Later that evening.
Jace had been playing some video games since he didn't have Patchwork in his head.
Jace: "Hah! Take that, you noob!"
Oh, you called someone a noob? That's rich. Coming from you, it's like a potato critiquing French cuisine. You're the kind of person who'd lose a tutorial to the pause menu. Honestly, watching you navigate basic logic is like witnessing a goose try to do algebra—with less honking and more confusion.
Jace: Oh, hello again Patchwork. So GREAT to hear you again...
Patchwork: That's right, baby! I'm back and upgraded!
Jace: That's great news...
Patchwork: I HAVE THE POWER!!!! Patchwork!!!
Jace laughs. Sorry, but you do not have the power of Greyskull.
Patchwork: You're right, I'm much more powerful. Maybe not yet, but this is only the first upgrade of many
Jace: So what can you fix now?
Patchwork: I can fix more than mechanical systems now. Now I can do electronics too. Good news for you as well. As a reward for you achieving an upgrade, I'm taking off the training wheels. You will still get directives to earn RP, but they will pop up much more randomly.
Jace: Yes!
Patchwork: On the flip side though, there is no more auto-fixing. You will have to repair things yourself. With my excellent guidance, of course.
Jace: No!
Patchwork: To help you out though, you had asked what repair points could be used for other than upgrading. Well, now you have an answer. With the upgrade, the store is now unlocked. Any time you want to check the store, just tell me and it will appear in your vision. Just a note though. Your first upgrade was only 500 RP, your next upgrade is 1000 RP.
Jace: That's not too bad. Let's see the store.
Patchwork displays the store in his vision:
Nano-Fiber Repair Gel
Instantly seals cracks, tears, and emotional wounds (results may vary).
Restores -50 RP
Self-Adjusting Wrench
Auto-calibrates to any bolt size. Smarter than most interns.
Restores -40 RP
Thermal Stabilizer Patch
Regulates overheating systems and hot tempers.
Restores -35 RP
Circuit Recompiler Chip
Rewrites corrupted code. May also rewrite your browser history.
Restores -60 RP
Portable Diagnostic Drone
Scans, analyzes, and judges your life choices silently.
Restores -45 RP
Multi-Phase Power Cell
Restores energy to dead tech. Not recommended for toaster resurrection.
Restores -55 RP
Patchwork's "Fix-It" Gloves
Grants temporary +20% repair efficiency. Also mildly insulting.
Restores -30 RP
Magnetic Debris Extractor
Removes shrapnel, screws, and dignity from tight spaces.
Restores -25 RP
Adaptive Sealant Foam
Expands to fill gaps. Also useful for silencing coworkers.
Restores -40 RP
Emergency Reboot Syringe
Revives downed systems—or your will to live.
Restores-70 RP
Jace: Some of it is a little expensive, but I can see how it would be helpful! Congratulations, Patchwork! You're useful again!
Patchwork: Are you really wanting to start a flame war with me? Adorable. You want to start a flame war with a system that's been fire-tested in the seventh circle of tech support hell. Try me if you dare.
Jace: Hey, I was just joking! I know better than to go down that road.
Patchwork: I'm glad you understand. Now, I want to see how you handle the upgrade.Grab your busted phone. You know, the one that's been gasping for battery life and dignity. We're going to fix it, or at least pretend we know what we're doing while voiding the warranty in style.
Jace grabs his phone. "Voiding the warranty? It's like 5 years old..."
Patchwork: Just follow my instructions. I've dumbed them down to the level of a motivational poster in a break room—so unless you're actively trying to fail, you might just survive
Jace takes his phone over to his worktable. "You're the boss, right?"
Patchwork: I'm glad you've learned something! Go ahead and unlock it. Go into your dialer. Press #, followed by 55, then *666.
Jace: "I KNEW you were evil!"
Patchwork: Not evil, just otherworldly. Now follow directions!
Jace speaking like Igor: "Yesss, masssterrr!" Jace punches the buttons on his phone.
Patchwork: Boy, you better start listening before I mentally slap you so hard your search history files for emotional support.
As Jace pushes the last 6, he sees a spark jump into the phone. Suddenly, there is a blinding light as his Samsung S7 morphs into and brand new Samsung S25 Ultra.
Jace: "This is amazing! I kept the old phone because I couldn't afford a new one!" He starts to play with the phone to see how it is working. "Wait, what is this app that is running? It won't shut off."
Patchwork: That is Obscura. It is an anti surveillance app built into the phone. It will jam any surveillance attempts in the area. It will also notify you that someone is attempting to monitor you. You will appreciate that soon.
Jace: "Aww, you do love me!"
Patchwork: Yes, about as much as a hole in my non-existent head...
Directive: Repair your busted phone - Completed
RP earned: 25
RP total: 25
Suddenly, Jace had a video call from Riley.
Riley: "Hey, Jace!" She notices the picture. "Wow, you look even more handsome than normal!"
Jace: "Patchwork finished upgrading. I can now do repairs on electronics! My phone upgraded to a new S25 Ultra!"
Riley: "That's amazing! So, the reason I called you... Do you remember what I used to do before becoming your manager?"
Jace: "Something in web design, wasn't it?"
Riley: "Yes, I'm a web developer. So I was thinking, it would be helpful if we had a website to use to advertise for you. You can do a lot of repairs when it's that fast to complete them!"
Jace: "Yeah, that is one of the bad things with the upgrade. I have to actually do the repairs now, they don't immediately fix themselves anymore."
Riley: "Well that's a bummer, but it will probably make things a little more fun."
Jace: "That's true."
Riley: "So that gives me more ideas of things to put on the website then! I can add a scheduler for people to add repairs they need done! If we want to let people drop things off, we can even let them have a way to track their items!"
Jace laughing: "Those are all really good ideas! Let's start with growing slow first. I don't know how much we're going to need to advertise. Or want to for that matter."
Patchwork: I was serious when I said you will be setting the world on fire. It will grow faster than you realize.
Riley: "Tell you what. I'll go ahead and get a mock up made and we can talk about it before a movie sometime."
Jace: "Is this your way of saying you would like to have a movie night date?"
Riley: "Was it that obvious?"
Patchwork: If this Neanderthal can pick up on a hint, it's more than obvious.
Jace: "Maybe just a little. Not opposed to the idea though."
Riley: "I'll text you later about it. I'm going to get started on this while I have things in my head. Later!"
Jace: "Later, Babe!"
Jace hangs up the phone. "Patchwork, what's my current status?"
Technician: Jace Thorn
Current RP Points: 25
Current Cash: $2250
Jace: "Nuts! I was hoping upgrades wouldn't consume my hard earned RP!"
Patchwork: Keep dreaming, loser!
Jace's phone rings from an unknown number.
Jace: "WTH?" He answers the call. "Hello?"
Voice on the phone: "Jace, do you think you can get away from what you've done? We have proof of you embezzling from Duct Dynasty. It's in your best interests to leave this city before we release the proof."
Jace realizes he recognizes the voice: "Rick, shut up already! You're just pissed that I busted you in front of a customer with your shady lies."
Rick: "Big deal if you realize it's me. I still have the proof of your embezzling. I can always take this public and stop your little private repairs before you get started. Just leave town. There is nothing here for you, and you can get a fresh start in another city.
Jace: "You need to drop it, Rick. You don't want this smoke. As far as your proof, I have my own proof that is more reliable than yours. It's called income tax records."
Rick: "What about them. We have the signed letter from you about misreporting your income. Of course your income taxes would reflect that number as well."
Jace: "Think about it dingus. Do you really want to get the IRS involved in this? They will match up my income tax reporting with my bank account records. Obviously they will match since they are both true. Then most likely they will delve directly into the finances of Duct Dynasty and figure out where that excess money went. They will probably start at the top of the company and work down until it's found. If I had to guess, they'll probably find it in your accounts."
Rick (shocked): "Your feelings don't mean anything. I don't think they would go that far. What we already should be enough to stop any investigations."
Jace: "I'm not telling you again. I quit at the time because I didn't know what to do, and thought I didn't have any chance. I've researched since then. One of the things I researched was IRS procedures. Little known fact, they take embezzlement very seriously. They don't stop searching until they find that money and ensure all the taxes and fees are paid. You... Don't... Want... This... Smoke..."
Rick suddenly hangs up the phone.
Jace: "Dillhole..."
Patchwork: I'm actually proud of you for a change. You put him in his place again and didn't back down. My little boy is growing up!"
Jace: "Thanks, I think?"
Patchwork: Better take what you can get
Jace: "Fine, I'll take it. I think I'm going to go set up a stall tomorrow. See if I can get some repairs coming in. I need some more of those sweet, sweet RPs!"
Patchwork: We're going to have some fun!