Axel entered the lab again. At some point on the way he had cleaned the Reaper, which was slung over a shoulder strap at the moment. Once inside, the head scientist greeted him.

"Ah Axel! You're back!" He said, oddly enthusiastically. "We found out a bit about this 'sanitation' you called it." He said.

A coworker piped up. "Whatever is done to them kinda screws up their very DNA. There's not much hope of a cure. However, we did manage to get a coherent response from one of the subjects by using electrodes at his temples, but it was quite unpleasant for them. We stopped soon after." She said.

"Actually, that's great." Said Axel. "That means there is hope for at least a machine to help them."

"Perhaps." Said the lead scientist. "It's just a shame this can't be reversed."

"Actually, I got a new patient. Different situation, same problem." Axel said. "This time, the sanitation wasn't finished, I damaged the machine being used to do it before the process was done."

"You don't say?" The lead scientist said. "Please, let us see her?"

"Hang on, gotta check which room she was put in. She is still in control of herself, so reception wanted her in a normal room." Axel said.

One short call to reception later.

"Ok, they said she's in room 42-O" Axel said. "Feel free to go see her. Also, I have a rash theory that may work, but is risky." He followed up. "If you surgically implant a new ink sac, then that old, bad ink won't keep being produced." Axel said. "But it's again, risky."

"Very well, I'll write that down." The head scientist said. "Now, I suppose you'll want to start working right away on the mechanical cure?"

"Indeed." Axel said. "I shall leave you too it. Just, be careful with this patient, she means a lot to several very important people." He left on that note.

"Ah well, let's see this special case..." The head scientist said.

20 seconds later.

Axel was back in Shelldon's back room. The mountain of parts was now even bigger, as Axel drafted, redrafted, and continued to redraft a model that would work optimally. It was a daunting task, but of Axel was know for anything, it wasn't for giving up on people.

After over 9 hours of nonstop conceptualizing, Axel had a first draft. Building the thing was another matter all together.  Sheldon offered to help, and with the two together, they made the important parts in just 4 more hours. From there, Axel started building up a frame for the machine to cover up there many exposed wires, and after a single hour, he was ready to test it. He went back to the lab, nodded to the head scientist, and put the device, which looked like a flat version of his visor that wrapped all the way around, and with headphones built in, on one Octarian. The response was immediate.

"What? Where-where am I? Who are you? Who am I?" The Octarian slurred.

"You actually did it..." The head scientist said in surprise.

"I mean, I haven't gotten a good model yet." Axel said. "This thing has only a four hour battery life, and may have electrical shocks. Not to mention, I want to add a way for it to have abilities."

"Well, the concept works, whatever you did." The scientist replied.

"What are you... Talking about?" The Octarian asked, scared.

"We are trying to help you." Axel said. "And everyone else like you. I just need to perfect my machine."

The Octarian seemed to accept this, and fell back asleep, or into whatever excuse of 'sleeping' a sanitized oceanic had, as he clearly had his eyes open.

"Well, I'll leave that here. I'll be back as soon as possible, with the better model.

Axel returned to Shelldon's shop, and went back to drafting. Battery life was the big challenge, and because Axel was only a weapon specialist, he called up Rick.

Rick answered quickly. "Hey man, what's up? It's kinda late, no?"

"Yeah, but I got an issue." Axel said. "I'm trying to make this machine, but it needs battery life, and it can't give up on any of it's features."

"That is an issue, because those eat a lot of juice." Rick said, looking at the blueprints through Axel's eyescreen.

"The goal is 18 hour battery, but it only lasts around 4 as of now." Axel said.

"Let me come down there, and I'll get it to 36." Rick said.

"I'd love that thanks." Axel said. "But with a reasonable charging time?" He followed up.

"Good question." Rick said.

"That's... A meme isn't it?" Axel asked, silently cursing Riley.

"Well yes, but actually no." Said Rick.

Axel started internally screaming.

"But this is important." Axel said. "I'm overcoming mind control."

"Ah." Said Rick. "By the way I'm outside. Cash me outside how bout that?"

"Can. You. Stop. Please?" Axel said.

Rick came into the building. "Hmm. Na." He entered the back room. "But I'll help you with this first."

After 3 hours of work, Rick had boosted the battery life to 32 hours, and it could charge to full overnight while still on. Meanwhile, Axel had worked in abilities, somehow. He set the gear up as 2 stars, and took it down to Annie's shop when he was finished.

Rick left, waving over his shoulder and smiling. "Pleasure working with you dude!" He called.

"Same my guy." Axel replied. When he got to Annie's shop, he asked her if the gear would work. She inspected it.

"Well, it is 2 stars, and you can still upgrade it. But there are no attached abilities." She said.

"It's kinda a special case." Axel said. "But if I must, I'll put abilities in... How do I do that?"

"Here." Annie said. "I'll put on a run speed and special duration up, for now."

After a few minutes, she came out with the headgear. "Alright. It should be all set."

"Thanks Annie." Axel said.

"Oh, it was all Moe." She said. Somewhere in her tentacles, Moe might have grinned, but no one would know.

"Very well. Thanks, foul mouth fish!" Axel said as he left, laughing.

"I heard that you punk!" Moe shouted as he came out. "Get your tin can butt back here and I'll...!" He was cut off as Annie hastily put him back into her tentacles.

Axel returned to the lab again, and saw that the Scientists were talking to the awake Octarian, but has was having trouble staying collected. Axel approached him.

"Hey man." Axel said. "You uh, doing ok?"

The Octarian shook his head, starting to relapse.

"Hang on. I made a better one." Axel said, swapping out the headgears.

The Octarian convulsed for a moment, but then appeared very alert. He looked around, and clearer, more detailed questions started pouring from him.

"How did I get here? What happened to TarTar? What is this thing on my head?"

Axel and the scientists answered his questions to the best of their ability. Satisfied, the Octarian laid down again. This time, he slept peacefully.

"Well, it worked. I don't know what you did, or how, but it worked." The head scientist said.

"I'll bring in another for the other guy." Axel said. "I've got blueprints for it. Be back soon, and feel free to study the thing." Axel said. He left, but was back in only an hour with a second headgear. He left it with the clerk, and went home, exhausted from the amount of thinking it took for the rudimentary cure.