The Tattoo Summoner [System Apocalypse]

Chapter 2: The Fixer


The door creaked as Tanya stepped out.

The woman stopped mid-step, leg hovering mid-poking something long-dead with her boot. Her head snapped up. For a moment, the two just looked at each other.

Then, suddenly, the woman grinned wide. "Ah! Hello! You are living one!" she said, her voice thick and cheerful, every vowel round and bouncy like it had travelled through several vodka shots before reaching her mouth. Her accent had an Eastern European twang. "Is good! Is very good. I do not like talking to corpses, they are terrible listeners, eh?"

She laughed, deep from her belly.

Tanya blinked. "Uh, yeah. I'm alive." She was careful not to say 'we.'

Tanya's finger twitched, thinking about summoning Assistant. She didn't think she needed to yet, but she bent her knees more just in case she needed to run.

"Excellent! Oh! This your street, yes?"

Tanya glanced around, both from suspicion of the quiet and because she hadn't seen this far out the door when she wasn't fighting. The street was the same all the way down—broken or boarded windows, cars parked across the road, and she even thought she spied a couple of human bodies. One was inside a car, and another through a dirty window.

"Yeah, it is."

She wondered if the woman was sizing her up. Maybe she should have said no. She didn't want to be seen as the guy to be taken down around here or anything.

"Well then, I ask your permission for gear," the woman said, bowing slightly. "Bits and bobs from cars, yes? I can trade if need."

Tanya took a cautious step forward. "What you buildin'?" Tanya tried to assess her—late thirties maybe, or just the kind of person time gave up trying to track. Her coat was a Frankenstein mess of pockets, cables, metal pieces repurposed as armour, and at least one car radio duct-taped to the sleeve.

The woman lifted up her arm. It wrapped around the whole limb with metal, microwave sized. It was mostly different shades of steel, but there was a section painted red that had a bump that looked just like a wheel rim. With the hole where her fist would be, it looked like a cannon, and Tanya was staring straight into it.

She dived out of the way.

"No, no," the woman said, jerking it back to her side. "This is Olga." She patted the side of the cannon affectionately, but was careful not to raise it again. "Olga is... little moody, but very loyal. Like auntie's schnauzer." She smiled, and it lit up her entire face. "Oh—she bark sooo good."

Tanya walked back to face her, watching warily. The woman followed Tanya with her eyes, the same content expression Tanya had seen since the start of their conversation.

"Can I show you?" the woman asked.

Curiosity got the better of Tanya. "Uh, yeah, I guess." She shuffled to one side. "Just, maybe don't point it at me, yeah?"

"Noted!" She tossed a braid behind her back and pressed a button on the side. With a whirr-click-clunk that sounded like a car trying to become a blender, the device unfolded, extending over her arm in a web of moving parts, wires, and something that might've been an old lawnmower blade.

Tanya flinched instinctively.

"Ah, no no! Is okay!" the woman said quickly, waving her arm around. "Is only on demo mode. No boom. I show you!"

She spun in a slow circle, the huge cannon swinging haphazardly like a child playing aeroplane. Tanya ducked, even though the woman was a few feet away.

"You're gonna brain someone with that thing," Tanya said.

"Pffft! Is only minor braining," the woman replied. "They will live. Probably."

Tanya exhaled, unsure if she was relieved or more terrified. "What's your Class?"

"Ah!" The woman puffed out her chest proudly. "I am Mecha-Combatant. Is very prestigious, very rare. You see, I fight and fix things—sometimes while fighting! Once I replaced car battery mid-battle. True story."

Tanya didn't know whether to laugh or run—but for now, at least, the mecha woman didn't seem like an immediate threat. She let herself relax slightly, crossing her legs and releasing the tension in her arms.

"I'm a Tattoo Summoner," Tanya offered.

"Tattoo like skin art," The lady said. She looked above Tanya's head at the shop. "Ah! Your shop, yes? You do tattoo?"

She said it as a question, but moved on swiftly, and Tanya expected she wasn't meant to answer.

Narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips, the woman said, "Summoner. What is Summoner?"

"Like, uh, bringin' to life?" Tanya offered. "It comes off me skin and seems real."

"Show me," the woman said, studying Tanya's arms. It would have sounded commanding coming from anyone else, but not her.

Tanya considered for a second. Showing Assistant would lose her the element of surprise if she needed it, but the aim had always been to de-escalate, not fight. It didn't stop her feeling of unease, though.

She focused on the tattoo on her arm and felt the pulse of it awakening. Assistant flexed, multiple fingers appearing at once, and the woman gasped excitedly. With a single scrabble, Assistant was free and twisting this way and that in the air beside her, looking for the threat.

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"This is Assistant," Tanya said.

The woman clapped both hands to her cheeks with a metallic clunk—her gauntlet smacking against the side of her face with zero self-preservation. "Ooooooooh!" she squealed. "You make floating hand! Is like ghostie! Look at it! It even has little fingers!"

She leaned in, squinting at Assistant like it was a museum exhibit. Assistant hovered between them, tilting slightly in midair as if unsure whether to flee.

"Is it smart?" the woman asked, eyes wide. "Can it make soup? Can it hold flashlight while I fix things in tight corner?"

"It's... helpful," Tanya said carefully. "An' yeah, It's sentient." Assistant ducked behind Tanya, gripping the sleeve on her shoulder and peeking round.

The woman straightened abruptly. "I must have one."

Tanya blinked. "What?"

"You sell tattoo in shop, yes? I want floating hand. I will trade you three hubcaps, one anti-freeze funnel, and..."she began patting down her coat. "Ah! Half a fan belt! Used, but reliable."

Tanya stared.

"Is not enough? Fine. Fine. I will also fix things in shop." She gestured to the parlour. "I am genius with fixing things. Ask anyone—except Boris—but Boris is idiot, so who cares what he says?"

Tanya let out a short, surprised laugh before she could stop herself. "You're serious?"

"Always!" the woman beamed. "Except when I am joking. But this—this—I mean it. Tattoo me. I will be your best mechanic friend."

Tanya couldn't help the smile tugging at one side of her mouth. This woman, who may have just stepped over corpses to rummage through wreckage, was somehow the most sincere person she'd met in weeks.

Tanya gave a low, disbelieving chuckle and shook her head. "What's your name?"

"Ah! Yes! I am Olena." She stood straighter and knocked her metal fist to her chest with a clang. "Fixer of broken, keeper of Olga, and lover of shiny things."

Tanya nodded slowly. "Okay, Olena. Let's say I could give ya one. What exactly would you use it for?"

Olena looked like she had been waiting her entire life to answer that question. "To slap people from across room."

Tanya burst out laughing and Assistant crept onto her shoulder properly with curiosity. "Right. Of course."

She didn't quite trust Olena—but something about her was infectiously earnest.

"It doesn't have to be a hand, ya know," Tanya said.

Olena narrowed her eyes. "What else?"

Tanya scratched the back of her neck. "I mean, I haven't done much yet, but I think anythin' simple enough for my Vitality."

Olena squealed. "I want another Olga—no wait—magic tool kit—no wait—car. Could you make car or is car too big? Oh! Boris has monster-dog—can I have monster-dog?"

Tanya grinned. She had a feeling any tattoos with Olena would be very fun indeed. A gust of wind blew past Tanya and she was suddenly very aware they were still out in the open. She'd make this fast.

"Uh, Olena, have you made any Pacts yet?" Tanya asked.

"No, what is Pact?" she replied.

"It's like a promise. Before I let ya into my shop, I want a way of knowing you won't hurt me. Does that make sense?"

Olena rubbed her jaw, eyebrows furrowed, as if paying deep attention to the conversation change. "Hm, yes, sounds entirely reasonable." She held out the hand encased in the canon, then realised and stared at it. The metal clunked back off her hand in three steps. "I promise you, then you promise me, deal?"

Tanya nodded. She stepped forward and her heart lurched as she took the woman's hand. Olena grinned and gave it a firm shake.

Olena looked around. "Did we do it?" she asked. "Make Pact?"

Tanya laughed. "Not quite yet. Ask your System how to do it."

Olena huffed and crossed her arms. "No, I don't like her."

Tanya blinked slowly. Who the hell was this woman? "Do you know your number? If ya do, then we can do it without asking her." Tanya told herself it was only a lie by omission. Technically, the System was doing it, but it was true that she wouldn't need help with instructions.

A glazed-over look overcame Olena's eyes.

Okay, that's good. She isn't ignoring her Interface, just not talkin' to it.

"I am 57,865," Olena said. "Now what I do?"

"One sec," Tanya said, opening her own interface to look busy. She could talk to The System without, but it made it look less suspicious.

System, I wish to use a Restricted Question to hear everything you can tell me about what a Pact is and how they work.

Words flurried over her vision, spilling further and further down until she felt a little dizzy. She was pleased by the amount of response, but she couldn't read it all now, so she really hoped this would work.

System, is there anything I need to do to make sure that a Pact both protects me and doesn't screw me over. Summarise please.

A Pact is both set by its intention and wording. They are made to hold you to your own interpretation of the words you say.

To protect both yourself and others, you should:

Make sure that your words cover the promise you wish to convey.

Set clear expectations with anyone setting a Pact with you.

Consider any alternate meanings that your words may convey and clarify them. Any non clarified points will be filled in by your subconscious.

Tanya paused as she took that in. That…actually wasn't too bad. She was relieved that it would make it a lot harder for someone to use them against her by forcing specific words. Her mind shifted to Adder, and a shiver ran down her spine. His intentions were entirely unknown to her, and she didn't know how aware he was of how he could use intention to shape the Pacts. She considered digging further, but for now, she didn't need to get the upper hand in this deal. Wanting not to hurt Olena was genuine.

"Alright, done. I'll show ya me makin' one, then you can, yeah?" Tanya focused on the idea of allyship, but one where she could defend herself if needed. "I, number 10056, pledge to 57865 that I will not harm them in any way I can control. This will be broken if they harm me first." She imagined a few scenarios, trying to shape the meaning to be both physical harm, like attacking, emotional harm, like threats, or indirect harm, like passing on information knowing it would lead to harm.

"Then I think about what those words mean," Tanya said after a moment. "It's like trying to make a thought-out promise."

"I see it!" Olena exclaimed. "It's in a new section called Pacts!"

Tanya paused, wondering whether to say. "And, uh, if you wouldn't mind saying somethin' about harmin' my allies too, I'd appreciate it."

Olena's mouth formed a little 'o'. "There are more of you? I can't wait to meet them!"

Tanya awkwardly smiled. This strange Pact stuff reminded her far too much of the legal back and forth the one time she'd gone to court to protest a huge parking ticket. She'd been told the parking spot came with her flat, and the fines had been delivered to the wrong neighbour. By the time she knew, it was months later.

Olena furrowed her brow. "Say again?"

It snapped Tanya out of it. They repeated it back and forth a few times, practising. Tanya had been worried about saying the whole thing previously, in case it made the Pact early. She was glad that with the intention aspect, that wouldn't be a problem.

Olena nodded. "Okay, I'm ready. I, number 57865, pledge to 10056 that I will not harm them or their allies on purpose. This breaks if they harm me."

Tanya checked her Interface and there it was.

• • •

Number 57865

Olena

Pledges not to harm 10056 on purpose.

• • •

Tanya noticed a couple of things now that she was looking at a Pact with the new information. First, it didn't mention Olena's surname. She wondered if that was information it showed when she knew rather than gave her. She also realised that Olena's intentions weren't clear. She focused on it, seeing if it would open. Nothing happened.

System, can I see the intentions of Pacts made about me?

Insufficient Ability to perform inspection.

Tanya sighed. That really wouldn't help things with Adder.

"You okay?" Olena asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Wanna go meet the gang?"

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