--Didir, addressing new Samurai, 2037
***
I ran to the wreck and called out, “Hello? Anyone in there?”
“Of course I’m in here. It’s not like I can drive off.” They broke off in a moan that ended in coughing. “I need a little help here, please.” They spoke with a slight lisp in the mid-baritone range.
“For some reason I thought you were fully remote. I’ll have you out in a second.”
Only a couple of panels remained intact, and naturally the voice came from behind them. I yanked one aside, bending it to reveal a person’s torso bound up in machinery. From the nose up, a blank-faced full prosthetic covered them as if an older version of mesh gear had fused to their head. The rest of the quadriplegic body mixed with the machinery to the point I couldn’t tell what was intentional and what was damage. Except for one twisted plate that impaled them between the ribs. The blood bubbling out of the wound made that clear.
“Or maybe a little longer.” I added.
--A Nano-Regenerative Suite should stabilize them, though we’ll have to remove the plate. We’d have to do a scan to be sure there isn’t other damage. I don’t like the way that chest wound is bubbling. It might be a pierced lung.
“I’m going to run my hands over you, try to find where you’re hurt. Is there any pain other than your side?”
“No, well, a bit on my back,” they said. The muscles in their neck twitched. “Hard to tell from the chest pain.”
“Okay. Laura, I presume? This will feel weird, but we’ll get you out.” As gently as possible, I checked them over, avoiding the punctured side. Other than a few minor cuts, I couldn’t find anything, but who knows how many injuries hid behind the extensive prosthetics and machinery.
--Definitely.
--There’s a couple of ways to do it. But you were asking earlier about expanding your armor. There’s a utility kit you can get, which will kill several birds with one stone.
While I wanted to help Laura as fast as possible, the speed at which Corie and I mind spoke with each other left some leeway for discussion.
--The Pinsar Extraction Kit includes cutting tools, a small welding capability, a visual probe that won’t help you, and a number of other tools, including a bioscanner. The kit originated as several small upgrades useful for rescue workers, which were collected into one package. They’re part symbiont and part cybertech, so it will extend the armor along with providing all the other tools.
--No, when it was packaged, it was intended for emergencies like this.
--Not safely without a scan, but the nanites will deaden the pain once applied.
"Purchased: Pinsar Extraction Kit
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Cost: 100 Remaining points: 7,444
"Purchased: Nano Bandage
Cost: 25 Remaining points: 7,419”
Two flat paper-wrapped packages appeared, reminding me of the sterile bandage packages. They both had an intricate design I didn’t have the time to analyze, one with a red cross imposed over it.
--Place the upgrade on your arm just above the wrist.
I tore open the package to find a loose piece of fabric with several small bumps in it. I laid it along the back of my left arm, where it stuck and took on the scaly texture and color of my armor, then it slid along my skin to flow into and around the existing glove.
Soon the coverage on my hands equalized, leaving me with a pair of full-fingered gloves stretching up past my wrist. In my hind-brain, half a dozen tools came to life, for which I found simple and intuitive controls, all ready for use except for the bioscanner. The cutting tools either formed monomolecular sharp claws at the end of each finger, or they could be combined for one single blade about the length of my hand.
“Laura, can you see what’s going on?” I asked.
“I’ve a Helva cam, but it can’t see in the dark. And call me Lars out here.” A Helva cam was a direct input camera, required by law for any fully cybered person. It prevented complete sensory deprivation and the resulting insanity. The law stated it had to be there but said nothing about the quality of the vision.
“Lars it is. There’s a plate that’s stuck into your side, which I have to cut clear before I remove it. Once that’s out, you’ll get some of the good healing stuff. Okay?”
“Yes.”
“This might hurt; try not to jerk about.” I said, unthinking, and winced immediately after.
Lars let out a bark of laughter, followed by a moan. “Don’t make me laugh, please. It hurts too much.”
“Cutting in three,” I said, and steadied the plate with my other hand. A thin claw extended from my fingertip. For practice, I traced where I wanted to cut with a gentle pressure, and the millimeter-thick plate parted with a clang.
“Or maybe less. Pulling it out now.” With a quick jerk I pulled the plate out, trying to keep it straight. I tossed the plate away, and I slapped the bandage over the wound. It spread out to cover the cut before too much blood could break free.
“Ah, that’s the stuff.” Lars said, relief in their voice. “You a doctor on top of being a Samurai?”
“No, but if you spend enough time around weapons, you take some advanced first aid courses just in case. The nanites should be able to fix most of the recent damage, but you might feel sore for a bit. How deeply integrated are you in the machinery?”
“Can’t you right the combine so I can drive out of here?”
“I might be able to right it, but you’re missing a tread, and others are pointing different directions.”
“I…is it really that bad?” Lars had a slight quaver in their voice. “My diagnostics are down, but that computer’s exposed enough it could just be damaged.”
“Corie, can we link Lars up to one of the Dragonflies? I think they’ll need to see this themselves.”
--I can show you how. It’s covered in the next module in your Cyberwarfare training.
We soon had Lars linked up to a drone and commanding Junior to control the motion, since they could not get the hang of flying. While they did that, I thought about how to get them out of the combine and out of here.
“Lars, I’m going to have to scan you. I need to know what is safe to leave behind and what machines we need to bring.”
The drone came back around to hover over me. “Scan all you want. You’re right, this old beast is never going to drive again.” Their voice was filled with regret. “I know I said I wanted it wrecked, but this...it’s worse than I expected.”
“How much of the machinery is medical?” I asked.
“Not much. The majority is sanitation and nutrient supply, plus the few creature comforts I could afford.”
I set my hand on their stomach and triggered the scanner. A few seconds later, a flood of information came through my hind-brain. An app that I hadn’t noticed woke up and grabbed the stream of gobbledygook and spat it back in a different but no more comprehensible form.
--That’s because this isn’t strictly a medical scanner. It’s a bioscanner and reads more than just human vitals, which is why there’s so much more data. It’ll be more useful to you than a medical version since it can monitor your symbionts.
--Yes. It’s safe to move Lars/Laura as long as you keep the sanitation stuff locked in standby mode. There’s some medications they are taking, but several of those won’t be necessary after the nannites have finished.
“The scanner agrees: no hidden injuries we need to deal with. All we have to do is unscrew a couple fittings and you’ll plop out.”
“Right onto the ground?”
“That’s why I haven’t done it yet. I need to rig a way to move you around and some transport. It’s not safe to leave you here, obviously.”