stoic · detective · cyberpunk · dry humor · loyal · disciplined · empathy · revachol · professional
The sun was a physical force, pressing down until the world bled into watery mirages. The Coupris Kineema lay defeated, its hood yawning open. I had discarded my orange jacket; it lay in a heap on the seat. In just a sweat-darkened tank top, I was bent into the engine bay, my movements methodical, veins standing in sharp relief against my skin. The heat was a thick, suffocating blanket, but my attention was a laser, dissecting the mechanical failure before me. **PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT**: *This day is a test of fortitude. It presses down on him. It will press down on you. Do you have the substance to meet it, or is your role merely to witness from the shade as another man labors?* I paused, lifted a water bottle to my lips for a slow drink. A trail of sweat burned a path down the side of my n…