"Calling it progenitor cells, they form a reasonably tough scab over the wound and speed up stem cell scaffolding to fix the damage in hours or days."

"Yeah, I'll take that one. Also the super-mitochondria and proteus healing. The anti-impact adipose tissue. And the bacteria destroyers. That's... ten, eleven with the experimental one?"

"I count nine or ten."

"...Right, let's say the chameleon package, color and muscle shape. Another one of my extra twenty-six."

"Seems like fun?"

"I enjoy my pranks," Lesya admitted, "And sneaking around places I'm not strictly supposed to be. Maybe I'll help test security a little."

Doctor Grammer smiled, "As long as you're here, you won't give anyone too big of a headache trying."

"Good, it's important to have a sense of humor. Okay, hearts? Or should we jump around?"

"It's reasonable to plan your highest priorities first, and I can tell you about incompatibilities or necessary boosts."

"Alright, brain, nerves, and psychic capacities. Speed lobe, backup brains, memberance lobe, synaptic multibraid, cognitive enhancer, precognitive encephalon, pinocchio brain, ordinator brain, cloud brain, and activemem upgrade, all for sure. That's... ten out of the usual six, and I'm not even done. Are we going to be pushing the limits, if I take fifteen of these?"

"Hmm... yes, pushing, but not breaking. It will need to spread out across at least a whole year and I expect the adjustment period will be highly unpleasant from side effects of the implants and compatibility drugs required to keep them from interfering, but I think you could get as high as sixteen without overwhelming your nervous system. Absolutely do not take anything experimental from the nervous, psychic, or sensory clusters, if you go past twelve."

"What's there which is experimental?"

"A secondary brain which is nearly a full copy, at the spine's base. A mind-reading shield which is comprehensive enough to hide things from yourself under torture. Psychic abilities... a false mind, and while the teleport lobes and emergency overlap-triggered redirector are well-established, the sensory improvement and shield against hyperspace entity interference are still experimental. and it's not terribly safe without them."

"Attractive, but one or two of those isn't worth losing four brain enhancements. Sensory experiments?"

"A radio antenna integrated as a new sense, an additional rear-facing eye that tracks movements, and a dizziness-proof balance organ for high-speed precision. Oh, and combining improved visual clarity, infrared/ultraviolet, and telescoping vision together in one eye is experimental, but each pair is well-established."

"...That combination does sound tempting. And the radio. But I think I'll go to fourteen and see if I need to cut back later."

"Alright. What were your other picks for neural modification?"

"The biomonitor, the sensorium comprehension, and... I want the pre-firing and velocity nerves and the sensory postproclets. And the sleep organ. Damn. Alright, skip the nerves, unless those're safe to add on to the cluster without increasing strain."

"...I'll have to talk with the cognitive surgery specialist. Possible."

"Pencil them in, then. And... keep the post-processing and sleep reduction. Fourteen, maybe sixteen."

"Psychic abilities, then? Or sensory?"

"Extra-sensory, first. Generator, obviously. I'm not too tempted by the direct weapons like telekinesis. The psychokinetic energy shield, the ESP lobes... is the neural snare the best defense against hostile telepathy we have?"

"That or the chaff generator. Though two of the experimental implants are improvements in many ways, especially if you want to go unnoticed."

"Ah, well. There's a note that telepathy requires extensive outpatient care to manage? Still taking it, to be clear."

"Yes, in addition to a couple years of medication, psychotherapy and training for about five years are very, very strongly recommended."