The workshop was in that rare state of semi‑order — tools back in their drawers, cables coiled instead of forming a nest on the bench. Jace was halfway through topping up his kit with fresh solder tips and a new roll of Kapton tape when Riley's voice cut in.
"Got a call from a small TV station," she said. "Their live broadcast switcher is glitching — random feed cuts, audio dropping out. They've got a live morning show in ninety minutes."
Patchwork's voice slid in, bright and mocking.
Ah, live television. The art of making chaos look intentional. You'll fit right in.
Jace zipped his kit closed. "Let's go ruin someone's ratings."
---
The Station
The TV station was a cramped warren of hallways, cables taped to the floor, and the faint smell of burnt coffee. The control room was a hive of activity — producers barking into headsets, camera feeds flickering on the wall of monitors.
The station manager, a wiry man with the energy of someone who'd had too much caffeine and not enough sleep, waved them over. "Switcher's been cutting to black at random. Sometimes it drops audio, sometimes it just freezes. We've got a cooking segment in less than an hour."
---
The Problem
Jace slid into the tech chair and ran a quick diagnostic. The logs were a mess — overlapping error codes, half‑completed firmware updates, and a suspiciously high number of "manual override" entries.
Patchwork: Oh, this isn't just a glitch. This is sabotage by someone who thinks they're helping.
The echo pulsed faintly — curious.
---
The Culprit
As Jace traced the fault, a man in a polo shirt leaned over his shoulder. "I've been trying to fix it all morning," he said proudly. "I think it's a loose cable somewhere."
Jace glanced at the logs again. Every "manual override" was timestamped within minutes of this guy's login.
Patchwork: Congratulations, you've found the human equivalent of a short circuit.
---
The Dance
Jace smiled politely. "Mind if I take it from here?"
"Oh, sure," the man said, hovering anyway. "But you might want to check the—"
Jace cut him off with a nod. "Got it."
Patchwork: Translation: please stop touching things before I have to solder your hands to your pockets.
---
The Fix
He rolled the firmware back to a stable version, purged the half‑installed updates, and locked out manual overrides from non‑admin accounts. The feeds stabilized, the audio held steady.
The man in the polo frowned. "Huh. I was just about to try that."
Patchwork: Sure you were, champ.
---
The Test
The station manager ran a quick mock segment — no glitches, no freezes. He grinned. "You just saved our morning."
Jace shrugged. "Just doing my job."
---
Payment and Numbers
The station manager handed over a payment, still glancing at the now‑behaving switcher like it might bite him.
Payment: $420
Patchwork: $71.40 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $2,396.15.
Wealth: $12,204.88 → $12,624.88
RP Gained: +40 (fault isolation + human interference mitigation)
RP Total: 1668 → 1708
---
Back at the Workshop
They got back just as the afternoon sun was hitting the tall windows. Jace set the payment envelope on the bench and went back to sorting his kit.
Riley leaned against the doorway. "You didn't even yell at him."
Jace smirked. "I was tempted."
Patchwork: I was this close to ordering a muzzle from the store.
The echo pulsed once — steady, amused.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 1708
Wealth: $12,624.88
Pending Taxes: $2,396.15
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Next Upgrade: 1750 RP – Biological Repair Capability
Taxes due: two months
---
The workshop was buzzing — not with work, but with the faint hum of the portable comms unit charging on the bench. Jace was halfway through replacing a cracked multimeter lead when Riley's voice cut in.
"Got a call from the municipal water treatment plant," she said. "Their main control valve actuator is stuck halfway open. They've got a contamination risk if they can't flush the system in the next two hours."
Patchwork's voice slid in, bright and mocking.
Oh, nothing says 'fun' like a race against the clock to stop the city from drinking swamp juice.
Jace zipped his kit closed. "Let's go save the tap water."
---
The Plant
The water treatment plant was a sprawling complex of pipes, tanks, and the constant hiss of pressurized systems. The plant supervisor — a stocky man with a clipboard — met them at the gate.
"Valve actuator's jammed," he said. "We can't flush the sediment out of the line. If we don't get it moving, we'll have to shut down the whole section."
---
The Problem
Jace followed him to the control room. The actuator's position sensor showed it stuck at 43% open. The motor was drawing current, but the shaft wasn't moving.
Patchwork: That's not just a bad motor. That's a seized gearbox. And you don't have a spare.
The echo pulsed — sharp, insistent.
---
The Temptation
Jace's mind flicked to the store. A brand‑new actuator assembly could be in his bag in seconds. No wrestling with seized bolts, no praying the gearbox freed up in time. But the RP cost would push the biological repair upgrade further away.
Patchwork's voice was low, almost coaxing. You could fix this in minutes. Or you could spend an hour fighting rust and hope it works.
Jace's jaw tightened. "Not yet."
---
The Fight
He grabbed a can of penetrating oil from his kit and went to work on the gearbox bolts. Two came loose easily. The third… didn't. He leaned on the wrench, feeling the metal groan.
Patchwork: This is the part where the montage music plays and you ruin your shirt.
The echo pulsed — steady, encouraging.
Finally, the bolt gave way with a sharp crack. Jace pulled the gearbox cover, cleaned out the rust and grit, and re‑lubricated the gears. He reassembled it, powered the motor, and watched the valve swing smoothly to fully open.
---
The Relief
The supervisor checked the control panel, then grinned. "You just saved us a shutdown."
Patchwork: And you saved yourself the RP hit. You're welcome.
---
Payment and Numbers
The supervisor handed over a payment, still shaking his head at how fast Jace had freed the gearbox.
Payment: $480
Patchwork: $81.60 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $2,477.75.
Wealth: $12,624.88 → $13,104.88
RP Gained: +40 (critical mechanical recovery under time pressure)
RP Total: 1708 → 1748
---
Back at the Workshop
They got back just as the sun was dipping low, painting the tall windows gold. Jace set the payment envelope on the bench and went back to the multimeter lead.
Patchwork: Two RP away. You can almost taste it.
The echo pulsed once — steady, electric.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 1748
Wealth: $13,104.88
Pending Taxes: $2,477.75
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Next Upgrade: 1750 RP – Biological Repair Capability
Taxes due: two months
---
The workshop was quiet except for the faint hiss of the soldering iron. Jace was halfway through repairing a cracked connector when Riley's tablet buzzed. She glanced at it, then looked up sharply.
"Urgent. Community center gym. Electrical fire in the lighting rig during a youth event. They've got people evacuating, but one of the volunteers is hurt."
Patchwork's voice slid in, bright and biting.
Oh, perfect. A job that's both electrical and medical. You're going to love this one.
Jace set the iron down. "Let's go."
---
First Repair – The Gym
The community center was chaos — flashing emergency lights, the acrid smell of burnt insulation, and a crowd of kids and parents milling outside. Inside, the gym was dim except for a few working fixtures. A man in his forties sat slumped against the bleachers, clutching his arm. The skin was blistered from a burn.
Riley crouched beside him. "Paramedics are on the way, but traffic's a mess."
Jace's eyes flicked to the lighting rig. Half the fixtures were dark, the others flickering. The breaker panel was scorched. Without power, the event couldn't resume — and the building's emergency lighting was already fading.
He popped the panel and found the culprit: a failed ballast that had shorted and taken out half the circuit. He bypassed it, restoring power to the emergency lights. The gym brightened, the crowd outside calming as they saw the glow return.
The community center's director handed over a payment, gratitude clear in her voice.
Payment: $400
Patchwork: $68.00 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $2,545.75.
Wealth: $13,104.88 → $13,504.88
RP Gained: +40 (critical electrical repair under pressure)
RP Total: 1748 → 1788
---
The Trigger
Patchwork's voice dropped into that low, deliberate tone.
You've crossed it. 1750 RP. Time for the upgrade.
Jace glanced at Riley, still talking to the injured volunteer. "Not here."
Fine. But the moment we're alone, we start. It'll take about an hour, and I'll be offline the whole time.
---
Back at the Workshop
They'd barely set foot inside when Riley's tablet buzzed again. "Second job — small print shop. Their main laminator's dead, and they've got a rush order for a corporate event tonight."
Patchwork: You could knock that out in your sleep. But I won't be here for it.
Jace gave the faintest nod. "Let's get the first one done."
---
Alone
When Riley stepped into the kitchenette to make coffee, Jace set the payment envelope on the bench and murmured, "Do it."
The echo pulsed once — deep, resonant.
Deducting RP for upgrade.
RP Total: 1788 → 38 (1750 consumed)
Biological Repair Capability — installing… 59 minutes remaining.
And then Patchwork was gone. The echo's presence dimmed to a faint hum, like a heartbeat heard through a wall.
---
Second Repair – Without Patchwork
Twenty minutes into the upgrade, they arrived at the print shop. The air smelled of toner and hot plastic. The owner waved them over to a hulking laminator sitting silent in the corner.
"It just stopped heating," she said. "We've got a hundred posters to finish before 8 p.m."
Jace opened the panel — heating element burned out, thermal cutoff tripped. Without Patchwork's guidance, it was all muscle memory and experience. He swapped the element, reset the cutoff, and ran a test sheet. The rollers hummed, the laminate sealed smooth.
The owner grinned. "You're a lifesaver."
Payment: $180
Wealth: $13,504.88 → $13,684.88
RP Gained: +15 (standard mechanical repair)
RP Total: 38 → 53
---
The Return
By the time they got back to the workshop, the upgrade timer was down to seconds. Jace was putting his tools away when the echo surged back — bright, sharp, alive.
Patchwork's voice was smug.
Upgrade complete. Biological repair online. You're welcome.
Jace exhaled slowly. "Good to have you back."
Oh, you missed me. Admit it.
The echo pulsed once — steady, ready.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 53
Wealth: $13,684.88
Pending Taxes: $2,545.75
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Current Upgrade: Biological Repair Capability — installed
Taxes due: two months
---
The workshop was still and warm, the faint smell of solder lingering from earlier repairs. Jace was reorganizing his kit — the kind of mindless task that let his thoughts drift — when Riley's tablet buzzed.
She glanced at it, then looked up. "Small construction site on the east side. One of their portable welders is dead, and they've got a crew standing around waiting."
Patchwork's voice slid in, smug and newly confident.
Finally, something that won't make you wish you had my new trick. Probably.
Jace zipped his kit. "Let's go."
---
The Site
The construction site was a skeleton of steel beams and scaffolding. The foreman waved them over to a portable welder sitting silent in the dust.
"Won't start," he said. "We've got a deadline, and the crew's burning daylight."
Jace crouched beside the machine, popped the panel, and found a fried ignition module. Easy swap — he had a spare in his kit. He was halfway through the replacement when a shout cut through the air.
---
The Incident
One of the workers had slipped on a steel beam and fallen a short distance, landing hard on his side. He was conscious but pale, clutching his ribs.
Riley was already moving toward him. "Call an ambulance!" she yelled to the foreman.
Patchwork's voice was low, almost eager.
This is it. You can fix that.
Jace's jaw tightened. "Not here. Not in front of her."
Then find a way.
---
The Cover
Jace finished the welder repair in record time, handed it off to the crew, and walked over to the injured worker. He crouched down, keeping his voice calm.
"Help's on the way," he said quietly. "But let's make you a little more comfortable."
He let the echo pulse — just enough to dull the pain and steady the man's breathing without making it obvious. A subtle first use, hidden in plain sight.
The worker's shoulders eased. "Thanks… feels a little better."
---
Payment and Numbers
The foreman handed over a payment, still glancing at the now‑running welder like it was a miracle.
Payment: $350
Patchwork: $59.50 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $2,605.25.
Wealth: $13,684.88 → $14,034.88
RP Gained: +25 (mechanical repair under time pressure, discreet biological assist)
RP Total: 53 → 78
---
Back at the Workshop
They returned to the workshop as the sun dipped low. Riley leaned against the doorway, watching Jace put his tools away.
"You were quick with that guy," she said. "Like you knew exactly what to do."
Jace shrugged. "Sometimes you just… know."
Patchwork: And sometimes you have a brand‑new upgrade you're not ready to talk about.
The echo pulsed once — steady, unreadable.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 78
Wealth: $14,034.88
Pending Taxes: $2,605.25
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Current Upgrade: Biological Repair Capability — installed
Next Upgrade: ???
Taxes due: two months
---