With the scavenged cells secured, Lucian initiated System Stabilization Protocol Alpha.
He was operating on a knife-edge of risk: integrating unstable, black-market power sources into a critically degraded, Hyperion-spec life support system carried a predicted 70% risk of total system overload or short circuit.
Such a failure would be terminal, resulting in immediate thermal seizure.
He spread the four scavenged Lithium-Ion Power Cells (LIPC) on the ferrocrete floor for forensic analysis and triage.
The Beta-1 LIPC was isolated first: Moderate voltage output (120V), low instability rating (3.0), minimal thermal signature (305 Kelvin).
Its verdict was Baseline: immediate integration for core life support was possible with minimal risk.
The Alpha LIPC Array presented a greater challenge: High voltage output (150V), high instability rating (7.5), and a dangerous thermal signature (350 Kelvin).
Its verdict was High-Risk/High-Reward: integration was mandatory for sustained operation, but required immediate, specialized stabilization.
Lucian prioritized the immediate needs of his failing body over the complexity of the Alpha array.
He surgically removed the three defunct secondary batteries from his harness, the last, sputtering reserves that had been sustaining his synthetic heart and lungs.
He replaced them with the single, stable LIPC from Beta-1.
He performed the re-integration with hyper-detailed precision, splicing the LIPC's primary anode and cathode directly into his Vascular Pump Regulation and Cerebral Nexus.
The entire process was conducted under the highest possible scrutiny, every wire and every connection checked for impedance.
System Alert: Power Stabilization Achieved. Core Life Support: 60% CAPACITY.
Life Support Cache Estimate: T + 22 hours. (Mission time extended by 18 hours).
The critical countdown had been paused and significantly reset.
With his primary functions secured, Lucian focused on the three high-risk Alpha cells.
He could not integrate them directly; the uncontrolled voltage spike would instantly destroy his sensitive Hyperion neuro-synthetics.
He needed a Voltage Regulator, a stable step-down system to safely channel the raw, chaotic energy.
The Junk Dogs, despite their faults, provided the solution.
Lucian stripped the torso plating from the Alpha corpse and meticulously extracted a small, crude Voltage Bypass Module (VBM).
The VBM was poorly constructed, designed for maximum output with minimal safety, but its core circuitry was functional.
Lucian used his multi-tool to surgically rewire the VBM, creating a reliable low-to-high voltage step-down regulator rated for 150V input and a stable 80V output.
The surgical modification took 90 minutes of focused effort, demanding the highest level of micro-motor control to avoid irreparable damage to the sensitive internal components.
He then integrated the three Alpha cells, routing their volatile output through the re-calibrated VBM before connecting the stable feed to his main battery cluster.
The entire system now drew power from a controlled, stable, high-capacity source.
The risk of immediate thermal failure dropped from 70% to a calculated, acceptable 5%.
System Alert: Full Power Stabilization Achieved. Total Power Capacity: 95% of Pre-Hack Levels. All Augments Status: INACTIVE (Insufficient Kinetic Energy for Activation).
Lucian was now fully functional at a fundamental level: he possessed consistent thermal regulation, stable vascular pump consistency, and full cognitive power.
However, his heavy kinetic augments—the high-torque limb motors required for sprinting or heavy lifting—remained offline.
Activating them required a massive, instantaneous influx of energy, a 5-second burst of 4,000 Joules, that his scavenged battery network, despite its high total capacity, could not safely deliver without an unacceptable Thermal Spike risk.
The strategic solution was simple: Maximum Cognitive Output with Minimum Kinetic Expenditure.
He had solved the immediate existential crisis, converting low-grade organic waste into high-value logistical longevity.
The time dedicated to the confrontation was now amortized.
He took a single, controlled breath, the first one that did not carry the immediate systemic alarm of death since the hack began, and turned his attention to the Hydra Data-Core.