The workshop was quiet except for the faint hum of the spectrum analyzer. Jace was halfway through testing a salvaged relay when Riley's voice cut in from the doorway.
"You're not going to believe who just called."
Patchwork's voice slid in, dry as ever.
Oh, I believe it. Let me guess — tall, blazer, eyes like she's trying to read your source code.
Jace looked up. "The woman from the theater?"
Riley nodded. "She says she's got a job for us. Private contract. Wants you specifically."
---
The Meeting
They met her at a corner table in a quiet café downtown. She introduced herself as Marina Vale, operations consultant for high‑end venues and corporate events.
"I saw you work at the arts center," she said, stirring her coffee. "You fixed a system that had been giving their in‑house techs headaches for weeks — in under half an hour."
Jace kept his expression neutral. "Lucky break."
Marina smiled faintly. "I don't believe in luck. I believe in skill. And I think you have more of it than you're letting on."
Patchwork: Oh, she's fishing. And she's brought the good bait.
---
The Job
Marina leaned in. "I have a client — a luxury hotel downtown. Their integrated guest services system is a mess. Room controls, concierge requests, in‑room dining orders — all routed through one platform, and it's been glitching for months. They've had three different contractors in. None of them fixed it."
Riley glanced at Jace. "What's the timeline?"
"Two days," Marina said. "They've got a VIP conference coming in. I'll pay double your usual rate."
Patchwork: Double pay for double the scrutiny. How generous.
---
The Hotel
The hotel lobby was all marble floors, glass walls, and the faint scent of expensive perfume. The concierge led them to the control room — a sleek space filled with servers and touchscreens.
The system was throwing errors across multiple modules: lights not responding, room service orders disappearing, climate controls stuck on extremes.
Patchwork: This thing's a Frankenstein's monster of bad integrations.
The echo pulsed, sharper now.
---
The Work
Jace started with the network backbone, isolating the faulty nodes. He found outdated firmware on half the devices, conflicting command protocols, and a few outright hardware failures.
He replaced the worst offenders, updated the firmware, and rewrote the command hierarchy to prevent conflicts. But before sealing it up, the echo pulsed again — insistent.
Patchwork: It's got an idea. And it's probably not in the hotel's service manual.
Jace let the echo guide his hands. It added a load‑balancing routine to keep the system responsive under heavy use, plus a predictive maintenance script that would flag failing devices before they caused outages. Benevolent sabotage, hospitality edition.
---
The Emotional Repair
As he worked, Jace noticed the concierge — a young man in a perfectly pressed suit — standing stiffly by the door. His hands were clenched behind his back, his jaw tight.
Patchwork: He's terrified this system will crash in front of the VIPs and he'll be the one blamed.
Jace kept his eyes on the panel. "Alright. Let's help him."
Patchwork opened the door in his mind, the echo layering in calm and confidence. The tension in his posture eased. His breathing slowed.
"You know," he said quietly, "I feel like we might actually get through this week."
Patchwork: Add 'concierge whisperer' to your résumé.
---
The Observer, Again
Marina stepped into the control room just as Jace was finishing. She watched him for a moment, then said, "You work fast. And you don't just fix things — you make them better."
Jace shrugged. "I like to leave things in better shape than I found them."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "One day, you'll have to tell me how you do it."
Patchwork: And one day, you'll have to tell her to stop asking.
---
Payment and Numbers
When the system came back online, every module responded instantly. The concierge tested a few commands, smiling in relief. Marina handed over a thick envelope.
Payment: $800 (double rate)
Patchwork: $136.00 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $1,830.05.
Wealth: $9,264.88 → $10,064.88
RP Gained:
- Base mechanical repair: +20
- Benevolent sabotage upgrade: +5
- Emotional repair bonus: +15
Total RP Gain: +40 → RP Total: 1418 → 1458
---
Spending on Capability
On the way back, Jace stopped at a high‑end electronics store and picked up a portable encrypted comms unit — secure voice/data link for sensitive jobs.
Purchase: Portable encrypted comms unit – $300
Wealth: $10,064.88 → $9,764.88
---
Rent Reminder
Riley glanced at her tablet. "Ten days until rent's due."
Patchwork: Ah yes, the monthly ritual of paying for two roofs over your head. Maybe Marina will start a 'keep Jace solvent' fund.
---
Back at the Workshop
Jace set the comms unit on the bench, the keys to both the workshop and the apartment beside it. Sunlight streamed through the windows, catching on the dust motes.
Riley leaned against the doorway. "She's going to call again."
Jace nodded. "Yeah. And next time, she might not take 'lucky break' for an answer."
Patchwork: Better start rehearsing your lies now.
The echo pulsed once — steady, but with a hint of warning.
---
Reflection
That night, Jace sat in the warm light of the desk lamp, the comms unit beside him. Outside, the city moved — cars, voices, the hum of life. No bunker walls. Just the open air, a workshop, and an apartment they both called home.
Patchwork's voice was quiet, but the sarcasm was still there. Welcome to the surface. Now let's see how long you can keep the curtain from lifting.
The echo pulsed once, as if to say: We will.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 1458
Wealth: $9,764.88
Pending Taxes: $1,830.05
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
---
The workshop was quiet except for the faint hum of the portable comms unit on the bench. Jace was running a diagnostic on the DMX tester when the thought hit him — the kind of thought that wouldn't let go.
He set the tester down. "Patchwork… when's the next upgrade?"
Patchwork's voice slid in, dry as ever.
Oh, so now you're thinking about the future. I was starting to think you were content to just keep fixing coffee machines and stage lights forever.
"I'm serious," Jace said. "What's the threshold?"
1750 RP, Patchwork replied without hesitation. Hit that, and the next upgrade comes online.
Jace leaned back. "And what is it?"
Patchwork's tone shifted — still sardonic, but with an undercurrent of weight.
Biological repair. Not just calming someone down. Actual damage. Tissue, bone, organ function. The kind of thing that makes paramedics look like they're working in slow motion.
The echo pulsed — deep, steady, almost solemn.
---
The Call
Before Jace could respond, Riley's tablet buzzed. She glanced at it, then looked up. "Urgent job. Small manufacturing plant on the edge of town. Their main conveyor control system's down, and they've got a rush order due tonight."
Jace raised an eyebrow. "That's not exactly glamorous."
"Pays well," Riley said. "And they're desperate."
Patchwork: Desperation is good. Desperation pays extra.
---
The Plant
The plant floor was a maze of conveyor belts, robotic arms, and the smell of machine oil. The plant manager — a broad‑shouldered man with grease on his hands — led them to the main control panel.
"Whole line's dead," he said. "We've got a shipment deadline in six hours. If we miss it, we lose the client."
---
The Work
Jace opened the panel and found the culprit — a fried motor controller and a corrupted PLC program. He swapped the controller with a spare from his kit, reloaded the program, and ran a test cycle.
Patchwork: That's the mechanical part. Now let's make it better.
The echo pulsed, and Jace let it guide him through adding a load‑balancing routine to prevent motor burnout, plus a predictive maintenance script to flag failing components before they caused downtime. Benevolent sabotage, industrial edition.
---
The Emotional Repair
As he worked, Jace noticed the plant manager's hands trembling slightly. His voice was tight, his eyes darting to the clock.
Patchwork: He's picturing the client walking away and the layoffs that follow.
Jace kept his eyes on the panel. "Alright. Let's help him."
Patchwork opened the door in his mind, the echo layering in calm and focus. The tension in his shoulders eased. His breathing steadied.
"You know," he said quietly, "I think we're going to make it."
Patchwork: Add 'factory floor therapist' to your résumé.
---
Payment and Numbers
When the system came back online, the conveyors hummed to life, the robotic arms moving in perfect sync. The plant manager handed over a payment, relief clear on his face.
Payment: $500
Patchwork: $85.00 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $1,915.05.
Wealth: $9,764.88 → $10,264.88
RP Gained:
- Base mechanical repair: +20
- Benevolent sabotage upgrade: +5
- Emotional repair bonus: +15
Total RP Gain: +40 → RP Total: 1458 → 1498
---
Spending on Capability
On the way back, Jace stopped at an industrial supply store and picked up a portable thermal imaging camera — perfect for spotting overheating components before they failed.
Purchase: Portable thermal imaging camera – $250
Wealth: $10,264.88 → $10,014.88
---
Back at the Workshop
Jace set the camera on the bench, the keys to both the workshop and the apartment beside it. Sunlight streamed through the windows, catching on the dust motes.
Riley leaned against the doorway. "You've been quiet."
Jace glanced up. "Patchwork says the next upgrade's at 1750 RP."
Riley raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"It can repair biological damage."
Her eyes widened. "That's… huge."
Patchwork: Huge, dangerous, and guaranteed to make people ask questions you can't answer.
The echo pulsed once — steady, but with a weight that hadn't been there before.
---
Reflection
That night, Jace sat in the warm light of the desk lamp, the thermal camera beside him. Outside, the city moved — cars, voices, the hum of life. No bunker walls. Just the open air, a workshop, and an apartment they both called home.
Patchwork's voice was quiet, but the sarcasm was still there. You wanted to know. Now you do. The question is — what will you do with it when you get there?
The echo pulsed once, as if to say: We'll find out.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 1498
Wealth: $10,014.88
Pending Taxes: $1,915.05
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Next Upgrade: 1750 RP – Biological Repair Capability
---
The workshop was alive with the faint hum of electronics. Jace sat at the bench, the thermal imaging camera in hand, scanning a salvaged circuit board for hot spots. The image bloomed in shades of orange and red on the display.
Riley came in, tablet in hand. "Got a call. Urgent."
Patchwork's voice slid in, dry as ever.
Urgent as in 'we'll pay extra,' or urgent as in 'bring a mop'?
Riley's expression was tight. "Small fabrication shop. One of their techs collapsed on the floor. Paramedics are on the way, but the shop's main CNC controller is down, and they've got a critical part mid‑run for a medical device order. If the run stops, the part's scrap."
Jace frowned. "So they've got a medical emergency and a production emergency."
Patchwork: And you've got just enough RP to be frustrated that you can't fix the first one.
The echo pulsed — steady, but with an edge.
---
The Shop
The fabrication shop was a cramped space filled with the smell of cutting oil and the whine of machinery. A small crowd had gathered near the back, where a man lay on the floor, pale and sweating. Two coworkers knelt beside him, one on the phone with emergency services.
The shop owner, a wiry woman with grease on her hands, waved Jace toward the CNC controller. "We can't stop the run — it's a custom titanium part for a surgical tool. If it fails, we miss the delivery window."
---
The Work
Jace crouched by the controller, popped the panel, and found the culprit — a failing spindle drive and a corrupted control file. He swapped the drive with a spare from his kit and reloaded the file from backup.
Patchwork: That's the mechanical part. Now let's make it better.
The echo pulsed, and Jace let it guide him through adding a vibration‑monitoring routine to detect tool wear before it caused defects, plus a predictive maintenance script to flag failing drives. Benevolent sabotage, precision edition.
---
The Temptation
As he worked, Jace's eyes kept flicking to the man on the floor. His breathing was shallow, his skin clammy. The paramedics still hadn't arrived.
Patchwork's voice was quieter now. If we had the upgrade…
"I know," Jace muttered under his breath.
We could stabilize him. Maybe more.
The echo pulsed — deep, insistent.
Jace's hands tightened on the driver. "We're not there yet."
Patchwork: Then you'd better get there fast.
---
The Emotional Repair
The shop owner's hands were shaking as she watched the CNC's progress bar crawl forward. Her voice was tight. "If this part fails, we lose the client. That's half our revenue."
Jace kept his eyes on the panel. "Alright. Let's help her."
Patchwork opened the door in her mind, the echo layering in calm and focus. Her breathing steadied, her shoulders dropped.
"You know," she said quietly, "I think we're going to make it."
Patchwork: Add 'small business crisis counselor' to your résumé.
---
The Arrival
The paramedics finally arrived, kneeling beside the fallen tech. Jace kept his focus on the CNC, but his jaw was tight. The machine finished its run, the part flawless.
The shop owner exhaled in relief. "You saved us."
Patchwork: Not everyone.
---
Payment and Numbers
The shop owner handed over a payment, gratitude clear in her eyes.
Payment: $450
Patchwork: $76.50 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $1,991.55.
Wealth: $10,014.88 → $10,464.88
RP Gained:
- Base mechanical repair: +20
- Benevolent sabotage upgrade: +5
- Emotional repair bonus: +15
Total RP Gain: +40 → RP Total: 1498 → 1538
---
Spending on Capability
On the way back, Jace stopped at an industrial supply shop and picked up a portable environmental monitor — capable of detecting air quality issues, temperature extremes, and hazardous gases.
Purchase: Portable environmental monitor – $220
Wealth: $10,464.88 → $10,244.88
---
Back at the Workshop
Jace set the monitor on the bench, the keys to both the workshop and the apartment beside it. Sunlight streamed through the windows, catching on the dust motes.
Riley leaned against the doorway. "You're thinking about the guy on the floor."
Jace nodded. "If we'd had the upgrade…"
Patchwork: We didn't. So we fix what we can, and we get to 1750.
The echo pulsed once — steady, determined.
---
Reflection
That night, Jace sat in the warm light of the desk lamp, the environmental monitor beside him. Outside, the city moved — cars, voices, the hum of life. No bunker walls. Just the open air, a workshop, and an apartment they both called home.
Patchwork's voice was quiet, but the sarcasm was still there. You wanted to know what the next upgrade was. Now you know what it feels like to need it.
The echo pulsed once, as if to say: We'll get there.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 1538
Wealth: $10,244.88
Pending Taxes: $1,991.55
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Next Upgrade: 1750 RP – Biological Repair Capability
---