Tailspin, page 8
The X1 is our most advanced middle-range model for cerebral enhancement. It features a sophisticated neural network that allows for high levels of data storage and processing, making it suitable for a variety of applications. While it may not have the same capacity as our high-end models, it can still accommodate complex AI systems and handle demanding applications with ease.
The model’s security protocols are robust and designed to keep your personal data safe at all times. Its encryption algorithms provide a high level of protection against potential breaches, ensuring that your information is always secure.
With machine learning technology, including some AI capabilities, the X1 can adapt to your habits and preferences over time. This feature makes it ideal for use in healthcare, finance, education, and other industries where personalized support is crucial.
The X1 has fast response times and can accurately detect and respond to threats in real-time, protecting your data and keeping you safe. While it may not have the same level of AI sophistication as our higher-end models, it still provides reliable protection against potential threats.
Whether you’re a researcher, business owner, or creative professional, the X1 can help you achieve new levels of productivity and creativity. Although it is not compatible with third-party software or systems, it is still a powerful tool that can help you achieve your goals with greater ease and efficiency.
Warranty: 5-year Warranty
+ 3 to any stats.
Durability: 100/100
Slot Cost: 4
And for my hand which had been totally shattered:
Right Hand Mod - T24
Tier: Two
M-Corp’s Tracer Series - T24 Created by JR Fraser
This model enables you to perform more movements that require a better level of control, such as speed typing on a keyboard or playing a musical instrument, with some degree of accuracy.
The sensitivity of the model can be adjusted to some extent to accommodate tasks that require either a light or heavy touch.
This model is suitable for basic applications, such as simple surgery or art, and can provide you with a higher degree of precision and control.
The model is designed to be lightweight and comfortable, but its basic construction means it is visibly distinguishable from your real hand.
The model features rudimentary sensors and algorithms that allow for some level of reaction to sensory input. While it may not be the fastest or most accurate, it can still help you respond to changes in real-time.
Whether you use the model for work or play, you’ll appreciate its basic design and easy-to-use interface. While it may not be the most advanced or futuristic, it still serves its purpose as a basic model for those who don’t require advanced features.
Warranty: 3-year Warranty
+ 2 to any stats.
Durability: 100/100
Slot Cost: 2
I read it, re-read it, then gave it him back. “I presume I get some kind of RI or AI as well then?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “More than likely with the X1, yes. They’ve not stipulated to what yet. Maybe they’ll decide that later.”
I could only nod; this tech was already a lot for me to take in. “What happens then?”
“As Lieutenant General Michaels said. You’re going to have a few weeks of rehab.”
“That’s a lot of time, but I’ll read and learn as much as I can, when I can.”
“You’ll be out of the med unit, through Ground School and ready for MCFFPMA sooner than you know it.”
“That’s the name for the flight school?”
“In full, its title is M-Corps First Flight Preparation and Military Academy.”
“Military?”
“There are civilian trainees there too, don’t worry.”
Academy sounded so much better than school. So much better. “Nearly a month,” I whispered. I would do everything in my power to get up and moving and make sure I was at that academy gate as soon as possible.
First Lieutenant Bryd returned to looking over the data pad. Whether he was reading about me or something else, I wasn’t sure, but I put my head back and let the gentle rocking of the car send me back to sleep.
***
I was dreaming of flying. Dreaming of being over Artem city, higher than the highest tower block.
This is what I wanted, it felt perfect, all of it.
“We’re here,” First Lieutenant Bryd said as he shook me awake. Had it been just moments? It sure seemed like it.
When I tried to move this time, pain ripped through me. I found I couldn’t do anything; I had nothing left in me to give.
“I—I can’t move,” I stammered out.
“Don’t worry,” another gruff voice grunted out. “I’ve got you.” The door at my side opened, and large arms picked me up. This man was massive, literally four times my size.
“Everything hurts,” I whined to him, finding tears streaming from my eyes. “It really hurts.”
“I know, kid,” he said. “I’ve got you. Just hold on. I won’t let you go.”
He may have been the size of a house, but everything about him, his voice, his smile, his eyes, was gentle. I wanted to rest my head on his shoulder, so I did. His arms wrapped me up, and then he walked. Not heavy clomping steps, but soft ones. I never felt any of it; it was as if we glided.
“Comm the doc,” I heard his voice rumble through his chest. “He needs surgery, now.”
Someone opened a door, and the next thing I knew we were in a building and were going up an elevator with glass windows. I could see out into the world beyond. It was breathtaking.
Was I dying?
Was this it?
I was being lifted up into heaven, wasn’t I?
“Still with me?” the man asked me. His breath-mint scent tickled my face.
“I’m here.”
“Good. I’ll get you settled, and the doc will come see you in a moment. They want to make sure you know what you’re going through before they put you under.”
“I understood everything when I signed the contract.”
“Good,” he said. “Very good.”
The elevator doors opened, and my lovely view of the vast oceans beyond went with them. I wanted to be out there now, in the helo, floating above the water and seeing everything the lands around us had to offer.
Of course, we’d all seen it from the TV reporters, but it was more stunning in person. I smiled when the huge man put me on a bed. The bright white and crisp silver of the room glinted everywhere around me. So clean, everything was so clean.
“Good luck, kid,” he said and patted my good arm.
“Thanks,” I said, and drifted off again.
There was more shaking and then other voices. “Airman Korolyov? You with us?”
“Here.” I tried to focus on the man before me. “I’m here.”
“I’m your doctor; name’s Jim Brosk. First drugs going in now.” The nurses had already started the injection, and I felt the cold flooding through my veins. “You’ll be sleepy within a minute, then out of it. I’ll see you on the other side, Rus. We’ll look after you, I promise.”
“See y—”
***
When I woke up the next time, my mind was totally foggy. I tried to focus but missed something. Something…
There was no pain. It was dark, everything was dark, but there was no pain. Was I dead?
“Hello?” I croaked out. Sheesh, my voice sounded awful. Really bad. “Anyone there?”
No reply.
I heard a soft beep beeping and could make out several machines around me.
I put my head back on my pillow, and then it started to pound with the machine beeping. “Anyone?” I whined.
A hiss and then a voice. “Glad you’re finally awake.”
There was a light in my eyes, and waves of nausea washed over me. “I feel sick.” I gagged.
The doc who had called himself Jim before helped me to sit up and gave me a bowl. I heaved, but nothing came out.
“I’ll get you something for the nausea,” he said and moved to a side cabinet. A moment later, he was adding something to a drip. “You gave us a hell of a scare in there, kid.”
I hated the fact everyone called me kid. The drugs entering my system immediately started to make me feel better, but I heaved a few more times before my stomach fully settled.
Doctor Brosk put a vial on the desk near me. I glanced at it once, and looked away to heave again.
“It’s the tech,” Jim said. “Disorients the mind for a little while. Almost ninety-nine percent are sick the moment they wake.”
Tech. I was excited to see that despite the nausea threatening me once again. I couldn’t access my HUD, though. I tried. “Nothing’s coming through,” I said. “What’s wrong?”
“We will let you settle first, then let you access it with the touch of a button. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Can you do it now?” I asked.
“That would go against protocol.”
“Doc, I have a massive list of things I need to catch up on. Every day counts, every minute counts. Can you turn it on?”
“Of course. But are you sure? The transition won’t be easy.”
“I want to see,” I begged. “Please.”
“Okay, but if it’s too much, let me know.”
I waited while he moved to the other side of my bed. Searing hot pain lit my face on fire, and I couldn’t help but cry out.
Then it went off. Nothing. “Too soon,” Jim said.
I put my hand to my neck and reassured myself that nothing had melted away, which is what it had felt like. Then I concentrated on just breathing. “Again.”
“You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone in here, airman.”
“Again,” I ordered.
Jim touched the pad to his right again.
This time I was prepared for it. I grabbed the blankets tightly and held on as the pain ravaged my mind. White hot and burning, I squeezed my eyes closed and forced my scream down this time. I breathed in and out, holding onto those blankets for dear life.
It would go away. It would go away. I was sure of it.
It felt like forever.
Jim never spoke, never moved. Or at least I didn’t think he did.
I read over the new stat for the brain and hand mod, and my mind was blown again.
When the pain settled and the burning eased, though it still felt like fire, I opened my eyes.
Jim was standing on the other side of my bed now, pointing a handheld scanner at me.
“Usually, there are lot more chemical changes in the brain,” he said. “You adapted fast to the extreme neural input from the tech.”
“Why is it so different?” I asked. “Why am I so different?”
“We didn’t get chance to tell you anything before surgery did we, so we’re starting from scratch today.”
I shrugged, finally loosening my fingers’ grip on my blankets. I stretched them out, feeling them for the first time. Everything felt so vastly different. I held my hand up in front of my face and just stared.
Jim moved up closer to level with me. “Surgery fixed all of your internal bruising, a few tier-two replacement organelles, but you still have to heal properly around them. The brace is temporary. Your broken bones have been set, and we have introduced several additional sets of medical nanites to you. The nites went to work immediately, speeding up the healing process around your entire body. Your spleen was a mess and you had bleeding in your kidneys, too; that was also fixed, though you’re going to be peeing blood and gunk for a while as those nites work out the rest of the internal bruising. Once the life-threatening surgery was complete, we looked at your tech, which was—”
“Lacking,” I admitted and lowered my hand.
“Yes, unbelievably so. But not anymore. You have a fresh start, Ruslan.”
“A fresh start,” I repeated. I swallowed; my head throbbed. I wanted to look, to see everything I could, but I couldn’t.
“Tired?” Jim asked.
I just nodded.
“Lie back. From the looks of it, you’ve been running yourself ragged for several months. Rest while you can. You’ll be back to running ragged in no time.”
That I understood, and I let myself fall asleep again.
9-Pim
Artem City
Molsk
Sinnisters’ Farm
It took some time, but whatever he was within finally stopped, and he was being jolted once more. This time, however, his determination not to be jolted was stronger. Long, pointed nails sprang out to help him balance, and it worked. Pim clung on.
The shaking eventually ceased, and his box was placed on top of a table in a room. This room was bright and fragrant. Oh my, the scents.
Pim’s mouth was drooling.
“While you’re here,” said the man, “You’ll eat what we’ve got. I’m not sure whether it’s what you’re used to, but it’ll suffice.”
The door to his cage opened and then remained open. Pim fixed his gaze on it. Was he truly being released? Exactly like that?
Pim crept up to the open door and peered out.
Lights stung his eyes, but he could see where he was by adjusting them internally via his HUD. There was food everywhere, eyes darting left to right.
Bright fruits were piled atop each other in a bowl to his left, on a counter that appeared so far away, in a display of amazing colors and shapes.
To the right of that were wire racks with fresh baked goods on top.
Pim twitched his nose.
His attention was drawn to a movement to his right, and he stared. The man he’d been with was clutching a woman. Was he going to eat her?
“Ivan.” The lady laughed. “Can you tell me what you brought home?”
She pushed off and knelt in front of Pim. Pim noticed her pink features, dark circles under her eyes, and deep-set wrinkles in her forehead.
“I got it at work. It appears to be intelligent.”
“What are you planning to do with it?”
“Kristof’s birthday is coming up in a few days. I figured something clever might keep him occupied for a little longer than the items you bring him home.”
Her brow furrowed. “Ivan, it’s too cute. You can’t…”
Ivan drew her closer to him. “You never know how long it will last, Petra, so don’t get too attached.”
Pim cocked his head up, listening to both of them. Petra sobbed, and Ivan glanced at him. “However, while he’s here with us, with you, show him what true love is. I know you’re capable of it.”
What exactly was love? When, in actuality, he’d only ever known anguish.
Pim took a deep breath. He was willing to endure.
***
The light hurt his eyes; he didn’t want to open them. But something sharp poked him in the ribs and he couldn’t help but squirm and do exactly that.
Petra had indeed showered him with love, a love he didn’t want to give up. When it was time for him to be “gifted” to Kristof, though…everything changed.
Where there had been love, now all he knew was horrific, torturous pain. So much pain.
How many weeks had passed?
What year was it?
What month?
Pim couldn’t recall any of it. Did it matter? He didn’t know, not anymore. He’d been upgraded… had metal tech installed.
A Data Deck and Spinal Reinforcement. What the hell was all that? Why?
There was pain and more pain.
It never seemed to end.
Time dragged on and on.
With even more tech and testing. Do this. Do that.
Then rest. Nothing.
Darkness.
Loneliness.
Till it was time again and more pain.
Tech removed.
Tech replaced.
Pim came around and squinted at a face, a nose so close to his, he let out a yelp and tried to scuttle backwards. There was nowhere to go, but at least he had a good view of the creature who had poked him. It had a short stubby nose and podgy cheeks.
“Oh good, you’re not broken,” Kristof said.
Pim couldn’t work out if it was a boy or girl this close. Not till he spoke again.
“You going to move or do something?”
He remembered the man in the shop saying “son.” This was a boy, a teenage boy, a very immature teen, not a man at all.
A boy who wanted nothing more than to torture and maim.
“If you’re not broken, move,” the teen said.
Pim didn’t want to move. He wanted to go right back to sleep and hide away from the poking and the constant commands. Do this. Do that.
Another dig to his ribs, and he sat up scratching at where the skin was tight. His stomach growled, he was so hungry. Licking his lips, he tried to form words, to ask for something. To beg. Nothing formed. The chubby face in front of him laughed and poked him again in the other side.
Pim moved out of the way, and the stick came back, harder this time.
Right, left. Pim danced for the kid, hoping that if he did what he wanted before he got poked, it would appease the kid enough to give him some food or water.
Pim was wrong.
Nothing else came but endless pain.
Nothing else came but endless cruelty.
***
“You got me the worst gift ever,” Kristof screamed. “It’s not only broken, but also stupid. You said it was smart. Nothing smart about it!”
Ivan tried to calm the hysterical boy, but he was having none of it.
The screaming woke Pim. He tried to move but couldn’t. What hurt the most? His side, his leg, or his head? Pim couldn’t work it out.
Then he moved his leg, and his screaming matched the boy’s.
His whole body was lifted into the air. Pim went limp; it was always better when he was limp. The pain wrecked him, and the air in his lungs burned fresh agony through every single cell.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t supposed to feel pain, and yet, he did.
“It is not a toy,” Ivan said to him with such venom in his voice that even Pim flinched.
Pim was snatched out of the kid’s hands and a new fresh set of pain spread through him. A needle went into flesh.
