Inside the workshop, cold artificial light fell evenly, illuminating the intersecting scars and metal implants on Maine's bronze skin with perfect clarity.
He lay on the specially modified medical chair, body unconsciously tensing slightly.
Though he completely trusted Cairo's technical ability, handing over maximum control permissions of his cyberware systems to a mysteriously-originated, almost entirely heavily mechanically-modified tech solo still produced an instinctive wariness born from street survival experience.
Several slender, precise mechanical tentacles steadily extended from beneath Cairo's robe sleeves, their tips integrating various high-precision sensor probes and fine-tuning tools, flickering with cold light of different functions—like precisely programmed metal serpents hovering above Maine's body with exposed interfaces.
"Relax, Maine. You're too tense—muscle group-generated noise interferes with interface readings."
Cairo's synthesized voice remained steady, his crimson optical lenses slightly adjusting focus, meticulously scanning Maine's data ports at the back of his neck and along his spine.
"Omnissiah damn it, look at this 'getup' of yours. Like a bunch of drunk techs cobbled together junk from different eras, different brands, completely mismatched parts—and never once did a complete firmware match or systematic calibration."
He paused, tone taking on obvious criticism: "Omnissiah damn it, this is the most direct desecration of the 'machine spirit'! Every implant, regardless of size, has its inherent harmony and logic.
Brutally shoving them in without powering up or calibrating, not considering overall coordination—it's like forcing a bunch of unfamiliar beasts into one cage where they'll just tear each other apart, consuming themselves to death.
That this mess runs at all is a miracle, but efficiency's pitiful, internal conflicts numerous as cow hairs—bound to completely break down anytime, giving you a painfully 'pleasant surprise.'"
Maine and crew, hearing "Omnissiah damn it" and "machine spirit," showed barely perceptible confusion flashing across their faces.
They exchanged glances but no one asked.
In this bizarre world, what top technician didn't have quirks and strange beliefs?
They just took it as Cairo's personal peculiar faith or terminology.
One finest tentacle precisely and gently interfaced with Maine's main neural port above his spine, another simultaneously connecting to his subdermal armor layer's energy relay port beneath ribs.
"Alright, starting comprehensive diagnostics now. Empty your mind, don't overthink. Old friend," he turned to the servo-skull beside him, "synchronously monitor all his vital signs and neural current fluctuations—I want to see the truest data."
"Instructions confirmed."
Blue light in the hovering servo-skull's eye sockets flickered steadily, projecting real-time data streams of Maine's cardiopulmonary function, hormone levels, neural load onto a large side screen, forming continuously scrolling charts and readings.
In Cairo's internal visual interface, massive data floods from Maine's body began surging.
His powerful data processing core like an invisible precision sieve instantly captured, separated, analyzed every segment of information.
Those cyberware pieces from different eras and design philosophies—Militech, Zetatech, and other niche manufacturers—in Maine's body, their operational status, energy circulation efficiency, signal protocol conflicts, even micrometer-level mechanical performance degradation were marked one by one, magnified, subjected to penetrative analysis.
What Cairo displayed wasn't simple fault detection but thorough understanding of complex system operational essence penetrating to quantum-level instruction sets.
"Detected Militech 'Fortress-2' subdermal armor. Algorithm version too outdated, strategy conservative—unnecessarily maintains fifteen percent baseline load even in non-combat states, causing significantly reduced energy efficiency."
"I need to bypass factory redundant code, directly restructure underlying protocols, write in a new dynamic situational awareness regulation algorithm. After optimization, estimated power consumption can decrease over twenty percent, peak output performance also smoother."
"Additionally, obvious problem here—Zetatech 'Titan'-class skeletal reinforcement framework lacks effective coordination with 'Fortress' armor's buffer layer, resonance frequency conflicts causing systematic internal consumption and accelerated wear."
"Must recalculate and adjust buffer layer damping parameters to harmonize both frequencies, avoid internal interference. After optimization can not only improve component durability but also significantly enhance overall power output coordination."
"Omnissiah damn it, and your 'Kerenzikov' neural accelerator..."
One of Cairo's tentacles paused extremely minutely, sensor readings spiking.
"This neural accelerator is five-year-old outdated model. More importantly, you're using substandard data cable seriously out of spec—signal delay and attenuation values far exceed allowable range, causing severe performance mismatch between high-end components and low-spec wiring, greatly limiting this unit's potential."
"I'll attempt bypassing original interface's inherent limitations, directly optimizing your bioelectric signal transmission pathways, loading a set of custom firmware I've personally written. Must be clear—limited by existing hardware specs, I cannot completely alter its physical foundation, but estimate can still elevate effective response speed and system stability to usable practical levels."
Maine closed his eyes tightly, feeling waves of subtle yet deep humming from within his body, localized heat flow exchange sensations, and occasionally extremely brief sharp stinging.
The feeling was like countless nanometer-level precision instruments conducting silent operations at the junction of his flesh and metal.
He could clearly sense certain sluggishness and dull pain he'd long become accustomed to—even considered part of his body—rapidly receding. An unprecedented, seamlessly integrated fluidity and surging power sensation began emerging from his body's core.
Around him, Dorio, Falco, Rebecca, Pilar, and Sasha all watched with bated breath.
They could not only see Maine's furrowed brow gradually relax but even vaguely hear the sounds his internal cyberware made while operating change—from previously slightly friction-filled, noisy operation to smoother, deeper, more powerful.
About thirty-seven minutes later, Cairo's mechanical tentacles methodically retracted in sequence, all tool heads automatically cleaning and resetting.
"First phase systematic optimization complete. Overall operational efficiency improved roughly thirty-five percent, standby power consumption down eighteen percentage points, core neural load back in safe zone too. Come on, get up, move around—see how it feels."
Maine sat up from the medical chair, first slowly moving his limb joints as if carefully sensing the differences, then suddenly executing several incredibly swift blocking and straight punch thrust motions.
His movements were shockingly fluid—swift yet precise, even the wind sounds they raised became sharper and shorter.
His face was instantly filled with incredible amazement.
"God... this feeling... like being reassembled! No, worse than that! Like truly possessing these arms and legs for the first time!"
He clenched his fist hard, feeling that coordinated, surging, perfectly responsive power within.
"Always felt something was 'working against itself' before—now... too smooth!"
Cairo nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with results, then his optical lenses turned to the team's other members: "Next."
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