of smoke through the tail pipe, blocking the vision of anyone behind you.

Nitrous Blast

Description: Activate to release a burst of nitrous oxide, generating a large thrust to boost acceleration over a short period of time.

Damien considered his options carefully as he stared at the tablet in his hands. All three of the attachments sounded useful in their own unique way, and he mentally worked through each one of them. The mounted machine gun sounded like a great way to add firepower to the bike, but it only shot out directly in front of him. How often would he be in a situation to make use of it? He’d be picking up some ranged weapons for himself shortly, so he put the idea of the turret to the back of his mind and moved on to the smoke trail.

Considering all the escapades he’d already gone through as a pirate, the ability to blind someone hot on his tail with a blast of smoke could certainly come in handy. He’d already been through one intense car chase, and he had the feeling that he’d be in a lot more, meaning that this attachment had more general utility than the machine gun.

Finally, he mulled over the nitrous blast. The Tiger MK-1 already had excellent stats in acceleration and top speed, so an additional burst of propulsion could be considered overkill. At the same time, it did sound like the most fun of the three, and he could make use of it to both escape pursuers or catch up to anyone he’d be chasing. Overall, it felt like the most balanced option, and it didn’t him long to make up his mind.”

“I’ll go with the nitrous blast.”

“Gotcha,” Bruce said, taking the tablet back. “Word of advice, friend. Only use it when the bike’s stable and you’re going straight as an arrow. Otherwise you’ll probably lose control under the burst of acceleration. Don’t ask me how I know.” He let out another hearty laugh.

“Right, thanks for the heads up,” Damien said, only half listening as he eyed the vehicle. The combination of elegant curves and sharp, angular edges gave the bike a look of both refinement and aggression, and the crimson-red panels covered the black insides as if it were a mechanical beast. All in all, it looked even better in person, and he stepped forward and began tracing his fingers along the frame of the motorcycle, perhaps a little too sensually.

“Easy there, will ya?” Bruce said, giving him a strange look. “Getting a little too freaky with it for my liking.”

“Am I? Sorry, it’s just so damn cool. Even better than I hoped it would be.”

“Guess I can’t blame ya. It’s one of my favorite models, too. Though I should let ya know, I already disabled the universal tracker that most vehicles in this city are stuck with, meaning that ya can go wherever ya want without fear of being tracked by the authorities.”

Damien hadn’t considered the need for anonymity before but it made sense for someone like him, and he suddenly became grateful that he’d been referred to a professional. “Do Kat and Marcus have the same thing in their rides?”

Bruce nodded as he began tapping at the tablet in his hand. “It’s common for anyone who’s living outside the law, including pirates like yerself. I’d go as far as to say it’s mandatory. Now, I’ll have the drones bring the nitrous tank out and perform the installation. In the meanwhile, I’d like to do a little test on ya, if that’s alright, of course.”

“What kind of test?” Damien said, still admiring the Tiger from different angles.

“I’d like to calibrate the bike’s controls to yer neural profile. It’ll help to optimize the outer range of maneuverability, making yer riding smoother and helping to nail those challenging maneuvers.” He pulled out a mind chip and gave it to Damien. “The test will map yer reaction to minor electrical impulses, so it’s non-invasive. And as a bonus, it’ll give us a general idea of how well you can drive.”

Damien shrugged and inserted the mind chip into his neural slot. “Sure, let’s do it.” As the chip loaded up, small drones arrived from the workshop above, carrying a tank canister. He stepped out of room B4, turning his attention to the screen that had popped up before him, and letting the bots work on the attachment.

Driver Neural Test & Calibration

This test will help map your neural network, allowing you to sync with the Tiger MK-1, granting you higher levels of control.

It will also map your reflexive impulses, and give a rating that estimates your skill level.

Would you like to proceed?

Yes No

Damien selected ‘Yes’, and his vision dimmed. What felt like only a minute later, his vision returned, and a new series of messages popped up.

Test completed successfully.

Compiling results…

Score: S+

Control: 82

Balance: 89

Reflexes: 95

Reaction: 91

Spatial Awareness: 92

“Incredible,” Bruce said, his sweaty eyebrows raised as he continued poking away at his tablet. “Yer blessed with amazing neural makeup.”

Unsure of how to respond to such a compliment, Damien replied rather flatly. “Thanks, I guess… Just how accurate is a test like this, anyway?”

“Accurate enough. Normally I’d tell a new driver to be extremely careful if their first bike is something like the Tiger, but I don’t gotta make that claim to someone with yer talents. Skilled driver wouldn’t begin to describe these numbers.”

“I gotta honest, I’m a little skeptical,” Damien said, before considering that perhaps he’d driven bikes in the past. It would certainly explain his infatuation with this one in particular.

Bruce took the mind chip back and pocketed it. “The test isn’t one hundred percept perfect, but it does give a reliable indication of someone’s natural abilities. Yers are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Probably a one in a million talent if ye ask me.”

Damien stood silent for a moment. He was certainly capable of some incredible things with a sword, so was it really far-fetched that he’d be a natural motorcycle driver, too?

“After seeing these results, there’s one more thing I gotta ask,” Bruce said as they watched the drones work on the bike. “I know it’s out of nowhere, but ya ever been interested in street racin’?”

“Can’t say I’ve really thought about it before. Wouldn’t it be a little soon for a new rider?”

Bruce shook his head. “With those test results ye shouldn’t need more than a couple of hours, believe me. You’ll understand when ya take it for a spin. It’ll be as natural as walking.”

“I hope that’s the case,” Damien said, still feeling a little skeptical. It almost sounded too good to be true, as if a salesman was selling him a lie.

“The racing league runs races all around the city. It’s the place to be if ya wanna partake in those kinds of things. I can send you the details later. It’ll be a good way to get your name out there, and if you’ve been hanging around Marcus, I’m sure he’s talked your ear off about that kinda thing.”

Damien chuckled. “You’re right about that. Maybe I’ll stop by to one of these races to check it out.”

The drones finished the installation and buzzed off back toward the main floor for of the shop. Bruce flashed a smile and nodded toward the bike. “It’s all yours, friend. Go ahead.”

Like a kid receiving a new toy, Damien’s excitement swelled as he got on the bike. Much like the first time holding a katana in his hand, it felt right, as if he was meant to be on one of these.

“Here’s the key,” Bruce said, handing him small red rectangle that visually matched the bike. “It’s not really needed. The calibration test already linked ye two together, so ye can turn it on with just a thought. The purists prefer to start them up the old fashioned way. Can’t say they’re wrong.”

Damien nodded and slipped the key into the ignition. A twist of his wrist and the bike woke up with a deep, satisfying roar. The light tremble of the handlebars give the impression that he was in control of something truly powerful, and the name Tiger took on a whole new meaning. It sincerely felt like he was piloting a powerful, mechanical animal.

He smiled to himself as he prepared to ride out to the lowered platform.

One new toy down, one more to go.