The workshop was still waking up — coffee brewing, the faint smell of solder from yesterday's jobs lingering in the air — when Riley's tablet buzzed. She scanned the message, then looked at Jace.
"Local auto shop. Their diagnostic bay's main lift is stuck halfway up with a car on it. And…" she hesitated, "…one of the mechanics sliced his palm open on a jagged fender edge trying to free it."
Patchwork's voice slid in, dry as ever.
Half a ton of steel dangling overhead and a bleeding human underneath. Sounds like a Tuesday.
Jace grabbed his kit. "Let's move."
---
The Scene
The auto shop was a mix of oil, metal, and tension. The lift held a sedan suspended at chest height, the mechanic's hand wrapped in a rag that was already dark with blood. The shop owner looked between Jace and Riley like both were miracle workers.
Riley stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "Clear the bay. Give Jace room to work on the lift. I'll check on your guy."
Patchwork: She's good at this. You should keep her.
---
The Lift
Jace crouched at the lift's control column. The hydraulic pump was running, but the safety lock had jammed. He pulled the cover, found the bent locking pawl, and worked it free with a pry bar. The lift eased down smoothly, the sedan settling onto the floor.
---
The Hand
Riley glanced over at Jace, then back at the mechanic. "It's deep, but he's not going to the ER unless we drag him there. You want to…?"
Jace met her eyes. She gave the faintest nod.
He crouched beside the mechanic. "Let me see." The cut was clean but bleeding steadily. He let the echo pulse through his fingertips — warmth spreading, tissue knitting, pain fading. The mechanic blinked, flexing his fingers.
"What the hell—?"
"Fast clotting agent," Jace said smoothly. "You'll be fine."
Patchwork: You're welcome. Again.
---
Payment and Numbers
The shop owner handed over a payment, still shaking his head at how quickly both problems had been solved.
Payment: $420
Patchwork: $71.40 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $3,127.15.
Wealth: $14,404.88 → $14,824.88
RP Gained: +30 (mechanical repair + biological repair assist)
RP Total: 248 → 278
---
Back at the Workshop
They returned to the workshop as the afternoon light slanted through the tall windows. Riley leaned against the doorway.
"You handled that well," she said. "Both of them."
Jace smirked. "Guess we're getting the hang of this."
Patchwork: You're welcome for that too.
The echo pulsed once — steady, satisfied.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 278
Wealth: $14,824.88
Pending Taxes: $3,127.15
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Patchwork Capabilities:
- Mechanical Repair
- Electronic Repair
- Emotional Repair
- Biological Repair
Next Upgrade: ???
Taxes due: one month
---
The morning was one of those rare, quiet ones in the workshop — no calls yet, no urgent repairs, just the low hum of the bench fan and the smell of fresh coffee. Jace was leaning over a half‑disassembled circuit board, methodically replacing a scorched resistor, when Riley's phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen, then at him. "We've got a big one. Corporate headquarters for a manufacturing firm — their main production line is down. And…" she hesitated, "…the plant manager says one of their senior engineers collapsed on the floor during the shutdown."
Patchwork's voice slid in, dry and amused.
Oh, a two‑for‑one special. Mechanical failure and a human failure. My favorite kind of day.
Jace set down his soldering iron. "What's the payout?"
Riley's eyes flicked to the message. "They're offering $1,200 if you can get them running today. And they'll 'add a bonus' if you can help their guy."
Patchwork: Translation: they'll pay you to fix the machine, and they'll pay you more to play miracle worker.
Jace zipped his kit. "Let's go."
---
The Arrival
The manufacturing plant was a sprawling complex of steel and glass, the air outside humming faintly with the sound of idle machinery. Inside, the production floor was eerily still — conveyor belts frozen mid‑cycle, robotic arms hanging limp.
A tall man in a crisp shirt and safety vest strode toward them. "I'm Mark, plant manager. The line's been down for two hours. We've got orders stacking up, and every minute costs us thousands."
Riley stepped forward, her tone calm but authoritative. "We'll need full access to the line and a clear perimeter. Jace will handle the repair. I'll coordinate with you on updates."
Mark nodded, then glanced toward a small group of employees clustered near the break area. "That's Tom, our senior engineer. He collapsed when the line went down. Said he felt dizzy, then just… dropped. He's conscious now, but pale."
Patchwork: And here's where you decide how much you want to freak out the locals.
---
The Machine
Jace headed straight for the production line's control hub. The main PLC was flashing a fault code — motor drive overload. He traced the wiring to a bank of servo controllers, one of which had a faint scorch mark near the power input.
He pulled the cover, revealing a fried capacitor and a heat‑warped connector. Easy enough to replace — if you had the parts. Jace did.
While he worked, Riley kept the plant manager engaged, asking about production schedules, order deadlines, and safety protocols. She was buying him time without making it obvious.
Patchwork: She's good. You should give her a raise.
---
The Engineer
Halfway through the repair, Jace glanced toward the break area. Tom was sitting in a chair, his head in his hands. His skin was pale, and there was a faint tremor in his hands.
Riley caught Jace's eye. "He's not looking good."
Patchwork: You could fix that in thirty seconds.
Jace kept working. "Not yet."
---
The Pressure
Mark returned, his voice tight. "How much longer?"
"Ten minutes," Jace said without looking up.
Patchwork: Seven, if you stop pretending you're not listening to me.
Riley stepped in. "We'll have you running before the hour's up. In the meantime, maybe you should get Tom checked out."
Mark shook his head. "He refuses to leave. Says he needs to be here when the line comes back."
Patchwork: Stubborn. I like him.
---
The Decision
Jace finished replacing the capacitor and connector, then powered up the servo controller. The fault code cleared, and the line hummed back to life. Conveyor belts rolled, robotic arms moved, and the plant floor seemed to exhale.
Mark's relief was palpable. "You have no idea how much this means."
Riley glanced toward Tom. "What about him?"
Mark hesitated. "If you can help him… we'll make it worth your while."
Patchwork: Cha‑ching.
Jace walked over to Tom. "Mind if I take a look?"
Tom looked up, eyes tired. "I'm fine."
"You're not," Jace said. "Give me your hand."
Tom extended a trembling hand. Jace let the echo pulse through his fingertips — warmth spreading, color returning to Tom's face, the tremor fading. Tom blinked, sitting up straighter.
"What… what did you just do?"
"Fast‑acting electrolyte boost," Jace said smoothly. "You'll be fine."
Patchwork: You're welcome.
---
The Fallout
Mark was watching closely. "That was… fast."
Riley stepped in before the questions could start. "Trade secret. Let's focus on getting your production back on schedule."
Mark nodded slowly, but his eyes lingered on Jace a moment longer.
---
The Bonus
Back in the plant manager's office, Mark handed Riley an envelope. "$1,200 for the repair, $500 bonus for helping Tom."
Payment: $1,700
Patchwork: $289.00 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $3,416.15.
Wealth: $14,824.88 → $16,524.88
RP Gained: +60 (critical mechanical repair + biological repair in front of client)
RP Total: 278 → 338
---
The Ride Back
In the van, Riley glanced at him. "You know he's going to think about what he saw."
Jace kept his eyes on the road. "Let him. He doesn't know enough to explain it."
Patchwork: Yet.
Riley smirked. "Still — that was impressive."
Jace allowed himself a small smile. "Told you it would come in handy."
---
Back at the Workshop
They returned to the workshop as the afternoon light slanted through the tall windows. Riley set the payment envelope on the bench.
"You realize," she said, "that if we keep taking jobs like this, word's going to get around."
Jace shrugged. "Then we'll deal with it."
Patchwork: And when it does, I'll be here to say 'I told you so.'
The echo pulsed once — steady, ready.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 338
Wealth: $16,524.88
Pending Taxes: $3,416.15
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Patchwork Capabilities:
- Mechanical Repair
- Electronic Repair
- Emotional Repair
- Biological Repair
Next Upgrade: ???
Taxes due: one month
---
The call came in just after lunch, when the workshop was in that rare lull between jobs. Jace was leaning over the bench, coaxing a stubborn screw out of a corroded panel, while Riley sat at her desk with a sandwich and a spreadsheet. The air smelled faintly of solder and coffee — the comfortable scent of a day that might, just might, stay quiet.
Riley's tablet buzzed. She glanced at the screen, frowned, and set her sandwich down.
"City library," she said. "Their HVAC is down, the automated book sorter's throwing errors, and a volunteer collapsed in the children's section. The director says the staff are panicking."
Patchwork's voice slid into Jace's head, practically gleeful.
Three problems, one location. And I'm guessing you're going to need every trick in my bag. This is going to be fun.
Jace straightened, already reaching for his kit. "Sounds like a full‑capability day."
Riley was on her feet, grabbing her own bag. "They're offering $900 if we can get them back to normal today. And they're desperate enough that they'll probably throw in goodwill for future calls."
Patchwork: Translation: they'll remember you as the miracle worker who saved story time and the air conditioning.
---
Arrival
The library's front doors opened into a wall of warm, stale air. The usual quiet hum of the place was replaced by the low murmur of worried voices. Near the circulation desk, a cluster of staff hovered, glancing between the children's section and the back hallway. The oppressive heat was already making tempers short.
Riley stepped forward, her voice cutting through the noise with practiced authority. "Alright, here's how this works. Jace needs the HVAC room clear. Keep the sorting area roped off. And someone bring me up to speed on the volunteer."
The director, a harried woman in her fifties, nodded quickly. "He's in the children's section. Pale, sweating. Won't let us call an ambulance."
Patchwork: Stubborn. I like him already.
---
Cooling the Building – Mechanical Repair
Jace headed for the HVAC room first — the heat was making everyone more irritable by the minute, and cooling the building would buy him goodwill and breathing room. The HVAC room was cramped, the air thick with the smell of dust and burnt insulation. The blower motor was seized, the belt shredded into ribbons.
He pulled the motor, swapped in a spare from his kit, and fitted a new belt. The system groaned, then roared to life, cool air beginning to push through the vents. He could almost feel the collective sigh ripple through the building.
From the doorway, Riley gave him a quick nod before turning back to the lobby to keep staff calm and patrons redirected.
Patchwork: One down. Three to go. You're making this look like a speedrun.
---
Sorting the Sorter – Electronic Repair
Without missing a beat, Jace moved to the automated book sorter tucked behind the circulation desk. The conveyor belts were fine, but the optical scanner was dark. He pulled the logic board, spotted a scorched IC, and replaced it with one from his kit. The scanner's status light blinked green, and the belts began moving again, swallowing returns and spitting them into the right bins.
A librarian nearby let out a relieved laugh. "I thought we'd be sorting by hand all week."
Patchwork: Two down. You're on a roll. Try not to trip over your own competence.
---
Calming the Nerves – Emotional Repair
Near the circulation desk, a young librarian was on the verge of tears, clutching a stack of overdue notices like they might explode. "I can't… I can't deal with this right now," she stammered.
Jace paused, letting the echo pulse subtly — not enough to be obvious, just enough to steady her breathing and ease the panic. Her shoulders dropped, and she managed a shaky smile.
"Thanks," she whispered. "I think I can handle it now."
Patchwork: Three down. And you didn't even have to touch a screwdriver for that one.
---
Healing the Volunteer – Biological Repair
In the children's section, the volunteer sat slumped in a chair, pale and sweating. Riley was kneeling beside him, keeping him talking.
"Blood sugar crash," she murmured to Jace. "He's refusing the hospital."
Jace crouched, took the man's hand, and let the echo pulse — warmth spreading, color returning to his cheeks, the tremor in his hands fading. The man blinked, then sat up straighter.
"Feel… better," he said slowly. "Like I just had a good meal."
Patchwork: And that's the full set. Achievement unlocked.
---
Payment and Numbers
The director handed Riley an envelope, relief clear in her voice. "You saved us. All of us."
Payment: $900
Patchwork: $153.00 added to Pending Taxes. Current total: $3,569.15.
Wealth: $17,424.88 → $18,324.88
RP Gained: +80 (full capability deployment under pressure)
RP Total: 418 → 498
---
Back at the Workshop
They returned to the workshop as the sun dipped low. Riley leaned against the doorway, arms crossed but smiling.
"You realize you just used every trick you've got in one job."
Jace smirked. "Guess we're getting our money's worth out of you, Patchwork."
Patchwork: You're welcome. And now I'm going to be insufferable about it for at least a week.
The echo pulsed once — steady, smug.
---
Status Update
Technician: Jace Thorn
RP Total: 498
Wealth: $18,324.88
Pending Taxes: $3,569.15
Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Two‑Bedroom Apartment – $1,400 (covers both Jace & Riley)
Patchwork Capabilities:
- Mechanical Repair
- Electronic Repair
- Emotional Repair
- Biological Repair
Next Upgrade: ???
Taxes due: one month
---