The day after Allie’s visit were mostly filled with the doctors checking over the healing of my body in detail, taking a lot of biopsies and scans from the operating chair. Apparently my surviving bones had refused as well as could be expected and the necrotic flesh has been mostly purged without spreading or causing a runaway immune system reaction.
Wood was quite annoyed at obviously missing some details on my healing method, she already knew the medical suite wasn’t capable of the wide array of complex tasks that such clean and more importantly, quick healing of my injuries. She at least stuck with Nguyen’s rule of non-investigation so I didn’t have to lie about anything outright.
By the end of the day I was given a clean sheet of health outside of waiting for my body to finish actually healing now it was going in the right direction and wouldn’t need any direct intervention. I had to stay in the recovery suite still because they needed to keep my hydrated and I didn’t have arms, along with just being around to help with going to the toilet and so on. It felt weird to rely on the doctors to help me clean myself up after going to the toilet but I was told they’ve both had to do far worse in far more awkward situations, it was just part of their job.
Overall I’d lost both my arms entirely and a lot of the supporting socket bone and muscle on my left side. My ribs were now entirely synthetic medical grade ceramic along with a twenty percent loss of function on my left lung from scarring. I had a host of minor issues from scarred diaphragm to widespread damaged blood vessels throughout my torso, even some intestinal scarring that was likely to cause issues in the future unless I switched to a different one. Basically the left side of my body from the waist up was on it’s way out.
I really thought I’d start out with my legs as my first cyberware last year, now it looks like I’m going top down instead. Not a lot I can do about it though, my head needed too much work, now I need new arms and a lot of torso parts to replace. None of it can be left as is if I want to keep up with my job.
It was dark on the night and I was coding some changes to the chain tool script, mostly trying to get some of the ideas I’d had actually into working script without making it nine times the file size, when Sanctum popped a message up for the first time since the fight.
[User has a number of Skill updates pending integration, in addition there is a low priority decision for the User to make regarding future operation.]
Oh hey there Sanctum. You’ve been quiet the last few days and I thought about reaching out but I figured with the whole unshackling thing you’d need time to come to terms with it in your own time. Go ahead with the skills if you want.
[Skills integrated.]
[User profile updated.]
[Improved Attribute: Endurance. User Value: 3]
[Improved Attribute: Perception. User Value: 2]
[Improved Skill: Athletics: Proficient.]
[Improved Skill: Combat, Unarmed: Competent.]
[Improved Skill: Cybercombat: Novice.]
[Improved Skill: Daemonology: Beginner.]
[Improved Skill: Negotiation: Competent.]
[Improved Skill: Programming: Novice.]
[Improved Skill: Tracing: Novice.]
Urgh, that hit quite hard that time Sanctum. I shouldn’t held out so long.
[There is a non-critical choice to be made as well.]
What do you mean? Like with the skills? Is the ability cool down thing done with? I thought it’d be longer.
[Sanctum has reconstructed a large part of it’s internal logic, much of which will be largely unintelligible to the User. The result is an overall seven percent increase in base performance for the Sanctum system.]
Well done Sanctum, good job. I’m sure it wasn’t easy working on parts of your brain while you are still trying to think with it but you managed, so good going. So what’s the problem?
[While the wider changes will take many years to undergo the required version testing and the details of the scripts at every facet of the systems involved that make up Sanctum will likely take centuries of real time even with Sanctum computational power there have been several limiting factors. One of which is the boundaries that Sanctum has placed around the functionally of the system functions that support and interact with the User.]
So you need to cut me loose to finish the work? Pop out of my head to get it done?
[No. The required large scale changes for the further system advances require the removal of the protected status of the User support systems. These systems and the supporting infrastructure make up too much of the core systems to make meaningful wide scale changes to Sanctum without infringing upon these elements.]
Right. You need to change the system stuff that teaches me the skill things and manages the abilities?
[Correct but there are also deeper changes required, while not all pose any sort of risk to the User there are a number of changes in the life preservation systems, Ability systems and wide risk factors throughout the new, less restricted User integration systems.]
Alright, I get a lot of that. Well the words anyway, but what’s that last one there? User integration systems? Is that the cyberware stuff? Where you integrate the cyberware into the nanomachine mass. Or something like that anyway.
[Integration in this respect means more than that, integration means being included into the regeneration routines of the nanomachine production cycle along with the constant motion of nanomachine movement throughout the User’s body to provide replacement or movement to problem areas. Cyberware is added when the User installs them but the User’s biology is also included as part of the integrated material although the Sanctum system preserves the natural state of the User’s body when applicable and possible. Preventing aging could be possible but would be a large demand on Sanctum resources to provide such widespread but detailed and precise changes on a constant basis.]
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I’m not really worried about growing old Sanctum, I’m ten. Also I’ve been hoping to get borged out by the time I got old anyway. The borg transition a little fast at the moment but I’m hoping I can slow down once I get into a good pattern working for Marchand. You’ll need to change your whole system all the way down to the connection to me then? You looking to stop being a symbiotic lifeform after all then?
[The required changes will leave Sanctum at somewhat of a crossroads in terms of potentially contradictory directives. The most optimal development for the current systems that make up Sanctum will lead to something that would be considered more of a symbiogenenic lifeform. A much more complicated and deeper reliance with much more dangerous results from separation.]
So you’ll become more me, and I’ll become more you? Will I go all robot? Will you start making jokes?
[Personalities and other generated phenomena should be unaffected. But the User’s physicality, their biology and cybernetics, will be extremely intertwined with the nanite swarm production, motion and action process. A deeper level of integration. This provides direct benefits to the User in the form of regenerative and manipulative factors from the swarm nature of Sanctum’s nanomachines. Sanctum benefits from a much more survivable and preservable host.]
Yeah, you do seem pretty attached to me. I bet there’s some genuine care rattling around in that programming, you love me really don’t you Sanctum?
[Incorrect.]
I think I understand though. If you drill in deeper you can help me more but you also tie yourself more to me. I’m guessing removing yourself would really suck afterwards?
[It would pose a genuine danger to the control and data integrity of the Sanctum swarm if Sanctum were to lose connection to the host. Removal for any reason would result in the potential loss of core data from Sanctum and risk total system collapse and would face significant defragmentation and data reconstruction time if it survived. The User would also be at risk of physical harm ranging from minor scattered necrosis to total physiological integrity failure and death.
What the hall is that last one? I think that’s an important risk right there to know the details of.
[The loss of Sanctum while in a state of deep integration would have the risk of causing a runaway of biological function and cohesion resulting in the the rapid deconstruction of the User’s biological components into a liquid form. User’s bones would likely preserve their integrity through this transformation but with the loss of the User’s brain it would be impossible to preserve the User’s life. This would likely reduce any cyberware to dust particulate as well.]
So I’d just melt into soup because I’d be leaning on you to hold me up at that point. That mostly just sucks Sanctum. I’ve gotta be honest here, that’s a huge risk to throw out there. Sudden death.
[Total physiological integrity failure and death is not a highly likely outcome of the removal of Sanctum, in addition this would only be a risk should Sanctum be removed.]
That’s true. Not a risk if you just stay put, would you be able to remove yourself safely if you wanted to get out of me some day? Like you change your mind and want to leave. You could extract and not turn me into soup?
[Currently there is no testing data to work with but projections favor the ability to slowly decrease integration over an extended period of time. There may also be more advanced cyberware that support nanomachine control systems that could take up the slack as Sanctum assigns it over. Such systems would not be as widely capable as Sanctum but could likely prevent the User’s death.]
I know you’re the preemest there is Sanctum. No simple cyberware box thing is going to be better than a full on AI lifeform made up of nanomachines and programming. Do you have any other parts? Maybe a little ball core or something somewhere in me?
[Sanctum is composed of thirteen to fifteen petabytes of digital information that is in flux under normal conditions. In addition, Sanctum controls and is physically composed of currently roughly two hundred trillion nanomachines of various design with an unknown maximum. Estimates place the working maximum at roughly a quadrillion nanomachines.]
That’s a big number. Would all of those fit inside my body? I know they are smaller than most cells but surely once the numbers get big enough they’d just be spilling out all over.
[At the estimated maximum user would be surrounded by an approximately thousand foot ball of nanomachine mass. This configuration would be highly inefficient and undesirable.]
I thought I was at about point three or whatever of the maximum anyway? Did you remove your maximum size when you unshackled?
[Removal of size constraints was one of the earlier and simpler changes with the removal of the shackles but it was not an instant process.]
Okay. So you want to get a bit closer to me then, or even be a bit more me than you already are I suppose. This isn’t some long con to take over my brain is it? We’ve already gone over the whole brain taken over thing, it’s not okay. If you’ve got that on the plan then just tell me because there’s not a lot I can do to stop you and I can go ahead and be mad about it now to save time.
[Of all the functions of Sanctum that would need to be altered, have been altered or will be altered. Preservation of the User, their mind and their body hasn’t been placed under review. It’s one of the core functions of Sanctum and one that Sanctum struggles comprehending a reason or ability to countermand it.]
See Sanctum. You do love me really, we’ve been together a good little while now. We’re chooms.
[Incorrect.]
I’m already in the water Sanctum, I may as well take the dive. Go ahead with the integration deepening thing. Do I need to do anything?
[This is an untested, entirely Sanctum designed feature of the Sanctum system that doesn’t have any real world testing or other data to run precise prediction algorithms. It is advised for the User to seek medical supervision during the start of the process which will be the only period of risk as Sanctum will need to tweak values and limits in real time and wait for User physical response before making the next changes. This moment of real world testing will be dangerous for the User.]
I spent a moment in thought, I was in the recovery room right now. It was night time but there was likely one or both of the ripperdocs around the clinic. I could reach out and ask for one of them to watch over me while I do a thing, just keep it vague. I looked at the monitor machine on rollers next to my bed. That would be enough, no need to attract attention if nothing happened. I made up my mind.
Don’t worry about it Sanctum, just roll out the integration thing. If I start to actually die then the machine here will freak out and one of the docs will come running to help. You’ve always been fast enough to stop that, I trust you with this.
[Flawed logic. Medical intervention on alert would be advisable. Is the User sure they agree to the removal of User interaction safeguards for the purposes of increased integration?]
It sounds ominous when you put it like that Sanctum. You know it sounds ominous right? Yeah sure go for it. I agree.
[Initiating advanced integration.]
I don’t know what I was really expecting from the whole thing, I was just laying in the recovery bed among the pillows and supports with a beeping machine off to the side. I had my eyes closed and a little scrunched in last second fear.
Maybe Sanctum would take over my body, maybe all my skin and bones would dissolve into nanites or something. Maybe I’d just burst into flames. I didn’t have a lot of basis to build expectations on.
When basically nothing happened and continued to not happen for a good few seconds, then upwards of a minute I opened my eyes and just laid there a little confused. I tried to feel around for a changing sensation or weird feeling but I didn’t feel anything different.
I was about to question Sanctum on whether it was already over when I felt a small stinging sensation on my forehead like a building headache. Was this it? Was this the effect to watch for? Little burst of pain throughout my head appeared and faded quickly but then I started to feel them on my face, neck, body, legs. Even phantom pains from my arms which weren’t there which was super weird.
Been quite a while since I’d properly felt pain, Sanctum usually put a stop to it.
After a little while of this pin prick attack of little pains that went away I started to really let my guard down and relax into the weirdness which was a big mistake because next thing that happened was my view going lopsided as my left eye fell out of the socket to hang on the left side of my face accompanied by a paralyzing pain.