this is crazy

[from_scratch]

Cam is watching a new recording of Atriama, tail swishing in the gap in his couch, and doesn't stop to pause the show when he feels a summons go by.

Comments

[from_scratch]

"Actually, me having an accurate read on things like when and whether you feel like crying is probably useful for your long-term plans."

[wormcan]

The Riley doesn't answer and goes back to work. The spare brain gets completely detached, and the tinker is a bit more careful moving the important one to the newly empty space.

[from_scratch]

Cam supervises in silence.

[wormcan]

Eventually the connections get severed and the original goes limp. "Can you seal up my head or should I do it?" Riley asks.

[from_scratch]

"I gotcha."

Cam puts the top of the skull back on.

[wormcan]

Riley sets down her tools and continues crying.

[from_scratch]

Cam begins flying towards Japan.

[wormcan]

Well at least he isn't insisting on talking to her.

They'll arrive without incident; there aren't a whole lot of fliers who hang out above the Pacific.

[from_scratch]

When they land, Cam says, "Any preferences for how I attach this to you?" and holds up the head in a jar.

[wormcan]

A ball and chain like in cartoons? A twenty-one foot pole? "Not really."

[from_scratch]

"If you don't usually sleep on your back or something I can just attach it to your spine, leaves your arms and legs free."

[wormcan]

"Sure."

[from_scratch]

"Turn your pain off."

And Cam fiddles with a vertebra until it is firmly attached to the jar brain.

[wormcan]

Toggling the existing upgrades still works. When the fiddling is done Riley is indefinitely down to normal.

[from_scratch]

Cam inquires after what else she needs to be comfortable, sets her up, notifies her that if the jar detaches from her spine and he's not authorizing it then boom, and then looks for biotinkers who would like to do a little contract work and can come up with a longer term Hatchet Face Brain solution. And emails the Elite a list of things that he's aware of which are illegal and not immoral, and the Protectorate the memberships insofar as he can produce them of the groups they had in mind.

[wormcan]

There are very few biotinkers, but keeping a human head alive indefinitely isn't that hard. Tinkers come out of the woodwork to compete with each other.

The Protectorate is probably making use of those names in some way that isn't immediately obvious, and Elite-occupied areas see a spike in crimes Cam doesn't object to.

[from_scratch]

When he has a design he swaps out the head on Bonesaw's spine for a more permanent model. Back to business as usual.

[wormcan]

If business as usual includes monitoring the Elite, he'll notice a distinct lack of decrease in the local rates of crimes he doesn't approve of. He can of course conjure any internal communication he wants, but all of it says most of their cells have been shutting down non-Cam-approved operations on schedule.

Clearly every city containing the Elite had a coincidental wave of illegal activity that exactly balanced out their recent change of heart. No other explanation is possible.

[from_scratch]

Cam thinks other explanations are possible. Would the Protectorate like to swat them? Would they like help?

[wormcan]

That depends on which them. The Protectorate is on good terms with some of the less criminal Elite and openly opposed to others. They would rather not swat the former.

Up until he shows them the full list of the Elite's activities. In several places the Elite had reputations as strictly business and strictly legitimate, but as it happens the second part was never true. Cue the war between the two largest parahuman alliances.

[from_scratch]

Whee. Cam helps. Mostly remotely; he sets up floating platforms so he can drop merchandise without worrying about intersecting important metropolis. If the Protectorate would like this merchandise to include tinkertech to go after Elite with he won't say boo. Bad Elite.

[wormcan]

Only mostly. More so now that they've dropped the facade. Exposing the Elite turns into an ongoing headache for the heroes on the other side of the Pacific, but they're gradually winning.

[from_scratch]

Good for them.

Cam returns to his more customary business.

[wormcan]

Upgrading technology, enriching the world, rebuilding countries from the waves up... These are pretty good customs to have. Much better than most capes, for multiple reasons.

In short order Tokyo looks like a functioning 22nd-century city, with the addition of tightly controlled capes.

[from_scratch]

Which means Cam can spread out his attention a little more. He was already doing a lot of overseas commerce, but in broad strokes - you don't need to be a particularly decent individual to be trusted with a hepatitis vaccine. He checks up on people real carefully for anything else, now, but he goes looking.