The concept is that every Driver is matched to his own Avatar, so that their nervous systems are in tune. Which is why they offered me the gig, because I can link with Tommy's Avatar (which is insanely expensive). - Jake's video log, about 15 minutes before the linking
Some of them were nervous; others already found it exhilarating. Then everything blacked out…
"Jake, can you hear me? Can you hear me, Jake?" sounded a female voice.
Blurry people with blurry things in the background. A blinding light entering his pupils. Suddenly there was a clicking sound behind each of his ears - & to his amazement, his ears twitched in direction of the noise, making the sounds crisp & crystal clear. He was sure he had just felt them move involuntarily.
"Ear response normal. How you feeling, Jake?" said a woman on his left. She was clothed in a lab coat & wearing an Exopack to prevent poisoning from the CO2, hydrogen sulphide & Xenon in the room.
"Hey, guys...," Jake's words dragged on.
"Could you touch your thumbs to your four fingers?" asked the person assisting Norm.
"No problem," said a happy Norm.
Jake was quite in raptures in his new 'vessel' – he felt every fibre of his lower body - twitching & stretching as he flexed each muscle. Bubbling up inside him was a childlike elation like never before. The actions of walking, kicking, running were all but discarded memories until this moment. The Earth was the last surface his feet were literally in touch with. What is it that was happening now?
He shifted his right leg to get off the gurney. Then his left leg. The soles of each foot made contact with the cold floor, & it sent a calming surge through his nerves that rushed upward. It was really breathtaking looking down at his mobile legs.
"There are some motor reflex tests we need to run," his other assistant cautioned.
Similar events were occurring in the same long room.
Mace was in the next gurney, of course. He only had one assistant compared to Jake.
"Do you see anything, Mace?"
"A flashing light."
"Okay. Pupil reflexes good."
"Cassie?" another female assistant asked the Avatar at another gurney. She flashed a mini torchlight across the Cassie's eyes.
"I see it…though it's a little blurry..," replied Cassie.
The remaining team members also took a few minutes getting accustomed to their Avatar bodies.
"I need a mirror. I need to see what I look like," said Harvey authoritatively.
"The mirror can wait," Kaneda told his co-captain with firmness, "Let's finish the motor reflex tests first."
"You have quite menacing eyes, Harvey. That's what I can say," laughed Trey who was nearby. Harvey said nothing & didn't smile, being the person he was.
"Do you hear me, Corazon?" another voice was heard in the room.
"Yes, loud and clear," replied the Avatar.
Meanwhile, Jake's assistants were experiencing a little issue: keeping him from moving too vigorously. His tail was waving about uncontrollably too, first rubbing the gurney mattress then brushing against one of the assistants in the process. She winced while protecting herself from having her Exopack whipped out of place.
"Jake?" said a Searle, looking at Mace's excited best friend.
Jake non-intentionally whacked some equipment on a nearby stand with his tail, leaving it in a mess. He was laughing like a little boy who could just learn to stand on two feet.
"Sedate him! Sedate him!" alerted one assistant to another. Searle was watching & chuckling to make the most of that moment.
Despite the fact that there were eleven Avatars in the room, they all bore a special resemblance to their human selves. Besides, to the human eye, each one of them was, somehow, recognizable by a distinctive feature or two. If one looked hard enough, they would see how Corazon's queue (the structure behind her head resembling a long, rather ostentatious hair braid) was curled at its base compared to the other ten Avatars. Her snout slanted downwards, & her chin protruded slightly outward to make her head appear streamline from the side.
Trey had an almost perfectly rounded face, & the narrowest eyes of the bunch. Prominent cheekbones as well as angled brows enabled one to differentiate him from the group.
Whereas Harvey evidently displayed that menacing look, just as Cory said in her earlier minute description. His face was flattish, save for the triangular way his nose protruded outward.
Kaneda's Avatar was surprisingly muscle-bound especially at the shoulders. That evened out his stature that was admittedly shorter than the other male Avatars. Thus, he didn't look the least bit puny or vulnerable in comparison to them. After making himself comfortable, he twitched his short nose & calmly waited for the rest.
Cassie's features included a small-sized nose & gracefully curved forehead. Particularly for an Avatar, her eyelashes were of considerable length. She turned to look at her elegantly swishing tail in awe.
With his nicely rounded irises, Searle scanned his surroundings once he was free to get up from his flat position. To describe his facial features, his chin was a little bulky & the nose larger than that of the other Drivers. An angled smile balanced those characteristics out. But he hadn't a single thought of comparing everyone's facial complexions.
A few thin tufts of hair covered Capa's temples, distinguishing him from his teammates. He had a curious, enquiring pair of eyes seemingly having a mysterious glow. The light bounced off them in a peculiar way. His ears were pinned back in protective fashion for some reason.
"JAKE!" shouted Dr. Patel from outside. Now Jake was hobbling about desperately – the staff could well tell his legs were yearning to carry him through the room's exit. The door opened to the external Avatar compound & eventually to the Avatar Station surrounded by wildlife.
Jake paid not the smallest attention to everyone's warnings, "This is great." He grinned like an imp.
"Come on. They're gonna put you out," warned Norm.
"No kidding," alerted Mace, who slipped his legs off his own gurney.
Jake wouldn't listen – he headed clumsily for the end of the room. Actually, it wasn't difficult to pull off – he was close enough to the exit. He guffawed cheekily, making his way down the empty corridor just before busting through the door. He'd probably avow later on how miraculous it felt when your body's lower half seemed to come alive again.
Sunlight poured onto him as he left the building, revealing to him a couple of other Avatars having a basketball game. An expanse of land stretched out beyond the court; it was next to impossible how refreshing it was to the eyes. Then he ran for the greenery ahead – what looked like tranquil gardens were dotted with colourful plants.
He was running, & still increasing his speed. It was like an ecstasy to him, tasting the crisp air he breathed. He was even wondering how most people overlooked the amazing feeling of freshness he was experiencing. He nearly rammed into an RDA agent in an AMP suit, but that excited him all the more. Wishing it would never end, he ran on & on to let his soles brush the soft soil.
Norm was gasping for air after failing to catch Jake, "Has he lost his marbles? They told him to --"
A hand was on his shoulder, & a voice coolly told him, "He just got his legs back. Just chill." Norm turned to face the honest smile of Mace.
Finally, when Jake came to a stop, he let his mind wonder freely. Another time he laughed while sinking both feet into the earth beneath.
"Hey, Marine!" somebody called.
"Grace?" he asked after gazing upon another Avatar who, ironically, looked too human for his taste. Everyone would recognize her because of three things: her nose was laughably shaped just like a person's, she wore a cool maroon sleeveless top that had "STANFORD" on it, & she was blunt with the words. But she walked in a vivacious style he could only admire. Was this spunky blue creature really that grumpy scientist back there?
"Well, who'd you expect, Numb Nuts? Think fast!" she tossed a fruit over to him.
She quickly added, "Motor control's looking good."
The fruit was like some 'welcome' treat; Jake relished its taste whilst pondering the many surprises he'd discover in the new Avatar world.