NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Maintenance in Progress
Renault strode forward, directly grabbing and flipping Simonov over.
Behold! Kamen Prowler Simonov, now on all fours – well, four wheels!
"It can't be moved. So..."
Simonov: "..."
Bang!
The moment Renault released her, Simonov plummeted to the floor. The four mechanical, wheel-equipped arms appeared useless, unable to support their weight at all. This resulted in a rather intimate encounter between their nose and the marble floor.
"Ow! My nose seems crooked, I think. BM59, no, M1 Garand, could you use your good hand to straighten it out for me?"
Renault didn't bother commenting on how Simonov managed to use their four wheels to propel their out-of-control body within reach of M1 Garand for a nose bridge adjustment.
For him, it was just a minor bump. Besides, the floor tiles had just been mopped.
While Simonov was getting accustomed to the Prowler's wheeled robotic arm, Renault focused on attaching the Ripper's calves to M1911's legs.
The rest was simply debugging. Fortunately, Sangvis Ferri's repair kit included a functioning computer. Coupled with the Ripper data from the factory's hard drive, debugging went relatively smoothly.
"Let's make do with this for now. We'll discuss socks and shoes later when we have time. Now, help me move some things."
Renault gestured with his hands, looking at M1911's skeletal feet.
In two hours, Griffin's helicopter would arrive. He needed to quickly search for useful items here, otherwise he wouldn't have any money to spend in the Green Zone. He didn't believe Griffin's commission rewards would be enough to live comfortably for three years.
There were still many places to spend money.
"Okay."
M1911 was very grateful to Renault for giving her two feet. She nodded immediately, but before taking a step, she looked back at Nagant Revolver and P38's core with some hesitation.
"Don't worry about those two. I found a suitable body. I'll put them together in a moment."
"Oh, that's great! I'll go right away!"
"Remember to pack all those valuable-looking things! You can also bring food and drinking water!"
"Understood!"
Seeing M1911 leave, Renault turned to M1 Garand and BM59, who were gawking at Simonov sprawled on the ground.
Both of their injuries were similar. One was incapacitated by a bullet to the head, and the other by a coffee grinder to the head.
The only difference was the severity of the damage.
Manually repairing them would require cutting open the bionic layer on their faces and prying open their skulls for repairs.
Bluntly put, it would be disfiguring.
"Listen, you two. Do you want the repairs now? Or wait until we return to Griffin Base? If you choose now, the bionic layer on your heads won't be preserved. Blink once for repair now, twice to wait. Close your eyes if you decline entirely."
Without hesitation, both of them blinked once. Evidently, they couldn't bear remaining immobile.
There was always a chance the bionic layer could be repaired in the future, but in this helpless state, wouldn't they be sitting ducks if they encountered an enemy?
"Me too!" Simonov scooted over hurriedly at this time, shouting. Although she had almost adapted to this thing, they'd readily become a Prowler Doll if it meant having functional hands and feet again.
"Nonsense. You blew up the entire Sangvis Ferri Warehouse. There aren't many usable parts left. You're lucky to have those wheels."
"Huh!? Isn't there a naked body over there? Take her apart... ugh!"
Before Simonov could finish speaking, the word "dismantle" barely out of their mouth, the Jaeger lying motionless beside them raised its particle sniper weapon and pointed it directly at Simonov's forehead.
"Ugh! This guy isn't dead yet! Why did you pick her up?!"
"Less talking, otherwise someone will truly lose their brains. You, who lost your weapon, can't you remain quiet?"
Seeing the Jaeger suddenly start moving on its own, Renault raised his eyebrows. Now this was interesting.
Previously, he thought these Sangvis Ferri mass-produced units lacked any sense of autonomy, their actions in the factory following preset procedures. Now it seemed the AI inside this Jaeger was more advanced than the mass produced version.
At the very least...it would get angry when someone suggested taking it apart.
If this situation continued, could this AI become progressively smarter? Then it definitely possessed a neural cloud.
It was a pity the Jaeger model lacked a voice unit and couldn't speak. Communication would require a computer and a direct data cable connection.
"Um, I got it," Simonov mumbled somewhat aggrievedly. Stuck in her four-wheeled state, her view of the table was obstructed. So, she focused on getting used to their predicament and scurried off to a side hall to practice maneuvering on the wheels.
BM59 was first in line for repairs. The damage to this blonde twin-tailed Doll was less severe than M1 Garand's. Besides a dent in the head, she also had some body surface contusions. These injuries were considered minor.
After connecting BM59 to the computer and shutting down her bionic functions, internal circulation system, and pain perception, Renault retrieved a tool and carefully pried open their skull from the side of her forehead.
Of course, he meticulously unscrewed everything, ensuring proper reassembly later.
Looking at the situation inside the skull, Renault sighed silently. It wasn't a major issue. The internal parts were damaged simply due to the deformation of the metal skull. Nothing major.
M1 Garand, on the other hand, presented a bigger challenge. The wound being right in the center of the forehead necessitated opening her entire head. The internal damage was significantly worse than BM59's, requiring replacement of many parts.
While he was repairing M1 Garand, M1911 returned with a bunch of things. However, upon seeing M1 Garand with most of her head disassembled...
Feeling a surge of nervousness in their core, she quickly used her new legs and fled, fearing Renault might subject her to the same procedure based on the current situation.
When she returned with a few boxes of unexpired, non-radioactive compressed rations, M1 Garand and BM59 had already been repaired and were back on their feet. Even the Jaeger, previously motionless, now stood aside with its weapon in its arms. Meanwhile, Renault was busy assembling something... that appeared to be... a SF Dinegrate?