Yes, I know our company name is Transhuman. No, that does not mean we facilitate surgeries nor have tech to make them biologically resemble animals, nor will I endorse animal prosthesis.

  We are a cyber tech company, so if I see another proposal to make a line of cat ears, I will throw someone out a window.

  -Transcript from a board meeting headed by the CEO of Transhuman Cybernetics shortly before they are bough out by Nyanlife.

  Excited at the prospect of more swarms, I make my way to the lounge. It is, thankfully, very close to the shutter, and Buddy is in the process of removing the barricade he set up made from tables.

  Once he makes enough of a walkway, Buddy steps out and envelops me in a massive hug. He is still in his full armor, so it's not the most comfortable, but I don't mind.

  “Glad to see you, big guy.” I say into his chest.

  “You too, Vic. We are safe now. In, in. Go lay down and do your Samurai thing for new brain bits,” he says. I chuckled.

  Jill, a few inches taller than me, tussles my hair. “Good work, loved one. Glad you made it here safely.”

  This time, I do feel my face heat up, but the smile hasn't left my face. “Keep it up, Jill, and I may actually start calling us all a family,” I tease.

  This gets a chuckle from Roger and Cody. We all have a silent understanding that we are something of a family, more so than what the corp training programs would deem acceptable, yet we have never said it aloud. This is, in part, due to all our legal names being Optic, a quirk of our "contract" with this shell company and part of its cover story.

  "Family owned and operated electrical service, able to do anything from fiber optic cable renovations to megabuilding wiring." There are two other teams that use the Optic name in our dorm floor, and a bunch of other teams that use different trade type names. Mason, Havoy, Plumbob, and a few others I can't think of right now.

  Jill rolls her eyes, but ushers me towards one of the few chairs not being used as a barricade. Sitting down, I feel a strange giddiness in my chest.

  “Synaptic, let's get these upgrades going. This Neural Enhancement, how will it work?”

  There are two main ways this Catalog can enhance you. The first is through cybernetic implants to allow for better and more connections to your swarms, which allows for an increase in information flow rates between you and them. The second is a Bionic upgrade, adjusting and implanting stronger synaptic connections and adjusting your brain's chemistry for more efficient command and control orders, multitasking, and comprehension of the information exchange between you and your swarms. There is another Catalog I would recommend, the Hive Mind Catalog, which would allow you to utilize each swarm as additional processors, offloading the strain you will inevitably accumulate. That Catalog is fifty points.

  “Please keep the hive mind one pinned for now, as that does sound very useful. For the two types of upgrades, the cybernetic and Bionic ones, what are we looking at in terms of cost?” I ask aloud.

  For the cybernetic, I would recommend the Class I Neural Translation implant. It is a direct upgrade to the drone control implant you have, simply increasing its overall capability. This would allow you to connect with and control at minimum five swarms, with a maximum capacity of fifty swarms.

  I whistle in shock. Fifty swarms of nano drones.

  “Sands, that's a lot of swarms, Vic,” Cody says over the comms, making me jump a bit.

  “Synaptic, are you still tapped into our comms?” I ask,

  Of course. Your encryption was cute, but I figured that, since they would be hearing your side of the conversation anyways, I might as well let them hear mine.

  “Cute?” Cody hisses. “I made that from scratch and am always upgrading it with new tricks! It's basically my life's work!”

  And for a human working by themselves with no Vanguard technology or AI, it is relatively impressive. Comparing it to the few I am seeing in this building alone, none compare. However, I am millennia old and, while I am also constantly improving, I started out at a base level exponentially higher than anything you could theorize about. Thus, cute. It is a compliment.

  I could feel Cody's frustration from here, both at his ‘life's work’ being called cute, and for the recognition. He knew that she was super powerful and thus not upset at her for breaching the encryption, but the cute comment would bother him for a while.

  “May I ask why the discrepancy in the minimum and maximum connection?” Buddy asks.

  Of course. The minimum is based on the average human brain's processing capability, while the maximum is available after upgrading it, as well as the hardware limit. Victor may upgrade that limit, but at Class I, the highest this Catalog can go in hardware is two hundred. The Neural Translation implant will cost one hundred points. As far as the Biotic Neural Enhancement goes, that one will be another one hundred points, but will allow you to reach the Class I hardware maximum.

  “Wait. So I could theoretically control two hundred swarms with only a single purchase?”

  Not theoretically, actually. You will simply need better hardware. That said, by doing this upgrade, you will feel very uncomfortable in your own skin for a while due to the increase in processing power and optimization of your brain while still maintaining an unoptimized body. I would recommend working towards bionically upgrading the rest of your body as soon as possible in order to alleviate the discomfort. Class I Bionic Musculature, Class I Bionic Nerve replacement, Class I Bionic Skin, either Class I Bone Plating or Bionic Bone Replacement, Class I Blood Cellular Amalgam, Class I Cybernetic Augments, and Class I Bionic Organs would be recommended once you have both the points and time to adjust.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Silence followed for a few seconds as I leaned back in the chair to process that. Full body replacement is basically required if I want to continue down this path. It makes sense, the brain gets better so the body needs to follow in order to keep up. Software can be throttled hard if the hardware is underpowered.

  “Hey, Miss Synaptic,” Roger piped up, “If Vic gets this full body replacement tech, would the rest of us be able to benefit from that? Cause that sounds like a huge investment of points for just one person's worth of person to upgrade.”

  Of course, Roger Optic. I am capable of adjusting each procedure to be tailor made for any human Vanguard Victor wishes. That said, due to the extensive mechanical procedures that Jill Optic has had, some of the Bionic options would be unavailable to her, and would need to be replaced with Class I Cybernetics instead. Namely, her arms and legs. The cosmetic procedures in her face and torso can be easily replaced with Bionics, as they are applied via nanites.

  That got Jill to stand a bit straighter and turn away from me. The company offered “voluntary” upgrades to the team over the years. Ranging from cyber warfare suites to full limb replacements. Roger, Cody, Buddy and I got away with relatively minor procedures focused on our augs, basic cyberwarefare suites and a few other specialized adaptations. Roger got a navigational and mapping suite, Cody got upgraded cyberwarefare, Buddy a heavy ECM generator, and myself drone control augs.

  Jill was “volunteered” to undergo a more physical procedure. She was designated our infiltrator, and thus was forced to look older. Extended legs and arms, shaped facial bones, sculpted hips and ribs, with minor breast implants. Her eyes also had the highest resolution cameras out of all of us, with a direct connection to the company's facial recognition software on demand. She never complained, but we all knew. She hated it, hated the fact that her body was not hers.

  “Give me a total for all the catalogs and prices for each purchase for everyone.” I say.

  “Now wait a moment!” Roger cuts me off, “ I don't think everyone here wants everything of their person replaced. For myself, I was only interested the nerves and muscle things. Well, that and the augs, but I assume better augs was a given. Maybe Miss Synaptic could send us a form for us to fill out or something so that way your not spending thousands of points on us.”

  That could be arranged. Would that be alright for you, Victor?

  I take a moment to respond. Roger knows that I would not hesitate to spend thousands on these guys if I could. That I would go out of my way to earn the points necessary for that right now. I'm sure Synaptic knows this as well if the background check is a thorough as what the Mesh believes.

  Roger is greedy, that much is for sure. Once we get out of this crisis, I'm sure he will go into a long conversation with Synaptic to figure out the best way to benefit not only himself but all of us as well. I could already imagine just how crazy strong we would become in time.

  “Fine. While I'm getting my brain upgraded, could you send a questionnaire to the team with options? I will be getting those Catalogs eventually, so let me know the total for those, plus the total for my own full body upgrade. Bone Replacement, not Plating. If I'm getting a full new body, let's go all the way. And please purchase the two upgrades I need now.”

  Very well, Victor. I would also recommend purchasing the Class I Catalog Medical Utilities, as that would allow me to adjust the enhancer to put you to sleep during the process in order to lessen the pain you will experience.

  I nod, “That sounds extremely reasonable. I'm sure replacing my brain without any form of anesthesia would drive me mad. Please do that as well,”

  Class I Medical Utilities: Unlocked

  Points reduced to 200

  New Purchase: Neural Translator Implant

  Points reduced to 100

  New Purchase: Bionic Synaptic Pathway Enhancment

  Points reduced to 0

  Two boxes land in my lap, both about one foot long and wide, and a few inches tall.

  Please open and use the left box first, then the right. It is the enhancer and implant respectively. Once you use the enhancer, you will be asleep for the duration of the procedure, which will last for one hour. The implant will be much faster and not nearly as debilitating. With your permission, I will have your Assault Swarm stand by to protect both Jill and Buddy while you are under.

  “Please do,”

  Following her instructions, opening the left box. Inside is an ovoid shaped ring of black metal that looks like one of those headbands people who jog wear. Sitting in the middle of the box is a picture of a silhouetted person placing the black ring on their head.

  Following the instructions, I move my hair out of the way and place it on my head. It fits very snugly, but not uncomfortably so. As I lean back, I feel my head go numb. Then, the world goes dark.

  ******************************

  Opening my eyes, the first thing I notice is just how heavy my body feels, followed by how clear and active my mind feels. I have always felt this sense of fatigue, ever since I can remember. Now, I just feel good. Well, minus the weight on me.

  Looking down, nothing has changed. Same clothes, same room, I see Jill and Buddy playing cards off to the side. Where did they get cards? Then I remembered. 2 years ago, we all got stuck in the van for hours while waiting for the heat to die down so the engine could run. We had nothing to do and nearly killed each other from boredom and minor annoyances. Once home, Buddy made a point to always have a pack of cards on his person.

  I remember the heat on my skin, Cody's raspy breath since he was recovering from a cold, Jill's bloodshot eyes staring daggers into Roger's soul from his last attempt at a joke.

  An hour ago, I could barely remember what Buddy cooked for breakfast last week. Now, I could taste it.

  “Woah.”

  That got their attention.

  “Welcome to the land of the living, Vic,” Buddy says, waving at me “How's the new brain?”

  “I can remember so much now. Every meal you have ever made, every dumb joke Roger has said. I also remember how many petty pranks Cody has pulled on everyone, even those I didn't clock before. Sands, this is wonderful.”

  Jill gets up and walks over to me, tussling my hair, “Going to need that last one in writing, Ant.”

  As she rubbed my head, I felt for the first time a sense of wrongness. I felt every hair strand being moved, the sense that my skin was too loose, the sound was grating. I flinched away from her, causing her eyebrow to raise in question.

  Moving made things worse. The clothes on my skin both felt very heavy and very scratchy. My muscles reacted with a slight delay, like when you were playing with a friend on a server based on another continent. Even my Aug menu had a slight delay now, only noticeable now that I had the mental capacity to notice it.

  “Oh fuck, I know now what you meant, Synaptic. My body feels, just, wrong!”

  Indeed. The current point total for just your bodily upgrade, is currently seven hundred and fifty! The good news is, you are currently in a megabuilding full of antithesis, so it should not take long to obtain those points. Not to mention any armor or swarms you may need!

  I groaned. I saw the interviews of various Samurai, so I knew that the Protector AIs were like insurance salesmen in their almost insatiable need to both get their Samurai to make points, then spend them with prejudice.

  “Right. Let's get Jill and Buddy to the van, then out of here. Once they're safe, I will go on the hunt.”

  “Sorry, Ant, but the situation isn't that cut and dry anymore.” Jill said.