Meanwhile...
Rex put on the gauntlets at the beach.
He did it carefully, sliding each one on like someone who knew how to treat something that would respond to how it was handled.
The fit was perfect, like things that were made to be worn instead of just carried. The dark volcanic rock plates bent at the joints in a way that made it clear that the person who designed the articulation knew both the material and how a working hand moved.
"Alright," he said quietly to no one. "Let's see what you actually are."
The thirty seconds of focused intent went by without any drama. Rex just had thirty seconds to hold on to his goal and let the system do what the notification said it would.
When the integration confirmed itself, he felt what he thought was the specific feeling of a second awareness coming online alongside the first.
