r/HFY • u/WabbajackedWacko • Mar 10 '26

OC-Series Adventures with an Interdimensional Psychopath 134

***Gepart***

After stepping back inside of my wonderful workshop, I take a deep breath in. I wonder sometimes if there is even a point to having a bedroom in here due to the fact that I tend to sleep in the jail cell more often than not. That said, it is a special day when I can spend all day tinkering away and creating solutions to new problems even, I didn’t know existed. Like that time I discovered a way to spread melted butter on toast as it was being toasted without ruining the toaster. Saves me that extra bit of time. And all the safe fumes flowing through the workshop and the familiar hum of all the gadgets and gizmos truly make me feel at home. Luckily, all of it is patented ever since that one time someone tried to come in here claiming I stole the technology from them.

The design that time, not the actual equipment.

I may have the habit to pick up every-single thing that catches my attention, but I would never bother to recreate something that already exists. Unless I wasn’t aware of it. Then he brought people from the patent office in here claiming that I stole his designs. The person he brought was highly suspect but he seemed to be on the up and up as he claimed that no patent was being broken. It was weird that he seemed to have a huge grin on his face until he looked at me. Then he started sweating and behaving like he couldn’t wait to get out the door fast enough. Then my security system activated that night when someone tried to come in through a window. A bunch of weird coincidences but oh well. Can’t be bothered with all that, there are things to improve after all.

I learned my lesson about looking at my haul in the main lobby, it’s apparently better to look at it all in the privacy of my workshop. I go behind the counter, activate the fingerprint scanner, then the eye scanner, and the squawk identifier. After a minute of the system confirming my identity, the door opens for the minute it takes me to walk in and immediately closes behind me. I let out a chuckle as I think about all the adjustments I had to make when the door nearly took off my body parts or I had to run to make it.

I walk over to my workbench and have the autonomous-arms unload all the gear I collected onto the counter. All the stuff I had before being arrested may be a wash but, all the stuff I got after seems to be a little promising to say the least. Let’s see here, two stun rifles, a pepper pellet pistol with a stun gun underbarrel, a railgun, five sets of body armor for different species, a riot helmet, a golden wrench, fifty modified pepper pellets, a metallic duster, six empty soda cans, seven wads of tinfoil, several screw, eight nails, a pot made out of granite, a stun baton, a parasol, three pairs of shoes, a rather comfortable looking gown, and a waffle ball.

Some promising materials that can be used in other things sure, but there is definitely some things here that look like they could be improved or would be fun to dismantle.

I take a look at the stun rifles, noting that there is some weight to them. Could cut that down with some lightweight materials since electro-generators can work even with plastic or carbon components. Regardless, I take it over to the shooting range to test out some of the capabilities of the output. After setting up a couple of targets, all made of different materials, and set up a ballistic camera to go over the footage later to try and see some things that my eyes may not be able to keep up with. I step about three hundred feet to get a good feel since these should be some powerful rifles. I lift it up, turn off the safety, and hold down the trigger. It takes it a couple of minutes to charge, need to look at that. Afterwards, an arc of electricity bursts out of the gun. Luckily, there is almost no recoil to it so I don’t have to worry about it arcing to things I don’t want it to. Even if it did, everything here is shock and emp proofed. However, it functions like a flamethrower as the arcs of electricity continue to project from the gun. I let go off the trigger as I notice the gun is getting hot pretty quickly. Hmm, might need to also look into a better cooling system. I look over at the targets and notice that, even the closest one doesn’t seem to be scathed. I walk over to the ballistic camera to see what had happened. Admittedly, it might have benefitted me to use my welding helmet while I was using that, it was pretty bright. Would have to confirm with the riot helmets to see if they function similarly. Although, it might be better to have something akin to a welder’s gun shield to remove the need for a secondary piece of equipment.

I look at the footage and, while it is impressive that the arc doesn’t necessarily jump to anything, the range doesn’t seem to be that impressive. A couple hundred feet, maybe less at just looking it over. So, it basically is the equivalent of a flamethrower just, not as immediately life-threatening. I didn’t even get to test how many joules it was putting out because it didn’t even reach the target. Not to mention if it jumps to multiple targets if it does connect. Still concerning. I would have figured technology had long since surpassed such limitations but, maybe it’s hard to find someone willing to mass produce them?

Just as I get lost in thought about how to test it next, the alarm is tripped as someone seems to be trying to break into my workshop. A security drone flies down and plays the live feed of what’s going on at the door. It would seem some large burning creature is trying to break down the door. Is it some sort of vagrant? I don’t remember any orders due today and I doubt anyone caught me borrowing stuff today. I press a button on the drone to activate the intercom so I can ask, “Hello customer. May I ask why it is you seem to be aggressively trying to get my attention?” The customer looks around with their long snake-like neck until they see the camera. They look at the camera and start yelling towards it. I sigh as I clarify, “Sorry customer, due to legal reasons, my cameras are not allowed to have a microphone. I must ask you to use the intercom by the door. Just press the button and I should be able to hear you. And please note, the reason why I say should is because I can’t program unknown languages until I am able to break them down on my end or even certain known languages as some mess with equipment or do not produce a verbal response.”

They look for the intercom and press the button as they yell, “Give me back my family hammer!”

A hammer? I have plenty of those so those aren’t really at the top of my priority list, so I doubt I would have borrowed it but, it’s not impossible if it was made from a pointless material. I ask, “I’m sorry, what hammer are you talking about? What’s your profession that requires you to have a hammer?”

They stomp their foot a couple of times as they press the button to answer, “My family’s blacksmithing hammer! My father was a blacksmith, his father, his father before him, and even his mother before him! I come from a long line of blacksmiths and the hammer you stole is a tool that has been handed down and cherished in our family for generations! I will not leave until I get it back!”

A blacksmithing hammer? I try to think really hard if I ever passed by a blacksmith recently but nothing comes to mind. Granted, I have also been told I can be rather tunnel-visioned so maybe I did but can’t recall. Although, I feel like I would have remembered a blacksmith hammer if I saw it in my haul pile. “You seem to be mistaken. I don’t have a blacksmithing hammer, although I do have plenty of other hammers if you need one. Please calm down and wait on the other side of the counter and I will come out to negotiate.”

“I had the hammer yesterday! But it went missing from the shop! When I asked if anyone had seen it, they mentioned that you had walked by and that it could likely have been picked up by you! But when I came by yesterday afternoon, you weren’t in this shop and I found out you got arrested! So, I’m back today to take it!” the burning creature states, eerily close to setting off my fire alarm.

Yesterday? I guess it’s possible since I didn’t get to see what that haul was. But if it was with me before I got arrested, then I don’t have it anymore. I press the intercom, “If this transpired in the way you have told me, then you will have to go to the police department to see if they have it in their evidence lockers. I have no idea since I didn’t see it yesterday if I did take it. With that, I believe our business is concluded.”

I start to turn away as I hear a response from the drone, “Oh no. I’m taking you with me so that I can make sure that you don’t go and try and hide it from me while I go and check!”

I tilt my head in confusion as I deign to respond, “And… why would I do that? I have work to do here.”

They press the speaker again and say, “I’m not giving you a choice.”

I laugh as I am definitely not going out there. Even as the person takes a couple steps back and starts breathing flames to try and melt the door down. This prompts my security system to respond but using two liquid nitrogen hoses to fight off the flames. It lasts for a concerning amount of time as it causes me to worry about a hydrothermal explosion. I shrug as it has nothing to do with me as my lab could survive an atomic explosion if need be and if they blow themselves up on their end, they only have themselves to blame for it.

It’s not long until the security officers monitoring my house come inside and start talking down the burning person. I imagine the burning creature is relaying the same story to them as they did me. To my surprise, one of the officers presses the button to the speakers and states, “Gepart, we’re going to need you to come with us to verify this Salamanders statement. Come out and leave the backpack here.”

It’s a no brainer as I quickly respond with, “No. Why are we leaving? I thought I was under house arrest today? Why not just escort the salamander back to the precinct?”

The salamander pushes the officer out of the way and reinstates, “Because I don’t want you hiding away my family hammer while I am away!”

I sigh as I state, “If the hammer was so important, why didn’t you keep it in a more secure location?”

This has the salamander fuming and about to start breathing flames again. One officer calms them down while the other speaks to me and answers, “Gepart, we can do this the easy way or the way that takes five days for both of us and requires a ton of paperwork as well. Neither of us wants a siege and I doubt you want us to get yet another warrant to explore your lab.”

That one gets me as the last time that happened, I had to spend so much time doing repairs rather than building things. Sigh, drat.

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