"Chip fully functional. Ready to go online." Tandy said. "Please, lie face down. See the handles on the side of the stretcher? Rest your hands there. Don't worry. We only make an incision when we replace the chips. It's not needed for this." Mer took a breath.

"Deep breathing, Mer. Relax. It won't hurt. What will happen is that your brain will feel a little bit of a pulse. Barely enough to to make static on a doorknob. The pulse is the physical symptom of when the brain feels the extra processing capability. In essence, you get the ability to think faster, so you speed up a little mentally."

"Oh." Mer started to relax.

"That's good. Chip online. Running diagnostics. Chip is fully integrated. How do you feel?" Tandy asked.

"I didn't feel a thing."

"Some people don't. You've lived for a while with the interface, so your brain is mostly adapted to the increased speed you'll now have. Communications chip ready. Initiating start up. Chip online. Diagnostics initiated. Fully functional. Mer, try thinking about something you wanted to know." Mer frowned.

"Temperature in Siberia average is...holy shit! From minus nine Celsius to minus twenty one!" She looked shocked.

"Okay, now for the upload. Please sit still. Your chips will download some programs. Basic karate, military hand to hand, and jujitsu. As well as the standard loyalty software. This does not override your personal control of your body, but offers rewards for loyal thinking and behavior, as well as restricting access, and blocking the memories you've gained through the system for disloyalty." Tandy said. Mer stayed still. After a minutes. "Downloads complete."

"So quickly?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes, our system servers are located here, with boosters in various places. Your club is one of them. Now, installing loyalty software." Mer waited, then murmured softly as she felt some soft movements.

"Feels weird." She said quietly.

"It will feel strange, at first. The odd sensations only occur while the software is installed. After, it becomes a part of your own memory blocks. Combat programs unlocked. Now, you can use your physical body to practice what you now know, or, when you go to sleep, enter the construct. That is where you'll be able to practice using an avatar, and your body will think you've practiced physically." Mer felt warm as she smiled.

"Mer, you've just been given ten bonus points, and a reward for your loyal train of thought."  Tandy smiled, as both herself and Aya designed this part of the software.  "Bonus points can be used towards more advanced training methods in the future. Bonus points can also be exchanged on behalf of others. Such as, if you get a particular pet that pleases you well, you can purchase an internal collar system, that will not be a surface model, and the punishments will be negative emotions, while the rewards will be enhanced libido, enhanced pleasure centers, and the like. It can also purchase equipment you don't have access to now. Weapons, tools, or even vehicles."

"A system shop? You mean, like in the novels?" Mer asked.  Tandy chuckled.

"I guess it could be similar, but unlike those, you don't have to defeat monsters to get these points. Like the boss said, loyalty is her currency. To her, it is extremely valuable." Tandy watched the girl nod.

"That makes sense. Without the loyalty of my girls, we wouldn't survive. Me, or Leen, each rely on the loyalty of each member of our group."

"You can get up now, Mer. It's Leen's turn."

* * *

Aya watched as Leen and Mer practiced the moves from the karate program while they waited for Rem, and Kata. Each chip booted up seamlessly, and the programs were installed flawlessly.

The only real problem that occurred was when Kata's programs were installed. She started to cry.

"Kata, what's wrong?" Tandy asked, and noticed when the others stopped all movements.

"It was warm." She whispered. She tapped her forehead and sniffed. "Mom used to hold me when I was young. Before she got jealous." Jill went right over, and immediately folded her arms about the young woman's shoulders and held her while she cried.  It felt a little odd to Jill, as Kata was a big girl, tall and muscular, as well as one of the strongest members of the gang.

"It's just pent up stress, ladies." Tandy said gently. "No matter what society says, women are different from men, and sometimes just need a little bit extra to cling to. Once she adjusts, she'll be embarrassed, but she'll have no long term problems."

"We didn't think it was a problem, doctor." Mer said quietly. "We were worried about her. She had it just as rough as us, but in different ways. I had to run from my family or I would have been beaten to death to please a sadistic bastard. All of us have our stories. Kata is no different, nor is she softer then us." Tandy grinned.

"No one said she was softer. The boss can bend steel with her bare hands. She dissected the bastards who tried to hurt her family. Even as cold as she is, she has her moments of softness as well." Tandy said, and heard a grunt.

"Something to say, baby?" Tandy asked.

"No." She pouted.

"Then don't ruin your image with a pouty lip." Tandy turned her attention back to the group, and noticed how Leen frowned. "What's wrong, Leen?"

"How do we access the shop?" Leen heard her chuckle. "What?"

"The shop can only be initiated when you earn some points. Mer will be able to access the shop from within the Revenant Hotel, and from within the club, but no where else. I don't want others to try and hack the signals you use as they are still carrier frequencies. They can use a scanner to find it, even though their systems will be fried when they try. I just don't like possibilities. I should also mention that you earn points for being loyal in three different ways. Small amounts for loyalty to your club members. Slightly larger amounts for loyalty to the one above you, or someone else within the organization, like Jill, Danica, or myself. The highest amount comes from when you have loyal thoughts or actions towards the boss. You can't just think about it, Leen. It's the conviction you feel." Leen listened, and heard a prompt.

"Congratulations, Leen. Two points have been added to your account."

"All I did was think about how difficult it was. No, I also thought about how the others will enjoy the system itself. Rewarded for loyalty. Oh, not just thoughts, but the conviction behind them. It can't be manually triggered, but it works when it's unconscious thought." Leen nodded.

"That makes sense. No way to trick the system, or to farm it." Leen started to smile, then laugh, as when she thought it was a good thing that Aya had blocked the ability to farm for points, she heard a prompt within her mind.

"Congratulations, Leen. Another five points for loyal consideration of the boss."