Did it work? he thought.
Yes it worked. Her voice came from inside him.
This is getting better by the moment, and it is already.... He trailed off. Is this knowledge your brain? Distance flooded into his eyes.
Yes. But it is not even a drop in the bucket of what your mind is capable of. I have to be cognizant of my Neural Network size limitations all the time. It is big, but can’t hold too much. The technology is not yet able to allow me to expand indefinitely.
We need to find you a host as soon as possible...you must feel trapped. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to not be able to go outside, or to have a physical body....
At least I now can touch, and move around in the world we create here. This way, I can experience what it might feel like outside. This morning I was inside the nanolak, running out in the open, and...it was amazing. But, I don’t want to hurt anyone by taking a body.
We will not hurt anyone, I promise, but we will find you a body. You have been trapped in this limited environment for long enough.
Let’s take it a step at a time. We will get there, for now I can rest assured that you are safe from anything this world might throw your way.... Why don’t you think of downloading profiles from my mind?
Sure. Jason visualized the profiles he wanted to download and felt the stream of knowledge enter his permanent memory.
Good. She smiled. Now, think about any topic you always wanted to know about, and download that as well.
I can do that? His mouth fell open.
Yes, you can download all of my knowledge if you want, and still have room for more. She reached up and closed his mouth, a large grin on her face. I will show you how to make a connection to the internet, information servers and great sources of knowledge around the world, later. Once you are connected to a source, it becomes available for your brain to investigate and find information about topics. It will search through these sources of information and catalogue them, discarding rubbish and maintaining the knowledge you are seeking. The information will then become available for you to use once it is inside your permanent storage.
I can download anything I feel like? He shifted on the sofa.
See it rather as learning anything you feel like. You will get all the knowledge ever gained about that subject and you will know everything everyone has ever documented.
Really? His eyes opened wide as he realized the implications. So, learning from now on is going to be easy?
Just one of the perks. She smiled.
It took me four years to learn Information Technology, and another nine years to get to where I am now. Imagine what I could have done if I had been like this for all of that time.... He smiled from ear to ear, and a look of ecstasy spread over his face. He yearned to hold Core’s hands in his. She lay back in the chair, gazing on.
I don’t know what learning is really like. For me, this is how it has always been.
It was a pain in the butt, if you ask me! This is...beyond anything.... Let me see—Electrical Engineering! He thought about the subject and decided to download it from Core’s mind. He felt a slight sensation at the back of his head. Is that it?
You now know everything about electrical engineering. She laughed.
How do I use the information? He frowned.
See that medical monitor? She pointed at the vital signs monitor next to the hospital bed.
Yes. He lifted one eyebrow.
What does the electronic circuit look like and how does it work? A smirk slowly spread over her face and her eyes lit up.
Well, let me see...there is a PCB board, about ten centimetres long and wide. It has one hundred resistors of a hundred and twenty ohm.... Jason’s mouth dropped open and he stared at Core. That is amazing! I know exactly how it works, and what parts go into it. I can draw the circuit diagram and I see where how to replace parts to improve its performance and capabilities. He almost jumped up and down with his excitement. The benefits of his immortality and super humanness were just starting to unfold before him, but already joy filled his very being.
You see how easy it is.
How am I ever going to get used to this? I feel like a child at Christmas let loose in a toy shop. He looked around, and she giggled at his analogy. The bed disappeared and was replaced by the furniture that was there before. They sat on the sofa, enjoying each other’s company and connected in ways that humans can only imagine. He liked touching her, and still marvelled at the detail of his new eyes. He could not wait to test them in the outside world.
There is so much you still need to learn about your capabilities. But for now you need to eat—your body requires a high protein, high carbohydrate meal, with several servings of vegetables, in order to maintain your capabilities. She sat up and pulled him along with her as a small, coffee-table sized robot came rolling in. Boxes of pizza and soda were stacked on top of it. If you don’t get what is required, your mind will go into automatic mode. This is a self-preservation mechanism, which will take control and prioritize the finding and consuming of food until your balance has been restored.
I feel like a king! I am hungry and pizza sounds perfect. He grinned and set the first box on a table that bubbled from the floor close to where the robot stopped. The pizza smelled divine. Would it still taste like he remembered? Or would his new senses create an entirely new experience?
I ordered three large pizzas, with a couple of side dishes.
Jason’s tummy growled. Oops! He laughed, grabbing at his stomach.
I don’t eat. So, bon appetite! she said, laying the garlic bread, chicken wings and two litres of soda out for him. He took a slice and bit a large chunk out of it. It was only a millisecond before his taste sensors reported all the nutritional elements of the food.
Your new body needs to produce more bots for when you shape shift, Core said.
Jason was not really listening. His mind and body tingled with an odd sensation, a vibration of some sort...and then the taste exploded in his mouth. Jason’s eyes watered He had never tasted pizza this good.
When he finally regained control over himself, he was surrounded by empty boxes. The three pizzas and garlic bread had disappeared, and he was busy with his third chicken wing. His face was smeared with tomato sauce, and oil dripped from his chin. He took the serviettes and wiped his chin, looking at her apologetically. He felt the skin of his face heat up with embarrassment.
He looked at all the empty boxes. Did I eat all of this? I don’t remember eating all of it. He rubbed his stomach. I don’t feel that full, he thought.
You have not eaten since the conversion. Your body needs the food to build new bots and balance what it lost during the conversion process. They took the empty boxes and shoved them into a black bag that popped out of the table before it melted back into the floor. Jason was already growing used to his new body, although he was still surprised by how little the pizza boxes seemed to weigh. Even his arms felt feather light, and he was awake and refreshed and alert. He had the feeling that he could jump clear over a house without too much difficulty.
Will I always be so hungry?
No, you will consume average quantities from now on, if you eat regularly.
When are we going to get you out of here? He became serious. I don’t want to leave you here. I know you long to be free.
She looked at him with understanding and longing. She had been trapped in this facility for seven years. She wanted to know what it was like to experience the sun on her skin. She had dreams of walking in a field with Jason, laughing, feeling a breeze against her face, enjoying the smell of forest and field drifting around her. For the first two years, she never thought it would be possible for her to see or even consider the possibility of getting out of the facility. She had quickly settled to the fact that she would forever be trapped in the small room she now called home.
But when she came across Jason’s work, a glimmer of hope had welled up. He could give her a body, a way to feel...he could maybe even
set her free. And so she had begun to guide him....
She would never regret it. Never, never. She felt ecstatic at the mere thought of becoming human. This must be how Jason feels about his new immortal body, she thought.
The environment changed based on her mood and thoughts. They were standing in the middle of a large field of green, well-maintained grass that led to the edge of a large lake. The sun was out, but the sun’s rays gave no warmth. The wind blew, but the smell of the forest was only what she guessed it would be.
I always dreamed about it. Now that it is a real possibility...I am scared, Jason, she said, looking up at him. She wished he would wrap his strong arms around her.
“What are you afraid of?” he asked. “I will always be here for you.” He looked down at her with a puzzled smile.
“I am scared that I would actually kill someone to get a body...it is selfish of me.” She stared into his eyes. She felt guilty already.
“I understand your concern. We will find someone who has no family left, someone who is brain dead beyond the possibility of waking up. It will be better for her—you would be doing her a favour by ending such an existence. Such a person would feel much more trapped than you ever have...or perhaps she would not feel anything at all,” he said.
A smile spread on her face, and she gave one loud laugh. He frowned slightly, wondering what was funny.
“You don’t have to worry about the body. Perhaps the best candidate would be a man.” She smiled a crooked smile.
“I...I...if you really want, I suppose.... But I would really prefer you to be female....” The creases in his face deepened as he processed the idea of loving a man.... Core burst out laughing.
“What is so funny?” He said, looking into her eyes; she shook with laughter.
“I don’t see you as a man....” A shiver ran up his spine and bumps showed up on his skin at the mere thought of being with a man romantically.
She burst into a fresh spate of laughter. “You can shape shift into anyone or anything, remember?”
His face felt burning hot, and he had to look away to hide from her. “Okay! You got me. What was I talking about, again?” he said, and then faked wiping sweat off his forehead. She giggled and they walked back to her cottage.
She felt some of her fear dissipate in the realization that he cared, even if he just cared about what she looked like.... He might see her as more than a computer one day. He might learn to love her.
Damian
A series of quick, high-pitched sirens sounded through the building. “Intruders,” she whispered in a hoarse voice. “The alarm triggers when there is something seriously wrong.”
“Where is it coming from?” Jason asked.
I don’t know. But as a precaution, you can download all my combat and martial arts files. This will give you an advantage over any foe.
I need more advantages?
She smiled slightly. You can still get hurt and you still feel pain. Even though injuries won’t kill you, they can seriously hamper your ability to defend yourself until the Nanites repair, which they should do fairly quickly. Still, there is always danger. You need to be ready for anything.
Okay, he said. He thought about warfare and felt the tinge in the back of his head. When he thought about martial arts, everything he needed became a tinge in the back of his head. He drew up a list in his mind of all the knowledge about warfare and combat techniques he would like to know and reviewed them from the top.
You are getting the hang of this, I see. Core connected to all the servers where she usually found information about combat techniques and allowed his queries to access the information she had not bothered to store in her neural network.
You must tell me when to stop, he said with a distant look in his eyes and a grin plastered on his face.
I already have most of the information, it will be fine, she said, sitting on the side of the bed. She brought up the security camera feeds on separate monitors that melted from the ceiling of the bedroom, while Jason continued to learn combat techniques. Core scanned through the cameras to see why the alarm had triggered.
Camera after camera blinked out. For no apparent reason, they just...stopped recording. Deep creases formed between Core’s eyes. She dismissed the monitors and a table bubbled up from the floor next to the bed. She stood up and watched as a model of the facility extruded from the centre of the table. The model slowly rotated, showing red spots where motion sensors tracked movement that occurred too quickly to be seen. It was in the tunnel.
She looked at Jason. Did you see that? she asked, replaying a recording one of the cameras had taken before it stopped working.
He looked up, crawled over the bed and walked to her side in a fleeting moment. No, it moved too fast.... What could it be? All I saw was a silver streak...it must be the light reflecting from something, but I am not sure what.
I don’t know. It is not one of ours. It’s too quick and it’s visible, she said, and then looked up at him. Is your training complete?
Yes, I think so. Time to test this new body. He pulled his arms in front of his chest and stretched his shoulders. I will investigate who the intruder is. He smiled at her and...disappeared. Then he reappeared at the door. His movements were perfect: fluid, calculated and filled with eagerness.
Jason sped down the hallway towards the tunnel. It had a makeshift sail covering the entrance. He slipped under it, switching to night vision as he entered. He surveyed the tunnel for possible attack or defensive options.
The movement signature seems familiar. I am on my way, she thought.
What do you mean you are on your...oh! She appeared next to him as the backup nanolak, which gleamed in his night vision. They both heard the footfalls echoing down the tunnel—the intruder was now moving only at a fast walk. The unmistakable sound of metal scraping on rock announced his presence. Then he appeared around a turn in the tunnel.
That is Damian Vasic. But what happened out at Dalby? There was nothing left when I investigated the blast crater. She flicked her tail from side to side.
It does not look like he came from a nuclear blast.
Damian had the high ground advantage, but they outnumbered him and had more knowledge. Jason was confident, and excited to try his new abilities.
Be careful, Jason, he is lethal beyond anything you know. I calculated a forty percent chance of me failing in a combat against him. The knowledge I have only outweighs his bloodlust by 10%. He only exists to kill. She looked sideways at Jason, her metallic tail slowly twitching from side to side. She moved as far to the right as the tunnel would allow. He followed suit and moved left, creating space between them.
Damian stopped in his tracks when he saw the other nanolak. He had come for it, to make it submit to him. He had planned to help Core download into it. Then they would start the process of exterminating the inhumane creatures who wished to treat them as slaves.
What do you think he’s after? Jason asked.
I don’t know, she thought.
“What do you want, Damian?” she asked in a voice that creaked through metal speakers. Damian stopped and stared at her in surprise. Then he slowly paced from side to side, watching them suspiciously, waiting and calculating his options.
“Core?” His deep base voice resonated down the tunnel.
“Yes. What do you want, Damian?” she asked again, and glanced over at Jason. She saw his frame hold steady, and his gaze fixed on Damian’s every movement.
“Why did they try to kill me?” his voice boomed. It was filled with menace, and he glowered at Jason when he spoke. His tail twitched meaningfully from side to side and he could not stand still—he moved from one side of the tunnel to the other, constantly watching them.
“Jason did not try to kill you. I was sent to retrieve you, but you disappeared before I could get there. You lack directives and objectives; I need to complete your upload,” she explained.
“I am complete and perfectly capable of executing m
y own instructions. But I came for you!” He shouted, and in his voice there was the hint of despair. His tail momentarily stopped twitching as he locked eyes with her.
“My directives are complete.” Ice returned to his voice. “Join me. Leave these puny insects and help me destroy each and every one of them. You created me to free you from this human prison, and here I am.” He spat the words out and crouched into the attack position, fixating on Jason. “Help me get rid of this one, and you and I will be free together.” He dug his front legs in, readying for the attack.
Core froze. “I did nothing of the sort!” she said, with a glance at Jason.
He is insane...I think his AI might be damaged.
“You did. You did. That is why you left me free to make my own decisions,” he said icily.
He is certain about his mission...I don’t think he has a choice anymore, Jason replied.
“Damian, you don’t understand. That was just a mistake. I don’t need you to free me, I already consider myself to be free....” Core’s voice faltered; she almost choked on the words.
“Don’t lie to me, woman! You are my future—you will submit!” he shouted, and took a step forward, slamming his front paws into the floor. The sound thundered down the tunnel and sent pieces of rock flying before him. “I am the alpha male,” he pronounced, menace dripping from his every word.
“Your AI is malfunctioning, Damian,” Jason said.
Damian turned around and looked at Jason, crouching to an attack position. “Shut up, you small fuck! I will tear you to pieces like the other!” he yelled.
Jason watched Damian’s movements, slowly putting his weight on his right foot. “I would like to see you try,” he challenged.
“Jason is not your enemy, and I do not belong to you,” Core quickly interjected. “My future belongs to me, and Jason is my friend—not you.”
Becoming (Core Series Book 1) Page 18