The intersection was gridlocked with cocoons. Bluish mucous filaments blended to create a solid, sticky surface, with victims stacked like hay bales against each bulwark and barricade. It was eerily silent, which is what happens when you have a normal silence and fill it with giant magic worm cocoons. At first glance, Sashimibandit thought he might never find Silva within this alien larder, but the ratfolk were all drastically smaller than her, so after an initial flush of anxiety, he was able to pick out her silken suitcase.

Silva was still where she'd fallen, and other cocoons were piled on top of her. He could almost make out the shape of her body beneath its thick mucous sheathe. Kneeling, he used a rill of mana to infuse his Bokken with the sharpness and durability of folded steel. It was his only heroic ability, Blade and Branch.

>>

(Fatigue 4 — 40% penalty to mana regeneration. 35% penalty to total Spirit. 25% Penalty to movement speed)

>>

"Shiiiit," Sashimibandit swore under his breath, trying to pare away at the cocoon without harming the woman it contained. "I'm a hero, I'm a hero, I'm a hero," he chanted to himself.

"It's okay," I said, "Dokutsu isn't here."

Sashimibandit jerked and nearly severed one of his own fingers. "Hollen? Shit. You never talked to me before."

"It hasn't been pertinent. You seemed nervous, and I wanted to allay your fears of joining Silva in her sleep."

"Allay my fears? We're screwed! We lost! We're trapped down here, trapped like rats!"

"Continue rescuing," I told him. I could see that she wasn't dead, but unconscious, in the cocoon. Her mind would be in her adytum, completing a mini-game to wake up, but it wouldn't help her to be awake while totally incapacitated.

Sashimibandit sawed at the cocoon until strands started to separate, then he peeled it with his hands. It was slow going, but he revealed her upper body, the angry welt on her neck, her closed eyes. He spent far too long resisting the urge to fondle her chest, and I cleared my imaginary throat to remind him someone was watching what he did here. He squatted, grabbed her under her arms, and pulled with his whole body. She came free with a squelching sound, and her cocoon deflated from the weight of those above, but there was no collapse as they were anchored to the wall.

Sashimibandit disentangled himself, slick with mucous residue and breathing heavily.

"You there, Hollen?"

"Always."

"What happened to everybody?"

"Damwise returned to the monastery to supervise defenses along with the Elders."

"Can they win?"

"The Elders are all Heroic, and the rest of the ratfolk are mortal. With the right equipment and coordination, it is possible that they can overcome Dokutsu in her new form."

"Will they?"

"I don't know."

Sashimibandit rested until his Spirit had refilled. Then he picked up Silva in a fireman's carry.

"And where's Law?"

"Drowning."

00000000

>>

(Lawlimi is DROWNING)

>>

Shippo rushed to the crystal vat, but the front facet had resealed behind Lawlimi. He rushed around the unit, looking for a way to shut it off, but the system was largely automated. D4QP probably could have operated every piece of equipment in the factory, but he'd been disabled by a wolf.

Lawlimi convulsed, taking some of the greenish liquid into his lungs, and then he was still.

>>

(Lawlimi is UNCONSCIOUS)

>>

The microscopic constructs continued to operate on his body, aligning the muscles and nerves with the mechano attachment and preparing for connection. Would they stop if he died, or would they perfect his corpse?

Shippo was distressed, worried that he would lose his benefactor so soon after being adopted. But I had a good feeling about this.

The operation took nearly an hour, and at no point did Lawlimi die. The vat fluid seemed to be providing him with the oxygen he needed, and the fox child managed to keep his own panic down to general simmering anxiety. He sat on a stool and stared at Lawlimi for the entire procedure, hardly shifting. Once the prosthesis was connected, Lawlimi still did not wake up. His unconsciousness resembled real sleep, and the vat may have encouraged that as well. If he was asleep, he would also advance in level, and the nezumi tribe would be wiped out by the time he regained awareness.

Sashimibandit brought Silva to the factory. It was a slog that had required frequent and lengthy rest stops. He put her down on the assembly line, breathed loudly through his nose, and saw Lawlimi floating in green gel.

"He's dead?"

It was Shippo who answered, spinning around on the stool and baring his little fangs. "No! He's resting."

"Geez, okay. Are you that kid from the cage?"

Shippo looked at his feet. "Yes."

"Cool, he got you out. So, is he gonna wake up soon? Cause we're all pretty screwed right now."

It was my turn to answer. "It's unlikely that Lawlimi will regain consciousness before the situation in the monastery has resolved itself. Given that two of your party members are indisposed, you might consider sleeping yourself. You have a level to advance, and there is little you can do on your own."

"That's not safe," Sashimibandit said, sitting on the floor out of sheer exhaustion.

"I am capable of keeping watch and alerting you if danger approaches. It is my intention also to discover a means of entering the engine room without the help of the nezumi Elders, who may all soon be dead."

"You're not making me feel better."

"Nevertheless, your Fatigue has reached the state where you're virtually incapable of adventuring."

That was undebatable. Bringing Silva to the factory had pushed him to the brink of Fatigue 5. At rank 10, a character would simply pass out from exhaustion, and when they woke, they would still be at rank 9, invalids. Sashimibandit found a clear space of floor near Silva, laid out his bedroll, and closed his eyes. Then he opened them.

"I can't sleep," he said.

Shippo padded over. "When I can't sleep, one of my moms sings me a song."

"No," Sashimibandit said, "I mean I really can't sleep."

"Warm milk is good." Shippo mused. "The middle teat is best."

"No. Jesus. I mean I can't. Going to sleep is just a menu option. Normally, I start the sleep cycle and log out so my character can be asleep while I'm in the real world. I don't sit around playing dream mini-games and reading prompts telling me I should take a break from the game. The option is grayed out!"

"That's interesting," I said. "If the other players can be unconscious, you should be able to sleep. It's essentially an identical process, both require you to visit your adytum."

"This place lets us get knocked out, but it won't let us rest. That figures."

"Fascinating."

"That's not the word I'd use."

"Oh? What would you use?"

"Fuuuuuucked uuuuuup!"

Shippo covered his ears with an offended look on his face.

Lawlimi opened his eyes.

>>

Lawlimi — Human (Mechanoborg)

Mortal Level 6

Affinities : Nadir — Crystal — Infrared

Statistics —

Strength : 2

Dexterity : 3

Constitution : 3

Intelligence : 3

Ego : 4

Presence : 2

Appearance : 2

Body : 350/350

Spirit : 520/520

Experience : 1361 (Next Level at 2000)

Skills —

Craft (Alchemy) : 6

Handle Animal : 3

Lore : 1

Persuasion :3

Survival : 1

Weapon Proficiency : Unarmed Combat — Light Bows — Energy Weapons

Armor Proficiency : Light Armor

Combat Maneuvers —

Combat Expertise : (1) Temporarily increase your evasion at the cost of Spirit.

Disarm : (2) +10% to attempt to disarm.

Grapple : (3) +20% to attempt and maintain grapples.

Learn from Losing : (6) Gain a cumulative bonus to attack and defense against a single opponent the longer a combat challenge extends.

Shot on the Run : (3) Penalty to using ranged weapons while in motion reduced by 60%.

Precise Shot : (3) +30% bonus to targeted attacks with ranged weapons.

Affinities —

Nadir

Carnal Instinct : (1) +10% bonus to flirtation and seduction with all genders and orientations.

Mithridatism : (6) +60% resist all poisons and diseases.

Burning Blood : (1) When your Spirit falls below 10%, you begin to supplement with an equal amount of Body to fulfill costs of physical exertion and Combat Maneuvers. This mana cannot be used for wizardry.

Crystal —

Brittle : (4) Natural healing is 40% less effective. Magical healing is 30% more effective.

Crystal Clarity : (2) +20% to perceive deceptions, dishonesty, and hidden truths.

Crystal Capacitor : (3) Your mana appears transparent, like liquid glass. You receive a no affinity bonus, and you can use Border elements without penalty and Diametric elements at a 40% penalty.

Infrared —

Worm Friend (4) : They just like you. 45% bonus to Handle Animal with any species of Worm.

Man and Machine : (2) You have a natural kinship with mechano creatures and items. +20% bonus to skills using or targeting non-hostile mechanos.

Mark of the Fool : People sense something off about you. Penalty to first impressions. You receive bonus experience from Quests and Achievements.

Inventory — (Light Load)

Gaudy Rings (3)

Small Iron Box (1)

Cabochon — Empty (1)

Leather Scrap Top (1)

Leather Scrap Bottom (1)

Recipes and Blueprints —

Earthworm Paste

Augmentation —

X-Cannon (Mechanoborg)

Celestial Level 1

Availability : Mythic Rare

Condition : Poor

Damage : 20%/50%/120%

Mechanoborg Infrastructure

Heroic Level 1

Availability : Rare

Condition : Good

Infrastructure allows the Mechanoborg to safely interface with mechano implants and machines, such as a Maintenance Vat.

Open Quests —

Stuffy Doll (M7)

Ghost in the Shell (H1)

Slay Dokutsu (C1)

Pied Piper (H3)

The Ship Called Eternity (C1)

Conditions —

Fatigue 6 (60% penalty to mana regeneration. 55% penalty to total Spirit. 50% penalty to movement speed)

>>

Lawlimi fell out of the crystal vat and slopped to the floor along with some excess mechano gel. For long moments he didn't breathe, just lay there with his eyes open while Shippo crowded around him and gnawed his own hands with worry. Lawlimi looked different. It wasn't just the hand, or the subcutaneous silver traceries flowing from it up his arm. His features had always had a rough cast as if the texture mapping program had missed a final pass before releasing his avatar. He seemed younger now, sharper, and his hair was starting to grow.

He took a breath and spit up a wad of green phlegm, looking without seeing until his eyes focused on Sashimibandit.

"What are you doing here?"

"You left us. Everything went to shit." Sashimibandit didn't bother getting up.

"Why am I so tired?"

"You underwent surgery, and it appears your unconsciousness did not qualify as rest. Normally, you would have to sleep to advance in level, but being in your adytum from drowning allowed you to bypass that step. Congratulations on the workaround."

"Thanks," Lawlimi got unsteadily to his feet. His limbs were leaden, and so was the new mana flowing in his meridians. "So, what did I miss?"

"Dokutsu is a scary girl now," Sashimibandit said. "She beat Silva and Damwise and me and a hundred rats all at once. I got away and went back and pulled Silva out of a cocoon like from Alien but no face-huggers. Unless I just didn't see the face-huggers ‘cause they hadn't come out yet. She's probably wiping out the ratfolk town right now."

"Not yet," I said, "she's exploring."

"Whatever. I can't recover, you can't recover, Silva is out of commission, and none of us can log off. That's the situation."

"Dokutsu's a girl?" Lawlimi was shuffling around the Factory as if there might be yet another celestial weapon lying around for him to discover.

"Yeah, real cute, bug-eyed girl with needles for her hair. Poison needles."

"How did she behave?"

"I don't know, bad? What are you talking about?"

"Hollen, can you give me a summary of the fight?"

I did so, and Shippo held on to Lawlimi's gun hand, following him around like a toddler while he aimlessly searched the room.

"What else has she done since she woke up?"

I told him about the pit.

Lawlimi stopped moving.

>>

[Quest Failed — Pied Piper]

The prisoners are either dead or cocooned. It is no longer possible to complete this quest, it will be removed from your quest log.

>>

"That isn't fair," he said.

"That's the problem for you?" Sashimibandit was so tired he sounded drunk. "Some NPCs died? You didn't get to save them? I'm going to actually die in here, but shit, let's cry about the digital rat people who were shitting all over themselves in a cage before they got eaten."

Shippo yipped at him, and Lawlimi sighed. "I'm tired too," he said, "but we're going to get through this."

"You don't know that."

"I do know it."

"How?"

"Because I'm Bill Yang's grandson."

There was a space of silence. Shippo looked interested but innocent, he had no idea who that was. To my knowledge, Bill Yang had no legitimate children, but it was possible that he'd sired a bastard, or otherwise concealed the existence of heirs from the public. His eccentricities were legendary.

"No, you're not," Sashimibandit was quiet.

"I am, and I think he made this place for me. I wasn't sure at first, but that thing about me being a Child of the Maker, that was a big tip. And the fact that this factory tube accepted me," he waved his augmentation, "is pretty unlikely. And Hollen, finding me, taking an interest, and following me here, that would be a big coincidence. I don't think it is. Even Haggitha killing me in Aegis, that got me to Fallow, which got me here. I couldn't find this place without dying at the right time so a corrupted vampire could destroy the bridge and send us all down here. I don't think any of that was random. I think my grandfather is behind all this."

"Then why the shit am I here!" Sashimibandit said. "Why do I have to go through this! I got my throat slit! I felt myself dying, for what? So that you could have some special toys, or extra experience or whatever?" He got to his feet and equipped his Bokken.

"I don't know why he's doing any of it this way," Lawlimi said, holding out his hands in a placating gesture, "but it's the only thing that makes sense to me."

"You didn't mention this relationship before," I said.

"I know. I wasn't going to tell anyone. I didn't want the attention. But what I told you before was true, about what I did, why I'm a Resident Player. I just left out where my family got its money from."

That's right," Sashimibandit said, "you're a fish. None of this matters to you, you can stay down here as long as you want because you don't have a body to take care of. No wonder you don't care." He swung his sword, pacing forward, and Lawlimi backed away. "Tell me something: if this place is for you, what happens when you die? Do you think an angel comes to pull you out? Is that a way to end this?"

"That seems unlikely," I said.

"No," Lawlimi said, "Sash, hold on. I didn't choose any of this, but I know there's a way out. Don't give up. Don't do this."

"You leveled up, but you're still a noob." Sashimi slashed the air. "I could beat you to death right here."

Shippo put himself in front of Sashimibandit, spreading his arms in a futile attempt to shield his companion. "You don't get back," he said in his youthful voice, "I will stop you."

Sashimibandit laughed crazily and cracked Shippo on the top of his skull with the Bokken. It wasn't enhanced with mana, but it still hurt.

>>

(Skullcrack! Bokken deals 240 Bludgeoning Damage to Shippo)

>>

Lawlimi grabbed Sashimibandit's wrist and swung his augmented hand over Shippo in a haymaker. Sashimibandit ducked and tried to pull away, dragging Lawlimi to the side when he wouldn't let go of his wrist.

"Look over there," he said, and Lawlimi tried to turn.

>>

(Feint Successful)

>>

A butterfly knife appeared in Sashimibandit's hand and jabbed forward, punching through leather and into flesh.

>>

(Sneak Attack! — Folding Knife deals 201 Piercing Damage)

>>

Lawlimi let go, shouting in pain, and saw the sword coming at his neck, then stopping short. Silva, her hand on the wooden blade, was standing over both of them.

"The fuck?" she said.