[LEVEL UP!]

  [Welcome to level 4!]

  [Ancestry Perk: Smolder Sight

  Looks can kill, with practice. Cambions hail from a realm of little light and learn to see other forms of energy, granting thermal vision and +1 Awareness. Thermal vision can grow in strength to become more sensitive, see other energy patterns, or even emit rays of attuned energy.]

  "Dude, your eyes are red."

  "I know."

  "Like, really red."

  "I know. And you know what else is fun about having thermal vision out in the Wastes? Everything is hot!" Ricky gave up holding his eyes open to the morning light and rubbed the stinging tears away with a wince, ducking back into the jitney's shade. "Especially with the blacktop absorbing heat all day, basically everything outside of the car glows all the time for me. Thank Fairgood our AC still works."

  Phanya rubbed the back of her neck and sheepishly offered, "Well, at least you aren't accidentally melting anyone's brains like my glamour?"

  "Yeah sure, but unless I want to wear sunglasses all the time then my 'magical' vision is actually worse than before." Ricky fished around his pockets for the pair of sunglasses he found in the garbage while they waited for Phanya to wake up. One of the arms had broken off at the hinge so they sat askew on his nose, but they worked well enough. Ricky sighed. "So I guess I wear sunglasses all the time now." He retrieved his notebook, flipped to a different section, and handed it back to Phanya. "And that isn't even the worst part."

  [Ancestry: Cambion

  A rose by any other name would still smell of sulfur. An umbrella term that covers changelings and devils, cambions often grow up in oppressive darkness that gives them a rather infernal reputation. Some lean into this, fostering an image that begets fear and superstition; others reject the darkness, stepping into the spotlight to dazzle and amaze. But just like all sapient races, nothing can influence a cambion's morality aside from their own choices and actions. All cambions can learn how to attune themselves with an element particular to their bloodline, offering some degree of influence over their own body and surroundings.]

  Phanya stayed quiet for a long moment, long enough for Tapper to pick up on the social awkwardness. "I am still unsure why both of you have had such strong reactions to your fourth level perks. I will admit that it took me some time to get used to having blood like an organic, but so far it has proven to be resoundingly beneficial!"

  "It's not the perk, it's the ancestry," Ricky explained, and one hand rose to unconsciously rub at the keratin nub on his forehead. Had it grown larger? "It says I'm a freaking devil! I'm just afraid that someone will read that and think that I'm, like, some kind of demon spawn."

  Tapper chimed with understanding and pointed a finger upwards. "Ah! But a counterpoint, my friend: Should someone gain access to your character sheet, then they would logically be far past the point of making any presumptuous judgments of you. And as it clearly states, this has no influence on who you are as a person."

  "Yeah, I guess so," Ricky murmured, though Tapper could tell the young man remained unconvinced.

  Looking for more distractions, Tapper peaked through the jitney's window and verified that Salazar still sat engrossed in his virtual reality. "Well, while we wait for Salazar to hear back from the Ratfinks, how did your separate mini-adventure fare? I must hear how you came across this wondrous cauldron!"

  The three quickly recapped their time in the pharmaceutical lab. Tapper started with his fight against the medical drone and their failed attempt to retrieve the large phasic gemstone, before he and Salazar realized it was still attached to a monster. Phanya quickly recapped how she unlocked the doors by simply asking, her fight with the shade slinger, and the brief stint where she did the actual looting for the quest. Ricky talked in depth about taking down the possessed boiler and Lamry's postmortem assistance, but details on creating the new equipment came up uncharacteristically short and he grew antsy when pressed.

  "What do you mean that the crafter guy doesn't remember his own crafting?" Phanya asked, incredulously.

  "I do remember! It's not like I blacked out or anything, but more like…" Ricky retorted, grasping at the air while he searched for the right words. "A hazy dream, I guess? I remember what I did, and I know it's possible to do again, but the exact details on how I managed to do such an awesome job are all blurry for me. I think it might be because the system said I got a critical success?"

  Tapper tapped a finger against his faceplate in thought. "This sounds similar to the inspiration you received when you accidentally dematerialized Phanya's gold coin."

  Revelation shined on Ricky's face and washed away his mild embarrassment. "Yeah yeah, exactly like the gold coin's bonus! Or darn near similar enough. Man, we really need to find more gold."

  "Focus, Ricky."

  Ricky waved away Phanya's prod and continued, "Right yeah, sorry. Point is, it's like for a few minutes everything just clicked together and made perfect sense. And it ranked up my Blacksmithing, which let me slap together the lance in just a few minutes instead of taking all day. Critical successes are very cool." A thought started to form in Tapper's mind, but before it could take shape Salazar knocked on the window and startled the trio.

  "I got the all-clear, stop goofing off already and let's move it!"

  The Ratfink garage carried a distinctly somber mood compared to their previous visits. People still worked on their cars, but most kept their heads down and voices low. Skidmark didn't want to explain what transpired with his boss beyond a curt, "Just the cost of doing business with the old gaskets," but his eyes lit up when Phanya started pulling out the medgel canisters.

  "Two, three, and… wait, where's the fourth?" Phanya asked.

  Tapper noticed Ricky start to cringe and supplied, "My apologies, but due to my slow reaction speed one tankard was damaged beyond use during the interim!" He kept his salesman voice on, but Tapper spoke slightly too quickly and Phanya narrowed her eyes at the pair.

  All of which flew right over Skidmark's head. "Man whatever, I only asked for one tank! This is even better! Alright, we're in."

  Tapper whooped when the party received notifications of a successful quest, and they quickly worked out the details of the contract. They still couldn't stay on Ratfink property overnight, but they could at least hang around the garage throughout the days as they waited for the Privateer's approach. Skidmark even offered to send one of their faster hot rods ahead to scout exactly how long they had to wait for the landship. Everyone broke off for their own devices, and Ricky used the lull to pull Tapper and Phanya aside.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Taps, how do you think the favor gets used? It's probably automatic, but still."

  Tapper quirked his head. "My friend, I have no idea what you are referring to."

  "The quest reward, right? The favor." Ricky quickly flipped open his notebook and presented it to Tapper.

  [Quest: An Ounce of Precaution complete! Reward: One minor favor with Ratfink faction]

  "Fascinating, I have not yet received any sort of favor! My own reward differs slightly," Tapper explained, jotting his down on the line beneath Ricky's message.

  [Reward: Temporary alliance with Ratfink faction vs Privateer]

  Ricky gasped slightly. "Oh dang, I thought the fight was the favor."

  "And my reward has nothing to do with the Ratfinks or favors," Phanya added, plucking the pen out of Tapper's hands as she leaned over his shoulder.

  [Perk reward: Meditation

  Center thyself. You can enter into a deep comatose state that adds your Flex die to any saves for resisting ongoing poisons, curses, or other negative afflictions. Meditating also shortens the time required for rest-related effects by (20%), but you sleep so deeply that anyone attempting to sneak up without waking you will do so with advantage.]

  Ricky didn't seem to notice. "His reward specifies the fight, mine is open," Ricky mumbled to himself. "So… that means I have my own! Hey, hey Mr. Skidmark!" He ran up behind the head Ratfink and skidded to a stop with Tapper and Phanya chasing close behind, worried that the excitable young man was about to chow down on his foot. Before anyone could say anything Ricky blurted out, "I have a favor to ask: Teach me about gearboxes! Shifters and clutches, all that!"

  Skidmark's permanent snarl twisted in confusion. "Gotta say, you're the first outsider to keep asking how a transmission works and not the engines. Told ya before, those're Ratfink secrets and I'm already in enough trouble as it is."

  Tapper leaned into the conversation and said, "Counterpoint, once you teach him how Ricky will be more than happy to repair any transmissions he can get his hands on. It will only aid our joint endeavors!" Ricky looked back at him, and Tapper gave a happy thumbs-up.

  "R-right, yeah. Please, I promise it's only to help the Ratfinks!"

  "I dunno Ghost, do you think this kid could make the cut?" Skidmark asked sideways to Salazar, who instantly scoffed.

  "Hell no, the Ratfink life would eat this dweeb alive and he drives like shit." Ricky gaped for a split second before Salazar continued, "But, I've seen the kid do some weird shit with a wrench. He's got potential as a greasenut, at least."

  Skidmark shrugged. "Eh… if I'm already in enough trouble, then what the hell?" Ricky pumped a fist and kicked a foot in an odd spasm of joy and chased the head mechanic into the garage, leaving Phanya and Tapper behind.

  "Well, at least he's enjoying his little favor enough to forget that he's part demon," Phanya said, frowning slightly in thought. "I know perks are usually useful, but mine feels kinda lame."

  Tapper instantly chirped, "Nonsense, Phanya! You went through a harrowing experience, and your new perk reflects your resilience!" He leaned in slightly, and his voice picked up a conspiratorial slant as he continued, "Especially since I believe you have some essence damage that can only be healed via recuperation."

  Phanya groaned. "Tapper, we have way too much skrat to do for me to just spend all day sleeping. I get it, the medical bed and the perk and all that serendipity, but I'm at least going to ask the Ratfinks if there's anything I can actually do around here first." She spun on one heel and walked off, and before Tapper could say anything else a passing Ratfink tasked him with carrying the medgel canisters.

  Tapper found Nurse Ratchet buried beneath layers of tarps and scrap metal, its wheels stuck spinning in place. None of the Ratfinks had given Tapper any discrete instructions and assumed that he knew how to switch the canisters, so they didn't pay Tapper any mind as he dug out the other robot. Tapper's social programming naturally nudged him to avoid drawing attention when he wasn't directly serving customers, and as he fussed with the tankards he recognized a rare opportunity. An opportunity that threatened his burgeoning relationship with the Ratfinks, but the payoff would help Tapper protect his young wards.

  Tapper verified when he fell into the garage's background noise, and dropped his voice down to a low whisper. "Nurse Ratchet, please deposit one dose of medical gel, stabilized for field use. For testing purposes."

  "Security clearance insufficient for work order," The gruff voice promptly responded.

  Tapper let out a small hiss of static. Phanya could likely skip right over that boundary, but he didn't want to risk involving any organic beings. Instead he asked, "Nurse Ratchet, are you… sapient?"

  "Query not recognized."

  Unfortunate, but not despondent. Tapper wanted to find more living robots, and wondered if that level of awareness only develops naturally over a great deal of time, like with the mall's museum curator. Hopefully that age was not also responsible for ASCII's standoffish personality. But, if Nurse Ratchet was not alive then Tapper did not feel guilt for directly interfacing to circumnavigate its security.

  On closer inspection Tapper realized that the other robot's glass dome and nurse instruments came from a Fusion Pharma medical drone, welded roughly on top of the forklift's squat body. A thick cable ran from the dome into its instrument panel, the cable's end jammed into the universal service port. Tapper didn't want to risk causing permanent damage by unplugging Ratchet's nurse half, so he extended some crystalline fibers from a finger and tried to weave them within the exposed wiring. Torrents of fragmented data rebuked his attempts, shouting with too much noise for him to interface. A drop of oil formed in his exposed finger joint while Tapper struggled, swelling without notice until it slid down the fibers and bridged every connection within the port at once.

  Suddenly the interface clicked, and Tapper found himself in the eye of a storm. Two separate processors buffeted against each other, and programs could only freely flow when their separate firewalls occasionally aligned. Much of the data instead became garbled as it transmitted, and the noisy interference caused by this friction revealed the tenuous state of Nurse Ratchet beneath its stoic exterior.

  Tapper sent the same verbal request for medgel in the physical world, and watched as the signal immediately bounced off both firewalls for his lack of authority. So instead he observed the maelstrom at the speed of thought for several computer cycles, taking the time within his own processor to come up with a plan.

  His previous attempts at hacking were, at best, dangerously clumsy. Tapper couldn't risk deleting too much of Nurse Ratchet, like he did with Struzick's rifle, but as he watched Tapper started to notice patterns in the chaotic data. There were several spots where programs were open to flow through one of Ratchet's firewalls, only to be blocked by the other side. The repeated pressure eroded those portions of each firewall, and Tapper narrowed his focus until he could download the smallest possible data packet from just those sections. He deleted the packets before he could absorb anything, and information started to trickle through the holes without collapsing Ratchet's integrity.

  Progress! Another request still failed to meet Ratchet's security clearance, but Tapper remained resolute. He just needed to slowly widen the paths between the forklift half and the nurse half until he made a hole large enough to slip through. Eventually, Tapper found the correct combination of words that satisfied just enough of each firewall to allow access.

  "Nurse Ratchet, there seems to be a problem with your, ah, welder. Please initiate self-cleaning and then a test run using internal medgel stores. The resulting welded product must be stabilized and packaged for delivery to a certified engineer to complete verification."

  Tapper watched his request hover in the electronic space between them for a long cycle, the firewalls tearing down as much as they could before a valid packet made it through. Nurse Ratchet beeped in confirmation, and Tapper silently cheered as he returned all senses to the physical world and watched the other robot work. Ratchet didn't put on a special show as they filled a small bag with vibrant crimson medgel, but Tapper's excitement bubbled all the same. He scarcely felt any guilt as Ratchet sealed the bag with a sticker warning against public use, and he snatched the bag away as soon as he could.

  It worked! Once Tapper figures out how to integrate the medgel into his own potions, then he won't ever need to worry about his friends getting hurt again!