Nicholas Schnee sat at his large ivory white desk examining and signing documents. The serene glow of the holographic displays washed against the desk like waves lapping at the shore. One monitor held contacts and appointments in a long unending list. Daily operations and news about the company filled another, while another watched revenues and the prized stock price climb higher and higher.

"Mr. Schnee, you're two o'clock has arrived."

"Very well, I shall be right down."

Nicholas stepped into the elevator and descended into the bowels of the company. Deep in the sublevels of the tower he met with five of his security guards and another man. His yellow eyes cut through the darkness.

"Your natural advantages are to be admired," said Nicholas, "But I despise these games."

Nicholas flipped on the lights. A brawny man, with the muscles of an ox sat across a simple metal table. A pair of orange triangular dog wiggled at the top of his head. Pronounced fangs cut over his lower lip. Blood and bruises covered his face.

"You did well," said Mr. Schnee, "A service well paid for. Even I, with my so-called abominable record, could not rouse the Faunus such as yourself. Well I guess every dog has its day. No pun intended."

"My payment," said the Faunus, "I did exactly what you wanted and I want to get paid."

"Of course," Mr. Schnee pulled a wad of cash from his breast pocket.

"This isn't even a quarter of what was agreed!"

Mr. Schnee passed him a datapad, "The remaining funds will be transferred to an account of your choosing. There are some minor details you need to work out so I suggest you go slowly through the papers. I trust you can handle it yourself."

Mr. Schnee stood up and stepped out of the room with his security. The door locked behind them. The Faunus was laughing as he read the number he earned.

"I leave the rest to you," said Mr. Schnee said to the guard.

A long hiss filled the sealed room. Its occupant coughed and hacked. The table and chair were knocked over in a cacophony. Screams of terror and anger came out in muffled echoes. The door rattled and shook as he desperately tried to break out. Mr. Schnee smirked as he walked toward the elevator. His high class shoes clacking against the hard floor and resounding down the hall.

"If it has no more use, get rid of it."

The room was aghast with that they saw. The television set replayed video and images of the failed protest. Police were pushing journalists back from the area. Schnee Tower stood ominously over the mass of huddled people being pushed into police trucks. The people around were horrified. Nora covered her mouth, Jaune's stayed open. Ren kept his cool, unmoving disposition though his hand was shaking. Pyrrha was on the verge of rampage at the crime she witnessed. Siri and her team however seemed unaffected.

"Business as usual," said Rayner adjusting his goggles, "What's the plan, boss?"

"I suspect the headmaster will want to have words with us about this new development," said Siri, "I'll call a cab."

"Did someone say they need a cab?"

A woman with red nails and light red lipstick tapped Siri on the shoulder. Scruffy brown hair fell around her soft face. A little bow tie sat on between the deep V of her argyle sweater vest. Her khakis were a little blemished with filth but she seemed to try and keep herself presentable.

"I can take you anywhere you need to go at half the rate of a regular cab."

"Half the rate?" said Vincent, "What's the catch?"

"No catch, boss. Swear on me father's cybernetic heart. So what do you say?"

"Room enough for eight?" asked Linda.

"I can arrange it."

"Are you all ready to go?" Linda asked JNPR.

"Just a moment, Linda. I believe a better contract can be negotiated," said Siri.

"How can you all be so calm about this!" said Pyrrha, "A peaceful protest was just brutally put down! And you're just booking a taxi?"

Rayner shrugged, "Business as usual. It's quite amazing that there were no fatalities to be honest."

"This is how protests are handled here?" asked Jaune on the brink of anger.

"This is appalling," said Nora, "How can you tolerate this?"

"It's their fault, if they wanted they could have directly spoken to management under Corporate Law, but instead they chose protest," said Rayner.

"They could have unionized too," said Linda, "A joined action by the unions would have made them listen."

"But if they tried Mr. Schnee would have done something horrible to stop them!"

"And Civil Law would protect them," said Rayner, "It's all quite simple."

"That still doesn't change the fact that many people were just beaten into submission."

"Better beaten than dead. Hey Linda, remember the iron workers strike?"

"When fifty people were shot? I remember. Can't say they didn't deserve it."

"You people are horrible."

The cabbie and Siri were flashing hand signals and spouting numbers and reasons. Siri's glasses glowed a light blue as smirk grew across her face. As the conversation flared, Siri took a break from her banter with the cabbie.

"I know you are new here, but you have to right to judge our country and corporations off of one incident. I don't know how it works in Vale, but here in Atlas you reap what you sow. Corporate executives and industry leaders clawed their way to where they are. Those that refuse to work or demand that they be given everything have no place here. Even hunters are not exempt," Siri checked her watch, "Ugh… I don't have time to discuss our philosophy with you. Now, are you going to join us in returning to the academy or will you make your own way?"

"We'll go with you," said Jaune.

"Good I could use your help explain the fiasco to the headmaster," said Siri, "Let's go team."

"You got it boss lady."

The cabbie whistled and summoned a large non-descript white van with black checkers. JNPR and their comrades boarded the vehicle and sped off up the winding speedways and freeways.

"All of that for nothing," said Weiss, "I should have known better than to ask him."

Blake clenched her fist, "We have to do something about him."

"I know what you're thinking. If you do that you're only going to make it worse. Like it or not, this is how Atlas works," Weiss began to mutter, "And taking him on would cost me my position."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Yang put her hand to her hips, "So now what do we do? We've made no progress and our best lead is floundering."

"I guess we head back to Ironwood," said Ruby, "Maybe he has an assignment for us. And like Weiss said, we can't exactly break into the company head office and steal what we want. Heck, we don't even know exactly what we're looking for."

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Yang answered on phone. After a few words she put the caller on speaker.

"I saw the news," said General Ironwood, "What were you thinking?"

"It is my company," said Weiss.

"And you nearly created a disaster," said General Ironwood, "Must I remind you that the Atlas military has a deep necessary business relationship with Schnee Dust Company and many other corporations here. If any of those companies suddenly suffers, Atlas will suffer. Stay out of corporate affairs from now on. Your father is more than capable of handling any problems."

"With an iron fist," mumbled Blake.

"Now, return to me. I have an assignment for you."

Weiss summoned another black luxury vehicle and with her team returned to the academy. Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren were standing outside the general's office with three other strangers.

"Vincent, Linda, and I'm Rayner," said Rayner pointing to himself, "I'm guessing you're team RWBY the general was talking about."

"Yup!" said Ruby, "Umm… where's Jaune?"

Rayner pointed over his shoulder, "In the office with Siri. They've been in there a while so it doesn't look good."

"And I thought we were the only ones in deep shit," said Yang, "Well, why bother waiting our turn."

Linda reached out, "Wait, hold on –"

Yang pushed past the group. She flung the door wide open and strolled into the office. General Ironwood was fuming behind his massive desk. Siri pounded her fist against the table and spewed intelligible words at the general while Jaune stood paralyzed by the situation.

"We stopped their collaboration with the unions," protested Siri, "As soon as word breaks out, no working class organization will even think about collaborating."

"The unions were never a threat. The corporations have handled them for years, and they continue to do so. The White Fang and their overlords were the objective. And you were only supposed to observe," said Ironwood, "What in the world went through your mind to engage?"

"We saw an opportunity and seized it," Siri turned away and muttered, "Just like you would."

"Now everything we had planned has been derailed. Every operative in our borders will have gone to ground," shouted General Ironwood, "You do realize that in the time it takes to find the White Fang again they may very well launch a massive attack on our country?! Our national security is threatened."

"National security? We haven't seen a viable threat in ages! Even that little rebellion you massacred wasn't even worth the effort!"

"Watch what you say, girl," Ironwood stood up, "Remember who you are speaking to."

"And you remember who my family is, general," threatened Siri.

"Hey there!" said Yang, "Don't forget about us."

Ironwood glared at the group, "Hrmph. I suppose we should get down to business then."

"Yes, let's," Siri crossed her arms.

"So we're working in the lower levels right?" said Nora, "Oh! Oh! I know we're dealing with massive garbage monsters in the compactors. And we'll have to do it in a short amount of time otherwise we'll be crushed by the automated mashers and turned into an icky pulp."

"Nora, I envy your imagination," said Ren.

Ironwood was not amused, "I fear this mission will fail as well. Look here."

The general turned his holographic displays around. Images of sinking ships and drowning crew filled one pane, manifests and financial statements and news articles filled another. The headlines were far from flattering. The last panel showed a u-shaped atoll with a deep surrounded by coral reefs with a near-bottomless lagoon.

"I trust you have heard of our recent incidents at sea," said General Ironwood.

"Corporate and merchant convoys from three kingdoms have been regularly sunk by some mysterious beast," said Linda, "The situation has improved. A few military vessels are escaping but the transports and cargo ships are always lost."

"The monster that's been sinking your ships lives near that atoll," inferred Pyrrha, "You want us to destroy it."

"No," he said bluntly, "You are being deployed to find and observe the beast that lurks beneath. This information will be used by professional hunters to determine a proper plan to kill the beast. I must repeat again: Do. Not. Engage. Is that understood?"

His eyes locked with Siri's

"Yes sir," said Siri, "We will not engage."

"Hey boss," said Vincent, "If the monster lives in the sea, how exactly do we observe it?"

"We've already dropped supplies on to the atoll and set up a small outpost. You will find the necessities you need there," said General Ironwood, "You will deploy in five days, barring any immediate threats that may arise. This data contains all we know so far and it's not much."

"Good," said Linda, "JNPR, RWBY, I look forward to working with you."

"Same with us," said Jaune and Ruby.

"Mind if I ask something," said Weiss, "If the mission is under water, why exactly do you need us? Wouldn't a drone work better?"

"Do you think we're inept? Drones and people deployed are attacked by your regular grimm sharks and barracudas. Only hunters are specialized enough to deal with this threat."

"And how exactly are we supposed to fight under water? Our equipment is not exactly designed for it," said Yang.

Ironwood shook his head, "Ozpin, what are you doing over there? Team SLVR (Silver), get them mission ready. Dismissed."

The three teams stood outside the great wooden doors. Muffled words tried to break out of the room. Yang pressed her ear against the door, just like the last time, but she couldn't make out anything.

"Linda, Rayner, Vincent, please take care of our allies. I have business to attend to," said Siri.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Weiss.

"Know the enemy and know yourself," said Siri, "I am going to search for more information about this beast. You are more than welcome to join me, Ms. Schnee."

"Why does she get to go?" asked Yang.

"Her status can make my negotiations easier. And her weapon and skills do not need modification," said Siri coldly, "Are you staying or going? I don't have time to waste."

"I'll go," said Weiss definitively.

"Excellent. I leave the rest to you, Rayner."

"You got it, boss lady. This way folks. I hope you brought something to entertain yourself. It's a long way down."

SLVR took them down into the lowest levels of the tower. They arrived in a massive garage and workshop, filled with machines and parts from the many corporations of Atlas. Droids and robots marched around the room assisting the engineers in any way they could. Whirring tools, sparking, bashing, and the occasional shout filled the room. Linda handed everyone a small device and put them in her ears. The room became silent, except for human voices and animatronic announcements.

Rayner rested his goggles on top of his head. He waved down a droid and programmed a long list of items. The little droid scampered off into the tubs and drawers of parts around the large workspace. Rayner took the group to a far corner of the workshop. Six large cabinets lined the wall. In the center of the corner was a heavy duty workbench with many robotic arms. Rayner pulled out a large tool box and splayed the implements across the floor and table.

"Watch your step folks. I keep my workspace in organized chaos," said Rayner, "Linda, Vincent, you can help yourselves right?"

"It's a quick change," said Linda, "Ruby, Jaune, mind if I examine your weapons?"

"It looks like you three will have the most difficult to modify so take a seat by the bench here," said Rayner, "Yeah, you three. Yellow, pink, and green."

"Ren."

"Yang."

"Nora!"

"I'll deal with you two later," said Vincent making his way to the locker, "Don't think there's much we can do for you anyway. Here take these. They should work as a stop gap for now."

Vincent tossed Pyrrha and Blake several clips and magazines of dust ammunition. The bullets glowed white and blue, and were cold to the touch. Vincent pulled out several parts from the cabinet. A long barrel, a heavier bayonet, a stock, new firing chamber, and a slew of other items.

"Our weapons are fine," said Blake.

"Suit yourself," said Vincent disassembling his shotgun, "But take the ammo anyway. You won't be totally defenseless with that."

"Interesting," said Pyrrha, "Your weapons are fully interchangeable?"

"Right tools for the right job," said Rayner, "And with the world's tech at our fingertips it's better to make it easy to upgrade. Which I can't exactly say about yours."

Rayner took Yang's bracelets and began dissecting the machine. Belts of dust infused shells were laid out across the hard table. The many gears and mechanisms stayed in place. The inner workings were immensely complex, a single gear out of place or a single circuit cut would render the entire system useless. Rayner traced every mechanism to try and find the best way to change it.

"It doesn't even look like you can swap the ammunition out," he said scratching his head, "Fire or nothing, eh?"

"What else do you need?" said Yang, "My fists are all I need."

"Right… Well I can at least make it watertight. No guarantee it'll work under water though," Rayner checked Ren's machine pistols next, "Well at least you can swap the ammo on this one. Hmm… a longer barrel, add a compressed air tank, small pistol bayonet, and increase the calibre and you should be set to go."

"Waterproof it, and make it so it can fire underwater," ordered Ren, "Don't adjust the weight, length, or profile."

"Tough order. Mind if I ask why so restrictive."

"Too many changes in weight, length, and shape will affect my fighting rhythm. I can adapt but it will take time. It also needs to be easy to conceal."

"I'll bet you just got attached to them this way. But you're the boss. I'll make it how you want it," Rayner grabbed the hammer, "And as for you…"

"I'm don't think you can modify ours in any way," said Jaune, "I mean mine doesn't even have moving parts. And Ruby's is custom made."

"There's always room for improvement," said Linda grabbing Jaune's sword, "Surprisingly light."

"Really? It's heavy for me. Especially after fighting for a day."

"Oh. I forgot about my cybernetics. And your scythe… how in the world did you manage to get it so small?"

"Oh, my uncle Qrow helped me make it. He's kind of the expert on scythes."

"Hey Rayner, I got another engineer you'll want to speak to. A guy named Qrow," hollered Linda, "You weren't kidding, these don't have much room for modification at all. But we can make it better."

"How exactly?"

Linda pulled a vambrace from the cabinet, a motor, claw, and a long length of steel wire. She fastened the claw to the cross guard of Jaune's sword. The motor combined with the vambrace and she strapped it on to his forearm.

Linda dropped the sword across the room, "Give it a shot. Push that button."

Jaune pushed the button. The motor whirled and whipped the sword back. The room dove to the ground to avoid the flying blade. The keen edge slashed across a table and lopped the hand of a robot. Jaune flinched at the last moment and barely caught the speeding sword. The room was cursing and shouting at Linda.

"Sorry everyone. We'll have to adjust the output but now there's no risk of losing your sword when we're down under," said Linda, "We can do the same with your shield. And as for you…"

"Let's not make any modifications," said Ruby pulling Crescent Rose gently back.

Linda raised an eyebrow, "You won't be able to shoot that underwater with the way it is now."

"Oh that's fine," said Ruby hugging her precious weapon, "I can just slash it about. The blade can cut through just about anything."

"Okay… but let's at least rig a tether like Jaune's to it so you don't lose it."

"No, no, no, that's not necessary. I have a strong grip."

"A little insurance goes a long way…"

Jaune pulled Linda close and whispered, "She's kind of attached to Crescent Rose. So… I'd let it drop."

"Right… well if you ever change your mind let me know alright."

Linda finished the practical modifications to Jaune's sword and shield then proceeded to fix up her short spears. She unfastened the leaf blades and replaced them with a three pronged spear head. The shafts were replaced with a hard hollow tube filled with blue and white dust. The three blades shimmered with a cool light. Linda brought her hand to the blade and a small arc of cold lighting sparked against the palm.

"Simple, but it'll do," said Linda.

Weiss and Siri stepped out of a sleek black car with silver trim. The valet bowed courteously. Weiss looked up at the glass structure. Unlike the white glass of Schnee, a red and black pyramid loomed over her. The holographic company logo hovered above the apex. Sylph System Solutions wrote across a pair of fairy wings in elegant red cursive letters. Employees walked in and out of the building with floating displays. Siri waved to one of the employees.

"Yes, miss? How can I assist you?"

Weiss quickly glanced at the floating console. It was mostly random data as far as she could tell, but a particular line did stick out: Department of Innovations.

"I need to speak with the head of the Department of Innovations. As soon as possible."

The floating console beeped.

"He has been notified and will contact you at his earliest convenience. Please excuse me I have business to attend to."

"Thank you. This way, Weiss."

"Siri Sylph," said Weiss, "You're business is a pretty strong contender to join the Joint Board of Directors."

"Indeed we are," said Siri with a grin.

"So why do we need to meet with the Department of Innovation?"

"One of our assets may prove useful in our mission. And it needs field testing. Two birds with one stone, no?"

Weiss was led to a wide white room with men in laboratory coats working with small assistant robots. Silver, gold, mercury, and other metals were put into circuit boards while programmers typed thousands of lines of code.

"Look to the left. Good. Now the right. Good. Up and down. Very good."

A man with wires for hair and mechanical hands worked with a woman in a hospital gown. His titanium left hand was covered minute measuring instruments but was otherwise normal. The fingers, joints, and palm of his right hand however worked like a surreal puzzle. It transformed in a multitude of tools by rearranging its parts and should the work need more precision smaller more specialized implements would poke out of his fingertips.

"Mr. Lorstein, may I have a moment," said Siri commandingly.

Lorstein turned to face them. A pair of jewel eyes made Weiss take a step back. The colours changed from ruby, to emerald, to sapphire, then clear. With every change the iris seemed to twist and turn. The man grinned and nodded.

"Charles, would you please assist this lady," he said, "My colleague will continue the examination. Now if at any time you begin experiencing odd glitches or discomfort no matter how minor, contact me immediately. Yes? Excellent. Ah, and how can I help you, Siri? Oh, and Ms. Weiss Schnee."

"You know me?"

"Of course. The dynasties of the Joint Board are no mystery. Though I thought you'd have a fuller figure."

"Hey!"

Siri took off her glasses, "I need a new pair."

"And what may I ask was the problem?"

"No problem. I need one that is more specialized."

"In what way?" said Lorstein, his face brightening with a thousand new ideas.

"We need something to detect a monster underwater," Weiss inferred, "We'll give you the details."

Weiss and Siri gave him as many details as they could. Siri handed him the copy of the data provided by General Ironwood. Silent SONAR, tentacles and a scaled back. Supposedly the monster was as large as a ship, but it was impossible to confirm. All they knew amounted to little but Lorstein listened intently while pondering a solution.

"You want my new prototype," smiled Lorstein, "Now you know we can't have that leaving the lab. No, no, no. Can you imagine the catastrophe if one of our competitors got their hands on it? The board would be very displeased. And I would be out of my favourite job."

"Which is why I've brought one of our competitors here. Weiss Schnee can negotiate with us."

"Schnee Dust Corporation isn't our competition. Though their high prices and demanding contracts almost make it seem so."

"Didn't you watch the news?"

Lorstein scoffed, "I have my lab and all the wonderful toys inside. Unless someone has found a way to piece our moon together I could care less about the workings of the world."

"Schnee Dust Company just acquired our major competitors. Cyberdine Cybernetics and Astral Automatons are now fully owned subsidiaries of Schnee Dust Companies."

Lorstein fell into a seat, "We're done then. The full power of Schnee backing Cyberdine and Astral will eclipse anything we attempt."

"Which is why Weiss is here. Give us the prototype and she will provide you with the support of Schnee."

"What?"

"WHAT!?" shouted Weiss.

"It's that critical is it? The offer would have to be very advantageous for us to accept."

Weiss pondered, "Name your price. Any amount and you will have it."

Lorstein grinned, "I would need payments for years to develop something similar. And in amounts that your company would surely notice."

"One moment," Weiss pulled Siri aside, "Is this thing truly needed? We can do the mission without it."

"We need to cover all possible outcomes," said Siri, "Our technology will ensure that we locate this monster with minimal contact. It will also enhance our combat capabilities."

"You want to fight it."

"No, but we must always be prepared. If you are incapable of handling a small negotiation I can –"

"I can do this," said Weiss, "Just give me a minute."

"So, are we still in talks?"

"I have a proposition," Weiss cleared her throat, "I can offer you cooperation."

"Cooperation?"

Weiss nodded, "In the form of a joint venture with our subsidiaries. From what I can see in this lab alone Sylph has hundreds of projects running at a single time. And these development times seem excessively long. And long development is expensive. Working closely with Cyberdine and Astral will alleviate your costs and perhaps lead to developments even your mind cannot fathom."

"Are you saying I am not brilliant?"

"I'm saying you could be much more brilliant."

Lorstein glanced at Siri. The two employees smirked at the prospect on the table.

"I have no opposition. So many dreams locked away in sheets of paper may finally become reality," said Lorstein, "But the board will have to approve this. What would our share in this joint venture be? It would make it easier to approve if we had an estimate ready."

"Let the boards deal with this," said Weiss, "Do we have an agreement?"

"Indeed we do. Now, for the main attraction."

Lorstein procured a new pair of glasses. Siri donned the new pair and immediately began calibrating the hard and software.

"This is it?" said Weiss angrily disappointed, "A pair of glasses."

"Is it calibrated?" Lorstein asked Siri, ignoring Weiss entirely.

"All is set."

"Okay, we'll wire in the additional hardware now. Ready? This may hurt."

"I remember the last time. It will hurt like the devil's fiery hands," said Siri, "I'm prepared."

A brand new suit was brought to Siri. Its shape and style called back to a classical time with frills and poofs around the edges and cuffs. A tall neck would wrap around her head like the petals of a flower. The suit was in spotless white trimmed with crimson. Intricate designs weaved around the fabric. Four tails flowed from the centre of the back. A pair to the arms and a pair to the legs.

Lorstein peeled back Siri's blazer. Siri winced and clenched her teeth. Her shirt ended at the tricep, a pair of short cuffs wrapped around her wrists, disconnected from the rest of her clothes. Several electronic ports ran down the exposed skin of her arms. Siri removed her shirt and trousers. Lines, like digital circuits, made mazes all over her back and around her neck. More ports dotted her long legs. The lines glowed bright yellow. Siri tensed up. A hard breath left her lungs. Her glasses flashed.

"Was that the worst of it?" asked Weiss.

"Not even close," said Siri.

Lorstein and his crew took apart the suit into several different parts. Weiss glimpsed the inside of the suit. Thousands of small needles lined the interior. Several large claw-like mechanisms matched the positions of the ports on Siri's body. The clothing sparked as they slipped it on Siri.

"Ahh!" yelped Siri.

The suit snapped and constricted. Weiss heard the claws snap into the posts. Siri started breathing heavily. Her body tensed and began to lock. Electrical discharges flashed around her. The lines on across her body shone brightly. Her skin turned red. Sweat dripped down her body. Siri put on the body of the blazer.

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

Siri screamed like a banshee as the suit forced itself on her. The suit tightened. Sparks flew out of Siri's fingers. Her temperature sky rocketed. She contracted into tight ball. Every muscle frozen into place. Lorstein rushed to the nearest computer and began typing madly.

"What's happeneing?" asked Weiss as she grabbed on to Siri.

"The augment is trying to fuse with her nervous system," Lorstein pulled the console closer, "And of course her body is trying to drive it out like a virus."

Siri's scream grew louder.

"We have to do something!"

"Diodes! Bring me diodes!"

One of the many employees wheeled a large cabinet filled with wires. A large battery sat on top with a pair of jumper cables. They quickly grounded the battery and began connecting the diodes and wires to Siri.

"Let me help," said Weiss.

They handed her the jumper cables and pushed her to Siri.

"Connect those to her for ten seconds."

"Where?"

"Anywhere!"

Weiss clamped the jaws on to Siri's hands. The metal teeth spewed sparks. Power coursed through the cables. The battery shone red and angrily discharged into the grounding.

"Disconnect," Lorstein monitored the situation on his console, "Keep doing that every thirty seconds. It's crude but it works. I need a few more minutes to adjust the system."

"What's going on?!"

"The cybernetics are trying to integrate into her body. And it's trying to do it by rerouting the bioelectric signals," Lorstein tapped on the keys, "We need to keep her heart from overloading and well… for want of a better word… exploding."

Weiss opened the jaws, "Is this normal for cybernetics?"

"No, not if you do this once."

"And how many times has Siri augmented?"

"This makes five this year. Jolt her!"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Almost done, Siri," said Lorstein, "Just hold on a bit longer."

Siri bit down hard. Her teeth ground against each other, threatening to become a fine dust. A lab attendant forced a plastic rod between her jaws. Spit drooled out of her mouth and down her chin. A horribly unlady like predicament.

"Jolt!"

Weiss jabbed her with the cables. Siri tensed and a spasm wracked her body. She whipped her arm. The cuff released a blast of air. The tall neck shone violet and arcs began running up the spines. A small bolt shot from the neck and scorched the roof.

"Jolt!"

Weiss gave Siri another jab. The discharge surged through the cables throwing Weiss back. The battery exploded throwing shrapnel and battery acid all over the floor. Ice, lighting, and wind gushed out of Siri's suit. She bit through the plastic and began to wail. Her skin was on fire. Sweat came down in buckets.

"Just a few more lines," said Lorstein typing furiously, "I have the adjustments almost complete. Give her a jolt."

"I can't! She blew the battery and the cables."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Siri let out a final scream. Her body convulsed and panicked. Silence. Siri's screaming stopped. Her body completely relaxed. Lorstein stared at the screen. His jaw dropped. The lines of text had disappeared. Weiss rushed to Siri's side and put two fingers to her neck. Nothing. She put a hand to Siri's chest and brought her ear to her mouth.

"She's not breathing."

"The boss is going to kill me for this one," Lorstein fretted, "And what a waste of a prototype too."

"Are you insane? Siri's not breathing and you're thinking about your prototype."

"Don't think I'm not moved by what happened, but she knew the risks. It's rare enough to survive two new full body augments let alone four. And it looks like her luck finally ran out."

"So what now?"

"Now we have to negotiate a joint venture. This way please."

"The deal is off."

"Our deal was to enact a joint venture in exchange for my prototype suite. You can't renege."

"I can and I have. Good day!"

"There's no need for that."

"Siri!"

Siri, with slightly singed hair from the electricity and frosted fingers pushed herself upright. She wiped away the spit and gunk on her face. The frills on her suit radiated with green light like the sea. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Mr. Lorstein, never let me augment again this year. My luck won't last forever."

"Of course. Now how did you…"

"A full reboot," said Siri, "It appears your adaptive symbiotic program determined a full reboot of my cybernetics was the solution."

"Amazing," said Lorstein, "It exceeded expectations immediately."

"Weiss, shall we go to our mission?"