The Setup
The workshop was quiet except for the faint tick of Riley's pen as she scribbled notes across a legal pad. Jace was hunched over a busted microwave, coaxing its stubborn door latch back into alignment.
Riley glanced up. "We've got another one. Downtown law office. Their elevator's stuck between floors, the server room's throwing errors, and one of the clerks sliced his hand on a filing cabinet rail. They've got a client meeting in two hours."
Jace sighed. "Elevators. Always fun."
Patchwork's voice slid into his mind, dry as ever.
"Fun is one word. Death trap is another. But hey, you're close to something new."
Jace frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You'll see. At 2,000 RP, you'll unlock a little trick I like to call Temporal Diagnostics. Think of it as… seeing the moment of failure, not just the aftermath. But don't get excited — you're not there yet."
Jace muttered under his breath. "You could've just said nothing."
"And miss the chance to dangle the carrot? Please."
---
On‑Site
The law office lobby was buzzing with anxious staff. The office manager waved them over, rattling off the list of problems. Riley peeled away to help the clerk with his cut while Jace headed for the elevator.
Inside the control panel, he traced the fault and reset the brake assembly. For a moment, he thought he felt something strange — like a flicker at the edge of his vision, as if the machine wanted to show him how it had failed. But the sensation slipped away before he could grasp it.
Patchwork chuckled.
"That's the preview. At 2,000 RP, you'll get the full feature. Until then, wrench away."
Jace gritted his teeth and finished the repair. The elevator hummed back to life.
From across the lobby, two men in plain clothes — Daniel's people — watched too closely.
The server room was next. Jace swapped out a failing component, cleaned a corroded connector, and rebooted the system until the racks blinked green again.
Meanwhile, Riley had cleaned and wrapped the clerk's cut. Jace joined her, placed his hand lightly over the bandage, and let the echo pulse. Warmth spread, skin knitted, and when he unwrapped it, the wound was gone.
The clerk blinked. "That's… fast."
Riley smiled. "He's good at what he does."
---
Suspicion
As they packed up, one of the watchers approached. "Funny how you always know exactly what's wrong. Like you've seen it before."
Jace kept his tone casual. "Experience."
The man's eyes narrowed. "Every time?"
Riley stepped in smoothly. "He's obsessive. He studies failure modes for fun. If something breaks, he's probably read about it."
The man studied her, then Jace, then walked away.
Patchwork: "They're not buying it forever. But hey, you're only 897 RP away from making them really nervous."
---
Settlement
Payment: $1,400
Wealth: $32,634.88 → $34,034.88
Taxes: +$238.00 added to Pending (Total: $6,485.85)
RP Gained: +110 (multi‑issue job, under surveillance, near‑upgrade trigger)
RP Total: 993 → 1,103
---
Back at the Workshop
Riley leaned against the bench, watching him. "Something happened with that elevator. You looked… distracted."
Jace hesitated. "I thought I saw how it broke. Like a flash. But it was gone."
Riley tilted her head. "That's new."
Patchwork's voice was a quiet hum in his mind.
"Not unlocked yet. At 2,000 RP, you'll get the full package. Until then, enjoy the previews."
Jace smirked. "Guess I'll keep stacking."
The echo pulsed once — steady, ready.
---
Status Update
- RP Total: 1,103
- Wealth: $34,034.88
- Pending Taxes: $6,485.85
- Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Apartment – $1,400
- Capabilities: Mechanical, Electronic, Emotional, Biological
- Next Upgrade (Locked): Temporal Diagnostics – Unlocks at 2,000 RP
- Taxes due: one month
---
The Setup
The morning was too quiet. Riley sat at her laptop, scrolling through the job board with a frown.
"Here's one," she said. "Community theater again. Same place we fixed the stage lift a while back. Now they're claiming the lighting rig, the sound board, and the stage trapdoor all failed at once."
Jace raised an eyebrow. "All at once?"
Patchwork's voice slid into his mind.
"That's not a coincidence. That's bait."
Riley nodded. "Daniel's people. They want to see how you handle a stacked deck."
Jace zipped his kit. "Then let's not give them the show they want."
---
On‑Site
The theater manager met them at the door, wringing his hands. "Everything's falling apart. We've got a matinee in two hours."
From the balcony, Jace spotted them: two men in plain clothes, pretending to check the lighting but watching him too closely.
Patchwork: "Smile. You're on stage now."
---
The Work
The lighting rig was deliberately sabotaged — wires cut clean, not frayed. Jace didn't even consider the store. He stripped the ends, soldered them back, and rerouted the circuit through a spare breaker he carried.
The sound board was worse: someone had swapped fuses with the wrong amperage. He pulled the mismatched ones, replaced them with proper spares, and recalibrated the board until the meters steadied.
The trapdoor was jammed with a bent hinge pin. Jace jogged back to the van, grabbed a steel rod, and cut it down on his portable grinder. Sparks flew in the alley as he shaped it into a new pin. When he returned, he slid it into place, and the trapdoor opened smoothly.
Meanwhile, Riley tended to a stagehand who'd cut his hand on the rig. She cleaned the wound, then let Jace step in. The echo pulsed, warmth spreading, skin knitting until the cut was gone.
The stagehand blinked. "That's… fast."
Riley smiled. "He's good at what he does."
---
Suspicion
As they packed up, one of the watchers approached. "Funny how you always have the right tools. Even a grinder in the van."
Jace shrugged. "Preparation. Theater jobs are messy."
The man studied him, then Riley, then walked away.
Patchwork: "They're testing you. And you passed. But they'll keep pushing until you slip."
---
Settlement
Payment: $1,250
Wealth: $34,034.88 → $35,284.88
Taxes: +$212.50 added to Pending (Total: $6,698.35)
RP Gained: +95 (multi‑issue sabotage job, no store use, under surveillance)
RP Total: 1,103 → 1,198
---
Back at the Workshop
Riley leaned against the bench. "That was sabotage. Clean cuts, wrong fuses. They wanted to see how you'd react."
Jace nodded. "And now they know I don't need miracles to fix things."
Patchwork's voice was a quiet hum in his mind.
"1,198 RP. You're creeping closer. At 2,000, the upgrade unlocks. And then the real fun begins."
Jace smirked. "Then let's keep stacking."
The echo pulsed once — steady, ready.
---
Status Update
- RP Total: 1,198
- Wealth: $35,284.88
- Pending Taxes: $6,698.35
- Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Apartment – $1,400
- Capabilities: Mechanical, Electronic, Emotional, Biological
- Next Upgrade (Locked): Temporal Diagnostics – Unlocks at 2,000 RP
- Taxes due: one month
---
The Setup
Riley was already frowning at the job request before she even read it aloud.
"Local library branch," she said. "Their climate control is down, the security gate won't stop alarming, and one of the staff cut her hand on a shelving bracket. They've got a city council visit scheduled in three hours."
Jace leaned back in his chair. "Three unrelated failures in one morning?"
Patchwork's voice slid into his mind.
"Not unrelated. That's sabotage. Even without the upgrade, you should be able to smell it."
Riley glanced at him. "You think it's Daniel's people again?"
"Feels like it," Jace said, grabbing his kit. "Let's find out."
---
On‑Site
The library was quiet but tense, staff whispering nervously as they pointed out the problems. The branch manager wrung her hands. "We can't have the council see us like this. Please, just… fix it."
From the corner of his eye, Jace spotted them: two men in plain clothes, pretending to browse the periodicals but watching him too closely.
Patchwork: "Your audience awaits."
---
The Work
The climate control unit was first. Jace opened the panel and immediately saw it: wires cut clean, insulation stripped deliberately. Not wear, not accident. Sabotage. He spliced the wires back together, insulated them, and reset the breaker. Cool air began to flow again.
The security gate was next. The sensor array had been misaligned, but not by chance — the mounting screws were loosened evenly, like someone had done it with a tool. Jace tightened them, recalibrated the array, and the gate stopped its constant alarm.
Meanwhile, Riley tended to the staffer's cut. Jace stepped in, placed his hand lightly over the bandage, and let the echo pulse. Warmth spread, skin knitted, and when he unwrapped it, the wound was gone.
The staffer blinked. "That's… fast."
Riley smiled. "He's good at what he does."
---
Suspicion
As they packed up, one of the watchers approached. "Funny how you knew exactly what was wrong. Almost like you expected it."
Jace met his eyes. "Because I did. Those weren't failures. They were tampered with."
The man's expression flickered, just for a second, before he forced a smile. "Interesting theory."
Riley stepped in smoothly. "He's obsessive. He notices details most people miss."
The man studied her, then Jace, then walked away.
Patchwork: "You called it out. Bold move. They'll know you're onto them now."
---
Settlement
Payment: $1,150
Wealth: $35,284.88 → $36,434.88
Taxes: +$195.50 added to Pending (Total: $6,893.85)
RP Gained: +85 (multi‑issue sabotage job, recognition without upgrade)
RP Total: 1,198 → 1,283
---
Back at the Workshop
Riley leaned against the bench. "You said it out loud. That it was sabotage."
Jace nodded. "They needed to hear it. If they're testing me, I want them to know I see it."
Patchwork's voice was a quiet hum in his mind.
"1,283 RP. You're closing in. At 2,000, you'll see sabotage in ways they can't hide. Until then, keep trusting your instincts."
Jace smirked. "Guess I'll keep stacking."
The echo pulsed once — steady, ready.
---
Status Update
- RP Total: 1,283
- Wealth: $36,434.88
- Pending Taxes: $6,893.85
- Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Apartment – $1,400
- Capabilities: Mechanical, Electronic, Emotional, Biological
- Next Upgrade (Locked): Temporal Diagnostics – Unlocks at 2,000 RP
- Taxes due: one month
---
The Setup
Riley was pacing the workshop, phone in hand. "This one smells wrong already," she said. "High school auditorium. Their stage lift jammed, the breaker panel tripped, and the fire alarm system keeps going off even though there's no smoke. They've got a school board event tonight."
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Stage lift and breaker panel at the same time? And now the alarms?"
Patchwork's voice slid into his mind.
"That's not bad luck. That's a setup. And not the harmless kind."
Riley nodded. "They're pushing harder."
Jace zipped his kit. "Then let's see how far they'll go."
---
On‑Site
The auditorium was buzzing with staff trying to prepare. The principal met them at the door, frazzled. "We can't have this event delayed. Please, whatever you can do."
From the back row, Jace spotted them: two men in plain clothes, pretending to check the lighting but watching him too closely.
Patchwork: "Your audience is getting bolder."
---
The Work
The stage lift was jammed halfway down. Jace opened the housing and froze. The safety pin had been removed, not broken. If the lift had been used, it could have dropped the platform with anyone on it. He replaced the pin with a spare from his kit, then reinforced the housing with a steel bracket he cut down in the van.
The breaker panel was next. Someone had swapped in undersized fuses, the kind that would blow under normal load and plunge the auditorium into darkness mid‑event. Jace pulled them, replaced them with proper ones, and tightened the bus bar connections.
Finally, the fire alarm system. The detectors had been deliberately dusted with fine powder to trick the sensors. Jace cleaned them out, reset the panel, and the alarms went silent.
This time, there was no injury to patch up — just frazzled staff and a nervous principal wringing his hands.
---
Suspicion
As they packed up, one of the watchers approached. "You fixed that lift fast. Almost like you knew what was wrong before you opened it."
Jace met his eyes. "Because I did. Someone pulled the safety pin. That wasn't a failure. That was sabotage."
The man's expression flickered, then smoothed into a smile. "Interesting theory."
Riley stepped in smoothly. "He notices details most people miss. That's why people hire him."
The man studied her, then Jace, then walked away.
Patchwork: "You're not just fixing things anymore. You're calling them out. That makes you dangerous."
---
Settlement
Payment: $1,300
Wealth: $36,434.88 → $37,734.88
Taxes: +$221.00 added to Pending (Total: $7,114.85)
RP Gained: +100 (multi‑issue sabotage job, recognition of danger, under surveillance)
RP Total: 1,283 → 1,383
---
Back at the Workshop
Riley leaned against the bench. "That wasn't just testing you. That could've hurt someone."
Jace nodded. "And they wanted to see if I'd notice."
Patchwork's voice was a quiet hum in his mind.
"1,383 RP. You're closing in. At 2,000, you'll see sabotage in ways they can't hide. Until then, keep your eyes open. They're done playing nice."
Jace smirked. "Then neither am I."
The echo pulsed once — steady, ready.
---
Status Update
- RP Total: 1,383
- Wealth: $37,734.88
- Pending Taxes: $7,114.85
- Monthly Rent: Workshop – $1,200 | Apartment – $1,400
- Capabilities: Mechanical, Electronic, Emotional, Biological
- Next Upgrade (Locked): Temporal Diagnostics – Unlocks at 2,000 RP
- Taxes due: one month
---