《Southland》 Prologue through Ch 3 Prologue ¡°It¡¯s early! The son of a bitch is early!¡± Paul Hawking exclaimed as he rushed into the conference room. ¡°Paul, you¡¯re late and you¡¯re babbling,¡± Johannes Sagan said as he gave the other man a questioning look. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°1998 XB7,¡± Paul answered. The rest of the executives around the table exchanged confused looks. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Margo Reading asked. ¡°An asteroid the size of three city blocks,¡± Paul replied. ¡°Paul, take a breath and explain,¡± Sofia Laurant, SL3¡¯s CEO and president, instructed. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Paul said. After a moment he continued, 1998 XB7 was supposed to pass between the earth and the moon sometime in late 2025 or early 2026. But somehow it has sped up and will impact the earth in three months.¡± The other corporate officers exploded into questions and comments. Sofia glanced at Johannes. He slammed his palms into the conference table, silencing the others. ¡°Thank you, Johannes,¡± Sofia said. SL3¡¯s vice president nodded to his boss and one of the world¡¯s wealthiest people, acknowledging her words. ¡°Where is the asteroid predicted to hit?¡± ¡°My NASA source says Antarctica,¡± Paul answered. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be so bad then. It¡¯ll miss us and Europe,¡± one of the junior executives stated. Paul shook his head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°NASA thinks the impact will not only produce one massive crater and turn Antarctica into even more of a wasteland, but they also expect every ice shelf to collapse, causing tsunamis that will have the energy to travel all the way to the Artic.¡± ¡°Which will cause those ice shelves to collapse causing even more tsunamis, destroying islands, nations, and just about every coastal area on the planet that wasn¡¯t destroyed by the first wave of tsunamis,¡± Johannes concluded. ¡°Exactly,¡± Paul, agreed, collapsing into an available chair. The executives once again exploded into arguments and conversations. After a few minutes, Sofia gestured to Johannes, and he silenced the others once again. Sofia stood and straightened her jacket and slacks. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, while this is a catastrophe the likes the world has not seen since the dinosaurs, it is also an opportunity,¡± Sofia said with a grin on her face. ¡°What are you talking about? This is horrible!¡± another junior executive exclaimed. A glare from Sofia silenced the other woman. ¡°Paul, keep in contact with your source. I want weekly updates on this asteroid for the next month. After that I want daily updates,¡± Sofia said. Paul agreed and the CEO turned her attention to her executive assistant. ¡°Melenia, contact the heads of our two rivals. I want to meet with them today.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Melenia replied. ¡°Johannes, stay. The rest of you leave and start quietly preparing your families to move inland, but not one word of this better leak to the public or I¡¯ll have more than just your jobs,¡± Sofia said. The executives expressed their gratitude and filed out of the conference room. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of initiating Project UCS, aren¡¯t you?¡± Johannes asked with a knowing smile on her face. ¡°I am,¡± Sofia agreed, gazing out over the NYC skyline. ¡°Then I want to initiate Project Southland.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Oh yes. The governments of the world will not be able to stop this asteroid, nor will they be able to help all their citizens,¡± Sofia answered. ¡°Get an estimate on the death toll. I imagine one of the bootlickers we pay in the government already has some figures.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have something by the end of the day,¡± Johannes stated. ¡°Are you thinking tens of millions?¡± ¡°Hundreds of millions if not more,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Damn,¡± Johannes cursed. He tapped the conference table for a couple of minutes. ¡°Just how far are you wanting to push Southland?¡± ¡°All the way,¡± Sofia answered. ¡°Whatever nation states and corporations survive will want the next generation weapon platforms and everyone left alive on the planet will want the longevity treatments if they work.¡± ¡°Are you sure we¡¯ll be able to control the ah¡­ primitive weapons platforms?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be fenced in, and we¡¯ll still have the nanobots and implants even if the platforms prove to be a failure,¡± Sofia replied. She turned from the window to face her subordinate. ¡°Southland will prove to be a massive success.¡± ¡°But first we have a failed government to replace,¡± Johannes stated. ¡°Indeed,¡± Sofia agreed with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss ways to tank the stock market and overall economy within 60 days in my office.¡± ¡°Is that wise?¡± ¡°Oh yes. It¡¯ll just make things much easier for us.¡± 1 One year later. ¡°You just want to release them to run free?¡± Will Tyson asked, looking up at the observation drone hovering over his head. His guards ignored him and kept their eyes on the perimeter. ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Bob Mendez, his supervisor, replied over the radio. ¡°Drones and satellites will observe them and Southland as a whole.¡± A growl sounded from the cage. Will backed away from it a few steps. ¡°Come on Bob! These damn cats will eat any and everything in there,¡± Will complained. ¡°Not quite everything but that¡¯s the idea Will,¡± Bob retorted. ¡°Remember, these cats are part of the new bioweapon platform program. A hundred pairs are being released throughout Southland along with hundreds of bison, elk, deer, pigs, and even cows. All altered just like the cats.¡± ¡°Are those other animals part of the weapons program too?¡± Will asked. ¡°In a way,¡± a new voice answered. ¡°If it eases your conscious, just know we are returning our version of these creatures to part of what had once been their native habitat.¡± ¡°Mrs. Powell!¡± Bob and Will said at the same time. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Karen Powell, the chief scientist in charge of the cave lion project, said. ¡°The¡­ prey animals have been made more robust and will hopefully provide suitable sport, food, and material for Southland¡¯s future inhabitants if they can successfully hunt them.¡± ¡°Inhabitants, ma¡¯am?¡± Will asked. ¡°Yes Will, inhabitants. All the weapons systems will live in Southland as they are tested. That makes them inhabitants,¡± Karen replied. ¡°But what about the people that refused to leave?¡± Will asked. ¡°If those morons refused to leave Southland after the tsunamis, and after the utilities were shut off, they¡¯re on their own,¡± Bob answered. ¡°They were warned.¡± ¡°And offered a considerable amount of money to relocate to one of the new corporate states,¡± Karen added. ¡°Those fools are on their own. The cave lions won¡¯t be the only bioweapon platform we test in Southland.¡± ¡°Good point, ma¡¯am,¡± Bob quickly said. Suck up harder Bob, Will thought. ¡°Will, release the cave lions,¡± Karen ordered. ¡°Ye ma¡¯am,¡± Will replied. He double checked the gate in Southland¡¯s north wall. He climbed onto the female¡¯s cage and opened its door. He stepped onto the male¡¯s cage and opened its door. Thank God those cage doors fit right up to the gate. I¡¯m not sure who had the bright idea of recreating fucking cave lions by mixing found Panthera Atrox DNA with African lions, but they¡¯re damn fools. The female is larger than an African adult male and the male cave lion is even bigger. He shuddered. Thankfully, I¡¯m out here and not in there. Those poor fools stuck in there and those being sent in don¡¯t have a clue what¡¯s coming. His thoughts turned to a different extinct animal he had heard was recreated. Will had heard the company had mixed grizzly bears with Ursus Spelaeus DNA. The eggheads had brought back the giant short-faced bear. That damn thing stands nearly six feet at the shoulder and over 11 feet if it stands on its hind legs. Thank God I¡¯m not involved with that project. This one is bad enough. Will turned his attention back to the cats. The two cave lions hesitantly exited their cages. They sniffed each other as well as their surroundings. The pair observed their new habitat for a few moments. Then the two cave lions disappeared into the forest a few minutes later. The guards waited on Will to signal he was ready to return to base. * Six months later. ¡°Hi mom,¡± Aria Baird greeted her mother after answering her phone. She put it on speaker, sat it down, and pulled on a sweater. ¡°Hi sweetie,¡± Piper Baird replied. ¡°Are you coming home to Fredericksburg this weekend or staying in Charlottesville?¡± ¡°Right to the point, huh mom?¡± Aria asked, while checking her shoulder length black hair in a mirror. She then turned her attention to her facial features. pale skin, high cheek bones, green eyes, and a button nose. Despite others having told her otherwise, Aria didn¡¯t consider herself pretty. She had always considered herself cut at best, especially since she was slender and on the shorter side. She ran a hand through her hair and put her glasses on. I love my glasses and eyes. ¡°Yes dear, right to the point,¡± her mother answered, dragging Aria from her thoughts. ¡°Your dad and I miss you.¡± ¡°Fredericksburg is only about 45 minutes away by aircar,¡± Aria retorted. ¡°You two can come visit anytime you want.¡± ¡°I hate those things,¡± her Piper stated. ¡°They¡¯re not safe.¡± ¡°Aircars are safer than ground cars and there¡¯s less traffic,¡± Aria pointed out. And you¡¯re just being old-fashioned, mom. ¡°All the statistics say aircars are super safe.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°You¡¯re trying not to answer my question,¡± Piper said. Aria sighed and glanced at her guitar. I should work on that song I¡¯ve been practicing instead of heading out. The kids will like it once I teach it to them. But a promise is a promise. ¡°I¡¯m about to meet some friends for lunch, but I¡¯ll take an aircar home and have supper with you and dad. Or will he be working?¡± ¡°His project just released a prototype or two, but he¡¯s promised he¡¯ll be home sweetie. And you know he¡¯ll be thrilled to see you,¡± her mother replied. ¡°I¡¯ll pack a bag and stay the weekend though I¡¯ll have to leave Sunday evening,¡± Aria said after thinking it over. ¡°Classes don¡¯t start back for a couple of weeks, and I could use the break.¡± ¡°Classes haven¡¯t even started, and you can use a break?¡± Piper laughed. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been working hard.¡± Her mother laughed again. ¡°What has your attention? The programming project?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s easy enough,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just tired.¡± Besides I can¡¯t tell you I¡¯ve been teaching music to some kids. ¡°You need something to take your mind off school.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve started playing music again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great sweetie! But you don¡¯t have a piano there. Did you buy a new one?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Did you buy a violin? You used to be nearly as good with a violin as you had been with a piano.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve bought an acoustic guitar though.¡± ¡°I wish you would take up the violin or piano again. You were so good,¡± Piper said. ¡°I could arrange for a small concert.¡± ¡°I might buy a keyboard too,¡± Aria replied, hoping her mother would take the bait. She didn¡¯t, so Aria added, ¡°But I¡¯m just playing for fun these days, so that¡¯s why I picked up the guitar. I¡¯m teaching myself how to play it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I don¡¯t want to perform in public again. Aria¡¯s phone dinged, letting her know the rented aircar had arrived and landed on the apartment building¡¯s landing pad. Thank goodness! ¡°My aircar is here and I need to go mom.¡± ¡°Alright dear. Love you,¡± Piper said. ¡°Love you too, mom,¡± Aria replied. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± * I do love the mountain views around here, Aria thought as the aircar ascended straight up that evening. The term aircar was a bit of a misnomer because the vehicles were really VTOL, vertical takeoff and landing, aircraft instead of flying cars. They had skids instead of wheels too, but the name stuck. I love the view from these things too. The aircraft reached its cruising attitude. Aria just gazed out the window as the aircar started to smoothly accelerate northeast towards Fredericksburg. A few minutes later, the ride became bumpy. ¡°Warning! Turbulence detected. Climbing to 500 feet to escape the turbulence,¡± the onboard AI stated. ¡°Shit!¡± Aria cursed, grabbing the handrails. The aircar started shaking worse. She felt it slow down and noticed it was descending rapidly. ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± ¡°Warning! Power failure detected. Attempting to resolve,¡± The AI stated. A moment later another warning sounded. ¡°Passengers prepare for a crash landing! Sending distress signal¡± Before Aria could do a thing, the aircar crashed into a nearby ridge. 2 ¡°How is she, Dr Miller?¡± Piper asked as soon as the doctor entered the waiting room. ¡°Mr and Mrs. Baird,¡± the doctor greeted his patient¡¯s parents. He was glad to see they were concerned about Aria. Not all his patients had families that were, especially if they were older. ¡°I wish we were meeting at a company function or on the golf course instead of in here.¡± ¡°Jon,¡± Michael Baird said, shaking the doctor¡¯s hand. ¡°We feel the same way. That said, don¡¯t sugarcoat things for us.¡± Doctor Jon Miller took in a deep breath and gestured at the couch the couple had gotten up from. ¡°You two might want to sit down.¡± ¡°Is she dead?¡± Piper asked, clutching her husband¡¯s hand as they sat. ¡°No. Aria is alive,¡± the doctor answered. ¡°Thank God,¡± Michael and Piper said at the same time. ¡°But she¡¯s not doing well either,¡± Jon stated. He took another deep breath. ¡°She is on a ventilator and we¡¯re trying to replace her fluids. Aria¡¯s injuries are many. She has third degree burns on 90% of her body, melted lips, three crushed bones, multiple more broken bones, severe internal injuries, severe blood loss, numerous other minor injuries, and I¡¯m not sure if she has lost her eyes or not.¡± ¡°No!¡± Piper cried. ¡°Fuck Jon!¡± Michael exclaimed, pulling his wife to him. ¡°How is she even alive?¡± ¡°By either being the luckiest girl alive, blessed, if you believe in that sort of thing, or both,¡± the doctor answered. ¡°Aria¡¯s survival is honestly a miracle. The crash itself should have killed her, and if that didn¡¯t, the blood loss should have.¡± ¡°What was that about her eyes?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± Jon asked. ¡°We¡¯re sure,¡± Piper answered. ¡°The explosion the crash caused and resulting fire melted the skin around her eyes. That may have blinded Aria or even burned her eyes. It¡¯s also possible shrapnel pierced her eyes. There was quite a bit of fragments in her face,¡± Dr Miller explained. ¡°We¡¯re hoping to operate on her eyes once she is stable.¡± Michael and Piper clutched each other but didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Can we see her?¡± Michael asked after a couple of minutes. ¡°Of course, but I don¡¯t know if I recommend it. No parent should have to see their child like this,¡± Dr Miller replied. ¡°But right this way if you want to.¡± The doctor led the parents to a trauma room. Piper and Michael sobbed at the sight of their baby girl. ¡°I can give you 30 minutes with her. At the top of the hour, we¡¯re going to take her back to surgery to operate on some of the internal injuries.¡± ¡°Thanks Jon,¡± Piper said. She walked into the room and hesitantly reached for Aria¡¯s right hand. Michael started to step inside when Jon stopped him. ¡°Mike, can I have a minute?¡± the doctor asked as Piper took her daughter¡¯s hand into both of hers. ¡°Sure,¡± Michael replied. They let the room door slide shut. He studied the doctor¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t think she¡¯ll live, do you?¡± ¡°Not exactly. Aria could live on life support for years in a coma,¡± Jon answered. ¡°She¡¯s in a medically induced coma now.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re overseeing a certain project.¡± ¡°I am not subjecting my child to the troll project!¡± Michael hissed. ¡°Or the ogre offshoot project for that matter.¡± ¡°Calm down Mike. I¡¯m not suggesting that you put her through that,¡± Jon replied. ¡°Then what are you suggesting?¡± ¡°There are other projects in the works. The one I¡¯m thinking about would help Aria heal.¡± ¡°Would it change her?¡± ¡°Some, but I¡¯m not sure how much,¡± Jon admitted. ¡°From what I¡¯ve been told it involves a neural implant and nanobots. Beyond that, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That sounds similar to my projects,¡± Mike muttered. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of this one?¡± ¡°Lin Roth.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know her,¡± Mike replied. ¡°Go see Aria and think about it. Then talk it over with Piper,¡± Jon suggested. ¡°Thanks Jon,¡± Michael said before walking into the trauma room. * ¡°What did Jon want to talk to you about?¡± Piper asked after Aria had been taken in for the surgery. ¡°He says there is a project that might be able to help heal Aria,¡± Mike answered. ¡°Would it turn her into one of those¡­ things your team is working on?¡± ¡°Jon doesn¡¯t think so, but he doesn¡¯t know much about the project other than who oversees it. Her name is Lin Roth, and I¡¯ve never heard of her before.¡± ¡°But you want to take the chance if it¡¯ll bring our little girl back to us,¡± Piper stated. ¡°Not without your approval and not without finding out what I can discover about Roth¡¯s project first,¡± Mike said. ¡°Alright. Look into it. If Aria survives the surgeries, I want her to live, not just lay in a bed in a coma,¡± Piper replied. * ¡°This is Dr Roth,¡± Lin said in greeting after answering her phone. ¡°Dr Roth, this Dr Miller from the company¡¯s ICU,¡± Jon replied. ¡°Hi Jon. What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Nothing. But I think I¡¯ve found you a test subject.¡± ¡°Really? Do tell.¡± ¡°Do you know Michael Baird?¡± ¡°I know of him. Why?¡± ¡°His 21-year-old daughter, Aria, was in an aircar crash,¡± Jon answered. He tapped something on his tablet. ¡°I¡¯ve just sent her file to you. She¡¯s in bad shape and could use a helping hand.¡± ¡°Thank you for the file,¡± Lin replied. She opened it and started scanning through it. ¡°She¡¯s not a soldier or even an athlete. I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°Check the background info in her file again.¡± ¡°Musician?¡± ¡°Aria could have been the next great pianist or even violinist. I¡¯m not sure what the whole story is but she is a musical prodigy that stopped playing music altogether a few years ago and turned to computer science when she enrolled in college.¡± ¡°Her file says she just enrolled in a doctorate program in pure and applied logic and not music. She also has her degree in human-computer interaction,¡± Lin said as she paid closer attention to the file. ¡°High grades throughout her academic career too.¡± ¡°Michael always refused to tell anyone why Aria didn¡¯t want to play anymore. Mike and Piper loved the idea of having a world-class classical musician in the family. Mike drunkenly said at a company party once that Aria had wanted to teach music, but they talked her out of it. Anyway, like I said, she gave up it all up while in high school. I think the focus on computer science was Aria¡¯s attempt to make her parents happy after disappointing them by giving up music.¡± ¡°Hmmm. So, she is intelligent and talented but not athletic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Aria in a nutshell. She¡¯s also quiet and reserved for the most part.¡± ¡°I think I can work with that. Do you think her parents would approve of her becoming one of my subjects?¡± Lin asked. ¡°They love her. I think they¡¯ll do whatever it takes to heal her,¡± Jon answered. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll reach out to Mr Baird.¡± ¡°It might be better to let him reach out to you,¡± Jon countered. ¡°You think he will?¡± ¡°In the next couple of days if not in the next few hours.¡± ¡°Excellent. Thanks again,¡± Lin replied. ¡°I¡¯ll send a finder¡¯s fee to your account along with a little bonus.¡± 3 Two weeks later. ¡°Mr Baird? This is Dr Lin Roth. I¡¯m returning your call.¡± ¡°Thank you for getting back to me Dr Roth,¡± Michael said. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut to the chase Dr Roth. My daughter was in a horrible accident, and I¡¯ve been told your program may be able to help her heal and recover.¡± ¡°And you want to know more about my project and to ask for my help,¡± Lin stated. ¡°True,¡± Mike agreed. ¡°Why not use some resources from your own projects?¡± Lin asked. ¡°I understand your test subjects have a high healing factor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only partially correct. The¡­ trolls do but the ogres just have a high constitution and are hard to dam¡­ hurt.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°And I can¡¯t subject my daughter to that change even if it would save her life. Neither my wife nor my daughter would forgive me for turning Aria into one of those monstrosities,¡± Mike said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself either.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say I blame you. I¡¯ve seen footage of your projects. You can¡¯t even tell they were human once.¡± ¡°How did you¡­¡± ¡°The company really wants my project to succeed. So, they¡¯ve given me access to the other bioweapon projects in case any of your research and resources could be useful to my work,¡± Lin explained. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve only heard rumors that the board of directors is excited about the possibilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Lin replied. Mike could hear the satisfied smile in her voice. ¡°So, what exactly do you wish to know?¡± ¡°Everything I guess.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t tell you that. My boss would have my hide if I did.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Mike replied. ¡°Could you¡­ could you tell me what sort of changes your project does to a person?¡± ¡°I can tell you some of what my project is projected to do,¡± Lin answered. ¡°Healing will be enhanced as will the senses. The few test subjects we have now show enhanced physical attributes such as being quicker and stronger than most regular people.¡± ¡°Will Aria still be human or at least look that way?¡± ¡°Mostly.¡± ¡°What do you mean mostly?¡± Mike inquired. ¡°Your daughter has lost both eyes according to the doctors,¡± Lin. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Mike asked in disbelief. Only Piper, he, and the medical staff knew that. ¡°I was advised to expect your call and why. I was then given Aria¡¯s medical history.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Mike muttered. ¡°Getting back to the potential changes, your daughter¡¯s eyes will have to be replaced. Depending on what we do for eye replacement, the color will be different.¡± ¡°Any other changes?¡± ¡°None that you need to be concerned with. I can promise that Aria won¡¯t have a tail, claws, or cat ears on top of her head,¡± Lin answered. ¡°I can also promise your daughter will be more than capable of handling whatever life throws at her once I¡¯m finished with her.¡± ¡°Will she be outfitted with one of the new implants?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And sent to Southland?¡± ¡°For advanced testing and field trials, yes. But we may be able to bring her out after the testing is done,¡± Lin replied. ¡°If Aria survives the procedures and testing, then the board will be keen on having a success to show the world.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Mr Baird, this is the only chance your daughter has for a somewhat normal life,¡± Lin said, barely keeping the excitement from her voice. She knew she had him. ¡°I¡­ I agree to place my daughter in your care,¡± Mike said. A file arrived at his computer a few seconds later. He frowned. ¡°Sign the agreement please,¡± Lin said. ¡°It¡¯s boilerplate stuff, but you know the legal department wants to make sure you won¡¯t attempt to file charges or sue if she doesn¡¯t survive.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Mike replied in defeat. Lin managed to keep the grin off her face. ¡°Will we be able to talk to and see Aria before the testing begins?¡± ¡°Yes. In fact, we¡¯ll install her implant this week. You¡¯ll be able to talk to her after that.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Aria needs to give consist as well. She is an adult after all Mr Baird.¡± * ¡°Aria?¡± a woman¡¯s voice asked. ¡°Yes? Who are you?¡± Aria replied, sleepily. Dr Roth smiled. Even with the implant provided speech to text, the exhaustion in the young woman was evident. ¡°I¡¯m Dr Lin Roth. My team and I will be taking over your treatment going forward if you consent to allow us to do what is necessary to heal you.¡± ¡°I¡­ wait. Where are my parents? Why can¡¯t I feel my hands?¡± Aria replied. Her vitals started going up as she jerked on the bed. ¡°Why can¡¯t I open my mouth? Why am I restrained? How am I talking? I can¡¯t see! Why can¡¯t I see?¡± ¡°Calm down Aria. Your parents are here,¡± Lin said. She opened the comm channel for the Bairds while gesturing to one of her assistants to sedate Aria. ¡°We¡¯re here baby,¡± Piper and Mike said at the same time. Aria didn¡¯t speak for two minutes as her vitals returned to normal and she calmed down. ¡°Do you feel better Aria?¡± Lin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t feel at all,¡± the young woman replied. ¡°That¡¯s normal,¡± Lin whispered to Piper and Mike. ¡°Aria, do you give consent?¡± ¡°I¡­ guess,¡± Aria muttered before falling asleep. ¡°That¡¯s not consent, is it?¡± Piper asked. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for us,¡± Blake Page from the legal department announced. ¡°Dr Roth, you are now in legal compliance.¡± The attorney dropped from the communications channel. Dr Roth turned to the Bairds. ¡°We¡¯ll get started early in the morning. Either one of my nurses or myself will update you after the first surgery,¡± Lin said. Mike and Piper nodded their understanding. Chs 4-7 4 Five months later. ¡°Are you sure she is ready for this, doctor?¡± the nurse asked. ¡°Aria has only been stable for two days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Lin Roth answered. She hated referring to her ¡®patients¡¯ by name. It humanized them and she didn¡¯t see them as people once they were in her project. In her mind, they were tools to further her research, career, and to pad her bank account. ¡°The implant and nanomachines have healed all the subject¡¯s internal damage. The subject¡¯s bones have been healed and strengthened. Even the new internal alterations have been done.¡± ¡°Yes, but you¡¯re proposing some¡­ unique changes even beyond the other subjects.¡± ¡°True, but we¡¯ve already made the most radical changes to her internal structure, and she lived through it. I had doubted she would survive those. Besides, repairing her external injuries will be the perfect time to make the necessary physical alterations,¡± Lin countered. ¡°If you¡¯re having second thoughts about what we¡¯re doing, I can arrange for you to depart the project.¡± ¡°No! No, that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± the nurse quickly said. ¡°I¡­ I just felt it was my duty to consider Aria¡¯s welfare and health.¡± ¡°Noted. Now, let¡¯s get to work.¡± * ¡°How is she Dr Roth?¡± Piper asked over the phone a week later. ¡°Recovering. All the previous surgeries have been a success,¡± Lin happily answered. ¡°And that includes the burn treatments.¡± ¡°Skin grafts?¡± ¡°No. Nothing so crude. We used nanomachines to stimulate new subdermal tissue growth.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ you used microscopic robots to regrow her skin?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Lin replied. ¡°This treatment has been so successful that the company will start offering it to burn centers around the country starting next week.¡± The scientist smiled. Her profit shares should be astronomical and that didn¡¯t even count what the rest of the subject¡¯s recovery would net her. ¡°Does that mean Aria looks like her old self?¡± Piper asked, bringing Lin back to the unwanted conversation. ¡°Not exactly.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She has undergone a few changes, and we still need to replace her eyes,¡± Lin answered. ¡°Unfortunately, her new eye color will be different.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Her eyes or the changes as a whole?¡± Lin asked, barely keeping the frustration out of her voice. She tried to focus her thoughts on what the ¡®beauty treatment¡¯ would mean for herself and her bank accounts. ¡°Both,¡± Piper answered. ¡°Alright,¡± Lin said, taking a calming breath. ¡°From the pictures I¡¯ve seen, the patient, er, I mean Aria was a pretty woman before the accident.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Quite frankly, she is simply stunning now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Part of the treatment we¡¯ve given her was designed to make the patient the most idealized version of themselves. She¡¯ll have to take care of herself to maintain the look in the future though,¡± Lin answered. ¡°As for her eyes, the replacements we have devised will give her better than human vision and even allow her to see well in the dark. The downside is the eye color had to be¡­ an unusual shade for this to work.¡± ¡°How unusual?¡± Piper asked, seizing on the hesitant statement. ¡°Her eyes will be a pale yellow from now on,¡± Lin stated. Under her breath she muttered, ¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯ll have to work on for it to be commercially viable.¡± ¡°So, my daughter is a guinea pig?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s what you and more importantly she agreed to so we could save her life,¡± Lin replied. ¡°I must go Mrs. Baird. We have more work to do. One of my nurses will update you in two days after we do the eye replacement surgery.¡± * ¡°How¡¯s our subject?¡± Lin asked three weeks later. ¡°Completely physically recovered,¡± the nurse answered. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s wake her up.¡± ¡°Should we ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin asked. ¡°Well, the subject has already proven to be a success. The nanomachines have healed all her injuries,¡± the nurse said. ¡°The enhanced blood vessels have increased her oxygen levels as well as natural injury recovery.¡± ¡°Yes. And?¡± ¡°Do we really need to test the subject the rest of the way?¡± ¡°Yes, we do. There is a lot of money riding on this project,¡± Lin answered. ¡°Plus, I would like to use some of these enhancements to benefit myself. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Then wake her up slowly.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. Rebooting up her implant now.¡± * ¡°Can you hear me?¡± a woman asked. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ ca¡­ can. Wh¡­ whe¡­ where am I?¡± Aria replied. It was hard to talk. She blinked and opened her eyes. She covered them with her hands. I can see! But it¡¯s too bright! ¡°It¡¯s¡­ too bri¡­ bright.¡± Why am I having so much trouble talking? I had just talked to mom and someone else not too long ago. Aria thought. She closed her eyes and dropped her hands. ¡°Here. Drink this,¡± a different woman said. Aria felt a straw touch her lips. She opened her mouth some and allowed the woman to insert the straw. ¡°Just sip.¡± Aria nodded her head and sipped the water. That tastes different. Wherever it¡¯s from it hasn¡¯t been filtered and is the best tasting water I¡¯ve ever had. Wait. How do I know it hasn¡¯t been filtered? ¡°You¡¯re in a recovery room,¡± the first woman said. ¡°I¡¯m Dr Roth. What do you remember?¡± ¡°Motor control seems normal,¡± another person murmured. Lin shushed them as a fourth person agreed. ¡°The autocar was taking me to Fredericksburg and¡­ it crashed!¡± Aria answered after the nurse removed the straw. ¡°Good. Do you remember anything else?¡± Lin asked. ¡°You. Your voice. You asked me to consent to¡­ an operation.¡± ¡°Several procedures actually,¡± Lin replied. She tapped her tablet, and the lights dimmed. ¡°I¡¯ve dimmed the lights. Open your eyes.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Aria replied, trusting the doctor. She opened her eyes and kept them open despite wanting to close them again. The light wasn¡¯t as bright, but she could see as if in normal light. ¡°You dimmed the lights? It looks¡­ bright to me.¡± Some of the people she could see excitedly whispered to each other. They¡¯re happy I can see clearly even though they can¡¯t. Why can I hear them when they¡¯re on the other side of the room? ¡°Those pale-yellow eyes are a little disconcerting,¡± a man in nurses¡¯ garb murmured under his breath. Yellow eyes? Aria wondered. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to bring up the lights,¡± Dr Roth said after a couple more minutes. ¡°Your eyes should rapidly adjust to the light.¡± Aria nodded. The lights brightened. Two of the nurses gasped. ¡°Very good,¡± the doctor said. ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to do some simple tests.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you have lots of questions but no buts,¡± Lin said. ¡°I need to make sure you¡¯re tracking properly. Then we¡¯ll talk.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Aria replied. * Aria gazed at herself in the mirror. The black hair was longer, fuller, more lustrous. Her hospital gown didn¡¯t cover much. Her skin was still pale yet healthier than it should be. In a word, Aria thought her skin looked perfect. So was what she could see of the body in the mirror. From the slender athletic hourglass physique to the pouty full lips. It was her, yet not her at the same time. But it was the eyes and ears that were the most different and striking. I have abs and toned legs! I¡¯ve never had abs before. My ears! Why are they pointed? My eyes! Why are they not green? This cannot be me! Her emotions shifted into hysteria, then into something else. I should be panicking but feel¡­ somewhat calm and pissed off. Intense, angry pale-yellow eyes locked onto Dr Roth as Aria whirled from the mirror to face the smug woman, who flinched. ¡°What have you done to me?¡± Aria shouted, giving into her anger. ¡°I¡¯ve not only healed you my dear, but I¡¯ve also perfected you,¡± Lin answered more calmly than she felt. Only the guard outside the door and the implant kept her from exiting as quickly as she could. ¡°And I¡¯ve done so by turning you into an elf.¡± 5 Of course, the blasted door doesn¡¯t have a knob and is locked, Aria thought after approaching it. She had woken in a different room. Evidently, she had been moved to what was essentially a dorm room after Dr Roth had had her put to sleep after she given into her anger and tried to choke the older woman. Guess I shouldn¡¯t have assaulted her. Then again, what right did she have to do this to me? I was drugged and not in my right mind when she claimed I gave consent. But this is the United Corporate States now, not the good old USA, and the old laws don¡¯t mean squat anymore. Dr Roth could have me shot and the only people that would truly care are mom and dad. Those thoughts made Aria angry though she quickly calmed down. She sighed and looked around the room. The ceiling was painted white while the walls were a light blue. The floor was hardwood with a rug under the twin bed. There was a window that overlooked a small flower garden and beyond it a body of water that was either a large pond or small lake. She could see a track running along the water¡¯s shore. Besides the single window and bed, the room held a four-drawer dresser, desk, and chair. She spotted two additional doors and a wall panel as well. Checking one of the doors, Aria found an empty closet that held a broom and some other cleaning supplies. The panel opened when touched at the top. Inside was a small chute. She guessed it was for garbage since it was only a few inches wide. The other door led to a small bathroom, complete with a tub and cabinet that was filled with towels, and wash cloths. The vanity¡¯s drawers held personal items ranging from a hairbrush to soap to deodorant. All were brands she had used while at school. The toilet was a bidet with a built-in air dryer. That¡¯s surprising. I figured they would have gone with the cheap option and just put in a shower as well as stocked toilet paper. Aria ignored the mirror above the sink and vanity. She checked the dresser and found a few pairs of sweats, socks, and underwear. All looked clean and were folded neatly. In the bottom right drawer were a pair of running shoes and a pair of open toe sandals in her size. Who puts shoes in drawers? I suppose I should get out of this hospital gown and try the clothes on. She checked the clothes. Yep, these are in my size according to the labels. I hope they¡¯re not tight, Aria thought. She sighed again. I bet none of the bras fit well. * The bras did not fit well. In fact, they didn¡¯t fit at all. This idealized me has a bigger bust, Aria thought. She guesstimated her size by feel. What the hell! I bet I¡¯m a C cup now. Who¡¯s idealized version of me is this? I was happy with my boob size. These panties are awfully tight, and they itch. She felt and glanced at her waist as much as she could. Damnit! Even my ass and hips are bigger! I¡¯ll go without underwear. * Aria sat on the bed and finished getting dressed by putting on a pair of socks. At least I¡¯m not any taller and the pants and socks fit. Thank God the sweatshirt is baggy too. Everything itches my skin. She tried on the sandals. They fit as well. Aria kicked off the sandals and sat on the bed. She fumed at this twist of fate. Eventually she fell asleep. * ¡°Rise and shine sleepyhead,¡± a deep baritone voice said, waking Aria up. ¡°Piss off!¡± Aria shouted. She rolled over. Strange. I¡¯m not angry and got over being mad quickly yesterday before I fell asleep.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You have 5 minutes to shit, shower, make your bed, and get dressed. After that you will be standing at the door waiting to go to orientation,¡± the man said, taking her from her thoughts. ¡°I told you to piss off. I¡¯m sleepy and not in the mood.¡± ¡°Girl. You do not want me to enter that room and get you up.¡± Aria sat up after it dawned on her his voice was coming from inside her head. ¡°How the hell are you talking to me in my head?¡± ¡°Your implant allows for two-way communication You now have 4 minutes.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Aria cursed. But she still got up and went to the bathroom a couple of minutes later scratching at where the clothing had touched her skin. * Aria kept brushing her teeth as she heard the room door open. Her eyes flicked up to the mirror and she saw a large Polynesian man wearing a uniform standing in the doorway. ¡°You¡¯re not where you¡¯re supposed to be recruit.¡± The man said. Aria spat toothpaste into the sink and rinsed her mouth out. ¡°I¡¯m not a recruit. I¡¯m a freaking monster,¡± Aria said, gesturing to her eyes and ears. She had found hair ties in one of the vanity drawers and put her hair up into a ponytail. ¡°I¡¯m surprised I don¡¯t have fangs.¡± She saw a muscle in his cheek twitch. How did I pick up that detail? I never would have before. ¡°No, I suppose you¡¯re not a recruit nor a volunteer,¡± the man said after a moment. ¡°You¡¯re not a monster either. You¡¯ll meet some of those later.¡± What does he mean? It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not going to cooperate with these people. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Aria said. ¡°I never asked for any of this.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if you did or didn¡¯t ask for this. It¡¯s my job to prepare you for what is to come regardless of how you feel about it,¡± the man said. ¡°My name is gunnery sergeant Tupu Hauora. You may address me as sergeant, sarge, or gunny.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Sergeant Hauora but I just want to go home.¡± ¡°Baird, this is your home now.¡± Aria frowned. Before she could speak a notice popped into her vision. She blinked and a message appeared. What the hell? Private Message: Baird, I realize you don¡¯t care what the powers that be want. That said, if you value your parents¡¯ lives, you will cooperate. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Aria asked in disbelief. The sergeant just glanced up. ¡°You¡¯re spying on me? There are cameras in this room?¡± She felt violated all over again. ¡°No. There are motion sensors in this room though,¡± the gunny replied. ¡°And there are cameras in all communal areas including hallways.¡± That doesn¡¯t make me feel any better, Aria thought. ¡°Is that supposed to reassure me or something?¡± ¡°Nope. But at least you have your privacy in this room,¡± the sergeant answered. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s take a walk and visit the cafeteria. You haven¡¯t eaten in a year. We¡¯ll talk.¡± How can it have been a year since I¡¯ve eaten anything? It can¡¯t be. I need answers like why I was given clothes that are itchy, Aria thought as she scratched her left wrist. The rising panic started to fade away almost as soon as it had started. ¡°Fine,¡± Aria agreed. ¡°I have questions I want answers to.¡± 6 The sergeant had taken Aria to a conference room after she had eaten breakfast. She had eaten more in that one sitting that she could ever recall eating before. At least the food was good, Aria mused as a screen turned on with information already on it. She was doing her best not to scratch where she was itching. User: Aria Baird Class: None Level: 1 Trait Stats Physical: 7 Mental: 8 Personal: 9 ¡°As you can see, these are your base stats as determined by AI and experts,¡± the technician said. ¡°What? You ripped off video games?¡± Aria asked, her lyric soprano voice filled with mirth. The tech frowned but nodded. Her mellifluous laughter soon filled the room. ¡°Where¡¯s the charisma stat? Where¡¯s the dexterity stat? How much experience do I need to advance a level?¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± the tech coughed, making her laugh harder. He blushed. Oh my God! This guy is probably the one that came up with this gimmick and presented it to Roth or whoever is in charge. Those thoughts made her laugh hard enough, her eyes watered. ¡°Are you done, Baird?¡± Gunny asked. She smiled and wiped her eyes. The tech choked as his eyes locked on her chest. The sergeant sighed. ¡°Collingsworth, continue your presentation.¡± Another private message appeared in Aria¡¯s vision. This time it stated who it was from. Sergeant Hauora: Baird, stop giving Collingsworth a hard time. And for the love of all that is holy, why are you not wearing a bra You¡¯ll drive the young man mad. Aria quirked her head. She thought about replying to the gunny¡¯s message. Surprisingly, it worked. Aria Baird: Oh, come on! You¡¯re young enough to have played video games. This crap is a rip off and funny. And how do you know I¡¯m not wearing a bra? They didn¡¯t fit. Neither did the panties. ¡°Right sarge,¡± the tech replied, unaware of the messages being sent. Hauora scowled at Aria. She grinned back. Sergeant Hauora: Baird, look in the mirror when you return to your room and watch how you move now. I saw pictures of you pre change. You were pretty. Now you¡¯re beautiful. And like all attractive women, even your smile has an effect on heterosexual men. Especially young ones like Collingsworth. Aria Baird: But not you? Sergeant Hauora: I¡¯m older and wiser. Plus, I¡¯m not into young girls. Aria Baird: I¡¯m not a young girl. Sergeant Hauora: You¡¯re 21. You¡¯re a young girl still. Look me up if you live to your 40s and we¡¯ll discuss things over a beer with my husband. Aria Baird: Oh! But¡­ Sergeant Hauora: No buts. Pay attention to Collingsworth. This stuff is important for your future. Aria nodded to the gunny. Those messages transmit at the speed of thought. I wonder how they do that. ¡°Right. So, your physical trait represents anything physical,¡± the tech said. ¡°You know, dexterity, strength, etc.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Aria replied, giving into an itch on her right leg and scratching it. The sergeant looked questioningly at her but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Mental is your intelligence, wisdom, how fast you learn, etc.¡± Collingsworth continued. ¡°And personal?¡± Aria asked. ¡°That¡¯s everything else. Your charisma, looks, personality, hobbies, interests, and such,¡± Collingsworth answered. ¡°So, this is all an excuse to rate someone¡¯s, namely my looks?¡± Aria inquired, smiling sweetly. Say yes and I¡¯ll cuss you out after punching you in the nose. ¡°Uh¡­¡± the tech muttered. ¡°It better not had been,¡± the gunny said. ¡°It¡¯s not sarge! Honest,¡± Collingsworth replied. ¡°But we had to quantify every aspect of everybody in the projects. That included their looks.¡± ¡°And?¡± the sergeant asked. ¡°We figured it would be best to lump that kind of thing in with all the other personal stuff,¡± the tech answered. ¡°In Aria¡¯s case, elves have a baseline of 7 compared to normal humans having a baseline of 5.¡± ¡°Wait! There are others that have been changed like me?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Not exactly,¡± the tech muttered. ¡°Continue with your briefing Collingsworth,¡± Gunny ordered. He had been advised of what kind of criteria the techs had come up with and was curious. He had just been told he would be working with people that could keep up with special forces soldiers and train them accordingly. ¡°Any other subjects and projects are not germane to this discussion.¡± ¡°What do you want to know?¡± the tech asked. ¡°How did you come up with those baselines?¡± the sergeant answered. ¡°I¡¯d like to know that too,¡± Aria chimed in. I¡¯d love to know more about the other projects too. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s take physical for example,¡± Collingsworth said. ¡°We used what is considered average for normal humans based off research and AI computations to reach the human baseline of 5 out of 10. The same is true for the other stats based off our best estimates.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Gunny said. ¡°So, we figured a very athletic person would be a 6 whereas an overweight or really unathletic person would be a 4 at best,¡± Collingsworth said. ¡°We decided an Olympic level athlete would be a 7.¡± ¡°Same as¡­ elves?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Yes,¡± the tech replied. ¡°The scientists and Dr Roth assured us that elves would at the least be the equivalent of an Olympic athlete. And before either of you ask, 10 is the current highest rating though we think stats can go higher and prepared the system for that possibility.¡± ¡°Alright,¡¯ the sarge said. ¡°The same for the other stats?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the tech answered. ¡°But my other stats are higher,¡± Aria pointed out. She was amazed she was feeling so calm now and wondered if whatever changes had been made had something to do with that calmness. ¡°True,¡± Collingsworth agreed. ¡°How did you reach those ratings?¡± the gunny asked before Aria could. ¡°We know from IQ and other tests that Aria is above average in intelligence. Plus, she had graduated a little early and was set to start her doctorate program before her accident,¡± Collingsworth answered. ¡°So, with the implant being able to help with memory and learning, we figured she would be a step above average there as well.¡± ¡°The implant can do what?¡± Aria asked, scratching at her lower back. ¡°These clothes suck!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get to what the implant can do later,¡± the sarge said. ¡°What about her last stat?¡± ¡°We dinged her a bit for her lack of charisma. We were led to believe that she would be quieter and more reserved than she has shown so far,¡± the tech replied. ¡°Plus, she¡¯s never shown any sort of leadership skills or made people want to follow her like celebrities and leaders can.¡± ¡°Hey! You wake up from a coma completely changed and see how you like it!¡± Aria objected. ¡°And I had plenty of guys willing to follow me around.¡± God, I sound so lame defending my looks! ¡°That¡¯s completely understandable,¡± Collingsworth quickly said. The sergeant gestured for him to get on with it. ¡°Her musical talent made us bump up her rating as do her¡­ looks. Honestly, Aria, you¡¯re gorgeous.¡± ¡°Ugh. Maybe I should scratch up my face,¡± Aria muttered. ¡°The scratches would heal quickly,¡± Collingsworth replied. ¡°And how does Aria and the others improve their stats and levels?¡± the gunny asked, bringing the conversation back on track. ¡°By doing things that push their attributes,¡± the tech answered. ¡°Run marathons, learn new things, and the like.¡± ¡°Does that include the downloaded skills?¡± Sergeant Hauora asked. ¡°No sir,¡± Collingsworth replied. Downloaded skills? Like the old Matrix movie? Aria wondered. She asked them. ¡°Exactly,¡± Collingsworth happily answered. ¡°That¡¯s how we¡¯re going to give you the skills you¡¯ll need to survive.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aria asked. ¡°That¡¯s not important right now Baird. What is important is finding your limits and teaching you how to use your new senses. Getting you some better fitting clothing is needed as well,¡± Gunny Hauora said. Seeing her expression, he added, ¡°Even if you disagree.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aria asked. ¡°I know you can hear better than normal folks and see better as well,¡± the gunny said. ¡°Doctor Roth or one of her assistants will talk with you about that tomorrow.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ve been in a coma for months. I get woken up after being changed into some kind of Frankenstein¡¯s monster with¡­ enhanced senses and video game stats,¡± Aria said. ¡°And since you¡¯re a sergeant, I guess that Dr Roth wants to test me for military use?¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± Collingsworth murmured under his breath. ¡°Except for the monster bit.¡± ¡°I heard that,¡± Aria said. Collingsworth blushed. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. This is some sort of sick joke or I¡¯m still in a coma.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Sergeant Hauora replied. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get you some new clothing. Thanks Collingsworth.¡± 7 ¡°As you may have noticed, your enhanced senses extend to your sense of touch,¡± Sergeant Hauora stated. ¡°That¡¯s why you keep itching.¡± ¡°This really sucks,¡± Aria complained, ignoring the sarcasm. ¡°Who decided an enhanced sense of touch was a good idea?¡± ¡°Some of the scientists,¡± Gunny answered with a shrug as he led her down another corridor. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°Supply depot. They can fabricate some new clothing for you right on the spot,¡± the sergeant answered. ¡°I was going to start testing your physical fitness this afternoon, but getting you outfitted properly is more important.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aria said. ¡°Is a man in charge there or a woman?¡± ¡°Not sure. Why?¡± ¡°No offense, but men don¡¯t have a clue when it comes to fit and bras.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Gunny Hauora replied. ¡°I¡¯ll send a message ahead about that.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Hauora said. Under his breath he mumbled, ¡°They should have started this project with a man that wouldn¡¯t have these issues.¡± Aria smiled. ¡°Even a guy would be scratching if he was itching this bad, especially his¡­ junk.¡± ¡°Blasted enhanced hearing,¡± the sergeant muttered. * ¡°Yeah, this is polyester junk,¡± Hannah Humphries, one of the supply depot supervisors, stated after checking the tag on Aria¡¯s sweatshirt. ¡°We should have known better and considered your enhanced touch before fabricating those clothes. You have my apologies.¡± ¡°Can you fab something that will work for her?¡± Gunny Hauora asked. ¡°Oh yes. It¡¯ll be more expensive though,¡± Hannah answered. The sergeant shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t come out of my training budget.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll fab up some silk socks and underwear as well as some 100% cotton sweatsuits and other training clothes,¡± Hannah announced. ¡°Won¡¯t the silk rip easily?¡± Hauora asked. ¡°No. I¡¯ll use the synthetic spider silk that we use for troop uniforms, which is stronger than steel,¡± Hannah answered. The sergeant grinned and nodded. ¡°This next part is girl talk Gunny. So, you might not want to hear it.¡± ¡°Ignore me then,¡± Hauora replied as he leaned against a wall. ¡°I have paperwork to read over.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Aria muttered as he seemed to zone out. ¡°He¡¯s using his implant,¡± Hannah explained. ¡°Now, tell me about the most comfortable and best fitting bra you¡¯ve ever owned.¡± * ¡°Aria, this is Jessica Kennedy,¡± the sergeant said by way of introduction the next morning after an early breakfast. ¡°Jessica is one of Dr Roth¡¯s assistants and can explain everything about your implant and senses.¡± She¡¯s probably a decade older than I am, Aria thought. She examined the tall blonde. Nice blue eyes but I doubt she needs those glasses. Probably wears them to make people take her more seriously since she¡¯s pretty. ¡°Hi,¡± Aria said. She smiled. Jessica smiled back. That¡¯s a fake smile. It doesn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Hi,¡± Jessica replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to be brief and keep things as simple as I can.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Aria said. I bet she thinks I¡¯m dumb or a nepo baby. Then again, maybe she just doesn¡¯t like what I am now. ¡°In short, your implant is a fully functional state of the art computer complete with worldwide network access,¡± Jessica said. ¡°Your permissions are restricted at this time though.¡± ¡°Does this implant have a hard drive?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Of a sort,¡± Jessica answered. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°The implant uses a quartz crystal for storage,¡± a man said as he walked into the room. Jessica and the sergeant frowned. He¡¯s cute and looks only a year or two older than me, Aria thought. ¡°You guys put a crystal in my brain?¡± ¡°Basically, yeah. It¡¯s small and you wouldn¡¯t have ever known it was there if we didn¡¯t tell you about it,¡± the man answered. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering what sort of storage space you have, it¡¯s 360 terabytes.¡± Aria whistled, making the man smile. Yep. Definitely cute. And that¡¯s a real smile. ¡°Aria, this is Dr Craig Clarkson,¡± the sergeant said. ¡°He¡¯s Dr Roth¡¯s top assistant and the designer of your implant.¡± ¡°Doctor?¡± Aria asked. He¡¯s young to be a doctor, but strange things have happened including me. ¡°I have PhDs in three different subjects and got my first one when I turned 18,¡± Craig replied. ¡°So, you¡¯re a regular Doogie Hauser,¡± Aria quipped. Gunny Hauora barked a laugh while Jessica frowned. Craig smiled again. He might be older than I thought and just look young. ¡°Almost,¡± Dr Clarkson replied. ¡°Anyway, that much storage space was needed for your skill downloads.¡± ¡°Downloads?¡± Aria asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten to that part yet,¡± Jessica said. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to implant knowledge into me like in The Matrix?¡± Aria asked. Craig smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve seen that old flick and know about Hauser,¡± Gunny said. ¡°Dad likes the movie, and we watch it once a year on his birthday,¡± Aria explained. ¡°The show I read about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice, but we have more information to go over,¡± Jessica said. Over the next hour Aria learned her eyesight was on par with an eagle¡¯s. In fact, her eyes were some kind of hybrid cross of human, eagle, and owl. This enabled her to see further, with greater acuity, and much better at night. Her hearing was on par with a cat¡¯s. Her senses of touch, taste, and smell were higher than a human¡¯s, but not to the point that it equaled other animals. Craig let it slip that the orc project had that sort of sense of smell. ¡°This is why this part of the facility is hermetically sealed,¡± Jessica stated. ¡°Otherwise, you would probably be sick all the time until you adjust to your new reality.¡± ¡°We also have your implant helping dull your senses,¡± Dr Clarkson added. ¡°We¡¯ll lessen that damping over the next few weeks as you adjust.¡± ¡°Great. So, I have a dog¡¯s sense of smell?¡± ¡°No. Your sense of smell is roughly a fourth of that of a cat¡¯s. Which is roughly 3.5 times that of a normal human,¡± Jessica answered. ¡°In case you¡¯re wondering, your senses of touch and taste are about the same.¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t thought about it or noticed, we¡¯ve been feeding you bland foods and a few of your favorites according to your parents,¡± Gunny said. ¡°It was decided to break those senses in slowly and that these foods would help with the adjustment.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still going to have to make you taste and smell things you don¡¯t like or that¡­ well, smell bad,¡± Craig added. ¡°You¡¯ll also come to find out that your body no longer produces the odor normal people do after getting hot or doing physical activity.¡± ¡°Yep. I¡¯m a freak,¡± Aria muttered. Jessica grinned as the sergeant frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not a freak,¡± Dr Clarkson retorted. ¡°You are special though.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Aria sarcastically replied. Maybe I can get him to up my implant permissions and get some music and books or something that I want vs the crappy entertainment videos they¡¯ve given me access to. Then I can also see about hacking the damn implant and getting out of here or at least stop them from tracking me with it. Because I¡¯m sure they¡¯re doing that even if the good sarge says it¡¯s just motion sensors and hall cameras. Even if I can¡¯t escape from here, perhaps an opportunity will present itself when the gunny takes me out for training. ¡°Can I get access to the storage crystal and some more permissions for my implant?¡± ¡°No!¡± Jessica immediately answered. ¡°Why do you want that? Hauora asked. ¡°I want some music, books, or other entertainment,¡± Aria answered. ¡°I also want to talk to my parents and friends.¡± The gunny grimaced while Jessica frowned. Craig just looked thoughtful. ¡°What? Have my parents been asking for me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Dr Clarkson answered. ¡°And I think I can convince Dr Roth to allow you those other things as well. She¡¯s already promised your parents communication with you. As for your implant, you won¡¯t be able to play games though it will store every book and music you want. The implant¡¯s operating system isn¡¯t designed for gaming.¡± ¡°Being able to talk to my folks, read some books, and listen to whatever music I want is enough for me,¡± Aria replied. 8-10 8 Aria turned on the water to get hot. A bath is tempting, but I honestly just want to lay down, so a shower will do. She turned and looked into the mirror. She started to turn away after noticing her eyes. No! Look at yourself. Aria looked and didn¡¯t like what she saw. Pale-yellow eyes instead of her green ones, long black hair with the tips of pointed ears sticking through it, and that perfect skin. I guess those guys were telling the truth. People would say I¡¯m beautiful if they could get past my eyes and ears. But this isn¡¯t me, is it? Aria did what the sarge recommended after calming down. She walked in front of the mirror and noticed a change. The change just wasn¡¯t in the jiggle of certain body parts either. I move as gracefully as a dancer even though I¡¯ve never been able to dance. What did they do to me? Those pale-yellow orbs watered up. A few seconds later, Aria sat in the bathtub under the shower spray with her arms wrapped around her knees and let the tears fall. A part of her realized her emotions had overcome whatever dampening effect the implant had, but the rest didn¡¯t care. Another small part of her realized that the hot water didn¡¯t burn her though the pounding water both irritated her skin and felt good at the same time. Aria cried not just for what she had become nor for what she had lost, but she also cried for the loss of innocence she feared was yet to come. * Aria Baird: Hi Hannah. Thanks for the new sheets. They were a pleasant surprise. Hannah Humphries: You¡¯re welcome. Enjoy the silk! Don¡¯t tell anyone, but I fabricated a set for myself. Aria Baird: Don¡¯t worry, my lips are sealed. Hannah Humphries: 10-4. Let me know if you need anything else. Silk? No wonder the sheets felt so soft and smooth, Aria thought. I wonder if they¡¯re spoiling me as a bribe. She sighed. Best not to think about that sort of thing. It¡¯ll drive me crazy and not trust a soul. She considered getting up and dressed. She also considered going back to sleep. There was barely any light coming through the window. Sergeant Hauora: Rise and shine. It¡¯s another glorious day in the corps! You¡¯ve got 10 minutes to do whatever you need to do. Dress for running. Corps? Does Gunny think this is the marines? Aria Baird: Are you sure there¡¯s no cameras in this room? I¡¯m not a marine either. Sergeant Hauora: Positive and force of habit. I¡¯m still adjusting to the corporate world. Aria Baird: It¡¯s still dark out. Sergeant Hauora: It¡¯s 0600. We¡¯re burning daylight. What time is that? A handy little clock appeared in the top right corner of her vision showing that it was 6AM. The clock faded away. That¡¯s neat and creepy. This implant thing is reading my thoughts. Aria Baird: Fine. I¡¯m up. Are we going outside to run on the track? Sergeant Hauora: Negative. You¡¯ll start training in the gym on a treadmill. You need to adjust to how your senses before we explore the great outdoors. You now have 9 minutes. Asshole! Aria thought. Shorts, leggings, or sweatpants today? Sweatpants over shorts since I imagine he¡¯ll make me work hard and I¡¯m not sure how the breeze from running will feel over bare legs. This way I¡¯ll be prepared like a boy scout. * Aria was frowning when the sergeant opened her door. ¡°Aria, what¡¯s wrong with you this morning?¡± ¡°These running shoes aren¡¯t comfortable at all.¡± ¡°They¡¯re new.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not just that they¡¯re new. They fit, but they hurt my feet.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have a problem with the sandals.¡± ¡°Those were Birkenstock slide clones,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Besides, sandals are almost always comfortable.¡± ¡°Say no more,¡± Sergeant Hauora said. ¡°We¡¯ll pick up a new pair of running shoes after breakfast.¡± * ¡°Aria, why are you slowing down?¡± Gunny Hauora asked. ¡°You¡¯ve only been up at a decent running speed for 30 minutes.¡± He says that as if I¡¯ve been a runner for years and should be doing better. ¡°I¡¯m getting hot, and these sweatpants feel like they want to fall off.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time for you to go change.¡± ¡°Relax Gunny. I¡¯m wearing shorts under the pants,¡± Aria said. She stopped walking after a couple of minutes and took the pants off. ¡°Hey Gunny. Do you know why I don¡¯t have hair on my legs or anywhere else for that matter? I mean, I was in a coma for months. Hair should have grown everywhere unless someone was shaving me.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. And no, nobody was shaving you.¡± That¡¯s a relief. Aria heard one of the techs monitoring the session mutter something about her being lucky to not need to shave again because of the process that turned her into an elf to her coworker. ¡°Huh. Guess they did something to me,¡± Aria said, pointing at the techs. ¡°She said I¡¯m lucky and that I don¡¯t need to shave again.¡± Aria heard the tech squeak and shook her head. They should know I can hear anything in this gym. She put the new running shoes back on and took a sip of water from the provided water bottle. ¡°Ready?¡± the sergeant asked. ¡°Ready,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Though some music or a book would be nice.¡± Gunny growled. Aria grinned and started running again. * ¡°You¡¯ve done good,¡± the sergeant said after checking with the techs. ¡°You were able to run for four hours straight. And your pace was good enough to equal that of someone that has been running for a few years.¡± ¡°I have no idea what that means,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Mostly that you¡¯re above human normal by quite a bit even if you¡¯ve never been a runner before. I¡¯ll have you at the elven estimated baseline in a week or two.¡± ¡°Joy. Does this mean I get to use the restroom and get some lunch now?¡± ¡°Indeed, it does. Don¡¯t eat a heavy meal though. We have more testing to do this afternoon including weight training.¡± ¡°Ugh. Shoot me instead,¡± Aria muttered. ¡°And speak for yourself about the meal. My body is demanding nourishment. I plan on eating a whole cow or at least a large pizza.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Could be a side effect of the change or her nanobots demanding more nutrients,¡± one of the techs said. ¡°I¡¯ll send it up to the scientists to investigate.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Gunny replied to the tech. Dr Clarkson: Aria, just wanted to let you know that Dr Roth has approved for you to have unlimited communications with your parents and unlimited access to the book, music, and entertainment libraries. You¡¯ll have the necessary permissions in a few minutes. Aria Baird: Thanks Doc! She smiled and told the sergeant about the message. ¡°Yeah, Clarkson copied me on the message. You can talk to your parents this evening until your heart is content,¡± Gunny Hauora said. ¡°And before you ask, you¡¯ll have to figure out how to access the libraries on your own. Consider it training.¡± ¡°The interface is easy. I¡¯m already searching for music,¡± Aria replied. 9 ¡°Hello,¡± Piper Baird, said answering the call with uncertainty. The call was coming from an unknown caller, and she had only answered because whoever it was had called four times in two minutes and she hoped it was someone with an update on Aria. ¡°Hi mom. It¡¯s me,¡± Aria said in greeting. ¡°Aria?¡± Piper questioned. Then she yelled, ¡°Mike!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Aria heard her dad ask. She wiped her eyes. Don¡¯t cry! ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Aria!¡± her mom answered. She heard her dad join the call. ¡°Sweetie, we¡¯ve been so worried!¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Is that really you, baby?¡± her dad asked. ¡°Yeah dad, it¡¯s me,¡± Aria confirmed. She heard her parents start to sob. Her own tears started to fall as they started to talk and catch up. * ¡°Mom, dad, I have a question,¡± Aria said an hour later. ¡°What is it?¡± Mike asked. ¡°You can ask us anything,¡± Piper added. Aria took a deep breath. ¡°Why did you let them do this to me?¡± ¡°We wanted you to live and return to us,¡± her mother answered. ¡°We couldn¡¯t stand to see you so hurt,¡± her dad added. ¡°Why not just let me die?¡± ¡°We never could have done that either,¡± Mike replied. ¡°Aria sweetie, we¡¯ve always wanted the best for you,¡± Piper said. ¡°And yes, we pushed you at times, but that was because what we pushed for like your music was what we thought was the best thing for you. Making sure you live was what was best for you even if you don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°No parent should ever have to see their child die,¡± her dad said, adding another reason to their decision. ¡°And whatever I mumbled when I was drugged was enough for Dr Roth and the company to consider legal consent,¡± Aria said. ¡°Yes,¡± her mother agreed. ¡°You can hate us if you need or want to,¡± Mike said. ¡°Oh dad. I don¡¯t hate you or mom,¡± Aria replied as her eyes teared up again. ¡°I could never do that. But do you have any idea about what they have done to me?¡± ¡°No baby,¡± Piper answered. ¡°We were only told there would be some changes including your eyes since they had to be replaced.¡± ¡°I was also promised you wouldn¡¯t be turned into some kind of freaky monster with animal ears,¡± Mike added. ¡°I am a freak, and my eyes are yellow now,¡± Aria said, a touch of bitterness in her voice. She heard the gasp from bother her parents. ¡°I even have pointed ears now. They¡¯re sort of knife or maybe leaf shaped.¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± her mom exclaimed. Aria heard her dad slam a hand into something and curse. ¡°Mike?¡± ¡°Dad?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Roth turned you into an elf, didn¡¯t she?¡± her dad asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Elf? What are you talking about?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Like a Christmas elf or one from Tolkien?¡± ¡°Tolkien,¡± Mike replied. ¡°What? Why?¡± Piper nearly screamed. Aria heard her mother step away from her phone and start cursing. Mom is really ticked off, Aria thought. A smile touched her lips. ¡°Uh, mom. I can still hear you.¡± The cursing got louder, and she heard footsteps. Guess dad is trying to calm her down. A couple of minutes later, her parents returned to the call. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sweetie,¡± her mom said. ¡°So, you have great hearing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told it¡¯ll be roughly on par with a cat¡¯s hearing,¡± Aria replied. ¡°They¡¯ve told me I have to adjust to my new senses.¡± ¡°Senses?¡± Mike repeated. Aria told them about everything she had been told so far. She heard her dad curse under his breath. ¡°Sorry baby. I don¡¯t like for you to hear me or your mom cursing.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s alright dad. I¡¯ve said much worse since I woke up,¡± Aria replied. ¡°At least wearing silk all the time isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Piper said. Aria could hear the smile in her mom¡¯s voice and knew she was trying to cheer her up. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll keep letting me wear silk,¡± Aria countered. Maybe they will. It is spider silk after all. ¡°But I hope they do. The bra fits amazingly well.¡± Her dad coughed. Aria and her mom laughed. ¡°I know where you¡¯re at,¡± Mike said, to change the subject. ¡°Roth¡¯s facility is in Blacksburg. We¡¯ll be there as quickly as we can to see you. Hopefully, just a few days but it might be a week or two if Roth plays hardball.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯ll allow that,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Roth won¡¯t have a choice,¡± Mike countered. ¡°I haven¡¯t just been sitting around worrying the last year or so. I¡¯ve called in some favors that go high enough up the chain that Roth won¡¯t be able to refuse our visiting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that visiting is a good idea,¡± Aria quietly said. I want to see and hug them, but what if they just put them in Roth¡¯s clutches? And what if the changes made to me disgust them? ¡°I really don¡¯t look like I did before.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯d still be our baby girl even if you had a tail,¡± Piper replied. Then in a more cheerful sounding voice, her mother added, ¡°besides, aren¡¯t elves supposed to be beautiful?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± her dad laughed. ¡°So, are you beautiful sweetie?¡± Piper asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Aria answered. ¡°You¡¯ve always had issues accepting compliments and accepting your looks,¡± her mother replied. ¡°And you¡¯ve always told me I¡¯m prettier than I am,¡± Aria countered. Or was. ¡°Don¡¯t argue,¡± Mike said. ¡°We can catch sleeping beauty up on what she missed this past year.¡± ¡°That reminds me. Is my apartment still mine?¡± Aria said. ¡°Afraid not,¡± Piper answered. ¡°But we did get your clothes and stuff before the company threw it away.¡± They talked about any and everything for another three hours. It was a much-needed balm to Aria¡¯s soul. * ¡°Why did the company make our daughter an elf?¡± Piper asked after they ended the call with Aria so she could get some sleep. ¡°I suppose Roth saw the opportunity and took it,¡± Mike answered. ¡°Just how bad are these changes going to be?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve been able to find out, Aria will be beautiful and except for her eyes, her ears will be no worse than some of the prosthetic ears used in movies.¡± Piper used a tablet to alter a picture of Aria to look like an elf with yellow eyes and more angular features. ¡°Something like this?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not so bad,¡± Piper said, putting the tablet down. ¡°What else have you heard about Roth¡¯s project?¡± ¡°The first version of the elves was supposed to be slightly stronger and faster than normal people and have the pointed ears. With few exceptions, most are also no taller than 5¡¯6¡± tall.¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Piper said. ¡°But Aria is only 5¡¯2¡±, so she¡¯ll fit right in unless these changes have made her taller.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say she was taller, so I think not,¡± Mike replied. ¡°From what I can remember reading, the elves in the stories were all slight and slender. So, that means they would be smaller than humans but taller than dwarves.¡± ¡°Oh. Are there dwarves too?¡± Piper asked. Mike nodded. ¡°What other changes were supposed to be done to these new elves?¡± ¡°There are rumors of slightly better healing abilities, stamina, and the like along with hearing and vision, but nothing like Aria said has been done to her. I think this means Roth or someone higher up decided to push the envelope and decided our baby girl was a suitable test subject since Aria needed new eyes.¡± ¡°So, they made our daughter into some kind of bioweapon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Mike answered. ¡°And I¡¯m glad in a way.¡± ¡°Mike! How could you?¡± Piper demanded. ¡°Because there are also rumors that some of the elves are being prepped to be¡­ companions.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Beautiful young women and men have always been used for¡­ other things throughout history.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s super soldier or whore for the elites?¡± Piper exclaimed. Mike put his arm around his wife. She snuggled into his side. ¡°Those two or tossed into Southland to populate the villages, towns, and work some menial job until some tourist decides to take things too far,¡± Mike replied as calmly as he could. ¡°At least this way Aria has a fighting chance to come home to us.¡± 10 Aria started poking around the implant¡¯s OS after getting off the call with her parents. In some ways this operating system is simpler and more complex than any I¡¯ve worked with before. Seems if I think it, the OS does it. A map of the facility wouldn¡¯t appear in her vision after trying to summon one. Ok. I guess not everything is just a thought away. She glanced at the door. Nope. The door won¡¯t unlock either. Authorization required to unlock door. See a systems administrator for authorization. She dismissed the notice. Yeah, they¡¯re not going to give me that any time soon. Aria considered what she needed to do. Getting used to my new senses is the first thing because trying to navigate the world with cat like hearing sounds like a pain in the butt. I think I can handle my new vision even if I¡¯m not trained in how to take advantage of it. The other senses will probably be a pain too. So, how can the implant help with adjusting to the new me? She thought about it for a few minutes and snapped her fingers when an idea came to her. Aria flinched from the snap noise. Well, that¡¯s one way but I¡¯d get bored snapping my fingers constantly. Aria forced herself back on the task at hand. They gave me permission to download and stream music from their libraries. Nobody told me how to play the music though. Then again, I didn¡¯t ask either. So, I can assume the implant can connect to speakers in this room and perhaps others places like the gym. That or the implant can play music directly into my head where only I can hear it. She scratched an itch on her left earlobe where her hair had brushed against it. Connect to available speakers. Room speakers connected. ¡°It worked!¡± Aria exclaimed. ¡°Play The Four Seasons by Vivaldi.¡± Why am I talking aloud like a moron? Aria wondered. The violin blared as Spring started playing. Aria screamed and covered her ears. That hurts! ¡°Mute!¡± The music muted. She rubbed her temples until the pain receded. Aria checked the speaker volume and turned it down. At least this isn¡¯t Tchaikovsky¡¯s 1812 Overture with cannons. That thought made her smile. She knew she would have to work up to that song. I should probably download some rock and metal once I¡¯m ready to push myself. That stuff is always loud. Let¡¯s try this again. Unmute. The music started but was still too loud. She kept adjusting the volume until it was at a comfortable level, which was lower than what she would have listened to before. Aria disconnected the room speakers and played the music in her head. Neat! It sounds like I¡¯m wearing earbuds but I¡¯m not. She experimented a bit and found she could play music in both ears, the left only, or the right only. She reconnected to the room speakers. That¡¯s awesome. The music is at the same volume no matter which method I use to listen to it. She went to the bathroom and prepared for bed while the music played over speakers in there in addition to the bedroom after she had reconnected to the room speakers. Aria got into bed and pulled up a partial list of books she had downloaded. She chose a book to read and started reading it. Ok, this is going to take some getting used to. No matter which way she turned her head the text stayed in front of her in a semi-transparent state just like the notices and messages. That¡¯s sort of neat and isn¡¯t too distracting. She closed her eyes, and the text disappeared. When she opened them a couple of minutes later, the book was still there along with a notice asking if she wanted to continue reading. Aria declined to keep reading and dismissed the notice stating a bookmark was placed and the book would open at the same spot the next time she wanted to read that book. Aria closed her eyes and listened to Summer. The Vivaldi classic was a fantastic piece, but it was a little on the long side too. She drifted off to sleep as Fall gave way to Winter. * ¡°Enjoy the talk with your parents?¡± Sergeant Hauora asked after they started walking toward the commissary for breakfast. ¡°Very much. They want to visit,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Of course they do,¡± the sarge said. ¡°Might not be a good idea though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said, but dad thinks he has the pull to swing it. And honestly, I want to see them too.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± the gunny said. ¡°I wish your dad luck.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Aria replied. They fell silent and she started playing Mozart as they walked. Soon she was humming along. ¡°What are you humming?¡± Gunny Hauora asked. ¡°Mozart¡¯s Overture from The Marriage of Figaro,¡± Aria answered. ¡°You¡¯ve probably heard it since it¡¯s been used in several movies over the years.¡± ¡°Glad to see you¡¯ve figured out how to control your implant to that level.¡± ¡°It was pretty easy once I got the volume down enough.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see that being a pain for you,¡± Hauora said. He grinned. ¡°You¡¯re young. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re a classical music fan and not a what are they called, oh yeah, a Swiftie.¡± ¡°Ugh. Just because I¡¯m young doesn¡¯t automatically mean I like Swift¡¯s music,¡± Aria retorted. ¡°Her stuff shouldn¡¯t even be called music.¡± Gunny Hauora laughed. ¡°You won¡¯t get any disagreement from me. I prefer jazz, the blues, and older country western music.¡± ¡°Jazz isn¡¯t bad. Neither are the blues,¡± Aria agreed. ¡°I can¡¯t recall listening to older country music though. Some of the newer country stuff I heard before my accident is a lot like pop, hip hop, and rock though.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not as good,¡± the sarge said. ¡°So, what got you into classical music?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t read it in my file?¡± Aria inquired. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve played the piano and violin since I was four.¡± ¡°Yeah, I do remember reading that you were a musical talent,¡± Hauora said. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize you are a prodigy though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m a prodigy. I gave up playing music when I was in high school.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wanted to fit in with the other kids and got tired of performing in events my mother planned,¡± Aria answered. Seeing the gunny glance at her, she continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t work though. The other kids had already formed their cliques, and I was still left out of a lot of parties and such anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah, that happens.¡± ¡°Anyway, things had gotten better in college, and I made some friends. I even started teaching myself how to play the guitar just for the fun of it.¡± ¡°Did you get any good?¡± the gunny asked as they got in line to get their breakfasts. ¡°I guess. Others liked my playing at least.¡± ¡°Like I said, you¡¯re a prodigy,¡± Sergeant Hauora said with a smile. She smiled back and shrugged. 11-15 11 ¡°Really Gunny? Weights?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Yes. We need to benchmark your strength.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never lifted a barbell a day in my life.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything,¡± Hauora retorted. He was grinning too. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you through it and won¡¯t let you hurt yourself.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks.¡± ¡°You might need some gloves though,¡± the sarge said, ignoring her comment. ¡°I¡¯ll order you a pair, and in the meantime, you can try lifting without.¡± ¡°Do I have to?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the sergeant answered. ¡°Now do what I do. I¡¯ll correct your mistakes since I don¡¯t want you to experience a pulled muscle yet.¡± * ¡°Everything hurts,¡± Aria complained. ¡°You did good. Stretch like I showed you. Then, we¡¯ll get lunch,¡± sergeant Hauora said. ¡°Tomorrow will be a cardo day. So, you¡¯ll be on the treadmill again.¡± ¡°Not going to torture me more this afternoon?¡± Aria asked as she stretched her back like he had showed her. ¡°You¡¯ll have different training this afternoon.¡± ¡°What sort of training?¡± ¡°Sight and hearing training.¡± ¡°Let me guess, smell, taste, and touch will be tomorrow and the day after.¡± ¡°Not a bad plan, but no. Once you get used to your new hearing and eyesight, we¡¯ll move onto taste and smell. We¡¯ll finish with touch in a few weeks,¡± Gunny Hauora replied. ¡°After you come to terms with or master your senses, we¡¯ll move onto more practical training.¡± ¡°What sort of practical training?¡± Aria inquired. ¡°I¡¯m already using my senses every day. Isn¡¯t that practical training? ¡°It is, and while that is a bonus, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°Then what are you talking about?¡± The gunny grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll see. I promise I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± ¡°That means I won¡¯t,¡± Aria pointed out. His grin seemed to grow. ¡°If you¡¯re nice, I¡¯ll let you in the pool for some cardo training instead of using the treadmill in a couple of days.¡± ¡°I think I hate you.¡± I¡¯m not sure if I mean that or not either. ¡°Good,¡± the gunny said. ¡°That means I¡¯m doing my job properly.¡± * ¡°Alright. We¡¯re going to start with what is called palming,¡± Dr Linda Klippenstein stated in the small sitting room sergeant Hauora had led Aria to after lunch. ¡°Palming is a yoga exercise.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Aria replied uncertainly. The doctor smiled. ¡°Palming is a way to reduce eye fatigue and relax the muscles around your eyes.¡± ¡°Sounds like something I should do when I finish this training,¡± Aria said. ¡°Sort of like stretching.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Dr Klippenstein agreed. ¡°But like stretching, you want to do palming to loosen up and prepare yourself as well as help the muscles once you¡¯re finished exercising.¡± ¡°Alright. How do I do this palming, doc?¡± Aria asked. ¡°And you don¡¯t mind if I call you doc, do you?¡± ¡°You can call me doc or even Linda if you like,¡± Dr Klippenstein said. ¡°As for palming, start by rubbing your hands together. Once your palms are warm, close your eyes and lay a palm over each eye and corresponding cheekbone. Breathe deeply this way for five minutes.¡± Linda doesn¡¯t seem concerned about or disgusted by my eyes. She honestly looks like she just wants to help. I¡¯ll be nice unless she proves otherwise. ¡°Sure doc. Thanks,¡± Aria replied, doing as the doctor instructed by rubbing her palms together. This feels a bit weird. Should I mention my enhanced sense of touch? The sarge will probably say consider it more training. After the palming, they moved onto a blinking exercise that involved closing her eyes for two seconds at a time, then onto focusing on near and far objects, and finally a tracking exercise. The tracking exercise was mostly Aria following a pencil with her eyes as Dr Klippenstein moved it around in figure eights in front of her. * ¡°I am Dr Tlaib and will train you for your new sense of hearing,¡± the man said by way of introduction. ¡°You may address me as doctor or Dr Tlaib.¡± Great, this guy can¡¯t stand the sight of me. He¡¯s barely looking at me and when he does, he immediately looks away. This is going to suck. ¡°I¡¯m Aria Baird,¡± Aria replied. ¡°You can just call me Aria.¡± She heard the gunny snort. He didn¡¯t say anything though. ¡°Yes, well Ms. Baird, we¡¯ll begin by playing different sounds at different levels starting very lowly. From there, we¡¯ll move on to more focused training. I¡¯ll play music and some other show or movie at the same time. While those distractions are playing, I will walk the room around reading lines from an article. You¡¯ll repeat those lines to me.¡± ¡°Uh sure.¡± ¡°Then let us begin, the doctor said. Immediately a canon roared loudly followed by a low bird chirp. She covered her ears and noticed a smile on the doctor¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s too much to start with doctor,¡± Hauora stated. Tlaib frowned but nodded. ¡°I will start with softer sounds at a lower volume.¡± Asshole! Aria thought. He knows what he did hurt me and doesn¡¯t care. * The next week proceeded the same way with only the workouts varying. Aria didn¡¯t get to see her parents but did talk to them daily on the phone or comm. Yeah, I guess it¡¯s a comm since my phone was destroyed and I haven¡¯t replaced it and am using the implant instead. ¡°I have good news and bad news, Aria,¡± Gunny said as joined her for lunch. ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡± ¡°Dr Roth is still stonewalling your parents and seems to have the favor of one of the company¡¯s top executives.¡± ¡°Yeah, dad is still trying though.¡± ¡°Good for him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the good news? Do I get a few days off?¡± ¡°No, no days off,¡± Hauora laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll get to use the pool tomorrow provided you can swim and you¡¯re doing well enough that the decision has been made to move you onto the taste and smell training.¡± ¡°No!¡± Aria said in mock horror. She added, ¡°I can swim.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Gunny happily replied. ¡°Training is good!¡± 12 ¡°Oh God, I think I¡¯m going to be sick!¡± Aria exclaimed the first day of her sense of smell training. She pinched her nose to keep the offending odor out. This isn¡¯t helping. ¡°Really Aria?¡± Dr Pamela Beasley asked. ¡°It¡¯s just some natto and curry.¡± ¡°Trust me doc, it¡¯s bad,¡± Aria replied. She then hurled, nearly getting the vomit on the doctor instead of the trashcan in front of her. Dr Beasley had jumped up and backed away to keep from being vomited on. Gunny Hauora laughed. Both women glared at him as did the male nurse that was assisting the doctor. The sergeant held up his hands in surrender. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m a simple man and that¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°Oh God!¡± Aria exclaimed as the vomit odor hit her. She threw up again. ¡°That¡¯s a strong reaction to your vomit,¡± Dr Beasley noted. The nurse handed Aria a damp wash cloth once she was done. He took the trashcan and two samples away. ¡°Perhaps we could start with milder smells?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Dr Beasley replied. ¡°Dr Beasley, I think we should stick with natural smells for now,¡± the sergeant stated. ¡°Such as plants and animals?¡± the doctor asked. ¡°Specifically, those find out in the Southland region,¡± Hauora replied. ¡°Start with dry smells and then work up to wet smells and skunks.¡± Well, if there were any doubt and hope I¡¯d get out of being sent into Southland, that request proves otherwise. ¡°Skunks gunny?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Yes. Skunks are one of the worst smells on the planet to people and are found in the region,¡± Hauora answered. He grinned. ¡°It¡¯ll be good training.¡± Dr Beasley looked at her nurse. ¡°You heard the man. Go get some inoffensive natural samples from the vault and do something with those other samples and that trashcan.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the nurse replied. * ¡°Is something on fire?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Not that the sensors are showing,¡± Dr Beasley answered after checking her tablet. ¡°You smell smoke?¡± Sergeant Hauora asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Aria answered. The nurse entered the office pushing a cart loaded with different plants and other things. Aria started to back away from the cart. ¡°Brett, stop,¡± Dr Beasley ordered the nurse. He stopped, giving her a questioning look. ¡°Do you have anything smokey on the cart?¡± ¡°A towel that one of the guards had held over a fire this morning,¡± the nurse answered. ¡°Get rid of it please,¡± the doctor said. ¡°Aria smelled it when you were in the hall and it¡¯s evidently overwhelming the other samples.¡± ¡°You got it doctor,¡± Brett replied. He exited with the towel. ¡°Not again!¡± Aria said. She threw up on the floor this time. ¡°Something smells like dead fish.¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± the doctor said. She examined the samples on the cart. ¡°Aha! A Bradford pear flower is the culprit.¡± Aria slumped against the wall furthest from the cart and door as the doctor tossed the flower into the hall. She then slid to sit on the floor, putting her arms on her knees and then her head on her arms as the door slid shut. ¡°Aria?¡± Gunny Hauora asked. ¡°I can smell rose and lavender. They¡¯re nice smells, but are very strong, and are about to make me sick again,¡± Aria replied. ¡°I suggest we call it a day sergeant,¡± Dr Beasley said. ¡°I¡¯ll do some research and see if we have any mild natural scents and arrange for them to be brought in tomorrow.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Hauora said as the doctor keyed something on her tablet. An exhaust fan in the ceiling started up. She then pushed the cart back into the hall. ¡°I assume Brett will take that away.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Dr Beasley replied. ¡°Thank you,¡± Aria murmured. * ¡°Sergeant Hauora, I expected more by this stage of the experiment,¡± Dr Roth said. ¡°For example, today¡¯s scent training. The subject was with Dr Beasley for barely half an hour.¡± ¡°You knew this was a time-consuming process, doctor,¡± the gunny replied. ¡°From what I¡¯ve read and heard, the ogres, other elves, dwarves, and orcs required a long adjustment period for their enhanced senses too. And they aren¡¯t as enhanced as Aria.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Be that as it may¡­¡± ¡°Dr Roth, if you want Aria to be a successful prototype super soldier, then it¡¯s going to take time,¡± the sergeant countered. ¡°But the high elves like her are not supposed to be super soldiers, Hauora. That¡¯s what the orcs, lesser elves, dwarves, and other races are.¡± ¡°Then what is Aria supposed to be?¡± ¡°I want our little test subject to be a successful proof of concept,¡± Dr Roth retorted. ¡°Once I have that, I¡¯ll get the additional funding I need to begin creating high elves that are infiltrators, assassins, bodyguards for top executives, and even bedwarmers for said executives.¡± ¡°Then why not use a soldier in the first place?¡± Hauora asked. ¡°Expedience. Our little elf was in the right place at the right time,¡± Dr Roth answered. ¡°Speaking of our little subject, where is she?¡± ¡°In the pool working on her conditioning. Why?¡± ¡°In the pool with the chemicals?¡± ¡°No,¡± the gunny answered. ¡°We haven¡¯t used the chemicals to clean that pool since she threw up in it a few times the first week she had pool access.¡± ¡°Hmmm. It¡¯s probably easier and cheaper to just empty the pool and clean it then refill it than constantly clean it with chemicals,¡± Dr Roth muttered. ¡°Anyway, I think it¡¯s time we throw something unexpected at the subject to see how she does.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Just a little run in with some troopers.¡± ¡°That might not be wise. Aria doesn¡¯t have any self defense training yet,¡± the sergeant said. ¡°That will make for an even better test,¡± Dr Roth replied. ¡°Let¡¯s see how the little elf reacts. It¡¯ll be an interesting test.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going on record to say I disagree.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± 13 And now a word from our sponsors. ¡°Have you ever thought you needed a vacation to get away from everything? And no, I don¡¯t mean just a trip to the beach or perhaps a few days spent in some theme park shuffling from ride to ride with thousands of others. ¡°No. What I mean is an escape to someplace where you can do what you want when you want. Where you can be your true self. Folks, I don¡¯t just mean sleeping in, eating whatever you want, drinking whatever you want, doing some new designer drug, or even going on a sex tour of Asia. ¡°While you can do those things at any time, what I¡¯m talking about is a truly once in the lifetime opportunity doing any and everything you want to do. I¡¯m talking about being a hero such as a Robin Hood type bandit, a paladin, monster hunter, or noble adventurer going into dungeons. I¡¯m talking about trying your hand at doing the simpler things such as being a bartender, hunter, farmer, trapper, fisherman, or a crafter. Or you can even give into your baser instincts and be a thief just out for yourself, a murderer, a rapist, drug dealer, or even just a no-good lazy vagabond. You can do all that and more in Southland. That¡¯s if you¡¯re smart and strong enough to get away with it. ¡°Sounds good, doesn¡¯t it? Folks, it gets even better because in Southland every person you¡¯ll meet and interact with is a real human, or perhaps former human, and not some robot or AI. ¡°That¡¯s right ladies and gentlemen. A lot of those fantasy races you¡¯ve always read about, seen in entertainment videos, and played in games are the real deal in Southland. Elves, orcs, ogres, trolls, dwarves, and humans are all present and real honest to goodness people. Though, many would no longer be considered human by decent people. And the best part is you won¡¯t face any legal repercussions for whatever you decide to do! ¡°Don¡¯t wait. Book your trip to Southland at Southland.sl3net today!¡± Terms and conditions apply. SL3 is not liable for any action done by or to Southland¡¯s guests. This includes, but is not limited to addiction, rape, murder, thievery, maiming, and death, whether accidental or intentional. Bookings are nonrefundable. * ¡°Have you had a recent break in or run in with some homeless wretch while you were out shopping? Perhaps someone nearly assassinate you to halt your project or robbed you after an expensive meal. Do you ever wonder if it is possible your security firm had never hired the best of the best in the first place or have their elite soldiers working other contracts that some desk jockey was bribed into authorizing? If so SL3 may have the solution for you. ¡°We at SL3 are proud to introduce our new line of elven security specialists. Each elf, male or female, are not only highly trained, but each has enhanced speed, strength, and senses despite their slight stature. Our elves may be beautiful, loyal, and not look like they could harm a fly, but each one of them will not only see, hear, or smell danger before it gets to you, but they¡¯ll ensure either you¡¯re safely away or any wrongdoer ends up in the morgue all without ruining your evening. ¡°For those of you that can¡¯t keep your hands to yourself and like a more personal¡­ interaction with your guards, SL3 is offering a more personalized¡­ night package, if you get my drift, for a modest upgrade fee. This includes the elf¡¯s appearance within reason. ¡°And for those of you that like a little more intimidation in your security forces, SL3 proudly offers our new orc shock troops. SL3 orcs can be used for personal security or as the vanguard for your invasion force. ¡°These guys are on par with the elves when it comes to senses and speed but are much stronger. Like the elves, each orc started out as a normal human. Some were lily white fat slobs while others were dark as midnight track stars but SL3¡¯s patented processes have made them into dark gray skinned killing machines no matter how they started out life. ¡°Every SL3 orc is mean, vicious, and utterly loyal. Believe me folks, these boys and girls look it too. Every muscle-bound orc has fangs and stands at least six feet tall. If that¡¯s not intimidating enough for you, you can upgrade your orc to have tusks for a small upgrade fee. You can even get that same personalized night package for your orc if your tastes run that way. ¡°Ready to order? Visit SL3¡¯s security page on sl3net for ordering instructions.¡± Terms and conditions apply. SL3 is not liable for abuse done by orcs and elves or done to them. This includes but is not limited to your elf or orc going insane and killing every member of your family until they can be put down like dogs. Bioweapon purchases are nonrefundable. * ¡°Personal security not enough? Need something to truly put fear into your enemies? Want to make sure nobody ever steps foot onto your property without authorization? ¡°Want to protect your country or perhaps invade a country? Worried about logistics and feeding your troops? Would you prefer using something that can truly eat its way to its objective over traditional firepower and troops? ¡°SL3 is proud to present our new line of bioweapons for your needs. From once extinct cave lions and cave bears to fantasy creatures like ogres and trolls, SL3¡¯s new bioweapons platforms will do the job right. ¡°SL3¡¯s elves and orcs are also considered bioweapons by law, and therefore can be purchased in mass allotments if desired. ¡°Visit bioweapons.sl3.sl3net for more information.¡± Terms and conditions apply. SL3 is not liable for death, damages, or use of bioweapon platforms. Ogres and Trolls were once human and have limited intelligence which means they may turn on their handlers of their own freewill. Bioweapon platforms have built in safeguards activated upon order by rival corporations and nations to safeguard SL3 employees and facilities. Bioweapon purchases are nonrefundable. 14 Aria started toweling off after finishing her laps in the pool. I enjoy swimming in the pool more than running on the treadmill. The water feels nice and is just the right temperature. She wrinkled her nose as a scent hit her. Ugh. Smells like sweat and stinky socks. Three large, odd looking dark-skinned people entered the poolroom from the furthest doorway. I was wrong. They¡¯re gray skinned, not dark-skinned though they are wearing blank tank tops and shorts which is why I didn¡¯t notice their gray skin at first. Gunny wouldn¡¯t be happy with that mistake. She spotted nametags on their tops and read them silently. Simon, Bedford, and Young. The three stopped when they spotted Aria and gestured to her. Aria wiped the towel around her waist and slipped her feet into her sandals. Gunny just had to run off and leave me alone. She glanced at the trio as they started walking towards the pool and her. They¡¯re watching me intently, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s with any sexual desire. Their gaze seems more¡­ predatory. Aria glanced around the poolroom and then up at where she knew cameras were. I¡¯ve never once even seen anyone other than the sergeant, a few guards, and staff that work with me here. I can¡¯t imagine they would risk my health if what they¡¯re claiming is true. So, does this mean I¡¯ve been setup for some reason like a test of some sort? Doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s time for me to go. I¡¯ll apologize for any water I drip in the halls and to Gunny for returning to my room without permission later. * ¡°Those are not troopers,¡± Sergeant Hauora stated. ¡°On the contrary, those are troopers of the shock variety,¡± Dr Roth retorted, a smile plastered on her face. ¡°Our subject seems scared.¡± ¡°With good reason. She¡¯s only ever seen normal humans and herself in mirrors,¡± Gunny countered. ¡°Orcs would seem like monsters to her.¡± ¡°As they should. Orcs are meant to be monsters,¡± Roth replied. * ¡°I smell something that smells damn good,¡± Bedford, the largest of the trio said loudly. ¡°Me too,¡± Young, the female whatever they were agreed. Instead of saying anything, Simon quickly moved to cut Aria off from her escape. They¡¯re like pack hunters, Aria realized. Or bullies. ¡°No comments little elf?¡± Young asked. She then gestured at her tall muscular body. ¡°You¡¯re not the first elf we¡¯ve seen, but I bet we¡¯re the first orcs you¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± Aria replied nervously. Orcs? What the hell? ¡°We don¡¯t either,¡± Simon said as he closed the distance between Aria and him. ¡°We just want to have a little fun.¡± Bedford made a show of sniffing loudly. He smiled widely, revealing what looked like oversized canine teeth. The other two smiled, revealing their canine teeth as well. Fangs? No, not on Bedford. His teeth are larger. It¡¯s definitely time for me to go. I wonder if I can fake them out and dash past Simon. Aria started to drop her shoulder and take a step toward Young when Bedford moved. The largest orc moved as fast as she had been able to move in the testing and grabbed her by the throat. He then walked to the closest wall and slammed her into it. Aria cried out in pain. * ¡°This is going too far,¡± Hauora said. ¡°No, but it¡¯s disappointing,¡± Roth replied. ¡°I expected more from our test subject.¡± ¡°Aria has never had any sort of self defense training or skill downloads, and you know it,¡± the sergeant stated. ¡°I¡¯m going to put a stop to this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll signal the orcs to stand down,¡± Roth said as Hauora rushed from her office. * Bedford brought Aria¡¯s head down towards his face as the other two laughed and closed in. Aria started shivering in fear though she could breathe fine. ¡°Your fear is tantalizing,¡± Bedford said in a low tone of voice. He paused, his eyes going unfocused. He then shook his head and sniffed her again, making her cry out. ¡°Yes, that is what I want to smell.¡± A trickling sound came from below. Young started laughing. ¡°The elf is so scared she pissed herself!¡± Simon exclaimed. Bedford looked down, then back up at Aria¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re lucky none of that is getting on me.¡± Aria cried. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Sergeant Hauora called out. He was flanked by three other guards. All had weapons drawn. The orcs took in the guards and looked excited. ¡°Standdown. That¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not in control of us, Gunny,¡± Simon said. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. But I am in the chain of command here,¡± Hauora replied as he cocked his handgun. ¡°Bedford, Simon, and Young standdown. You¡¯re tough bastards, but I doubt you can stand up to my .44 mag and the 10 gauges my backup has.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Bedford said after a moment. He turned his head back to Aria. ¡°We¡¯ll play more later, perhaps in Southland were there won¡¯t be any interference.¡± The big orc dropped her, and she sunk to the piss covered floor. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hauora and the guards kept their weapons up until the orcs left the poolroom. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they backed down,¡± one of the guards muttered. ¡°Dr Roth most likely threatened them,¡± another guard said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Gunny said, holstering his sidearm. ¡°Aria, let¡¯s get you cleaned up.¡± * They want me to fight those¡­ orcs? Aria thought in disbelief as she used the poolroom¡¯s locker room shower to clean herself off. She tried not to think about her¡­ accident. It was beyond embarrassing and had been recorded. That she was sure of. Aria shook her head and toweled off. Aria emerged from the locker room a few minutes later to find Gunny leaning against a wall. He looked pissed off. She walked past him and exited the poolroom. He followed and caught up to her as they neared her room. ¡°Aria, I want to apologize about that incident with the orcs,¡± Hauora said. ¡°I had no idea Dr Roth was planning that.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Aria mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯m a musician. I can¡¯t fight those¡­ things. I won¡¯t do anything else. Threaten me and my parents all you want,¡± Aria answered as she entered her room. The sergeant could hear the hopelessness and defeat in her voice. ¡°You might as well kill me and get it over with.¡± 15 ¡°Get her back into training!¡± Lin Roth snapped. ¡°The subject can¡¯t just stay in bed all day.¡± ¡°Aria isn¡¯t a soldier, Dr Roth,¡± Sergeant Hauora replied. ¡°I¡¯m out of my depth here. She might need a therapist.¡± ¡°She¡¯s refused the meals we¡¯ve sent to her room today,¡± Craig Clarkson added. ¡°Why don¡¯t you and Collingsworth modify her implant¡¯s programming and force the subject back to work?¡± Jessica Kennedy asked. ¡°Is that possible?¡± Dr Roth asked. ¡°No,¡± Dr Clarkson replied. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Aria¡¯s mind is still fully functional and in control. The implant controls the nanites in her body, Collingsworth¡¯s leveling system, functions as a communicator, and acts as a computer and health monitor. Everything else is all her.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t the nanites take control?¡± Dr Roth asked. ¡°That would be highly unethical,¡± Gunny pointed out, making Jessica and Dr Roth frown at him. Clarkson looked thoughtful and then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a moot point anyway,¡± Craig replied to Lin¡¯s question. ¡°The nanites were built to facilitate the species change and regulate the level upgrades once the subject reaches those thresholds, nothing more.¡± ¡°Collingsworth agrees with Craig,¡± Jessica announced. ¡°He also thinks trying to change the nanobots¡¯ programming would overload them and possibly kill the host. That, or render the bots inert.¡± ¡°Which would really set the program back,¡± Hauora stated. ¡°Fine,¡± Lin said after thinking things over. ¡°Give the subject the rest of today and tomorrow to pout and sulk. After that, get her back in training.¡± ¡°And if she refuses?¡± Craig asked. ¡°Why not let her see her parents?¡± Gunny asked. ¡°No. If she wants to see her parents in person, she needs to get her ass in gear,¡± Dr Roth replied. ¡°Jessica, work up a sound file of ever higher noises including those beyond human range. We¡¯ll force her up if she refuses to cooperate on her own.¡± ¡°Yes Dr Roth,¡± Jessica happily replied. * ¡°I¡¯m not getting up,¡± Aria muttered two days later. She rolled over to face the wall. ¡°You¡¯ll get up like the sergeant ordered or I¡¯ll happily see if your hearing really is as sensitive as a cat¡¯s,¡± Jessica announced over the room¡¯s speakers. Aria didn¡¯t respond. Jessica started playing heavy metal music. Aria still didn¡¯t respond other than covering her head with her pillow. ¡°Have it your way,¡± Jessica said. She moved on to gun shots. After a few minutes, she paused the sounds. ¡°I know this hurts. Get up and I¡¯ll stop.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t right,¡± Hauora said from Aria¡¯s doorway. ¡°You can leave sergeant. I have this under control,¡± Jessica replied, moving onto ultrasonic sounds such as a dog whistle. That didn¡¯t seem to bother Aria. ¡°So, you can hear those sounds, but they don¡¯t hurt you. So, let¡¯s try this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to hurt Aria,¡± Gunny said. ¡°I said you can go sergeant,¡± Jessica retorted. ¡°This is my job.¡± Car horns, crashes, gun shots, and explosions started coming from the speakers. The volume kept going from low to extremely high. Aria started to thrash and moan. A few minutes later, she screamed and clutched her head before falling still. ¡°Stop dammit!¡± Gunny shouted. He rushed to the bedside as the sounds stopped. ¡°Fuck! Medical to Baird¡¯s room. Aria is bleeding from her ears.¡± * ¡°I did not want my test subject injured, Jessica,¡± Dr Roth said. ¡°I simply wanted her back at work.¡± ¡°Sorry Dr Roth,¡± Jessica replied. ¡°I was trying my best.¡± ¡°I doubt you¡¯re sorry or were trying your best,¡± Craig stated. ¡°You deliberately hurt Aria and she¡¯ll be out a week or more.¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Jessica huffed. ¡°Your search history,¡± Craig retorted. ¡°Enough!¡± Lin Roth said. ¡°Jessica, you¡¯re off the high elf project. I¡¯ve reassigned you to the lower elf project.¡± ¡°But ma¡¯am¡­¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Dr Roth ordered. ¡°Yes Dr Roth,¡± Jessica replied sullenly. She exited her boss¡¯ office. ¡°How long will it take for the subject to recover?¡± Lin asked Craig. ¡°A week if not a few days longer,¡± Craig answered. ¡°That like an excessive amount of time.¡± ¡°It is, but she was dehydrated and bordering on starvation from not eating or drinking,¡± Craig explained. ¡°The nanites need more nutrients to heal her. They had already started to eat into her body¡¯s muscle and fat stores.¡± ¡°Is she on fluids?¡± Lin asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Dammit! Johannes Sagan will not be pleased with this delay,¡± Lin said. ¡°You know he has very high hopes for the high elf project.¡± ¡°I do,¡± Craig agreed. ¡°Perhaps we should allow Aria to see her parents. That might help restore her spirits.¡± ¡°No. Arrange for her to be visited by a therapist just as soon as she¡¯s recovered enough to hear though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± * ¡°Aria, I¡¯m Dr Jack Jaymes and this is my wife, Dr Eva Jaymes. We¡¯re therapists,¡± an older man said after he entered the recovery room. ¡°You may call me Jack and Eva, Eva.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you awake,¡± the older woman with him added. ¡°We¡¯re here to help you with your recent incident.¡± Aria laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you. Go away.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to help¡­¡± Eva trailed off and flinched when Aria turned her pale-yellow eyes on the older woman. ¡°Unless you¡¯re here to slit my wrists or neck, you¡¯re not here to help me,¡± Aria retorted. ¡°Or you could untie me, and I¡¯ll slit my own wrists.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Jack began before snapping his mouth shut. Aria stared at him. Jack blanched as did Eva. He gestured to the door and Eva walked out. He followed his wife without another word. Aria laughter followed them as it turned to sobs. The Night Before Smirkmas Twas the night before Smirkmas, when all through the house Not an expression was stirring, not even a grin The stockings were hung by the chimney with care In hopes that St Smirk would soon be there The children were nestled all snug with their electronics in their beds Wile visions of legalized weed and bad singers danced in their heads And mamma in her dominatrix gear, and I in my gimp suit Had just settled in for a long BDSM moot When outside arose such a clatter Mamma begrudgingly unbound me so I could see what was the matter Away to my phone I flew like a flash Opened the security camera app to spy what was outEnjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The streetlights highlighted new fallen snow Gave lustre to a drunken wastrel as he peed below When what to my wondering cameras did appear But a carload of high dude bros did step clear With the cockiest expressions so smug and uncaring I knew at that moment that it was St Smirk they were bearing More rapid than the eye could follow Was the dude bros¡¯ sorrow Smirk Claus whistled and shouted as he flayed the bros open All the while they giggled as they were broken Now Smile now Grin now Frown and Sneer On Grimace on Scowl on Glare and Leer To the top of the porch to the top of the wall Now dash away dash away all The other expressions fled leaving Smirk in a mood Open this smirked door I don¡¯t want to brood Through the front door St Smirkolas came with a bound Smirk was dressed all in in fur, from foot to crown And Smirk¡¯s clothes were all tarnished with blood and skin A sack of smirks did Smirk flung from their back Smirk looked like a peddler just opening their pack Smirk¡¯s eyes- how smug they were Smirk¡¯s dimples how conceited Smirks cheeks were heated most likely from because they felt cheated The other expressions had fled leaving Smirk for dead But not one to be deterred Smirk smoked a bowl When the munches hit St Smirkolas raided the fridge and ate a casserole After blowing up the bathroom Smirk asked about our sex life Smug St Smirk then smirked my wife followed by smirking our kids Smirk smirked me last and left me with 15 quids Out the door lightning-fast Smirk spank into their sleigh at long last Opening a beer Smirk gave a whistle The other expressions returned quick as a missile And away they all flew as if being chased by an official But I heard Smirk exclaim as they drove out of sight Happy Smirkmas to all and to all a smirk night! 16-20 16 ¡°Johannes, I am pleased with Southland¡¯s progress, as is the rest of the board,¡± Sofia Laurant, SL3¡¯s chairwoman and majority stockholder, told SL3¡¯s recently appointed president and CEO three days later. ¡°Thank you, Sofia,¡± Johannes Sagan replied, a huge grin on his face. ¡°But you didn¡¯t come here to just praise me or the company.¡± Why are you really here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget yourself Johannes,¡± Sofia warned. ¡°I gave you your job and I can take it away just as fast.¡± ¡°I apologize. Is this about the high elf project?¡± ¡°Indeed. Why are you denying Michael and Piper Baird visitation with their child?¡± ¡°That bastard went over my head and directly to you?¡± Johannes asked, barely keeping his anger in check. Seeing the expression on Sofia¡¯s face, he swallowed whatever else he had been about to say and asked, ¡°you don¡¯t mind us using the Baird girl as a test subject?¡± ¡°This is your only warning, Johannes, especially after your earlier disrespect,¡± Sofia warned. ¡°I will not have you disparage a loyal employee and family friend.¡± She held up a hand to keep him from apologizing again because she wasn¡¯t done. ¡°If Michael had wanted the job, neither one of us would have been in this office. Father had personally groomed Michael to take over the company, but thankfully he had decided he didn¡¯t care for the politics that come with the job and stayed in middle management. As for his daughter being a test subject, no, I don¡¯t care at all. Aria was a talented musician by gave up performing before starting college.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Johannes said instead of apologizing. ¡°So, you want me to allow the Bairds access to the prototype.¡± ¡°I do, but I want you to answer my question as well.¡± ¡°Lin didn¡¯t think it would be productive to allow the test subject to see her parents and I agreed.¡± ¡°Lin?¡± Sofia repeated, giving Johannes a questioning look. She grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re fucking Lin Roth or not. I do care that Roth¡¯s ineptitude is not just hindering the high elf project but hurting it.¡± Johannes grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. Lin has overseen the project as well as the lower elf project since they began and is doing tremendous work.¡± ¡°Johannes, the Baird girl is all but on life support right now! If that is not ineptitude, I do not know what is,¡± Sofia exclaimed. ¡°That stunt with the orcs broke two of Aria¡¯s lower ribs. Roth allowing her assistant to torture the girl led to Aria¡¯s ear drums rupturing! Those two incidents have set the project back at least two weeks!¡± ¡°I was told it would only require a week for the girl to recover because of the nanobots and enhanced healing.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t counting the psychological damage that has been done to her!¡± Sofia shouted while slamming her hands on Johannes¡¯ desk. ¡°But the chemical and hormonal changes that were done to suppress or change her emotions,¡± Johannes said. Sofia laughed. ¡°Johannes, that comment tells me you¡¯ve never paid attention to a young woman¡¯s emotional state before and that Dr Roth is one cold fish.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± SL3¡¯s CEO asked, bristling but holding his tongue as best he could. ¡°You understand that people¡¯s emotions are volatile?¡± Sofia asked. He nodded. ¡°Roth cut the girl off from her support and has been driving her as hard as possible since Aria woke up.¡± ¡°She has Hauora as support,¡± Johannes objected. ¡°And the staff.¡± ¡°The sergeant is not support. He¡¯s there to train her,¡± Sofia countered. ¡°And the staff are there to handle Aria¡¯s physical needs, which are not the same as her emotional ones.¡± ¡°We brought in two therapists.¡± ¡°That haven¡¯t done a damn thing because they¡¯re old and frightened of Aria¡¯s changes, especially her eyes,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Don¡¯t bother denying it, I¡¯ve read the reports.¡± ¡°But she can talk to her parents on the comm every night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same as looking someone in the eye as you well know. It also doesn¡¯t allow someone to hold her and reassure her through simple human contact.¡± ¡°Alright. I see we¡¯ve made mistakes. I¡¯ll allow the Bairds to visit her next week,¡± Johannes replied after thinking things through. ¡°No Johannes, not next week. Today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Lin needs¡­¡± ¡°You better make it possible. Michael and Piper are on their way and will be at Roth¡¯s facility within the hour.¡± ¡°Tomorrow would be better. That would allow the staff time to clean the girl,¡± Johannes suggested. Seeing his boss¡¯ expression, he added, ¡°she¡¯s been secured to a bed and force fed through a feeding tube in addition to the IV for fluids. She¡¯s refused to eat or drink anything since the orc incident.¡± ¡°Today, Johannes, within in the hour,¡± Sofia repeated. ¡°If not, you and your Dr Roth can and will end up in Southland yourselves. And I don¡¯t mean living in luxury in one of the castles being built in Raleigh, Atlanta, Nashville, or Birmingham either.¡± ¡°You know about the castles?¡± ¡°Of course I do. Just because I let you run the day-to-day operations of my company, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not in complete control of it,¡± Sofia answered as she walked out of the office. * ¡°Mr and Mrs. Baird, it¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Dr Craig Clarkson said in greeting. ¡°Yes, yes. Where¡¯s Aria?¡± Mike replied. ¡°Right this way,¡± Craig replied. They walked to her care room in silence. Dr Clarkson stopped outside the door. ¡°You may want to prepare yourselves. Aria is not in good shape.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mike asked. ¡°What has happened to our daughter?¡± Piper asked at the same time. Craig explained about the incident with the orcs and the days that followed. ¡°Open that blasted door. I want to see her.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± Craig replied, opening the door. Piper and Mike rushed into the room. Both gasped in surprise. Craig knew they could see how fragile she was even beneath her beauty. ¡°Aria has been bathed and¡­ contact me on comms if you need anything. Otherwise, push the call button and a nurse will be right in.¡± Piper and Mike ignored the young doctor, and he left without another word. ¡°What have they done to our baby?¡± Piper asked as she clutched her husband¡¯s hand. ¡°Go¡­ away,¡± Aria croaked without opening her eyes. She sniffed the air. ¡°Mo¡­ mom? Da¡­ dad?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here baby,¡± Mike said as Piper sat on the edge of Aria¡¯s bed and picked up her hand. Piper gripped Aria¡¯s right hand in both of hers. Aria opened her eyes. Mike suddenly wanted to punch the wall. Roth and her group had replaced his daughter¡¯s pretty eyes with something alien just as he had been told. Still, she was his little girl, and he would accept whatever had been done to her. Aria started crying as did Piper. Mike felt his anger disappear instantly as his own eyes teared up. ¡°We love you baby,¡± Piper said, hugging Aria. Aria wailed and clutched her mother. ¡°Everything will be alright sweetie,¡± Mike added. That statement made Aria cry harder. Mike voiced his love for their daughter, walked over, and bent over to join his wife and child in the hug. He felt Aria do her best to hug him and Piper both as they hugged her. 17 ¡°You¡¯re fine sweetie. You¡¯ll see once we get you home,¡± Piper told Aria. Aria nodded and wiped her eyes as her mother looked sort of lost. I want to tell mom everything will be alright but I¡¯m not alright, Aria thought. ¡°We know that look,¡± Mike said. Aria glanced at him, and he smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t think thinks will ever be alright again.¡± ¡°How did you guess that?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Am I that transparent?¡± ¡°Only to us,¡± her mother answered. She grinned. ¡°We have known you all your life after all.¡± ¡°Your life isn¡¯t over, and things will get better,¡± her dad said. ¡°Look at me dad and I mean really look. I¡¯m a freak,¡± Aria replied, bitterness clear in her voice. Huh. I¡¯ve isolated that hum I¡¯ve been hearing. It¡¯s coming from the speakers in the ceiling. Someone must be listening to us. Roth, Gunny, or whoever won¡¯t learn anything new, so listen all you want you bunch of pricks. ¡°Baby, you¡¯re not a freak,¡± Piper said. ¡°You¡¯re still our beautiful and talented songbird.¡± Aria started tearing up again. She wiped the tears away. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re our songbird even with those pretty pale-yellow eyes that distress you so,¡± Mike added. Aria did cry then, only for her parents to hug her again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us everything you¡¯ve been through,¡± Piper urged, smiling encouragingly. ¡°Then we can discuss things, and you¡¯ll see it¡¯s not as dire as you think.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ll agree with me that things are dire, but okay,¡± Aria replied. She took a deep breath and started telling her parents everything she had been through and what had been done to her. * Told you mom, Aria thought as she watched her mother try to comprehend what been done to her. Dad doesn¡¯t look much better, but he also looks like he knows a bit more than mom. ¡°Dad, did you know they would do this to me?¡± Aria asked after deciding she wanted to know. Her mom looked sharply at her dad. ¡°I knew that Roth wanted to turn you into an elf but no, I didn¡¯t know they would do all this,¡± Mike answered. ¡°Mike! How could you?¡± Piper demanded to know. ¡°I wanted Aria to live and come home to us,¡± her dad answered. ¡°And honestly, I¡¯d do anything to make that happen. I¡­ I still would.¡± ¡°Even with all this suffering she is going through?¡± Piper asked. ¡°No parent should have to watch their child die,¡± Mike answered. ¡°Piper, I couldn¡¯t put you though losing our child.¡± Aria watched as her mother stood, slapped her dad hard, and then hugged and kissed him. Aria smiled slightly. Looks like mom has forgiven dad already. But about me? Can I forgive him? Her parents whispered to each other for a few minutes. Aria listened to music through her implant and did her best to ignore her parents. She had zero desire to hear them make plans for sex later. Despite my best efforts, I¡¯m still hearing part of that talk! Can I scrub my ears out? ¡°You can hate me if you want Aria,¡± Mike said, pulling her from her thoughts. She saw her mom and dad were holding hands. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you dad. That goes for mom too,¡± Aria replied. Someone is outside the doorway. I can hear them breathing. She grimaced. My ear popped. Is the air pressure changing? ¡°And I don¡¯t hold what you did against you either.¡± ¡°Are you sure Aria?¡± her dad asked. ¡°Yes dad. I love you both too much to do that,¡± Aria answered. Guess that answers the question if I can forgive him or not. ¡°What¡¯s the matter sweetie?¡± Piper asked after Aria grimaced a second time. She told them about her ear popping. ¡°Sounds like something some animals can do when storms are coming,¡± Mike said. ¡°The weather report did state storms were on the way,¡± Piper said. ¡°Do you want something for the pain?¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Aria replied. ¡°The nanobots have already made the pain fade some.¡± ¡°That¡¯s handy,¡± her mom said. Aria shrugged. The person outside the door just walked away. ¡°Sweetie, you never said what these new senses can do. Why don¡¯t you tell us about them?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Aria asked instead of answering her mom¡¯s question. ¡°Because we want to know everything about what was done to you,¡± her dad replied. ¡°It¡¯ll help us understand things and help us plan for you after you get out of here.¡± ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think Roth and whoever is going to let me go,¡± Aria retorted. ¡°Leave that to me. I¡¯ll make sure you get out and come home, or go wherever you want,¡± Mike said. ¡°So, please explain what you can do.¡± * ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s best for me to cooperate with Dr Roth and the Gunny?¡± Aria asked after they had talked for another three hours. ¡°I do,¡± Mike answered. ¡°But only after we negotiate a contract for you.¡± ¡°Not only one that sees you coming home when this testing they want to do is done, but one that pays you exceptionally well,¡± Piper added. ¡°And includes whatever medical care you might need going forward.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Mike said. ¡°All this untested technology may lead to complications down the road.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Aria muttered. ¡°Hadn¡¯t thought of that, huh?¡± her mom asked. Aria shook her head. ¡°They had said everything was me now and there wouldn¡¯t be any complications,¡± Aria said. ¡°Because of these ¡®lesser¡¯ elves that they¡¯ve already made?¡± Mike asked. Aria nodded. ¡°Then they pushed different processes or parts on you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Aria said. Our visitor is back outside the door. ¡°All the more reason to have medical put into your contract,¡± her dad said. ¡°Perhaps we could even get them to reverse the process,¡± her mom said. I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s possible but won¡¯t tell mom that. ¡°So, who do we need to talk to about this contract,¡± Aria asked. She looked up as the door slid open. ¡°That would be me,¡± a woman in an expensive dress said. I recognize her. ¡°Mrs. Laurant!¡± Mike exclaimed. That¡¯s why I recognize her. She attended quite a few of my performances when I played publicly.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Please Mike, we¡¯ve known each other too long for formalities,¡± Sofia said. ¡°You know you may call me Sofia.¡± ¡°Just wanted to make sure,¡± Mike replied. ¡°Piper, it¡¯s good to see you again,¡± Sofia said, a smile on her face. ¡°Likewise,¡± Piper replied, returning the smile. ¡°Aria, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re healthy,¡± Sofia said. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again as well.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s good to see you, Mrs. Laurant,¡± Aria said, remembering her manners for her parents¡¯ sakes. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut to the chase to save us all some time,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I want this project to succeed since it stands to become one of our most profitable lines.¡± That¡¯s not a good way of looking at things. We¡¯re people, not products, Aria thought while scowling at Sofia. ¡°And that means?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me that way. I know I sound cold and cruel,¡± Sofia replied. ¡°But what this means for you young lady, is that to make this project a success, I¡¯m willing to give you nearly anything you want¡­ within reason.¡± ¡°Sofia, do we have your word on that?¡± Piper asked. ¡°I¡¯ll put it in writing,¡± Sofia answered. ¡°Let me contact Blake Page from legal. He¡¯s recently become SL3¡¯s new lead legal counsel. We¡¯ll hammer out the details once he arrives.¡± ¡°Perhaps in the morning would be better,¡± Aria said. ¡°I¡¯m hungry and imagine mom and dad are as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s acceptable,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Aria, do you give your word that you¡¯ll cooperate with Dr Roth?¡± ¡°If we can come to a deal my parents and I like, then yes, I¡¯ll cooperate within reason,¡± Aria answered. ¡°That works for me,¡± Sofia said with a grin on her face. 18 ¡°Did I wake you and is this is your normal room?¡± Piper asked Aria the next morning as she glanced around the unadorned room. ¡°Yes, and yes,¡± Aria answered. ¡°This room mostly feels like a cage though. Where¡¯s dad?¡± ¡°Hopefully the stuff your dad and I brought will help make this room feel more like yours until you can get out of here,¡± her mom replied. ¡°Your dad is waiting for the guards to inspect what we brought.¡± ¡°You brought some stuff from home?¡± ¡°And the apartment you had stayed in at college,¡± Piper confirmed. Aria frowned. ¡°Yes, the landlord made us move your stuff out so they could rent the apartment out again.¡± ¡°That really sucks. I liked that apartment,¡± Aria said. ¡°I know sweetie. The view was fantastic.¡± ¡°So, what did you and dad bring, mom?¡± ¡°Mostly some of your clothing,¡± Piper answered. She smiled. ¡°We brought your guitar and a couple of photos too.¡± Aria¡¯s eyes lit up. She hugged Piper. ¡°Thanks mom!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome baby,¡± Piper said, returning the hug. ¡°You¡¯re wearing silk?¡± ¡°Yes. My skin doesn¡¯t like synthetic fibers at all,¡± Aria said. ¡°So, they¡¯ve fabricated me some silk, cotton, and linen clothing. I sleep in the silk because it¡¯s the most comfortable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you,¡± her mom said. ¡°But that means you can¡¯t wear your old clothes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try them anyway. I know my jeans were 100% denim, which is cotton.¡± ¡°Good, but we didn¡¯t bring any of your jeans. I¡¯ll bring a couple of pairs next time we come,¡± Piper said. ¡°We would have brought your tablet but thought you wouldn¡¯t need it with your implant. Or do you even have access to it?¡± ¡°I have some access to it, but I can¡¯t do everything with the implant like I can my computer and tablet because of a lack of permissions,¡± Aria answered. ¡°When we talk with Sofia, tell her you want full access,¡± her mom suggested. ¡°Good idea mom. I¡¯m going to take a shower and get ready.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Piper said. * Aria ran her hand over her guitar. I¡¯m so glad to have this here. I might even start playing again. The woodgrain feels nice, and the smell isn¡¯t too bad. Her parents smiled. ¡°Sorry about your clothes baby. We hadn¡¯t realized so many of them were made from synthetic materials,¡± Mike said. Aria was wearing a sweatsuit. She hugged him. ¡°It¡¯s alright dad. I hadn¡¯t either,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Have you and mom thought about what you want from the company?¡± ¡°Just for you to come home safe and sound,¡± her dad answered. ¡°Even like this?¡± Aria asked, gesturing to her ears and eyes. Her dad nodded as her mom said, ¡°As we told you yesterday, you¡¯re still our baby girl and we accept and love you for who you are no matter what.¡± Aria nodded and hugged them. ¡°You know you could probably get a vacation or early retirement from this too.¡± ¡°Tempting, but just getting you home will be enough,¡± Mike said. ¡°Are you sure dad?¡± Aria asked. Dad, you¡¯re too trusting and loyal to the company, Aria thought. I¡¯ll have to get what I can for you two out of this since you won¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m sure. What about you? What do you want other than getting out of here?¡± Mike asked. ¡°Full access to the implant like mom suggested to me earlier,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Other than that, and the medical care you guys mentioned yesterday, I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget getting paid,¡± Piper said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll want the sort of job the company is preparing you for.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Aria muttered. Mom didn¡¯t say others might not want me around either though I¡¯m sure she has already figured that out too. I may not have future options anymore. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll insist on a few million and maybe a house in the mountains or on a private island too.¡± Her parents laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet with Sofia and Blake,¡± her dad said. ¡°Too bad I didn¡¯t think to bring one of my playlists along. Some old hard rock would set the mood well.¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Piper replied, making her dad chuckle. ¡°What would you recommend dad?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Something from Metallica most likely. Either Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning,¡± Mike answered. ¡°Immigrant Song by Led Zepplin would work too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Aria said. ¡°It might make for good hearing training.¡± ¡°It might,¡± her mom agreed. ¡°Lord knows it¡¯s not good for much else.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± her dad protested, making her mom laugh. The door opened and a guard gestured for them to follow him. * ¡°The medical care is a good idea,¡± Blake Page stated. ¡°I agree and approve it,¡± Sofia Laurant said from the right of her attorney. ¡°I won¡¯t approve of the royalties you asked for, but I will agree to paying Aria 50 million once the testing is done and then provide her a residence wherever she wants to live.¡± Aria looked at her mom and dad. Her mom shrugged while her dad nodded. ¡°That is acceptable,¡± Mike said. ¡°I want to be able to help Aria invest this money though. It¡¯ll have to last her the rest of her life.¡± ¡°That is a conflict of interest,¡± Blake pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sofia said. The lawyer wasn¡¯t happy but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°So, are we in agreement?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Mike said as Piper nodded her agreement. Blake confirmed his agreement as well. ¡°I have a few other requests,¡± Aria said. ¡°I knew this was going to easily,¡± Sofia replied. She grinned. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I want my parents taken care of,¡± Aria said. ¡°Full stock options, retirement, a raise for dad, and your word that they¡¯ll never be used as leverage against me again. Oh! And they get the money you¡¯re paying me if something happens to me.¡± Blake stared in disbelief at Aria as did her parents. Sofia smiled. ¡°That¡¯s asking for a lot considering what I¡¯ve already agreed to.¡± ¡°You also know where Roth wants to send me for ¡®field testing¡¯,¡± Aria replied, making air quotes. Piper looked at the others in confusion while Mike looked upset. ¡°Mike?¡± Piper asked. ¡°You want to send Aria into Southland?¡± Mike asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Blake said. ¡°Isn¡¯t Southland some unpoliced park?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Southland is the only place where all the technologies going into Aria can be properly evaluated,¡± Sofia said. ¡°And yes, anything goes in Southland.¡± Aria¡¯s parents started arguing with Blake and Sofia, who didn¡¯t respond to Mike and Piper¡¯s shouting. She just stared at Aria. ¡°I don¡¯t get sent into Southland if the skill downloads don¡¯t work, do I?¡± Aria asked, cutting into a brief pause in the arguing. ¡°No. If that happens, the project will have to go back to the drawing board, so you have my word that if the skills don¡¯t take, you won¡¯t be sent into Southland and you¡¯ll be allowed to go home with half the money I¡¯ve promised,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Dr Roth will then have to try again with a new test subject.¡± ¡°Do you know why Aria was chosen for this?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Convenience,¡± Sofia replied after drinking water from the glass on the conference table in front of her. ¡°Dr Roth thought a blank slate was a better option than a trained soldier. So, when Aria was injured in that crash, she took the chance and Mike agreed to whatever it took to save Aria.¡± ¡°There had been a few other injured candidates Dr Roth had considered as well,¡± Blake added. ¡°In fact, most of our test subject pool was normal people just like Aria.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true and neither was your remark about other injured candidates,¡± Aria stated. The attorney looked shocked. ¡°Your left eye twitches just a touch when you lie.¡± Sofia laughed and held up a hand to stop Blake from opening his mouth to say anything else. ¡°Do you have any other requests?¡± ¡°I want full access and permissions for my implant,¡± Aria answered. ¡°Why?¡± Sofia asked. ¡°I want control over this thing in my head,¡± Aria answered. ¡°Otherwise, ¡°I¡¯ll just hack the implant.¡± ¡°Our implants are not hackable,¡± Blake said. ¡°Nothing connected to the internet is unhackable,¡± Aria countered. ¡°Dr Clarkson or Collingsworth will give you the access after this meeting is over and the contract is signed,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Blake said. ¡°Her implant is new quantum technology.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of what the implant is,¡± Sofia said. ¡°But I have made my decision and look forward to whatever software Aria comes up with by using it.¡± Aria smiled and thanked the chairwoman. It¡¯s not software I¡¯m thinking of using it for. I want control over these nanobots and will use the implant for that. ¡°Is there anything else you want?¡± Blake asked. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m not sure,¡± Aria honestly answered. She gave him a sheepish grin. ¡°If there is and it¡¯s within reason, just ask Dr Roth or one of her staff. I¡¯ll leave instructions to make it happen,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Now, do we have an agreement?¡± ¡°We do,¡± Aria answered. 19 ¡°Ready to get to work?¡± Gunny asked the next morning. ¡°Not really, but I agreed to cooperate, so I guess,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Let me save my spot in this help file.¡± ¡°Help file?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was reading how the implants use quantum entanglement to communicate,¡± Aria replied, blinking away the file. She stood and walked to the doorway. ¡°And just why would you want to read about that?¡± Gunny asked. ¡°The tech works. That¡¯s all I care about.¡± ¡°Come on Gunny! It¡¯s fascinating,¡± Aria said. ¡°There is a quantum particle in the implant that is bound or entangled with other particles in chipsets up in the SL3 satellite network. Data is sent instantaneously from one particle to the other.¡± And if they have quantum entanglement working, it means I might be able to get the nanites to do quantum teleportation, which means I might be able to get out of any dangerous situation in the blink of an eye. But Gunny doesn¡¯t need to know that. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And? Aria repeated. ¡°That¡¯s how we can chat at the speed of thought! This kind of tech was supposed to be decades away.¡± ¡°So, why do you care about that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s fascinating for one. Two, I¡¯m trying to figure out every advantage I have for when I¡¯m sent into Southland,¡± Aria answered. ¡°And this also means I¡¯ll never have to worry about being out of range of a cell tower again. We could be 100 ft underground and still communicate clearly with someone on the moon!¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll admit that¡¯s interesting,¡± Sergeant Hauora said. ¡°Just interesting?¡± The sergeant shrugged. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m not a science nerd.¡± ¡°Jock!¡± ¡°I was one in my youth, you slacker.,¡± the sergeant replied. He grinned. ¡°I should make you run 50 laps around the complex as punishment for slacking off the last few days.¡± ¡°That might make a good warmup,¡± Aria quipped. Honestly, it probably would just be a warmup at this point. My body has changed a lot over the last few weeks in addition to what was done to me. ¡°Alright smartass. Let¡¯s put your money where your mouth is,¡± Hauora said. ¡°Try to keep up and don¡¯t get distracted by the sights and sounds outside.¡± Aria¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Outside? You¡¯re serious?¡± Gunny snorted and started stretching right there in the hallway outside her room. She stood there staring at him. ¡°Now missy! Start stretching. Move it, move it!¡± Gunny yelled, using his command voice. Aria jumped. ¡°Yes Gunny!¡± she replied and started stretching. He smiled. * Aria paused just past the doorway. Already the bright sunlight, sounds, and scents were overwhelming her. ¡°Problems?¡± Hauora asked. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Aria said, closing her eyes and putting her hands over her ears. ¡°It¡¯s too much!¡± ¡°Breathe kiddo. Just breathe,¡± Gunny said. ¡°Are you trying to make me sick?¡± ¡°No,¡± the sergeant laughed. ¡°Just trying to get you to calm down.¡± Gunny Hauora guided Aria back inside and to the floor just inside the doorway. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°A little,¡± Aria replied, opening her eyes. I can do this. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go to the gym and you can run on the treadmill again.¡± ¡°No!¡± Aria exclaimed. The sergeant looked at her curiously. ¡°No?¡± ¡°I can do this. I want to do this. I¡­ need to do this,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Just give me a few minutes.¡± She crossed her legs since she was already sitting on the floor. ¡°Let me sit here with the door open so I can adjust to the sensations.¡± ¡°Alright. You have 10 minutes. After that we go out for our run, or we hit the gym, and you don¡¯t get breakfast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s torture Sarge!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t consider missing breakfast as torture. Consider it extra motivation,¡± Gunny replied. She started to say something, but he tapped his wrist. ¡°The clock is ticking.¡± * A few minutes later, Aria opened her eyes and walked outside. She knew she still had about four minutes before Hauora¡¯s time limit expired. She squinted against the brightness and walked out into the sunlight away from the overhang that covered the facility¡¯s front door. Gunny waved the guards back after they moved to bring Aria back into the facility. She smiled as she heard and smelled that happen. Aria closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun. ¡°Sarge, shouldn¡¯t we bring her back in?¡± one of the guards asked. ¡°Dr Roth hasn¡¯t approved of her going outside,¡± the second guard added. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the doctor,¡± Sergeant Hauora told them. ¡°This is a training decision, and the Dr Roth wanted me to push her, so I¡¯m pushing.¡± ¡°Should we launch some drones and arrange for more security?¡± the first guard asked. ¡°Security and observation are already taken care of,¡± Gunny answered. ¡°And on standby.¡± * Aria felt her smile return, but this time it was because of the sun¡¯s warmth on her skin. It feels lovely. I think I now know why animals just bask in the sun. I suppose the nanobots will take care of any possible sunburn. If not, I¡¯ll deal with it as always with lots of lotion. The sounds faded and became more comfortable to her as did the smells. Honestly, the smells are worse than the sounds. Some of those flowers around here have very strong fragrances. Aria looked around her after forcing her eyes open all the way. It¡¯s a lovely morning. I¡¯ve never noticed just how blue the sky is before. She sniffed and looked to the west. She could see a few clouds in the sky. Pressure is dropping again, and I can smell rain on the breeze. ¡°Gunny,¡± Aria called. ¡°We need to run these laps quickly.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Hauora replied. ¡°Rain is coming,¡± Aria answered. ¡°Really?¡± the sergeant asked. She nodded. ¡°Checked the weather forecast?¡± ¡°Not yet. I can smell rain on the wind and can feel the air pressure dropping,¡± Aria replied. The two guards scoffed. She ignored them. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Hauora said a moment later. ¡°Radar shows rain is coming.¡± ¡°Are you serious sarge?¡± the other guard asked. ¡°There¡¯s no way she felt and smells the rain coming.¡± Aria grinned, shook her head, and pulled the hair tie off her left wrist. She pulled her hair into a ponytail. Maybe the guards aren¡¯t clued into what has been done to me. ¡°Ready?¡± Gunny asked. She nodded. ¡°Keep up if you can.¡± 20 ¡°Ready for this afternoon¡¯s training?¡± Gunny asked after Aria finished her lunch the same day. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What¡¯s it going to be, smelling skunks?¡± Aria replied. ¡°Nah, I think you¡¯ll be able to handle your sense training on your own from now on,¡± Hauora answered. ¡°Really?¡± Aria asked in disbelief. ¡°Yes. You handled the outdoors this morning just fine. So, from now on in the mornings, you¡¯ll run laps around the facility,¡± the sergeant replied. ¡°This way you can combine your sense training with some good old-fashioned exercise. I¡¯ll even let you run on your own.¡± ¡°Does me running alone include the guards and drones in addition to all the cameras?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Noticed them, did you?¡± ¡°Smelled and heard them too, especially the guards,¡± Aria answered. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s good,¡± Sergeant Hauora said. ¡°And yes, they¡¯ll all be present when you¡¯re outdoors.¡± ¡°Does this mean I¡¯ll get to spend time outside when we¡¯re not training?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Sure. But¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. My keepers will be there as well.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°That scared I¡¯m going to run away?¡± Aria teased. ¡°I¡¯m not but Dr Roth is, as is some of the board of directors. They¡¯re also worried about you being kidnapped,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Industrial espionage is a thing and still very much practiced,¡± Hauora answered. ¡°So, until your contract is fulfilled, you¡¯re going to be escorted whenever you¡¯re outside.¡± ¡°What about in Southland?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. Me and a few heavy hitters will accompany you on your excursions there until we¡¯re satisfied you can survive. Then you¡¯ll be left on your own for a few weeks,¡± Gunny explained. ¡°After that, Dr Roth starts working on new high elves and you get to go home or go wherever you want to go.¡± For some reason, I don¡¯t get a good feeling from what he just said. Though, I don¡¯t see any twitches or anything that would say he¡¯s lying to me either. Guess I just don¡¯t trust anyone involved in this ¡®project¡¯. Ugh! I¡¯ll worry about that when the time comes. ¡°So, if sense training is out, what¡¯s on the agenda for this afternoon? Waterboarding?¡± ¡°Nothing so rough,¡± Gunny laughed. ¡°We¡¯re going to train you to defend yourself and fight this afternoon.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Gunny, I¡¯ve never even punched anyone before. And doesn¡¯t that sort of thing take years to learn?¡± ¡°If we were going to teach you the traditional way, yes. But we¡¯re not going to do that.¡± Wait a minute. Didn¡¯t he mention something about implanting skills before? Aria thought. ¡°Gunny, does this training have anything to do with those skill implants or whatever you guys called them?¡± ¡°Good memory,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°And yes, it does. Come on.¡± * ¡°Are you ready Collingsworth?¡± Gunny asked the tech as they walked into a lab room. ¡°Yes sergeant. I¡¯m ready,¡± the technician answered. ¡°Is Aria ready?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do I have to do?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Just sit in this chair,¡± Collingsworth answered. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest. In fact, you might could take a nap if you want.¡± ¡°Would the process work if she¡¯s asleep?¡± Gunny asked. ¡°It should,¡± Collingsworth replied, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°But we¡¯ve never tested anything this complex on anyone before, so maybe she should be awake for it.¡± ¡°Great. More being a Guinea pig,¡± Aria muttered as she plopped into the chair. ¡°So, what are you trying to stick into my head?¡± ¡°Two martial arts,¡± Collingsworth answered. ¡°The first is Wing Chun and the second is Akido. Both are ideal for smaller people and women.¡± ¡°Like you,¡± Gunny said, a grin on his face. Aria resisted flipping him off. She looked up both martial arts using her implant. ¡°What the hell, Gunny? Akido is considered the way of harmony or peace and nonviolent while Wing Chun is considered violent.¡± ¡°Akido is all about defense, control, and mastering yourself,¡± Sergeant Hauora replied. ¡°In fact, it has very few offensive moves and emphasizes joint locks and throws to turn your attacker¡¯s aggression back on them. Akido¡¯s founder even felt you harmed yourself by harming your attacker.¡± ¡°Wing Chun on the other hand is all about neutralizing an attacker by attacking them at the same time,¡± Collingsworth stated. ¡°Both are defensive arts.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re being given these, so you don¡¯t have any more issues like the pool incident,¡± Gunny added. Aria nodded her understanding. ¡°If this works, we¡¯ll then imprint some weapons training for offense.¡± ¡°Just recline in the chair,¡± Collingsworth instructed. ¡°I¡¯ll connect to your implant and start the download.¡± Aria did as the tech said. Without warning, she felt an intense pain in her left temple. It almost felt like brain freeze from eating ice cream too quickly. A few minutes later a notice appeared. Download complete. You have learned Akido. ¡°Umm¡­ it worked,¡± Aria muttered uncertainly. She blinked and the message disappeared. ¡°It did work!¡± Collingsworth shouted, pumping his fist. ¡°And now for Wing Chun.¡± Aria felt the same spike of pain again. Another notice appeared a few minutes later. Download complete. You have learned Wing Chun. ¡°Download complete,¡± Collingsworth stated. He looked and sounded very excited. ¡°Aria?¡± Gunny prompted. This enhanced healing is nice. My headache is mostly gone already. ¡°I know Kung Fu!¡± Aria cracked. She ruined it by giggling. ¡°Smartass,¡± Gunny muttered. ¡°I¡¯m amazed people still quote that movie.¡± ¡°Oh, come on Gunny! How often do people get to say that and really mean it?¡± Aria replied. ¡°You don¡¯t know Kung Fu. Wing Chun is a different martial art,¡± Hauora replied, shaking his head. ¡°Congratulations Collingsworth,¡± Dr Roth¡¯s voice said over the room¡¯s speakers. ¡°You¡¯ll receive a bonus for this.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dr Roth,¡± Collingsworth replied. ¡°Sergeant Hauora, let¡¯s move on to skill testing.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Gunny said. He glanced at Aria. ¡°Yep. This means you get to spar now.¡± ¡°Joy!¡± Aria sarcastically replied. She frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t have to fight orcs, do I?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ll be sparring with some normal human troopers. We¡¯ll escalate the challenge as you progress,¡± Gunny answered. 21-23 ¡°Fall in!¡± Gunny Hauora bellowed as he led Aria into the gym. The guards that had been practicing and training stopped what they were doing and lined up in front of Hauora. Collingsworth drifted in behind them and leaned against a wall with a tablet in his hands. They even saluted him, Aria mused. The guards dropped their salute once the Gunny returned the salute. And now all their eyes are drifting to me. ¡°Sarge is that your new trainee?¡± one of the guards asked, indicating Aria with a flick of his chin. I don¡¯t recognize him. ¡°That¡¯s correct, Bishop,¡± the sergeant answered. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this is Aria Baird. She is our first high elf and you¡¯re going to help her this fine afternoon.¡± ¡°How are we going to do that, Gunny?¡± a very muscular female guard asked. ¡°That¡¯s a good question, Holder,¡± Gunny answered. ¡°Two or three of you are going to spar with Aria. Holder, you¡¯re up first.¡± ¡°I might break your elf Gunny,¡± the big guard said, cracking her neck side to side. ¡°In the circle with Holder, Aria,¡± Gunny said, ignoring the remark from the guard. ¡°Gunny, I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Aria began. ¡°In the circle Aria. Now,¡± Sergeant Hauora said. She noticed the painted circle on the floor. There were no mats. In a near whisper he said, ¡°trust your body and instincts.¡± Why did I sign that contract again? Oh yeah, to protect my parents. Silly me. Aria grinned at herself and entered the circle opposite the guard. Holder scowled upon seeing Aria¡¯s grin. ¡°The rules are simple Aria. You incapacitate your opponent or knock her out of the circle to win,¡± Gunny said. Aria tilted her head to the side questioningly. ¡°Incapacitate in this scenario means knocking them out or forcing them to tap out.¡± Aria nodded her understanding and chewed her bottom lip. This is going to suck. Maybe I can let Holder win by backing out of the circle. ¡°And don¡¯t think of just exiting the circle,¡± the sergeant added. ¡°The only way leaving the circle counts is if you get knocked out of the circle.¡± So much for that idea, Aria thought. ¡°Begin,¡± Gunny Hauora said. ¡°Are you afraid little girl?¡± Holder teased. The guard smiled and quickly feinted toward Aria. Aria moved not just a step back, but to the right without any conscious thought. Huh. It seems I can trust my body to know what to do with the new knowledge I was given. I moved to keep her from gaining centerline control over me with ease instead of just retreating out of the circle. ¡°Holder, stop playing around!¡± Bishop called out as Holder¡¯s smile faded. Aria noticed the guard¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I have five bucks on you!¡± The guard shot forward and grabbed Aria¡¯s right wrist and tried to pull her forward. At the same time, Aria lifted her hands up, stepped forward into Holder while pushing the larger woman¡¯s arm up. She then turned toward her right pushing down on Holder¡¯s elbow. With Holder slightly off balance, Aria pushed her arm up, bending the guard¡¯s elbow. This bent Holder¡¯s wrist, allowing Aria to reverse who was in control without breaking the guard¡¯s grip. With the underside of Holder¡¯s forearm facing her, Aria grabbed the forearm with her left hand. Her index finger knuckle was pressed against the other woman¡¯s bone, where a series of nerves ran along the inside of the forearm. She then pushed Holder¡¯s elbow forward toward the floor. Bishop hit the floor. Aria stepped her right foot forward under the guard¡¯s shoulder. She then wrapped the guard¡¯s arm around her knee. Holder quickly tapped out. A wide-eyed Aria let the guard go and stepped back outside the circle. I did it! Yonkyo came to me like I had been doing it for years. ¡°Damn!¡± Bishop exclaimed. ¡°Yes!¡± Collingsworth shouted. Gunny rolled his eyes. ¡°What the fuck?¡± another guard shouted. Others expressed similar feelings. ¡°Nice moves,¡± Holder said, getting to her feet and shaking out her arm. Aria nodded. ¡°Holder, are you alright?¡± Gunny asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine Sarge. My arm is still a little tingly,¡± the guard answered, massaging her forearm. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of those nerves she found.¡± ¡°Alright. Bishop, you¡¯re up,¡± Gunny said. ¡°Aria, back in the circle.¡± ¡°Watch and learn, Holder,¡± Bishop taunted. ¡°Fuck you,¡± Holder replied. ¡°I can¡¯t wait till she puts you on your ass.¡± ¡°Cut the chatter!¡± Gunny bellowed. ¡°Begin.¡± Bishop darted forward and grabbed both of Aria¡¯s wrists. Aria stepped slightly forward, her left hand going down and behind Bishop. At the same time, she lifted her right hand into his face. The guard let her go, bent backwards, and fell onto his back. Aria stepped back as the other guards laughed. Bishop slammed his hands into the floor in frustration. That was Tenchinage or Heaven and Earth throw, Aria thought after recognizing the technique she had used. ¡°That was quick just like your sex life!¡± Holder shouted to more laughter. ¡°Keep your cool, Bishop,¡± Gunny commanded. The big guard nodded. ¡°Again.¡± This time Bishop threw a punch, Aria slipped the punch by sidestepping it. This happened twice more. ¡°Fight me!¡± Bishop shouted. As you wish, Aria thought as he punched again. This time, she raised her right arm, keeping it loose, and let the punch slide along her forearm. She sidestepped around him as Bishop extended and continued past. Aria pushed his back, making the muscular man tumbled forward out of the ring. Uke Nagashi Irimi, Aria thought, naming the parry technique. Bishop came back into the circle swinging a wild haymaker. Aria used the same parry with her right arm, except this time instead of circling around him, she used her left to push his side while bringing her right arm up. This forced the guard down enough that as he continued forward, Aria¡¯s right arm caught him under the chin. She used their combined momentum to throw him down. ¡°Fuck!¡± Bishop shouted, slamming his hands to the floor again. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stand down Bishop,¡± Gunny bellowed as the other man got to his feet. ¡°You got your ass kicked by a little slip of a girl!¡± another guard taunted. Bishop glared at the guard and then back at Aria. Bishop then rushed forward, aiming to throw a right hook at the back of Aria¡¯s head. She heard the intake of Gunny¡¯s breath and the rustle of Bishop¡¯s clothing as well as his steps. Aria spun and stepped toward the irate guard. This made Bishop flinch back instinctively even as he punched. Aria slap-blocked his elbow into his body, making him twist to the side away from her. She continued moving forward and punched him under the jaw. Aria followed this up with a double punch to under Bishop¡¯s jaw and neck. Two rapid smacks cracked over the noise of the others. ¡°Dammit! I said stand down!¡± Hauora bellowed at the same time as Aria attacked the guard. The sergeant¡¯s eyes widened in shock as the large guard crashed to the ground. He didn¡¯t get up. ¡°Medic!¡± Holder bent to check her fellow guard as Aria stepped back. ¡°He¡¯s breathing.¡± A medic rushed in to check the man. Gunny Hauora turned to Aria, who looked a little afraid. ¡°Yes! The Wing Chun program worked too!¡± Collingsworth shouted. ¡°You did good,¡± the sergeant told Aria. ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to your room.¡± ¡°Will he be alright?¡± Aria asked. The medic glanced back and gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Looks like it,¡± Sergeant Hauora replied. ¡°Come on.¡± 22 I wonder what I should do with myself the rest of the afternoon, Aria thought as she towed off after taking a bath a short while after the sergeant had left her in her room. She dressed and started brushing her hair when a message arrived. Sergeant Hauora: Baird, we¡¯re going to change up your routine for the next couple of weeks. You¡¯ll still do cardo training in the mornings. After breakfast, you¡¯ll do some weight training and then the scientists and doctors will poke and prod you for a bit before lunch. After lunch, you¡¯ll do martial training of your new skills. After two hours of that, you¡¯ll be given study time.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Aria: Will have to see the doctors and scientists every day? Sergeant Hauora: Yes. Dr Roth and the others want to make sure your new skills don¡¯t cause any side effects or health complications. The only exception is Sundays. You¡¯ll get that day off from the doctors and training. I wonder if I can change the name of the other party like I did mine on these messages. She checked the message app¡¯s settings. There wasn¡¯t a way. She finished brushing her hair. That sucks, I¡¯ll have to write a script to force a change. Sergeant Hauora: Any other questions? Aria: Will I still be allowed outside when I want? Sergeant Hauora: Yes, that¡¯s the deal you made. In fact, you¡¯ll be able to roam the facility except for a few off-limits areas like labs and the orcs¡¯ area. You¡¯ll be monitored and will have to be back in your dorm by 2100 hours each night though. Aria: Thanks Gunny. I hate the curfew. I¡¯m not a kid. Sergeant Hauora: You¡¯re still a kid to me. Anyway, it¡¯s for your protection and part of training. I had wanted to force lights out by 2000 hours, but Dr Roth and others overrode me saying I couldn¡¯t do that to a civilian. Aria: Lucky me. I suppose it was the others that did the real overriding. Sergeant Hauora: Indeed. How did you change your display name? Aria: There¡¯s an option in the message app¡¯s settings. It won¡¯t let you change other people¡¯s names though. That was a major quality of life oversight by whoever wrote the program. Sergeant Hauora: Thanks for the information. Anyway, enjoy your evening. You can make your own way to the mess hall for supper with the rest of us or have something delivered to your room as always. Aria: Alright. Thanks. So, it looks like I can do what I want for part of my day until the gunny changes things again. Guess I¡¯ll read more about the implant and these nanites. * Interesting. But I wonder what else this could be used for, Aria thought after reading about the quantum communications the implant used. I know they mentioned a satellite being used for communications, but I bet they have backup servers or something throughout SL3¡¯s territory. I mean, quantum communication is basically teleportation, so line of sight and all doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Aria exclaimed as she bolted up into a sitting position. Since quantum communication is basically teleporting data. And that should mean the particles could teleport other things because the entangled particles are essentially gates to whatever device is on each side of them. ¡°This means I might be able to teleport myself out of here altogether or at the last come up with a dimensional storage like in games instead of just a blink step or whatever I had considered before,¡± Aria muttered aloud. ¡°If so, that would really make Collingsworth lose his poo.¡± She thought about it a bit more. The sticking point is the nanites. Can they break things down and reassemble them or make a copy? Also, can they create particles or something else to store things in? I don¡¯t see why not because that¡¯s pretty much what they do to heal me. Aria tapped her fingers along her thigh as she considered things. There¡¯s only one way to find out. She searched through the nanite documentation and coding. I¡¯m amazed they gave me access to the source code of the nanites and implant even though Mrs. Laurent said they would. She found what she was looking for in a coding comment sometime later. The nanites can be reprogrammed or even programmed to create other nanites with different functions so it doesn¡¯t interfere with their job of keeping their host healthy. Someone is just keeping that information hidden from others and is why the documentation doesn¡¯t mention it. Her stomach grumbled. Aria thought about ordering a burger and fries from the mess hall. Hmm. It¡¯s only 5pm, but I better order more food if I¡¯m going to do what I¡¯m considering. She smiled and ordered a large cheese thin crust pizza and pitcher of sweet tea to be delivered to her room. You little buggers are going to need the energy and material because you¡¯re about to get a workout. Aria started writing code. * ¡°Hi mom,¡± Aria said happily after answering the call later that night. I think I got all the bugs out of my code. I¡¯m not sure what was done to enhance my thinking process or if it¡¯s the implant doing the heavy lifting, but something has changed for the better and I think I like it. ¡°Hi sweetie. Is everything alright?¡± Piper replied. ¡°Yeah. Everything is fine. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t call earlier like you promised to.¡± Aria glanced at the time. It was 9pm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mom! I got distracted working on something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re like your dad and me when it comes to getting caught up in a project,¡± Piper said. ¡°So, are you working on a song?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a coding project,¡± Aria answered. Wait a minute. From what I¡¯ve read quantum communication is supposed to be very secure. But I wonder if the company had whoever code this put in spyware because that sort of thing makes sense for a corporation working on secret projects. She checked her nanite code and saw it was still being compiled. Aria pulled up the communications software in another window and started going through that code. ¡°Sweetie?¡± There you are! Cutting that spying out is an easy fix, Aria thought. She smiled as a prompt announced the nanobot code was done with no errors. Aria smiled and cut out the spying code module and started to compile the code. ¡°Aria?¡± ¡°Sorry mom. I got distracted again.¡± ¡°Just what are you working on? Do you want me to call back tomorrow?¡± her mom asked. Aria could hear the hurt in her voice. Her updated communications code finished compiling and showed no errors. ¡°No! I¡¯ll call you back in 5 minutes and we can talk all night if you want to,¡± Aria replied. ¡°And I promise to tell you what I¡¯ve been working on when I call you back.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± her mom answered. ¡°I love you, but the clock is ticking.¡± ¡°Love you mom,¡± Aria said before hanging up. She ran the new communications code and watched it replace the old code. She smiled again and called her mom back with a minute to spare. 23 ¡°You look¡­ a little rough,¡± Gunny said, greeting Aria the next morning while giving her an appraising look. Maybe I don¡¯t look flawless this morning or whatever he usually thinks I look like. Yeah, right. I¡¯m not that conceited. I know I never look flawless. ¡°Thanks, I think.¡± ¡°Did you sleep?¡± ¡°A little,¡± Aria answered. ¡°I stayed up working on a personal project.¡± ¡°Want to tell me what you worked on?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Aria answered. ¡°At least not yet. I¡¯ll show you if things work out like I want them to.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Hauora replied. ¡°Well, it¡¯s still your fault for not sleeping. Let¡¯s get moving. You can sleep tonight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a saint among men, Gunny.¡± ¡°I know.¡± * Okay. Let¡¯s see what I need to do. I need to harden my implant from the company, Aria thought as she ran around the building. I should have started doing that before working on quantum storage. I¡¯m sure the implant¡¯s OS has spyware in it just as the comm app did. Aria kept running and passed two guards at a side door. That¡¯s a lot of code to go through. I suppose I could write a script to search the code. She nodded to herself and started writing a script, trusting her senses to keep her on the running track. Halfway around the building she stopped working on the script. What am I doing? I already have something that should work thanks to some of the programmers in dad¡¯s division and guys I went to school with. Aria smiled and accessed a secure site on the net. Thankfully, this is still here. She downloaded a couple of small programs and turned them loose on the implant. Now, I just need to run and wait. * Aria nearly dropped her fork as she saw the results of the two little programs she had used. That¡¯s an awful lot of spyware and other unknown programs in my implant. With this much going on, I¡¯m surprised the blasted thing works as well as it does. She checked one of the unknown programs. Her eyes widened in shock and fear. There¡¯s a damn explosive pellet in my head! And this program activates it. ¡°Aria are you alright?¡± Gunny Hauora asked. ¡°Uh yeah,¡± Aria answered. Does he know? Did he approve of the decision? Does he control the trigger so to speak? ¡°Are you sure? You don¡¯t look alright.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure Sarge,¡± Aria replied as her fear and shock gave way to anger. The anger quickly gave way to resolve and certainty. She smiled, though it didn¡¯t quite touch her eyes. He didn¡¯t notice. ¡°I just had a setback for my project and realized it¡¯s going to take a bit more effort than I had anticipated.¡± Hauora nodded. ¡°Alright then. Dr Clarkson and Collingsworth are expecting you in 30 minutes to start their testing.¡± I will survive this and get out. I¡¯m going to have to warn my parents to flee too because I¡¯m sure Mrs. Laurent knows about this pellet even if Gunny doesn¡¯t. And that¡¯s why she gave in to my demands so quickly. I¡¯m going to have to get out of this and make the company pay somehow. ¡°Alright,¡± Aria replied. Okay nanobots. It¡¯s time to program you to disarm and dissolve this fucking explosive pellet. * ¡°What¡¯s up, doc?¡± Aria asked as she entered the lab. ¡°Very funny,¡± Craig Clarkson replied. Aria shrugged. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hop up on the exam table and get comfortable?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me to strip first, are you?¡± Aria asked. He and Collingsworth flushed. ¡°No!¡± Craig quickly replied. ¡°Why would you even think that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what doctors do when they want someone on an examination table?¡± she asked as she sat on the edge of the table. Collingsworth snorted a laugh. ¡°Oh. You¡¯re teasing me,¡± Craig said. Aria grinned. ¡°Anyway, this isn¡¯t that type of exam. ¡°We¡¯re just going to do some scans of your brain and implant. Later, we¡¯ll ask some questions and do more scans.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s it for today?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Dr Clarkson answered. ¡°As I said, get comfortable. This is going to take a while.¡± ¡°If you want something to drink or need to use the restroom, let us know,¡± Collingsworth chimed in. ¡°Thanks. I will,¡± Aria said. She laid down on the table. ¡°So, can I read or work on some programming stuff while you do these scans?¡± Clarkson and Collingsworth exchanged a look and shrug. Then they nodded at each other. ¡°I suppose,¡± Craig answered. ¡°We¡¯ll let you know if you need to stop,¡± Collingsworth added. ¡°Thanks guys,¡± Aria said. She started working on adding the new nanite programming she needed. * ¡°What kind of programming project are you working on?¡± Collingsworth asked an hour later. ¡°It¡¯s not anything to do with the leveling system, is it?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not messing with your baby,¡± Aria answered. I¡¯m not telling you that I just created some explosive destroying nanobots. It turned out that creating a small swarm of new nanites programmed for the one task was much easier and quicker than reprogramming her other nanites. ¡°Good. So, what are you working on?¡± Collingsworth asked. ¡°Just some quality-of-life improvements to some of the implants apps,¡± Aria lied as the new swarm descended on the explosive pellet and began isolating it. It¡¯s working! ¡°Like what?¡± Craig Clarkson asked. ¡°Well, like the comm app. It won¡¯t let you change the display name of anyone who messages you even if they¡¯re on your contact list,¡± Aria answered. That¡¯s true enough from what I¡¯ve found out. And it was an easy fix too. ¡°So, I thought I would change that.¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± Collingsworth said as Craig snorted and turned back to studying the scan. ¡°What was that?¡± Craig suddenly asked as Aria flinched from a quick spike of pain at the base of her skull. ¡°What was what?¡± Aria asked innocently. Holy poo! Those nanites work fast. The swarm just finished eating the explosive! ¡°There was a little energy spike near your implant according to the scan, but I¡¯m not seeing anything now,¡± Dr Clarkson answered. ¡°Perhaps it was a glitch,¡± Collingsworth said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any change in the implant.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Craig replied. ¡°Aria, did you feel anything?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Aria lied. She smiled. The pain was already gone and according to the nanites not even a trace of the explosive remained. She activated the second programming change she had written. The nanites throughout her body started scanning for any foreign material. Better safe than sorry. Collingsworth whistled. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Craig asked. ¡°Aria¡¯s mental stat just went up to 9. Whatever you¡¯re working on is working Aria. Keep up the good work!¡± Collingsworth said. ¡°Thanks! I will,¡± Aria replied with a satisfied smile on her face. ¡°Hey! Can I get some orange juice?¡± 24-26 I think that¡¯s as hardened as I can make this system without Collingsworth discovering what I¡¯ve done. Despite my personal feelings about him, the guy knows his system and the implant hardware, Aria thought a few days later. I¡¯ll find out just how good I am tomorrow since I¡¯m supposed to get a new round of skills in the morning unless Gunny changes the schedule again. She yawned and decided to take a shower before going to bed. Aria stretched. Get to work little buddies. My back is a little sore. She grabbed a change of clothes and walked into the bathroom. I¡¯m glad something new is happening tomorrow because I¡¯m tired of sparring and practicing Akido and Wing Chun. I¡¯m no master, but there¡¯s very few guards and experts that Gunny has brought in that pose a challenge to me after only a couple weeks of training. I guess knowledge is king. Aria turned on the water and waited for it to get warm. She stripped and started to hum a song. She played the song as she entered the shower. A moment later, Aria started to sing. She suddenly stopped. Is that me? I¡¯ve never been able to sing that well before or even carry a tune when singing. That¡¯s probably why I¡¯ve only ever sung in the shower before and played instruments. Aria finished showering, dried off, and changed clothes. She exited the bathroom and picked up her guitar. She sat on the edge of the bed and started to play Let it Be by the Beatles. Dad loves this song, and I have to admit, I¡¯ve grown to like it too. Strange that I never listened to his favorite type of music until all this happened. Guess I¡¯ve become more open to different things since becoming an elf. She kept playing and humming the song. Before she knew it, Aria found herself singing as well. She felt a pleasant warmness in her lower back where the soreness was. By the end of the song, the knot of soreness had loosened and faded to nothing, and the warmth faded along with it. What in the world? Aria thought. She sat the guitar down and checked the nanite monitoring app Collingsworth or one of the other techs had written. It was a good enough app, so she hadn¡¯t felt the need to replace it. Interesting. The nanobots responded to the song or to me singing and playing. I may have to experiment with music and them more, Aria thought. She turned off the lights and laid down. That will wait though. If Collingsworth or anyone else doesn¡¯t detect any of my alterations to the implant and system tomorrow, I¡¯ll start back on the storage idea tomorrow evening. * ¡°So, what¡¯s on the agenda for today?¡± Aria asked as she sat in the same chair she had when given the martial arts skills. ¡°Kung Fu, karate, or something else?¡± ¡°Something else,¡± Dr Craig Clarkson answered. Aria glanced at Gunny. ¡°It¡¯s a useful surprise,¡± the sergeant added. ¡°We¡¯re going to divide these skill downloads up into categories,¡± Collingsworth added. ¡°Get comfortable this is going to take a while.¡± ¡°Can I go back and get my guitar?¡± Aria asked. Collingsworth looked interested in that idea. ¡°No,¡± Gunny Hauora and Dr Clarkson said at the same time. ¡°Spoilsports,¡± Aria muttered. Oh well. I guess I¡¯ll go over the math for the teleportation storage gateway thingy again while they give me whatever. ¡°Here we go,¡± Craig announced. ¡°First skill downloading now.¡± Download complete. You have learned First Aid. Aria dismissed the notice a few minutes later. ¡°You gave me first aid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a survival skill,¡± Collingsworth answered. ¡°And a very useful one at that,¡± Gunny added. ¡°You¡¯ll be getting quite a few more survival skills today.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯d like to make a change to the plan,¡± Craig said. ¡°What kind of change?¡± Gunny asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to give Aria full paramedic training,¡± the scientist answered. ¡°Why?¡± Sergeant Hauora asked. ¡°First aid is all she needs, especially with the nanites in her system. Besides, we¡¯ll have a combat medic with us when we go on training excursions.¡± ¡°What happens if something happens to the medic, and you have to wait for pickup?¡± Collingsworth asked. ¡°Having a second trained medic isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I get a say in this?¡± Aria asked. I don¡¯t want to be a paramedic. Seeing that kind of trauma isn¡¯t my thing and if I¡¯m that badly wounded, I wouldn¡¯t be able to help myself. That¡¯s what the little buggers are for. ¡°Dr Roth?¡± Gunny asked, ignoring Aria¡¯s question. Everyone knew she didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter. Great. She¡¯s monitoring the lab. ¡°I approve of the change. Good thinking Craig,¡± Dr Roth¡¯s voice said over the lab¡¯s speakers. Hauora shrugged as Clarkson and Collingsworth smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aria. You won¡¯t be a combat medic. This is just more knowledge,¡± Collingsworth said. ¡°And it might save a person¡¯s life in the future,¡± Craig added. * ¡°Knot tying, navigation without technology or a compass, fire starting, foraging, hunting, fishing, sewing and mending clothing, signaling, shelter building, tracking, water safety, and water purification,¡± Aria said as she read and dismissed the notices hours later. ¡°The last one isn¡¯t so much for you as others,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°Your nanites will purify anything you drink as long as it isn¡¯t poison.¡± They¡¯ll sort that out too thanks to their initial programming and the changes I made, Aria thought. ¡°Gunny, how am I going to practice these skills?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the excursions are for,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°We¡¯ll also do some of the simple water purification stuff out by the lake as well as fire starting. We can also do some simple tracking exercises too now that I think about it.¡± ¡°Guess that¡¯s going to be my afternoon training for the rest of the week,¡± Aria said. ¡°Yep,¡± Gunny confirmed. He gestured to the tech and scientist. ¡°Once the eggheads give the clear for no side effects, you¡¯ll get an archery download. Then we¡¯ll do an excursion.¡± ¡°Archery?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Yep,¡± Collingsworth answered before Hauora could. ¡°No firearms are allowed in Southland.¡± ¡°So, you won¡¯t be trained on them,¡± Craig added. ¡°Actually, giving Aria at least basic firearms training would be good for her,¡± Gunny said. ¡°It¡¯ll be good for her accuracy, and we can also consider it additional hearing training.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Dr Roth¡¯s voice announced over the speakers. ¡°Good suggestion sergeant.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get started on the module,¡± Collingsworth said. 25 ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Aria muttered to herself late the same afternoon. She activated what she considered the gate building nanites. That¡¯s a bit of a misnomer. They¡¯re not really building a gate. They are entangling quantum particles though.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. She broke out in a sweat and felt nauseous. ¡°What in the world?¡± Aria dried heaved and fell to the floor, feeling extremely weak. Her eyes widened in alarm. I forgot about the energy requirements and the nanites are feeding on me! She sent the command for the nanites to stop their work and passed out not knowing if she successfully stopped them or not. * My head hurts, Aria thought the next morning just as soon as she woke up. I¡¯m hungry too. She sat up and realized she was still on the floor. This almost feels like a hangover. Aria got up and went into the bathroom. She turned on the cold water in the sink and cupped her hands under the flow. Aria sipped as much as she could before it leaked out of her hands. She repeated the process until she felt a little better. A message popped up as she turned off the water. Gunny: You¡¯re late. Yep, Aria thought as she checked the time. He¡¯s right on que. Aria: Feeling nauseous. Gunny: You shouldn¡¯t be. That¡¯s what your enhanced healing and nanites are for. Aria: Well, I am. Gunny: Is it that¡­ time of the month? Aria: Do you really want to know? Now that I think about it, it is that time of the month for me. But other than feeling weak and hungry, I feel fine as far as that goes just like the other times since I woke from the coma. Guess it was something else that was changed without telling me. Aria frowned. What does this mean about having children? I always thought I would, but can I even do so now? Do I even want to anymore? I¡¯m not sure. Gunny: You were fine in what should have been your previous cycles. That¡¯s just creepy. They¡¯re keeping track of when I¡¯m on my period. Aria: Don¡¯t know what to tell you, Gunny. But it¡¯s creepy that you know that. Gunny: Alright. I¡¯ll give you the morning off training. Eat if you feel up to it. I¡¯ll let Dr Roth know what is going on. Odds are she¡¯ll want to talk to you and run some tests. Aria: Thanks Gunny. Gunny: You¡¯re welcome, but don¡¯t thank me yet. You¡¯re still starting your survival skills training this afternoon. * ¡°Damn girl! You¡¯re packing it away this morning for someone so small. That¡¯s what, your third plate of pancakes?¡± Holder said. Aria looked up from her plate to the muscular female guard and shrugged. ¡°Finish chewing before you speak. I don¡¯t like see food.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t eat last night,¡± Aria replied after she finished chewing and drinking some of her orange juice. ¡°Guess I should have.¡± ¡°Yep,¡± the guard agreed. Holder checked the time. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around. I don¡¯t want to be late for my shift.¡± ¡°Bye,¡± Aria replied. She checked the incoming message. Great. I have to meet with Roth and Clarkson in a few minutes. * ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Dr Lin Roth asked. ¡°Better than when I first woke up,¡± Aria answered. ¡°So, it was just nausea?¡± Lin asked. Aria nodded and Roth noted something on her tablet. ¡°Alright. Get comfortable and we¡¯re going to run some tests.¡± ¡°Want a urine sample?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Because I need to use the restroom before you start running tests.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ve had breakfast and that will cloud the results,¡± Dr Clarkson said on behalf of Dr Roth. Aria shrugged. ¡°Make it quick,¡± Lin told Aria. ¡°Sure,¡± Aria replied. She went to the restroom and did what needed to be done. She returned and sat down in the examination chair. It reclined back. ¡°I can use my implant while you do these tests, right? Because I know you won¡¯t let me get my guitar.¡± ¡°Yes, you can use your implant,¡± Craig answered. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Begin,¡± Dr Roth instructed as Aria nodded. Right. So, let¡¯s see just how badly the nanites messed me up yesterday, Aria thought. She examined the data. Not too bad all things considered. But I don¡¯t want to do that again and that means I need to find a way for them to use energy that isn¡¯t me or from food. The easiest way would be to have a few leave my body and interact with a power socket. That would probably show up on the facility¡¯s logs though, so I don¡¯t want to do that. She started researching ways for the nanites to use other energy sources. Aria smiled a few minutes later. Kinetic energy is perfect for my needs if the nanites can store it. Wait! I wouldn¡¯t need the nanites to store energy. Quantum particles could do that and the same teleportation that should allow me to store objects could store energy. Aria continued to think about it. I would need nanites throughout my body that housed quantum particles and were designed to convert kinetic motion into energy and transfer it to the bonded particles. I could leave everything inside me too instead of sending the particles to another location. She grinned. If this doesn¡¯t work and I blow up, well, I¡¯d be finished with this mess. But if it works, I¡¯ll have unlimited energy at my disposal and there¡¯s no telling what I can do with that. I mean, people are almost always in motion except for when they sleep. Every little movement could be used to make energy. With that happy thought in mind, Aria pulled up the nanites specs and code. Her grin grew as the implant helped her quickly finalize a design for her new nanites. ¡°Reading something good?¡± Craig asked. Aria jumped, making him smile. He is cute, Aria thought. ¡°Uh yeah. Just a comic.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Craig said. He seemed disappointed. Too bad. I¡¯m not telling you what I¡¯m doing. Though if this works, I could share it with others. And that might not be so bad, Aria thought. Then again, that might be a bad idea. SL3 would use this kinetic energy/quantum teleportation for profit, and I think that¡¯s a bad idea. Another thought hit her that made Aria smile. Maybe I can share this with the world if it works and deny SL3 profit. That would be a nice bit of payback for all this. 26 No more rubbing sticks together for fire, Aria excitedly thought three days later. It had taken 72 hours and a lot of food to create the new nanites. I don¡¯t have enough yet to store a lot of energy or create a portal yet, but I have enough to do some testing. Aria had also created a few dozen new nanites that should allow her to use the stored kinetic energy outside her body to start a fire. She made sure the sergeant and guards weren¡¯t watching and pointed a finger at the tinder and activated the ignite command with a thought. Nothing happened. What? Oh, come on! All the tests and status showed green across the board. This should work. Aria jabbed her finger forward and sent the command again. Still, nothing happened. Oh, this sucks! She glanced at the sticks and balled her hands. Looks like I¡¯ll have to do it the hard way after all. I better check my code to see where I messed up at. Aria began testing her code again. She started humming a tune while doing so. Suddenly, she felt intense heat in her right palm. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Everything alright?¡± Gunny asked, not even glancing up from his tablet as Aria shook her hand. A second little spark appeared and disappeared above her right index finger. ¡°Yep. Just a bit of a cramp,¡± Aria fibbed. Gunny grunted. That was a delayed response to the command. ¡°How¡¯s that fire coming?¡± Gunny asked. ¡°It¡¯s coming,¡± Aria replied. Gunny chuckled. He looked her way while she rubbed her right palm. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Aria answered. Gunny turned his attention back to his tablet. So, what caused the reaction? Was it my humming? Aria wondered. She held up her index finger in front of her chest and started humming while triggering the activation command again. A small flame sparked above her finger. I did it! And it seems the nanites respond to music for some reason. I¡¯ll test that some more later. Aria pointed at the tender, hummed, and triggered the command again. The tender caught fire. She smiled and stood up. Gunny looked her way and then at the small fire. ¡°Nicely done. You started the fire faster than yesterday too,¡± Hauora said. ¡°Thanks,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Should I put it out?¡± ¡°Yeah. Kick some dirt over it,¡± Gunny answered. Aria did so and he made sure the fire was out. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start working on tracking.¡± ¡°Going to tell me how?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Nope. You have the knowledge in your head,¡± the sergeant replied. ¡°Corporal Timmons, who¡¯s one sneaky SOB, started here and headed to another point around the facility. Follow him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to give me any hints?¡± ¡°None,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°Well, just this one. Review your knowledge and use your eyes.¡± ¡°Asshole,¡± Aria murmured. Gunny smiled. ¡°Oh, he wears a different style boot than the rest of the guards too,¡± Gunny added. ¡°That helps. Thanks,¡± Aria replied. Hauora nodded and gestured for her to get started. So, look for different footprints, Aria thought as she pulled up the information her implant had on tracking. That caused her to remember knowledge she hadn¡¯t learned yet knew. These given skills are nice. She quickly found the footprint and followed it to the edge of the grass, where it disappeared. From there she found bent blades of grass and caught a different scent. That¡¯s aftershave and boot polish. ¡°This way Gunny.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± the sergeant asked. Aria nodded. ¡°Then lead on.¡± * ¡°Corporal Timmons is in the tree to the right,¡± Aria said, pointing to the tree, a while later. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Gunny asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°For one, I can see his clothing and shape in the foliage. The pattern doesn¡¯t match,¡± Aria answered. ¡°I can hear him scraping against the tree as he moves, and finally, I can smell him. More specifically, I can smell his aftershave, deodorant, and boot polish.¡± ¡°Not bad¡­¡± ¡°And if you insist on more details, I can point out the bent grass, indentions from his steps in the ground, and a bit of mud against the base of the tree for you,¡± Aria added, cutting the sergeant off. Hauora laughed. ¡°Should have known your senses would make a simple tracking exercise too easy. Next time, we¡¯ll venture into the woods a bit.¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± ¡°No. We need to give you some movement and stealth skills first,¡± Gunny said. ¡°You¡¯re way too loud when you move. Plus, there¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll fall and hurt yourself.¡± ¡°Oh. So, is that for next week?¡± Aria replied. ¡°Yeah. I may push things up a bit though,¡± Gunny answered. ¡°I think tomorrow I¡¯ll have you show me what you can do with your medic skills.¡± ¡°Joy,¡± Aria muttered. ¡°So, we¡¯re done for the day?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± * That¡¯s good, Aria thought after finishing her supper. Alright little buddies. It¡¯s time to start making more of you for energy capture. She activated the nanite creating process as she tossed her trash down the chute. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t take more than a week to make enough nanobots. Aria reconsidered things. Honestly, it won¡¯t take more than another day to make enough for the storage portal thingy. Heck, I might have enough by morning to make another attempt. Aria glanced at her guitar. I¡¯ve done enough work for one day. It¡¯s time to relax and have some fun. She picked up the guitar and started playing. 27-30 Let¡¯s see if the inventory system can work, Aria thought early the next morning after checking the number of the new nanites she had. It was an hour before the sergeant would demand her presence. There were enough nanites according to her calculations and more than enough energy in the storage nanites and particles. Here goes nothing. She sent the command and hummed along with a song she was playing. The humming is just in case. At first nothing happened, then she felt the gradual increase in energy around her. It caused her hair to stand on end. The implant notified Aria of the status of her attempt. Quantum entangled state achieved. Kitaev chain formed. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Aria exclaimed. It worked! Her enhanced vision picked out a swirling vortex in front of her. Aria walked around the vortex. It was basically a flat spinning disc from the front. From the side, it looked almost like a floating piece of nearly invisible paper that she could barely see. I doubt normal humans would be able to see this. After walking around the backside of the vortex, Aria could barely make out the disc shape and couldn¡¯t see any swirling. She walked back to the front of the vortex. I need to test this. She pulled the hair tie from around her left wrist and held it in front of the portal. She felt a slight tugging sensation, but nothing else happened. Hmm. Guess I need to get the object closer. I don¡¯t want to stick my hand in there though. I¡¯m scared my hand will get bitten off. Aria checked the room but couldn¡¯t find anything other than a pair of eyelash tweezers in the bathroom. That¡¯s not going to work. Welp, my hand it is. She walked back into the bedroom and reached for the portal. At the last second, she chickened out and tossed the hair tie into the vortex. The tie disappeared. Aria checked the inventory program she had written. ¡°Oh my God!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°It worked!¡± Aria jumped up and down in joy. She stopped. But how do I close the vortex? Or can I anchor it to me and keep it with me? I really should have thought about this more before trying it out. Plus, how do I get stuff back out without sticking my hand in there and hoping to find something? She sat on her bed. Aria then ran some numbers and simulations. I can stick my hand in the vortex, which I¡¯m not excited to do, or use a fetch command. Aria thought it over some more and opted for the fetch command. The implant helped make quick work of the coding. She checked the time and saw she had half an hour before she needed to meet Hauora. Aria executed the fetch command, filling in the hair tie as the object to be retrieved. Less than a second later, the tie floated at the edge of the vortex. She gingerly plucked the tie from the portal. I¡¯m not sure if this is the same tie or a recreation. It honestly doesn¡¯t matter, Aria thought as she used the tie to put her hair into a ponytail. She quickly used the fetch command to create an input command by copying the code and just making a couple of word changes to allow for input instead of output. I don¡¯t want anything to go in there by accident. Aria watched as the vortex winked out and restored itself. She tossed one of her running shoes at the portal. The shoe flew through the vortex and fell onto the floor. ¡°Ha!¡± She used the new command while pushing the end of the shoe into the portal. The shoe disappeared. She then retrieved the shoe and put both on. Aria touched the portal. It felt like air slowly moving in a circle. From the sides and back, she felt nothing. Aria smiled and shut down the portal. It winked out of existence. That works. I need to go meet Gunny. While I run, I¡¯ll work on the code to anchor the portal to something I can wear. Ugh! I don¡¯t have any jewelry or even a belt. Even if I had something, I doubt Roth and the Gunny would allow me to keep it. I do have some jewelry I can ask mom and dad to bring me. Guess, I¡¯ll ask the sarge about it. Maybe I will get my ears pierced again too. But on the positive side, my inventory system works! 28 Aria stopped and tied her shoe again. She quickly picked up the small rock she had noticed and activated her inventory. She put the rock into it and deactivated the portal. That¡¯s a lot of energy being used to start up and shut down the system, Aria thought. She started running again. After two laps, she paused and activated the portal after making sure she wasn¡¯t being watched. That¡¯s not good. The rock is not here. So, that must mean each portal is a new instance. She started running once more after deactivating the vortex. Aria checked the nanites and everything else she could think of. Yep, the rock is gone. This means I¡¯m going to need to tether the portal to me somehow, which I already suspected. Aria pushed her thoughts aside and changed her music. She smiled and started singing along with the song. ¡°The sky was all purple, there were people running everywhere.¡± She hummed along for a bit before singing another line, ¡°So, tonight I¡¯m going to party like it¡¯s 1999.¡± * ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± one of the security techs monitoring Roth¡¯s facility stated. ¡°What¡¯s odd?¡± Lieutenant Dawson, who oversaw the morning shift, asked. ¡°Ma¡¯am, sensors picked up an energy spike four separate times outside the building in the last ten minutes,¡± the tech answered. ¡°According to logs, the same sort of spike has been detected at least twice in the last few days.¡± ¡°Where were the spikes at?¡± the lieutenant asked. ¡°Were these spikes near anything critical?¡± ¡°All were near Baird, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Dawson inquired. The tech nodded. The lieutenant sent a message to Gunny Hauora. ¡°Sergeant Hauora says he hasn¡¯t seen anything strange.¡± She considered her options and checked the logs herself. ¡°It was just a short energy spike that did nothing?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the tech agreed. ¡°As far as our sensors can tell at least.¡± ¡°Alright. Since Hauora hasn¡¯t seen anything and there¡¯s no damage or other things to worry about, report it, and carry on with your duties as normal. Report it every time if you see additional spikes. We¡¯ll let Dr Roth and the other higherups worry about them.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the tech happily agreed. * ¡°Hey Doc, hey Collingsworth,¡± Aria said in greeting when she reported for the daily tests. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood,¡± Craig replied. ¡°I am,¡± Aria admitted. She glanced at Collingsworth as she sat in the examination chair. ¡°Collingsworth, what is your first name?¡± ¡°Phillip. Why?¡± the tech replied. ¡°I was just wondering,¡± Aria answered. ¡°Which do you prefer to be called by?¡± ¡°Collingsworth,¡± the man stated. ¡°I¡¯m used to being addressed by my last name at this point.¡± He then murmured under his breath, ¡°and I don¡¯t like my first name.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Aria said, shrugging her shoulders while trying not to smile. Guess he forgot I can hear that. ¡°Hey. I have a question for both of you.¡± ¡°What sort of question?¡± Dr Clarkson asked. ¡°Shoot,¡± Collingsworth replied at the same time. ¡°Scientific theory I suppose,¡± Aria answered. Craig nodded as did Collingsworth. ¡°If it were possible to open portals, how would you anchor them so they could be moved?¡± ¡°What kind of portals? Craig asked. ¡°We would need to know what the portals do to give an educated answer.¡± ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s say quantum,¡± she replied. ¡°Like for theoretical quantum teleportation?¡± Collingsworth clarified. Aria nodded. ¡°From what I¡¯ve read, the energy requirements for a large enough portal to be useful, would be so great the portal would have to be stationary and permanently attached to its energy source. And by useful, I mean one that a person could walk through. Think Star Trek or something along those lines.¡± ¡°Hypothetically speaking, if the portal¡¯s energy requirements were low enough so that it could be portable, I suppose the grid or whatever structure used to build the portal could be moved on a trailer,¡± Clarkson said. ¡°But that sort of technology is still years away despite our using quantum entanglement for communications now.¡± ¡°Thanks. I suppose that makes sense,¡± Aria replied. ¡°What made you ask about portals?¡± Collingsworth asked. ¡°Looking to escape to a tropical island?¡± Aria laughed. ¡°No. I¡¯ve just been doing some reading and that made me wonder what was possible.¡± ¡°Science fiction?¡± Craig asked, a tone of dismissal in his voice. Aria shrugged. Craig is cute. Okay, being honest, he¡¯s hot. But he seems to be an elitist asshole too, Aria thought. And that means I¡¯m not really that interested, especially with my future up in the air. Besides, I¡¯ve been around his type for too much of my life. She turned her thoughts to other things while continuing to listen to old Prince songs while the men did their tests. * ¡°I thought we were finished with sparring,¡± Aria said. ¡°Humor me,¡± Gunny replied. He pointed to a man. ¡°This is Sergeant Travis Towns. If you can beat him, Travis will join us on your excursions including the tracking exercise.¡± Aria examined the dark-skinned man. He¡¯s about Gunny¡¯s age and looks like he weighs about 150 pounds more than me with about a foot of height advantage too. He¡¯s not moving around much, so I¡¯m going to assume he¡¯s a highly trained fighter that doesn¡¯t want to give away anything.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Why should I want him going with us?¡± she asked. Travis grinned. He¡¯s cute too. ¡°For a couple of reasons smartass,¡± Hauora answered. ¡°First, I said so. Second, Travis is a highly skilled field operative and will watch your back as well as mine. Third, I would consider it a personal favor.¡± Why would the sergeant want this man along? He¡¯s said the excursion won¡¯t be dangerous. Is this guy his husband? There¡¯s only one way to find out. Aria¡¯s eyes widened as she quickly scanned Hauora¡¯s personal file, and she smiled. ¡°Why Gunny Hauora, you want your husband along with us! Who would have thought that you¡¯d bend the rules like this. For shame!¡± ¡°How did you¡­¡± Gunny broke off. He scowled as Travis laughed a booming laugh. ¡°Dammit Travis. It¡¯s not funny. Aria has somehow gotten into the personal files.¡± ¡°I got logged,¡± Aria guessed. Gunny nodded. ¡°But to be fair, I was given access to the system and all files. Anyway, I¡¯ll play your game. But if I win, I get the rest of the afternoon to do what I want.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the way this works,¡± Hauora retorted. ¡°It will be if you want me to spar with your spouse,¡± Aria calmly replied. ¡°I¡¯ll even use Wing Chun instead of Akido, so it doesn¡¯t take so long.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s a challenge I can¡¯t resist,¡± Sergeant Towns said. He grinned as he eyed some practice knives and swords in the weapons racks. ¡°We¡¯ll use weapons, and I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡± ¡°Remember this is just a sparring session. Don¡¯t hurt each other,¡± Hauora said. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt your girl, Tupu¡± Travis said. ¡°I¡¯ll even let her pick the weapons.¡± ¡°Thanks. We¡¯ll go with the three-and-a-half-point Dragon Pole,¡± Aria said. She selected two of the six feet long poles and handed one to the visiting sergeant. They backed off and bowed to each other. He might be skilled in different martial arts and weapons, but I think I caught him off guard. He¡¯s not holding the pole like someone that knows how to use it. Travis moved quickly and jabbed the staff at her. Aria used a small circular motion to send his pole past her. She slipped to the side and dropped the end of her pole, tripping the man. ¡°Shit,¡± Sergeant Towns muttered, barely keeping his feet. ¡°Gunny, I promise not to hurt your husband too much,¡± Aria said. Towns quickly turned, swinging the staff high. Aria ducked the blow and came up while using short, shaking thrusts to pummel the larger man in the stomach and chest. He dropped his weapon and fell to the mat. ¡°Damn,¡± Gunny whispered. Louder, he said, ¡°that was fast.¡± ¡°Are you alright, Sergeant Towns?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not hurt much,¡± Travis answered. ¡°But I¡¯ll bruise. And I¡¯m not just talking about my pride.¡± ¡°I told you she was quick,¡± Hauora said as he helped Towns up. Aria smiled as she noticed the longer than necessary hand holding. ¡°Collingsworth gave Aria a master¡¯s level of skill.¡± ¡°He did?¡± Aria asked. Hauora nodded. ¡°Huh.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Sergeant Towns, it was nice meeting you and I look forward to seeing you on the trip. You two have a nice afternoon. I¡¯m going to go play some guitar.¡± 29 Download complete. You have learned Stealth. Download complete. You have learned Movement. Download complete. You have learned Archery. ¡°Those seem like entirely different things to give me at once,¡± Aria remarked. And what¡¯s up with Movement? I already know how to move. She checked her stats and skills. User: Aria Baird Class: None Level: 1 Trait Stats Physical: 7 Mental: 9 Personal: 9 Skills: Akido, Archery, Movement, Paramedic, Survival, Tracking, Wing Chun Are they turning me into an assassin or someone¡¯s idea of a fantasy elf warrior? Aria wondered. She was glad all the survival skills were listed under one heading instead of individually. I should ask if I¡¯m going to be taught the Kama Sutra next so I can become someone¡¯s plaything too. She shook her head and pushed those thoughts away. ¡°Gunny wanted to push things a bit,¡± Collingsworth explained. ¡°It seems your tracking trip is going to be a bit more involved than you were told.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just great,¡± Aria said. I need to see mom and dad before Gunny takes me to the woods. ¡°Am I good to go?¡± ¡°You are,¡± Craig replied before Collingsworth did. ¡°Sergeant Hauora wants you in the gym though.¡± ¡°I guess he wants to see how I move now,¡± Aria said. Dr Clarkson nodded. She shrugged and walked to the door. * Collingsworth watched her exit the lab. ¡°Damn!¡± ¡°What?¡± Craig replied. ¡°You saw the way she walked.¡± ¡°Yeah, and?¡± ¡°Aria has gone from moving as gracefully as a dancer to moving more elegantly than any human I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Collingsworth answered. ¡°You can see the power in her every move now almost like she¡¯s a tiger or something.¡± ¡°You just like staring at her ass,¡± Craig said. ¡°That too,¡± Collingsworth admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m not wrong, the girl has become more than human, and I don¡¯t just mean with her looks.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re doing our jobs well because that¡¯s the goal of this project,¡± Dr Clarkson stated. * I really wish I hadn¡¯t heard that because I¡¯m not sure which part was worse. Collingsworth admitting to being a creep or the doc saying their goal was to make me into something else, Aria thought as the lab door closed as she made her way down the hall. She stopped and leaned against the wall. She felt like she wanted to go curl up and cry. That, or be held by her parents while she cried. Keep it together. She took a deep breath and messaged her parents asking them to come visit. Her mom replied that they would be at the facility by midmorning the next day and that she would call this evening. Satisfied with that, Aria took another calming breath. It¡¯s just you and me kids, Aria thought to the nanites. She imagined them crawling along, though, and under her skin. That¡¯s it! I can anchor the portal to the nanites themselves. Move them or make some new ones that stay at my right hip and upper thigh. She smiled and started walking to the gym. Aria sent the command to create some new nanites and restricted them to her right hip and upper thigh. Guess I¡¯ll be eating a lot tonight. Oh! That reminds me. I¡¯ll need to test the storage to see if it can hold food and water. * ¡°I¡¯m here, Gunny,¡± Aria called out just as soon as she arrived at the sparring mats. ¡°Good,¡± Hauora replied from her right. Immediately, a ball flew toward Aria¡¯s face. She moved her head to the left and the ball flew by. ¡°What the hell?¡± Aria shouted. The ball hadn¡¯t surprised her because she had heard the machine that launched it and tracked the movement with her eyes, but it had still ticked her off. ¡°Training,¡± Gunny answered. He nodded and two more balls flew at her. Aria dodged them as well. More balls flew. She dodged and batted balls down for five minutes. ¡°Not bad. But we gave you moment skills for more than just walking around or keeping your balance. Use those skills to catch balls and throw them back.¡± ¡°Alright Gunny,¡± Aria replied. She grinned. If that¡¯s what you want, that¡¯s what you¡¯ll get. She caught the next ball launched at her face and threw it at the sergeant¡¯s head. * ¡°Not bad at all,¡± Sergeant Hauora said. ¡°Uh huh,¡± Aria replied before taking a drink from the water bottle she held. ¡°What¡¯s next, running across a balance beam?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. You¡¯ll do that in a few minutes,¡± Gunny replied. He smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll be dodging and catching balls at the same time too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just mean.¡± ¡°That¡¯s payback for hitting me in the forehead with a ball,¡± Hauora retorted. ¡°You underestimate just how hard you throw.¡± ¡°You¡¯re barely bruised,¡± she muttered. He glared at her. ¡°Fine. I apologize.¡± ¡°Accepted, but you¡¯re still going to run the beam like I said,¡± Gunny said. ¡°You¡¯ll have tomorrow off to visit with your folks. The day after we¡¯re going into the woods to test your tracking skills.¡± ¡°And the archery?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll test that later this afternoon.¡± ¡°Was I given archery because the whole fantasy elf thing?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Not that I know of. I wanted you to have it because guns aren¡¯t allowed in Southland and archery is an old and proven way to hunt and defend oneself,¡± the sergeant answered. ¡°We¡¯ll also start you with a compound bow for a few days. Once you get used to drawing a bow, we¡¯ll most likely move your to a recurve bow.¡± ¡°Why change?¡± Aria asked as she looked up the difference between the two bow types and finishing her water. ¡°Because the company wants Southland to be medieval or even more primitive when it comes to technology,¡± Gunny Hauora answered. ¡°Other than implants that is.¡± ¡°Lovely,¡± Aria muttered. ¡°You¡¯re complaining. That means you¡¯re ready,¡± the sergeant said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you can do on the beam.¡± 30 ¡°Listening to 80s music now?¡± Aria¡¯s dad asked her after recognizing the tune she was humming. ¡°I¡¯ve been listening to just about everything,¡± Aria answered. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of most modern music though.¡± ¡°And what do you consider modern?¡± her mom asked. ¡°Anything made in the last 20 to 30 years,¡± Aria replied. ¡°There are a few new pieces in the classical genre that aren¡¯t too bad, but they¡¯re nothing like the true classics though. There¡¯s also some rock music from the early 2000s that are decent.¡± ¡°And why do you think new music isn¡¯t as good?¡± Piper asked her daughter. Mike started to say something only for Piper to shush him. ¡°Mostly the increased control of the record labels and producers, use of computer software, and lack of bands,¡± Aria answered. ¡°Oh! Greed too. Artists and labels started focusing on what would sell vs what the musicians wanted to play or liked.¡± Mike smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my girl. I agree completely.¡± Aria shrugged. ¡°I should have listened to more of your music when I was younger.¡± ¡°Are you two sure you didn¡¯t talk about this behind my back?¡± Aria¡¯s mom playfully asked. Aria smiled and shook her head. She picked up her guitar. ¡°Going to play for us?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Aria said. Her parents smiled as she started to play. ¡°Ah, Pizzolla¡¯s Libertango,¡± Piper happily said. Aria returned the smile and kept playing. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll play some rock music for you next,¡± Aria promised. He just nodded while keeping the smile on his face. * ¡°Morning Gunny.¡± ¡°Morning Aria,¡± the sergeant replied. He extended a bundle of clothing and pair of boots. ¡°Put these on.¡± ¡°Camo?¡± Aria asked as she took the offered items. Linen except for the boots. He must want these to last a while. ¡°We are going into the woods. Travis and a couple of others will meet us outside,¡± Hauora replied. ¡°You¡¯ll even get a pretty orange vest to wear.¡± ¡°Really Gunny?¡± Aria asked. I see he¡¯s given up on the whole Sergeant Towns thing when referring to his husband. Then again, that just might have been just a slip of the tongue. ¡°Yep. We¡¯re going into the woods and even though there shouldn¡¯t be anyone near where we¡¯re going and it¡¯s not hunting season, it¡¯s better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°Plus, an orange vest lets you keep easier tabs on me,¡± Aria teased. ¡°Not really. That¡¯s what the GPS tracker in your implant is for,¡± Gunny countered seriously. ¡°Right,¡± Aria replied. Too bad I control that now. But I¡¯ll still play nice for now and only disable it once I¡¯m ready to make my escape. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± * ¡°You almost look like a proper soldier,¡± Gunny remarked after breakfast. ¡°Almost?¡± Aria questioned. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re too petite despite the muscle and power I know you have. And honestly too beautiful as well,¡± the sergeant answered as they walked toward the armory. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the whole point of turning people into elves?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Maybe I¡¯m just too set in my ways for what the world has become,¡± Gunny replied as they entered the armory. He took a SL3AR12 assault rifle and SL3P45 sidearm for himself along with a few magazines for both firearms. The sergeant handed her a SL3 Valkyrie compound bow and quiver of arrows after securing his weapons on his person. ¡°I thought I was just tracking today.¡± ¡°You are. But again, self-defense.¡± Yeah, for some reason I don¡¯t buy that. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t I get something I¡¯m more used to like a long pole or butterfly swords?¡± Aria asked instead of voicing her suspicion. Guess it¡¯s time to prove this really works and tease the company into paying me for it. She activated the storage system. ¡°Good point,¡± Hauora agreed. His mouth fell open and closed until he looked like a fish trying to breathe out of water as he watched the bow and quiver of arrows disappear. ¡°H¡­ ho¡­ how?¡± Aria smiled and selected a pair of butterfly swords and their sheaths. They disappeared into her inventory as well. She turned back to the sergeant and answered. ¡°Collingsworth and whoever made a game system to control all this. So, I added an inventory system to it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± the gunnery sergeant exclaimed while pointing toward her hip. Aria shrugged and removed the bow before putting it back. ¡°It¡¯s science, Gunny. What about water and food?¡± ¡°Travis and the others have packs for us,¡± he answered absently. ¡°Great, let¡¯s go,¡± Aria said. * ¡°How the hell is that possible?¡± Lin Roth demanded after viewing the armory camera footage for the tenth time. ¡°Damned if I know,¡± Collingsworth replied. ¡°That has to be some kind of quantum teleportation,¡± Craig Clarkson said after a couple of minutes. Collingsworth snapped his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s right! Aria asked about that a few days ago. But I thought she was joking around.¡± ¡°So did I,¡± a smiling Craig said. ¡°This also explains those mysterious energy spikes security has been logging.¡± ¡°How is this possible? More importantly, how did this girl figure it out?¡± Lin asked. The men shrugged. Collingsworth smiled. He was imagining the bonus from a successful project he would get. ¡°We really did it! We¡¯ve created something better than human.¡± ¡°Never mind that. I want this,¡± Lin said, gesturing to the wall screen. ¡°Whatever this teleportation is, I want it. This technology will be worth billions.¡± Collingsworth suddenly frowned. ¡°That might not be possible, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Roth asked. ¡°She has a contract with the company and the company gets first dibs on anything she creates,¡± Craig answered. ¡°Besides, the company owns the technology that was used to create whatever she did. Which means the company may already own it.¡± ¡°And the security footage is offloaded to offsite backups within seconds of being recorded thanks to our communication network,¡± Collingsworth added. ¡°So, the higher ups may already know about this development.¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± Dr Roth screamed. We interupt your regularly scheduled Southland adventure for a sneak peek at a new tale Profiteering in the Milky Way 1 Mckenzie Edwards laid down in the grass and looked up at the stars. I¡¯m not sure why I stare at them so much, but I love the stars. Too bad I don¡¯t have a telescope, he thought. ¡°Mac is out there staring at the stars again?¡± William Edwards asked his wife. He wasn¡¯t fond of their son¡¯s name as he always felt it was too girly, but the name had made her happy, so he had agreed to it. Besides, he liked the name Mac, which was a common nickname for Mckenzie. ¡°Yes,¡± Samatha Edwards replied to her husband as they both walked out onto the porch and sat in the rocking chairs William had made for them. ¡°He¡¯s drawn to them like countless other children have been over the centuries.¡± ¡°I wish Mac was drawn to farmwork the way he was the stars,¡± William muttered. ¡°Name a child that is drawn to farmwork when they¡¯re six,¡± Samatha countered, favoring her husband with a smile. He smiled back. ¡°Good point,¡± William replied as he gazed out at the reddish soil in the field closest to the house. He would plant cotton in that field solmorrow. Despite the terraforming that made Mars livable, the red soil had persisted. ¡°I just wish there was a way to ensure his future wasn¡¯t just sharecropping like ours or asteroid mining like our parents did.¡± ¡°We could save credits and pay for Mac to go to the private corporate school and get a real education,¡± Samatha offered. The two corporations that owned Mars demanded their citizens and employees be at least basically educated and gave that barebones level of education to them. Anything beyond that had to be paid for. ¡°Sam, you know we can¡¯t afford Redrock¡¯s education rates,¡± William retorted. ¡°Heck, even if we lived somewhere on AresCorp¡¯s side of the planet it would be the same. Both corporations take too much and barely leave us enough to scratch a living in that red dirt! Sometimes I wonder if we would have been better off staying in the belt and mining like our folks instead of taking on the debt we did to buy this farm.¡± ¡°I know Wil, but we wanted more for our child than living on recycled air and being stuck in a can all sol long,¡± Samatha said. ¡°Our parents wanted the same for us, which is why they helped with the down payment for this place.¡± ¡°Yeah, they did. But look how much good all our desires for his future have done. He wants to be out there!¡± ¡°I know. But there¡¯s supposed to be scholarships and grants that Mckenzie could earn.¡± ¡°He don¡¯t have the education for that!¡± ¡°No, but he can learn,¡± Sam countered. ¡°There are free educational materials on the net too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to give this up, are you?¡± Wil asked. ¡°Nope,¡± Sam answered, shaking her head. ¡°I want our son to live his dreams just like we¡¯ve done with buying this farm.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± William said. ¡°But we need him to help around the farm. He can¡¯t stare at a screen all the time.¡± ¡°Mac won¡¯t have to. He¡¯s bright and has an interest in machinery. Perhaps he could be an engineer one sol.¡± ¡°Alright. That would help us too,¡± Wil conceded. ¡°He is always bugging me and the mechanics about how things work when we¡¯re making repairs.¡± ¡°Mckenzie!¡± Samatha called. ¡°Yes mom?¡± Mac replied, turning his head to towards his parents. She beckoned him over. He got up, dusted himself off, and ran to the porch with his arms held out to his sides. William chuckled. ¡°Are you an air transport?¡± ¡°Spaceship!¡± Mckenzie answered, coming to a stop in front of his parents. ¡°You really want to go into space?¡± his mom asked. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Mac answered. ¡°I want to fly a spaceship.¡± ¡°What about being an engineer?¡± his dad asked. ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe,¡± Mac replied. ¡°Do they get to see the stars up close too?¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± William answered. ¡°They¡¯re on the ships just like pilots.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if they see the stars as often as the captain and pilot though,¡± Samatha said. ¡°Engineers have a very important job and keep the ships running.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Mac said, a little dejected. He then brightened. ¡°But that could be fun too because I love seeing how things work.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need a good education to go to space,¡± his mom said. ¡°And that means going to an academy to become an engineer or pilot.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mac asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Samatha answered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll study really hard and get good grades!¡± Mac promised. ¡°Alright,¡± his dad said. ¡°Would you be willing to apply yourself and learn how to fix things here on the farm?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Mac asked. ¡°Because it would help you learn, look good on your academy application, and help your dad on the farm,¡± Samatha answered. ¡°In that case, yes!¡± Mac shouted. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ll help fix things because I love you both.¡± ¡°We love you too,¡± his parents replied. * 12 years later ¡°I got in!¡± Mac shouted with joy, waving his tablet around to show his parents the acceptance email. ¡°In Mars Academy?¡± Wil asked. ¡°No sir,¡± Mac replied. ¡°Then which school?¡± Sam asked. ¡°Titan Custer Academy on Europa!¡± Mac happily answered. ¡°It¡¯s the best naval academy in the system.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you had applied there,¡± his mother said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure I had the grades, so didn¡¯t mention it,¡± Mckenzie replied. He hugged her. ¡°Sorry mom.¡± ¡°Naval academy?¡± his dad asked. ¡°Is this place a military school?¡± ¡°Partially,¡± Mac answered. He showed them the acceptance letter. ¡°I got a full ride scholarship and after my first two years, I get to decide my track. I can choose military or commercial. At least that¡¯s what people say on the net.¡± ¡°Well, congratulations son,¡± Wil said, giving his son a hug. ¡°Thanks dad,¡± Mac replied. His mother congratulated him as well. ¡°Thanks mom.¡± ¡°When does the first semester or whatever start?¡± Sam asked. ¡°Beginning of the fall, which means I¡¯ll miss the harvest.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Mac,¡± William said. ¡°Farmwork is automated and we¡¯re only here to make sure things go smoothly. Your mom and I can handle it. We did before you were old enough to help after all.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°And we can always hire a farmhand if we need to,¡± his father said. Mac nodded. Guess my knack for fixing bots helped over the years more than I thought over the years. ¡°How long are the courses at this academy?¡± Samatha asked. ¡°Engineer and pilot are four standard solar years,¡± Mckenzie answered. ¡°Captain is six.¡± ¡°And you want captain, don¡¯t you?¡± his mom asked. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I do,¡± Mac replied. 2 Mckenzie finished brushing his teeth and stared into the mirror. I¡¯m not as tall as dad¡¯s 192 centimeters since I¡¯m only 182 cm, but I¡¯m more muscular and outweigh dad¡¯s 79 kilograms by 11 kg. Guess that¡¯s due to the gravity difference and hard work I¡¯ve done since I was a kid. Plus, mom always fed us as well as possible. I¡¯m going to miss her cooking. Like his dad, Mac did keep his hair cut short. I got my auburn hair, and green eyes came from mom but got my square jaw and straight nose from dad. Finding dates was never as hard as I thought it would be considering my quietness and singular focus on getting into space. I guess I owe that to the girls, even the rich ones, who found me handsome, especially with my size added in. I¡¯m going to miss some of those girls, especially Heidi Johanson. Mac grinned. Heidi was pleasantly surprised to find out I¡¯m fully proportional when we said goodbye the other night. Too bad I had never asked her out before. ¡°Get a move on Mac!¡± his mother yelled. ¡°It¡¯s quite the drive to the landing field.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a couple of minutes,¡± Mac replied. Now that it¡¯s time to leave, I¡¯m having second thoughts. Do I really want to leave my folks and everyone I know to pursue a life out in space? Mac finished getting ready to leave while he considered his options. If I don¡¯t go, I¡¯ll have wasted the credits mom and dad spent on my schooling. And I could stay and help on the farm and inherit it. Perhaps even marry Heidi or another girl. But if I go, I can live my wildest dreams and find my way out there. Besides, not going would be a waste of my scholarship. He took a deep breath. I¡¯m going. Mac quickly exited the bathroom, returned to his bedroom, and grabbed his bag of clothes and personal effects. It wasn¡¯t much, but he couldn¡¯t take everything because of academy rules. Uniforms and everything else needed were provided as part of his scholarship fund. He glanced around his room one last time. I can always come home to visit, Mac thought. He turned off the lights and walked out. * ¡°I know you don¡¯t want us worrying, but Europa is not like Mars or even Deimos Station,¡± Sam told Mckenzie. ¡°People out there are different and not as trustworthy.¡± That¡¯s no different than here, but mom is going to worry anyway, Mac thought. ¡°I know mom. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already paid for your passage on the ship,¡± Wil said. ¡°The academy is supposed to provide transportation,¡± Mac replied. ¡°We looked into it and got you an upgraded seat and meal,¡± William countered. ¡°It¡¯s a long trip to Europa and I¡¯ve heard those little dinghies aren¡¯t comfortable.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve also put some credits in an account for you. I¡¯m sending you the account number and codes,¡± his mom said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not much,¡± his dad added with a shrug of his shoulders as Mac¡¯s tablet beeped. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± Mac protested. ¡°We know but wanted to give you the best start we could,¡± Wil said. ¡°So, I¡¯ll hear no more of it.¡± ¡°Dinghy is right,¡± Sam muttered, changing the subject, as a beat-up old Redrock Pug 212 shuttle landed on the field. Mac frowned and covered his eyes as did his parents as Mars¡¯ red dust whipped around them. The pilot cut the engines. ¡°Disappointed?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was hoping to be picked up in a scout ship of some kind, you know, a barge, sloop, or cutter,¡± Mckenzie answered. I¡¯m not sure that thing would make it to Deimos Station. The boarding hatch opened, and a ramp descended. An unkempt, slightly overweight man with greasy blonde hair and brown eyes stepped out of the hatch. ¡°You folks the Edwards?¡± the man asked. ¡°That¡¯s us,¡± William answered. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Bart Croft, and I¡¯m running late,¡± the pilot replied. ¡°Where¡¯s Mckenzie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Mckenzie Edwards,¡± Mac replied. The pilot frowned in obvious disappointment. Looks like he was expecting a girl despite my name being gender neutral for centuries now. ¡°Say your goodbyes and let¡¯s get a move on,¡± Bart ordered. With that said, the pilot turned and entered the shuttle. ¡°I guess this is it,¡± Mac said. ¡°We love you boy,¡± his dad replied. William pulled Mac into a hug. ¡°We love you with all our hearts and wish nothing but the best for you, Mckenzie,¡± his mother added. Samatha hugged him and kissed his cheek. ¡°I love you both too,¡± Mac said after his mom released him. ¡°I¡¯ll write often and try to visit when I can.¡± ¡°You better,¡± Wil said as he put his arm around Sam¡¯s shoulders. The shuttles engines fired up. ¡°Better go before you miss your ride too.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± Mac replied. He hugged them one last time and boarded the shuttle. The hatch sealed behind him. ¡°Take a seat,¡± Bart said. ¡°You can stow your bag in the hatch above the seat.¡± ¡°Is this shuttle ride part of the upgrade my parents paid for?¡± Mac asked. ¡°Do you have a ship in orbit or something?¡± Bart shook his head and laughed. ¡°Strap in.¡± Mac did as the pilot ordered. The shuttle immediately lifted off. ¡°Does your pug have a jump drive?¡± Mac asked. I¡¯ve never heard of a small shuttle having a jump drive but guess it¡¯s possible. ¡°Nope,¡± Bart answered. ¡°So, you have a ship then?¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re supposed to take me to Titan Custer Academy on Europa,¡± Mac protested. ¡°Kid, I¡¯m taking you to Deimos Station,¡± Bart stated. ¡°How you get to Europa after that is none of my business.¡± ¡°But my parents paid¡­¡± ¡°Want me to land and put you out on that red dust ball?¡± Bart asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then shut up and enjoy the ride,¡± the pilot said. The cockpit hatch slid shut. 3 This is not what is supposed to be happening, Mac thought in a panic. What am I going to do? I could inform the station authorities, but would they do anything? Probably tie things up in small claims court for a lot longer than it¡¯d be worth. I could say nothing and put a message on the net to warn others from using this guy ever again. While that would hurt his profitability and be a good long-term solution, it¡¯s not very satisfying personally. Besides, others might not take my word over his. He¡¯s older and taller than I am but he¡¯s not in as good of shape as I am. Maybe I could intimidate him or something to get my parents¡¯ money back, Mac considered. He shrugged. And knocking his block off would be satisfying. Mckenzie smiled at that image. My size always worked to keep the bullies at bay growing up even if I don¡¯t punch anybody. Mac nodded to himself. I¡¯ll confront the pilot when he docks. * Mac¡¯s tablet beeped as the shuttle docked. The message can wait. The tablet beeped a second time, signaling a priority message. Guess the message can¡¯t wait, Mac ruefully thought. The message was from TCA¡¯s admissions department. The email had an attachment with it. What is this? Mckenzie wondered. He read the message. So, I¡¯m to meet Captain Dana Morgan at small ship slip 12 and his or her ship will take me to the academy. The attachment is a digital ticket for my passage. Huh. Maybe she¡¯s the one mom and dad paid. Ugh! They should have told me. I should have asked instead of just assuming because I almost made an ass out of myself by doing so! Mac returned his tablet to his jacket pocket and unhitched the seatbelt. The cockpit hatch opened, and Burt walked out. ¡°We¡¯re here kid. Grab your stuff and find your ride to Europa,¡± the pilot said. ¡°I got places to be.¡± ¡°Thanks for the lift,¡± Mac replied. Burt nodded and opened the entry hatch. Mckenzie walked through and off the shuttle. ¡°Good luck kid,¡± Burt said. ¡°Thanks. You too,¡± Mac replied. ¡°Don¡¯t let them screw you too badly,¡± Burt muttered as Mac neared the bottom of the ramp. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mckenzie asked after coming to a stop just off the ramp. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± the pilot replied. He stepped back and closed the hatch as the ramp retracted. That was odd. I wonder what he meant, Mac thought as he passed through the security scanner. He shook his head and headed toward the station information terminal across the corridor. I need to find which level the small ship docks are on. * Holy cow! Mac thought as he stared at the ship docked at slip 12 through the port. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. Evidently others felt the same way as a small crowd gazed at the ship. Unlike others Mckenzie had seen, this ship had a short main body with two extendable wings for atmospheric flight. The craft also had a more rounded nose than other craft he¡¯d seen and two booms sticking out the rear. ¡°What kind of ship is this?¡± Mac asked aloud. ¡°Don¡¯t know, but you¡¯re blocking the corridor. Would you kindly get out of the way?¡± a dock worker asked. ¡°Sure. Sorry,¡± Mac replied, stepping closer to the bulkhead. The other man nodded and hit his little cart¡¯s accelerator and zipped away. ¡°This is the Sapphire Hummingbird. She¡¯s an AllisonCraft S-38 Lightning, and one of a few hundred pre-modular ships left in service,¡± a pretty, willowy middle-aged woman with blonde hair and blue eyes informed Mckenzie and the others standing around. Mac noticed a hummingbird had been painted on the side of the bridge. ¡°There¡¯s maybe 10 S-38s left flying in the galaxy.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± another woman asked. ¡°Because she¡¯s mine,¡± the first woman answered. ¡°And if you¡¯re not here on business, you need to clear the corridor before security shows up.¡± Mac looked down the corridor back toward the heart of the station and noticed two security guards walking their way. Others noticed and started walking away after telling the woman how much they liked her ship. ¡°Are you Captain Dana Morgan?¡± Mac asked the woman after the crowd had dispersed. ¡°I am, but I don¡¯t know you,¡± the captain answered, sizing him up. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Mac, I mean I¡¯m Mckenzie Edwards,¡± Mac replied. ¡°Titan Custer Academy on Europa has booked me passage on your ship.¡± Captain Morgan stood there for a moment with a faraway look in her blue eyes. The captain nodded her head and made eye contact with Mac. ¡°Right you are, Mr Edwards. Send me your digital ticket so we can go aboard and get you settled,¡± Captain Morgan said. Mac¡¯s tablet beeped with a request. He saw it was from the captain, so sent her a copy of the admissions email and attachment. ¡°You don¡¯t have a tablet?¡± Mac asked. ¡°No. Every spacer uses implants these sols,¡± Captain Morgan answered. ¡°You¡¯ll get yours at the academy. Spacers that don¡¯t attend academies either get theirs through their ship, their company, or most likely buy their own.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Mac said. I should have known that but didn¡¯t. Wish there was information about implants on Redrock¡¯s net. I feel like a country bumpkin. ¡°You¡¯re pretty big for a Martian,¡± the captain commented. She has a point. I am one of the larger guys my age that I know. ¡°Farming is hard work even though most of it¡¯s automated, ma¡¯am,¡± Mac replied. ¡°Plus, mom made sure I ate well.¡± ¡°Evidently,¡± Captain Morgan remarked. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry about not knowing about implants. A lot of corporations lock down what information is available for their employees and citizens.¡± ¡°I bet the Redrock executives and other elites have implants,¡± Mac muttered. ¡°You¡¯d be correct too,¡± Captain Morgan said as she opened the hatch. She led Mac up the ramp and onto the ship. ¡°The Hummingbird isn¡¯t just my ship, she¡¯s my home, so treat her as such please.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Mac replied. Once past the airlock, Mac felt his mouth open in surprise. The captain smiled. ¡°Your bulkheads are covered in wood!¡± ¡°Synthetic wood,¡± the captain clarified. ¡°I can¡¯t afford real wood.¡± ¡°But still,¡± Mckenzie said. ¡°The paneling adds a little more mass, but as I said, my ship is my home and I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible,¡± Captain Morgan explained. ¡°The airlock, cargo hold, and bridge are the only spaces without the paneling.¡± She showed him the galley, lounge, and head. All were tastefully decorated, complete with nicknacks and a few pictures on the bulkheads. She didn¡¯t show him either of the two cabins, but he assumed they were just as decorated. The ship reminded Mac of home, and he said as much. ¡°I grew up on Titan. It¡¯s not much different than Mars, so that¡¯s probably why,¡± the captain said. ¡°You can toss your bag on the couch or in one of the chairs.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mac asked. She nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He put his bag on the couch and looked around. She is pretty, even if she¡¯s probably as old as my mom. ¡°Your parents paid extra for a meal and a better seat,¡± the captain said. ¡°I don¡¯t have better seats and it¡¯s just the two of us, so you can sit up in the bridge if you¡¯d like. It¡¯ll take four hours to get to Europa.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to sit in the bridge for the flight,¡± Mac said. ¡°Thought so,¡± Captain Morgan said with a knowing smile on her face. ¡°As for meals, well, I¡¯m flying so I won¡¯t be cooking. My insurance doesn¡¯t cover passengers using the galley either, so you¡¯ll get a ration bar and protein shake if you¡¯re hungry.¡± ¡°Uh, sure.¡± ¡°If you need to use the head, go now unless you want to hold it through take off,¡± Captain Morgan said. Mac heard and felt the engines start up. ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± he said. ¡°Yep,¡± the captain agreed. She headed to the bridge, and he went to the head. 4 ¡°Permission to enter the bridge?¡± Mac asked at the bridge¡¯s hatch. ¡°Cut that out,¡± Captain Morgan replied. ¡°Permission is granted though, and you can sit at the copilot¡¯s station. Just don¡¯t touch anything.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. Thank you,¡± Mac said. He took the seat. The bridge was small and only had the two stations. He paid attention to the consoles and controls. The consoles are new even if the ship is old. The consoles¡¯ layout is a little bit different than I¡¯m used to seeing too, even in the sims. Come to think of it, the galley looked newish, as did the head. I guess Captain Morgan updated everything recently. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± The captain held up a finger, silencing him. ¡°Deimos Control, this is the Sapphire Hummingbird,¡± the captain said. ¡°Flight plan for Europa is filed. Request permission to undock and get underway.¡± ¡°Sapphire Hummingbird, your flight plan is approved, and the way is clear. Permission granted,¡± a woman replied. ¡°Safe journey Dana. Next time the steak and beer are on you.¡± ¡°Copy that,¡± Captain Morgan laughed. ¡°See you around Rozen.¡± She dropped her finger and engaged her controls. The ship backed away from the station. It swung about and the captain engaged her thrusters. The hummingbird shot away from Deimos Station. ¡°Now, what¡¯s on your mind, Mr Edwards?¡± the captain asked. ¡°Earlier, you said the Sapphire Hummingbird was a pre-modular ship,¡± Mac said. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°The short answer is that unlike more modern ships, I can¡¯t just swap modules when I want to upgrade her,¡± Captain Morgan answered. ¡°I can¡¯t even add new modules to make her larger, faster, or more of a fighter.¡± ¡°Oh. Does that mean you had to manually add the wood paneling and other upgrades?¡± ¡°Yep. Had to do the same for the shields, weapons, life support, the reactors, engines, sensor suites, and everything else. That takes specialized work, which you can¡¯t find here in the home system.¡± ¡°Where did you get this done then? You didn¡¯t do it yourself, did you?¡± ¡°No,¡± the captain laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve found two shipyards that can work on an AllisonCraft ship. The first is at Tau Ceti and the second is at Teegarden¡¯s Star.¡± ¡°Expensive?¡± ¡°You have no idea,¡± Captain Morgan answered. ¡°I¡¯m still paying off the most recent upgrades.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± Mac asked, gesturing around them. ¡°It was love at first sight when I found her over at Barnard¡¯s Star despite my Hummingbird being a rust bucket at the time,¡± Captain Morgan answered with a smile on her face. ¡°And my ego loved the idea of owning a rare working pre-modular ship. Another nice bonus is I can swap out individual parts like the consoles instead of having to pay for a standardized module. The consoles are Epsilon Quanputer Tager 3s, which is the most advanced console I can put in the Hummingbird.¡± ¡°Nice. But we¡¯ve been making modular ships for 200 years!¡± Mckenzie pointed out. What the heck is an Epsilon Quanputer? Some company from the Epsilon Indi system? ¡°And the Hummingbird is at least 250 years old. AllisonCraft went out of business 190 years ago or there about. The public records are a little fuzzy from back then, so it¡¯s possible my baby is even older.¡± McKenzie whistled his appreciation. The captain smiled and nodded her agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of a ship lasting longer than a century,¡± Mac said. ¡°It¡¯s uncommon, but not as rare as you think. As you¡¯ll discover at TCA, ships are expensive. So, people keep them operating as long as possible,¡± the captain replied. They fell silent and Mac enjoyed the view while she flew. That¡¯s twice now that someone has mentioned costs and the academy tosol. Are things at the academy not as they¡¯re presented on the net? If so, why? Mac glanced at the captain. Maybe I could ask the captain. She had to go to an academy after all. ¡°So, what¡¯s your experience farm boy?¡± Captain Morgan suddenly asked. ¡°Have you ever piloted a shuttle before, or did you just do some mechanical and engineering work on the farm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got my small engine certification and a robot repair certification,¡± Mac answered, letting the farm boy dig slide. ¡°I¡¯ve also got my shuttle pilot¡¯s license.¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± the captain said. ¡°The pilot¡¯s license is expensive.¡± ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Mac agreed. ¡°But mom and dad found the way to pay for it somehow.¡± ¡°Looks like your parents really love you and want you to live your dreams.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Mac agreed again. ¡°They do.¡± ¡°Then you need to make the most of your time at TCA,¡± Captain Morgan said. Mac nodded his agreement and understanding. She glanced at him and grinned. ¡°So, want to fly the Hummingbird? It¡¯s not too different than a shuttle.¡± Mckenzie¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You mean it?¡± ¡°I could put her on autopilot, but I have a good feeling about you. So yeah, I do. That¡¯s if you think you can handle her.¡± Mac heard the challenge in the captain¡¯s voice. He looked over the console again. ¡°The layout is different than I¡¯m used to, but the basics look the same. I think I can handle it.¡± Captain Morgan put the ship on autopilot. She then showed him a few things about the console. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± ¡°Better. I¡¯m sure I can keep us on course now,¡± Mac answered. ¡°Alright,¡± the captain said. She pointed at the autopilot control. ¡°Use that if you need to. I¡¯m going to hit the head and grab something to drink. I¡¯ll also be monitoring you with my implant¡­ so, don¡¯t screw up.¡± 5 ¡°Autopilot engaged,¡± a mezzo soprano voice announced. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Mac sputtered. ¡°Come on back and let¡¯s eat,¡± the captain called out. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ve engaged the autopilot. Hummingbird¡¯s AI is more than capable of flying us all the way to Europa.¡± Mckenzie blew out a sigh of relief. She could have warned me. He checked the time on his tablet and was surprised to find it had been an hour since Captain Morgan had let him take control. He smiled. Mac then sniffed as a tantalizing smell hit him. He took a deeper sniff. Oh, that¡¯s pasta¡­ and garlic bread! Mac bolted up from the copilot¡¯s seat and then stopped himself from running back. She could be teasing me with that smell. The captain said I just got some premade meal thingy after all. Mac walked to the galley and stopped. Captain Morgan glanced at him and smiled. ¡°I decided to cook since you were doing a good job of keeping us on course,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t stand ration bars, so spaghetti will have to do instead. Though you can still have a ration bar if you prefer.¡± ¡°No ma¡¯am! I would much rather have the spaghetti,¡± Mac replied. She laughed and gestured for him to take a seat at the table. * After the meal, Mac helped clean up the galley. He kept stealing glances at Captain Morgan. I have a million questions I want to ask her. Ok, maybe not a million, but a lot. ¡°Is there something on your mind or do you just find me attractive?¡± the captain asked. Uh¡­ both despite you being old enough to be my mother, Mac thought. ¡°Questions ma¡¯am, though you are attractive.¡± ¡°If this were a longer trip, I¡¯d be happy to educate you,¡± a smiling Captain Morgan teased. Mac felt his face heat up and she laughed. ¡°Ask your questions. I might not be able to answer all of them though. Things have changed since I graduated.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Mac said. She led him to the lounge, and they sat on the couch. ¡°To start, you¡¯re the second person that¡¯s mentioned costs to me. Shouldn¡¯t my scholarship cover all my costs?¡± Captain Morgan smiled sadly and shook her head. ¡°No. The galaxy is basically ruled by corporations even if everything is under the UN banner.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. But that just means not every system, planet, or even landmass is rules by a traditional government. The corporations rule in place of those traditional governments in most cases,¡± Mckenzie replied. ¡°But it also means everyone that is an employee citizen or a ¡®self-employed¡¯ citizen that is bound to their corporation,¡± Captain Morgan said, using air quotes around self-employed. ¡°Right. My parents had to pay Redrock for the farm,¡± Mac agreed. She prompted him to continue. ¡°They also had to buy and sell everything to and from the company.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s how they get you,¡± the captain said. ¡°Your parents may not have been direct employees, but they still work for Redrock. Your education was through Redrock as well, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Mac agreed. Thinking about it like this makes it sound almost like slavery, indentured servitude, or serfdom. ¡°But how does this relate to academies?¡± ¡°The same rules apply,¡± the captain answered. ¡°Your scholarship is most likely just what used to be called a grant or loan. You¡¯ll have to pay off that debt after you graduate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You really thought you had earned a free ride?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Mac answered. ¡°I apologize for bursting your bubble,¡± Captain Morgan said, patting him on the knee. ¡°But at least you¡¯ll go in with open eyes now, unlike the rest of your future classmates that aren¡¯t from wealthy families.¡± ¡°So, I should probably give up my dream of becoming a captain and focus on one of the lesser disciplines,¡± Mac muttered. ¡°The TCA reps I spoke with did strongly hint I¡¯d benefit more from pursuing the engineer track.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say give up your dreams,¡± Captain Morgan said. She smiled. ¡°But you do have options, and I don¡¯t just mean pursuing lesser degrees.¡± ¡°What kind of options?¡± Mac asked. ¡°Well, you can find a sponsor. That¡¯s someone or some company that buys your academy debt and you work it off over time. It¡¯s no different than what you¡¯re facing, except the sponsor is already your employer and pays you a steady rate after you graduate. They might even pay you while you¡¯re in school.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even have a clue about how to find a sponsor.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help you there,¡± Captain Morgan replied. ¡°I¡¯m not wealthy and can¡¯t afford to sponsor someone.¡± ¡°Yeah. Are there any other options?¡± ¡°Yep. Next up is forming a partnership with a classmate or a few classmates. You can pool your resources and get a larger ship from the get-go,¡± the captain explained. ¡°That¡¯s what I did. Just be warned, everyone still must pay off their debt and wants a larger slice of the profit pie. Partnerships often end badly. Mine did.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this about ships?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get to that. But one of your other options is to seek out wealthy classmates and agree to work for them. Their family will buy the debt of promising students and have them work on their wealthy classmates¡¯ ship or on a different family vessel. I don¡¯t recommend this option, though it¡¯ll be presented as the most tempting. I won¡¯t explain it in any detail, you¡¯ll have to see for yourself.¡± ¡°Alright, but that sounds like a worse version of a sponsorship,¡± Mac said. She nodded and patted his knee again. ¡°Your final option is staying the course and working for yourself. This is the least popular option,¡± the captain said. ¡°But it allows you a sense of freedom until you pay your debt off. It also gives you some flexibility in who you work for or with and what systems you work in. Partnerships have those same two benefits.¡± ¡°That sounds the best to me.¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Sometimes shipping companies and others will offer employment. It¡¯s straight employment where you get paid for your labor, but you still must pay off your debt.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer being my own boss,¡± Mac said. He smiled. ¡°Seeing you and your ship has shown me what I want.¡± Captain Morgan laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be expecting to find a rare vessel at the academy or just after graduation. I had contacts and lucked up. Then, spent a fortune bringing her up to modern standards.¡± ¡°I can dream though.¡± ¡°True. Now, onto ships,¡± the captain said. ¡°Everyone starts out with a small sloop or perhaps a cutter. This will be a new ship from the company the academy is in partnership with or from whichever corporation owns your academy. I have no idea what TCA does, so don¡¯t ask. And if you do one of the other options, you may end up starting out on a schooner, cutter, barq, or other similar sized vessel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure the ships are new so they can charge more to the debt,¡± Mac grumbled. The captain nodded. ¡°And since ships are modular, you¡¯re locked into the manufacturers¡¯ product line.¡± ¡°Just so,¡± Captain Morgan agreed. ¡°Want some advice?¡± ¡°Yes, please,¡± Mac answered. ¡°First, get a researchers¡¯ implant, and not the standard one. It¡¯ll add more to your initial debt, but the enhanced memory and functionality will be more beneficial in the long term, including while at TCA. You may have to go outside the academy for that, but there are plenty of shops and doctors on Europa that will be glad to sell you what you want, which the school will pay for,¡± the captain explained. ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± Mac said after considering it. ¡°Do you have that kind of implant?¡± ¡°I did, but not anymore. I¡¯ve upgraded since then,¡± Captain Morgan replied. ¡°Now, my second piece of advice is to buy an older ship. Find something around 100-150 years old.¡± ¡°Those will most likely be on their last legs,¡± Mac pointed out. ¡°True, but they¡¯ll be cheaper than a new ship, just out of their prime, so cheaper than a younger ship, and the academy will pay for the refurbishment and upgrades,¡± Captain Morgan explained. ¡°Plus, the biggest benefit, other than cost, is that those old ships can take modules from most manufacturers if you meet the required level and can afford them.¡± ¡°Levels?¡± ¡°Enough questions. TCA will explain that to you,¡± Captain Morgan said. She stood and stretched. She caught him watching and grinned. ¡°We¡¯re still 90 minutes out. That¡¯s not a lot of time but should be enough for me to give you a short lesson.¡± Mac¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she pulled him to his feet. Captain Morgan kissed him and led him to her cabin. 31-35 31 Aria crept along the dry creek bed. Hauora, Towns, Bishop, and Holder followed 50 ft behind her. She didn¡¯t know the proper hand signs, so just waved them back and pointed to a depression under a fallen tree. Gunny: Are you sure Corporal Timmons is there? Aria: Yes. Gunny: Then come back here. I have something for you. Aria: A present? How sweet. Gunny didn¡¯t answer, he just waved her back. Seems the sergeant isn¡¯t in a joking mood this morning, Aria thought as she carefully made her way back to the group. I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m moving like this, but it feels natural. These skill packages are something else. Gunny: Take this arrow and shoot the corporal. She stared wide eyed at the sergeant and shook her head. How can he tell me to do something like that? Aria: I¡¯m not shooting him. Sparring is one thing but asking me to kill someone is totally different. Gunny: Nobody is asking you to kill the corporal. The arrowhead is blunt and filled with paint. He held up an arrow. The arrowhead was either clear glass or plastic as she could see the red paint inside it slosh about. Gunny: Ever played paintball before or an online shooter? Aria: Yeah, of course. Gunny: This is just like paintball or shooting someone in a videogame except you¡¯re using a bow and this arrow. Can you do that since it won¡¯t hurt him? Hauora kept staring at her. She could still see the disapproval in his face. His expression hadn¡¯t changed since she said she wouldn¡¯t shoot the corporal. Guess he doesn¡¯t like it when someone disobeys his orders, but he should be used to that from me by now. Still, I think I can do what he wants. Aria: Yeah, I do that. Gunny: Then take the arrow, find a suitable spot where you have a clear view of Timmons, and don¡¯t just take the shot, make it. I hate this, Aria thought. She took the arrow, put it in her inventory, and started making her way to a slight rise that overlooked the fallen tree. Timmons is good. I can only see his outline. I imagine most people would miss him altogether even walking on the dead tree. I wonder if Gunny would get mad if I made this more sporting and spooked Timmons, Aria suddenly thought. She pulled up Timmons¡¯ file. Aria grinned and looked around for¡­ Aha! * Sergeant Hauora: What is she doing? Sergeant Towns: Looks like she is trying to catch something. Private Bishop: But what? Sergeant Hauora: She has caught something and is looking for something else. Sergeant Towns: Damn! She¡¯s quick. Private Holder: Two lizards? Private Bishop: She didn¡¯t strike me as the type to play with slimy reptiles and things. Private Holder: No kidding. Aria seems more the princess type, even if she can kick our asses. Private Bishop: Don¡¯t remind me. Sergeant Towns: Baird is wearing gloves. Hauora sighed and rubbed his chin. Sergeant Hauora: Baird, what the hell are you doing? Instead of answering, she turned their way and smiled while holding up her prizes. Aria then gestured towards where she said Timmons was hiding. Private Holder: Uh, Gunny. Sergeant Hauora: What? Private Holder: If Timmons is under that tree, this could get ugly. Sergeant Towns: Why? Sergeant Hauora: Because the corporal hates frogs, snakes, and lizards. Private Bishop: Yep. But how did she find that out? Sergeant Hauora: Baird somehow got access to all our files. I believe someone gave her that access by mistake when they gave her complete access to the system and implant. Sergeant Towns: That was a mistake. Sergeant Hauora: Yep. * Ha! Hauora¡¯s girl isn¡¯t so good, Timmons thought. Something landed on his chest. What the heck? Whatever it was moved towards his head. Timmons raised his head fractionally to see what was on him. Something else smacked him in his camouflaged painted and leaf covered face. ¡°Get it off! Get it off!¡± Corporal Timmons shouted after seeing what was on him. He sat up, smacked his head on the tree, and flopped to the ground. A few seconds later, the corporal crawled out from under the tree. He stood there wiping all over himself. * Too easy, Aria thought. She pulled back on the bowstring and let the paint arrow fly. It hit Timmons in the ass. The man jumped, shouted, and felt his behind. That scream sounded more from surprise than pain. Aria put the bow back in her inventory and dropped from the tree she had jumped into to make the shot. Timmons spun around and saw her smiling face. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Me,¡± Aria confirmed. ¡°You threw those damn lizards on me!¡± Timmons accused. ¡°True,¡± she agreed. ¡°I hate lizards!¡± the corporal shouted. He pulled a combat knife from the small of his back. Aria stepped back in alarm. ¡°Corporal Timmons, stand down!¡± Gunny Hauora thundered as he and the others quickly walked toward them. Timmons glanced at Hauora and the rest, then back at Aria. Shit! She thought as she noticed his eyes narrow. He¡¯s going to attack. Timmons lunged and swiped at her chest. Aria hopped back and pulled the long pole from her inventory. His eyes widened in alarm or disbelief as Gunny hollered at him again. Bishop and Holder started running as the sergeants picked up their pace. Aria slammed the end of her staff into Timmons¡¯ left wrist, making him drop the knife. He screamed in pain. She then stepped forward while jabbing the man in the chest and stomach. He flopped onto the ground cradling his wrist. The others arrived. Holder and Bishop immediately checked on the corporal. ¡°Baird, are you alright?¡± Towns asked. She kept staring at Timmons instead of answering. Am I alright? I hurt him even though I didn¡¯t want to, Aria thought. I think I hurt him badly too, but I don¡¯t really feel any remorse. Whatever the implant does to my emotions, it¡¯s doing it again. ¡°Aria?¡± Gunny prompted. He touched her shoulder. She jumped and turned to him. The pole disappeared into her inventory. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m alright,¡± Aria replied. Gunny appraised her and nodded. ¡°How¡¯s Timmons?¡± Sergeant Towns asked. ¡°Broken wrist and two cracked ribs,¡± Holder answered. ¡°Can we go back now?¡± Aria asked in a small voice. Her hands shook and she clenched them into fists. That didn¡¯t work, so she hugged herself as the emotional dam started to crack. ¡°You did good,¡± Towns said, pulling her aside as Hauora told Bishop and Holder to help Timmons out of the forest and to return with him to Roth¡¯s lab. ¡°Aria, you did what you had to do to survive. Don¡¯t feel bad about that. Timmons is hurt but will live.¡± ¡°Travis is correct,¡± Gunny said, putting his hand on her shoulder again. He squeezed. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need for you to do. So, I¡¯ll give you a few minutes to pull yourself together.¡± 32 I need to go ahead and get this over with, Aria thought. That way I can curl up and come to terms with the violence I did. That or have a good cry. She plopped down onto the downed tree and took a couple of minutes to just breathe and clear her mind. Once calmer, Aria took the canteen she had been given from her inventory and took a drink. She glanced at the canteen in surprise and took another sip. It¡¯s still cold! ¡°Hey, is your water still cold?¡± Aria asked the two sergeants. ¡°No,¡± Towns answered. ¡°It¡¯s tepid. Why?¡± ¡°Evidently this inventory system I came up with keeps things cold if they were cold when put in it,¡± a smiling Aria replied. ¡°Your water is still cold?¡± Gunny asked. She happily nodded. ¡°Going to share this new system with the rest of us?¡± ¡°If the company is willing to pay enough for it,¡± Aria answered. The two sergeants laughed. Her stomach growled since it had been hours since breakfast and she pulled one of the ration bars from her inventory. Aria took a bite and made a face. The two sergeants laughed even harder. ¡°Not good?¡± Towns asked. Aria shook her head and spit the half-chewed bar out. ¡°That is horrible!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°You didn¡¯t sniff it first?¡± Gunny asked. She shook her head. ¡°Serves you right then.¡± ¡°Are any of the others any better?¡± Aria asked. ¡°The ration bars?¡± Gunny asked. She nodded. ¡°Afraid not,¡± Travis replied. ¡°SL3 skimps on ration bars though they do feed us good the rest of the time. Try the nabs.¡± ¡°The what?¡± Aria asked. ¡°The pack of sandwich crackers,¡± Gunny answered. ¡°Travis grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina and had been a marine until the corporate takeover. He insists all sandwich crackers are nabs no matter the brand or flavor.¡± ¡°Because they are,¡± Towns stated as Aria opened the back of crackers and sniffed them. He opened his own pack and started eating them. ¡°Peanut butter and cheese?¡± Aria murmured. ¡°But the pack said ToastChee.¡± ¡°A company called Lance originally made those particular styles of crackers years ago,¡± Travis informed them. ¡°SL3 bought Lance out when I was 4 or 5. Except for the name on the package, nothing has changed as far as I can tell.¡± Aria ate one of her own. It¡¯s good. ¡°Explain to her why you call them all nabs,¡± Gunny said. ¡°Alright. Nabs comes from Nabisco,¡± Travis explained. ¡°They were one of the companies that first popularized sandwich crackers to a national audience. People in North Carolina started calling all sandwich crackers nabs because of that about a hundred years ago and the name just stuck.¡± ¡°Huh. I¡¯m from Virginia and had never heard of that,¡± Aria said. I don¡¯t recall Lance as a brand either. But that might because mom and dad never allowed me to eat something like this and had insisted on fruit as snacks instead. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a Yankee,¡± Travis said. He grinned and winked at her. ¡°But so is Tupu, so I can put up with you guys.¡± Aria shook her head and finished her snack. She noticed the two sergeants had finished theirs a few minutes before she had. ¡°So, what do you want me to track?¡± Aria asked. She gathered up her trash and put it in her inventory, only leaving the partially eaten ration bar on the ground. * Such a pretty deer. His antlers are big, Aria thought. The whitetail buck grazed on grass and looked up every couple of minutes. Too bad I can¡¯t take a picture. Gunny: You¡¯ve tracked the deer successfully. Now, shoot it. Aria: You¡¯re joking, right? Gunny: Nope. The troops will appreciate a good deer stew. Aria: That deer is innocent and beautiful. I can¡¯t shoot it! Sergeant Towns: How are you going to feed yourself in Southland if you won¡¯t hunt? This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Aria: I can forage for plants, berries, and nuts. I need to change Travis¡¯ display name, she thought absently. Aria: I won¡¯t eat it, much less shoot it! Gunny: You¡¯re refusing and won¡¯t change your mind? Aria turned and stared back at the sergeants. Aria: No, I won¡¯t do it and won¡¯t change my mind. Sergeant Towns: Aria, there are plenty of deer in the area. Hunting deer thins out the herd and is a good thing as it keeps them from overpopulating the region. Aria: I can¡¯t. Her eyes started to tear up as her hands shook. Gunny: There will be consequences if you don¡¯t. Aria: I don¡¯t care! The tears started to fall. I¡¯m not a killer. Gunny: Have it your way. Will Tyson, do you read me? Will Tyson: Yes, Gunnery Sergeant Hauora. Gunny: Release the ferox. Will Tyson: Are you sure? Gunny: 100% Aria could see the man staring coldly at her. She noticed Towns looked a bit more concerned. Aria heard a helicopter approaching from the south. A moment later, the buck ran off. She looked south. Towns and Hauora followed her gaze. Two minutes later, a helicopter stopped overhead and lowered a metal cage. Aria saw some kind of animal thrashing against the cage. The sergeants joined her and watched as the cage hit the ground. A moment later, the cage door opened, and they watched a very large wolverine type animal cautiously exit the cage. ¡°What is that?¡± Aria asked. The creature was about the size of a cougar, large dog, or jaguar. It sniffed the air and ground. The animal looked in the direction the deer had run off in and then at them. It growled at them and then bounded off in the direction the buck had gone. ¡°That is a Megalictis Ferox,¡± Towns answered. ¡°It¡¯s a predator from a few million years ago and ancestor to badgers and the like.¡± ¡°This particular ferox was deemed too aggressive for Southland as it kept attacking and killing every living being it could,¡± Gunny added. ¡°I suppose the scientists made it too aggressive.¡± ¡°And you released it here?¡± Aria asked in disbelief. ¡°Yes. I told you there would be consequences of not finishing your hunt,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°This is said consequence.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would do this,¡± Aria said. ¡°Believe it. My job is to make sure you¡¯re capable of surviving Southland. Consider this part of my job,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°Now you have a choice. You can hunt and kill the ferox, or you can return to the lab with it running loose. But know, that if you leave the ferox out here, it will kill every living thing it can and that includes people until somebody gets lucky and kills it.¡± ¡°But it¡¯ll be your fault,¡± Aria said as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°No. It¡¯ll be your fault,¡± Gunny retorted. ¡°The ferox was released as a direct result of your not shooting that buck.¡± ¡°I thought better of you Gunny,¡± Aria said. ¡°And I thought better of you,¡± Hauora countered. ¡°You signed a contract giving your word to do what was required of you. Refusing to shoot that deer is breaking your word and contract.¡± He¡¯s right, Aria realized, sobbing. I did give my word and sign that damned contract. It¡¯s now bitten me in the butt. She took a deep breath and wiped her tears away. I¡¯ll kill that damned thing, or it¡¯ll kill me. Aria walked to the cage and sniffed. She also examined the ferox¡¯s tracks. She then took off after the beast. 33 ¡°Aria!¡± Gunny Hauora shouted. He glanced at his husband. ¡°What the hell is that girl doing?¡± ¡°What you told her to, Tupu,¡± Travis replied. ¡°You were harsher with Aria than you needed to be too.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Hauora said, as he waved his husband to join him. They started running after Aria. ¡°Dr Roth demanded a successful hunt one way or the other.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Towns asked. ¡°I guess that means either the ferox kills Aria or she kills it.¡± ¡°Yep. And as for why, probably an order from the executives,¡± Gunny answered. He frowned. ¡°Or pretty revenge.¡± Travis grunted in agreement. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. Aria does need to learn to hunt, defend herself from animals, and survive or Southland will chew her within a few hours.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Towns said. ¡°I mean they¡¯re starting to send tourists in there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯ve been shown tonight,¡± Gunny said. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that I agreed to do what I was ordered today to keep us from being tossed in there.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Roth hinted that I either release the ferox to force Aria into action or you and me would be disappeared in Southland,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°That bitch!¡± Travis fumed. ¡°Did she know Aria would take off after the creature?¡± ¡°She suspected so based off Aria¡¯s psychological profile, especially if it was mentioned that people could be hurt or killed by the ferox,¡± Gunny answered. ¡°Which I did.¡± ¡°We need to hurry up and find her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tracking her implant,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°And I¡¯ll apologize to Aria later if we survive this thing.¡± Travis smiled. ¡°You like her.¡± ¡°I do,¡± Gunny agreed. ¡°She¡¯s like an irritating kid sister or niece.¡± ¡°Then we better make sure she survives so you can apologize,¡± Travis said. ¡°Is that thing bulletproof?¡± ¡°Nope. Though it does have thick skin and fur,¡± Hauora replied. ¡°It also has very sharp claws and teeth as well as powerful jaws. It¡¯s bite can crush bone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°No. And to make things worse, the ferox is an ambush predator.¡± * Aria slowed and came to a stop. Ugh! That¡¯s a lot of blood and I¡¯m not going to walk through it. She resisted the urge to vomit and began breathing through her mouth as she took in the little blood splattered clearing. Aria spotted the remains of two or more small bodies near a hole in the ground that had claw marks that proved it had been opened wider than dug. She spotted ferox tracks leading out of the clearing heading northeast. She circled around to the remains. Poor bunny rabbits, Aria thought after spotting an ear. Birds started chirping and she heard other things scrabbling around. The ferox is gone. Guess I need to keep chasing it. She checked the time. It¡¯s starting to get late in the afternoon. This thing is fast even with those short legs. I wonder if it will seek a hole to hide in or keep hunting and killing. Aria shook her head. It doesn¡¯t matter. I need to stop it before it kills some kid. * ¡°Not enough blood for a human,¡± Gunny said. ¡°Rabbit warren over there,¡± Travis said, pointing to the hole in the ground. ¡°I thought you said the ferox was an ambush predator.¡± ¡°It is according to what the scientists said and what was observed in Southland,¡± Hauora replied. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s an opportunist too.¡± ¡°When was the last time this thing ate?¡± Travis asked. ¡°Good question,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± Sergeant Hauora: Will Tyson, you still around? Will Tyson: Yeah sarge. We¡¯re tracking the ferox and it¡¯s heading northeast. Sergeant Hauora: That matches Baird¡¯s heading. When was the last time the ferox was fed? Will Tyson: Three days ago. Dr Roth wanted it hungry and aggressive. Make that more aggressive than normal. Why? Sergeant Towns: We found a rabbit warren that has been dug open. Looks like rabbit remains are everywhere in this little clearing. Will Tyson: Who are you? Sergeant Hauora: That¡¯s Sergeant Travis Towns, my partner. Will Tyson: Alright. Just wondering. Sergeant Towns: Does this ferox have levels like the orcs and elves do? Sergeant Hauora: Good question. Will? Will Tyson: This ferox is level 2. We took it out of Southland because it had leveled too fast for the tourist area, we had put it in. It should have taken two weeks for it to reach level 2, but it had taken this one only three days. Sergeant Hauora: Thanks for the info Will. Will Tyson: You¡¯re welcome. I have poison and tranquilizers if your project can¡¯t handle the ferox and you need them. Sergeant Towns: Thanks. ¡°What do you think?¡± Travis asked. ¡°That we¡¯re officially living in crazy world. But I think Aria can handle it, though it¡¯ll be hard. It¡¯s also getting late, so we need to hurry,¡± Gunny answered. They drank some water and set out again. 34 Aria slowed and stopped. It¡¯s dusk and too quiet. The ferox must be near. She pulled the bow from her inventory and notched an arrow. She didn¡¯t draw the string back, but did want to be ready. You can do this, Aria thought as she crept forward. The silence was unnerving. A moment later, she stopped under a tree. Shit! Stupid! Aria glanced up just in time to see the ferox leap from a low branch at her. She dived forward, narrowly avoiding the beast¡¯s claws, but dislodging and losing her arrow in the process. Aria rolled to the forward and then immediately to her right. She came up in a crouch. The ferox appeared confused and looked around before sniffing the air. It then turned to face her again. It can¡¯t see well! But it¡¯s sense of smell is great. Aria pulled another arrow from her inventory and fired it at the ferox as it charged at her. The rushed shot missed anything vital and hit a glancing blow on the creature¡¯s right shoulder. That didn¡¯t slow it down though. She dived to the left to avoid being bowled over. The ferox lashed out with its left claws and caught Aria on the calf. The razor-sharp claws had easily sliced through her boot and pants leg. She screamed and dropped the bow. Aria came up to her feet and fell, not able to put weight on her injured leg. Come on nanobots! Do your thing! She looked up and saw the ferox rapidly closing on her. Aria rolled to the right, trying to avoid the prehistoric monster. She screamed again as her back erupted in fiery pain and tears filled her eyes. Aria fell onto her stomach. She looked over her shoulder and saw the ferox almost on her. She kicked with her wounded leg, hitting the beast in the jaw. The kick seemed to hurt her worst than it did the ferox as she screamed in pain, and it growled, shrugging off the blow. Aria rolled onto her back and kicked with her uninjured right foot. The ferox caught her boot in its mouth and started shaking its head back and forth. She felt fangs penetrate the bottom and sides of her foot and screamed in pain again. Aria started kicking the ferox¡¯s head with her injured leg. ¡°Get the fuck off me!¡± she screamed as she repeatedly kicked the creature with tears falling. This thing is going to kill me! A lucky kick hit the ferox in the snout. It let go of her foot and yipped. Aria tried to back away. The ferox charged her again. The ferox¡¯s claws raked her legs and torso as its head neared her neck. Aria screamed from the pain again. She tried to grab it. The ferox in turn tried to bite her hands. Finally, Aria grabbed its throat as the ferox tried to bite her face. This monster is too strong! Aria thought. She pushed it back with everything she had. The ferox continued to claw her chest and stomach. Think! I¡¯m going to die and be this thing¡¯s supper. No! I need fire! Aria took her right hand from around the creature¡¯s throat, allowing its blood covered snout and mouth to sink closer to her. ¡°I want to live!¡± she shouted as she triggered the ignite command and slammed her open palm into the side of the ferox¡¯s head, channeling every bit of energy as she could into the spark. Fire erupted on the side of the monster¡¯s head. The ferox yowled in pain and jumped away from her. It started rubbing its head into the ground. Now, get up and fight! Aria struggled to her feet just as the ferox got the fire out. It looked at her and growled. She pulled her butterfly swords out of her inventory and settled into a fighting stance as best she could. The ferox rushed and jumped at her. Aria tried to sidestep it and felt the beast¡¯s shoulder hit her side as she felt her left sword bite into the ferox¡¯s underside. She fell, losing her grip on the lefthand sword. It clattered to the ground. The ferox attacked again. Aria thrust up with her righthand sword. * ¡°She¡¯s breathing,¡± Gunny announced after checking Aria¡¯s pulse. ¡°Then let¡¯s get this thing off her,¡± Travis said. Gunny agreed and the two were able to roll the dead ferox off Aria. ¡°Holy shit! She should be dead. What the hell happened to her clothes and how did she kill it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Help me start patching these wounds,¡± Hauora replied. He put action to words and pulled out his first aid kit. Travis knelt on Aria¡¯s other side and did the same. ¡°Guess the ferox didn¡¯t like camo.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Travis grunted. They continued to work on the elf woman. ¡°I sent a message to Bishop and Holder. They¡¯re less than five minutes out and have a medic with them.¡± ¡°Good. They should have a whole squad,¡± Gunny said. ¡°At least that is what I ordered when I contacted them earlier. I thought we might have to hunt the damned monster.¡± ¡°Tupu, if we¡¯re going to work together going forward, you need to keep me in the loop on things like that,¡± Travis said as their hands brushed each other¡¯s while they cleaned and bandaged Aria¡¯s stomach. ¡°I will,¡± Hauora promised. ¡°We¡¯re going to run out of gauze and bandages.¡± They heard the copter¡¯s approach get louder. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing the rest are here then,¡± Towns replied. The wind picked. He looked up to see Bishop¡¯s bulk slide rappel down a rope. Holder and three others were right behind him. ¡°Fuck me! That thing fucked her up,¡± Bishop said as he unclipped from the rope and looked around. ¡°She¡¯s alive?¡± ¡°Barely,¡± Towns answered. ¡°Most of this blood seems to be hers.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll airlift Baird out of here after we stop the bleeding,¡± Alice Jones, the medic, said as she pushed Gunny out of the way. Holder did the same to Towns. ¡°The nanites are working but need some help.¡± Bishop and the other two men gawked at Aria and the ferox. Their eyes lingered on the elf. ¡°Avert your eyes!¡± Gunny commanded. The men quickly turned their backs. ¡°Secure the perimeter.¡± Bishop and the others immediately did as the gunnery sergeant instructed. A gurney descended from the helicopter. Towns walked over to the ferox and rubbed its back. ¡°Damn. This thing is soft,¡± he said. ¡°The ferox is basically a giant ferret, weasel, or wolverine,¡± Gunny said as he felt the fur too. ¡°And those critters are prized for fur since it makes great leather.¡± ¡°We should take it and process it,¡± Travis suggested. ¡°It would make a fitting gift for a certain girl. She earned it after all.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Gunny agreed. ¡°And I happen to know some people that can work with the pelt.¡± 35 Where am I? Aria thought as she opened her eyes. She noticed the white walls and beeping of some kind of monitor. She turned her head and noticed the patient monitoring machine. In another hospital room it seems. Aria ignored the blinking notice in her vision. I¡¯ll deal with that later. She heard breathing and looked toward the end of the bed. Her mom was asleep bent over with her head resting on the end of the bed beside Aria¡¯s feet. Mom looks so peaceful. Aria tried to smile. Ow! Even smiling hurts. Her eyes suddenly felt very heavy. I wonder where dad is, she thought. Aria sent him a message about the inventory system and that it could be worth billions if not more since anyone with nanites and an implant could have one. Her eyes closed and she knew no more. * I¡¯m still alive, Aria thought after regaining consciousness again. The little notice was still flashing. Ugh, this thing is going to annoy me forever unless I see what it is. She checked the notice. Congratulations! You have gained a level. User: Aria Baird Class: None Level: 2 Trait Stats Physical: 8 Mental: 10 Personal: 10 Skills: Akido, Archery, Movement, Paramedic, Survival, Tracking, Wing Chun Well, look at that. All the numbers went up and it only took me getting my butt handed to me by a giant ferret to do so, Aria thought. She dismissed the notice and cracked open her eyes. She couldn¡¯t stop the smile from forming as she saw her parents cuddled together in a chair. Aria opened her eyes the rest of the way. Her parents didn¡¯t notice. I¡¯m tired. ¡°Get a room, you two,¡± Aria croaked. ¡°We¡¯re not doing¡­¡± her dad said turning his head towards the door. Her mom had looked in her direction at the same time. ¡°Mike!¡± her mom hissed, getting out of her dad¡¯s lap. ¡°Aria! You¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°What?¡± her dad questioned. Then they were both up and on both sides of the bed. Aria¡¯s parents kissed, hugged, and babbled. At least I think they¡¯re babbling. Aria shook her head weakly as tears fell. Mom and dad are crying too. Just how close did I come to dying? She croaked, ¡°water?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Piper replied while wiping her eyes. She offered her daughter a water bottle. ¡°Just sip.¡± Aria nodded and tried to drink as much as she could. Her mom didn¡¯t let her. Aria glared. Piper smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s what the nurses told us. You¡¯ll have to wait until they say you can have more.¡± ¡°The monitor had to notify them you¡¯re awake,¡± Mike said. ¡°I¡¯m sure someone will be right in.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Aria murmured as her eyes closed. She knew there was an IV drip feeding her fluids, but she still very thirsty¡­ and hungry too. ¡°Need food.¡± ¡°She¡¯s falling asleep again,¡± Piper noted. * ¡°Mom? Dad?¡± Aria called out without opening her eyes. She could hear deep breathing, but it didn¡¯t sound like two people. ¡°They¡¯re meeting with Dr Roth and a few executives about your inventory or portal. Whatever that was that you pulled stuff from,¡± Gunny Hauora¡¯s voice answered. ¡°They should be back in an hour or so.¡± I should have recognized Gunny by his breathing, Aria thought. She opened her eyes and studied the man. Hopefully, dad gets billions from the company. Gunny looks¡­ upset. ¡°You don¡¯t look well. Did you get mauled by a big mouse too?¡± ¡°No,¡± Hauora laughed. ¡°And neither did you. That ferox you fought was more like a giant weasel.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Want something to drink?¡± ¡°Please,¡± Aria replied. The sergeant let her sip water. In fact, he let her drink an entire bottle before speaking. ¡°I owe you an apology.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Aria said. And I don¡¯t think I¡¯d forgive you anyway. ¡°Be that as it may, I apologize,¡± Gunny said. He then messaged her about the threats Roth had made. Of course, Roth threatened him and Towns. Is that true though? Aria thought. She looked into the sergeant¡¯s eyes. Yeah, I think it is, and I can get past that. ¡°All is forgiven,¡± Aria finally replied. He looks appreciative. She checked the time. I¡¯ve been in and out of sleep for a week! ¡°Uh, Gunny?¡± ¡°Just checked the time?¡± Gunny asked. She nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve been in another coma for most of a week, mostly because your nanites shut you down.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know they could do that.¡± ¡°Me either, but evidently it¡¯s something they can do in an emergency,¡± Gunny replied. He grinned and then looked serious. ¡°We almost lost you kid. If not for those little robots, the ferox would have killed you.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll bake the little buggers a cake as a thank you,¡¯ Aria joked. Gunny smiled. ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t cook, but I¡¯ll eat a cake for them.¡± Her stomach growled. Gunny laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to hold off on the cake I¡¯m afraid. You¡¯re on soft foods for a few days until the medical staff decides everything is back to normal inside you,¡± Hauora informed her. ¡°The ferox did a number on you and that includes your stomach and intestines.¡± Aria¡¯s stomach growled again. She felt her stomach under the sheet she was wrapped in. I can¡¯t feel any scars. ¡°Could you get me something to eat, please? ¡°Be happy to,¡± Gunny answered. He stood and walked to the door. ¡°Gunny?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± he replied, turning to face her. ¡°I reached level two, and my stats went up a point,¡± Aria said. ¡°Unexpected, but welcome news. That¡¯ll help you survive Southland,¡± Gunny said. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll get Collingsworth to make you a cooking skill as a reward.¡± ¡°Ha-ha,¡± Aria replied. ¡°That might be useful since I really can¡¯t cook.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll seriously have him make you that skill then,¡± Gunny said. ¡°It might even go along with the knife fighting and throwing skills he already has made for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think knife fighting would have mattered with the ferox.¡± ¡°No, but those two skills will supplement your other fighting skills nicely. Anyway, I¡¯ll be back with your food,¡± Gunny said. He turned to leave and turned back one more time. ¡°Oh yeah, Travis and I are having something made for you. Consider it a gift for leveling up and surviving.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a ferox hide corset or bikini, is it?¡± Aria laughed. Gunny laughed and walked away. 36-38 36 ¡°Are you tired of slacking off yet?¡± Gunny asked a week later. ¡°Maybe,¡± Aria answered while she kept playing her guitar. And it¡¯s not like it matters if I¡¯m not anyway. They¡¯re not going to let me get away with just playing music. He cocked his head and listened. ¡°Zeppelin?¡± Aria smiled and nodded. She finished playing the song before answering. ¡°Going to California.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t figure you for a rock and roll kind of girl,¡± Gunny said. The guitar vanished into Aria¡¯s inventory, and she stood. ¡°I wasn¡¯t until the last few months,¡± she replied. Aria stretched and smiled again after popping her neck. ¡°That feels good. Anyway, dad had always tried to get me to listen to rock, but I refused and sided with mom since I played piano and violin growing up.¡± ¡°And now you realized what you missed?¡± Gunny asked with a grin on his face as he led her out of the hospice room. ¡°Yep,¡± Aria agreed. ¡°So, what¡¯s on the agenda for today?¡± ¡°First, we¡¯re going to get you some new skills and then we¡¯re going to lightly test your physical level.¡± ¡°Going to make me use a treadmill or can I run outside on the track?¡± ¡°Treadmill,¡± Gunny answered. ¡°But it¡¯s nice outside according to the weather report and I had been cooped up in that room for a week!¡± Aria complained. Oh God! That sounds so childish! ¡°Besides, Collingsworth and Doc Clarkson are going to use my implant for their monitoring instead of hooking wires to me.¡± ¡°All the other equipment is in the gym though. But I¡¯ll ask Dr Roth,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°You know she gets to make the decisions.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Aria said sourly. She¡¯s going to say no. * Download complete. You have learned Knife Fighting. Download complete. You have learned Knife Throwing. Download complete. You have learned Cooking. ¡°Cooking? Really guys?¡± Aria questioned. Collingsworth snickered while Clarkson tried to hide a smile. Gunny just grinned and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I thought you had been joking about that, Gunny.¡± ¡°I was, but then after further reflection and speaking with your parents, I realized you really can¡¯t cook. So, we gave you the skill,¡± Hauora replied. Aria frowned. He¡¯s not wrong. I never took the time to learn how to cook. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll agree with that, but when am going to have time to make Moules Marinieres or bake a Tiramisu?¡± Aria said. ¡°Fancy French and Italian meals?¡± Gunny asked. Aria nodded. ¡°I also have hundreds of recipes for everything from Japanese to American meals in here,¡± Aria said, tapping her temple. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a type of food I can¡¯t cook now.¡± ¡°Collingsworth!¡± Gunny exclaimed, spinning around to face the tech. Collingsworth shrunk into his chair. ¡°Care to explain?¡± ¡°Congrats Collingsworth, you went a lot further than I thought,¡± Craig Clarkson teased. ¡°Since we didn¡¯t really know what Aria liked foodwise or what she would be able to come up with while in Southland, I figured it would be nice if she could cook a little of anything she wanted,¡± the tech mumbled. Aria smiled. That was nice of him even if it¡¯s a joke. ¡°Thanks Collingsworth.¡± * This really sucks! Aria complained to herself as she completed another lap around the gym. Dr Roth must think she¡¯s being funny by making me run laps in here after lifting weights for two hours straight and the four hours of academic testing before that. I want food and a nap. ¡°Looks like we were slightly wrong about orcish, elven, and dwarven levels and stats vs human norms,¡± Aria heard Craig Clarkson tell Lin Roth, who scowled at him. Aria turned down her music so she could listen better. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Dr Roth asked. ¡°How far off base are you?¡± ¡°Not too badly. Seems there¡¯s a bit more range than we thought,¡± Craig answered. ¡°Looks like levels 7 and 8 are peak Olympic athletic range depending on the subject, not just level 7 as we initially thought.¡± ¡°Aria for example is now in peak range physically with a stat of 8 and having reached level 2,¡± Collingsworth added. ¡°A couple of the orcs and dwarves that have reached level 3 with physical stats of 10 or more are reaching true extra, meta, or superhuman levels of strength and speed. Mostly strength.¡± ¡°And the other lesser elves?¡± Roth asked. ¡°None have stats beyond 8 yet and are roughly where Aria is,¡± Collingsworth answered. ¡°And our subject¡¯s other two stats?¡± Roth inquired, nodding her head towards Aria. ¡°Mental is at or beyond genius level,¡± Craig answered. Aria nearly tripped over her feet at that statement. The three glanced at her. ¡°And listening to our conversation.¡± ¡°Of course she is. I expected no less,¡± Lin stated. ¡°Her hearing is one of those things we wanted most from high elves.¡± Clarkson nodded. ¡°As for the last stat, it¡¯s the same as her mental capacity. We¡¯re just not sure how that effects people if she¡¯s not trying to charm someone.¡± Thank God. Personal is what¡¯s supposed to make me, me, Aria thought. I¡¯m glad they¡¯re not sure what it does even if they¡¯re trying to quantify what makes a person an individual. I suppose playing music and reading for fun has raised that stat, though I honestly have no idea if that¡¯s true and would tell them so if they asked. ¡°Time!¡± Gunny yelled as Aria finished another lap. She slowed to a walk. ¡°Finish your cool down, stretch, and hit the showers kid. You¡¯re done for the day.¡± It¡¯s about time. Instead of replying to the sergeant, Aria nodded. I¡¯m going to head back to my room and take a bath. Then, I¡¯ll order a huge lasagna or some other pasta dish for supper. 37 You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Aria emerged from her bathroom after brushing her teeth. She had planned on going to bed, but the idea of testing her nanite theory had hit and refused to leave her. Do I really want to do this? Not really. But I can¡¯t ask others to help me either, Aria thought as she sat on her bed. She glanced at her right hand and curled it into a fist. You¡¯re stalling. Yep. She took a deep breath and activated the ignite command. She stuck the flame to her left palm before she could think twice about it. ¡°Mother fucker!¡± Aria cursed. She then shook and blew on her hand. Aria looked at her palm. It was blistered and hurt badly. Fuck me! Alright little buddies, get to work. The thought wasn¡¯t necessary as the nanites had started healing her as soon as she had burnt herself. But they weren¡¯t working as fast as she had noted before. Well, this sucks. I reckon I¡¯ll have to wait, Aria thought. Guess I¡¯ll listen to music while I wait for my little pals to heal my stupidity. Some genius level intelligence I am. I¡¯m not in the mood for rock or pop music. Not in the mood for country, jazz, or the blues either. On a whim, she played Rossini and Verdi¡¯s Viva Italia Fantasy. The piccolo reminds me of those old 1920s and 30s cartoons dad used to show me when I was a little kid. Aria smiled, turned off the music, and played some of those old, old shorts. Her mood lifted. The nanites started working faster and more efficiently. She watched in amazement as her palm healed and returned to normal. The nanobots respond to my mood and emotions, Aria mused. Seems the better mood or happier I am, the better they operate. She then remembered her fight with the ferox. But they also responded better when I was desperate. Aria watched another cartoon lost in thought. I guess it¡¯s strong emotions and perhaps desire they respond to. I¡¯m going to need to run another test. She grimaced. I¡¯m not keen on burning myself again. She did a quick search on burn degrees. Yeah, let¡¯s not do that again. I gave myself a second-degree burn. That hurt entirely too much to go for more. ¡°So, how can I hurt myself?¡± Aria asked herself aloud. She glanced down at her feet and then the wall. Well, why not? She stood and walked over to the bathroom wall. She kicked the wall hard. ¡°Mother fuc¡­¡± Aria bit off the curse and hopped to her bed. She looked down at her foot. It was already swollen, especially her toes. I broke something or more than a single something. Aria put her foot up on a pillow and played Ralph Vaughan Williams¡¯ The Lark Ascending. The soothing music washed over her, and she felt calm and happy as she pictured a bird flying in her mind. Again, the nanobots performed better and used the energy she had stored all day to accelerate healing her broken toes and foot. So, my theory is correct. I wonder if Craig and Collingsworth are aware of this, Aria thought. It doesn¡¯t matter if they are or if they¡¯re not. This is more information I can share with the public to get back at the company eventually. Aria nodded to herself and stretched out in bed. The nanites are used to heal and keep me and others in good health and condition. They¡¯re also used to enhance our bodies and make us tougher. I¡¯ve used them along with quantum particles to create an energy storage system as well as an item storage system. What else can I do with them? Can I use them to help me fight and defend myself? Aria wondered. I suppose I could add some bots to clothing for armor. Oh, and to a pair of butterfly swords to make the edges sharper and blades more durable. Same for arrowheads. Perhaps add some bots and energy storage to a bow so it delivers more power, so arrows don¡¯t just glance off tough hides like the ferox. Aria shivered and goosebumps rose all over her flesh as the fight against the ancient predator returned to her mind in full. She sat up, jostling her foot. Aria hissed in pain and then hugged herself, feeling cold and afraid. She started playing Mozart¡¯s Clarinet Concerto in A major, K.622, hoping the music would soothe her. The nanobots responded and flooded her with warmth, especially in her still healing foot and toes. Aria patted and felt her chest and stomach, then breathed a sigh of relief. She was whole. I¡¯m fine and in one piece. The shivering stopped as she calmed down. Alright. I never want to fight something like the ferox up close again. In fact, I never want to fight anything up close again and that includes people, Aria decided. That leaves me using the bow since I can¡¯t take a gun into Southland. Aria yawned and stretched back out again. A small smile graced her lips. My foot is mostly healed. She closed her eyes. A wild idea came to her. I think I need a flute. Perhaps I¡¯ll visit Hannah Humphries in the supply depot in the morning and see if they can fabricate one for me. 38 ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be getting poked and prodded or being tortured in some other way?¡± Hannah Humphries asked as Aria entered the supply depot. ¡°Dr Clarkson and Collingsworth are giving me the day off from that so they can finish going through the data they got from me yesterday,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Lucky you,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Yep, lucky me. I still have to do whatever Gunny Hauora wants for training this afternoon though.¡± ¡°Sucks to be you,¡± Hannah quipped. Aria nodded her agreement. ¡°So, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°I wanted to know if you could fabricate me a wood flute,¡± Aria answered. ¡°We can, but can you play a flute?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t know until I try,¡± Aria replied. ¡°But I can play the piano, violin, and guitar though. So, I figured the flute shouldn¡¯t be too hard to pick up.¡± ¡°What are you, a music prodigy?¡± Hannah asked. Aria just sort of refused to meet her eyes. ¡°You are!¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Aria quickly replied. Others would agree with Hannah, including my parents. ¡°Though, I do have some talent.¡± ¡°Have you ever played in front of people?¡± ¡°Violin and piano when I was younger.¡± ¡°What about the guitar?¡± ¡°No,¡± Aria answered, shaking her head. ¡°I had given up playing music and had just picked the guitar up a few months before the aircar crash and coma that led me here.¡± ¡°Want a guitar?¡± the depot manager asked. ¡°We have some maple, spruce, mahogany, cedar, and black walnut wood in storage. I know guitars are made from those woods quite often.¡± ¡°I have a guitar in my room,¡± Aria replied. ¡°But it¡¯s big and not something I think would be convenient to have in Southland. And why do you have wood in storage?¡± ¡°We keep wood for furniture making,¡± Hannah explained. ¡°A lot of the execs love handcrafted furniture.¡± Aria gave her a confused look. ¡°Before Dr Roth was given this facility, we were just an all-around research and manufacturing post. We made a lot of customer stuff for the executives.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Anyway, I now have a better idea than making you a flute,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Really? What sort of idea?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Just a minute,¡± Hannah replied, holding up a finger. She turned towards the back and yelled, ¡°Pete! Come here.¡± ¡°What do you want, boss?¡± a skinny older man of average height asked as he walked through the open doorway that led to the back. Aria noted his wire rim glasses and short gray hair. He looks like someone¡¯s granddad, Aria thought. ¡°Boss? As if. I only have the job because you wanted to semi retire,¡± Hannah retorted. ¡°Anyway, Pete. This is Aria Baird. Aria, this is Pete Davis.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you Mr Davis,¡± Aria said. ¡°Likewise. But call me Pete,¡± Pete replied. He focused back on Hannah. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± ¡°Aria is a musician, and I wanted to know if you could build her a small guitar or mandolin that she can take into Southland,¡± Hannah answered. Pete pulled off his glasses and cleaned them before putting them back on before studying Aria. Hannah winked at her. ¡°Pete makes and restores guitars.¡± His gaze doesn¡¯t feel sexual at all even though he¡¯s sizing me up. ¡°Don¡¯t make that many these days,¡± Pete muttered. ¡°Do you play now and if so what kind of guitar?¡± ¡°A Yamato Dreadnaught 50,¡± Aria answered. ¡°That¡¯ll tick off the executives,¡± Hannah laughed. ¡°You¡¯re only supposed to purchase SL3 products, especially as an employee.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I count as an employee. Though since I signed a contract, I guess I can be considered a contractor,¡± Aria said. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad instrument for a beginner,¡± Pete said, ignoring the other talk. ¡°Though it¡¯s too big for you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Aria agreed. He¡¯s not wrong at all. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a parlor guitar with a cedar front, headstock, and neck. For the sides and back, I¡¯ll use walnut,¡± Pete informed them. ¡°It¡¯ll take three days with the equipment I have here. Oh, it¡¯ll have nylon strings as well.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Aria murmured at a loss for words. That¡¯s going to be expensive. ¡°How much would you charge?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Pete answered. He grinned. ¡°I¡¯m going to make it on the clock and using company materials, so I¡¯ll get paid to play just like I did when I made Paul Hawking¡¯s kid one for last Christmas.¡± ¡°I need to pay you back somehow,¡± Aria said. Pete appeared to give it some thought. ¡°Do you know how to bake? he asked. ¡°I know they¡¯ve been giving you fighting and other useful skills.¡± ¡°Collingsworth did give me cooking skills that included baking,¡± Aria confirmed. ¡°European cuisine?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°Nearly every style of cuisine from what I can tell,¡± Aria ruefully replied. Hannah laughed. ¡°If you insist on repaying me, I¡¯ll take a dozen chocolate chip cookies,¡± Pete replied. ¡°And you¡¯ll play the guitar for us too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a tiramisu,¡± Hannah added. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not bad,¡± Pete said. ¡°Make it two tiramisu and two dozen cookies. I¡¯m not going to share, and I know Hannah will want some of my cookies if she doesn¡¯t get her own.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Aria asked incredulously. Hannah and Pete exchanged a look and nodded. They¡¯re letting me off cheap. Especially if Pete can really make guitars. ¡°Alright. I guess I need to go have a chat with the kitchen staff.¡± 39-43 39 ¡°Pretty good,¡± Pete said around a mouthful of cookies four days later. He swallowed. ¡°Did you really bake these yourself?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Aria answered. ¡°Pam, Rich, and a couple of the other cooks even took pictures.¡± Hannah smiled. ¡°Pam told me you made them a cheesecake.¡± ¡°I wish I had thought of that,¡± Pete said. ¡°Do they have any left?¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± Hannah replied. She glanced at her tiramisu and then ate a cookie. She put the tiramisu behind her counter. ¡°I¡¯ll save that for after lunch.¡± ¡°They made me agree to bake them a cake in exchange for using the kitchen,¡± Aria explained. ¡°They had been torn between chocolate cake, pound cake, and the cheesecake, which ultimately won their vote.¡± ¡°But Pam also agreed to give you access to the kitchen any time you want as long as you clean up after yourself,¡± Hannah said. Aria nodded. ¡°Going to make use of your new permission?¡± ¡°Maybe. I thought it would be nice to cook something for my parents but haven¡¯t made up my mind yet,¡± Aria replied. Hannah is very well informed. Guess there¡¯s a rumor mill at work here. ¡°They would like that,¡± Hannah said. She grinned. ¡°So would Pete and me.¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Pete agreed. ¡°And since you kept your word Miss Baird, I¡¯ve kept mine. He carried his plate of cookies and tiramisu into the back. A couple of minutes later he returned carrying a guitar that was just a touch over three feet long. She could only see the back, which was a rich dark brown. ¡°That dark wood is beautiful,¡± Aria said. Pete nodded and turned it over so she could see the rest of the instrument. The sides were the same as the back. The front was lighter than the back and sides, but still slightly dark. The neck was the same color as the back and sides. The slotted headstock was the same color as the front. Aria spotted three little hummingbirds etched into the neck. Her eyes widened and grew misty as she noticed the soundhole. Around it was etched part of a tree with a blue jay sitting on a branch. The jay was painted. ¡°This is a work of art.¡± ¡°Just wait until you play her,¡± Pete said with a very satisfied smile. He held out the guitar to her. Aria hesitantly reached for it and then pulled back. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Hannah asked. ¡°Go on, take her,¡± Pete encouraged. Aria wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She took the guitar. It weighs next to nothing, Aria thought. She sat and lifted the guitar into playing position. And it feels like this guitar was made just for me. Which, I guess is true. ¡°It feels perfect,¡± Aria said. Pete made a playing gesture. ¡°Has she been tuned?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Pete answered. He walked into the back while Aria began playing. Pete returned with a glass slide. ¡°Catch this. I want to hear some blues.¡± Aria looked up and stopped playing. She caught the glass slide in her left hand. Ha. Even the slide fits. How in the world did he get my finger measurement? ¡°After the blues how about some country?¡± Hannah asked as she took a seat. Pete nodded as he sat as well. ¡°Aria, do you sing too?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Aria quickly answered with a shrug. My voice doesn¡¯t belong out of the shower despite being better than it was before. She smiled and then played the blues, country, rock, and even some classical for the next hour. Hannah and Pete clapped when Aria was finished. ¡°Not bad at all,¡± Pete said. ¡°You do have some talent.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Pete¡¯s just trying to keep you modest and motivated,¡± Hannah said. ¡°That was great!¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Aria replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to make a case, so be careful and don¡¯t break her,¡± Pete said. ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful with her,¡± Aria promised. She placed the slide and guitar in her inventory. Hannah gawked. ¡°Shit!¡± Pete cursed. ¡°I bet that asshole Andrew a hundred bucks that the rumored inventory system was just that, a rumor.¡± ¡°Sorry Pete,¡± Aria said. She hugged the old man. Then on a whim, kissed his cheek. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll treasure the guitar always.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome and thanks for the treats,¡± Pete replied. Aria stepped back and hugged Hannah. ¡°Thank you too,¡± Aria said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Hannah said. ¡°And thanks for the treats.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Aria replied. ¡°Guess I should head back to my room.¡± ¡°Oh yeah. Before you go, take this to Gunny for me,¡± Hannah said as Pete disappeared into the back. The depot supervisor pulled a large package out from behind her counter. ¡°Sure,¡± Aria agreed. The big, closed box disappeared into her inventory. Hannah shook her head and laughed. ¡°See you later.¡± * Gunny isn¡¯t answering my messages or calls. Guess he¡¯s in a meeting or something. I¡¯ll hold onto his package until I get up with him later since I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to leave it outside his door, Aria thought. Then again does he even live here? Aria shrugged and continued to her room. Once inside, she pulled the guitar out of her inventory and breathed a sigh of relief despite knowing that it would be. The guitar was in the same condition as when she had placed it in storage. Now, I know I wanted to use the nanobots to help me fight, but keeping my new guitar in perfect shape is more important, Aria thought. How can I get some of my nanites into the guitar? I could drop some blood on it. No! That might ruin the finish. Spit? Too disgusting. Same for sneezing on her. In the end, she swabbed the inside of her mouth and rubbed the swab gently on the back of the guitar. Aria¡¯s implant told her that the nanites were still active outside her body and that it still had a connection to them. Right. Now to reprogram the little guys to care for the guitar just like they do me. I¡¯ll have to loan them some of my stored energy, Aria thought. I¡¯ll also need to program them to build some storage nanites and store energy from my playing. Happy with her decision, Aria got to work. 40 Aria woke and stretched. She glanced at the guitar sitting in her guitar stand and smiled. Her implant told her that the nanites had finished their reproduction and manufactured the guitar¡¯s energy storage system. The repair nanites were currently multiplying and coating the instrument. Yes! It worked, Aria happily thought. My stored energy reserves are empty since the guitar¡¯s little buggers took it all and stored some in their new storage system. And that system is a quarter full since the nanobots are using the energy now. She shrugged. Oh well, I¡¯ll build it back up today. In fact, I have a few minutes to kill. Aria went to the restroom to do her morning ablutions and changed into some workout clothes. After getting dressed, she picked up her new guitar and played some of Bach¡¯s violin and lute pieces including Lute Suite in E minor, BWV 996. The energy capture is working perfectly, Aria happily thought after checking the monitoring app. She smiled as she heard someone stop outside her door. I bet that¡¯s the sarge. ¡°It¡¯s open,¡± she called out. The door slid open, and Gunny stood there with his mouth open. Aria grinned as his mouth snapped shut. He leaned against the doorway and listened to her play. ¡°You¡¯re good,¡± Gunny stated after Aria finished playing and sat the guitar back on the stand. ¡°Thanks,¡± Aria replied. ¡°But I¡¯m still learning.¡± ¡°Still, you¡¯re good. May I?¡± Gunny said, pointing at the guitar. She nodded. He walked over and examined the guitar. ¡°Hummingbirds are considered a sign that challenging times are over and healing can begin by some people. Others think they are signs of hope and good luck.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Gunny answered. He pointed at the blue jay. ¡°Some think that jays are symbols of protection, understanding, and a good omen or blessing. It¡¯s also believed blue jays are proof that spiritual beings are watching over you and safeguarding you.¡± Aria smiled. ¡°I think I need all of that. And how do you know all that?¡± ¡°Too true,¡± Gunny agreed. ¡°I¡¯m a birdwatcher and like myths and legends.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°We all need our hobbies.¡± Aria nodded. ¡°I might need to bake Pete down in the supply depot some more chocolate chip cookies. Seems he did more than make me a guitar.¡± Pete made me a good luck totem or something. Gunny laughed. ¡°He¡¯d probably love that.¡± ¡°So, cardio time?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Hauora answered. He spotted the box on her dresser. ¡°Is that the package from Hannah?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for you. Consider it a reward for taking down the ferox,¡± Gunny said. She started towards the box. ¡°You can open it after training today.¡± ¡°Gunny!¡± Aria whined. ¡°We¡¯re already running late unless you want to skip breakfast,¡± Hauora replied. Aria grabbed a hair tie from her inventory, put her hair into a ponytail, and walked out the door. He laughed. ¡°Thought so.¡± * So, what did Gunny reward me with? Aria thought as she opened the box that evening. She reached in and pulled out a note and read it. Aria, your sergeants had Andrew Wagner make these for you. I¡¯m a little jealous. Anyway, hope they help in Southland. Hannah. PS, Pete suggested you might need some more help, so we crafted you a little something extra for you. PSS, you can repay us with more sweets! Aria laughed. She sat the note down and picked up a little jewelry box. Aria opened it. She gasped in surprise. Inside was a teardrop shaped silver pendant with a moonstone blue jay centered in the teardrop. The chain was silver as well. This is pure silver too. I really do owe Hannah now, Aria thought. She put the necklace on and kissed the bluejay. I¡¯m going to have to protect this too. Aria repeated the saliva swab and rubbed it on the back of the pendant. She commanded the nanites to coat the chain and pendant just like the guitar. Huh. I did that with just a thought. Seems this mental stuff affects the implant as well as my brain. She shrugged and looked back in the box. Aria smiled and pulled out a pair of tan calf high boots. The boots had an inch and a half heel. The inside of the boots was lined with some type of fur. I bet that¡¯s from the ferox. It¡¯s soft, Aria mused. She tried the boots on and walked around her room. They feel like they were molded around my feet. She sat back down on her bed and took off the boots. Aria then swabbed the inside of her mouth again and then each boot. Another thought activated the nanites¡¯ new command. Same protection for you two even though they should already be waterproof from what I read about ferret fur. The ferox is supposed to be an ancestor of the ferret after all. Aria checked the box once more and pulled out a dark hooded cloak. I bet this is made from the ferox hide too. Should come in handy in Southland. I¡¯ll give it the nanite treatment tomorrow night. Aria put the cloak in her inventory and decided to take a bath. Once she was done, she changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She put on her new boots and headed to the mess hall for supper. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. I¡¯m going to have to bake or cook something for Gunny and Towns as a thank you, Aria thought. She smiled and then started whistling as she exited her room. 41 ¡°Can I get a bow and some arrows?¡± Aria asked the armory attendant. Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m willing to waste my afternoon off pretending I¡¯m going to practice archery so I can get my hands on a bow and some arrows to experiment with. ¡°No Miss.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean no?¡± Aria asked in disbelief. Do I need Gunny here or something? And why are you calling me Miss? ¡°Does Gunny have to approve my practicing archery?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not that Miss,¡± the attendant replied. ¡°Gunny Hauora has left instructions that you¡¯re not allowed to check out a bow.¡± I hate the way he is deferring to me. ¡°Look, my name is Aria, not Miss,¡± Aria said, smiling at the man. ¡°Did he say why?¡± ¡°Okay Mis¡­ Aria. Gunny only said that something is in the works, and you¡¯ll find out tomorrow afternoon,¡± the attendant answered. ¡°Fine. Can I get some arrows at least?¡± Aria replied. I can experiment on them at any rate. ¡°That¡¯s an odd request. What are you going to do, throw them?¡± the attendant said. Aria just smiled again. ¡°We have three sheaves of arrows in stock that I can give you since they¡¯re for you to take into Southland.¡± ¡°Sheaves?¡± Aria wondered aloud. ¡°A sheaf is what people call a bundle of 24 arrows,¡± the attendant helpfully explained. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me who came up with the term. I just know it¡¯s something that started back in the Middle Ages.¡± ¡°Gotcha,¡± Aria laughed. He smiled. ¡°So, the arrows?¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯ll be right back,¡± the man said. Aria smiled and he walked into the back. I wonder if I smiled and flirted more if he would just give me a bow, Aria mused. Not worth it. The attendant returned carrying three quivers full of arrows. He sat the quivers on the counter. ¡°All of the shafts are made from ash wood and are 26 inches long which is based off your 25-inch draw length and 45-pound draw weight. They all have steel arrowheads, and I believe the fletching are goose feathers.¡± I might need something more now. I¡¯m sure I could draw a lot more weight now if I wanted to, Aria thought. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°These,¡± the attendant said as he pulled an arrow from one of the quivers. ¡°Are blunt hunting arrows which are used for birds and other small game.¡± He handed her the arrow. The arrow is heavier than I expected. The arrowhead looks like a smashed teardrop. ¡°Are these considered light arrows?¡± ¡°No, they would be considered moderate weight,¡± the attendant answered. Aria nodded as he put the arrow back in the quiver and pulled out one from another quiver. ¡°These are your normal hunting arrows used for other large game.¡± ¡°I see it has the classic delta arrowhead shape,¡± Aria remarked. He agreed and returned the arrow to the quiver. ¡°And these are your¡­ fighting arrows,¡± the attendant said as he pulled an arrow from the last quiver. ¡°Hopefully, you won¡¯t ever use these, but they¡¯re for people and monsters. That¡¯s what some of us are calling those prehistoric beasts the company has brought back. That said, the hunting arrows might work for monsters too.¡± The arrowhead is diamond shaped and reminds me of a fountain pen¡¯s nib, Aria thought. She said as much, making the attendant laugh as he put the arrow back in its quiver. ¡°Is there a way of telling which quiver is which?¡± ¡°There is,¡± he answered. All three quivers looked the same except for symbols below the mouth. He pointed at the symbols. ¡°Each symbol is an arrowhead. The leatherworker kept it simple.¡± ¡°Smart,¡± Aria remarked. ¡°Yep. So, want to take a couple of each?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just take them all?¡± Aria asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± the attendant answered, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Thanks,¡± Aria said. She picked up one quiver and made it vanish into her inventory. The attendant¡¯s mouth opened in surprise. He looks like a fish. Aria kept herself from laughing and put the other two quivers into her inventory as well. She headed for the exit. ¡°Thanks again!¡± * Aria sat on her bed and placed the leather quivers beside her. She glanced at the arrows and sighed. There are 72 of them. I don¡¯t want to swab my mouth so many times to get nanobots on all of them. Could I just swab the inside of the quivers and let the little critters spread to the arrows that way? ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Aria murmured. Besides if it doesn¡¯t work, I can always take the time to swab each arrow. Now, what sort of enhancements do I want to give the arrows? Aria stretched. The arrows need to be kept in perfect shape like me and my guitar and boots for one. Keeping an edge for the arrowheads is a must though an edge won¡¯t help the blunt ones. Perhaps, I could up the kinetic energy an arrow produces. That¡¯s actually a good idea, Aria thought. I know my 45-pound draw weight produces roughly 45-foot pounds of kinetic force. But how much do guns produce? Aria did some searching. A 9mm handgun produces roughly 350¨C400-foot pounds of force while a .270 rifle produces roughly 1500-foot pounds of force. She grinned. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Aria swabbed her mouth and then wiped the inside of the three quivers. After making sure the connection to the nanites was good, she programmed them for energy storage, condition, strength, sharpness for the pointed arrowheads, and at the last minute to keep the quivers in excellent condition as well. Aria then added a force multiplier and for each arrow to store energy gathered while in flight. I think 200-foot pounds of kinetic energy should be enough. Aria mused. If not, I¡¯ll up it later. 42 Download complete. You have learned Bow making. Download complete. You have learned Fletching. Download complete. You have learned Trapping. ¡°Uh guys?¡± Aria questioned. ¡°Why have you given me these skills. You can¡¯t possibly want me to make my own bows and arrows.¡± ¡°But we do,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°Or more specifically we want you to be able to make your own in Southland if needed. And trapping will be useful since you won¡¯t always be able to hunt game but can return to check traps.¡± ¡°I could also set traps to keep predators and people away from me or lead them into ambushes if I have to fight,¡± Aria added. ¡°Exactly,¡± Gunny agreed. ¡°Thanks guys.¡± Collingsworth and Clarkson waved as Gunny led Aria out of the lab. ¡°Gunny, are you going to make me make a bow?¡± Aria asked. ¡°No. It had been strongly considered until I pointed out that the time involved would delay our excursions,¡± Sergeant Hauora answered. ¡°I had a bow made for you.¡± ¡°Is that why I couldn¡¯t check out a bow yesterday?¡± ¡°Yep. You got all the arrows and kept them though.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Keep in mind those are all you¡¯re getting for Southland,¡± Gunny pointed out. ¡°If you want more, you¡¯ll have to make them yourself.¡± ¡°Do I get tools for that?¡± Aria asked. Hauora grinned. ¡°Oh, come on! That¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°You have the necessary knowledge in your head and will have a few simple tools. You¡¯ll be fine in the long run. Just remember that not all wood is equal. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve read.¡± Ha! The joke is on you if my nanites work like I want them to I won¡¯t run out of arrows, Aria thought. She grinned. Gunny glanced at her. ¡°Got some trick on your mind?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Aria innocently replied. ¡°Uh huh,¡± the sergeant grunted. ¡°So, what do I get to take into Southland?¡± ¡°Your skills, good looks, and guitar.¡± ¡°Not funny.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true though,¡± Gunny said. She scowled at him which made the sergeant laugh. ¡°Alright, seriously you¡¯ll take some weapons, rope, a few simple hand tools, enough food and water for a few days, a sleeping bag, small tent, some medical supplies, and a change of clothes or two.¡± ¡°I notice you didn¡¯t say first aid kit.¡± ¡°Very good. Southland is restricted to medieval technology at best, so that applies to you as well,¡± Gunny explained as they walked. ¡°You¡¯ll get some bandages and perhaps some creams or other ointments. If you get too severely injured, we¡¯ll evac you on our group excursions. When we put you in for your final testing, you¡¯ll be on your own.¡± ¡°What about my implant and nanobots?¡± ¡°Certain exceptions have been made regarding nanites like allowing them to heal you,¡± Gunny answered. ¡°As for your implant, its usage will be restricted as well.¡± ¡°Guess that means I won¡¯t be having long calls with mom and dad,¡± Aria said as they stopped outside her room. Gunny nodded. ¡°But everything I¡¯ve downloaded will be available for use, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. We know you¡¯d get access one way or the other if we tried to stop you,¡± Gunny replied. Aria smiled and nodded her agreement. ¡°Giving me the rest of the day off?¡± ¡°Nope. Go change into some camo and an orange vest. We¡¯re going hunting.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not hunting season yet.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Gunny¡­¡± Aria began. ¡°Don¡¯t argue or complain. You need to get back in the saddle and used to hunting,¡± Hauora said with compassion in his voice. ¡°This exercise will help improve your skills and if you don¡¯t see anything, you don¡¯t have to take the shot.¡± I hate this but Gunny has a point, Aria thought. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± * Aria: I see some turkeys. Want me to ignore them or shoot one of them instead of the deer I was tracking? Gunny: I¡¯m not sure. Travis: Haven¡¯t had turkey in a while. Holder: Thanksgiving is still over two months away. I wouldn¡¯t mind having a turkey leg for supper. Bishop: As long as I don¡¯t have to dress or pluck the damn thing, I don¡¯t care. Turkey is just as good as venison in my mind. Aria: The turkeys are on the move. Gunny: What direction? Aria: Passing my position and heading toward you guys. Aria grinned as she heard one of the guards whisper a curse. Guess they really want turkey and don¡¯t realize whispers carry. Gunny: Aria, pick out a bird and take your shot. Aria: You¡¯re in luck. One of them is quite large. I guess that¡¯s the tom. I¡¯m going to shoot it in the head. Aria pulled her new recurve bow and one of the blunt tipped arrows from her inventory. She took a deep breath. I can do this. Aria lined up her shot and pulled the string and arrow back. Something startled the turkeys, and they scattered. The tom took to the air. Aria adjusted her aim, sucked in a breath and held it. She loosed just as the turkey reached where the others were. Gunny: Don¡¯t take the shot. It¡¯s too close to us and I don¡¯t want 40 pounds or more of bird falling on anyone. Aria: Too late. Aria had sent the reply just as she shot the turkey. Her aim was slightly off, and the arrow hit and then penetrated the large bird in the rump. Over 200-foot pounds of kinetic energy slammed into the tom. Aria¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she realized she had forgotten about the bow¡¯s 45-foot pounds of force at the same time as the turkey popped like a balloon. Blood, shit, other body fluids, and parts rained down on the sergeants and guards. The arrow continued to fly until it slammed into an old oak tree. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Bishop screamed. ¡°The smell!¡± Hand yelled. ¡°I¡¯m going to be sick!¡± ¡°Baird!¡± Gunny Hauora and Sergeant Towns shouted at the same time. I think I used way too much force, Aria mused. She watched as the guard force attempted to clean their faces and started laughing. She laughed so hard she fell out of the tree she was in. ¡°Ow,¡± Aria muttered. Then louder, ¡°I¡¯m alright!¡± ¡°Not for long you¡¯re not,¡± Towns muttered. Aria stood and walked towards them. She stopped and dropped some towels on the ground before backing off and retrieving her bow. It disappeared into her inventory. ¡°Get over here,¡± Gunny ordered. ¡°You guys stink,¡± Aria replied, shaking her head. ¡°Why do you have towels?¡± Gunny asked as Towns picked them up and handed one to each of the others. ¡°Seemed useful and I¡¯m curious how much I can store in my inventory space,¡± Aria answered, fighting and losing the battle to keep a grin off her face. The others glared, scowled, or stared daggers at her. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry and will make it up to you guys somehow.¡± Their expressions didn¡¯t soften. ¡°I¡¯ll cook for you tonight and even make some kind of desert,¡± Aria quickly said as the idea came to her. I think that arrow is a lost cause too. I¡¯ll have to tone down the energy in my arrows. ¡°What kind of desert?¡± Bishop asked. ¡°How can you think of food right now?¡± Hand asked the larger guard. Bishop shrugged. ¡°Fine,¡± Travis said after exchanging a look and probably a message with Gunny. ¡°Got any water or other cleaning supplies in there?¡± Gunny asked. Aria shook her head. ¡°Figures. Let¡¯s go to that stream we passed and clean off as best we can.¡± Aria lost the struggle and laughed again as the others set off. ¡°What was that?¡± Towns shouted without turning around. ¡°Nothing Sarge!¡± Aria replied. She smiled and took off to get downwind of them. 43 ¡°Really Gunny?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Yes. Peeling potatoes is a time-honored traditional punishment,¡± Hauora answered. ¡°You had made me run extra laps this morning,¡± Aria pointed out. ¡°And you¡¯ll continue running extra laps in addition to peeling potatoes and helping the kitchen staff in whatever way they need for the rest of the week.¡± ¡°This is not part of my contract,¡± Aria muttered as one of the kitchen helpers placed a whole 50lb sack of potatoes in front of her. ¡°And getting showered by turkey guts wasn¡¯t part of my contract,¡± Gunny stated flatly. Aria fought to keep the grin off her face. ¡°You¡¯re damn lucky I don¡¯t have you scrubbing toilets with a toothbrush.¡± I¡¯d like to see you try, Aria thought. Instead of saying anything, she cocked an eyebrow in question. Hauora stared in return. ¡°Oh, cut that shit out,¡± one of the cooks said. ¡°Either help or get out of my kitchen.¡± ¡°Alright Bernie,¡± Gunny replied holding up his hands in surrender. He sent Aria a private message. Gunny: Never argue with the people that feed you. Aria smiled and nodded. ¡°I apologize to you both.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Gunny and Bernie said at the same time. ¡°Do I have to peel the whole bag?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Yep,¡± Bernie answered. ¡°It takes the whole bag to make enough soup or stew for everyone here. Today, we¡¯re making soup for lunch. Once you get done with peeling the potatoes, you can wash and then start dicing them up.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± Aria said. The cook nodded and walked off. ¡°This really sucks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± Gunny replied. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a punishment if it was fun.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Aria muttered as she picked up the vegetable peeler and a potato. Gunny grinned and walked away. I wonder if there is a way to make this more fun and faster. * Please work, Aria thought half the sack of potatoes later. She triggered the new command with a thought. A blast of compressed air shot from the new nanites and cut the potato in half. ¡°Yes!¡± Aria murmured. If I could add a laser to this, I could really cut things. Thank you, people that came up with compressed air cutting. While fun, this isn¡¯t going to help me peel the rest of these potatoes. Aria sighed and kept peeling. A few minutes later, another idea came to her. What if I use the compressed air command with the ignite command? Could I throw fireballs that way? I¡¯ll have to experiment with that idea later. She giggled. One of the kitchen helpers glanced at her in concern. She¡¯s about my age. ¡°Sorry. Just something funny on my implant.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the woman said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get one eventually.¡± ¡°Very possible,¡± Aria said. ¡°From what I understand the company does want to sell them to the public.¡± The woman nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Aria Baird.¡± ¡°Margo Kent,¡± the woman replied. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too,¡± Aria said. ¡°Cut the chatter,¡± Bernie said as he passed them. ¡°We got work to do.¡± ¡°Is he always like this?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Pam and Rich seem nicer.¡± ¡°Yeah, he is. And yes, they are,¡± Margo answered. ¡°But Bernie¡¯s not so bad once you get used to him though I prefer the shifts I get to work with Pan and Rich. Don¡¯t tell Bernie that.¡± Aria smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Good. I won¡¯t either,¡± Margo laughed. ¡°I better get back to work though and those potatoes won¡¯t peel themselves.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Aria muttered as the other woman got back to doing whatever she had been doing. She sighed and picked up another potato. Maybe I could steam them and peel them that way. I read factories often use steam to peel potatoes. Aria glanced around. Too many witnesses and I¡¯m not sure if I can get my nanobots to pull moisture from the air. That¡¯s something else to test later. * Unless Dr Roth and company are watching me by satellite, which wouldn¡¯t surprise me, I¡¯m all alone and not being monitored, Aria thought the next morning. Now is as good as a time as ever to test this out. She triggered the new commands with a thought and pointed her hands at the pond. A blast of fire shot into the water, causing water to erupt up into the air. ¡°Yes!¡± Aria exclaimed, thrusting her arms up in the air. She then laughed and started running again since it wouldn¡¯t be good to have the sergeants wonder where she was. Hauora and Towns were both staying on her since the turkey incident the other day. She laughed again. Aria triggered another command and kept running. Sufficient moisture accumulated. That was quicker than I thought it would be. My little buggers are efficient. Aria dismissed the notice and triggered another command along with the compressed air command. A finger length icicle shot out and into the pond. She pumped her fist and started running again. Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, Aria thought with a grin on her face. I¡¯ll need to be careful with pulling moisture from the atmosphere though, Aria thought. There are machines that suck moisture from the air already and I don¡¯t want to make things worse. Then again, how much damage can one person do? ¡°A lot,¡± Aria muttered. Perhaps I can make enough nanites to help convert atmospheric moisture into rain. That would be nice. And if I can gather the moisture into containers, I¡¯ll never go thirsty. The water should also be clean and pure. That thought brought another smile to her face. Aria kept running.