Breachers

Breachers – Path of Steel

40

I

Digging for Worth

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Half an hour had passed since his sudden reunion with Specter. Even now, peddling on his bike, speeding along the dimly lit dirt road, he was struggling to accept what had happened. ‘Specter’s back,’ he let the word echo in his mind as he felt the wind brushing through his long black hair like playful fingers. The moonlight cast a subtle glow, barely revealing the road’s presence beneath the tires, but managing to keep them mostly hidden. ‘The extra Orb must be the thing that’s keeping it going. But how? Is it generating a Mana charge?’ Despite Marcus’ extensive reading on Spheres and Orbs as of late, the constant glow of Specter’s two Orbs defied what he and the rest of humanity knew—they were supposed to pulse with violent Mana, not shine steadily. ‘I need to figure this out. I mean, from what I’ve read, even weapons and equipment made from Orbs have a pulsating effect.’ Sitting behind Marcus, Specter patted the young man’s shoulder before pointing at the light blue Sphere peeking beyond the tree lines. Marcus nodded and steered towards it while doing his best to dodge the occasional rock on the road. Following the path, the forest gradually opened up, showing a lake partially claimed by the Sphere. ‘Has it been staying here, in the Sphere that we’ve been in before?’ Marcus wondered, tracking Specter’s gestures toward the lake’s western side. ‘It’s so weird, us touching without fusing into one being,’ Marcus mused, tightening his grip on the bike as they descended a small slope that was littered with more rocks and tree roots. ‘I guess not instantly merging can be handy in a fight or if we want to keep our own identities. But I can’t shake how all of this is making me feel... like I got rejected,’ he thought as his mind went over the fight they had been in back at the junkyard. ‘Specter’s got to know that I’m sorry, right?’

Just as Marcus opened his mouth to say something, the robot hopped off the back of the bike, sliding to a stop. “We’ll have to go on foot here,” the robot remarked, watching Marcus stop the bike and dismount as well. “We’re nearly there.” Specter then got off the road as it calmly navigated through bushes while Marcus followed suit, carrying the bike on his shoulder.

“What do you mean by ‘there’?” Marcus asked, speeding up a bit to draw closer to his companion. “You mean the place where you were staying?”

“Sometimes,” Specter replied, glancing over its shoulder at Marcus. “You’ll see in a second.” They continued walking until the robot stopped by a large tree, then dragged a pair of loose bushes away from the ground. “I hid near this Sphere for a while when the junkyard got crazy. I mean, everybody and their mother were combing through that place. Police, government folks, and a whole guild.” Specter tossed the bushes aside before kneeling on the ground and meeting Marcus’s gaze. “Our apartment seemed too risky. I’d seen the police arrive on site when the Sphere broke apart, and feared you got arrested and that our place was being watched. So, I came here. Hid in the deep water near the Sphere during the day and got out at night to stay hidden. But,” it said, patting the ground, “I used this spot here for storage.”

“Storage? For gear?” Marcus asked as he watched the robot start to dig into the ground with its steel fingers. He just watched him scoop up dirt for a few seconds until he finally had enough as he grabbed the robot and yanked it back up on his feet. “Dude, either talk to me or do the whole mind sharing thing. How are you still active after all this time? Did you do something with that Orb? And if so, how did you do it?” Marcus fired off a barrage of questions as he jabbed a finger through the hole in Specter’s torso, touching the second light blue Orb. He could see the constant glow emanating from it before the robot swatted his hand away and slid bits of the torn raincoat back over the hole.

The robot stepped backward, its metallic fingers extended in a motion resembling a soothing gesture. “Just relax. I barely know how I got it to work in the first place. My guess is that the first Orb inside this frame is what gives life to me, preventing rust, and allowing the motors, pistons, camera, and the rest to work without electricity and the other stuff. I like to think of it as the brain, with the tendrils being the veins, arteries and the nervous system,” Specter explained, making a tight fist and staring at its steel fingers. “The second Orb, I think, works like a fuel source. Or a heart if you will. Even now, I can feel Mana pouring into my frame, tiny bits trickling in each second. It’s way less Mana than what you used to give me in a single go, and how it feels inside your body when you recover Mana, but the amount I get is slightly more than what I am draining,” Specter explained, relaxing its hand and looking at Marcus. “So yeah, this second Orb is what has kept me active for days now. And don’t ask me how I did it. It’s like back then when I was suddenly able to speak when the monster was chasing you, remember?” The robot waited for Marcus’s nod before he continued. “In this case, I just shoved the Orb inside, hoping it would do something when I was about to run out of Mana. I was desperate at that moment, and it sort of clicked.”

“So you were alone... for days.” Marcus let the weight of it linger in the air as he turned around, processing the information as he started pacing for a moment. ‘So the first and second Orbs do different things. Is it because it was in a different position, or was it something else, like not possessing a portion of my mind?’ He placed his hands on the back of his neck as he slowly exhaled. He was glad that Specter was back in his life and not dead and buried in the junkyard somewhere, but at the same time, his life had gotten even more complicated. “Alright, let’s say your theory is correct—” he said, turning around, only to stop when he noticed Specter on its knees again, digging in the dirt. “Really? Straight back to digging. I thought we were having a—” He fell silent when he saw Specter scooping away more dirt, revealing a dirty sleeping bag. The robot ignored him as it started pulling the sleeping bag out of the dirt. When it was partially out, Marcus could see that the sleeping bag was full, almost as if there was a body inside. “Wait... oh no. Is that a corpse? Did you kill someone?”

The robot slowly turned its gaze toward Marcus. “Yes, it’s a body. But can you blame me? I was bored. Besides, it’s just one body,” Specter said in a monotone voice, watching Marcus’s face cycle through shock, anger, confusion, fear and horror like a slow PowerPoint presentation. “No, I didn’t kill anyone. What the hell, man? You think a few days without you and I suddenly go off the reservation and turn evil? I’m you, dude! Metal and bolts, and trying to be more like dad, but I’m you.” It shook its head before opening the sleeping bag, revealing a partially rusted robot to Marcus who quickly seemed to calm down.

“Wait... I’ve seen this robot before.” Recognition sparked in Marcus as he approached the rusted machine. “That’s the one I... or we saw back in the junkyard, when we woke up on that chair with bullet holes in our steel frame. It must’ve been years ago since I last saw it, back before I got back in my real body.” He watched the state of the robot, seeing it covered in a lot more rust, graffiti and missing the occasional finger or bit of plating. Still, even in its rusted state, Marcus could see that the rest of the frame was still intact. ‘It’s slightly more bulky compared to Specter, and taller,’ he thought as he glanced at the broader frame and noticed the additional pistons the thing had within its frame.

Specter rapped its steel knuckles playfully on the rusted robot’s chest. “Look, I know it looks bad. But it’s a fixer-upper.” It got up, taking a position next to Marcus, both looking down at the dirty rust bucket of a machine. “It just needs a little love... well, a lot of love, to be honest. Possibly a few liters of WD-40 mixed in with holy water. But if we can pull this off, we either have a replacement body for me, or possibly another companion if we figure out the whole Orb thing.”

“Perhaps,” Marcus mused, eyeing the robot in the sleeping bag. “It’s different from your design, so we won’t have a universal build. But at least it’s humanoid in nature. So, hopefully, it wouldn’t be that big of a change to get used to.” He contemplated the task at hand, thinking about the effort needed to remove the rust or potentially swap entire parts out. He winced inwardly as he thought about the bullshit excuse he’d have to come up with when he’d ask help for another ‘art project’. ‘At least this one has two eyes,’ he thought as he stared at the camera lenses.

Specter placed a reassuring hand on Marcus’s shoulder. “Anyway, I think you actually need to be involved to make another me,” it suggested, nudging its foot against the other robot. “I’ve already tried putting my ‘spare’ Orb inside, but it did nothing. So, we need to figure out how your Ability or Abilities work and—”

“Wait, what?” Marcus interjected as he took a step to the side and faced Specter, nudging the steel hand from his shoulder. “You put your spare Orb in? The one that kept you alive all this time! Do you have any idea—”

“How reckless that was?” Specter interrupted, cocking its head to the side. “Like you were back in the junkyard when you stabbed yourself with all that Glass?”

Marcus sighed, his hand running through his hair in frustration before he kicked one of the bushes away, muttering a curse as he did so. “Look, all I’m saying is that it was risky,” Marcus said softly, suppressing his anger as he realized the hypocrisy of his own position and words. “I mean, it could’ve backfired, drained all of your Mana, and I might never have found you.”

An awkward silence fell between them, both avoiding eye contact as they just each just stared at a random spot. “Guess we both have some growing up to do, huh?” Specter said finally as it broke the silence, moving toward the other robot and kneeling beside it. It opened the sleeping bag a bit further before it retrieved its steel hatchet. Even in the dark, Marcus noticed the dull and chipped state of the weapon in the dim light. “We were both made from a flawed template, but from what I’ve glimpsed from the bits of your memories, you’ve done your best to grow these last few days.” Specter looked up, its camera focusing on Marcus. “You should be proud of the change you’ve made thus far. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.” With a forceful throw, the robot embedded the axe head into the tree, the impact resonating through the air. “It’s easier to change when you’re a machine,” Specter said softly, its camera fixed on the lodged axe, remembering Marcus’s words. At hearing it, the young man attempted to speak, but Specter cut him off as it spoke up again. “It’s true. You were right back then. These last few days have helped me grow more as an individual than I could’ve done had I been you, or remained connected to you. I was able to grow because I was away from all the instability and chaos that comes with a human body. I mean, I’m still you, I know that. But it’s easier to remove or change bits when you’re living in a machine. So yeah, I’m proud of you for how much you’ve grown in such a small time.”

Marcus nodded solemnly before he approached the sturdy tree, the axe embedded in its bark catching the moonlight. His hand settled gently on the worn handle, fingers tracing the grooves and memories etched into the weapon. “The old me had to die,” he whispered before he yanked on the axe, but failed to pull it out. The second and third tug with both his hands broke his calm expression as he got more and more irritated. Eventually he sought leverage with his foot pressed against the tree trunk, anchoring himself for the fourth attempt, but failing once more.

Specter emitted a soft electronic whistle as it observed Marcus giving it another go. “Didn’t turn out as cool as you imagined, did it?”

Marcus released his grip on the axe handle, nonchalantly sliding his hands back into his pockets. “Whatever. Let’s just drag this bucket of rust back home. We’ll figure out how to clean and fix it after I catch some shut-eye and survive my exam tomorrow.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Specter said, walking over to Marcus and the tree. It seized the axe handle before it yanked the weapon out in one go and handed it to the its companion, displaying just how much stronger its robotic frame was compared to most humans. After that, it moved toward the sleeping bag and grabbed the ends of it before fully dragging it all out of the dirt. “But speaking of the exam, are you going to keep a low profile, or make a splash?”

Turning the hatchet in his hands, Marcus inspected the wear and tear on it for a moment as he thought about the second exam. “The first option would be the smart thing to do,” he said, joining up with Specter. He watched as his companion shoved the dug-up dirt back into the hole, afterwards stomping its feet on it to make it less obvious that something had been there in the first place. “Even during the written part of the exam, there was already way too much attention on me when they heard I was an Original. Besides, I’m not sure how much of a splash I can make tomorrow. I mean, I’ve got four Stat points, and only half of them are useful in a fight.”

“Yeah, a low profile might be best,” Specter commented as it lifted the sleeping bag, rusty robot snug inside, and propped it upright against the nearby tree. Specter then slid its hand further inside to grab something from within. “Although—” it said, pulling out a tattered and familiar backpack, the ripped fabric speaking volumes about what it and Specter had been through all this time. Without warning, it then tossed the backpack towards Marcus, who clumsily caught the bag. “—I kind of want to see what type of splash you could make with that.”

Marcus slowly unzipped the backpack, revealing a plastic bag filled with Monster-Glass. He reached in, grasping it, feeling the weight of it as the glass pieces shifted between his fingers. “What the hell? How did you get so much of it?”

“I collected some of it in that smoke-filled death chamber you woke me up in, then a few from your backpack I found discarded at the bottom of the hill. And another decent chunk from the monsters near the Orb itself, when the Sphere broke apart. The rest I got in the days that followed, spending a few hours each night killing monsters in the Sphere near the lake,” Specter explained, pointing at the light blue Sphere in the distant. “I killed a few monsters each night when I wasn’t trying to see if you were home, or when I felt brave enough to search the junkyard. I always stayed near the water and forced myself to only kill single targets. Hell, I even shoved rocks in their corpses and dragged them into the lake to keep them submerged, allowing me to hide them from any Breachers that would enter the Sphere the next day. So yeah, there is a lot of Glass in that bag.” Specter then pulled back the sleeves of its torn raincoat, revealing the wear and tear on the plastic plating on its arms. “But even then, it took a lot out of me.”

Marcus halted, eyeing the broken plastic pieces for a moment, seeing the claw and teeth marks on some parts, then turned his focus back to the bag in his own hand. “How much?”

“Hm?” the robot said, sliding the raincoat back over its arms.

“How much glass?”

Specter just zipped up the sleeping bag and tossed it, along with the robot inside, over its left shoulder. Slowly, Specter then made his way over to Marcus, placing its right steel hand on the man’s shoulder, but not yet establishing a mental connection. “68.” Marcus’s eyes widened at hearing the exact number, when suddenly, the connection between them formed again, linking both their minds. Marcus’s mind flooded once more with chaotic memories, thoughts, and fierce emotions. He pushed through the discomfort, his head aching from the surge of information, gritting his teeth as he used Specter’s hand on his shoulder to keep himself steady. A few uncomfortable minutes drifted by like that before the discomfort slowly ebbed away, leaving him feeling much better. More than that, after more than a week, he actually felt like himself again. His thoughts flowed faster, his mind felt sharper and finally whole again, after having been split into two for so long. Finally, when it all settled and his mind was quiet again, save for the hint of Specter in his mind, he gave words to what he wanted to do in that moment as he gripped the ludicrous amount of Glass in his hand, with both bodies uttering the words in unison.

“Let’s go make a fucking splash.”

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 A while later, they pulled themselves and the robot, still tucked in the sleeping bag, back up to Marcus’s apartment via the fire escape, the clinking of metal against metal echoing in the nearby alley. “If someone spotted us like this, it would look like two blokes dragging a dead body upstairs,” he whispered nervously. They almost dropped the robot as they reached the final stretch, scrambling up the last bit of the fire escape. With a bit of struggle, they pushed it through the open window into the room, gracefully letting it slam onto the floor. Afterwards, both of them quickly climbed inside as well before shutting the window behind them. Sinking down low on the floor, they paused for a moment, straining their senses for any sound outside. A few seconds later, Specter started to chuckle, a nervous one that was awkwardly contagious. It didn’t take that long before Marcus joined in as well, both of them giggling like fools, side by side, with a broken robot at their feet. “I’m glad you’re back, buddy,” Marcus said, shutting his eyes, not wanting to face the reality of how late it already was. “Look, I’m sorry for what I did—”

“No need to apologize for something someone else did. That person is dead, remember?” Specter said, rising slowly and extending its hand. “So, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

Marcus smiled, clasping the offered hand and allowing himself to be pulled back onto his feet. “I’m Marcus.” He paused, trying to put into words who or what he wanted to become and not focus too much on how awkward this actually was. In a way, he aimed to be like Specter but also wanted to be more than that. He didn’t want to be merely a protector. His mind slowly drifted to the memory of that morning, seeing the picture of his parents and the necklace that carried their rings. “I’m the man who’s going to be worthy of carrying his parent’s rings. I’m going to be the head of this family.”

“Those are pretty big shoes to fill,” Specter remarked, releasing Marcus and stepping back with a nod. “Good. It suits you. Now, let’s get sleeping beauty over here out of the living room.” The two of them then lugged the sleeping bag, through the kitchen, grabbing a spare garbage bag, before stepping into the bathroom and peeling the sleeping bag off from the rusty robot.

They slowly lifted the ruined robot into the bath, with Specter getting in as well. Marcus watched his companion remove its ruined clothes and torn raincoats. The young man then grabbed the garbage bag and stuffed the discarded clothes inside.

“Keep one of the raincoats for me,” Specter asked, causing Marcus to raise an eyebrow. “Sentimental value. Just indulge me.”

“It’s probably best if no one ever found these... but fine,” Marcus conceded, removing a single black raincoat before grabbing the bag and leaving the bathroom. He dumped it next to his front door, a visual cue to toss it out in the morning. Returning, he found Specter already in the shower, diligently cleaning its frame from all the dried up monster blood and dirt. Marcus took in the state of his companion’s body—broken plastic, small dents, and wear and tear marking its robotic frame. ‘It’s been through a lot, huh?’ Marcus reflected, thinking back to the fear and desperation his companion had felt rushing through the monster-infested dirt tower to reach the Orb. Shaking off the memories, he turned his attention to the other robot. “So... any ideas on dealing with all this rust and decay?”

“Start with rinsing off the disgusting bits first, then use a brush to clean it further. I’ll do some research tonight on the best way to remove rust,” Specter instructed, sliding the shower head partially inside the hole in his torso to flush out the dirt. “What?” it asked, seeing Marcus just staring at it. “Got a better technique?” Marcus shook his head in response before the robot spoke up again while continuing to clean itself, “So, what Stat upgrades are you thinking of?”

“Well, it takes 20 Glass per... let’s just go with the term ‘charge’ for now. So, with 68 Glass, we’re looking at three charges. How about we beef up Endurance or Strength? Test if it actually needs two charges to upgrade this time?” Marcus suggested as he watched Specter crouch down and aim the shower head above the rusted robot, inspecting the extent of the damage, steel fingers tracing the bullet holes and graffiti on the machine.

Specter just continued cleaning for a moment before sharing his thoughts, “I think that might work. Or you could spend 40 Glass to boost Strength to two, assuming it works, and another 20 Glass to bump Agility up to one? That should hopefully help out with the survival exam.”

“Or, I could pour it all in Agility?” Marcus countered, closing his eyes for a moment. Talking about spending all that Glass seemed fine, but the idea of actually going through with it brought back memories of the pain from the previous upgrades. He then grabbed the damaged backpack and retrieved the bag of Glass pieces from it, clutching it tightly as he forced himself to accept that he was considering potentially tripling the amount of discomfort he normally went through. “I need to get some sleep and be up early for my appointment tomorrow,” Marcus mumbled, unclear if he was speaking to himself or Specter. His gaze then drifted towards Specter again. “Joline will be here early. Can you handle the rest?”

His companion nodded. “No problem. I’ll tidy this up and prep everything for tomorrow. Just leave it to me,” Specter said, extending its metal fist toward Marcus and giving it a few wiggles to capture his attention. Marcus snapped out of his thoughts, responding with a double tap, fist-bumping the robot before leaving the room with a heavy weight on his shoulders.

Heading straight to his bedroom, Marcus tossed himself onto his bed. He lifted his shirt, rolled it up, and clenched it between his teeth. With a focused intensity, he extracted the first 20 pieces of Glass and forcefully slammed them into his chest, around the black Marks on his skin. A spark of energy flowed over Marcus’s body, burrowing into him and stirring that strange and uncomfortable feeling. “One,” he hissed, seizing another 20 Glass and slamming it into his chest. The impact made him bite down harder on his shirt. “Two.” He repeated the process with another 20 pieces, slamming it into himself before he could change his mind. “Three.” Fresh blood trickled from the smaller cuts on his chest as he grappled with the energy flowing deeper within him. In the hospital days, Marcus had learned to endure the discomfort within him for days, but never like this, with three times the amount. Gritting his teeth, he shifted his focus to his HUD and opened his status screen. Steadying himself, he made a decision about what to do next.

‘Time to prove my worth.’

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[Agility] [+2]

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Copyright: OsiriumWrites