The human mind potential multiplied several fold, coupled with the factor of immortality. When faced for the first time, it is a shock. But then, you simply change your body as clothes. It doesn’t take long to get used to a different capacity. Moreover, I now consider the natural biological body to be highly fragile. By all means, this situation has an advantage – we’ve survived. And do you know what we’ve come to realize?
No matter where a Piece of Mind abides: be it an innate biological body or artificial one. Everything depends not only on the number of neural impulses but also on the DNA genetic memory. The biological body has more capacity for self-regulation thanks to the Creator’s vast experience.
By the way, the cyber body biosensors allow for a deeper perception of the world. For example, the range of my visual and audible perception stretches far beyond human capabilities. What also changes is the thinking pattern. The unique human brain is more adapted to the conventional three-dimension perception of the world. Far more is available to me now. And you know how this affects one’s outlook on life? Life goes on, but on a different scale with changed priorities.”
Alex had never seriously considered changing her physical body before and was listening attentively to the doctor’s account.
“What’s your name? What do you do at the base?
“Bioengineer, Captain, Helen by name. Nick: River. Another nick given by our guys: Cyber-screw. Ha-ha! Doesn’t that sound funny?”
Alex could felt the arm manipulators proceeding with operation. She enjoyed her talk with Helen.
“How many of you were there at the beginning?”
“There were five of us: two girls and three boys. The fifth was Ninochka named Arrow, our pilot-explorer. When the enemy detected us, they started bombarding us heavily. But that caused us no harm. The base was hidden deep underground. But what we did not expect was the nano-virus attack.” Helen sighed, “No matter how hard we tried, we failed to rewrite Ninochka and so we lost her.”
Alex saw that Helen felt uncomfortable remembering the nano-virus attack. She could barely imagine herself in a similar situation.
“Well,” said Helen, “I’ve almost finished. The edges are being coupled. Avoid abrupt movements for two or three hours.
There are also a few micro-bleedings in the brain. You seem to have been beaten up pretty bad by the Coalition. You may have headaches, but I will deal with that later on,” the manipulators stopped operating. “Alex, pick up some clothes at the warehouse and come to the bunkroom. You are already being waited for.”
Alex slowly got off the table and examined herself: instead of the lacerated wound there was only a barely visible scar. The air pleasantly smelled of medical drugs. With a hum of content Alex headed to the equipment warehouse, where she started raking around shelves for something suitable. She came across packages with standard underwear, shirts and shoes. All necessary combat gear was manufactured by the military Printers in compliance with the standard programs. The military never washed their clothes by themselves, but simply disposed of them, while new clothes were printed as required. Alex knew that clothing printer operators liked creating something non-standard and unusual. They proudly referred to their works as “military collections” in “Gladiator”, “Viking” or “Star Wars” styles. Those could be colored shirts made of gyroscopic material or unusually designed trousers. Such clothes were especially favored by soldiers and officers. Everyone wanted to have, aside from standard suits, something unique and convenient.
Soon Alex found a one-size white shirt adjustable to the body dimensions with a fit-in heat control system. Her clothing set was supplemented with sand-colored sports trousers and loafers. Having changed, Alex threw her worn underwear into a utilizer and returned to the equipment warehouse to explore its contents. There she saw racks with combat suits designed for military campaigns in desert environment.
The gear was properly improved and upgraded directly at the base and included built-in batteries protecting hips and back, stimulating agents reserves, hypodermic injectors used for wounds healing, high-protein food stocks and body heat control systems. What a remarkable collection! Alex added some required devices to her combat gear set. Having studied and assessed the most advanced gear options, she went to enormous sand-colored machines that reminded of scorpions.
“Combat cyborgs,” she muttered “and evacuators as well. You guys seem to be specially made for deserts!”
The scorpions were standing in the depth of the warehouse near a large hinged door corresponding to their dimensions. But Alex passed them by, as her attention was caught by most unusual combat exoskeletons. Alex turned short in admiration before them. The nearest exoskeleton steadily rested on huge legs that looked like those of a tyrannosaurus. The second one was similar to a mantis. At a closer look, Alex realized that their legs length could vary as required.
A pilot could ensconce himself cozily in the mass center point, which provided for balance and easy control. A pilot’s body was securely protected by several armor layers. And the air regeneration system seemed to be provided as well.
Close by there were manipulator samples and weapons specially designed for state-of-the-art developments. Everything was thought out to the last detail in terms of functionality. She touched and closely examined the rough mat surface of the exoskeleton to make sure that it was also designed on the Printer. The design author took as the basis the insect body structure, inspired by its perfect and simple natural forms.
“The master touch is clearly seen,” she reflected in admiration. Further on there were various new models of AI-based exoskeletons and combat machines. Alex with professional interest noted a few advanced and highly sophisticated models of flying exoskeletons, whose distinctive feature was the capacity to fulfill combat mission both under a pilot control and in automatic mode. In addition, their control function was extended in such a way so as to allow a pilot to use either standard control systems or verbal and mental ones at choice. In essence, those models were universal combat platforms for any equipment or gear to be built on. She looked automatically at a hanger with her old worn-out flight suit and boots that now seemed to be part of her past.
“People seem to have surpassed themselves in efforts to destroy their own kind,” Alex muttered, “I will back here later – there’s plenty of interesting,” she thought decidedly. Alex put a pistol with a holster next her new suit. "I ought to make sure the suit is filled with water and all required medical arsenal before going out,” she thought.
“Lovely,” Alex said to herself as she stepped out into the hallway “I’m really lucky to have access to such a warehouse!”
A convenient combat suit and sophisticated armored exoskeleton were what anyone in her world would like to have.
“I wonder what is there of interest in the food unit?” she said to herself again.
She liked the base: like any other military facility it was perfectly clean, neat, and functional. She guessed that the base used to be a home to a special reconnaissance unit. “Used to be..?”
“No, they are still operative. Only they have abandoned their natural biological bodies.” Still Alex could not get accustomed to the concept of “abandoning a body”.
Thinking about that, she stopped near the next door down the hallway; the door noiselessly crawled aside upon her approach. On entering, she immediately saw Wolf Abel. He was lying on a large table and funnily swirling with his whole body in a doggy style. The long soldiery table was the ideal place for that amusement he obviously enjoyed.
At her unexpected appearance, the Wolf stopped swirling, deftly turned over and assumed the sphinx position.
Smiling, Alex stopped short at the doorway, staring at the Wolf’s huge body whirling like a small puppy. He slowly and proudly turned his head in her direction and, gazing her in the eye, sent a common thought form to all present in the room:
"Friends, allow me to introduce Alex Bjorg to you! As soon as the commander joins us, I will acquaint you with our guest in due order,” the edges of his chap slightly went up, showing white teeth, which evidently indicated a smile.
“I was showing guys some techniques of fight with GMAs, such as a counter-move with one’s tail and pads to ensure a swift turn-over. Come to the vending machines, our synthesizer is up and running, choose whatever you like and take a seat at the second table, which is my favorite place.
As you can see, we no longer use the notion “food” as such. Instead, we say “energy”. However our medical and catering blocks are maintained in operating mode just in case we have to host a hundred of soldiers in biological bodies or a pilot-girl”, he explained by sending another thought form.
Alex approached the food synthesizer and habitually picked up some meal from dispensers and put it in an expendable plate: protein porridge with albumin balls and a glass of pure water. She sat up on a wide bench by a long soldiery table, put a tray with her meal next to her and turned to the Wolf. Alex felt she was being looked at by the whole staff of the base through the boards with scanners.
The bizarre aspect of this situation was that artificial intelligence could be present at the room without any body, while watching the interlocutor in any spectrum of their vision, starting from infrared one. It looked as though she had to talk with empty space. Alex was more accustomed to large animated officers’ gatherings in the bar of her squadron. However not all people were able to retain their natural biological bodies. As a result of serious fight wounds or injuries, many of them had to transfer into cyber bodies that sometimes could look rather peculiar. The protracted war and diseases usually left people no chance but to abandon their natural bodies.
“Now that everyone is present,” announced the Wolf in a common thought form.
Alex told him: “Abel, let’s not stand on ceremony, just put everyone into the picture and introduce me to the guys.”
Abel looked up the black sphere under the ceiling and solemnly said:
“Colleagues, this is senior lieutenant Alex nicknamed Bjorg. It was her landing that I showed you. The aircraft is beyond repair. But, fortunately, I was able to save the second pilot– navigator. I have rewritten him temporary into myself. He is now within a separate processor of the base. It’s an artificial intelligence named Eol after the ancient God of Winds. So let’s welcome new members! By the way, we are in need of pilots, operators and simply someone to talk to!” he uttered, wiggling his ears, “Therefore I will try to convince Alex and Eol to change their job places and stay at the base. And if she accepts our offer, we’ll delegate her the north-western sector stretching up to the Ocean that Ninochka was in charge of.”
The Wolf cut himself a break and carried on.
“What prompted me to take this decision? It is technically difficult to carry a human being in a biological body over the Wastelands. And, incidentally, our base requires new members. We’ll inform Alex’s commanding officer,” at these words he twitched his tail and its color grew slightly darker.”
In fact, Alex was perplexed by Abel’s words. She had no plans of serving in intelligence and joining such an unusual team. The good news was that her friend and navigator Eol was saved. Their long joint service had made them real friends. Eol could find non-standard solutions in any tricky situation. On top of that, he was prone to scientific research with focus on astrophysics.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Abel’s voice in her head:
“Alex, the commander has finished his job and joint us. So now I can introduce you to all of us: the most short-spoken member of our team and our esteemed commander is general Nikolo nicknamed Absolem. He specializes in the Outer Space research. Doctor River, Helene, also called Cyber-screw. You’ve already made her acquaintance. Major Alim Connoisseur is in charge of analytics, geophysics. He is also Doctor of Science and our spiritual Mentor. Senior lieutenant Frol Kulibin is our programmer, printer operator and developer of artificial intelligence and cyber bodies. My body is one of his creations. Come on now, shovel down your meal, this is no obstacle to our conversation.”
Alex readily got down to her meal. As her nervous strain had receded she realized how tired and hungry she was. A thought ran through her mind: “Thank Gods, I’m among friends now, eating in a canteen. I’m really lucky to have met Wolf Abel.”
By nature Alex was inquisitive and calm person. She would be pleased to join that team. Abel was lying on the table with his legs crossed in front of him, and his tail hanging off almost to the floor. From time to time Alex caught his watchful gaze on her. The Wolf’s hair assumed iron-gray color with black scorch marks on hips.
Alex had always taken interest in artificial intelligence beings, cyber bodies with their amazing biological processes and powerful batteries. Their owners used those bodies as substitute for natural biological ones and felt quite comfortable within them.
The issue of body change was widely discussed among pilots, possibly due to the profession specifics. For the first time she found herself at a base with the whole team rewritten into a bio-processor and living in virtual forms. It was not an easy task to get used to that right away. People are generally reluctant to abandon their stereotypes.
She kept thinking about her mate’s fate. They had gone through a lot together, “How’s Eol? What state is he in?” she asked addressing to everyone present.
“He is not yet ready for communication,” someone’s strict voice uttered in her head, “I’m working on preservation of his individuality and integrity. Damage was inflicted on him. But now he is all right and is recovering. Judging by the scope of information stored, he has highly advanced mental capacity. By the way, the fact that you are alive was entirely his credit.”
“Don’t worry,” Abel’s voice was having a calming effect on the girl, “Alim Connoisseur who has taken on responsibility for your friend’s mind is highly qualified. I think you’ll be able to talk to Eol in the morning. And for us all it will be interesting to study his data base. By the way, he has willingly provided us with a great deal of information.
“That’s good news, Alim,” Alex looked up unintentionally at the black sphere as Abel did. Eol saved my life a dozen times. Officers, my understanding is that you already know everything about me; therefore I’ve got nothing to add, aside from the fact that I’m a bit tired after the recent events and really pleased to have made your acquaintance. It’s slightly unusual for me to walk along a base without meeting people. But since my mate and I have stuck here, we’ll adapt quickly. I like this place. I was impressed by the flying vehicles I saw in your armory,” Alex said through a thought form to everyone present.
Alex was dressed in a white tight shirt and sand-colored trousers. Thick blond hair was combed into a ponytail. Like all pilots, she had natural and easy manners. One could barely call her shy. On the contrary, in dealing with people, she displayed self-confidence, while her trim figure and nice-looking appearance gained everyone’s likes. Her sincerity and good temper, coupled with a habit to look one straight in the eye and lack of any flirtation, made her utterly irresistible. That was probably the reason why Wolf Abel, lying on the table opposite the girl, was ceaselessly looking at her. His gestures and the way he moved his ears showed he was truly enjoying her company. Sitting at the table in carefree pose, Alex wolfed down her meal which did not prevent her from having a leisure talk. Rest and food gave her strength and good mood. The place where the wound used to be was no longer aching.