Part 20

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***

Waking up was as easy and moderately pleasant as ever. Doing a quick analysis, I hummed mentally and began a smooth startup of all systems. The host's brain had cooled down nicely overnight, and the body had recovered slightly, so now we could start a new cycle and make plans.

Damn, I feel like some kind of soulless machine. However, a human being is so complicated that, in essence, he is a biological machine, with its own fuel, resource wear and tear and other nuances. What was it? In its own image and likeness? So we humans are building something perversely similar to ourselves, whether it's modern machines or androids, which now cost billions to develop.

Making myself a latte and looking at my watch, I hummed again: it was an hour before dawn, so it made sense to walk to my basement, and May was still asleep. And, come to think of it, it was going to be a busy day, and there was so much to do, and I had to ask the redhead out on a date, and if I had time, I should run over to Harry's house and help him with the reactor, or he'd blow himself up, the fool.

I finished my coffee and quickly got ready, then threw on my leather jacket and grabbed my rucksack, which contained a tablet, a laptop, and a couple of high-powered power banks in case I had to work somewhere in the fuckin' countryside, pardon my French. After slamming the door shut, I even stood outside for a couple of seconds, contemplating the eternal battle of dawn and darkness. It was so mesmerising that I even took a couple of photos to show off on insta.

The dawn was slowly taking over more and more space, and I was slowly moving towards my 'basement', enjoying the silence and solitude. Sometimes it's nice to walk alone and watch the sunrise. Perhaps, this is how monks realise harmony, because what could be better to know oneself? A meditative walk is as good as meditation itself.

Descending into the underground through one of the disguised passages not far from the house, I immediately activated my wand with a chemical light source in blue colours, and calmly continued to go deeper into the dungeons. After scaring off a couple of small lizards with my steady progress, I only hummed. When I passed another fork and checked the phosphorus marker on the wall, I kept walking until I came to one of the massive doors.

Plugging in my tablet and running the recognition protocol, I quietly entered my lab, my crypt, and my secret den at the same time. In the time I've been living here, I've had to worry about living conditions and comfort, especially if you spend most of the day here.

Every week my 'basement' was getting cosier and cosier, and for some reason it looked more and more like a mad scientist's laboratory. However, it's all small things, and the main thing is that nobody interferes with my researches and experiments of various kinds and destructiveness. Having changed into work clothes, I started to inspect the 'rhinoceros', slowly replacing the armour elements that were scratched, shot or completely in disrepair. Having finished with replacement and subsequent painting, I started diagnostics of servos and servo-motors. Having checked all the systems and finished with the hydraulics, I began the slow upgrade of the whole machine.

Having made precise measurements with the help of lasers, I started my PC and began to make calculations and then to finalise the project on armour improvement. I used the FN Minimi mk3 7.62×51mm NATO crates I had left over from previous operations to make four integrated machine guns. The time to finish the machine guns to the desired state was minuscule, but since I have already painted the suit, this project is set aside for later. Still, we should not forget about firepower, and four machine guns will certainly not be superfluous. Maybe a couple more rocket launchers, or is that too much? On the other hand, I'm not building a tank, but armour for assault operations. If I wanted to make a war in the Middle East, then yes, this thing would come in handy. Otherwise, one RPG volley from the window and goodbye spider....

However, I'm not that crazy, so I don't plan to get into such a scorcher, so let's get back to armour reinforcement and other little things, since the reactor power is enough for additional protection and weight, why not use it for my protection? After studying various materials and immediately checking with calculations, I came to the conclusion that my armour will be combined and ordered on the black market rolled homogeneous, cast homogeneous and heterogeneous cemented armour elements for further reinforcement. Hopefully the arc reactor will have enough dope for that much mass.

Having thrown the next project into the closed folder, I checked my watch and, having estimated the way to Harry, decided to work a little more, and the tactical interface of the suit should be made better. Even though I don't have my own AI yet, I can put programmes to simplify the life and control of this behemoth. And there may come to the creation of an assistant, but we'll do it after getting rid of the gold. Thinking over the issue of anonymity, I came to the idea that for now my strength will be enough only for an ordinary balaclava, which can always be carried with me. The main thing is not to be spotted.

When I was done with the interface, I checked my watch again, and this time I was running out of time. After a quick text to Harry and Mary Jane, I headed for the shower I'd recently installed in my basement. After changing into clean clothes, I saddled up in my anthracite bobber made from a custom '88 Ural that I had just recently bought for two grand in eternally dead presidents from a Russian German. By the way, the same Indian SCOUT BOBBER on eBay costs ten and a half thousand pounds, and here is almost native custom, even if from the original and not much is left, and still it is worth it. Having slightly overhauled the Ural and replaced everything I got a faithful 'racer' for practically nothing.

Leaving my dungeons through one of the hidden exits, I got out into the city. The heady feeling of speed was pleasantly satisfying. Enjoying the leisurely ride and the sound of my 'beast', I soon received a reply from Harry. Expectedly, he was at home, tinkering with cars in his garage. I accelerated slightly and headed for the Ozborn residence. I nodded hello to the butler and parked my bike.

I went down to the underground garage and found my mate disassembling the engine of the old Dodge. When I got off half an hour later, Harry was all smeared and didn't look much like the major we'd hung out with at the bar last night. His warm black-and-red fleece shirt had oil stains all over it, as did his worn jeans.

Although it was not new to me, I had rarely seen him like that. I suppose I should visit more often. Wiping his hands, Harry stepped away from his Dodge Viper, and we finally said hello.

- Didn't expect you so early. Heard the news? Since the raid on that goddamn bar, his popularity has only grown, and Tooms is now puffed up like a turkey. He's more like a vulture, if you think about it. - Osborne said quickly. - I don't care, though. How are you, old chap? I hope you're here to help me with the reactor, or I'll make you help me rebuild this little thing's engine. - Harry smiled, waving jokingly toward the Dodge Viper.

- I promised I'd help you, bro, so we'll work it out. - I winked encouragingly at him and started pulling out of my backpack the necessary tools and various gadgets to work with the arc reactor.

- What the hell is this? - Ozborn said curiously.

- That, my friend, is a docking station for diagnosing your precious reactor. I assembled it the other day and, as you can see, not for nothing. - I smile slyly at my mate, and it doesn't matter that I built it to run that 'Chinese' reactor made of rhinoceros armour and then upgrade it.

- You're as cool as ever, Pete. - said the camaraderie with respect.

When I went down to the secret level of the 'garage', I noticed that everything was cleaner here, and in general there was almost no rubbish left. I could see that this place was slowly turning from a cluttered warehouse back into a workshop. As I looked deeper into Harry's workshop, I saw something huge that looked like a humanoid robot, or a suit that looked remotely like Iron Man, or a twisted reinterpretation of his ideas and suit.

- Do you like it? - Osborn grinned predatorily. - It's only the first prototype so far, but I've been consulting with Professor Stromm and Dr Octavius when they're not too busy, and I'm gradually working it up to a manageable size. What do you say to that? - asked the camaraderie.

- Solid, - I immediately said, roughly estimating how my armoured suit will look like. Since I'm planning to put 175mm tank armour on it, it's going to be bigger, so I'm also interested in Harry's work, even if indirectly. - It's really hard to power such a big thing, and if it has normal power losses...' I sighed thoughtfully. - But first we have to check the reactor. - I said confidently.

- Whatever you say, boss. - The friend smiled, and a minute later he brought a heavy case. After dialling the right combination, he opened it and carefully pulled out the arc reactor, as if it were his most important asset.

Carefully accepting the reactor from my friend's hands, I began my initial inspection. Satisfied with my first inspection and finding no obvious defects, I connected it to the docking station, thus starting a full analysis and diagnostics. For a languidly long ten minutes the system searched for flaws, and soon the process was complete. With an expressive hum, I calmly pulled out of my backpack a pair of magnifying glasses that would have been more suitable for a jeweller than for me. A micro-soldering iron and other accessories of any self-respecting technician, stalker or thief appeared next. Slowly eliminating all the invisible defects and faults in front of the eyes of my friend, who was enchanted by this action, I only mentally hummed, because he still had everything ahead of him. Having finished my 'magic' and having done the subsequent stabilisation through the same docking station, I winked at Harry and said: 'Take the job, chief. The comrade didn't appreciate the joke and only nodded gravely.

- Now we need to check this huge thing for power losses and other flaws. No offence, bro, but I wouldn't be here otherwise. - Harry nodded again, and we walked slowly toward the frozen giant. - He's so huge, isn't he?

- I understand, Pete, so don't worry, mate, I'm always open to constructive criticism. Especially from you, mate. And, after all, it's in my best interests and you're only trying to help. - Osborne smiled with some sincere gratitude in his words.

- That's okay, we'll figure it out. - I pulled my headlamp out of my rucksack and rushed towards the steel giant.

Having climbed with the help of a stepladder into the gut of the armour, I began a detailed inspection, making mental notes on the structure of this behemoth, in case it would come in handy. The powerful frame did not resemble at all my usual constructions, there were no synthetic muscles to increase efficiency.

But there were modern drives and good hydraulic systems, which, however, did not replace normal servos and servomotors. The armour was exactly the very example of a crude machine than an armoured suit. However, the simpler the device, the easier it is to repair and further maintenance. True, there were no duplicating systems here, so reliability could be an immediate problem. After digging deeper into the power systems, I came to the conclusion that they were quite tolerable, it was only necessary to distribute the load on the system more evenly, and the productivity would immediately increase.

Next, I started calibrating and fully debugging all the systems necessary for the work and diagnosing the control interface. Here it was surprisingly not bad and almost reached the AI that I needed, but to mess around with someone else's child from the same Ozcorp and bring it to perfection, programming all the algorithms for who knows how long? Please. However, this system is quite good for its needs, so let's adjust priorities and logic a bit, and that's enough.

Not finding any weapon systems on the machine, I hummed expressively. But the boss is the boss. Silently taking the reactor from Harry's hand, I opened the protective compartment, which looked more like a safe, and without unnecessary haste I connected everything after stabilising all the systems, so as not to burn the reactor.

A moment's pause, and the steel giant began to slowly come to life, filling everything with its light. A joyous Harry almost started quoting the classics from films like Frankenstein and the like. After checking all the systems and power consumption, I nodded in satisfaction. Everything was perfect and running like a Swiss watch. Well, my work was done, so I could get ready for my date, and the redhead had already said she was free.

- Bro, you're a real wizard. - Ozborn, checking his brainchild, snorted with admiration at my approach to solving such 'small' problems, and wondered why it worked so stably. - I am in your debt. - said the camaraderie.

- It's no big deal, we'll get even. - I immediately shrugged off the Ozborns' gratitude, knowing their temper. - Now let's go. You walk me out and I'll go on my date. - When I saw Harry's eyes light up, I realised I'd said too much.

- I hope you'll introduce us soon. - He smiled at me. - Are you two serious? - He immediately began to pester me with questions.

- Not parts, - I immediately cut off all the questions. - It's just a walk and a cinema, nothing more. - the camaraderie just chuckled at my words.

- Trust my experience, brother, that's how relationships start. - Harry said with an air of importance.

- But you're not in a relationship, are you? - I immediately asked.

- Because I've learnt great wisdom, my friend, and now I bypass all that stuff, sensing a catch beforehand. Well, and my dad made me sign a contract, so I can't have an official relationship without my dad's permission, choice and approval, or he'll disinherit me. That's the way it is, brother. - Harry said with a sad smile.

- If you sit long and patiently on the bank of a river, you may see the corpse of your enemy float down it...' I quoted a Chinese classic thoughtfully. - Eastern wisdom,' I added immediately at the sight of my friend's snickering.

- You're right about something. - he said. - But sometimes you can speed up the meeting with the enemy and his floating corpse on the very river where you are sitting pensively. - Osborne said suddenly.

- Everyone decides for himself which path to take. - I answered neutrally to my friend's words. - Now get a move on, I'm late.

- You got it, boss. - Harry said jokingly.

Leaving the garage we found ourselves on the street, where my mate was already studying my bike with interest.

- What's a bobber? I've never seen one of those. It doesn't look like a classic bobber, although there is something in common. - Osborne scrutinised the unseen curiosity with childlike curiosity.

- That's my friend, a 1988 custom Ural.

- First time I've ever heard of it. Some kind of Japanese? - my friend was perplexed.

- This bike is from a country that no longer exists. But I will give you a hint: this country was our enemy during the Cold War. And then you can think for yourself. - adding to the mystery, I silently sat on the bike and put on my helmet.

- You always talk in riddles, but that's okay, I can google too. See you later, bro, and have a good night. - Harry said goodbye to me and headed for his favourite garage, because now he was free to do whatever he wanted.

I smiled sincerely at that, and after I got the address where I could pick her up, I drove off in the direction I wanted to go. The speed was habitually intoxicating and the roads were surprisingly free.