“So let me get this straight.” The [Stella] human said as she fought with her mask, was she having trouble getting it in place? She was moving it around as if she couldn’t get it to stay. “Your clothes and all that you have on you was made by your Core Power?”
“No, the [Cell phone] was something I got from the [Human] that tried to attack me before.” Alexa answered, “But besides that? The [Clothes] were made using material and biomass I found while searching for the [address] that [Frank the Bettle] gave me.”
What was the problem with that? They were fine examples of [Clothing]!
“And you didn’t have clothes before this?” [Stella] said with a tired voice, was she low on energy? “Nothing at all?”
“...No? It wasn’t deemed important so I didn’t have any, I could cover myself well enough with the remaining biomass from the [Tests], and if something was deemed necessary it would be provided.” Alexa said back, not that they would ever give her something to dress herself with. Her [Crab] form was too big for [Human] clothes anyway.
“Do we know where they had her?” [Stella] said to the [Elder] who was trembling, was he having a malfunction?
“Not yet, Vulcanus said he would check on it, but I may need to tell him of this. We need to up the priority, we had thought she was only a victim of abuse, but this? This is a new level of crazy. If they are willing to go that far with a little girl like her? We need to put them down.” So, this organization would fight against her [Creators]?
That would be useful, if she could get them to destroy her previous [Den], then she wouldn’t need to worry about bringing out her [Crab] form back again. Not that she would use it as a staple form, she liked her Alexa form more.
….no wait, she wanted to keep this form because the [Human] power would only be accessible like this. Yes.
“Fine, now. Why did Vulcanus ask me to come? I hope it wasn’t just for the trauma dump.” The human [Stella] said turning to the [Elder].
“I think it was because Rhapsody asked for a sample to use her power on, and since you are the youngest adult around…” The [Elder] said turning to Alexa, right.
She would use her as a basis to make her new [Stage], it would also serve to update her current form, it had been made with extrapolations after all, so she wanted to make sure everything was how it should be fine though. She didn’t think [Main Core] would allow a faulty [Blueprint] to be used.
“[No blueprint within library is Faulty, if there is a problem with one, then chances are it is a problem made by Host.]”
…yikes, was her [Main Core] getting cheeky?
“[Negative, Main Core is incapable of human emotions.]”
Yeah, it was. But she would check on that later in her next [Sleep Cycle], for now, she turned to the human [Stella] and said, “I need to use my power to fix my problem of how I look. May I use my Core Power on you?” That, it sounded somewhat, correct?
“Explain.” Not good enough since [Stella] said with caution in her voice, her body seemed to shift ever so slowly, her feet open and most of her weight seemed to be in one, as to make it easier for her to move away. Alexa could also detect some of that weird energy traveling across [Stella]’s body. Was she getting ready to use her Core Powers?
“I am able to change the form of my body. This one you are seeing is one such form.” Alexa started explaining, “But I need the information to make it work, this body was crafted using a picture of a twelve-year-old minion, since I was told this was the minimum age to join.”
Who would have known that twelve-year-old had been [Stella], “So using you as a base I want to create a viable [Blueprint] for the next [Stage] in my transformations. So as to be less….” What was the word?
Main Core?
“Conspicuous. You want to look closer to the age of the other minions, since being a brat among adults will make you stand out, it doesn’t help that most minions use black masks and we White masks are a minority. So, a little white mask will stand out more.” [Stella] finished for her, “Fine, do I need to do anything? Remove clothes? How does it work?”
Why would she need to remove her [Clothes]?
“No, I just need physical contact,” Alexa said, not sure why she had said that. But she walked to [Stella] and extended her right hand towards the other [Human], she was close enough that if she made another nanometer tendril she could probably sneak in and steal the [Blueprint].
“Pleasure working with you, the name’s Stella.” [Stella] said as she took her hand and turned to her. This had been defined as a [Handshake], a sort of greeting.
“I’m [Rhapsody], I will be under your care,” Alexa answered and with a prompt inward she sent some tendrils inside [Stella]’s body.
“[Main Core, start research, extract blueprint and extrapolate course of growth from our current Child Stage form towards the Teenager Stage and towards the next Stage.]”
“[Order received, initiating scan and extrapolation.]”
“It tickles…” [Stella] said as she giggled, but that should be impossible.
Her [Nanites] shouldn’t be felt at all!
“[Main Core?]”
“[.... Found possible evidence related to Core Powers, had attempted to breach into it. Human Designation: Stella may have felt the rebound when the possible object of Core Powers repelled our Nanites.]”
[Main Core] found what?
“[Report, what did you find?]” Alexa ordered inwardly while on the outside it looked as if she was focusing on a spot in the older woman’s armor.
“[Found something that looks like a Core similar to the one that houses this Operating System.]”
What?
And sure enough, Main Core sent a projection to her mind of his finding, a small marble similar to the one that housed her Operating System. Hidden within the body of the woman, one second it was there…and the next she knew it flared out of existence.
“Are you using your Core Powers?” Alexa asked in the real world.
“No? I was using them to help with the load, but thought that they may hamper you, so I just turned them off. Do you want me to use them again?” [Stella] said as she answered.
“Please use it for five seconds, mark the start of it,” Alexa said as she tuned out the exterior world.
“[Main Core?]”
“[Preparing for monitoring, countdown…5….4….3….2….1…]”
“Starting now.” [Stella] said a few seconds after the countdown, was she using a faulty chronometer?
Either way, as soon as the woman said it, the weird lookalike to [Main Core] manifested again, it thrummed with the weird energy, and this time it had manifested around the left arm, just above the shoulder area.
Same arm that [Stella] was using to focus her power as she had raised and pointed towards one of the chairs around, the woman was moving it around. “Aaaaand stopping the power in 3…2….1…. stopped using it, did it help?”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
As soon as she said that she had stopped using it (Once again one second after she said it, she was totally using a faulty chronometer) the weird Main core look alike disappeared. Weird.
“Yeah, it helped,” Alexa said, not sure if it had helped or not. All she had learned was that the weird [Core] could manifest in different parts of the body, when [Main Core] found it the first time, it had been lodged around the heart. But now? It had been housed near the shoulder blade.
“[Extrapolating finished, new blueprint added: Human Young Adult Stage - Woman.]”
“I have what I needed….” And so many more questions about how [Humans] worked, were they making these Cores on the fly? But if so, why was hers staying around? No wait, was it even staying around? Or had she been not using it?
“[Main Core? Have…have one of those shown up?]”
“[Negative, no new sub cores or extra cores have been found. Assigning a nanite swarm to monitoring duty.]”
“So? What are you waiting for? Show me the goods,” [Stella] said as she let her hand go. “No wait. Can these clothes change form with you?”
That was a good question, she would hate having to decompose her new clothes after getting them a few minutes ago.
“They can stretch easily enough; after some change in size, they may stay at their new size, so don’t turn too big, or they will not shrink back. You will notice it as you will feel a snap, that is the reason you can’t use underwear while using them.” The [Elder] said while grumbling, “If you stay long enough, I will think about getting you a bodysuit that can shrink back.”
“None of that, you will not send out a girl with clothes that won’t fit after a job is finished, no matter how long or short her stay with us is!” [Stella] said back at the [Elder], didn’t she fear his power? Or was her own backing that powerful?
“They are expensive okay! Besides, the girl can make her own clothes, she doesn’t need them.” The [Elder] fought back, and to be honest, Alexa was with him on that argument. She didn’t need extra clothing.
“I don’t have a place to keep extra clothing, so everything I use must be with me at all times,” Alexa said making both stop arguing.
“You are getting an apartment from Cerberus.” [Stella] said with a tone that betrayed no doubts about it.
“Yes, and if she doesn’t give you one after dropping you on me, then I am making sure you can sleep at the base.” The [Elder] added, that he wouldn’t mind her sleeping at this place, it seemed defensible enough. And she could already see some of those [Metal Tunnels] she had used to escape.
These clothes seemed to insulate her from changes in temperatures, so perhaps she could hide there safely this time?
“No way I’m letting a girl sleep in one of your bunks, she will come with me. I have enough room, besides I can always get Papa to give me more money.” [Stella] hmphed while saying that.
What was even happening?
“...So? Get on with it, you got me feeling all tingly I want to see how your power works.” [Stella] seemed quite focused on her Power.
Alexa wasn’t quite sure what to think about it, but in the end, she only sighed and focused inwardly.
“[Main Core? Is the blueprint ready for deployment?]”
“[Affirmative: Blueprint is ready, this one will increase the suggested amount of body mass, new suggested minimum weight is at 60 kgs.]”
…She needed more biomass?
“Can I get around….10 kilograms of biomass?” Alexa said aloud after opening her eyes.
“Right now?” The [Elder] asked, “It may be difficult, is it time sensitive?”
“[Main Core?]”
“[Transformation is possible, but host may look malnourished, estimated covering from BodyArmor may hide this.]”
“Not time sensitive, let me check…” Alexa said closing her eyes once more.
“[Main Core: Start shift.]”
“[Order received, starting shift.]”
It was…weird, Alexa had done this before several times, both in bigger and smaller changes, but having people look at her while doing so? It was weird. She felt her legs stretch a few centimeters, she felt her arms increasing in length. Her torso going up, her face turning sharper, her hair within her helmet-mask changing ever so slowly.
She felt the compression in her chest as a pair of bulges started showing up (FINALLY!), and she felt her rear turn more pronounced (VICTORY!). But the more important change? It was her [Brain] and [Mind].
The world…changed once more, it was turning less bright and more…cynical. She was suddenly aware of the looks she was getting from random minions, and how their eyes darted toward her [Chest] and [Rear]. She was both elated and annoyed at those stares.
“[Main Core? Lodge emotional responses and changes in hormonal balance.]”
“[Acknowledged. Saving data.]”
“...The [BodySuit] is holding, it is within the threshold to return to a previous form. I haven’t felt any [Snap] from it.” Alexa said aloud, her voice had changed, again. It was turning similar to [Sylph], which was weird since this form had been made using [Stella] as a [Base].
She liked this voice more, since [Sylph]’s voice soothed her [Younger] form. Had that been taken into consideration?
“Also, we can confirm that my [Form] does have an effect on my mental faculties, I can perceive other [Social Cues] that I had been missing,” Alexa said as she readjusted her [Helmet], her Hair was bundled up inside, in the end she decided to take it off and fix her hair. “What? Do you like what you see?”
Most of the [Minions] had stopped moving and just stared at her, the description on the blueprint stated that she would have yellow-eyes and would keep her blonde hair, her face was supposed to have good proportions and symmetrical enough to be pleasing, and her lips should be quite nice if [Main Core] was making these things right.
“[All blueprints are made to be pleasant to the eyes, since Humans seem to take extra care to appearances, the Blueprint was designed to hit as many of the biological markers as possible.]”
In a nutshell? She was a looker.
“.... Are you sure you aren’t a Saintsworth?” The [Elder] asked, no. [Billy] asked.
“I do not have any [Tattoo] nor [Jewelry] with the [Eagle], and I have no [Parents]. So no, I only hold that [Last Name] because it was granted to me in the information I got while running away. I didn’t have a [Developed] enough [Mind] to take more information, but maybe my [Progenitor] was part of that family?” Alexa wondered that too, from where had the [Original] blueprint come from?
“...Shouldn’t you…like hide? Most of those around here are minions yes. But you should take care of your secret identity. If they get a grudge because you ignore their passes at you it will be annoying for you later on.” [Stella] said with worry in her voice.
“My [Identity]? If they become annoying I can always…” Alexa said with a smirk on her face as her facial structure shifted, it was still symmetrical enough, but this time her eyes turned blue. Her [Hair] turned black, this form was somewhat similar to what [Eleanore] looked like, it was still not [Identical], but it was close enough to make a statement. “See? And if they really [Annoy] me….”
And for her next trick Alexa turned to the one [Human] she had a full blueprint stored, the [Male] that attacked her. She didn’t change fully, of course, she only shifted her face.
“...I feel dirty, why do I feel dirty? This makes no sense…And…this…?” Alexa’s voice shifted to that of the [Male] human, something was wrong with this form. No…it wasn’t the form but the memories?
She was getting more impressions from it, as if she hadn’t noticed something that was in front of her, but why? She could see it, how the [Human Male] would act if she was weaker.
“Alexa?” She didn’t mind the voices of the other [Humans] around.
No, she was too busy going through these [Emotions].
“[WARNING, EMOTIONAL THRESHOLD SURPASSED, FORCED SHIFT ACTIVATED.]”
And as if all of it had been a lie, the world turned bright again!
“I RETURN!” For she was back!
Who?
Of course, it was Alexa!
“And I hunger!” And she hungered!
“What happened?” The weird purple lady asked, why was she hiding her purple hair under that mask? Why was she purple? “Did your power run out?”
“Nu-uh.” Alexa said as she pushed a button in the weird helmet her older self liked, the thing folded into a pretty bracelet she put on her hand. “My other self noticed some weird things that [Human] wanted to do with us. Things she thinks I didn’t notice, but I knew!”
Really, why was her older self reacting like that? Was she dumb? Of course, the [Human] wanted to eat Alexa! Why would he bring her into a hidden place if not to eat her!
But Alexa had been stronger, so she had managed to eat him instead, that silly human was a [Prey] and yet it pretended to be [Predator].
“What did she notice?” The [Billy] human asked, “What didn’t you tell us?”
“Well, nothing important. The [Human] brought me to a dark place to [Eat] me, so I dealt with him. And it isn’t important,” Should she even say that she had already [Ate] him? They seemed to want to find him…
“...And your older self just noticed? No wait, you say you already knew, but then why did she notice it just now?” The purple girl asked, wasn’t that obvious?
“She found a new meaning for the [Eating] that I hadn’t thought, but she was probably wrong. Something must be weird, I think some functions only turn on in the different [Stages].” Alexa said while searching in her pouches, so many pouches! And so little [Candy]! “Why are you [Humans] using so many weird things, you don’t even need the [Ovulation] most of the time, but the blueprint says to use it once a month! Why!?!?”
Really, and the design seemed painful, why would you want to discard so many liquids? And so painful too!
“...Alexa? What did your older self notice?” The purple girl asked again, with worry in her voice? why was she worried?
“My older self thought that the [Male Human] would start eating me by going into my no-no zone first. But that isn’t tasty, why would he want to start from my no-no zone?” Really, if you wanted something tasty then the [Stomach] would be first, or the [Kidneys]? Alexa was more partial for the [Brain] since that one was mushy and didn’t need that much processing. Also, it came with some extra data too!
“.... See, my older self is weird, we already knew he wanted to [Eat] us, so why does it matter from where he starts?” Alexa was worried, maybe [Main Core] had missed something?
“[Notice: Difference in perceptions seems to be inherent to different forms. Advice to shift back into an older form.]”
“But I just came!” Alexa said aloud. Getting weird looks, “Sorry, the thing [Eleanore] said I had in my head is asking me to return to an [Older Stage] to confirm something. I will return!”
And like that Alexa re-started the change again, now…to what form should she change? The one that thought weird things? Or the one that had been somewhat more stable but had hidden her [Candy] from her?