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canon:ace30.1 [05/04/2026 14:51] – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1canon:ace30.1 [05/04/2026 14:51] (current) – ↷ Page moved from ace30.1 to canon:ace30.1 kkurzex
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 +======   INTERLUDE — Calibration   ======
 +
 +The safehouse hadn’t changed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +That mattered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Same walls.
 +
 +Same angles.
 +
 +Same imperfect alignment that didn’t try to correct itself.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Normal.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace stood by the window.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Watching movement below.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not tracking targets—
 +
 +----
 +
 +tracking flow.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai sat at the table.
 +
 +----
 +
 +The object—
 +
 +----
 +
 +resting in front of her—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not moving.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But not still.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy leaned against the wall.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +steady.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +For now.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V moved around the room.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not restless.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Checking.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Adjusting.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You’re going to need gear,” they said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t turn.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“We have gear.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V snorted quietly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Not for here.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That landed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t look up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Define.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V gestured loosely.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Local weapons. Interfaces. Stuff that actually connects to the system.”
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“And stuff that doesn’t scream ‘you’re not from here’ the second someone scans you.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t respond.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because that was valid.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy tilted her head slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air around V—
 +
 +----
 +
 +consistent.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You’re stable,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V blinked.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…I’m starting to think that’s a compliment.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai finally looked up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It is.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A short pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Then:
 +
 +----
 +
 +“We go.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No delay.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No debate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The object remained on the table.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +For a moment—
 +
 +----
 +
 +none of them touched it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Then—
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai picked it up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Carefully.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not to hold it—
 +
 +----
 +
 +to keep it from settling.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The market wasn’t organized.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +It didn’t need to be.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Neon bled across metal.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Voices overlapped without structure.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Everything moved—
 +
 +----
 +
 +but nothing aligned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Perfect.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace stepped into it without hesitation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The crowd adjusted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not consciously—
 +
 +----
 +
 +but instinctively.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Space opened.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That told V everything they needed to know.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Yeah,” they muttered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…you’re going to be a problem here.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai ignored the noise.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Her eyes moved—
 +
 +----
 +
 +tracking density.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Nothing locked.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Nothing resolved.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Good.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy exhaled slowly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +chaotic.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Alive.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“This place breathes,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V smirked slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yeah.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“On a good day.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +They stopped at a vendor.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No sign.
 +
 +----
 +
 +No branding.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just equipment.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Weapons.
 +
 +Interfaces.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Modded hardware that had been rebuilt too many times to count.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The vendor looked up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t greet them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t need to.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You buying or staring,” he said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t answer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai stepped forward.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Functionality,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The vendor paused.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Looked at her—
 +
 +----
 +
 +longer than necessary.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…You’re not local.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t deny it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“No.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The vendor shrugged.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Doesn’t matter if you pay.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That tracked.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V leaned slightly toward the counter.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“They’ll pay.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The vendor nodded.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Then what do you need.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t look at the items.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She looked at the system.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Compatibility,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Stability.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The vendor snorted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Pick one.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace stepped forward.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Both.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The vendor met her gaze.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +For a moment—
 +
 +----
 +
 +something in his posture shifted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Then—
 +
 +----
 +
 +he reached under the counter.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Pulled out a case.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Set it down.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“This is as close as you get,” he said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No explanation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No pitch.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai opened it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Inside—
 +
 +----
 +
 +cleaner.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +More deliberate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Interfaces that didn’t try to overcompensate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Weapons that balanced function—
 +
 +----
 +
 +and presence.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“This will work,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Take it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The vendor named a price.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +High.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t react.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She activated the interface.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Transfer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Confirmed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The vendor blinked.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Fast.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai closed the case.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Efficiency.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was enough.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +As they turned to leave—
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy paused.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +shifted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Subtle.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But wrong.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Wait,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace stopped immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Where.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy didn’t point.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She didn’t need to.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The object—
 +
 +----
 +
 +in Mai’s hand—
 +
 +----
 +
 +tightened.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not aligning—
 +
 +----
 +
 +reacting.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai’s gaze sharpened.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…That shouldn’t happen here.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V frowned.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…What shouldn’t.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t answer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because the answer was already forming.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Somewhere in the noise—
 +
 +----
 +
 +in the chaos—
 +
 +----
 +
 +in the unaligned mess of the market—
 +
 +----
 +
 +something had just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +for a fraction—
 +
 +----
 +
 +almost—
 +
 +----
 +
 +agreed.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace’s expression didn’t change.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Good,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V groaned quietly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…You really need a new word.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But no one corrected her.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because they all knew what it meant.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not relief.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not success.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +the next point
 +
 +where something
 +
 +was about to go wrong.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +And this time—
 +
 +----
 +
 +it wasn’t isolated.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +It was already
 +
 +inside the noise.
 +