Risen: Shatterverse - The God War

Operation Upgrade

I was thoughtful when I left the medical center a half hour later, several medical probes light and leaving behind a handful of very, very excited doctors and nurses that now had a new way of treating not just injuries but illnesses and even mental disorders. Not that I thought these new bodies would be prone to mental disorders, but as the terrans continued to adapt to their new situation, mental illness like depression was still a possibility.

So it was strange to me that Chohawk hadn't disseminated that information sooner. Unless he was too busy trying to figure out how to break down the Collector and its gatherers. That, actually, was a pretty damn good reason to put the medical protocols on the backburner. Speaking of which, I had the feeling that I missed part of the briefing with my sudden exit from consciousness. Like maybe an assault on the spire.

I paused at the door to look across the busy street running past the center. As expected, I was spotting more than a few civilians now making their way on foot through the throng. The number of transports moving along dedicated paths had also tripled in number, speaking to a renewed flow of materials and resources out of the base, hopefully to those satellite sites I suggested Chohawk spin up to absorb the extra population.

As I stared at the traffic, a thought occurred to me. Who else would benefit from knowing the repair protocol? Drava, that's who.

- POD, I need a site to site from my current to the machine shop in Marstown that I'm visualizing. Can you accommodate? -

- Affirmative, Two, - the psyren on duty quickly replied. - Clearing a spot. Jumping you in three, two, one ... -

One blink I was looking at the street. And in the next I was looking into Drava's machine shop, currently buzzing with activity.

"Two!" Drava shouted from somewhere near the back of the shop. "My monkey friend! I didn't expect a return visit so soon, with our fleets preparing to go to war." He then appeared from behind a transport that was up on an invisible rack, its gravity repulsion system dangling in pieces from its undercarriage.

As soon as I caught his eye, I smiled and lifted my hands to the sides.

"Drava, my kitty-cat buddy!" I declared and returned his comradely embrace with gusto before drawing back. "No, you are right. The fleets are getting ready for battle. But I'm a ground pounder, son. I don't fly metal cans in space."

Drava roared in laughter as he slapped me on the shoulder.

"Me neither, my monkey brother!" he said with a broad grin. "By the way, you're welcome."

"Ah. That was your Moondust the other night, wasn't it," I said, returning his grin.

"It was. But I won't ever begrudge you a pint. Ever."

"Thank you, thank you," I said, putting my hands together and bowing. "I appreciate that. I do have payment for the drank brew, however, if you're interested."

"Brother, you never need to pay me back," Drava said with snort. "So don't even worry about it."

"No?" My grin grew mischievous. "Even if it was an offer to make you look more like yourself from when you were an organic?"

"Bullshit," he flatly stated, a look of doubt appearing on his strong features as he folded his arms over his bull chest. "Nobody knows how to change the color of forged metal."

"No?" I repeated. Then I reached out and tapped him on his chin and stood back to watch color wash across his face and short shaved mane.

"Maybe you're right. It was a pretty stupid idea." And I made to turn away. Only to have him stop me with a hand on my shoulder.