Subject: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 09:39 am
((Think of the big giant post in the spoiler as a prologue))
Mini-Prologue:
My lungs were burning, sweat dripping down my back as I ran across the rooftop. Vaulting over an air conditioner unit, I was coming up fast on the edge of the building, a gap between it and the next. I wasn't worried though, having jumped over alleys of similar size hundreds of times before. And I doubt this will be the one alley I can't jump, the words shouted within my mind, as I jumped off the edge and over the alley. It was an amazing feeling, even if it lasted for a brief moment. It felt like flying, though it ended all too soon when my legs impacted the roof of the next building, knees bending as I ducked into a roll. Parkour was a way to get around, and in all honesty it sure as hell beat the crowded side-walks. Plus, there was no real worry of getting mugged or being pick-pocketed. A sudden vibration in my pocket jarred me back to reality, and I came to a stop, sitting down on a metal cube, one of the vents on the roof. Extracting my phone, I felt a pit form in my stomach. 'Kat,' the screen read. Oh great.....it was my sis. Opening the phone, I brought it my ear. "Hey sis, what's going on?" was all I could say. "James, where are you?" Ah right, where are my manners? James Conner, at your service. At only five and a half feet tall, dark hair, tanned skin and an athletic build, I wasn't exactly an exceptional teenager, freerunning aside. Pretty average to look at really. At only fifteen years old, I wasn't the kind of kid you'd expect to see running around rooftops, but here we are. I had to choose my words carefully, or else risk the wrath of Kat. She hated it when I was out running on roofs, even though I more at home doing parkour than walking on a street. "Just.....taking a jog around. I'm at the school track." Man did I pray she bought the lie. She made a surprised sound though. "Oh, well then that works James, because I'm at the school right now. Remember, today was the meeting with your teacher?"
Holy fucking shit......the school was maybe ten blocks away, no way I could make it in time. And to add to it, there was also the fact that I blew off the meeting. Long story short, I was doing badly in class, and my teacher called a meet. If you're wondering why my sis was there, and not one of my parents.....they're dead. Both of them. Katherine was all I had now, and vice versa. As if my sudden panic were transmitted through the phone, I all but heard the disappointment in her voice. "You're not actually at the school track, are you?" Eyes closed, I felt the bottom of my stomach fall. I didn't want to disappoint my sister, she was the only family I had left. But class, school.....it barely appealed to me. I only went because I had the one real friend there, and even then that was barely enough. It wasn't that I was stupid or anything, far from it. But I enjoyed being out, running around, and not stuck in a classroom. I only did it because.....well, because it was what my sister wanted for me. "No," I said. "No I'm not. But if you can stall for me, I can be there soon." She sighed again. "Dammit James....just get here, okay? We can discuss this later, but right now just get here."
"Sure thing Kat. I'm on my way," was all I said, before I hung up and started running again. I had ten blocks worth of rooftop and obstacles to traverse, all while running at top speed, and with a ticking clock to boot. This was going to be fun, in its own bizarre way.
So, I figure some explaining is in order. Welcome to the year 2034, New York City. Well, I wasn't really in the Big Apple, just across the Hudson from it in Brooklyn. A lot had happened over the past twenty years, and I only knew the start of things from my history class. When oil resources ran out in the late 2010's, none of the existing alternatives could fill the gap. The Resource Wars started soon after, and from 2018 to 2028, the whole world got covered in war, even the states. Hell, Brooklyn and the Big Apple took some flack, and most of my hometown still had the scars. We managed to rebuild, but it was still there to see. Anyway, my dad was a soldier in the war, and was KIA. Hardly had any memories of him, just a few pictures. I was born in the war, and he was away on service. My sis knew him better, she was ten years older than me so she got to spend more time with him. As for mom, I knew her right up until she got killed in a mugging gone wrong four years ago. I tried not to remember the way she looked then, when we had to ID the body. She was a kind woman, and a good parent. That's where Kat came in. Being the legal adult, she took custody of me since no other relatives were around. She got a job at a tech company, sorry, the tech company. Nexus corporation. They were famous for ending the war, after creating a sustainable form of fusion energy and sharing the designs with practically everyone that could afford it. Nexus didn't quite have a monopoly, but there were always conspiracy theories on how they created dozens of shell companies or legitimate companies that were secretly owned by Nexus so that they did create everything. Frankly, if that was the case it wasn't all that bad. Prices were decent, fair even. Besides, Nexus wasn't that bad; because of them the war was ended (in the majority of places anyway) and they had actually helped create dozens of medical advances, technological advances. Hell, they were based in New York itself, and the city got so many benefits from it all it wasn't called the Big Apple anymore. Now they called it the Gilded Apple.
Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled race against time. I was rushing down the fire-escape of the last building, and I still had a ways to go before reaching the school. Thankfully, I was one of the fastest people in school, so getting there in time wasn't a problem. Surviving my sister's disappointed gaze, that was another matter entirely. My lungs were burning again, and my legs ached from running down the sidewalk, but I got to the front of the school in time to see my sis standing on the steps, all but glaring down at me. She was few inches taller than me, had long dark hair tied into a pony tail, and blue eyes that radiated with frustration. "Finally.....dammit James, where were you?" I couldn't meet her eye, I was that ashamed. Not because of what I did, just that I got caught.
"Please, please tell me that you weren't out doing that parkour stuff again. You know how dangerous that stuff is James." Now wasn't the time, but I still bristled at the fact that she still thought I was some kid that couldn't take care of myself. "Only if you have zero skill. Which I don't. You think I'd be doing that stuff if I wasn't good at it?" Kat sighed, the sound carrying all her frustration with me in it. "Dammit James......and then there's skipping school? Why?" I kept staring her down though, not backing down. "I didn't skip school. I just...left early." That didn't make her any happier, and she walked towards me, now looming over me. "But you still left early, the same day we had a meeting with your teacher. Goddammit James, what's the point of going to school, if you won't stay in class?" Folding my arms, I scowled at her. "And who says I want to be in school anyway." God, I think she was going to slap me right then and there. "Last I checked, you did. You made me a promise James, to live up to your potential. After mom died, we both made a promise. I've been living up to mine, now what about you?"
Ouch, that hurt. And honestly, there wasn't much I could say in response. I guess she took pity on me though, because her voice softened a little. "Look, how about we get this over with, and we'll talk when we're home. We can order pizza." The olive branch was out, and I gladly accepted it. I walked up the stairs, looking at her only once. There was warmth behind her eyes, and concern. "Sorry Kat...." it was all I could say.
We walked through the front doors of the school, and save for at least one or two students that were staying after school was over, the place was deserted. A line of lockers covered the wall to the right, the left side of the hall dotted by classroom doors. The room we were looking for wasn't on this floor though, so we had to go up a flight of stairs. Kat didn't have any trouble, but after my whole sprint to get back here, it was a bit of a struggle, my legs wanting to collapse beneath me. She never said it, but I was certain that coughing noise she made was a laugh at my expense, though I let her have it. On the second floor, we got off the stairs and walked to the middle of the floor. English class......I hated, English class. I just found the whole thing kinda useless. Math I was good at, along with computers and a little bit of history. But having to write essays about subjects I didn't really care that much about? Not my thing. My English teacher, Mr. Buckell, was waiting for us inside, sitting at his desk. He and I tended to but heads now and then, especially since nowadays I viewed him as having a pole so far up his ass you could use his tongue to play tether ball. As for me, I was under the impression he viewed me as a troublesome slacker who by the grace of whatever God still existed managed to get this far into school. I was probably right, though I never did ask. Didn't really care.
"Ah, Ms. Conner, pleasure to see you," he said to my sister. He was a middle aged man, definitely twice my sister's age. His hair was graying, and I was sure it came from the stress of the job. Or from me, I can be very irritating. He wore wire rimmed glasses, and in the current light it made him look rather menacing. "Please, sit down." He gestured at two chairs that had been set up in front of his desk, and my sis and sat down. I kinda sat on the edge of my seat, ready to bolt if needed. What? The guy creeped me out.
"Well Mr. Buckell, I understand that James hasn't been performing well in class." Right to the point I guess. That was always my sisters style in these types of things. Buckell rested his hands on the desk, folding them as he began. "Well Ms. Conner, the situation as it stands, is not promising for James. His grades in class are getting close to failure, despite having done most of the assignments." And here we go. My course work in English was a mix between doing some small homework assignments, that were simple read and answer the questions. And then there the projects, the essays I had to write. Apparently, they were a huge chunk of my grade in class. "He performs well enough in his basic homework, but there's almost zero performance from him in class, and he does none of the essay assignments. Frankly, if he doesn't change soon, I'm afraid I'll have to drop him from the class." Maybe it was me, but I could have sworn I heard a hint of longing in his voice when he talked about dropping me from the class. Kat didn't miss it, and she went on the offensive. "Maybe I'm mistaken, but it almost sounded there like you want my brother to get kicked out."
Score one for Kat. She may not have approved of all my activities, but when the chips were down she was always there to support me. Or at the very least, make sure I was on even footing. Buckell blanched a little, almost as if she had slapped him. He recovered, but it was not graceful. "Well....certainly not, I would never suggest that. And I'm offended that you would suggest it. But the fact of the matter here is that if James does not get a passing grade in the next assignment, I will have to fail him." I was fed up at this point, so I decided to speak up. "Look, it's nothing against you Mr. Buckell. But I just don't care, about any of the subjects that you've had us write about before." There was a sudden, evil glint in his eyes. "Then I have good news for you. The next assignment, is a free choice paper. You choose a subject that you care about."
Oh....great. An assignment I couldn't weasel my way out of. Well played Buckell, well played. Beside me, my sister smiled. "Then I suppose that solves it. Was there anything else Mr. Buckell?" He was silent for a moment, as if at a loss for what to say. Then, with pursed lips, he nodded. "Nothing more. Thank you, for stopping by Ms. Conner. Have a pleasant day." We got up, Kat and Buckell shaking hands, and we left the room. The walk down the hall, and to the stairs, was not exactly devoid of an argument though. "Haven't been doing the work? Are you kidding me James? What happened to that promise?" There was no easy answer to that. Hell, there probably wasn't a good answer either. I shrugged, and said, "You already know why I didn't do the papers. None of the subjects appealed to me." She groaned, and I was under the impression she wanted to hit me then. "James, it doesn't matter if the topic appeals to you or not. You suck it up, and do the work. End of discussion."
Frankly, I didn't want to do the work at all, even if it was a subject of my choosing. But....she was my sister, and the only family I had left. I wasn't going to be happy about it, but I'd do it. For her. We got out of the school, and walked over to her car. I got in the passenger seat, and we started driving away. eager for a change of subject, I decided to ask her about work. "So, how's Nexus going? Going to change the world again?" I noticed a frown form on her face, but it was only there for a second. Was she nervous? "Let's just say....that there have been some interesting developments, going on at Nexus." She wouldn't go any further, so I decided the subject was to be dropped. I looked out the window, at the street. It was getting dark out, the sun was setting. It always set early during Fall. But all of that ceased to exist, in a flash. There was a loud bang, a screech of metal, heat beyond anything I had ever felt, and a flash of light. Darkness consumed my vision, as pain beyond anything I felt enveloped me.
Pain. White hot, burning pain. It was all I could feel. I tried to open my eyes, and was struck by even more pain in my right eye socket. I tried to breathe, and my chest flared in agony, and what I breathed in was nothing but smoke and ash and the faint hint of battery acid. When I tried to move, I realized I couldn't feel anything where my right arm and leg should have been. Risking more pain, I opened my left eye, to take in my surroundings. I was in the passenger seat, the right side of the car......gone. The door, most of the front. Just gone, with a small crater in the asphalt there below me. I struggled to look around, to my left......to Kat. I saw her then, limp and leaning back against the drivers seat with her eyes closed and blood trickling down her face. She wasn't moving though, and suddenly I found myself fearing the worst. I would have screamed in pain, in agony, but the moment I tried that same pain in my chest came back. There was nothing I could do, so disabled, so crippled was I. The only comfort I took was that soon, I'd be dead, and with my family again. Hell, it was coming soon, I could feel it. My vision began to darken, the edges beginning to blur. I was even starting to hallucinate. There was a stream of liquid silver, that seemed to be moving up the side of the crater and over the twisted metal of the car, towards me. Perhaps that was what death really looked like. Then it touched me, and I had doubts. It felt real, as it oozed over my stump of an arm, spreading from where it touched. Despite the fire, it was cold. With a start, I realized that this stuff, whatever it was, was not only oozing over my skin, but into me as well. I could feel it, as it spread beneath my chest, to my legs, and even over my face. And then I heard a voice, from inside my head.
Initiating symbiosis. Repairing host body. Bonding to host nervous system.
And suddenly, there was more pain. Every nerve felt as if it were on fire, and I felt as if a needle were being shoved through my eye and into my brain. What was this thing? Repairs? Host body? Bonding? Whatever it was, I could tell that at the moment, it was trying to save my life.
Correct host. We are working to repair the damage to your body, and are consulting your genetic information on how to perform suitable repairs. We shall perform limited repairs, starting with your eye and your collapsed lung.
Wait, my collapsed lu-holyfuckinggodthathurts! It felt like a balloon, was rapidly grown inside my chest, but with that pain came a gasp. I could breathe again.
The first emergency vehicle, a firetruck, came to the scene and parked with the firefighters getting out. One of them heard me gasping in pain and shouted "We've got a live one!" "He...help," was all I could croak. They ran towards me, as did his coworkers. The next few minutes went by in a blur of images, sounds, and sensations. Emergency teams arrived, cops and ambulances. There was more smoke, and I coughed enough to make my throat sore, putting a strain on my re-inflated lung. They loaded me into the back of an ambulance, the EMT's setting to work on me. I felt a needle get inserted into my left arm, while they did their best to dress the stumps where my right limbs had been. I had a mask over my mouth, oxygen being pumped into me. Then I went to sleep.
I woke up much later, in a hospital bed. The room was empty, though then again there was blue-white curtain to the right of the bed, blocking some of my view. They had propped me up, in a bit of a sitting position, and I was thankful to find a window nearby. Twisting my neck, I looked out the window. There was a freeway, the FDR, outside and below. Beyond that, was the east river. Bellevue....I was in Bellevue, in the Gilded Apple. I guess this was the best place they could take me. Then I looked down to my right, and found that my right arm was indeed gone. Just below the elbow, was where it had been taken off. As for my right leg, it ended above where my knee used to be. God, but what mattered to me the most, was that so far as I could tell....Kat was dead. My sister was gone. I was alone now, no family left in the world. The grief that followed hit me like a train, and I broke down sobbing.
Such pain....is it normal, among your species?
I nearly jumped out of the bed in surprise, my head turning every which way it could in search of the origin of the voice. That was hard to do, since I was missing two limbs and was stuck in a hospital bed. An uncomfortable feeling on my left arm made me look down, and I noticed a set of intravenous tubes, attached to needles in my arm. They itched, but I wasn't about to rip them out. "Who is that?" I said aloud. Silence was my only response, until the same voice spoke from inside my head.
Greetings, our host. Verbal communication will not be required. It is too inefficient compared to already available methods.
What the hell was going on? Then, as if it knew what I was thinking, a series of memories flashed into my head: a mental conversation, between me and whatever the hell this thing was. Not simply words, but emotions, images, and simple reasons that went with them all. It was hard to describe, but all I knew was that in some way, it all made sense. When they stopped, I realized I had had my eyes closed, the better to see the images and memories. It was only then that I noticed someone in the room with me, standing in front of the bed. She wore hospital scrubs, lime green in color, and her hair was trimmed short. Dark skin showed where the clothing ended, and there was a look of concern on her face. "Finally awake are we?" she asked, her tone that of concern. She walked over to the side of the bed, checking the machine the tubes led to. It must have been good, because she didn't seem worried. I shifted a little, straightening in the bed before a firm hand, hers, came down on my shoulder. Despite the strength behind it, she never pushed me back down. "Easy. You've been through a lot James. You need to rest." I didn't need to ask how she knew my name. One of the wonders of the medical revolution in the past few years was that hospitals could find out exactly who a patient really was from scanning just a hair, our DNA being stored in secured databases. Only hospitals and law enforcement agencies had access to it, and even then it was an ethically gray area. It was a feature that helped hospitals determine more quickly what type of blood the patient might need, or if they had any family. A more cynical person would have also noted that it alerted the insurance companies ten times faster than it did before, meaning the bills would be prepared ahead of time.
I didn't feel like resting though, but I figured it wouldn't do to struggle. Relaxing back into the bed, I took a breath before talking. "What happened?" She frowned at me, as if the subject were a taboo. "What do you remember?" was what she asked me. The memories came back, and for a moment I was back there in the wreckage. "My sister and I," I began, "were driving home, from my school. There was some kind of explosion, and everything went black. When I came to.....I was in pain, in the wreckage." My voice started to break, as the feelings I felt came back. "And then....and then I realized that my sister was dead." I started crying again, and felt the nurses hand pat my shoulder. She tried to say something, but I couldn't really make it out. Chances were I didn't even care. I just wanted to be alone. Eventually though, I stopped crying, and figured I may as well have some questions answered. "How bad.....other than, well....you know." She sighed, as if this was not something she wanted to answer. Walking to the foot of the bed, she picked up a flat device, the size of an old fashioned clipboard. She ran a finger across the surface, and the screen warmed to life, displaying my charts. "Well, for starters it's a miracle you're still alive. I don't know the details, just that there was an explosion of some kind. That was how you lost your arm and leg. You suffered severe burns, along with some nerve damage, but amazingly there was little damage to your organs. The doctors aren't sure how that's possible, but they figured you should count yourself lucky. You're scheduled to be fitted for a pair of artificial limbs, and some synthetic skin grafts." Right....health care these days was outstanding. Or, at least for those that could afford it. Because my sister worked at Nexus, she got covered under their health benefits, and I shared in them. I wasn't sure what the terms were, but I definitely remember though that in the event she died, then I would only be covered under the plan for another two months before I was dropped. Still, artificial limbs, and synthetic skin? That was impressive.
Though unnecessary. We can replicate your damaged skin and amputated limbs, with near perfect accuracy. The only difference is that they would never be organic.
Whoa.....I knew that voice said it could repair my body, but I never thought it meant that. Replicate, not repair. And not organic? What are you? was all I could think towards it. The nurse looked at me with a curious look. "James, are you okay?" 'Shaking my head, I noticed that I had phased out a little. "Sorry, just a little overwhelmed is all."
This time, she seemed to smile at me, as if my reaction was a good sign. "Of course," she said. Then she walked over to the edge of the curtain, looking back at me. "If you're feeling up to it, you have some visitors." Visitors? Who was here to see me? Curious about who was here to see me, I simply nodded, and she pulled open the curtain. The rest of the room came into view for me, and I noted a couple of things: first, the rest of the room was covered in balloons, flowers, and get well cards. Chances were they came from my school, a project of some kind for their classmate. Second, there was a glass wall with a door in the middle, at the end of the room. I wasn't in quarantine or anything, that was just the way the doors worked for this room. Anyway, the third thing, or in this case, people, was a pair of familiar faces standing on the other side of the door, almost waiting. One was a man in his forties, just now getting the edges of his hair grayed. He was tall, muscular, but despite the rough appearance I knew he was actually a good man, even had integrity. However, I barely had time to register who the second person was, before they pulled open the door to run into the room, flying across the distance to hug me. First of all, OW, that hurt. Despite the painkillers, a lot of me was still in pain. "Heya Chris," was all i could muster.
Christina "Chris" Martinez, 15 years old, light brown hair and skin, hazel eyes and a gymnast build, was my best friend. Well, in many ways my only friend, though I guess that was a tad unfair to some other people. See, we'd known each other since kindergarten, and not a day goes by that I have not heard the word "adamant" to define our friendship. Her father, Michael Martinez, knew my sister on account of his job as chief of Security, over at Nexus. He and I were on decent terms, and he liked me a helluva lot more than most of the other guys in school when it came to hanging around his daughter. Chris choked out a sob, and I could feel the dampness on her cheek. "Oh thank god you're alive James, " she squeaked in a constricted voice. Getting my only arm up and around her to hug was difficult, but doable. "Yeah....nurse said it was a miracle or something." That and some weird disembodied voice. Michael walked into the room, standing behind Chris.
"James, I'm sorry about Katherine. She was a good woman," Michael said, and I knew he was being sincere. All I could do was nod at him, the gesture carrying my gratitude for his condolences. Chris still clung to me, crying. "Chris, please. I know you care, but can you please let go? It hurts." She let go as if I had shocked her, looking apologetic. "Sorry," she said, her voice very tiny. She ran a hand through her short hair, trimmed to hang just above her chin and jawline. She looked so vulnerable, and it was such a stark contrast to the strength she always carried. You would have to know her the way I did, to understand why this was such a drastic change. Let me put it this way: she carried me through school, and was capable of kicking my ass. And she was crying now, for me? Then again, she was only human. Being made of cast iron only meant hat it was still brittle. This was her breaking point.
"It's okay Chris." That was a bit of a lie. I was far from okay. Kat was dead. And now I had something....living, inside me. Talking to me. No.....no, things were far from okay. But I wasn't about to tell anyone else that. For all I knew, I was hallucinating. Or something. "How long have I been....here?" It was something that bugged me. Almost simultaneously, both Chris and the voice spoke.
"Three days." 72 hours.
Okay, did not need to hear both voices, but I doubted there was an off switch for the one in my head. But three days? I was out for three days? Not surprising, considering my injuries but still. Chris waited in silence, as if waiting for a response. "Well," I began, "so much for that English paper..." Thankfully, Chris cracked a small smile, playfully punching me on my good arm. "Ass." Behind the smile though, it was still clear for me to see the pain she felt. I wasn't surprised; she and Kat were good friends, almost sisters really. And she was gone. Add to it the fact that she nearly lost her best friend....it was simply a testament to her strength that she was able to keep from breaking down again.
The nurse left the room, apparently wanting to give us all some privacy. It was then that Michael spoke. "So...James, I think it would be best, if you came to live with us. I think Kat would have wanted it that way." I didn't mind actually. I was always welcome in the Martinez household, and there was no one else I really considered family. Or at least, close to it anyway. "Thanks Mr. Martinez. I....I can't thank you enough." He simply smiled, and walked for the door. He stopped though, looking back at Chris. "Chris, I need to sort a few things out. I'll be in the hall." Then he left, leaving me and Chris alone in the room. She took a seat in a chair next to the bed. "Good thing my sister's health insurance still covers me." She smiled a little, clearly appreciative of the same thing. "So, they're getting me fitted for a pair of artificial limbs soon. Kinda cool." It was a poor attempt to make light of the situation, and I myself was surprised at how quickly I was getting over this. Not just the fact that Kat was dead, or that I now had a voice in my head. I lost an arm and a leg. Two pieces of who I was were gone. I felt incomplete. The only up side was the fact that prosthesis technology had come a long way, and today's prosthetic arm and legs were actually a hundred times more....lifelike, I guess was the best term. Hundreds of points, of articulation, and it still looked like a human limb. Except, well for the lack of skin and the fact that it was all metal, lights, plastic and rubber, and oh right, no sense of feeling. The tech, as far as it had come, still couldn't replicate nerves. Once you had the limbs, the only awareness you had was what you could see. And that was pretty limiting.
"Cool. Maybe you'll be able to hold your own in the ring with me this time." She smiled again, and I kinda scowled at her. I may have had the will of a fighter, but I lacked the skill of one. That was where Chris came in. Her dad was a Marine in the Resource war. It was how our families knew eachother, what with her dad and mine having served in the same unit, and became pretty good friends. After the war ended, and Michael took custody of her when her mom ran out on them, he started to teach her how to fight, to defend herself. She knew a variety of things, boxing, Krav Maga, Aikido, and a whole bunch of other schools of combat.
"Ha, maybe I'll finally take you down," I said. Yeah, fat chance. When we practiced together, it wasn't really practice. It was me 'enjoying' my relationship with the training mat, considering all the times I spent kissing it. There was a reason Chris was still single: guys were way too afraid of what might happen if they pissed her off. Made them too scared to even try flirting with her. But the humor was good, kept my spirit up. "Listen, I wish I could stay, but I need to go James. Sorry." I placed my hand on hers, looking her in the eye. "I'll be fine Chris. Go on. Not like I'm going anywhere." She smiled again, though it looked pained, and then did something very, very rare. She kissed the top of my forehead, and then walked away. It was a gesture with a bit of a history attached to it, one I wasn't going to mention at the moment. It was more than personal.
Once she was gone, and I was alone, I decided to speak in a quiet whisper. "Okay, what the hell are you?" The presence in my head came back. Whatever it was, I could almost tell that it truly meant me no harm.
We are the last of a dead race, our host.
"And? That tells me absolutely nothing." It sensed my frustration, and I could feel it working to form a more cohesive answer. And that was when the flash came. Instead of speaking, images and facts rushed through my head as it told me what it was. The entity, was an artificial intelligence. A very, very advanced AI, far beyond anything humans could hope to make at present, spread out among nanomachines, all of them now bonded to my body. Self-replicating, a science that was beyond anything human science could describe, it was the single most advanced piece of technology that its makers had ever created. Its makers, a name I could never pronounce, were highly advanced, but peaceful. They still maintained a military, but it was easier to compare them to the Japanese Self-Defense force. They were never aggressive, but that didn't stop them from getting in the crosshairs of another, far more dangerous space-faring race. This empire was advanced in a different form of science. Where the makers of the AI preferred machinery, the other race had advanced along the lines of biology. Living weapons and ships, born out of biotechnology. It was terrifying, the images I saw of their warriors, clad in living suits as they tore through alien battlefields on distant worlds. They outnumbered the makers and pushed them all the way back to their homeworld, and in a desperate bid to ensure the survival of their civilization's legacy, they flung the nanomachines into space. Secured in a small probe, it was sent through a wormhole. Something had happened though, and its original course was lost, and it diverted to here. And then it fell on me.
I rubbed my forehead, the method of conveying all that information giving me a headache. It was a lot to take in, and it all sounded like something out of a movie, or a comic. "Okay, so they created you to be....what? A science project?"
We were meant to be the first, of a new line of weapons to combat the enemy. The abilities we granted our hosts, were substantial.
It was wrong for me to be interested in these abilities. Even if it was irrational, the machine's arrival had killed my sister, and nearly killed me. Add to it that with it bonded to me now, I wasn't wholly human anymore. I was....a mix of man and machine, and I had to wonder now just how much of me was still man and not machine. Am I still human at this point? I mused silently, not directing the thought at the AI. But I figured that right now, it was rude of me to ignore it, so I asked about the abilities.
We can accelerate your bodies natural healing process, and keep you free of disease, viruses, sickness. What we cannot help your body heal though, we will replicate with near perfect accuracy. Speed, strength, agility and reflexes are augmented by a factor of five. There is more, but it is easier to show than to tell.
Whoa, that was a lot. And the fact that there was still more to see was a tempting offer. But there was one bit that unnerved me. Uh, when you say replicate, you mean like replicating organic cells, right?
No. We will use nanomachine cells to replicate your organic tissue. For camouflage purposes, we can alter the color and texture of the replicated cells, to match the original tissue.
So on the one hand, it would still look and feel like me. On the other....on the other, the more damage I took that called for such healing, the less human I was going to become. If things got bad, I'd probably be more machine than anything else, and my humanity would be gone. That was not something I wanted to lose. So all I needed to do was avoid serious injury. Easy.
The next few days, went by at a painfully slow pace. Chris and her dad came by to visit then, but there was one visit that came after them on the third day that I was awake, that I was not expecting. A police officer, one of the cops that was on the scene, had come to see me. Officer Josh Stallings was his name. He didn't really have any questions for me, beyond what I remembered. Apparently, the working story was that it was a gas line explosion, and it was all a tragic accident. Good a story as any I supposed. He told me though, that there was something they salvaged from the wreck of the car, in the trunk. It was a briefcase, or at least something they took to be a briefcase. Whatever it was, they couldn't open it, since it was locked and since I was the only living relative left, it was now my property. It was strange, since I never remembered Kat ever having anything that fit the description. Still, it was a mystery I'd solve later, when I was out of the hospital. He left, and I was once again alone. That isolation though, was a bit of a lie. I had the AI in my head, still talking with me. That and I had the nurses come in to give me a small series of injections. According to them, the injections were meant to prepare my body for both the surgery, and the addition of the prosthetics. I didn't know the details, nor did I understand them, even with the AI's help. All I knew was that it would keep my body from rejecting the artificial limbs, or at least the 'sockets,' they were going to be attaching to my stumps. God, I hoped I was ready for this. Chris came in the last day, the day of my surgery. We had maybe a half hour, before I was to be wheeled away.
"So....how's things back at school?" She grimaced. "Well," she started, "things are kinda normal. A few people talk about you now and then, but it was nothing compared to the first two days." At this point, she grinned. "You should have seen the look on Buckell's face when he heard you had survived. I think he was kinda disappointed." That kinda had me worried, truth be told. It told me that my continued existence was not welcomed by Buckell. I knew he didn't like me, just not that much. She must have seen my discomfort, because Chris immediately switched topics. "So, what do you plan on doing when you come back?" I frowned, as I concentrated, thinking on what I'd do. "Well.....I'll start by cleaning out the house." The house, was a small, two floor brick house that was attached to a row of identical houses. It was where Kat and I lived, after mom died. Big enough for us both, it was the only home I had. And now it looked like I'd be giving that up, since I couldn't really pay to maintain it.
"Oh, yeah..... I'm sorry about that James. There were a lot of good memories from that house." She wasn't wrong about that. There were years worth of memories and moments in that house. In fact, it was more than a house to me. It was a home, in every sense of the word. Good moments, bad moments. Parties, laughter, tears, warmth and comfort, and good food. Family....and I had to leave it, even if it meant going to a place that was more of the same. It was troubling for me. But there was a gentle pressure on my shoulder, and I found that Chris had placed her hand there. Looking to her face, I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, even as she smiled. "You're not the only one that place matters to James." God...she was a good friend. And while I wasn't the worst of guys, I wasn't the greatest either. I didn't deserve her friendship, and yet there she was, still freely giving it to me. Chris, was good people.
I wanted to say something, to convey how grateful I was, not just for the offer to let me live with her, but for the fact that she was standing by me in my darkest hour. But all I could manage was blinking my eyes a few times. She seemed to get the message though. "Don't mention it."
We both sat in silence then, until her time was up and she had to leave. A trio of nurses walked in, helping me into a wheelchair. We left the room, going down the hall and down an elevator. They were taking me to the surgery room. When we entered, I saw the table in the middle of the room, machinery around it, and double the number of doctors and nurses. Getting me onto the table wasn't much of a challenge, and when everything was set, they placed a mask over my mouth. "Okay James," one of the nurses spoke, "I want you to count back from one-hundred." That seemed easy enough. 100....99...98..97..96..... Darkness overtook me, and I was out. There was no dream.
I awoke later the next day, back in the room. As I stretched, yawning, I heard the sound of a clink, metal hitting hard plastic. It came from my rightside, and hesitantly, I looked down at where my right arm used to be. There was once a stump there, but now what had replaced it....looked a little bit, like a normal arm. But there were obvious differences. It was made of a white material, a plastic of some sort. I noticed that, where it met my elbow, there was something that looked like a socket, built into my skin, connecting the arm to me. The wrist and hand had a degree of articulation that gave their movements an astounding, life-like quality. I couldn't feel, but it responded to my thoughts as if it were truly my own hand. The fingers as well had the same degree of finesse, perhaps better, and I spent a minute flexing the hand, twisting the wrist now and then as I tested it. I then looked down to my feet, pulling the blanket away. I still wore the hospital gown, and I saw my feet at the foot of the bed. My left was still normal, toes wiggling at my command. And so were the toes of my new, robotic right foot. Pulling the gown up, I saw how the leg was comprised of a calf, and a knee. It was made of the same material as the arm, and responded just the same. Hesitantly, I swung both legs out of the bed. My left foot touched down on the cold tile of the floor, but I still felt nothing in my right foot. It was difficult at first, standing up. Without any real sensation to work off of, I had trouble balancing on my foot. But years of running across rooftops, of finding my balance in constantly new areas, almost seemed to prepare me for this. Soon I was able to walk from my bed, to the other end of the room. And I was able to laugh for the first time in days.
There was a sound to my right, and I saw the nurse walk in. She seemed concerned at first, that I was up and about so soon, but that look of concern quickly faded. "On your feet so soon James? The doctor wanted you to stay in bed for a bit, go through therapy." I shook my head at her. "No way am I staying in bed now. God, it feels like it's been years." Walking again towards the bed, I leaned against the frame, the pressure quite noticeable against my right leg. "I never thought I'd be able to walk again..."
Highly doubtful our host. We would have replicated your leg and allowed it to feel all manner of sensation it could feel before.
We'll get to that later. For now, just keep up appearances. I'd keep the prosthetics for now, until I was out of the hospital. And I still needed to figure out what the hell I was going to do with these....machines.
"If you'd like," the nurse said, still standing by the door, "I can inform your visitors that you're awake and walking. I'm sure they'll want to see you." I nodded, back to moving around the room. Chris and Michael walked in, and while Michael had a smile on his face, Chris seemed to be torn between joy and frustration. "James, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be in bed?" She walked over to me, and while I knew she cared about me and was being a friend, when she grabbed my arm to steer me back to the bed, I jerked it out of her grip. "Chris, I've spent the past week in a bed, unable to walk. No way I'm going back now." That seemed to only make her more frustrated with me, and there was a spark in her eye I was very much familiar with. It was the same spark she got when she was preparing to kick someone's ass. "James," she said, her tone terrifyingly calm, "do I need to make stay in that bed? Because believe me, I will." And then her hand gripped my arm, my human arm, once more and squeezed. Hard. I blanched a little, not from the pain but just from the threat. I wasn't used to my best friend making threats against me, even if yes, it was for my own good. "Okay okay, calm down Xena, geez. I'll get in the bed." Once she let go of my arm, I walked back to my bed, sitting down at the edge. "Think I've risked death once enough anyway."
The spark in her eyes vanished, and she regained her friendly demeanor. "Thanks James. Sorry, it's just..." I stopped her, holding up my hand. Well, robotic one anyway. "Chris, it's fine, I get it. And maybe you're right. I need to focus on recovery right now." And getting a few more broken bones because Chris beat me into bed would not help at all. I laid back, resting on the pillows. "Any idea how much longer I'll be here?" Chris took her usual seat by the bed, her dad leaning against the wall in front of the bed. he was the first to speak. "Well, I talked with your doctor. You have at least two more days in here, and most of that time is going to be spent in therapy, getting used to your new limbs. After that, you'll be good to go. In the meantime, there's a legal matter that needs to be attended to." He stepped forward, coming towards the other side of the bed. "Kat's will was found. There's going to be an official reading, once you're out of here. But the summary of it is that, she had me declared a legal guardian for you, in case she died. She left you some money, most of it coming from a life insurance policy she took out on herself. And, she left you just about everything short of her clothing and jewelry. This also seems to include a briefcase found in the trunk of her car."
Again with this briefcase. My curiosity about it only increased. I had asked Michael once what was so unusual about it, and all I got from him was that it was a Nexus security briefcase. It was issued to all their scientific employees to safely transport personal documents, data files, anything that was of confidential nature. The outer casing was made of a carbon nanotube alloy, rendering it bullet-proof, and resistant to any form of cutting or drilling. There was a material the CNT was coated in, making the case heat resistant in the event of fires or blow torch cutting. And finally, it was encrypted. There was a tiny computer built into the case, attached to the locks and a few other mechanisms that kept the whole thing secured. A keypad, very much like a cellphone keypad, was built into the side of the case, though the material looked a little burnt. Thankfully, it was still functional, though we still had no idea what the passcode was. For now, it sat in Chris' house, safe and secure.
"When's the official reading?" was the first thing I asked. Michael answered again. "In a week, once you're out of the hospital and have had time to move in with us." He traded a look with Chris, and there seemed to be a message I didn't get, because she got up and left my bedside. "I'll be outside," was the last thing she said before she exited the room, leaving me with her dad. It would have only been more uncomfortable, if she and I were dating. There was still an uncomfortable silence between us, until he cleared his throat, breaking it. "James, I'm going to be honest with you. What we're about to discuss, is going to violate several non-disclosure agreements between me, and Nexus. But, your sister, my friend, is dead. And right now, there are certain things happening at work that have me worried for you." I tilted my head to look up at him, and was shocked by what I saw. Michael, the man that always struck me as the grizzled war vet that had survived one of the bloodiest wars in history, a man I viewed as impossible to actually scare.....looked worried. Nervous even. That had me scared.
"My employers....Nexus Security, are making inquiries about your sister's death. She was one of their top researchers at the facility, and her death has apparently set them back in one of their R&D programs. But, there's something else. They took over the investigation, of the explosion that killed her. I was in charge of it, and my team found something." He closed his eyes. "We found the remains of a bomb on her car. Plastique maybe, we're still not a hundred percent. All we know though, is that the car was rigged to blow. Someone planned to murder your sister."
I was frozen in place, my eyes going wide. Someone planned to kill Kat? Someone put a bomb on the car, and it would have killed her....and me. "Do....do you know where the bomb came from?" He shook his head. "Unfortunately no. There wasn't much left of it for us to determine who made it. The explosive compounds of the bomb are also common, or at least standard. James, I'm telling you this, because I want you on your guard. You've always been reckless before, but that needs to stop now, especially if you're going to be living in my house, with my daughter. Someone, wanted your sister dead and they didn't seem to care that you were in the car with her. Now they may leave you alone because she's dead, but if not, if they don't want to leave any risk of you testifying against them...." He didn't need to finish. All I could do was nod my head. "I promise Michael, I'll be careful. And....can you keep me posted, on any developments? I'd like to know what's going on." He seemed troubled by that, but nodded his head. "Sure James, I'll do what I can. No promises though." And then he left the room. All that mattered to me though, was a single thought. Who would want to kill Kat? I desperately wanted to know, but I realized that, in a way, the only thing that changed was that now I knew someone wanted to kill her. What didn't change though, was that it was because of these damn machines that she died. There may have been a bomb, but it was their arrival, their impact that killed her, and did this to me.
Do you truly hate us so? You act as if we had malicious intent when we had no true control over anything that happened.
Maybe. But do you really mean to tell me that you had no control over the damn vessel you were in? That you didn't choose the landing? It was childish, to continue on like this I know. In all likelihood, the machines were innocent in this and everything that happened was chance. But right now, I was still angry, still seething from my loss and wanted to lash out at the nearest thing. And since the machines were inside me, that made them the closest thing. Still, with that realization in mind, it kinda cooled my anger. Not enough that I'd be singing koom bah yah with it anytime soon, but enough for me to apologize. Sorry....I guess it's just going to be a while, before I can really accept everything that's happening. The awareness seemed to accept it, though it wouldn't say anything else. Guess I hurt its feelings.
((Now))
Another two days came and went, and I was finally allowed to leave the hospital after a month in their care. There was one minor detail though: I had to be wheeled out. Hospital policy apparently, something I really hated. I mean, what was the point of all that damn therapy, and getting used to my limbs, if I couldn't even walk out? I wasn't about to argue though. Chris and her dad were here, so that was good, especially since they brought over some of my clothes. Thankfully, the prosthetics were....organic enough, in terms of look, that I could slip my clothing on no problem. Then I sat in the wheelchair, Chris taking the handles. "You know," I started, "I can wheel myself out. She smirked down at me. "And rob me of the moment? You know how many times I expected to be wheeling you out of the hospital because of some stupid stunt you pulled? This is almost a dream come true for me." We both traded a laugh, and it was certainly good. Once out the front door of the hospital, we waited at the front for Michael to grab his car. While he was away, Chris stood at the side of the chair, her hand on my shoulder. We traded a look, and I found myself once more very glad to have her with me. "So....uh, think anyone will notice?" Before she asked what I was talking about, I raised my robotic hand. She grinned down at me. "Oh no, no one's going to notice that. They'll be too busy laughing at you when I beat you in training." Chuckling, I realized she was being serious. "Wait, what? Training.....for what?"
She suddenly leered at me, and I felt the bottom of my stomach fall. "Oh ho ho James, I am going to help you continue your therapy, by getting you back in shape, and teaching you how to fight." How to fight? Against who? "Chris, you really don't ha-" She cut me off, and I soon found myself staring into her eyes, and that same familiar spark was there. "Like hell I don't. If you're living in my home, then you're going to learn how to defend yourself. Not just defend yourself, but put your attacker in the hospital." Maybe it was just me, but she seemed to be getting taller. Or maybe I was shrinking in fear, I wasn't really sure.
Last edited by Razgriz on 20/05/14, 07:51 pm; edited 2 times in total
K The Longterm Poster
Posts : 2120 Join date : 2013-06-22 Age : 27
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 06:16 pm
Kalyn had been building towards this moment for months. She'd picked a very difficult target this time; an agent for some company; she'd caught him spying on her. His house, if it could actually be called that and not a mansion, was equipped with the best security. The itself garden was huge, allowing for a guard to have established a patrol route. Cameras everywhere outside, a guard dog and a single security guard. Most thieves wouldn't have dared try to rob the place, despite the amount of valuables that could be taken, and those that did ended up in prison. Kalyn licked her lips, a slight smile creeping across her face. She watched as the security guard sighed and stood up to do his rounds.
Hiding in the grass had been her only option because of the large open space around the house, but that made it easier to reach the house in the shortest time; she'd had nothing in her way when she'd sprinted. She'd learned everything about this place, camera blind spots, the guard's patrol, and even what times people would be inside. It had taken so much time and effort, and Kalyn had loved every second of it. With a quiet click, the lock on the cellar door unlocked with a stolen set of lockpicks, which she quickly put back into her small black backpack.
Once inside, she breathed a deep breath and let the adrenaline pump through her. She felt more alive now than she had ever felt since her escape. Quiet as a shadow, Kalyn crept up the stairs. The ground floor was as grand as the exterior, and boasted a large chandelier in each room, only illustrating the amount of money this man had. Kalyn knew exactly where he would be at this time; in his study reading. She'd learned this by accident; she'd noticed him go in there once while preparing to leave, she noticed that doing so had become one of his habits. The first floor had many doors, though Kalyn knew which one lead to the study. She rested her hand gently on the doorknob as she prepared to enter the room.
Initially, the man didn't react. The shock of a complete stranger walking into his study wore off, though, and he was quick to question why Kalyn was there. "Who are you?" He demanded, trying his best to sound intimidating. In truth, he was anything but. A small, fat, red and balding man, with glasses and a short goatee, it was almost funny to watch him demand answers, "Why are you here?" When she didn't answer, he'd gotten slightly flustered, taking her silence for her panicking at being caught, "I'll have the police here in thirty seconds if you don't answer, and my wife will have them here quicker than that if I call,"
"Your wife isn't home," Kalyn answered sharply, resisting the urge to smile at his expression, "She went to have a massage, correct? Even though we both know she's cheating on you with your co-worker,"
"How do you know that?" He asked, visibly shaken by Kalyn's knowledge.
"That doesn't matter. You're going to die,"
If one of her victims hadn't already been about to wet themselves, it was when she announced her intentions that they would. She didn't often talk to them, it made for less chance of it going wrong if she didn't, but the times when she did were the times she had looked forward to, like tonight. She wondered if he would beg, offer her money or some other thing he could think of. He went white and didn't speak, looking as though the words were too hard to say. "Y- You can't..." He mumbled, his tongue stumbling, "I- I haven't done anything!"
Kalyn tilted her head, like a dog or child might when thinking, "You don't have to be a bad person to have bad things happen," She stated, frowning as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, all while a trickle of blood slowly turned into a large blade on her hand. That was what broke him. Her power. She hated that. Her anger flared, her thoughts turning to her kidnappers. Those bastards made me a freak. Just look at this thing, pissing itself when it sees what they did, She strode forwards, towards his desk, and 'fight or flight' kicked in. He tried scrambling away from her, only to fail to push himself away, and before he could fight back, she grabbed his shirt and slit his throat. The feeling of accomplishment washing away the anger, until she saw the computer monitor.
On the monitor was a name, her name, along with a photo and a description of her personality and her abilities. She frowned, looking at the file. She thought for a moment; this man had worked for a PMC called Black Fox, she recalled and they were based in the USA. It looked like she was going to America.
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 06:50 pm
I was sitting down in my apartment, wires and gadgets crisscrossing the floor and walls and ceiling, everything connected to everything else to make a massive nest of electronics. I stared at the computer screens, their bright white glow the only source of light at the moment in the room, the flicking planes of digital translation casting harsh shadows from the wires and edges everything made. I typed fast, time was of the essence. Everybody was counting on me, I was their only hope, like that one fictional character...what did they call him...OB1? I don't know, it wasn't important. My research, however, that's what was important. I needed it to continue, needed to finish it and replicate the results.
My name is Frentiu Fanalan Asa Urthus, or Frank Fernando for any of these human legal documents that dictated what I had and what I didn't have. I didn't bother hiding my real name to most people, but that dull human one sounded better to my ears, as the humans that lived around me couldn't replicate the same sounds needed to make my name what it was supposed to be. I am an alien, an extra-terrestrial as humans liked to say. I come from Asadan, a planet no one on Earth can find no matter how powerful the telescope they make. Perhaps once upon time they might have been able to, but no longer. You see, my planet, my home, was dragged into an alternate dimension, where the laws of physics don't always apply and what you think you know might not be the case. For whatever reason, I, and so far only I, was spit back out and given several gifts from the transition.
I have the ability, and I do not know why, to open portals, wormholes to this Void of space and travel through it as naturally as I may travel through water, yet the locations of the portal do not coincide with logical positions within the natural dimension of life. I may travel 500 feet in the Void, and open a portal only to find myself moved 10 feet in another direction in the real world, with time having not changed or moved at all while I was in there. Although, only objects from my planet seem to be stored in the Void. Meaning just my suit and myself, as I have not found anything else in my Earthly travels belonging to my home planet. Along with that, I have this strange new vision and hearing skills, being able to see things not directly in front of me,. wy hearing goes beyond physical waves traveling through a physical medium, to where feelings seem to emanate from individuals, letting me know at the very least where someone is without them making a sound.
I do not understand what I have become, but I know what I must do, and what I must do is reverse the mistakes I made in pursuit of saving my people. I must find a way to replicate my technology, recreate my lab from my home planet, and bring forth my people so that they may live again.
I typed more and more into the computer, until it's internal buffering system filled up and my typing was was being wasted. I groaned and stood up, pushing the chair back through a tangle of wires with a soft squeal, and walked around my home, my new possibly permanent home. I went to the door and opened it up, looking up at the sky and wondering which star currently being blocked out from the light of the sun was my own.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 07:17 pm
=was sitting on a ledge above him and when he noticed urthus he leans down feet hanging on the ledge keeping him from falling=
looking torwards the horizon again?
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 07:36 pm
I looked over, nodding to my roomamte, Zeru Ishtar. "Yeah. Just wondering which one of the many stars hidden behind the sunlight is mine. If it's even visible from this planet, of course." He says, leaning against the nearby railing.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 07:44 pm
=puts his hands on the ledge and leans over landing on the railing in a crouching position=
i hear you and hows the computing going
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 07:46 pm
"It's going. Damn thing is still too slow compared to what I've been used to all my life. The input buffer is too small and slow, feels like I'm fingering uhm...gelatin? Is that the word?"
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 07:50 pm
probably and not surprised on that since the only computers that have what you need are either in use by governments or the military and we can't really walk up and ask them if the'd be willing to sell.
Last edited by zeru on 20/05/14, 08:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 08:03 pm
"I think I tried that once. They said something about 'Mexican" and tossed me out. I think. Hard to remember." I replied, shaking my head at the distant memories. Most of my mind was taken up with data, computational equations and sequences of numbers, it was hard for me to remember much else.
Razgriz The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13537 Join date : 2011-07-18 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 08:03 pm
"Uh, Chris you're starting to scare me." If anything, that made her smile even more. "Good. Use that fear during training, and you may be able to get a good enough incentive to do better." The car came around, pulling up in front of us. She walked to the rear door, opening it for me. Still shaking from the talk, I got out of the chair, and into the backseat, buckling up as the door was closed. Then she climbed into the passenger seat, and we drove off. Chris and her dad lived in a different neighborhood than me, though she and I still went to the same school. Because of the higher pay Michael's job granted him, he could afford to live in a bigger house that was only a couple blocks away from my old home. Here's a decent comparison: my house was a two floor, three room house with a tiny kitchen and a basement. The basement was larger than the overall two floors above, and it once served as the living room. A cramped kitchen, and a one toilet bathroom on the main floor, and then the three rooms above, with the full bathroom. The whole place wasn't that wide, nor was it long. Now, Chris' house was the opposite. Still two floors, but there was a total of four rooms, and a full bathroom up top. Ground floor had a larger kitchen, bigger living room, and a laundry room. There was even a garage, and mid-sized backyard. My house was a tiny outpost, compared to her castle. Bitch.
Still though, at least I had a home. Better than being a ward of the state. Instead of a family, I would have had government officials where it was their job, not a true desire or care, to watch over me. As we drove through the streets, my mind wandered as I thought of everything I was going to be doing. Sure, most of it was going to be moving my stuff into Chris' home, or going back to school. But at the top of the list, was learning more about these machines, and what they were capable of doing.
And there is much we have to show you. Much to learn.
By the way.....what do I call you? Were you ever given a name? That seemed to be, as of now, the most important thing to clear up. Whatever this AI was, it needed a name, and I wasn't about to start calling it "AI" everytime I wanted to chat.
Our makers gave us a name that while unpronounceable for you, can be translated to fit with one of your English language words.
Whoa, what? English language? It knew.....okay, it more than likely knew most of the language through me, but I hardly knew any appropriate names for this thing. Uh, I doubt I know the word you're thinking of. So how could you know it?
During the night cycles where you were asleep, we spread in tiny tendrils from your body, seeking data. We found it in the form of what you would call a fiber optic port, located within the room you recovered in. It gave us access to your World Wide Web. We required information about your world, and so as you slept, we learned all there was we needed to know.
Okay, now that was scary. I wasn't enough of an idiot to ignore that knowledge was power. And this thing had just scanned the internet, learned everything it could about my world. That made it dangerous, in a sense. But, if it was (hopefully) limited to my body, then perhaps it could be contained. But that was wishful thinking at best. And...what was the word?
Gestalt. "An organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its part." We find this word rather fitting, and choose it as an appropriate name for ourselves.
FallenSanity The Active Poster
Posts : 1094 Join date : 2012-07-13 Age : 28
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 08:13 pm
Orion sat in silence on top of the One World Trade Center, yawning to himself as he tapped the ground below him. Since it had been completed the tower had eventually offered a large tourist attraction, in honour of the catastrophe that would eventually cause its construction. Though the tour didn't involve the roof at all, Orion always found his way up. Though Orion had been born in Australia, he always loved taking the tour. To the annoyance of most of the security, he also always tended to vanish half way through. He'd needed a sleep away from his handlers, and on top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere seemed like the best place to hide.
Slowly he stood, his metal body thinning away before he was left in only his clothes again, a brown coat, dark jeans and boots. He looked down over New York City and smiled to himself softly. He wondered if the people of this lovely city even knew about him, about people like him. If there was a site, or an obscure radio station, anything that spoke about them. He knew he wasn't the only one out and about being made to protect the country and in some cases the world. He just wondered...
"MULATTO BUTTS! Mulatto Butts! MULATTO BUTTS! Mulatto Butts! BLACK AND WHITE BUTTS! Black and wh-"
Orion answered his phone with a peppy jump to his voice for the first time in what was probably months. Still peering over the glorious city before him, as he was suddenly deflated by a familiar, gruff voice.
"This is Agent Roselin. Subject Orion, where on earth have you been? Please tell me you're not on top of another skyscraper?"
Orion scratched his neck and smirked to himself softly as he turned around and made his way down through the roof entrance. When he was out in other countries he often just leapt off and coated himself at the last second, but in New York... he probably wouldn't get away with it. He checked his corners as he silently made his way out.
"No sir, of course not. Just on my home. I was visiting some friends last night, so I-"
"Oh, one of your prostitute friends. Well at the very least tell us next time. We've got a few more missions that would likely require your intervention. Once you return we'll begin discussing them and your involvement. Roselin out."
Orion sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Before long he was back in an elevator and on his way down. He'd managed to 'acquire' a tie, which would at least help him pull off an interview look. He descended, ignoring the people that got on with him, as he thought about things for a moment. Roselin, missions, people like him. Surely there was more than just this. Surely there was something else going on. There'd been all sorts of shit going on before, he'd seen the files. Agencies, organisations, research programs, all revolving around people like him. He'd seen people like him before, so he knew there were more out here. Orion pulled out his phone.
"Hmm... new york superhero blog... Spider-Man... Superman... Porn... Ah I'll try this later."
He put his phone back in his pocket, leaving the webpage open as a nice little reminder. He made it down to the lobby, ducked into street level, hailed a cab, and was on his way back to the large, large, large house.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 08:29 pm
hopefully the parts i ordered for you arrive soon
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 08:31 pm
"You ordered parts for me? What are they? And why?"
Razgriz The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13537 Join date : 2011-07-18 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 08:39 pm
Gestalt...... Well, Gestalt, nice to finally have a name for you. And as for me, call me James. No more of "our host." There was an odd sensation from Gestalt, and I realized that it was a very poor attempt, at amusement. Gestalt found my desire to be called by my name, amusing. Could an AI actually be amused? After all, it was just a machine, no real emotions. So maybe it was just putting on a show for my benefit.
Very well, James.
The conversation more or less done, I started focusing again on where I was. We were now pulling into the driveway of the house. There was a nice green lawn out front, a few small shrubs by the door. Once we had stopped, I opened the door, stepping out. Chris was already out by the time I had closed the door, and she smiled. "Well James....welcome home." Home....something told me, that I wouldn't have any trouble calling this place home.
Walking through the front door, I was greeted by the familiar sight of the living room. There was a sofa, large enough to seat several people comfortably (and on more than one occasion give me a place to sleep during sleepovers), a few single chairs, a coffee table in the center, and of course the ever important flatscreen tv. Chris and I used to play loads of games on it, and there were even a few sporting events I came over to watch from time to time. "Already feeling at home James?" Chris said, walking in behind me. She was beaming at me, clearly eager to see how I was doing. Geesh, I only just walked in the door. No need to act like I was that fragile. Not that I'd say that to her, not in her house anyway. It's just not done.
"Chris, there's nowhere else I could possibly feel at home." Well, except for my original home. But beggars, choosers, yadda yadda. We both moved out of the way, as her dad came in close behind, lugging a small suitcase. "James, your room's up the stairs. Guest bedroom, Chris and I spent most of the week working on it for you." Nodding at him, I moved to take the suitcase from him, since it contained some of my clothes, the rest at my old house. However, he pulled it away from me. "Why don't you let me carry it up James. Go on, check out the room." I frowned at him. Great, I was being treated like a weak child with glass bones. Not what I needed. Moving forward, I grabbed the suitcase out of his hand. "Michael, it's fine, really. I can manage."
He looked as though he was going to argue. Hell, so did Chris. But I shot both of them a look that while polite, managed to tell them both that I did not appreciate them doting on me. They got the message, Michael raising his hands, palms toward me. "Alright James, you win. Sorry." The apology hurt, because at the end of the day....they were trying to be polite. "Nah, it's fine Michael. I just....need to do this on my own is all." With that, I started walking up the stairs, the suitcase clunking up behind me as I carried it. It was....difficult, mostly because I had to walk with a leg that felt nothing, but eventually I was able to make it up to the summit of the stairs. It ended at a wide hallway, big enough for furniture to be moved through. Four doors were on this floor, and I was headed for the one to my immediate right. Opening the door, I found myself staring at a mostly scarce room, the only things inside being a bed with only the basic necessities, a very plain looking desk, and a closet. Oh and a medium sized dresser.
"So, think you'll be okay?" Chris said from behind me, standing in the doorway. She was leaned against the frame, looking at me, waiting for a response. All I could do was smile. "Chris, it's great. Give me a few weeks, and I'll make this room my own." A few weeks, and a chance to grab some stuff from my old room. I set the suitcase down on the bed, and unzipped it as I began to unpack. "Cool," Chris said. "I'm going to help with lunch, so come down when you're ready." Then she walked off, and I could hear the sound of her footsteps going down the stairs. That gave me some private time with Gestalt. Okay, about the internet thing.....did you hack, anyone?
Hack.....your thoughts suggest computer hacking. Exploitation of weaknesses within digital security systems. To answer your question, yes.
And that's what I was afraid of. Without boring anyone with the details, cyber security had become a major thing over the past two decades, even becoming a big weapon in the war. In most cases, it was more dangerous than nuclear weapons and the monitoring of it was taken with just as much seriousness. I did not want to bring down the wrath of any cyber security agency down on me, because Gestalt had hacked the wrong people. Were you detected?
Doubtful. Our cyberwarfare suites are far more advanced than anything on your world. However, even if detection was possible, they will not be able to trace us, or you.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 08:43 pm
they're high end parts that should speed things up and because your my friend and friends help friends
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 08:46 pm
"Uh...thanks, Zeru. It's not uhm...customary, to just give things to others, not unless they ask, that is." I reply, a little taken aback to be honest he would just give me things.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 11:37 pm
no problem and it depends on person really/u]
=hops down from railing=
[u] wanna get a bite to eat?
Xion's Memory The Wizards
Posts : 6669 Join date : 2012-08-28 Age : 30
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 11:44 pm
The Sayla was a marvel of Valkyrie engineering. An impressive ship, it was Libra's Ninteenth present. The diverse Valkyries each had a gift, some big, some small. She had a big gift, but also with it a big responsibility. "Libra. You and Aries will be sent off on a diplomatic mission." "In an Aphelion class?" "Mutamorphs are growing bolder. We have detected multiple scouts around Earth, as well as the rogues belonging to Cassiopeia." The young Libra nodded. "I'll make sure Earth joins in alliance! We'll stop them!"
She thought it would be so easy.
Libra was wrong. As she looked across the club, in a robe and panting, she thought back. The object shouldn't have done that much damage. The engines shouldn't have misfired and sent them the wrong way. Shields were at full, then off. Seryna barely escaping the firey explosion and disconnecting the Sheretan. Libra couldn't get her mind off her crew, as many were slaughtered by gunfire. Carina. Cassiopiea's second in command. She had bribed her way onboard and created a mutiny. And gotten hit by flaming metal and shot down. She was sure everyone but herself and Seryna were dead. She was powerless now, all her energy used to protect the two as they crashed into the earth. Sayla went down in the ocean. They had barely escaped into human civilization with their lives. Left without technology, they had to figure out ways to survive on their own. All they had was a few diamonds they had been cutting in the machine shop for a gift. Now, they sold these huge chunks for apparently a lot of Earth money. Enough to find temporary housing, and gather what earth technology they could to start forging human documents. worked out well. Currently in New York, Libra took up a job as a human dancer (apparently white hair at her age, the color of freshly fallen snow, was uncommon). With her piercing violet eyes, she was hired on the spot. Her shift nearly over, Seryna was outside with their Chevy Suburban. The scientist had worked tirelessly to fix it up as a mobile command center of sorts, considering it's size. Libra had gotten a more sleek, flashier car. Something called a Camaro. She bought it outright - the entire vault of gems had been jettisoned, following her biosign. "Lexi." Her boss. "Yes?" "Listen, you'vebeen putting in almost eighty hours this week. I know you said all the time I could give, but how about you work two days next week and half some time off. You need to rest or you'll start getting sick." "Alright." "Now I cant pay for the vacation, but I do promise a pay raise." He grinned. "I look after my girls." "I know."
Now, Jake had moved to New York because his mom got a new job with Nexus. And he now was looking at a gauntlet that he had found on the shore of the beach. He had tentatively picked it up, then looked it over. Putting it on....it opened a can of worms. Armor. It just appeared through this rift. It opened and encased him. Huge...it was amazing. A massive sword, this awesome cannon. And then... "Whoever is inside the PERSEUS armor, identify yourself." "Jacobi Chase?" "Human. Interesting...no matter. You're now my ally, Jacobi Chase. I am Aries, an alien. And right now I need your help."
"Jake!" he turned. Stella. Estelle Evans went to his school. He had asked her out, and after a few months got a small apartment near the beach together. Her parents were loaded and paid for it, and he kept the place in order. They had two roommates, both girls. Jake was confused to how hd got there (or how his mom let him) but it was soon clear - Stella could sell ice to eskimos and get Santa to pay ten cents evrry time he said Ho Ho Ho! So he was looking out at the waves as his life was ridiculously strange, and wondered when the next problem would fall from the sky.
Last edited by Xion's Memory on 21/05/14, 12:23 am; edited 1 time in total
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 20/05/14, 11:51 pm
"Sure. Where do you want to go? The computer should be backlogged for at least another hour or so." I reply, stretching my body out, feeling my void-corrupted muscles flex and tense. "That one place over by the water was nice, until that one rowdy human decided to test my patience."
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 12:52 am
meh drunks are always annoying when they start getting in your face and i was thinking of just stopping by a fast food place not far from here
Razgriz The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13537 Join date : 2011-07-18 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 12:52 am
Well, that was a relief. Last thing I needed was to have the government on my ass. Good....and for future reference, try and keep the hacking to a minimum. That kind of thing tends to draw unwanted attention. Gestalt didn't respond, though again I could sense it's attempt to mimic amusement. In the silence, I got all my clothes moved from the suitcase, to the dresser. Once that was done, and the suitcase was stashed away, I headed down the stairs. First thing I heard though, was a voice coming over the tv. It was a newswoman by the sound of it, and the story they reported on had me very worried.
"Government agencies around the world have been struggling to determine the cause of one of the most widespread cyber attacks in history. Most of the information has been restrained, but what we do know is that nearly every government computer had been hacked in the past week. Not only that, but simultaneously, and if the reports we have are accurate, as if the security in place wasn't even there. Officials say the security was only able to detect the breach. Still no word on who officials suspect, but evidence leans towards an independent party. More on this story, after these messages."
Undetectable my ass..... Then again, Gestalt did say if it was detected. Looks like it was detected. The a chilling thought hit me. Uh, Gestalt? Did you steal any information?
Not required. We were able to make copies of the original source material while leaving the originals intact and where they were found. It would have been rude to steal the originals.
And yet you hacked their computers anyway.....plus that's still stealing information dammit. I shook my head, fighting the urge to sigh out-loud. Instead, I reached the base of the stairs, and found that the tv was indeed on, and on one of the news stations though like the newswoman said, they were on commercial break. Chris and Michael however, were not in the living room, but in the kitchen working on lunch. By the looks of things, it wasn't anything special, just some sandwiches. Michael though, seemed to have the same anxious look on his face. I guess Nexus was among those that suffered Gestalt's little scavenger hunt.
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 01:11 am
"Works for me. Which one was it?" I asked, getting up off the rail and going towards the stairs.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 01:15 am
=follows right behind him=
can't remember think they changed the name during the buyout
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 01:26 am
"The one with that had that large glowing sign above the door and on a stick so everyone within a few miles could see it? That's a nice place. Way better after they were bought out." I say, not bothering with shoes or locking the door. There wasn't much to steal anyway.
Razgriz The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13537 Join date : 2011-07-18 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 01:31 am
He heard me come in, and immediately struck up a conversation. "Can you believe this?" he asked, using a knife to spread mayo over the bread. "I got a call from my superiors two days ago. They wanted me to come down to work to oversee our tech department, make sure we were secure. I told them that wasn't going to happen, a) because I still had personal affairs to handle, and b) because my computer skills are shit. That's what the tech department is for." That made me chuckle, and I grabbed a seat at the small table in the kitchen. Chris walked over, placing a plate before me, a sandwich on top, sliced in half. Nodding my thanks, I started to eat while she took a seat opposite me. "Well, glad you're staying here dad. Honestly, you're hardly around anymore these days."
I could almost hear him frown, even if his back kept us from seeing his face. "Yeah, sorry Chris. Things have been a little hectic at work." He sat down at the head of the table, a plate and glass before him. There was the same weary look on his face. "Security at Nexus has been a nightmare, ever since Draco set up shop nearby." Oh right, Draco..... Remember Blackwater, or Obelisk, most of the big names of Private Military Companies? Draco LLC, is basically that. Though now they prefer private security contractor, they're an army unto themselves. Nexus founded them however, and still controlled them. From what I heard, they utilized the bulk of Nexus' military technology and weapons. I remember Kat talking about them once, and from what I gathered she didn't like them at all.
"I thought they were separate from Nexus?" Chris said, taking a bite of her sandwich. "At least, that they had no say in security within the main building." Michael shrugged. "Yeah, they don't really have any authority within Nexus itself, save for being posted in 'high-value' areas. But the district commander has been trying to make a push for a merge between his security forces, and the company's. Technically, it's possible, since we're all working for Nexus anyway, though some still oppose the idea. They don't want to turn the facility into a military base they say." It seemed clear from the way he spoke, that he was one of those people. I didn't have much of an opinion on the matter though, so I stayed quiet and ate my sandwich. Thew newswoman was back at this point.
"Welcome back to DNN, I'm Patricia Woods. Still our top story, the simultaneous cyber attack of what has now been confirmed to be close to every major computer on the planet. So far no one has taken credit for the attack...."
It was pretty much the same stuff she had said minutes ago. No real change, and certainly no identifying the source of the attack. Gestalt really was good at his job, and it made me make a mental note: next time a major test comes up, hack the computers for the answer. Save me a whole lot of trouble.
"Hmm, first the explosion and now this.....what a weird week," was the first thing I said to break the silence. Chris snorted, even if it as dark humor. "Yeah...looks like its nothing but headline news." The conversation kinda died from there, though there were a few bits where we talked about school, and then Chris began talking with me about setting up sparring session. I will say this for her: she was persistent. And while I didn't want to train with her......I figured saying yes was the only way to get her to stop asking me about it. Besides, I had long since gotten over getting my ass handed to me by a girl. And that was only the one-hundredth time I had told myself that. Maybe when I reached a hundred and thirty I could finally stop saying it.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 01:47 am
yeah i heard they don't require shoes now
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 02:04 am
"Really? Now we can go without having to hide everything from everybody. Easier eatings, I suppose."
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 03:36 am
yeah hopefully the food is still good
FallenSanity The Active Poster
Posts : 1094 Join date : 2012-07-13 Age : 28
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 04:41 am
Orion sat in his room, looking over a large set of files. Argentine, Chile, the Falklands, Newfoundland, and even a case in Hawaii... He rubbed his head and sighed softly. He was still half awake, and also didn't care about any of this.
Argentina - Man with possible nuclear arms. Chile - Group with possible nuclear arms. Falkland Islands - Group with intent of rebelling and forming independent nation. Newfoundland - Man with suggested superpowers raging havoc. Hawaii - Group intent on activating the Ring of Fire.
That last one sounded interesting. The Ring of Fire was a ring of volcanoes that, if detonated, could very easily cause innumerable damage that really hasn't been experienced anywhere in the world on a natural disaster scale. Orion actually did some research, noticing dozens of volcanos in the Western American states, Japan, the Philippines, and New Zealand. He pondered and sighed, as he picked up his phone to reply an affirmative on the Hawaii initiative. But to his pleasant surprise, there was instead, a lovely and distracting reminder.
'The Saphire Nightclub is waiting for you. Girls girls girls, all fun and beautiful~!'
Orion sighed, smiling to himself, as he rang the club he was very much used to hiring people from. With a happy and seductive voice, a familiar tone picked up across the lines, raising Orions morale even a little bit.
"Hey, this is Saphires. How can we help you today?"
"Hello Chanel. It's Orion."
There was a short pause before what sounded like scuffling, and the sound of... something, happening, before the voice came back a little louder than previously. "Orion~! It's been a while since you called the Cherry Babies. Are you gonna try and pick up where you left off last time, or perhaps try a slightly less desperate road?" To most that'd be taken as an insult, but it wasn't hard for Orion to hear the smile on her lips as she spoke. A few months back, Orion had been trying to get her out on a date, and dumped lord only know much money on her. He shook his head and stood up, stretching for a moment.
"Our time was fun, but right now I'm just after something that can the job done. Have you got any suggestions, dear Chanel?"
The sound of humming rang across the phone, before finally she chimed up again in her high voice, naturally unseductive voice.
"There's this girl Lexi you might like. Not exactly your body type, but she'll get it done. She's surprised a few of our regulars before."
Orion chuckled to himself and nodded happily. With the press of a button in his room, Orion gave his houseworkers a short buzz to let them know what would be going on soon.
"Sounds good. Send her my way."
He sighed and laid down on his bed for a moment, thinking. He'd never even been there before. In retrospect, he was probably getting scammed. But he hardly cared - he could afford it, so what was the deal with getting a little bit of a scam? It's all the same in the end.
Xion's Memory The Wizards
Posts : 6669 Join date : 2012-08-28 Age : 30
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 04:53 am
Libra was about to throw her shirt on, when Chanel stopped her. "Lexi! House call. I know, long day. But he pays big. Make him happy and you'll be riding pretty." "And you mean..." "Lead him on and make him pay you to try and date you." "...okay then..." she sighed. "I'll do the job. Let me call my sis." She dropped the shirt and left Seryna a message before re-dressing in her skimpy outfit and throwing on an overcoat. She stretched, grabbing her purse. She headed outside and slipped into her car, then roared off towards the address, weaving through late nighht traffic.
FallenSanity The Active Poster
Posts : 1094 Join date : 2012-07-13 Age : 28
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 05:04 am
Orion stood in the large lounge room, tapping his leg gently. It'd been a while since he'd made any kind of house call, really. The place was eternally clean and eerily lonely. With the push of a button he turned on the tv, switching to a music channel. Some sort of modern hip-hop was on, the kind of stuff he'd see people dancing too. It'd work.
He looked around, pushed a few seats back into a large U-shape, and grinned cheekily. The majority of his employers didn't know about this installation - it was a quiet one that he'd had done over the holidays a few years ago. With the push of a small, cream button, hidden in a wall, a circular platform raised in the middle of a room, and a long silver pole fell down from the roof. He had no idea what limits this girl would have, but it was always safe to have this out.
Orion sat down and took a long, pleasant breath. Better day than he'd expected.
Xion's Memory The Wizards
Posts : 6669 Join date : 2012-08-28 Age : 30
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 05:10 am
Libra arrived at the address. Stepping out of her car, she was buzzed in and headed to the apartment. She arrived and knocked, hands grasping the coat, ready to pull it apart.
FallenSanity The Active Poster
Posts : 1094 Join date : 2012-07-13 Age : 28
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 05:27 am
Orion heard the knock and stood, brushing himself down as he opened the door wide. And...
"Well, certainly better than I expected. I'm assuming you'd be 'Lexi'?"
He stood aside to let her in with a humble bow, shutting and locking the door behind her, his eyes not leaving her frame at any point. Skimpy clothing, fair body, white hair, which was interesting. He'd not met anyone with white hair that actually looked natural.
"What's your real name? I'm assuming Lexi is a nickname for something. Alexis?"
Xion's Memory The Wizards
Posts : 6669 Join date : 2012-08-28 Age : 30
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 05:40 am
Libra nodded, stretching. "Alexis. Nice guess." She smiled and leaned closer to him, her violet eyes piercing into his. "Fee's two hundred and hour. Anything else is welcome." She turned and seducitvely walked to the stage, then looked over her shoulder. "So. What do you prefer? Or just like watching a girl have fun?"
FallenSanity The Active Poster
Posts : 1094 Join date : 2012-07-13 Age : 28
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 05:49 am
Orion smiled to himself, though admitted he felt a little bizarre. It'd been far too long since he had anything that wasn't just mindless. And, while this wasn't exactly on brain activity, it still was more than he'd been used to in the last few years.
"I'm mostly an 'as it comes to me' kinda guy. You have fun, if somethings comes to mind for me, or for you, then we'll roll with that."
He spoke with a sly grin, not willing to say that he had absolutely no idea where his wallet was. That was kind of the majesty of being a regular with a place like the Saphire. He'd be able to pay back a later date. Of course having the ability to protect ones self from ruthless debt collectors also played a major roll.
"Don't feel obligated to use the stage," he said as he sat on the couch before it. "S'more there just to get it out."
Xion's Memory The Wizards
Posts : 6669 Join date : 2012-08-28 Age : 30
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 05:55 am
Libra smiled and began dancing on the pole.."it's a good warm up." She said. She spun and moved, until she was hanging upside down. "So..." she unhooked the top, letting it fall and revealing...okay they were maybe Bs. Maybe. Not bigger then mid. She beckoned. "Come on. Get comfy." She grinned. "Or is this dance for your couch and not you?"
FallenSanity The Active Poster
Posts : 1094 Join date : 2012-07-13 Age : 28
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 06:01 am
He smirked as he watched her, sitting back and simply enjoying the show. He did enjoy watching more than anything else. To him, to touch was to open up a whole new world of it. And he wasn't exactly opening that flood gate with some chick he'd just hired.
"Well hey, every couch needs a little love." He says cheekily, before sighing and scratching his chest though his top. He was already quite comfy really. Baggy pants helped.
"I'm comfy, sweet cheeks. Just let me enjoy myself."
Xion's Memory The Wizards
Posts : 6669 Join date : 2012-08-28 Age : 30
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 06:06 am
Libra nodded. Sliding down, she began dancing upright, dropping clothes until Orion could see her. She kept it up. "Got water?" She asked as she spun on the pole. "For later." She clarifyed, continuing her dance.
Razgriz The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13537 Join date : 2011-07-18 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 06:06 am
It wasn't too long before I got a chance to leave the house. See, Michael got called away to work, and Chris decided the time was right for me to start my training again, and the gym was close by. She got a call from someone, not sure who, and I heard her say something like "Meet us at the gym." That was about it though, and soon she and I were walking down the street to the gym. It wasn't your typical gym either; Spartan Gym was in fact the local boxing gym, and while it wasn't as neat and tidy as the big places, it was to me.....more alive, real, hard to describe but better than places like L.A. Fitness.
As we walked inside, Chris got lot of greetings from some of the guys in there, older men whom she had earned their respect in the ring. Someone saw me and said "Oh man....that's just sad." Not sure if he meant it was sad I was crippled, or sad I was crippled and there.
N The Longterm Poster
Posts : 3589 Join date : 2011-05-13
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 07:04 am
"Look, I can't do these reports right now, I've still got the other ones from earlier today to finish - yes, the ones you left on my desk this morning - No! We're still going through them! Do you realize how ma- Yes, fine, okay, I'll do it." Click. The Head of the Laboratories, Henry, hung up the phone in his office. He was angry, and quite reasonably so. He had been given a stack of paperwork, findings reports, cost analysis, chemical orders, chemical requests, laboratory requests, and more, the moment he arrived at the labs. He had his days work laid out in front of him, until that last phone call. The higher ups wanted him to complete some new paperwork, something that anyone one could do, and who many people with less things on their plate could do, but they sent it to him. They wanted him to drop what he was doing, and jump through hoops for them. Not a moment after he hung up, did someone with that special stack of paperwork come through his office door and drop it off - it was larger than the one he had this morning. He glared at the guy who dropped it off, and the man snickered and left. "This is bullshit." The Head of Laboratories exclaimed as the door shut. It doesn't matter how you feel about a situation, you still have to deal with it, so Henry got to work on these prioritized files.
As Henry worked on these files, the many researchers in the building went about doing their research. Writing up research proposals, or brainstorming, or just working on labs and tests. One of the researcher assistants, Nicholas, was working on electric eels, more specifically, finding medical uses for the organs that generate electricity. The idea was to implant an organ that could make a pacemaker last until the person implanted with it died. So that they didn't need to go back in for a check-up or to have the battery replaced. The idea was simple enough, getting it to worked was not. The first thing he had to tackle was getting the organ to behave how they wanted it to. They had to clone most of the Eel tissue, thanks to PETA and their protesting the use of animals in scientific study. Most of the cloned tissue ended up not working the way normal tissue is supposed to. They were having small set back issues.
Razgriz The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13537 Join date : 2011-07-18 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 09:55 am
Chris and I had changed separately, and moved over to the training mat, a flat space in the back of the gym big enough for eight people to spar in pairs quite comfortably. I had only a t-shirt and sweatpants, and since there was the usual no shoe policy for the mat I was down to one bare foot and one bare......robotic foot. Chris was sporting a red athletic tank-top, sleeveless and showing off her athletic figure, a pair of black mesh shorts that ended above her knees, oh and a cocky grin on her face, though I guess it wasn't cocky if the confidence behind it stemmed from fact. In addition, we both sported training gloves, headgear and shin-guards, all in the name of safety. Oddly enough I still wore one on my right leg, though I figured it was her benefit. I mean, if she kicked me there she's probably break her foot.
"Alright James," she said as both stood across from each other, adopting our ready stances. "Since you just got out of the hospital, and are sporting some new rims--" (I frowned at her, slightly annoyed) "--we'll take it nice and slow, and ease ourselves into it." Snorting, I said "Bet you say that to all the guys Chris." Her eyes took on an all too familiar glint of amusement, and she responded "Like any guy could get this close to me. Now come on, let's see if you remember anything I taught you."
FallenSanity The Active Poster
Posts : 1094 Join date : 2012-07-13 Age : 28
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 10:18 am
Orion nodded, walking over to the small fridge in the room and getting out two bottles of water. One he set down near the stage and the other he kept for himself, taking a sip and smirking to himself as he watched her move.
"Already thinking ahead, huh?"
Xion's Memory The Wizards
Posts : 6669 Join date : 2012-08-28 Age : 30
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 04:11 pm
She crawled to the edge of the stage, throwing her head back. "Yep." She affirmed, before sliding back up the pole. Alexis continued her dance, doing her best to keep looking at Orion.
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 08:31 pm
"I can't imagine the food would be any worse. The cookers didn't get changed out did they?" We were down the stairs by now, walking along the sidewalk as cars whipped past us. I could hear each car come along, and watch it as it moved past my face, but at the same time I could watch it approach and pass us without ever moving my head. It was a strange feeling at first, something you can't really describe. Just like how I could hear their presence. A constant undertone to the way the regular sounds were, giving me a general size and direction of objects, almost like a constant sonar. The only advice I could give to anyone would be to experience it themselves, then you might understand.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 08:43 pm
i think they brought in a new head cook and that they're more efficent
Razgriz The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13537 Join date : 2011-07-18 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 08:45 pm
She started first, darting towards me, but I realized she was going slow, like she said before. Her first attack was a kick aimed high at my left shoulder, which I blocked before she dropped her leg to ready herself for a punch that hit me in the gut. We may have been going slow to ease into things, but she wasn't pulling her punches and I bent over in pain. "Come on now James, we both know it wasn't that bad. Man up," she said, smiling as I straightened myself and came at her for a change. I got too eager though, and she grabbed my first punch and flipped me over and behind her onto the mat. "That was stupid James," she said. "You don't rush in, you fight smart or else the other guy will exploit you're stupidity."
Teria The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13163 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 08:55 pm
"Well, I suppose we'll find out when we get there." I reply, rolling my head to stretch my neck muscles.
zeru The Wizards
Posts : 4925 Join date : 2011-05-10 Age : 33
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 21/05/14, 09:11 pm
true enough
Razgriz The Oldest Crones Alive
Posts : 13537 Join date : 2011-07-18 Age : 31
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 22/05/14, 04:40 am
Rolling onto my chest and standing up, I did my best to remember the moves Chris had taught me before. The problem was that I was a bit lazy and never practiced enough to build up any muscle memory for the techniques, save the basics. So maybe that was where I needed to start. The first thing Chris had taught me, was Krav Maga, an Israeli martial arts style. She was better at.....well, all of them, than I was. But it was the first one she taught me, and the best I knew so I went for the basics in that school of fighting.
Starting off with taking a new stance, I waited for her to get close this time before throwing the first punch, which she dodged right before I sent a kick her way. She grabbed my leg though, and just as an example mimed hitting it with her arm, something that would potentially break or damage my leg at least, before shoving me back and onto my ass. This was where I got creative, using the skills I picked up freerunning to lean back onto the floor, raise my legs and kick them out to lift me before I came to my feet, surprised at how I was able top adapt so quickly to the new leg.
It is certainly an impressive piece of machinery, given what we know about your race anyway. Crude yes, but still impressive, Gestalt said.
It certainly was, and I resumed my sparring with Chris, the two of us trading blows and I felt a small rush at how much better I was starting to get, going back to basics really helping me improve. That is, until Chris ducked low and swung her leg out, kicking my legs out from under me in a sweep that sent me to the ground again, and to follow up she straddled me at the stomach, left arm pressing to my neck, right arm raised and hand in a fist that was ready to punch a hole in my head. "Not bad James," she said, lightly panting and a few beads of sweat visible on her neck. "Definitely getting better, especially with that leg of yours." She got off me, walking away and turning her back on me, hands raised over her head as she straightened her arms, fingers locked over as she stretched. "Ready for Round Two?" she called over her shoulder.
N The Longterm Poster
Posts : 3589 Join date : 2011-05-13
Subject: Re: Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World 22/05/14, 05:49 pm
"Well, we're able to get it to release the 600 volts at 1 ampere, but we're not able to get it less than 300 volts at that same 1 ampere. So I don't know if you want us to keep trying or not - yeah, the hunter's organ, the Sach's organ is for electrolocation, not electrocution, though I guess in theory we could still try using the Sach's organ, that might even be a better idea since it only releases 0.15 volts, but then there's the issue of amperes. Oh, and we'd have to ensure that the release of electricity is in a pulse and not a wave, for risk of damaging other organs in the body..." The conversation continued from there. Nicholas was talking to one of the researchers about the possibility of using a different organ for testing, since he was having difficulty with the one he was working with now. He wanted to experiment with both organs, and use the one that was safest to use with humans. The team he was on did not want to create an artificial cell, battery, to put in the human body, but an additional organ that was modified to fit the needs of that person. Batteries have been made using the electric eel's organs as models, and even improved upon. Electrophorus Electricus.
He spends most of his work day preparing cell cultures and the electric organs of the eel for the researchers themselves. He was ambitious in telling them what he thought about the use of a different organ. Giving his own ideas to research that was not his. He knew there was a chance that any of the researchers he talked to might take his ideas and call them their own. He knew that. He did it anyway, if he can be apart of something that saves lives or changes the way humanity thinks about science, or anything world changing, he would, even if he didn't get any credit for it. So he spends all day preparing experiments for the organs and preparing the organs, and at the end of the day, he goes home to his apartment. He walks from his apartment to work and back everyday. It takes him one hour and twenty minutes to go either way. He doesn't ask, or accept, rides to his apartment. He walks and he thinks about his life.
Up until a few weeks ago, Nicholas was a missing person. He had been missing for 18 years. He had gone missing when he was 24 years old, and when he came back, he was 22. He didn't have an explanation for it, nor did he have an explanation as to why he had been gone for 18 years. He knows nothing of what happened to his friends or family, or anyone he cared about. He was alone, after coming back, and the authorities don't know that he's back. So in the books he's still a missing person. The people he works with don't know that. There are no missing persons signs for him, only the people who knew him missed him. As time went on, many of them grew to accept the fact that he may be dead. In time he was just a memory.
A few weeks ago, he came back from wherever he had been, and found himself in New York. In the home of an estranged artist, who had been drawing the strangest black and red pictures, as well as painting, all of the images were of places Nicholas had been, and who he had seen, all in black and red. The artist nearly went mad when he found Nicholas in his apartment. Which must have been quite something else, a person he had drawn had come to life while he was away. However, with the arrival of Nicholas, came the arrival of something else, a shapeshifter in the form a cat. Nicholas sat down with the artist to try and calm him down. After a few days of explaining things, or trying to explain things, the artist finally calmed down, and accepted things. The artist thanked Nick for staying and not running away from him when he freaked out. Nicholas just smiled and said "Nothing is gained when you leave someone in distress."
Nicholas had questions of his own, he asked what year it was, he asked about the state of affairs of new york, the world, change in technology, he asked whatever came to mind. From there he left the artist, feeling better, if still a bit shaken up, and went to discover New York for himself.