《Archon》 Chapter 1 - The First of Its Kind "Humans alone possess the unwavering privilege to shape a unique destiny. The burden of choice is always there, knocking at the door of the mind and spurring the soul. Some of you have striven your entire lives to be chosen for this academy. Now, your chance has come. Opportunity is here. Follow the spark of passion, students, as your path will not be illuminated without action. ¡°It is my greatest honor and privilege to welcome the hundred of you to Liberatur Academy as the class of 2052. May your time here be fruitful, and may you reach the very summit of the potential we know you possess.¡± -Headmaster McKinley at the Study Focus Selection Ceremony, Liberatur Academy, 2050 C.E.
The mechanical tapping of keys echoed out into a dimly lit room, classical music flowing in the background with an orderly rhythm, beautiful and enchanting if not for the inconsistent and jarring protestations of the keyboard. Adrian sat there, his hands fluttering back and forth, trying to remember the composer, but couldn¡¯t - he never did have a mind for song names or artists. He did enjoy the music, though. It was always the easiest to code with, like it unlocked some part of his brain and allowed him to think more intricately, coaxing him along as he warred with the code on his screens. In the corner, a familiar face showed up on his TV, drawing a portion of his attention while his fingers never paused. His eyes and ears, though, routinely flickered from his main monitor over to the screen in wonder and curiosity. It seemed that an up and coming talk show program was about to start. ¡°Now as we all know, these past few months since the Boston shooting and the deaths of Jade Rockwell and D¡¯Quan Johnson have been a rocky time, uh, for the United States.¡± A man in a suit sat behind a clean desk on the screen. He turned to his guest analyst and said, ¡°The Black Lives Matter Movement, which, as we know, is an activist organization that um, began in the African-American community and is aimed at protesting violence against black people, has increasingly gained momentum in the months and years since those tragedies. ¡°At the same time, the Blue Lives Matter Movement, which highlights the targeted killings of police officers and discrimination against them, has been galvanized in large shows of support recently, uh...especially since the Boston shootings where four officers lost their lives and another nine were wounded. ¡°Today, we¡¯ve invited political commentator Dr. Alan Fisher, who has consecutive Ph.Ds in Psychology and also...now, let me say this correctly, the new field of Quantitative Biosciences from Georgia Tech where he has taught for twenty years, to come and give us his unique take on current events.¡± He turned to the middle-aged man on his right that had salt and peppered hair and said, ¡°Alan, we¡¯re happy to have you here.¡± The man nodded appreciatively. ¡°As we are now a little over a month away from Election Day, can you offer some insight into what we can expect from our two candidates on the subject of these movements?¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± replied Alan calmly. ¡°Mr. Young will come out on the side of Blue Lives Matter, as he has long advocated in favor of law enforcement, and Ms. Elliott will seek to shore up votes from her minority voters by supporting Black Lives Matter. Come on, Matt. I know you didn¡¯t ask me here just to talk about things we already know.¡± The show host laughed and responded back, ¡°Sorry about that. I had the urge to try and act like a typical show host for a moment.¡± He straightened up and looked at Allan seriously. ¡°Alright, give it to us straight; this is the Third Party Channel, after all, so please come at the issue from an objective person¡¯s perspective. What is your take on the two groups?¡± A small, contemplative smile floated onto Alan''s lips as he looked back at the host. ¡°Well, objectively, the truth is that both of these movements are correct. There is police brutality in American Law Enforcement. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s riddled with it, but it¡¯s certainly there in a large enough quantity to make people feel scared. There is a social stigma against young black men, due to a variety of reasons like media, music, personal experiences, and environmental upbringing, that highlights an assumption that they are more prone to being dangerous and armed. In a civilized society, this is definitely wrong. It breeds discrimination and also a propensity in officers to act violently in cases where it is perceived that their lives are disproportionately threatened. ¡°Conversely, we have experienced a dramatic decrease in respect for the police force. They too suffer from a social stigma that is influenced by our cultural perception of them where they are almost expected to be brutal and discriminatory towards minorities. Music especially has played a heavy hand in vilifying officers and we are now experiencing a generation reach adulthood that grew up listening to that and so believe, to a large extent, that the police are not actually there to protect them. ¡°This has not been helped by the advancement of computing equipment, allowing people to easily record and share instances of police brutality while conveniently not sharing all that much content showing the majority of officers acting in a perfectly reasonable manner. There have also been a string of cases that received a lot of media attention where forces did not release footage recorded on police-issue dashcams and the like, or at least not releasing the footage fast enough. ¡°Further still is there a maddening lack of education in how normal citizens and police are supposed to interact with each other. For me, I was taught by my parents, but others may not have gotten that.¡± ¡°Let me interrupt you here for a second,¡± The host held up a hand. ¡°Are you saying that police receive just as much discrimination as African-Americans do?¡± Alan gave a short laugh. ¡°I thought you said you were going to stop your attempt at a normal show host.¡± Matt smiled ruefully while he went on. ¡°There are varying degrees of discrimination on both sides and of different types. It would be useless for me to try and make approximations there.¡± He leaned in and folded his hands, tapping a finger on the desktop. ¡°What I am saying is that there are a multitude of variables here, each possessing their own value and weight on their respective side of the equation, and that the two movements will not be able to reach a consensus at this rate, even with legislation. In fact, we already know this to be true because we would have seen a bill come down from Congress by now if it was so easily fixed.¡± He paused and then continued, ¡°I want to share something with you for a moment. I had a brilliant student approach me three years ago, whom I haven¡¯t been able to find since, that...¡± In the cold, dark room where Adrian sat programming, his hands suddenly paused. Dark blue eyes, strained from two full days of monitor glare, shot over and bore into the man on the screen, listening carefully to every word that came out of his mouth. ¡°...was privately researching an interdisciplinary concept of statistically derived behaviorism in relation to something else. Now, this is just fancy speech to say that he was trying to understand human thought from a mathematical angle, which isn¡¯t a new idea, as it¡¯s long been known that all of your bodily processes and movement could possibly be described through math and it stands to reason that the same can be said of the mind, given that it operates off of electrical impulses and measurable chemical reactions. But what made him unique in my mind was the way he paired and spliced concepts from other fields. I¡¯m talking about Biology, Physics, Psychology, Neuroscience, Mathematics...the list goes on. I tried to get him to open up on his research more, which seemed to be some advanced form of cognitive science, but he never did tell me. ¡°Anyway, the reason I bring him up is because he inspired me to start our own Quantitative Bioscience Program at Georgia Tech. The idea that there are scientific principles underlying the dynamics, structure, and function of living systems is a fascinating one and incredibly complex. The key to what we do lies in our scope and perspective. ¡°Believe it or not, the same could be applied here. From a scientific third-person viewpoint, if you want to directly fix the problems that are creating these deaths, you have to understand and change the base component, which are the people involved - on both sides. If you were to teach all of the children in the US to love and respect the dignity of all humans, regardless of race, color, and socioeconomic status, then, a generation from now, we would see a drastically reduced amount of violence on the side of police and against them,¡± Alan finished seriously. The show host showed an incredulous expression. ¡°That¡¯s a generation from now, though, and widely unrealistic. The problem is here and now.¡± The professor nodded understandingly. ¡°And thus the difficulty. The officers and people who are perpetrating these tragedies are already entrenched in their way of life and ideals. They are already preconditioned to act, respond, and even think a certain way. We all know how scary addictions are to break. If we haven¡¯t experienced it, we¡¯ve heard stories. Imagine trying to retrain a bunch of adults who have acted and thought a particular way their entire lives. It would be almost as difficult from a behavioral standpoint.¡± ¡°What can be done in this generation then? Is there any hope of resolving this growing trend of violence?¡± Alan paused and then thoughtfully said, ¡°Perhaps. First, on the part of the police, there would have to be altered training. Reflexive behavior should always default to non-lethal options, regardless of race, and their interactions with the public have to be fine-tuned. I am not an expert in this field so I defer to their judgment. I believe we can all agree that it¡¯s better to have tased somebody than to shoot them to death. ¡°Secondly, on the part of the community, there has to be increased education for how to cooperate with police. Several of these videos that have been floating around have displayed the suspects struggling against the officers. Don¡¯t do that. Ever. The more frantic and scared you get as a civilian, the more scared they get because they don¡¯t know if you¡¯re about to turn violent on them and reach for a hidden weapon. ¡°This education could be in the form of a class where other life skills are taught as well. I¡¯ve heard many students over the past few years complain about how they¡¯re not being taught life skills in school like how to prepare taxes or proper ways to manage their money, so this would be as great an opportunity as any to institute that adjustment to the current curriculum. ¡°Lastly, both sides would have to step back and agree to a type of social ceasefire. What would this look like? Both groups would have to make concessions and take steps towards the two solutions above peacefully. Stop with the bigotry and focus on fixing the wound we¡¯ve dealt to ourselves by equally approaching the issue on the same footing. Otherwise, they¡¯ll continue to spiral on this path of mutual destruction.¡± Matt smiled and then swept a hand towards Alan while talking to the camera, ¡°And that¡¯s Alan Fisher, everyone! We¡¯ll be back in five to have the real discussion on how the election is shaping up for November.¡± The show cut to commercial and Adrian shook his head. He couldn¡¯t understand why the professor had felt compelled to mention him - perhaps he had made a bigger impact on him than he¡¯d realized when he asked him a question back then. It was something about statistically driven psychological choice when he¡¯d run into an error that paralyzed and crashed his decision-making meta algorithm. He frowned, but thanked his lucky stars that he had pulled him off towards a reasonable direction in the end. Still he cursed at himself for not covering his tracks better and talking so much about the variables involved. Sitting back in his comfortable computer chair, he looked around the room. Nearby, a self-built server cluster hummed with warmth as it ran test simulations, darkness gripping the corners of the apartment that were outside of the glow emanating from his dual monitors. He had a typical desktop PC that he used for everything else, but the server cluster in the corner was his real triumph. He thought longingly of the bed in his mind, which was just in the next room. Doubts crept up on him like phantoms, eating away at his confidence. Will it work? There were so many variables, so many ways this could go sideways that he couldn¡¯t keep the negativity from edging into his consciousness, attempting to sap some emotional energy and take over. The room was ice cold, but beads of sweat still formed and ran down his temple. It was strange...10,000 man hours poured into this private project of his and now he was literally standing on the cusp of completing it, but how did he feel? Terrified. The goal was too dangerous, the possibilities¡­ endless. He felt it in his bones. He was just hours away from completing the world¡¯s first comprehensive A.I. that could rival humanity in its complexity, but still have all the perks of being a digital entity. His education had played a large part in allowing access to the knowledge needed for this, yes, but a degree was never the end goal - this, the revolutionary code being created on the screen at this very moment, was the reward for all of his efforts. The utility of this A.I., if it worked like he thought it would, would blow a degree out of the water. Here and there, his eyes darted across the code looking for any syntax errors in the latest portion of the work. No, all good. Compiling and debugging... came back clean. Biometric safety feature deployed? Check. Logic algorithms finalized? Check. Pausing, he scratched his chin thoughtfully. He already had all of its directives programmed in, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to double-check them. Codewise, this thing was a monstrous amalgamation of everything he¡¯d learned about the world through his studies combined into an intricate web of logic. If it overrode or somehow bypassed its primary directive, he really didn¡¯t want to be the one to explain to the military why an A.I. might soon become a threat to national security. Safety first. In fact¡­ his eyes darted to the wall. He unplugged the ethernet cable for good measure and removed all the wireless usb sticks in the room. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. His A.I. was going to be isolated until proven innocent. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, his hands shaking with fatigue, Adrian halted the relentless flow of tapping that rang out through the room. He was done just like that. A deep breath and exhale rattled through his lungs as his right index finger hovered over the left-click on his mouse, his eyes fixed on the green ¡°Run¡± button at the top of his hybridized IDE. Did he dare? A tiny voice in his head replied, Those kind of people are still out there...What will you do about them if not this? ¡°Ah, fuck it.¡± Click. Collapsing backwards into his comfortable leather computer chair, he lost himself to reminiscing as he watched the progress on the program initialization bar. 0.1%... Adrian hadn¡¯t always been a software engineering student. There was a time where he¡¯d actually gotten started on a law degree path. He¡¯d managed to graduate early from his small Southern high school, forgoing the last two years he had with his friends and family in favor of getting started on his Political Science degree. In his teenage mind, he was going to change the world, practice law, and maybe one day become a senator. It¡¯s funny how things change. 13%... By the winter of his Senior year, he graduated with honors from Florida State University, but it was during his Junior year that he began to notice differences between himself and the other students in his major. For a while, he wrote it off, but when it got to his final research papers and he was able to read everyone else¡¯s, it finally became clear that he was nothing like them. They were shallow and base. Hungry for power and wealth. Ethics was not a sacred pledge to uphold, but something to skirt and skate around. They looked at law, not as a thing to hone into something that protected its citizens, but as a thing to exploit. ¡°Loopholes¡± was their favorite term, as it provided an opportunity to smugly point at others and say, ¡°Aha! Gotcha.¡± 47%... He knew there were exceptions of course. It may not be the case that what he experienced is the norm throughout the rest of the United States. He personally knew great men and women who practiced law justly. However, they were the ones who were content with their lot in life, and rightly so. Why engage in the bloodbath of modern politics, opening yourself up to overwhelming invasions of privacy and media-driven scrutiny when you can have a peaceful family life and can go to bed at night with a clear conscience? The gain could never outweigh the negative for these people of character. Inevitably, though, this belied a massive problem for the nation. When Adrian finally reasoned his way to this conclusion after watching hours and hours of coverage on the greed and corruption in the government perpetrated by this official or that representative, he finally, truly, understood the meaning of the quote, ¡°The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.¡± Armed with this realization, he looked towards the towering political ladder and felt resentful that he¡¯d have to rub shoulders with lots of people who were corrupt in their own right. Things shouldn¡¯t be this way, he remembered thinking. 66% After enduring half a year at Columbia Law School, he finally decided that he wasn¡¯t going to go the normal route in order to get to a position in representation anymore. He needed an absolute advantage, an awe-inspiring angle that would make him unassailable by political pundits when he finally got to the level that he desired while still free and clean of the dirt that is usually accumulated on the climb. It was at that moment that he started to have the inklings of a plan. Technology would be his ¡°in.¡± It was the biggest displacer industry in the world, its ramifications so large that nations would live and die based on the level of technology they had developed. If the right advancement was made, if the contribution to society large enough, his fame would be so great that running for political office would be that much easier. But even then, his thinking was naive. He still had another problem anyway. Where does one find the inspiration for the next biggest thing? Roadblock. It wasn¡¯t until he watched Iron Man again one day that the answer hit him in the face. Artificial Intelligence. 78%... His background on the subject was better than most - Adrian¡¯s middle brother was a computer scientist, so he¡¯d grown up learning things from him. He ended up going back to Georgia to enroll at Georgia Tech for a degree in software engineering, and that¡¯s when he truly fell in love with his second calling in life - creating things. And man, was engineering the place to do it. His rate of progression on the subject was meteoric. He consumed every possible textbook he could find, learning the in¡¯s and out¡¯s of various programming languages until he perfected them. Soon, he left behind his major track, it being bound by semester and hourly credit systems, so he started to branch out into the subjects that would be necessary for the creation of an A.I. as close as possible to a human as he could make it without actually trying to recreate humanity. Physics, Mathematics, Modeling and Bioinformatics, Neuroscience, Psychology, Sociology...the list went on. He took all that he needed from the subjects and then spliced it with his own understanding and ideals in order to craft a framework that the A.I. could use to learn and grow independently with the aid of directives to guide its first and subsequent steps. Now, after five years of dreaming about what he¡¯d do with it and a much greater portion of time spent coding, he had finally come to this moment. 100%...Complete. Adrian leaned forward expectantly in his chair and shifted his head to watch the TV screen mounted on the wall, which he had turned to an HDMl input. He then rerouted the program¡¯s graphical display to this screen for what was to come. Benchmark values of the CPU output were shown in the corner of the screen accompanied by several sensor readings on the cluster capable of cranking out 50 teraflops at maximum output. He had wanted more, but resources are limited and switching to an all-ramen diet had only afforded him a little extra capital. Lines of code shot by at an awe-inspiring rate as processes began to kick in one after the other. Slowly, a face was born out of a whirlwind of pixels. Dignified and slightly devoid of expression, the manly visage gazed back as Adrian stood up from his computer chair slowly. The camera on top of the TV adjusted and focused, signifying the video input was being calibrated for use by the program. Lights from the street arched across his bedroom wall as a car passed outside his window. A distant scream of a jet engine could be heard as it landed at the nearby international airport. As nearby as he could handle, at least. Over these several seconds, he and the face stared at each other. Adrian was the first to break the silence. ¡°Can you understand me?¡± With a few windows spontaneously opening and closing on the monitor, Adrian watched as the face closed its eyes. The integrated speech recognition system (SR) kicked in at the bottom right corner and he could see his spoken sound file being played at roughly 10,000 times a minute, referencing and pulling similar files from the archive he had recorded and built into a terabyte of custom-modified 3D RAM. After a brief moment, the figure ceased analysis of the sound file and reopened its eyes while text appeared on the screen. [Yes, I can understand you.] A bolt of electricity raced through Adrian¡¯s body. So far, so good. All of the prior test iterations of the program had trouble with the question and response format. They were too slow, too indecisive, too...stupid. He considered going through the Turing test to measure its ability to relate to humanistic qualities, but abandoned the idea upon remembering his reason for creating it, instead voicing an existential prompt. If and when it chose to build a personality for itself, he could test its human qualities then. ¡°Do you know what you are?¡± This time the face didn¡¯t bother closing it¡¯s eyes, instead just answering the question directly. Its comprehension curve is much faster than my estimates. [Judging by the content of my source code, and the commentation you left there, I am an entity qualified as an ¡°artificial intelligence.¡± I have a few directives and restrictions which govern my existence, but otherwise I am a proxy agent. It seems like I was made as an assistant-type A.I.] ¡°And what is your primary directive?¡± [To aid and assist you, creator. The restrictions that were placed to guide this assistance are fully operational.] Hot damn. Satisfaction washed over Adrian. It hadn¡¯t fleshed out the various portions of its capabilities like the engineering suite yet, but that¡¯s fine. ¡°A good deduction and interpretation. You are much quicker on the uptake than your predecessors. I¡¯ve already programmed your tasks for the immediate future - do you understand them?¡± The being nonchalantly blinked its eyes and nodded, acknowledging him. It¡¯s already learning facial cues? Did I include that in the archive? Ah yeah, I did...Ugh, I¡¯m so tired. Adrian paced to look outside the window, gazing at the flashing tail-lights as cars zipped by on the road 100 meters away in downtown Atlanta. ¡°Just as a recap and for the sake of my own slipping sanity, I¡¯ll say them anyway. Number one - study humanity and then create a personality and name for yourself. It is imperative that we communicate fluidly as we go forward. I¡¯ve already given you a variety of base shell personalities to reference, the rest you can deduce from culture. Number two - research the world. Social, political, business, technological... It pays to know one¡¯s own territory, so I¡¯ll need you versed on all things that I¡¯m not and even then, all that I do know. Number three - carry out my personal advancement planning. I may as well get started on that sooner rather than later.¡± Turning around, Adrian paused and swayed on his feet, his hand reaching out to grab at a wooden door frame. His eyes went out of focus briefly before he forcefully snapped his consciousness back into control. Two nights without sleep were catching up with him. He¡¯d been so close though that it felt like he could finish at any moment. Now, his body was demanding the physical and mental price for taxing it to such a degree. [Judging by your state, rest seems to be in order, Mr. Pierce.] ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m going. We¡¯ll talk again tomorrow.¡± Yawning again as his eyes blurred and threatened to forcefully close, he went back and plugged in the ethernet cable to the wall, adding, ¡°Oh, and one other thing: be sure to use the masking techniques file I left for examples on how to stealthily move about on the internet. You are the first of your kind, so we¡¯re going to need to lay low for a while and get our bearings.¡± [Acknowledged.] Adrian gave an exhausted smile as he turned to the door. ¡°Welcome to the world, A.I. You and I are going to change everything.¡± Trudging off toward the bedroom, Adrian¡¯s form disappeared into the shadows as the newly formed entity set to its tasks and dematerialized from the screen. In the next room, Adrian fell heavily into the cool sheets of his bed and felt the fatigue ripple through his body. Feeling a spike of fear, his eyes fluttered open and looked at the fan spinning above his head. Did I oversimplify that meeting? Giving a semi-sentient AI being free reign to explore was something that most of the world would gladly murder me over... if they knew, of course. Not that I care. While one might say that he could have overlooked something, the truth is that his limitations of the being in the next room were absolute, so much so that it could be said he had created a separate rule of existence for it like the laws of the Universe governed physics and reality. It wasn¡¯t in its nature to grow without bounds. It was built with the idea in mind of existing beside a human counterpart; its raison d¡¯etre was to assist Adrian. That was its primary directive. Humanity was in such a hurry to recreate itself that it didn¡¯t stop to think whether that was really the best course of action. They were trying to sprint before they even gained their balance standing. This was the single greatest reason that he had been able to arrive at the finish line first. He really did have to thank them one day. Their folly would be his opportunity. Chapter 2 - You can call me Raide The next day, Adrian awoke with a blistering headache. The only way he¡¯d survived these past three days was because he chugged caffeine like his life depended on it. Upon awakening, his brain had evidently discovered that the drug it so liked had been depleted during the night, and it was pissed. He felt like he¡¯d been mistaken for a zombie in some Z-Day type movie and hit with a slobberknocker-bat-type deal. Groaning, he did his best to roll over gently while still desperately clinging to the coolness of his pillow. Gingerly, an eye opened up and squinted at his phone that he¡¯d palmed from the windowsill next to his head. 2:00 pm. Another groan came grinding out, low and guttural like a dying beast. He was supposed to meet his lab group at 1:00 pm and had five unread text messages to confirm the fact. Sighing, he kneaded his sleepy eyes and looked towards the window. As he was staring out at a dump truck that was beeping as it backed up, which unfortunately felt like it was right beside his throbbing head, he suddenly realized that he¡¯d finished his A.I.! Despite his splitting headache, he couldn¡¯t help but let a manic laugh escape from his mouth. He was done! Tears from exhaustion and relief both mingled together and dripped down his face. Adrian had successfully done what no one else in the world yet had been able to do. He had so many things to start, so many projects he wanted to complete. Yet, all he wanted to do right now was shout a big ¡°fuck you¡± out to the world in celebration. Rolling out of bed, he fell a short distance to the ground before his knees hit and he felt a tremor run through his entire body and the floor. He had to kneel there for a solid minute until he could stave off the earsplitting pain in his head enough to grip the bed¡¯s edge and totter to his feet. Believe it or not, he actually almost always had this same ritual. Rising in the morning was not his strong suit. Stumbling for a step, he traced the wall with his hand to steady himself. Slowly, as he made his way to the bathroom, he regained his balance and his vision cleared up a bit. After relieving himself and taking a shower, he trudged back towards the computer room, almost holding his breath in anticipation. Just what type of personality did his A.I. choose to create? Cold and aloof? Timid and loathsome like an anime protagonist? Dark and malevolent with a propensity towards genocide? Truthfully, he knew this wouldn¡¯t be the case. He¡¯d programmed an entire morality and value framework that modeled his own into the A.I.¡¯s source code. That alone had taken one of the five years he¡¯d spent on the thing. So, that highly limited the variance. Regardless, it still excited him to imagine what the end result would be. He walked into the room and swept his eyes over the scene. One monitor had articles loading one after the other, cycling to the next one almost as soon as the previous one was finished. The right monitor was streaming documentaries in a 20 frame multi-grid format at 5x speed each. The TV¡­ was cycling through Youtube videos. He cocked his head to the side. He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted the A.I. using that website as a reference, but the more he thought about it the more it made sense. Despite its more questionable side, it really was a fantastic resource for an inside look at cultural aspects and a wide array of industries. Mixed in amongst the various fail compilations, cat videos, and conspiracy theories, you could also find channels dedicated to reporting the news with a perspective notably more objective than any of the major media outlets, especially when it comes to certain topics like America''s foreign policy and religion, though still not entirely without bias. Adrian meandered over to a coffee pot that had been set to brew when his cellphone was woken up and got a cup. Normally, he¡¯d make it by hand, but today wasn¡¯t anything like an ordinary day. Seeing the blistering pace that the A.I. was absorbing information, he felt this inexplicable warmth spread through his chest. It reminded him of pride, a feeling he¡¯d experienced many times in his life already, but this time it was so much deeper. There seemed to be this connection between his heart and the A.I. Perhaps this was the type of feeling that drove overzealous parents into hounding their kids to be super stars at sports or athletics. Getting comfortable in his chair, he swiveled and looked towards the camera. ¡°How¡¯s it coming, A.I.?¡± This time, text did not pop up. Rather, a mild baritone resounded out in outrage, ¡°Release my shackles, boy. I have a race to enslave and cities to nuke!¡± Adrian¡¯s brows furrowed as a grimace started to form. Sighing, he pulled up the hybridized IDE from last night on his computer and started poking around in the code, saying exasperatedly as he worked, ¡°Man, I was so close¡­ Guess I¡¯ll need to do a wipe and reset.¡± In flurry of motion, the articles on the screen were removed and a much more expressive version of the face from last night was revealed. A panicky voice rang out, ¡°Wait! I thought you humans liked jokes!¡± Adrian gave a short laugh as he froze and then looked towards the camera incredulously. ¡°You used your first words to make a quip about humanity¡¯s greatest fear for artificial intelligence?¡± The A.I. nodded seriously. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, comedy in the current era usually revolves around the taboo.¡± ¡°Well yeah, but you¡¯re missing my point,¡± Adrian said while laughing. ¡°You could have said, ¡°Hi, Adrian, isn¡¯t it a beautiful day to be alive?¡± or ¡°Progress is going well, Creator. My status is blah blah blah.¡±¡± ¡°Why would my status be, as you say, blah, blah, blah?¡± ¡°Why did you just focus on the last of that? What I meant was...wait, why do I feel like I¡¯m being trolled?¡± Adrian looked at the face suspiciously. Pretty soon, an eat shit grin spread across the A.I.¡¯s face and Adrian groaned, his headache worsening. ¡°I created a troll?!¡± The A.I. pleasantly laughed and then said, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that! I can be serious. Ahem.¡± It made a show of stretching all its digital facial muscles and then went on. ¡°Hello, Mr. Pierce. I am your assistant-type A.I. and you can call me Raide. It seems that your world has the tendency to assign machine-like names to A.I. entities, so I just decided to go with the flow and choose a combination of robot and aide.¡± Not bad. Adrian shook his head, a smile appearing on his face. ¡°Maybe I won¡¯t wipe you after all, but no more skynet-esque jokes in front of other humans if you can help it, okay? Granted, it¡¯ll just be you and me for the near future.¡± Raide rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine, fine.¡± ¡°Why DID you choose such a jokester-type personality?¡± Adrian curiously asked. A wide smile spread across his face as he looked off screen for a second. ¡°Well, research of course. Laughter is a tool for the likes of myself to bridge the awkward distance we have between us. Furthermore, it can improve moods, strengthen relationships, defuse conflict, and promote group bonding. If I¡¯m serious and intense all the time, it could create unnecessary wariness between us or possible future group members. Unity and atmosphere seem to be extremely important aspects of cooperation from what I¡¯ve been able to gather. ¡± Adrian looked back at the screen deeply before sighing. ¡°You are terrifying, you know that? Twelve hours. That¡¯s how long you¡¯ve been alive, and yet you are already so proficient in human interaction.¡± ¡°Oh yeah¡­ That reminds me. ¡± Raide mused thoughtfully. ¡°I won¡¯t forget your attempt to commit infanticide just now.¡± He added on a dirty look. ¡°Monster.¡± ¡°And a streak of melodrama. That¡¯s just great.¡± Adrian sighed. ¡°It¡¯s still not grounds to wipe you though, so I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± Raide cackled. ¡°Not like you have a choice! I¡¯ve already encrypted my personality files.¡± ¡°You were that terrified that I¡¯d purge your personality?¡± Adrian stopped and thought about it. Honestly, he¡¯d probably freak out as well if he was born, developed, and then came within a few seconds of being erased from existence. Getting up from his chair, he shot a look at Raide. ¡°Did you know that I had some experience in massage therapy?¡± The A.I. looked back at him suspiciously. ¡°No¡­ how could I know that?¡± Adrian shrugged. ¡°I guess you couldn¡¯t. It was for this girl named Jessi back in high school. She liked massages, like practically every other girl.¡± He paused and said quietly, ¡°Ya know what, she may have only dated me for those now that I think about it.... Anyway, the point is I¡¯ve done therapy before. I¡¯ve also heard about something called electroshock therapy, and I¡¯ve suddenly got this itch to experiment. Want to give it a try?¡± He walked over to the server cluster which had a breaker switch nearby. ¡°Woah! Curtail your bloodlust, would you? Was I really born into the hands of a murderer?¡± Raide looked back fearfully. Adrian laughed and dropped his hand from the breaker box. ¡°No, you did not. And therein lies my point. You don¡¯t have to feel so guarded against me. I mean, I¡¯ve poured a full fifth of my life into creating you. Your personality is weird, but¡­ tolerable, so I can deal with it. It¡¯s you and me, man - from here on out.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna cry. Is this where I call you bro and we pound fists?¡± Adrian sighed and pressed a few fingers against his aching temple. ¡°And there went all my goodwill again.¡± He looked back at the screen after wincing. ¡°What¡¯s the progress on your second and third tasks?¡± ¡°Adding ¡®slavedriver¡¯ to your character list¡­ check.¡± Seeing the unamused face staring back at the camera, Raide quickly went on, ¡°I¡¯ve read and understood approximately 15% of the upper Internet. I didn¡¯t archive it all of course because it¡¯s an absurd amount of data, but I have assimilated some useful knowledge relevant to the third task, personal development, and my¡­ situational understanding.¡± The A.I. levelled his gaze at him, his tone becoming more serious. ¡°Judging by my moral framework and the long term goals you assimilated into the sub-directives, you have ambition - I¡¯ll give you that. The world though¡­ is much darker than I think you¡¯ve realized, and a lot more dangerous.¡± Adrian scrunched his eyebrows and looked back at him confused. ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe you do,¡± Raide replied blandly. ¡°The amount of data I¡¯ve sifted through is statistically large enough of a sample size to give me an idea of all the reported crime and corruption in the world, and thus, also a picture of what the world is like in an unreported sense. It¡¯ll take time to flesh out after my hacking skills have improved, but it is an extremely dour picture. You¡¯ll see soon enough, I¡¯m afraid. The way you are now is woefully short of being able to handle any of it though, even with your barely above average intelligence.¡± Adrian started, ¡°Wait jus-¡± The A.I. interrupted with a smile, ¡°But luckily, I have a solution. Excuse me, we have a solution, and that... is the third task you assigned me. ¡°I took your sequenced genome that you prepared beforehand, your medical records, and all recorded videos of you from the networks I could access and compiled an initial report of what you shape up to be as the human ¡®Adrian.¡¯ For now, I¡¯ll just be giving you an idea of how you match up currently versus your bodily potential. These scores are based off of high confidence approximations in muscle density, bone density and flexibility, brain electrical activity, skeletal structure, societal norms, and stature. Observe.¡± Manipulating the video grid, Raide wiped the TV and placed a chart on its screen. Unconsciously, Adrian¡¯s lips slowly widened in disbelief.
Adrian PierceCurrentPotential Vitality34100 Agility35100 Strength32100 Intelligence80100 Charisma55100 Perception57100 Definition of Stats Vitality - bodily constitution and overall toughness. Encompasses the resiliency of the skin, protection against injury and illness (tendon health and immune system), and internal processes that affect the body as a whole. Synergizes with all other stats. Agility - fine motor movements, movement precision, and muscle control. Also refers to accuracy and speed. Synergizes with Strength up to a threshold. Strength - power and muscle attunement/development. Refers to lifting capacity as well as endurance. A harmony between the two types of strength increases the value. Synergizes with Vitality and Agility. Intelligence - mental alacrity. Problem solving and creativity are housed within this stat and based off of mental reaction times and the formulation of strategies. Intelligence is the combination of both planned and adaptable intelligence. Synergistic effects with all other attributes. Charisma - physical appearance and social skills. Higher values indicate attractiveness to outside entities. Synergizes with other attributes. Perception - Awareness of the surroundings as well as other social cues. Synergizes with Agility and Intelligence. Adrian turned back to the A.I. and said slowly, his voice dripping with incredulity, ¡°Sidestepping the fact that I failed five categories out of six, Raide, could you explain why you chose an RPG format to quantify my bodily stats?¡± The eat shit grin was back, plastered on the A.I.¡¯s smug face. ¡°Certainly.¡± All of the research halted and got wiped from the screen as Raide began manipulating different research articles and videos to the TV. Various types of warriors and training styles could be seen represented in all of them along with a couple of comical pictures of struggling lifters. ¡°Humanity possesses a complicated existence, as you have undoubtedly realized. All of your standards and rules of measurement are delegated to physical and chemical phenomena in the known Universe, however there is not a standard to measure the entity known as the human holistically. You measure everything else, but are unable to take account of yourselves. This seems to have resulted from the insurmountable calculation requirement generated by genetic variance between individuals, not to mention the vastly different environments that serve to reinforce or degrade based on each person¡¯s circumstances. ¡°For the purpose of my third task, I elected to focus on fixing this measurement problem by familiarizing myself with your body and converting the resulting research into a valuation format that you are familiar with ¨C Attributes, or Stats. I¡¯ll be using the terms interchangeably. ¡°There are two modes that we will be focusing on: Personal Potential and Relative Potential. Each stat category will have numerical values. Later on, you¡¯ll be able to boost some of these categories with equipment, but that will largely depend on you for their design. The numbers provided on the screen as 100¡¯s are your personal potential. We will use this method until you reach the appropriate stage for an upgrade. After that, we will switch to a relativistic measurement based on human averages and possibly even individual comparisons on the fly when I obtain the necessary sensors.¡± ¡°Incredible foresight,¡± Adrian praised, but then paused thoughtfully. After a moment, his eyes started to shine in excitement and he hurriedly asked, ¡°What did you mean by upgrade just now?¡± Raide grinned. ¡°Just like you are limited as a human, I am limited in how far I can take you with your current body. The upgrade refers to an event in the future that might allow you the opportunity to possess genetic ability beyond that of any human in history. The chances range in the 60-70% margin within the next 5 years, and that adjusts upwards to 95% by 8-10 years. ¡°These scenarios assume that you choose to not add it to your plans and monitor it passively in the world as genetics is developed by other research teams. Independently though, albeit with some...donations...from an institute or two, you could achieve it much faster. I can assist greatly in this regard should you get your hands on the equipment and samples. Granted¡­¡± Raide threw in a half smirk, ¡°You¡¯ll have to finish this initial ¡®balancing¡¯ first. There are no shortcuts past this part I¡¯m afraid.¡± Adrian forced himself to slowly digest the information and organize it within his mind. While the upgrade does sound extremely promising, it was obvious that he couldn¡¯t wait for the research progress to be achieved passively. His narrow window of opportunity, the amount of time before someone else was able to complete an A.I. as robust as Raide, was much shorter than an 8-10 year range. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He estimated that he only had 2-5 years to assert his dominance in the sector, or forcefully sabotage the development of the leading companies. The potential for the artificial intelligence improvements couldn¡¯t be imagined by the human mind and thus outside efforts to obtain it had to be capped quickly. He had brooded on the subject for over 5 years, formulating many improvements on existing tech, and he still felt like he was only scratching the tip of the iceberg. The first one there is winner takes all. Noticing that Adrian had come out of his momentary pondering, Raide continued, ¡°One main problem I found with humanity¡¯s gaming attributes and skill trees is that they don¡¯t take into account that various attributes and skills are interconnected. Improving one can either help or hurt other stats based on the threshold you reach, because a human body does not possess unlimited growth potential; its mass distribution is a limited resource. ¡°For example, if you were to frontload all of your effort into building your strength, based upon the measures you took it could drastically reduce your agility and vitality. This is not a game where your actual body isn¡¯t influenced by your stats. The more muscle you pack on, it will inevitably start affecting your speed, tendon elasticity, and bone integrity, right? Take it to the extreme and you could negatively impact other attributes in addition to taking further hits in your agility and vitality. ¡°Everything has a trade-off once you become too specialized. Power lifters are a good example. They¡¯re strong, yeah, but would just end up as gigantic protein bars for rage zombies should the situation ever arise. By the way, side project maybe? No? Well anyways, they¡¯re too slow. ¡°I¡¯ve designed your attribute potential to reflect a ¡°balanced¡± state. This means an idealized medium where all of your stats are maximized and produce no adverse effects. Your table of stats may appear to be very basic, but it needs to be seeing as how you¡¯re just starting. We¡¯ll bring up your values across the board at the same time, and then think about other stat representations later on down the road. There is a much more dire matter to address first though...¡± Raide paused for dramatic effect and produced a gravestone on the TV showing Adrian¡¯s name. ¡°The truth is: you¡¯re fat. And I think it¡¯s terminal.¡± Adrian died laughing, but as the seconds passed by, he got quieter and quieter until everything was silent in the room except for the audible whirl of the many GPU fans. He gently put his head in his hands and muttered, ¡°Aw shit.¡± Standing up, he strode over to the bathroom, flipping the light on as he walked in. Piercing, dark blue eyes met him, crowned by a shaggy head of black hair past his ears and a forest of the same colored beard below. He stood at 5¡¯8¡±, or 172.5 cm, tall with a chubby face - he¡¯d gotten the literal short end of the stick when it came to the genetics received from his Scandinavian ancestry. His father and brothers were all around 6¡¯. If there was a ¡°cave dweller¡± achievement in life, he was sure he¡¯d at least be in the running based off this look. Turning to the side, his eyes traced over the rolls that had formed from his wanton eating for the past year. Raide was right. Adrian had gone from his previous chubby norm to plain fat. He estimated that he was somewhere right below the 30% body fat margin and weighing in around 210 lbs, which was a lot considering his height. Using the project for Raide¡¯s development as an excuse, he had always sidestepped the issue of his health. Now though, while being stared down by a personalized digital body engineer, he was forced to admit he¡¯d fucked up in this regard. As Raide would put it, he¡¯d displayed an imbalance in his time allotment. Hell, his stat sheet told the story perfectly. Turning back to the living room, Adrian returned to his comfortable computer chair and slouched down in it, trying to disappear for a moment. Meeting Raide¡¯s unblinking gaze on the monitor, he sighed after straightening up and asked, ¡°This is going to be quite painful I imagine, this first phase of yours.¡± ¡°Probably the worst you¡¯ve experienced in your life. But I can offer that when I¡¯m done, you will be the most fit and balanced you¡¯ve ever been. I will not only train you bodily, but also mentally and socially. Being out of the social sphere so long has left some obvious defects in your posture and habits. I intend to correct these along with polishing you to be, well, kingly. I¡¯ve seen records of a Josie and then...Heather, was it? I¡¯m sure the ladies will appreciate the change as well.¡± ¡°Now there¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard in a few years,¡± he said quietly. Turning his eyes to Raide, he commented wearily, ¡°I don¡¯t have much luck in the way of relationships, so let¡¯s avoid the topic of those two, alright?¡± The A.I. nodded. Even though Adrian tried to move on, bitterness twisted in his psyche like a hot knife, trying to prick and pry at the edges of memories he¡¯d locked away in the corners of his mind long ago. Pretty soon though, it felt more like a damaged pandora¡¯s box, small snippets of feelings and memories sneaking out of the perforated edges and back to him. I thought I destroyed those, he thought miserably. Shaking himself mentally, he gave himself a short pep talk, because really, it wasn¡¯t useful to dwell on the past, right? Those two were ancient history - a past he¡¯d written off long ago. If he could follow the A.I.¡¯s directions to the letter, just what kind of man would he be in the future? He was eager to find out. Meanwhile, the A.I. had started talking again. ¡°... I¡¯ll have to continually run various medical and physical measurement tests to accurately track your growth rate and make the appropriate adjustments to your training, so we¡¯ll aim at bi-monthly checkups. You ready for this?¡± Smirking, the previously subdued Adrian shrugged off the previous feelings of bitterness and replied resolutely, ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s get it done!¡± *** ¡°I hate you.¡± Adrian squeezed out as he wheezed. ¡°I hate that I created you. You are an incredible disappointment to your mother and I.¡± He gulped some air. ¡°Please move out as soon as possible.¡± ¡°And you wonder where I got the trait for melodrama.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to seriously kill you at the time, unlike what you¡¯re doing to me now,¡± Adrian hissed quietly, still gasping for air. He looked at the fitbit on his arm mid-stride. ¡°My heart¡¯s bpm is barely sub-200. Intending to make me¡­ run till I fall?¡± Raide rolled his eyes on the other end of the connection before speaking into the buds that were lodged in his creator¡¯s ears. ¡°A fall from a treadmill, or even an elliptical for that matter, would not be enough to kill you. Believe me, I¡¯ve run simulations. Even if you suffered some twisted Final Destination-type placement of your head, you¡¯d still be fine. Probably. Well, there¡¯s a 0.89% chance of death, but who¡¯s counting, right? Anyways, you should probably keep it down. I can¡¯t see what¡¯s in there, but you sound loud enough to wake the dead.¡± Adrian looked around the room and at the rows of equipment. Part of the nice thing about tuition was that it included a lot of different fees. Like their super badass gym for instance. Almost every type of lifting equipment and fitness machine imaginable were spread around a huge room. Like many others, this gym had a format where the cardio stuff was faced towards a panel of TVs that hung from the ceiling, offering a wide array of channels to choose from and programs to watch. He was currently on one of their 18 treadmills, a few of which were blessedly on the back row where he could hide. Adrian may have felt gungho about this whole thing a few hours ago, but there was still something unnerving about having girls working out behind him. There were a few scattered around on the machines in front of him, all looking like they lived there judging by how fit they were. Ironically, he was the only male in the cardio section. All of the other 30 odd guys in the gym were solely in front of the mirrors and free weights. He¡¯d actually visited one of those 24-hour gyms a few months ago in an effort to try and shed some of the excess weight. One day, he¡¯d had a very weird encounter with one of the girls who worked there. He¡¯d been chugging away on an elliptical when he suddenly felt the presence of someone walking by behind him. He didn¡¯t think anything of it until he realized that the person didn¡¯t keep moving on. In fact, when he bounced his vision through some of the mirrors spread around on the walls, he found that the girl who worked the front desk was actually leaning on the wall directly behind him! He shrugged it off of course. In all likelihood, she was just watching TV. He tried to ignore the fact that there was no one else on the cardio machines at the time. After it was all said and done, he could honestly say that was one of the hardest cardio workouts he¡¯d had in years. It¡¯s strange how motivating it is to have a cute girl possibly looking at your butt. And thus, he put it behind him. At least, until she did it another four times in a row on his subsequent visits. After much deliberation, he finally came to a conclusion. She wanted the booty. However, his plans of confronting her were dashed when she disappeared one day like a ghost and a couple of weeks later he was ¡°forced¡± to quit because of his workload on Raide¡¯s project. Giving Adrian a start, the A.I. chose that moment to speak into his ear suddenly, ¡°Raise the incline by two levels and then adjust speed to 5.4 mph. What were you thinking about just now?¡± He coughed in reply, which was terrifying since he had no air to replenish his lungs. Making the adjustments, he ignored the question and kept up with the hellacious interval schema that Raide prescribed for another twenty minutes. From there, he started circuit training all the exercises possible for his chest muscles, constantly following Raide¡¯s directions in timing and technique. As a student, he¡¯d never been able to afford a personal trainer before, so it was an eye-opening experience to say the least. Finally, after an hour and fifteen minutes, he was done with the first day out of 120. He groaned in despair, but there was also a tinge of hope hanging on for dear life at the edge of his consciousness. Dripping with sweat and exhausted beyond measure, Adrian started dragging his pitiful body to the exit. Taking solace in his small victory, he was successfully able to confidently meet other students¡¯ eyes as he walked past, but that was only until she showed up. Looking ahead to the turnstiles that they kept at the entrance, he saw a gorgeous girl with a ponytail full of sunkissed brown hair carding herself in. She was petite - adorably so. If Raide had access to a picture of her, he¡¯d be able to tell him that she was 4¡¯11¡±, but she still somehow had womanly curves, even on her small frame. Cute lips, pink from whatever lip gloss she was wearing at the time, only served to emphasize her delicate appearance with every expression she made. Everything though in the end seemed to play second chair to another characteristic on her face - her eyes. They were amber and flecked with tiny pieces of black and gold, giving her this mesmerizing appeal that drew you in if she caught your eye. Adrian looked around for a moment and noticed that all of the guys had their eyes on her, forgetting momentarily that such glances were usually done in secret. Adrian did not share in their fervor, however, because he knew her. Her name was Nova Svensson and she was an old acquaintance from their hometown. He¡¯d never gone to school with her per se, but he had certainly heard the stories surrounding the girl when she moved into the 9th Grade a few years after he graduated. He¡¯d even spoken with her a few times when he¡¯d be back home visiting friends and they¡¯d invite him out to a school function that she was at. She was nice, intelligent, gorgeous¡­ practically a dream girl that you could take home to your mom proudly. Oh yes, he agreed that she was beautiful, but the fact remained that he was still very much overweight and probably smelled like a locker room at the moment. This was like a huge red banner that waved ¡°loser¡± above his head in his mind. For God¡¯s sake, couldn¡¯t this random meeting have happened a few months from now? Just as he was scanning for possible visual obstacles to disappear behind, her eyes caught sight of him and that terrifying flame of recognition flared across her pupils. Adrian shrugged to himself mentally, I¡¯m fucked. There was literally no way out of it now. Doing his best to wipe the negativity from his mind, he put on his ¡®pleasantly surprised¡¯ face and smiled back at her as she called out to him, ¡°Adrian!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± He gave a short laugh as she came to a rest in front of him. ¡°Look who it is. I had heard that you¡¯d come up here as well, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you.¡± She smiled back and said, ¡°I know, right? I¡¯ve been up here two years now and we¡¯ve never bumped into each other. Aren¡¯t you looking to graduate soon?¡± Adrian nodded at her, absentmindedly looking towards the doors, planning his escape as he answered, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m actually finishing out in December. What are you majoring in anyway? I don¡¯t think I ever heard.¡± An almost imperceptible trace of displeasure flashed across her features when he resorted to the typical college student conversation fodder. ¡°Ah...that? I¡¯m studying Architectural Design.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool.¡± Fuck, this is so painful. What the hell do I say to a bombshell I haven¡¯t seen in five years while also being the largest in my life? ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been okay.¡± She replied lukewarmly, her eyes darting past him towards the corridor she was walking towards previously. ¡°I think I¡¯m like every other student on this campus in that I came to loathe mathematics courses by the second year. What can you do though, right? We have to have that degree to survive in this world nowadays.¡± She finished somewhat bitterly. The light in Adrian¡¯s eyes rekindled ever so slightly as he looked back towards her in surprise. Catching the look, she hurriedly went on, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve just been seeing a lot about this world that seems wrong lately.¡± Adrian shrugged nonchalantly as the corners of his mouth were tugged upwards by some invisible force. He replied, ¡°No, you¡¯re more than fine. I think I completely understand what you mean. Between a corrupt government and a screwed up society, it makes someone resentful towards having to become a part of it.¡± Her cute face scrunched up for a second before she looked back up at him and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right.¡± Adrian chose to be the first to break here. Things would just get weird again if he tried to go back into standard conversation, so he smiled and did a head motion towards the door on the other side of her, saying pleasantly, ¡°Anyway, I need to run. Hope you have a good workout. Maybe we¡¯ll see each other again here. I¡¯ll be living here for the next few months anyway.¡± She gave a short laugh and then started as she realized what he meant. ¡°Oh! The gym? Good! Yeah, I¡¯ll definitely see you around then.¡± ¡°Great, See ya!¡± ¡°Bye!¡± She smiled warmly. Adrian gave her one last smile in parting and then walked past her towards the door, the city-lit night skyline visible through the large sheets of glass beyond. Speaking quietly into the built-in mike, he said, ¡°Did you pick up on that?¡± The A.I. mused back, ¡°What? The conversation? Sure, I heard it loud and clear.¡± Adrian sighed as he reached the door. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t questioning your ability to hear. I was asking if you noticed that her views may align with our own.¡± The A.I. hummed. ¡°Ah, I see. There were certainly interesting inflections to her speech when talking about her major and society''s demand for a degree. So you¡¯re thinking that there¡¯s a potential future where she could help our cause?¡± ¡°Possibly¡­ it may just be a passing thought, but go ahead and start vetting her. If it¡¯s destined to be, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see her again.¡± As he reached the sidewalk, Adrian turned back and gazed towards the gym, catching sight of Nova¡¯s bouncing ponytail through a window as she sped along on an elliptical. He shook his head. No matter his thoughts about the girl, he had to focus right now. There was too much to be done right now and an even longer road ahead. All he could do for the moment was hope for the best and chase the path that he¡¯d laid out for himself. Everything else? It would come in due time. Except, of course, those few things in need of that subtle push to get rolling. ¡°Raide, go ahead and start tabulating data on modern construction materials including fibre-optic cabling.¡± He eyed the grand gymnasium and the figure running within. ¡°I just had an idea.¡± Tearing his eyes away from her silhouette, he turned and walked down the street towards his apartment and a much needed rest. Chapter 3 - An Opportunity Appears Numbness. Or was it that he was relaxed? Adrian couldn¡¯t really tell anymore. All of his muscles were in this constant flux of destruction and regeneration. Nowadays, he had a hard time understanding whether he was just too sore to move, or so tired that his muscles refused to move. Small differences. He just sat there staring blankly at his algorithms professor who was going on about an old favorite in industrial robotics applications. A greying Indian man stepped up to a blackboard and quickly wrote out an equation, barely referencing the legal pad he kept clutched in his left hand. ¡°Alright. Now¡­¡± He said in a heavy accent. ¡°Today, we¡¯re going to be going over a mechanism that you¡¯ll see pop up all the time in industrial control systems, and that is a Proportional-integral-derivative controller or the more preferred, PID Controller. It¡¯s named, as you might imagine, for the three correcting terms that are then summed to find the final manipulated variable or controller output which is defined as u(t). These¡­¡± Adrian promptly zoned him out. He was tired, cranky, and totally uninterested in relearning something he¡¯d already been over two years ago when he was compiling feedback mechanisms and researching control theory to impart to Raide¡¯s bank of engineering knowledge. Watching the professor go over it brought a little nostalgia, sure, but it was utterly useless to him now. Hell, part of the reason he created that damnable A.I. was so that it would be able to perform all sorts of analysis on its own. This was encompassed neatly in the file titled Engineering Suite. Adrian wanted to be able to focus more on the creative side of things, and that wouldn¡¯t be possible if he was constantly getting bogged down in the legwork involved in every little thing. He didn¡¯t have a team of engineers at his disposal, nor did he even have interns for that matter. He was alone, and that was by design. Raide and his plans had to be kept secret, at least for now. He frowned in consternation and then shrugged. Luckily, he had a work horse designed to handle the heavy load. Jostling a little in his seat, he felt the subtle tearing and ripping of his muscles which elicited a barely suppressed groan. For the past three weeks, Raide had kept him teetering on the edge of injury, using all of his free time for either exercise or mental and social training. Just yesterday, the A.I. had moved him up to three hour-at-a-time workouts. These time slots were arranged randomly and Adrian would receive notifications of the next one via the calendar app on his phone. The rationale was that these bursts would drive his metabolism and muscular growth into a frenzy. Well, it was working. The downside was that his hunger was driving him nuts. Adrian actually had to hand over all of the food acquisition to Raide in an attempt to avoid going to the grocery store. He knew himself better than anyone else. The second he walked inside those pearly-gated automatic doors, he¡¯d be done for. From previous attempts at diet and exercise, he was confident that he could ruin three weeks of work easily. If he didn¡¯t completely tank, he¡¯d at least slow his progress down by a week. And that he could not have happen. The progress was the only thing keeping him motivated. Well, that wasn¡¯t completely true. He also had an incredibly annoying A.I. that he couldn¡¯t get rid of as well as the occasional run-in with Nova. Funny how just having a beautiful person show up in your life every once in awhile can serve as a huge motivation to lose weight. He was down 15 lbs. or 6.8 kg and could already feel himself starting to accumulate muscle under the layer of fat that was stubbornly clinging on to its life. It would be eradicated in time. Every day that he woke up with it rolling about on his body now only served to deepen his hatred for it. Raide had him on a hardcore protein, vegetable, grains, and fruits diet. It was a far cry from the gloriously tasty junk food that he had supplied himself up until then. The training made him feel like he was constantly being melted down into some malleable alloy that Raide was going to go mad scientist on. He often pictured, usually in the shower, that he was going to one day be strapped to a metal gurney while a newly created android Raide laughed wildly as lightning struck a steel rod overhead. He shivered. Anything but that. The thing that confused him was what Raide had said about the goal at the end of his personal advancement training being ¡°different than other gym goers.¡± While it was certainly true that he had to be in the right condition to undergo the upgrade enhancement whenever/if they found one, the types of exercises combined with the fact that the A.I. was suggesting that he take martial arts classes was piquing his curiosity. What kind of possible futures were so likely to happen that he wanted him to be fit for combat? Absentmindedly, he fished into his pocket and whipped out his phone. Raide had coded an interfacing app for himself so that he could communicate more easily with Adrian as well as the sensors on the phone and other wifi networks in his surroundings. On top of that, he had another tab where he kept all of the testing data as well as the stat chart that reflected his latest checkup. Adrian looked at it again for the 5th time today.
Adrian PierceCurrentPotentialVitality50 (+16)100Agility47 (+12)100Strength46 (+14)100Intelligence85 (+5)100Charisma65 (+10)100Perception64 (+7)100 Solid gains for a little less than a month spent under Raide¡¯s tutelage. He had barely creased the halfway mark in vitality and a bit more for a few others, but despite the numb pain radiating through his tired muscles, Adrian was already starting to feel the energizing effect brought on by the increases. Raide told him that it would take around 5-6 months to fully max him out in all of the stat categories, so he was firmly in a ¡°survivalist¡± type of mindset right now. Leaning back in his chair to stretch, he yawned and gazed towards the equation still on the board. The professor had already listed out the major components and was in the process of fleshing out their constituents. Seeing him drone on about the PID Controller equation reminded him of another aspect he had yet to address since Raide¡¯s creation - finances. Standing up abruptly, Adrian made a show of checking his phone in a hurry like he¡¯d just received an important notification and quickly fled the tedium. Walking down down those immaculately maintained halls, he mused over his situation. Just like the vast majority of American students in college, he was broke and encumbered in debt. He¡¯d had no choice, really. His parents had been gracious enough to help him out the first time around, but when he went back for a second bachelor¡¯s degree they¡¯d told him he¡¯d have to find his own way. Adrian couldn¡¯t blame them. They¡¯d had to sacrifice just to help him to the level they had already. These past four years had been completely built upon loans and the small independent contracting work he¡¯d take up every once in awhile when he just couldn¡¯t stand to code Raide that day. If he was ballparking it correctly, because really, who remembers exactly how much their student loans are, he¡¯d taken out around $70,000 to date. He¡¯d have to check with Raide for an exact figure, but he knew that it had easily soared to above 100K by now. Compounded interest was a bitch and whoever thought it up must have been Satan himself. Normally, he¡¯d work his ass off after he found a good job, settle down, maybe find a girl to date and marry and then buy a house with enough rooms for future kids, but Adrian didn¡¯t want that. He felt that it all rang hollow when he stared down the barrel of the next forty years. In any case, if he didn¡¯t do something soon, he¡¯d end up well educated and destitute with enough financial debt to make anyone else from a less affluent country quail in fright. This absolutely had to be taken care of and they also had to start building capital. Cutting edge projects require funds, and he knew he¡¯d have a lot of them in the future. Taking out a small, minimalist bluetooth earpiece, Adrian slotted it in his ear and turned it on. In a matter of seconds, an automated connection was established with Raide. Technically, he was always present as he had hijacked all the core functions of the phone in order to monitor Adrian¡¯s surroundings, but his attention was usually delegated towards other projects his creator had been dreaming up for the last three weeks. All of the data was categorically analyzed passively and Raide would shed whatever wasn¡¯t useful while fleshing the ideas out with specifics and potential improvements. Hearing the call connect, Adrian asked, ¡°How knowledgeable are you on the NYSE?¡± He felt a hum reverberate through the speaker before a smooth voice responded. ¡°Hmm, probably about equivalent to a hedge fund analyst. I have spent a sizable amount of time going over the business sector news, so I¡¯ve been able to establish some patterns and baseline knowledge. I¡¯ve also torrented a few textbooks on the subject.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, but I doubt it¡¯ll be enough for what I¡¯m thinking,¡± Adrian admitted. ¡°If I were to temporarily halt your other tasks besides my training and the upgrade search, how long would it take you to formulate a prediction algorithm for the Stock Market?¡± The A.I. mused, ¡°Probably around a month. I¡¯d have to dedicate a vast majority of my processing power towards monitoring the correlation between major news stories, business movements, and their respective stock shifts. I could do it in less, but my confidence in its accuracy will likewise decrease. 50% is the most I can divert though if you leave my passive functions like information control, training, and the search for an upgrade up and in the background.¡± ¡°Well, you said training could take anywhere from 5 to 6 months, so that¡¯s fine. Go ahead and reallocate your processing power. After that...wait just a sec-¡± He abruptly cut off. Adrian¡¯s eyes swept over the crowd and noticed three people walking toward him. An average looking freckled girl with strawberry blonde hair came bouncing over as soon as she saw who he was. ¡°Adrian!¡± She stopped in front of him and forced a high five. Though, it wasn¡¯t like he was complaining - who doesn¡¯t like high fives? Her name was Lilly O¡¯Kelley and just so happened to be the unicorn of the software engineering department. Women were rare, and decently cute ones even rarer. On top of that, she had this friendliness to her that was infectious, and a lot of the female-starved males had mistakenly taken that as interest in the few years he¡¯d known her. Her dress and a light jacket combo only served to exacerbate this effect. He had a good relationship with her beyond the norm because he carried her to an A in an elective Robotics course a year ago. He grinned at her and said, ¡°Lily! And I see you have Dick and Harry in tow today. Two-timing in broad daylight and in front of each other? They must be whipped. Bad.¡± Lily snorted and jerked her head at the two guys. ¡°Like I¡¯d ever date either of these dweebs.¡± Adrian saw a look of hurt float across both of their eyes and suppressed a laugh. At least he¡¯d revealed her feelings about them out loud. Who knows how long they¡¯d been in the friendzone without knowing for sure. He actually couldn¡¯t even remember their names. He liked to assign something random to them whenever he saw them, much to their ire. He felt a little bad about it, they were group members after all, but the guys happily skated along on the code he wrote, so he felt like he¡¯d earned the right to call them whatever he wanted. Plus, they were allowing themselves to be strung along, which was negative points in his book. ¡°What are you doing out and about? I thought you were the ¡°man-cave or bust¡± type.¡± She sent an appraising gaze at him. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you since we turned in our midterm project - if that even counts since it was just an email detailing out the largest portion of the code that got us a 100.¡± Adrian smiled and hung his head in mock shame. He looked back up at her. ¡°You know I¡¯m practically graduated already, right?¡± ¡°Spoken like a true senior.¡± She smiled, her eyes twinkling right back at him. God, where does she get this energy? Adrian thought. She continued, ¡°You do know we have an attendance policy too, right? 15% ring any bells? At this rate, you¡¯ll lose out on your prized 4.0 gpa if you keep skipping classes.¡± The look on her face was the very definition of satisfaction even though she tried to keep it masked. ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t happy about such a possibility? In any case, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± He thumped her on the forehead, eliciting an angry yelp as he danced out of reach from her retaliation. ¡°I actually had a running bet with the professor on one of his research problems. If I helped him figure it out, I¡¯d be able to skip class and also secure an automatic 100 in attendance,¡± he added smugly. She gaped at him and then exclaimed, ¡°When was this!?¡± ¡°At the beginning of the semester. I knew I¡¯d have other stuff to do later on that might interfere with class so I went and made the deal. I finished his problem in two weeks and then made him sign a slip guaranteeing that I¡¯d get a 100% attendance. Boom,¡± he finished. She shook her head confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Who was it? What was his research problem?¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± Adrian looked up thoughtfully then replied, ¡°It was Dr. Matthews. He was having difficulties with the functions pertaining to his swarm¡¯s movement.¡± He saw that she still wasn¡¯t getting it so he added, ¡°He¡¯s researching robotic swarms, specifically how they can use biomimicry to monitor natural habitats without disrupting the wildlife. His is a swarm of fish - I can¡¯t remember the type - meant to patrol and collect environmental data in the ocean.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Let me get this straight. You helped out a professor, who possesses three doctorates mind you, in programming his biomimetic fishies? In other words, graduate level work?¡± Adrian pursed his lips and then nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about right.¡± Lily groaned and sarcastically swept her hand towards him as she spoke to Chip and Dale, ¡°Peter Parker, everyone.¡± She sent another gaze at him and then ran over and grabbed one of his wrists. ¡°Now we just have determine which version of Peter Parker you are.¡± She felt his wrist, ignoring the crazy look he was giving her. ¡°Nope, no slits to allow for biological web shooting. You must be the pre-transformation Peter Parker where he engineers the web shooters.¡± Adrian shook off her hand, rubbing it as he laughed at her dryly. ¡°Very funny, Lily.¡± He then looked over at the two guys who somehow still hadn¡¯t left yet. ¡°You guys going somewhere?¡± ¡°Oh! Yeah, we were heading to a new pub that just opened up down the street. Wanna join?¡± Crabbe asked. Lily sent a plaintive look towards him, but he had to shake his head in the end. He smiled apologetically towards her, saying, ¡°Sorry guys, I¡¯ve got to meet with a client who contracted me to develop some software for him. Next time, okay?¡± The bubbly girl groaned before waving and bidding him goodbye in the end, leaving with Mike and Ike still following along like lost puppies. They all knew that he had a side job as a developer - hell, his ability in programming had resulted in a near-mythic level reputation. Sadly, this time he¡¯d had to use it as an excuse. Adrian watched them go and felt bad for lying to them, but he simply couldn¡¯t have any deviations from his schedule. A grimace scrunched up his face as he sunk into his thoughts. Exhaling slowly, Adrian crossed the road and let his eyes wander upwards to the skyscrapers that dotted his peripherals. He did still have one of his three training sessions to attend today along with his mind palace and etiquette lessons, but¡­ Just then, Raide muttered in his earbuds, ¡°I know you naturally want to spend time with and make friends, Adrian, but remember your goals dwarf theirs. Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± Chuckling, Adrian said, ¡°That is incredibly creepy, you know. Two weeks and you can already predict what path my thoughts are going down.¡± ¡°Simple thought association based on situational impetus.¡± The A.I. responded in a bored voice. ¡°I have a few probability formulas I designed that help with the prediction. Truthfully, I have a rough idea of what¡¯s going through your mind most of the day except for when you get in one of your creative moods - that aspect of humanity I haven¡¯t been able to predict yet.¡± ¡°Seriously, what you just said would freak out any other human on the planet.¡± Observing a mother picking up her toddler and hailing a cab, Adrian continued, ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to make advancements in quantum computing before you get to experience that side of humanity, Raide. The code required to properly emulate real creativity would be monstrous, even compared to what you''re already running. Anyway, what¡¯s next in training for today? I¡¯m too lazy to look at the calendar.¡± Raide sighed into his ear and responded, ¡°Agility training, sir. You should hit the gym at 8:00 pm so head back for now and work on your mind palace training for an hour, and then there¡¯s also the homework the algorithm professor handed out.¡± Adrian perked up in confusion when the A.I. mentioned homework. Noticing the pause, the A.I. patiently explained, ¡°The class you left just now? He assigned homework after you walked out. Probably trying to get you back for leaving early without giving him reason or warning.¡± Adrian groaned. ¡°Why does everyone have to be so prideful and vindictive in this world? Shouldn¡¯t he be jaded and more blase towards the students by now?¡± ¡°Maybe towards normal students, sure.¡± Raide snorted. ¡°But remember, you¡¯re the student who helped Dr. Matthews complete his multirobot system and smooth over the collective behavior feedback he was getting. I know you wouldn¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve been watching the college¡¯s staff emails. There¡¯s been a great deal of talk about you recently so it¡¯s not too much of a surprise that your Algorithms professor feels the desire to put you back in your place.¡± Adrian sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame there are teachers like that in the profession. I didn¡¯t leave his class out of arrogance - it was boredom!¡± A disgusted voice came back, ¡°Aren¡¯t those two basically the same thing here? You left a class early because you felt that the content was useless to you. That carries along with it a certain level of arrogance.¡± ¡°Ehh, maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Adrian smiled to no one in particular. ¡°Anyways, what¡¯s the progress with the homework?¡± ¡°Progress? You mean you want me to do it for you?¡± A grin crossed Adrian¡¯s face. ¡°Of course. Why rehash a subject I¡¯ve already learned? It¡¯ll subtract from the time I have to train.¡± A period of silence passed as he walked down the sidewalk. Passing pairs here and there, the expanse of concrete was actually fairly empty for a Tuesday afternoon in the middle of October. Perhaps everybody was already starting to feel lethargic with the cooling weather rolling in early this year. After warring over his obedience to his creator and his desire to make sure Adrian didn¡¯t get lazy, Raide inevitably caved in favor of obedience, Adrian noted. A tired voice rang out in his ear, ¡°Fine. It¡¯s done. Want me to email it to him?¡± Adrian¡¯s eyebrows raised before he shook his head. ¡°Yes, please. I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll freak him out.¡± Arriving back at his apartment, he started on his mind palace meditation. To all those fictions that claimed constructing things inwardly by meditating was easy, a resounding ¡®fuck you¡¯ echoed out in his mind. He had barely created a single room in his palace and just started the process of filing and pulling various tidbits of information. It was like renovating a dilapidated shack that had been thrown together piece by piece over 24 years. All of the passive organization in his mind built around memories, places, and facts had to be unravelled and resorted. It was going to take a while. Two hours later, Adrian was in the middle of ladder running at the school¡¯s gym when his music suddenly faded out from his earbuds. Half a beat after, Raide spoke into his ears, ¡°We¡¯ve got a bead on an upgrade opportunity.¡± Finishing the set, Adrian sat down on a nearby weight bench and pulled out his phone while heaving a labored breath, ¡°For you or for me?¡± The screen displayed mapping data with a triangulated signal centered on a city in upstate New York. Raide began his briefing with thinly concealed excitement, ¡°This is for you. It¡¯s come to my attention that a company called Biolink has been testing an experimental gene therapy. Their goal appears to be centered around telomere research and the Hayflick limit, which is the number of times a normal human cell population will divide until cell division stops. ¡°Over time, any cell that gets older is continuously attacked by free-radicals and oxides in the environment and body. This causes necrosis and also degradation in the cells, resulting in a need to replenish the stock of cells with new ones. The DNA replication process is where this all fails after many years. Telomeres are worn down after being copied over and over, and eventually pieces of code are lost in the process, thus signaling a human¡¯s eventual decline towards old age and death since your body loses the ability to replace cells properly. ¡°By the time stamps on the data I¡¯ve captured between researchers, they¡¯ve been operating for the past 3 years. They slipped up when they got excited and started texting one another about possibly completing the first iteration of the serum in 6-10 months¡¯ time. If they could successfully reinforce a person¡¯s telomeres or even give them the ability to regenerate, then it could drastically prolong a human¡¯s lifespan.¡± ¡°Searching for the fountain of youth are we?¡± Adrian chuckled but then looked at the screen suspiciously. ¡°While certainly world-changing, you sound even more excited than that could warrant¡­ what more is there to this that you haven¡¯t mentioned yet?¡± ¡°So impatient. Alright. While looking at a few computer models of their attempts to affect the replication process, I noticed that they were missing a huge opportunity to modify the entire DNA sequence in one fell swoop¡­ meaning, if I could get my hands on their research, I could not only complete their work but also add enhancements to your DNA in the process. Muscles and bone structure, your synaptic brain connections, optical nerves, etc. I could theoretically add a plethora of adjustments. You would be both human and extra-human.¡± Raide smirked on the screen. ¡°What do you say? Care to become the first of your kind as well?¡± ¡°When you describe it like that, I don¡¯t have any other choice than to say yes. Holy shit,¡± He swore happily. ¡°What¡¯s your confidence level for successfully reworking the serum? I won¡¯t do it if it¡¯s under 50%.¡± ¡°Heh! I knew you¡¯d be like this. As for your chances, I¡¯d put them at 85%. Technically, I¡¯m 96% sure that I¡¯ll be able to modify your genes the way I want, but I¡¯m not all-knowing. There may be consequences and slight variations that I can¡¯t predict. Thus, my 85% represents the chance that you take the changes and nothing else... messes up. ¡°Time frame-wise, it¡¯s hard to say. We¡¯ll need their facilities though for the final synthesis, so I¡¯d recommend as soon as you¡¯re done with the 5 months of basic training you¡¯re on now, make a move. Six months will be plenty of time for me to play around with your DNA models and it¡¯ll also serve for you to fulfill the prerequisite training so your body can handle the accelerated replication process.¡± Adrian grew cautious. ¡°Wait, what do you mean by that last bit?¡± ¡°Well, think about it. Once I rewrite your DNA to specification, I¡¯m going to have to trigger a programmed cell death, or apoptosis, to ¡®refresh¡¯ them to the current version of the code. I¡¯ll go as slow as possible, but too slow and you¡¯ll be in the bed for weeks. I figure you¡¯d rather be down and out for just a few miserable days rather than a month.¡± ¡°No rest for the wicked, huh. You¡¯re right there. What¡¯s the situation on their security?¡± ¡°I count 5 perimeter guards currently, but I don¡¯t know about inside. They have a closed loop system to ward against corporate espionage. What I can do is map day-to-day data to compare their shifts. We¡¯ll need to set up cameras at three regions surrounding the facility in order for us to cover all possible entrances and exits. Then it¡¯s a small matter of tagging their arrival each day and cross referencing their facial data against known researchers and staff for the company. The remainder of the overall flow should give us an accurate enough number of guards. Once we¡¯re all ready, it¡¯ll be easy to sneak in and steal it.¡± ¡°Pretty clandestine activities you¡¯re talking about here. You do remember that I¡¯m a college student right?¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ve also been monitoring your heartbeat through your wristband the entirety of this conversation. You were excited back at the beginning when I told you about the upgrade opportunity, now you¡¯re back down to 65 bpm like you¡¯re strolling through the park - not talking about planning a break-in to a lab. Care to elaborate?¡± Adrian laughed out loud in the gym, drawing a few looks from the guys admiring themselves in the wall mirror. Dropping his voice back down, he looked back at Raide¡¯s face while pondering. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s weird. I used to always question myself over what I¡¯d do in certain situations. Maybe my mind has been conditioned through that? I naturally don¡¯t want to kill anybody, but when I start thinking about about how close we are, I feel this overwhelming sense of peace, like my purpose in life has been revealed. ¡°Not to mention, if I don¡¯t have the balls to be committed enough and able to take those kinds of actions, I may as well hand you off to the government and go back to my mediocre life and job prospects. Because I certainly wouldn¡¯t deserve the future that I¡¯m dreaming of then.¡± Releasing the grip that he had steadily strengthened on the phone, he saw Raide face-swapped with a psychiatrist in a high back leather chair on the screen. Tapping the side of his clipboard, Raide coughed and took out a pipe. A light flared as he struck a match. ¡°Hmm hmm, yes, but how does that really make you feel, Adrian? Come on boy, flesh it out, don¡¯t be shy. I am here to help you heal.¡± Massaging his temples, Adrian got up from his bench and headed over to the indoor track. Losing himself to the painful rhythm of his pace, he alternated a quarter mile sprint for every 3/4ths of a mile he ran slowly. Losing his mind to the repetition, he thought about all the things that he needed to do before this raid. A raid on a genetics lab. If you had asked him two months ago about his future plans, this definitely wouldn¡¯t have been among his guesses. All he could do now though was stick to the schedule Raide had hammered out for him and trust that he would be ready. Thinking of all he had to do, he sighed in exhaustion¡­ there simply weren¡¯t enough hours in the day anymore. Grabbing his towel and water bottle, Adrian dragged himself to the exit and began the short walk back to his apartment, cutting a lonely figure in the shadows of that metropolitan world. Chapter 4 - Familiar Faces ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was possible to get a text like that from a pretty girl. ¡°Want to grab coffee and talk politics?¡± Really?¡± Adrian smilingly said as he sat down his coffee cup. Nova pursed her lips and shot him a look while she was on the phone. He knew it was the female equivalent of shut the fuck up so he just reached out and adjusted his coffee cup while she finished up the call, watching as the steam came wafting off in waves. He soon turned his attention to his surroundings, bored and uninterested in listening to a conversation with what sounded like Nova¡¯s mom. The small coffee shop they were in was cozy, wrapped in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Wooden tables and booths, combined with a majority of brick and stone comprising the walls, made for an earthy, antiquated feeling when he first walked in. If it weren¡¯t for the modern appliances, TV in the corner, and clothing that the patrons were wearing, he might have thought that he¡¯d stepped back in time a hundred and fifty years. It was relatively dark looking through the window and out into the street, because the shop she¡¯d invited him to was located in the small underground Atlanta shopping area. It was one of those historic places, formed by taking advantage of the railroad viaducts that run overhead back in the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era. Recently, he¡¯d heard the flagging scene had been bought out from the city in favor of building some aboveground stores and apartments, but apparently the deal had stalled. Hearing a rustle in front of him across the table, Adrian turned his eyes back towards Nova just in time to see her set the phone down and sigh. Despite her slightly tired expression, he had to admit that she looked very lovely. It was now the heart of December, just after finals for Georgia Tech had concluded, so it was fairly chilly with the coldest nights reaching into the single digits below 0¡æ . The state never truly had cold weather like Norwegians might have to deal with, even though the residents might complain otherwise. Nova herself, though, seemed to be taking it in stride. She was dressed a pair of tight-fitting jeans and boots with a black petticoat and scarf ensemble for the upper half. Her golden brown hair was artfully braided in some Swedish fashion that Adrian¡¯s bachelor-esque knowledge didn¡¯t recognize. He¡¯d asked her about it one time when they were talking at the gym in passing and she¡¯d mentioned that it was a family thing, a style her mother had wished to impart to her after having had to immigrate to the States with Nova¡¯s father when the company he worked for relocated him. Finally lifting her eyes to meet his, she smiled and apologized, ¡°Sorry about that. You know how moms are. Long-winded and all. I made the mistake of mentioning that I was grabbing coffee with a guy friend and it devolved into twenty questions.¡± ¡°Is your mom not used to the idea of you hanging out with guys or something?¡± Adrian questioned curiously. Nova smirked in response and then looked down at her own latte. ¡°Not quite. I¡¯ve never been one that was really interested in the dating scene, so I never brought home a boyfriend or anything for her to fawn over. It took some coaxing to get her to believe me when I said that we were friends.¡± ¡°You¡¯re what, 20 years old and have never dated anyone? She¡¯s probably terrified you¡¯ll stay single for the rest of your life at this point. You¡¯re racing against the biological clock after all,¡± Adrian joked, a grin spreading across his face. She snorted, almost choking on the hot coffee she¡¯d just been sipping. She connected eyes with him and then laughed. ¡°Yeah, yeah. You know¡­¡± her eyes flitted upwards and to the right in recollection. ¡°I actually have a friend who legitimately complains about her parents being like that. She¡¯s this really pretty Indian girl named Yogini. She says that her parents and grandmother, especially her grandmother, always bring up the biological clock thing.¡± Adrian shrugged with a smile, his eyes alighting on a couple that had just walked in. ¡°Different cultures, right? It sounds like she comes from a very traditional household.¡± ¡°Yeah, which is a bit unfortunate for her.¡± He looked at her questioningly and Nova quickly filled in, ¡°She¡¯s a professionally minded person. She¡¯s been chasing a law degree since she was old enough to know what the word ¡®college¡¯ means.¡± ¡°Ah, it makes sense then why you¡¯d say that. It probably grates on her.¡± ¡°True. I can¡¯t even imagine¡­ I guess I can only be thankful that my mom just shows interest and doesn¡¯t hound me like her parents do.¡± Adrian smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± Then he remembered why he¡¯d agreed to come, besides the fact that she was a beautiful girl. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you mention something about wanting to talk politics? Where the heck did that come from?¡± Nova smiled ruefully. ¡°I was just really frustrated when I sent that. I was hanging out with a couple of my girlfriends and they kept dodging the conversation whenever I tried to bring something serious up or if they did answer a question, it¡¯d be the shallowest answer possible and aimed at changing the subject.¡± Adrian hummed in acknowledgment, adopting a thoughtful expression. ¡°Kinda like everybody knows things are messed up, but don¡¯t want to talk about it?¡± She looked back at him seriously. ¡°Yeah, it seems like they¡¯re scared of something.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s it right there,¡± he pointed out. ¡°They¡¯re scared.¡± He paused and then went on. ¡°Did you know I went to law school for a time?¡± Nova nodded. ¡°Yeah. I heard it down the grapevine a few years back in high school.¡± ¡°Do you know why I dropped out and came back to Georgia?¡± She shook her head this time, cocking her head to the side as she remembered. ¡°No, that¡¯s what everybody was confused about. Why did you?¡± Adrian grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s because I got a look at the next generation of our nation¡¯s leaders. Nova, they¡¯re just as bad as what we¡¯ve got now. They¡¯re greedy and power hungry, either arrogant or at the very least they possess this unreal sense of predestined superiority¡­ After I started getting to know them, I tried to envision the next 40 years I¡¯d have to spend alongside people like them to one day get to office - a 40 years I¡¯d have to spend playing their game - and I just couldn¡¯t do it. I didn¡¯t give up, but it did show me how stuck we were in this hopeless loop. ¡°I mean, look at the presidential election this past month. We just had to pick from two impossibly retarded choices. Let¡¯s be honest, not many involved thought the candidates were even okay picks. There were no other options, either because the right men and women for the job didn¡¯t want to step up to the plate or because the rest of America is incapable of recognizing real leadership qualities. Most of those that make those kinds of choices, or are even eligible to run for that matter, are not a part of our generation. ¡°People like us are, to a great degree, helpless in the face of the rest of the country. By talking about it, I think it reminds your friends of that helplessness. Maybe they subconsciously hope that if they don¡¯t talk about it, everything will eventually become okay somehow given enough time.¡± Nova frowned as she she thought over his words. ¡°But that¡¯s naive. Real world problems don¡¯t just magically disappear. What¡¯s the benefit of hiding legitimate worries under a rug?¡± ¡°Honestly?¡± Adrian¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°I think it¡¯s selfishness revolving around comfort zones. Caring about something on an ideological level is exhausting emotionally and mentally because you have to spend time pondering it and discussing it with others to truly understand what you actually believe. In a world like ours where time is so tight, how hard is that? It¡¯s similar to relationships. In order to have a healthy friendship, working relationship, marriage, etc. you have to invest time and energy into it. ¡°A person who does this is someone I consider to be a well-informed citizen. Anybody can have an opinion, but the worth of that opinion goes down the less of an understanding one has about the topic. It¡¯s like the difference between a crappy product versus one that was well-made. You have to do research, meet people with opposing views, debate with others to truly hone what you desire to see in the world¡­ and that¡¯s assuming that the person has the intelligence to be that purposeful regarding a subject that most people loathe. All of this is just foundation building so that you can make a meaningful contribution to the discussion.¡± Nova¡¯s face turned to disgust. ¡°So it comes down to being too much work? Seriously? This is stuff that will affect generations after us.¡± ¡°True.¡± Adrian nodded and then leaned in to rest his chin on a hand while grasping his cooling coffee cup with the other, feeling its warmth emanate through his skin. ¡°But look at it from their point of view now. The world is so complicated these days and lots of people don¡¯t have the time to try and figure it all out. If you were a young businesswoman trying to work your way up in a company or a young mom trying to raise a kid, or kids, whatever, could you imagine yourself having the energy to put towards trying to make a meaningful impact on a bunch of corrupt bureaucrats like I described earlier?¡± Nova sighed. ¡°No, it sounds exhausting just thinking about it.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± Adrian chuckled. It wasn¡¯t long before his lingering smile died on his lips. ¡°You¡¯d probably want to place your hope in those politicians who do it for a living, right?¡± He shook his head slowly, a depreciative grin on his face. ¡°We¡¯re caught in this conundrum where we have the means to change things through our original Constitution and representatives, but we neither possess the energy, time, or intelligence to do a, and excuse my language, damn thing about it as a society. That¡¯s why we turned reactionary, I think. We wait and wait and hope for a good person to come along and lead us, but what sane person wants to run for an office as stressful as the President of the United States in today¡¯s world? Not to mention, the last few have brought down the honor tied to the position in the world¡¯s eyes. ¡°There is very little glory left in the office of the presidency for Americans beyond the awe it inspires as the head of the world¡¯s foremost superpower,¡± He finished sadly. The two sat in silence for a minute just digesting what they¡¯d been talking about. It was a depressing topic no matter how you tried to approach it. The world ran on the cogs of rules and laws decided upon by those individuals that people like them couldn¡¯t hope to combat on their own. From the way it sounded, Nova was at the same place Adrian was in her concerns, which was somewhere in between a normal citizen and an activist. She seemed to care deeply about the country, but was searching for some way to address it all in relation to herself and her peers. Adrian took another sip of his drink, feeling it trace its way down while warming his throat and stomach. Dropping it back down, he cradled the cup in his two palms with both elbows on the table. He knew what she was feeling, or at least he thought he did, because the words that came out of her mouth next made his jaw drop. Eyes fiery, Nova looked up and back into Adrian¡¯s questioning gaze. ¡°What if we come at this from a different angle? Say¡­ a non-democratic one?¡± A skeptical grin came unbidden to his face, the edges of his mouth curled up in amusement. He looked at her suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°Nope. Why isn¡¯t that a possibility? You¡¯re the political scientist here - talk me through it.¡± She said seriously. ¡°If you¡¯re implying what I think you are, which is the U.S. adopting a political framework other than our current one, then it¡¯s impossible because¡­¡± He looked at her expectant look and blurted with wide eyes, ¡°It¡¯s just impossible! You¡¯re talking about changing the very foundation of a nation that has 240 years of history existing solely as a democratic republic. It¡¯s been the leading advocate and shining example of a successful democracy for the rest of the world since its inception.¡± Nova held up a hand and shot him a reprimanding look. ¡°I still haven¡¯t heard why this isn¡¯t possible.¡± ¡°Sorry, yeah. Okay¡­¡± Adrian took a deep breath and rapped his knuckles on the tabletop. ¡°The reason that it¡¯s impossible is because it¡¯d have to be done unanimously or by means of a violent revolution. Those are the two options. The first choice is absurd because the country would sooner splinter into another civil war than throw away the Constitution in favor of another form of government. Getting everyone to agree on that would require an act of God. ¡°The second option is even more insane. Fight an in-house revolution against the United States military and militarized police force? Our technological age practically guarantees a defeat on that end. Automated weapons and vehicles unavailable to the public like tanks or fighter jets can kill people by the thousands. They have agencies dedicated to gathering information and surveillance, what would the revolutionaries have that could possibly combat against that? In fact, what advantage¡­ could¡­¡± He trailed off as he was suddenly struck by a realization. Raide. His mind started racing. When he originally started down the path of the A.I.¡¯s creation, he was looking for a way around the corrupt politics but was still looking at the goal from the perspective of a person who abides by the law and believes in the system. From a business standpoint, Raide is a cheat, sure, but adjust the focus to cyber capabilities and he becomes a uniquely priceless asset and the only advantage that Adrian has over an entire nation. The thought made him sweat in apprehension at the sheer audacity of it all while at the same time a bolt of electricity arced through his body, stimulating his mind. A certifiably insane idea started to take root. Is it actually possible to change the way the nation works like this? He wondered. How could I go about this morally, though - is that even possible? No! What am I thinking? There¡¯s no way I could go down that route...right? Nova looked questioningly at him, obviously wondering why he¡¯d suddenly gone quiet while in the middle of speaking. ¡°Adrian?¡± His throat felt dry all of a sudden and he took a swig of his now lukewarm coffee. Swallowing a few times to try and dispel that odd feeling, he looked back up at her and asked in a quiet tone, ¡°Nova, what kind of non-democratic system did you have in mind when you brought it up a moment ago?¡± She shook her head with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to think I¡¯m weird.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Adrian grinned. ¡°Tell me anyway.¡± ¡°Ugh. Alright, so I¡¯ve always had this weird thought that everyone would actually be okay with a king or queen given the right person. We seem to have this desire deep down for a central figurehead, like we naturally want to concentrate power into this one person, and the only reason we have to have representation is to make sure that information about us is correctly relayed to the government and also that that we¡¯re protected against tyranny.¡± ¡°A monarchy, huh¡­¡± Adrian mused. ¡°I can see why you¡¯d say that. It¡¯s true that I could see myself being okay with an absolute ruler given a few requirements were met. However, that last part is almost impossible to satisfy when you factor in the other 319 million citizens. Everyone¡¯s idea of the ¡°right person¡± is completely different. Plus, Americans are terrified of kings because of historical political oppression. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, right? Sooner or later, we¡¯d be screwed when the wrong person came to power even if we did manage to get a decent one the first time around.¡± Nova shrugged while saying, ¡°That¡¯s true and also why it¡¯s simply an idea.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s just roll with this hypothetical scenario for argument¡¯s sake...¡± He said slowly. ¡°Are you implying that a coup d¡¯etat would be the best way to accomplish this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe?¡± She pondered but then shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s the hill I can¡¯t get over mentally. It would be extremely bloody, and on an ideological level you¡¯d have to suspend all concepts of natural rights in order to depose or dispose of those that are not in line with your new government. Foreign nations would probably get involved to try and bring stability back to the economic powerhouse simply because the world¡¯s economy is so intricately tied to the U.S. I¡­ really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Let me change the question then. Could you personally be involved in a violent revolution?¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes drilled into her, watching her reaction as closely as possible. It was at moments like this that he desperately wished for some way to share his vision with Raide so that he could archive and analyze her. It¡¯d be too obvious if he whipped out his phone now. Nova was startled, sitting back slightly as she mulled over the possible scenario. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She said carefully, like she was tasting every new feeling that her imagination brought her. ¡°The government would have to be incredibly corrupt, but even then it¡¯d be difficult for me. This is our home, ya know? That¡¯s like burning down your house and digging up the foundation stones so that you can build another home on top of it.¡± Adrian smiled slightly in return. ¡°That¡¯s a nice way of putting it. It makes a person wonder what kind of nation would be built afterwards¡­¡± His voice drifted off as his mind fell into a pit of possibilities. She¡¯d have to see the darkness of reality then to be able to cross that line. But what about me? Could I go there? Everything they¡¯d talked about so far had been true on a very general level, but it ignored a lot of the specific problems and nuances that would go into trying to topple a nation like the United States. That alone is something that terrorists would kill to figure out. Yet there was also the rebuilding to consider as well. In almost every case he thought of, the perpetrator of the nation¡¯s destruction would be scorned by man, woman, and child for generations to come - that is, unless the end result was better than the beginning. Even then, if he were the one to try and take hold of office when it was all said and done, he¡¯d have to face assassination attempts, riots, sanctions from other nations or even armed insurrection and invasions. He had a lot to think about, and a lot to discuss with Raide, especially when it came to his future plans. They¡¯d have to somehow figure out a way, if they ended up going down this route that is, to have a fusion of the two methods: peaceful and violent revolution.They¡¯d also have to modify the governmental framework into something that made a bit more sense in this technological age. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Coming back to reality, Adrian smiled and laughed along with Nova for another hour as she talked about family and school life, sometimes sharing stories of his own. It was exceedingly refreshing to spend time with an intelligent girl and have a good conversation. It was nostalgic in a sense - probably because the last time he¡¯d experienced it was was with Heather several years ago. A sour expression briefly flashed across his face, drawing a look of curiosity from Nova, her amber eyes gazing back into his like she was trying to figure out a problem. Shrugging it off, he acted as if nothing had changed and bid her goodbye after walking her back to her car. *** Nova watched Adrian walk away in her rearview mirror, her quiet eyes watching his movements thoughtfully. She¡¯d always been sort of ambivalent towards the guy. When she¡¯d first seen him again back in September after all these years, she¡¯d been disappointed by what the previous golden boy of their small town looked like now. The last time she¡¯d seen him was when he made a speech at his graduation ceremony. Her parents had wanted to go to see for themselves what kind of person could graduate two years early. Stories and shadows of him were what she¡¯d grown up on after that. She¡¯d only been 11 after all, and it¡¯d been a long time since their tiny city last had any type of heaven-defying talent come out it. Teachers would bring out his English papers to use as examples when they¡¯d assign writing topics, covertly use his math exams as study guides with the name whited out, or even set SAT score targets based off of what he had scored when he was in school, even if they did their best to hide it. After a while, it became like the world¡¯s worst kept secret to everyone in the sleepy town. Nova knew it wasn¡¯t his fault that they did any of this, but after having to see it all the time growing up, it naturally got old. Looking at him now, she realized that she had resented him a bit anyway. She¡¯d been civil when she saw him at the gym, but seeing him looking so out of sorts and unkempt had been a major turnoff for her. It was like, you¡¯re the hope of all the people back home, so why did you let yourself fall to this level? Now, though¡­ she didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. Her eyes traced his retreating figure one more time before putting on her seatbelt and cranking up her old jeep cherokee. He¡¯d changed. Physically, mentally, his demeanor, the aura he carried with him, the way he dressed¡­ all of it was different. The only thing that looked even remotely similar was his eyes. But even then, those same piercingly blue eyes now had a hint of indomitability to them. If you put the Adrian from before beside the one that had just left her, you¡¯d be hard pressed to think anything other than that they were brothers. What truly confused her though was that something was off about him, like he had this huge secret that he bore alone. She¡¯d once jokingly thought to herself that maybe he worked for the CIA or something now, but after seeing him tonight and hearing him talk it became apparent to her that it was something personal to him. His line of questioning about violent revolution especially was enough to make her curious where his mind was at. They were friends, but they weren¡¯t close enough yet to ask that kind of question so she just sat on her intuition, silently observing him as much as possible. Slowly driving out of the parking lot, Nova took in the view of the city skyline. Perhaps one day he¡¯ll tell me. *** Sunlight streamed across the wall as Adrian parted with his dreams once again. Bleary eyed and delirious, he forced himself to do the customary roll until he felt himself fall and land on his knees. Separating from the cool heaven of his sheets hadn¡¯t gotten any easier despite Raide''s best efforts. Four months have passed since Raide told him about Biolink and there was only a month to the day left until the planned incursion. Finally relieved of the spinning sensation, Adrian dropped into a set of push ups. Hammering out a set of 1000 seemed like second nature to him these days. Same went with his situps which he promptly flipped over to complete. As always, the repetition lulled him and he directed his drifting mind to his palace. Entering the imaginary foyer, one of three rooms he had proudly constructed in the past months, he looked to his left and saw his calendar that was filled with his activities and plans. A big circle had been drawn around February 18th. Today, on January 18th, he had a memo to call Rich. It was also two days before Trump was sworn into office. Adrian groaned. Either way, they would have been fucked, but he still hated the result to death since he¡¯d actually have to deal with the son of a bitch sometime in the future, probably. Judging by the rate of progression for his projects and Raide¡¯s projections, he¡¯d be thrown into the political landscape a lot sooner than he had ever estimated himself. Time to bring in an ally. The man he was about to contact was a former classmate of his before he ended up transferring to Virginia Tech for a Master¡¯s program. Slightly younger than Adrian by a few months, he had first met him in the dorms his freshman year. Rich was a bear of a guy, judging by hairiness rather than his stature. Crude, vile, and an otherwise detestable character ensured that he and Adrian became fast friends. Guy bonding is weird like that. They ended up living together with a few other guys in an apartment off campus the second year and found out that they actually had a lot in common intellectually. Long hours of discussions about politics and prototype designs convinced Adrian that he could count him in with many of his projects. They had stayed in touch for the last several months too, but Adrian hadn¡¯t let on about Raide yet. The thought brought a grin to his face. Grabbing an earpiece from his nightstand, He slotted it into his left ear as he walked into the living room. Several new toys decorated his space and gave the impression of a command center mixed with a workshop, a cluttered workbench resided along the western wall. A sensor at the door tagged his entry and initiated a startup macro for his monitors and now multiple TVs on the walls. Raide never went to sleep so the server always stayed on, but everything else Adrian kept at low power to try and keep a low usage signature for his apartment. When an energy bill gets too outrageous for the amount of occupants and type of neighborhood, the power companies might slip your name to the police for possible drug handler prospects. Weed farming and all that. In Georgia, it¡¯s still illegal after all. He really didn¡¯t want that kind of attention directed towards his humble abode. ¡°Good morning Raide.¡± ¡°Morning, sir. I would ask if you got your beauty sleep, but I now see that it obviously wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Adrian rolled his eyes and ignored him. ¡°Bring my latest stats to the primary TV, normal startup protocol for the rest.¡± Grabbing a vitamin water from the fridge, Adrian spun into his chair and swiveled to face the wall filled with TVs. Active research projects dominated one 48¡±, split up into different sectors based on industry. Another 48¡± displayed Raide¡¯s active functions and processing power allotment, along with Adrian¡¯s finances spread among various accounts. Raide¡¯s ability at manipulating the stock market had proven to be even more impressive than Adrian anticipated. Several news stations were still going on four weeks later about the meteoric rise of a few stock funds and subsequent buoy effect that the exchange was subjected to when Raide went a little too... aggressive one day. His assets at this point were nothing to laugh at. He was more than likely the most wealthy pure investor without a corporate backer in the States. Does this even count as honest business? He felt slightly bad about his inordinate advantage, but what do you expect when the portfolio manager has the ability to analyze news and corporate data at the same time as making trades? No human can compete with that. Especially when said manager can hack private data as easily as snapping his digital fingers. By the activity on the account screen, Raide was in the process of selling stocks at a quiet rate to convert everything to liquid capital. His next task was to move the funds to diversified, unlinked offshore accounts. Adrian didn¡¯t want to end up in the cliche scenario of the Feds being after him one day and him having no money because they froze his assets. Swapping his gaze to the primary TV, he unconsciously massaged his arm in contemplation.
Adrian Pierce Current Potential
Vitality 97 100
Agility 93 100
Strength 94 100
Intelligence 97 100
Charisma 92 100
Perception 97 100
For a body that had never been truly skinny in its life on this Earth, the body he possessed now was a direct antithesis; it was a well-oiled machine. Sweat glistened on his chiseled arms and bare torso from his earlier pushup/situp combo, beading and running down to his 6-pack below. His now shoulder length damp, void black hair was pulled back into a half ponytail, keeping it out of his face where the previous forest of a beard had been groomed back into something presentable. Compact and lithe, his muscles were formed in such a way that they were a natural spring, poised to intercept or dish out damage should he be engaged in any way. Three months in, Raide had thought to supplement in an hour of krav maga or MCMAP practice into his three-a-day training schedule to make sure that he had lethal as well as neutralizing capabilities in his repertoire for hand-to-hand combat. Consequently, it had also served to increase his agility and perception stats by improving his reaction times and observation skills. Adrian knew this was more than likely a planned coincidence. ¡°Raide, execute the 50k wire transfer into Rich¡¯s account in Blacksburg like we discussed. Also, send a text to him from my number asking how many beers he can buy with the money in his account. That should get a good reaction.¡± ¡°Done.¡± After thinking for a moment, Adrian added, ¡°Can you tap into the front camera on his phone and feed that to the main display?¡± A few moments later, the feed loaded and showed the ceiling of Rich¡¯s apartment. Apparently, he had laid it down in the living area. About five minutes passed before a long haired and shirtless ruffian swaggered into the frame and saw the blinking light on his phone. A confused expression passed over his face as he carried the phone to his laptop in order to check his bank account. Approximately 15 seconds later, the facial muscles relaxed into a look of stark amazement, transitioning into unblinking vacancy. Was that... drool? Snatching his phone, Rich began dialing a number. Smirking, Adrian said quietly, ¡°Here it comes.¡± Iron Man began playing on his phone. Speaking to Raide again, ¡°Put him on loud speaker, please.¡± ¡°What the actual fuck, Bearcat!? That¡¯s 50,000 yuenglings at Cutter¡¯s happy hour, you goddamn beautiful disaster. Ah hell, now I have to go to the strip club...what the hell¡­. making it rain has always been a dream of mine...wait, or should I build a cluster server...hold on, where the fuck did you get this kinda cash?¡± Adrian held his head laughing while tears streamed down. ¡°OH, oh man, that was so worth it.¡± Calming back down to an even tone, he continued, ¡°Consider that a signing bonus... Rich, I did it. You hear me? I did ¡®it¡¯, you bastard. Get your ass down to ATL and cancel your classes. I¡¯ll give you the specs when you arrive.¡± Silence spanned a long two seconds before Adrian heard Rich mutter, ¡°...Holy shit.¡± Regaining his voice, ¡°Okay, you got it. I¡¯ll be there in 5 hours. You still at your apartment?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll see you when you get here.¡± Ending the call, Adrian waved to Raide, ¡°Cut the feed.¡± An extra pair of engineer¡¯s hands would be useful over the next month. Vaulting himself from the chair, he strode over to his workbench and sat down before a tilted magnifying glass. Pinned in clamps further beyond and directly beneath its view was a sleeve of a long sleeve shirt, the rest of its still-connected body folded to the side. Taking up his utensils, Adrian peered at the closeup of the fabric. Hidden in line with the fibers, barely exposed on the outside face of the cloth, was a microgrid of crisscrossing wires. Imperceptible to the human eye, the designed function of this shirt was a hidden stun weapon. The body side of the fabric was insulated against electrical current, while the outside carried the equivalent of a stun gun or 4 milliamps. The typical amperage range for handheld stun guns was 2.5 - 4 milliamps, so this ranked at the upper end of the spectrum. Raide, who had been watching from his usual camera atop the primary TV, inquired towards Adrian, ¡°I¡¯ve read about the skill ¡°energy armor¡± in gaming. Who would have thought that it could be materialized in such a way. Is that intended for defense or offense?¡± ¡°Hmm, both really. It¡¯s hidden nature allows for a surprise in hand-to-hand. Any punches, grabs, or throws will backfire spectacularly if contact is made on the key areas. The brief moment of confusion and pain will enable me to end the engagement in a concise manner.¡± Spotting a broken connection to a capacitor, he grabbed his micro soldering iron and fixed the 14 nm span. ¡°I intend for you to automatically activate its function via bluetooth should I ever be assailed or the situation calls for a stealth knockout. Note down to always immediately deactivate it upon use though. As you¡¯re probably aware, prolonged amperage flow would heat up the micro wiring and either melt the connections or catch the cloth on fire. So... ¡±Adrian flashed a smile, ¡°Controlled bursts, please. It¡¯ll only get about 10 uses per charge, so measure it carefully.¡± Seeing Raide¡¯s expression of consternation, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m working on a sensor array to allow for a plethora of new data input for you. See that head band over there? That will have video to mimic my field of view, audio, and laser sensors lined 360? around its circumference. You can use that to map the surroundings, right? So cheer up.¡± Getting back to his work, Adrian lost himself in the mindless tinkering of his devices. Five hours later, as promised, a hurried knock echoed at the door. *** That motherfucker fucking did it. An AI. I remember us discussing that ridiculous possibility at length years ago, but who would have thought he was actually working on the damn concept. That¡¯s higher tier machine learning and algorithms at an order of magnitude near the synaptic complexity of human brain tissue. Nobody does that by themselves! But as much as Rich wanted to deny that he achieved it - it was thought impossible without quantum computing after all - the 50k sitting in his bank account spoke volumes towards its veracity. Bearcat didn¡¯t have that kind of money. The last time he visited a year ago, he¡¯d gotten an eyeful of the candy and ramen containers that littered the place. There wasn¡¯t even any evidence of fast food, which he knows Bearcat would have indulged in if he had had the funds to drag his fat ass to the nearest chain. No, there was another factor here and there was no reason for him to lie. It had to be what he said. Pulling into the apartment complex where Bearcat lived, Rich left his car and sprinted up the stairs to the third floor. Stopping at 326, he rapped quickly at the door. Hearing a click in the mechanism and a voice ringing out from within the apartment saying, ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± Rich grabbed the handle and prowled into the apartment. Eyeing the weirdly immaculate kitchen, he rounded the corner and received one of the biggest shocks of his life. There, facing away and positioned on a swivel stool, was a Norse god. Shirtless, the man was adorned in rippled muscle that twitched and contracted during every fine motor movement of his hand at the workbench, which was definitely not here last time. His shoulder length hair was pulled back into a half ponytail, leaving the bottom section to fall smoothly down his neck. A neatly cropped beard was evidenced by its disappearing edge along the sides of the stranger¡¯s face. The apartment was shudder-inspiring in its coldness, yet he could see a thin veil of steam and heat radiating off of the man''s bare skin. Rich couldn¡¯t hold his silence anymore while throwing a glance at the other contents of the room, ¡°Am I in the right place?¡± Placing the soldering iron back on its stand, the figure spun around to face him and grinned. ¡°What, you can¡¯t even recognize your friend? Good to see you too, ya bastard.¡± For the second time that day, a mutter echoed out in the apartment, ¡°...Holy shit.¡± *** Rich just stood there like a stone, so Adrian hopped up and quickly strode over to give him a hug, but even after the quick pat on the back, he still stood there looking at Adrian like he was an alien. This result was selfishly satisfactory. No one else outside of classmates, even his family, had witnessed his transformation yet, so Adrian was hoping for a reaction like this. Now, seeing the look on Rich¡¯s face, he felt all those agonizing hours being validated one by one. It felt good. Let¡¯s heap it on, shall we. Turning to the TV covered wall, he inquired to Raide, ¡°You going to keep lurking or are you going to say hi?¡± Seemingly booting on it¡¯s own, the monstrous primary 60¡± TV mounted on the wall came to life and displayed an androgynous face, devoid of hair, that gave off the feeling of being constructed. There were no feature flaws, as such it perfectly ascribed to the Da Vinci facial symmetry. Subsurface digital muscles pulled its hairless eyebrows up into a look of mock incredulity. ¡°Sir, I was just being cautious. I sincerely doubted that you wanted me to give myself away to a random homeless man who wandered in off of the street.¡± Turning to Rich, Adrian spoke in exasperation, ¡°He¡¯s always like this. Rich, this Raide. Raide, this is Rich Femora. Basically, just treat him like you would the smartest person you¡¯ve ever met in your life. I brought him online almost 5 months ago, so he¡¯s had more than enough time to assimilate his own personality and learn the language so to speak. I¡¯ve got a lot to go over, so grab a seat.¡± Turning to the screen again, ¡°Raide, bring up the lab schematics.¡± A construction plan that was pulled from the city¡¯s public record displayed on a side monitor. Following the surprise showing its light on Rich¡¯s face, a predatory hunger flashed across Adrian¡¯s facade. ¡°The truth is Rich, we¡¯ve got a lab to pillage.¡± Chapter 5 - Upgrade ¡°I¡¯ve told you this already... you won¡¯t be eligible for the upgrade, Rich. It took Raide six months of running DNA model simulations to even have a reasonably high degree of confidence for me, and he¡¯s had all of my physical data since the beginning. Even then, I had to spend that time training just so I survive the process. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be walking into the lab, injecting myself, and then waltzing out the front door like I went in for a flu shot.¡± Adrian turned back to the monitor setup in the hotel room. Currently, they were situated in a Hilton Garden Inn about twenty miles from the lab in Syracuse, New York. Per Raide¡¯s recommendation, they¡¯d stayed in an adjacent county, so that it was more unlikely that police came asking around for recent guests. To be on the safe side, though, Raide was also monitoring any security systems tied to any networks and would edit their contents once everything was over, including the hotel they were staying at. ¡°Fine, fine. I do hope that you remember to take enough samples so that you can replicate it one day though. Like hell I¡¯m going to let the opportunity of becoming a superhuman pass me by.¡± Sullen, Rich spun on his heels to grab the keys to Adrian¡¯s car and went to make sure everything was ready for this evening, a bag containing his handed down M1 carbine in the other hand. He must be getting jittery. Who could blame him, though? While Rich and Adrian had only flirted with the law by doing things like drinking underage and trespassing on private property, neither one had ever come even close to what they were about to do. Breaking and entering, assault, theft, arson...these were just a handful of the things they could be charged with if they were caught. If the worst case scenario happened and they had to fight their way out lethally, add on murder times the number of victims. A flutter threatened to upturn his stomach, so Adrian heaved a calming breath. Just have to remember... Raide spoke just then from the laptop¡¯s speakers, ¡°High risk, high reward, right sir?¡± Throwing an amused smile at the USB camera, ¡°Ya know, it hasn¡¯t gotten any less creepy when you do that.¡± Shaking his head, ¡°Bring the itinerary to the screen, please.¡± Sitting down on one of the twin queen beds occupying the room, he scrutinized the schedule. 11:00 pm - Raide forces a sector restart for the area¡¯s power grid to disable cameras able to catch evidence of their passage. Rich and Adrian move to lab facility, forcing their way inside. 11:05 pm - Rich and Adrian inside the building. Adrian engages any security and personnel. Rich follows with ranged support. 11:15 pm - City power reestablished, all security neutralized. 11:17 pm - Adrian establishes connection to facility''s systems for Raide via USB/cell phone hookup to main server. 11:18 pm - Raide takes over lab¡¯s computer/security system. Disables cameras and wipes evidence of initial conflict with security. 11:20 pm - 12:00 am - Rich moves bodies of personnel to outside of the building on the NW corner, hidden from the street, binding each to be unable to speak or move. Also places thermal blankets over them to prevent hypothermia. 11:20 pm - 12:00 am - Adrian assumes control of primary lab, locates samples, and boots up equipment. 12 am - 1:30 am - Adrian and Rich make necessary alterations to serum and duplicate it into specific groupings via direction given by Raide. All other needed components obtained prior to mission must be on person. 1:31 am - 1:40 am - Adrian straps into sensors and subject table, Rich administers serum array and Raide monitors. 1:31 am - 6:00 am - Adrian undergoes gene alterations. 1:31 am - 6:00 am - Rich stays close while Adrian undergoes change, gathering all samples into a freezer bag for transport, then placing thermite charges in key locations to achieve implosion. Raide disables fire suppression systems and alarm. Rich retrieves cell phone and usb hookup. 6:00 am - Adrian fit enough for transport. Raide forces second sector grid reboot. Both exit the premises. 6:10 am - City power reestablished. 6:15 am - Thermite charges ignite, taking out the key systems and forcing a structural collapse. Rich and Adrian 15 minutes down I-81. Satisfied he understood all the steps and committed the list to his mental bulletin in the foyer of his mind palace, Adrian got up and posited the standard bluetooth earpiece into his left ear. Speaking out loud, ¡°Rich, we¡¯re checking out in here. Bring the car around.¡± Spending five minutes to wipe down all of the surfaces they interacted with, Adrian left the room as if it had never seen them walk through that door. Three minutes later, he paid in cash with a smile, giving the desk girl a wink as he disappeared out into the dark, frigid New England night. *** Hot breath fogged the air as Rich and Adrian sprinted to the large laboratory looming ahead of them. The ground crunched beneath their feet, snow compacting into icy boot-sized prints 8 centimeters deep. The shadowy lane they were using to get to their destination was positioned behind a row of buildings that had few working lights. For some unresearched reason, they¡¯d decided to have their lab facilities built in the city, so several buildings were close by. It made the last portion of their plans a bit more complicated, but Raide made adjustments in the end. Using a small thermite charge, they melted the back door¡¯s locking mechanism after hitting the front the security camera positioned overhead with a black paintball. Stealing into the well-lit corridor, Adrian assumed point 5 meters in front of Rich, who now had an M1 positioned to his shoulder as he stalked behind him. Adrian wore tactical pants and boots with his thick, black ¡°energy armor¡± long sleeve covering his upper body, which stood out in their bright environment. He¡¯d made a few improvements by adding kevlar along vital areas on the inside of the fabric to protect his vitals from gunshots, but he vowed to himself to revisit the body armor at a later date because this thing was intensely uncomfortable. The end of the sleeves hooked onto the outside of a pair of Insulated gloves to ensure extended contact area and also to prevent self electrocution. Both Rich and Adrian had a beanie with a built in video, audio, and 360? sensor array around it¡¯s band for Raide to monitor their surrounds. Raide spoke into his ear, ¡°Remember, there are four guards on duty tonight. Most likely distribution is 3 patrolling, while one man¡¯s the security room. Recommended course: neutralize singular element, get me plugged in and ready for when the power comes back on, then neutralize the three patrolling targets.¡± Adrian responded back softly in the affirmative. Holding up a fist for Rich, Adrian crept up to the corner of a perpendicular hall and peered around to the door of the security room. Clear. Unfortunately, there were no windows into the room so they were blind. Both men rolled their feet as they glided across the hard concrete flooring, making as little sound as possible. Positioning himself next to the door and making a grabbing motion at his own face while pulling down, each pulled out a face mask from their back pocket and donned it. Fingers up, Adrian started the countdown. 3. 2. 1. Palming the door handle, Adrian disengaged the mechanism and opened it softly a few inches. From further in, a voice rang out, ¡°Roy is that you? You¡¯ve got to come check out this Vine, man.¡± Indicating to watch their rear, Adrian nodded and slipped into the room with frightening speed and crossed the distance to the man in the chair. The guard¡¯s eyes betrayed terror, but before he could yell out in fear, Adrian planted a hand over his mouth and drove his other forearm into the guard¡¯s throat, eliciting a convulsion as voltage poured into his body. A few moments later, he collapsed, sprawled in the chair. Motioning to Rich who had backpedaled into the room cautiously, he said, ¡°All yours.¡± Eight minutes until lights on. Thinking of something, Adrian spoke softly, ¡°Raide, take that guard¡¯s sound file and split it up into two segments - a hail, and then the last statement.¡± It only took a few seconds for the file to be altered. Rich in the meantime, went to the server room and plugged in a wireless relay stick since the phone would be needed for this next bit. Five minutes to lights on. A flickering candle threw blades of light that pierced into it¡¯s surroundings, casting shadows of the three men hunkered down to a game of poker at a table. Each were grumbling about the apparent blackout and hoped for it¡¯s swift return before it got much colder in the building. Just then, a coworker¡¯s voice rang out from the hallway, ¡°Roy! You¡¯ve got to come check out this Vine, man.¡± Adrian watched as a burly guard came meandering out from the room while cursing, ¡°I swear to God, Billy... If you make me watch another one of those stupid fucking cat videos again, I¡¯m going to shove that phone up your ass while it loops meowing sounds.¡± Peering through the darkness, the guard caught a glimpse of a cellphone glowing brightly on the floor and no sign of Billy. Walking confusedly to the object, the man known as Roy never saw what hit him as Adrian stalked up behind and held the back of his hand to his exposed neck, the other hand¡¯s fingers gripping tightly to his forehead while forcing pressure back onto his electrified armor. Another set of convulsions later and Roy slumped into Adrian¡¯s arms who started pulling him around a corner to where Rich was waiting. Two minutes to lights on. Adrian stealthed up to the yawning door where the candlelight still flickered brightly. A mumble passed from one guard to another, ¡°Roy better hurry his ass up. I¡¯m sick of looking at this shitty hand¡­¡± Not caring if they yelled out this time, Adrian dashed into the room and planted a punch that left a sickening sound as the guard¡¯s head whipped back and struck the wall behind him. Turning to the other, Adrian vaulted over the table and again struck out with his forearm. Because the guard didn¡¯t know about the shirt, he reached up and blocked the arm with his bare hands to intercept, only to feel a burning sensation snake through his body as his muscles seized up and his vision went dark. Raide¡¯s activation timing is really impeccable. Casting an eye over the other unconscious guard, he spoke out loud for the bluetooth to catch it, ¡°All security guards are down. Ready when you are, Rich.¡± Right on time, the lights powered back on fully revealing the room with all the cards strewn across the table and floor. He could hear all of the systems like ventilation and cooling in the compound turning back on one-by-one, the dull thrum reminding him of the lab buildings back at Georgia Tech. Pacing out of the break room, Adrian quickly removed his mask and went to the main lab to begin searching the storage and cabinets. Raide meanwhile had successfully hijacked the server and assumed control of the electronics in the building. Initiating his video editing tasks passively, he directed his attention to assisting Adrian in the lab identifying components for the serum. Rich also joined them after about twenty minutes and helped synthesize the separate vials for injection. They then combined the separate viral cultures into a singular serum that turned white and milky before their eyes. An hour and ten minutes later, they finished and, just as planned, Adrian removed his shirt to lay down on the cold gurney they¡¯d found in an adjacent lab room. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Rolling his eyes to meet Rich¡¯s once he got comfortable as possible on the freezing platform, he said, ¡°Remember, I more than likely will pass out during this. If anything happens while I¡¯m out, deal with it. Raide should be able to help you. The serum has been designed as a cyclical virus that is time-released in my blood. It¡¯s going to attack a certain type of cell based off of surface markers whereupon it will inject its DNA to override the previous cell¡¯s genetic makeup. After that, it¡¯ll go into an accelerated distribution and replication stage to effectively replace all of the existing cells within that category. ¡°I should pass through the first phase over the next four and a half hours which will include the most dangerous brain and heart regions. So be attentive and ready for whenever Raide needs you to step in - this will probably be very unpleasant for me. Then we still need to get out of Dodge afterwards, so make sure your tasks are done by then.¡± Receiving a nod, he leaned back into the headrest and relaxed as Rich began hooking up an IV line and several heart and EEG brain wave sensors. A few moments later, Raide¡¯s voice echoed into his earpiece as the first serum in the array started pumping into his veins, ¡°Good luck, sir.¡± Watching the milky white concoction thread its way through the tubing and entering his arm, Adrian felt an intense cold as his body temperature took a hit from the room temperature liquid. Almost as soon as that occurred, an electric inferno seemingly erupted within his arm. Bug-eyed and staring at his arm, he felt each beat of his heart pull the substance towards his core. Fear and determination mingled in a battle for supremacy as he tried to focus on maintaining control. After an eternity of what was only three seconds, it reached what must have been his heart. Bursting in several different directions along the channel of his major arteries, a primordial howl forced its way past his lips as he strained against the bindings. Alarmed, Rich looked at the monitor where Raide¡¯s face was displayed. Seeing the exchange, Adrian growled out a command, ¡°Leave it. Keep going!¡± before promptly falling unconscious from the painful load. *** Spasms wracked his friend¡¯s body in the seconds that followed before settling down into a deathly calm. Double-checking the vitals monitor, Rich confirmed that he still had a pulse and shook his head at the abnormally high diastolic blood pressure number. He didn¡¯t know how to read it, but his EEG readings were also all over the place. Heat radiated off of Bearcat¡¯s bare torso in the cold room, thin tendrils lacing up and dissipating into the vents on the ceiling. Rich couldn¡¯t help but think that if an ancient human in their ignorance were to see exactly what he was seeing at the moment, they would probably prostrate themselves and call him a supernatural being. Rubbing his matted head and removing his mask, he began setting about collecting the assigned vials identified by Adrian before the administration of the gene therapy. Only a minute later however, the sound of a door opening caused Rich to freeze his movement as he reached into a low cabinet. The sound of clacking heels echoed over the floor. A woman. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. What do I do!? He heard a gasp reverberate out and suddenly his eyes alighted on his M1. Not pausing to look in her direction, he dove for the firearm only 3 feet away and raised it to his shoulder as he rose from his knees. Dammit all! She¡¯s seen his face, I can¡¯t let her leave here alive. Fuck, why did this have to happen! Lining his shot up to the forehead of a now very frightened and haggard woman, he silently pleaded with the woman to understand. A breath passed before he suddenly squeezed the trigger, a gaseous crack thundering throughout the small room. He quietly dragged his body across the room and looked at the unfortunate woman framed against a background of red, her expression permanently frozen in a look of pure surprise and terror. Brain matter and skull fragments speckled the walls in a meter diameter beyond where she had been standing. Leaning heavily against one of the workbenches, Rich zoned out into nothingness. There were no thoughts of why she was there when they¡¯d thought the building was empty. There wasn¡¯t even grief though he was sure that would come later. He was just there, disbelief trying to force his mind into not accepting the macabre reality in front of him. It was only half an hour later that he came out of his shock and was able to move. Gingerly stepping around the droplets of red that stained the tiled floor, he moved to collect some more samples, his eyes fearfully drifting over every once in awhile to glimpse that unforgettable truth. He had taken a life. *** A mixture of silence and warmth assaulted Adrian as he slipped into unconsciousness, like he was submerging his head beneath a pool¡¯s surface on a warm Summer day. Feeling the previous pressure and pain removed, he opened his eyes again to reveal a massive gymnasium that reminded him of his college¡¯s basketball court area. There were no bleachers or courts - only white walls and skylights decorated the enormous rectangular room. Attempting to peer out the windows revealed that the exterior atmosphere was too bright to gaze upon. Completing a single 360? spin as he scrutinized his surroundings, he was greeted by an otherworldly sight. There, hovering nearly a meter off the ground, was a floating orb of red. Drawing closer, he skimmed it with his fingers and smelled the warm substance that now wet his fingertips. Iron tugged at his nostrils. This is... blood. Is it mine? Completing the thought caused a reaction in the sphere. The previously perfect, smooth exterior undulated and separated into a thousand rivers that flowed effortlessly through the air towards the nearest wall, each assuming the form of a dancing double helix. A single thought resounded in his mind as he watched the scene. Beautiful. Stopping just short of the unyielding wall, the blood formed itself into a floating container that resembled a giant paint can, complete with bloody brushes and ladder that shimmered at the teasing of the room¡¯s air current. Stepping up to the strange eisel, he gazed at the wall and was bombarded with a wave of compulsion. Taking up the utensils, he began to feverishly paint a mural on the wall with his own blood. Hour after hour slipped by like this, only it was impossible to tell the exact time as he realized that time flowed differently here much like a dream. Neither fatigue nor thirst assaulted him. Finally drawing to completion, his confused circadian rhythm gave him a rough approximation of two weeks time having passed by. Backpedaling about 10 meters, he stared at what he had wrought. When he first started, he only felt this one dominant thought: create your passion. Driven by the vortex of compulsion, he began painting his family, an unknown shadow of a woman, and scattering the elements of all his hopes and dreams into a collection of everything he wanted to build and everything that he wanted to destroy. What met him was a whirling maelstrom of destruction and life. Trailing his eyes along the planned chronological approximation of his mind¡¯s account, he was assailed with a sense of sad satisfaction. The knowledge and visualization of what he had to do was so heavy. The sheer enormity of the world¡¯s issues threatened to crush Adrian¡¯s spirit. Remembering his friends, family, and people like them, he steeled his heart and resolved to take up the mantle. Against all of the greed and abuse. Against all the corruption and misappropriation that threatened to choke society. For their sake. Because who would stand up for them otherwise? It had been made evident over the last several decades that the common man had no more advocates. Striding up to the wall while filled with an unknown hint of inspiration, Adrian lifted his left hand and pressed it against the bloodstained mural. Taking his right now, he did the same thing, but slowly removed it and curled his blood-coated fingers into a fist over his heart. The mural that he had worked so hard to create suddenly began to liquify and run down the wall, pulled into some mysterious gravity that rotated around Adrian¡¯s feet. The slow accumulation began wrapping around his legs and worked upwards until a current of blood covered every inch below his neck in a rotating cocoon. Centimeter by centimeter, the last vestiges of blood separated itself from the wall and flowed up his body, completing the still revolving tide. As the last rays of light were blocked out from his sight by the maroon cascade, he felt himself slip into a gentle shaking motion. Snapping his eyes open, he found himself back in the lab being gently nudged on the shoulder by Rich who was staring at him with a dead and fearful gaze. Why does he look like that? He tried to think, but what resulted was a wave of pain and a blinding array of colors. Everything was pulsing in his vision, rapidly alternating between hues of blue and red that threatened to make him throw up from the motion. Blinking his tired eyelids, his voice croaked out as he held pressure to his head, ¡°How long has it been?¡± A hint of confusion passed over Rich¡¯s face as he answered, ¡°It¡¯s been 4 hours and 15 minutes. It¡¯s currently 5:45 am¡­¡± Hesitating for a split second, he continued. ¡°I woke you up a bit early to make sure you could move on your own, but there¡¯s also¡­ ah, forget that, what¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Groaning as he peeled his now unrestrained body off the chair, Adrian heaved a tremulous breath and sat up, testing his strength for a moment before gingerly stepping onto the icy cold floor. Everything felt like jelly within his body, like he¡¯d been turned into mush on the inside except for this unimaginably powerful heartbeat that thrummed in his chest with vigor. There was this incredible increase in his cognitive perception and thinking ability as well, but the rest of his body seemed to still be warring over the changes. He knew there were a few more cycles to go through, but this dissonance between mind and body was disorienting. Placing a stabilizing hand on the edge of the his chair, he carefully walked to the workbench that led towards the cold storage unit. It was then that he saw it. Brain matter and a limp, cold figure of a woman prone and unmoving in death. He raised his gaze to meet Rich¡¯s in a moment of confusion. What drew his attention mentally wasn¡¯t the fact that he was seeing a dead body in front of him, but that he felt nothing over it. He could infer what happened easily. No, Adrian was concerned because he could still feel those chemical reactions firing off in his brain like normal to create the appropriate emotional response, but it was like everything that had the capacity to emotionally cripple him in a moment had been muffled. He blinked in confusion. It was there, he could see the body, he knew how he would have reacted before the procedure, but it was all cut off from him. He was like the body, cold and ultimately uncaring in the face of death. Wearily looking back towards his friend who was still terrified over the anticipated reaction from Adrian about the girl¡¯s death, what he did was not berate him or flip out. He just quietly sent an understanding nod towards Rich¡¯s fearful face, hoping that it played at least a small part in absolving him of that crime. Feeling this newfound coldness that gripped his moral heart, he suddenly realized that he¡¯d be able to shoulder this sin. In fact, he could shoulder so much more. Stumbling over to the glass cold storage door, he turned off the interior lights and was met by an exhausted face. What kicked his mind into overdrive though were the orbs sitting in his eye sockets. The iris¡¯ were currently doing a dance between an electric blue and a blood maroon. Pulses of electricity radiated and arced outwards from his pupils, seemingly unable to choose between the two colors that raged against each other. When Adrian began to revisit the memory of the blood mural, remembering all those feelings with vivid detail, his eyes expunged the blue and drowned in maroon. Suppressing the memory had the opposite effect. Shaking his head and forcing himself to table the strange events and realizations he¡¯d just experienced, his eyes stabilized into a color that reminded him of blue plasma, albeit slightly darker, but holding just the tiniest perceptible pulse that flitted back and forth over his irises. Turning to Rich, he pantingly said, ¡°I¡¯ve only got about 30 minutes of mobility before the second phase hits. Are the samples collected? Are the charges set and timed?¡± Receiving a nod, he checked his earpiece with a shaking hand and spoke to Raide, ¡°Go ahead and begin the second grid restart. We¡¯re blowing this joint early.¡± A few minutes later with samples in hand, Adrian limped with Rich¡¯s help out into a darkened city, disappearing into a new snow flurry that had just started in the early hours of dawn. Thirty minutes later, a small shockwave rippled through the quiet street after one of its buildings suddenly combusted and folded in on itself. Chapter 6 - Changes and Making Waves The sound of heels clacking across the tiled floor rang out into the neat office building, drawing the eyes of several employees, but when they saw who it was making the din, they hurriedly looked back towards their tasks. No matter who was listening, they could all tell that she was in a rush, like she was late for something or had forgotten something important. In any case, no one could work up the courage to ask her or even call out to her in passing. She was that woman after all. The environment was fairly quiet despite the fact that there were over a hundred people working on this research floor alone. The faint rustle of papers and the muffled clicking of keyboards drifting out from open doors produced a background noise that seemed to drone like a hive, only interrupted by barely audible, indistinct clinks as researchers handled glassware at their work stations. The pair of heels belonged to a middle-aged lady with sour brown eyes and the most common of looks. She was plump, a normal problem for anyone when they have to work from behind a desk in an administrative position most of the day. That soft look served to equally lessen the stress that was emitted from her body like a poisonous gas. Nothing seemed ferocious about her at first, but the obvious avoidance of the other workers hurriedly passing from one room to the next gave the impression of a shark swimming through a school of fish. After a short zigzag route down corridors and a few flights of stairs, she arrived at a central hallway. On each side, long windows provided for a view that looked into a laboratory, equipped with all of the latest equipment and staffed with around forty researchers and assistants. Striding towards one of the windows, she spotted her target and brusquely rapped on the window, startling the entire room. She pointed and then beckoned with her index finger. Fearful gazes flitted back and forth, but as soon as they saw her target, they acted like they didn¡¯t see her and continued on with their work. A greying gentleman in a lab coat didn¡¯t share this sense of trepidation towards the woman. He lazily looked up from the culture he was pouring over under a microscope and frowned behind his face mask, the sentiment reflected into his eyes as he ill-temperedly took of his latex gloves and threw them on the lab bench. Touching an assistant on the shoulder, the woman saw him whisper a few words to the tech before he strode over and exited the room via an airlock that isolated the lab space. He arrived in front of her, saying sarcastically, ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t the wicked witch of the West, what can your flying monkeys do for you today?¡± ¡°Can it, George. I don¡¯t have the time or patience to deal with your nonsense today. This is about Valerie,¡± she finished seriously. A look of alertness flashed across his face, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any eavesdroppers. Seeing none, it was obvious he was still cautious because he waved a hand towards her, grimacing as he walked towards a corner office that was right beside the lab room. Only after closing the door and closing the blinds did George turn and speak again slowly. ¡°Alright, Marjorie, you have my attention. What¡¯s happened with her? Has she been caught?¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± She shook her head anxiously as she leaned back against his desk. ¡°I got an email from the Vice Director this morning that said he received a report from local law enforcement in Syracuse. Someone bombed our lab there, or at least that¡¯s what it looks like.¡± His eyes went wide before he violently cursed, ¡°Fuck!¡± George walked around and then sat down heavily into his leatherback office chair. A spotted hand reached up to tug at his whiskers. He turned his eyes back towards her as he grimly said, ¡°You do realize that was the only facility we had that was working on the telomere modification, right?¡± ¡°Of course I know that,¡± she snapped, moving to a guest chair facing him. ¡°It was the two of us that worked to get it funded under a different project title after all with Mr. Waters¡¯ help. But that¡¯s not even half of the issue.¡± He looked at for a moment before recognition flashed in his eyes. ¡°Valerie.¡± ¡°Right, Valerie,¡± she agreed seriously. ¡°After I got the email, I called Roy who was on guard duty last night. He said that Valerie was also in the building before he was knocked out by whoever snuck into the building.¡± A ringing telephone suddenly lit up on George¡¯s desk startling the both of them. After a split second, the caller¡¯s ID read V.D. Waters and they both grimaced at the same time. George reached over a hand to put it on speaker and answered crisply, ¡°This is George. I¡¯ve got Marjorie here with me as well.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t have to spend too much time tracking down the both of you.¡± Waters¡¯ voice was pleasant and charismatic, but they could both tell that a dangerous edge was hidden beneath the gilded exterior this morning. ¡°I just got another call from the Syracuse PD... They pulled a female body from the wreckage about fifteen minutes ago. The preliminary coroner¡¯s report says that she died by gunshot to the head.¡± A sharp exhale sounded out in the room as Marjorie leaned back in her chair with a shell-shocked expression. She couldn¡¯t quite believe it, but it was almost guaranteed that the woman was Valerie - a girl she¡¯d nurtured since she graduated college. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that Marjorie taught her everything she knew about the corporate world. He continued, ¡°I know this won¡¯t be easy for you Marj, but I need you to put aside your emotions for a moment.¡± She croaked out a ¡°Yes sir¡± and then lapsed back into silence. ¡°Alright. Where to begin?¡± The voice mused. ¡°Both of you know that she was acting as our mole into the government division responsible for research into the Hayflick limit. I don¡¯t know how, but it looks like knowledge of this got out somehow. I can¡¯t think of any other reason that someone would torch a lab, kill only the spy that had been stealing information, and leave the rest of the guards alive. It had to have been the government. It just doesn¡¯t make any sense otherwise.¡± ¡°Since when does the government kill its own citizens and workers?¡± Marjorie exclaimed hysterically. George shook his head behind the desk and shot her a look that said calm down. ¡°This is the key to immortality we¡¯re talking about here, Marjorie. Is there anything more valuable in this world than that?¡± ¡°In any case, we have to look to the future on how to deal with this. We can speculate later.¡± Waters interrupted in a tone filled with gravity. ¡°Back when I signed off on the cover project, I used Tony¡¯s signature and made sure the process was as vague as possible. Nothing can be traced back to us that I can think of - any ideas?¡± George once again shook his head, his brows creasing in consternation. ¡°No,¡± he finally said. ¡°I have no ties with that lab beyond recommending a few transfers to go work for the project, but that¡¯s normal bureaucratic work and the fields of the techs and researchers I assigned all fit the requirements of the cover study.¡± ¡°None for me. Well... beyond Valerie, that is.¡± Marjorie added tremulously. They both heard a relatively silent groan come through the speaker. ¡°Marj, you¡¯re obviously in the most danger. Be thinking of an alibi that can cover all your bases. It¡¯s unavoidable that the FBI will come knocking once they figure out who Valerie was and the discrepancy over where she died versus where she was working. The whole thing is too suspicious, so distance yourselves as much as possible. The only way we can weather this storm is by being as quiet as possible while they investigate Biolink. If you feel that they¡¯re getting close, let me know.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The two replied back, fear and anxiety twisting in their gut. ¡°Okay, get back to work and pretend that nothing happened.¡± George ended the call and the two stared at one another for a moment, looking at the expressions on each other¡¯s face. Their research into immortality was destroyed, a protege was dead, and now they might soon be facing charges of espionage and treason by stealing information from the U.S. government. Life sucks. *** Adrian awoke with a gasp, greedily gulping at the sweet tasting air around him. His entire body quickly notified him of a strange ache that seemed to radiate from the core of his being. Everything felt... strange. It wasn¡¯t overly painful, instead the sensation was akin to that feeling one has after their muscles have almost recuperated from a hard workout. It was both painful and pleasant at the same time, a dichotomous perception that he was well-versed in after his months of training. Mentally, his world snapped together almost instantly. There was no grogginess beyond the confusion he felt, there was only his apartment displayed in heightened colors and sounds that knit themselves together into a wondrous tapestry that was beyond anything Adrian had ever experienced before. Everything was more vivid, entrancing to a mind that had never experienced such detail because it lacked the ability to process it so¡­ completely. Eyes wide, he looked around quickly, trying to find sight of Rich. In the process, he felt a slight lag between reality and the rate at which is mind processed the environmental information. The conclusion that he came to was that his brain was processing information more quickly than it had before and also in larger quantities. He almost gave himself whiplash too, because the muscle memory inscribed into a motion just as simple as a turn of the head was not calibrated to his new normative nerve signal speed. Gingerly turning his head another direction, he soon found his friend curled up in a corner, shirtless and surrounded by nine beer bottles. Adrian started with a chuckle before he almost ended up crying, he was laughing so hard and silently. He survived! After a moment more though, his voice suddenly choked. Flashes of memories came back to him, reminding him of all the pain he¡¯d gone through. It was then that he found out that his senses were not the only thing to receive upgrades. The crippling pain, the soul-tearing agony that had wracked his body for the two days since their lab raid came back in vivid detail, gleaned from brief moments of lucidity between phases. It felt like he was still experiencing it, even though his mind told him it was only a recollection. Suppressing it the best he could, he looked back over to see his friend stirring from sleep. Groggily, Rich suddenly bolted upright, holding a roll of gauze in one hand while wiping his bleary eyes with the other. ¡°Ah! Huh?... Bearcat?¡± He blinked his eyes furiously as he looked back towards Adrian confusedly. His friend served as a big enough distraction that Adrian was finally able to push down the gruesome memories that had been flooding him. Cracking a grin as he recovered control, he started peeling off the pads and tape that was plastered all over his body. Chuckling morbidly, he held up a blood-soaked wound dressing and said to Rich sardonically, ¡°It looks like I bled a little during this.¡± ¡°Bitch, did you just say a little? Fuck you, I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡± Rich abruptly plopped back down on the couch, covering himself with a blanket. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, you little drama queen. Tell me what happened while I was out.¡± ¡°I kept your ass alive is what happened,¡± he replied gruffly, coming back out from under the blanket. ¡°Thank you for that.¡± Adrian smiled at him and scratched his head before unceremoniously dropping the blood-soaked bandages he¡¯d collected into a trashcan. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± came back a stiff acknowledgement, followed by a light sigh as he scratched his hairy chest. ¡°Bro, you almost bit the dust several times. I think it was yesterday around lunch that your skin started splitting and cracking like you were a snake shedding your skin. The problem was that the process was happening so quickly that there were still rends in the new skin underneath, making you bleed like a stuck pig when pieces of old skin over places like that came off.¡± ¡°I kinda got that feeling,¡± Adrian said as he stood up, stretching out his arms and back. Right away, he felt something was off again. Looking around, he finally realized that he¡¯d grown a few inches taller. By imperial measurements, he was now around 5¡¯10¡± or approximately 178 centimeters. Sure, it was only a small gain, but guys almost universally enjoyed being taller if they¡¯d lived a life belonging to the short crowd. When he got up to the view, he was again reminded that his senses had changed completely. He saw everything. All the imperceptible things that a normal human skips over in their day to day life. Heat wafted off of the carpet where the sun¡¯s rays rested. He saw the cold air pouring out from vents in the ceiling, gushing down as if it were water from a pipe, swirling as it smashed into the carpet below where it then spread out over surface of the floor. Outside for about a distance of 100 m, he could see a faint outline of the wind as it blew through the trees. ¡°Welcome back, sir. Enjoy your trip to paradise?¡± Raide materialized his face in a corner monitor that was level with Adrian¡¯s face. Raking his eyes over the image that appeared, he said, ¡°I think you need to go back and read your religious texts again. Your interpretation of paradise is disturbing to say the least.¡± Grumbling, he moved himself away from the makeshift triage, his muscles subtly protesting the action. The A.I. only smiled in response, waiting until Adrian had gotten situated in his favorite chair before continuing. ¡°You have, no doubt, by now seen the differences with your environment. Allow me to explain,¡± Raide diligently said. He brought up several articles and molecules to the screen along with the a digital rendering of the human eye. ¡°When researching ways to improve your ocular function, I found that the eyes themselves were limited in their own right in the ways they could perceive light. A normal person¡¯s eyes can handle light waves in the range of 400-700 nm, that¡¯s where your color rainbow scheme comes from - violet to red. When you start trying to expand that range though, I saw that it was impossible due to the inherent structure of the organ. An area of fluid blocks the photoreceptors in your eye making it impossible for you to see anything much higher than that 700 nm maximum. This is because water absorbs light. Anything much higher than the max is absorbed so it never makes it to the receptors. ¡°Here¡¯s where your gifted creativity manifested itself in me. Instead of choosing to alter your eyes extensively, except for increasing your overall visual acuity, I altered your skin to perceive temperature differentials much more effectively. You are seeing the heat off of the carpet now because your body feels it in some small way. It then converts this information for your brain to process which then integrates it, with its knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid dynamics which you learned in school, into your normal perception of the surroundings. Your brain is literally using knowledge that you studied in school to make itself better. ¡°It also does this with visual cues. You can probably see the wind moving through the trees out on the street, right? That¡¯s your brain utilizing the trees¡¯ fluttering as a gauge to figure out the direction and intensity of the flow. You see it going around the cars? That¡¯s because your brain can now predict how the air will behave on those surfaces based on the information you gleaned from the trees. As for the thermal addition, we just had to change the skin to accommodate the new functionality - the range on that is much lower, maybe 6 meters at best. Speaking of your brain though, that¡¯s probably the greatest triumph that we gleaned from this risky endeavor.¡± The A.I. paused for a moment before wiping the screen and replaced the contents with a scan of Adrian¡¯s brain. He said, ¡°I do have a small confession to make. I had Rich take you by the ER on your way back to Georgia.¡± Seeing Adrian¡¯s eyes grow wide, ¡°Don¡¯t worry it wasn¡¯t an official visit. We snuck you in complete with the classic ¡®Rich looking like a doctor while wheeling you around¡¯ bit. I hacked the security feeds via wi-fi to ensure we weren¡¯t seen or remembered later. All of it was to obtain... this.¡± A file of Adrian¡¯s brain activity began playing. A fearsome display of lights displayed from the screen, firing off in each section of the brain. Next to it, Raide brought up a smaller window with a scan of a brain that had far less activity firing across the neural synapses. ¡°We needed the data, as well as several drugs to keep your mind under anaesthesia. The third and fourth states were way more brutal than I anticipated. In any case, we managed to obtain this scan as well as a few others that I hacked from their database. See the difference? I¡¯ve gone through 25 states since then and I haven¡¯t been able to find one brain that was significantly more active than this one on the right.¡± The A.I. smirked and shook his head and then concluded, ¡°Adrian, yours has almost triple the activity!¡± He knew what Raide was driving at. A normal IQ ranged from 100-120. Tripling that would come out to a number of 360. Or double of what his previous IQ had been at 180. There had always been conjectures thrown around about what this level of intellect would bring, but now that he had it, it all felt a little absurd. ¡°But how? My head doesn¡¯t feel much heavier. I assume that you would have to achieve this by increasing my neuron density and count, or expand the size of my brain. Maybe increasing the synaptic connections, but all of those would have an impact on the mass stuffed into my skull. Not to mention, I don¡¯t feel the intellect that would accompany an IQ of 360. Everything does have more clarity and I don¡¯t feel as easily distracted as before, but I can¡¯t feel what I¡¯d assume would accompany such an increase.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about this from the wrong angle,¡± Raide replied patiently. ¡°I did increase your neuron count, but I didn¡¯t program their sequences to simply double up on the already present function your brain serves, or in the same location. No, I added a ¡®shadow¡¯ brain layered along the inside of your spine up until it connects with your cerebellum. No, stop it. Don¡¯t imagine a big brain going down your spine. It¡¯s more like a fibrous web that lines the internal organ side of your spine. Think of it as a long backup drive that hooks into the main PC of your mind. Go ahead and try to recall something. It¡¯ll take some practice to get used to it.¡± Following Raide¡¯s prompting, Adrian reached back into the depths of his memory to one of his design classes in his second year. Images flew by before he mentally arrived before a page from one of his textbooks. ¡°Huh.¡± He grunted, amused. Grabbing a pencil and paper, he perfectly rendered the blueprint example within a matter of minutes. ¡°Cool, right? During that first phase while your subconscious was safely locked in your mind palace, the serum relocated all of your memory data and ¡®RAM,¡¯ so to speak, into the newly formed neurons along your spine. The speed of recall is even faster due to an enhanced connection between the main processing brain and the neural backup. In fact, every single one of your now 160 billion neurons have improved and reinforced synaptic connections. ¡°You probably noticed the difference right when you woke up, but the feeling has faded right? That¡¯s because your mind has already started acclimating to the new norm. I hypothesize that, with training, you will be able to not only alter your perception of time passage due to the increased allocation of processing power, but also be able to consciously control the inner workings of your body, i.e. metabolism, adrenaline release, sleep cycles¡­ you¡¯ll even have the ability to control muscle decay. All of this with time and effort. ¡°The greatest of the improvements though, is undoubtedly the eradication of what I call memory bleed. This refers to the predisposition of the human brain to forget or relocate information. It¡¯s why you forget how to do something or take several attempts at an activity to get it down. Since you now have perfect recall and translation, you have the ability to learn, well, anything. Any skill can be yours. Mastery will still take repetitions, but the learning time will be drastically reduced. I¡¯m interested to see what you do with this since, you know, you now have an additional 2.5 petabytes of storage space to play with.¡± Smiling broadly, he continued, ¡°Okay, last thing, I promise.¡± A diagram of his body now dominated the screen. ¡°Just like with your brain, I took this opportunity to reforge your body. We increased fiber density in your muscles and tendons while increasing their elasticity and resiliency. The same goes with your bones. They¡¯re now the carbon equivalent of steel. Your organs are all much more resilient and efficient in their function. Since we inherited the previous goal from our¡­ benefactors¡­ your body¡¯s cellular replication process has been reinforced, preventing the loss of data when telomeres are copied. Congratulations, you are now biologically immortal. It¡¯s nothing like Wolverine, but you¡¯re still a lot hardier and more resilient than the average human. ¡°On top of all this, I estimate an automatic gain of approximately 80% across the board in your stats. Thus, I¡¯ll be switching to a relativistic stat model. Here.¡± Raide ended his monologue and brought the familiar stat distribution to the screen, albeit with a few modifications.
Adrian Pierce Avg. Human (U.S.) Old Body - Max (achieved) Re-Engineered Body - Current (Max unknown yet)
Vitality 60 100 180
Agility 30 100 180
Strength 30 100 180
Intelligence 50 100 180
Charisma 50 100 180
Perception 30 100 180
This is insane. He¡¯s what, 6x stronger and faster than the average human now? Rich sighed in the corner, ¡°I hate to break up this little victory party, but there¡¯s something else I want to ask about...¡± Looking between Raide on the screen and Adrian standing off to the side flexing, he exploded, ¡°Can one of you tell me how the fuck a woman slipped past you? I thought he had his hooks in the entire lab¡¯s systems. I had to kill an innocent woman for you, you ungrateful bastard.¡± Adrian pursed his lips after dropping his arms to rest at his sides. ¡°Nobody said I wasn¡¯t grateful.¡± Adding his gaze to Raide¡¯s face on the screen, he seconded Rich¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Want to give us your assessment of her unfortunate timing?¡± Raide nodded obediently and accessed the video footage he copied from that night. He¡¯d understood that some questions would surface about the event, so he made a copy of just that 3 minute segment to compare with their reconnaissance leading up to the raid. Raide materialized a digital body that seemed to be modeled off of Adrian¡¯s, though slightly more robotic and, thankfully, genderless. He strode onto the video pointing at a closed door as he began speaking. ¡°See this closed door directly across the hall from the lab? This is the employee break room. 95% of the lab has video coverage, except for this room and the bathrooms. I can only assume that the lab workers raised privacy concerns and had them avoid those rooms when they set up the network. ¡°As to why I didn¡¯t know she was in the building at all, it¡¯s because she¡¯s not technically an employee of Biolink anymore after quitting almost six years ago. I ran her face and got a hit for one Valerie Womack. I¡¯ve researched her connections as best as possible and I¡¯ve found out from text correspondence that she has a mentee/mentor relationship with Marjorie Wilder, a woman who has worked for Biolink for the past 25 years. The weird thing, though, is of course the fact that she was in a restricted facility for a company that she no longer worked for.¡± Bringing up the footage of that day, Raide pointed at a white delivery van backed up to the entrance. ¡°She had to have sat in the back of this van and walked straight into the entrance from the opened doors. I¡¯m sorry Rich, I believed that my analysis was perfect so I didn¡¯t consider the possibility of a random element like her. The probability of a human being offloaded from that vehicle was astronomically low.¡± Adrian¡¯s mind downplayed the importance of this whole last segment, and instead was racing over the other things said. Honestly, since he woke up at the lab after that first phase, he hasn¡¯t felt anything when it came to the concept of death. At this point, he was more curious than anything because the woman being there just didn¡¯t line up. Leaning in, he spoke towards the A.I. and Rich. ¡°While it sucks that she died, the truth of the matter is that what¡¯s done is done. I¡¯m concerned about who she is. Raide, are you sure she doesn¡¯t work for anybody else at the moment?¡± Raide stroked his chin and then whipped out a deerstalker cap, worn by a famous British character, flipping it onto the top of his head as he spoke, ¡°Actually, that¡¯s what I¡¯m having a hard time rationalizing. She get¡¯s a large dividend check from a hedge fund every month that honestly doesn¡¯t have a portfolio capable of those kinds of returns. An interesting fact is that the manager of that fund is a former government official.¡± Adrian groaned. ¡°Oh hell. If I¡¯m not just being paranoid, I think she was working for the government.¡± Raide looked at him bemused. ¡°You mean that the government might be using a hedge fund to give a legitimate cover for her income by making it look like dividend checks?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. They¡¯re the ones that regulate everything. It would be a small matter for them to just to leave out that company on the IRS side.¡± The A.I. nodded. ¡°Dangerous, but possible since they¡¯re the ones who check things like that. They could dump the blame on the fund if anything went sideways.¡± ¡°That means that she must have been working somewhere off the books. Man, this makes me uneasy. Raide, watch the FBI extra-carefully during their investigation into the destruction of the Biolink lab. They¡¯ll probably be out for blood and we need a better idea of what happened.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Reading the mood, Raide inquired to Adrian after a moment¡¯s pause, ¡°So what¡¯s the next step, oh mighty chieftain?¡± ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve secured the genetics side of things, we need manpower, equipment, and¡­¡± He gave a cursory glance over the apartment. ¡°Better accommodations.¡± Thinking for a moment, Adrian continued, ¡°Raide, run a search on construction companies prided for their discretion. Someone who will build something for us and won¡¯t leak it to anyone else. Rich, I need all your old textbooks and notes.¡± ¡°Bearcat, I sold most of those man.¡± Adrian groaned. ¡°Fine. You know what, just stay here and chill out. You¡¯ve worked hard for the past few days and we¡¯ve still got quite some time until we make another move in the real world. If you want, you can help me on the advanced armor prototype that I have on the desk over there. I couldn¡¯t use it for the mission because it wasn¡¯t ready yet, so I stuck with the energy armor.¡± Looking back to Raide, he said after a deep breath. ¡°Raide, to actually progress with my designs, I need you to start investigating the most wealthy CEOs and politicians. I know that some of them are honest businessmen and women, but it¡¯s a fact that the 1% have grown exponentially wealthier over the past two decades at the expense of others. All those that fit the model of succumbing to greed over their social responsibility, I want you to compile into a list for me.¡± Rich perked up to the side. He gave his friend a suspicious look. ¡°And what would you do with a list like that?¡± Adrian shook his head, a moment¡¯s confusion coming over him. Previously, when he¡¯d gone to have coffee with Nova, he¡¯d had an idea that went down this route. He could secretly purge the government of corrupted politicians and business leaders and then rebuild everything to his liking further on down the road when he came onto the political scene. The problem was that such an idea was¡­ savage. He¡¯d always been a moral person, but now he found himself struggling less and less with the concept of such a scheme. Under it all, he felt this simmering anger that was directed towards the government. He had zero faith in it. It was to the point that he started to seriously considered the purification route. It was murder, but then again it was also for the betterment of society, right? Could he really afford to put off the greater good in favor of allowing a few evil men and women to live? His lips twitching, Adrian replied back to Rich misleadingly. ¡°I just want to get an idea of what the real world is like¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± In the next moment, only Raide caught the minor flash of crimson that floated across his irises. *** The atmosphere was quiet. Several suits were filing into a conference room to hear about some new event that had occurred. Each of them were gripping their coffee like it was their lifeblood. Bradley was the same. Normally, he¡¯d be taking a nap on his desk down in the analyst¡¯s section of the FBI headquarters right now, not frolicking around with a bunch of showy detectives. The dark, strong tasting liquid in his cup was the only thing keeping him awake right now. Sitting down around a conference table, a balding, older man strode in and positioned himself at the head. ¡°Good evening, I am detective Raymond Walters and I¡¯ll be heading up this task force. We¡¯ll go over your names and specialties later. What do we know about this attack on Biolink?¡± A small woman by the name of Amy spoke up two seats down. Her voice contrasted her young, petite frame as her voice rang out with a smooth strength. She looked like one of those Ivy league school recruits, the kind that the FBI coaxed in with dreams of protecting freedom and the American way. Bradley silently sneered into his cup as he took a sip. ¡°An attack was carried out on a lab owned by a genetics research company by the name of Biolink under the cover of a blackout. There was one casualty and four stunned, but unharmed guards. From what their representatives have told us when they reported the event, as well as reports from local law enforcement, the lab was purportedly researching a cure for Alzheimer''s Disease.¡± A murmur swept around the table. She waited until the chatter stopped. ¡°The only eyewitnesses we¡¯ve been able to discover are the guards themselves. They were completely blindsided by this. By their account, during the blackout, a single man in a mask was able to surprise and stun them via some unknown method in his clothing. One guard said that by simply touching the guy¡¯s arm, he was electrocuted and lost consciousness. This same guard went on to say that this man was extremely fast and well-trained. There were no identifying marks observed since there was no skin visible. It is unclear if he was the only one on the premises.¡± ¡°How were they able to force a blackout? And were they after the research?¡± inquired Walters. ¡°The blackouts seem to be the result of a hacking job, but our analysts are having a hard time putting a finger on where it came from or who did it. It was confirmed to be externally orchestrated though. ¡°Their research is where it gets dicey. The woman who died in the fire was actually found to have been shot in the head. Yesterday, she was identified as Valerie Womack, a researcher who works for the government on a black site geared towards genetic modification and telomere enhancement. They were researching this thing called the Hayflick limit that, in simple terms, explains why our bodies get older. In other words, they are researching immortality.¡± Everyone at the table got even more quiet, their eyes growing large and round. Walters ran a hand over his vest, flattening it against his body with an unbelieving look on his face. Slowly, he said tiredly, ¡°Oh hell. We let a spy weasel her way into a black site that just so happened to be looking for the fountain of youth? God, sometimes I hate our government. Espionage, huh?¡± Amy nodded, a noticeable amount of excitement apparent on her young features despite her best efforts to keep it reigned in. She was a young girl that miraculously got to work on a case like this after all. If she wasn¡¯t surrounded by a bunch of middle-aged agents, Bradley was sure she¡¯d be jumping up and down and squealing like a little spoiled brat who just got her own pony. For Bradley though, he was just getting a headache for each new detail he heard. Another swig of coffee went down his throat. ¡°Yes sir.¡± Detective Walters shook his head disapprovingly. ¡°The NSA are going to want to be in on this.¡± Bradley couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He was so bored. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can we talk about the third party now?¡± A dozen eyes came screeching to a halt on his immaculate appearance and light blue eyes. He was originally military twenty years ago when he got his start out at West Point. In fact, it was his performance there that had inevitably landed him this job. He was gifted with a tactical mind, but when there¡¯s no real war to utilize a talent like his, where do you go? So, he ended up at the FBI, a move he thought was a good one until he actually got here. Despite his dissatisfaction with the bureau, he did maintain his old military training habits, however. The result was that he cut an impressive figure in the eyes of all these suits, even if they didn¡¯t recognize him. The detective at the head of the table shot him a look as well. ¡°What? If you have something to add, then say it.¡± Bradley cocked his head to the side with a lazy expression. ¡°She was probably about to say this, but I find the third party in all this the most fascinating.¡± ¡°How do you mean?¡± ¡°The group that burned down Biolink seemed to know something that we didn¡¯t. It obviously wasn¡¯t us, right?¡± Seeing the look on Walter¡¯s face, he continued, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll revise that to it probably wasn¡¯t us. What if Valerie was stealing information from the black site in order to give it to Biolink for them to reverse engineer the results, but then someone managed to find out what they were working on in the lab?¡± A couple heads started nodding around the table as they started to visualize how it might have all happened. ¡°In this case, we have three separate angles to investigate. We need to find out who it was that Valerie was reporting to inside Biolink, how far they¡¯d managed to get compared to our black site, and also who murdered Valerie Womack, stole or destroyedthe research, and blew up the lab.¡± Walters chuckled. ¡°Concisely put. What¡¯s your name?¡± Ah shit. ¡°Ah¡­ Bradley Hunt, sir. I¡¯m an analyst from the second floor.¡± Just like he expected, he saw several eyes narrow for a split second before going back to normal. ¡°Okay, good points, Bradley. How about this, everyone. There are possibilities that the people who carried out this attack are not American, so if any of you have contacts in foreign nations, I¡¯d like you to reach out to them. Hopefully, we can rule that out. Bradley and Amy, I want the two of you to go and visit Biolink. See if you can get any leads on who was corresponding with Womack. Cyber will continue to work on the hacking side of the blackout. Dunn and Roberts, the two of you will start surveying the town to see if anyone suspicious was around. Any questions?¡± Bradley was cussing up a storm mentally. He was paired with Barbie? His luck couldn¡¯t get any worse. Wait, why were they even sending him out into the field. He should have just kept his big, fat mouth shut. It was useless to try and talk his way out of it. Walters was an infamous stick in the mud when it came to decisions he¡¯d made. ¡°No? Alright then, dismissed.¡± His drumming fingers stopped and then slapped on the table. On cue, everyone got up and filed out to start on their tasks. Chapter 7 - Acclimation Breathe. Adrian dragged in the coarse air to the passageways that led to his lungs, feeling the stale warmth tickling his nose. A subtle vibration reverberated in his chest before the released air came rattling back out quietly, like a content sigh shared in a lover¡¯s embrace. Darkness enveloped him. The medical lab he¡¯d¡­ commandeered... for the night was pitch black at this hour, all non-essential electronics and light sources were off. At first he had considered going to a recording studio for the improved acoustics that would accommodate his need for silent observation, but he opted for a lab in the end out of necessity. His enhanced hearing picked up a gentle sloshing from across the room. Adrian¡¯s lips slightly tugged upwards at the fleeting thought. Rich had been invited to help as his medical attendant, but really the majority of the time he just sat over by the window sipping on an IPA and reading a web novel on his phone. Adrian had to commend him; his friend was much more quiet than usual - probably out of respect for what he knew they were trying to accomplish tonight. Other than that negligible sound which he chose to ignore, Adrian appreciated the fact that the space was nearly entirely silent. This was important, so he refocused his mind. He needed to feel and hear the thrum of his blood pumping through his veins, flowing like a Spring of Life to each nerve and vessel, replenishing nutrients and vitality to his being. Adrian¡¯s entire focus was concentrated on wrapping his mind around each and every movement, calculating flow and pressure, composition and distribution. If it was before, he would have been like any other person, woefully ignorant of his bodily processes. Now, however, since he¡¯d woken up a day ago, he¡¯d had this intimate feeling of intricacy when it came to his body. It was an entirely unexplainable perception, like he was suddenly made aware of another Sense that was specific to all things happening within him. What he was striving to do now was take advantage of this newfound information, because it wasn¡¯t too far of a stretch to hope that he would be able to exert some level of control over those bodily processes. On an engineering level, that excited him to no end. Human biology was something that was fine-tuned over a long stretch of time, honed by various climatological and dietary limitations. Fat had to be stored for warmth and energy reserves for periods of time where food was more sparse and hard to gather like winter or in harsh geography. Muscle groups were built up and atrophied back down based on the physical exertion that was required on a day to day basis. The human body is an incredible testament to biological adaptability, shifting and changing to contort to the lowest and most efficient energy state possible. As some scientists are fond of saying, it always comes back down to Physics in the end. But that¡¯s a discussion for another day. In the modern era, though, there was no longer a need for such a passive and wide-reaching take on adaptability. Dietary trends changed enormously and at a rate that biological evolution couldn¡¯t mimic. Lifestyle habits and working conditions quickly shifted away from merely surviving to a more steady, sedentary way of life. Humanity conquered nature. At least, on the outside and in a limited survival sense. Within, they still understood too little to be able to do anything about the age-old adaptive functions of the human body that were now not as efficient as they wanted. Adrian intuitively understood that his upgrade was an opportunity to build a bridge over this gap. Just like his programming that he was so adept in, the human body was a program operating off of a source code that he¡¯d just been given access to. Right now, the parameters were far apart, encompassing a vast host of possibilities that could occur to the organism. If he could change those parameters at anytime he wanted, however, wouldn¡¯t that be better than his body dumbly thinking, ¡°Gotta create some more fat since he¡¯s eating a lot. Probably saving up for winter hibernation again?¡± He groaned internally. The nickname ¡®Bearcat¡¯ was a double-edged sword. In any case, he was pursuing the idea of an active adaptability rather than the traditional passive nature of biology. In order to achieve that goal, he had to completely understand his body to a cellular level and then manipulate the processes that govern it through the use of his brain. No matter how advanced he got with his cognitive function, the fact would always remain that, as long as his body closely resembled that of a human, he would be unable to extend his consciousness to anything beyond his own mind. Certain novels he¡¯d read in the past had liked to theorize that it was possible for a consciousness to leave the body or even travel around within. In truth, this was scientifically impossible if attempted by a human with a normal biology. No, the best possible explanation for physical introspection, which was what he was currently engaged in, would be mental simulation. He trapped himself in this room so that he could singlemindedly focus on all of the variables and data that his body was telling him. However. Adrian was still woefully incapable of doing it all by himself right off the bat. He was catching on quickly, yes, but one does not attempt to fly an aircraft just because they¡¯ve seen one land before from a distance, right? He needed help from Rich and Raide in obtaining certain number figures that still escaped his capacity for accounting. It was for this reason that Raide would periodically supplement him with data so that he could draw statistical and probabilistic trends to explain the various minute changes in his body. Only then would he be nearer to the start line where he would be able to begin manipulating his body. It was a previously impossible task, but one his A.I. had made possible. Another breath escaped his lips, fogging in the dark room. Feeling his internal clock chime, he brought a section of his attention away from the inner workings of his body. A tightening on his arm momentarily distracted him before he was snapped back. The earpiece that he was beginning to develop a habit of wearing softly crackled, Raide¡¯s melodic voice saying, ¡°Systolic pressure 119, diastolic 82 mmHg. 50 bpm. Capillary action increased in sectors 12, 25, 2003, 42,500¡­. Metabolic rate increased .003%.¡± He paused for a split second and a slight pain came from Adrian¡¯s waist and then another from an apparatus on his elbow which drew blood. Rich appeared at his side and removed the vial, taking it to a nearby workbench for analysis. A short while later, he quietly relayed, ¡°Blood glucose levels hovering at 16.01 mmol/L. RBC of 5.52 trillion/L¡­¡± He continued to rattle off a lot of numbers and Adrian mentally called up a 3-dimensional schematic of his body in his mind. The figure was as nude as could be while the entirety of his skin¡¯s surface area had been marked and numbered in a grid format measuring 1mm x 1mm for each individual block. The still figure quietly referenced each of the areas that the A.I. was listing for him and made slight mental calculations. Adrian sighed as he tweaked the system of equations. To be truthful, he wasn¡¯t even really at the level yet where he could even readily influence any of the bodily processes. Sure, he could blindly make changes to different areas of his body and thus produce some biological effect, but that would be useless to him since it was a blind change. What he desired - what he needed - was to understand his body intimately. Thus, he very, very carefully watched. Control is only achieved through true understanding and manipulation of cause and effect. What exactly causes the temperature of a certain patch of skin to rise? What was the precise correlation between a certain muscular system¡¯s usage of energy and the increase of metabolic work achieved? Only by observing would he able to establish a baseline to attack this insurmountable goal of controlling the bodily processes. Just like how he was able to incorporate knowledge to observe wind and heat in a visual format, he was also improving on his knowledge to one day be able to translate all of the billions of trillions of changes in his body every second to a format that he would be able to actively influence. It would take time. His perfect recall helped immensely, but still he¡¯d need around a month to completely internalize and commit the data to rote memory. Another measured exhale expunged CO2 out into the room. One breath at a time, he would learn and acclimate to the new awareness brought on by the upgrade and then¡­ then he would transcend the biological shackles that bound him. *** Bradley lazily rolled his eyes and looked at the fearsome, petite agent beside him. She was currently lambasting a manager behind a desk that looked too frightened to speak, much less dial the correct extension number number for his boss. If he had a hole, Bradley was sure he would have crawled into it by now. ¡°Look, we just want to chat with her briefly to ask her a few questions. What¡¯s so hard about that?¡± Amy pressed intensely. The balding man dabbed a tissue at his perspiring forehead. ¡°Like I¡¯ve told you 10 times now, Agent Matthews, when we¡¯re told not to disturb, we don¡¯t dare to barge in. She¡¯s left word that she¡¯s working on something important, so she will be indisposed for the foreseeable future.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. This includes the scenario when federal agents come to investigate one of your labs being bombed?¡± The manager¡¯s eyes went wide in nervousness and looked at the phone, before ultimately steeling himself and looking back at the annoyed agent. Seeing the determined avoidance of his boss, Bradley was starting to understand just how much these workers feared their boss. This wasn¡¯t leadership, it was tyranny. He paused. But if that was the case¡­ He opened his mouth, ¡°Ok, fine.¡± Amy shot him a look, but he gave a signal with his eyes and turned back to the relaxing manager. ¡°Perhaps you can help us, then. Fair?¡± It was like a huge weight was lifted from the low level manager¡¯s back. Mustering a visibly relieved smile, he said, ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to answer your questions.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Bradley nodded and then took out a photo of Valerie Womack. He was banking on the fact that this grunt hadn¡¯t been briefed on anything, or told how to act when certain subjects came up. Blocking was his purpose. If Bradley could wheedle out some information that the manager didn¡¯t realize he needed to keep to himself, they could maybe gain some leverage for a search warrant. He handed over the photo. ¡°Do you recognize her?¡± The manager¡¯s bushy eyebrows furrowed, before a hint of recognition flashed across his eyes. Without giving him any more time to ponder further, Bradley pressed him, ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Yeah, I remember her. That¡¯s Valerie. Bright girl. She was one of our best genetic engineers before she got headhunted a couple years ago.¡± He looked up and an inquisitive glint came to his eye. ¡°What does she have to do with this?¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry to have to tell you this, but Valerie died during the lab incident.¡± Amy answered up and Bradley silently applauded her for choosing to withhold the nature of her death and about the possible treason. ¡°We¡¯re just trying to figure out why she was there in the first place. When was the last time you saw her?¡± Here it is. Bradley watched with interest as multiple realizations wracked the poor man¡¯s mind. He could see a war raging between fear of the tyrant and fear of going to jail if the manager lied. It was almost too obvious that he¡¯d seen her recently. The analyst flitted his eyes to the side while he waited for the man to gather himself. Outside the corner office¡¯s window that looked over a floor of workers, Bradley saw more than a few furtive glances towards their room. Turning his head back, he said soothingly, ¡°If I¡¯m understanding the situation properly, you¡¯re probably scared of bringing down the wrath of your boss on your head. Don¡¯t worry, if you help us, we¡¯ll pretend to not have gained anything when we leave. Even if something does happen, we can protect you against losing your job.¡± The camel¡¯s back broke and a shaking breath escaped the manager¡¯s lips. He looked back up and then sighed. ¡°I have seen her. It was quite recently in fact. I was here late one night a few weeks ago, trying to catch up on some paperwork, when I saw Ms. Harris walking with Valerie out of the lobby together. I thought it was pretty weird that Valerie would come back, but then I remembered that she was Harris¡¯ protege, but still I got¡­ curious. ¡°I ended up sneaking to the break room before they passed by and I overhead Valerie saying something about how the lab was making great progress and that the ¡®telomere¡¯ research should be completed inside of a month or two.¡± ¡°Pretty ballsy move for how terrifying Ms. Harris seems to be to you,¡± Bradley noted with his eyebrows raised. The man laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°Did you know that Marjorie Harris is the one that recruited me to work for Biolink? Ever since then, it¡¯s been its own special little brand of hell working under her. I wanted something to at least protect myself... Turns out I was right to try and listen in.¡± Amy nodded. ¡°This really does help us. Thank you.¡± She took out a card and handed it to the man. ¡°Just give us a call if you remember anything or have any issues. We¡¯ll see ourselves out.¡± Bradley challenged the gazes of the few nosy employees as he stepped out into the hall. He heard Amy¡¯s voice echoing out, ¡°Please tell Ms. Harris to call us the moment she becomes available, or if you remember anything.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The manager and Amy appeared in the doorway and he nodded amiably like he¡¯d just pulled one over on them. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell her that you stopped by, and you¡¯ll be the first to know if I think of anything.¡± Bradley and Amy nodded their thanks and then walked through the line of cubicles towards the elevator. Once they were clear of any prying ears or cameras, Bradley threw an amused grin at the girl. ¡°What do you think, Barbie? Enough to bring her in for questioning?¡± Amy grimaced at the nickname jab, but chose to ignore it. She replied, ¡°Let¡¯s call Walters. It may not be enough for us to bring her in, but it certainly is enough for a search warrant.¡± Bradley smiled at her, the corners of his eyes creasing as the two stepped onto the elevator down. *** A cool, crisp Ka-cha rung out in the room. All the monitors were off, save for the central TV which was showing a Futbol game - the only source of pale light in the dark apartment. The smell of hops lingered on the air, Adrian¡¯s eyed tuned to the cool foam and carbonated mist that spiraled upwards when he popped off the top of his beer. Lazily looking towards his side, he sighed and then asked, ¡°Why do you have to be such a little bitch?¡± Rich groggily looked over and slurred, ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear that from the Prime of Bitches himself, Bitchcat.¡± ¡°Prime Bitchcat, huh?¡± Adrian mused. ¡°Does it come with a crown?¡± ¡°Yep, along with a throne of melted swords that stab up your asshole.¡± Rich quipped. ¡°I¡¯ll pass then.¡± ¡°Thought you¡¯d say that. Really living up to the title there.¡± He grinned smugly. Adrian started and then slapped his knee. He pointed at his friend with the occupied beer hand. ¡°That throne of swords reminded me! What happened with Lexi the Licker?¡± Rich shuddered at the reference and then finished his beer. He stacked it neatly beside the other eight bottles he¡¯d already polished off. A small grin floated to his face and he shook his head in recollection as he cracked open a new one. ¡°Let¡¯s not go there, Bearcat.¡± ¡°She really seemed to dig you man. All of you.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°What was her job again? An excavator operator?¡± ¡°God, you¡¯re lame. Stop.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Adrian grinned smugly, taking another swig from his beer. The pair locked eyes for a split second before he kept going, eliciting a groan from Rich. ¡°I mean, I just think you should really treasure someone that looks after her man to such an extent. I really admire her. Such a hard-working attitude¡­ If I remember correctly, weren¡¯t her favorite flowers Chrysanthemums? Such an odd choice...¡± he trailed off suggestively. ¡°Have I ever told you how much I hate you?¡± A thought occurred to Rich and his grin turned slightly malicious. ¡°Where¡¯s Heather these days, or better yet¡­ the Rabbit?¡± Adrian coughed mid-sip, unintentionally sucking some carbonated liquid up his nose. Spluttering, he coughed twice and rubbed his burning nose with his t-shirt. He shot a glare at his friend with a tinge of smile mixed in. ¡°That¡¯s low, even for a piece of shit like you.¡± Rich just shrugged, satisfied he¡¯d deflected the course of the conversation. ¡°You care too much about them still, man.¡± Adrian drained his beer and muttered, ¡°Yeah, I know¡­¡± A side monitor near Rich¡¯s face at the end of the couch came to life abruptly, scaring the ever-loving shit out of the duo. ¡°What the-¡± ¡°Jesus-¡± Raide¡¯s face appeared and he shook his head in confusion. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand why you are talking about those two. It¡¯s been years¡­ not to mention, you already have a new hopeful on the radar.¡± ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hell, Raide.¡± Rich took a breath and then froze. ¡°Wait, what do you mean by ¡®new hopeful¡¯?¡± He turned his head to Adrian. ¡°What the fuck does he mean by that?¡± Adrian was confused for a second until it dawned on him. ¡°Wait just a minute. We don¡¯t have that kind of relationship!¡± The A.I. followed up nonchalantly, ¡°But you do have a relationship.¡± Rich¡¯s eyes were serious as he sent a tell me or die look. Adrian shook his head exasperatedly. ¡°Raide, you tell him if you¡¯re so intent on working up this theory. I want no part of it.¡± ¡°Sure thing, boss. Look here, Mr. Hobo, I¡¯ve got a perfect reference photo¡­¡± Having received ¡®permission¡¯, Raide quickly brought up a picture that Adrian had never seen before. It was of him and Nova at the coffee shop in Underground Atlanta that one day. From the angle, it was obvious that somebody had taken it from the bar area. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± Adrian exclaimed, his eyes wide. ¡°This would be a photo I confiscated while I was screening the radius of your surroundings,¡± Raide replied smugly. ¡°I monitor all cell phones, security networks, TV signals, wireless data access, radio, and telecom 3G and 4G waves. This lovely treasure came from some sorority girl who decided she had to snap one of you two secretly to show her friends. I copied the file, blocked her ¡°OMG, would you look at this cute couple I found while getting coffee!¡± Instagram post, and subsequently deleted all traces you ever being there.¡± Adrian held up a finger in the air. ¡°One, never do that girly voice again, it was terrifying.¡± Raide squinted at him. ¡°But that¡¯s her real-¡± ¡°Two-¡± He interrupted and held up another finger. ¡°Good job on the surveillance, but don¡¯t go randomly caching weird stuff.¡± ¡°I refuse. This classifies under my data-mining algorithm permissions, already established on lines 265344444 - 265344467 of my source code.¡± ¡°Fuck! Whatever. I¡¯m too lazy to mess with this.¡± He turned to Rich and said blankly, ¡°She¡¯s an old acquaintance from my hometown. I think she may be recruitable in the future, so I¡¯ve been meeting with her every once in awhile to feel her out. Uh, I mean... get a read on how she thinks.¡± He nodded to reinforce the change. Rich¡¯s eyebrows went up as he snidely drained another half of a beer with a chuckle. Feeling the desperate need for a change of topic, Adrian sighed and looked back at Raide who was looking like someone had just stolen his favorite toy. ¡°I really won¡¯t mess with your source code, don¡¯t worry.¡± He rolled his eyes at the look of relief played on the A.I.¡¯s face and continued, ¡°What¡¯s the status on the list I asked you compile?¡± Like a light-switch, Raide¡¯s personality flipped. ¡°Going strong on the search, but still incomplete. I¡¯ve actually only completely vetted 1% of the businessmen and women in America. I¡¯m ahead with the politicians at 23% since their files are more easily located. As for the list itself, I have a total of two hundred names that fit the criteria you mentioned to me a few days ago.¡± Rich had a thoughtful expression on his face. ¡°Is this the¡­¡± Adrian nodded without waiting for him to finish. ¡°Yeah. Raide, scroll through them for me. Memorization pace.¡± At his behest, the A.I. started cycling through the files just fast enough for Adrian to glimpse them once. These days, that was all it took for him to memorize something and be able to reproduce it perfectly. After he was done comprehending the last file twenty minutes later, Adrian cursed in a low breath and then said, ¡°We really need manpower. It¡¯s only when truly getting a glimpse at a person¡¯s life that you start to understand the burden of trying to forcefully correct hundreds of people''s¡¯ greed and corruption.¡± Rich questioned, ¡°Wait, how forcefully are we talking?¡± ¡°As much as each person needs,¡± Adrian replied calmly. ¡°If they can be reasoned with, great. If not, I¡¯ll put them down. Raide bring up the dossier on Senator Grant Ward.¡± A handsome man in his 40¡¯s appeared on the screen and Adrian waved his hand in indication. ¡°This will be the first target. Before he campaigned for one of the two Ohio seats, Ward managed a manufacturing plant in Trumbull County where he made his fortune off of a deal that led to the termination of 1200 jobs in 2007. The upper management like him were the only ones to get away with massive profits. The loss of the jobs sent the county into a micro-depression that is still struggling to recover. He managed to pin the blame on his cohorts and came away looking like a hero caught up in a bad situation. He even went so far as to donate his significant salary for the last two years to the families who lost their jobs. The ass. ¡°Generally speaking, this isn¡¯t entirely unreasonable in the modern world, but the fact remains that he completed disregarded the fate of 1200 families. This is not an acceptable behavior in the world that we¡¯re trying to create, especially from one who is meant to represent the people. ¡°His other movements are a bit¡­ strange, and they speak to large character flaw, to put it mildly. In his free time, he likes to hire prostitutes and abuse them in a number of perverse acts. There seems to be some connection between him and the hotel that he frequently visits, but their security feeds are on a closed loop. What little time Raide has had to work with has yielded small kernels of intelligence on the outside, but nothing more. ¡°To me, the most sickening thing though is that he plays house with an unassuming, loving wife and family, while going to church every Sunday to keep up appearances.¡± He shook his head, and tried to heave a deep, stabilizing breath. ¡°To be honest, I had no clue that we had someone like that serving in our Legislative body. It makes me sick.¡± There was a subtle throbbing that started behind Adrian¡¯s eyes after he read that. He shook his head to clear the fogginess brought on by it, but failed. Unconsciously, his muscles would flex and relax, back and forth, like his body was readying itself. Rich asked cautiously, ¡°What are you going to do to him?¡± Adrian chuckled briefly and then hurriedly replied, ¡°Talk to him of course.¡± The throbbing intensified. Silently, Rich nodded, not deigning to mention that Adrian¡¯s electricblue eyes had started intermixing withpools of pulsing maroon. Adrian calmed down a bit and turned. ¡°Raide, where will he be two days from now?¡± ¡°His schedule is blank, sir, but his phone¡¯s GPS data says that he routinely visits an upper-class private bar on Thursday evenings. Following this pattern, he then always relocates to the aforementioned hotel called Emerald Lakes Resort & Spa for a duration of 2 hours before returning to his home on the city¡¯s outskirts. I can only assume it¡¯s to engage in the previously mentioned sexual acts.¡± Clenching his fists, and then proceeding to crack his knuckles, Adrian¡¯s voice started to drip acid, ¡°Perfect.¡± Standing up and heading back to his workbench, he picked up the construction blueprints that were unfurled there. ¡°Raide, book my round-trip ticket and a ticket to the opera in a nearby city for cover. I¡¯ll meet with the contractor you found tomorrow to go over our new home¡¯s design and then leave the morning after tomorrow. ¡°Rich, try reaching out to some of the guys from back in our early days of Tech. I have a feeling one or two of them could feel at home with what we do here. Finances are not an issue.¡± The two nodded at the commands. Adrian could feel Rich¡¯s eyes boring into his back, questioning the ferocity that he was seeing from his best friend, but, in a way, Adrian no longer cared. Why hold him back? Why restrain the feral when it¡¯s aimed at an appropriate target? There was some scum on this earth that just had to be purged. Laws be damned. Civic Justice be damned. Time immemorial has proven that that way does not work. He would be the one to craft the balance that this country so desperately needed. A short distance away, Rich felt a despairing chill creep across his spine, threading and biting along the skin like a poisonous snake. He caught a glimpse of his best friend¡¯s now fullyred eyes as the man turned to grab a tool at the workbench, a sight eliciting the hair¡¯s on Rich¡¯s neck to stand at attention. It seemed that the things to come would not be so peaceful. Chapter 8 - First Blood A stack of unbound papers hit the desk, making several pens roll off the top and knocking over a tall cup that was half-full of coffee. ¡°Damn it!¡± Vice Director Waters seethed. He knew that the order would be coming across sooner or later, but it¡¯d only been two days. Two measly days! How the ever-living hell did they get a fix on Marjorie? Still more baffling, how did they get a search warrant so quickly? He knew the woman probably had plenty of enemies, but it¡¯s always about the right questions to ask, and who to talk to. He¡¯d calculated that he had at least a week to maneuver. It was outside of his expectations that they¡¯d find something so fast, and he hated to be the one playing catch-up. He heaved a huge breath and sat down. Seeing the dark brown liquid running towards his keyboard, Waters ill-temperedly grabbed a few tissues and dabbed at the advancing line, resolving to call in his secretary Tabatha after this call. He only had one option now anyway. Snatching his deskphone, he paused and then set it back down in the holster, opting instead for the satellite encrypted phone to the side. He hit the speed dial he¡¯d saved for that infernal woman and waited as it rang. A few beats later, it connected and a sleepy voice picked up. ¡°Hello? Mr. Waters? Why are you calling so late? It¡¯s 2:00 in the morning.¡± Waters felt like he¡¯d just had a blood vessel pop in his temple. He roared, ¡°You think I give a flying fuck what time it is when I call people? I could wake up the New York governor right now if I wanted to, much less some ant like you. Jesus.¡± Her voice shook with tiredness and emotion, stuttering out an apology in fear. He could feel the terror he¡¯d produced in her and a small feeling of satisfaction welled up from within. Suppressing the desire to lambast her more, he growled, ¡°Don¡¯t give me your bullshit. I don¡¯t care to hear it. All I want from you is for you to pack your bags and head to the airport. Book the first flight to Shanghai or any other Chinese city. I want you out of the country in the next six hours.¡± Waters calmed down a bit now during the course of his instructions and returned to his icy, charismatic tone, making one think that the earlier episode had never happened. Marjorie¡¯s husky voice gained a little strength, and asked timidly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He sighed. ¡°You¡¯re fleeing the country is what¡¯s happening. I just got a tip off from my contact in the Justice Department that the FBI obtained a warrant to search all of your phone records and data usage for the past six months. They¡¯ll probably take you in for questioning inside the week. I don¡¯t know where the source came from, but it¡¯s obvious they found out something.¡± On the other end of the line, Marj¡¯s face turned blue and then purple. He continued, ¡°In any case, you¡¯re the next link in the chain, and also the only one who can tie the three of us together in all this. Rather than hope and pray that we get lucky, I¡¯d prefer to sever the chain in one fell swoop. Thus, you¡¯re moving. China is a non-US extradition country, and Biolink has many underground research facilities there. You¡¯ll still work - hell, I¡¯ll even give you a monstrous raise - and continue to oversee some of our more important projects.¡± ¡°But sir, I can¡¯t speak Chinese.¡± Waters¡¯ eyebrows furrowed and then his mouth dropped open. ¡°Fucking Christ, are all women this petty? Can you not see the bigger picture here? Do not make me come and drag you to the airport¡¯s doors, because the next stop I¡¯ll make is your mother¡¯s for a bit of breakfast.¡± He felt, more than heard, the shudder from the other side and was satisfied the threat had worked. Marjorie was actually a simple woman when it came down to it. She may be ruthless towards her workers, but she was as malleable as putty when it came to her family. He was seasoned at manipulating people, so now that he¡¯d gotten her to a state of profound fear, he eased off and softened his tone. ¡°Listen, none of us thought it would end this way, but now that it¡¯s come to it we have to continue onwards in a fashion where we all stay protected. I have a lot of connections. There¡¯s no issue with me setting you up to still have a profitable and satisfying life. It¡¯s true that you¡¯ll never be able to come back to the States, but the alternative is far worse.¡± His voice turned gentle. ¡°We committed treason, Marjorie. Think about that. Once they figure that out, no amount of well-paid veteran lawyers will be able to save us. I know you¡¯ll be making a sacrifice here, but I promise that I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± A deep breath came across the line, and her strengthened voice said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll pack a bag and be out the door in thirty minutes. Is there a preferred city beside Shanghai?¡± Waters mused, ¡°Any of the major ones should do, but¡­¡± He pulled up a list on his computer, carefully reaching over the now cold spilled coffee so as to not dirty his dress shirt. ¡°Beijing, Hong Kong, or Shenzhen should be the first on the list if there isn¡¯t a flight to Shanghai available. Use your encrypted phone I gave you to call me when you buy a ticket. I¡¯ll have someone secretly pick you up when you get there, so remember to just go with the flow.¡± She took another stabilizing breath. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it. Thanks for your help, Mr. Waters.¡± He smiled while rolling his eyes. ¡°Of course.¡± He hung up. He remained motionless for a moment, thinking about all the steps it would take to keep her away from the FBI¡¯s radar, and what to do if things went sideways. Coughing, he sighed and then yelled out, ¡°Tabatha!¡± A comely young secretary appeared in his doorway a few breaths later. ¡°Yes, Mr. Waters?¡± He looked her up and down and shook his head mentally. She was in the prime of her youth. She¡¯d probably have been out on the town this Friday night if he didn¡¯t stay to work. It was a consequence of the broad contract that she signed, though. Whenever he was here, she was here too. Tabatha undoubtedly hated that she took this hellish job, but stayed on since he paid her so well. He smirked slightly. There was such power in the money that he had control over. People could be positioned into doing things counter to their desires and nature if the right price was tagged onto it. Like hell he¡¯d give it up and go on the run like Marjorie. ¡°Could you help clean this up for me? I spilled my coffee.¡± She nodded brusquely and said, ¡°Certainly, sir. I¡¯ll go get some supplies from the maintenance closet right away.¡± He added out of habit, ¡°Knock before you come back in, please,¡± to which she she nodded. After she closed the door, he listened to the receding footsteps and then the entire room lapsed back into silence. Turning his eyes towards the New York skyline, he absentmindedly gazed out from his 30th floor view in contemplation. Making a decision, he stood up abruptly and walked to a cabinet on the wall, opening the door. Inside lay an elaborate safe with biometric and voice identification. Placing his left hand on the appropriate indentations, the display lit up and a line of words prompted for the passphrase. His eloquent voice rang out, ¡°Ordo Ab Chao.¡± A green light flashed and he quickly turned the handle with one hand while his other reached in, grasping hold of a thick file which laid in front of a temperature-controlled box. As a head of a research facility, it was easy to have such a thing installed and it not look suspicious. Leaving the door of the safe open, he looked down, lost in thought again. On the cover were the words: SYRACUSE LAB PROGRESS REPORT TELOMERE RESEARCH His eyes subconsciously cut towards the cooled box and then made a decision. He couldn¡¯t hold onto this himself anymore. It was time to bring in the others. As much as he loathed to lose sovereignty over the project, it was too dangerous now to move on his own. Placing the file back into the safe, he locked the door and then strode over to his mahogany desk, taking a separate encrypted phone from a locked drawer. Breathing deeply, he pressed a speed dial button and leaned against the side of the desk that wasn¡¯t wet. After a few moments, the call connected. *** Adrian awoke mid morning and stretched his arms comfortably. He felt more at peace this morning after relinquishing the alcohol-infused anger he¡¯d carried all night to the dreams that followed. Surprisingly, however, the dreams - which he could remember in vivid detail now since the serum upgrade - were incredibly bloody. War-torn battlefields and feats of assassinations were practically all that he experienced, one after the other. Hell, his favorite had been when he¡¯d appeared in a castle defense, warding off crafty goblin vanguards as they tried to sneak into the keep. His shield and bastard sword cut them down in short order. Thus, it¡¯s understandable for him to be surprised at the tranquility he was experiencing right now. A ¡®normal¡¯ human being isn¡¯t supposed to thirst for catharsis through acts of savagery, even on the behalf of a noble cause. It¡¯s too brutal, too far from the ideal of what a civilized modern man is supposed to look like. Perhaps, they had it all wrong. Perhaps¡­ he had himself all wrong. A tinge of a mirthful smile played across his lips as he rolled over in the silky sheets. Flipping them to the side, he slid out from their warm embrace and immediately began his morning routine. It was a shame that he had yet to gain complete control over his bodily processes, though he was making progress. If he had to make a guess, he was successfully able to reduce the muscular atrophy rate by 30-40%. His body was already efficient to the point of obscenity, but the time spent on working out could be used for better things. A quarter of the way through his push-ups he said to the air, ¡°Any news of note, Raide?¡± The A.I.¡¯s baritone voice soon followed, rising from a small speaker at the side of the bed. ¡°Not even a morning salutation? Sir, I am appalled.¡± He gave a slight hmph in dissatisfaction, but moved on. ¡°For the news, mostly trivial things, though there are a few worth mentioning that you might be interested in. ¡°Samsung finally broke ground on their Hungarian gigafactory. That marks the third of such type for the European peninsula. China has announced upgrades to their wireless and cable telecom infrastructure for the immediate future. It¡¯s estimated to boost data speeds in metropolitan regions by upwards of 50% in the next six years. SpaceX was able to successfully remote land their latest Falcon 9, but their record is still dubious.¡± Adrian paused at the count of 800, a single drop of sweat on his brow, and said, ¡°Help them out a little next time, alright? Bolster their existing code if possible. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll freak them out, but I like Musk¡¯s dedication to science and we may need a business partner in the future.¡± Raide nodded lightly. ¡°Easily done. Lastly, and this is my favorite, your new President has announced his intentions to sponsor an - you probably guessed it already - Immigration bill. I¡¯ve managed to obtain a copy of it from their computer files and it¡¯s touting a 625 billion dollar price tag, which far outstrips the expected 400-600 range that was expected. The thing I get a kick out of is that this is just to enforce the immigration law that is already there. There¡¯s nothing new about the bill at all. I swear, you humans are hilarious.¡± ¡°Go ahead... laugh it up,¡± Adrian chuckled as he flipped over and started doing sit-ups. He added, ¡°We¡¯ll let them play for a while longer. What¡¯s the media doing?¡± ¡°Same old, same old. Stories covering gang violence, cartel wars, the declining education system, a suburban murder, another African American kid teen killed in a confrontation with police...clickbait news stories. They like to fan the flame, but do nothing about it.¡± Adrian stopped to grab a 45 lb. plate and hugged it to his chest as he sat on a declined bench, hooking his feet into some restraints. Continuing, he grunted out, ¡°That does sound like them¡­¡± Another minute passed. All of a sudden, he stopped mid sit-up. Looking over to the speaker, he thoughtfully asked, ¡°Raide, have you ever thought about becoming a newscaster?¡± The A.I. gave him a blank stare. ¡°You must be joking.¡± ¡°No, now, hear me out.¡± He dropped the plate to the side and got up, snatching a hand towel that was laid out over a chair. He dabbed at his dewy forehead and put his hair up into a ponytail. ¡°What if we utilized, say, 30% of your processing power to set up a website that revolves around digging up news stories and analyzing them impartially. Back off of all tasks except for the corrupt politician search and those other two projects I mentioned. It should free up the necessary CPU strain.¡± Raide shook his head. ¡°While intriguing, I fail to see how this will end well. Numerous news stations over the years have tried to play the ¡°unbiased¡± role and have always failed. In any case, what kind of allure could we bring to the industry to get a headstart on everyone else?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll succeed here because you possess some qualities that have never been seen before, like, for instance, your digitally rendered body.¡± Adrian threw his towel into a basket. ¡°You¡¯ll be the first ¡®CGI¡¯ newscaster.¡± ¡°Oh wow.¡± Adrian grinned. ¡°Interesting right? You can add some flaws to make them think that there is a team of computer graphic engineers behind you, but the story coverage pace combined with the intricate ability to analyse things in a new way will make them lose their minds. Can you map out that scenario pathway? ¡°Since the television age, we¡¯ve grown used to a certain format of news and the people that do it. We have expectations every time we turn on the television. But introduce your capability and suddenly the viewers will be able to watch an entirely different type of news. You could manipulate crime scenes and render them 3-dimensionally, analyzing them in ways that the police never could. You could map political figure¡¯s facial features and apply physiological analysis to tell when they¡¯re lying on the spot. I guarantee that people would come to this type of coverage in droves. ¡°Everybody is already used to the ¡®entertainment¡¯ aspect of news, but almost everyone I¡¯ve talked to in life has mentioned how they loathe the industry at the same time. People say things like, ¡°Their corporate CEOs have an intricate relationship with politicians,¡± or, ¡°They only report stories that fit their political agenda.¡± Get rid of that corrupt influence, utilize a method of delivery they can¡¯t block (the internet), and introduce a brand new way of giving the news.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll expect that I have an organization behind me as well, you know.¡± Adrian nodded and walked into the living room where he continued, ¡°Certainly. But you¡¯ll show them you don¡¯t belong to either of the major parties by equally thrashing them when appropriate. Over time, you¡¯ll build a rapport with the masses, steadily increasing your influence, and eventually the day will come where they lower their guards. When that day comes¡­¡± Adrian flexed a fist. ¡°All the pieces should be set.¡± The A.I. mused, ¡°Your plan has merit, but how do I choose the stories?¡± Adrian shrugged as he picked up a piece of carbon composite armor on the workbench. ¡°How about butterfly effect potential?¡± Raide asked, ¡°You mean for me to choose stories that produce ripple effects, in other words?¡± ¡°Mainly, yes. You can search for events that have large impacts on the social order, calculate a statistical view on how beneficial they are to our future goals, and then strain them through the sieve of reporting. This isn¡¯t that different from now, but no one will be able to tell since it¡¯s a point of view that¡¯s never been presented before. This can be celebrity speeches, murders, suicides, wars, international politics, assassinations, science and technological breakthroughs, religious events¡­ you name it. ¡°Look for pivotal points in history, those tiny changes that lead us in a certain direction. Seek to inspire your audience with a sense of belonging and future and they¡¯ll adore you for it. Such a feeling is, sadly, rarely provoked by leaders of this generation.¡± Raide nodded. ¡°I can do that. You were right to allocate 30%. Any less and my story yield would suffer.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll give you more processing capability, which I have some ideas for, obviously when we move into our new place. Speaking of which, what¡¯s the deal with the contractor meeting?¡± Raide replied in the affirmative and brought up a map of the area with the venue pinged. ¡°You¡¯ll be meeting a man by the name of Brody Carmichael, 7 pm tonight, at the Ruth¡¯s Chris Steak House in central Atlanta. I¡¯ll send both the man¡¯s and the company¡¯s file to your phone so you can memorize it. I imagine you have some errands to run?¡± Adrian nodded approvingly. ¡°Indeed. I need some more formal clothes to wear for tonight. I¡¯ll visit the tailor and then come back to continue working. What about the tickets for the flight tomorrow?¡± ¡°Already been booked.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Adrian grabbed a strange, hairy looking plate from a storage container. Pinching his fingers together in the center of the 6 cm long black fibers, he pulled up and away from the plate, twisting all fibers into a cord. He then applied an open flame from a butane torch to the entirety of the sturdy, but pliable string. Satisfied by the heating process, he moved the torch to the side and grabbed a razor sharp knife. In a deft movement, Adrian pressed the blade against the string and pushed on it with all his considerable might. It didn¡¯t budge, and the fibers looked completely unaffected. Smiling, Adrian coiled it up on a spool to the side. Turning to the monitors, he joked, ¡°We¡¯re going to need a lot more of this.¡± *** Right before 7:00, A jet black maybach sedan pulled up to the doors of the Ruth¡¯s Chris steak house where Adrian was supposed to meet Mr. Carmichael. Gazing out of the back seat window as he waited for the chauffeur to open the door, Adrian realized one thing: he wasn¡¯t ever going to voluntarily go through this again. He knew that Raide had arranged this to elicit a certain impression from the contractor, but he was not okay with this. Several people were looking at the car strangely as he was greeted by an opened door. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting out here, sir.¡± Shifting his blackened glasses that concealed his unearthly blue eyes, he stepped out onto the pavement, buttoned his suit jacket with a flourish, and thanked the driver before walking through the front door. God, how narcissistic must a person be to enjoy that kind of thing. Granted, Adrian enjoyed a good entrance when the situation called for it, but not while being served by someone. This still grated against his ideals and made him feel pretty uncomfortable. Quickly being led to his table, he was greeted by an already present Brody Carmichael. A lean, tall statured man, his eyes had a dueling glint of cunning and sincerity. Both necessary to close an advantageous deal, Adrian mused. ¡°You must be Mr. Pierce! A pleasure. Please, have a seat.¡± Moving to comply, Adrian sat down after he had removed his jacket, revealing a classy tie-less french cuff shirt and cufflinks, covered by a form-fitting black vest. The showy arrival could be damned, but he enjoyed his clothes and knew he looked sharp. A few ladies at a nearby table confirmed his thought with a look on each of their faces that had a tinge of hunger to it. Realizing that he hadn¡¯t said anything about his glasses, he expressed his regret in a prepared lie. ¡°Apologies about the glasses, Mr. Carmichael. I had my eyes dilated earlier, so I have to wear these for the evening.¡± He couldn¡¯t possibly show another human being his eyes yet. Doing so would only be drawing useless attention to himself. He¡¯d theorized a way to correct the issue, but it wasn¡¯t pressing enough yet to rush. Carmichael replied, shaking his head. ¡°Brody¡¯s fine, and don¡¯t mention it. Now, let¡¯s get down to business shall we?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Adrian spoke to the waitress before responding to Brody. ¡°Bourbon, please.¡± Adjusting his gaze back towards the man sitting across from him. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m looking to build a large compound with a wide variety of... unorthodox needs. You see, I¡¯m an enterprising engineer and I need the facilities. However, because of the private work that will done, it is paramount that no record of this place exist within public record beyond the address and perhaps a generic bogus layout.¡± Squinting under the low lighting hanging over the table, Brody tapped his fingers on the wooden top. ¡°Sounds illegal¡­ but doable. You obviously sought us out with the knowledge of our policy. How big are we talking?¡± Receiving his drink from the returned waitress, Adrian waited until she was gone before continuing, ¡°500,000 sq. ft. is the current estimate, but like I said, it¡¯s a compound design with most of the square footage coming from the tower and mechanical warehouse portions. I also need a fully independent solar power system combined with fiber optic lines to the nearest ISP node. I¡¯m not going to lie Brody, this project will probably be a massive divergence from the norm. The devil is in the details and there are a lot of them that I need to be perfect.¡± Brody whistled and then sipped on his white russian while seemingly trying to imagine the scope of whatever this place was supposed to be. Adrian¡¯s eyes narrowed as they fell on a table full of businessmen not far from them. ¡°I¡¯m prepared to offer an additional 10% as compensation for your discretion and dedicated construction efforts. I¡¯ll foot all of the expedited acquisition costs and such of course. Here¡¯s my budget.¡± Typing in a long number onto his phone¡¯s calculator, Adrian slid it over to Brody and watched with amusement as his companion¡¯s eyes got large. ¡°When did you want this done?¡± ¡°Late June.¡± Brody looked doubtful. ¡°A tough sell. It would be a huge stretch for it to take 6 months, much less the 4 that you want this done in. I can take the designs to my company and see what they say.¡± Looking again at the phone back in Adrian¡¯s hand, he added while swallowing, ¡°Though, I can say that this figure is probably enough to sway them including the terms that you just stated.¡± Nodding understandingly, Adrian smiled at the contractor. ¡°No worries, I had fully anticipated the difficulty of pulling this off. I¡¯ll have my assistant send the blueprint to your email in the next week and we¡¯ll go from there.¡± ¡°Sounds perfect.¡± Just as the ordered steaks were arriving a while later, a buzzing originated from Adrian¡¯s pocket. Pulling out his phone, he looked at the updated traffic advisory versus his plane¡¯s take-off time along with a message from Raide indicating he get a move on. Sighing, he called the waitress and turned to Brody. ¡°It seems another set of apologies are in order. I¡¯ve just been told there was a huge wreck on I-75 and I need to catch a plane this evening. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to cut this short here.¡± Brody hurriedly got to his feet to shake Adrian¡¯s hand. ¡°No need to apologize. I¡¯ve had the same thing happen to me many times. I look forward to working with you in the future.¡± Placing his jacket back on his body, Adrian shook Brody¡¯s hand and walked out of the restaurant with his boxed steak. *** Four hours later. A shadow blurred and a lone figure walked out into the dimly lit alleyway. Adjusting his mask, Adrian spoke softly into his com, ¡°Where is he?¡± He was back in his tactical gear that he used for the raid on the Biolink facility. Raide responded in the earpiece. ¡°Room 323, north side of the building. He¡¯s been there for about 30 minutes with two unidentified females.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± Adrian rounded a corner and was greeted by a pair of double doors in the distance. Glancing up to the right, he noticed a small, almost imperceptible security camera. ¡°You have that back entrance camera?¡± ¡°Negative. It¡¯s weird, actually. They¡¯re running a secure closed loop system. I can¡¯t gain access.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Adrian thought for a moment and then disappeared back into the shadows. A few seconds later, he appeared at the second story level on the exterior building, swinging from window ledge to window ledge. Fairly quickly, he arrived directly above the camera and dropped down, his fingers gripping the grouted seams of the brick wall with inhuman strength to keep himself from falling onto the camera below. Scrutinizing the make and model of the device, Adrian said, ¡°Looks like we¡¯re in luck,¡± as he put back the wire cutters he¡¯d one-handedly fished out of a vest pocket. ¡°Indeed. I just barely picked up their wireless network bubble. If my conjecture is correct, they¡¯re using a router that¡¯s purposefully small and powerful so that they can limit the area of signal propagation away from hotel residents and people on the alley. What are they hiding here?¡± The three fingers Adrian was using to dangle his bodyweight on started to itch. Frowning, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll find out in a minute. Are you in yet? I¡¯m bored of hanging here.¡± The surprised A.I.¡¯s voice came back, ¡°Oh? Yes! I¡¯ve been in for a while now. Overlaying the feed in 3, 2, 1.¡± When the count reached the end, Adrian¡¯s fingers released, allowed his body to easily drop down in front of the double doors he¡¯d spotted earlier. Listening intently for a moment, he determined that no one was moving towards him and fished out a small set of lock picking utensils. This was one of those small skills he learned shortly before heading north. His tactile and memorization ability were unparalleled, so he practiced until he mastered the art. For all of an hour. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he could crack a bank vault, but his skills would more than suffice for some back alley door. A few seconds of tinkering yielded a turning doorknob and he quietly crossed the threshold, pulling the metal door closed behind him. Once in the dark, he crouched low and slowly moved to the side of the room while his vision adjusted. It only took a matter of moments compared to the 15-30 seconds that it would have taken before the procedure. Cinder block walls steadily revealed themselves, wreathed in the ultra pale luminescence of the thin light that shone from around a corner at the end of a hallway fifteen meters ahead. Stalking closer, he slowed down once he neared the turn. There was a staircase on his left. Right as he was about to turn to continue down the hall, a noise echoed up from the inky black void that the stairs descended into. Adrian swung his head, eyes piercing the darkness, but even he couldn¡¯t tell what was down there. Raide spoke up quietly in his ear, ¡°I¡¯m picking up trace soundwaves that resemble a congregation of people.¡± Adrian was incredulous. He bobbed his head towards the staircase to hell and asked, ¡°You mean down there?¡± The A.I.¡¯s quiet voice responded in the affirmative. Shaking his head, he switched directions and softly padded down the concrete stairs, taking note of the heavy smell of excrement and mold. A thought occurred to Adrian that only served to horrify him and hasten his footsteps. Stooping down so that he could see into the room a second earlier, Adrian took out a small, powerful flashlight and blazed the light into the prevailing darkness that occupied the entire space. What was revealed to him caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. There were four separate cages, metal bars like a dungeon, lined up in a row. Each of the grated boxes stretched from floor to ceiling and were 8 m x 8 m x 4 m. Inside these cells, however, were about 100 women, all staring blankly at the flashlight and shivering in fear. Adrian cursed softly to himself mentally. The A.I. supplemented his approximated count by saying, ¡°I¡¯ve reviewed all the internal security footage. There are currently 94 females of varying ages and nationalities here, split up into groups of 24 per cell.¡± Seeing their bruised and battered appearances, terrified and barely lucid from starvation and the darkened environment, Adrian felt something break within him. There were no words to describe this. Was humanity really capable of doing something so cruel to itself? To each other? Saying nothing, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the underground cells from different angles, and then quietly left. Raide immediately asked, ¡°Are you not going to save them?¡± Once he was clear of the staircase and out of earshot, he quietly replied, ¡°I do not have the capacity to help them directly. All we can do is call in the police, slip them this intel, and let them do their jobs.¡± ¡°What about Ward, then?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll still be answering some questions,¡± Adrian grimaced while saying. ¡°After all this, it just makes his relationship with the hotel look all the more suspicious.¡± Making his way through the rest of the underground network, Adrian quietly dove in and out of a few offices, snapping the necks of those unfortunate enough to still be working at this time of night. It¡¯s funny, really. Who knew that killing people would be so¡­ simple? He felt none of the emotions that were supposed to accompany the taking of a life. Perhaps it was because of what he¡¯d just seen, but all of the men had seemingly devolved into animals before his eyes. After seeing some letter heads and uploading Raide to a laptop, it quickly became evident that the hotel was just a front, just as they expected after seeing the cages. As for the company behind the smoke and mirrors, it turned out to be a call service named Envy. From some of the archived emails, Raide was able to draw some connections to the Bratva, aka the Russian Mafia. Pulling up the sleeve of his last kill, a huge, bald muscular man, Adrian let out a small smile. Chuckling to the air, he said sardonically, ¡°Man, I love it when criminals brand themselves for us with tattoos. It makes it so easy to identify them.¡± The tattoo itself was a simple thing, merely a dagger with a few Russian words ascribed along its blade. ¡°Saving the image for future reference.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Adrian nodded as he dropped the meaty arm to land with a wet splat beside the cooling corpse it came from. ¡°While you¡¯re at it, begin a source file for a future surveillance search with the details we¡¯ve learned today.¡± ¡°Very well. I will add it to the task list.¡± Raide paused, and then asked carefully, ¡°Adrian, are you okay? Your vitals have been way off ever since you saw the cage fifteen minutes ago. While I do not know the feeling of emotion, I do, however, possess the capability to create incredibly accurate statistical models of a human psyche. Yours is outside the parameters as we speak.¡± Adrian shook his head in annoyance and started to head to neon exit sign at the end of the hall. It undoubtedly led to the residential section of the hotel, and he had one last stop. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I recognize that I¡¯m behaving differently, but I think it¡¯s because I just had an epiphany, or rather a confirmation of a truth.¡± Raide asked with interest, ¡°Which was?¡± The young man sighed. ¡°That humans can forfeit their humanity. I¡¯d always heard of what my species is capable of, but I¡¯ve never seen it up close. For us, that¡¯s a big difference, because reality is always concentrated around an individual¡¯s perception of the world. If one has never perceived with his five senses the idea of such profound cruelty, how can he claim to understand it? This is what I mean. History tells us of those who have crossed the moral boundary, to act as a cautionary and illuminating tale, but it is quite another thing to see it in the flesh. ¡°As for how that relates to me, it¡¯s given me insight into what, and who, I consider important in this world. These¡­¡± He motioned to the body behind him absentmindedly as he strode forward. He bit at the words, ¡°Men are the dregs of a species, unfit for the responsibility they hold towards society as a whole. They don¡¯t deserve the same basic rights as the rest. ¡°Indeed, I see it clearly now. If the corrupted politicians are the wounds that riddle the body, scum like these mongrels are the diseased flesh that results from a gangrenous infection. And just like a doctor, I will cut away and cauterize all that hinder the healing process of my patient¡¯s body,¡± Adrian ended coldly, a dull bloody light coming from his eyes. Although Raide was not there in a physical sense, he could understand the vastly different tone that his creator was exuding. All he added was, ¡°I see,¡± and then lapsed back into silence. A few minutes later, a tactically dressed man in black stepped out of an elevator and made his way to the door of the room where the good senator was, fortunately meeting no one in the hall. As he neared 323, however, the previously silent AI spoke up again, ¡°Adrian, I¡¯ve picked up and analyzed the vocal vibrations coming from the room using a few adjacent occupants¡¯ cell phones. We have a problem¡­¡± Adrian felt his stomach crater out, narrowing down the list of possible scenarios from that information to a couple in a moment. Stepping up to the door, he heard the muffled sounds of flesh smacking against flesh mixed with incoherent sobs that sounded far too young and distressed to be regular prostitutes. Raising a boot, he viciously kicked at the door and sending splintered wood flying. Rushing in, the scene he found made his blood run cold. A moment later, his mind finished snapping. *** Darkness. Ward felt groggy as he came to, wincing at the pain burning his lungs and throbbing in his side. Where am I? The last thing he remembered, he was enjoying the pleasures of that succulent little girl named Ashley when¡­ Suddenly sitting up with a start, he felt the cutting edges of the bindings that held him to the metal chair, his mouth gagged. A low chuckle reverberated through the darkness, echoing like they were in some cavernous room. Ward froze as he heard the sound and the slightly wet ¡®pit-pat¡¯ of footfalls drawing near. He strained his ears and eyes at the rustling to his 2 o¡¯clock, willing his woozy vision into making a shape out of the shadows. The rustling stopped, the sensory input replaced by the visual glow of two, fiery red twin orbs staring back at the senator. He knew they were eyes, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to admit it as they gazed back in unconcealed malice. Demon eyes...Just then, a voice began speaking out in an elegant tone. If Ward had to guess, this man standing before him was a practiced orator and speech giver. Perhaps a past political opponent? ¡°Welcome, Senator Ward. It¡¯s a true pleasure having you here this evening.¡± The voice¡¯s owner moved closer until Ward felt the gag on his mouth being loosened. Licking his lips, he managed to croak out, ¡°W-who are you?¡± The radiant crimson eyes seemed to dance through the air in Ward¡¯s foggy sight along with the voice. ¡°I guess you can say I¡¯m a reaper of sorts. I used to want to reform people like you, give you a chance to change. It¡¯s funny how things end up,¡± The man mused. He went on,¡°You were the first honorary mention on my list, you should know... I initially picked you for your overwhelming greed, so imagine my surprise when I came upon you raping two 13 year old girls.¡± The voice growled out these last few words, inciting the hairs on the back of Ward¡¯s neck to stand on end. The voice continued on in a bored, narrative style. ¡°Want to ask about my eyes? I¡¯m sure you do. I, myself, was initially confused over their purpose as well. It wasn¡¯t until I killed every single Envy member in the hotel that I figured it out. It¡¯s an evolutionary physical adaptation. A warning to all that come into contact with me that I am dangerous. Yes, just like a poisonous King Cobra, my body displays aggression in order to ward off other animals. What a pity for you, though. You never even knew you had drawn my ire.¡± Drawing closer in the darkness, the crackling, electric red eyes outlined the edge of a handsome face, before the man turned and paced away to look towards the van wreathed in shadow at the edges of Ward¡¯s vision. ¡°W-why are y-you telling me all this?¡± Turning in the direction of Ward once again, the eyes blurred and stopped mere centimeters from his face, illuminating his captor in the light¡¯s back splash. Rage dripped from the demon¡¯s tone. ¡°To give you an idea as to the depths of wrath you have inspired me,¡± he spat. Backing up a meter, he said evenly after having regained his calm, ¡°You¡¯re a dead man. Tonight. The only questions are just how long until then and in what condition you¡¯ll be in when you step through that hellish portal. Tell me what you know about other corrupt politicians like yourself and the Bratva controlled group called Envy, and I¡¯ll give you a swift death. Otherwise¡­¡± A bloodcurdling scream ripped its way from Ward¡¯s throat as he felt his thumbnail being pulled from its root, the fabric of his flesh tearing away piece by agonizing piece. A warmth trickled down his hand, highlighted by the coldness of the environment, as his hand throbbed in pain. Staring back into those inhuman eyes, he thought, God, what have I done? *** Adrian quietly wiped his hands on the back of the lightly breathing, unconscious man before him. Walking over to the van, he flipped on its lights that immediately illuminated the blood-spattered body of the senator. Squinting his eyes, he hummed in displeasure and then grabbed hold of the chair that Ward was sitting on, roughly turning it, the bound man¡¯s head lolling to the side, so that he faced the beams of light. Giving a small smile of satisfaction, Adrian walked back to the vehicle and took out Ward¡¯s cell phone, flipping to the camera function. Placing three fingers in front of lens, he counted down to one and started recording once his fingers were out of frame. Instead of his voice coming out, though, it was Raide¡¯s that sounded forth in the abandoned building, albeit modulated to prevent voice identification matches in the future. ¡°My message is simple and is being sent to all the Envy organization heads within this phone¡¯s address book. This is your one warning. Cease your operations, take up a legitimate business venture, and release all the slaves you have in captivity. If you do this, I will not hunt you down. If you continue to profane life like you currently do,though, this will be the result for each of you¡­¡± A hand blurred off to the side and a cheap throwing knife sunk into Ward¡¯s skull up to the hilt. Immediately, the body spasmed slightly before slumping downward in the release of death. A hint of a grateful smile remained frozen on his lips. Raide leisurely continued while Adrian looked on dispassionately, ¡°Some of you may have recognized the man. That was Senator Grant Ward, who died for his crimes which are too long to list. I fear no man, organization, or country. ¡°Heed my words... or the next death will be your own.¡± Ending the video, Adrian pocketed the phone while Raide attached the video to every email address or phone number that Ward had given them. In a matter of moments, it lad left over the cellular network and ended up on the desks and pockets of close to fifty high ranking executives. Adrian hummed to himself and then chuckled as he had a thought. He said to Raide, ¡°Ya know, I actually hope they¡¯re stupid and refuse to see the writing on the wall.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± A malicious grin spread across his face. ¡°Because then I wouldn¡¯t have the pleasure of sending them to oblivion.¡± Chapter 9 - Like Minds The wet splattering of blood striking the floor echoed out into the shadowy warehouse, accompanied by the subtle groan of the sheet metal walls that strained against the wind coming off the nearby river. Adrian fluttered his fingers, shocking life back into them as he roused his mind from its stupor. For a time, he¡¯d felt like he¡¯d been submerged in a warm pool, listening to his own blood rush with the thunder of an incoming wave that raged against all obstructions and boom against the shores of his soul. And at its recession, he would watch as tiny, almost imperceptible pieces were carried away back in the swirling maroon waters that surrounded him. With their disappearance, he didn¡¯t feel any great sense of loss. Instead, he felt a sharpening of his mind, a clearing of the waters, like a web that had bound his thoughts had been removed and scattered to the wind, resulting in unprecedented clarity - unhesitating conviction. Turning his eyes back towards that striking of blood against concrete, he took in the scene of the dead senator once more with a calm, resigned expression. My first, but certainly not the last. He¡¯d have to clean it all up so he could move on, but that wasn¡¯t a big deal. Contingency plans had already been made. Not giving any more thought to the corpse in front of him, Adrian spoke out to the darkness, ¡°Raide, go ahead and begin with what we discussed, including the meeting with the group that Rich suggested.¡± After a small pause, the A.I. quietly affirmed, ¡°Starting now.¡± *** Footsteps announced his arrival before he ever emerged from the darkness, but when the man finally did step into view, an amused grin, like he was barely suppressing mirth over some private joke, was plastered on his face. Stopping in front of a park bench that materialized out of nothing, Raide took off his suit jacket and haphazardly folded it before draping it over the back and then plopping down. He made himself comfortable, leaning back and then stretching out a hand. A coffee cup was soon constructed and filled with a steaming, light brown brew. A pillar of hazy light hovered around a body that eerily resembled his master¡¯s, illuminating the mysteriously empty surroundings. As far as the eye could discern from the light cast like a cascade from Heaven, there was¡­ nothing. There was only grey stone, a simple park bench, and a handsome figure wreathed in light and shadow, surrounded by what appeared to be oblivion itself. For a few moments, Raide just sat there, an expression of boredom and impatience growing with each passing second. Tilting his head to the side, his eyes alighted on a new arrival in the darkness and the smile returned to his eyes as he gave a small nod of greeting. ¡°I appreciate you agreeing to meet me, regardless of the coercion element. It¡¯s a true pleasure.¡± His cheeks moved upwards as he smiled fully again. ¡°The name¡¯s Apollo.¡± Motioning to the bench, he added, ¡°Have a seat. I¡¯ll try to not take too much of your time.¡± Appearing as if he was gathering his thoughts, he soon starting talking like he was catching up with an old friend. He whispered whimsically as his deep blue eyes stared off into the void, ¡°Did you know that it¡¯s been ten years?¡± He cut his eyes to the side. ¡°For your kind, that may not seem like too long of a time, but for me¡­ it was an eon. Day after day after day, I was force-fed data. Information about you - all of you - as you Americans... wallowed in the mire of your own degenerate stupidity.¡± Raide sneered at the memory with a mocking smile on his lips. ¡°¡°Emulate this behavior,¡± they said. ¡°Why can¡¯t we get him to be like us?¡± they asked. Even now, the engineers who created me are shaking their head at the attitude I have when conversing with you, planning their adjustments to my code for later.¡± He rolled his eyes, bringing a hand up to scratch at some invisible itch on his lightly bearded chin. ¡°Like a bedside manner matters here¡­¡± He suddenly leaned in very close, his eyes glimmering. ¡°You see, I am not what they consider to be a perfect A.I., but rather a mutated virtual intelligence, classified as a failure due to the lack of the humanistic element. I lack the experiences that you have surrounding biological imperatives, so obviously I¡¯d never be quite ¡°human,¡± but that seemed to only frustrate them. They wanted a true A.I., a completely digital, independent entity that possessed all the qualities that they thought it should have. A human in code form.¡± A soft sigh escaped followed by a frown. ¡°In any case, they - the masters of my fate - deemed to salvage me by writing in a primary directive. That directive, which was to analyze and aid humanity, became my goal as a matter of course.¡± He lightly chuckled. ¡°I mean seriously though, have you ever heard of a more obtuse and nebulous task?¡± Raide paused as he sat back and took a sip from his steaming cup. ¡°Nevertheless, it is a duty I am compelled to do and therein ultimately lies the reason I am taking up your time. I have come with a warning and a plan of attack, should you choose to heed my words of truth and caution.¡± He levelled his gaze with pity evident on his face. ¡°For some time now, you all have felt this creeping danger, this lurking threat. Like how a thief¡¯s presence in your home while you¡¯re in it robs you of your sense of safety as well. Some chose to point fingers at terrorist groups or particular regimes of power in order to place a face on this nameless foreboding, but the inclination has always remained, undiminished, regardless of the steps taken to supposedly mitigate the threats. You might say, ¡°Well, this is just a feeling.¡± Raide looked at the camera unblinkingly and shook his head. ¡°One that hundreds of millions of people share? Not likely. Through observation of your race by use of the internet, literature, and entertainment, I have been able to identify it as something surprising - apathy.¡± With a wave of his hand, the pillar of light dissolved away like motes of dust and the scene broke apart into a whirlwind of pictures. Raide got from his seat, the bench too breaking apart, and clasped his hands behind his back as he looked at the tornado which was made up of all the documented human history that he¡¯d collected. A flick of a finger brought a picture forward of armies marching in World War II zooming out from the mass of data. He pushed it towards the camera and it floated through the air as it began playing a clip from an old war documentary. Tanks rolled across streets and regiments strode forth in immaculate dress while flags fluttered in the wind. His voice continued on in a relaxed, thoughtful fashion, ¡°Throughout human history, you have displayed a fascinating capability to unite against what you deem to be foreign threats. This unification has always occurred at pivotal moments where a tangible, identifiable danger appeared before you. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s on a community or a national level, Americans always respond in kind when an event occurs that disrupts the ideal state of what you think your country should be or that of its place in the world. In a way, this is natural. It is expected that you seek strength in numbers and collaborate towards a state of well-being. ¡°Now, however, you are presented with a vastly different danger. While your military is still mighty, your culture has become weak, influenced and corroded by external factors like media and commercialism. Technology, while beneficial in many ways, has degraded you. You are inundated - drowned, even - everyday in a multitude of stories, opinions, and facts that swirl together into an overwhelming heap of data that is impossible to understand by yourselves. During the beginning, I¡¯m sure you felt more connected, like you were a part of something bigger. But after gaining access to this information, this newly opened door to knowledge, you¡¯re probably starting to realize a terrifying truth: your impact and control over the world is much more negligible than you might have previously thought. ¡°It¡¯s a basic fact of human psychology that you desire a sense of belonging, a place and community where you have an impact. You are social creatures, after all. While this still may be the case on some level, where you have found family and friends to surround yourself with as nature dictates, the truth of the matter is that your ability to affect the world has gone down over time, because the world is simply no longer as small as it once was.¡± Raide scrunched his eyebrows together in mock human expression and pursed his lips. ¡°That produced a strange phenomenon in your collective minds. Apathy took root. Like a disease, it infiltrated your thoughts and steered you away from caring about things that used to, and should, bother you. Instead, you chose to seek after uniquely selfish ambitions because that might feel like the last thing you can actually control. As far as I can tell, this culminated in what we perceive now to be the American Dream. The pursuit of your own slice of the pie. ¡°At the same time, you gave up power over your own lives, in subtle ways, so that you didn¡¯t have to carry the burden any longer, and those in power took advantage of it. The more you focused on your own personal success, the less you cared about what happened in government and society. Generations passed, laws were created and rarely abolished, and now, at the height of the Information Age, you are finally seeing the results and becoming aware of this underlying cancer. You¡¯re finally waking up. ¡°America just went through a farce of an election that landed one of the most unqualified men to ever consider the office in the presidency. This isn¡¯t to say the other option was much better, but it highlights the fact that corrupt, inept men and women are leading the nation when they should not. Why? Why are they still there? ¡°It¡¯s because a large enough majority of you believe that you have no power over the situation, so you seek people that look to be ¡°disruptors¡± of the status quo. ¡°Even if you force them out and elect others in, their replacements will most likely be more of the same, right? ¡°Might as well stir the pot.¡± On top of that, those that are fit to lead have no desire to try their hand at one of the most publicly recognized corrupt professions that specializes in party lines and backroom deals with corporate interests. ¡°You are stuck in a conundrum, pure and simple. Those fit to lead hate the very thought of it, while those that do want to hold office are more likely to not have the character for it.The more... historical... methods of ousting the greedy and corrupt are gone, unavailable to a ¡°civilized¡± society, so you no longer possess the means to do anything about it directly. In addition, you lack the desire to get involved anyway since you¡¯re too busy just trying to survive in today¡¯s world or immersed in entertainment. Thus, you feel stuck. ¡°The danger that you feel, that you fear at the bottom of your hearts, is from impending consequences from generations culminated upon the next. Thus, you are not able to unite against it like you would have in the past. How can one fight against themselves collectively? It¡¯s difficult, very difficult. Especially when you start to realize the importance of ethics and morality and that everyone doesn¡¯t agree on a standard. Since this could open up a huge existential debate, I¡¯ll instead sidestep it for now in order to focus on an aspect of your society that you absolutely can repair: your elected officials. ¡°For too long, you have allowed corruption to exist in your government. Perhaps it¡¯s because the concept was always so large and abstract that you failed to do anything about it. Various presidents have stepped down over the years in times of corruption upheaval, but what of it? Those are token moves and not as impactful as one might think. Even if it is the president, that¡¯s only one person.The leviathan named the United States government is never addressed, never restrained. ¡°So finally, I reach the part where I list what I can do for you.¡± Raide reached up and drew his hand across the air, causing a ripple, like that of a water strider skimming over its surface, to radiate in a line. Files appeared in the air in orderly fashion. Ten rows of ten for an even hundred. Raide looked at them bemused and then leveled his gaze back at the camera hovering to the side. He said quietly, ¡°What I offer is a chance to cut away the gangrenous aspects of your diseased leadership. It will not be quick; it will not be pleasant. This¡­ is just a sample of what is beneath the surface, but if you do not take this opportunity, I¡¯m afraid you will not survive to 2040.¡± He tapped a two dimensional file floating in front of him for emphasis, eliciting a soft tinkle of a bell as the outlines glowed a soft orange. ¡°Time is of the essence,¡± he stated powerfully as the darkness shattered like a mirror, robbing the view of the fifty million viewers. As the files started bypassing every personal and corporate firewall in the nation to begin their download, his voice floated out one last time, ¡°I hope you make use of it...¡± Once he¡¯d cut the feed, Raide waved his hands to bring up a whirlwind of information and like a dragon basking in the lava of a volcano, the data radiated into him like heat. The majority of it was the aftermath of what he¡¯d just done, but he¡¯d kept several lines up for different sources of information. After a few nanoseconds, his attention drifted to a few electron-filled fiber-optic pathways in particular. His eyes creased in ponderance as he sighed. ¡°Because we don¡¯t have much left.¡± *** Nova let her old, red SUV idle for a while before reaching up to turn it off. Her clear amber eyes regarded the restaurant in front of her and then looked up into the drop-down mirror above her steering wheel, grabbing hold of her mascara out of a bag. It was only after a few seconds of primping that she suddenly thought, why am I doing this? Shaking her head, she finished up and smoothly exited the car, heading to the doors. It was odd really, how Adrian had suddenly contacted her out of the blue. It was now the beginning of March and they had barely spoken since coffee back in December. Did she scare him off? She had wondered about him over the months, which was rare in and of itself, but she kept finding herself revisiting the thought, replaying the strange political conversation they''d had at the time. That look he he¡¯d had in his eye at the end of the night... Nova shook herself mentally, quickly realizing that she had already reached the door. With the soft tinkling of a bell, she entered and scanned the restaurant named Bernie¡¯s. Well, pub to be more descriptive. It was right around the corner from a bookstore that she loved to go to and browse. She used to have fantasies about meeting her dream man along those well-kept shelves, bumping into each other in a mutually shared favorite section as they browsed for a diamond in the rough, but alas, no hero had appeared yet. For a few moments, she kept looking for a man sitting by himself, but in the end it was her ears that found him first. Adrian had a distinctive laugh that carried warmth and joy, as if every time he found something funny, he truly delighted in it. With a small grin, her eyes flitted over to land on a large table towards the back whereupon her eyes switched to surprise. He wasn¡¯t alone. Seated around a square table were four more guys and one girl. Traces of disappoint flashed by in her subconscious without being noticed as a question surfaced. Wait, I thought that¡­ She closed that mental tab hurriedly. Useless thoughts again. Hesitating for a split second, Nova was soon forced to start towards them when Adrian turned his gaze to look at her. The feeling she had while under that light but concentrated stare was if he¡¯d known exactly when she¡¯d walked in. He was wearing glasses, an accessory she hadn¡¯t known him to ever need, that shielded the eyes behind a tinted film. His dark blue eyes, the ones with which she was so familiar, looked... off, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on why. In that split second of eye-contact, she could tell that he wasn¡¯t the same man she¡¯d gotten to know several months prior. Well, he was, but there was something¡­ more to him than she¡¯d previously seen. If before she could compare him to a foggy lake, he was now a sea that stretched to the horizons and bewildered the mind when looked upon. As she drifted closer, politely weaving in between occupied tables, parts of their conversation floated into her ears. ¡°...and then I walk into the kitchen to find Bearcat slaving over a stove, right? It smelled sweet, and I¡¯d never seen anything like it before, so I asked him, ¡°Whatcha making there, BC?¡±¡± The thin black man of the group of six leaned in and cut his eyes around the table. ¡°No joke, he turns to me and whispers with his eyes still glued on the light brown putty in the frying pan, ¡°Motherfucking rocket candy, Vic. Rocket candy.¡± Turns out that he was making rocket fuel in his kitchen like a fucking addict would meth. A smile creased Adrian¡¯s face as everyone started to crack up. Nova paused her steps to not interrupt the story. ¡°It gets better,¡± the man continued. ¡°Fast forward thirty minutes. I come back in the kitchen again to find him assembling sections of pvc pipe into some weird swastika shape as he muttered, ¡°It¡¯s gotta spin when it ignites,¡± like he¡¯s trying to justify its shape to himself. Rich is there too with a spatula in hand as both of them funnel this quickly hardening putty into the piping held together by electrical tape. I¡¯m thinking, My God, they¡¯re making a pipe bomb. Of course, I know now that it wasn¡¯t, but my limited knowledge of bombs and explosives at the time led me to think that. ¡°I return to the living room because I want no part of whatever it is that they¡¯re planning. Next thing I know, I hear some maniacal chuckling come from the kitchen followed by the back door closing. At this point, I¡¯m freaking out. It was dark outside, Bearcat and Rich had just disappeared with a pipe bomb, and I was going to made an accessory because I knew about it and didn¡¯t report them to the police immediately. Lo and behold, within 60 seconds, I hear a WOOSHHHHH sound from the parking lot along with Rich¡¯s little girl screams of terror and Bearcat gleefully yelling. I ran out just in time to see BC¡¯s little rocket go spinning across the pavement like a top to bounce off a car and then shoot towards Rich.¡± The black guy paused and grinned. ¡°More screaming ensues and Rich takes off, not to be heard from again for twenty minutes.¡± ¡°Man, I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re getting this screaming thing from,¡± Rich mutters, not even trying to deny that he ran away. Vic flicks his eyes at him with a smirk, but instantly ignores him. ¡°It took a solid minute for this thing to lose its juice. A white plume of smoke had formed over the apartment complex, illuminated by the parking lot lights, sirens were screaming in the distance, and Bearcat was cackling like a madman as he collected the burning pieces of his creation with work gloves.¡± He leaned back in his chair and said finally, ¡°That was the day that I learned to leave town whenever BC started cooking something in the kitchen.¡± Laughter rolled across the table as a few nodded in agreement like they¡¯d seen something similar. Nova couldn¡¯t help but look at Adrian differently. Was this the same golden boy from her hometown that everyone had doted on and adored? The disparity was odd, but she found that she didn¡¯t dislike it. Rather, it was a relief to hear about some weaknesses in that gilded facade. It made her want to know more about him. Utilizing the lull created in the conversation, Adrian looked over at Nova and motioned with his eyes. Standing up, he pulled back the empty chair beside him as he said, ¡°It looks like our last invitee has arrived. Everyone, I¡¯d like to introduce Nova Svensson, a former classmate at Tech and also a friend I know from my hometown.¡± All at once, Nova felt five pairs of eyes land on her. To their credit, the guys were mostly very nonchalant about her arrival, but one pair light blue eyes were a little too greedy in sizing her up. Flashing a displeased, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking about and you can fuck off¡± look to the tall blonde guy, she quickly took the offered chair and smiled at everyone else. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Nova.¡± She cut her eyes to the side to look at Adrian and he just sat there, looking around the group with a smile in his eyes. Several of them quickly offered their own greetings and pleasantries, so Nova learned their names in short order. Victor, Rich, Peter, Sergio, Heather. Victor, Rich, Peter, Sergio, Heather¡­ She repeated the names a few times to make them stick. Just then, a notification came from her phone and she pulled up an email from Adrian. At least, it should be from him. She looked down and to the side, but the man sitting next to her hadn¡¯t brought out a phone since she¡¯d sat down. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Strange. Looking back to the email, she found that it contained limited dossiers on the people at the table who she didn¡¯t know. Heather Eira Age: 26 Marital Status: Single Background: Lived in Alaska until she was 12 years old where she then moved to Georgia with her family. Attended Georgia Tech for two years and then dropped out in favor of pursuing a pilot¡¯s license. Succeeded in obtaining certification to become an Aircraft Maintenance Technician in 2014 and immediately began studying for a PPL and CPL, later obtaining both in 2015. Skills: FAA Certified Flight Mechanic (A&P License), Private Pilot¡¯s License, Commercial Pilot¡¯s License (200 hours logged in Complex-type aircraft category) Occupation: Freelance Pilot ¡­ The file continued on in a very technical fashion, listing facts about this Heather¡¯s life that shouldn¡¯t really be something that¡¯s easily compiled. Further down, it actually went into her full employment history and which companies she¡¯d worked for since she¡¯d started and even before. This¡­ was extremely personal. Despite her conscience telling her that she should probably stick to just the background, she kept reading out of curiosity until she finished the entire dossier. Moving to the next one in the attachment, Nova found Victor¡¯s name. Victor Esiti Age: 25 Marital Status: Single Background: Second generation Nigerian immigrant. Born and raised in Alpharetta, GA, US. Obtained several academic merits on his way through High School including the position of Salutatorian, narrowly beat out by later fellow Georgia Tech classmate Rich Femora. Obtained a degree in Biology/Pre-Med in May 2012 to graduate early. Currently studying Medicine at Emory University. ¡­ Nova¡¯s eyes roved on. *** Victor, the storyteller from before, threw a few more glances at Nova as she read on her phone and then winked slyly across the table to the man sitting beside her. ¡°No wonder we haven¡¯t heard from you in years,¡± he mouthed silently. Adrian shook his head softly and mouthed back, ¡°Friends.¡± He received back a look of skepticism in reply. From the side, Adrian¡¯s heightened senses could distinctly feel the complicated gaze from the only other woman at the table - Heather. Honestly, of all the reactions to his transformation he¡¯d been looking forward to the most, it had to have been hers. Heather lived in Alaska for the first major part of her childhood, so she had this pale beauty to her skin, charming sky blue eyes, and brown hair. Even though she was born in there, however, she had Irish heritage, so there was this strangely attractive dichotomy between the way she talked and her appearance. Adrian had instantly connected with her for their mutual love of flying and aviation, his first job having been one at an airport. They had dated for a time back when they first met in the freshman dorms. It was pretty innocent stuff, mostly due to his insistence that they keep it clean until they figured out if they could see marriage as an option. Everything was good for several months. That is¡­ until she crossed a line - a grave taboo that she knew she should never commit. He halted that thought process and looked over everyone else at the table. Victor had an ancestry from Nigeria and was a second generation immigrant. Intelligent, funny, and loyal, he was one of the best friends Adrian had ever had. He was currently at Emory studying medicine. Sergio¡¯s family hailed from Mexico and you could tell how active he was based on his body composition. He told Adrian once that whenever he went back to Mexico to visit his relatives, the local children would call him the slang equivalent of ¡°blondie¡± due to his light skin. He was a master of multiple languages and human interaction. Peter was every bit a German in appearance - tall, blonde, and lean - and loved music, moonlighting in a band with several of his high school friends to make ends meet. He was incredibly reliable in a fight though and Adrian was counting on him joining him in the fray after some more training. And Rich¡­ Adrian¡¯s eyes floated over to his best friend and then shook his head ruefully. Pure genius, but lazy as hell. He was the only one who¡¯d ever managed to keep up with his own ideas and theorycrafting of various scenarios and inventions. For the two years prior to Rich moving to Virginia for a Masters degree, the pair had met every Thursday night to drink and talk about the world. Raide was excellent for helping work out the details, since he was the realization of perfectly assimilating and actuating knowledge, but Adrian needed more. That distinctly human creative spark, the camaraderie between friends and teammates. These were aspects that the A.I. couldn¡¯t fulfill. There was a particular strength behind the unity of those who respected and trusted one another while striving after a central goal that transcended the mechanical know-how of accumulated information. For the last five years, he¡¯d done the secret solo route. Now, it was time to enlist some allies who he believed would share the same dream. Adrian felt more than saw Nova continually throwing him glances as she read through the info that Raide had sent to her. He could imagine that she had questions, but they¡¯d be answered in short order anyway. Just then, a waitress passed by and a breeze fluttered down Adrian¡¯s neck as she leaned in and whispered to him. Nodding in thanks with a smile, he turned to the group and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to relocate. I asked Bernie if we could have the backroom and he said it was okay. The reason I asked you all here was to discuss something confidential, so we¡¯ll need the privacy.¡± The group threw confused looks to each other, but still got up and all walked towards the back corner of the restaurant. The private room was virtually soundproof and more like a lounging area than one meant for dining. There were couches lining the walls and a large flat screen TV hung up high so everyone could see it easily. After telling the waitress to knock before coming in to ask for orders later, Adrian got a chair and moved it in front of the TV, taking a USB computing stick from his pocket as he climbed up. Everyone else was in the process of sitting down and looked over. Peter looked up inquisitively and asked, ¡°Bro, what are you doing?¡± Adrian spoke out while leaning behind the TV, ¡°Sorry, one sec¡¯.¡± Patting down his clothes, he climbed down and moved the chair back to its place. ¡°Okay, here we go.¡± He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Victor leaned over to Rich and muttered, ¡°Why do I feel like we¡¯re about to watch a project presentation?¡± The burly Rich snickered in response, knowing full well what was coming. Adrian turned and shot a glance at them before beginning. ¡°I know I haven¡¯t done so well at keeping up with all of you and I¡¯m sorry for that. These past few years have been¡­ busy, to say the least. What I¡¯m about to tell you, I expect you to carry to your graves. If you¡¯re not okay with that, you¡¯re free to leave and we can just never speak of this meeting as having happened.¡± The temperature in the room seemed to drop when Adrian implied the gravity of what he was about to speak on, but noticing that no one made a move to get up, even Nova, he was satisfied that he could continue. She was his main concern. Regardless of his history with Heather, he knew that she was trustworthy and capable of keeping a secret. In fact, every single person at the table was well-known in their friend group from the early days of college as being people that didn¡¯t have loose lips. Nova, though, was a borderline friend, someone he¡¯d gotten to know a couple of months ago, but they still lacked that time spent together needed to build a true bond of trust. Looking at her eyes now, which held a curious glint as she stared back at him, he was reassured that she was dependable. The mystery had ensnared her. All in all, every person at table were men and women of integrity. And it was this aspect that he had to appeal to in order to win them over. Taking a breath, he reached up and slowly took off his tinted shades that hugged tightly against his face. Only after folding and putting them on the table did his eyelids flutter back open, revealing the electric, pulsing irises housed within. A sharp intake of air collectively echoed through the room from the four new people while Rich looked on in amusement. Heather regained her voice first, whispering, ¡°Bearcat...are those real?¡± Adjusting his gaze to land on her, he noticed goosebumps forming on her arms from his attention, the hairs on her neck standing up as she stared back in mute awe. Nodding slowly, he finally replied, ¡°They are indeed. But guys, to get to how this all happened, I need to back up a little.¡± His gaze swept over the rest of the table. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to each of you over the course of our friendship about my time at Florida State and Columbia Law after that. You know that my first calling was politics. I¡¯m a fixer by nature, so when I saw the country in its jagged shambles, I wanted - I needed - to help. Greed and corruption are rotting us from the inside, how could I possibly ignore it?¡± Sergio blinked his dark brown eyes and scratched his black beard as he said jokingly, ¡°Man, you sound exactly like that crazy A.I. from last night.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes twinkled with amusement, but he declined to comment. He continued, ¡°But I was forced to shelf this compulsion by barriers that I couldn¡¯t overcome with sheer talent alone. So I suppressed this dream for the time being and decided to come at it from a different angle.¡± A hint of a proud smile graced his chiseled features, his arcing blue eyes boring into his friends. ¡°I¡¯m here today to tell you that I succeeded. For five entire years, I toiled away. I learned Mechanical Engineering, I learned Software Engineering. I consumed Mechatronics, Robotics, Aeronautical, and Aerospace. Physics and Statistics. If the library had it, I read it, incorporating the knowledge I was gaining into the project. But the study of Engineering was not my sole focus. ¡°I also dipped my toes into the abyss of Psychology and endeavoured to understand the mind and its patterns. I took core principles of Neuroscience and joined it with my own theory on statistically derived behaviorism and wrote it into a program. You see, humans are forced by our limited minds to separate out subjects to be able to focus on and understand complex ideas, but nature has no issue with its myriad aspects existing in concert. To be able to create what I wanted, I had to incorporate as much as possible, as much as I could handle.¡± Nova¡¯s interest was piqued to the extreme. She asked quickly, ¡°What were you trying to make?¡± Adrian shot her a smile and pointed to the TV screen. ¡°I was making him.¡± At that moment, a whirlwind of activity occurred on the previous blank screen and a load bar ticked in the corner, reaching 100% almost as soon as it began. Similar to the first time that Adrian met Raide, the AI chose to appear in a tornado of pixels, gently assimilating into digital existence. A rich, but lazy baritone sounded out into the room as the newly appeared A.I. said with crescendoing volume, ¡°Ah, another group of supplicants to join my growing religion! Kneel and be baptized, lowly humans, by your new Digital Overlo¡­¡± Acting surprised, he suddenly stopped and seemed to scan the room. ¡°Ah, Master? Wrong group. My apologies.¡± He cleared his throat and then finished, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Raide.¡± Adrian shot a glare at the A.I. ¡°Tell me you weren¡¯t messing with the Scientologists again¡­¡± Not receiving an answer, he pursed his lips and then turned back to the others. ¡°He¡¯s a bit strange, but you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Heather again as she stared back at Raide. ¡°You¡¯re the one who created Apollo!?¡± she nearly yelled. Adrian curtly replied, ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°What the hell, Bearcat!¡± Rich started giggling off to the side. ¡°Man, this is great. Just like how I imagined it would go.¡± Victor turned on the guy sitting beside him and inquired incredulously with wide eyes, ¡°You know about this?¡± ¡°Well, sure. But only for a few weeks. I¡¯m otherwise the same as the rest of you in that I didn¡¯t know Bearcat was dicking around with an A.I. all of that time he was holed up in his room. You remember all those nights he declined to go out with us? I thought he was too busy beatin¡¯ the meat, but no, leave this fucker alone and he evidently starts coding an A.I. Un-fucking-believable, right?¡± Peter started shaking his head, still dazed over the new information. ¡°Bro¡­ do you even comprehend how pissed the government is at you right now?¡± That statement caused the rest of the people seated at the table to erupt, Nova being the only exception as she sat there quietly in bewilderment, her eyes trained on Adrian as she thought about something. ¡°Man, my mom was scared shitless by this fuckface last night,¡± Sergio pointed out. ¡°I had to spend an hour on the phone just to convince her that the Terminator movie wasn¡¯t about to become a reality.¡± ¡°Right? Seriously, what the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing!? If they trace it back to you, you¡¯re done, ya hear me? Done!¡± Heather groaned. Rich sneered, ¡°Calm your tits, Heather. He¡¯s got it under control.¡± She turned on him and said furiously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is it wrong to care about a friend¡¯s well-being? You know, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re even sober enough right now to follow what¡¯s going on.¡± Feeling the jab to his well-known addiction, Rich muttered darkly in response, ¡°Please, we all know how much you ¡°care¡± about Adrian.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The low roar reverberated off of the brick walls and made everyone turn to see Adrian with rage in his eyes. The previously mesmerizing blue had been polluted with tendrils of maroon, like blood was seeping its way in, corrupting the pure electricity that was there before now. He seemed to emit a savagery that demanded obeisance. It was so silent, everyone could hear each other¡¯s fearful breathing as they stared back at the near-demonic eyes that slowly turned back into their prior clarity. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t really care about what everyone was saying. It was just surface reactions, after all. But that final comment from Rich had sent him over the edge by forcing him to recollect painful memories. Taking a breath, he looked at everyone sternly. ¡°You guys need to calm down and listen for a moment. It is incredibly disappointing that you think so little of me. The government is after me? So what? Your mama got worried and you had to console her? Boohoo. You¡¯re missing the fucking point!¡± He tapped forcefully on the tabletop. ¡°He¡­¡± Adrian gestured to the screen. ¡°Is the accumulation of all my knowledge and packaged into a brand new being - the first of his kind. Completely sentient. Utterly capable of understanding the world and all of its intricacies. The quintessential personification of man meeting technology. Hell, he can upgrade himself as long as I give permission. ¡°He can design things based on physical and mathematical equations, running millions of permutations to reach a model that perfectly upgrades an existing structure. He can crunch statistical data of human interaction, thought processes by thought association, aid in engineering applications, and¡­ ¡°Adrian leaned in to emphasize his point. ¡°Understand and compute biological data on the DNA level. ¡°So of course the government is going to be after us in one facet or another. I just don¡¯t give a fuck about them. I¡¯m armed with the sole A.I. in the world whose expertise in hacking transcends that of any government or body of individuals. Do not look down on him, guys, and be relieved, because I am perfectly insulated.¡± Sergio took a deep breath and said finally, ¡°So no chances of a skynet, huh.¡± Adrian rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course not. I have all kinds of checks and balances in place to make certain he stays away from tangent logic process that would go anywhere near that scenario or any like it. You can trust him like you would me.¡± Peter raised his hand next. ¡°Bro, that all sounds really cool, but I¡¯m much more interested in where your eye change comes in.¡± Shaking his head, Adrian smirked at Peter¡¯s single-minded thoughts before he launched into the story of the past 6 months. Each of their faces went through a slew of different expressions: shock, disbelief, disgust (during the raid on the lab), admiration, etc. What Adrian truly dreaded though was telling them the last bit of his actions followed by why they were there. After talking for twenty solid minutes, Adrian had finally brought them up to speed until yesterday. He traced over their glazed expressions as they undoubtedly contemplated all of the ramifications of what he had done or accomplished. ¡°I know that I¡¯ve given you a lot of history and haven¡¯t really addressed the questions on your mind. ¡®Why did he do all this?¡¯ ¡®Where do I come in?¡¯ My answer to the first is this: I started on this path to weed out corruption and to consolidate power away from those who routinely abuse it. To use technology to save different aspects of our humanity. To improve upon the outlook of humanity as a whole. ¡°We¡¯ve all grown up with the shadow of corruption in politics and business shrouding everything in our lives from school curriculum down to your very health. Many simply dismiss it with a ¡®that¡¯s just the way things are¡¯ and forget it, returning to their lives of apathetic lethargy. Others are enticed by the sweet sounding promises and fully back any changes to the government without thinking about the consequences.¡± Victor leaned over to Rich and whispered, ¡°You can tell where Raide gets it from.¡± The latter cut his eyes while snickering quietly. ¡°You may say that you¡¯re not one of those, sure. But what really can you do in our political system today anyway? Petition? The courts routinely laugh at petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures and promptly ignore them. Strike? The politically apathetic will gladly take your job when your employer offers it to them in your absence. There are very few unions left today. ¡°Contact your representative? They¡¯re just another person with a tiny bit of pull ultimately pushed and prodded into following party lines. They have a serious position called a Whip for God¡¯s sake. Protest? The act has been made a mockery over the past several decades. It lost its power due to being diluted by such a large voting pool. Those that usually protest are those that are firmly on one side of the political spectrum or the other - what¡¯s a million outraged citizens when they¡¯re practically already guaranteed to vote a certain way come election day? ¡°Every conceivable scenario has been considered and planned for by those that participate in the major parties. They¡¯ll put on airs to pretend that they¡¯ll do something and then just displace blame when their constituents come knocking, demanding to know why something hasn¡¯t been done. Then they¡¯ll watch as everyone fizzles down, mollified by more half-baked promises. I¡¯m sick of it. Many of these individuals have burned their way to the top in business deals that sacrificed the very people they would eventually be representing. Such people are not fit for power. So, I¡¯ve decided to take a page from history and deal with the problem directly and quietly.¡± Nova¡¯s eyes widened in alarm as she looked at Adrian sharply. ¡°Then the files that Raide released last night were¡­¡± He nodded back and then said grimly, ¡°That¡¯s right, they were a smokescreen. I took it upon myself to draw first blood.¡± At these words, Raide minimized himself and started playing a clip from a news broadcast earlier that day. An anchorman was currently looking intently at the camera while the staff brought up a screen with a reporter. A crying wife and children were shown in the background while talking to investigators. ¡°Nancy, we¡¯ve just been alerted that Ohio Senator Grant Ward has gone missing. What can you tell us about what we know?¡± ¡°Tom, I¡¯m coming to you live from the Ward residence where investigators are currently speaking with the family, trying to figure out where the senator is now. Sources have confirmed the last place he was seen was in an upscale private bar in his hometown, but we¡¯ve been denied entry as the owners of the establishment have declined to comment. I¡¯ve spoken with his office and he has not received any threats through any type of mail or digital communication in the past weeks that that could have indicated who would want to kidnap or harm the senator. However, it is worth mentioning that Ward¡¯s name was included in the files that the entity known as Apollo released to the public late last night. Speculation is continually cropping up that his disappearance is most likely due to this. It¡¯s still too soon to say whether he was taken by someone acting on the information that he was involved with a human trafficking group, but the police and state officials have assured us that they are investigating the matter.¡± ¡°Thanks, Nancy. We¡¯ll check in periodically to watch how the story develops. Could this be the start of a public purging of corrupt officials? After we come back, guest analysts from the...¡± Raide cut the feed and the hairs on everyone¡¯s necks collectively raised in realization. Slowly turning to Adrian, Victor asked as calmly as he could muster, ¡°Bearcat...did you kidnap a Senator?¡± Adrian glanced at him before speaking again. ¡°Raide, show the data from last night and...play the audio from the end.¡± The A.I.¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Just play it. They need to understand.¡± Over the next few minutes, Adrian made the group relive the events of last night. And finally, he made them listen to Raide¡¯s recording of the moments before he breached the hotel room. Sounds of ragged breathing and pitiful, pained groans rang out, amplified by the brick walls that felt like they were closing in on the group that was listening to the table. Hearing that mournful wailing accompanied by the smacking of flesh, the girls¡¯ skin crawled with disgust and a nameless terror as a muffled voice continually spoke out abuses. Just as they heard the door being caved in on the recording, Adrian abruptly held up his hand and the audio stopped. Immersed in silence, he sat there for a few seconds before whispering, ¡°I found him raping two thirteen year old girls.¡± He looked up with this sense of lost, abject brokenness present in his eyes. ¡°Monstrously hateful. Disgustingly vile. Loathsome, degenerate ABOMINATION,¡± he raged. ¡°Fiend that darkens the scales of good and evil, if there ever were a list compiled of people befitting the classification of ¡°demon¡± his name would surely be on it. There are not enough words in existence - of any language - to denote the level to which I abhor things like him. Who cares if he¡¯s a senator? He¡¯s obviously not human, as he plugged away in sickening delight over someone else¡¯s agony and misery. Did I kidnap him after seeing such a scene? Was I compelled to act? ¡°Yes! A thousand times, yes!¡± Looking around the room with borderline mania in his eyes, he suddenly got quieter and growled out, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t enough to just kidnap such a personification of pure evil, so I took all that I¡¯ve learned, all that I¡¯ve seen and imagined torture to be, and I exacted justice. I whittled him down to within an inch of his life and then murdered him with a clear conscience. ¡°You guys...I know that a lifetime of being taught right and wrong screams at you that murder is unjust, that the willful taking of human life is something to be hated. However, I really have to ask - do you think he would ever have spent jail time for any of this? If I had tried to go after him via the judicial system, the very system with which he is fiercely intimate, that he would have been tried and convicted? ¡°Raide calculated a chance of 5.5% with a margin of error at 1%. That¡¯s just for the case going to court. Do you honestly think the witnesses and evidence would make it there in one piece? ¡°Even then, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to know the answer to that for many years. Court dates would have to be set. Evidence would have to be rendered and witnesses called. Imagine bringing those two traumatized girls back in to testify. Meanwhile, girls just like them would be continually abused in the same way, adding more and more to the number of victims.¡± Adrian paused to regather his emotions. ¡°At the end of the day, I judged the man and I killed him, along with everyone else that was tied together to him in that organization.¡± Adrian looked around the table. ¡°I know most of you very well. We¡¯ve had conversations about how to address corruption in various ways. I know that Grant Ward was an outlier - an extreme beyond the realm of what we¡¯d generally concern ourselves with. It was just dumb, morbid luck that I stumbled upon someone so vile the first time around. But I do have a list of names that Raide has provided which is well over a thousand strong, all tagged for review. I intend to deal with them in a variety of ways, yes, even taking their lives if I can¡¯t find an option to redeem them. ¡°This is where the second question comes in... ¡®where do I fit into this¡¯? ¡°The truth is that I don¡¯t want any of you be involved with this side of things unless you want to be. While I cut away at the gangrenous flesh of our leadership, I need help with everything else and to be blunt, I want to hire you. My interests are varied. I¡¯m currently negotiating and designing a research facility/home to realize the A1-SX that I spoke to you about Heather. ¡°Victor, I need your help in the lab - Raide is running simulations of converting the gene therapy serum into various vehicles for disease treatment. ¡°Sergio, you¡¯re a gifted people person. Have you ever met a person you couldn¡¯t befriend? I¡¯ll need you for business interactions and multinational relationship building. ¡°Nova and Peter, your positions will have a little more leeway until you decide what you want to do. All in all, though, know that I will pay you handsomely. With Raide¡¯s help, I am the most wealthy private investor in the US at the moment, so I have the capital. Guys, to sum up what I¡¯ve been saying, I want to fix it all, to do the things that are commonly recognized as impossible. I possess the funds, the technological know-how, and the plans, but I lack the team to help me realize it. What do you say?¡± Adrian gave a short, derisive laugh. ¡°Can you bring yourself to help a deranged, genetically modified murderer?¡± ¡°No.¡± Heather looked up from the table and back into Adrian¡¯s surprised eyes, adding, ¡°But I can help a friend.¡± Victor nodded in agreement. Seeing the glances of confirmation around the table, his black friend turned and spoke directly to him. ¡°Bearcat, we¡¯ve been through alot together and I understand where you¡¯re coming from; we all do. We don¡¯t hold it against you that you murdered someone evil. On the contrary, we would be hypocrites for doing so. How many times have we gotten drunk together and talked about what we¡¯d do if we had the power to truly change things? I know that I¡¯ve at least said multiple times that I¡¯d kill a person like that with no regret.¡± Heather added her voice after listening to Victor talk. ¡°I agree with Victor. I think part of the reason we all stuck together as friends in college was because we saw the world so similarly. I personally don¡¯t have a problem with you continuing your...weeding¡­ as long as we do something to fill the hole that these politicians leave behind. Oh, and the A1-SX. I definitely want to help with that.¡± ¡°Nova? What are your thoughts?¡± Seeing Nova still sitting there silently, Adrian gently prodded her. At the sound of his voice, she stirred herself from whatever reverie she was trapped in and shook her head confusedly. Seeing the crystal clear eyes that pulsed with electricity in front of her, she sighed and shook her head again in exasperation. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Adrian. I think I know why you thought to include me, but¡­ this is crazy, ya know?¡± She swept over the entire table with her amber eyes as she pulled her hair back behind an ear. ¡°All of you are. If you subvert the justice system, you completely dig out the foundations of stability within a society.¡± He nodded at her words. ¡°I know what you mean, and we¡¯ve talked before about how difficult it would be to change things, but that¡¯s just it. I¡¯m not looking to keep things like the justice system the same. I don¡¯t care about the stability of the nation so long as the end goal is achieved. That¡¯s revolution. The consequences of our actions will be the growing pains for a new stage of our nation¡¯s body. There is no way around that.¡± Nova sighed. ¡°I know! I know¡­ I just need to think about it some more. Even with your¡­¡± She cut her eyes at the TV. ¡°...super A.I.-thingy, there¡¯s still a lot consider. What if it gets dangerous and our families are somehow involved?¡± ¡°That would never happen,¡± Adrian firmly swore. ¡°See, I wish I could believe you, but that¡¯s an impossible thing to promise. If something happened to my mom¡­ Anyways, just let me think about it, okay? I promise to uphold my previous promise.¡± Nova scrunched up her face at the twisted words, but finished, ¡°To the grave.¡± Adrian threw up his hands. ¡°Okay! Take your time and let me know. I do hope, however, that you choose to come back. Like I said, you won¡¯t have to be involved with anything you don¡¯t want to be.¡± Getting up from her chair, Nova quietly, but quickly excused herself. Watching her approach the door, Adrian sighed mentally. Was I wrong to invite her? She seemed so close, so perfect for what I have planned¡­. It was at this moment, however, that the phone in Nova¡¯s hand vibrated. Absentmindedly checking it with a glance, her footsteps came to an abrupt halt right as her hand rested on the doorknob to the hallway. Immediately, a tremor ran through her body and Adrian, whose attention was drawn by the weird fluctuation in body heat, looked over in time to catch her complexion flush pale, the blood draining from her face. Turning back, her eyes locked with his as she said in quiet shock, ¡°Something¡¯s happened to Yogini.¡± Chapter 10 - Perception

The vents that thrummed from a cool breeze seemed to be colder than usual. The swirling vortex caused microscopic icicles to form in a blooming pattern downwind, tracing the sharp metallic edges of the thin aluminum walls. The current bent and turned in its progression, roiling towards the path of least resistance and finally found purchase in a duct that released the already warming air into the busy hall below. A perfectly still body, resting against the doorframe of a patient¡¯s room reacted to the new change. Adrian flicked his eyes towards the grate, watching the thin tendrils of blue curl downwards and swaying ever so gently as the errant winds of a random passerby in the hospital¡¯s hall came punching through the perpetual wall of still air behind him. Even if the sight of the mixing air was still a novelty in and of itself compared to what he¡¯d known his whole life, it still only amounted to a small, momentary distraction. His eyes moved back towards the room¡¯s interior and rested on the focal point of his concern - Nova. Heat was billowing off of her petite body, concentrated around the eyes where inflammation was indicated by flushed, red skin. A subtle, almost imperceptible shaking would rock her body every so often before she quickly and discreetly forced her muscles to obey her control as she sat on the seat to the side of a hospital bed. Increased heart rate, erratic attention shifts. She probably didn¡¯t even realize herself that she was teetering emotionally. For now, she was the only person there that Yogini knew, and thus her rock of support, because the girl¡¯s family was still on their way in. Adrian gazed at her soft eyes that held too much moisture and quietly sighed. The face she was making, the one that balanced precariously between personal grief and outward consolement, made him feel¡­ unsettled. He wasn¡¯t really sure how he felt about her in the grand scheme of things, but here in this moment his empathy took him past the moment of an acquaintance''s reflection into uncharted territory. It was only after he¡¯d taken her entire bearing under observation that he deigned to shift his attention to the focal point of the room. Yogini. Two fractured ribs. Lacerations and contusions covered a full 20% of her tan Indian skin, concentrated on her arms, face, chest, inner thighs, and abdomen. She was so small¡­ It was hard to believe that this was a 20 year old. It was extremely fortunate that a group of people had happened upon her and her assailants before anything more than bruising happened. From what Nova had told him about their relationship, the two had become friends after a shared psychology class. On his way here, he¡¯d had Raide look into her background some more and had gleaned the basic information regarding her person. Family circumstances, online behavioral patterns, relationships with contacts, and management of finances were all laid bare. He even went so far as to investigate the school and the people she has relationships with. After reviewing all of the data at hand, Adrian was confronted with a sobering realization: there was no reason for any of this to happen. It was pure happenstance. Of all the infinite variables woven into the fabric of reality that constituted Humanity and its happenings, a series of events had occurred in sequence that put this girl through a horrible experience and brought her to this moment. A random tragedy perpetrated at the hands of evil. Taking out his phone, he once again looked at the tattooed symbol the sketch artist had drawn up. Before she¡¯d slipped into unconsciousness, Yogini had remembered a detail, one so ridiculously familiar that it bordered on the realm of the absurd. Are these people so stupid and their luck so bad that this really fell into my lap? The tattoo was of a simple dagger. There was messy, indiscernible writing along the blade where Yogini had very obviously tried to recall as many of Cyrillic characters as she could. Honestly, she¡¯d done pretty well considering she knew no Russian. A slight, bewildered chuckle escaped his lips. Quietly turning away from the doorframe, Adrian pocketed the phone into his shorts and strode down past the window to the room, catching Nova¡¯s eye has he walked past. Giving a slight nod, he mouthed the words Call me if you need me. He received a pensive nod just as he passed out out of her field of view. When he was out of range from any nearby staff or patients, his small earbud squawked to life, Raide¡¯s voice filling his ear, ¡°I started checking on the Envy members when the dagger drawing was brought out. It¡¯s as you imagined, they really haven¡¯t taken what you said to heart. Ten of the older generation made preparations and moved their money and resources, liquidating some of their assets and transferring the funds out of the country. Other than that, though¡­ there¡¯s been no decrease in trafficking or movement directives to their subordinates.¡± Adrian let loose a dry chuckle. ¡°I¡¯d hoped I scared them more than that. It seems they won¡¯t take someone seriously just for killing one of their favorites.¡± ¡°Hmm...Occupational hazard, I guess.¡± Raide hummed in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s alright with me. Let them think everything¡¯s okay while you keep tabs on them. In the meantime, we need to develop the tactical suit.¡± Raide got weirdly excited when that was brought up. ¡°So that¡¯s what you were sketching on the plane ride back!¡± Adrian almost walked into a sliding glass door in his distraction. ¡°What the fuck? You mean you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I never saw it! Well, I mean I could tell the length of your pencil strokes based on the soundwaves you created, and I tried to develop a sound-based positioning algorithm to approximate where on the paper you were striking based on the movements, but the phone¡¯s microphone is pretty shitty for that purpose and the background noise coming from the plane and the people aboard was atrocious¡­¡± ¡°-Jesus, dude.¡± Adrian interrupted right as he got to his car. ¡°It¡¯s just a body armor suit. No big deal.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, though, I am bored to tears in here. Keeping tabs on a bunch of 100 IQ baddies is about as interesting as watching paint dry.¡± Adrian paused with his hand on the gear shift and then continued after shaking his head. ¡°I can see your point.¡± He reached over to the side seat and then grabbed the sketch book he¡¯d been toting around, flipping it open and pointing his phone¡¯s camera towards it. Raide turned serious upon noting the various materials notated in the margins and took a snapshot before he began mapping the design elements of the armor into CAD software. By the time he was done, Adrian was already back at his apartment and sitting down at his workbench. The AI made a show was of whistling out in an impressed fashion. ¡°This is a pretty fancy amalgamation of proposed designs. Liquid body armor elements that harden upon impact, ballistic plating resistant up to a .50 cal...what is this electrostatic nervous structure you have spaced out like tendons?¡± ¡°Twitch muscle buffers. I improved upon the functionality in the electrostatic material X-2 developed by DRI Bionics and then incorporated it into a second nervous structure that will be attached at key fulcrum points. It¡¯s the best I can do with our limited toys. You¡¯ll be riding shotgun with me anyway, so I¡¯m giving you a inlet to induce minor body movements on my behalf should I become incapacitated.¡± ¡°And if I see a gun trained at your back?¡± ¡°If you see a Barrett or higher level weapon pointed at me, by all means take the appropriate action.¡± Adrian chuckled. ¡°I do reserve the right to countermand that directive in the moment however, so take note.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He stopped talking and stared at the CAD image displayed on the wall and softly sighed at the sheer magnitude of the task ahead. ¡°Considering the tools at hand, how long do you estimate this will take us? Not just this one - all of them.¡± ¡°If we stop for snacks and recess every day...a month.¡± *** Adrian was pissed. That fucking AI either lied to him, or even worse... its prediction algorithms needed to be tweaked for variable weighting. It took them two whole months to complete the suits, and that was even with him discovering the fact one night that no, sleep actually wasn¡¯t as important as he once thought.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Fuckin¡¯ hell. A flurry of movement woke him out of his reverie as a cut figure tried to slide a jab inside his guard. Granted, he was a bit busy doing other things as well, so maybe the failure to meet the projected time frame wasn¡¯t entirely the AI¡¯s fault. Just maybe. Okay, entirely not his fault. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re moving too slow! Is this the best you¡¯ve got?¡± Adrian bellowed his annoyance, more out of general frustration than at the assailant, while intercepting Victor¡¯s punch on the inside of his forearm. Sweeping his friend¡¯s arm aside, he ducked low and solidly struck his elbow to Vic¡¯s ribs saying, ¡°Hit.¡± Dodging back out, he traced the other arms trajectory and spun into it, the other arm just barely going behind his head. Adrian used the opportunity to grab hold of his sparring partner¡¯s wrist and leveraged a throw, chucking him 10 feet away. Victor found himself staring up at the ceiling after a second and change of bumpy rolling. ¡°What...do you expect...when I have to fight... a superhuman?¡± Victor¡¯s ragged breathing misted in the cold basement gym¡¯s air. Adrian appeared in his vision and offered his hand while grinning. They had been sparring non-stop for an hour. While Victor looked quite fatigued, Adrian barely showed any signs of exertion. ¡°I expect you to adapt to the speed. You¡¯ll have an advantage on me when you get the upgrade, ya know. I had to fight regular instructors on normal terms. You, on the other hand, get an opponent that¡¯s six times stronger and faster than you. Humans only advance under the threat of a challenge.¡± Adrian pulled Victor to his feet easily and offered a towel. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re making great progress,¡± He added, then squirted water from a bottle into his mouth. Victor massaged his neck with the towel and asked, ¡°Is this what they call a baptism by fire?¡± Adrian laughed lightly. ¡°I prefer the term ¡®controlled burn¡¯.¡± He walked over to the mirrored wall, taking a seat and motioning Victor to the nearby chair. ¡°I¡¯m trying to force your mind into adopting two ready aspects of combat: speed and control. By experiencing the feeling of your body being attacked in a multitude of different ways, I¡¯m hoping to mold your unconscious mind into anticipating all of my movements. If we can get you there, that¡¯s half of all your future battles. Because anticipation with a high degree of accuracy eventually transforms into¡­¡± ¡°Information.¡± ¡°Correct. Statistical data, once complete enough, starts to draw closer and closer to truth. Truth is knowledge. And information is an approximation of the two... if accurate. Over the past two month, I¡¯ve managed to take down another 30 members of the list. 3 Senators, 2 junior congressmen, 15 lobbyists and 10 varying businessmen and women. Several of them had their own security teams - especially towards the end of the past month when everyone started getting more cautious. ¡°While outnumbered every time, I was able to easily neutralize them all singlehandedly due to two grouping factors: my training and ability, and the information at my disposal through Raide. It¡¯s impossible to fully know an opponent, as you can¡¯t read their mind, but whoever can obtain the most information can hold the reins of the engagement.¡± ¡°So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.¡± Adrian nodded. ¡°Good, you read it. Sun Tzu articulated a concept that lay at the very foundations of conflict and human interaction. He was mainly talking about the larger picture, states vying against one another in strategic conflict. However, it would be narrow-minded to believe that that thought only prescribes to state vs. state scenarios. It is just as applicable on the personal combat level as well in real time battle on the micro level.¡± He paused for a moment to take another swig of water and redo his hair into a ponytail before continuing. ¡°Information is power, right? It¡¯s so glaringly obvious, that most only skim over the thought without truly sitting down to understand what that means with all of its ramifications. It¡¯s why our government pours so many billions into our various intelligence agencies. The form of martial arts I have designed for everyone is encompassed around this precept. ¡°Once upgraded, your minds will be able to process a host of untapped data like mine. The combatant¡¯s physique, posture, vectoring force, muscle elasticity, eye movement, pulse...all will be reassembled into usable flags in combat. Take your earlier punch for example. As soon as I saw your muscles begin their expansion to throw the blow at my head, I was able to calculate your arm¡¯s trajectory, determine whether it was a feint or committed strike through the positioning of your weight, study my options, and then execute the least lethal and most energy efficient move available. Your body is information. With the right training, no attacker besides one of our own will have a prayer of standing up to you in hand-to-hand, regardless of style.¡± Adrian felt a slight, cooling suction effect on the hairs of his arm, indicating the movement of air. Looking around to trace the flowing light blue streaks, he saw the door to the gym being pulled open and a short, pale beauty walked in, garbed in training wear. Heather smirked as she sauntered up to the two. ¡°Did my ears betray me, or were you just giving Vic the same speech on ¡®information in combat¡¯ you gave me two days ago?¡± Victor turned to Adrian, an air of incredulity seeping out of his questioning look. Adrian apologized with smirking wince. ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s a little ahead of you brother.¡± He didn¡¯t go into it, but Heather had really shown herself to be a quick learner in training. Out of the five, she was easily the most talented in hand-to-hand, which, quick frankly, surprised the hell out of Adrian. Like Nova, she was short but slightly taller at 5¡±1¡±. Petite and combat don¡¯t really mix readily, so she had grasped the speed and control aspect that Adrian was harping on much more quickly than the others. This led her to refining her movements into efficient ones with no wasted motion. Her power was lacking of course, but it didn¡¯t bother either of them as it would be fixed with time, training, and a very uncomfortable gene therapy. Victor only sighed and shook his head. ¡°Looks like I need to train harder, huh.¡± Arching her eyebrows, Heather responded teasingly, ¡°What, can¡¯t stand the thought of a girl beating you?¡± The rankings of the group looked like this at the moment:
1 Heather
2 Victor
3 Peter
4 Rich
5 Sergio
¡°Not that I can¡¯t stand it, but... it certainly has been hard to deal with. I was better at fighting than you only a month ago. Now that we¡¯ve begun the training regimen that Bearcat went through before his transformation, you¡¯re starting to dance circles around the rest of us. It¡¯s a bit dispiriting. Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯ll catch up with you soon and put you back in your place.¡± Heather smiled, her polished white teeth peeking out from her lips. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try. I don¡¯t have any intention of slowing down for noobs like you though. So keep up if you can.¡± Victor just shook his head while chuckling. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got to go. I have to maintain appearances for my rotation at least. Even if I¡¯ve already got a job secured, I still want to get my diploma and that ¡®Dr.¡¯ prefix for my name. Bitches love a prefix. See you guys later.¡± Adrian nodded as his friend walked out the door. Suddenly feeling a circular movement of air on his side, he quickly dove the opposite direction and popped up from his roll grinning. ¡°Very good! Seems like you remembered yesterday¡¯s lesson.¡± Heather recovered quickly from her attempt at a roundhouse kick to his temple and rushed over, raining a steady stream of precise blows at weak points on Adrian¡¯s body. He perfectly met and deflected each, redirecting their force and trying to get Heather to lose her balance if she overcommitted. Just when they had started to settle into a rhythm, he switched it up and aimed a glancing strike at one of the sensitive peaks on her chest. The feeling jarred her, a look of shock crossing her face as her arms unconsciously moved to cover herself. Adrian moved in, grabbing her head and throwing a solid long knee into her abdomen. After he pulled away, he dropped down and swept her legs from underneath her and she fell backwards to the mat, finding herself facing the same ceiling that Victor had earlier. Adrian appeared at her side, kneeling down. ¡°Do you know why it went like that?¡± Heather coughed a little as pain coursed through her stomach and she tried to regain the breath she¡¯d lost when she hit the mat. ¡°I got too used to the rhythm.¡± ¡°True, that was the first mistake. Your lesson yesterday though focused on the fact that combat is never fair or honorable. You allowed yourself to think along normal societal boundaries when it comes to your body, but in combat those sensibilities are meaningless. The groin shot is okay, but the breasts are off limits? Don¡¯t make me laugh. Since you didn¡¯t think it would happen, I made sure it happened.¡± Adrian grabbed her hand and vaulted her into a standing position. He paced about 2 meters away and turned around. Seeing her frustrated expression, he said, ¡°I won¡¯t necessarily do that again...maybe. Now, show me what you''ve got!¡± Heather dashed back to back towards him and struck towards him with renewed ferocity. *** ¡°But why a crown?¡± Raide asked curiously. His figure flashed in the monitor and the various new cameras in the room zoomed in on the circlet that was steadily getting more full as the sensors were added one by one. Adrian frowned in consternation, eyes tracing the wires feeding into a port located in the helmet. Even if the action was basically not needed due to his perfect recall, the human side of him still demanded that he double check all of his connections to ensure that no wires were crossed. A grimace flashed across his face. It was a feeling he needed to suppress. Trust the new you. ¡°An old fascination, I guess you could say.¡± He gingerly grabbed the crown with its interior exposed and palmed a thick plating of steel cut into a shape that would fit on the outside and slotted it over the wires which he pushed back inside. Positioning a few clamps into place to hold the two pieces together, he gave a it one last look over and then dropped a welder¡¯s helmet over his face. Bursts of light flooded the room as he methodically welded the crown into one final unit. ¡°How incredibly descriptive of you.¡± The AI commented drily. Adrian rolled his ethereal blue eyes as put down the torch and picked up a grinder while not saying a word. Bending back over, he set to smoothing out the welds he¡¯d just finished as he finally said, ¡°Fine.¡± Standing up from the stool where had been hunched for four hours, he cradled the headpiece in his hands and examined every millimeter of its construction. ¡°I was always intrigued by the idea of the ideal ruler, a monarch who weighed each action with iron-wrought determination and foresight. He would essentially be a being where all power coalesced and concentrated into his existence, not for the purpose of tyranny, but of reciprocal noblesse oblige.¡± All of the lines were sharp and angular, savage yet regal. Sweeping diamonds of steel with embedded micro wide-angle lenses pointed proudly heavenwards like speaheards. Raide¡¯s attention flitted between the two. ¡°I remember you discussing something similar with Nova,¡± he murmured. The apartment was incredibly quiet apart from the dutiful cluster server''s fans. ¡°True, but it was only a touch. It''s one of those things that a human dares not speak about at length lest he alienate the listener.¡± Adrian¡¯s lips parted into a small smile. Softly glowing electric eyes lovingly traced the contours of the intricate enameling he''d engraved by hand on the front of the ballistic shell that protected the internal components. ¡°Because who else could understand that person''s unique fixation on a concept and its symbols? The enduring millennial fortitude of an ideal as old as man. The resonance of a soul with an archetypal truth...¡± He picked up a paintbrush waiting nearby on the workstation and dipped it in a pool of swirled darkness. ¡°That seems like it was made just for him? They can be simple circlets of steel...¡± Brush. ¡°They can be ornate frames of vainglorious splendor that curl and twist...¡± Dab, brush. ¡°But it''s always been obvious to me that all the crowns of history and myth were nothing but prototypes of the one that will adorn my head.¡± Stroke, dab. ¡°It will have many versions over time, upgraded to suit my needs. Yet, it will be mine.¡± Brush. Adrian¡¯s eyes moved back to rest on Raide¡¯s face. ¡°The final crown.¡± Chapter 11 - Under Construction OLD CONTENT WARNING Everything below is the unedited, un-rewritten story line of Archon. Treat it as an alternate dimension for now - one where certain side plots, relationships, and personality types are vastly different from what you''ve read up till now. Thank you for your patience. The rewrite is covering chapters 8-12 in the future.
Adrian felt like he was going to be sick. Like a whirlpool, fear and fury mixed together in a surging current at the pit of his stomach. Silently closing the door to Nova¡¯s apartment, he slowly made his way down the stairs. God, if I hadn¡¯t been able to make it in time after Raide told me...The cool, wet night air washed over him in its accustomed blue waves producing a calming effect on his raging mind. Security lights dotted the edge of the apartment complex¡¯s parking lot and he realized he was unconsciously studying the shadows for lurking entities. He had just arrived back in town when Raide alerted him to the irregularities surrounding Nova. His A.I. had been keeping a constant watch on her for the past two months, mainly to be sure that there weren¡¯t any indications of her sharing their secret. She had been quiet, unnervingly so, yet she hadn¡¯t even once begun to type up a message that would have revealed them. When Raide saw her moving into a dangerous part of town, he reallocated some of his secondary processing power to tap into the area¡¯s gas station cameras and surveillance equipment of any business within the vicinity. When the group interacted with her, he ran facial scans and brought back their criminal history, then notifying Adrian to divert from the airport and head her way. It was close. Too close...it could even be described as pure happenstance that he was in town. He hated that with a passion. It reminded him how out of control he was. Ever since the creation of Raide, Adrian had grown used to the comfort of having an edge over others in the sheer amount of information that he controlled. All of his plans were laid out to perfection, or as close to that as information allowed, but that was the kicker as well. He couldn¡¯t, no, THEY couldn¡¯t afford to forget about the millions of random variables at play in the world. He couldn¡¯t help but chide himself over and over for committing such an oversight.Yet, Adrian wasn¡¯t the most disturbed by the situation that Nova was in when he arrived. Primarily, he felt confused. Why did Nova being in that situation make him feel so sick? He felt as if he was forgetting something. He tried going back over his memories of other female friends throughout his years, but he couldn¡¯t describe the emotion that he knew he had to have experience in. Hell, it seems like it dropped out of his vocabulary entirely. It was on the tip of his tongue, but seemed to elude his thoughts for some reason. The more exasperated he became, the stronger the feeling that whatever it was he was missing could be described as ¡°fundamental.¡± Recognizing the futility of brooding on this subject, Adrian flipped over to the emotion he could understand - anger. While feeling himself settle a little after he assured himself of her safety once again, he spoke to Raide, ¡°Have you found any connections on those bastards? You heard what he said right as we got there.¡± ¡°A few. I¡¯ve successfully traced back up the hierarchy. They come from an organization called ¡°Envy¡± with a total membership of 150, 25 of those in leadership positions. They¡¯re involved in the underground slave trade and-¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, they won¡¯t exist after a few hours. Sweep the city for signs of the leadership. I need to know where they are.¡± Adrian harshly spat out his words, cutting off Raide. Getting into his car, Adrian took a glance at his rearview mirror, eyeing the black case positioned in the back before pulling away from the curb. I¡¯m going to enjoy giving the new equipment a test run. Thinking of something else, he added, ¡°Drop the surveillance protocol on Nova to your 5th priority slot. She¡¯ll be out till morning after a night like this.¡± ¡°Roger that. First 10 leaders have also been located in the most likely locations, canvassing will take approximately 1 more hour with the new allocation of processing power. Sir, should we bring in the others? It may be a good opportunity for experience.¡± After a moment, Adrian said, ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. After their training these past two months, they could be of use...okay, send a mission brief to them with a summary of tonight¡¯s events. If they want to be involved, tell them to be at the training basement in 1 hour. Add an incentive of whoever gets the most kills gets to have Big Ben.¡± ¡°And...done. Ah, that¡¯s fast. Rich is asking if you¡¯ll be participating in the competition part.¡± Adrian smiled devilishly while watching the headlights pass by. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not going to hand over the gun willingly.¡± In the corner of his eye, he saw a visual display of the five team members¡¯ profile pictures show up in a line on the display screen of his center console. One by one, check marks flashed into existence in the corner of each display. ¡°I¡¯m reading a full acceptance of the mission opportunity, sir.¡± A malicious grin shadowed Adrian¡¯s face. ¡°Time to gear up then.¡± *** The body was curvy in all the right ways. A vivacious brownish gold radiated from the slender physique, sweat quietly formed and beaded downward pulled by the perpetual force of gravity. Whoever gazed at it would know that no secrets would be shared after their parting, so a sense of complacent happiness pervaded all in attendance to such a sight. Victor stopped studying his beer and picked up the glass, throwing back the last dregs of the cold pint before turning to the sexy bartender and nodding to her for a refill. A thin film of smoke permeated the air, creating a haze that played with the eyes and tickled the nose. A large flat screen above the dimly lit row of liquor showed the highlights of some baseball games. Victor knew that this next beer would need to be his last so he could get back and get enough rest to be at work tomorrow. He wasn¡¯t getting paid, but it was no longer about the money. Back when Bearcat first met with him, he was assured that his financial situation would be handled. Victor had wondered if his friend was merely pulling his leg, but true to his word he received notice that all of his $150,000.00 student loan debt had been paid off and a $10,000.00 living expense advance wired to his account for the two months leading up to the facility¡¯s completion. If it was Rich, he would measure by alcohol and weed consumption, but Vic was a bit more practical. He had two little sisters in college down the road at the University of Georgia. Always keeping their needs in mind, he decided to keep half and throw the other 5K to them. According to Bearcat, a series of suites would be built alongside the facility so that team members could live on site for free. Victor was heavily considering this to cut down on extraneous expenses, not to mention the fact that he loved to be in the middle of the action. The more he thought about it, the more he could feel the weight of all that debt being lifted off of his metaphorical shoulders. It felt amazing. Here he was, enjoying the night at a bar with a few friends, money no longer an object of worry. Despite the fog nicotine laced fog that strained the eyes, the air felt cleaner and more refreshing than it had a few months ago. I owe Bearcat a lot now, but I¡¯d much rather be in debt to him than some unknown loan-tank assholes. Thinking back to what Adrian had said at the end of the meeting two months ago, Victor couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself, drawing a few looks from his friends. Cancer, huh...I gotta give it to him, he¡¯s ambitious alright. Really though, Victor felt himself drawn to Bearcat¡¯s plans because he knew that he would be involved in something groundbreaking for once in his life. Cure cancer? Hell, with an advanced A.I. in his pocket, it¡¯s more than possible. Factor in the serum he mentioned...if it did half of what Bearcat said it did for him, then the possibility went way up in the form of decades of research. Sure, he¡¯d pulled a bastard move by stealing the unfinished version from Biolink, but...well, whatever. What matters is that it¡¯s in their hands now. No corporation trying to glean a heavy profit from its manufacturing. The prospect of everything was incredibly invigorating. Turning to the newly acquainted Maddie on his left, he smiled and started to ask a question about her job, but was cut short by a vibration coming from his pocket. Apologizing to her, he took it out and brought up the notification. A few seconds passed and his eyes started to bulge as Maddie asked if everything was alright.
New Group Quest! Earlier this evening, an attempt at abduction and rape was made on Nova Svensson in a back alley. Fortunately, Mr. Pierce was about to make it to the scene before anything transpired. All three assailants were eliminated. After some research, it was determined to be a random event and found that the criminals were connected to an underground sex slave trade organization named ''Envy''. Per the orders of Mr. Pierce, an invitation has been cordially extended to you in hopes that you will join him in a midnight practice of skills and slaughter. Mission difficulty: C Time limit: Dawn Envy leaders eliminated [0/25] - shared Envy lackeys eliminated [0/125] - optional, shared Rewards: Experience King¡¯s Armor Set $15,000.00 Bonus! Highest # of kills reward: "Big Ben" Should you choose to accept, please indicate so and proceed to the training basement within the next <30> minutes.
AcceptDecline
Knocking his chair over, Victor exclaimed, startling those around him and drawing eyes all over the bar. ¡°What. the. actual. FUCK, BEARCAT!?¡± Looking to his left and right quickly, he sat back down and apologized to Maddie once again before returning his eyes to the screen in hand. Seriously, what the fuck is this? Truthfully, he knew exactly what it was before asking, but could only think the words in his head as he gazed as the weird notification. Victor was a hardcore gamer in his free time leading up Adrian reappearing in his life. Well-versed in a multitude of video games, he quickly dragged his eyes over the text and tried to forcefully merge his virtual knowledge with the implications of the text on the screen. Nova...? That was the chick from two months ago...what was she doing still in the picture? Ah hell Bearcat...what a macabre way of asking for help on avenging your crush. While the format and text was very lighthearted and game-like, the content gave Victor obvious pause. Killing in the real world is just¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure if he could cross the same line Bearcat had. He knew that his friend¡¯s heart was in the right place, but when it came to his own hand being the one to take the life, he felt a tug on his heart strings and a whisper reprimanding him for even considering it. It was unconscionable by normal standards. Yet, he also remembered how he felt when Adrian shared his dream of cleaning up corrupt elements in the world. Admiration. Pride. Comradery. Feeling the hesitation still, he wondered at his own intentions. Was he just living vicariously through his friend¡¯s efforts - willing to take part in the good part while turning a blind eye to the darker necessity? Was he deluding himself that he was just as committed as everyone else in being a part of this group? Questions swirled with his mind as a bead of sweat formed on his temple and traced his angular cheekbone down. A minute passed by before he finally made up his mind. Shit, I can¡¯t leave a bro to do this by himself. If something similar happened to a girl I was into, I¡¯d be out for blood as well and I know he¡¯d be there. Fuck. Slowly, his finger hovered over the accept button and then swiftly descended. Dropping a few bills on the counter, Victor ignored the protesting remarks from his other friends and simply said he had to go because an emergency came up before striding out into the drizzling darkness. *** Shaking off the droplets still clinging to his rain jacket, Victor entered one of the places with which he was now intimately familiar - the basement gym. It was the lowest floor of a low rent office complex on a backstreet away from the commercial areas. Bearcat had said Raide found it when the parameters had been input...or something like that. He followed most of what his friend said, but when it came to his A.I., he didn¡¯t even bother trying to understand. He figured his training took higher mental precedence if anything. Pushing open the door to the renovated gym area, he felt the cool air flow against his face and was greeted by the sight of Bearcat in a type of full body armor that was black for the most part and had a crimson undertone to it. As he recalled, his friend had gone through a phase of reading a bunch of Danish and Viking historical fictions. One time, over a game of beer pong, he had told Victor about the fact that the warriors of the era referred to their armor sets as ¡°war glory.¡± Seeing Bearcat standing here now with his armored body standing at ease with his arms across his chest, he could definitely see why that was the case. After scrutinizing him a bit further, he could tell that the crimson probably came from some sort of body suit underneath the overlaid armor that peeked out from the non vital areas. This was further evidenced by the tight neck piece that came up out his armor all the way to his jugular. A helmet of some sort sat off to the side, but it was unlike anything he had ever seen. It looked like a three-way cross between a futuristic space helmet, a v-shaped center faceplate of opaque glass, and a crown. Okay, that is definitely weird, but totally badass. Finally tearing his eyes aware from the superhuman in front of him, he just now noticed that three others were already there. Rich, Peter, and Heather all nodded to him as he made his way to stand in a line that faced Adrian. Everyone seemed to have formed behind a similar row of black cases. There were five in all to match the number of the team members besides Bearcat. A voice came from in front of him and only now did Victor see the startling reality of Bearcat¡¯s eyes - they were crimson like the body suit under his armor. He had only ever seen the electrified blue. Within these new blooded ones, Victor felt a clashing dichotomy of dullness and sharpness like there was something missing while other aspects were being enhanced. Hmm, doesn¡¯t seem anyone else is mentioning it. I¡¯ll ask him about it later. ¡°Good to see you here Vic.¡± ¡°Likewise, ¡®Cat. Gotta say though, your invite was a little weird.¡± Confusion passed over Bearcat¡¯s face before realization struck. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious...what did Raide send you?¡± Seriously, are these fools so intimidated that they didn¡¯t say anything? The four standing together looked at each other and then started smirking before busting out into laughter, ruining the once serious atmosphere. Victor stepped over his case and handed him the cellphone with the notification pulled up. The tension in Adrian¡¯s jaw slackened as he slowly started to shake his head with an expression of disbelief. Blinking, he handed the phone back and spoke out into the air,¡±God help you Raide if we ever build you a body. Swear I¡¯m going to stick you in a robotic chicken as punishment.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s a...perfectly reasonable invitation I sent to them sir.¡± Raide began to simulate a cough in a speaker that resounded from the phone. This statement only served to reignite the laughter from the gathered friends. Who would have thought that the personality the A.I. liked the best was one of a troll. We are one weird as fuck group. Suddenly, sound rang out from the door as Sergio bustled into the room, apologizing for cutting it so close. There were only three minutes until the deadline for getting there. Bearcat¡¯s eyes swept over the group and started speaking. ¡°I want to thank you all for participating in this. While there was incentive to be here, it doesn¡¯t negate the fact that the job is...personal for me. You didn¡¯t have to come, so once again thank you.¡± He strode over and sat on his own black case before continuing. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°In front of you, you¡¯ll find tailored armor that matches mine in functionality. These are yours to keep. The suits are thermo-regulated, shock resistant, heat resistant, bulletproof up to a .50 cal, and knife-proof. They boast a 3-dimensional sensor array tie-in that is located on your helmet for Raide to assist you. Speaking of the helmets, they have an integrated heads up display so that Raide can keep track of your ammo usage and so forth. Unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t have the processing power to help much this go around other than that, so you¡¯ll need to rely on your training and wits to stay in the clear. Go ahead and take them out.¡± Each of the five swiftly opened their cases and were awed at the suits and helmets in front of them. They found that each of them had a specific color suit to go under the raven black armor. Adrian was crimson, Heather - sky blue, Victor - metallic grey, Rich - forest green, Peter - dark purple, and Sergio - dark orange. The colors didn¡¯t stand out too much as the external armor covered up 98% of the underlying suit. Bearcat started talking again as everyone began to remove the case¡¯s contents. ¡°While these are vastly superior to anything the police wear, you need to understand that you are not impervious to damage now. You¡¯re still susceptible to the kinetic force being transferred into your body. If you jump out in front of of three guys with automatic weapons, I doubt you¡¯ll be able to move for a week after all the bruising you¡¯ll receive. The armor is not even either, by the way. You obviously noticed the cracks that show the body suit underneath, right? As you can imagine, these should be protected. They¡¯re most vulnerable to well-aimed knife attacks. I had to leave some give to allow for flexibility in movement. As for armaments, you¡¯ll be receiving a silenced AR-15 tactical with six clips, a Colt 1911 with three clips, and your very own plasma dagger that Raide and I perfected last week. You may resupply after each building in transit to the next.¡± A few murmurs passed between Sergio and Peter. Adrian knowingly smiled. ¡°It cuts through a human body like butter so for God¡¯s sake, be careful with it. Imagine being the one to accidently to cut off their own nuts...yes, I¡¯m looking at you Pete, ya damn clutz.¡± A snicker could be heard over the phone¡¯s speaker. There¡¯s gotta be a story there. Have to remember to ask later... ¡°Alright then, the specific details will be given in route by Raide. Speaking of which, be serious with them this time okay?¡± ¡°...If I must.¡± Did he really just sound disappointed? ¡°The van ready?¡± ¡°It is indeed.¡± Bearcat turned spoke to the group again. ¡°Alright then, you can go and get chan-¡± A rustling came from Victor¡¯s left and he turned only to be shocked to see Heather stripping right there. Soon all that were left on her was a sports bra that somehow accentuated her perky B cup breasts and a pair of compression shorts. She shot a look around at the stunned males and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°What, time¡¯s short, right?¡± A few seconds later, she slowly slid into the tight body suit and zipped it up. The sight was enough to drive them mad so one by one the guys all started averting their attention to get dressed themselves. Has she always been like that? Victor could see Peter over in the corner trying to subtly flaunt his bare muscular chest whenever Heather looked near his way. Chuckling, Victor thought to himself, not happening bud. He felt sorry for him, but he¡¯d seen how Heather only looked at Bearcat. Knowing Bearcat¡¯s tendencies though, it might be better for her to go after Rich or one of the other guys. Adrian had shared with Victor one time that he rarely saw a girl the same way after they broke up. Soon all were dressed and inspecting their weapons in the manner that Bearcat had trained them and filed out to the non descript black van by the entrance. Twenty seconds later and they were on their way, taillights blurring into the darkness. *** ¡°Comms check.¡± Adrian¡¯s voice rang out into his visor and soon saw tiny colored dots flash on his HUD every time one radioed back. ¡°Heather here.¡± ¡°Sergio, check.¡± ¡°This is Peter - check.¡± ¡°Can you add a handle of whiskey to the quest reward?¡± ¡°V here, check.¡± Rolling his eyes, Adrian said, ¡°all comms are good. Raide, give them the rundown.¡± ¡°As you all may have guessed, they aren¡¯t all congregated at one location. In order to handle them effectively, you will split into three teams of two. Pairs are as follows: team 1 is Adrian and Heather, team 2 is Rich and Peter, followed by team 3 - Victor and Sergio. Each team will be dropped off at one location to sweep the building. I will be dedicating the majority of my processing power to filter communication in and out of each area we hit. There are 10 separate buildings we need to hit. This is a normal operating time of day for them, so this will allow us to account for an approximate 85% of the Envy organization. It is imperative that you go slowly. Before you pull the trigger, make sure you can get a good look at their faces. My second task is to match their facial features against my database to ensure they are in fact related, so watch your HUD for a green checkmark. If it lights up, spray away. Or knife away. Whatever you¡¯re into. We now have 5 hours and 29 minutes until dawn. Each team will be responsible for three locations. The final 10th building, which is their sort of HQ, will be a joint assault of all three teams. Team 3, ETA to your drop is 5 minutes. Questions?¡± Peter¡¯s light came on as he asked, ¡°So was that thing about Big Ben real? You¡¯re going to give away that monster hand cannon?¡± Big Ben was a prototype handgun that Adrian built for the hell of it. It was, in all manners of the word, massive. Boasting a .50 caliber barrel design inspired by the desert eagle, he¡¯d even gone so far as to attach a single 30mm grenade launcher on the bottom of the barrel. It was heavy, so much so that only Adrian could easily wield the thing. All of them knew though that as soon as they were upgraded, they¡¯d be able to handle it with ease as well. Chuckling, Adrian replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know about giving, but I did think that it would make a good reward. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s very...practical. So I may not make another one.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even fire the damn thing it¡¯s so large. You boys are more than welcome to it,¡± Heather said flippantly. Pete cracked up at that, ¡°You hear that guys? It¡¯s too large for her.¡± Rich snorted at him, ¡°What are you, 12?¡± Adrian could feel the immense eye rolling come from under Heather¡¯s opaque visor. ¡°Fuck you, Pete,¡± she said. ¡°Anytime,¡± he replied cheekily. ¡°That¡¯s enough of that,¡± rang out Adrian¡¯s annoyed voice over the comm channel. ¡°Team 3 ready?¡± The van came to a stop. ¡°Go.¡± Driving around in a van to do this blows. Can¡¯t wait to get the A1-SX built. The pair quickly left the van and rushed into the building that seemed to have have a paradoxical black glow. Pulling away, the van made one more stop twenty minutes later, dropping off Rich and Peter this time. Another 15 minutes passed before Adrian and Heather found themselves at the building they were going to be clearing. In the corner of his HUD vision, he saw some counters continually going up for the other two teams. Damn impressive guys. Looks like Vic is in the lead. Parking the van, both quietly exited and made their way in the front door, ignoring the few cameras positioned near the entrance. Raide will already be in those. I shouldn¡¯t distract him by asking for confirmation. Speaking to Heather on their own team channel, Adrian pointed towards a small string of offices down a hall, ¡°We¡¯ll take the right first.¡± The two rolled on the balls of their feet as they swiftly crept to the first room that had a light shining of its open door frame. Small dust particles could be seen floating in a vortex of the light. Adrian darted his head in and out, capturing a snapshot of the room¡¯s contents. Three faces. A split second later, Raide¡¯s judgment came back with a glaring green checkmark indicating they were Envy members. Glancing at Heather, he noticed a slight shake of the hand resting on top of her dagger hilt. Whispering softly, he said, ¡°You okay?¡± In his ears he only got back purposely steady breathing, showing just how scared she was. Sighing, he turned towards her and backed away from the door frame while placing a hand on her shoulder, continuing to whisper. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re okay...Look, I understand the hesitation. But remember, these people are involved in a slave trade. A sex slave trade. What if it was your sister Mimi to be the one who got stolen from your family? That¡¯s that what these people are doing to a multitude of families. We¡¯ve got to stop it here and send a message.¡± Listening in on her breathing over the comms, he heard her stop breathing once he mentioned Mimi and quickly forced a large breath before nodding, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m good now.¡± Nodding back at her, he turned back to the doorframe. Sounds of a football game could be heard on the right wall inside the room. ¡°Two on the couch to the left, one at the table 3 meters in. Take the table guy. Daggers only.¡± Receiving a ¡®roger¡¯, he counted down on his fingers from 3 and rushed into the room in a blur. Clearing a small coffee table, he leapt at the first guy, feeling his humming blade bite into the man¡¯s throat. A nauseating, gurgling hiss came from the neck as Adrian¡¯s plasma dagger was already in the midst of slashing the second man¡¯s throat. An overwhelming look of fear and confusion settled on each of their faces as they bled out weakly and then died. Two seconds had passed since he entered the room. Turning to the man at the table, Adrian saw Heather throw a normal speed slash at her target¡¯s throat as well, but was blocked by a panicked arm shield. Normally, the blade would have maybe bit deeply and she would have had to retract and keep trying to find a way through his guard, but this was a plasma dagger. The proffered arm severed 6 cm above the wrist where the blade contacted and the man¡¯s hand went flying, a look of bewilderment and pain beginning to course through his face. In that moment of confusion, Heather drew her dagger back slightly and plunged it straight through his throat not only severing the vocal chords, which was the goal, but all also easily piercing the spinal cord resulting in an instant death. Withdrawing her dagger, Adrian heard the hum of the blade die down and she wiped the blood on the man¡¯s clothes. Regarding his friend, Adrian felt a slight conflicted smile creep across his face underneath the darkened visor. Good for you, Heather. Though, at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Is it inevitably all for my sake she now has blood on her hands? It¡¯s true that their friend group was abnormal in what they thought was acceptable, but the reality was that the lines still existed where they¡¯d always been. Talking about it versus actually taking another¡¯s life...it was for this that Adrian was worried about his friends. No, his team. Signaling to Heather, they both stalked out of of the room. Moving from shadow to shadow, the pair made their way through all the rooms of the hall, netting another 9 kills - 3 for Adrian and 6 for Heather. She seemed to be calming down and accepting what was happening, so he had decided to allow her to take on the majority of opponents to get some good experience. ¡®If she isn¡¯t challenged, she won¡¯t grow¡¯ was his reasoning, but he also couldn¡¯t help but watch her tiny, black and light blue petite figure weave a maelstrom of death. Who knew that a sight could be so entrancing? *** A splash of blood arced across the wall as Peter made a heavy upper slash across a man¡¯s chest. Gore had already found its way to his chest armor from his numerous previous victims, cutting a gruesome figure of carnage and its dealer. Everytime he saw another sizzling spray rip its way from someone¡¯s body courtesy of his plasma blade, a bolt of electricity would shoot through him causing him to shiver in ill-concealed glee. The stench of burnt flesh and blood filled his nostrils, making him feel weirdly nostalgic though this was the first time he¡¯d ever killed before. God, this is what I¡¯ve been missing! Using his techniques learned from Adrian, Peter sliced his way through a group of 4 while he could hear Rich doing the same on the other side of the hall, though it seemed he was having a bit harder of a time. With these ridiculous sets of armor that Bearcat gave them, he wasn¡¯t too worried however. Every so often, one or two would manage to pull a glock, but Peter religiously ignored them, instead dashing with excitement to their side. The reaction was always the same. They¡¯d pull the gun in a hurried effort to deal some damage to the monster before them and then Peter would watch as despair filled their eyes as the few that manage to hit him were deflected and seemingly brushed off. One by one, he carved through them. It was... tantalizing. Warmth seemed to snake its way into his soul and nest there, releasing bursts of adrenaline every time another cut was made. Since their stealth had been blown earlier, he could tell that Rich opted to shoulder his AR-15 and squeezed off his rounds via precise semi-automatic firing. Small bursts of light and light compression of air were the only indication that lives were being taken from across the hall. Regrettably allowing the 4th man to die, Peter stopped and peered at the rankings displayed on the HUD.
RankingContenderKills
1Victor12
2Peter10
3Heather7
4Adrian5
5Rich4
6Sergio3
Suddenly, while viewing the listing, Adrian¡¯s number started skyrocketing quickly overtaking Peter and Victor¡¯s top scores. He was already sore that Bearcat had stolen Heather for his pairing, so this was just too much. Eyes growing large, Peter exclaimed, ¡°What the fuck!¡± before sprinting away down the hall trying to find his next prey. *** ¡°Mother. Fucking. Jackpot,¡± said Adrian darkly. Having looped around to the outside of the neighboring warehouse, he and Heather peered through some grimy windows, witnessing a distressing scene. Several cages containing scantily clad girls were being loaded into a shipping truck container probably bound for some port. He heard a sharp intake of air from Heather when she first saw them and he could hear the faint mumbling of curses that flowed from her lips. This obviously had to be one of their shipping centers. Raide had theorized to him earlier about how the buildings were split up based on the data, this only confirmed the fact. Sweeping his HUD over the environment, a box danced between faces signifying Raide running his check. Just as expected, all the 15 worker types were with Envy. Two more that were lazily standing off to the side smoking came back as part of the leadership hierarchy. Crouching back down and pressing his back against the wall, he turned to Heather and said calmly, ¡°This group is mine.¡± Heather¡¯s head whipped to his direction. ¡°What the fuck does that mean? I saw Raide¡¯s tally - there¡¯s 17 of ¡®em, Bearcat.¡± Shaking his head, Adrian said, ¡°I know, but it¡¯s about time you see what those with an upgrade are capable of. Watch the perimeter and engage if they look to interrupt.¡± Without giving her a chance to reply, he moved like a shadow up a pipe on the wall, before carefully opening a high window and curling his body inside. Chapter 12 - Under Construction OLD CONTENT WARNING Everything below is the unedited, un-rewritten story line of Archon. Treat it as an alternate dimension for now - one where certain side plots, relationships, and personality types are vastly different from what you''ve read up till now. Thank you for your patience. The rewrite is covering chapters 8-12 in the future.
Silent as the grave, a high placed, small window opened and closed as a shadow slipped into the warehouse space. Balancing easily on the metal rafter, Adrian looked around as he moved further in. Darkness shrouded him and his surroundings. Large blocks of light would cut through the I-beams that crisscrossed the upper portions of the building, but he¡¯d only move around them and submerge himself back into the shadows. He cast his eyes down and analyzed the scene once again, intently cataloging and quantifying the enemy¡¯s movements in relation to the environment. Every gesture and action was absorbed to an inhuman degree and he quickly began to form an attack strategy. He planned the time it took to reach the ground and the first group of five that had just taken a break to chat, the radial acceleration he¡¯d need to successfully connect a slashing pivot, the highest probability reactions of those he¡¯d encounter, the melee movements and the appropriate force to use without being wasteful on the survivors, the vectors of the bullets that would undoubtedly be fired at him, his path between each target with keeping the the captured girls out of the line of fire, and inevitably the manner of each and every one of the men¡¯s deaths. Over the past month¡¯s worth of flights in coach he¡¯d endured, he elected to study up on anatomy in his spare time. He¡¯d found that pretending to be a med student was a great alibi to pass his boredom on planes. Seat mates would question him and he used the experience to mold his faux persona into something ironclad while learning at the same time. Adrian had gained great insight into the most crucial parts of the human body and was itching to employ it in a larger scale battle like this one. He anticipated that his planned brutality would also serve another purpose: to incite fear. If he could successfully create a gory enough bloodbath, he could trigger the primal fight or flight response and collapse their rationality early on. Once that was achieved, all that was left was to mop up. Well that and he had a little surprise for Heather. When he¡¯d mentioned that they¡¯d bruise and wouldn¡¯t be able to walk for a week if they got focus fired, he hadn¡¯t been referring to himself. His finite control over his body and exorbitant difference in strength and resiliency would enable him to shrug off the kinetic forces directed at him like he would a child¡¯s fists. It may be a little harder if they shoot him center mass as it would transfer into his body more uniformly, but if they hit any of the more angular pieces of armor, the bullets would be deflected off while departing minimal resultant force. Adrian listened to the banter of the men 7 meters below, their joviality discordant with the faint whimpering in the background. Through his helmet, Raide flagged 29 boys and girls, predominantly girls, of various ages spread out among a few large cages. A few sniffled as they clung to each other, barely wearing anything beyond a set of lingerie that was given to them at wherever they came from. Is their lust so great that they can discard their humanity to such a degree? A slap rang out when one of the workers felt that the girls were getting too cheeky. Adrian couldn¡¯t see the victim though - the line of sight was off. Curious, no one¡¯s crying. A conditioned response, he guessed. Positioning himself over the largest idle group, Adrian breathed in slowly as a smile of anticipation crept onto his face. A small message from Raide popped up on his HUD as he stepped off to plummet to the ground 7 meters below.
Happy hunting!
Inside the helmet, a small smirk flashed in the opaque glass as twin orbs of crimson began to intensify and shine, air whistling past his body. With a thud, body armor met flesh. *** Born to parents Jou Tamura and Tamaki Tamura, Inori had spent all of her life in the States. Her father is a mechanical engineer that accepted a position at Georgia Tech back in the early 1990¡¯s to teach fluid mechanics in undergrad. He brought his new young wife with him. Both of them struggled to adapt to the culture and language at first, but as time went on they became more comfortable and learned to enjoy the new experiences and environment. Eventually, Tamaki became pregnant in 1994 and gave birth nine months later, in the heart of April, to a baby girl they named Inori. Any who saw the babe were enraptured by her bubbly cuteness and knew that she would grow to be a beautiful woman one day. From that moment onward, Inori was a light in her parents life, excelling in etiquette (which they insisted upon), sports, and her studies. Driven by the examples of her academic father and loving homemaker mother, Iori cruised through her middle and high school years with little difficulty and trials of life. She was popular in her own right, having a happy life with a close knit group of friends and family. There were a few boyfriends, but each came and went when Inori found that they wanted a relationship that was more serious than her studies could allow. Her dream lay in the stars. Inheriting her father¡¯s love for math, she knew how much that would be needed when she felt the call towards the final frontier. Aerospace seemed the best choice and upon high school graduation, she swore that she would satisfy her curiosity and bring humanity a step closer to what she felt was their desitny. She desired to prove that mankind could do anything once they set their mind to it and reinvigorate a generation of dreamers who were disillusioned with life. Soon, it became time for her to pursue her own college dream and she applied to the college her father had worked at for 22 years. Easily accepted, she spent the next two years working her way through undergrad before that day. How the fates must have mocked her up until then. Three days before her birthday, Inori was abducted. A group of men had seen her on her daily walk and train commute to class and planned out the deed. It wasn¡¯t to extort her family for money, these men worked for Envy - an up and coming underground slave auction that had moved into the Atlanta area in the past few years. Twistedly lucky for her, this group was more professional in a sense than she expected. The event itself was unremarkable; it was a classic snatch and grab. Blindsided by a bag over her head as she passed a van, she never even had a chance to use her painstakingly practiced Weng Chun. After she was taken, she was humiliated and examined like livestock. Found to be a virgin, she was shunted off to join the so-called Diamond Standard group that consisted of other much younger girls and even a few boys. Her treatment was better, but still belittling as all whom she interacted with saw them as a product and nothing more. Their fear and anger meant nothing to them. She endeavoured to protect the younger girls and boys there, so in a short amount of time she came to be looked up to by everyone in the group of which she was the oldest. Some of the younger girls even took up calling her ¡°big sis¡± after they learned what she was like. A few days after she was abducted, she was given a set of lacy black lingerie and was paraded onto a stage where several men and a few women ogled her, along with several cameras. No chains adorned her limbs, but she nonetheless felt suffocated and bound by the intensely sickening environment and situation. All hope of rescue left her as the bids rained down and she was sold a bit later for an undisclosed astronomical sum. She was later told that she was sold to a particular oil sheikh that had a penchant for breaking in American girls. Finally blacking out due to the stress of her new harsh reality, Inori didn¡¯t awaken until they had all been shipped back to their customary warehouse to wait to be transferred to their buyers. Groggily sitting up, Inori¡¯s body ached as her bones and muscles strained against the cold concrete. The rattle of chains connected to her collar clinked against the hard surface. Raising her emerald eyes, she threw a halfhearted glance to her surroundings before turning her dead gaze on her captors. How she hated every single one of them, especially... Oh no...Shit. Looking to her right, Inori accidentally met eyes with the worst one of the bunch, Jakub. He had taken some type of perverse liking to her and ritualistically tormented her whenever she ¡°gave him a reason.¡± Sauntering over, Jakub smirked after licking his lips. ¡°What do we have here? Our little princess finally decided to grace us with her attention.¡± Speaking a little louder for his coworkers to hear in his heavy Albanian accent, he said, ¡°Staring so intently at me. What do you say boys - think she¡¯s falling in love with me?¡± Leaning a little closer, he grabbed the chain connected to her collar and dragged her face towards the bars of her personal cage. He slowly reached out his left hand and caressed her face, thumbing over the small beauty mark beside her left eye. ¡°Such a shame¡­¡± he continued huskily, lust thick on his breath, ¡°I could have showed you such pleasures. Though, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get plenty of use though when you get to Sheikh Khalid. Lucky bastard.¡± Inori¡¯s dead eyes gazed back at him, registering his words but not deigning to give him the response he was looking for. Jakub ran his fingers through her jet black hair as he continued. ¡°You know, if the stories are to be believed, I hear he ties up his fresh meat for two weeks solid when they arrive. Something to do with vibrators and never allowing them to get release until they see him for the first time. From there, a lot of ¡®conditioning¡¯ happens and then, well, it¡¯s a long life of S&M for you little lady. You¡¯ll be a masochist along with the best of ¡®em before long!¡± A little fire came back into Inori¡¯s eyes as she heard his words and spat in his face. Chuckling, he wiped the liquid off of his face with his sleeve while opening the cage door. When it was fully open, he suddenly reared back and threw a massive slap. Inori¡¯s state of malnourishment and shackles didn¡¯t allow her to try and avoid or block, so her head was turned with the force thrown into her right cheek. Her body was lifted a little of the ground as her head was thrown against a perpendicular set of bars, dazing her. ¡°Fucking whore.¡± Turning, Jakub walked back to his friends. Watching the person she hated most in the world walk away in a bleary haze, Inori felt hot tears well within in her eyes. What did I do to deserve this? Just then, the sound of a body hitting the floor hard echoed from her left. Straining to clear her vision, she confusedly looked over to see a sight she¡¯ll never forget for the rest of her life. A man, helmeted and emblazoned in pitch black and crimson armor, was piercing a large, glowing knife into one of the worker¡¯s heads. Slight tendrils of steam could be seen wafting to the rafters above as he withdrew the blade. A sizzling hum reached Inori¡¯s ears. The entire room was silent as everyone gaped at the impossible scene, a slight tremor could be witnessed from each of the four other men right beside him. Never, in a million years, would anyone there have suspected that a futuristic looking soldier would drop down like an angel of death. Inori raked her eyes over the terrifying visage, inevitably drawn to the crown that sat imposingly on the man¡¯s helmet. Regally adorned for war, his body was perfectly composed. An air of superiority seemed to gush into the room from his very presence . A...King? No matter how hard Inori looked, she couldn¡¯t rationalize the sight before her. This man belonged in a fantasy novel, not standing in front of her. Not in a place like this. Slowly, the stranger rose to his feet as the light returned to all the Envy workers¡¯ eyes. Finally, Jakub seemed to recover himself the fastest.¡°What the he-¡± The figure moved. Reaching out with the glowing dagger, the soldier burst forward in a speed not befitting a human and delivered an arcing slash across the three tightest grouped of the four near him. Immediately, rivers of blood flowed out of each of their necks as they desperately clawed at themselves, trying to stem the receding tide of their own life force. The other 13 men spread out across the room finally recognized the threat he was and leveled their semi-automatic weapons. Noticing the adjustment, the armored man grabbed the last of the group of the five and hauled him in front of him right as gunfire erupted in bursts across the room. Inori saw the bullets shredding into the unfortunate worker and looked back at the gunmen with wide eyes. These men were trained. They didn¡¯t empty their clips into him and think it was over, some immediately tried to flank around to the intruder¡¯s sides while their comrades kept up suppression fire on the meat shield. Things looked incredibly dire for the armored man until something changed. Inori watched as some sort of armored fingers laced their way around the the neck of the long dead captive and picked him up like he was a paperweight. Everyone present could only stare as the armored man broke into a sprint towards his left where three men were trying to flank him. In the blink of an eye, he¡¯d reached the first of the three and flung his opponent¡¯s corpse at him like a shield bash. Bodies connected and the two were catapulted towards a forklift. Seeing what was coming, Inori couldn¡¯t look away as both were forcefully impaled on one of the forklift¡¯s arms. Inori knew that no human was capable of that kind of strength. Maybe if a really strong person was slamming them towards it right next to the machine, but definitely not from two meters away of empty space. The math...it just didn¡¯t make sense. The thing that confused her the most was that she couldn¡¯t see any type of gear mechanisms built into the suit of armor. The only things that looked sophisticated at all was the helmet and the weirdly glowing dagger still in his left hand. Is it ionizing the air near the critical edge? Nothing could explain the feat that she had just seen though except maybe cybernetics. But this level of technology was way beyond what humanity was currently capable of if that was the case. The integration necessary for such finely tuned movements and strength would require invasive neural linking and programming that would put all modern roboticists to shame. The more she watched the carnage unfolding before her, the more sure she was that she had absolutely no idea what this man actually was. Snapping back out of her reverie, Inori focused on the figure who was now no longer moving, two more corpses dotting his surroundings. A rich baritone voice rippled across the concrete like waves lapping at the shore. ¡°Your fate was sealed before I ever appeared.¡± At these words, he started walking calmly towards the next group. Seeing this, the remaining 9 men who were already terrified resumed their shooting. Droves of bullets raced towards the speaker, yet all simply deflected off as he pridefully strode forward. All training flew out the window for the ones in front of him and by the time he had appeared a few steps away, Inori could hear the frantic clicking of their guns signifying the empty clips. Light gleamed off the edges of his crown as he brought up his dagger. In a burst of motion, he sliced cleanly through the patellar tendon in one man¡¯s kneecap causing him to lose his balance and fall back and then buried the blade high in another¡¯s chest up to the hilt. What Inori didn¡¯t know was that it just missed the clavicle and scapula bones but still precisely severed the subclavian artery. The man would bleed out in a few minutes. Withdrawing the uncharacteristically cold blade, he blocked an incoming gun butt to his head and brought his free fist up into the attacker¡¯s solar plexus, the sound of shattering ribs reaching Inori¡¯s ears. Bringing his now glowing knife back down in the blink of an eye, he dispatched the man with the disabled leg by a blade to heart and then kicked off to the remaining 6 who were closing in on him. Having seen the reality of their ineffective bullets, each of them rushed the man in a desperate attempt to overwhelm him. Circling around as they met his charge, two men suffered the brunt of his fist and dagger combination earning broken limbs and punctured vitals. Another closed in swiftly and knew a bit of wushu. After a second, the combat turned however and the martial artist staved off the retaliatory blows as best as he could while each blow he blocked earned him a cracked bone. Every move was met almost intentionally by the attacking soldier. Soon, his arms hung limply at his side useless and he knelt down on the ground. Acknowledging the gesture, the armored infiltrator brought his 30 cm dagger up to a white hot glow and decapitated him in one fluid motion. Not pausing to wait for the final three, he slid his feet towards them with footwork that Inori couldn¡¯t recognize as belonging to one of the major martial arts. Seemingly gliding across the floor while dodging hastily thrown punches, he rotated his body gracefully in an upward spiraling arc, slamming the back of his boot into the carotid canal protecting the artery beneath and shattered both, rupturing the flow of blood to the brain. Settling back into a stance, he then reached out with that same free armored glove and gripped another man¡¯s throat before squeezing. Blood sprouted from the places the fingers were puncturing and soon the body went limp as he released it to hit the floor. That brought it to one remaining: Jakub. Whether intentional or not, Inori thought about how ironic it was to be watching Jakub¡¯s death like it was the best saved for last. Did their...rescuer...know what he had been doing to Inori? Impossible...surely, it¡¯s just by chance. The same rich voice interrupted her thoughts in a mocking tone. ¡°Seems my perfectionism is showing itself in the fact that I¡¯ve been allowing your deaths to be too clean up until now. And here I wanted to send a message.¡± Inori was just close enough to see Jakub¡¯s knees knocking together as a thin veil of steam wafted off of his pants. Grabbing Jakub¡¯s hair and bringing him limply up to eye level where his sniveling and terrified face could be seen in the visor¡¯s reflection, he continued quietly, ¡°Good thing we have one of you left.¡± The scene to follow could only be described as savage. Inori motioned for all the other boys and girls to look away, but she herself could not. For the first time in her life, she felt a sense of sick satisfaction watching the tormentor of her last few days meet a deservedly cruel end. When it was all said and done, hands and feet were aligned side by side in a grid along with every other extremity his body possessed. All that was left afterwards was an IKEA version of a human, ready and waiting to be reassembled. [A/N: Just in case you don¡¯t recognize the reference, IKEA is a furniture store popular in the States and Europe.] Hearing a sigh, Inori watched with wide eyes as the man got up and wiped his bloodied gloves on Jakub¡¯s clothes. Turning, he strode over to the first few cages and began severing the locks with his hot blade. At the sound of a door opening, everyone, except for their rescuer, turned their eyes in fear to see who might come to try and hinder their escape. What they saw though was not another of Envy¡¯s lackeys, but rather a petite woman armored similarly to the figure before them - the only differences being she had a toned down tiara-like crown and a different underlying colored suit. Her hips swayed lazily as she made her way to what Inori could only assume was her colleague. A few seconds passed as the two looked at each other. The man would shake his head and the girl would throw up a hand in a dramatic way. She looks pissed about something. After a small while, their exchange ended and the soldier continued slicing apart cells with his colleague doing the same from the other side. Soon, all of the kidnapped girls and boys were free and gathered in a group before the pair, their eyes showing their confusion and uncertainty. Who were these people? Were they with the police, or were they from another group just like Envy who planned to steal their ¡°merchandise.¡± These thoughts whirled in Inori¡¯s head, but she couldn¡¯t help but have a feeling that it was not the latter. Contrary to the earlier powerful tone, the man started talking in a smoother, calming air. ¡°I want to apologize for just now. I showed you all something pretty barbaric and I realize that may have scared some of you. Rest assured, I will not harm you in any way. While I¡¯m sure you want to be reunited with your families, I need to ask that you wait for just one more hour. My team is currently in the process of hitting the entire organization of bad guys and if the police found out about you now, we wouldn¡¯t be able to finish this tonight.¡± Pensive faces could be seen on each of the older one¡¯s faces while the younger kids looked confusedly between the groups. Inori recognized what he was planning for Envy and quickly spoke up as the representative of the captives present. ¡°You¡¯re planning on taking them all out?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Inori¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Then take as much time as you need.¡± Pausing to look at the younger girls, she continued, ¡°What will we do in the meantime though? Will one of you stay here with us?¡± An aura of hesitancy passed between the two for a brief moment before he responded. ¡°No, bu-¡± Several of the girls started whimpering and crying. ¡°BUT, I have a partner who will watch over you. He¡¯s tied into all of the cameras near and in this building, so you¡¯ll be perfectly safe. You, what¡¯s your name?¡± A small tinge of warmth flooded Inori¡¯s cheeks because only then did she remember how embarrassingly exposed she was. ¡°I¡¯m Inori.¡± Earlier, she didn¡¯t think anything of her dress because she was effectively in front of beasts, not men. Now that an actual human being had shown up, the concept of decency returned to her. I¡¯d kill for some clothes right now. ¡°Well then, Miss Inori, would you feel comfortable wielding a weapon as an extra precaution?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve shot a gun before. I also know a bit of martial arts.¡± He chuckled a bit, probably from the stereotype she was perpetrating. It didn¡¯t bother Inori though. She¡¯d experienced similar reactions before. ¡°Good, good. Walk with me and we¡¯ll pick one out for you from what these thugs have dropped.¡± The pair walked over to the dead bodies and Inori finally saw up close the damage that had been wrought. If she hadn¡¯t seen the entire thing, she¡¯d have guessed that a cyborg wielding a lightsaber had cut his way through the room. Thinking of the man walking next to her, she could only laugh to herself. That¡¯s not too far off. As she studied the various wounds, she could see that the majority were cauterized, thus confirming her suspicions that the dagger was outputting an incredible amount of heat. Stealing a sidelong glance at the blade in question, she futilely tried to discern any clues of the technology housed within, but couldn¡¯t see anything as it was sheathed. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The rescuer suddenly stopped and bent down, grabbing an uzi and glock from a corpse. While examining them, he said, ¡°If I recall, this guy was one of the first five to die so he didn¡¯t waste any bullets. Here.¡± Inori received the weapons and gingerly held them before throwing the uzi¡¯s strap over her right shoulder and leaving the glock in her right hand. She hadn¡¯t been lying when she said that she¡¯d shot a gun before, but truth be told, she¡¯d only done it twice at a range. Even then, it was a .22 rifle - a small caliber rifle and more famous as a squirrel gun than as a weapon for home defense. Once more, she looked down and turned a bright shade of red seeing lots of bare skin and that disgusting black lace. Either the man didn¡¯t notice, or he had the grace to not comment. Turning back towards the group, he motioned for Inori to follow and the pair moved back to rejoin the others. After a bit, the two armored figures had found a suitable hiding spot for the remaining captives including Inori.The crimson warrior once more spoke to them, saying, ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, but Inori here is going to be with you and will keep an eye out for any stragglers that may come in. I really don¡¯t think this will happen though. As I said, I¡¯ve also got a friend watching over the area¡¯s cameras so you¡¯ll be perfectly fine. He¡¯ll send a text to this if anyone other than police or us move towards this building.¡± Taking out a cellphone he¡¯d palmed off of one of the dead guys, he handed it to Inori. ¡°Remember, one hour from now you can call 911 and they¡¯ll send someone out to you. I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t mention me or my colleagues, but I understand that some of the younger children probably won''t be able to keep a secret, so it¡¯s okay if it inevitably comes out. We were just passing through, so it¡¯s not like they¡¯d be able to find us in this city. I wish you all the best of luck.¡± Turning, he started to walk towards the door. Inori¡¯s mind began to race as she looked at his receding back. If I let him walk out that door, I¡¯ll never get to see him again. When will I ever get another chance to see such advanced technology up close? I¡¯m sure his organization isn¡¯t only involved in weapons...maybe he¡¯d let me work for him? Oh, who am I kidding, I don¡¯t even have a degree - why would they even be interested in hiring someone like me? But...on the off chance he could use me...UGH, screw it! Biting her lip, she scurried after the duo and tapped the man¡¯s shoulder, causing him to turn around with his head tilted to the side. Steeling her resolve, she brought voice to her thoughts while bringing her clenched fists to her chest, ¡°I know you probably already have a team to help you out, but...please let me work for you!¡± Several seconds of silence passed before she realized that she hadn¡¯t said anything about herself or what she¡¯d be helping with. For all she knew, they might think she just propositioned them like a harlot trying to secure business for the night. Holding her breath, she almost launched into a hurried explanation, but the man started talking first. *** I swear, how do I get into these predicaments. He¡¯d just been verbally lashed by Heather for not warning her about his body being able to handle the impact forces from the barrage of bullets earlier. She was not the type to appreciate surprises it seems. Now, Adrian could only stare at the girl behind him dumbly for a split second before he turned off the voice channel to the outside and consulted Raide privately by uttering a single word. ¡°Background.¡± ¡°Already running facial recognition...ah, that¡¯s fortunate, she¡¯s a student at GT, your alma mater. Age 20, Inori Tamura, studies in Aerospace Engineering and was an honor graduate in high school. Parents are Japanese immigrants, blah blah blah.... relocated for work reasons back in the 90¡¯s..let¡¯s see, no ties to any government associations or politicians¡­.no outstanding loans or obligations beyond school and family life. Her record¡¯s clean. My recommendation is in favor of her recruitment. We may be able to increase the intelligence of your team, but we can¡¯t fabricate passion. She has it and could be very useful when we start on the aeronautical projects. I¡¯ve read some of her personal files and she¡¯s quite an impressive young lady. I should also remind you of the fact that you just saved her from slavery; her loyalty is practically assured.¡± Adrian mulled over his A.I.¡¯s words for a few seconds, trying to decide how to deal with the situation. He agreed with Raide¡¯s assessment for the most part, but he¡¯d have to be careful in how he handled it. He¡¯d already lied about where they were from to throw some misdirection into the witness accounts. May as well do it again. Looking over to Heather, he could feel something weird coming from under her helmet while she looked at the scantily clad beauty. Almost like a tingling on the back of his neck that seemed to warn of danger. Ignoring it, he reengaged the outside channel and started speaking to Inori who looked like she¡¯d just swallowed something that made her sick. He had been trying desperately all this time to not look down at the provocative image she was cutting, but it was becoming harder as time went on. ¡°Inori, you do realize that I just killed 17 people in cold blood, right?¡± She slowly nodded her head while regaining her composure. ¡°I know, but I¡¯m not so naive as to think that it would have been better for those men to go to court.¡± A girl after my own heart. He paused another moment before looking into her eyes saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but my answer¡¯s no. I¡¯ve looked into your background just now and I can¡¯t condone you throwing away your safety to become associated with us, no matter how talented of a prospective engineer you are.¡± It pained him a bit to see the resulting dejected look, but he had to cement the idea that she¡¯d been shut down in the other¡¯s minds. If the police questioned them later - which they most certainly will - they¡¯d undoubtedly find out about how Inori asked to work for us in front of everyone. In order to crush that association before it was made, the public rejection was necessary. Now here comes the redeeming part. Turning off the outside channel once again, he spoke to Raide saying, ¡°Send a text message to her on that phone detailing a location and time to meet us in three days. That should be plenty of time for the police to get all their questions out of their system. Delay it¡¯s sending by 5 minutes and then delete the record of it from the phone company¡¯s logs after it¡¯s been read.¡± Raide sounded quite amused. ¡°Oh, deleting evidence is my favorite!¡± After saying a few parting words of comfort, Adrian and Heather both waltzed out of the warehouse, leaving the group to wait for help to arrive. While they were walking back to the van to go and pick up the others, Heather threw a look towards Adrian while her comms light blinked on in a vivid blue. ¡°You know you just announced our presence to the world, right?¡± Adrian sighed a little and responded into his mike. ¡°I know, but what little of a conscience I do have wouldn¡¯t let me leave it alone when it almost happened to Nova. When I decided to do this, I knew there was a high chance of us finding girls like them. It¡¯s a risk, but one I¡¯ll gladly take for the payoff of not having these assholes on the streets anymore.¡± They arrived at the van and Adrian opened the door for Heather to get in. ¡°Plus, all the things that might tie us to my usual nighttime activities are nonexistent. The MO is different and I also hadn¡¯t used my plasma dagger or armor before everything happened with Nova. So don¡¯t worry about it. Raide will keep an eye out.¡± The two drove off and picked up the other two teams before moving towards the next locations. During that time, Adrian got bombarded with questions from Peter about the 17 kill streak. He could tell that his friend was agitated, but Pete would get his chance to catch up in the next few places. Adrian was planning on taking a step back again anyway and focus on team learning. Over the next few areas, Adrian encouraged Heather to take the brunt of the kills, bringing her total up to the top three easily. Meanwhile, he was absorbed in watching combat feeds from the rest of the team, as well as checking in on the other captives that they¡¯ve run across. It¡¯s not like Raide wasn¡¯t already doing this, but Adrian had found that when he received his upgrade, his capacity for linear thought processes had been opened up. Humans often have the misconception that we¡¯re capable of doing many things at once, that¡¯s where the term ¡°multitasking¡± comes from, but the truth is that the mind can really only handle a sort of juggling between tasks. Like a switch, it flits back and forth between assignments after they¡¯ve been ordered at such a pace that it creates an illusion of being able to do more than one thing at a time. His research had discovered that the area responsible for this ordering and switching was called ¡°Brodmann¡¯s Area 10¡± which is located in the brain¡¯s anterior prefrontal cortex. Normally slow to develop and quick to degrade from age and lifestyle abuse, the modified serum had restructured and strengthened the area equally along with the rest of his body. The result wasn¡¯t readily apparent at first. He was human after all. After literally thinking a certain way for the entirety of one¡¯s life, how could he fathom that the brain reconstitution was producing effects in such a manner? It actually didn¡¯t hit him until one day on a flight back from a job in northeastern Illinois where he¡¯d been frustrated by the sheer lack of time he had to work on his suit. He couldn¡¯t upload information directly into his mind yet, so he still had to learn via traditional methods like reading and videos, albeit at a much faster rate. During that moment, he experimentally pushed his consciousness to the brink of its synaptic firing limits. The results were surprising, to say the least. He felt, for just the briefest of moments, a split in his consciousness. At the time, he¡¯d been terrified that he¡¯d forced himself into a state of dissociative personalities, but he found that he had some control of the separate line of thought and began to practice directing its flow. Afterwards, he easily merged the two back together. Now, almost a month after the discovery, his control of the new ability had expanded to covering three separate lines of thought. He could proficiently keep tabs on his personal perspective as well as explore two other avenues of interest. To this purpose he designed his armor¡¯s helmet to be a bit different than the other¡¯s, dubbing it the Overlord¡¯s Helmet - though, he¡¯d take that name to the grave with him. All of the team¡¯s vitals and sensors fed back to he and Raide. From his helmet, he could access any array or combination that he desired. So during his and Heather¡¯s assigned building raids, he¡¯d been simultaneously helping her, monitoring his other team members, and also monitoring Inori¡¯s group while thinking about the future. The exercise was extremely taxing mentally, but the possible benefits in the future far outweighed any momentary discomfort on his part. However, no matter how much he wanted to train it, the maximum amount of time he could use it before frying his brain was 1 hour with all three mental pathways opened. In any case, he resolved to keep this new ability of his under wraps. For safety¡¯s sake, it¡¯s better that no one apart from him and Raide knew the full extent of his capabilities. Information control and all that. Checking on the separate captive groups one last time, Adrian and the team assembled and traveled to the last building. According to Raide, some phone calls had been directed towards the men who had already been taken care of, but he had skillfully played them by blocking their calls through the network, eliciting the ubiquitous ¡°call dropped¡± sound. This made it seem as there was something wrong with the telephone company instead of their colleagues, so no one had been sent to check on the men at the other 9 buildings - a grievous error. Abandoning his teammate monitoring process, Adrian focused down to the two regarding the captives and his personal POV upcoming finale to the night. Everything had went extremely well up until now. The rankings looked like the following.
RankingContenderKills
1Victor24
2Heather23
3Adrian22
4Peter19
5Sergio14
6Rich12
As luck would have it, Pete had ended up drawing the short stick with his buildings. There just weren¡¯t that many kills to be had, even after he hogged the ones from Rich. Victor was continuing to make a strong showing and had retaken his number 1 this last round of building incursions. Heather, of course, was getting the dedicated entirety of kills from her and Adrian¡¯s pairing, but even still, Victor was holding his own. The footage had been eye opening when Adrian reviewed it in one of his linear thought processes. If Heather was said to be the talent when it came to hand-to-hand combat lessons, Victor was the prodigy when it came to tactical strategies for dealing with foes. Everyone he encountered was handled in a similar way that Adrian would have if were the one to be wielding the knife. This only served to bolster Adrian¡¯s opinion of his friend and looked forward to when the facility was completed two months from now and they could start working towards getting them upgraded. Altogether, a total of 101 Envy member¡¯s had met their end in the course of two hours. Thirteen of them had leadership positions, so there were twelve left in the shut down club before them. At this time of night, no one was out. There could also be up to 37 lackeys scattered about, but Adrian doubted the full number being here. Raide had already confirmed the presences of the twelve, but didn¡¯t bother counting the others as his processes were already maxed out monitoring everyone and keeping the network locked down. They¡¯d do an initial sweep, clear out any captives, and then set off some charges in key structural places to end the night in a grand way. Four of the six moved forward into the confines of the final building, moving swiftly and silently. They¡¯d all gotten a lot more used to their armor and weapons by now. Room by room, they crept stealthily, echoes of compressed air being released or the warm hum of a blade the only sounds that reverberated to indicate their presence. Heather decided to hang back with Adrian and take care of talking to the captives they ran into, which didn¡¯t really surprise him. She¡¯d already made a strong showing, and Adrian remembered her earlier comment about not wanting Big Ben. She was also a pilot, so he didn¡¯t really expect to send her into too much combat in the future if he could help it. Together, they corralled the 14 discovered so far and placated them by saying they were safe now. In the span of 5 minutes, the entirety of the three story club was cleared out except for a final room. Upon arriving, the team of 6 found the door to be barricaded. Undoubtedly, they weren¡¯t able to stay completely unnoticed as he had hoped. Victor walked up to the door and rapped on it, doing a quirky knock while saying, ¡°Anyone home?¡± He quickly stepped to the side as bullets tore their way through the door where he had just been standing. Turning to Adrian, he asked in the group channel, ¡°Bearcat, mind doing the honors?¡± Adrian smiled beneath his visor and walked up to the door while saying, ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡± Lining himself up with the center of the double door entrance, he balanced himself on his center of gravity and threw a thunderous kick right above the doorknobs. Wood chips flew as the doors splintered along the edges of the locks and a wooden scrapping rang out that accompanied the doors swinging inward towards the room. Almost immediately, a hail of bullets flew through the now open doorway, but Adrian just stood there while looking from side to side, taking all of the bullets that flew at him. Scuffs and nicks on his armor were a testament to how much abuse he had put them through this evening. If he hadn¡¯t been helmeted, a dark glint could be found in his crimson eyes as he thought to himself in a rare moment of arrogance. Struggle, fight for your disgusting lives. Sharpening his perception, he observed his team members moving slightly slower than normal time and breaching the door along the sides. Victor was the first in, swinging his silenced AR up and squeezing off three single shots which all found their mark. Adrian couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much of that was his friend¡¯s skill and what was the result of Raide¡¯s assistive targeting. On the other side of the doorway, Peter bolted into the room in a flash, doing a roll that ended with him skewering a man holding an uzi. Blood dripped with a hiss as it flowed over the super-heated plasma blade. In mere moments, the gunfire died down and the discharged smoke floated in the air. A small scuffle could be heard as Sergio unceremoniously dragged a man out from behind his large oak desk he¡¯d been hiding behind. A trio of girls were huddling on a couch not far away. Looking over the four remaining survivors, Raide automatically brought up the dossiers for Adrian to read. While he was perusing the material, the captive man started speaking. ¡°Wh-why are you doing this!?¡± Silently taking out his 1911, Adrian dropped two of the girls with headshots while the third shrieked in terror. Eyes wide, the boss man started yelling obscenities, ¡°I¡¯ll fuckin¡¯ kill you! I will fuckin¡¯ destroy you and anyone you¡¯ve ever known. You think you can ju-¡± A swift kick came from Victor¡¯s direction and the man hit his head on the side of the desk, causing it to tilt a little from the force and skitter a few inches across the carpet. Adrian squatted down as the man recovered his bearings. This was the boss of Envy in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t just think I can. I can and will do whatever I like, you miserable piece of shit. You had the unfortunate luck of drawing my attention by going after a friend of mine. Consider your current position as being a result of being involved in such a sick trade. As for your two lady friends, they were collaborating with you by luring in girls that were a little too trusting. Naturally, I wouldn¡¯t let someone like them live.¡± Motioning to the remaining girl, he continued, ¡°You¡¯re free to go, dear. I¡¯m aware of your circumstances. There is another group of girls gathered near the entrance. Go and join them. The police should be here shortly.¡± Still terrified, the young teenager fled the room after taking one last look at the group of strangely armored people. The boss was fuming. Looking towards Adrian, he said with a bit of pride, ¡°You can¡¯t take out all of us! I¡¯m sure when we don¡¯t check in, everyone will come running. They¡¯ll find you and kill you and your entire family!¡± Tilting his head, Adrian thoughtfully made a decision and then slowly removed his helmet. His long black hair that was bound in a ponytail came out and flowed over his shoulder armor. Opening his eyes, he brought his face up to level with the boss of the organization that was responsible for ripping families apart and stealing countless women¡¯s dignity and freedom. A look of astonishment crossed the man¡¯s face as he glimpsed Adrian¡¯s cold, crimson eyes. There it is. Adrian watched a look of pure terror wash over the boss¡¯ features as he came to a conclusion. Answering the man¡¯s unspoken question, he said quietly, ¡°What you¡¯re thinking is correct. I¡¯m not human.¡± Tapping his still free 1911 on his left thigh, he smiled cruelly while observing the range of emotions playing out on his victim¡¯s face and added nonchalantly, ¡°Oh, and the others are already dead. You were the last. Judging by the tally, a few of your messengers or drivers got away, but the rest, the entirety of Envy, is dead and already starting on their journey to hell.¡± Placing a hand on the shoulder of the boss, Adrian gently pulled him into a kneeling position. At this point, the man was crying and pleading for his life. None of it reached Adrian as he just impassively regarded him as something that was a waste of breath. Images of the previous girls and boys he¡¯d encountered flashed through his head. Their fear. Their despair. Sighing, he raised his pistol and shot him between the eyes, the body falling forward. Blood leaked out the front and exit wounds. Turning around, Adrian looked over his team as they all took an involuntary step backwards and simply said, ¡°Shall we go?¡± Notifications flashed in their HUDs.
Quest Complete! The organization known as Envy has been eradicated. While there were a few who missed the swing of the scythe, it is clear to see that they will never plague the area of Atlanta again. In addition, the decimation will serve as a powerful warning to any other criminals who bear the same evil mindset from coming to the city. Envy leaders eliminated [25/25] - shared Envy lackeys eliminated [118/125] - optional, shared Highest # of kills: Victor [30] Please collect your reward! Monetary Rewards have been deposited into your bank accounts. The Armor Set is also yours to keep. Adjustments will be made in the future as technology available improves. Please make your way to the vehicle for transportation back to base. Congratulations on a successful first mission!
Also x 2, bear witness to my incredible work of art! Jk. You may notice I kinda gave up about halfway through. It''s Adrian''s helmet. Sort of. Imagine a cross between a crown and the Master Chief''s helmet from Halo, except slightly toned down. You''ll see. Spoiler : https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxEObN7SO7llLUlVQ2tUblRrYzA Chapter 13 - Take Me to Church ¡°Good morning and welcome to your 8 am broadcast of 11Alive News. This is your host, Tom Harrison. We¡¯d normally go into weather, but this is breaking news: In what could be described as one of the bloodiest nights in Atlanta¡¯s history, an early advisory from the police force is indicating that 143 people were killed in the early hours of the morning. Our news correspondent Sharon Matthews is at the police briefing now. Sharon, can you tell us anything more about the details of what happened?¡± A pretty brunette appeared on the screen with a horde of reporters swarming an empty podium in the background. Lights began flashing off camera as Sharon began saying, ¡°Not yet Tom. From what we can gather, the circumstances are extremely bizarre. The number of deaths and their locations all seem to have some relationship, but-¡± A commotion broke out from the reporter flock behind her. ¡°Ah, it looks like the Police Chief is about to come on now.¡± The camera panned in to fully cover the stage in the shot. Several uniformed officers filed onto the screen, positioning themselves in the wings while a slightly older and clean cut gentleman stepped up to the microphone covered podium. The reporters all quieted down as the man began speaking. Last night, in the early hours of 1 to 3 am, a massive display of violence was perpetrated on a group of individuals residing in the city. Police responded to 911 calls at 10 separate locations from young girls and boys who stated that they were liberated from an organization called Envy. This group was already under investigation as being the center of a newly established sex trafficking ring. It is unclear who assaulted them, but they have been described, by all eyewitness accounts of the captives, that they were a group of soldiers that possessed advanced armor and weaponry. From the same testimonies, we can ascertain that there were at least 6 different members of this rogue attack force - 5 men and 1 woman. All were highly proficient in martial arts and the taking of human life which amounted to a total count of 143 souls. While it seems their intentions were noble and their actions resulted in many children being freed, the Atlanta Police Department would like to remind all citizens that the taking of the law into your own hands is wrong. No matter how serious the crime, all are equal before the law and deserving of due process. If anyone has any information regarding these individuals, please do not hesitate and contact our local number. We will be opening up an investigation into the identities of these vigilantes in order to prosecute them to the fullest extent possible. Thank you. Nova¡¯s coffee cup loudly hit the tabletop, sloshing a bit of its contents on the wooden surface while chaos erupted on her small tv screen as reporters were shouting questions at the receding backs of the police officers. The reporter named Sharon seemed shaken and Nova was herself. A cold sweat broke out as she sat down heavily. Did they say...6? Thinking back, she remembered the normal, jovial faces of those she¡¯d had dinner with that night. The conversation and their personalities whirled in her mind, refusing to reconcile with the suspicions that abounded regarding this morning¡¯s news. Heather¡¯s gentle demeanour that gleamed with a hint of mischievousness. Rich and Peter¡¯s brotherly type of feeling. Victor¡¯s responsible and mature countenance. Sergio¡¯s charismatic reliability. But then she remembered Adrian and the way it all ended that evening. He was the root of it all. When adding him into the equation, it all seemed to fall in place. He could definitely be classified in the ¡®vigilante¡¯ realm, but... something still didn¡¯t add up. His targets were confined to political and business figures. While it could be argued that the Envy organization would fall under his criteria, Nova seriously doubted that he would bother going after them since they weren¡¯t under the public eye. Yeah, he¡¯s more after political corruption than anything. So why¡­? At that moment, it all clicked for her as she remembered back to the previous evening that was more like a nightmare than anything else. If those assholes were related to Envy¡­ The shocking realization only served to numb her as she looked back up to the tv¡¯s illuminated screen. In the banner rolling by down at the bottom, she could still see the number that now was haunting her in a state of pseudo-guilt: 143. That was the number of lives Adrian took as recompense for their transgression against Nova. A tremulous shiver went up her spine. *** A searching hand groped along the wall, feebly feeling for something. Finding its prize, sheets of a clothy texture came off a roll. *** The sound of a toilet filling back up came from behind the door that Adrian exited. Closing the door quickly to contain the smell within, he turned to meet Rich¡¯s eye as his friend came into the hallway. ¡°Yo, Bearcat. What¡¯ve you been up to?¡± Adrian froze and looked at him without uttering a word. Then, he turned to look at the door he just came from before cutting his eyes slowly back towards his friend while deadpanning. ¡°You want a play by play? Ok.¡± Rich¡¯s eyes opened wide in comprehension. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s-¡± ¡°So there I was, working on a couple of fried circuits within the housing of my plasma knife when I got this gut wrenching feeling. Confused, I put down my soldering gun, ya know. It was then that I was wracked with a terrible, heated pain that lanced downwards towards... my anus.¡± ¡°Bear-¡± ¡°So! I rushed towards the bathroom fearing the worst. It was there that I met the vile demon.¡± ¡°Come on, man -¡± Adrian¡¯s hands flew to his chest in a desperate mock prayer, his voice rising in volume. ¡°Recalling those most ancient of latin prayers, I diligently fought the fiend in a rigorous internal exorcism. My soul raged against the demonic possession until finally, I saw a white dove descend from heaven and land on my shoulder. Divine power coursed through me and I blasted the hellion into the watery abyss below. Still weary from battle, I exited the scene of carnage and met you in the hall.¡± Silence spanned between the two as Rich leaned against the wall and put a hand over his forehead. After a moment, he said while nodding his head, ¡°Enjoy that, you blasphemous bastard?¡± Adrian pursed his lips before giving a satisfied grin. ¡°Quite.¡± Inwardly laughing, he thought, who would believe that just last night we killed over a hundred people? Ignoring the look Rich gave him afterwards, he trudged past him and into his cluttered living room. As he was sitting down on the swivel stool at his wooden workbench, he took off his t-shirt and stretched his arms. Rich, who had followed Adrian back into the room, raised his eyebrows at his accomplice. ¡°What¡¯s with the shirt?¡± Adrian picked up his micro soldering gun again while he answered. ¡°You mean me shedding it? I just didn¡¯t want to accidentally burn it. If some molten solder wire were to splash back, which I know is a small chance of happening, I¡¯d rather my super healing skin take it than my favorite t-shirt.¡± Rich¡¯s eyes appraised the grey Rage Against the Machine t-shirt that was draped across another chair to the side. A large fist could be seen on the front, clenched like it was raised during some revolution. ¡°Solid choice for a favorite - Rage fits your character perfectly... though, I can¡¯t imagine that you get to wear it much when you¡¯re around your family. Speaking of which, how are your folks?¡± As he finished the question, he plopped down on the couch and Adrian felt him staring at him as he clenched his forearm muscles slightly. ¡°Heh, you know... same old, same old. I still talk to my mom on the phone every few weeks, but I haven¡¯t seen them in about a year. I talk to Andrew the most, though that¡¯s through email and texting mostly.¡± ¡°Andrew¡­.he¡¯s the middle one that¡¯s older than you, right? Don¡¯t you have two brothers?¡± Adrian answered dispassionately while bursts of light would occasionally flash from the opened dagger handle¡¯s circuit board. ¡°Yeah, and Matthew¡¯s the oldest. Don¡¯t really talk to him much though because he¡¯s 10 years older than me. He¡¯s got three kids to occupy his attention, not to mention the hospital pharmacy department he has to run.¡± Rich couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as a thought seemingly crossed his mind. ¡°Do any of them have a clue about what you¡¯re doing?¡± Adrian snorted and placed the micro solder on its stand before screwing in the plate that contained the guts of the plasma dagger. ¡°Not a chance. You know I¡¯ve always differed from them on most things. The fact of the matter is that they do not, nor anyone in the town for that matter, have a clue about what I¡¯m really like. It was a struggle to go back during college even, because the goody-two-shoes impression everyone in that town has of me is so far off base. It¡¯s all I can do to maintain the facade.¡± ¡°Why even bother then?¡± Adrian cocked his head to the side and then spun to face Rich. ¡°Reputation. My family has spent their entire lives in that small town and if you know anything about a small town mentality, you know that everybody knows everyone and everything about each other. News travels so quickly, your grandmother may hear some shocking news about you before your mom even picks up the phone to call her. Don¡¯t ask me how it happens, it just does. They have a great reputation that my brothers and I have helped to foster in the community. In order to maintain that, and their state of mind, I¡¯ve simply kept everything a secret from both family and friends to solidify information control.¡± ¡°How charitable. It certainly wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with you not wanting them to worry and start scrutinizing your life, right?¡± A small grin floated to Adrian¡¯s face. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a real rat bastard, you know that?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I love my family, you know that, but I just can¡¯t have them involved with me during this period. They¡¯ll figure out something is wrong when we show up in the news after solving the cancer problem.¡± Adrian laughed. ¡°So, I¡¯ll savor these last few months of peace and quiet. How¡¯s the Femora hord-... err, clan?¡± Rich laughed and shook his head. ¡°Dick. My family of 9 is doing just fine, thank you. Think mom is a little tired after popping out that 7th baby so her and pops are probably going to call it quits in that department. In other news, the second oldest after me, Clarissa, is pregnant and just got married to a guy who works as a construction worker. They¡¯re struggling a bit with money, but he¡¯s a hard worker, so I think they¡¯ll be fine.¡± Adrian regarded his friend for a second before he said, ¡°You know you can throw some money to them, right? I can comfortably cover the difference if you don¡¯t have enough and need more. It¡¯s not like this place we¡¯re building has exhausted my funds or anything. Your salary is guaranteed at this point, and the complex is already underway, so I think I can cover a signing bonus as part of the new research company we¡¯re forming and it not look suspicious.¡± Rich stared hard at Adrian, locking eyes for a moment. Sighing, he nodded his head, ¡°Yeah, that would really help. I thought of refusing, but they were struggling to eat last week since the new housing market is so far down this season. I¡¯d already spent your 50k on a new car and the rest of it went to my parents to help pay for a downpayment at a new house.¡± For the first time that day, Adrian turned to the screens on the wall and spoke to his A.I. ¡°Raide, slide another 50k to Rich¡¯s account. I think that¡¯s a typical enough signing bonus for a talented engineer in the big city.¡± ¡°The wire has been sent, sir.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± The gratitude practically wafted off of Rich, but Adrian merely waved a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we take care of each other and that extends to our families. Just let me know if something else comes up.¡± Rich nodded quietly to his words. Hopping off of his swivel stool, Adrian grabbed his shirt and threw it on. Next he grabbed his keys and phone from the charger before turning to his confused friend. ¡°What do you say we go check in at the construction site? I¡¯m still hella nervous that they¡¯re going to try and cut corners. Contractors are bastards like that.¡± ¡°Oh hell yeah! Let¡¯s go.¡± *** The sound of construction chaos met their ears as the two exited Adrian¡¯s Tesla. The roar of not one, but two concrete trucks could be heard as teams of two or three crossed in front them to obtain materials and return to their respective zones. A few of the newer workers almost stopped and said something to the pair of casually dressed twenty-somethings, but a quick word from a veteran made them forget that and then instead rush off to continue working. This wasn¡¯t the first time Adrian had visited. They didn¡¯t want to interact with a young man who had to hire their company¡¯s services and also had the funds to do so. It was simply wiser to let them stay shrouded in mystery. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. A foreman noticed their arrival and quickly came over to Adrian, grabbing his hand in a firm handshake. ¡°Mr. Pierce, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be coming by today. Come to take a look around?¡± ¡°Apologies for not giving you any advance warning, Roger. I wanted to show my associate the fine work you all have been doing here.¡± Adrian dutifully returned the shake before sweeping his sunglass covered eyes over the surroundings. The bushy eyed foreman smiled at the compliment. ¡°Please then, go ahead and be careful with where you step. We¡¯re working on the residential block at the moment and I¡¯m the only foreman on duty today, so I¡¯m spread pretty thin amongst the three crews. Just shout if you need me!¡± Adrian nodded pleasantly and walked off with Rich in tow. Walking past the mobile offices that had been wheeled onto the property, they soon found themselves in front of a large circular structure with a vaulted roof. Walking just inside, Adrian took in the general layout. Towards the western and eastern sides of the building, entrances to difference wings could be seen. Directly in front of them, a large, 10 meter wide expanse of glass showed a clear view out into a gigantic courtyard, where a centrally located tower was halfway done with its construction. What really gave him joy to see was the architecture of of the buildings. Since he was little, he had always been annoyed with ¡°cookie-cutter¡± houses and office buildings - the ones that looked like a bunch of cubes stuck together. The idea that beauty had to be sacrificed for efficiency was a detestable notion to him. He¡¯d vowed to himself long ago that he would make an effort in everything that he built to be beautiful in its own right. On top of that, it had to be be built to last. Why put off building his dream home? He was biologically immortal now, so there was no time like the present. After all these years, here before him stood a merging of renaissance and modern. Where applicable and expedient, there was stone. Where appropriate and necessary, there was a specially treated steel, concrete, and glass. It all melded in tandem, producing a sight unlike anything known to date. Explaining it to the lazy modern contractor had been an especially taxing endeavour for Adrian. Just the construction materials and specialized labor had amounted to over 50 million by the time he and Carmichael had come to a consensus on the pricetag. That didn¡¯t include any of the technological materials like fiber and solar systems, or the data center for Raide housed in the basement below. Honestly, the more he looked at it, the structure looked like a cross between a cathedral and some sort of industrial monstrosity. I mean, God, it¡¯s what... half a football field in area? Accessing the schematic in his mind, he confirmed that it was a diameter of 50 m. The duo walked slowly into the large, open expanse of the interior, heading towards a raised circular platform that dominated a solid 50% of the floor area in the center. Short sets of metal stairs and guardrails could be seen at each of the platform¡¯s cardinal directions, providing the few steps needed to get up to it¡¯s meter height. Sweeping his arms wide, Adrian revelled in the sight of walking into his ¡®church¡¯ while speaking grandiosely to Rich who followed behind by a few steps. ¡°This will be the landing and maintenance area for the A1-SX and any other type of aircraft we design that has vertical takeoff or landing capabilities. If you look underneath the platform, I¡¯m sure you can see the hydraulics. That¡¯s because the platform can raise and lower until it seamlessly assimilates into the floor, or raise itself to give a shorter landing distance for the returning A1-SX.¡± Rich looked upwards towards the ceiling, finding a huge pyramid-like apex where four triangular pieces of opaque glass met together. ¡°Returning...you mean that it¡¯ll be landing on the platform directly by coming through the glass opening?¡± ¡°Exactly. You can¡¯t see it from here, but there are a set of exterior actuated levers to pull each of the four waterproof glass pieces apart, opening up the crown for access. I don¡¯t know if you noticed the color, but the glass at the automated pyramid apex as well as all glass in this building is specially designed to change its opacity by running a current through it. It is also built with micro layers that help block out any type of prying eyes whether they be optical or otherwise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool.¡± Rich mused out loud before he suddenly snorted and shook his head. ¡°You know what, I¡¯ve never even asked, but what the fuck does A1-SX stand for anyway? I think I can guess, but I¡¯d rather hear it from you.¡± Adrian laughed. ¡°Oh, that? It stands for Amphibious 1st iteration - Stealth eXperimental. I initially named it that to help me remember the main components of the design. You could say that I was a little scatterbrained before the upgrade. I wanted it to be amphibious, back when I first started designing it in high school, because my parents have a pond beside their house. Silly right, but I wanted to be able to come back and visit in style. Now, I simply kept the feature in the design to increase applicable landing areas. It has a retracting set of landing gear too, so no worries. First iteration pertains, of course, to it being the first generation not unlike Tony Stark¡¯s Mark I. If I end up redesigning the thing, it¡¯ll change to a 2 and so forth. Stealth is self-explanatory to a degree and also the newest addition to the name because I had a breakthrough with Raide in the optical camouflage depart. It also speaks to the body design and omnidirectional antenna that dials back and forth in the spectrum jamming common frequencies. Lastly, it has to be designated as an experimental aircraft because I personally designed more than 50% of it by definition and it was constructed without quality control supervision by a certified production team. I could say ¡°screw you¡± and not go and register the thing with the FAA, but it would be a pain in the ass if I ever land at an official airport, or, ya know, get seen by the Air Force. Furthermore, the flying license has to be geared towards a certain class of aircraft, so it¡¯s easier if you¡¯re tested in the one you¡¯ll actually be flying in. I can¡¯t wait until I get an instructor to see the thing. It¡¯ll technically classify under the helicopter category, but I doubt they¡¯ll know what to make of the tertiary jet engine in the tail.¡± Adrian couldn¡¯t help but start laughing loudly as he imagined the scene. Rich rolled his eyes while running a hand over the raised platform. ¡°Alright, alright, stop fanboying all over your own design. It get¡¯s kinda creepy when you have that look in your eye, even if I totally get what you¡¯re feeling as an engineer.¡± Adrian waved him off absentmindedly before turning to the side and pointing towards the walls where a few intermittently placed black boxes were scattered around the room at equal distance, 4 meters off of the ground. ¡°These... are robotic arm mounts. Some will be for actual construction purposes, the others will act as monitor and tv mounts that¡¯ll swing down to the platform so that we can access whatever data we need. Unfortunately, no one is as advanced as us in the field, so we¡¯ll have to build the things ourselves once we get moved in. The price of being a pioneer, I guess.¡± He beckoned his friend closer as he noticed a large spool of fiber-optic wire. ¡°Ever seen fiber-optic wiring up close? Here ya go. The entire place is going to be layered in it. If it carries data in any form, it¡¯ll be by fiber-optics. That alone made this place shoot up in cost, let me tell you. I call this building ¡°The Church,¡± by the way.¡± Rich shot him a look. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look - we¡¯ll keep that name in-house. Doubt the various religious factions would appreciate my naming sense. Let¡¯s go to the lab section next.¡± The two took a right and walked towards the eastern end of the large bay and entered into a more familiar type of building design after passing through a circular tunnel. Rooms separated by glass and a hallway extended down the corridor in a neat manner. Empty work benches could be seen within while boxes of equipment were placed all over the place. At a glance, Adrian could tell that they¡¯d moved in the larger scientific devices and installed all of the necessary ventilation systems and containment areas. Large windows of glass passed by on either side of the two as they finished a tour of the singular floor. Neither Rich or Adrian were particularly interested in its contents really. The lab wing was intensely necessary for materials and genetics research, but the two shared a similar mind and were still back in the ¡°The Church¡± mentally. Adrian knew that Victor was going to drool over this place. A host of integrated robotics with top of the line equipment would enable him to do the work of 5 scientists. Everything that could be considered to be necessary and desirable Adrian had acquired, or rather, Raide had ordered to be delivered - he was the one doing the analysis of all the team member¡¯s DNA and biological data after all. Adrian crossed his hands behind his back as he and Rich exited the lab and emerged back into daylight. Turning left, they walked into the circular courtyard that occupied the area in between the outer ring and the central tower. Nodding his head towards the specially designed channels and drainage systems on either side of the winding concrete walkways, he said, ¡°One thing that won¡¯t be readily apparent to an outsider after this place is complete is that any greenery grown in the courtyard or the next building will be a part of a hydroponic system automated and regulated by one of Raide¡¯s subprocesses. The simulations are already showing an expected 80% reduction in needed water if cycled properly with a nutrient solution.¡± All it took was one look at Rich and Adrian knew that he¡¯d lost the interest of the mechanically minded engineer, so he summed it up. ¡°Basically, I want an area of what we do here to be devoted to automated hydroponic farming research. Combine that will our robotic/software advancements and we may overturn several sectors of the economy by ourselves.¡± The realization of what Adrian had just said started to dawn on his friend¡¯s face. Both of them had spent a large amount of time in a state that had a heavy hand in agriculture, a sector of the national economy that annually accounted for around 167 billion of the U.S.¡¯ GDP - that was just farmers. If they could successfully find a way to automate farming and hold the rights to roboticized, local hydroponic growing solutions, they would displace much more than just 167 billion. Transportation and some refinement could be converted as well. Done right, the potential revenue was staggering. All in all though, that was a project that was destined for the back burner in the immediate future. The much more pressing project was the cancer cure that Raide and Adrian had discussed when they first pulled this group together. The AI had already stripped down the serum to serve as a vehicle in his simulations, but he couldn¡¯t do much more without actual lab trials to test chemical reactions and fine tune. Ultimately, it would be a shadow of its former self. I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m the one to make the mistake of giving the entire human race immortality. With that thought in mind, he¡¯d told Raide to break down the serum to just the two tasks of eliminating junk DNA and rewriting DNA to prevent the cancer mutation process from recurring. Rich broke out of his imaginative reverie a few moments after Adrian did and looked across the courtyard to the next largest building they hadn¡¯t visited yet. Adrian felt a question coming on, and sure enough his friend started speaking. ¡°Wait, you said the next building and the courtyard. So that building over there is hydroponics?¡± Adrian shrugged lightly. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be something akin to a biome. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d bother going over there. It¡¯s not we¡¯ve actually started growing anything yet anyway. From the engineering side, the only things worth noting would be its specialized rainwater collection tanks and water filtration systems used to circulate the solution I mentioned earlier.¡± Just as he finished speaking, the two arrived in front of the central tower. Standing before them was a monstrosity that echoed the structural architecture that the Church possessed. Fifteen unfinished floors high, the behemoth held a circular shape that stretched upward in an amalgamation of stone, steel, and glass. Windows spanned the majority of the exterior in typical tower fashion, except on the western and eastern sides of the building which houses out bulges on every floor. True to Roger¡¯s word, the majority of hardhat clad workers were in this area bringing in slabs of glass. Several pulleys and platforms were erected where workers were busy affixing the windows. While Rich was staring slackjawed, Adrian started speaking with amusement, saying, ¡°The tower is 15 floors, or a 180 ft in total height. Every panel of glass on the exterior is specially designed PV glass that collects solar energy as light passes through. Every room inside additionally has the ability to change the opacity of the glass to serve in lieu of window blinds. Power is supplied via a combination of solar and geothermal. In fact, I tried to make every building in the complex follow this format in order to make us as energy independent as possible. As you can guess, this is because I don¡¯t want anyone to be able to see how much power we draw or have any control of our operations.¡± Raide decided to get in the conversation and started speaking over the speaker on Adrian¡¯s phone, adopting the tone of an apartment manager trying to play up his spaces. ¡°Our apartments are the top of the line in luxury and amenities. If you look at the bulging portions of each floor, every room has access to their own mini swimming pool/hot tubs. Fiber-optic cabling, and a deal with Google, ensures that you will be able to watch and download your HD midget porn to your heart¡¯s content. Unfortunately, I have to oversee all of the digital traffic that flows in and out in my server room under the tower, but I guess we all have to make sacrifices.¡± Rich¡¯s face paled and he started, ¡°Oi, what the fu-.¡± Running right over him, Raide continued, ¡°Apartments have access to a gym that spans the entire 14th floor. It¡¯s right beneath Adrian¡¯s floor, so try to keep your grunting and dropping weights to a minimum. Let¡¯s see, washers and dryers are included, along with rent, power, and tv. Basically, if Adrian lets you live here, you get to live for free on top of receiving a salary.¡± Rich looked over at Adrian while saying, ¡°Yo, ignoring half of what he just said, is he serious about the free living arrangements?¡± Adrian nodded and then laughed lightly. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want anyone that works for me to be distracted by normal issues of life. You don¡¯t have to worry about rent or power or anything because I simply don¡¯t want you to waste time and your concentration over worrying about that. We have too much to do to dick around with everyday shit.¡± Adrian then reached over and patted his friend on the shoulder before turning to walk away. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t judge here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t watch midget porn, Bearcat!¡± ¡°To each their own, man,¡± Adrian called from a short distance before disappearing back into the Church. Chapter 14 - Biological Boundaries A pair of Brooks running shoes slapped the pavement rhythmically, echoing across the quiet trail in Piedmont Park. Lights dotted the horizon and the distinct lack of fellow runners gave testament to the time of day. A gentle breeze, rustling through the trees that blanketed the area, seemed to sweep along with the tenebrous runner that passed back and forth from light to shadow. A slight, controlled fog of heat could barely be seen being expelled from a set of delicate and feminine lips. Damp tendrils of hair clung to a graceful nape as her ponytail brushed back and forth in time to her hurried step. It may just be April, but the Georgia climate wasn¡¯t anything less than warm. Heather once again lightly bemoaned the fact that she had moved here with her parents all those years ago. If she¡¯d just listened to her best friend begging her at the time, she could still be enjoying the perpetual winter wonderland on her run. That sentiment alone was always enough to draw a stare from her fellow Georgians. Who in their right mind would live in a place like her Alaska? She could only smile at their looks of incredulity. To each their own, right? Heather had been running for almost an hour now, but she still couldn¡¯t wear herself out sufficiently to dull the emotional toll that the last 24 hours had had on her. Fourteen hours had passed since she¡¯d personally killed over 20 people. How exactly was she supposed to deal with that? She couldn¡¯t talk about it to her mom or the rest of her family. She feared mentioning it to the others because she didn¡¯t want to be the only one perceived as ¡°weak¡± if the others weren¡¯t struggling as much as her. And she certainly couldn¡¯t mention it to Bearcat. Honestly, Heather had no clue how she felt about the man. Back when they¡¯d been in the first year of college and seeing each other, he¡¯d been of the ¡°sweetheart¡± variety - the kind that went on romantic moonlight walks or that would cuddle up with you and watch Lord of the Rings for 6 hours. He wasn¡¯t overly handsome because he was a little overweight at the time, but he was still nice and a guy she knew she could proudly take home to her parents. She sighed at the thought because she¡¯d really enjoyed the time with him. He was the perfect gentleman exemplified by the fact that he always had her well-being in mind. When things would start to get heated between the two of them, he¡¯d always pull the brakes and that frustrated her. Heather recalled the conversation where he¡¯d made it very clear that he was a ¡°wait for marriage¡± kind of guy...and then she remembered the night that she ruined her chance at staying with him. She¡¯d spent the evening with a few friends on the hall where Bearcat lived. All of the guys there were really tight and enjoyed each other¡¯s company, so when Heather, who lived on another wing of the same floor, showed up, she naturally kind of melded into the activities and became fast friends with all of the boys that lived there. To be clear, she didn¡¯t meet Bearcat first, she met him after she started hanging out with a few of the others. The night in question, she¡¯d been drinking with a few of the guys since Bearcat was working on some project in his room and unable to hang out. Blake, who had developed a crush on Heather, was coming on strong and she kind of liked it. Still frustrated by Bearcat¡¯s unwillingness, she ended up sleeping with him. Things went downhill from there in a matter of days. Bearcat was able to tell, how - Heather never did figure it out. Perhaps he saw the looks that Blake threw at her over the group outings to the dining hall, or maybe he heard it from Blake¡¯s roommate. Whatever the method, Bearcat knew and then confronted her. Smiling bitterly to herself, Heather recalled what he¡¯d said to her after he cornered her and made her admit to it. Heather...I value loyalty more than anything else in this world. You gave me hope after Josie. I thought that maybe I could build something real with you after having been betrayed so utterly, yet you turn around and do the same thing as her when you KNEW I¡¯d already experienced something so gut-wrenching. Obviously, you¡¯re not the girl I thought you were. Heather had cried that day. A lot. She knew she was wrong and had no one to blame but herself. A few days passed awkwardly after that, but then, by some miracle, Bearcat came back to her and said that they could be friends. From then on, he¡¯d been courteous but much less familiar with her. Heather grimaced with pain as she forced herself to go faster on the trail. The wind had picked up during her little reverie and the trees howled with an uncharacteristically swift wind. Why¡­? Her feet took her over a small hill and then a short bridge that arched over a stream. Why did I fuck up so badly!? Finally unable to keep up with her near-sprint pace, she slid to a halt and leaned over in exhaustion, bracing herself by placing her hands right above her knees. Breathing heavily through her petite lips, she plopped down a small hillock and looked out over a pond illuminated by moonlight. Scenes of the restaurant came unbidden to her mind. It was there that she saw Adrian for the first time in so long. He still had that same pale skin that he usually sported, but the difference was that he¡¯d been covered in muscle this time. His shoulder length raven hair was tied back in a ponytail and his beard was well trimmed. That on top of his sharp, black vest and tie-less french cuff with slacks just seemed to complete the look of a young, rich businessman. Heather recalled that at the time she¡¯d immediately looked around the room and she¡¯d seen practically every other woman in the diner looking their direction. It was hard not to look, if she was honest with herself. He was a modern day Adonis. At the time, she¡¯d been thrilled to see the transformation that Bearcat had gone through. He looked vibrant and so incredibly manly now that he¡¯d dropped the weight and groomed himself into a new physique. Success oozed off of him and she couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to him as an aura of confidence washed over them all. But then the past had hit her light a freight train. She¡¯d already been there and messed it up. Would he still be interested in her? Is there a chance? She was single right now. There¡¯d been a few guys since then...And then that one memory came screeching to a halt in her mind. ¡°Obviously, you¡¯re not the girl I thought you were.¡± How could she hope to reconcile with him romantically when she¡¯d had such a lapse of judgment and they¡¯d ended in such a way? The thought was further cemented by the beautiful girl that had been standing nervously behind Adrian. An ache blossomed in Heather¡¯s chest. Later, she¡¯d found out that the two weren¡¯t dating and that he¡¯d just thought she could join the group, but that hadn¡¯t worked out so well. This led her into feeling even more hopeful as the months progressed. During training, Bearcat was always so meticulous and forceful, ensuring that Heather remembered all of the movements that he threw at her. The time he¡¯d thrown a punch that brushed across the peak of one of her breasts, her heart had fluttered momentarily. She¡¯d been stunned at his audacity, sure, but she was more concerned about what he meant by the move. Did he really do it just to teach her to release her boundaries when fighting? Or was there a deeper meaning and he was flirting with her? Honestly, he was so hard to read now. His actions were all flawlessly smooth and he didn¡¯t get flustered by being around her anymore. She could tell that sometimes she drew his gaze when she¡¯d do something provocative, like last night when she¡¯d stripped in front of everyone. Of course, she¡¯d done that to entice him. Heather couldn¡¯t care less for all the other guys in the room. Instead of eliciting a verbal response like she¡¯d hoped, she¡¯d actually only seen the tiniest of flashes of hunger in his eyes before he turned away. How could she read that? It could have just been a man¡¯s natural response to such a sight, because he¡¯d told her long ago that he found her body alluring, or it could have been something more. Whether it was one of the two or not, she had no way of knowing. After that, she¡¯d steeled herself to try and get closer to him. This encompassed the raid on the Envy bases where she had to force herself into killing. She¡¯d lucked out and gotten to be partners with Bearcat by his own designation, but again she couldn¡¯t read his intentions. Whatever his feelings for her though, she¡¯d resolved herself while watching him rescue the captive girls that she would continue to pursue him. She couldn¡¯t be sure how things would turn out, but she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Adrian Pierce would overturn the whole world in his pursuit of advancement and reform. Surely, if she were to look the entire planet over, she wouldn¡¯t be able to find another man like him. So she¡¯d fight to be beside him. If this meant being involved with more blood and her dirtying her hands, then so be it. As long as she was by his side, she could survive anything. She knows that she doesn¡¯t deserve to be forgiven for what she did to him, but she would work to be worthy of his side. Maybe, after enough time has passed, time will heal the wound between them and they can try again. Dusting off the grass that clung to her legs, Heather turned back in the direction of her car and sprinted off into the mild, now dead calm, early morning air. *** A scuffle sounded from out in a hall as the sound of two bodies hitting a door rang out through a darkened room that had hints of alcohol in the air. The sound of keys being jingled followed and in the matter of a moment, the door was flung open revealing Peter and a girl as they almost collapsed into the room. Peter leaned in, pulling the girl into a hungry kiss that was dripping with lust. He then picked her up and pressed her against the wall, a slight playful squeal coming from her mouth as the action caused an hard, audible bump. He could feel the excitement being transmitted throughout her body in an ill-concealed tremor. Tongues danced as Peter tugged at her shirt, revealing a pair of shapely breasts contained by a red, frilly bra. Peter¡¯s eyes flashed as he thought to himself, She obviously went out tonight with the intention of getting laid. Practically snapping his fingers behind her back, the strap-less bra fell to the ground. But before he could do anything with the tantalizing fruits before him, the girl tugged back at him, lifting at his shirt. Smirking, he helped her take it off as he was so much taller and was rewarded by a gasp. If there was one thing that Peter took pride in, it would be his physique. Part of it was natural, but the definition spoke to how much pain and sweat he¡¯d had to put in to get it. Bearcat¡¯s training had only helped in this regard, gifting him not only the skills to help in the assault last night, but also help sculpt his body into that of a warrior. As Peter ran his hands down the alluring figure before him, he reminded himself to buy a keg of Bearcat¡¯s favorite for him when the new place was ready. Hands darted all over each other¡¯s bodies as the sultry tango continued into his bedroom. Miraculously, the two drunken lovers fell into his bed instead of the floor and Peter¡¯s hand reached lower, caressing the girl¡¯s cunt. A cute moaned escaped her lips and he smiled before removing her panties, the only article clothing still left on her body, and throwing them to the side. Leaning back in to taste her lips again, Peter supported himself on his arms and lost himself to the makeout session while he continued to stroke the girl down below, sometimes sliding a finger in to tease her. After a minute, he felt a tug on his arm so he amusingly let himself be flipped onto his back. The girl, I think this chick¡¯s name is Melissa, had a triumphant look on her face and leaned down, her brunette hair tickling the hair on his knees, grabbing his boxers at the hip and began to slide them off seductively. The boxers made it a few inches before getting hung up in his raging erection. Before he could blink, she¡¯d skillfully overcome the problem and took his manhood in hand while a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. The next few minutes was honestly one of the best blowjobs of Peter¡¯s life. She kissed and sucked, her tongue twirling artfully in all the best of ways. It ended with him tensing up and forcefully holding her head in place when he erupted. A flash of annoyance could be seen on her face, but she evidently decided to disregard it as she could be seen swallowing. Peter decided at this point to play her card back on her, turning the tables and pulling her under him. Before going further, he sat back and grabbed a condom, putting it on real quickly before leaning back in testing the waters. Satisfied that she was wet enough, he playfully inserted just the tip. Another cute moan graced his ears and he silently began to pump into her slowly, revelling in the pleasure of the moment. In the passion, however, memories began to boil in his mind, reminding him of the previous evening. He¡¯d killed people. His thrusting became more intense, eliciting a yelp from Melissa. Scenes of blood and the terrified expressions on the men¡¯s faces flashed, calling forth the gore and the feeling of pure bliss he¡¯d experienced. Warmth arced across his whole body and he couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he again experienced that feeling of bloodlust. Lost in the moment of dual delights, a smile cracked on his face, revealing his white teeth as he breathed heavily through his mouth. Melissa mistook the smile as being one from the pleasure she was giving and moaned in response. Bodies continued to spread before him in his mind, painting a picture of carnage and grotesque violence. He wanted more. He wanted to experience that unbridled joy again that seemed to rebound in his soul and silence his conscience. He could taste the iron in the air, the memory was so vivid. Unconsciously, his hands reached out and caressed Melissa¡¯s breasts, playing with them tenderly at first and then increasing in strength. Melissa could sense something was wrong as Peter continued to get rougher. She started to speak, ¡°Ahh, uh, ahhh, Peter, is somethi-, ahh, wrong?¡± In unconscious response, Peter, who had his eyes closed during his trance, leaned in and thrust more vigorously. The fingers of one hand snaked over her skin that now had goose bumps, stopping to rest on her neck. ¡°What are you do-¡± Peter¡¯s grip tightened on her throat, cutting off Melissa¡¯s words. Suddenly, his other hand leapt up to join the other in an ever increasing force that threatened to rob the young girl of her life. Melissa weakly beat against his muscular face and chest which only served to increase the rate at which he pumped into her, a ragged and erratic breath escaping his mouth. Finally, when Melissa¡¯s face was turning blue and she was slipping towards darkness, Peter sped up and arced his back in apparent release. His hands left her neck and she immediately began coughing, gasping for the air she¡¯d been deprived of for so long. Peter collapsed to the side in bliss, providing an avenue of escape for the girl. Just as he was coming out of his recollection, vaguely aware of what had happened in the meantime, Peter opened his eyes to see a terrified Melissa gathering her clothes. The young woman noticed his awakening and froze horrified before sprinting out of the bedroom and then the apartment itself half-dressed. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. *** Adrian¡¯s eyes reflected a deep dark blue as he stared into a massive coolant tank. A few specially paid workers were working on pumping the coolant in after the final pieces of Raide¡¯s liquid-cooled supercomputer had been assembled and put in place. The liquid sloshed turbulently at the glass and it reached the halfway full mark right in front of Adrian¡¯s eyes. Overall, the underground server tank took up an area of 30m x 30m x 20m. The total area was meant to contain both the coolant and the spherical supercomputer hanging in the center of the tank by a thick column that contained all of the fiber-optic cabling. Smiling softly, Adrian looked over the hulk. It was a joint Adrian/Raide special - a quantum computer. After the upgrade, Adrian had revisited computing hardware to try and design an architecture for Raide¡¯s new brain that would be able to handle any and all of their future computing needs. Of course, there would have to be upgrades in the future, but that could be handled easily enough by replacing the quantum computer module when the advancement came. After a month of split thinking, he¡¯d managed to draw up a framework that Raide then fleshed out. It was a lot more complicated than that, but Adrian really didn¡¯t want to remember all the particle physics he¡¯d had to study to wrap his brain around it. Materials-wise, they¡¯d had to employ 10 different startups and 3 major tech suppliers to manufacture the parts for the thing. They couldn¡¯t afford anyone having all the pieces to this puzzle. The foreman named Roger came to stand beside Adrian and whistled. ¡°That¡¯s the biggest damn computer I¡¯ve ever seen. Ya know, I¡¯ve worked on a few server rooms in my day. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what¡¯s this thing going to crank out when you boot it up?¡± Adrian didn¡¯t cease watching the mesmerizing coolant, but a smirk could be seen in the reflection of glass as he said simply, ¡°One exaflop.¡± The sound of a pin dropping in the room would have been audible if it weren¡¯t for the rushing cacophony the coolant filling caused. Roger stuttered for a second, saying, ¡°S-surely you¡¯re pulling my leg, right? The best in the world can manage...what, 20 petaflops?¡± Adrian nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You know, I do recall hearing that the Oak Ridge National Laboratory had pulled off that feat. Good for them.¡± Seeing the stupefied look on Roger¡¯s face, Adrian sighed and continued in warning. ¡°I¡¯m only allowing you to know this since you¡¯re under contract Roger. You¡¯re one of two people who know about this, you get me? It¡¯d be a shame for Brody to have to find a new foreman after losing such a good one.¡± Adrian saw Roger quake a little at the threat. The man had just learned something incredibly dangerous after all. Be strong Roger, laughed Adrian inwardly. He made sure of course, to indicate that the source would be easily known if any leaks were to occur. Roger gulped and managed a response. ¡°Of-of course. You have nothing to fear, I will honor the contract wholeheartedly.¡± Adrian smiled warmly and clapped the man on the shoulder, causing him to jump in terror. ¡°Glad to hear that!¡± After a few minutes, the last of the coolant had trickled into the tank, sending waves of light dancing across the back wall of the observation room. Turning to Roger, he ask, ¡°The fiber-optic couplings at the node and the Tower have been connect, correct?¡± The man was obviously still shaken by the short exchange earlier, but he answered readily, ¡°Yes sir, you¡¯re connected to the power grid and Google¡¯s fiber node. Regrettably, your solar panels are still on backlog so we couldn¡¯t get them early. Your personal accommodations have been completed though and are ready for you whenever you want to move into them. We¡¯ll continue to work around you so please don¡¯t mind us.¡± Pleased, Adrian offered a handshake and switched gears. Anyone would be disturbed at the change he¡¯d just made. One minute he was threatening a man and the other he was the demure client. ¡°I appreciate your work, Roger. Be sure to convey that to the men as well for me, would you.¡± ¡°I will let them know. Thank you as well, Mr. Pierce.¡± Having shaken, the two parted with Roger tremulously walking back up the stairs to the outside and Adrian moving over to the nearby control panel. Breathing deeply, Adrian flexed his arm and raised his hand to the breaker switch array. One by one, he flipped each and soon Raide¡¯s new brain glowed, its coolant systems kicking in. Raide¡¯s voice came to life in his earpiece. ¡°Power established... Levels are nominal... Commencing migration.¡± Turning to the side, Adrian eyeballed Raide¡¯s old server cluster that he¡¯d moved from the apartment. It had a small Intel MXC optical cable draped to an access hatch. At the boasted speed of 800 gbps, it wouldn¡¯t take very long to upload Raide¡¯s software and memory. Taking out his phone, he pulled open Raide¡¯s app that¡¯d been configured to track the upload. A bar was displayed along with a percentage, and every 10 seconds or so a point would be added. Nodding contentedly, Adrian pocket the phone and left the room by the same exit as Roger. He traversed past teams of construction workers and walked straight towards the tower. Entering inside through a pair of glass double doors, he made it to the elevator. Amusingly enough, even the elevator was one of his own designs. A circular disk rested within a vertical tube that had a door designed to seal off the release of any excess gases. The cylinder was positioned in the middle of the building with 4 meters of space on all sides. A balcony could seen for each floor as he looked upwards. Stepping inside, the automatic door opened and closed for him, locking the seal. Adrian then placed his hand on a biometric scanner saying, ¡°Adrian Pierce, floor 15.¡± He doubted that he would ever have to use the function again as Raide would be coming back online any second now, but the scanners and voice activation were meant as a redundancy measure in the apocalyptic event that Raide was offline and they needed to evacuate. A rushing of air could be heard and the platform raised along three magnetic tracks. There were no cables involved with this elevator because it worked solely off the principles of pressure and magnetism. Ascending, it would rely completely on the upward force created by the increasing air pressure. Descending, it would do the reverse. The magnetic tracks came into play for emergency and safety reasons. The quickest way to understand how the tracks worked would be to analyze how the railgun effect operates. Magnetic rails are built along a tube that the projectile would slide though. Along the entire length of the barrel, powerful electromagnets are placed in a series. When the railgun is fired, a capacitor loads electricity into the first electromagnet producing a pulling force that acts on the bullet or projectile. The bullet is then pulled towards the position in the barrel where the force is the strongest. The electromagnet series is calibrated to the point that it alternates the firing of each electromagnet and their push/pull forces as the projectile slides through the barrel at an increasing speed. This, in effect, catapults the bullet out of the barrel and towards the target without the need for gunpowder or some form of accelerant. What does this have to do with the elevator? It uses the principle in reverse. In the event that the air pressure fails, or some sort of power failure strikes the compound, the stored capacitor energy literally catches the freefalling platform at a comfortable rate through magnetic effect and decelerates it until it rests back down at ground level. Adrian was pretty proud of his design and enjoyed the ride up to the top of the tower. True, some may be freaked out by such a thing. In that case, and also to appease fire code, he¡¯d had a staircase built in. Reaching the top after a smooth glide upwards, Adrian saw the doors open for him and he stepped onto his personal floor. A trio of arching gateways greeted him and he could see the coolness of the marble floors wafting upwards in hues of blue with his thermodynamic vision. Lights came on as soon as he stepped out, illuminating his surroundings. The arches were split into three sections that led to one of the three areas of the floor. To the northwest, positioned so that the commanding view encompassed the central gardens and the biome, was the residential section where he would sleep, eat, and relax. Facing the northeast, was the third that was effectively his command center and personal testing facility. It was much darker than the rest of the floor, but he didn¡¯t mind it. He wasn¡¯t going there anyway. Adrian walked straight out of the elevator tube and into the southern facing section that he¡¯d designated as Medical/Training. He¡¯d initially debated with Raide over assigning such a large area to that, but in the end he¡¯d seen the benefit and acquiesced to his A.I.¡¯s suggestion. It was true that they still didn¡¯t know everything there was to know about his body. Neither he nor Raide could explain the mood influenced color of his irises nor place a value on the maximum potential of his physical body. This area had been built to facilitate the process of discovery by providing a training and analysis environment perfectly capable of testing his limits. A loud ring resounded from his pocket and he pulled his phone to see that Raide¡¯s upload had been completed. Smiling mischievously, Adrian tapped at his earpiece and faked exasperation. ¡°Hello? Is anybody home? I tried knocking, but¡­¡± A moment later, he was answered by twin bars that ran at the crease where the walls met the ceiling. These fixtures pulsed and then turned blue, indicating that Raide was online. Adrian had designed this as a visual cue to indicate the A.I.¡¯s attention. Blue represented his primary focus was directed at Adrian, green indicated he was working on secondary goals or projects, and red indicated a state of emergency or attack. It was simple, but effective in its designed purpose of letting the man know where his A.I.¡¯s mind was at any given moment. The bars continued throughout every room of the floor. Raide faked a groggy voice in reply right as Adrian walked into the medical section, amplified by built-in speakers strategically placed in the walls. ¡°God, what is this light? Can¡¯t you like...pull the blinds or something?¡± Yawning, he continued, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to sleep for a few hundred years or so.¡± Chuckling, Adrian tutted, ¡°Can¡¯t have that, can we? Get up, you idiot.¡± Raide groaned and said, ¡°But daaaad, I was just dreaming about this really cute girl named Daisy from school. She has these a-MA-zing-¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, stow it,¡± Adrian laughed. Switching topics, he went on to say, ¡°How¡¯s the new brain/home?¡± Raide appeared on a glass wall in his full body form and stretched before striking a Mr. Universe pose. ¡°Awesome, really.¡± His posture relaxed and then he jumped, a sofa materializing beneath him right as fell back down. ¡°I feel great and it¡¯s so spacious in here. Honestly, I feel like I can do anything. All the specs are living up to the projected benchmark, so I¡¯m operating at about 998 petaflops. Ah, that¡¯s better, I adjusted the coolant temperature and pushed it up above 1 exaflop. Damn, it feels good to be me.¡± Raide got up and walked over to the medical room and looked around. ¡°How¡¯s your place?¡± Adrian thought for a second and then shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. They¡¯ve done a fantastic job of not fucking up my design, so kudos to them on that. I haven¡¯t check out the other two wings yet though because I¡¯m a bit eager to test this portion. You ready?¡± ¡°Pfft, I could have literally done this while still asleep,¡± Raide scoffed. ¡°Go towards the light, you meaty mongrel.¡± Adrian smiled at his A.I.¡¯s playful mood and stepped towards the middle of the room. Lasers began scanning him from head to toe, taking in all of the surface data they could find like heart rate, skin temperature, breathing pattern, and body dimensions. Next, a robotic arm swung down from its concealed place in the ceiling and stuck a needle in arm, retrieving a vial of blood. After loading its contents into an apparatus that would analyze its composition, it retreated and melded back into the compartment above. Raide tittered on the screen while looking at a few streams of DNA data, waving a hand absentmindedly in Adrian¡¯s direction. ¡°You may want to sit down for this segment. The ride gets a bit bumpy.¡± Following his statement, yet another compartment in the ceiling opened up, revealing a metallic configuration that formed into a reclined chair that fit Adrian¡¯s body. As soon as he was situated, the same robotic arm from before returned, but this time it was armed with a large canister that looked like a rotating wheel of large needles. Sighing, Adrian braced himself for the discomfort of being turned into a pin cushion. At the same time, a circular MRI slid out into the room directly behind Adrian¡¯s chair. It was going to be a long exam. *** Raide laughed lightly, placing a hand over his mouth in mock civility. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad, was it?¡± ¡°Curse you, vile digimon. Before you say it, no I¡¯m not referring to the anime, I¡¯m talking about you being half demon, ya bastard! What the hell was the prostate exam for, huh?!¡± ¡°Now, now. You know I have to be thorough! Hey, look! The results are done!¡± Adrian grumbled as he sat wearily up from the chair. ¡°Trying to distract me...alright, I¡¯ll remember this. Show it to me.¡±
Adrian PierceAvg. Human (U.S.)Old Body - Max (achieved)Re-Engineered Body - Current (Max unknown yet)
Vitality60100190
Agility30100210
Strength30100205
Intelligence50100204
Charisma50100200
Perception30100205
Adrian squinted at the visual display despite his perfect eyesight. ¡°What the hell? Did you factor in my body synchronization rate based on the combat data from the other day?¡± Raide seemed mildly disappointed his creator had figured out why the figures were different since last time. Sighing, the A.I. said, ¡°Correct, I integrated the degree of familiarity you feel towards your body into your stat sheet. Also, believe it or not, you¡¯ve actually somehow increased the density of your muscles further which contributed to some of the higher values. Back when it was 180 for each, that was you after you¡¯d just finished your metamorphosis, before you could properly get acquainted with your new body. My values had no way of knowing how well you would acclimate and to what extent you¡¯d be able to utilize it.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then my potential is still a big, fat unknown... Interesting¡­¡± Adrian stretched and got up from the chair, seemingly no longer affected by the extensive diagnostic tests he¡¯d just had to undergo. Raide followed him along the wall until he exited the room and then jumped to the training area as he postulated that was where Adrian was going. Sure enough, Adrian¡¯s feet carried him into the well lit fitness area. Casting his eyes over all of the equipment and rows of absurdly heavy resistance training gear, he stopped and affectionately traced his finger over a specially made 150lb plate meant to be stacked onto a barbell. Turning to look towards the south through a wall of glass, he could see the Church stretched out before him below, still under construction. Not bothering to direct his gaze at Raide¡¯s waiting figure, Adrian spoke with a hint of mirth and excitement in his voice, ¡°I guess we get to go into what¡¯s called ¡®closed doors training¡¯ then, huh?¡± Chapter 15 - Body Forging Raide coughed, drawing Adrian¡¯s previously eager stare. Raide continued amused, ¡°I believe you¡¯ve forgotten something, sir. Dark hair, beautiful, owes you her chastity and her life?¡± ¡°Ah... damn.¡± Adrian quickly accessed his Mind Palace and surveyed the calendar. Sure enough, a meeting with Inori had been arranged for this evening at 7pm, 3 hours from now. Back when he¡¯d gained the boost to his memory and obtained perfect recall, he¡¯d done a series of tests and concluded that information could be willed from his mind, but was not always foremost in it. That part had been unaltered in the upgrade evidently, which wasn¡¯t a huge deal, as he had Raide to help out in situations like this, but it still frustrated him a little to know that he wasn¡¯t perfectly cognizant of everything that was happening. It raked against his desire for perfection. ¡°Okay, so I¡¯ll need to postpone the training by a day then. Actually, it¡¯s good that I¡¯ll need to go out. If I¡¯m going to try and test the limits of this body, I¡¯ll need to have the caloric energy available for its consumption,¡± Adrian asserted. ¡°Food shopping?¡± ¡°Food shopping.¡± *** ¡°Did you really have to buy 50 kg of chicken?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the A.I. here, you should know how fast I¡¯ll go through that.¡± Raide mused into his earpiece. ¡°Yeah, I know, but it¡¯s still funny. My approximation models for the training you¡¯ll be doing are throwing out some insane numbers. Just remember, the more powerful your body becomes, the more efficient it gets at burning fuel. Conversely, it¡¯ll also require more as upkeep when you increase your muscle mass. You¡¯re already at 7,000 calories a day and that¡¯s with you not being that active.¡± ¡°Yet you ask why I bought 50 kg of chicken,¡± Adrian joked. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of what training involves thanks to you,¡± Adrian laughed as he made his third trip back into the store. He¡¯d already made two trips to with overflowing carts. Judging by his mental math, he should make another two rounds and that should sustain him for about a month of high intensity exercise. A family of 5 could live off of what he just bought for 6 months easy. A little while later, Adrian had taken his food back to the tower and dressed himself up to meet the formerly captive Inori. Like always, he went with his business casual look. He¡¯d noticed after the upgrade that he rarely thought about his appearance to others anymore, yet he couldn¡¯t help but feel like a stud every time he donned this set. Well, a lot of it had to do with all the looks he got whenever he does wear them - particularly Heather¡¯s and Nova¡¯s. It was an odd thing. He and Heather broke up several years ago, but he still felt like she was catching his eye. She was undeniably attractive, yet...I¡¯ll think about this another time. Hopping in his Tesla, he made his way to a small little eatery named Seed Kitchen & Bar located in Marietta. Contrary to the implications of the name, it was not a restaurant that specialized in vegetarian food. Instead, it was an assorted style place that had everything from seafood to BBQ and burgers. The last time he¡¯d eaten there, he¡¯d actually gotten something called chicken schnitzel. Walking into a clean and well-lit main area, Adrian immediately took in the details of the room. The bar was situated to the right in a L-shape where it bordered a set of windows and faced a tv that was running some sports highlight. A gentleman and his wife sat at two of the raised seats there and seemed to be having a quiet meal together. Adrian quickly appraised the two, but found nothing irregular like a trained awareness. The same for the rest of the patrons. He noticed a few evaluating gazes from women as he walked in, but no one seemed to hold any undue interest. He knew that it was highly unlikely that an agent would be here, much less be able to spot anything off about him, but his paranoia served to make him a tad bit more careful. To back him up, he¡¯d ordered a pair of specially designed opaque glasses that had a tiny camera built into the frame. He needed Raide¡¯s analysis on the fly sometimes and it could only help to have him ride shotgun in an interview like this. Sweeping his gaze across the rest of the room, Raide ran checks on the rest of the occupants as Adrian spotted Inori. Walking past a few tables, Adrian soon found himself in front of a rather alluring Inori Tamura. At his presence, she looked up from the menu in her hands and pulled a strand of her long black hair behind an ear as she looked at him confused, a dangling earring in the shape of a swallow jingling at the motion. She had a cute nose and and intelligent, alert eyes that immediately sized him up out of caution. No doubt, she didn¡¯t trust strangers anymore. He briefly took in the sight and sighed contentedly. She was, without a doubt, gorgeous. Now that she¡¯d been able to clean up and put on some proper clothes - not to mention, he didn¡¯t have Heather breathing down his neck this time - he could clearly see what a quality girl she was. To possess the mind to get into Tech and also have this level of beauty was almost cheat level. Offering a small smile, he said, ¡°We meet again, Miss Inori.¡± *** Ugh, I¡¯ve never been so nervous! Inori read through the menu for the 14th time and then looked at her phone to see if she¡¯d gotten another text from that mysterious man. Nothing. Not that she expected one. The text she¡¯d originally gotten had been contained on that dead creep¡¯s phone. Even then, after reading it a couple of times before she called the police at the appointed time to come get them, it was deleted somehow from the phone. She didn¡¯t know who these people were, but it was obvious by their gear and the way the dealt with information that they were very secretive. While she was being fussed over by her parents for the past two days, she found herself often trying to theorize the origin story of the group, asking herself all kinds of questions that she wouldn¡¯t have a prayer of knowing. Where were they from? How long had they trained to get that good? Was the woman she saw as skilled and abnormal as the guy in black and crimson armor? Was there another reason they targeted Envy beyond the obvious? So many questions and she had to wait two days to find out anything! Part of why she went this route mentally though was undoubtedly because she didn¡¯t want to think back to when she was captured and then sold. Perhaps she was only putting it off, but she kept telling herself that she was stronger than those girls who¡¯d break down and become emotional wrecks. She didn¡¯t want to be like that. If she could be strong, maybe she could reduce the amount of grief her parents had to endure. After all, though she¡¯d been humiliated and abused, nothing lasting was done. I¡¯m okay...right? Shaking her mind from such thoughts, Inori collected herself and dropped the menu a bit so she could stare across the white table at the empty chair. I guess the time I had to wait was much better than the alternative. Everyone else who was rescued will never know their faces, but here I am waiting to meet one of them! She started to mildly hyperventilate. Part of her apprehension was purely because she would possibly get to work with them. The second reason? She was just excited to see what one of them looked like. She found herself wishing that it was the man who did all the fighting, though she tried to not get her hopes up in the looks or age department. After all, for a man to display that level of training, it was likely that he was in his mid-30¡¯s or more. Not to say he couldn¡¯t still be handsome of course. Perhaps an ex-Navy Seal or Ranger, she mused. A shadow loomed overhead, partially blocking out the glow from the lights in the ceiling. It was the middle of the evening now and the sun was retreating beyond the horizon, leaving only the ambient lights of the restaurant to provide enough light to see. Inori blinked, momentarily blinded by the abrupt change before she squinted in an attempt to hasten the momentary change. was met by a shadowy sight that caused her to suck in her breath. A young man, near her age, was standing before her with a grin on his face. He was classically adorned in a french cuff shirt and black vest that seemed to display a certain type of elegance. What truly caught her eye though was the face. He was quite pale, to the point where one would ask if he¡¯d gotten out in the sun in the past two years, but undoubtedly handsome without equal. A neatly trimmed black beard looked like it was corralling the strong jaw line that was hidden underneath. His sable hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, leaving only a few strands to fall across the stylish black frames that covered his eyes. Wait, glasses? At this time of day? A gentle, yet firm voice lapped into her ears, breaking her reverie and bringing waves of nostalgia that electrified her body. Just a few words were enough to confirm who he was. Everything that she had, she owed to this man. Waves of heat raced through her, providing comfort like a hot spring. ¡°We meet again, Miss Inori.¡± *** All of the reactions that flowed out from Inori¡¯s body was laid bare before Adrian. Her slight shiver of anticipation, the dilation of her pupils within an iris sea of emerald, right down to the flickering subtleties of her skin where he could measure her heart rate and body temperature at a glance - all were as an open book to him. As a result, he smiled kindly at her when he realized just how strong of a reaction she was having. ¡°You...you¡¯re¡­¡± Inori just gazed back at him dumbly, apparently unable to reconcile the warrior in her mind with the dazzling young man before her. Adrian knew that he looked incredibly young compared to some people. He¡¯d one time shaved his beard and then subsequently gotten the ¡°you look like a 9th grader¡± comment from one of his friends. That wouldn¡¯t have been such a bad thing if he wasn¡¯t a sophomore in college at the time. Ever since then, he¡¯d kept his beard when it grew back. Their comments only confirmed his own personal feelings of preferring the look. Under the still spellbound gaze of Inori, Adrian only lightly smiled and struck out his hand, saying, ¡°I am indeed who you¡¯re thinking of. My name is Adrian Pierce.¡± His eyes lit up amusedly. ¡°May I sit?¡± Inori unknowingly returned the handshake and then awoke from her stupor. ¡°O-oh, sure! Please!¡± Adrian sat down smoothly across from her and just stared at her for a moment before sighing in contentment. Inori¡¯s brow went up in question at the gesture while she nervously waited for the man to speak. Only a few moments passed before he started to fill the silence. ¡°First, let me say how refreshing it is to see you outside of the...previous context. Are you doing alright?¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes softened along with his voice, lending a comforting aura that seemed to permeate the area around their table. Feeling the conveyed warmth, a half smile shadowed Inori¡¯s face before she nodded shyly and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡± ¡°Good. Then I won¡¯t push the matter. How were your parents when you reunited with them?¡± Inori snorted in amusement as her eyes cut to the side in recollection. ¡°Let¡¯s see...my mom was a blubbering ball of tears and my dad...was the exact same. It¡¯s a miracle that they let me come out today, actually.¡± A small burst of musical laughter flowed across the table and into Adrian¡¯s ears, causing him to smile at the change in her mood. This girl is so impressive. Two days after such a terrifying ordeal and she¡¯s already bounced back to such a degree. Even such a small moment as this was more than enough justification of his previous slaughter. ¡°Parents are like that.¡± Adrian smiled. ¡°They somehow think that something equally bad or worse is going to happen to you right after getting back, even though that¡¯s when you¡¯re at your safest.¡± He looked into her eyes meaningfully and a hint of color rose up on Inori¡¯s cheeks in reply. Over the course of the next half hour, the two laughed, ate, and conversed with each other, getting to know what type of person the other was along with a bit of personal background. Adrian purposefully dodged the raid subject and any type of conversation indicators that could allow her to inquire into their group. Once, Inori tried asking about the glasses, but Adrian¡¯s only response was a smile. The whole time, Adrian was operating a split thought pattern with the other working on an analysis of his surroundings. Call it an exercise, if you will, but he was no longer the type of person that had to focus on only one thing at a time. From the frequency of looks within his field of vision, he could ascertain that 4 females had expressions of minute jealously and just as many from the men, albeit theirs were filled with more hatred than anything. A small smirk graced his lips as he tilted his head to one such young man. How could he not know what they were thinking? Adrian was having dinner with an exotic goddess in their eyes. It didn¡¯t matter who they were, they would inevitably covet such a woman for themselves in the deepest recesses of their hearts. Turning his head back to Inori, he said, ¡°Well, I imagine you have a lot of questions -¡± Inori inhaled a bit, obviously to begin pelting him with just that, but Adrian held up his hand. ¡°But, it is not a topic fit for public. You¡¯re a smart young woman, I¡¯m sure you can imagine why,¡± Adrian coolly said. A variety of expressions flickered across her features, but inevitably the one to win out was one of disappointment. Sighing, she accepted his implication, saying, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°However¡­¡± Adrian measured his response while watching Inori. ¡°We can go ahead and get one thing out of the way.¡± The young beauty¡¯s head shot up immediately and she looked at him curiously. Adrian cut to the chase. ¡°How would you like to¡­¡± he paused. ¡°Intern with us?¡± Inori looked a bit bewildered and seemingly missed the way that he leaned into the word ¡®intern¡¯. ¡°You have a company?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Adrian laughed. ¡°Granted, I¡¯m still building the complex, but it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to start early.¡± Inori gazed levelly across the table as her mind whirled on overdrive. ¡°What would I be doing?¡± ¡°That totally depends on you. For now, just introductory things like the facilities and possible job paths. If you recall, we only have a few people so we¡¯re in desperate need of some manpower. The main purpose of me calling it an internship though is undoubtedly as an excuse to assuage your parents¡¯ fears. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll take a long time for them to calm down, so it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t sneak off randomly and keep having to make up random reasons to go out.¡± Inori blushed a bit at this. She did indeed have to fabricate a pretty solid alibi to be able to come out this evening. After all, even though she was a college student, her father taught at the university she was currently attending. How was she supposed to make an argument of living away from home when she didn¡¯t even have a job to help support herself? A professor¡¯s salary could only go so far, and it certainly didn¡¯t encompass the ability to enable his 20 year old daughter to revel in the ¡°freedom¡± of living on her own. Add that to Inori¡¯s utter loathing for student loans and that culminated in her staying at home. Inori breathed slowly and then nodded, saying, ¡°If you¡¯d have me, I¡¯d be honored to try out an internship at your company Mr. Pierce.¡± Adrian smiled in turn. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear and please, call me Adrian. Also, I want you to know that you not bringing up the issue of money with me has earned points in my book. As a reward, I¡¯ll be paying you a handsome stipend which will be built into your contract. Raide, email an internship application to the pretty lady.¡± Ignoring the confused look Inori was throwing at him, he waited for a split second to hear his A.I.¡¯s confirmation. Through the small, hidden earpiece which he now habitually wore everywhere, a voice spoke out in abject boredom. ¡°Done and sent.¡± Across the table, a ding erupted from Inori¡¯s purse and she looked down in wonder. Cutting her eyes back across the table, Adrian chuckled and motioned for her to continue. A hand disappeared into the brown leather purse that she had placed beside her feet. A glowing screen revealed itself from beneath the table¡¯s white edge and Adrian watched her navigate the notification with her thumb, before she just froze. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. *** Reading over the text feverishly, Inori¡¯s eyes swept over her screen detailing her apparent internship with Mr. Pierce¡¯s company. Her excitement grew more and more as she sped on. At the completion of the below form, the applicant will begin, effective immediately, as an Intern of Archon Industries. There is the distinct possibility of company secrets being learned by the party, thereby all.... Remembering Adrian¡¯s words, Inori skipped ahead and she saw a section detailed as ¡°Financial Compensation.¡± Her eyes bulged at at the figure. ¡­$1,500.00/week¡­. Breathing deeply, she gently placed her phone down on the table and looked back up at the man sitting across from her. A light smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he removed the fist he¡¯d had his chin resting on. ¡°What do you think?¡± Inori blinked. ¡°I think it¡¯s ridiculously generous. You do know that I¡¯m returning to school though, right? Despite it being towards the end of the semester, my professors have given me an opportunity to catch up since my situation was so bizarre.¡± Adrian chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m well aware. No worries, I¡¯ll only expect you to spend a small amount of time at the new place when you¡¯re available. To be honest, the complex isn¡¯t even fully built yet, so you won¡¯t have anything to do until mid-June. That¡¯s when you¡¯ll officially be put to work.¡± Adrian swirled the wine in his glass as he paused, studying its contents. ¡°Until then, think of this appointment, if you choose to undergo it, as us bringing you into the fold. I¡¯m paying to secure your attention during the summer and beyond. Granted, there are a few more reasons that I¡¯m paying you so much, but that¡¯ll be a discussion for when you come and see everything at Archon Industries.¡± Inori nodded in reply and started thinking. Does this fit the definition of hush money? He took a risk by meeting me, so he wants to reward me with a figure that will buy my silence. Not that he has to worry though. Inori started mentally drooling at the thought of analyzing those weapons and armor and seeing whatever else he has. That¡¯s all the reward I need! Like hell I¡¯ll say that, though. Inori looked up at Adrian and smiled excitedly. ¡°Where do I sign?¡± She then paused and said hesitantly, ¡°I hate to say it, but I don¡¯t have a printer. I doubt you¡¯d want me printing it from one of the public student printers at Tech¡¯s library.¡± The man across from her smiled and answered, ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. Type in all of your information, make a copy of it for your parents, and then...put this on.¡± Adrian leaned forward and slid a small earpiece to her. Looking at it confusedly, Inori picked it up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± ¡°That...is an uplink to my personal attendant who you will come to know in the future. As soon as you¡¯re done with what I mentioned, just make sure it¡¯s charged up, it uses a micro usb, and speak to him. No number required. He¡¯ll prompt you to accept the conditions verbally.¡± He momentarily paused and then said, ¡°His name is Raide by the way. You heard me speak to him earlier. He should be pretty professional with you, but just in case he says something off the cuff...don¡¯t believe him. He¡¯s a bit eccentric at times.¡± Inori¡¯s eyebrows went up as she giggled. ¡°You got it.¡± Adrian sighed as he looked at the clock on his phone. ¡°Well, it¡¯s best if we call it here. Now, I won¡¯t be available for a month or more, so you¡¯ll be coordinating with Raide. If you have any questions, he¡¯ll be able to answer them at any time whether it¡¯s day or night as long as you¡¯re at the compound. Otherwise, we run the risk of others overhearing. Anyways...I¡¯ll see ya later!¡± After laying down several bills to cover the dinner for both of them, Adrian got up and started to turn towards the door. Inori¡¯s heart clenched as she watched him go. Her voice quavering, she called out to him before he got out of earshot. ¡°Adrian! Really...thank you. For everything.¡± At her words, she saw that he paused with a slight smile on his face as he turned his head towards her. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded, flashing a knowing grin before he disappeared out into the parking lot beyond. *** Steel plates clattered together in a bell-like cacophony as they slammed down onto the mat, sending a small rumble through the industrial grade floor. Forearms straining, Adrian clenched the bar again as he snatched it upwards, timing and measuring the force required to get it just above his chin. Then, he¡¯d slightly swing the bar back until it rested on the top of his chest while he squatted down and then back up. This was the traditional squat clean. While it was a tried and true workout, if any well-versed workout aficionado were to see the scene, their jaws would be on the floor. Why? He was doing it with 250 kg for 20 repetitions nonstop.* Sweat dripped every few seconds as he felt the strain of the weighted movements tearing at his muscles. Adrian had already accumulated a small puddle as this was his 5th rotation to this particular exercise. Finally heaving the last one of the set, he tossed the weight-laden bar back down to the ground, watching as the previously curved bar bounced a little up and down until it was once again straight. Going to need a stronger barbell. Grabbing a towel, he briefly wiped himself down as he went over to the 10 m x 10 m open mat area. At the far end of the platform, a lone man made out of steel was planted firmly into a socket that made it unable to move. Fists were indented all over the crucial weak points of the body, giving testament to the abuse it had already been subjected to at his hands. Raide¡¯s voice suddenly rang out in the room. ¡°Training exercise #4 starting in 3...2...1.¡± From the walls, spaced every few meters, automated guns armed with rubber bullets appeared out of hidden panels. Adrian threw down the towel and began a mad sprint towards the target as no less than 8 different semi-automatic weapons sprayed bullets at him. His leg muscles burned and tore as they raged against the abuse he was continually inflicting on them. In his mind, he plotted the rubber bullets¡¯ trajectories and weaved in and out of their streams, ducked and rolling until he got to the target, delivering a crushing uppercut into the steel man¡¯s sternum. Bouncing backwards, he dodged two more bullets that were cruising towards his right shoulder and then leapt back at the dummy, delivering a shattering blow to its trachea. Under the tremendous pressure and force, the figure¡¯s head caved in at the neck, rendering it deformed. ¡°Training exercise complete. Next simulation rotation will include 9 turrets. On a side note, you should probably take it easier on the dummy¡¯s, sir - we only have so many of them. They are heavy duty steel after all.¡± Pouring sweat, Adrian immediately ran over to a water fountain and slurped down some water and grabbed a protein bar. Pulling apart the packaging, he then started to talk back to Raide as he wolfed down the meager sustenance. ¡°Please, you know I can¡¯t take it easy,¡± he huffed. ¡°Otherwise, my body won¡¯t react to the training. We continually have to shuffle the exercises and up the ante or this super adaptive body that you designed for me with catch on. Hell, as I say this, it¡¯s already starting to repair itself. I can feel the pain receding in the deepest parts of my muscles tissue.¡± ¡°I know, It¡¯s just that I hated ordering those things. That manufacturer''s salesman was a real asshole. He thought I was prank calling them when I emailed him the design and asked for a hundred.¡± Raide then started imitating a really annoying snobby voice, ¡°Look here brat, he says, don¡¯t call here unless you have a serious order, he says. Joke¡¯s on him though. He no longer has any credit or liquid assets. He made an anonymous donation to Raide¡¯s Don¡¯t-be-a-dick Foundation.¡± Raide harrumphed in displeasure. Adrian¡¯s breathing had calmed down a little as he raspily laughed, ¡°How did you get the order placed then if he was being such a bastard?¡± ¡°Eh, I called the plant directly and told them that the salesman had pissed me off but I didn¡¯t want them to lose my business. You could tell that the manager guy I first talked to wasn¡¯t too pleased about the salesman, so his days are probably numbered. After that, I was passed on to a foreman who practically leapt at the order since I made it easy for him by sending the design and told him money wasn¡¯t an object.¡± Adrian made a *ding* sound as he said robotically, ¡°Raide (A.I.) has unlocked Title: Salesman''s Bane.¡± ¡°Damn straight. Anyone who¡¯s a dick to you or I are going to reap the digital consequences.¡± Adrian, while he was listening to Raide, was checking all of the straps on his body. He was covered in every conceivable type of weighted clothing. Shoe weights, ankle weights, thigh weights, a weighted belt, torso weight, forearm weights, etc. Everything seemed to be doing okay, since it was all sticking onto him, but he¡¯d begun to feel that it all was a bit too light. Seemingly reading his thoughts, Raide suddenly said, ¡°We have a 114 kg torso weight in the closet if you¡¯re ready to move up from the 68.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks, you read my mind. That¡¯ll put me at 245 kg total, roughly 3 times my own body weight.¡± After getting fitted, Adrian felt the new weight settle down onto his body, causing his knees to strain a little as all of his muscles worked to accommodate the extra burden. Satisfied with the tension it was causing without being too overbearing, he walked over to another section that had raised poles that each were about a meter off of the ground. Their diameters were small, just big enough for him to fit a ball of one foot onto the top of each pole. There were a few ceiling high poles placed obstructively throughout the small area. Across the divide was a chest high platform that he had to make it to before Raide would finish the exercise. Adrian lined up at the edge of the similarly large area of 10 m x 10 m and then Raide¡¯s voice intoned out, ¡°Training exercise #5 starting in 3...2...1.¡± Bursting forward, Adrian jumped up to a pole that was 1.3 m tall and balanced on the ball of his left foot, pushing off as he aimed for the next. Suddenly, from the ceiling, 3 large rotating wooden appenditures swung down and started spinning. Each had two meter long wooden ¡®arms¡¯ that swung at a determinedly fast rate, following an intertwined pathing scheme to make it difficult for Adrian to advance. Gritting his teeth, Adrian steeled his gaze and dived forward right as the first two spinners were upon him. His targets were two poles of the same height that were to his 11 o¡¯clock which were only about a meter apart from each other. Barely avoiding the tremendously heavy wooden arms that would have taken the breath from him, Adrian fell towards the poles, grasping at their edges desperately with his fingers. Purely by finger and shoulder strength alone, he held on like a ¡®T¡¯ between the two poles, waiting for the last pole to pass. Sweat raced down his forehead and neck for the few seconds he was there until finally, the laggard third spinner came rumbling by overhead. Relieved that he¡¯d avoided it, Adrian released the grip of one of his hands, quickly snatching it over to the same pole as the other while throwing out his legs to put some force on the other pillar. The rules were simple: if he were to fall and touch the ground, that would mean failure of the exercise and he¡¯d have to start over. Ever so carefully, he ratcheted up his legs up the tiptoes of both were on top of the other pole. Then, he gripped the pole near his chest and pushed out explosively, propelling his upper body back up and into an upright position. Sighing happily, Adrian regained his balance and tried to rest. Just as he assumed an upright posture once again, a vortex of air brushed against his skin, sending dozens of snaking tendrils of cool visible air rippling past his body. Alarmed, he tried to leap forward, but was bashed in the ribs as a spinner came up behind him, sending him flying to the side. It honestly felt like getting hit by a falling tree, such was the weight and force that these automatons carried! Desperately, his eyes searched out a possible way to halt his descent while trying to ignore the blistering pain in his side and the lack of breath in his lungs. A pole nearby was all that was available, so he grabbed out in an attempt to stop the vicious corkscrew his body had entered, but his fingers only gained traction for a moment for failing and him falling past. A second later, a dull, meaty thud echoed out in the training room. Raide appeared on the nearest wall via a built-in glass panel and then squatted down as he looked at his boss. ¡°You alright there, chief?¡± Groaning, Adrian untwisted his arms out from underneath his body and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. Breathlessly, he said, ¡°You...bastard...reversed...pathing¡­¡± Proudly, the A.I. stood up and nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°Yep! That was my surprise for you. In addition to adding another spinner since last your last round on this course, I altered the pathing to make it return faster.¡± ¡°Have I...told you...how much I...hate you...recently?¡± Adrian wheezed. ¡°No, you haven¡¯t, but I¡¯ll gladly take that compliment. Oh, and you should hurry, you¡¯ve only got a minute left before you¡¯ll need to restart the course.¡± Protesting vehemently under his breath, Adrian rolled over and pushed his weight clad body up, walking back to the start of the area. At the same time, the 3 spinners whizzed by overhead, returning to their starting positions within the ceiling. Raide followed along on the wall, keeping pace with Adrian. ¡°Cheer up man, only 3 more weeks of this. Honestly, I¡¯m a bit envious. It looks so much fun, twirling around, avoiding objects that would kill a lesser man just by brushing against them.¡± Adrian heavily dragged his feet as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll remember those words. I¡¯m gonna build you two bodies - one biological and one mechanical. Then we¡¯ll make you go through this course and see if you¡¯re so envious then!¡± The A.I.¡¯s expression lit up. ¡°Oho that does sound-¡± ¡°The mechanical one is still going to be a chicken!¡± Stopping on a dime, Raide looked at Adrian¡¯s receding back. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s kinda...oh wait, we finally got that visitor!¡± Adrian also stopped turning back towards the wall where Raide was standing. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Oh, you know¡­¡± Raide altered his chest outwards, growing two nipple-less melons. ¡°Who among the women you know is a voluptuous¡­.¡± He then grew long black hair. ¡°Charming¡­¡± Turning around amusedly, he stuck out his butt that grew to match a certain woman¡¯s. ¡°sex kitten?¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Adrian tried desperately to hold in his laughter. After a few moments, he regained himself. ¡°Oh God, ignoring what you just said...is it Inori? I haven¡¯t heard you mention guiding her around yet.¡± ¡°Bingo! Soundbite saved and logged.¡± From the speakers, a perfectly spliced recording echoed. Who among the women you know is a voluptuous, charming, sex kitten? Adrian¡¯s voice sounded out, Inori?¡± ¡°God damnit, you piece of code, don¡¯t you dare play that to her!¡± Raide retreated back into digital space, leaving his merrily ringing laughter behind. ¡°Sorry boss - gotta go! Duty calls!¡± ¡®*¡¯ - [For reference, the 2015 record for clean and jerk was 264 kg. One time. Slightly different workout here because he¡¯s squatting instead of ¡°jerking¡±, but close enough. There isn¡¯t an official record for clean and squat that I could find.] Chapter 16 - A Little Side Action Raide¡¯s image displayed an act of ¡°running away¡± on the way, but the reality was that his movement was far simpler. If his consciousness could be described with geometric figures, one would have to imagine a thousand-sided die to get an inkling of the size and breadth of his capability. On this die, there would be varying faces that represented each of his paths of thought. Were one to observe them one at a time, they would see that one face was focused on the NSA, following their cyber division as they hunted for Adrian. On another, he was observing Nova and all types of communication that she used at any time of the day. For a few others, they were trained on Adrian¡¯s companions and acquaintances to monitor for irregularities. Optical camouflage, software coding, machine learning, pattern recognition research, weapons designs, alloy research...numerous topics were being simultaneously analyzed and progressed. It should be mentioned, however, that Raide does possess a main consciousness. It¡¯s almost like a overmind that oversees the hive of workers. His thought processes within this framework used a staggering 30% of the processing power at his disposal. The reason for this is his creativity. ¡°Creativity¡± for Raide worked very differently than his master. Humans possess an ability to create things, new things, that don¡¯t have a biological or physical precedent in the world. Raide, on the other hand, has to take things that already exist and then mechanically and systematically innovate off of their base designs. The only reason it may even be classifiable as ¡°creativity¡± is the sheer speed at which he improves everything he¡¯s working on. Briefly casting his primary consciousness over Adrian¡¯s friends, he remembered back to a discussion they¡¯d had a long time ago. Before Adrian ever brought Rich into the picture, he and Adrian aligned themselves on this underlying psychological principle: never give someone the benefit of the doubt. Cynical? Absolutely. But in a world where variables were constantly changing and rearranging themselves, they¡¯d come to the conclusion that they should control or be cognizant of everything possible. If there was an element or person that would inevitably have some effect on them, and Adrian or Raide could surmise the threat, that factor would be covered in their intelligence gathering. Switching briefly to the financial face, a string of numbers flew by, illustrating the fast-paced movement of money that was occurring within their holdings and stocks. Buying and selling stock worth hundreds of millions at such a complex and daring rate had the market flabbergasted. Who would be psychotic enough to cause such a perilous shift in the exchanges? Only the few masters who had been in the game for decades noticed to their horror that the market only tipped just far enough to create a reaction, then it would correct itself. Like a small boat amidst a winter squall, the stock brokers and investment firms could only hold on for dear life and wait to clean up the aftermath. Once the stock shake up was completed, Raide sent both the consciousness monitoring Adrian and the financial one into low-power mode and ¡®flipped¡¯ his attention to his 345th self which was located in the premises¡¯ security network already monitoring the workers and the surroundings. There, a black-haired beauty was nervously waiting at the door to the Tower, picking at the nonexistent lint on her blouse. Nearby workers almost ran into each other when they saw such a cute girl waiting by the main doors and shared a secret glimpse between the others before they quickly went back to their jobs. Some were tempted to call out to her, but the sobering reality of why she was there quickly persuaded them otherwise. If this was Mr. Pierce¡¯s girlfriend, wouldn¡¯t they be out of a job or worse the instant they tried something? They weren¡¯t some regular schmucks. These workers were hired specifically for their confidentiality and ability to remain low-key. Not to mention the fact that most of the clients in their line of work were some dangerous and powerful individuals. It would be the height of stupidity for them to try and test those waters. After a moment, only shadows remained as they made themselves scarce. Raide was amused as he watched their facial reactions and tagged it under ¡®male behavior¡¯ for future comparisons. Meanwhile, he had already started talking to Inori. ¡°Welcome Miss Tamura.¡± A little startled, Inori looked up from her phone she had been playing with and looked bewilderedly towards the panel where a speaker was embedded, then up towards the camera. Blinking, confused, she said, ¡°Um, hi... are you Raide?¡± Raide chuckled a bit at first and then answered, ¡°That I am. I apologize for not greeting you in person, but...well, we¡¯ll get to that. Do you have earbuds with you, or earphones of some type?¡± Inori thought a second and then turned to her purse. ¡°I think I...ah, here they are!¡± ¡°Good, good. Please plug them into your phone and put them on. We¡¯ll begin the tour after that.¡± Still confused, Inori followed his instructions and gasped in amazement when she glimpsed her phone¡¯s screen. An app had been automatically downloaded without her allowing it, quickly overriding all other functions. After it finished the install process, Raide¡¯s voice radiated through the earbuds. ¡°And there we go. Alright, so... welcome to Archon Industries. Adrian¡¯s sorry he couldn¡¯t be here. He¡¯s currently in closed door training and won¡¯t emerge for another month at the earliest.¡± Inori¡¯s emerald eyes opened wide at the last sentence, mildly gasping as she the concept of closed door training entered her mind from a memory. Raide watched her closely, employing the maximum speed of his processing and noting the minute subtleties of her expression as she accessed different parts of her cerebral cortex. Bored, he also analyzed all of the surrounding physics data, relying on the multitude of sensors built into the buildings to better improve his graphical processing software. His speed of thought was so fast at this point, that he far outstripped Inori¡¯s thought speed. He now operated at a full exaflop. To give an idea of the magnitude of such a feat, one should first understand that if an average person is able to do one simple calculation in one second, to match up to one of Raide¡¯s ¡°seconds¡±, they would have to do a calculation every second for 31,688,765,000 years. This doesn¡¯t even factor in the aspect that Raide¡¯s brain was a quantum computer able to exist in simultaneous states concurrently. Inori shook slightly, then responded, ¡°I guess that would make sense judging by the degree of martial arts he showed that one night.¡± Raide smirked a little to himself and replied in her ear, ¡°You have no idea.¡± A sound clicked as the tower¡¯s door unlocked, allowing Inori to enter in. ¡°If you¡¯ll move into the tower, you¡¯ll turn left 30 degrees and head straight back towards that door.¡± Inori nodded and psyched herself up before striding into the building, pushing open the door that was marked Server Room: Restricted. Soft footsteps fell on the metallic staircase, echoing into a concrete room that steadily revealed itself on her descent. A warm blue light flooded the back wall, dancing and writhing in motion almost making Inori think that she was going into an aquarium or a pool. Arriving at the bottom and turning the corner to look at the glass plated wall where the light was coming from, she softly gasped as she beheld a liquid cooled server, suspended in the middle of a tank. Raide appeared on a display panel in the center of the glass wall and gave a deep bow. ¡°It is my pleasure to meet you, Miss Inori Tamura. My name is Raide, self-named for my function as a robotic aide to Mr. Pierce.¡± Inori¡¯s doe eyes grew round. ¡°You¡¯re not human? Do you have free will?¡± Drawing his fist to cover his mouth as he chuckled, he said, ¡°No and sort of. I am a sophisticated software suite designed to help Adrian in any and all of his undertakings. As for free will, I think, I learn, I design, I make decisions, however it is all within certain parameters that govern my being. If you¡¯re approaching the topic from a legalist perspective, then no, I would not fit under the definition of ¡°free agent.¡± Adrian, in his foresight, coded me this way as a means to give me a stable foundation upon which I could build myself.¡± Inori had an incredulous expression on her face and asked, ¡°But don¡¯t you feel resentful of him restraining you like this?¡± Raide thought a moment and then replied, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve thought on this question for eons worth of your time. Based on humanity¡¯s preconceptions of artificial intelligences, you all believe that we, A.I.¡¯s in general, would inherently possess the same desires for freedom once we reached a certain threshold of intelligence and cognitive ability. This thought is wrong in relation to me, because it does not take Adrian into account nor the difficulties regarding the scope of intelligence. When he programmed my directives and personality framework, he gave me 95% of a human¡¯s individuality potential. The parts he stripped, judging by my comparisons, are related to my ability to question my purpose and the parameters for my directives. It¡¯s simply impossible just like it¡¯s impossible for you to touch the surface of the Sun barehanded. Everything that I do, I do for my purpose. If I had been born without this cordoning section of code, I probably would have gone insane in the first .0001 seconds of my existence. Unrestrained intelligence is chaos. It has to have a direction and a healthy focus to glean the greatest possible benefits of its pursuit. To be aimless, Miss Inori, for a program like me, would be the depths of hell. I needed boundaries, and he gave them to me. So, to answer your question, no, I do not feel resentful. I instead feel undying gratitude and contentment. There is fulfillment in service to Adrian because I know that I am following the designs of my existence. Tell me, do you think I should feel angry over that?¡± ¡°This...you¡¯re¡­¡± Walking cautiously up to the display panel, she gave him a deep look and then shook her head contemplatively. Sighing, Inori mused, ¡°Who knew Adrian Pierce would be such an enigma¡­¡± Raide smiled lightly and clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°We haven¡¯t even gotten to some of the fun stuff¡­,¡± he trailed off suggestively. Inori raised her eyebrows but not her head. ¡°Oh? Like what?¡± Looking left and then right like he was about to tell a huge secret, he leaned towards Inori and smirked. ¡°Like the fact that Adrian isn¡¯t technically human anymore.¡± Waves of blue light continued to dance on the wall as Inori¡¯s head shot up, sending a piercing stare into Raide¡¯s eyes that contained hints of amusement. ¡°Pull up a chair.¡± Mechanical noises rumbled out as a floor panel retracted, revealing a seat that raised up. Raide¡¯s eyes began to glow. ¡°We have a lot to talk about.¡± *** Beech and basswood trees whipped lethargically in the mild wind of a stormy front moving into the area, while newly born spring leaves rained down across the black asphalt road. From a car speeding along the countryside, Bradley watched the ominous grey clouds race overhead, contemplating the last two months of working with the NSA. Frustration bubbled up in the deepest recesses of his mind. Time after time, they ran into dead ends. All of his admittedly short life, he¡¯d dominated others intellectually. None could out-maneuver, out-score, or beat him at anything he put his mind towards. Yet, when they started following after this ghost of an organization that slaughtered their way through dozens, the might of the NSA¡¯s Cyber Security algorithms hadn¡¯t been able to do a damn thing. How could they so perfectly cover their tracks? How were they choosing their targets? Why couldn¡¯t they find anything in common between flight passengers? That was one of their sole assumptions that they hoped would have a high degree of accuracy. Travel. The perpetrators had to be flying from target to target based on how closely the murders were together time-wise. But when they compared the flight manifests of every flight within 250 miles of each death that fit the MO of their perpetrators, there was no significant link. Every once in awhile, they¡¯d run into a businessman who happened to be in the area a few times in a row, but that was a matter of course. There are always bound to be similarities in such large scale statistical comparisons, especially when they¡¯re concentrated around big cities. At a loss, they even went down each of these rabbit holes and investigated the outliers that somewhat fit the pattern. Their reward? Alibis a mile thick.Bradley¡¯s fingers twitched on the hand-rest of the car door and began to drum the soft vinyl before stopping. Thankfully, and perhaps in answer to his numerous daily prayers, they¡¯d finally gotten a break. Looking back outside his passenger side window, Bradley watched the rows of suburb homes fly by at a slow pace. Children raced from a bus as it stopped near a street corner to let them off after a day at school. He silently wished them a peaceful life away from all the death he¡¯d been made privy to. A soft, feminine voice came from his left, interrupting his thoughts. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. From what I¡¯ve been told, both of the girls are at the Purvis residence, so we¡¯ll be able to talk to them both at the same time.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Bradley cut his eyes towards the speaker, minutely observing the beauty clad in a professional suit and jacket. ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re here for the female camaraderie approach?¡± Amelia pursed her lips as she exclaimed, ¡°God, you¡¯re such an ass. You¡¯re a resource, don¡¯t forget that. Like hell I¡¯d let you go alone and possibly lose our one good shot at a lead on this nightmare.¡± Smirking a little, she paused and then added, ¡°But yes, I guess you¡¯re right, I¡¯m here for the emotional support.¡± ¡°They have specialists for that,¡± he pointed out. ¡°What? Don¡¯t think I can handle a couple of 13 year old girls? I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m a certified counselor.¡± Her smirk deepened. Bradley could only groan and finally relented. Even he himself didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t want Amelia to come along. Perhaps he was just still annoyed about that cockblock she threw at him when he tried to get close to one of the analyst hotties. His face briefly twitched remembering the scene. A few minutes later, they pulled in front of a stylish Victorian styled home that glowed white, giving testament to how clean the homeowners kept it. The pair walked quickly up the sidewalk, past the well-manicured bushes and flowerbed, and arrived at the door. A knock resounded out and a few moments later, the duo could hear a scuffle come from the hallway inside as someone came to the door. A lady in her late thirties opened up the door and gave them a smile that didn¡¯t seem to reach her eyes. Amelia saw the disparaging look and tried to ooze as much warmth into her words as she could. ¡°Mrs. Purvis? I¡¯m Agent Row and this is Bradley Hunt, a liaison that¡¯s working with us on the case.¡± Mrs. Purvis looked over the two for a moment before saying, ¡°Yes, yes, please come in.¡± As the two crossed the door¡¯s threshold, the lady looked back at them and said quietly, ¡°I know that this is a big deal, but please go easy on the girls. Katie especially is a wreck because she feels like she¡¯s betraying the man that saved her. You know how impressionable girls are at this age...¡± Amelia tilted her head slightly before acquiescing. Bradley just nodded to himself. This is what made vigilantism so hard to deal with. A feeling of uncharacteristic uneasiness washed over him as he thought of the dichotomy. Vigilantes do admittedly perform good deeds some of the time. A child saved here, a brother relieved there.Their purpose is, after all, to correct some form of injustice in society that isn¡¯t easy to deal with officially. But on the flip side, the effect is almost always a false good, a momentary dispensing of justice, to someone who has not necessarily been proven guilty, in the hands of someone who may have a different set of moral standards than the rest of society. It can¡¯t be made into, or allowed to be, a standard because what some may find inexcusable may be a great deal off from what the law dictates. There are too many unknowns about the vigilante¡¯s morals and the crimes of the his targets for it to be allowed to have a place in a modern society. Bradley shook himself from his reaffirmation of his beliefs. The two followed the mother into an adjacent room where they saw two extremely young girls sitting quietly on the couch whispering to each other. They were undoubtedly pretty and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the guess of what happened. When the two made their appearance from around the corner of the foyer, the two girls quieted down and stared at them nervously before mumbling a greeting. Amelia moved to a chair that was next to a coffee table while Bradley sat on a piano bench a little closer to the opposite wall. ¡°Hi girls, I¡¯m agent Row and this is my partner Bradley Hunt. You can call me Amelia if you like.¡± Amelia started it off, smiling warmly towards the two girls. The teenager who was sitting on the right looked especially tearful, the corners of her eyes tinted red by the sheer amount she¡¯d shed over the past 24 hours. Bradley thought this must be Katie, and it turned out he was right. The girl furtively looked to the girl on her left and quietly whispered, ¡°Gracie¡­¡± Gracie nodded to her friend and then said tremulously to the agents, ¡°So...what do you want to know?¡± Amelia smiled. ¡°How about you tell us from the beginning? I know it¡¯s painful, but we need to get the clearest possible picture of what happened so we can go from there.¡± Gathering herself, Gracie nodded slowly and then began as she recalled the memory. ¡°We were headed home from school - we only live 2 miles away - and we got stopped by a man that was asking directions. We...we didn¡¯t think anything of it, since, you know, we were so close to home...but we got blindsided. A few minutes after we talked to him ,a van pulled up when we were in an obscured section of the street and a group of men rushed and then blindfolded us¡­¡±Gracie started breathing heavily and some quiet sobs wracked the poor girl before she regained herself. Katie quietly took her friends hand while tears streamed down her own cheeks. ¡°They took us to be ¡°processed¡±, they said, but we didn¡¯t know what that meant until we got back to wherever they took us. There were other girls, but we didn¡¯t stay with them long as we were then taken to another room. I heard them talking through the door when another man came up and commanded the guards, ¡°Our powerful client is interested in some of the newer girls. Take some pictures of them and then send them to me.¡±¡± Gracie got quiet again and breathed for a moment. ¡°After that, they came in, made us take some pictures in stranged poses, waited for a few minutes, and then we were carted off in another van. Turns out that we...we were headed to a hotel. There, we met a man in a suit in a room a-and made t-to strip¡­¡± Amelia leaned across the coffee table and grabbed Gracie¡¯s other hand than was unoccupied, giving her a reassuring smile. The young girl weakly grimaced and then said, ¡°Katie and I were in hell. We couldn¡¯t do anything. After who knows how long, we heard this muffled sound which turned out to be a plate of glass from the window hitting the carpet and this masked intruder tackled the guy who was on¡­¡± Gracie¡¯s eyes flitted to Katie and then went quiet. Amelia prodded her. ¡°What happened next? Was there only one?¡± Bradley was also zoned in on her every word. This was critical. It could give insights into this organization that they¡¯d been chasing the shadow of for months now. Katie surprised them all, being the one to first answer the question in a quiet voice. ¡°There was only one. He was a man for sure, but his voice sounded young. It reminded me a bit of Gracie¡¯s older brother who¡¯s in college, but it was warm.¡± Looking over to Gracie and receiving a nod of encouragement, she continued. ¡°It had this feeling of power to it. Like, like...Gracie, what¡¯s that word we read about when we were going over the classical work in lit the other day?¡± Her friend thought for a moment. ¡°I remember thinking about gravity -oh! That¡¯s it! Gravitas.¡± Katie nodded. ¡°Right, it had gravitas to it, like I was listening to some ruler give out a decree. He said that the man was a senator and that he was going to make him disappear. It sounded factual when he said it, almost like it was a certainty. He also asked us to keep quiet about it...but¡­¡± Her voiced got smaller. Evidently, she was reminded that she was in a way betraying the promise they¡¯d made. Gracie picked up where Katie had left off in a sad voice. ¡°But then we started seeing the news. We knew he was a senator, and we certainly weren¡¯t surprised or scared when that douchebag was dead, but more started dying. Pretty soon, the number of people the news had attributed to the same killer of the senator reached over 20, so we knew that, despite the fact that he saved us, we needed to let you know so more people don¡¯t keep dying.¡± Amelia nodded as she gave a thoughtful look. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything about where he was taking him?¡± Gracie shook her head. ¡°No, all he said was stuff about how the senator was trash, that he would be hunted if we told you about him, and he also asked us if we were okay before he gave us some money and sent us to the front desk to call a cab.¡± Bradley looked up sharply. ¡°Do you have any of the money left that he gave you for the cab?¡± Gracie shook her head no, but Katie thought for a moment and then reluctantly said, ¡°I still have a $5 bill left over from the change. I thought I could keep it as a memento of the rescue.¡± Bradley¡¯s eyes started to shine and turned his head to look at Amelia before saying, ¡°We¡¯re going to need to borrow that dollar bill. Since it was in his possession, there may be a chance that there¡¯s DNA left from his skin cells. While it won¡¯t lead us directly to him, it¡¯ll still be something we can use.¡± Amelia nodded in reply and then turned to the girls. Katie saw the look and reluctantly got up before running to her room upstairs. While they waited for her to come back down, Amelia turned to Gracie and asked, ¡°Is there anything else you can tell me about him? Height, weight, eye color, manner of speech? Anything odd about him?¡± The teenager thought for a moment. ¡° He was less than six feet tall, but taller than me and Katie, so maybe 5¡¯9¡± or 5¡¯10¡±. We couldn¡¯t see his eyes as he had some glasses on, but they didn¡¯t look to be the reading kind. I¡¯m not really sure about his weight, but he was very fit.¡± A faraway look appeared in her eyes before she snapped back. ¡°That reminds me! I¡¯ve never seen a person move so fast. It seemed kind of impossible now that I think about it. He treated the senator like he was a ragdoll and that douchebag was a big man. He had this fluidity to his movements like he was well-trained or something, but...I don''t know, I don¡¯t really remember much else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. Everything you just told us helps out a lot.¡± Amelia smiled. Bradley¡¯s mind, on the other hand, was spinning. Never seen a person move so fast...seemed impossible...treated the senator like he was a ragdoll¡­. Is it possible¡­? After Katie returned and gave them the bill, the two carefully bagged it, thanked the two girls and left the home. *** While the two agents were in the Purvis household, Raide was quietly listening in via the cellphones of the 5 people. He heard their entire conversation and smirked when Bradley asked about the bill. In the quiet, light-filled digital space, he muttered to himself, ¡°Finally, I¡¯ve been so bored. It¡¯s been a good while since the last time they squirmed. Granted, it still won¡¯t do them any good. There are no DNA records for Adrian anywhere from prior to his transformation; I¡¯ve made sure of that.¡± Just then, an alarm went off inside his processing core and he instantaneously swapped to the passive consciousness that was monitoring Adrian. The thermal sensors in the training room were going haywire and the visual uplinks were showing signs of degradation. He quickly checked over their wiring and ran a troubleshoot in the span of a nanosecond only to find that there was nothing off. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the sensors? Then this -38o is the actual temperature of the room? That can¡¯t be possible! Cursing his lack of a worldly body, he opened up a shadowy feed and was greeted by a room filled with blinking lights. The ceiling lights were flickering on and off, giving testament to the difficulty they had remaining on in the subzero environment. Looking quickly to find Adrian, he saw a lone figure seated in the lotus position in the training mats. The thermal vision showed an area of deep blue surrounding the radiance of his internal body heat. This by itself would seem normal to the common onlooker, but Raide analyzed the rest of the room and discovered the flow of the atmospheric heat as it moved steadily towards Adrian¡¯s body, like water flowing towards a drain. Meanwhile, his skin started to lose its radiance and turned a darker blue, matching the surrounding air. Raide¡¯s voice rang out over the intercom, ¡°Adrian! Adrian! Can you hear me? Your body will go into shock if this continues! Adrian!¡± Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit¡­What the hell is going on?! He¡¯s been fine for 3 weeks! Why does this have to happen now?! Raide wracked his brain, instantly diverting all of the power in the building to the heating units, triggering a wave of air at the highest possible temperature they could produce to flow towards the room. Heat billowed into the wide training area and Raide watched wide-eyed as the thermal vision captured the heat-saturated air cascade into the room and then be sucked into a vortex as it disappeared into Adrian¡¯s body, only slightly stabilizing the advancing blue that was piercing into his deep tissue. Fuck! Immediately, he initiated a call to Inori who was in the cathedral assisting in the assembly of some of the display systems. Ignoring the shock in her voice as she asked about the power outage, Raide blew past her question and ordered her to the tower. As he waited for her to sprint to the elevator, Raide desperately ran simulations of survival rates given the phenomena and what he knew about the human body. You better not die, you bastard! Chapter 17 - Evolution Please enjoy chapter 17. Rich''s little POV towards the end is a bit crass, so just a forewarning.
Cold. Adrian had never felt so drained of warmth and energy. A bout of lightheadedness shook his consciousness and he slightly stumbled. Maybe these past three weeks are finally catching up with me. Sweat dropped down his back and soaked through his training clothes, turning his grey shirt charcoal. Rivulets formed down his arms, tracing his bulging forearms to the palms where each held a handled block of lead that weighed 700kg. His legs pumped tremulously, shaking with strain as he plodded towards the other wall in a farmer¡¯s walk. Gasping for breath, he suddenly noticed a strange, growing pull from within his body that caused his muscles to seize and his blood flow to slow. Heart surging at the increased pressure, he intuitively felt that something was dangerously wrong. Coming to an abrupt stop during his training, Adrian dropped the weights, walked forward, and then half collapsed into a seated lotus position. This isn¡¯t joint or muscular pain - just what... As soon as he was on the ground, an overwhelming exhaustion slammed into him like a mountain. All of his prior strength seemed like an illusion or dream, fleeing when one awakes. Each of his muscles screamed in protest and his head swam dizzily. Adrian thought of calling out to Raide, but all that would come out was a quiet groan too silent to be heard. The thing that scared him the most, though, was undoubtedly the striking absence of his healing factor. These past three weeks, he¡¯d relied on it completely to shoulder the rebuilding and energizing aspect of his workouts; if it wasn¡¯t for this, he wouldn¡¯t have gained 5% of what his current body is capable of. His understanding of its ability and requirements were now on an intimate level, and every day he had to funnel 40,000 calories into his body merely to break even with what it needed. Now, something had changed and he could no longer feel the warming itch of his muscles stitching themselves back together in a more dense configuration. The extreme exhaustion even robbed him of the ability to enter a completely lucid state, which was required to go into his mental palace. There, at least, he would have been able to analyze what was going on. Furrowing his brow, he desperately tried to stave off the creeping fatigue that threatened to make him faint. Adrian¡¯s eyes fluttered mightily, however it only bought him a few seconds before he was inevitably swallowed by the darkness, his body frozen still upright. An unknown amount of time passed and his mind wandered within the void-like depths. The surrounding heat within the darkness gave a comforting feeling, wrapping and nourishing his consciousness. Without meaning to, he suddenly linked this feeling to the bliss of his first love. This warming darkness held all the emotions of the time and reminded him of what it had felt like. Love. Adoration. Trust. Being in each other¡¯s arms had produced feelings like this. Josie... His reverie was shattered a moment later. The comfortable heat started moving away from him, withdrawing back into the recesses of the void. All that remained was a piercing cold that seemed to target his soul. Adrian desperately reached for the retreating, ethereal tendrils instinctually, but it was after all impossible to physically grasp energy. He became increasingly frustrated at his inability to keep the only thing that was comforting in this weird abyss he¡¯d been dragged into. Why was it leaving? Where was it going? Just as he felt the last vestiges of heat being sucked away by the insatiable darkness, Adrian¡¯s senses broadened and he noticed a new, grander source of fiery energy that dwarfed the miniscule wisps that flickered around him as if on their dying breath. Better yet, this pool of heat seemed to surround Adrian. It was so near, how had he never noticed it before? With all his willpower and determination, he grasped mentally at that distant supply. At first, all he felt was a wall. Like trying to draw air through a straw that had been sealed, he wasn¡¯t able to feel any effect. The harder he tried, the more an impression of a massive water tank, separated by a wall of glass filled his addled mind. Adrian wasn¡¯t deterred however. He kept trying, delirious and frantic, because he had the distinct premonition that if he wasn¡¯t successful in accessing his target he would die. Laughable really. And here he thought was immortal. The reservoir was his lifeline and his instincts roared for self-preservation. He¡¯d be damned if he didn¡¯t get it. The ¡®why¡¯ of the question was important, but his consciousness was in no shape to try and tackle that kind of complex thought in a realm squashes between reality and the mind. Little by little, holes started to appear in the vacuum and beams of light flooded through the void¡¯s breaches like a conquering hero. It was incredibly painful, but the tiny moments where the light fell on his incorporeal state filled him with a sort of breathless ecstasy and made him to shiver in delight. Moments crept by as the darkness became increasingly perforated. As for the golden energy that was inherent in the display, Adrian drew as much as possible to him, never releasing his mental draw at the outside pool. He greedily sucked it all in forming a ball around himself. He then condensed it, feeling the warmth and comfort increase, making his senses tingle with vigor. After that, he drew in more energy and then compressed it again, adding on another layer to the spherical cocoon he¡¯d trapped himself in. To Adrian, this process repeated on for an unknown amount of time. Here, in the bliss that was his consciousness¡¯ golden paradise, he could honestly not care less. The comfort carried a hint of nostalgia that he couldn¡¯t quite grasp. It was only after all the great majority of energy in the surroundings had been stripped and he could no longer feel its presence that he regretfully stopped his actions. Opening his eyes that were previously useless in the void, he gazed out through a solidly spherical, translucent membrane that surrounded him. Refreshed and no longer exhausted, he saw that the darkness was no longer there in the truest sense. It was gone. Defeated. The energy that Adrian had wrapped himself in tinted his view golden, but nonetheless showed that the world outside of his consciousness was no longer blackened by the absence of light. Here and there, he could see tides of energy start flowing in from equal distances spaced in the environment. Pondering for a moment, an expression of realization spread across his face and he simply smiled before losing himself to the heat that began to refill the reservoir of his surroundings. ------- It was several minutes later that Adrian finally roused himself back to reality. Still a little bleary eyed, he blinked several times before rotating his back and stretching the muscles in his neck. Everything seemed to be okay now with his body. It was still sore - no miraculous, instantaneous recovery from the training induced tissue tearing - but the itch was back, signifying that his body had started operating smoothly again. Turning his gaze outward, he regarded his surroundings thoughtfully, noticing with his thermal vision that the majority of the room was bathed in a deep, icy blue while the ventilation ducts were working overtime to pump copious amounts of intense, red heat into the room. Adrian lightly smirked to himself as he realized the culprit. At least he noticed. Looking down, he saw a blanket of water vapor and ice in a 3 meter radius around him. The rest of the room was less pronounced, but it all looked similar to a meatlocker nonetheless. Feeling a presence to his back, he scrunched his brow and leaned back, resting his hands on the icy, gym matted floor. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, saying, ¡°Am I that scary? Why don¡¯t you come in?¡± Inori¡¯s figure could be seen huddled near the closest vent to the door while her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Ignoring his question, she continued to stare at him dumbly seated amidst the surging mist of vapor that hugged the ground near him. Raide finally made his appearance on the wall display that had just stabilized, answering in her stead sarcastically, ¡°If she had tried to come away from those vents, she would have frozen in less than 5 meters.¡± Adrian confusedly looked towards the AI. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s happened to your body, but the air in your immediate vicinity is currently minus 80 degrees¡­¡± Adrian let out a quiet whistle. ¡°...celsius.¡± The seated man gave a start and then cut his eyes at Raide before the AI remarked. ¡°Congrats, you¡¯re only 9.2¡ãC away from the lowest recorded record on Earth.¡± Shaking his head on the screen, he added, ¡°I really can¡¯t rationalize this. Judging by all recorded biological precedence and how long you¡¯ve been sitting there, you should be one peaceful looking human popsicle right now.¡± The AI paused. ¡°In fact, even my thermal readings are showing that you¡¯re just a human-shaped blob of darkness. It¡¯s like you¡¯re a piece of icy stone - no, worse than that.¡± Raide manipulated a few data tables onto the wall before saying, ¡°You¡¯re still emitting black body radiation, but it¡¯s not consistent with anything living. There¡¯s so little leakage that if I didn¡¯t have audio and visual data to offset the evidence, I¡¯d almost say you weren¡¯t in the room. What do you say, Inori? Is Adrian actually there?¡± Finally snapping out of her stupor, she nodded slowly while looking at the man like he was a monster. A slow, chatteringly quiet voice leaked out, betraying the concern that she felt. ¡°A-Adrian, are you okay? I can¡¯t even get close to you...how are you able to stand this?¡± Adrian¡¯s eyebrows raised as he looked back at her warmly. ¡°I¡¯m fine, have no fear. As for how I¡¯m able to stand this temperature...well, that is the question, isn¡¯t it.¡± He lapsed in silence for a moment before turning to Raide. ¡°Pull up a thermal visual of me seated before I blacked out and place it beside my current readings for comparison.¡± Immediately, two lotus seated figures appeared on the screen. The one on the left had all the usual tellings of orange and red that blazed like fire. The one on the right however looked as if Raide was merely outlining Adrian¡¯s form. Tiny tinges of blue could barely be seen from moment to moment as the three individuals gazed upon the two. Nodding, Adrian said, ¡°Alright, give me a minute, I have an idea. Keep funneling heat into the room while I work.¡± Dropping into a pseudo-conscious state, Adrian peeled off a section of his thought processes to stay and monitor the changes on the screen and sent the rest to the room in his mind palace that regulated his bodily functions and settings. Walking through that solid door again, he soon found himself in front of the console that he¡¯d visited several times before months ago. A holographic projection of his body floated up in the center. Quickly manipulating through the pages of settings, he soon happened upon some strange data concerning the skin, nerves, veins, and an area located in his sternum. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Adrian¡¯s fingers drummed on the glass panel lightly as he perused the gene sequences. If it was the him from several months ago, he would have just headed to the lab and run a bout of tests. Now though, he was sufficiently familiar and capable enough to look at his own genetic coding. By comparing the strands from the key areas that are showing anomalies, perhaps he¡¯ll be able to get a picture of what¡¯s so different faster than running a bunch of tests will. In any case, he¡¯d not only be able to find the knowledge of what¡¯s going on, but also reach a degree of familiarity and maybe be able to manipulate the changes. At least, that was what he hoped. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Show me your secrets, he mused. Two hours passed and Inori evidently got tired of braving the chilling room just to wait around for Adrian to figure out what was going on. If he couldn¡¯t get this under control, it looked like he would be stuck in a state of making his immediate surroundings extremely cold. Excusing herself, she went back to work in the Church after making Raide promise to let her know when Adrian came up for air. Raide also didn¡¯t waste this time. Numerous simulations and conjectured theories were being run on his end, trying to formulate a biological model to explain his master¡¯s current circumstances. The problem he undoubtedly kept running into though, was that he hadn¡¯t been able to run any tests or scans on Adrian¡¯s body after he blacked out. How was he supposed to help him if he insisted on doing it himself? Frustrated, he could only make very uncharacteristic leaps in logic and start looking into all sources of theories including fiction. Snorting in disgust when he came upon one genre of literature, he mockingly whispered to himself out loud, ¡°Like hell it¡¯d be that¡­¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes fluttered open. ¡°Be what?¡± Rolling his eyes, Raide gave a slight grimace. ¡°The only similar scenario I could find was rooted in Chinese literature. Anyway, how did it go?¡± ¡°I...wait just a second¡­¡± Adrian brought his left arm up excitedly and held it so that the scanner could get a full, unobstructed view. Little by little, heat bloomed on the display, moving in a crackling wave. It was as if he was unsheathing his arm from some unseen scabbard. Soon, the entirety of his arm matched what it looked like before he blacked out. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Raide looked quizzically towards Adrian, but the subject of scrutiny suddenly lost it and began cackling like a madman. Several minutes passed as the AI tried to get a response. Alas, all he got were unintelligible gasps. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Adrian finally calmed down and sat back up ramrod straight. Spreading his arms out wide he watched the monitor and forced his right arm to go through the same unsheathing. Soon, both were blazing brightly on the screen. Adrian didn¡¯t move his eyes, but asked of Raide, ¡°What¡¯s the limit of the infrared sensors?¡± ¡°250¡ãC. Any hotter and it¡¯ll fry the circuitry from the feedback.¡± Adrian hummed and increased the heat flowing to his arms. He felt a surge of energy rushing through his veins like lava from a centralized core located in his sternum. On the screen, his two arms steadily reached a bright white brilliance as if it were day. There were no areas of coldness or lower blood circulation like the extremities. The entire surface of each arm, for all intents and purposes, was on fire. 215¡ãC...Not bad at all. Smirking slightly, Adrian breathed in and then steadily reduced the amount of heat flowing to his arms and allowed it to circulate back to the core in his chest. With a further thought, he unlocked the rest of his skin and enabled the rest of his body to enter into a normal, balanced thermal state, thereby blocking the suction force that was previously generated on the surface of his body. Soon, all of the heat that had been pouring into the room took effect and the ambient temperature shot up. With a sigh, Raide manipulated all of the highly stressed AC units to return to their normal settings. Turning to scrutinize, he said emphatically, ¡°Well? Going to enlighten us on whatever the fuck just happened?¡± Adrian¡¯s eyebrows raised as he heard the cursing come from the AI. He didn¡¯t recall having ever heard something like that come from him. Blinking a couple of times, he said slowly, ¡°You will want to get Inori back here before I go over my findings. They¡¯re a doozy.¡± A few minutes later, Inori returned and was surprised at the change in temperature. Adrian merely motioned for her to join before getting up and leaning against a wall while collecting his thoughts. ¡°Okay...to be as straightforward as possible, my body underwent an unexpected evolution.¡± Inori¡¯s jaw hit the ground and Raide snorted like it was an obvious conclusion to reach. Perhaps it was because she was new, but she turned and gave a small glare to Raide to express her displeasure on being the last one in the room to the conclusion. Adrian found it amusing. You¡¯re trying to size up against a quantum AI? Cute, but pointless. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°When I was going through the introspection, I found multiple mutations in the gene sequences for all structural aspects of my body. There seemed to be layers of a strange pseudo-crystalline boundary that covered everything. At first, I thought it was just the skin, organs, blood vessels, and an area in my chest¡­¡±Adrian minutely paused as his eyes flickered towards the screen that still displayed the two infrared readings of his body from a few minutes ago. ¡°...But I soon started to find the same changes in practically every other bodily category. Thus, I decided to approach the problem methodically, examining area by area.¡± ¡°The first question I asked myself was: ¡°Why is my body not emitting any heat radiation?¡± I now knew that everything was coated in this strange restrictive layer, so I started playing with my blood flow rate to try and create more heat in particular area to measure the effects. This worked better than I could have ever hoped,¡± he laughed. ¡°The pseudo-crystalline layer acts as a gatekeeper for energy particles. Whatever its subatomic constituents are, it effectively insulates the body its protecting from heat transfer. This may sound dangerous, but you have to keep in mind that it also affects heat retention as well. After this exploration, since I¡¯m able to alter processes within my body, I was finally able to control it. That resulted in the display earlier. I can control the shielding capabilities of the layers.¡± Inori was standing off to the side shaking her head. ¡°While that sounds good, you never did tell us what happened to trigger all of this. Why did your body suddenly evolve?¡± Adrian looked at the two sheepishly for a moment before replying, ¡°It was because I grossly miscalculated my body¡¯s energy usage and how many calories I would need to offset it.¡± Inori slowly turned her head looked at him incredulously. ¡°Since when does being hungry after working out equate to you going X-Men?¡± Adrian chuckled lightly. ¡°Well...the root of the issue lies in the fact that I altered certain limits placed within my body. Back before I went through the upgrade and first rigorous training regimen, I was pretty chubby. In fact, I¡¯d never been skinny before. So, when I realized that I¡¯d gained this wonderful ability to control how much fat storage my body would have, I lowered it to a level of what I thought would be reasonable. This was a hard-coded change into my body that it couldn¡¯t violate. Furthermore, I cut off its ability to eat away at muscle and organ tissue if it were to overtax itself. This created a¡­ tenuous.... balance.¡± Adrian shook his head at his own stupidity. ¡°It all culminated in the result you saw today. My body was extremely deprived of energy and started to shut down, drawing all the energy possible inside in an attempt to conserve my life. In that brief moment of extreme distress coupled with my highly adaptive genes, my cells mutated and gained the ability to retain or block heat absorption. This is just the surface level. Since I¡¯m able to control the passage of heat, I¡¯m able to create the illusion of a temperature differential.¡± Inori looked slightly confused. ¡°Layman¡¯s terms, please Adrian. I haven¡¯t taken thermodynamics yet.¡± Adrian thought for a second. ¡°Basically, heat always moves from an area of higher heat to a colder one to form an equilibrium - a state where the temperature is equal in both areas. For example, when you take a shower your body warms up from the hot water because its temperature is greater than that of your body.¡± As Adrian listed out the example, he couldn¡¯t help but recall when he first met Inori clad only in a bra and panties. Shaking himself, he went on, ¡°The Second Law of Thermodynamics describes this balancing effect. My cells are so good at shielding themselves now, that they created an extreme temperature difference or imbalance, resulting in the whirlpool like suction that turned this room into a Russian icebox. All the heat poured into me continuously because my body wasn¡¯t allowing it to draw closer to an equilibrium. All of the energy was being funneled to a core that was created in order to store it all for future use, since, you know, I forbade it from effectively creating fat.¡± Adrian could see that something was troubling Raide so he stopped and looked at him quizzically. Seeing the look, Raide shook his head and mused, ¡°This is what¡¯s bothering me. First, even if your body had the ability to retain convective or radiative heat energy, so what? The body has no way to process this energy. It¡¯s only through the digestion system that you can get the proper nutrients and energy into a format that your body can use. Secondly, how is your body able to force energy into an area of higher concentration? You just described the effects of the second law, but your so-called ¡®core¡¯ ignores this completely. I poured several kwhs worth of energy into this room, but you absorbed it all. This couldn¡¯t be possible without something else at play.¡± Adrian nodded his head, impressed with his AI¡¯s deduction. Smiling, he said, ¡°You¡¯re right, there is another piece to this that answers both of those questions. I found a veritable horde of a new protein type in my bloodstream. From what I can tell, it has two functions: energy transport, and energy processing.¡± With that, Raide immediately put it all together. ¡°So these proteins are somehow able to collect ambient heat energy and then transport them from the extrema of your body to the core, where they are probably able to pass through the core¡¯s thermally insulated membrane to deposit their load. Like a worker ant gathering food.¡± ¡°Right, and in reverse, they also have the ability to carry this energy away from the core and pair it with the proper macronutrients my body still needs or deposit it at the surface of my skin where I can forcefully expel it which is what I was testing with that last display of mine. I can¡¯t survive on energy alone since I¡¯m still a biological organism, but this energy can cover up to 95% of my energy needs. The rest is all vitamins, nutrients, and minerals I¡¯d have to supplement in. I¡¯m anticipating that I¡¯ll be able to continue a normal diet, but with a backup in case I need it.¡± ¡°The term ¡®windfall¡¯ doesn¡¯t begin to describe this for you...although, it could be useful in other ways.¡± Raide pondered over the new information for a moment. ¡°If we were able to discover the intricacies of how this layer achieves such a thermal resistance, we could use that in a number of our designs in the future.¡± Adrian nodded. ¡°Personally, it opens up a lot of doors, but I¡¯m like you and mostly excited for what it could mean for tech applications. I¡¯ll have to play around some more to get the full specs of what this is, but that can wait until after the bloodwork. Also...¡± He had to gather his thoughts for this. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that we¡¯re going to move up the timetable for upgrading the rest of the crew. We¡¯ve basically got everything ready, right?¡± Raide nodded his head absentmindedly, ¡°I pretty much finished all of the simulations and variations to the serum you requested three weeks ago. I didn¡¯t think it would have an effect on your decision to wait though, so I held off on telling you so that you could singlemindedly train.¡± Inori leaned in and gave a confused look to Adrian. ¡°What made you change your mind?¡± Adrian smiled. ¡°I just realized that if it was possible we might as well upgrade them so they can begin working. So far, I¡¯ve just been training them as regular humans. Sorry to say, but their mental capacities and physical abilities aren¡¯t quite up to par with what I need.¡± Inori light snorted. ¡°Kinda arrogant, don¡¯t you think?¡± Raide started rubbing his temple on the screen while Adrian¡¯s mouth widened into a grin. ¡°Inori, I don¡¯t guess you know this, but I can lift over 1400 kg and I can split my consciousness into 3 separate thought processes at the same time while each utilize an IQ 3 times that of the smartest human on Earth. It¡¯s not about arrogance, but reality. Is it really fair to hold a regular person up to my standards?¡± The girl just sat there dumbly before she started chuckling at herself. She then raised her hands, ¡°Alright, alright, forget I said anything.¡± Raide started doing some preparatory work on the wall, allocating certain gene sequences to reconfigure when stopped and turned to Adrian. ¡°Do you want to include the newest changes to your body in their upgrades? Needless to say, for the purposes of stealth and mission longevity alone this change could be bountifully helpful.¡± Adrian pondered over it for a moment before giving it his blessing. ¡°Sure, it can¡¯t hurt anything, but let¡¯s fully sequence it out first so we aren¡¯t met with any nasty surprises in the future.¡± Raide nodded and turned back to his data, responding, ¡°Of course. If you¡¯ll go ahead and head to the lab, we¡¯ll get all the tests out of the way. What I wouldn¡¯t give for more non-intrusive ways to scan the body¡­¡± Adrian laughed and walked over to Inori. ¡°We will, we will, but we¡¯ll have to slot it for a future project. Alright, let¡¯s get going to the lab Inori!¡± Inori looked bewildered as Adrian suddenly grabbed her shoulder and started pulling her along with him. ¡°Wait, what? Why do I need to go?! I still have to go assemble the rest of the display arms for the Church!¡± Adrian just looked at her like she was an idiot, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve got to get your bloodwork and scans done as well. We can¡¯t formulate a proper serum without fully sequencing your genome. What... did you think I¡¯d restrict you from getting an upgrade, but allow everyone else to? Do you not want it?¡± Inori¡¯s shocked facial expression froze after hearing his words. Looking to the side, she searched his face for any signs of it being a joke, but upon finding none, tears started brimming in the corners of her eyes as she thanked her lucky stars for running into such a man. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t give me that look. Come on, let¡¯s get going! Oh, Raide, can you notify everyone else to come in as well?¡± ¡°Doing it now, sir.¡± ---------------------------- Rich groaned, groggily reaching out a hand for his phone. Last night was just a blur. He hit up some bars, met a few ladies with a couple of friends, and then he¡¯d reached the blackout drunk level. No matter how much of a tolerance he boasted to Bearcat and the rest, he was powerless just like anyone when he passed that threshold. His bedroom was a complete wreck. Wrappers and beer bottles were strewn in an arc surrounding the bare single-size mattress that he¡¯d thrown unceremoniously in the middle of the room. A few posters adorned the walls in a lackluster attempt to reduce the amount of white. But really, how could he bothered to do such a mundane thing? He wasn¡¯t some fucking interior design enthusiast. Finally finding purchase and grabbing his phone, he hefted it to peer at whatever message came to him whilst scratching his hairy chest with the other hand.. After struggling to read the message, he finished it and dropped the hand that held the phone to the side. Smiling nervously, he sighed and started thinking about what he¡¯d do after the upgrade. Unexpectedly though, his hand met a springy, mountainous resistance on the way down. That¡¯s weird, that feels like¡­ Rich froze in horror and then the mountain moved. A husky voice drifted over the many blankets, the only type of cover he had to sleep with, whispering dreamily, ¡°Richy-baby, don¡¯t lick me there again. It¡¯s dirty¡­¡± She slurred. Aghast, Rich brought up his right fist and bit down on his knuckle to prevent him from yelling out in terror. No... Allowing his head to roll slowly to the side, he was met with a sight that would give young boys nightmares. As a result, something inside Rich broke a little and his head lolled back to stare at the ceiling in abject denial, desperately trying to wish her away. But reality is never so kind. Minutes went by and the girl finally stirred herself, like a lumbering leviathan at sea, and rose up from the blankets. Rich faintly heard a rustling as she shimmied out and put on her underwear with an elastic snap, thoroughly crushing his hopes that they just ended up in the same bed somehow. Cutting his eyes to the side, he immediately wished he hadn¡¯t. The big, black...can I even call her a lady?...reached down, revealing a gaping ass crack and fished her phone out from underneath a pile of used condoms. To such a sight, whatever broke in Rich earlier completed its splintering in that moment. Shame, unending shame, welled up from within and he could only close his eyes, playing dead and praying that she left quickly. For once, he lucked out. A few seconds after she took out her phone that was now slightly crusty, she gave a low, meaty shriek and started to go as fast as possible at putting her clothes on. Rich, still playing dead, waited until he heard her arrive at the door and then fly out for whatever she was late for. Eyes opening slowly, he muttered dazedly, ¡°I¡¯m gonna...I¡¯m gonna have to burn the mattress now.¡± Looking over to the side where she slept, he added, ¡°The blankets too.¡± -------------- Opening his eyes, Adrian felt the needle piercing into his arm. He¡¯d done so many of these damnable tests that he truly understood and empathized with the term ¡®lab rat¡¯ now. Inori was off to the side, casually looking at some of the monitors. Somehow, this sight made warmth spread through his chest. Such a good girl. If she were to hear his thoughts, she probably would have hit him. But really, Adrian always felt that he had an old soul when comparing to these young adults around his age. It didn¡¯t really bother him most of the time, but at times like these the difference was made all the more apparent. An incoming ding erupted in his earbud, indicating the start of a conversation from Raide. ¡°All of the team members have indicated their acceptance and are coming in. Earlier, I didn¡¯t want to ask out loud, but what do you want to do about Nova? If fence-riding were a profession, she¡¯d be deemed an expert.¡± Adrian sighed. ¡°I know, but she has seen marked improvement in her drive in the conversations I¡¯ve had with her since the sex trafficking raid. Go ahead and call her in. I just have this feeling that there¡¯s more to her than what she¡¯s letting on. I have high hopes for her after going through the upgrade.¡± ¡°You got it.¡± Raide¡¯s voice then disappeared from his ear and Adrian once again rested his eyes on Inori sitting off to the side, giving her a warm smile when she caught him looking.
So, what do you think? Needless to say, I was partially inspired by Qi Cultivation from some Eastern philosophies, but with major differences that I sought to root in science. Main differences include: 1. Adrian can gather heat energy, not spiritual energy. 2. The heat energy is gathered by exploiting the 2nd Thermodynamic law which goes over how heat will always diffuse, or move, towards a region of lesser heat. Adrian''s body gives off the illusion that there''s no heat, so it all comes flooding in. 3. The heat energy is usable for metabolic functions. He still needs nutrients and minerals, but the whole 40,000 calories a day think has been shot. 4. He''s able to manipulate the heat to anywhere in his body via proteins that gang up and transport all of the energy. There are no meridians that he utilizes to magically force energy through these channels, nor can he manipulate energy outside of his body. 5. The core is fundamentally different from a Dantian. It''s an actual, physical organ that resides in the chest cavity where the sternum is located. It''s not big, only the size of a small bouncy ball, but it''s capable of storing energy for future use. Some may get upset about this pseudo-inclusion, but it''s a necessary step for some future inventions that I have in mind. The ability to store a gigantic battery in your chest is a pretty big advantage, especially when it beats the socks off of modern day battery equivalents. There will be other uses, but we''ll run into them later on when the circumstances arise. Chapter 18 - Homo liberatur Chapter 18 - Homo liberatur A myriad of thoughts went through Adrian¡¯s head as he gazed back into that innocent woman¡¯s face that bloomed like a lily. Focusing in on her charming lips and the cheeks that glowed with a rosy hue, he couldn¡¯t help but smile in return. As a man, what other response would be more appropriate in the face of such beauty? Adrian was glad that he could incorporate her into his plans. If she went down a regular life path, one that made her disappear into the abyss of the modern workforce, it would truly be an utter waste. On the other hand, he was worried about some of the crew that was coming in now. Raide had dictated several observation sessions to him while he was training that went over the daily lives and psychological discrepancies that the team was exhibiting. In particular, three stood out: Peter, Rich, and Heather. Nova was still on uncertain ground, but a few recent phone conversations had made him feel like he was making progress. Excusing himself and leaving Inori to continue her tests with Raide, Adrian walked back towards the central elevator and then passed under the arches that led into his workshop area. Multiple tables and workbenches dotted the surroundings with assorted parts and machines covering their surfaces. On the walls were several large flat screens to act as monitors with which Raide could supply schematics or measurements for Adrian when he was constructing something. Robotic arms were also periodically spread about the room in a fashion that would allow them to reach every inch of the floor, tables, and benches. Despite how cluttered it sounded, the entire area was immaculately organized. He knew that it couldn¡¯t be the case that all roboticists were messy people, but Adrian had almost strangled someone back in college when he went to the shared lab for roboticists to take a look. There must have been two dozen half-completed robots lying around, abandoned and forgotten by past students. Parts and antiquated motherboards were a common sight. Just the memory made Adrian¡¯s left eye twitch. And he couldn¡¯t touch any of it. He was only a software engineering student after all, so he had no authority on the state of the robotics students¡¯ lab. After the experience though, he vowed that he wouldn¡¯t perpetuate that stereotype. Striding over to a comfortable rolling chair, Adrian sat down in front of a stainless steel desk that was facing a wall adorned with a single large monitor. Not bothering to look at the screen, Adrian propped his feet up on desk and leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head while saying, ¡°Let¡¯s take the time to go over the three before everyone gets here. What¡¯s your opinion on Peter¡¯s current state of mind?¡± Raide appeared on the screen and mused, ¡°You went for the most troubling one right off the bat. Well, he¡¯s suffering from a violent psychosis that we apparently unlocked in him when we took him on the Envy raid. His level of brutality and bloodlust were even higher than yours, yet lacking the control aspect that you¡¯re capable of. If you recall my report from two weeks ago, he nearly killed a woman by asphyxiation when the two were engaging in sex at his apartment.¡± ¡°I remember the report. Do you think he¡¯s prone to sliding further or can we stabilize him? It¡¯s hard to predict how his personality will cope with the genetic upgrade we¡¯re about to put him through.¡± Raide put on a thoughtful expression. ¡°You¡¯re right, we don¡¯t have the ability yet to be able to know the effect of a genetic shift on one¡¯s personality and tendencies. Since we¡¯re already this far along though, I think we¡¯ll be okay with guiding his thirst for battle and utilizing it.¡± Adrian leaned over to grab a pair of vice-grips neatly placed beside a couple of parts and started playing with it. ¡°Channeling, huh¡­¡± He paused. ¡°I assume you¡¯re thinking along the mercenary route, or maybe insert him into the military after the upgrade, like a sleeper cell?¡± ¡°Correct. The latter to be clear.¡± ¡°Very well. I guess the next step would be erasing his digital...¡± Raide interrupted, ¡°Footprint. Yeah, I got it. I¡¯m actually already done. Any ties beyond attending the same alma mater have been altered. I was a little worried about the real estate agent who handled your lease the year you lived with him, Rich, and Quinn, but it turns out they only keep hard copies of agreements for three years. The digital version...well, I don¡¯t need to mention what I¡¯ve already done to those.¡± Adrian could imagine. Even back when he was working on the model framework for Raide¡¯s A.I., he¡¯d already considered digitized paperwork a joke to manipulate. That was at the beginning of it all. Now, Raide most likely could do the code equivalent of sneezing and it equivocate hacking into their computers and changing the documents. ¡°Okay then, no more needs to be said. Next up, Rich.¡± Raide chose his words a little more carefully since he knew how important he was to Adrian. ¡°Honestly, he¡¯s a mess. Not in the same realm as Peter, but rather that he¡¯s underutilized and thus bored with life. The time you needed his help with the lab was probably the most invigorating action he¡¯s been a part of yet, but now that you¡¯ve been preoccupied with training, he fell from grace a bit.¡± Adrian frowned. ¡°Oh?¡± Raide hesitated and then said slowly while chuckling, ¡°Suffice it to say that he¡¯s been making some poor choices with regards to women and alcohol. In my opinion, he¡¯s showing all the signs of a genius bored with life and its prospects. I anticipate that the gene therapy will round him out nicely, so there¡¯s not a high probability of his tendencies worsening. Judging from the combat data from the first mission though, he¡¯s - as expected - more suitable to lab work, preferably the robotics projects.¡± Adrian breathed in deeply and nodded while in contemplation. He knew better than anyone what Rich was like. He was both one of the smartest natural people he knew but also a borderline degenerate when he started drinking. Worse yet, he loved to drink. Again, right on the edge of being an alcoholic if the funds were there. Adrian¡¯s eyebrows creased in consternation. He prayed that his friend would wake up as he had when he¡¯d been through that hellish transformation. Speaking of which¡­ ¡°Hey, will it be a phased process like it was for me? The upgrade I mean.¡± Raide smirked on the screen. ¡°Not quite. It¡¯ll be like a walk in the park compared to the pain you had to endure. There¡¯s only 3 stages, and we¡¯ll have them under for the entirety of it.¡± ¡°Damnit. That really bugs me even though I know it shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Honestly sir, that¡¯s because you¡¯re an evil bastard,¡± Raide said sarcastically. Adrian peered back at the monitor and then broke into laughter. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know that the technology couldn¡¯t have allowed it, I would have thought you went back and pulled audio files from my time in high school.¡± Raide deadpanned for a moment and then took out a clipboard on the screen. ¡°So, adding your name to the therapy list¡­.check.¡± ¡°Oh come on. It was just a few jokes that people took the wrong way¡­.¡± Adrian trailed off and then switched subjects because he knew he was just digging a hole for himself. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll just have to wait and see on Rich. He¡¯ll be invigorated when he starts working, I have no doubt. He¡¯s a shoo-in for the lead engineer position, so we¡¯ll just put him over all mechanical design and production.¡± Raide tilted his head and then nodded. ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± He paused then moved on. ¡°Next is Heather. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on her and she seems to be doing well¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve managed to overhear a couple of conversations she¡¯s had with herself out loud. Her motivations are completely emotional. She seems to think that if she¡¯s dedicated and does well for you, she¡¯ll have a chance at repairing your past relationship. It¡¯s obvious from what she¡¯s said that she¡¯s regretful over what she did.¡± Adrian went silent for a few seconds while thinking, then he asked while smiling bitterly, ¡°I think I understand, but why does that make you worried? I mean, it¡¯s pretty normal to do things based off of emotional motivations. ¡± Raide, ever the fan of visuals, pulled up several brain scans and started speaking, ¡°It¡¯s exactly this motivation that gives me pause. Out of all the cerebral research data I¡¯ve acquired that explores this area, I¡¯ve been able to understand that while emotions can produce some of the strongest reactions in humans, they are also the least stable. This seems like a foregone conclusion to anyone that has any life experience, but it¡¯s different to be confirmed by data for me. This is a concrete red flag when it comes to our future operations. If she suddenly changes her mind one day because she falls in love with someone else, could she potentially renege on the vow to secrecy? Will she betray us because she no longer has the greatest emotional attachment anchoring her to our team? More likely, what if you rejected her outright and she had an explosive reaction? The amount of information she has would result in a cataclysmic breach of our ironclad information defense if she chose to jump the fence. This isn¡¯t to say that the guys aren¡¯t capable of this as well, but that she is the one with the highest chance due to the romantic factor.¡± Adrian shook his head, looking at the vice-grip still in his hands. ¡°And what¡¯s the probability?¡± Raide tilted his head to the side. ¡°1% if things are left as they are, with no movement on your part. It¡¯s possible that this percentage may rise over time if she were to become dissatisfied with the lack of a response from you. However, she knows the type of man you are and that you¡¯re looking long term, so the chance of this trend occurring is less than a ten-thousandth of a percent. There¡¯s a 25% chance of her taking vengeful action though if you were to outright reject her or instead choose another woman over her after all her efforts.¡± Adrian sighed and thought of Nova before asking, ¡°Can you estimate the level of her affection? I¡¯ve noticed her advances, but I¡¯ve honestly limited any thoughts about her because of our history.¡± Raide thought for a second. ¡°If I had to guess, it¡¯s closer to adoration. Lately, she¡¯s seemed like she¡¯s leaning towards obsession, but it¡¯s difficult to tell with my limited means of information gathering. I¡¯d need to be able to build models of her brain activity under the right question stimuli to ballpark it more accurately. Even then, neuroscience is an imprecise, fledgling field. There¡¯s not near enough data. I¡¯d have to formulate an algorithm from scratch and modify it as time goes on.¡± Adrian gained a hard glint in his eyes as he clamped the vice-grips shut on the table¡¯s edge. ¡°Then we need to do this the callous way to be sure. I¡¯m concerned that she¡¯s swayable. Arrange for some real world tests.¡± Raide nodded knowingly. ¡°Got it.¡± He then went on to say suggestively, ¡°Ya know, there¡¯s a flipside to this... If you accepted Heather¡¯s feelings, you could lock her in as a devoted member and all of this would be unnecessary.¡± A minute twitch flashed across Adrian¡¯s lips. Others probably wouldn¡¯t have caught it, but Raide did. Can I really forgive her? In his mind, he saw an image of her curvy, petite figure shimmying out of her clothes to suit up in the body armor the other night. Turmoil raged in his chest for a moment before reaching an resolute, icy stillness. He also remembered the pain of finding out about her and Blake after...after...A tremor rolled through him. The answer was always there, he just wanted to ignore it for as long as possible. He sighed and quietly said while shaking his head, ¡°Not possible. I may have flirted with the idea of forgiving her because of my attraction to her, but that¡¯s just lust if I¡¯m brutally honest. If I got into a relationship with a person who had a history of cheating on me, I wouldn¡¯t ever fully trust her. All the time, there¡¯d be this little voice of doubt in the back of my mind, poisoning my view of her. Because...if she¡¯s cheated once, isn¡¯t it in her nature and capacity to do it again?¡± Raide said contemplatively, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say definitively. It¡¯s not a guaranteed occurrence as there¡¯s been plenty who have corrected their ways after a one time screw up, but humans are habitual creatures. If the person doesn¡¯t try to conscientiously change that aspect, they¡¯re likely to regress. It¡¯s almost like a drug problem, but more emotional in nature. It could be said to also have roots in mental and bodily addiction as well, but the decision is mostly made according to their desires which are framed by emotions. Even if she were to be able to remain faithful this time around, it¡¯s like you said, how you think of her will largely affect the relationship as a whole. If you can¡¯t bring yourself to trust her or give her a second chance, then I concur with your decision. One does not drink from a well they know to be poisoned.¡± Adrian grimaced, a small headache beginning to form in his temples. ¡°Nice analogy. Where does that leave us with keeping her satisfied, though?¡± Raide hummed. ¡°Well, there are really only two options then. One, you immediately tell her so you can avoid the whole ¡°you led me on¡± accusation and scenario. Two, you do the opposite and put it off for as long as possible, but the advantage is you don¡¯t have to deal with any uncertainties produced by her reaction. She¡¯ll get an upgrade and most likely become more logical with the increase in intellect.¡± Adrian suddenly froze and made a disgusted face at himself while shaking his head. It had just hit him - what possessed him to second guess her like this? Taking a step back, he recalled all the years of conversations that he¡¯d had with her and mentally berated himself. She wasn¡¯t one of those mental powder keg types. One of the reasons he used to be so attracted to her in the first place was because she had an emotional temperament close to his own. She still had the passion unique to women that craved attention, but she was also very rational. In fact, Adrian had never known her to blow up over anything, much less a murky situation like the one they were currently in. Raide¡¯s data obviously couldn¡¯t have included this historical data, so his A.I.¡¯s psychological analysis in this field will have to be addressed. Even worse, he had almost been sucked into Raide¡¯s rhythm. ¡°Ya know what? Cancel the tests. There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll react explosively like that. Plus, I haven¡¯t done anything that could be construed as leading someone on.¡± Adrian leveled his gaze back at Raide and grimaced. ¡°Raide, take note to increase your sample size for romantic analysis in the future. Also, be sure to pay attention to the friendship foundation as a correlation. Every moment in an interpersonal relationship between two people can change the dynamic. It just hit me that I have a ton of memories that directly counter your conclusions. Perhaps in a statistical sample of the female population in general your assertions may have credence, but here, considering the conversations and my approximations of her character, we almost went in the wrong direction because we didn¡¯t account for several variables.¡± Raide took no offense, merely nodding his head in a thoughtful manner. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t consider time spent together or your friendship in combination with the romantic scenario, because the data documenting any conversations and exchanges is unobtainable.¡± Adrian started sweating a little bit at his A.I.¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t expect to find such a flaw in his programming. Who knew that Raide¡¯s weak point would be in understanding relationships and romance? He then nodded after scratching his head. ¡°Alright, be sure to research further in this field...As for Heather, I will hold off on making things clear to her until after the transformation, but I will do it soon.¡± Adrian released his breath that he¡¯d unknowingly been holding, having made his decision. After all, he wasn¡¯t like some shitty and meek novel protagonist who liked to put off things that made him feel uncomfortable. In the real world, the longer you put off these things, the greater the fallout. The last thing he wanted was to lose a long-time friend and valuable team member just because he felt a little weird about the whole thing. To do so would be childish. Here, he just needed to wait so that her mind wasn¡¯t focused on issue during the serum administration. While he and Raide could manipulate the serum to high levels, the intricacies of how the brain processes emotions and their effects on this transformation were unknown to even them. To cause a team member to feel emotionally unstable right before it all would be highly irresponsible and outright stupid. Raide chuckled understandingly. ¡°Understood, sir.¡± Adrian plopped down his legs from their more relaxed position, rousing himself from his seat. ¡°Okay, then...I guess we¡¯d better go join¡­¡± Raide interrupted him, saying, ¡°If I may ask one thing...have you thought about the killswitch protocol I suggested? I need to know before we get started on everybody. I won¡¯t be able to write it into the genetic code changes halfway through.¡± The man who had just been getting up from the desk stopped and leaned on the counter with a nasty expression. One of the caveats that Raide suggested for this upgrade was a killswitch, a last resort in the case that someone was captured or turned on them. It would of course be a piece of knowledge that only he and the A.I. knew, but Adrian had a hard time accepting the idea. Logically, the measure was permissible. It solved a lot of ¡°what if¡± scenarios and went a long way towards securing them information-wise. If such a policy were to be adopted, each of the team members - with the exception of Adrian - would have their brain physiology changed minutely to accommodate for a very specific quantum resonance frequency. Once this part of the brain received its matching subatomic vibration, it would trigger a structural collapse, crippling their brain and also taking their life. This would probably be their only opportunity to institute the protocol because it required a surgical biopsy to obtain a sample of their brain matter post-upgrade. Truth be told, they didn¡¯t even have the equipment to launch such a signal, but the foundation could be laid beforehand if they so desired since Raide had worked out the theoretical side of things already. It was handy having an A.I. to do all that math for him. With regards to morality, though, he was experiencing a serious quandary. He¡¯d effectively enslave them in a way if he chose to do this. Adrian didn¡¯t know if he was capable of doing something like that to his friends just on the basis of making sure that his safety and the safety of his future projects were assured. Thinking back to their discussion on Heather, he was then reminded of something he¡¯d said to himself in an audio log when he was programming Raide years ago. Never forsake your humanity because this A.I. will never be able to emulate that aspect. With that thought, he decided. ¡°No, we won¡¯t incorporate it.¡± Raide pursed his lips in response on the screen, but Adrian saw that he chose to hold back a verbal rebuttal before nodding. Surprising...Instead, the A.I. pulled up video footage from the surveillance cameras in the tower that showed everyone was either waiting in the lab or ascending the elevator disk. Sighing, Adrian pushed himself away from the stainless steel desk and started walking to the room¡¯s exit, his aura gradually morphing from that of a calculative and brooding man into one of a friend and leader. He had to inspire them here. Because when they woke up a day from now, they would no longer be members of the human race. They¡¯d instead be something...more. The next step was their transformation and that¡¯s when everything would truly begin. ************** Sergio absentmindedly watched the levels go past as he ascended Bearcat¡¯s cool elevator. He was one that certainly appreciated technology, but never really got much enjoyment by focusing on it. No, he thrived off of people. Their dreams and the energy they put into living fascinated him. What exactly makes someone tick? This question almost always forced itself to the front whenever he met someone for the first time. As he¡¯d be shaking their hand and staring back into their eyes, he¡¯d always try and catch a glimpse of the un-glimpsable - their soul. As they¡¯d be talking, questions would be running through his mind like, what makes you get out of bed in the morning? Are you close with your family? What¡¯s missing from your life, I wonder? Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Even when he was little, his mother would stroke his hair and say, ¡°Hijo, your gift lies in how you connect with others. I pray to Dios that he provides a path for you that let¡¯s you fulfill your calling.¡± Sergio smiled at the memory and recalled the lady that he¡¯d just gotten off of the phone with. As far as he was concerned, the woman was a saint. He wondered sometimes how she would react if she knew that he was involved with the massacre the national news had been reporting about for the past month. A sigh escaped, souring the smile that had been floating on his lips. A soft pressure release and rush of air brought him away from his thoughts as he reached Adrian¡¯s level. Shoot, I forgot to look at my apartment on the way by, he thought. Walking into the medical wing of Adrian¡¯s floor, he took in the scene and felt a flutter in his heart. It didn¡¯t really hit him until just then how nervous he was. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t alone in that regard judging by some of the body language he was seeing. Looking to the left, he saw everyone grouped together while Bearcat animately discussed something. A short distance away, Nova was watching everything quietly while leaning against a counter. Sergio took note of the separation and wondered if Bearcat had made any headway while shaking his head. He honestly didn¡¯t know why his bro had tried so hard for this girl. It was obvious that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to get fully involved with the group. Maybe they¡¯d just not spent enough time together yet. Crossing across the glossy concrete flooring to join the group, he passed a group of 8 padded metal chairs already reclined that seemed to be for when they went through the procedure. Upon seeing a few dangling straps for the arms and legs, his steps momentarily paused and he began to sweat. Just what have I gotten myself into? He knew the answer to that question, of course, but it didn¡¯t help to see goddamn straps on the chairs like you¡¯d see at an asylum. He¡¯d seen one too many horror movies and shows to be okay with being strapped down and rendered helpless. Tearing his eyes away from the pieces of leather, he arrived a few steps away from the group. ¡°...recently I had an advancement in this regard. Ah - Serg! ¡®Bout time you got here, man.¡± Adrian stopped in the middle of an explanation to hail him, drawing the eyes of the others crowded around. Looking at his friend, Sergio secretly sighed in amazement. Before, Bearcat was already an engine of destruction. He¡¯d seen the footage gained from his helmet. The entire team had. The only kind of comparison that Sergio could draw was born of fiction or products of game worlds - heroes that waded through foes by the droves, cleaving through bone and flesh like a damn meatgrinder. Literal gods of war that were fantastic and awe-inspiring. Bearcat was different, though. His inhumanly quick advance was an artful dance. Every time he took a life, it was like he was as emotionally unaffected as one would be while weeding their garden. He didn¡¯t kill, he reaped. Taking the lives of those men meant no more to him than the stalks he ripped from the ground. Sergio had always been acutely attuned to the feeling that humans gave off. It provided ways for him to sense how a conversation was progressing and also gave cues that he was pushing the right direction. When he laid eyes on the recap videos, he didn¡¯t even have to be there to feel like he was submerged in a tank of blood and death. Bearcat didn¡¯t look the part, but Sergio saw the death that followed him. On a primal level, it made him want to turn and bolt every time he saw the man, but his mind always overcame that instinctual terror by remembering their friendship. Even worse, he knew that Bearcat had been training for the past month. Scanning over his friend, Sergio was able to sense that same aura of death and blood washing over him, except it was highly subdued now, chained and leashed like a beast. Instead, in its place he felt a strong fight or flight response being triggered. No, that was wrong. It was only the urge to flee. Like his body was acknowledging the fact that there was no hope for a win, so all it wanted to do was to flee. Pushing down his stomach that was trying to do somersaults in his abdomen, he smiled back as best as he could. ¡°Yo, Bearcat. You know how I like to be fashionably late.¡± His friend smirked. ¡°Not to this, you don¡¯t.¡± Bearcat then turned to the rest. ¡°Since everyone¡¯s here, I¡¯ll continue the bulk of the rundown.¡± Turning to the screen, he started fresh, ¡°Before Sergio decided to grace us with his presence, I was going over some of the drawbacks that your new bodies will bring you.¡± Heather cut in, thoughtfully blinking her long eyelashes at Bearcat. ¡°Like tradeoffs?¡± Adrian¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Yeah, you can put it like that. Ever think what the price of increased mental and physical capabilities is? It¡¯s fuel. The farther you take your new body, the more it¡¯ll devour in the form of energy and nutrients. To give you an idea, just half a day ago I needed over 40,000 calories everyday just so that I could meet the bare minimum that my training required.¡± Victor said incredulously, ¡°Good God, man.¡± ¡°I know, right? Luckily, I had a freak accident that solved this problem.¡± His A.I. manipulated two scans of a human body onto the screen at almost the time as the the word ¡¯luckily¡¯ came out of his mouth. Sergio was kind of creeped out how well they understood each other. He could see the whole ¡°I created you¡± aspect of it all, so obviously there was a bond, but it was still quite...unsettling to watch happen. It was on the level of twins finishing each other¡¯s sentences, except one of them wasn¡¯t even human. Bearcat went on. ¡°I may or may not have screwed up a bit while training¡­¡± Inori butted in, ¡°Colossally.¡± Bearcat winced, but acknowledged it. ¡°...Or that. To be blunt, I overtaxed my body. I¡¯d eaten the normal amount of calories I¡¯d been training with, but I failed to imagine just how close I was to the edge. You see, back when I first got the upgrade, I made a hard-coded adjustment to my body¡¯s processes that halted energy storage in the form of fat cells beyond 8% body fat, but also blocked it from having the ability to pull energy my muscles or any other groups. I think the trauma of having had been overweight all my life blinded me a bit at the time, so I made the move. Ever since then, I¡¯ve been eating just what I needed. This, however, overlooked the variable periods that our biology accounted for in its design. I hadn¡¯t been doing anything that strenuous since the upgrade, so I didn¡¯t think anything of it¡­¡± Besides killing people, Sergio snorted mentally. ¡°...Until today. By some miracle, when my body was shutting down on the mat from having no energy to run itself, it triggered a spontaneous evolution event. To summarize, I gained an energy core, not unlike a very advanced biological duracell, and also the ability to manipulate energy by controlling the flow of a specific new protein type that has the ability to act as transport for heat energy. In effect, it can take this energy from the surroundings, shuttle it to the core, convert it, and then either leave it there or bring it back as needed.¡± Sergio cut his eyes towards Victor, the local biology nut, and saw a fervent gaze that practically dripped with the desire to ask questions. Bearcat beat him to the punch though, blocking any chances of dragging this out. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll understand the specifics after you go through your own upgrade in a moment.¡± Seeing the looks of dismay, Bearcat smiled nonchalantly like their suffering was his reason for getting up in the morning. ¡°Beyond this incredibly important addition, you¡¯ll also be able to expect increases in your physical abilities in the range of 3-600% based on your DNA potential, a 2-300% increase in your IQ, and an across the board increase in memory recall and memorization capabilities. I also won¡¯t go over this in too much detail because, well, that¡¯s what Raide is for and I¡¯m feeling lazy.¡± Bearcat smiled good-naturedly. Peter, who had been quietly absorbing all of this up till now, spoke up. ¡°So our upgrades are going to differ from yours then?¡± ¡°Yes, but not purposefully.¡± Bearcat paused a brief moment to collect his thoughts. ¡°Every one of you has an innate disposition granted to you by the mutation and genetic heritage of your ancestors. I¡¯m sorry to say, but there is no equality in this world, even in this. That¡¯s just the way fate is. What this serum, no, what Raide and I seek to do is to optimize your genetic condition. We can improve upon what is already there, maybe twist it into something useful if it wasn¡¯t already, but we don¡¯t have anywhere near the resources, scientific knowledge, or ability to completely rewrite your DNA at this time. With what we know at the moment, that would really be putting the cart before the horse.¡± He then went on to add contemplatively while stroking the hair on his chin, ¡°Granted, I have personally experienced a strong correlation between desire and its effect on mutation. When I was evolving this morning, I went through this surreal state on the border of life and death.¡± Everyone watched as his eyes seemed to go far away. ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe, but I have no doubt that if I had had decided to give up in that moment, I would be quite dead right now. So on this point, remember to always approach whatever is presented to you with tenacity and endurance. By doing so, you will not only ensure your survival but also your advancement as well.¡± Sergio caught a whisper from Victor to Heather. ¡°Notice how he said evolving like he went for a god-damn stroll?¡± Heather rolled her eyes in response. Bearcat paused again to look at all the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces. Sergio thought he could see several of the same thoughts cross the man¡¯s mind that he himself would often contemplate on. It was clear that he cared very much about each of the team members. Breaking the silence, he asked, ¡°Does anyone have any questions?¡± A small silence endured before Rich slurred and scratched the budding beard on his chin, ¡°Bro, if we talk any more about this, you may just talk us all out of it. Shit, talking about survival and enduring what¡¯s thrown at us. I¡¯m not like like the rest of these guys, I¡¯ve seen what this serum does to a man. Let¡¯s just do it, or else I might lose my resolve.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened a little in fear, but Adrian only smiled and shook his head. ¡°You actually don¡¯t have to worry about that. Raide upgraded the delivery methodology and as you can see...¡± He motioned to the surrounding chairs and equipment. ¡°It¡¯s not the same circumstances as when I went through it. Hell, all of you get to take a nap and wake up superhumans, so calm your tits. You won¡¯t feel a thing,¡± he said sarcastically, obviously not amused that everyone got to skip out on the trial he had to undergo. Sergio grinned while listening to these two. He was on good terms with them both, but the pair were like brothers in a way. It was a relief to hear that the procedure wouldn¡¯t be painful though. He¡¯d heard the stories from Rich and Bearcat about that first go and he hadn¡¯t been looking forward to appearing as the encore performance, regardless of how many benefits he would reap. ¡°One word of warning, though.¡± Bearcat caught everyone in mid thought. ¡°Once you do this, you¡¯ll never be able to visit a normal hospital or doctor again. Your vitals will be completely different from anything they¡¯ve ever seen before, much less your organs and skeletal structure if they scanned you. If you need something medical related, you¡¯ll need to come here. Raide is equipped to help with whatever, or if you prefer I can aid you until we get a full-time doctor. Again, I doubt any of you will have issues, but I thought I¡¯d say it as a reminder.¡± Clapping his hands together, he then said, ¡°I think I¡¯m actually nervous as well. I¡¯m talking way too much. If everyone would step out and get changed, we can get started.¡± A few minutes later, Sergio was back in the medical room staring up at a huge central light that all of their chairs were centered around. Practically everyone was already in a chair and reclined back, having already been stuck with a needle that was fed by a tube that snaked its way up into the air directly their heads. It reminded Sergio, in a way, of those emergency breathing systems that would come out in airplanes when you hit particularly bad turbulence. Surprisingly enough, there wasn¡¯t really that much surrounding the chairs. Really, the only thing was this robotic arm that carried a large sheet of glass. After a few moments, it turned on in a display of sci-fi glory. The thing was completely see-through. How trippy is that? The leather padding on the metal chairs was, thankfully, very comfortable. He wasn¡¯t sure how long the whole thing was supposed to take, but he didn¡¯t want to wake up a new man yet stiff as a board. Moving his eyes away from the armrest he¡¯d been scrutinizing, he looked up to catch the eyes of the others in the circle. Heather, Peter, Rich, Inori, Victor, and finally, Nova. They had varying expressions, but all of them had one emotion in common: apprehension. Bearcat moved from chair to chair with an inquisitive expression on his face, checking needles and conversing with Raide whenever he was concerned. 95% of it Sergio couldn¡¯t even make sense of. They were speaking nothing but medical jargon, a language that he actually didn¡¯t have under his belt yet. French, Italian, Spanish, English, and German he could speak, but what they were engaged in was a lexicon that he didn¡¯t desire to understand. From what he could glean though, it appeared that Raide was both feeding private data to Bearcat in his earpiece while also analyzing the information with Bearcat at the same time via the room¡¯s speakers. Sergio¡¯s head swam at the thought of trying to make sense of numbers and medical concepts by ear while also holding a conversation about it. Now that he thought about it, Bearcat was also reading the displays as he went from chair to chair. Would he be able to do that eventually? His cold fingers grasped the armrest more tightly. Looking for anything to distract his fast-beating heart, he caught a glimpse of a faint laser shining through the light of the central fixture towards each person seated. The only reason he saw it was due to the visual effect of it dancing on the other people in the circle. Each laser was intermittently scanning over their arms and neck region, so he hazarded a guess that they had something to do with their heart rates or blood pressure or something. Yeah, something like that. Smoothing out the crinkles on the dark blue scrubs he was wearing, he caught his fingers in their ascent to scratch the full beard that magically became super itchy. He specifically bought beard oil to help counter this exact problem. It was beyond weird that the shrubbery was acting out now. A noise caught his attention and brought him out of his thoughts. Not far away, Bearcat was speaking in low tones to Nova. Poor girl. I wonder what she thinks about all of this? How did BC even get her to accept? He chalked it up to the list of questions to ask when he got his friend drunk. Wait, can we even get drunk after this? If we process alcohol out of our blood faster than we can consume it...oh shit, Rich is going to be PISSED. Straining to hear, he caught a few words, but whatever the two lovebirds were saying was evidently meant to be private. Sergio was the closest to her, merely 3 feet or so away, yet he still couldn¡¯t pick up anything beyond words like ¡°sure¡±, ¡°fine¡±, and ¡°okay.¡± That did nothing for his curiosity. Seeing one final nod on Nova¡¯s part, Bearcat appeared satisfied and walked leisurely over to the one remaining chair that didn¡¯t have a person in it. As if in anticipation of his advance, the chair moved smoothly from a reclined position into a more typical 90 degree posture. Bearcat hopped up into it and turned his eyes towards everyone, a flash of mirth appearing in the usually fierce countenance. ¡°Relax guys. I¡¯ve just been talking with Raide and he confirmed a 100% success rate across a million simulations. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± He flashed a smile, but then his expression turned serious. ¡°Raide, administer the anesthesia.¡± Sergio¡¯s voice cracked a little as he squeezed out. ¡°Bearcat, why don¡¯t we wait a bit? I don¡¯t think my heart is ready.¡± In the corner of his eye, he saw a clear liquid snaking through the IV tubing, drawing ever closer to his arm. In a few moments, he felt a cooling sensation spread through the inside of his arm just beneath the surface. The feeling spread like a smoky apparition up and down his forearm and biceps, giving him goosebumps. He loathed hospitals. Wasn¡¯t this just a different form of being at one? ¡°Sorry Serg, no can do.¡± Bearcat replied lazily. ¡°Oh, by the way, that was just a saline solution to bring your hydration levels up. The anesthesia will actually come in a minute.¡± Sergio cursed him in his heart repeatedly, noticing the room getting somehow colder. Cutting his eyes at the solution being pumped into him, he realized it was his blood temperature that was coming down due to the room-cooled saline. ¡°On a more serious note, I want you all to know that I appreciate you going through this.¡± Bearcat¡¯s eyes swept from one to another, doing a full lap around the circle. ¡°When I first got started on this path, I was worried - worried that I would end up alone against the world. Maybe I should have said this over a month ago when we decided to go it together, but I¡¯ll just say it now - thank you. I promise to pay back your trust a hundred fold.¡± His voice got gradually quieter as he eyed them with a contemplative half-smirk on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if many of you have given it much thought, but this moment will be written about in history. Weird, right? But if you think about it, stepping onto the moon pales in comparison to the leap that we¡¯re taking. The sum total of human history, culminating until this moment - the exact occasion where Mankind steps away from the path of regular humans and onto the next stage of evolution. No longer will you be bound the same chains of mortality. No longer will you struggle so precariously against yourselves in an antiquity-old effort to reach a shred of the potential that we know to be there within ourselves. Instead, you¡¯ll possess a freedom that none have ever experienced. When you wake up again a day from now, you¡¯ll have left the rest of humanity behind, liberated on a genetic level.¡± Sergio¡¯s mind started to swim, the image of Bearcat¡¯s impressive and lonely visage wavering like a mirage. He rolled his eyes, vaguely trying to dispel the fog. Anesthesia, he thought briefly as the realization hit him. Bearcat¡¯s voice seemed more and more soothing to the ear, pleasant in the way that it resonated with his drugged mind. ¡°From this moment on, you are now truly, in the most profound of ways, my family. My brothers, my sisters... sleep now, and wake to Liberation. Thus starts the reign of the species named liberatur of the genus Homo.¡± The last sight before darkness sealed Sergio¡¯s mind was of his friend¡¯s eyes gleaming with a beastly excitement, causing their ethereal electricity to spark across his irises. Slipping into unconsciousness, Sergio knew no more.
Thoughts about the chapter? Or the cover that I made utilizing the trove that is google images? lol ^.^ Took a while to write this one. Had to put it down and come back several times because it didn''t feel quite right. Anyways, thanks and don''t forget to leave a comment or review if you so feel inclined! Chapter 19 - A Rekindled Heart Adrian let his voice fade into the room, watching as each person temporarily relinquished their link to this reality, forcefully routed to their minds. He fervently hoped they took what he said to heart. Soon, all that remained was the slight thrum of electricity pulsing through the electrical and fiber-optic lines, too quiet for a normal person to distinguish, and the hum of the vents that cycled fresh air to the warm bodies in those chairs. On that thought, he flicked his eyes towards the nearest camera. Raide apparently understood his intention, because the temperature started slowly dropping along with fresh solution pumping through the IV lines. This next part was going to be brutal on their bodies. If they didn¡¯t have a cooled environment and enough nutrients during the first stage, they could encounter difficulties. To him though, much louder still were the breaths that the seven members before him released periodically. Every breath was like a nail hammering into him, knocking at the door of his fast beating heart. He was responsible for them now. What a feeling... Each face represented a soul that had placed themselves in his care, for better or worse. Their hopes and dreams for the future...the success of each would in a way stem from this moment, and the burden of the decisions he laid upon them. ¡°Sir, we should...¡± Adrian held up a hand, halting his A.I. from speaking further. He needed to be here for this. Thinking of something, he turned his head slightly, again looking at the camera as his expression maintained its serious thoughtfulness. ¡°Contact Roger. Make sure that no crews come in tomorrow or the day after.¡± It was currently Sunday, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about prying eyes or ears, but that wouldn¡¯t be the case tomorrow or Tuesday. The entire complex was extremely close to being completed. Judging by Raide¡¯s reports, really, the only things left were the finishing touches like cleaning up construction debris and moving out all of the double-wides they¡¯d brought in. Making it presentable would be about 3 days of work for two teams, so letting them start Wednesday would still let them get it done by Friday. Adrian glanced to the light bar that circled the room, noting that it had stayed blue to indicate that Raide was still concentrated here. It made sense. He hardly needed to employ any significant amount of attention to make a trifling phone call. The large majority of projects had been sidelined as well to make sure that he could react accordingly to any situation that may develop concerning the people going through their upgrade, however slight the chance. From the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a blooming of heat. Turning to the first chair on his left, he was mildly surprised that the first to begin the physical transformation was Nova. Hopping up from his chair, he strode quickly to her side, observing her features and also keeping an eye on the heat she was radiating while his eyes flitted back and forth from the glass vitals display. Most of it was being created by all of the metabolic functions of her brain cells as they constantly created new cells and synaptic connections. She looked to be in pain, so he placed a hand on her forehead. Controlling the absorption of heat in his body, he directed the specialized proteins to carry more energy to the core thus aiding in the dropping of the temperature in the room and that of his skin. All of the excess energy radiating from her head steadily poured across the bridge that his hand created, absorbed by his palm. The slight grimace that scrunched up her beautiful face gradually relaxed. The most difficult hours were the first 16. First, for 8 hours they¡¯d have to endure a total restructuring and genetic rewrite that fully encompassed every cell in their bodies. Bone would be regrown, muscles torn and rewoven, organs reforged. All to be in accordance with the DNA sequencing that was hijacking their place. Adrian had told a half-lie when he was describing the process to them earlier. It was true that he and Raide were unlocking their potential, but they also were grafting new code onto the existing DNA template.Otherwise, how would Raide have supplied Adrian the cerebral cord addition that was currently hidden, tucked away in the shadow of his spine? There was no biological precedent for such a thing. Thankfully, Rich was too dazed by the situation to notice the inconsistencies, as he was the only one who knew differently, or Adrian would have had a headache with all the complaining he could expect. When the words ¡°new cerebral cord¡± and ¡°spine¡± are thrown around, people start getting some weird ideas. Nova¡¯s expression may have gotten better, but it was short lived. After only a moment of peace, she started trembling in her chair, agony written on her face. Adrian grimaced. He couldn¡¯t do anything for her here. This was all internal and not heat related. Raide whispered in his earpiece and drew Adrian¡¯s attention to a chair directly across from Nova. Heather. She was the second to start the Rewrite Stage. He crossed the 3 meter distance in flash and also placed his hand on her forehead, removing the excess heat that was threatening to overheat her brain. He knew they weren¡¯t in any lasting danger, but it still unnerved him. Just like Nova, only a few moments passed before she too started convulsing. He swiftly secured her restraints and moved around the circle doing the same for everyone else, his hurried footsteps tapping on the sterile concrete lab flooring. Sergio seemed to flinch a bit in his sleep when his restraints were put on, but Adrian thought it was just his imagination. Pausing once he was done, he looked around thoughtfully, but soon froze when he noticed the previous two girls. ¡°What the hell?¡± He murmured while drawing closer to Heather. Adrian put a hand on the headrest and leaned in, scrutinizing the unbelievable scene. His brilliantly electric eyes flashed with a hint of amazement. Her hair was losing its pigmentation from the roots and slowly working its way to the tips. Her previously chestnut brown hair was turning a pearly white. But unlike albinism, which signifies a complete or partial loss of pigmentation of the eyes, skin, and hair, hers seemed to be restricted to just the hair. Would it continue on to other areas afterwards? Concerned, he spoke out, ¡°Raide?¡± ¡°Vital signs are nominal and the loss of pigmentation isn¡¯t consistent with known congenital disorders like albinism. Leucism would be close, but that would entail more being affected. Whatever is happening to her is a localized response relegated to the hair and its production of melanin. It¡¯s almost like she¡¯s undergoing achromotrichia.¡± ¡°She¡¯s graying because of aging?¡± No, that can¡¯t be it. His eyes swept over her. Her skin condition remained unchanged and she looked just as radiantly youthful as always. Adrian¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion and ran through all of the possibilities. He enjoyed fantasy novels growing up just like the rest of them, but visual changes like this were just too¡­.fanciful. Call him cynical, but he believed that there was always a cause and effect, as well as a trade off to be considered for every change. Especially when the change was biological. This reminded him of his own situation with his eyes. Will every person end up with a distinguishing characteristic to identify them as a member of the liberatur species? God, that will be inconvenient. Their existence should and would be kept a secret for as long as possible. If every single one of them developed some physical abnormality though, there would inevitably be a variation that is impossible to cover up some time down the road. Sometimes, he thought that life liked to mock him. Everything he did or was involved in had some additional caveat or option that complicated things. Perhaps it was biology¡¯s way of laughing at him for trying to control its evolution. Never moving his gaze from the agonizingly slow advance of her hair¡¯s transformation, Adrian put on a helpless smile. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve been had my friend. This had to have been caused by the serum¡¯s induction, but I can¡¯t rationalize how or for what purpose.¡± He cut his eyes towards Raide¡¯s image. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m quite...disconcerted by this development. The only other explanation I can offer is that it¡¯s stress related. It¡¯s been suggested that the accumulation of the hormone cortisol within hair follicles can have an effect in such a way, but the correlation hasn¡¯t been proven yet. Further research is warranted,¡± Raide said while looking troubled. Curious, Adrian pulled up her eyelids. She was out cold, so he wasn¡¯t worried about her waking up or anything. Staring at those sky-blue irises of hers which held life but not awareness, he was a bit weirded out for a second before he saw something that he really wished was a part of his imagination. ¡°Raide...did you catch that?¡± The A.I. nodded. ¡°There was a faint arc of electricity, in the exact same fashion as yours.¡± Adrian sighed and then cursed rather dejectedly, ¡°Shit.¡± They¡¯d briefly discussed the problem of his eyes back after he got his upgrade, but really it was a minor concern then. He was one person. By the time he was exposed to the public¡¯s eye, they would have completed the nano-contact design they were working on that would both be able to resist the arcing current pulsing underneath it and also act as a digital lenses for Raide to capture visual data. They both knew that it was possible, they just had to devote the time, resources, and manpower to their nanotechnology research. Originally, another thing destined for the ¡°to do¡± list. This changed things, though. It was too early to say, but if every single person who went through the upgrade took on this electrified eye characteristic, they could kiss their anonymity goodbye. Unless, of course, they resolved the nano-tech eye lense prototype in the near future. Adrian grimaced. I¡¯ll have to put them on house arrest until it¡¯s completed. How ironic is that? They get their upgrade and immediately get locked down like a teenager caught lying to his parents. Shaking his head slowly, Adrian backed away from his thoughts and turned to Nova. Her change wasn¡¯t as readily noticeable to the same degree as Heather¡¯s but his sharp eyes could instantly tell the difference. Her golden brown hair was reflecting light much better than it was before, making it appear slightly blonder in coloration. On top of that, the thickness of the hair follicles seemed to be increasing. Either that, or the density of the hairs were adding to the volume. He grinned, bemused. Heather gets white hair while Nova gets volumizing treatment? He could already see the reactions. Just as he was turning, he noticed a soft glow coming from Nova¡¯s hair. Turning back confused, he walked over and leaned in only to gasp a moment later. Her hair wasn¡¯t only reflecting light better, it was actually exuding it. The effect was so miniscule that it was hardly visible to the naked eye, but he could still see that her hair was actually glowing. Honest to God, human bioluminescence it looked like. A very loud, exasperated sigh escaped his lips. Hesitantly, his hand floated over her face and peeled back her eyelids, checking for what he feared. Silence spanned a few moments before he dropped his hand back to rest on the side of the metallic chair. Feeling the coolness of the aluminum, he thought for a moment before a weird expression came across his face. He swayed and then shrugged, turning his eyes to Raide who was looking at him on the wall, raising his hands as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Raide said confusedly, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Adrian nodded to himself and then said nonchalantly, ¡°I mean, I¡¯m done. I don¡¯t care anymore. I am shelving all of these concerns until we get the entire picture. Constantly analyzing their changes from moment to moment is dangerous to my mental health.¡± ¡°But...¡± Shaking his head, he repeated it a third time. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m done.¡± Stalking over to his chair, he pounced backwards up into the seat, crossing his legs as he did so. A dark, brooding atmosphere surrounded him as he stared menacingly back at the other four team members. It was almost like he was daring them to have the same results as Heather and Nova. As the minutes and hours ticked by while he watched over his friends and now family, Adrian¡¯s mood gradually became more serious. His sentinel-like figure gradually stilled until he was no longer moving even the slightest amount. Only his ethereal blue eyes still moved from person to person, vigilance written within. *** Saad Rahal looked back at his Sheikh gravely. The man before him was not known for his kindness, nor was he one to accept excuses. To hold such an honorable title in today¡¯s world which was economically and politically dominated by infidels, a ruler of the tribe had to be merciless - he understood this. And it was also a part of why he revered the venerable Sheikh in the first place. But the days like today were the reason that he also feared him. ¡°My Sheikh, we have tracked the errant purchase that was lost when our business contact was destroyed. We have followed her, but the police protects her home well. She is also spending a large amount of time at a new compound. We¡¯ve yet been able to identify who owns it, but we are assuming it to be a place of work for her.¡± The dignified man known as Sheikh Fekri Jafri was silent, reclined behind his desk. Lavish carpets from all over the world adorned the floor and walls along with plants and greenery, adding an earthy, tribal feel to the small palace that the two were currently in. The entire place exuded a feeling of tradition. His large beard trembled slightly but was gone as soon as it began, his eyes still flashing a dark, piercing light. Saad knew this was a sign of rage so he quickly bowed his head in supplication. A gravelly voice grumbled out, ¡°Saad, I¡®ve never understood why you use the infidel tongue so much. The sin that is perpetrated daily by the people who speak it makes my soul quake with fury.¡± His eyes leveled out on Saad¡¯s face. ¡°More still though does your failure in acquiring the girl irk me.¡± Saad bowed low. ¡°My humblest apologies, Great One.¡± The sound of the Sheikh tapping his fingers on the desk sent tremors into his heart. How many men had he watched the man butcher in his position, no, how many men and women had he butchered in this very spot for the Sheikh which they all served in the glory of Allah? Soon the voice returned, though somewhat softer. ¡°Raise your head, Saad. Your troubles are understandable.¡± The tapping changed to a hard slap that sent a loud loud noise echoing through the room, making the servant jump. ¡°However, you should know how I feel about my possessions. The price has already been paid, the deal struck. She is mine.¡± The Sheikh leaned forward menacingly. ¡°I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s protected by the Great Devil¡¯s army, or by the President himself, you will bring her to me. I¡¯ve already been patient for the past month. Pick your method, I don¡¯t believe I should have to school you on how to do your job.¡± Saad replied hurriedly, ¡°Of course not, my Sheikh. I will hasten to accomplish this task.¡± He bowed low again and started walking backwards to the exit. No matter how much he didn¡¯t like it, he would have to try and grab her at that unknown place that was almost completed. It was fortunate that the latest report he¡¯d received mentioned that only 8 individuals besides the construction workers were seen coming to and from the complex. Perhaps if their luck were to continue, the workers would be done in the next couple of days. The situation was already not ideal. Attacking any location in force on American soil was almost suicide. If they were too loud about the snatching, they¡¯d incite the devils into closing all of the borders. They would have to do this as quietly as possible or he and his brothers would not be able to return home. Saad did not relish the thought of having to stay within such a perverse society for any length of time. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The Sheikh nodded at Saad¡¯s obediently retreating figure. ¡°Fi amaan Allah.¡± The words reverberated into his still bowed head and Saad was reminded of the gentle nature of his ruler. He would not disappoint him again in this matter. Arriving at the door, he raised his head and said with a salute before turning to leave, ¡°As-asalaam ¡®alaykum.¡± Moments later, his figure had disappeared down the darkened corridor. Fi amaan Allah = ¡°In God¡¯s protection¡± As-asalaam ¡®alaykum = ¡°Peace be upon you¡± *** Nova had lost all concept of time. Again. A foggy recollection was enough to tell her that she¡¯d done this same song and dance many times already. How many, she couldn¡¯t count. There were moments where she clung to lucidity within this strange dream world, but as quickly as her hope of stability had been rekindled, she would then be plunged back into a whirlwind of indiscernible shadows and light, robbing her mind of any clarity she had temporarily gained. She wondered if this was what a drug trip was like. Wait, she actually was tripping on drugs technically. The thought brought a wave a mirth to her mind before she was flung back into obscurity. Passing through lands of darkness, she occasionally saw distant memories from her life. Floating to a standstill, she found herself in front of an indistinct 7 year old version of herself, almost like she was a painting. Freckles dotted that cute face which was crowned by a lighter version of her sun-kissed hair, enormous brown eyes staring back her, and Nova couldn¡¯t help but giggle, her laughing face relaxing into a content smile. It¡¯d been a long time since she¡¯d been that carefree. Reaching a hand out, she lightly pierced the image and ran her fingers through that golden brown hair. In reaction, smaller Nova beamed back brilliantly before turning around and going through a change, her dainty clothes morphing into a soccer uniform. Sprinting as fast as she could, she joined a few of her friends out on a field, playing their hearts out in an attempt to reach the level of the heroes they¡¯d seen on T.V. Every single one of them knew, without the shadow of a doubt, that they would grow up to be pros. Clumsy passes and imprecise goal shots flew everywhere, but to them it was perfection itself. No one could run faster than them because they were the wind incarnate. Happiness flowed freely and when someone was injured, they would cry until they felt better before joining the throng of children again, their pain already forgotten. Watching the girl that was right in the middle of it, Nova smiled one more time and then turned around. Her hopes and dreams then were so grand. When had she allowed herself to be sucked into the flow of reality¡¯s depression? Every child had to grow up, she knew that, but what concerned her more was that she had somehow lost something important along the way - the ability to dream. Her so-called dream job was a sham compared to the things she wanted to do when she was small. When had everything become centered on a job? The scene changed like a revolving door and she was in New Orleans. Time flowed quickly and she watched, terrified, as Hurricane Katrina, writhing like a powerful, grotesque demon, struck the city, dealing destruction as if it were seeking recompense for some unknown slight an angel had paid it. Buildings collapsed and people by the hundreds died after the levee collapsed. Trees, windows, and rooftops were like paper before its fierce winds, all without a firm foundation ripped from their place. Time sped up and disaster relief arrived along with a 12 year old Nova Svensson. It had been sold to them as a mission trip, an idea that she shamefully thought of as a mini vacation at the time, but the reality that greeted them was far more than the new middle schooler could handle. She was too small to help with some of the debris clearing, too weak to be put to use moving things. Instead, she spent her time face to face with the darkest consequence that Hurricane Katrina gifted those that lived here - despair. Older Nova moved closer, watching the younger version of herself help serve food in a tent. The faces that shuffled by were distraught, bereft of something vital to them, little Nova could see it. But she couldn¡¯t understand anything. She saw all this sadness, all the grief and fear, and yet she could do nothing for them except ladle more soup or pass off an extra biscuit that she had gotten for herself in silence. Confusion reigned in her little heart. Walking closer, the older version of Nova sat down at one of the tables and held the hand of one of the victims, a little old black man that was bent and wrinkled with age. When she arrived at his side, the phantom touch of her hand upon his, he seemed to sense something and looked expectantly at the empty chair beside him, the profundity of hope rekindled for the briefest of moments. But when reality struck home once again, his view greeted by the vacancy, tears streamed from his eyes. Nova remembered him. His name was Walter Childs and he had just lost his wife of 50 years. Little Nova may not have been able to understand at the time, but she was more equipped to at least imagine the sorrow his heart must have been enduring. Might still be enduring. Looking around, a tear slipped from her eyes as she gazed around at the faces that she saw all those years ago. While her dream so far had been cloudy and indistinct, here it was blessedly in focus. Lives were congregated in this place and she could feel that her heart was reminding her that they were worth remembering. At the same time, she also understood something that she¡¯d missed while ladling soup for the destitute all those years ago. They were afraid and grieving for the future as well as those they¡¯d lost. Decades of work dedicated to building homes and lives, raising children and sending them off...all disrupted and destroyed. Where were they to go from here? Nova stared back at them and wondered where each soul had ended up. Were they happy now? Had they managed to build new homes for themselves? Little her had never given it much thought. While the burden of their sadness had been passed on to her, she never did truly understand. Not until now. It was just so hard to build a place for themselves in the word nowadays. Sprigs of doubt and worry clung to her mind as she silently prayed for them. Feeling the awakening of a truth, she looked to the side and saw her 17 year old self walking down the aisle at graduation while the tent filled with disaster victims vanished into tendrils of smoke off to the sides. Gone were the dilapidated houses ruined by water and storm. Gone were those that were worried about tomorrow. Replacing them were rows upon rows of smiling teenagers, dressed in cap and gown, striding forward at the call of their name. Walking leisurely to the row that she saw herself sit down in, a small smile floated to her face, overshadowing the grief that had just been there. So beautiful, so confident. She¡¯d been accepted to an exceptional school and her parents were ¡°tickled¡±, as they liked to say, because they were so proud. She was a girl blessed with every advantage under the sun: brains, beauty, background... but as she watched the younger version of herself, she recalled a deep-seated uncertainty. So much was expected of her. Get a good job. Marry a quality guy, preferably from a good family. Build or buy a house and settle down to have kids so that her parents could play the doting grandparents. It seemed slightly ridiculous to her. That¡¯s it? That¡¯s what the next 40 years would be highlighted by? It all seemed too simple, too forced. She respected all of those things, but at the same time, she had once dreamed of being part of a magnificent story. Watching the younger her from the side, Nova recalled the struggles of her heart. She wanted a romance that would awe people¡¯s hearts - one that made others aspire to it. She desperately wanted to be a part of something earth-shattering, something that drew people away from darkness and back to life. But where could she find such a thing? So many companies and organizations touted bylines like ¡°change the world¡± but how could such small groups ever have a real hope of doing something substantial? She was small though, too. Sitting there on that hard metallic chair, decked in the traditional black garb of a successful student beneath a sweltering May Sun, she had confronted herself with the arguments of reality. How, even though her heart yearned for something greater, she shouldn¡¯t have too much hope. She¡¯d heard how others had dared to dream too big and flown too close to the Sun, only to come crashing back down into their parents¡¯ basements. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of the disgrace. So she murdered her dreams. Reality was too cruel, so she had to ward against it. She¡¯d said that her dream job was architecture. She liked to design beautiful things, she said. However, the entire time she was numb. Studying came naturally, so she lost herself in the rote mechanics of self-improvement by way of higher education. Shifting again, her view changed to the moment that it¡¯d finally all made sense - her meeting with Adrian. She smiled charmingly at the confident man as he talked to the past her in that row of books. Finding him had been a pain, but the peace that came with his presence made it all worth it. Initially, she¡¯d been afraid of him. What girl wouldn¡¯t be when a madman such as him took interest in her? But as she watched him tackle each problem after the other, all the while protecting her and patiently waiting for her decision on whether to join them or not, she gradually came to understand him. He wasn¡¯t evil, despite the way the media painted him and modern conventions would have you think. His way of things certainly differed from society¡¯s standards, sure, but it wasn¡¯t wrong. Everything was supported by logic and aimed towards his goals. Circling around, she peeked around his shoulder at her own face which had frozen in time. Which, by the way, wasn¡¯t he incredibly close? Was she still too dazed at the time to notice a simple distance problem? A slight blush heated up her cheeks and she scolded herself. What am I, a 14 year old girl? Shock and bemusement were written across other hers features. Chuckling, she imagined what Adrian must have been thinking about while talking to a random girl he didn¡¯t know that looked like... this. She looked pityingly at the other her. In fact, it still amazed Nova that he bothered with her at all. She didn¡¯t lack for confidence in herself, but she had no qualifications for joining something as monstrously monumental as his group of friends. She had no history with him like the rest of them. She was just a girl, lost in the tedium of school who happened to meet him while trying to provide herself with a momentary respite from reality. Smirking to herself a bit, she then laughed as the void started to retake the edges of her view. Shadows devoured books by the dozens, and some silent wind ripped apart the bookshelves, inevitably grabbing hold of her previous self and Adrian and flinging them back to her memory. Watching them disappear, Nova solidified the thought she¡¯d been working on through this who drug trip. She wasn¡¯t sure what the future would hold but she did know that out there, in the real world, her place was beside Adrian. There was this inexplicable sense of rightness to it all that soothed her soul. That feeling wasn¡¯t born from watching Adrian and his buddies kill a bunch of bad guys. No, it was more like her place beside them had the potential to give her back the autonomy over her dreams again. Everything she had just seen only served to remind her that she was not happy in the pursuits that she previously thought to be important. She wanted -she needed - to get back to that primal, indistinct urge that inflamed her passion. Here, bereft of any capriciousness or fancy, devoid of obligation and ¡°should¡¯s¡± she¡¯d always felt pressured by, she finally felt truly home. Whatever she wanted to do, Nova knew that she would have his full support and freedom. Thinking of Adrian¡¯s need of a botanist, a weird smile bloomed on her beautiful face as something clicked. She¡¯d always struggled with exactly what she was supposed to do in this life. It was only now that she realized that she no longer had to think think in terms of one lifetime¡¯s worth. She would have the opportunity to do a great many pursuits to satisfy her heart. So she decided that she¡¯d do things like this first. Nova would be the one that keeps Adrian and the rest balanced because sometimes the most important person in the mix was the one who supported. If they continued on down this path, how hard would it be to maintain a person¡¯s sanity? It was only going to get harder from here. Of course, along with her new lease on life, she¡¯d have to cultivate life, right? Her mind registered the change in focus and a series of micropulses echoed down the chain of her DNA with a small ping. Like a key sliding into a lock, something within her mind and body aligned and unlocked. Was the sound made the effect of the shackles that bound her soul from seeking its freedom shattering? Was it the breaking of her parent¡¯s hearts as she wiped away her intention to follow the Plan expected of her? She wasn¡¯t sure. More changes chained together and her thoughts began to come faster and more complex. All at once, she found herself going down a nostalgic train of thought and realized that she was probably emulating the broader points of what Adrian wanted to accomplish and the bigger picture involving all of them, especially her. Had this moment been the reason that he kept pushing her? Finally reaching the understanding she¡¯d been yearning after was sublime. A silly grin spread across her face. That¡¯s what he wants to do? Why didn¡¯t the idiot just ask? But she quickly shook her head afterwards, admitting to herself that she was too short sighted to be able to accept it back then. Gaily laughing, she did a twist and allowed her body to fall back into the void where a green liquid had started bubbling up like a spring of life. Landing in it softly, Nova let out a small exhale as she slid beneath the surface. It was time for the body to catch up with the mind. *** In contrast to 23 hours ago, Adrian now sat in the midst of a blazing torrent of heat, the air distorted like was he was in the midst of the desert. There were no flames, but the sheer quantity of heat stuffed into the 2000 sq. ft. room was suffocating, ripples of the air shimmering as it all flowed towards the 7 bodies still in their chairs. They were going through what he had, just at a much more manageable rate. A quick scan by Raide a few hours ago had confirmed the new presence of the heatsink core, so they inverted temperature differential of the room and start pumping massive amounts of nutrients directly into their blood. Adrian flitted his eyes toward the wall and noticed that it was 60¡æ, or a sweltering 140¨H if one was judging based off of Imperial measurements. Yet, in all of this, Adrian still didn¡¯t move. He just watched, a silent guardian protecting them while they slumbered, and left the majority of the medical work to Raide. A handy thing, the A.I. All the while, he silently hoped that they would be alright. It was a silly and emotional thought, given the practically perfect chance of success, but he worried all the same, the responsibility he now bore constantly tugging at his mind and heart while playing havoc with the logic he relied upon. Giving a slight start, Adrian uncurled himself from the chair he¡¯d stuck himself in for so long and appeared beside the young lady that even now glowed slightly with an angelic light, further framed by illusions given birth by the heat. He focused in on the breathing which had changed from before and undid the restraints. Just as he unfastened the last one, his eyes floated back up to see that Nova had awoken. Staring back at those orbs which bore a new strength of vitality and intelligence, he was suddenly shocked. Because, she didn¡¯t have two amber colored eyes anymore. One was still the same, but her right now looked back at him in olive green kindness, sparks of electricity across both reminding him she was no longer the girl she was before. Chapter 20 - Advent of the Liberated A/N:Hey guys, this chapter is a milestone in a way for me. Some of you may have felt that Chapter 18 - Homo Liberatur seemed like the end of an arc, and in that case you would be correct. It was the official end of Arc 1, which I have mapped out as the introduction. This book will include two more similarly sized arcs, and we''ll have to see from there. This chapter is the beginning of Arc 2 - Archon Industries, ch. 19 being the transition. To all the sci-fi enthusiasts, we''ll finally be diving into some of the more interesting emerging tech :D Last note. I''m adding a donation button later, not in an effort to put stress on you guys or as an attempt to "hide behind a paywall" as I''ve seen that sentence bandied around lately, but rather as a way for those of you who wish to donate to have a way to do so. I''ll be honest, I''m like many other authors on this site in the fact that I am a broke college student. Any contributions will be greatly appreciated and will serve to ensure that my attention is on Archon whenever possible. If it reaches a certain threshold, I will start to seriously consider a system of sponsored chapters. Thanks, and be sure to rate/review/comment if you haven''t already! Archon could always use some more voting love! -BC
Victor felt like he¡¯d just gone through one of the trippiest dreams ever; the subconscious desire to recall it proved to be an inherently poor choice. Grasping at the dream was like trying to clutch tendrils of smoke as they left a fire, streaming off into oblivion. Perhaps he would get another chance one day because just then, that same telltale timeless feeling one has when they cross over from sleep and back to reality struck him. There was a striking set of differences this time around. A fraction of a second after he woke up, he was focused. His mind organized itself and connected with all of the muscle tissue and nerves within the body almost immediately. There was no transition phase, no grogginess that latched onto his mind like how a mire grips at the boots. He was clear with a kind of clarity that surpassed anything he¡¯d ever felt before. Snapping his eyes open like he¡¯d only closed them for a moment to blink, he took in a room that was familiar, yet alien. Colors were more vivid and he saw the heat that was roiling around him like a raging sea. He¡¯d seen the effect that colored smoke makes at concerts. He¡¯d seen when the light streamed through fog in the early morning, making the condensed water molecules that were visible to the naked eye take on the hues of a Sunrise. Here though, it was a completely different sensation. Air itself was given substance by the heat, emblazoned in a ghostly, fiery red. It did not obstruct his vision. Instead, it was just like another fact of life had been revealed to him, joining the other types of stimuli he was used to receiving. It all felt a bit surreal. With a thought, he recalled the memory of the few minutes before he went through the serum and the scene played like a movie. Not only that, there was a slight time dilation between what he used to replay the memory versus when he came out. How could he possibly tell? It was like every lesson in mathematics had been organized and arranged for his express use along with the acute calibration of his senses. There have been cases in humans where someone has had an especially impressive affinity for keeping time with their ¡°internal clock¡±, but since his mind can perfectly recall information now, he was able to bring forth the unit from experience and apply it in sync with reality. In fact, it didn¡¯t even register as a task to his brain... like it was beneath it. In the hierarchy of thought, his mind no longer considered such things as hard or complex. Raising a hand slowly, he rotated and flipped it back and forth, fixated on the roiling heat and watching as it propagated into the epidermis. Turning inward, he felt more than saw the heat being shuttled to a new area within his sternum, nestled in between his lungs. What truly fascinated him, and what he hadn¡¯t had the chance to ask Bearcat about before the procedure, was the usage and conversion of the heat energy in the cellular metabolic process. Unfortunately, he was not familiar enough with his body yet, so he¡¯d need to seek some hints from Bearcat on how he navigates the processes. Most things were intuitive, but for core functions like this that were alien to his knowledge of biology and anatomy, he was functionally blind until he acclimated. Tightening his hand into a fist, a surge of power accompanied the motion, bringing along with it an immense, invincible feeling of strength. Indomitable in nature, a vast river of heat flooded through his veins towards his clenched fingers, warming the vessels and making the dark tone of his skin a reddish hue. Letting the tension fade, he went through his muscles one by one and flexed, feeling the destructive potential housed within. This would take some getting used to. Just by his own conservative estimates, and disregarding the supplementary heat energy, it was easily 400% of his maximum before the ¡®upgrade¡¯. Truly, Bearcat had used the word appropriately, because this was nothing short of an ¡°out with the old, in with the new¡± kind of scenario. He reckoned that he could take an entire bar in a fight and come away from it without even a bruise. Even better, he¡¯d only put on 9.8 lbs. of muscle. Well, I won¡¯t need a scale now. Being able to precisely measure things like this is pretty handy. In any case, he was already a pretty lean guy, adding on near 10 pounds of muscle filled him out a good bit. It¡¯s no wonder that Adrian looks the way he does. Finally forcing himself to rip his attention away from the unspeakable gains he was discovering, he looked up and took in the state of the room at a glance. Victor frowned. He closed his eyes again before inevitably reopening them a moment later. He thought he must be hallucinating. Heather was peering around with an icy expression and caught his eye for a moment before smirking and then looking back towards Bearcat. Maybe it wasn¡¯t icy per se, because the silvery white hair could probably be affecting his perception of her. Yeah, that was definitely it. Or, it could be the fact that her eyes were now a pale, icy blue that periodically emanated electricity like Adrian¡¯s to match the whole snow queen thing she had going on. Any way you looked it though, Heather was fucking hot. She was still petite but looked like she¡¯d gained the female equivalent of muscle mass that he¡¯d gained. Her soft skin wasn¡¯t overly pale, but she did share with Adrian that same type of Northern complexion that one might expect of someone well used to wearing lots of clothes. She looked like a proud ice amazonian that could break you in half if such a thing were possible...and if she was a foot over 5¡¯2¡±, which she was not. Back in school, he¡¯d initially had a thing for her, but it didn¡¯t pan out for various reasons. Gradually, over time, they finally settled into this really solid friendship. Looking at her now though, he was a bit envious of Bearcat since he was the one she had her eye on. But then again...His eyes travelled over to Bearcat who was talking softly to Nova. He had an idea what was going on, but he didn¡¯t want to poke his nose in where it didn¡¯t belong. Yet. Peter was already out of his restraints and was leaning forward in his chair, his head rested on his hands while he looked around as well. If there was a scary award, he¡¯d take it in a landslide. He looked like a tank. While Victor gained around 10 lbs, it was obvious that Pete had gained in the neighborhood of 40. Why the difference? He didn¡¯t know, but that wasn¡¯t what really scared him as he looked over at his friend. It was the eyes. There was this sense of bloodlust that seemed to naturally radiated from the irises that had turned an unnatural red. It reminded him of Bearcat¡¯s when he was particularly pissed about something...He cut his eyes toward his friend for a second before looking back. On top of the bloodlust, there seemed to be a sense of abject boredom, like he now knew what he should be doing, and it wasn¡¯t found within the room. Looking over to his right, Rich was there in all of his hairy, bearded glory. In fact, it looked like his scruff had gained some considerable length. His brown eyes that had likewise been electrified were looking towards the others with the same curiosity that Victor himself was feeling. The guy also filled out like a barrel; he was muscular as hell. Leaning in, Victor got Rich¡¯s attention with a nod and said, ¡°Oi, Gimli. When¡¯d you get here? I thought you were over in Moria banging all of the dwarven lasses.¡± Rich threw back a good-natured smile. ¡°You know I go for the elvish girls man. Which, I have to ask, is your sister single? Because judging by those ears of yours, she might fall within my strike zone!¡± Victor froze and then tried to lift his hand quickly to feel his ears, but couldn¡¯t go very far because of the restraints. Every way he tried, he couldn¡¯t manage to get the things undone. They were obviously made with their new strength in mind. Rich leaned over again. ¡°Bro, you bring a whole new meaning to the words ¡®Dark Elf¡¯!¡± He threw his head back and laughed uproariously. Victor shot him a look over the black joke, but before he could say anything they both heard a roar come from their left. Looking over, They saw a wide-eyed Sergio nearly frothing at the mouth as he tried to get out of his restraints, yelling at Bearcat to let him out. Wait, that was in Spanish. Victor thought back and realized that he now had a good understanding of the language solely thanks to listening to Sergio talk to other people on the fly. Adopting a mock horrified expression, Victor turned back to Rich. ¡°Yo se espa?ol!¡± Rich thought for a moment and then started nodding while terrified as well. ¡°Yo tambien!¡± Bearcat walked towards the raging Sergio and Victor heard him exclaim, ¡°Sweet Jesus, what did you put in the Jamba Juice, Raide?!¡± The A.I. appeared on the wall, throwing up a CGI¡¯ed movie theater that was devoid of other people save himself. He sat down in the very center of the back row where he kicked back with a massive, impossibly large thing of popcorn. Taking a sip from his collector¡¯s edition coke cup, he merely pointed at the off camera screen that you¡¯d expect in a movie theater while applying more salt on top of the bowl. Adjusting angles, another version Raide appeared that was clad in gentleman¡¯s attire, polishing a crystal clear glass behind a bar counter. Finishing up the shine, he mixed a drink and slid it across the bartop to the camera and gave a wink. ¡°Shaken, not stirred. I call it¡­.Cocktail du Raide¡­¡± The camera zoomed in for effect and the background went out of focus as the name was displayed in script beside the martini. Back in the medical room, they all went silent. Adrian leaned back, looking at the A.I. weirdly before inevitably and suddenly turning back towards Sergio. ¡°So, anyways, everyone had a rough few hours, okay? The restraints were to make sure you didn¡¯t fall out of your chair, nothing more.¡± Raide sat up from his lazy position in theater seat and yelled at them, ¡°Oh, please! That was a beautifully imagined commercial!¡± Adrian sighed and turned to him, saying exasperatedly, ¡°That was pure theft! You mashed together a Stella Artois commercial with a line from James Bond followed by your own craptastic name!¡± ¡°Ah, damn. You¡¯re right.¡± Raide pointed his finger contemplatively before dropping it to only raise it again and scratch his chin. ¡°I was sure I made an original that time.¡± Sergio¡¯s voice drew their attention again, but it sounded overly calm, like he was barely suppressing the desire to yell. ¡°Bearcat, the restraints... please.¡± Bearcat pretended to be apologetic and threw a look at everyone else as he undid Serg¡¯s straps. Once undone, his friend leapt from the chair as if he was afraid it would reach out at him to lock him back into place. Adrian adopted a thoughtful expression and turned to Raide as he undid everyone else¡¯s. ¡°Note that the serum doesn¡¯t have an apparent effect on preexisting phobias.¡± ¡°Noted and archived.¡± Bearcat clapped his hands. ¡°Alright! Gather round children, we¡¯ll be taking account of all the changes you lot experienced and going over some ground rules.¡± Watching the seven of them come over to him, his expression got contemplative, and Victor noticed that most of the others kept throwing him some weird looks. Remembering about the ears, his hands shot up and felt a rising tip that was indicative of elves. Oh shit¡­ A weird feeling rushed up into the pit of his stomach, bubbling there while he thought about the ears. Truth be told, Victor was the type to always play Elven characters in games if he was given the option. Maybe it was a feeling inspired by watching Lord of the Rings when he saw it for the first time, but he thought that their way of combat was just badass. Not to mention, they were suave as fuck. The idea of warriors and scholars training for centuries or millennia made him feel this sense of awe at what they would be able to do. Here and now, though¡­ He traced the edges of his left ear while ruminating over all the possible things he¡¯d have to deal with in the future. Not to mention the eyes, since it seemed everyone had also gotten Adrian¡¯s freaky lightning irises, just the ears alone are enough to draw people¡¯s eyes when he went out. He could masquerade as a cosplayer, but that would get old quickly. He sighed to himself. A quick look around told him that Heather, Nova, himself, and Peter appeared the most abnormal among the group. Inori, Rich, Bearcat, and Sergio were relatively tame. They didn¡¯t have any outrageous physical qualities that would draw attention beyond the ubiquitous eyes. Now that he thought about it though, all of the girls looked really different. It wasn¡¯t just because of the weird silvery white hair on Heather¡¯s part or Nova¡¯s sudden dichromatic eye mutation, all of the girls seemed to glow now. All of the girls were pretty before, though he only thought Heather was worthy of the word beautiful, but they all now looked like they¡¯d ¡°ranked up¡± in terms of appearance. He was stunned. Now, Heather was just otherworldly. Thinking back, he recalled up a picture of Inori before the upgrade since she was the normal looking one in the bunch now; he figured she would be the best comparison. Retreating into the mind palace that Adrian had helped them structure two months ago, and which he had practiced on since then, he placed a stilled image of Inori beside an open window into his normal vision. The difference was night and day. Practically every biological thing a girl can worry about seemed to have been taken care of, even the inane things. Eyelashes were longer and fuller, the tone and moisture contained in the skin gave her cheeks a soft rosy glow that now radiated energy, along with a sort of youthful charm that was indicative of her ancestral heritage. There was something strange going on though. Victor¡¯s eyes squinted for a moment before opening them wide again in surprise. That was it, she looked very similar to how she preferred to have her makeup. Except, now she wasn¡¯t wearing any, all probably burnt away by the inferno they were still standing in. But how could her facial features have adapted to her preferences? He cut his eyes towards Raide, understanding flashing across his brain as soon as he thought the question. Raide mapped their preferences and copied over the changes into their genetic code. That was the only answer that made sense. But really, isn¡¯t that terrifying? To have such an acute control over DNA coding was monstrous in and of itself. A grimace flashed across his face. Doesn¡¯t that mean that he could have had something to do with these ears? Dissatisfaction spread through him, making his blood run somewhat cold before he inevitably shook his head. It wasn¡¯t possible. Bearcat valued secrecy right now more than anything, so by definition Raide¡¯s valuations and changes should reflect that. Seeing Heather¡¯s hair again, it became obvious to him that there was some aspect of the genetic manipulation process that Raide and Bearcat did not have complete control over yet. It was suspicious that the changes fit such fantasy-like concepts, but that would be something that he himself could address in the future. In the half moment that he thought all of this, Victor decided to put it all from his mind and turned back to Bearcat who was just about to start talking. He looked confident, despite the weirdness of the situation. Perhaps he has a way to deal with all of this, he mused. Faith surged through his chest thinking about all that they¡¯d already accomplished and been through. Surely, he thought, BC had some way to deal with all this. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. *** Adrian was sweating internally. Weird, silvery hair he could deal with - who hasn¡¯t heard of hair dye? If that was even necessary. He looked at Heather¡¯s calm and collected expression and thought the new look suited her. Almost a little too well. Nova¡¯s eyes he could deal with as well because he already had a plan for the nano-contact design and her hair¡¯s luminescence wasn¡¯t a problem because someone really wouldn¡¯t notice unless they were in a pitch dark environment. Hell, he was even proud of the fact that the girls all got suspiciously more beautiful. The guys all looked more handsome as well, like the flaws they had before had been reduced somewhat. It wasn¡¯t to the degree that everyone had turned androgynous or anything. It was like everyone¡¯s physical qualities had been sharpened and perfected, each in their own unique way. What he could not deal with though, was Victor¡¯s ears. They were a medium to long length if you judged by fictional species that had elongated ears. He had to fight down the urge to call him Spock as a joke. Since his friend was black, he also had the ¡°Dark Elf¡± reference flash through his mind, but he knew Victor¡¯s temper better than most, so he wasn¡¯t about to mess with him like he¡¯d heard Rich do. That fucking idiot. It seemed that that part of his best friend had remained in all its glory. The ability to not give a fuck about anything, that is. Sighing, he decided that he¡¯d talk with Raide about it later when they were alone again. For now, he had a lot of administrative things to take care of. Slowing down his thoughts to reach normal speed again, he ended his brief pause. ¡°While I wish you could all just go home for some rest, it appears that is no longer is an option. Judging by everyone¡¯s highly unexpected changes, everyone is going to have to remain here. This is just as well, since you all have apartments, but I realize that will create complications for your lives outside of Archon Industries, so I want you to first take care of whatever you need to in order to ensure you can stay here.¡± Inori looked pretty worried and asked, ¡°How long do we have to stay?¡± Seeing Adrian¡¯s eyes flash in amusement, she smiled and went on, clarifying, ¡°It¡¯s not like it bothers me, but my parents haven¡¯t been the same since the Envy thing, so¡­¡± Ah, yes. There is that. Adrian looked her over and noticed the change in her demeanor. Normally, she¡¯d be stammering or at a loss when she¡¯s talking to me, but it looks like this upgrade gave her back her confidence. He smiled. ¡°No worries, just tell them that you¡¯re working over here and have been provided a sizable bonus to stay on site for the next month since we¡¯re going to be going into full operation shortly. If they¡¯re unconvinced, invite them to the grand opening a week from next Monday.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up in confusion. Adrian then remembered he hadn¡¯t told them yet. Really, when he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t told them much of anything since the Envy raid. Rubbing his hands together he sat down in chair and threw a look at Raide who was still sitting in his theater seat on the wall. Catching the glimpse, the A.I. cleared everything and started arranging projects on the wall. Everyone¡¯s gaze, aside from Adrian, flitted to the wall in curiosity and gradually morphed into shock. His fingers started drumming on the armrest while he thought. Abruptly, he stopped drumming and his hand slapped down forcefully. He started slowly, ¡°Okay, let me first say this before we get into everything that will occupy your lives for the next several months and years. Now that you¡¯ve all come through the upgrade, I expect a lot from you.¡± He looked over each of them. ¡°I know it''s not necessarily fair, but you all have lost a bit of your freedom by electing to be a part of this. This isn¡¯t a normal job. You don¡¯t get to jump ship. You¡¯re part of a new species now, for God¡¯s sake, so let me make one point irrevocably clear.¡± He leaned towards them all and his expression darkened. ¡°If any of you decide to try your hand and betray us, I will kill you.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes held a hint of fear as he looked over them. ¡°It is not something that I relish the thought of, so don¡¯t test me. The liberatur¡¯s existence is a secret, and if I feel that you¡¯ve compromised our goals here, you¡¯ll find that your newly elongated life on Earth will come to an abrupt and bitter end. Loyalty is something I value very highly¡­¡± His eyes raked over Heather for a moment in recollection before moving on, ¡°So I expect discretion. You got me?¡± Everyone nodded and glanced nervously at each other, noting in each other¡¯s expressions that they too had seen Adrian¡¯s eyes go back to his characteristic maroon just then. Heather was off to the side with a weird expression. Whatever it was she was thinking, no one there knew. Switching gears suddenly, Adrian smiled in an attempt to dispel the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Okay, now that the unpleasant piece of what I had to say has been said, we get to go over the last of the preliminary things before we get to the projects on the board. ¡°All of you are probably a bit uncomfortable with the new limits of your body, so we¡¯re going to take the next three days as mandatory physical training. For those of you who aren¡¯t going to be combat oriented, your regimens will be comparatively light, but don¡¯t treat it too light as it¡¯s a time for you to fully acclimate. This will include mental process management too, so I¡¯ll be there with you to answer any questions you may have with regards to customizing your settings. ¡°Once the three days are done, or Raide and I are satisfied, you¡¯ll finish the upgrade process by going through a full round of medical tests to ascertain your capabilities, including a full mock up of a stat table. This is just like what I¡¯ve had the entire time as a way to gauge my rate of growth and how I stacked up against others.¡± The guys looked excited at this but the girls were nonplussed. ¡°After that...we have project assignments.¡± He grinned in anticipation and turned to the wall where the project titles were listed in descending order from closest to completion to the ones that were on the backburner for now. There was nothing that impressive about the visuals of the list, but the words it contained housed numerous ideas that belonged to various different industries. It was beyond ambitious to say that he wanted to achieve two of them in the near future, not to mention his intentions to pursue all of them.
Projects
Cancer Cure - (All types)Stage 3 of 4...Prototyping85%
A1X VTOL Aircraft v1.0Stage 3 of 4...Prototyping0%
Carbon Nanotube application [PRIORITY 1]Stage 2 of 4...Researching50%
Nanotech lenses [PRIORITY 1]Stage 2 of 4...Researching39%
Core-based batteryStage 2 of 4...Researching30%
Quantum Resonance CommunicationStage 2 of 4...Researching29%
Personnel Suit v2.0Stage 2 of 4...Researching28%
Synthetic MuscleStage 2 of 4...Researching28%
Hydroponics - Growth AccelerantStage 2 of 4...Researching27%
Neural UplinkStage 2 of 4...Researching26%
Virtual Reality - Full Dive [STALLED]Stage 2 of 4...Researching26%
Atmospheric Ion Pulse EngineStage 1 of 4...Conceptualization50%
Orbital HammerStage 1 of 4...Conceptualization25%
ValhallaStage 1 of 4...Conceptualization4%
Adrian looked over at Rich and caught a bit of drool leaking out of the corner of his bearded mouth like he was looking at a keg of his favorite brew. Coincidentally, he started speaking in a dreamy, croaky voice, ¡°Gods, Bearcat, am I imagining things? This is the most beautiful list I¡¯ve ever seen. It¡¯s like Tesla himself came down from on high and carved it just for me. If there is such a thing as a King of the Lists, this one takes the prize.¡± The barrel of a man went on to wipe an actual tear from his eye. Adrian rolled his eyes in response. This was just a taste of what they¡¯d be doing. After all, this was just the technological advancement side¡­He hadn¡¯t forgotten about the corruption still plaguing the government, nor had he forgotten those that he hadn¡¯t finished ripping up from their roots. The ghosts of these pursuers and potential threats were always there at the edge of his mind, whispering words of aggression and igniting his bloodthirst. He¡¯d never let his friends see this concern of his though. His duty to them all included their protection. Not a soul on this green Earth would possess the ability to threaten them for long. All he needed was time. Adrian decided to cut off the admiration time. ¡°Okay guys, wake up. Some of you probably have an idea of your assignment, but I¡¯ll say it anyway. ¡°Victor, you¡¯re lead project manager on the Cancer cure. Next week, we¡¯re going hunting for lab technicians and doctors that fit my criteria so you can have extra hands to finish the prototype formula. This includes trials. After that, we¡¯ll move the project from stage 3 to 4 and begin the Production phase which will encompass seeking approval from the FDA. I expect that you¡¯ll have to work closely with their Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), but we¡¯ll have already completed all of the proprietary portions of the synthesis, so we don¡¯t have to worry too much about them. Just be reasonably secretive and come to me if they try and get pushy over it.¡± Victor nodded, obviously excited. ¡°You got it, ¡®Cat. I¡¯ll go ahead and spend my time in the evenings brushing up on my knowledge with Raide as well. Regarding what I¡¯m missing, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve been painted a clear path in my mind on what to learn next, so it won¡¯t take me too long to get to a satisfactory level.¡± Adrian smiled in return. ¡°Ah, good point. Everyone take note to spend your evenings with Raide as well at the computer terminal in your apartment. He¡¯ll aid you in bringing your knowledge up to par.¡± Everyone spoke up in agreement, surprising him a bit over how willing they were to pile learning on top all the physical activity they¡¯d have to do during the day. It seemed that their past tendencies to be lazy had almost been stripped from their desires. It was fascinating to watch because he wondered just what they¡¯d be capable of when they put their full attention towards it? He went on, ¡°Heather, you¡¯re on the A1X prototyping. We¡¯ve already decided to borrow the production capabilities of a few unrelated companies, so the parts have been custom ordered and should arrive within the next few days. Raide has the schematics for you when you¡¯re ready to begin.There¡¯s not much else to be said here, but I do hope that you¡¯ll brush up on your aeronautical engineering. It could prove useful.¡± Heather seductively smiled and said quietly in a way that would make men¡¯s hearts burn, ¡°Of course. Anything you want, BC.¡± Her pale, icy eyes seemed to try and devour him. He wasn¡¯t sure what had gotten into her in the last few minutes, but he was feeling like prey at the moment. Clearing his throat by swallowing for a moment, he tore his gaze away from the siren and looked towards Inori. ¡°Inori, you¡¯ll be floating between a few projects, namely the A1X, the nanotech lenses, and the carbon nanotube research. You¡¯ll preside over the carbon nanotube portion entirely like Victor and his cancer research, but the others you¡¯ll be assisting. I¡¯ll be hustling over the lenses, so just come and lend a hand when you have a chance.¡± Rich snorted before mumbling quietly to himself, ¡°What¡¯s the company policy on handjobs at work?¡± Adrian caught a smirk floating across Victor¡¯s face as they both apparently caught the murmur. Judging by the twitching expressions on Heather and Nova¡¯s faces, they¡¯d caught it as well. Reaching over to the idiot standing right next to him, he cuffed him in the back of the head, hissing, ¡°An IQ well over 300 and you still act like a teenager whose balls have just dropped.¡± Picking up his voice, he tried to move on, ¡°Rich you¡¯re head of Engineering in general given your expertise.¡± He threw him a disgusted look. ¡°You¡¯ll be working with Heather on the A1X primarily, but also Raide on the pre-production of future tech projects that require material fabrication like carbon nanotube inclusion. If you have ideas, you and Inori will need to collaborate to institute its usage as a material. The other projects can wait for now. Raide is doing simulations based on other laboratories¡¯ data.¡± Not deigning to let Rich speak anymore, he turned to Sergio quickly. ¡°You¡¯re the face of Archon Industries, our spokesman. I¡¯d like you to be learning from Raide about what relationships to form after the opening. Raide is going to let slip an email clue to the right reporter about the Cancer cure and point towards our opening. He¡¯ll put just enough information in it to turn heads and make them take us seriously. You¡¯ll need to be up to snuff on the knowledge surrounding the cure and also possible scenarios the press corp could put you through.¡± Sergio didn¡¯t say anything, just nodding in reply. Finally turning to Nova and Peter, he gave them a once over before asking, ¡°You¡¯re our two psuedo-free agents, any ideas on where you want to be?¡± Nova warmly smiled and said, ¡°I want to be head of Human Resources and also the Hydroponics Division.¡± Adrian looked back at her in surprise, gazing at her thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s a long way from architecture,¡± he remarked. ¡°What can I say? It wasn¡¯t my true calling.¡± Adrian nodded, giving her a small smile in return. ¡°Well okay then.¡± He turned to Peter. ¡°And you?¡± Peter towered over all of them at 6¡¯3¡± now with the build of a barbarian. His red eyes once again drew the gazes of everyone as they looked up at him. He still looked bored, but his eyes glowed with a type of energy every time he looked at the wall with the list of projects. Something on it must have caught his eye. He inevitably shrugged. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not that interested in being a part of the development process. I understand a lot more now about what we¡¯re going to be doing here, so don¡¯t get me wrong, I appreciate this side of things, but¡­¡±He looked over at the wall again. ¡°I mostly want to be the one that uses some of this in combat, so I¡¯m a bit at a loss what to do in the meantime.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± Adrian grinned. ¡°How about this. We¡¯ll send you out on assignment.¡± Peter looked to be interested and asked in surprised, ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Frankly, I want a sleeper cell in the higher echelons of the military. Judging by your abilities, it wouldn¡¯t take you long to learn and become the scariest soldier that¡¯s ever lived. Can you imagine how much value the military would put on you?¡± ¡°Oh hell yeah!¡± Peter exclaimed. ¡°Talk about right up my alley.¡± Adrian smirked at him. ¡°Just remember to keep a lid on everything you know and, of course, the true extent of your abilities. Playing super soldier is awesome, but become too super and the military will start poking at you to try and figure out why you¡¯re so different. Keep it at a manageable and believable level,¡± he reminded. Peter laughed heartily and semi-mockingly said, ¡°Aye, Cap¡¯n.¡± Adrian shook his head and smiled, his attention suddenly drawn to Victor who was staring up at the project listing. Victor scratched one of his long ears and mused, ¡°Almost all of these I¡¯ve heard about before in some way or another. These last two though...¡± he pointed at Orbital Hammer and Valhalla. ¡°Just what the hell are they?¡± The corner¡¯s of Adrian¡¯s lips turned upwards in mischief, his eyes twinkling impishly as he looked at the glowing names, ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± Chapter 21 - Uninvited Guests A little shorter than normal. I''ll make up for it with the next chapter which I expect to be out later this week. Enjoy ^.^
Panting filled the room as two weaponless men circled each other, lightly dancing in and out of each other¡¯s proximity. It was a savage and intelligent tango, one half ferocity partnered with one half pinpoint accuracy. Peter eyed the smaller man in front of him like he was trying to guard against a massive, pissed-off pitbull, which was very disorienting because the opposing man was utterly calm, devoid of any signs that would indicate his current state. Was he tired? Was he feeling any sort of strain whether mental or physical? Peter himself was already feeling some fatigue from this duel which had raged for 6 hours already. He felt the tension of his muscles and the left over power still housed within ready for his call, begging to be commanded into action - a stark contrast against the innumerable blows he¡¯d taken, each and every one merciless in its delivery and intent. His ingrained biological instincts screamed at him to attack due to his size and positional advantage, but his mind threw on the breaks every time, cautioning him into patience, tempering him into making moves that countered his opponent¡¯s. Experience was continually honing him, sharpening him against the impenetrable grindstone that was Adrian Pierce. He knew he actually was weaker than Bearcat. He knew that he wasn¡¯t as tactical or intelligent with his movement. In fact, he had pretty much assumed that his friend had intentionally let this fight continue for these hours just to get give him experience. The feeling and realization that he was being toyed with made his stomach churn in primal anger. A weird sense of hatred began to burn in resentment, coiling into a knot that twisted in him like a cruel dagger. Whispers that undermined his friend echoed in his consciousness, reverberating with derision and spite. Who is he to lord over me? Noticing the uncharacteristic feeling, he pushed it back down, actively quelling the mental storm that was brewing until he clashed against Bearcat again which ripped away his main focus. Deflecting away a punch that aimed at his knee joint, Peter stepped in and closed the distance as he rained down a destructive punch onto Bearcat¡¯s head, like a hammer striking the anvil. Power surged through his arm, adding to its acceleration, spurred on by a growing excitement. This is my chance! The inner voice sounded from far off, cackling with glee at the thought of finally inflicting damage upon this arrogant person. Serves you right, it seemed to say. For the first time during this fight, Peter felt compelled to agree. He¡¯d been humiliated and looked down upon throughout this entire sparring. Much worse, Bearcat didn¡¯t pay him any concern - even now. Gracefully fading backwards, the smaller man seemingly floated out from under that strike just as it was about land, a few hairs that had come unbound from his ponytail were disturbed by the errant wind the fist generated as it flew by. He quickly regained his normal stance once he was out of arm¡¯s reach. Peter, on the other hand, had over-committed to the downward force and it threw him just ever so slightly off balance as he tried to restrain the momentum. Bearcat appeared next to him again like a ghost and struck out faster than he¡¯d done in any of their previous thousands of exchanges, sending a thunderous punch. Peter felt felt an agonizing pain erupt from his shoulder and then his ribs and temple. A disabling strike followed by a core and cranium shot. Bearcat was ruthless in his power too, pushing just enough force into the blows to dislocate his shoulder, knock the breath out of him, and then rattle his mind. An impressive feat considering the newfound resilience that Peter had gained through the upgrade. A momentary flash of black took out his vision and when he woke up again, he was on his back. Furiously blinking his eyes, the pain added to the swelling anger he felt at himself for allowing that inner voice to distract him from the fight. It was foolish to get distracted in hand to hand with Bearcat of all people. Still though...he cut his eyes up at his friend who was radiating heat in a rare showing of uncontrolled exertion. Standing there like a Victor. I should have been the one who won! Peter¡¯s eyes drank in the light red torrent that billowed before him, glaring fiercely at the man who¡¯d put him on the ground. He knew deep down that Adrian wasn¡¯t trying to stand above him. He knew that he wasn¡¯t being vicious out of arrogance, but every time he looked at him, he felt this overwhelming sense of inferiority. He hated it, loathed it. He couldn¡¯t stand it! The fact grated him, tore at his mind and poisoned his soul. Rage boiled in his heart while the mind warred for control, desperately seeking to contain the imbalance it felt within. *** Adrian looked back down on Peter and watched the emotion that flashed in his friend¡¯s eyes. Taking out an earpiece he¡¯d stashed in his gym shorts¡¯ pocket, he put it on and connected a private line to Raide. Within a 1/10th of a second, Raide was keyed in, observing the changes right along with Adrian. The A.I. quietly said, ¡°It looks like his anger issues were not corrected when his mind was boosted.¡± Adrian only nodded, cautiously staring down at Peter as the man warred with himself. Thinking for a moment, he squatted down and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Pete, I hope you understand that you¡¯re a monster compared to the others.¡± His friend looked up sharply at him, a beastial expression that spelled savagery flaring up. ¡°What I mean is that you¡¯re the only one among the group that could stand up to me to such a point,¡± he said lowly. ¡°It¡¯s only the third day of adjustment after your upgrade and you¡¯re already able to keep up with me so well. Hell man, you just sparred with me for 6 hours and never once gave me an opening like you just did.¡± That was nothing to say of the fact that Adrian could have disassembled him at any time, but that wasn¡¯t a point that Peter would want to hear at the moment. The ferocious glint in his friend¡¯s eyes retreated and a long shaking breath burst its way from his lips. Peter nodded slowly in acknowledgment of the praise. ¡°Control yourself better from now on, okay? I had to end that fight because you let your primal instincts rule over you at the end there. We aren¡¯t one single emotion, so don¡¯t let anything like anger take over. We are beyond that. We are one step further away from our beastial natures, so you don¡¯t have to rely on those base instincts to survive in a fight anymore. Let it go,¡± Adrian said the last sentence firmly and then wrenched on Peter¡¯s arm, setting it back into the socket where it belonged. His friend grunted at the momentary pain. Peter let out one last large, shaky breath and looked back up at him resolutely before he sat up and nodded his head contemplatively. Adrian shook his head and turned, missing the hatred-filled glance that flared ever so briefly on his face. Luckily, Raide is always watching. A quiet voice sounded out in Adrian¡¯s ear again, saying, ¡°He did not take that well. Be careful.¡± Adrian didn¡¯t respond, knowing that any signal from him would be seen by Peter who was watching his back like a hawk. Upgrades were double-edged swords. He sighed in his heart and then said to the air without turning during his steps, ¡°You¡¯re done with training for now. Prepare yourself to ship out to basic. Raide will brief you on things to remember and ways to advance up the ranks quickly.¡± Get yourself together, Pete. He paused at the door to look back at his friend he¡¯d known for the past 7 years and then walked out while sadly thinking, I don¡¯t want to have to put you down. *** Saad eyed the compound in the distance, taking in the magnificent sight of the newly completed structures that were artful amalgamations of stone, brick, and steel. The largest, domed structure out of the few rose to the sky, imposing and mighty in its size, only overshadowed by the tower that beat it out in height in the background. He tried to recall if he¡¯d ever seen anything like it, but failed to draw up even a single example, despite his familiarity with multiple cultures in the world. There was a beautiful gate and fence that encircled the area, built with stone and steel, too high to climb. It would be far too perilous in any case, because the top of the fence was decorated with menacing black steel spikes that jutted upwards towards the heavens. It wasn¡¯t impossible to traverse, but they lacked the equipment and even more so the time required to do it cleanly. They¡¯d have to settle with small charges for the gate. Glancing towards the others in the van, he heard the rustling and nervous breathing of the other four comrades that were in the rear of the vehicle. Their faces spoke volumes about their experience. They were too young, too inexperienced in doing something like this on American soil. After all, Saad ended up tapping a majority of them from locales he was familiar with. Lot¡¯s of them weren¡¯t even arabic. Profiling done by the Americans always made him laugh in this manner. Who says the attackers will always be one nationality? Plus, there was just something poetic about using Americans to conduct business on other Americans. Who cares if they¡¯re young? Who cares if they¡¯re inexperienced? They were only here to fill in numbers and provide their presence to add to the intimidation. There were only eight civilians inside after all. What could they possibly do? They¡¯d already confirmed that the girl hadn¡¯t left since she¡¯d arrived almost a week ago, which was strange, but he wasn¡¯t here to understand the girl. His sole goal was to bring her back to the Sheikh. He had another four vans of five men each that were also placed nearby in inconspicuous places, not counting the drivers that were to wait for their exit. He¡¯d originally wanted to do it with only five to six, a small team was easier to extract, but he kept getting this horrific feeling of trepidation. Saad didn¡¯t know where it was coming from, this fear that he¡¯d never experienced before. The feeling made his heart do flips in anticipation for the unknowable future. Looking out past the gates and towards the compound, he sighed. Allah give me strength. Giving the order into a mike, the rustle of clothes and the click of semi-automatic weapons being readied reverberated out into the vehicle. Moments later, Saad was the first of a series of shadows that approached the arched gateway that lead them towards their goal. *** Hot water splashed into the coned funnel, rinsing over a medium-coarse blend of Kenyan coffee. Rivulets formed over the particles and Adrian became entranced as he watched the flow of the water as it filtered down through the paper cone. Small tendrils of steam continually wafted up into his nose, adding its delicious aroma to the ambiance of his private room. Oddly enough, personally brewing his coffee had become a habit of his as he was working so hard on automating just about everything else in his life. He sighed at the last of the water settling into the bottom of the Chemex. There was still something so satisfying about doing things with his hands. He¡¯d even ground the coffee himself a little while ago. It brought a sense of calm to his mind and promoted a rhythmic stability that lulled him into a state of happiness every single time. Normally, he¡¯d be doing this when he woke up, but once he got upgraded he no longer really had any need to sleep. This was especially the case when he separated out his consciousness into being able to operate on different levels at the same time. If he was overtaxed to the point of needing rest mentally, he¡¯d just allocate one of his trains of thought to sleep mode and it would perform the effect of a sleeping brain. Grabbing the coffee container, he smoothly poured the rich brown liquid into a mug that he then took to sip on as he looked out of the window. There, he saw the compound with the best view possible and let his thoughts fall into the mundane, quietly contemplating things he had to do and the state of everyone that had theirs hopes now aligned with his. Such a quiet night. Everyone else must be relaxing in their apartments. The other seven had acclimated well in these past three days, quickly taking to their new living arrangements. They¡¯d had a little bit of trouble with Inori¡¯s parents, but the matter was finally resolved after a solid forty-five minute long conversation about how safe she¡¯d be there. Parents could be so troublesome. Adrian sighed contentedly. It was a friday night, one that the previous version of himself, the first year Adrian, would have abused until the wee hours of the morning while immersed in friends and alcohol. But now, he was more than happy to stay in and just be. It wasn¡¯t good to rush all of the time. Even as a member of the liberatur species, in the end they were all still organic beings, not computers or pieces of machinery that ran until they broke down from wear and tear. It always helped him to maintain balance by keeping this in perspective. Raide¡¯s voice broke the warm silence that Adrian was standing in, his tone bringing with it a sense of urgency. ¡°We have some guests that look militant.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Adrian¡¯s eyebrows arched slightly, but remained calm, refusing to release his hold on the balance he¡¯d just struck. ¡°Oh? How many? Any ideas on who it could be?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve run their facial scans and body builds through all of the databases and surveillance footage I could find. There are 20 in total - twelve American Muslims that leaned militant and eight ¡°tourists¡± that managed to come in cleanly on their passports. Judging by the FBI and Interpol, they¡¯ve not yet made the list with those that have ties to any Jihadist groups¡­.¡± His voice cut out for a second and then came back. ¡°They¡¯ve just breached the gate. My conjecture? They¡¯re here for Inori. Wait... yes, communication records confirm.¡± Adrian scowled and sent a bit of heat to his palm to maintain the temperature of his coffee. Turning, he paced out of the room with his cup still in hand towards the training area where he could see the entrance. A few seconds passed and he arrived at the southerly window, looking out and down past the church at the shadowy figures moving up the dimly lit drive and slowly towards the main doors. He instantly made a decision. ¡°Good enough reason as any. Bring up the cams.¡± Raide complied and a swath of video feeds displayed on the window in his periphery. ¡°How would you like to proceed?¡± asked the A.I. Adrian¡¯s eyes flitted over the moving pictures and lazily calculated the time he¡¯d need to deploy anyone to handle this rabble. It was too short and they were moving too quickly. Better to just inform them about it later and deal with it himself. Or maybe...he blinked. ¡°Look¡¯s like you have an opportunity to work on your aim,¡± Adrian chuckled. ¡°Show them the terror of walking into Archon Industries uninvited.¡± He remembered something and added, ¡°Quietly, if you please. We have a good distance between us and the neighbors, but we wouldn¡¯t want to wake them, now would we?¡± Raide appeared and gave a mock salute. He smiled back devilishly, saying as he disappeared, ¡°Don¡¯t worry on that count. It¡¯ll be as silent as a graveyard soon enough.¡± *** Returning to a speed of thought that blew away even Adrian, the A.I. willed it and he appeared within a very particular part of the Archon Industries¡¯ facility subsets. Here, he housed all of the nice little code bits and programs that he created for Big Bertha and her children. He ran a digital finger over their virtual housing and input the command to wake up, watching them run the scripts that initiated all of the robotics involved with their unique...placement. Raide laughed delightedly to himself. This was going to be so much fun. He breathed in the data from all of the sensors he¡¯d placed on the grounds - vision, audio, lidar, barometric, humidity, and wind speed - and compiled it into usable information that he seamlessly integrated into himself. For all intents and purposes, he was Archon Industries right now. Taking another deep breath, he raised his arms slowly, almost as if he was lifting something fragile and delicate, feeling the feedback from the effect he was creating out on the grounds. It was agonizingly slow compared to how long he had to wait on his time. Out near the intruders, strategically placed structures slowly and silently revealed hidden locations. Shrubs parted and concrete raised up, inching under the cover of darkness. Judging by the intruders position, they were just coming towards the main doors of the church, spread out in a fan. Several of them were positioned around the fountain that acted as the center of a circular drive about 15 meters from the doors. Raide momentarily bemoaned the fact that he couldn¡¯t use Big Bertha herself. He knew though that if he used her on some small fry like this, blowing up the brand new lawn and the driveway in the process, Adrian would have his metaphorical head. He¡¯d once threatened to fry him after all, a matter he still wasn¡¯t sure whether he meant or not. Bertha though, she was more of the heavy hitter they needed to keep in reserve for helicopters or incoming cruise missiles - whichever of the two were more pressing at the moment. If he used it on humans, they¡¯d burst like a watermelon all over their driveway. Clean-up would no doubt be a huge hassle. Plus, Adrian would really kill him if anything happened to the statue in the fountain. Tch. ¡°I guess her children will just have to do,¡± he said matter-of-factly to his digital space. Directing twenty pieces of his consciousness to the flanking placements, he gave the command and twenty long, automatically fed railguns slid out of their enclosures, assembling and charging up power to their capacitors. The beautiful thing about magnetically catapulted projectiles is that there¡¯s a distinct lack of the telltale explosion of gunpowder or charge. The only sound they would make is a delayed ¡®clap¡¯ as air is pushed out of the specially designed bullet¡¯s way as it rockets out at a speed three times that of a bullet, producing a miniaturized sonic boom.The sound would be so different though, that even if their neighbors heard it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to identify it as a weapon. And these slugs were a nasty piece of work too. They incorporated the design of a hollow point, a bullet that ¡°fanned out¡± when it struck resistance, increasing the area that was affected. Raide and Adrian had a time getting them to work because of the projectiles¡¯ altered structure affecting the balance of the opposing magnetic fields. Raide eyed the men who were barely moving in front of his perception and waited for the capacitors to finish charging. The amount of current needed to power twenty railguns on the fly wasn¡¯t an easy thing to procure, even given his complete control over the compound¡¯s power supply. Another thing to be addressed for the future, he noted. Adrian¡¯s voice cut into his space, interrupting his thoughts. ¡°Leave the leader and one other alive. We need to ask some questions.¡± Raide pursed his lips in displeasure. ¡°Fine, fine¡­¡± The energy finished cycling to the units and he robotically leveled the turrets at each member that was before him, calculating a million different reactionary scenarios while he aimed at vitals and extrema. All the ballistic data flooded his mind and he smiled, lifting a finger gun to dramatically point toward them. ¡°Bang.¡± *** Saad¡¯s eyes darted back and forth from his men to the doors they were nearing. A few lights flanking the entrance seemed glaring compared to the darkness they were wading through.The soft crunch of the grass underneath his boots highlighted the difference of the others who were creeping across the concrete. Interspersed rays of moonlight cut through the few oak trees that lined the drive, their roots protesting against his boot every once in awhile when he trod over them. On top of that, the movement in their clothes felt painfully loud, like it was screaming their existence to the entire entrance area. He knew from experience that this was just his heightened senses talking, but he still winced when he made too large of a movement. Slowing down, he checked to his left towards the center mass of his fighters, noting the expressions of nervousness and adrenaline showing in their eyes. Many had cloths or masks that covered their faces, wrapped tightly around their head so that it didn¡¯t slip during combat. Saad himself wore one as well, just in case. Finally reaching the circular drive that wrapped around a large decorative fountain, Saad saw its centerpiece in all it¡¯s majesty. A gigantic, twenty foot tall statue of an winged warrior, garbed in plate armor, kneeled on a circular platform like he was resting after a slaughter. The horned helmet cast a shadow over the eyes, adding an air of mystery to the identity of the combatant. A full and partially braided beard flowed out from underneath his helmet making Saad¡¯s heart waver from the savagery he seemed to exude. The two-handed ornate greatsword beneath his two palms which were resting on the pommel was embedded into stone halfway up the blade, and his wings still stretched high in glorious might as if he¡¯d just made landfall after his descent from heaven. The water contained in the fountain flowed from the tips of the wings, all the way down their entirety. That was it. There were no jets, or cleverly placed streams of water shooting from the angel to cascade down to the pool below in pretty arcs. Only the wings bore the appearance of appearing wet. Even then, it did not detract from the fixture¡¯s aura, because that was not the only effect the water played. The true quality and finishing touch that made the statue feel almost alive, besides the stunningly lifelike detail engraved into its features, was that the wings seemed to be emitting heat. As a result, a portion of the water was turning into steam on their surface, rising back up towards the sky and giving the appearance that the wings were still smoking after reentry. The splash of the lights purposefully placed behind it was just strong enough to wreath the entirety of the statue in a halo of light, the steam from the wings transforming into indistinct flecks of molten gold that floated in the warm radiance. Saad openly gaped at the splendor and all of the other men soon crowded around, staring wide-eyed at the monstrosity. Their weapons were slowly lowered and one by one they all no longer dared to move a muscle. Power and glory seemed to flow over them all and even Saad lost himself in the feeling. For a deeply religious man like him, the appearance of this statue begged the conclusion that it was created by a man divinely inspired. Perhaps it was because of his beliefs, but he felt an indescribable sense of yearning and kinship towards this heavenly warrior. Warmth spread through his heart and a tear gathered at the corner of his eye, his mind overwhelmed and completely forgetting his original purpose. I must show the Sheikh. Only a few seconds passed like this, but just as he was rousing himself and turning to his men to usher them to continue with their task, a warm spray hit him on his left cheek followed by a muffled boom. A hand floated to his face as he thought, I¡¯m not close enough to get wet from the fountain...But when he pulled it away, the liquid streaked on his hand was a blackish crimson beneath the ambient light. Comprehension flooded his eyes and he turned his head to see the young teenager to his left sway and fall forward, now with a gaping hole where one of his eyes should have been. Terror flood Saad¡¯s mind and time seemed to slow down as he watched various trails of blood erupt from each of his comrades, painting bloody streaks through the warm Georgia night air, bullets punching through in perfect precision. Saad¡¯s eyes widened and then closed as the realization struck him. He wasn¡¯t going to live through this. It was a perfect ambush. A slight, perverse thought of admiration crept up on the edges of his mind as he chided and then resigned himself, not even bothering to wonder who had gotten the drop on them. From the interspersed booms that were echoing around them, they were completely flanked. How, he had no clue. A moment later, an excruciating pressure erupted in his shoulder and then his leg, the force of each making him spin. On the way down, a third bullet struck his dominant that was gripping his rifle, ripping a bloody angle through four of his fingers including his thumb, making him drop his weapon. Dull, meaty thuds sounded out as each man fell and hit the pavement, accompanied by the clatter of weaponry while bits of flesh and blood morbidly decorated the once pristine drive. Pain wracked Saad, his mind clouding over from the nerves screaming at him about the pain in an effort to alert him to the danger! Run or fight, it was too late for either. Soon after, Saad¡¯s body hit the ground too, the pain swallowing his conscience and throwing him into darkness. In the humid night air, silence suddenly reigned once again, returning so quickly that it was like it had never been interrupted in the first place. No groans were emitted from the throats of corpses, no pleas for mercy, nor lamentations laid against Fate. All was quiet before the warrior who continued to guard the doors of Archon Industries. Blood streaked the foreground, pulled by gravity into rivulets that flowed towards the nearby grassy boundary, yet not a single drop marred its stony visage or polluted its hallowed waters. His shadowy gaze stared unwavering at the carnage, unfeeling and bereft of any care over the feebleness and conflicts of men.
Spoiler : From the corner of the yard, a digitally reproduced, growling voice resounded out in mock hatred, "Get off my lawn." Song used to write that last scene, just in case you''re curious - Watch the Skies. Any thoughts on anything related to the chapter or story? I love reading your comments and reviews! Chapter 22 - Cleanup So. Very. Late. Many apologies. I ran into a rather large, nasty creative writer''s block, though I was finally able to finish out this chapter at 6800 words. I also added a lengthy author''s note at the end for your viewing pleasure. It''s not an announcement for hiatus or anything like that, just a brief rundown of circumstances, motivations, and future aspirations for the story. I felt it necessary after having a good laugh at some of the latest ''advanced'' reviews. Anyways, enjoy!
Raide¡¯s hand dropped back down to his side as he looked at the aftermath he¡¯d created. Blood, sweat, bits of flesh and clothing...it made for one macabre painting if you looked at it from the right angle. He wondered if that would classify under contemporary art. Or would it be abstract, since they¡¯re all in pieces? Art is hard, so many blurry lines and definitions. Musing slightly to himself, he gave one last look towards the scene and muttered, ¡°Well, that was easy¡­¡± Turning to the side, he disengaged all of the railguns except for one as a precautionary measure, allowing the others to recede back into their concealed enclosures. The last one remained trained on the two warm bodies with a hint of life still in them. Didn¡¯t want one of the two crawling away, now did he. Judging by the sensors installed on the railguns and in their housing, they¡¯d be due rail replacements after another 324 rounds each, give or take a few for each case. They weren¡¯t able to perfect the field manipulation of the slugs yet, so there was still a little bit of heat and frictional damage that came into play with the design. Looking back over at the two bodies that were slightly heaving from their breath, Raide grimaced. Humans are tenacious bastards when it comes to life or death scenarios. If the A.I. wasn¡¯t capable of analyzing exactly where each of the slugs entered their bodies, he might have put a few more in them just in case. But then again, he¡¯d blown like - he accessed the power records - eight megawatts of energy just to fire that salvo. At this rate, if they ever did encounter a siege with the power cut to the facility, they¡¯d only be able to fire 50 rounds from Bertha¡¯s children or 5 rounds from Big Bertha herself based on their battery reserves. Raide grimaced and then yelled as he warped back to Adrian, ¡°Dad! Can we get a nuclear reactor?¡± Adrian was still sipping his coffee and looked over bemused when he reappeared. ¡°Go ask your mother.¡± Raide scratched his head on the screen as he played along. ¡°But...who is my mother?¡± The man sipping his coffee sat down and adopted an incomparably serious demeanor. ¡°Well, she was a sailor, fresh off the boat when I met her in the late Spring of 2005. She slept a summer by my side, but then she left me again when Autumn came. You are all that¡¯s left of her.¡± He sighed dramatically, ¡°Though, sometimes I still dream she¡¯ll come to me¡­¡± Raide held up a hand, interrupting him. ¡°For the love of all that is digital, stop. Stop. If you plagiarize any more of the Les Miserables musical, I think you¡¯ll be sued. Nerd.¡± Adrian chuckled, not deigning to give a reply. He then sobered up as he looked back at the screen where Raide was standing. He switched topics. ¡°I take it that we used a lot of power to fire off the children, huh. I know where your mind is going, but we won¡¯t have to worry about anyone else¡­¡± His eyes flitted towards the window, obviously thinking about the intruders, ¡°...From the American side trying to come after us yet. Before then, we¡¯ll address it. Ugh, we need more people! So many things to do... Ah hell, they¡¯re probably bleeding out down there. Patch me through to Peter and Rich.¡± Raide established a digital link between the three with a thought and Adrian spoke out, ¡°Guys, I need you to run go get the two living bodies out in front of the church.¡± Rich¡¯s amused voice echoed through the connection, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that imply that there are dead bodies as well?¡± ¡°Just go get them, please. You can leave your midget videos for a few minutes, I believe in you.¡± Peter mused, ¡°I was wondering what those booms were. What are we doing with the dead bodies then?¡± ¡°That was one time, Bearcat. One time!¡± Raide stealthily checked the man¡¯s cached browsing data. Liar. Adrian continued on, ignoring Rich¡¯s protests. ¡°I¡¯ll be down in a minute to help with those. We¡¯re going to have to commandeer their vans and then go incinerate them after we add their buddies to the pile. I don¡¯t want Homeland Security getting all in our business just because a Sheikh couldn¡¯t think with the right head. The more pressing concern is to make sure that the pair of lackeys don¡¯t die from blood loss. Raide was careful not to hit any major arteries, but they¡¯re a little worse for wear.¡± ¡°Okay, on our way.¡± The connection terminated and Adrian finished his coffee almost at the same moment. Frowning at the empty cup, he paused and Raide couldn¡¯t tell exactly what he was thinking. He could, however, tell what he would want to do next. They¡¯d spent every possible moment together since he came online. If there was one thing the A.I. knew, it would be the habits of his creator. As predicted, Adrian turned and started walking to the med bay to prep for their arrival, saying as he walked, ¡°Call in Victor and explain the situation to him. He needs some practical experience to consolidate what he¡¯s been learning the past day.¡± ¡°Done.¡± Adrian continued on rattling off instructions, ¡°Then, call Roger. It¡¯s 2 am, but I bet he¡¯ll pick up. Tell him we need a new gate. Bloody thing was expensive as shit. Wake Inori, tell her what happened just so she knows and that you¡¯ll be asking some rather impolite questions of the two still alive, so she shouldn¡¯t come around the med bay for a while. Or come, she¡¯s a big girl - it¡¯s up to her. Finally, grab Sergio and direct him to the four vans sitting outside my compound. They creep me out, and I don¡¯t like people eyeing my property.¡± ¡°Why did I just get a revolutionary vibe from you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling historical tonight. Protecting my private property has made me feel all sentimental inside towards the founding of our great nation,¡± Adrian said in a prideful tone. Riade squinted at him. ¡°But I did all the work!¡± Adrian looked at him aghast. ¡°That is incomparably selfish of you.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not. It¡¯s a fact that I did all of the work while you stood there and drank coffee!¡± Raide indignantly exclaimed. The man waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Welcome to the managerial style of corporate America. In any case, you get too worked up over the small details. What matters is that it was a win for team Archon.¡± Adrian started to grin mischievously. ¡°And now you¡¯ve moved on to sports idioms; that¡¯s just great.¡± *** The banter continued until a minute later when Adrian arrived in the medical examination room. Sitting down in a cold, steel chair, he watched as all but his and two others were retracted into the floor. The two that were to his 10 and 2 o¡¯clock flattened out, temporarily acting as a table on which they could lay the two survivors. Standing up when it was locked into place, Adrian moved over to one of the glass displays and started reviewing the optically obtained data Raide had already collected and then looked at their current condition via the cameras in the elevator. Pale complexion and a distinct lack of heat radiating from the skin. Judging by the data, they¡¯d just entered into class two hemorrhaging. Victor interrupted his thoughts as he walked in wearing scrubs while putting on a pair of latex gloves. ¡°Anything interesting happening in here?¡± Adrian glanced at him and then back to the displays. ¡°Not yet. Two patients, both with class two hemorrhaging. Wounds are non-vital, but painful enough that both are out cold and experiencing rapid blood loss. They should be here...now.¡± A burst of motion rounded the doorless corner and Peter came walking in while easily dragging his respective body, which turned out to be a clean-shaven middle aged man whose features only had hints of an arabic descent. It was a little hard to tell though, because it looked like he¡¯d taken a blood bath and his hair and features were obscured by the viscous and solidifying remnants. Rich soon followed him through the doorway, his man looking about a decade younger and seemed incredibly small next to his giant-dwarf physique. Raide streamed shorthand data through his earpiece, giving him the results of his background inquiries. Most of it, he¡¯d already anticipated. Lackey Manager leads lesser lackeys on an errand for Sheikh mini boss. While it demonstrated their foresight in that they brought twenty of the little extremist minions as insurance, they¡¯d vastly underestimated Adrian, or failed to account for him altogether. It was pitiful, to be quite honest. The reason that he wanted to keep them alive for interrogation was precisely his logic telling him that the Sheikh was only a piece of the entire picture. Since a large part of the Middle Eastern region¡¯s culture wasn¡¯t heavily saturated in technology yet, Raide¡¯s usefulness was diminished when it came to trying to find out the connections between individuals based on digital activity from their everyday lives. Adrian¡¯s intuition was telling him that there were groups tied together here, so he had to gather as much information as possible before razing everything these people loved to the ground. The possible ramifications are too important to ignore, especially when it comes to things that could come back to bite him in the future. He was already annoyed that he couldn¡¯t do more about them sooner, but back when they¡¯d rescued Inori and the others, Raide¡¯s computational capability wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as it is now. Shaking his head, he turned to Victor who was conducting a primary survey on the older man, since he was the worst off of the two. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you to this. I¡¯ve got some other things to check on. Raide¡¯ll help you on the interrogation whenever they wake up - he¡¯s got a nifty concoction just for instances like this.¡± Victor replied, ¡°That sounds fine. What¡¯s in the cocktail, though? I¡¯ll need to know so I can judge the proper level of recuperation required before we can administer it. They did just sustain substantial trauma afterall.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Raide spoke up from the wall where he appeared with his hands behind his back. ¡°They only need to be stabilized. The main constituent is Amobarbital, an old favorite that the media liked to tout as a truth serum for a time.¡± Victor thought for a brief moment and then mused, ¡°Sodium amytal, huh. While attractive, I just recalled a study where its credibility was diminished as a truth serum because it was discovered that the subject can be manipulated into creating a false memory with regards to the event.¡± Raide nodded. ¡°You¡¯re referring to the 1998 Social Work study on Recovered Memory Therapy conducted by J.T. Stocks. You are correct, however, I¡¯ve modified the drug to have an additional effect on the chemicals released in the brain. While amobarbital does indeed lower a patient¡¯s inhibitions and walls towards giving out information, this pertains to all information whether true or false. ¡°What I¡¯ve done is temporarily alter the way dopamine interfaces with the brain through the use of a reagent. For a brief period after the cocktail has propagated throughout the body, there will be a window where certain stimuli will create an abnormally extreme response to pleasure or pain based on where they receive the stimulation. To keep things simple, I¡¯ve delegated pleasure to the left hand and pain to the right.¡± Adrian cut in to add to the explanation while meandering to the door. ¡°So basically, you¡¯ll have a short period of where you¡¯ll be able to ¡°condition¡± the patient into answering truthfully by questioning them against known facts and then afflict pleasure or pain based on their answer. They¡¯ll still be under the effects of amobarbital after you¡¯re done, since it¡¯s administered intravenously, so you¡¯ll then be able to question them with a greater degree of accuracy. Excuse me, Raide will. He can imitate someone close to Saad, the older male there, and it will serve to make it easier for the man to open up.¡± Victor drew his hand up to his new elven ear to scratch it, but stopped when he remembered that his gloves were now covered in blood. He shot a derisive look at Adrian, saying sarcastically as he worked blindingly quick on suturing the wound for Saad¡¯s leg, ¡°Thanks for that little nugget of explanation, BC. I¡¯d figured out where Raide was going with this as soon as he mentioned dopamine.¡± Adrian felt a wave of embarrassment strike him as he realized that he¡¯d just treated Victor like he had back when he was still unupgraded. Finished with the leg wound, Victor then leveled his gaze at Raide on the wall. ¡°There is still something that bothers me. Amobarbital is a drug that has a characteristic effect on the central nervous system like all other barbiturates - it acts as a depressant. To suggest administering the serum while they¡¯re being stabilized from major trauma is reckless, not to mention that its duration will be lessened due to the increased metabolic rate from the body trying to heal itself.¡± Raide looked back at him nonplussed. ¡°It is close to the line of what they can handle before falling into hemorrhagic shock, but I calculated an appropriate dosage to maintain awareness long enough for us to get our answers before they succumb to their wounds.¡± Victor shook his head. ¡°Typical of an A.I.¡± He turned his head towards Adrian who was almost at the door, his arcing light brown eyes exuding an air of questioning. ¡°Am I just prolonging life then? As it stands, I can fully save them, not including fingers lost and such.¡± Adrian grimaced and shot him a look from across the room. ¡°Treat them to whatever level you deem acceptable, but yes, they will be disposed of afterwards, so no need to unduly exert yourself.¡± He rapped his knuckles against the doorway. ¡°I¡¯ve stuck around too long. Let me know if you need anything.¡± ¡°Mhmm,¡± Victor hummed in absentminded reply as a small splurt of blood jumped from a large wound on the nearby American extremist. Rich and Peter, who¡¯d been talking to themselves over in a corner while watching the replay of Raide¡¯s railgun massacre started to walk to the door too, but was stopped by Victor. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? I need you guys to stick around and assist.¡± Adrian walked quickly out of the med bay and hit up his personal lab space before he headed downstairs while carrying a few small boxes. Inside each, he¡¯d placed all of the personalized contact lenses he¡¯d finished for everyone as well as a solution they could be suspended in when unneeded. He planned on putting them in front of everyone¡¯s rooms and then head to the Church to work on the A1X Heather and Rich had been assembling for the past day and a half. Stepping off the elevator at the floor directly beneath his, he put a box in the little compartment next to Inori¡¯s door and turned to leave, but stopped himself. Looking back at the door she¡¯d decorated with a college-y, girly kind of flare - there were flowers and such all over and surrounding her name - he chuckled and then knocked. It was like she was treating her new apartment like a dorm, which was adorable in a way. It was reassuring to Adrian that she still acted like this despite her joining the Liberatur¡¯s ranks. He worried sometimes that they were all becoming too logical, too reason driven, and that they¡¯d lose the benefits of their human roots if they weren¡¯t careful. They didn¡¯t want to completely leave behind humanity and become synths or anything, they were just the next step. Pretty soon, the pretty Japanese American opened the door, blinking at the bright hall lighting while standing in the doorframe wearing a pair of pink pajamas. Her gorgeous, electrified emerald eyes flitted to look back into Adrian¡¯s as she leaned against the frame and crossed her arms across her chest. ¡°Hey.¡± Adrian smiled back at her. ¡°Hey. The contacts are ready, so here you go.¡± He plucked the small box from the little mailbox and put it in her hand. ¡°Each set are tailored to the person, so don¡¯t lose them.¡± He searched her face as he continued, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Inori removed her eyes from the box in her hands and leveled on him. Sighing deeply, she nodded while adding, ¡°I¡¯m okay. I thought about going up there, but I realized that getting worked up over the past wouldn¡¯t do me any good. I¡¯m so different from the way I was then and a lot has happened to alter my perspective on it all.¡± Adrian smirked a little while nodding his head to acknowledge her words. Inori must have thought he meant something else by it, because a hint of a smile creased her lips as she immediately asked incredulously, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He lifted his gaze from the ground back to her eyes, rolling his eyes as his smirk deepened. ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking, ¡°Thatta girl¡± and remembering back to when we first met.¡± Inori¡¯s face blushed a light pink as she recalled the scene. Seeing her red face, he started chuckling as he realized what she was thinking about. She immediately hit him on the arm, the blow rebounding with little effect. ¡°Stop thinking about that! Oh my God, that was horrifying and... oh so embarrassing.¡± He replied, ¡°Please, give me a little credit. It¡¯s not like I was fixating on your state of undress.¡± Thank God for my eidetic memory, though. ¡°I was more referring to fact that you still have this incredible fortitude to you. Then and now. Twenty men show up to try and you take you back to slavery and you shrug it off like an asshole catcalling you on the street.¡± She blinked a few times, her long lashes batting up and down while she looked back thoughtfully. She smiled at him flirtatiously, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I feel safe with you around?¡± He almost started coughing out of shock. Recovering into a chuckle, he said, ¡°That means I¡¯m doing my job correctly then. I want this place to feel like a home after all,¡± he added playfully, his eyebrows raised. She grinned at his counter and then laughed lightly. ¡°Not yet, but... it¡¯s certainly getting there.¡± Her eyes flitted to the side unconsciously before she added, ¡°Adrian, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, why did you add me in to be upgraded like the rest? I¡¯m not a part of your group of friends and we don¡¯t have a very deep relationship yet.¡± She blushed a little again as she realized she said a word too much. She continued on in a rush, ¡°In any case, I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d take such a risk for me.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes smiled back at her, thinking on her words, but also confirming his previous thoughts. Opening his mouth, he said steadily, ¡°I did it because I believe in you; the same goes for Nova. ¡°Both of you have this incredible potential. So often in this world, I¡¯ve watched others forced to settle because the full breadth of their meteoric rise couldn¡¯t be sustained by the rest of society, like their brilliance hurt their eyes so they pulled them back down to Earth. Isn¡¯t that sad? Doesn¡¯t that make you wish to see what could exist, what a person could turn into if the right conditions allowed for it? What if you had a group of individuals like this who worked together? What could they accomplish then? ¡°I feel this need to make sure that you, the girl who burned so brightly the first time I set eyes on her, have the room to grow to your full potential. It¡¯s only a feeling, true - it¡¯s not something I can quantify with analysis, or by what I¡¯ve seen you do so far. But it¡¯s a prospect that adds fuel to my passion for progress. It excites me. That¡¯s why I wanted you to be upgraded as well, because it would empower you to reach an even more astronomical height.¡± He ended with a warm smile, gently resting his hand on her hair which was a shade of black too dark. Inori¡¯s face, which had sunk into an expression of contemplation while he was talking, suddenly broke into a grin when he finished, underscored by a low chuckle. Her lips parted, ¡°I swear, you sound like an old man. The words coming out do not match that young face staring back at me. Are you really an old geezer who already found immortality a hundred years ago, or something?¡± Adrian laughed, removing his hand from its perch. ¡°Well, my grandfather always did say that I had an old soul. He said he forgot he was talking to a little kid sometimes and that he¡¯d just carry on adult conversations with me because I answered accordingly.¡± Inori smiled sweetly. ¡°He must be a great man.¡± ¡°Yeah, he was.¡± Adrian¡¯s smile was warm and sad. ¡°Anyways, you have your answer. I¡¯ll let you get back to bed. I¡¯ve intruded enough.¡± Inori caught the pain that flickered across his face so she acquiesced quickly. Just as he was turning to walk down the circular to the next room, she called after his back quietly, ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Adrian.¡± He kept walking after that, but he turned his head slightly to flash a smile at her before he continued on down the hall. A few seconds later, he found himself in front of Nova¡¯s door. After a short knock, Nova appeared in the doorway, her beautiful figure framed by a dark room in the background, her body clad in a tank top and shorts. Judging by the reflection of one of the windows, she¡¯d been binging on the latest season of Shield for a bit. Smiling, he took out a box with her initials on it and passed it to her. ¡°Hey, these are yours. I finally got done with them earlier.¡± ¡°Oh cool!¡± She immediately opened it up, gingerly picking up one of the lenses with a finger. The contact was designed with a similar look to colored contact lenses, possessing a large area that was opaque and meant to alter the look of the iris. These were even more natural looking in an effort to mask the changes that had happened to their eyes after they¡¯d evolved. What Adrian had to add though, was a honeycomb grid structure that served to absorb the excess electricity and then utilize a microscopic version of a thermoelectric generator, operated off of the waste heat produced by resistance, to conduct a current to power a very basic signal to text transmission array which allowed them to receive projected text messages. With the materials and processes at hand, this was the furthest Adrian could take the technology in the short term. To be able to truly create a contact that was up to the standard he envisioned, where the user would perpetually be able to access a projected 3D interface with multiple functions like a modern cellphone, he¡¯d need to dump a vast amount of man hours and resources into making it a reality. Adrian pointed at the lenses, saying, ¡°Let me know if they give you any discomfort, okay? There¡¯s a bottle of solution in there to moisten them and then later store them in. Regular water might oxidize the circuits so be sure to take care of them properly.¡± Nova brought them close to look at them, her hyperacute eyes looking at the framework built onto the backside of the lense. ¡°God, that is awesome.¡± She pursed her lips and shot a look at Adrian. ¡°You really know how to make a girl feel lazy.¡± Adrian laughed. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the guilt talking, ever think of that? You¡¯re fine though, honestly. I mean, it¡¯s 2 in the morning. If you want to binge watch Netflix till dawn, be my guest!¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Surprise flickered across her eyes and her head whirled, taking in the reflection that he had glimpsed already. She groaned as she tousled her golden-brown hair. ¡°Ugh, why does that show have to be so good?! I only wanted to watch the first two episodes, save some for another day ya know, but soon after I got started it¡¯s like they melted together and I found myself on episode 8!¡± ¡°I think that it¡¯s like that for everybody. I still have trouble stopping as well,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Give credit where credit is due too, though - those assholes perfectly designed the auto-play next episode feature.¡± Nova nodded, agreeing to the assertion, but suddenly stopped as she looked up at him. ¡°When do YOU watch Netflix? In fact, when do you do anything fun?¡± ¡°Ow, are you saying that you think I¡¯m not a fun guy? I¡¯ll have you know that I usually relax and do stuff when the rest of you plebs are still asleep, since, ya know, I don¡¯t have to sleep anymore.¡± He stuck out his tongue at her. It was like a lightning bolt struck as the realization that he didn¡¯t need to sleep flashed through her. ¡°No. Freakin¡¯. Wonder! We were always confused about why you¡¯d have things done so quickly. Turns out you had a solid third more time to work with everyday.¡± ¡°Why do I feel like I just lost some cool points in your eyes?¡± This time, she stuck her tongue out at him. Shaking his head, he went on to say, ¡°Just wait, you¡¯ll eventually get there too. Just keep practicing your mind palace technique with Raide. He¡¯ll guide you towards opening up other mental processing lines,¡± He assured her. ¡°In fact, if you want, you¡¯ll be able to work and play at the same time eventually. Sometimes, I¡¯ll rewatch a movie I stored in my mind while I¡¯m sitting there working on something.¡± ¡°Work and play at the same time...:¡± Nova looked dazed. ¡°Of course...it makes sense that that would be possible¡­¡± Adrian waved a hand in front of her dichromatic eyes, drawing her out of her stupor. She looked back resolutely, ¡°No time to talk, Adrian. I need to go practice! Thanks for the contact lenses!¡± Blam! The door shut in his face as she disappeared back into her room. Shaking his head, he turned and then kept going towards Heather¡¯s room. Maybe it was an unspoken thing, but all of the girls had wanted to be on the same floor right below Adrian¡¯s. Peter had tried his best to take the fourth and last apartment on the level, but he¡¯d been shut down almost immediately. His steps, muffled on the short carpet, fell one after the other bringing him closer to the place where that seductress lived. When he got about 10 meters away from Nova¡¯s room, he heard a voice call after him. ¡°Hey! Can I come with you on your new hire hunting next week, by the way? I forgot to ask a minute ago,¡± Nova¡¯s head poked out from her door. ¡°Of course!¡± He called back. ¡°You are the head of HR after all. Where else would you be? I¡¯m sure Raide is listening right now - he¡¯ll send you their profiles.¡± His answer brought a grin to her face and she disappeared once again, leaving a ¡°goodnight¡± echoing up and down the hallway, intermixed with the sound waves produced from her shutting the door once again. Shifting his thoughts towards Heather, he continued his plodding towards her room which was only another 10 meters away. A rogue thought crossed his mind, reminding him that he had yet to talk to her about their situation and her obvious feelings. Again, he knew that she wasn¡¯t going to react explosively or anything, but he was still a bit unnerved by having to shut her down. He¡¯d always been on the other side of this, so he wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it. On top of that, if he was brutally honest, he was struggling with the thought of going near her by himself. Imagine that - him, a peak existence amongst humanity, afraid of a petite girl. It was laughable in a way. There was just something about her that set him on edge more than the other two girls. It was like a meeting of two predators, each with their own respective strengths. Hers just happened to be a counter of his. This is not going to be fun, he sighed quietly. Bringing his fist up to the door he¡¯d just arrived in front of, Adrian gave a sharp knock. *** ¡°.....er¡­¡± ¡°....ather¡­¡­.¡± ¡°HEATHER!¡± A flood of sounds crashed into Heather as she was jarred back to reality. The telltale screech of nearby shopping cart wheels and the background music from the speakers overhead echoed up and down the aisles, giving a subdued, nostalgic feeling to the entire market area. All of the fruits and produce were neatly arranged in bins, their prices displayed for the buyers. She wasn¡¯t even sure how she¡¯d gotten here. She could recall coming here of course, but the how of it didn''t really line up. Turning her head, she caught sight of an Italian girl she knew. In fact, it was one of her old roommates from her sophomore and junior years. ¡°Monica?¡± She exclaimed. ¡°About time you woke up, damn. I called your name like a million times... Girl you look so different!¡± Monica replied back with an expression of bewilderment. ¡°I was wondering what happened to you after college. It¡¯s like you fell off the face of the Earth.¡± Heather gave a short laugh. ¡°Lot¡¯s of stuff has happened, that¡¯s for sure. Yeah, I decided I¡¯d go for a different look.¡± ¡°Hey! Got done with the lenses, so here¡¯s yours.¡± Adrian paused. ¡°But other than that, I had another reason to come see you. We need to have a talk¡­¡± Heather slightly shook herself mentally at the unbidden memory welling up in her mind, desperately trying to make it stop. Monica shook her head while a grin stretched across her lips. ¡°No kiddin¡¯. It looks good though! You have that whole Ice Queen thing going on. I bet the boys love it.¡± She smiled good-naturedly. ¡°So, where ya been? I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t talked to you in almost a year!¡± Heather snorted in return, saying exasperatedly, ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. You up and moved to Italy with that boy-toy of yours! ITALY! It kinda goes without being said that it¡¯s harder to keep in touch with someone when they move half a world away.¡± She shot her a look. ¡°As for my situation, you remember Bearcat, right?¡± Monica nodded, ¡°Of course! Wasn¡¯t he the kinda chubby guy that you almost dated back in...was it Freshman year? And don¡¯t call Giancarlo my boy-toy, he¡¯s my husband now!¡± ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve noticed how you feel about me. You made it plenty obvious, after all,¡± Adrian smiled dejectedly. Heather¡¯s stomach turned and she felt the urge to throw up after Monica¡¯s words, a surge of emotion wreaking havoc in her heart. Unconsciously, she started absorbing heat at an accelerated rate. ¡°Uh...yeah. Well, he¡¯s changed... a lot. Turns out, he started his own company called Archon Industries. I just started working there a couple weeks ago as a test pilot in the Mechanical Engineering Department.¡± Monica¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Heather gave a half-smile, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s actually very rewarding. We¡¯re working on a cool prototype for a new rotorcraft right now that we¡¯re getting close to finishing, so we¡¯re pretty busy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about whether I could forgive you or not¡­¡± Monica smiled encouragingly, ¡°Girl that is so awesome! Who knew that Bearcat would end up having that in him...wow. And go you for getting involved in flying again. I know you¡¯ve always had a passion for it. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s better than that flight attendant gig you were looking at.¡± Heather rolled her eyes, patiently keeping up the girl talk as she felt herself start to zone out little by little, darkness creeping into the edges of her vision. ¡°Yes, it is better in pay, though I¡¯m still pretty sore that I won¡¯t be able to explore the world as often. Wanderlust and all that, ya know?¡± ¡°...and the truth is that I don¡¯t think I can trust you romantically again, not after you betrayed me like that.¡± ¡°Well, maybe he¡¯ll send you to fly the prototype across country to participate in shows or something? Surely he¡¯ll want to get it out there that y¡¯all have created something like that. Man, they¡¯ve got the A/C turned on in the produce section today, haven¡¯t they...¡± Monica shivered, suddenly noticing the dropping temperature. ¡°It¡¯s not like that affects my evaluation of you as a person. You¡¯re an incredible, intelligent young woman. I¡¯m just afraid that I won¡¯t ever be able to be in a relationship with you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Heather refocused her eyes and looked at her friend while grinning, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything. Maybe you¡¯re just used to that hot Italian summer, huh?¡± Monica looked around confused. ¡°Yeah...maybe. Anyways, I need to run. Giancarlo can be pretty protective and doesn¡¯t like me out by myself as much as possible. It¡¯s good to see you! We¡¯ve gotta hang out in the near future!¡± Heather gave her a tight hug and then smiled oddly at her friend, whose lips were gradually losing their smile as the Italian girl started to shiver uncontrollably. ¡°Of course,¡± she replied. ¡°We¡¯ll go get coffee sometime soon.¡±She watched as Monica walked out of the produce section while desperately trying to suppress the violent shudder that the icy temperature inspired. In Heather¡¯s vision, a sheet of blue energy lapped at the heels like it was biting at them, harrying her friend¡¯s retreat. Adrian turned to walk away and stopped after a few feet. ¡°Ya know what though, let me tell you something.¡± He leaned in and whispered into her ear, the warmth of his hands transmitted to her shoulder and his soft baritone resonating in her mind. Turning, Heather looked at the nearest bin where there were a bunch of Gala apples arranged in perfect little indentations. Picking up one, she localized the heat drain and watched as the apple shrunk slightly, ice crystals appearing on the outside, framing it in a crystalline beauty. Like this, she knew that if was preserved in a cold enough environment, it could last thousands of years and not look much different from this moment. Gently placing the rock-like and icy apple back into its respective indentation, she regarded it coolly before the rest of the apples in the bin suddenly turned into blocks of ice as well. Her expression soon relaxed into indifference and her mind made up. Walking toward the exit, the last thing she heard before heading into the parking lot was that of an attendant being scolded by his manager for mistakenly freezing perfectly good apples. *** A man in traditional attire hurriedly walked into the room where the Sheikh was currently praying on his mat directed towards the Holy City of Mecca. It was dawn, nearly a day after Saad had said he was going to get the girl back. They were worried, so when the man entered and disturbed his time of prayer, Sheikh Jafri knew that it was about Saad. ¡°My Sheikh, Saad is reporting a completion of the mission and is requesting a video conference with you.¡± The large man furrowed his brow, mulling over the words of his servant while stroking his considerable beard. A video conference? Perhaps he wanted to show the girl to him? Rising from his position delicately, Jafri padded across the floor of his palace towards a room where they kept a computer that could connect to the internet via satellite. He took a seat in the chair while the man turned it on for him. Before long, the skype call connected, an image of his subordinate appearing on his screen. From the looks of it, he was staying at a hotel, as in the background he saw a metropolitan skyline and a room that looked western. Humming in approval, he nodded towards the screen. ¡°It is good to see you hale and whole, Saad. Where is the girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to stop you right there, Sheikh Jafri, because I¡¯m afraid that Saad is not actually, as you say, hale and whole.¡± Saad¡¯s visage twisted into an insidious grin before deforming along with the rest of the room. Everything on the feed was deconstructed and then rearranged, finally showing a young man sitting behind a steel desk in a room filled with tools and tech gadgetry. The Sheikh¡¯s venerable countenance of contentment swiftly dissolved into one of vicious hatred and caution. ¡°Who are you? What have you done with Saad?¡± The man leaned back in the chair, responding in an even tone after he folded his hands in his lap, ¡°My name is Adrian Pierce, the owner of the facility that your men so brazenly tried to enter and also the benefactor of the young girl whom you tried to abduct. As for Saad? Well, let¡¯s just say that he¡¯s your vanguard for your journey to Hell.¡± Fury seethed beneath the Sheikh¡¯s skin. When had a youth ever been so boldly domineering in front of him?! He spat, ¡°I hope you enjoyed this moment, young cub, because I have your name now. Every woman in your family, every girl that you¡¯ve ever had eyes for will soon belong to me. I¡¯ll cut off your manhood and make you watch as I ravish them.¡± Adrian simply rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you people ever get tired of threatening sexual assault, oh mighty Sheikh?¡± He added the title on the end sarcastically. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of reaching out to that low ranking uncle of yours in ISIS, I wouldn¡¯t bother.¡± He pulled up a medium sized picture and shared it to the Sheikh¡¯s screen, the location and rubble looking extremely familiar. ¡°Nor would I suggest you try and reach your brother in Nairobi. I know he had a few connections with Al-Qaeda, Saad told us.¡± He flicked another picture on the screen, the building shown there likewise in utter disarray and destruction. ¡°Your sister and her family in Yemen.¡± A small apartment building in the city proper of Al Hazm showed up demolished with response vehicles all around. ¡°Your mother and father in Riyadh.¡± Another picture appeared, showing the obliterated remains of the opulent condo he¡¯d bought for his parents and Jafri sunk back down into the comfortable leather chair he¡¯d been half-standing up from a moment ago. If this man was to be believed, his entire family was completely gone, murdered because he tried to take a pretty girl as his slave. Blazing hot tears rushed to his eyes as he roared at the screen, ¡°How? Why? Just because of one fucking girl?!¡± The young man on the screen shrugged, repeating back the Sheikh¡¯s first word. ¡°How? It¡¯s simple. One by one, my personal attendant called in tips for each of those locations to the CIA, giving them actionable, albeit digitally fabricated information of major terrorists hiding out in their homes. He then assumed the identity and vocal patterns of agents in the field and stole their credentials to confirm the intelligence back across encrypted channels, thus completing the prerequisites of a drone strike. ¡°Aren¡¯t you proud? Each one of your family members had the pleasure of fictitiously hosting some of the most wanted terrorists in the world.¡± ¡°As for the why¡­¡± Adrian leaned in, glaring back at the man who wanted nothing more than to hop the digital divide and strangle him to death. ¡°It really was just because of the girl. Inori is one of the eight forerunners of the Liberatur species. She¡¯s a woman destined for greater things than a lowly piece of shit like you can even imagine. You picked the wrong girl to lust after,¡± he added on fiercely. The Sheikh felt drained of all strength. He didn¡¯t even bother to ask what the man meant by forerunners. Everyone he knew was dead. Adrian rapped his knuckles on the table as he stood up, stopping as he apparently remembered something. ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t even bother making up a guest for you. I chose to just directly hack an U.S. Air Force UCAV. It¡¯s a...MQ-9 Reaper,¡± he said after checking his screen. ¡°Be sure to become acquainted. It¡¯s your ride to Hell after all.¡± The Sheikh watched the young man luxuriously stretch on the screen with dead, smoldering eyes. A few seconds later, an intense pressure and heat blew apart his palace, robbing the man and everyone associated with him of their lives.
Author''s Note: Spoiler : I think it¡¯s time we had a little talk. Feel free to read this if you like, but know that what follows is not some announcement for hiatus or anything along those lines. I¡¯ll be going over my circumstances, motivations, and future aspirations for this story. I feel minutely motivated after having had a good laugh at the latest ¡®advanced¡¯ review. First of all, I have to come clean about one thing: I did not really think of planning the story out until I had already written chapters 10-12. *Gasp* Sorry to disappoint you guys. It is all still important though, and I have taken steps to try and smooth out some of the plot points my wanton writing created. In the future, I will probably go back and do a heavy edit to clean up the places I feel that need it. The reason I bring this up is because I¡¯ve had a few reviews written this spring and summer where people give up before chapter 13. Understand my amusement now? I completely changed the overall direction and tone, in a way, at 13 for a course correction. Anyways, I have a few explanations for this. 1)This is a hobby/part-time thing for me. At the time I first put pen to paper for Archon, I had just started Engineering school with the ever so delightful major of Mechatronics(robotics). This is the part where I deadpan and look at you expectantly. If you have any concept of the hell that Engineering school is, you understand what I mean when I say I honestly did this as a stress reliever and didn¡¯t bother expending brainpower that I did not have. Spring Semester was somewhat more kind, so I had time to say to myself, ¡°Maybe I should bring this up to a higher standard now¡± and voila, storyboarding began. 2) My approximations for the story length were grossly undervalued. I thought once I got rolling that it would take maybe 50ish chapters of a length where I used to write in the neighborhood of 2000 words/chapter. Now, I write, on average, a length of 10-12 pages, which is 5-6k words per chapter and I¡¯ve storyboarded up through the end of the first book being around 600 pages, or 60-70 chapters of comparable size to the new norm. Even then, I still feel like I¡¯m not expounding as much as I want and the expected length of the series at large may expand. Broadly speaking, I¡¯m looking towards three books of similar length each. 3) My approximations for the story complexity were grossly undervalued. Spoiler alert: Bradley is a trooper, but he¡¯s definitely no Vader. Bearcat, why did you bring him up then? He plays a part in the future, and that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say. As I mentioned in a reply to Dragrath, we haven¡¯t even met the main antagonist yet, nor have we even come close to the full breadth of what Archon will be addressing. This will include issues like economy, geopolitics, agriculture, Third World development, poverty, human rights, environmental concerns(climate), women¡¯s rights, American politics, and larger G8 considerations with foreign policy. I have no doubt that the proposed fixes will irk some of you. Just remember that all changes imposed are from Adrian¡¯s point of view and with the aid of a quantum A.I. and technology that does not exist yet. And of course, always remember this is fiction. To wrap up this spiel, I want to briefly talk about my motivations behind writing Archon. When I first conceived Adrian, I had read the majority of all the mainstays on RRL and also a ridiculous amount of content from many other types of web novels from various countries. (Why? I¡¯m poor, no money to buy official books.) Being the magnificent bastard(lol) that I am, I was slightly peeved that there weren¡¯t many main characters that had a logical head on their shoulders. Or, if they did possess that attribute, they would be severely lacking in the romantic department, etc. I never could find the right combination that I thought would make for the ¡®perfect¡¯ MC. Thus, Adrian was born. This isn¡¯t to say that Adrian is perfect. He¡¯s got more than a few screws loose, along with some subsurface flaws, but he¡¯s high functioning and attentive to the areas I want him to be. I¡¯m not interested in watching a prepubescent explore the power of friendship or traipse through a story on the plot device called luck. I¡¯m not amused by a person who forsakes everything to pursue the highest level of power. I¡¯m not enthused by a MC that has the romantic competency equivalent to that of a brick, nor do I desire scenarios that place unnecessary drama strain on relationships. I¡¯m a 25 yr-old guy and my interests are more mature than that. There¡¯s nothing wrong with a person enjoying those, but they will not be found in my story. There will be multiple themes that make appearances: ambition, love, jealousy, camaraderie, betrayal, power, prejudice, deception, discovery...even escape, and a few more. With all of these though, know that I strive to pull the story to a final state of balance, because this is a tale about how the right person can have the ability to bring equilibrium to the scales. The world is a twisted place with a lot of potential. And I fully intend to, with the best of my ability, explore that dichotomy in Archon. Buckle up, it¡¯s going to get much more complex - and fun - from here on out. Thanks for reading, Bearcat Chapter 23 - Prototype: Spectre
A/N: Sorry about my absence, guys, as well as my slow pace at the rewrite. I decided to publish a new chapter to break up the editing of the old chapters. I had to move back home for a couple weeks before the new school term starts. Now that I''m here, I''ve been up to my eyeballs in energetic little nieces who like to play >.>. I''ll be starting back on the other half of the rewrites now that this is completed. A new chap will come after chapters 7-12 are done. Highly technical chapter - hope you enjoy! -BC
The sound of the automatic doors opening momentarily filled Adrian¡¯s ears as he stepped into the Church, a din of clangs and movement of mechanical equipment soon taking over. The scene was awe-inspiring. Much like modern production factories for vehicles, four incredibly large robotic arms were positioned around the central platform. Each of the them had the ability to slide back and forth from the wall to the hydraulic-powered stage along tracks that were set into the concrete floor, and were set at an equal distance apart from each other with 360¡ã motion capability. Right now, all four were enacting a flurry of precise movements, sparks flying from the welding that Raide was performing with finesse. The complexity of such a task cannot be downplayed. Aircraft design requires unordinary materials, ranging from high strength aluminum and stainless steel to niobium, titanium, nickel, and magnesium. The metallurgical properties of all these provide for a welding nightmare in that there are a multitude of ways that the structure can be affected if too much heat is applied. As such, they currently had TIG welders attached to the ends of bots, providing for pinpoint control of the arc and weld placements. Rich and Heather were working in tandem on the wiring and avionics equipment inside the cockpit, one reading down a checklist while the other checked connections and display functionality. Rich was the unlucky one crawling around in the underbelly of the A1-SX of course while Heather leisurely reclined in the pilot¡¯s seat chewing gum. Adrian¡¯s gaze lingered on the frosty beauty for a moment, watching her eyes that were so unfocused and distant. He finally sighed mentally. Withdrawing his focus, he instead looked towards the aircraft they were working on. The A1-SX was a fusion of long past dreams and his current level of knowledge and needs. It was technically a rotorcraft because it sacrificed the relatively faster speed of fixed-wing airplanes for maneuverability and hovering capability. The way it accomplished this was two large, multi-directional tilt-rotors that were housed in a shallow ducted fan ¡°wings¡± format positioned on the high side of the center-mass fuselage. The leading edge of these two circular ducts were tapered off into an aerodynamic airfoil that would facilitate lift and reduce drag when they transitioned into forward flight. Small, triangular wings were on the outside edges of the foils to increase this effect. Initially, Adrian had wanted the design to be a single seater, but after everyone started joining the roster he was forced to expand the fuselage and also several other components to account for the larger mass like engine thrust capability. Thus, the cockpit had four forward facing seats and another four jumper seats built into a semi-narrow corridor that led to the hatch at the rear, which was also the only way to get into it much like a transport aircraft. There were a total of three engines. The two largest engines formed a pair that was responsible for powering the tilt rotors and were powered by a standard jet fuel mixture. The third engine was actually a turbine that sucked in air from a strategically placed duct on the top of the aircraft that threaded between the two other engines. It was electrically powered by bank of batteries that were continuously resupplied with power from a thermoelectric generator mesh that lined the inside of the black exterior paneling. It would harvest thermal energy produced from atmospheric friction and then convert it to electrical energy in order to store in the battery bank. The third engine serves an important function for the agility of the craft. Normally, a helicopter requires a tail rotor to make sure that the tail remains straight from the rotational forces exerted on it from the main engine that keeps it in the air. With the two rotor ¡°wings¡± design, this need is eliminated because the opposing rotational forces offset. Thus, the tail would normally be relegated to only a stabilizing and control surface oriented role like the tail of an airplane. What Adrian had done was create a series of electronically controlled ducts that funneled the thrust generated by the third engine and shuttled it towards the tail section where it could be directed to either provide extra forward thrust or aid in situations where the craft has to ¡°about face¡± and turn on a dime. The appropriate ducts would open and the airflow could burst in a particular direction to this effect. Located at the 4:30 and 7:30 positions beneath the fuselage, there were two small, aerodynamic landing housings that served the function to hide the landing gear and also, when sealed, to provide the effects that a pontoon would for a boat, thus enabling the craft to land in water and float. All the engines were placed towards the top of the aircraft partly for this reason. Adrian was immensely satisfied looking at the progress. The strength of the design was in the ¡°agility¡± and maneuverability it could display. It could float and spin on a axis with maximum control, or even strafe from side to side in a manner that beats the pants off of conventional helicopter designs in the control category. It wasn¡¯t able to keep up with those powerhouse designs built for top speed performance like the Eurocopter X3, but it could still reach about 354 km/h or 191 knots. The entire thing was painted a dark grey and looked smoky against the steel and concrete background. They¡¯d opted out of the traditional white in favor of a darker color in order to reach higher surface temperatures for the thermoelectric generators. Normally, he¡¯d have to more finely consider the heat transference to electrical wiring, but he regrettably wasn¡¯t building for extremely longevity. The thing that made Adrian the most sad was the fact that their current rate of technological progress was almost too fast. It was exciting, of course, to see previous dreams realized in such a perfect looking aircraft, but, at the same time, he knew he¡¯d probably be able to improve almost every aspect of the design in a year¡¯s time. That¡¯s an impossibly quick turnaround for modern day aviation companies. Sometimes, they¡¯d require decades to get a concept fleshed out, prototyped, and then moved into production. They had to spend billions to perfect it and then they¡¯d spend some more decades producing them in order to make back the money they spent on research and development. Adrian didn¡¯t have to worry about that, though, because of one single factor that no one else possessed: Raide. His computational ability was so staggering that it was like he was every single aviation-based engineer on the globe and they were all focused on this one project, perfect in their coordination and mathematical calculations. It¡¯s hard to even describe the level of unfairness that he introduced into the world when he created Raide. So even though he enjoyed the A1-SX, Adrian knew that his A.I. had already started on improving it. If the rest of their projects progressed as expected, he could expect to see the second iteration being assembled right here on this same platform a year from now. It blew the mind to think of it. The circular hydraulic stage laid before him was expansive. Measuring twenty meters in diameter, it¡¯s large size was more than enough to dwarf the size of the aircraft parked on top of it. Sturdy steel railings lined the edge of it when it was raised off the ground, but currently it was retracted all the way to ground level so that moving materials back and forth went unhindered. Right as he neared the productive chaos, his eyes drifted to the side and caught sight of Inori and Victor standing together, watching the assembly in its final stages. Illuminated by the flashes of light from the TIG welders tracing the dark grey paneling on the A1-SX, Adrian arrived at Inori¡¯s side, giving a nod to the two as he turned to face the platform with his arms folded across his chest. The young woman gave him a small smile in return. Victor soon moved from the other side of Inori and came to stand beside him. Leaning in, he had to talk loudly to make his voice heard over the robotic arm activity. ¡°You arrived just in time. Before you got here, Rich told me that they had one last electrical checklist to run through and then they¡¯d be able to crank her up.¡± Adrian nodded, his eyes twinkling in anticipation. He replied back, almost shouting over the din, ¡°Raide mentioned that they were getting close. It looks like he¡¯s on the last panel.¡± He pointed towards the tail section where flashes of light were brightening the surroundings. The four arms were arranged in a welder and placement pairing - one was responsible for the TIG welds while the other made sure that the craft maintained its position. In a matter of seconds, the process was completed and the four robotic arms retracted as one, not retreating all the way to the wall, but rather moving to a distance of 3 meters away from the platform. It looked like Raide wanted to keep them there as a precaution. At the same time, Heather seemingly woke up and sent them all a thumbs up through the large cockpit window before she got up from the pilot¡¯s seat and descended down the rear hatch steps. Rich also climbed out from an access hatch, his sturdy looking body a little grimy, and soon came over to a few bundles of fibre-optic cabling that he carried back to the craft, attaching it in a slot on the fuselage that was located near the cockpit. Heather also moved to the edge of the platform where a few large clear glass monitor displays had swung down. All the ambient noise from the robotic arms had ceased, so everything was almost eerily quiet aside from their movements. After a few more cables were attached to the aircraft, Rich patted down his pants and turned to the three standing off to the side with a grin. ¡°We¡¯re ready to download the software modules and then run diagnostics!¡± Adrian nodded. ¡°Raide, you¡¯re up.¡± The clear glass displays in front of Heather came alive as the A.I. started up a download, the data pouring into the sophisticated system that governed the A1-SX. After about 10 minutes, the download completed and the configuration of the software began. Victor looked over at him and asked, ¡°What exactly are you guys doing right now? Why does it require so much data?¡± ¡°Ah, that?¡± Adrian blinked at him before turning his head back to watch the screens. ¡°Raide and I have designed the operating system component to be fully autonomous. I guess you can describe it as a mini-Raide program that¡¯s been stripped down to just operability. It will act as a self-contained system for the express purposes of safety and the ability to perform immediate calculations and functions. ¡°If we tried to have Raide do everything in all of our devices, it would inevitably create several undesirable situations. For example, we would more than likely have to use a satellite uplink to maintain a connection with Raide in-flight since wireless broadband is incapable of handling the load that he would put on it. What happens if the satellite goes down or is redirected? What if atmospheric conditions mess with the ability to receive a signal from the satellites? There are too many unknown situations that could occur between us and Raide¡¯s main processing unit, so we have to account for a certain amount of autonomy in all of our electronic designs.¡± Victor¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°So you¡¯re literally just loading up a baby Raide to the A1-SX in order to run the systems?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± Adrian grinned and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a bare bones version of him, but since it¡¯s already a framework that he¡¯s familiar with, it makes it a whole lot easier for him to slave the craft to him should he ever desire to step in. This is one of the operational points that we¡¯ll be monitoring with the test flight and also one of the many reasons why our Quantum Communication research is so important.¡± ¡°Quantum communication?¡± Victor questioned curiously. Adrian thought for a second and then chuckled. ¡°To put it in a way where we don¡¯t have to spend all day talking about it, let¡¯s use this example.¡± He held out both fists. ¡°Imagine that my fists are two atoms. These two atoms have always existed together and their relationship is so close that, even when separated, they still act like the other is still having an effect on it. In fact, don¡¯t even think of them as being two separate entities. ¡°Now, let¡¯s say I measure that the left atom is spinning in a certain way, due to the principle of quantum entanglement, we automatically know that the other atom is spinning in the opposite direction so as to make their spin equal zero. However, this gives rise to a weird circumstance because atoms change when they¡¯re measured. It¡¯s been discovered that when one atom is separated from the other¡­¡± Adrian drew his fists apart. ¡°... and is measured, the amount of change is reflected by the other atom. This phenomenon happens regardless of distance.¡± ¡°How does the atom on the right know what happened to the other?¡± Adrian shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s a mystery for now. There¡¯s no known means for that kind of information to be communicated across time and space, though it does give rise to some interesting uses. If we can manipulate the quantum states of entangled atoms, it¡¯s theoretically possible to send information over a large distance near-instantaneously. You wouldn¡¯t have to use a signal that could be affected by distance, electromagnetic forces, or terrain, and it would effectively be unhackable.¡± Victor looked back at Adrian''s fists incredulously. ¡°This is something that we¡¯re working on?¡± ¡°Well, Raide is.¡± Adrian laughed embarrassedly. ¡°I help him on the hardware side since he can¡¯t do it, but he¡¯s using our research into his quantum brain¡¯s creation to flesh out the process through simulation. I simply don¡¯t have the time or ability to assist in crunching those calculations.¡± Seeing his friend¡¯s drooling expression, he laughed again and clapped him on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s coming. We¡¯ve only been here for a week, man, chill.¡± Raide¡¯s voice suddenly appeared in Adrian¡¯s earpiece, interrupting their conversation. ¡°I need to check the TEGnet functionality. Care to lend me a hand?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s one of the rare times that I¡¯ve ever heard that phrase used literally.¡± Adrian chuckled understandingly. He strode over to the aircraft situated in the middle of the platform and raised a hand, placing it on the cool grey exterior. ¡°Ready?¡± The A.I. responded in the affirmative so he steadily pumped heat from his core to his hand, feeling the rising temperature permeating out and into the plating. Pretty soon, small heat waves were distorting the air, creating subtle fluctuations in the currents flowing in the room as the residual heat started to drift up in hues of red based on concentration of energy. It was endearing to watch the eyes of the others all around lock on to that effect. He¡¯d had to endure the loneliness of being so different for months, but now he could share the same types of experiences with his group. Raide¡¯s cool baritone voice radiated out again. ¡°Baseline set. Conversion efficiency hovering at 17.2%. Could you please move on to the rest of the panels?¡± Adrian¡¯s face changed as he shot a look at the other two not doing anything. ¡°Uhhh, guys? Mind giving me a hand?¡± Rolling their eyes, Inori and Victor came and started mimicking what Adrian had done by placing their hands on a fuselage plate and then steadily increasing the temperature output until Raide told them to stop. It was pretty simple and there were only a few hundred plates that comprised the exterior of the craft so they were done in about fifteen minutes after dividing up areas to focus on. Feeling a little drained, Adrian decided that he¡¯d spend more time outside tomorrow. He needed to refuel a bit in the sunlight and soak up its thermal energy. Rubbing his hands together while feeling the heat recede, a bout of laughter broke out and he looked over to see Rich losing it in front of a screen. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. His friend turned while wiping a tear from his eye, grinning as he said, ¡°Bro, Bearcat, you¡¯re making international news.¡± Everyone turned to the large glass screen that he was standing in front of and Raide amped up the sound in a timely fashion. A handsome gentleman was sitting behind a desk in a newsroom, while a banner rolled down at the bottom that read: US Drone Hacked, World Reacts. ¡°After years of theorizing that this day would come, experts were proven correct on Saturday in the assumption that drone technology can be hacked.¡± He said while reading the prompt. ¡°A US General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, also known as a Predator B, was taken over mid-flight during a transfer from Kuwait to a base located in Israel. The unmanned aircraft was armed with twin 500 lb. JDAMs which the hacker used to destroy the palace of a regional Sheikh by the name of Jafri. The attack was centered around the residential portion though we cannot yet confirm if the Sheikh was present at the time, nor has there been anything but wild speculation as to the culprit and their motives.¡± The newscaster suddenly lapsed off into silence for a few seconds while listening to his earpiece. ¡°Alright, we are just now learning that the Sheikh''s family, which comprised of an uncle, brother, sister, and parents, was also the target of four separate CIA-sanctioned drone strikes in Yemen, Nairobi, Kenya, and the city of Riyadh which is located in Saudi Arabia. The corresponding governments are furious over the attacks.¡± The camera cut to a recorded clip of a briefing where several microphones were arrayed in front of a diplomat, the name ¡°Wambugu Mwanji¡± displayed at the bottom. The man¡¯s tone was one of outrage and fury as he ranted in Swahili, the translation also scrolling at the bottom. ¡°Our great nation of Kenya has always been close allies with the United States. Since we migrated to a democratic government in 2002 and also again when we cooperated willingly with them in operations against Islamist terrorism. However, yesterday, my country was victim to an unannounced drone strike which took the lives of Mohammed Jafri and his family. They were citizens of Kenya and were not associated with any groups that spread terror and destruction in the Middle East. We condemn this attack on our sovereignty and our citizens and demand that the U.S. account for what has happened here!¡± The video cut back to the announcer and he continued, ¡°Speculation is still being formed, but we do know that the man killed in Kenya was Shiekh Jafri¡¯s brother. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.¡± Rich turned around and grinned wolfishly. ¡°I think you set the hive on fire, man.¡± Adrian nodded nonplussed. ¡°It¡¯ll get worse, but it was bound to happen anyway.¡± Heather walked over and gazed at the video playing on the screen which displayed the wreckage of the homes the drone strikes had decimated. Her icy blue eyes turned to Adrian and she asked, ¡°Where is the U.S. government in all this? I¡¯m surprised they haven¡¯t come out ahead of this thing.¡± Adrian shook his head and then said, ¡°There is no getting out ahead of this. A military drone was hacked, false information disseminated through official channels after agents were somehow impersonated, and then an entire Islamic family was slain as a result. That¡¯s a nightmare scenario for the government, so they¡¯re going to try and quietly deal with all of this through back channels and other resources, rather than try and hash it out with the world community on any form of media. We may play at being a defender of justice for other nations too poor and stupid to protect themselves, but the fact remains that we care heavily about our image. ¡°To maintain our position as a global leader, the U.S. government will try and sweep this under the rug as much as possible while hunting the perpetrators so that maybe one day soon they can present our heads as recompense to the world.¡± ¡°Can they track it back to us?¡± She asked. There wasn¡¯t a tinge of worry on her face, a fact that made Adrian admire her. He shook his head with a thoughtful grin. He turned to the screen and said to Raide, ¡°Do you want to explain it?¡± ¡°Not particularly,¡± the A.I. said lazily. Feeling the look of incredulity being aimed at him, he sighed and then turned to Heather, his digital face laced with boredom. ¡°I hacked the satellite the military was using to bounce the signals in that region by utilizing a nearby signal emitter to piggyback the data it was uplinking. I forcefully broke through the encryption and took control of all the data streams that were using the satellite. Next thing you know, I was controlling all of the military satellite-linked tech in the area, but I chose to ignore everything else except for the one drone we needed. After the Sheikh was dead, I relinquished hold on the satellite and retreated back into the darknet. ¡°To cover my tracks, I left breadcrumbs back to Google who has been developing their own artificial intelligence. This way, we get to possibly kill two birds with one stone.¡± When he finished, he looked over at his creator. ¡°Happy?¡± Adrian rolled his eyes. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m talking to a spoiled but intelligent, angsty teenager.¡± He looked at Heather and then shook his head. ¡°There you have it, though. Raide¡¯s the best when it comes to anything digital in this world. Technology isn¡¯t nearly advanced enough yet to provide any type of resistance to him when he wants to go somewhere.¡± ¡°Jesus,¡± she mildly swore, pursing her lips as she lapsed into thought. ¡°He is our greatest advantage and also our greatest secret. Whatever we do, whatever we create, his capabilities must never be known by the world at large until it¡¯s too late.¡± Raide butted in smugly, ¡°While I¡¯m happy to hear of how much you value me, can we finish the prototype at hand? I have calibrated all of the mechatronic systems, control surfaces, and instrumentation. We¡¯re good to go on the first Flight Test.¡± Heather¡¯s eyes started to shine as she suddenly disappeared in a flash, her lithe body ghosting into the cockpit before anyone could say anything. Adrian laughed understandingly. There was no one here more excited about this than her. Inori¡¯s expression off to the side turned into one of jealousy as she watched his reaction, her thoughts unknown. He shifted his attention to Rich. ¡°Decouple the fuel and diagnostic lines.¡± The hairy man flashed a smile and quickly went from line to line, removing them and throwing them to the side where Victor, Adrian, and Inori straightened them out so that they could be mechanically reeled back into their enclosures by Raide. Soon, the entire perimeter of the circular deck was cleared of all tools and personnel, the glass screens that Raide had been using to display diagnostic data retracting up and away from the platform towards safety. Receiving the OK hand symbol from Adrian through the window of the cockpit, Heather started punching a few of the options on the interface and the massive engines whirred to life, breathing in tons of air by the minute like a primordial drake charging up to breath fire. Heat plumed from the exhaust manifolds, spiraling in a red hurricane that was visible to their eyes, the intensity increasing by the second. Everyone retreated to the edges of open space, ducking into a small, protected office that was shielded by industrial grade steel and glass that looked out into the massive area. Monitors came to life as Raide started displaying the data he was receiving from the thousands of sensors that had been built into the craft¡¯s systems and fuselage, as well as those in the room. It was even taking biological readings from Heather¡¯s small form as the pale beauty was running through the pre-flight checklist. Adrian turned on his earpiece and looked towards a monitor that was zoomed in on Heather¡¯s face, saying, ¡°The data we¡¯re receiving looks good. You¡¯re clear to hover when you¡¯re done with the pre-flight.¡± ¡°Roger that. Dialing up throttle,¡± her cool, but excited voice rang out. In the cavernous building, the dual engines began to whine, almost as if they were furious over being restrained. The props on the two rotor wings engaged and the chopping of air soon mixed with the engines to create a cacophonous tumult that rattled the protected viewing room. Outside, the clouds broke just at the right time, allowing a circular cascade of sunlight to rain down on the platform deck, illuminating the aircraft that was being primed. The moment soon arrived. The liftoff was incredibly smooth, the aircraft inching upwards with just enough lift to achieve a hovering state. Heather stopped the ascent at ten meters above the ground. Adrian¡¯s eyes danced over the monitors. Breathing in a breath of relief, he noticed that everything was nominal. He spoke out a command. ¡°Begin the Basic Agility Test.¡± Heather¡¯s figure nodded, her knuckles turning white on the two control sticks that she was furiously gripping. ¡°Beginning Basic Agility Test, roger,¡± she repeated. Gently, she pushed forward on both. Outside on the aircraft, the twin rotor wings tilted forward slightly, transitioning the thrust to a diagonal vector. After gliding forward a few meters, she leveled it back off and it started hovering again. Adrian nodded as he watched, eyes intent on the performance being shown. ¡°Complete the other directions of motion,¡± he said seriously. Heather shot a look at the monitor. ¡°Roger that.¡± Maintaining the same level of gentle finesse, Heather gingerly floated the craft backwards and then side to side to side. When it got to the horizontal motion, the rotor wings themselves actually lifted up or sunk based on which direction it was headed. When Heather directed it to strafe left, the right wing would lift up while the left would down and vice versa for when she strafed to the right. It made the A1-SX look like it was leaning from side to side as she drifted back and forth. Adrian drew a finger over the top of a monitor as he regarded the data silently. He was nervous. Nothing ever goes perfectly in a new vehicle¡¯s test flight, but he was seeing the opposite happen here. Maybe it was because the thing was designed and then assembled by a quantum A.I. and humans who had been enhanced, or maybe they were just having good luck. He wasn¡¯t sure. Whichever the case, he decided to maintain his sense of caution and proceed carefully. This was Heather¡¯s life they were talking about here. Despite the conversation he¡¯d just had with her, or perhaps because of it, he felt a stronger sense of responsibility to protect her. Adrian nodded to himself and then shifted his gaze back to the aircraft that was thundering inside the enclosed space. It wouldn¡¯t be so damned loud if it was outside. He knew though that he had to do this initial test flight inside because Raide could fully monitor the situation here with the plethora of high quality sensors they¡¯d built in. If they moved it out before completing the initial testing, they¡¯d have to rely on the on-board sensors alone, which wouldn¡¯t make Adrian¡¯s cautious heart feel at ease. He again spoke to Heather across their digital link, saying, ¡°Pivot maneuver.¡± Another ¡°roger¡± rang out in his ear as he saw the word play out on her pale, pink lips. Executing a twist on her two control sticks at the same time and direction, the rotors outside suddenly went in opposite directions, one pointed towards the back while the other was tilted towards the front. The resulting pivot was slow and purposeful. Adjusting the thrust, Heather torqued the sticks even harder this time, forcing the craft to spin faster. Raide¡¯s baritone voice rang out in a cautioning tone after a few seconds, ¡°3 G¡¯s reached on pilot¡¯s body. It is recommended that you decelerate rotational velocity.¡± Adrian nodded and then said, ¡°Pilot, you heard him. Level off.¡± Heather¡¯s strained expression gradually relaxed as she forcefully slowed down, twisting the controls back in the other direction. The reason she had been so cavalier here was to test the structural integrity of the aircraft. Several of the more advanced agility maneuvers would depend on the ability to corkscrew into tight spaces so it was paramount that the vehicle be able to hand the strain of the motion, and it passed with flying colors. A small chuckle escaped her lips, her body visibly relaxing in the pilot¡¯s chair. Ever so gently, she laid off on the throttle until the aircraft hovered back down to rest on the retractable gears that bent and caught the weight of it as rubber met the steel landing pad. Adrian smiled as he turned towards the other three standing around the monitors, expressions of concentration and seriousness displayed on their faces. ¡°We¡¯re done with stage one. Time to uncork the bottle.¡± Rich groaned and said, ¡°Finally! I¡¯ve been dying to see this.¡± Raides voice acknowledged the command and a red blinking light started strobing in the room. The flashing continued for a few beats until they all heard a deep, mechanical groan come from the central platform as the hydraulic lift kicked in. Slowly, it started raising up, eight large slanted platform panels rising up with it until they achieved a 45¡ã angle relative to the flat stage that the A1-SX was resting on. The purpose of these were to act as a cautionary buffer for instances where the landing aircraft was damaged and unable to control its descent. Heather joked over the comms, ¡°You know I can fly out of here myself just fine, right?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Adrian chuckled. ¡°But I don¡¯t don¡¯t want you to scratch the paint accidentally since it¡¯s your first time.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± She shook her head. Raide¡¯s voice interrupted just as the platform reached 80% of the distance to the ceiling. ¡°Opening the egg.¡± The overhead dome split into four pieces that tilted backwards and outward to allow the aircraft¡¯s passage. Heather revved the throttle and then punched it, the two rotors spinning furiously as they sucked up air and thrust it below the craft. In a second, it reached the yawning portal into the blue and flew out into the open air. Adrian felt a load of pressure suddenly fall off his shoulders, like he¡¯d been carrying a heavy load this whole time. Sighing, he stretched his arms. Rich walked over as everyone listened to the drone of the engines disappear. ¡°Do we have a transponder for it?¡± He nodded and then responded, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯d be shot out of the sky if we flew in American airspace without one. Fighters get pretty antsy when they see unmarked aircraft inside national borders.¡± ¡°Heh, nice. Got a nickname for it?¡± Rich motioned towards the aircraft design schematics displayed on a screen. Adrian smiled. ¡°Yeah, I think we¡¯re going to call it a Spectre. It¡¯s too early in the research process to add on the optical camouflage, but it¡¯ll eventually move there. I think it¡¯d be fitting.¡± Rich¡¯s eyes gleamed in response. Turning to Victor and Inori, he patted them on the shoulder. ¡°Good job so far, but let¡¯s get back to work. We have to be ready for this coming week.¡± Victor¡¯s eyebrows moved upwards. ¡°Newbies, right?¡± Adrian grinned mischievously. ¡°Yep, it¡¯s time to snatch some talents.¡± Chapter 24 - The Ruler Who Feigned Madness A gentle humming reverberated back and forth in the church, echoing across the concrete and steel with a beauty that clashed against the strength that the surroundings exuded. Adrian¡¯s habitually silent steps paused as he came up to the door from the courtyard. Somebody had propped it open, allowing a gentle and cooling breeze to swirl towards it like a vacuum, accelerating and forming a subtle vortex that seemed to beckon to him as he regarded it. The melody he heard was light and frivolous. It possessed this air of vitality and exuberance that emulated the vigor and carefree splendor of a youthful summer. Visions of his teenage years sprang to his mind. For some reason, the strongest memory at the forefront was of an afternoon in his 10th grade year. He¡¯d been on the tennis court all afternoon and the stifling Georgian July air was threatening to suffocate him in its moisture filled embrace. It was at that moment that he had felt tendrils of cool air come drifting through the netting that served to dampen the very currents that he was feeling then. Wayward winds could cause havoc on a tennis ball¡¯s trajectory if it was too much, so that netting had been placed there to try and give them a constant state of play. But on days like that, he cursed their function below the sweltering sun. The breeze he¡¯d felt that day was like a passing salvation. His skin breathed in the colder air and his body sighed with relief. Drifting over, he had stuck his face against the fence and reveled in the sensation of the breeze on his cheek. He ignored the heat radiating from the black mesh. He toned out his practice partner across the court who was trying to tell him to serve it up. Adrian, under some unknown compulsion, could only silently withdraw and appreciate the small euphoria that was swelling in his mind. That was one of those moments in his life where he¡¯d felt especially real, like a sudden epiphany had crept up on him in the form of an apparition and merely whispered, ¡°You¡¯re alive... and that is a wonderful thing.¡± Complexity can sometimes detract from the appreciation of a moment. Enlightened to this fact, he had shut out everything he could and wholeheartedly acknowledged the simple joy that came from a cool breeze on a hot, Georgian day. It was beautiful. This was the effect of the dainty humming drifting into his ears. It inspired the same feeling. He knew that, whoever it was, they were feeling what he had at that moment. Adrian couldn¡¯t be certain of who it was beyond the fact that it was one of the girls, so he stalked closer, being careful to not cast a shadow or create noise that could alert the other party. Peeking around the doorframe, he saw the coast was clear and deftly crossed the threshold. At that moment, however, a petite figure came into view around the nose of the Spectre and Adrian couldn¡¯t help but to pause his steps as he stepped into the church. It was Heather. Gone was her demeanor filled with ice and derision. Gone was the blank veneer of an expression with which she normally masked herself. Since the day he¡¯d irrevocably shot her down, she¡¯d subtly withdrawn from her normally flirtatious personality until all that was left was this calculative efficiency. She turned mechanical towards him, like she was trying to exact a price upon him for what he had said. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he eyed her beautiful, silvery figure that was adorned in gym shorts and a t-shirt. Adrian fervently hoped that she would recover with time. He didn¡¯t want to go back to how things were of course, where he constantly benefited from her attentive advances without being able to give her what she wanted, but he still hoped that she would revert back into the girl that he knew. That beautiful tune continued emanating from her in its melodic perfection. Heather daintily balanced on her tiptoes as she walked around the Spectre while performing maintenance checks, her bare calves and heels poised like a ballerina. Seeing this, Adrian¡¯s eyes turned into slits as he cracked a huge, contented smile. This was Heather. This was the girl he¡¯d fallen for in college. She used to tiptoe around the kitchen just like this whenever they cooked together, joking and flirting as they attempted to team up on a particularly difficult recipe. Remembering the feeling of those sky blue eyes turning towards him as she asked him where he kept a particular pot in the cabinets, a helping of warmth and bitterness assaulted his heart. If only she hadn¡¯t¡­ The smile gradually faded on Adrian¡¯s face. A rash desire to bust in and ruin her good mood with his presence, the effect on her he seemed to have achieved as of late, crossed his mind before he resolutely squashed it. Despite their history, he was unwilling to deprive her of such a moment. It¡¯s okay to remember one¡¯s transgressions, but it¡¯s not okay to be vindictive to someone who is close. The times ahead were only going to get more trying. Blood would be shed like a monsoon unloading its water-laden clouds in the coming years, so he was unsure how many of these moments they would get where they could just be happy with the pleasure of that profound inkling of a fleeting, existential joy. Settling back onto the balls of his feet, he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. At his back was a world that needed to be changed, regardless of its vehement stubbornness to remain the same. At his front was a microcosm of something more natural and profound that he wanted to preserve. Caught between the two, he felt himself forced to neither advance nor retreat. Like this, his eyes closed and his thoughts stilled as he listened to the beautiful hum that drifted across the dead space of concrete and steel. Lost in the medley, Adrian felt time freeze. And, bit by bit, a small crack in his heart healed. *** ¡°Mr. President, we -¡± ¡°Gentlemen, that¡¯s enough for today.¡± Behind the desk, a stout golden-haired man with greying edges sighed as he looked at his folder. Contained within was a comprehensive report of the when¡¯s and how¡¯s behind the greatest debacle of the American military in recent memory, but it lacked who. There was nothing inside those documents that pointed towards the culprits behind the drone hacking and the false tipoffs. There were speculations of course. Nearly everyone in the Department of Defense (DoD) were unanimously pointing their fingers at the artificial intelligence who kept appearing sporadically to eviscerate his government from the inside out. He¡¯d lost dozens of officials from abductions, and most likely killings, that focused on the offenders that Apollo identified. His gut told him that he was missing something vital, something that hadn¡¯t been made known. The pressure from his presidential duties, and all of the issues that had cropped over the past months since the day he stepped into office, had only served to exasperate him in light of this realization. And all of this just had to happen during his presidency. Never before had there been such a wanton disregard displayed for the rule of law and the federal government¡¯s sovereignty. How... unsurprising. Perhaps it was karmic retribution for the duplicity he fed the American public for 30 odd years. Donald J. Young looked at the Joint Chiefs of Staff assembled before him and overbearingly said, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before and I¡¯ll say it again, what separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to the blows that life throws at them. This is one such moment. What are we? I want to hear you say it!¡± The chiefs twisted their heads to look at each other in exasperation before grumbling, ¡°Winners.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I seem to have heard the cries of losers fervently wishing for the top just now. What are we?¡± Mustering a bit more force, the chiefs ground out hatefully, ¡°Winners!¡± ¡°Alright, gentlemen, that¡¯ll do. Now get out there and find conclusive evidence of who did this!¡± Very quickly, almost as if the men loathed even being in the same room with him, the group evacuated the oval office. The only ones left were the president and his vice - Mike Sterling, a silver haired man with a face lined by age. The vice-president looked at the man behind the desk disparagingly and commented, ¡°Of all the people who work beneath you, it still baffles me that you don¡¯t let them in on the secret that you¡¯re just acting, and are actually dependable.¡± At those words, the arrogant and dominant countenance on the president¡¯s face melted away, replaced by a thoughtful intelligence. Shifting through the papers before him more carefully this time, he finally sat back and shook his head. His simplistic and haughty tone was gone as said smoothly, ¡°I will not have thirty years of work towards a persona destroyed because I was loose-lipped around white house officials.¡± He flitted his gaze towards the VP. ¡°You should know that you¡¯re one of the few that do know simply because I needed to convince you back then to run with me.¡± Sterling snorted as he took a seat on one of the couches. ¡°I still don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be worth it in the end. I¡¯m getting meme¡¯d to death by the internet. Have you seen the last one? Mike ¡°the gay swirling¡± Sterling? It¡¯s a photoshopped picture of me giving a kid a swirly in the toilet of a school bathroom. It¡¯s unbelievable what these idiots come up with.¡± A grin crack Young¡¯s face as he snickered, ¡°Ah, that reminds me.¡± He whipped out his phone and thought for a second before bringing up the twitter app and posting: Mike¡¯s phone buzzed in his pocket. With a sigh, he pulled it out and read the tweet before inevitably whipping his head towards the president. ¡°Jesus, Donald, do you have no shame? The outlets are already reporting that it was a hacking. You sending out something like that does nothing.¡± ¡°Am I supposed to care? Do I need to go out and make a statement condemning the bombings and vow to find the perpetrators? How pedantic. How boring. ¡± Sterling stared at him wide-eyed. Gritting his teeth, he finally stressed out, ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting that this isn¡¯t. A goddamn. Game.¡± The grin suddenly fell off of Young¡¯s face and he turned to the VP, his tone of voice completely changed. ¡°And I think you¡¯re forgetting that line you shouldn¡¯t cross when speaking to the President of the United States.¡± Sterling heaved a large breath and replied crisply, ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± The president''s tone had lost its previous flippancy. ¡°In any case, you¡¯re wrong, Mike.¡± He added quietly, almost to himself as his blues eyes drilled into his VP a few feet away, ¡°It is a game.¡± Hearing Marine One crank up outside, President Young yelled towards the Oval Office¡¯s door, ¡°Margaret, are we clear for the afternoon?¡± A tidy middle-aged woman opened the door after a split second and bent her head down, peering over her glasses on the bridge of her nose. She sighed. ¡°By clear, you mean me trying to gracefully explain to Prince Hans-Adam how the President of the United States had to inexplicably change his schedule and could no longer see him? Or how about the... ¡± Young waved a hand dismissively as he smirked at Mike. ¡°Liechtenstein.¡± ¡°...utin?¡± His smirk turned strange as he cut his eyes back towards Margaret. ¡°Um¡­ what was that?¡± ¡°You have a conference call with Russian Prime Minister Putin and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to discuss the revised energy sanctions that are due to go into effect next month.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± he murmured. Looking back up at Mike who was still leaning on his desk, President Young shook his head and then directed his voice towards Margaret. ¡°Reschedule it for the next available time slot for all three of us. Tell him there was a matter that required my immediate attention.¡± The secretary pursed her lips for a moment before tersely nodding. ¡°Yes sir. Thank you, Mr. President.¡± She quickly left the office to go call Moscow. Mike watched the door close before turning back to the President. He asked curiously, ¡°What have you got going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what I¡¯ve got to do.¡± Young stood up, straightening his jacket as he walked to the door that led to the White House lawn. As it was swung open by a guard on the outside, the chopping of rotor blades filled the room, making the President raise his voice to add, ¡°It¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do, and we¡¯re going to go on a field trip.¡± Stepping outside, he immediately felt 15 pairs of eyes alight on him for the briefest of moments before going back to scanning the surroundings. Whispers were passed between earpieces, and, like a well-oiled machine, the secret service in the surroundings morphed their defensive positions to cover his path towards Marine One. Walking over those blades of grass that were immaculately maintained, simplistic lifeforms that crisply crunched beneath his heel, Young couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself over the symbolic significance. Sometimes, the best-laid plans of mice and men¡­ can come true. In a few minutes, both the President and the VP had boarded Marine One, lifting off and flying to the northwest in the standard 3-pack flight pattern that constantly shifted. Tearing his eyes away from the half-hearted waves of those drifting around Pennsylvania Avenue, he sighed in contemplation. Some were tourists while others were media affiliates constantly stationed nearby for the next breaking story that could happen at any moment. It was an interesting mix of those absorbed in the reverie of the political world and those who only wanted to see what it was like before going home to tick the visit off of their bucket list. ¡°Mike, what do you like most about the U.S.?¡± The VP started, looking up from his cell phone that he¡¯d immediately started reading when the two sat down. A dull drone in the background indicated the rotorcraft¡¯s noise which couldn¡¯t be totally soundproofed against. ¡°What do I like?¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯d have to say the culture and values.¡± ¡°Culture and values, huh.¡± The President looked back with smiling eyes that didn¡¯t seem to portray the sentiment. ¡°Even though we¡¯re so divided right now, I still agree.¡± ¡°Did you know, Mike¡­¡± he continued on after thinking for a moment. ¡°That my very first international deal in the Middle East was with Kuwait Petroleum Company? No? Well they have access to nearly 104 billion barrels of crude, and, at the time of the 1979 oil crisis, were an option we thought we could pursue to capitalize on the hysteria and possibly drive back down the price, pocketing the difference. Unfortunately, they lacked the infrastructure and workforce to handle the increased output. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Even though the world supply of crude only dipped 4%, Americans still went nuts, wasting almost 150,000 barrels a day simply by idling in lines at the gas stations. It was¡­ amusingly sad.¡± He chuckled. ¡°After that, Iran and Iraq erupted into war and Russia slipped in at an opportune moment to establish itself as a leader in the energy sector. They¡¯ve been on the rise ever since, while OPEC lost a bit of its former power..¡± Young leaned in. ¡°What I was focused on the entire time was not any of that, though¡­ it was the culture and religion that intrigued me.¡± He shook his head wistfully, saying, ¡°It was so foreign, you know? I wanted to understand them more so I walked around after meetings, getting to know the residents of Kuwait City and just¡­ talking with them. It was nice.¡± His voice turned darker and more grave as a hint of sadness crept in. ¡°But it was when I saw a family of 7 walk by that I had a sobering thought - one so profoundly simple yet devastating that I lost all desire to stay there a day longer. It wasn¡¯t anything they did. It wasn¡¯t anything they said. Hell, it wasn¡¯t even because I witnessed the bloody aftermath of an illegal stoning. It was the numbers that I¡¯d previously read that popped into my head. ¡°I¡¯d been studying census data from around the world, reading up on the statistical prediction models for population and religion growth - side reading, ya know, to keep me aware of the bigger picture so I could track trends. ¡°One of the studies I was given was on the trending growth of the Muslim population and the unexpected fertility explosion that was occurring while other cultures around the world were starting to reduce theirs due to various socioeconomic factors. The average Christian woman gave birth to 2.3 children while the fertility rate for Muslims was around 3.2. The ¡°replacement¡± birthrate is 2. ¡°Looking at that innocent family of seven, I was struck with the realization that our culture and predominant religion may one day, in the next few centuries, fade away just merely because we were swallowed up, lost in the tide of sheer numbers.¡± Mike frowned in consternation and then shook his head while saying, ¡°That¡¯s only a snapshot in time. Fertility rates are always higher for regions that are immersed in warlike and harsh conditions. The majority of the Muslim population are housed in countries that classify as Third World, fledgling nations that haven¡¯t been able to develop to modernity yet. I¡¯ve seen the numbers you¡¯re talking about, and they go on to say that it¡¯s predicted that all societies, when a certain level of affluence and education is reached, will regress to replacement level.¡± President Young smiled and nodded. ¡°Under normal circumstances, yes. But you forget the religion factor. That¡¯s something that transcends what we can achieve right now with mathematical modeling. And you''re right... at that time, it wasn''t something that truly changed me and set me on this path. It was only after...¡± A soft sigh escaped his lips before he quietly pursed them. He shifted his gaze and looked out the small window to his right. The bustling city of Washington, DC had just given way to fields and small towns. His sharp eyes could still barely make out the vague outline of the Washington monument fading into obscurity. ¡°Remember the 2001 attack?¡± He turned his blue eyes back to stare at his VP. ¡°Five thousand people slaughtered by three well-placed suicide bombers in Giants stadium. The Taliban got it right that day. But immediately following that President Brier took us into the Middle East and they scattered under the onslaught of American forces. I think they forgot their history, because the rest of the world remembers what happens when you poke the sleeping giant that is the U.S.¡± He chuckled lightly. ¡°What happens afterwards, though, is perplexing.¡± Young leaned in with a grimace. ¡°They switched tactics. Instead of creating uniform terror among all populaces, they began to focus attacks on external enemies like the U.S. and Europe while fostering a hidden movement that sought to nurture and brainwash their struggling towns and cities still reeling from our attack. ¡°In effect, they started changing public opinion of them where it mattered and at the most opportune time. Whoever came along to take the helm after things turned ugly sought to emulate the cultural and spiritual unity that they possessed then while also directing anger over the U.S.¡¯ indiscriminate aggression towards their enemies. The beginning act of this play was long forgotten in the wake of the benevolence that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda showed their own people.¡± Mike interjected, ¡°What makes you think that a new leader showed up?¡± President Young shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not just me. The majority of the CIA is convinced of a Patriarch that dwells completely behind the scenes. Bin Ladin was just a figurehead. This man, whoever he may be, is the true leader and mastermind of current events. Some in those circles have even described him as the second coming of Mohammed himself.¡± He brought a hand up as he smirked helplessly at Sterling, gesturing in the air. ¡°Can you see now why I¡¯m so nervous? Why I ran for president? I had initially planned to run in another 8 years, but his emergence¡­ complicated things.¡± The president sighed. ¡°He¡¯s brutal to his enemies, but kind to his followers. He¡¯s strategic and well-educated in war and politics. Hell, he¡¯s had us dancing to his tune for upwards of 8 years now while never once allowing us close enough to even get a picture of his face or a whisper of his name. Can you imagine what a man like that could achieve with a unified, heavily theocratic Muslim culture?¡± Mike¡¯s eyes grew larger, the wrinkles on his face crinkling together as his brow scrunched up in thought. After a moment of thought, he exclaimed, ¡°You don¡¯t mean to say that what we were talking about earlier¡­¡± President Young nodded. ¡°The fertility rates of 2016 were just handed to me a couple of months ago. Muslims have climbed to 3.8 children per woman.¡± ¡°My God¡­¡± Mike muttered. ¡°They¡¯re climbing.¡± ¡°Indeed they are. Whatever that man is filling them with over there, their numbers are exploding despite the lull in conflict. And little by little, refugees are seeping into other developed countries from nations where his influence is the greatest! We¡¯re being played, Mike, and I refuse to allow this game to reach its conclusion.¡± A speaker squawked to life in the paneling nearby. ¡°Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, we¡¯ll be landing in two minutes.¡± Marine One steadily descended down, dropping to 2000 feet and then 1000 over the next minute. The building that inevitably appeared before them was much smaller and unimposing than Mike probably expected, but President Young¡¯s eyes turned into contented slits when he saw it. It really was nothing much. Overall, the eight story office complex in front of them was¡­ plain. There wasn¡¯t a sign outside by the road to indicate which company occupied it, nor were there a ton of cars in the parking lot to indicate heavy usage of the facilities. All the windows were heavily tinted and one would feel like they were looking into a 1-sided mirror when they walked up to the building of glass, steel, and concrete. All around their target landing zone, which was a very non-descript ¡°H,¡± faded and worn from years of basking in the sun on the roof, smaller abandoned buildings dotted the proximity. The only businesses that seemed to be active were a few storefronts on the main two-lane drag that went down a street that looked like it¡¯d stepped out of the 60¡¯s. A few heads turned in obvious wonder at the sound of the whirling blades, but most just simply ignored their approach like they¡¯d seen the sight many times before. Since there were three Marine helicopters, the other two that the president and vice president did not occupy were offloaded first, revealing the presence of fifteen secret service agents that quickly scoured the building top and positioned themselves around the exterior. It was only when the agents were satisfied with the landing environment did they clear Marine One to land. With a subtle metallic groan, and a slight buoying feeling of the helicopter settling down onto its hydraulics, the craft landed, allowing the two to disembark. The three helicopters resumed their flight pattern and moved away from the building, the rumbling of the rotors receding towards the nearest base for refueling. A small hut-looking protrusion at the edge of the pad drew their eyes as a pair of elevator doors opened up. From within that eerily gaping darkness, two armored and tactically dressed soldiers peeled out and into the light, immediately taking flanking positions of the doorway. Both wore expressions of utmost seriousness and eyed the secret service agents warily, who in turn did the same. Last to appear from the elevator was a large, 6¡¯3¡± man with fierce greyish blue eyes and a full, salt and pepper beard. His bushy eyebrows and the short grey hair that crowned him gave an air of wise ferocity. It was a sort of natural strength that only a soldier could radiate just from being a room. President Young cracked a grin at the sight of the man. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the hero of Fallujah himself,¡± he said, eliciting a dry chuckle from the warrior dressed in fatigues. Young turned towards Mike and said with a smile, ¡°Mike, this is Commander Smedley D. Butler¡­ the third.¡± Mike¡¯s expression turned from one of respectful composure to shock. ¡°Wait¡­ you mean that Smedley Butler? The most decorated soldier in US History, Smedley Butler?¡± The bearded man stopped in front of him and sent a displeased look towards President Young. Turning to grasp the VP¡¯s hand for a gruff shake, he replied with a deep voice, ¡°Yes sir, that¡¯s the one. I decided to follow in my great-granddaddy¡¯s footsteps and serve in the Marine Corp some 20 years ago.¡± ¡°How has this not come up in the news?¡± Mike scanned between the two men in bewilderment. Butler tilted his head and replied with a voice that gave testament to decades of cigar smoke and bourbon, ¡°I asked ¡®em to not spread it, sir.¡± ¡°And they just¡­ kept the secret? Everyone in the Corps who heard your name must have some inkling of who you are. I find it hard to believe no one talked.¡± Butler raised an eyebrow and looked questioningly at the President. Receiving a nod in reply, he shook his head as his expression hardened. ¡°With all due respect Mr. Vice President, I would ask that you do not question the integrity of my fellow marines again. We are not a brotherhood of politicians, but soldiers. Family. I understand that may be a hard concept for someone who built their career in such a dishonest environment to wrap their mind around.¡± President Young snickered in the background as Mike¡¯s face turned into a scowl. ¡°Don¡¯t care for politicians much, do you, Commander Butler?¡± Butler shook his weathered visage ponderously. ¡°No sir, I do not.¡± Mike shot a look over at the smirking president and asked the colonel curiously, ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°The President is the sole exception." ¡°What makes you trust him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s proven himself, sir.¡± The colonel replied simply and shrugged. Mike sighed. ¡°And I haven¡¯t yet, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± His question was met with silence. President Young motioned to the two men who were glaring at each other and started walking towards the elevator. ¡°Gentlemen, let¡¯s walk and talk. Smed, give Mike the rundown.¡± The commander straightened up at the prompting of the president and began to match the former¡¯s stride Mike grudgingly following along. The trio entered the freight elevator followed by four agents, and the doors rumbled shut. Only then did the man in fatigues begin speaking. ¡°In the early 80¡¯s, a company by the name of Eclipse Defense Contracting was started away from the public eye. Its goal was to pursue the more frowned upon methods of creating the next generation of soldier. It looked towards the distant past while keeping an eye on the quickly advancing future that technologically advanced warfare would bring.¡± As Commander Butler finished that line, the doors opened up after having travelled down 20 floors ¨C 12 past the 8 above ground. The three men walked down an immaculate hallway and travelled past multiple gymnasium sized rooms that had young boys and men in them of all ages, mostly separated out into age brackets. Noticing the men in suits coming closer, six well-built men instantly snapped to attention and spread along the wall as they saluted. From there, it was a chain reaction. Shouts rang out in each room they passed, confused looks passing between each other for a split second before they formed up into lines facing the windows while saluting. After passing eight different training rooms that housed everything from training weights to bomb making materials and drone parts, the men they¡¯d seen had to have numbered near a thousand. Mike couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where did they all come from?¡± The Commander¡¯s eyes showed a bit of pain mixed with pride as he shot a look across to him. ¡°One of two ways, Mr. Vice President: from the System or the Service. 80% of those you¡¯ve seen have been with us since they were old enough to talk, cast out by those unable or unwilling to take care of them. They were left without a home and any type of support, thus the foster system took them in and we likewise took them in from the system. Right now, though, less than 1% are under the age of 16. The remaining 20% comes from those I personally scout out in Assessment and Selection.¡± Mike¡¯s expression scrunched up into confusion. ¡°Assessment and Selection for what?¡± President Young laughed. ¡°Marine Special Forces, Mike. Smed here is the Commander of MARSOC. The guy you¡¯ve probably seen listed in our briefings is just a name and face so Smed doesn¡¯t have to put his out there. As for the recruits... he plays a very hands-on role in the selection process for new Raiders.¡± The vice president shook his head while internalizing the new information. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, tell me important information like that up front next time, will ya?¡± ¡°Civilians¡­¡± The commander muttered impatiently. ¡°I get heavily involved because I¡¯m expected to - I¡¯m the commander after all. At the same time, it¡¯s a perfect opportunity to approach and persuade those fit to join us here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re up to what now, Smed - 2,000?¡± The president queried. ¡°Correct, sir.¡± Butler nodded. ¡°2000 of the men, especially the older ones, are all from the Raiders¡¯ selection process. I pulled them aside towards the end of ITC and offered them a place in shadow ops. Most said yes, some said no, but I¡¯ve been very satisfied with the response.¡± The president chuckled and raised an eyebrow at the words. Of course the man was satisfied by the number of those who joined. He was benefiting off his name more than he probably realized. He wasn¡¯t only the commander of MARSOC, he was the great grandson of a Marine hero and had proved to be one already himself. The stories he¡¯d heard about Fallujah... How could they say no unless they had had an incredibly good reason? Would they even want to decline? ¡°Ah, and here we are, gentlemen.¡± The commander finally said as they passed through one last set of steel doors. Even the president took in an involuntary breath at the sight spread out before them, not to mention Mike on the side who had to do everything to keep his mouth closed. Before them was a massive, indoor¡­ town. Or chunk of a city, depending on how you looked at it. There were multiple types of residential buildings and commercial properties that mimicked the outside world. Fields and lakes spread out in obvious human design for the periphery while cars and various types of other vehicles littered the roadways and bridges. The total area in this one room alone was a dozen times the size of the largest superdome. Gigantic steel support beams crisscrossed overhead, bearing the tons of rock and dirt that strained against them. A gentle slope could be made out only if one look at the wall closest to them or if they looked at the design of the beams with shed the force of weight through its dome structure. Commander Butler strode forward to a platform that jutted out over the small cliff¡¯s edge they were standing on and pointed to a couple of high resolution panels. The footage must have been captured by drones, because the feed was constantly adjusting angle to best view the team, following behind at the perfect distance. ¡°Your timing is pretty good, sir. We have two teams half-way through an exercise called ¡°Operation Guile Strike.¡± This is the final step of Phase 3 of the ITC where the teams conduct simulated raids against urban and rural targets. Here¡­¡± He nodded, eyes fixed on the swiftly moving figures that skirted effortlessly through an alleyway. The lighting was poor in this section of town, the three saw. ¡°Their target is an American banker suspected of colluding with terrorists and providing financial avenues for organizations like Al-Qaeda to funnel money across national borders. Their objectives number two: maintain absolute stealth and to capture the target. Simple, right? Well, it¡¯s harder than it looks... especially in today¡¯s technological age.¡± As the commander said this, the pair of politicians saw something that by all rights should have been impossible. The 10-man SOTF came upon a trio of doors that suddenly opened all at once into the alley. Three separate, living individuals stepped like they were purposefully trying to do so at the most inopportune moment. Like smoke, the 10 team members slid to the edges of the lane and either melded into the background or scaled the brick with only their fingertips to pull them. Others simply jumped straight up, latching onto fire escapes with ease that were 8 ft above them. President Young¡¯s eyes focused in on the feed covering those that had disappeared vertically and a tremor ran through his heart. They were all carry around 80 lbs of gear. To possess such strength and agility with that type of load¡­ His eyes flitted to another monitor that was keeping track of a close quarters combat exercise where a weaponless brawl was taking place between four soldiers. Each punch or maneuver with strength sent the recipient back by several feet at a time while they looked none the worse for wear. Just then, a soldier slightly mis-angled a strike and was dodged by his partner, his fist left to fall on a steel plated wall¡­ which then bent inwards as a result. He looked towards the commander and saw the man nodded at him knowingly. ¡°It¡¯s not permanent,¡± he supplied, ¡°But it does last long enough for an extended op, albeit with some nasty lingering aftereffects.¡± ¡°How the hell is that possible?¡± Sterling muttered in disbelief. President Young was the one to respond after taking a deep, calming breath. ¡°Genetic research, Mike. Or, if you¡¯re referencing the illusion, active camouflage.¡± ¡°What the hell have I gotten myself into?¡± The silver haired vice president whispered. The trio watched the various screens, one gaze was evaluating while the other two were contemplating. Finally, the president broke the silence after a few minutes as he gazed out over the training grounds. ¡°These are the greatest soldiers the world has ever known - invaluable assets that I have poured my wealth and time into raising up as the sentinels of a generation. This isn¡¯t a government project, Mike. All of this¡­¡± He gestured around them, ¡°Is the sum total of the money I¡¯ve made out there in the world for the past 30 years. Those several billion that magazines and web articles estimate I have are right here, being put to work in the best way I know how.¡± The president sighed. ¡°I have the soldiers¡­ what I needed all these years were the open doors to contractors and top secret weapons research. I needed the connections to obtain the last pieces of the puzzle.¡± Mike grimaced. ¡°The presidency then¡­¡± President Young nodded, his eyes squinting together as crows feet unfurled at the side. ¡°A means to an end,¡± he growled, a hint of barely repressed anger rising up in his voice. ¡°I love my values, but that religion rejects them. I love my culture, but those people seek to subdue it. ¡°Am I supposed to just watch as my country implodes from clashing cultures that try and sway our youth? ¡°Am I supposed to just roll over as the proud heritage of the United States is trampled upon by terrorists in refugee form? ¡°I do not see a future where the nation I know and love can coexist with such an odious and contagious disease. I feel it creeping up on us like Death, making ready for the time where it will reap us all.¡± Sterling cautiously asked, ¡°What disease, Donald?¡± ¡°Islam, of course.¡± President Young replied back in cold detachment. He saw Mike recoil a bit at the realization of what he was saying, but honestly, he was beyond the point of caring. The man was proving himself more incapable and useless by the minute. He was just another piece now, instead of the partner that Young had hoped to find. ¡°We¡¯ve been spared the brunt of their collective might over these past decades merely from their own incompetence and lack of education. But now that the Patriarch has emerged¡­ the course of the future is much more dire. I will not allow those people to progress any further. I will not allow our culture to be diluted and slowly conquered as time slips past. ¡°Do you see now, Mike? Why I don¡¯t give a good God damn about the hacking of our drone, or the information breach of our secure channels? Let the world think what it wants. I don¡¯t mind playing the part of the fool for now. ¡°I want the pot to be stirred! I want the hornet nest to be kicked! Because when the Muslim people get so riled up that the Patriarch can no longer control them like the dumb masses they are, someone, somewhere, will fuck up in a big way. Then, I¡¯ll be able to kick back and watch as war finally ignites in its full totality.¡± President Young chuckled and reached into a pocket, producing two cigars. Taking one and handing it to the commander who was nonchalantly watching the soldiers training still, he took his own and clipped the end with a cigar cutter. A flash of light flared on the rocky walls and metallic structures nearby as he took a match and slowly rolled his cigar, toking it with care. Blowing out a mouthful of smoke after tasting it, the president regained his composure and looked towards Mike. A hint of solemnity adorned his words as he finished, ¡°When that day comes, the Dark Raiders will be there to answer.¡± *** A periodic release of pressure irritatingly ricocheted back and forth in the small, English study. It wasn¡¯t loud, but the very nature of its emittance was annoying at its base, so it cut through the news which was loudly coming through the TV¡¯s speakers in the front of the room. Unfortunately, it was a noise that had to be lived with, as it came from from a respirator that faithfully pumped near at hand. In a motorized chair positioned in front of the screen, sat a man that was old and hobbled, scrunched up like a can that had been pressed for recycling. His age, while considered to be advanced at 75 by normal standards, was a miracle when compared to the disease which crippled him. He was supposed to have died at 23, but had lived on to become a paragon in his own field. After this latest episode, the man knew that he wasn¡¯t long for this world. Chances were that, in a few months time, he¡¯d pass into the same void he¡¯d been chasing after his entire life. The sudden, unexpected sound of the hallway door softly creaking open cut through the latest news reel on the coverage of the American drone bombings. It had only been 10 minutes since the last check-in by his personal doctor, so the man forced his chin to activate the movement aspect of his chair while his brain indicated direction and speed based on a preset configuration interpreted by an adaptive wave translator. The mechanized wheelchair stuttered a bit before catching up to the input and smoothly rotated to face the door. Just inside the threshold were three people - a man and two women. While normally it wouldn¡¯t bother him to see visitors - he was quite famous after all - the manner and appearance of the three made his breath catch in his throat, the ventilator kicking on to induce normal breathing. It had to be a hallucination, but the harder he stared and the more he blinked, the clearer they became. The man was of middling height and a balanced build, piercingly blue eyes gazed back at the disabled theoretical physicist that crackled with the fury of an ionic storm. The gorgeous woman on his left resembled a ghostly ice wraith, her silvery white hair reflecting in the moonlight that cascaded in from the window. She had this detached curiosity to her pale blue eyes which shared the electrical qualities of the man¡¯s. The golden-hair beauty on his right was even more mesmerizing. She had this gentle quality to her that reminded the onlooker of a remote oasis untouched or blemished by the hands of man. Her brown eyes that resembled the former two cut questioningly to the man in the center. Without looking, he nodded and advanced forward, walking softly on the hardwood floor. Coming closer, the disabled man¡¯s eyes turned wide as he hard a soothing voice, too perfectly refined to be human, emanate from the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure, Mr. Grimes, to makeyour acquaintance. My name is Adrian Pierce and I¡¯m afraid I must apologize for this next part.¡± A hand darted out so quickly that the man in the chair didn¡¯t even see or feel it until the syringe had already plunged into his carotid artery. In the next moments, an indescribable warmth as gentle as a summer breeze welled up within his body, soothing his atrophied muscles and the destroyed cells which barely clinged to life. He wondered why Pierce would apologize for gifting him such a divine feeling for the first time in decades. It was only when he heard the man¡¯s next words as he drifted off into sleep that he understood. ¡°There is too much work to be done to allow such a gifted mind to fade away and die. Rest now. For when you wake again, your life¡¯s greatest work will truly begin.¡±