I woke up the next morning with a grumbling stomach. I need to either upgrade Gary, since he’s being mostly useless and hogging the TV, or get a separate drone to actually do cooking.


    Likely it’s cheaper to upgrade him with proper cooking skills instead.


    <Merlin, what would I need to teach Gary to cook a decent meal?>


    Simple as pie, there is a cooking upgrade data packet we can upload into him for a measly ten points. I think it’s a great idea specially since your caloric intake is still too low.


    <Oh, for the love… how much to get a daily supplement of what I’m missing at the end of each day?>


    Obviously, the price would change depending on several factors. Your activity for the day, how much you have eaten and any additional upgrades or changes you could possibly make to your body.


    <Assume, current upgrades, a vigorous day and I haven’t eaten anything at all, so worst case scenario expected without me being technically dead.>


    Ah in that case I would say fifteen points for an injectable cocktail of required nutrients.


    <That’s not too bad, it’s over my daily points limit but if I eat some solid meals during the day it should get below my ten points, yes?>


    I would think so yes, three solid meals and only moderate activity should get you around five points. And before you ask, the catalog is a generic one all Samurai have access too.


    <Great, then before bed remind me to take my supplement, please.>


    Do not fret, I will remind you. Did you want the upgrade for Gary?


    <Yea let’s get Gary his upgrade.>


    Loot inbound!


    New Purchase: Class I Cooking Manual for Lazy Monkeys!


    Points reduced to: 5924


    A small box about the size of a business card drops into my open hand. Opening it reveals a little vial with a dark liquid in it, nanites of course.


    Now to get it into Gary without him throwing a monkey fit, can’t imagine this being too hard, he’s probably watching TV and not paying too much attention to his surroundings.


    I slip out of bed and quietly tiptoe out into the living room, and sure enough Gary is sitting on the couch still sucking down animal planet garbage. I drop down to a crouch and creep up behind the couch carefully, I take a slow breath in and hold it, afraid that even my breathing will alert him to my presence.


    I make it to the couch, and slowly raise up on my knees, reaching over the couch with the vial ready to apply the update so I can get a decent breakfast without having to cook it myself.


    I must have shifted or made a noise or maybe he heard the hammering of my heart being this close to him. He whips his head around letting out a whoop and howl, launching himself off the couch.


    “Cursed Monkey, get back here!” I shout, leaping after him.


    I launch off the couch and try to grab him as he’s flapping up towards the ceiling, my enhanced physicality helping propel me up at him. I managed to latch onto a leg and hold on for dear life as he tries to shake me loose by flying around and shaking his leg. I manage to slam my other hand into his calf, shattering the vial and allowing the nanites to merge into his being.


    He screeches in annoyance, I let go landing on the living room table shattering the wooden thing into splinters. Relishing in my victory I let out a laugh and wait for the update to take hold.


    “Okay, be a good helper monkey and make me a nice breakfast Gary! Then clean this mess up!” I tell him standing up from the wreckage.


    I head to the bathroom, stripping off my pajamas and jumping into the shower for my morning routine.


    <Merlin, lets send my scouting swarm over to the lab and have it scout out a fairly large area say ten miles in all directions to ensure another swarm or some other interloping entity does not sneak up on me again.>


    An excellent idea, I have dispatched the scout swarm, and it is easily capable of covering a larger area so I dispersed it over a fifteen-mile area around the lab.


    <That works, thanks. On the topic of that swarm. What in the stars was that all about anyway? A large swarm like that does not just pop out of nowhere, and rarely ever without the portals or additional ground support in tandem. It almost feels like they were waiting for me.>


    I am unsure as well; my initial assessment was that it was a random wave sent out to test the new model that was being hidden at its center. However, once it was closer I was able to detect, using the Witchcraft''s sensors, a pheromone being emitted from the, let’s call it... Model Sixty.


    I’m sure you are aware that the Antithesis primarily communicate through pheromones, pollen, some rudimentary vocal abilities, and genetically imprinted programming.


    <Yes, that’s fairly common knowledge in the Antithesis academic area.>


    Well, it was not the normal scents or mixture found in the majority of communication model, it was more of a reactive compound.


    <What does that mean, reactive? Like a toxin or hallucinogen like some of the lower models?>


    No, more like it interacted with the signals and chemistry that our communication cores emit that we implant into the Vanguard.


    We both go silent for a few seconds, while it sinks in.


    <They are tracking us?>


    It does seem that way, and it seems to have worked.


    <But if it was releasing the pheromone, how did it find me then, it would have had to tag me at some point earlier.>


    Very observant and I thought about that and looked through my data from the last few days and I found an answer. When you were in Beaty, I noticed a small variation in their pheromones. I did not think much of it as the Antithesis are constantly adapting themselves, and I saw no dangerous effects from it, so I dismissed it at the time.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    <So, it was hunting me, specifically?>


    It very much appears so, and looking back, it did not just tag you. Devoy was tagged with the pheromone as well.


    <Ah fudge crackers, can you inform his AI please, I don’t want him caught off guard.>


    I have sent a data packet to Pyllonia with the information.


    <Thanks. Now what can we do about this tracking problem? I don’t particularly like the idea of Antithesis following me around.>


    I think using your lab we should be able to synthesize some sort of counter agent, or some other way to scrub it off.


    <Sounds like a plan.>


    After finishing my wash routine, I hopped out of the shower and got dressed in my nanite armor, in it’s white shirt and black skirt combo. Exiting the bathroom, I smell something amazing coming from the kitchen. Peeking around the corner into the kitchen I see Gary cooking up a breakfast feast fit for a queen.


    Bacon, eggs, omelets, pancakes, oatmeal, fresh baked muffins, bagels, hashbrowns, french toast, and several glasses milk, OJ, and coffee. I can feel my mouth salivate at the sight of it all, and my tummy also comments with a grumble. Gary sure has outdone himself; I walk in and take a seat before the breakfast feast and start digging in.


    Thirty minutes later I have eaten too much and I am cursing my eyes for being bigger than my stomach. Gary is back at the couch and has already repaired the damaged table. I feel a bit of guilt for accusing him of being lazy, perhaps he is too efficient, and with nothing left to do he watches TV.


    Sighing, I haul my butt out of the chair, head into the living room, and pat Gary on the head. “That was amazing, thank you.” I said.


    Alright, let''s get to work then and see if I can’t finish designing the nanite armor, and work on this new tracking ability the Antithesis have been testing out on us.


    I convert the Witchcraft into its true form and off to the lab we go!


    On the way over I link into the scout swarm, nothing interesting has been detected so it looks like, for the moment, it’s quiet.


    I settle into a parking space at the lab and take the lift down to my lab. I see a new stack of resources piled in one corner, the gathered material from the fight yesterday.


    I quickly settle into my chair and open the control interface for the cauldron. Right where I left it, I see my armor design in its infancy. I’m not sure if its my amazing intellect or my determination, but I manage to get the basic structure and functions completed in about four hours. I send the first run to the cauldron to manufacture.


    The liquid within surges out and starts grabbing up the materials around it in small batches, the nanites cleanly slicing through the ingots and other materials like they are made out of Jello and tossing them into the cauldron.


    After only a few minutes a bottle about the size of a soda can is placed on the ground next to the cauldron.


    <That was quick.>


    It was also something very simple, so yeah.


    Reaching down I grab the bottle and use my augs to interface with the contained nanites. I immediately see the armor’s menu appear, full combat setting, and standby setting, as well as a few color options and the integrity of the nanites. Something like this, while very simple, could save a lot of lives.


    I wonder if I could make a civilian version for kids or something. I also don’t like that it just dropped it on the floor. Opening the cauldron’s menu I quickly design some basic shelves with cradles for the bottles. Within fifteen minuets I have several rows of purpose-built shelves. I then order up enough armor sets to fill the shelves.


    The cauldron bubbles to life on overdrive and starts grabbing resources by the ton and pumping out armor sets. With it set to craft mode, I feel accomplished being able to deliver the first sets of goods for the corp. And a nice fatty check along with it when the armor gets sold off.


    I would like to be able to make some emergency armor like this for kids, so in an emergency they could quickly put it on during an incursion but I don’t think the corp would want to fund some charity items like that. Also, I am more concerned with this ability for Antithesis to track Samurai by their AI chips.


    <Merlin, I think we need to capture an Antithesis to experiment on.>


    Oh? I’m guessing this is in regard to the tracking pheromone?


    <Exactly, I assume we could probably simulate the stuff but nothing beats the real deal. I want a few models, and some of the pheromones used to tag and track our chips.>


    I understand your reasoning but having live Antithesis is always dangerous and poses a risk.


    <I get what you''re saying but with any advancement comes a calculated risk. This facility is perfect for this too. Secluded, underground and fairly secure, and worst-case scenario we fill this place with fire and acid.>


    Let’s do it then, I can tell you are determined to do it so I will help how I can. In that regard I have a few suggestions that might help. There is a catalog for biological containment vessels. It has specially designed containment vessels for Antithesis that allow for safe and secure transport with little risk. They also keep them preserved in stasis until released for study.


    <That sounds perfect, how much for the catalog and the vessels?>


    The catalog purchase would be for its class I and II so, four hundred points and a token. Each containment vessel will cost fifty points.


    <That’s not too bad, let’s go ahead and purchase the catalogs. How large are the vessels? >


    Roughly the size of a softball


    Class I Portable Biological Containment Unlocked!


    Points reduced to: 5824


    Class II Portable Biological Containment Unlocked!


    Points reduced to: 5524


    Tokens reduced to: 2


    <If they are that small how exactly do they store something as large as a dog or whatever model it might be?>


    Simple really, they contain an extra-dimensional pocket that exists out of space and time so that anything stored in it remains in the same state that it was when it entered it.


    <That’s simple?>


    Yes? Compared to the tech levels that exist above Class II it’s basically a child’s toy.


    <Right, anyway I’ll buy a few when I need one before capturing something.>


    May I make a suggestion?


    <Considering that you love to make them regardless, sure why not?>


    Doing this alone could be dangerous why not turn your date into an adventure.


    <That’s actually not a bad idea!>


    Using my augs I dial up Devoy.


    “Hello, whatsup Mori?” Devoy said picking up the call instantly.


    “Don’t tell me you are canceling our date night?” He said sounding worried.


    “Not at all.” I replied “In-fact I was wondering if you would like to make it a bit more spicy! Merlin sent over some info earlier about the Antithesis tracking us.”


    “Yea, I reviewed it and I can see why it could cause some concern for us. Maybe even some panic for the less prepared Samurai.” He said.


    “Right, so I want to go out and capture some Antithesis so I can study them a bit and maybe figure out how to counter or even use this to seize an advantage.” I said, rapid fire with excitement.


    He laughed with his warm as honey voice. “Of course, that’s what you would want to do. Sure, lets go hunt down some Antithesis for our date. Where did you have in mind?” He asked.


    “Actually, I’m not sure but I figure… Oh! I have the tracking data from the Model Sixty. We could see where it went and maybe even get some of the pheromone samples and some of its minions.” I said.


    “Alright, and we can maybe even take it out. I’ve been doing some upgrades and have some new toys to test out. This should be fun!” He said matching my excitement.


    “Okay, let me consult the tracking data and I will come pick you up in, say, an hour?” I said.


    “That sounds great! Make sure to tell Hank, so he knows where we are, in case we get into trouble.” He said, sounding like a parent.


    “Yes, yes.” I said dismissively. “I’ll let him know when I know where we are going.”