Storefront Name: Inkspike
Location: Jerem Plaza at Port Ol'val, just around the corner from Bright Solutions
Description
Inkspike is a tattoo, cybernetics and body modifications shop and clinic at Port Ol’val. It is located at Jerem Plaza, not far from Bright Solutions. The “Spike” sells, installs, and maintains all manner of cybernetic augmentations, legal and illegal, mainstream and fringey, providing body alterations to suit whatever one might need or desire.
Upon entering Inkspike you are likely to be greeted by Hezao, the Mirialan tattoo artist. The front of the store doubles as both tattoo parlor and augmentation showroom. A small counter holds display monitors, and behind it, scores of datapads are lined up on shelves, containing an innumerable collection of tattoo designs from cultures and customs that span the galaxy and history. Hezao also has his own original designs, and loves to be challenged by a client’s custom ideas. The inking happens right there, in a clean and organized nook with a chair that unfolds into a bed. Many of Port Ol’val gang initiations pass through Inkspike, with inductees getting their gang markings from Hezao before heading to get drunk at the Lucky Lekku.
The storefront also has mannequins and displays showcasing the most usual cybernetics, from hands to augmented hearts. If that’s what you’re shopping for, Hezao will gladly call out for his husband Vyktor to come meet you.
The front of Inkspike shows only the basic augmentations, but once you step into the larger and cluttered back room, Vyktor’s domain, you’re treated to the full augmentation stock. Rows of shelves and boxes littered with cybernetic limbs, augmentations for the eyes, brain, skeleton, nervous system — just tell Vyktor what you want to do better, and he’ll prescribe the hardware for it. The augmentations range from the legal and tested products to untested prototypes and black-market parts. The cybernetics artist advises on all of it, and if you want to ignore his warnings about untested products, he’ll happily oblige. Surgery to install the augmentations is done in the back of the store.
The Owners
Both Hezao and Vyktor are quite friendly. Hezao is a male Mirialan in his mid 30s, and his yellow-green skin sports many of the geometric tattoos his people are known for, interwoven with designs from different planets and cultures all seamlessly blended together. Hezao is fascinated by graphic arts and patterns, and can usually recognize the origin, meaning, and style of most symbols.
Vyktor Dav is a male Human in his 40s, with tanned skin and a balding hairline. A retired bounty hunter, by the way he tells it, he wasn’t very good at it. After losing his hand on his very first job and getting it replaced with cybernetics, he just couldn’t stop. All of Vyktor’s limbs are now cybernetic, with mismatched styles and metals, with hidden features geared to both mundane and combat needs. He is quick to assure clients that he is a MUCH better “aug doc” than he was a bounty hunter.