Machine Man (serial)

“There are actually two Repositories now,” said Cassandra Cautery. The lab assistant wheeling me down the corridor was one of the tallest people I had ever seen, but Cassandra Cautery had no trouble keeping up. She could really motor. “We outgrew the first one. We have so many parts now, Charlie. Not all entirely workable.” She threw me a glance. “Nothing ever goes perfectly the first time, right? But we can head straight there and see what takes your fancy.”

“Okay.”

“Or…”

“Or?”

She stopped. The beanpole pushing my wheelchair carried on a few steps before realizing, then backed up. We were at a junction, I realized: labs to the left, elevators ahead. “Or we could run you straight into surgery.”

I said nothing.

“Because the thing is, we have drugs.” She tapped her chin. It was almost as if this thought was just occurring to her now. But not quite. “Some very good drugs, which practically eliminate recovery time from major surgery.” She tilted her head. “Well. Eliminate. Maybe postpone is a better word. But you could be functional pretty much immediately.”

“Surgery.” I was being guarded. I liked the sound of surgery. I had been looking forward to it for a long time. I was just thrown by the idea of Cassandra Cautery wanting me to have it.

“It would open up our options. And it’s… well, what do you think?”

I said, “I think I’d like to see the Repository first.”

She blinked. “All right. We can do that. If that’s what you want.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“All right.” She smiled, as if this was totally fine. “Then that’s what we’ll do.” She started walking again. Just before the junction, she threw me a glance, to check I hadn’t changed my mind. But I hadn’t, and we turned left.

140.