36

  “Are you tired of slacking off yet?” Gunny asked a week later.

  “Maybe,” Aria answered while she kept playing her guitar. And it’s not like it matters if I’m not anyway. They’re not going to let me get away with just playing music.

  He cocked his head and listened. “Zeppelin?”

  Aria smiled and nodded. She finished playing the song before answering. “Going to California.”

  “I didn’t figure you for a rock and roll kind of girl,” Gunny said. The guitar vanished into Aria’s inventory, and she stood.

  “I wasn’t until the last few months,” she replied. Aria stretched and smiled again after popping her neck. “That feels good. Anyway, dad had always tried to get me to listen to rock, but I refused and sided with mom since I played piano and violin growing up.”

  “And now you realized what you missed?” Gunny asked with a grin on his face as he led her out of the hospice room.

  “Yep,” Aria agreed. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

  “First, we’re going to get you some new skills and then we’re going to lightly test your physical level.”

  “Going to make me use a treadmill or can I run outside on the track?”

  “Treadmill,” Gunny answered.

  “But it’s nice outside according to the weather report and I had been cooped up in that room for a week!” Aria complained. Oh God! That sounds so childish! “Besides, Collingsworth and Doc Clarkson are going to use my implant for their monitoring instead of hooking wires to me.”

  “All the other equipment is in the gym though. But I’ll ask Dr Roth,” Gunny replied. “You know she gets to make the decisions.”

  “Yeah,” Aria said sourly. She’s going to say no.

  *

  Download complete. You have learned Knife Fighting.

  Download complete. You have learned Knife Throwing.

  Download complete. You have learned Cooking.

  “Cooking? Really guys?” Aria questioned. Collingsworth snickered while Clarkson tried to hide a smile. Gunny just grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “I thought you had been joking about that, Gunny.”

  “I was, but then after further reflection and speaking with your parents, I realized you really can’t cook. So, we gave you the skill,” Hauora replied.

  Aria frowned. He’s not wrong. I never took the time to learn how to cook.

  “Okay. I’ll agree with that, but when am going to have time to make Moules Marinieres or bake a Tiramisu?” Aria said.

  “Fancy French and Italian meals?” Gunny asked. Aria nodded.

  “I also have hundreds of recipes for everything from Japanese to American meals in here,” Aria said, tapping her temple. “I don’t know if there’s a type of food I can’t cook now.”

  “Collingsworth!” Gunny exclaimed, spinning around to face the tech. Collingsworth shrunk into his chair. “Care to explain?”

  “Congrats Collingsworth, you went a lot further than I thought,” Craig Clarkson teased.

  “Since we didn’t really know what Aria liked foodwise or what she would be able to come up with while in Southland, I figured it would be nice if she could cook a little of anything she wanted,” the tech mumbled.

  Aria smiled. That was nice of him even if it’s a joke. “Thanks Collingsworth.”

  *

  This really sucks! Aria complained to herself as she completed another lap around the gym. Dr Roth must think she’s being funny by making me run laps in here after lifting weights for two hours straight and the four hours of academic testing before that. I want food and a nap.

  “Looks like we were slightly wrong about orcish, elven, and dwarven levels and stats vs human norms,” Aria heard Craig Clarkson tell Lin Roth, who scowled at him. Aria turned down her music so she could listen better.

  “What do you mean?” Dr Roth asked. “How far off base are you?”

  “Not too badly. Seems there’s a bit more range than we thought,” Craig answered. “Looks like levels 7 and 8 are peak Olympic athletic range depending on the subject, not just level 7 as we initially thought.”

  “Aria for example is now in peak range physically with a stat of 8 and having reached level 2,” Collingsworth added. “A couple of the orcs and dwarves that have reached level 3 with physical stats of 10 or more are reaching true extra, meta, or superhuman levels of strength and speed. Mostly strength.”

  “And the other lesser elves?” Roth asked.

  “None have stats beyond 8 yet and are roughly where Aria is,” Collingsworth answered.

  “And our subject’s other two stats?” Roth inquired, nodding her head towards Aria.

  “Mental is at or beyond genius level,” Craig answered. Aria nearly tripped over her feet at that statement. The three glanced at her. “And listening to our conversation.”

  “Of course she is. I expected no less,” Lin stated. “Her hearing is one of those things we wanted most from high elves.”

  Clarkson nodded. “As for the last stat, it’s the same as her mental capacity. We’re just not sure how that effects people if she’s not trying to charm someone.”

  Thank God. Personal is what’s supposed to make me, me, Aria thought. I’m glad they’re not sure what it does even if they’re trying to quantify what makes a person an individual. I suppose playing music and reading for fun has raised that stat, though I honestly have no idea if that’s true and would tell them so if they asked.

  “Time!” Gunny yelled as Aria finished another lap. She slowed to a walk. “Finish your cool down, stretch, and hit the showers kid. You’re done for the day.”

  It’s about time. Instead of replying to the sergeant, Aria nodded. I’m going to head back to my room and take a bath. Then, I’ll order a huge lasagna or some other pasta dish for supper.

  37

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Aria emerged from her bathroom after brushing her teeth. She had planned on going to bed, but the idea of testing her nanite theory had hit and refused to leave her.

  Do I really want to do this? Not really. But I can’t ask others to help me either, Aria thought as she sat on her bed. She glanced at her right hand and curled it into a fist. You’re stalling. Yep.

  She took a deep breath and activated the ignite command. She stuck the flame to her left palm before she could think twice about it.

  “Mother fucker!” Aria cursed. She then shook and blew on her hand. Aria looked at her palm. It was blistered and hurt badly. Fuck me! Alright little buddies, get to work.

  The thought wasn’t necessary as the nanites had started healing her as soon as she had burnt herself. But they weren’t working as fast as she had noted before.

  Well, this sucks. I reckon I’ll have to wait, Aria thought. Guess I’ll listen to music while I wait for my little pals to heal my stupidity. Some genius level intelligence I am.

  I’m not in the mood for rock or pop music. Not in the mood for country, jazz, or the blues either.

  On a whim, she played Rossini and Verdi’s Viva Italia Fantasy. The piccolo reminds me of those old 1920s and 30s cartoons dad used to show me when I was a little kid.

  Aria smiled, turned off the music, and played some of those old, old shorts. Her mood lifted. The nanites started working faster and more efficiently. She watched in amazement as her palm healed and returned to normal.

  The nanobots respond to my mood and emotions, Aria mused. Seems the better mood or happier I am, the better they operate. She then remembered her fight with the ferox. But they also responded better when I was desperate.

  Aria watched another cartoon lost in thought. I guess it’s strong emotions and perhaps desire they respond to. I’m going to need to run another test.

  She grimaced. I’m not keen on burning myself again. She did a quick search on burn degrees. Yeah, let’s not do that again. I gave myself a second-degree burn. That hurt entirely too much to go for more.

  “So, how can I hurt myself?” Aria asked herself aloud. She glanced down at her feet and then the wall. Well, why not?

  She stood and walked over to the bathroom wall. She kicked the wall hard.

  “Mother fuc…” Aria bit off the curse and hopped to her bed. She looked down at her foot. It was already swollen, especially her toes. I broke something or more than a single something.

  Aria put her foot up on a pillow and played Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. The soothing music washed over her, and she felt calm and happy as she pictured a bird flying in her mind. Again, the nanobots performed better and used the energy she had stored all day to accelerate healing her broken toes and foot.

  So, my theory is correct. I wonder if Craig and Collingsworth are aware of this, Aria thought. It doesn’t matter if they are or if they’re not. This is more information I can share with the public to get back at the company eventually.

  Aria nodded to herself and stretched out in bed. The nanites are used to heal and keep me and others in good health and condition. They’re also used to enhance our bodies and make us tougher. I’ve used them along with quantum particles to create an energy storage system as well as an item storage system. What else can I do with them?

  Can I use them to help me fight and defend myself? Aria wondered. I suppose I could add some bots to clothing for armor. Oh, and to a pair of butterfly swords to make the edges sharper and blades more durable. Same for arrowheads. Perhaps add some bots and energy storage to a bow so it delivers more power, so arrows don’t just glance off tough hides like the ferox.

  Aria shivered and goosebumps rose all over her flesh as the fight against the ancient predator returned to her mind in full. She sat up, jostling her foot. Aria hissed in pain and then hugged herself, feeling cold and afraid. She started playing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major, K.622, hoping the music would soothe her.

  The nanobots responded and flooded her with warmth, especially in her still healing foot and toes. Aria patted and felt her chest and stomach, then breathed a sigh of relief. She was whole.

  I’m fine and in one piece. The shivering stopped as she calmed down.

  Alright. I never want to fight something like the ferox up close again. In fact, I never want to fight anything up close again and that includes people, Aria decided. That leaves me using the bow since I can’t take a gun into Southland.

  Aria yawned and stretched back out again. A small smile graced her lips. My foot is mostly healed. She closed her eyes. A wild idea came to her. I think I need a flute. Perhaps I’ll visit Hannah Humphries in the supply depot in the morning and see if they can fabricate one for me.

  38

  “Shouldn’t you be getting poked and prodded or being tortured in some other way?” Hannah Humphries asked as Aria entered the supply depot.

  “Dr Clarkson and Collingsworth are giving me the day off from that so they can finish going through the data they got from me yesterday,” Aria replied.

  “Lucky you,” Hannah said.

  “Yep, lucky me. I still have to do whatever Gunny Hauora wants for training this afternoon though.”

  “Sucks to be you,” Hannah quipped. Aria nodded her agreement. “So, what can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to know if you could fabricate me a wood flute,” Aria answered.

  “We can, but can you play a flute?”

  “Won’t know until I try,” Aria replied. “But I can play the piano, violin, and guitar though. So, I figured the flute shouldn’t be too hard to pick up.”

  “What are you, a music prodigy?” Hannah asked. Aria just sort of refused to meet her eyes. “You are!”

  “Not really,” Aria quickly replied. Others would agree with Hannah, including my parents. “Though, I do have some talent.”

  “Have you ever played in front of people?”

  “Violin and piano when I was younger.”

  “What about the guitar?”

  “No,” Aria answered, shaking her head. “I had given up playing music and had just picked the guitar up a few months before the aircar crash and coma that led me here.”

  “Want a guitar?” the depot manager asked. “We have some maple, spruce, mahogany, cedar, and black walnut wood in storage. I know guitars are made from those woods quite often.”

  “I have a guitar in my room,” Aria replied. “But it’s big and not something I think would be convenient to have in Southland. And why do you have wood in storage?”

  “We keep wood for furniture making,” Hannah explained. “A lot of the execs love handcrafted furniture.” Aria gave her a confused look. “Before Dr Roth was given this facility, we were just an all-around research and manufacturing post. We made a lot of customer stuff for the executives.”

  “Oh.”

  “Anyway, I now have a better idea than making you a flute,” Hannah said.

  “Really? What sort of idea?” Aria asked.

  “Just a minute,” Hannah replied, holding up a finger. She turned towards the back and yelled, “Pete! Come here.”

  “What do you want, boss?” a skinny older man of average height asked as he walked through the open doorway that led to the back. Aria noted his wire rim glasses and short gray hair.

  He looks like someone’s granddad, Aria thought.

  “Boss? As if. I only have the job because you wanted to semi retire,” Hannah retorted. “Anyway, Pete. This is Aria Baird. Aria, this is Pete Davis.”

  “Nice to meet you Mr Davis,” Aria said.

  “Likewise. But call me Pete,” Pete replied. He focused back on Hannah. “So, what do you want?”

  “Aria is a musician, and I wanted to know if you could build her a small guitar or mandolin that she can take into Southland,” Hannah answered. Pete pulled off his glasses and cleaned them before putting them back on before studying Aria. Hannah winked at her. “Pete makes and restores guitars.”

  His gaze doesn’t feel sexual at all even though he’s sizing me up.

  “Don’t make that many these days,” Pete muttered. “Do you play now and if so what kind of guitar?”

  “A Yamato Dreadnaught 50,” Aria answered.

  “That’ll tick off the executives,” Hannah laughed. “You’re only supposed to purchase SL3 products, especially as an employee.”

  “I don’t think I count as an employee. Though since I signed a contract, I guess I can be considered a contractor,” Aria said.

  “That’s not a bad instrument for a beginner,” Pete said, ignoring the other talk. “Though it’s too big for you.”

  “Yeah,” Aria agreed. He’s not wrong at all.

  “I’ll make you a parlor guitar with a cedar front, headstock, and neck. For the sides and back, I’ll use walnut,” Pete informed them. “It’ll take three days with the equipment I have here. Oh, it’ll have nylon strings as well.”

  “Uh…” Aria murmured at a loss for words. That’s going to be expensive. “How much would you charge?”

  “Nothing,” Pete answered. He grinned. “I’m going to make it on the clock and using company materials, so I’ll get paid to play just like I did when I made Paul Hawking’s kid one for last Christmas.”

  “I need to pay you back somehow,” Aria said. Pete appeared to give it some thought.

  “Do you know how to bake? he asked. “I know they’ve been giving you fighting and other useful skills.”

  “Collingsworth did give me cooking skills that included baking,” Aria confirmed.

  “European cuisine?” Hannah asked.

  “Nearly every style of cuisine from what I can tell,” Aria ruefully replied. Hannah laughed.

  “If you insist on repaying me, I’ll take a dozen chocolate chip cookies,” Pete replied. “And you’ll play the guitar for us too.”

  “I’ll take a tiramisu,” Hannah added.

  “Oh, that’s not bad,” Pete said. “Make it two tiramisu and two dozen cookies. I’m not going to share, and I know Hannah will want some of my cookies if she doesn’t get her own.”

  “Is that all?” Aria asked incredulously. Hannah and Pete exchanged a look and nodded. They’re letting me off cheap. Especially if Pete can really make guitars. “Alright. I guess I need to go have a chat with the kitchen staff.”