Heroic Page 9

  She had reached out to stabilize herself, her hand landing on his chest. It felt so real, so normal. She pushed a little against his chest, until she could feel the fake muscle texture sliding out of the way to avoid damage, letting her touch his metal frame structure. Instead of making her less excited about the idea of him, it only heightened it.

  There were very few MagAI in the world, most of them did live along the river cities, like here at Wi’Nayar but even then she hadn't ever actually seen one. And she’d heard rumors that they only rarely mix with humans.

  She reached down with her other hand, resting it against his other pectoral muscle. It took her a moment, before she realized she was groping him. It took until she saw the flicker in his eyes as the cameras unfolded for her to freeze.

  She flickered her gaze over to her screen. The touch sensation was still inactive. If she remained even faced and calm then he would never notice that anything was wrong, she tried to tell herself.

  Doing her best to keep her face absolutely neutral, she slowly reached down trailing her fingers along his muscular form. She only stopped because she reached his pants. She bit her lip. She wanted to play with him some more, but she knew that shew wouldn't have long before the other senses returned to him.

  He might catch onto her. He might realize what she was doing, then what? She shivered at the thought, until another hit her. What if Val caught her? Would she want her to continue, would she encourage it.

  Kani took in a deep breath and leaned back from his form, letting her fingers trail over his naked chest. She was exceedingly happy that she’d had to take off his shirt for her to get at the tech.

  She tried to take a little step away, wanting to calm herself some. This wasn't like her, she wasn't usually like this. She didn't lust after other people like a teenager in heat, she’d never had. Except with Val, but that didn't count. Val was a special case. He was just some man, she didn't even know him. Why was she getting so excited?

  She searched the room, trying to find something else to focus on to help calm herself down. There on the wall were the first schematic for Mairon, the first MagAI. And next to that a list of all known MagAI heroes. Then a wallpaper featuring Magra, the first MagAI hero. And then another, and another.

  She hummed softly to herself, remembering and old tune. It had come from another MagAI children’s program, and the theme had been stuck in her head ever since.

  Maybe there was a solid reason why she was a little out of sorts due to a MagAI. A sexy, manly MagAI.

  “You have a lovely voice.” He suddenly said. Kani startled at his words, though he sounded appreciative.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I took another full minute before I panicked fought my way to the eyes, the cameras. I felt like letting out a sigh of relief when sight finally returned to me. All I could see was the ceiling and Kani, she must’ve spun my body around at some point. It was way better than the all-consuming darkness that had been pressing on me previously.

  There wasn’t a lot to do for another few minutes. Then the microphone finally booted, and I could hear Kani softly humming to herself. She had a decent singing voice, it was very soothing. It didn't feel natural to connect to webcam and microphone like the Nerve Module was supposed to deliver… Then again, I had only had my powers for a few days, maybe it would that would change.

  The Nerve Module was also supposed to help with that, though I wasn’t sure how relevant MagAI experience was to my situation. I hadn’t actually connected with it. I tentatively reached out for its location. I knew where she had placed it, somewhere in my chest.

  Why place something super valuable and useful in the head, when it would be just as safe in a metal case somewhere else, right? The moment I connected with the Nerve Module, everything changed.

  EVerything doubled. By that I mean my vision literally overlayed each other. They both had an incredibly fast response time. It was down to a few tenths of a millisecond if even that much. But it was enough for me to notice, and I immediately felt sick. The same with sound.

  I immediately cut my connection to the Nerve Module, and everything snapped back to ‘normal.' Cautiously, I reached out once more. This time instead of immediately shutting the connection down, I steeled myself and cut my connection to the microphone.

  Suddenly, all the noises in the workshop returned to normal. I gathered my will, and like ripping off a band-aid, I quickly cut the connection with my eyes.

  Sight remained, it just wasn't nauseatingly doubled and slightly out of sync. I would’ve shuddered in relief. It was also much easier to maintain a single connection with the Nerve Module, rather than multiple with every single sensory system.

  “You have a lovely voice," I said when my speaker or voice box came online. It wasn't like using the speaker to make a noise. The Nerve Module was able to interpret my wishes and allowed me to speak like I wanted to. It wasn't exactly like I used to sound, but it was closer than I had ever gotten on my own. None of it felt as natural as looking, hearing and talking had in my human body, but it was a lot closer than the old way. “Thank you so much. I can’t even begin to describe how much better this feels.”

  “You’re welcome.” I couldn’t see it from my angle, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

  The sound of her voice damn near send a shiver down my spine. Of course, it couldn’t, not yet at least. But it was more of a spiritual sense, she sends shivers down my spirit, I guess. That felt closer to the truth, but still not quite right.

  She was more beautiful than I remembered and I had looked at her just a bare few minutes ago, yet she still had changed and become a more exceptional beauty in that short time. Her smile was brighter, her eyes deeper, her hair lovelier. I realized that it was a little weird to feel like this.

  She walked over to me. “You okay?” She asked. “I heard it can be a little difficult to work with the Nerve Module, at first, so I imagine it's like that for you too.”

  “Everything is prettier,” I blurted out before I was able to stop myself. My voice held more intonation in those few words than it had for the whole of 2 days in Val’s laptop. I smiled. I hadn't noticed it when the movement system booted up, but I smiled, and it felt great. Then I laughed. I laughed so long that I thought my face would hurt from smiling and tears roll from my eyes. But they didn't, yet I could almost keep going anyway.

  Kani laughed along with me, taking evident joy in my celebration of a body. “Let’s get you out there.” She said, pressing a few buttons on the machine suspending me. The rings changed position. This time I was suspended just a few centimeters above the floor. “Release in 5 seconds.” She said, pressing the button and walking over to me.

  The tethers and chains let go, and I dropped the last bit to stand under my own power, and it felt like I did. It was incredible. Then I started tipping over. Luckily, Kani had foreseen this issue, and she stood ready to catch me.

  “Oof!” She exclaimed when she suddenly took most of my new weight. “You’re likely going to have trouble with balance for a little while yet. You may have a gyroscope to help you balance, but it won't make up for being a shitty walker.” She smiled up at me, taking the sting from her words.

  I still couldn't feel her body pressed against mine, but I could tell the Nerve Module was busting its ass, trying to get the program up and running. There was a whole lot more work to do for that to be viable yet. My current body, for example, wasn't designed to feel. It was made before the receptors and sensors were made that small. I could sense the thousands of tiny robots running all around my body, carving new lines, creating an actual nervous system for me.

  “Let's get you over here.” Kani risked moving one hand from me to point at what looked to be an old dentists chair. I nodded in agreement and helped by taking most of my weight off her, using her more for balance than strength.

  "Is this why you do it?” I asked as I lay down on the chair.

  “This what?” She asked.

  “The
reaction, when someone comes to you with a problem, and you fix it. Is that why you do it?”

  She stopped and looked at me, idly prodding my hand. I could see a robot, no bigger than my thumbnail at work with small precision tools, cutting my new nerves.

  “I haven't actually worked with MagAI before.” She finally answered. “Of course I also like working here, working with robots and mechanics. It's good for me, good for my soul, I believe.”

  I smiled at her. “That's a good answer.” She blushed, causing a new feeling to bubble up in me. I had rarely made a girl blush before. It might not strike others as something special, but I had always been lacking in drive. I had been a beast of routine. Unfortunately, that routine included very few women, at least any particularly attractive ones.

  “Let’s get you ready for your sensations test.” She said, shaking herself.

  “My what?” I asked. “Also I still don't feel, I don't think its quite ready yet, though it's definitely getting closer.”

  “Just pressing a few points and seeing if you can locate them with your eyes closed.” She said, turning towards a nearby table and grabbing a screwdriver.

  A few minutes of me pretending not to notice Kani sneaking glances at me later—and it was really odd, being on the other side of that experience—and I started feeling prickling in my limbs. Slowly the feeling spread throughout my entire body. Slowly the tingling faded, and I could feel worn leather of the chair underneath me.

  “I think that was it," I said to her. She turned and fully looked at me. It took her a moment to meet my eyes, I was okay with it. She nodded timidly, already red to her ears.

  Chapter Twenty

  I took another full minbute bvefore I panickeldy crwaled and fougt my way to the eyes, the cameras. tI felt like letting out a sihg of relif, when sight finally ruetrnefd to me. All I could see was the ceiling and Kani, she must’ve spun my body around at some point. It was way better than the all consuming darkness that had been pressing on me previously.

  There wasn’t a lot to do for another few minutes. Then hte microphone fiunally booted and I could hear Kani softly humming to herself. She had a decent singing voice, it was very soothing. It didnt feel natural to connect to webcam and mricorphone, liek the Nerve Module was supposed to deliver… Then again, I had only had my powers for a few days, maybe it would that would change.

  The Nerve Module was also supposed to help with that, though I wasn’t sure how appolicable MagAI experience was to my situation. I hadn’t actually connected with it. I tentativelyt reqachedd out for its location. I knew where she had placed it, somewhere in my chest.

  Why place something super valuarbale adn useful in the head, when it would be just as safe in a metal case somewhere else, right? The moment I connected with the Nerve Module everyrhting changed.

  EVerything doubled. By thtat I mean my vision literally overlayed eachtoher. They both had an incredibly fast response time. It was down to a few tenths of a millisecond, if even that much. But it was enough for me to notice, and I immediaelte felt sick. The smae with sound.

  I immediately cut my connection to the Nerve Module, and everything snapped back to ‘normal’. Cautiously, I reached out once more. This time instead of immediately shutting the connection down, I steeled myself and cut my connection to the microphone.

  Suddenly, all the noises in the workshop returned to normal. I gathered my will and like ripping off a band-aid, I quickly cut the connection with my eyes.

  Sight remained, it just wasnt nauseatingly doubled and slightly out of sync. I would’ve shuddered in relief. It was also much easier to maintain a single connection wiht the Nerve Module, rather than multiple with every single sensory system.

  “You have a lovely voice.” I said, when my speaker, or voice box came online. It wasnt like using the speaker to make a noise. The Nerve Module was able to interpret my wishes and allowed me to speak like I wanted to. It wasnt exactly liek I sued to sound, but it was closer than I had ever gotten on my own. None of it felt as natural as looking, hearing and talking had in my human body, but it was alot closer trhan the old way. “Thank you so much. I can’t even begin to desciebe how much bettrer htis feels.”

  “You’re welcome.” I couldn’t see it from my angle, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

  The sound of her voice damn neart sned a shiver down my spine. Of course it couldn’t, not yet at least. But it was more of a metaphysical snese, she sneds shivers down my spirit, I guess. That felt closerr ot the turtht, but not quite right sitll.

  “Anyway, I think I am about done over here.” She said. I could hear her walk away. I send out my senses, but she wasn’t headingh for the tablet. She pressed on another electronic device. The console that controlled the device I was currently suspended in. Slowly the rings started turning, they didn’t turn me legs down, no instead they turned me onto my back, so that I could now look at her.

  She was more beautiful than I rmemebered and I had looked at her jsuta bare few minutes ago, yet she still had changed and become a greater beauty in that short time. Her smile was brighter, her eyes deeper, her hair lovelier. I realized that it was a little werid to feel like this.

  She waslked over to me. “You okay?” She asked. “I heard it can be a little difficult to work with the Nerve Module, at first, so I imagine its liek that for you too.”

  “Everything is prettier,” I blurted out, before I was able to stop myself. My voice held more intonation in those few worsd than it had for the whole of 2 days in Val’s laptop. I smiled. I hadnty noticed it when the movmeent systme booted up, but I smiled and it felt good. Then I laughed. I laughed so long that I tohught my face would hurt form smiling and tears roll from my eyes. But they didnt, yet I coudl almost keep goign anyway.

  Kani laughed along with me, taking obvious joyt in my celebreation of a body. “Let’s get you out there.” She said. She pressed a fwe more buttons. The rings changed position again. This time I was usspended jsuta f ew centimeters above the floor. “Release in 5 seconds.” She said, pressing the button and awlking voer to me.

  The tehters and chains let go and I dropped the aslt bit to stand under my own power, and it felt like I did. It was incredible. Then I started tupping over. Luckily, someone had foreseen this issue and she stood rteady to catch me.

  “Oof!” She exclaimed, when she suddenly took most of my new weight. “You’re likely going to have trouble wiht balance for a while yet. You may havbe a gyroscope to help you balance, but it wont make up for being a shitty walker.” Shmesmield up at me, taking the sting from ehr words.

  I still couldnt feel her body pressed aginst mine, but I could tell the Nerve Module was busting its ass, trying to get the program up and running. There was a whoel lot more work to do for that to be viable yet. My current body for example wasny desinged to feel. It was made beofere the receptors and sensors were made that small. I could sense the thousnads of small robots running all around my body, carbving new lines, creatinga n actual nervous systme for me.

  “Lets get you over here.” Kani riskjed moving one hand from me ot point at what looked to be an odl dentists chair. I nodded in agremeent and helped by taking most of my weight off her, using ehr more for balance than strenght.

  “IS this why you doit?” I asked, as I lay down on the chair.

  “This waht?” She asked.

  “The reaction. Their reaction, when they come to you with a problme and you fix it. Is that why you do it?”

  She stopped and looked at me, idly prodding ym hand. I could see a robot, no bigger than my thumbnail at work with miniature precioiusn tools, cutting my new neerves.

  “I haven't actually worked with MagAI before.” She finally answered. “Of course I also liek working ehre, wokring wiht robots and mechanics. Its good for me, good for my soul, I believe.”

  I smiled at her. “Thats a good answer.” She blushed. A new feeling bubbled up in me. I had rarely made a girl blush before. It mihgt not streike others as somethign special,
but I ahd always been lacking in drive. I had been a beast of routine. Unfortunately that routiune included very few women, at least any particularly attractive ones.

  “Let’s get you ready for you sensations test.” She said, shaking herself.

  “What will that entail?” I asked. “Also I still dont feel, I dont think its quite ready yet, though its defneinetly gettting clsoeer.”

  “Just pressing a few points and seeing if you can locate thme with your eyes closed.” She said, truning towards a nearby table and grabbigna screwdriver.

  A few minutes of me pretending not to notice Kani sneaking glances at me later, adn I started feeling prickling in my limbs. Slowly the feeling spread throughout my entier body. Slowly the tingling faded, and I could feel worn leather of the chair underneath me.