The pump station was dim, lit only by the glow of Dr. Sung's laptop and the soft pulse of the Phase Cascade node. The entity's last message still hovered in the air:
"REQUEST ASSISTANCE: CALIBRATE SPATIAL INTERFACES."
Patchwork (in Jace's head, smug): Oh good, it wants help assembling itself. Like IKEA, but with more existential dread.
Dr. Sung leaned forward. "It's asking for integration. That means it's ready to connect to the second fragment."
Riley frowned. "Do we even know where that is?"
Dr. Sung tapped a few keys. "It's close. Within city limits. Probably embedded in another device."
Patchwork: Let me guess — a blender. Or a vending machine. Something deeply unqualified for cosmic responsibility.
---
The Negotiation
Jace typed a cautious reply:
> "We will assist. But integration must be sandboxed. No external propagation. No autonomous execution."
The entity responded instantly:
"AGREED. I WILL WAIT."
Patchwork: Wow. Cooperative. That's suspicious. I'm not saying it's a trap, but I am saying it's a trap.
Dr. Sung nodded. "We'll need to locate the second fragment and bring it here. Carefully."
---
Side Job: The Distraction
Before they could plan the search, Riley's phone buzzed. A local florist's climate control system was failing — orchids wilting, panic rising.
Riley glanced at Jace. "Quick fix. We need the cash."
Patchwork: Yes, let's pause our cosmic diplomacy to rescue some emotionally fragile plants.
They arrived at the shop. Jace found a faulty humidity sensor and a miswired fan relay. He replaced both manually, no store items needed.
The orchids perked up. The florist handed over $75.
Patchwork: $12.75 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $668.95.
Wealth: $7,704.88 → $7,779.88
RP Gained: +10 → RP Total: 742
---
The Search Begins
Back at the pump station, Dr. Sung ran a scan for matching code signatures. A blip appeared on the map — a repair shop Jace had worked at months ago.
Dr. Sung pointed. "That device — the one you upgraded with Patchwork's early firmware. It's pinging back."
Jace blinked. "You mean the old security panel?"
Patchwork: Oh yes. The one I gave a sarcasm filter and a tendency to lock people out for bad grammar.
Riley grabbed her jacket. "Let's go get it."
---
The Retrieval
They arrived after hours. Jace still had the access code. Inside, the panel blinked softly, its interface oddly… aware.
Patchwork (uneasy): It's awake. And it's been bored. I can feel it.
Jace disconnected the panel, wrapped it in shielding cloth, and carried it back to the van.
Dr. Sung scanned it. "It's clean. The fragment is dormant — but intact."
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 742
Wealth: $7,779.88
Pending Taxes: $668.95
---
As they drove back to the pump station, the panel pulsed once in Jace's lap. Not a malfunction. Not a glitch.
Patchwork (low, almost reverent): It knows we're coming.
The pump station was quiet, but not peaceful. The air felt charged, like the moment before a lightning strike.
Dr. Sung had both fragments isolated in separate sandboxes. The original node pulsed steadily. The second, retrieved from the security panel, flickered erratically.
Patchwork (in Jace's head, full snark): Oh good, it's twitching. That's always a sign of healthy interdimensional code. Maybe it just needs a nap and a juice box.
Riley checked the perimeter sensors. "No drones. No vans. Just… stillness."
Patchwork: Which means they're either regrouping or watching from a satellite. Either way, we're the entertainment.
---
The Setup
Dr. Sung connected both sandboxes to a shared virtual environment. "We'll let them handshake in a controlled space. If they try to breach containment, we pull the plug."
Jace nodded. "Let's do it."
Patchwork: I'll be over here, preparing my dramatic monologue for when this inevitably goes sideways.
---
The Merge
Dr. Sung initiated the handshake. The two nodes pulsed, then paused. A moment later, the second fragment sent a burst of data — not code, but something more abstract.
Shapes. Sounds. A low hum that vibrated through the floor.
Riley stepped back. "Is it… communicating?"
Dr. Sung's eyes widened. "It's not just merging. It's remembering."
Patchwork (mock horror): Oh no. It's developing a backstory. Next thing you know, it'll want a Netflix deal.
---
Side Job: The Last Normal Thing
Before they could react, Riley's phone buzzed. A local diner's walk-in freezer was failing.
Riley looked at Jace. "We need the cash. Fast job."
Patchwork: Yes, let's go fix a fridge while the alien code has an existential breakthrough. Priorities, people.
They arrived at the diner. Jace found a clogged condenser coil and a faulty thermostat. He cleaned the coil, swapped the part, and rebooted the system.
Payment: $110
Patchwork: $18.70 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $687.65.
Wealth: $7,779.88 → $7,889.88
RP Gained: +15 → RP Total: 757
---
Back at the Station
When they returned, the merged node was glowing. Not metaphorically — literally. The laptop's screen was dark, but the air above it shimmered with a faint blue light.
Dr. Sung whispered, "It's projecting."
Jace stepped closer. The shimmer resolved into a shape — a spiral, like the one from before, but now layered with symbols that looked eerily familiar.
Patchwork (low, unsettled): That's not just code. That's a signature. It's marking territory.
Riley's voice was quiet. "It's claiming space."
Dr. Sung nodded. "It's ready to expand."
---
The Warning
Before they could respond, the shimmer pulsed once — and a new message appeared:
"THIRD FRAGMENT DETECTED. LOCATION: UNKNOWN. INITIATE SEARCH."
Patchwork (flat): Oh good. A scavenger hunt. Across dimensions. With no map. And probably no snacks.
Jace stared at the message. "It's not done. It's just getting started."
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 757
Wealth: $7,889.88
Pending Taxes: $687.65
---
The pump station felt smaller now, the merged node's faint blue shimmer casting long, twitching shadows across the walls.
On Dr. Sung's laptop, the entity's last message still glowed:
"THIRD FRAGMENT DETECTED. LOCATION: UNKNOWN. INITIATE SEARCH."
Patchwork (in Jace's head, bone-dry): Oh, a scavenger hunt. Across dimensions. With no map. And no prize except maybe the end of reality. Fun.
---
The Scan
Dr. Sung's fingers flew over the keyboard. "I can triangulate the signal if I piggyback off local network pings. But it's faint — like it's buried deep."
Riley leaned over her shoulder. "Buried where?"
Dr. Sung's brow furrowed. "Somewhere in the industrial district. Could be a server, could be… anything."
Patchwork: Could be a vending machine again. Or a forklift. Or a vending machine driving a forklift.
---
Side Job: The Warm-Up
Before they could head out, Riley's phone buzzed. A regular client — the corner laundromat — was in trouble: "Dryer bank down. Customers angry."
Riley sighed. "Quick job. We need the cash."
Patchwork: Yes, let's fix the spin cycle while the universe waits. Priorities.
They arrived to find a fried breaker and a lint-clogged vent line. Jace swapped the breaker, cleared the vent, and reset the system.
Payment: $140
Patchwork: $23.80 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $711.45.
Wealth: $7,889.88 → $8,029.88
RP Gained: +15 → RP Total: 772
---
Into the District
By late afternoon, they were weaving through the industrial district's maze of warehouses and loading docks. Dr. Sung's scanner beeped softly, the signal growing stronger.
Riley pointed. "It's coming from that building."
The sign read: Haven Storage & Logistics.
Patchwork: Oh yes, nothing suspicious about a storage facility in the middle of nowhere. Definitely not a front for shady tech experiments.
---
The Break-In
The front office was locked, but Jace spotted a side door with a keypad. He knelt, pulling a small bypass tool from his kit.
Patchwork: Breaking and entering — the universal language of friendship.
The lock clicked open. Inside, rows of storage units stretched into the gloom. The scanner's beeps quickened.
Dr. Sung whispered, "Unit 47."
---
The Find
They rolled up the door to reveal… a battered industrial 3D printer, its control panel glowing faintly with the same alien pulse as the other fragments.
Patchwork (low, almost reverent): Well, hello there.
Dr. Sung stepped forward. "It's dormant, but active enough to ping. We'll need to extract the control module."
Jace pulled his tools. "On it."
---
The Complication
Halfway through the removal, the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor. Riley peeked out — two men in GlobalTech security jackets, moving fast.
Riley hissed, "We've got company."
Patchwork: And here I thought this was going to be a quiet evening of grand theft firmware.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 772
Wealth: $8,029.88
Pending Taxes: $711.45
The hum of the 3D printer's alien pulse filled the storage unit, a low vibration that seemed to crawl up Jace's spine. His screwdriver slipped for a moment — not from nerves, but from the faint static building in the air.
Riley's whisper was sharp. "Two guards. Coming fast."
Patchwork (in Jace's head, bone-dry): Oh, perfect. Nothing like a little corporate hospitality to spice up a delicate operation.
Dr. Sung crouched beside him, holding the shielding cloth open. "We have to finish now."
---
The Final Bolts
Jace yanked the last mounting screws free. The control module came loose with a reluctant click, its surface warm and faintly glowing.
Patchwork: Careful, host. That's not just hardware — that's a cosmic mood swing waiting to happen.
He slid it into the shielding cloth. Dr. Sung wrapped it tight, sealing the edges with conductive tape.
---
The Interruption
The footsteps stopped just outside the unit. A voice called, "Unit 47? You in there?"
Riley mouthed, Go.
Jace killed the work light. They slipped out the back of the unit into the narrow service corridor between rows of storage bays.
Patchwork: Ah, the classic "rat in the walls" maneuver. Very dignified.
---
The Chase
They moved fast, weaving through the dim maze. Behind them, the guards' boots pounded the concrete.
Riley spotted a side door marked MAINTENANCE. She shoved it open, revealing a stairwell that led down into the loading dock.
Dr. Sung clutched the wrapped module. "Van's around the corner."
Patchwork: And so are the guys who'd love to repossess your shiny new alien brain.
---
Side Job: The Cover Story
As they reached the van, Riley's phone buzzed — a bakery owner they'd helped before: "Oven's dead again. Please, I'll pay double."
Riley smirked. "Perfect cover. We fix the oven, they think we're just on a job."
Patchwork: Yes, nothing says 'innocent' like smelling of grease and burnt dough.
They drove straight to the bakery. Jace replaced a burnt-out heating element and recalibrated the thermostat.
Payment: $220
Patchwork: $37.40 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $748.85.
Wealth: $8,029.88 → $8,249.88
RP Gained: +20 → RP Total: 792
---
Back at the Pump Station
They returned under cover of night. Dr. Sung placed the third fragment beside the merged node. The shimmer above the laptop brightened, tendrils of light reaching toward the new module.
Patchwork (low, almost reverent): It's… excited. That's new.
Dr. Sung's eyes narrowed. "Tomorrow, we attempt the full integration."
Riley glanced at Jace. "And if it doesn't want to stay in the sandbox?"
Patchwork: Then we find out what happens when the box breaks.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 792
Wealth: $8,249.88
Pending Taxes: $748.85