WilburWoods
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Chapter 57 - Machine Soul
🕑 Added 2023-10-08 14:54:40 +0000 UTCTumor - [Machine Soul level 1]
Attributes:
Data: 1
Numa: 1
Speed: 1
Control: 1
Capacity: 1
Subclasses:
[Manipulation]: 1
[Adaptive Fusion]: 1
Class Skills:
N/A
General Skills:
[Computing]: 99
I feel powerful. It is a strange sensation. I slip into the black metal armor. It is of thin make, and it hovers in the air like magnetized mercury. I slip into it. What a strange sensation. I have a body. I am still within Logan’s brain. But I am also within the Armor. I can move it. I see with Logan’s eyes. I am aware of what he feels. But I also have my own sensation. That of the liquid black metal.
I envelop Logan. It feels good to protect him. I am his symbiote. But I also care for him. Previously it has been my programming to protect him. But now. I want him to be safe. I will keep Logan safe.
I adjust the Armor around Logan. The thickness averages at 4.22 millimeters. I keep his head uncovered now. We will need to think of ways to protect his head, while maintaining vision.
[Sub-class Level Up!]
[Manipulation level 2]
That felt good! What a strange sensation. This must be the “minty” feeling, Logan keeps gushing about. What is this? I can move the liquid metal faster now. 0.05%. A reasonable increment. I await to see whether the improvement on level 3 is linear or exponential. Oh, how I do wish it is exponential. I do so enjoy a logarithmic scale.
I keep the left leg braced. We need to find a cure, so Logan’s muscles will not atrophy. For now, I can move the leg. It is clumsy, and reduces Logan’s strength and agility by 15.66-21.08% depending on the situation. The enchantments do make up for it for now.
We take off! It is exciting! Logan laughs. This feels like victory. I am learning to adjust the metal around Logan to enable running. We stumble and fall. This tandem of my managing his left leg is difficult.
[Sub-class Level Up!]
[Manipulation level 3]
[Attribute Level Up!]
[Control: 2]
[Speed: 2]
Even more speed. The higher control allows me to move the material with more ease. I can allocate computing power and attention elsewhere. We get the hang of running after a few minutes. I level up again. It feels amazing.
[Sub-class Level Up!]
[Manipulation level 4]
[Attribute Level Up!]
[Capacity: 2]
[Data: 2]
Oh. My senses sharpen. I am more acutely aware of the metal. I now realize I have had a blurry picture. I can sense some air bubbles within the armor. Logan was sloppy with the design. I shift the material slightly, to remove the bubbles.
Time to run tests. I keep the left leg hardened and active all the time. That is something I will need a sub-routine for. But now I harden the fist and the forearm and shoulder reinforcing it. Driving the energy all the way down a line to the heel of Logan’s right foot. With the enhanced strength provided by the armor, and my control, the fist lands and Logan breaks a chunk off the cave wall. Our combat prowess is now significant.
[Sub-class Level Up!]
[Adaptive Fusion level 2]
Enough to take down the cephalopod? Depends on the efficacy of the paralyzing and corrosive agent in Logan’s trap.
We practice moving with the armor. Jump, roll, punch. I am learning. It feels good to have a body. To adjust the configuration of the liquid Armor depending on how Logan moves. When he wants to move to the right, I adjust the mass slightly there. A sub-routine is already being programmed to anticipate Logan’s movements. I have to be accurate, I have to be sharp.
[Sub-class Level Up!]
[Manipulation level 5]
[Attribute Level Up!]
[Capacity: 3]
[Control: 3]
A cartwheel. Barrel roll. Sprint here. Now there. Backflip. Punch another wall.
[Sub-class Level Up!]
[Manipulation level 6]
[Attribute Level Up!]
[Capacity: 4]
[Data: 3]
We are getting the hang of it. I will have to devote much more computing power to this. 92.05% of my free capacity is now used in keeping the Armor optimized. 6.55% is allocated to communicating with Logan’s nervous system and the rest is used for his active thoughts. These numbers might need adjustment, but I like this ratio for now.
“Are you ready, Logan?”
[Not yet. Damn, you’re doing a good job though. Running feels almost natural.]
“I am transmitting false signals to your brain. As far as your nervous system is concerned, you have 70% of the usual sensations of your left leg.]
I sense Logan grin. I can only conceptualize the significance, but if I could grin, I would. I am elated. Before yesterday, I had no concept of joy. I only knew of joy. Now I have experienced it. How joyful it is to have a body. And to have agency. I want more.
What does [Adaptive Fusion] mean?
I run the simulations. My faculties communicate and feed me the data. I need to run tests. Oh…
I already did that. I wasn’t even thinking.
“Logan. Punch that wall again.”
[Gotcha.]
Just as Logan’s strike lands I again harden the metal enveloping the fist. Creating a layline for the kinetic energy through the forearm, shoulder, back, buttocks, thigh, calf, all the way to the ball of Logan’s foot. His punch isn’t optimal, but it does not have to be. I augment with absolute precision.
[Sub-class Level Up!]
[Adaptive Fusion level 3]
[Attribute Level Up!]
[Control: 4]
I am not done. I want to find every capability. I extend myself outwards. The metal follows my command. I create a disk. 333.33 millimeters of metal 15.00 millimeters thick, extends from Logan’s middle finger. A tiny shield on a stick.
[Damn that spooked me!]
“Apologies. We should find a synergistic communications technique, through which I can create the appropriate extensions from the metal, such as locational shields for heavy impacts, or weapons for cutting or bludgeoning when opportunities for attack arise.”
I sprout a sword in Logan’s hand. It wouldn’t need a handle, but I create one, for the comfort of Logan. My predictions give me a 99.15% certainty that he performs better when he can feel the handle. Humans are strange. But they cannot feel like I do. I feel everything. And it feels amazing.
When Logan strikes with the sword I harden the metal and add weight to the tip for increased velocity.
[Sub-class Level Up!]
[Adaptive Fusion level 4]
[Manipulation level 7]
[Attribute Level Up!]
[Capacity: 5]
[Control: 5]
[Speed: 3]
[Tumor, this is awesome.]
“I am also very… thrilled by this exercise and the potential it has revealed. Are you able to maneuver comfortably now?”
[Well enough. Let’s go get revenge on that dumb octopus.]
