Chapter 2
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'Aural enhancement system online:
Caitlyn: "Jayce what the hell was that… how did she recognise you and who the hell is Lt. Stark?"
Jayce: "I don't know… I would like to take her to my lab see if I can get more out of her."
Vi: "So she's a robot? I was listening to the whole thing…. What? I do pay attention sometimes, especially when the thing I'm paying attention to almost blew me through a wall"
Jayce: "Vi I'm not entirely sure what she is but she seems very human, if a little machine like when it comes to communication."
Caitlyn: "One more thing Jayce, will she be a threat or was this just an unfortunate accident?"
Jayce: Cait what she did to Vi was on purpose but only because she felt threatened, it was self-defence."
Unknown: "hmmph"
Jayce: "Anyway I'll go and ask her if she is willing to come to my lab."
(Footsteps) (Door creaks)
"Eisen I want you to come to my lab, would that be ok with you?"
"Yes, Sir" he looks at me rather strangely.
"Hmm" he walks over and grabs my arm. "Follow me it won't take that long."
He grabs his floating hammer as we step out the door. We walk towards a glass tube built into the wall and he places the hammer on a mounting between his shoulders. We step in and the floor drops from below us. I tighten my grip on Jayce as we fall into the darkness, he starts laughing looking over to me.
"Don't worry it's perfectly safe." We start to slow as a blue light surrounds us. I can see the ground approaching us, we are still travelling to fast to survive the impact when a shockwave passes through us and we slow to a stop. "See perfectly safe." He steps forward onto a metal walkway in front of us. "Come on it's not much further." I jog to catch up to him. "So how did you end up here?"
"I was in a 'training scenario' when everything went dark and I woke up in the forest about 200 kms east of here, I have no idea how long I was out for."
"Where are you from?"
"I don't know, I was raised on a military base that's all I've ever known." We stop outside of a bright copper door. Jayce walks over and shoves his hand into a metal panel in the door, it seems to melt around his hand and there is a click as the door opens. He pulls his hand from the panel. He takes in my confused expression.
"Oh (laughs) it's a hex-tech lock, only I can open it. I might explain how it works later, but for now come on inside we have much to do."
I walk in, the rooms walls are covered in blueprints, there's spare pairs of the gloves that Vi was wearing in one corner, shelves covered in machines and sheets of metal. Jayce walks in behind me and the door slowly closes he places his hammer in a slot beside the door.
He walks over to a desk covered in computers. "Could you please step into the chamber." He motions to a copper and glass box with wires trailing from it.
"…Yes…Sir" I step inside and a blue light shines right into my eyes.
"Warning class 4 authorisation is required for deep scan… ECM activation in 3…"
"Stop, class 4 authorisation? Tac unit what is the clearance of Lt. Stark?"
"…Clearance level… 4 do you wish to proceed with the examination Lt. Stark?"
"Yes."
"Voice authorisation accepted… deactivating ECM and command overrides."
I slump slightly as the overrides disengage. As I look out the small viewing window in the chamber I can see Jayce dashing between the various computers and a progress bar across one of the screens is reaching completion.
"(static) Scan complete do you wish to display? (static)"
"Yes computer display in centre emplacement." I step out as a holo-board in the centre of the room flares into life.
"Hmm similar construction to a normal human, greater structural strength…. Can withstand over 10 tons? Flexible metallic form to the joints, artificial muscles… no hex-tech anywhere in your construction? How is that possible? Tac unit… where was Eisen constructed?"
"Eisen was constructed in a confidential location but rough definition is allowed would you like to proceed?"
"Was Eisen constructed on this planet?
"Define name of planet as galactic location is unknown…"
"Runeterra."
"Error planet unknown… planet of units origin… Aurelius VI… designation: colonial"
"Hmm… I will need to research this further… Tac unit define Eisen as living or not?"
"Subject Eisen is an artificial form with human 'mind' as its driving function further definition of request required…"
"Does Eisen have a soul?"
"… 'soul' is an unknown entity further definition required…"
"What allows Eisen to have human thoughts and emotions?"
"Subject Eisen was human… conversion process ends with the transfer of a mental form to an artificial frame allowing for control of the units actions… emotions are a remanent of the original form kept to provide a 'moral' base to some actions that a computer would find troublesome."
"Ok so your mind is human, I might need to ask thresh for help with this (shivers)… might I ask how exactly are you powered… I haven't seen any external ports for charging and there's no hex-tech to drive you so?"
"My power unit is internal and is an adaptation of a theory for an infinity gear… in theory I should never run out of power… in theory."
"Eisen why exactly do you breathe? It seems rather pointless considering that you don't require air to function."
"Due to the infinity gear being unproven 'breathing' is a secondary function in which air is converted into fuel for a small reactor within subjects torso, it also provides an added level of camouflage in certain situations as it would be rather odd for someone not to be breathing… it makes the unit more human like and less disconcerting."
"Eisen how old are you?" a cold tone enters his voice.
"I-I don't know…"
"Unit is approximately 4 days old"
"Tac unit I did not ask the age of … her current chassis, what was the age of Eisen prior to conversion?"
"Are you certain you wish this information disclosed?" (Jayce nods) "Subject prior to conversion was 16 years 8 months 30 days and 13 hours of age".
Jayce backs away shaking slightly "Eisen would you wait here for me to return?" he doesn't wait for an answer before leaving.
"""
'Function requested: Memory archive access… Granted, primary functions: Standby.'
'Archive number: 078542. Designation: Conversion file 243 Subject reaction to final conversion'
'Initialising… in 3…2…1…)
'Pain it shoots through me… my limbs feel like they are on fire… Why can't I move, what have you done…' Darkness encases me I try to open my eyes but it just feels like my face is being ripped off. 'Is this hell… did I finally die?'White noise assaults my ears for what seems like hours before it begins to fade and voices replace it.
"…Subject J-117 respond…(sighs) looks like the mind was fried in transfer".
I try to speak but all that comes out is a metallic screech.
"J-117, I think we might actually have succeeded. Get lt. stark in here we actually have brain function…"
"Yes sir" (door opens footsteps off into the distance)
"It…. Hurts... please make… it stop." As I speak it feels as if I have swallowed glass.
"J-117… initiate lockdown protocol 52 authorisation chief medical officer James Augustine V77 alpha 58…"
-Standby-