Chapter 67: Maintenance

“I know, I know. Gently…” Chen waved a hand dismissively, his attention already refocused entirely on Svarog.

‘The interface…’he mused, his eyes scanning the inert mecha.’It’s usually near the main power source on the back, or by the core processing unit at the nape of the neck… but this is an old model…’

He approached the platform, standing on his tiptoes to get a better look at the junction between Svarog’s neck and shoulder blades. The area was covered by armor plates that followed her metallic curves perfectly, leaving almost no visible seams.

“Hidden quite well…”

Chen reached out, his fingers tracing the cold edges of the armor. He ran his hand along the smooth, polished surface, feeling for any imperfection. Suddenly, his fingertips brushed against a slight depression, a subtle change in texture that broke the otherwise flawless finish.

He stopped, his fingers hovering over the spot for a moment before pressing down firmly.

Click.

The crisp sound of a mechanism engaging echoed in the quiet room. A small cover plate popped open, revealing a complex data interface nestled within.

“Found it.” Chen’s eyes lit up with discovery.

He glanced back at Clara, who was standing by the entrance, so nervous she seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. Deciding against a lengthy explanation, he simply turned back to the task at hand and aimed his index finger at the newly exposed port.

“Access protocol simulation… matching… old model, compatibility mode initiating…” Chen muttered to himself, his gaze sharpening with an incredible, almost inhuman focus.

He gently guided his finger into the port.

A faint clicking sound emanated from deep within the interface as his fingertip and the port connected with perfect precision.

The analytical instinct he’d inherited from Herta activated automatically, processing information at a blinding speed. A torrent of data flooded his mind. He rapidly sifted through relevant code snippets and fragments of design blueprints, his brow gradually furrowing in concentration.

The old energy conversion module was severely worn, and the core instruction set was riddled with redundant bugs. It was a cascade failure, a chain reaction caused by simple hardware aging.

Then, just as quickly as it had creased, his brow smoothed over. An expression of deep understanding—the classic “I see”—dawned on his face.

‘Good grief,’he thought with a hint of amusement.’This thing isn’t broken; it’s just fallen into a state of utter disrepair. In the original game, that hulking hunk of iron could be fixed with a few good smacks and a bit of percussive maintenance. This version, though… she’s as delicate as a work of art. Fixing her is going to take some real effort.’

“I think I know where the problem is…”

His finger gently withdrew from the interface, and the small cover plate clicked shut, resetting automatically.

Chen turned around and met Clara’s expectant gaze with a reassuring nod. “I found the root cause. It can be fixed.”

A look of immense joy blossomed on Clara’s small face. But before she could even let out a cheer, Chen continued, his expression turning a bit more serious.

“However, it’s going to get a little noisy.” He gestured toward Svarog. “I need to temporarily remove a few non-critical external armor plates and protective covers.”

“This process… it might get a bit loud, and it involves some very precise work.” He then knelt, bringing himself down to her eye level. “It’s best if children don’t watch; you might distract me.”

He looked directly into Clara’s wide, earnest eyes. “Go and wait outside for a little while. Help me guard the door. Don’t let any person or machine come in to disturb me, okay?”

“I promise,” he said, his voice firm and gentle, “when you come back in, your Big Sister Svarog will be awake.”

Clara looked from the silent Svarog to Chen, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. She didn’t want to leave Big Sister Svarog’s side, not for a second. But Chen’s serious gaze, combined with the unwavering promise that Svarog would wake up, made her finally choose to trust him.

She nodded vigorously. “Mm! I’ll go guard the door! You have to fix Big Sister!”

“Go on,” Chen said, patting her shoulder encouragingly.

Clara walked out, glancing back every few steps, her small form disappearing as the heavy door slowly slid shut behind her.

Inside, only Chen and the motionless mecha girl remained.

Chen took a deep breath, flexing his fingers with a series of sharp cracks. A grin spread across his face—a mixture of a tech fanatic’s zeal and a certain mischievous anticipation.

“Alright, Big Sister Svarog… let’s begin.”

Outside the door, Clara pressed herself tightly against the cool alloy gate, her small hands nervously clutching the hem of her worn dress.

The sounds that erupted from within were like a small, contained hurricane of metal.

The high-pitched whine of an electric saw biting into armor plating, followed by the percussive clang of parts being dismantled. Strange, oscillating hums and the sharp crackle of arcing electricity filled the air. There were even moments that sounded like a fan spinning itself into a frenzy, followed by the distinct, dismissive clatter of something heavy being thrown aside. Every new sound made her little heart jump and tremble.

She bit her lip hard, desperately repeating a mantra in her head.

‘That amazing older sister is fixing Big Sister Svarog. She’s saving her… I can’t go in. I can’t disturb her… I have to trust her…’But the sheer violence of the maintenance noises was terrifying.’Big Sister Svarog… will it… will it really not hurt?’

Time stretched on, each second feeling like an eternity to the waiting Clara. It slowly slipped away, measured out by the continuous, almost brutal display of repair from beyond the door.

After what felt like a lifetime, all the noise inside came to a sudden, jarring halt.

Total silence.

Clara’s heart leaped into her throat. Was it over? Was it a success? Or…

Just as she was wound so tight with anxiety that she was about to bang on the door, it slid open with a silent, hydraulic hiss.

Clara looked up, her eyes wide with impatient hope.

On the central platform, the silver-gray mecha girl who had been standing so quietly was gone.

In her place sat a heavy motorcycle, all sharp, aggressive lines and gleaming silver paint. Its sleek frame shimmered with a cold, metallic luster. The front fairing looked sharp enough to cleave the wind itself, and at the rear, energy conduits pulsed with a soft, pale blue light.

It was, without a doubt, ridiculously cool.

“Sva… Big Sister Svarog?” Clara’s voice was a whisper of disbelief.

She froze on the spot, her little mind going completely blank. Only one terrifying thought began to sprout and grow wildly in the silence.

‘Did… did that amazing older sister dismantle Big Sister Svarog? Did she… fold her… into this cold iron thing?’

She stared intently at the motorcycle, and without warning, tears welled up in her eyes. They started as silent streams rolling down her cheeks, but soon turned into uncontrollable, hitching sobs.

“Waa!”

The moment the cry tore itself from her throat, Clara could no longer hold back. She stumbled forward, her small hands gripping the alloy railing of the platform so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her shoulders shook violently with the force of her weeping.

“Give her back… Give me back Big Sister Svarog! Change her back! Waaaa…”

She cried her heart out, tears and snot covering her small, devastated face. She was so lost in her grief that she didn’t hear a single word Chen might have been saying. All she knew, all that mattered in that devastating moment, was that her sister was gone—transformed into this cold, unfeeling vehicle that could never speak her name or look down at her with gentle eyes again.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]