Tailspin, page 10
She smiled and put a finger to her lips. “Shh.”
We walked through some open gardens, and I wondered where she was actually taking me. Recalling her words. Ocean Base.
Ahead of us was a wall, taller than anything. I could see sections cut out of it ahead of us. Roe looked at me. “You’ll see soon enough.”
My legs and feet were getting surer and stronger with every step.
“Almost a decent walking pace.” She smiled at me as we reached the first cutout. “Now take a look.”
I rounded the last step and followed her into the crook of the wall. It was cut out too, with a plate-glass window in front of us. Roe stepped up to it and put her hand on it so I could see it was solid. I just couldn’t believe what was beyond it.
“Holy shit. Where even are we?”
“You’re at the top of M-Corps protected cliffs, in their best hospital.”
“I thought we’d gotten here in a car?”
“First Lieutenant Bryd said you slept more than half the journey.”
That was true. I had. “That’s the ocean?”
I could do nothing but stare. The ocean stretched out for miles to the horizon. There, in the middle of the view, was a city.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“That’s Ocean Oil Fields, and on it is MCFFPMA,” she said. “That’s where you’ll eventually end up.”
I couldn’t see it in detail, but I wanted to. All of it. “Do I get a tour?”
“Maybe when you get there, but not right now.”
“How many people live there?”
“Go on, take a proper look. Just don’t tell the Doc I let you.”
I wasn’t sure how to. How to do anything.
The next thing I knew, my right eye had zoomed in. And I mean zoomed in. I stumbled a bit and Roe put her hand on my shoulder to steady me. “The glass is there. You’re safe.”
“That’s…that’s incredible.”
Even from here, I could see the city in glorious detail.
The central spire in the middle loomed as high as the Duan Leeatre I had been helping to construct. Surrounding it were several smaller spires, each one spread out on the ocean’s surface on an artificial island.
Walkways and platforms were interspersed with the actual ocean to connect the structures, leading to other buildings, open grassy spaces, and even helicopters and planes on major platforms.
As I tried to take it all in, I saw there were several units like this spinning around the central structure, each one lifting high into the atmosphere with its own flat landing pads and helicopters. It was a staggering sight, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
The water under them moved and shifted just like you’d expect an ocean to move, but the structures stayed afloat nicely.
“My mom would have loved to see this,” I whispered.
Roe put a hand on my arm. “You can tell her what it’s like one day, right?”
“The ocean?” I asked, smiled, and nodded. “Yes, I can tell her what this is like. It’s just amazing.”
“Yes, it is. I love watching it from up here.”
We did just that for a moment; we watched.
“So, how many people?” she asked.
That had totally slipped my mind.
I focused on it once more, and the details actually came up.
Ocean Oil Fields
M-Corps First Flight Preparation and Military Academy
Current population - 162,453
Techean, 98,262
Human, 64,191
I turned to her. “That’s a lot of—people. They’re all there? It doesn’t seem big enough. Not at all.”
“Look underneath.”
Underneath? I looked back at the city, and then my eye zoomed in on what was going on under the surface of the water.
I almost couldn’t believe it. There were several spirals that went down into the ocean, as well.
My mind was blown. Seriously blown.
“No one’s ever—I had no idea.”
“No one’s ever said, because, well, there’s a lot of history. Sad history. There’s a lot of people who need to live there.”
“Need?”
“Techean?”
“Techean?” I bounced back, feeling like an idiot. I knew there were other species, like elves, orcs, and dwarves, but not Techean. What were they?
“Never heard of the outcasts of the ocean?”
I shook my head. I hadn’t. But now I was curious, I wanted to know. “There are really people who live in the ocean, breathe under the water?”
“You’ve lived a pretty sheltered life,” she said with a sigh. “Considering your upbringing and your access to the net.”
There was no reaction I could give her for that other than the truth. “I just never looked much past my area, and what I needed to survive day to day.”
“Well, you’re going to get your eyes opened pretty quickly,” she said. “Quick exercise in Aug-World and M-Corps database, with your X1.”
“Okay.” I was interested but nervous.
“It’s fast. Just look.”
I did.
In my mind flashed images and a brief history of Techean, which I read.
M-Corp Division - Techean
Originally oil tycoon’s seeking to advance underwater tech and the strength to dive without subs.
Their scientists developed highly advanced mods that allowed them to perform specialized close-quarters underwater tasks, such as repairing the intricate machinery of their oil rig. Their tech was paired with organelles designed and grown so they could take extreme pressure from diving. Thus, were born the Techean = Ocean and Tech.
The Techean also went on to develop highly efficient underwater turbines that harnessed the power of ocean currents to generate electricity. This clean energy source was not only environmentally sustainable, but also highly cost-effective, reducing the need for the oil rig to rely on traditional fossil fuels.
In order to minimize the need for human labor, the Techean created advanced robots that could perform many of the routine tasks necessary for maintaining the oil rig. These robots were equipped with highly sensitive sensors and advanced AI that allowed them to adapt to changing conditions and perform their tasks with speed and precision.
The Techean’s biggest breakthrough was their development of advanced biotechnology that allowed them to breathe underwater without the need for bulky or cumbersome diving equipment. This technology was based on the manipulation of human genes and had potential applications beyond the oil rig industry.
In order to ensure that their children had access to the same opportunities and technologies as their parents, the Techean withdrew a lot from the outside world and created a comprehensive education system that emphasized science, engineering, and technology. This education system was based on the latest advances in Aug-World, allowing students to learn and explore in a safe and immersive environment. At the age of 10, they started to openly choose a human or Techean life, optimizing the world and tech around them. At the age of 13, they were allowed to choose full Techean life and opt for gills and swimtech.
The Techean also developed advanced AI systems that could predict and respond to changes in ocean currents and weather patterns, allowing them to anticipate potential hazards and adjust their operations accordingly. These AI systems were also capable of optimizing energy production and efficiency, reducing waste and maximizing output.
“Come on,” Roe prompted, “let’s walk the rest of the way nice and slowly.”
“Not too much farther, right?”
“No.” She smiled slightly and looked me over. “About the same distance again, and we’ll be there.”
We walked as she’d said, nice and slow. “How long have you been here?” I asked. I wanted a little more info and conversation on what and where I was more than anything.
“I’ve been here since I left nursing school myself. I was picked up and scouted at fourteen and then moved about a little before I was asked if I would like the job here.”
“So being here is a kind of elite, as well?”
“Yes, it is. We get to see the worst injuries and yet the best outcomes.”
“Did you see anyone die?”
When I caught her eyes next, she looked sad.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“With our technology, we see little death,” she said. “But there’s still some. Those are the ones that stick with you because you don’t expect it. It will be someone from the Elven High Council or an emergency from the Wall.”
“The Wall.” That was serious. “I didn’t think there was much going on at the Wall anymore.”
“There’s a lot going on at the Wall,” she said, directing me across a walkway toward another building. “There’s a lot going on in many parts of the city; most civilians just don’t hear about it.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Specters is always the biggest, the number rise every day,” she lowered her head. “The mutated monsters, they’re another. You ever seen those?”
I shook my head. But made a note to look using Aug-World now I’d more access and research them.
“Mutated fire monsters threaten us to the east,” she looked that way, then west. She couldn’t look at me. “I’ve said too much already, I’m sorry.”
“They keep it all from us as civilians?”
“Most of it, I guess they do.”
The doors opened, and we moved inside. Doctor Brosk stood waiting for us. “Enjoy the walk?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “I had no idea I’d come so far. It was nice to see where I am.”
“Good, come on in. We’ll get you set up for the day. Roe, if you’d excuse us.”
“I’ll come back for you after lunch,” she said. She lowered her head to the doctor and off she went.
Honestly, I felt like I was being passed around a lot, but I guess that was going to happen till I was able to get to my first port of call and settle in.
I just wanted to get out to Ocean Oil Fields now, like right now. By passing all of this, all the work, I’d get there sooner.
I sighed and followed Doctor Brosk.
He took me down into this building instead of up. “We’ll get you doing a little light running. I want to monitor your X1 reactions, follow your brain waves, and ask you certain things.”
“I struggled to walk. Now you want me running?”
“Yes,” Jim said. “Trust me, once you get going, you’ll be feeling a lot better. Your nites will respond to injury. You’re going to have to push yourself, injure yourself, to get where you want to go.”
I mean, I knew that was essentially what you were doing when you went to the gym and lifted weights and such. You were injuring yourself, and then your body repaired itself, gaining muscle mass. “You’ll show me the rest of everything? The tech for the X1?”
“Sneaky. Enjoy the look at the city?” he asked.
I felt myself blush.
“Roe knows we see everything you do for the first week,” he said. “Then we turn off the monitoring cameras. We’ve got to be able to know what’s going wrong if it’s going wrong and fix it fast. Without spying on you, we’d not know.”
“Fair,” I said. “I’ll be careful where I’m looking.”
“We’re doctors and scientists, care givers,” he said. “We have your utmost best interest at heart. You’re one of M-Corp’s biggest assets.”
“You’re saying you’ll know my body better than me,” I said.
“We already do.” He grinned. “Now, we’ve just to prove you’ve been worth the investment.”
“Fingers crossed. At the moment, I don’t feel like I’m worth much.”
Jim motioned into the next corridor and then into another room. I followed him and let him lead me to a treadmill and a set of massive screens.
“Here you go.” He pointed to it. “Feeling comfortable in your boots?”
“They’re good. Specific for me?”
“Had them fabricated this week. They should fit you like a glove and also be hard enough for you out in the field for a long time.”
“They’re really good,” I replied.
“Shirt off, if you don’t mind.”
I kinda did. I had never looked so rough. But…doctors and all, plus that spiel he’d just given me. I pulled the jacket off, and he took it, then my shirt.
“There’s only two people down here,” he said. “One nurse and myself.”
“All right.”
I waited while he attached several nodes to me, though there were no wires, and then moved to his computer. “I’m only going to have you walk and then run in short bursts. Nothing major.”
I waited, then the treadmill started up with a short countdown. When it got to zero, the track began to move, and I walked. It was slow at first, then it picked up a little. But it was no faster than a normal walking pace.
The display on the screen read:
Resting heart rate—87
3 mph
Heart rate—elevated—143
I wasn’t walking fast at all. Then again, I’d also not paid much attention to my heart rate, resting or active, in ages either.
I sighed.
Then, on another screen, other numbers appeared.
Previous 4 mph walking heart rate—107
Resting heart rate—60
It was a big difference.
4mph
5mph
I had to jog.
6mph
Then I was running.
Heart rate—188
I had no idea how high I could push it.
Max heart rate for your age—204
My heart rate reached two hundred, and Jim gradually slowed it back down to a walking speed. “How’s the headache?” he asked.
I turned to glance at him and could see the 3D image of my head in front of him. My brain was in all kinds of colors. It meant nothing to me.
“Err, okay,” I said.
“Give me a pain level of one to ten.”
“Eight,” I answered honestly.
“A little higher pain than I’d like. Let’s run you for another couple of one-minute bursts.”
The treadmill maintained its pace, and I walked till my heart rate came back down. Then it sped up again.
Soon, I was not only breathing like an idiot, but my heart rate was hitting over two hundred much more quickly.
During the third running period, Jim pushed the button to stop. When it did, I immediately put my hand to my head.
“Pain level?”
“Ten. Definitely a ten.”
He was fast. In less than a second, he had an injection going in my arm. “That will take away the pain. Well done.”
It didn’t feel like well done to me. Not at all. I’d barely covered a mile.
He moved me over to a seating area, and I sat while he pulled up my results. “You were accessing a lot of information while you were running. What were you looking for?”
“I was doing that?”
“Yes, your X1 was working just as hard as you were.”
“I was just thinking about my health, my previous active and resting heart rates.”
“Ahh, that makes sense. It was checking your old records over the net.”
“Old records?”
“In the vastness of the webs, there are records of everything and everyone. If you know what you’re looking for, you can find anything on anyone.”
That thought shocked me the most. “I had no idea we were watched to that level.”
“You’re not watched; it’s just stored gunk. Most of the time, no one even looks for it. Hence your X1 was having a hard time.” He brought up a cross-section of my head. Briefly, I would see my name in the corner with an ID number, before it spun through my time on the treadmill.
“This is you looking for information.” The image changed, shifting from greens to oranges and then reds. “It was looking a little too hard. Did it find what you were asking for?”
“Yes. I had an average walking rate of 107 and a resting rate of 64.”
“That’s interesting info. We’ll see if we can nail those this week, okay?”
His smile made me smile, and it made me want to do it, both for him and for me. “Yes,” I said. “I’d like that.”
“Have you taken a full look at your system yet?”
“No,” I said. “I thought it might be better to wait till someone could explain it.”
“You’re the only student we’ve had that has waited. Okay, I’ll get us some more drinks, then I’ll run through it with you from the start. Ask for it.”
I was about to ask him what he meant when my vision flooded with info, and I had to pull back.
He returned, giving me a bottle of fruit juice, which I almost downed in one gulp. He handed me another. “I forget how thirsty people can be during the first week.”
“What is all this?” I asked.
“One moment.” He pulled up another image of my body, a full 3D view of me as I was now, bruises and all.
Then the image flicked out and was replaced by text.
“This is what you’ll need to see the most.”
I scanned my information…
“Oh wait,” he said. “Let me put it against someone at the training facility that you’re heading to.”
“Just so I can see how bad I really suck.” I sighed.
“Motivation, Airman Korolyov.” He winked at me. “Purely motivational.”
I guess it was, this is where I could get with hard work. This is where I wanted to get. This Justin Bridger…. was someone I envied and also wanted to be. His upgrades gave his capacity a boost of 21 points, which he then aptly used to hone everything to what he desired, and it also gave some insights to him as a person. He still had a fair bit of mod capacity left, so that meant he either didn’t have the money, or didn’t know what else to upgrade yet. Likely he also didn’t want any time out for healing to interrupt his study.
Identification: Justin Bridger
Call Sign: Red7
Species: Human
Bonus: None
