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Legacy of Atlantis - Love Andromeda Style
Chapter 91 - A nanite a day...

Chapter 91 - A nanite a day...

Allison had taken care of all of her official business on Silwra. She was pacing back and forth in the LSR version of a condo the High Council had gifted her. It was furnished and likely had been intended for a Yorleer. It was filled with plants. The High Council had even gone so far as to gift her with a wardrobe appropriate to the LSR. No one had really explained why they had given it to her. It even came with a dutiful robot VI that could clean and prepare meals for her.

Her visit with Futama had gone quickly but she was waiting for test results before she could head home. He’d promised her it wouldn’t take long. It had been two days.

League entertainment was not to her liking. She didn’t get most of the humor and she felt like laughing right now and their sports were weird. It had been hours, and she hadn’t heard back. She had nothing to do because she’d need Alliance-Net for what she wanted to watch. Thus, she paced.

She’d gotten into the Yorleer version of a summer dress; It was summer in the Silwra capital now. She looked down at the park space her building bordered and pondered going for a walk. She had unrestricted access to League space and planets, with no escort required. Apparently, she had earned the council’s trust after her covert mission for them. She felt dizzy suddenly and her face felt flush. She decided to sit down.

A few hours later she was feeling like death warmed over and getting cold sweats. She had never actually been sick before, so it was a new experience and not one she was enjoying. Well technically she had been sick, but the enhanced T-cells had nuked whatever tried to infect her before the infection could multiply a few times. This was a new version of hell that few in the System’s Alliance remembered dealing with. She tried a hot shower, a cold shower, League style comfort food. Eventually she gave up on being patient and called her doctor. Futama looked shocked when he saw her.

“Are you alright, child?”

Allison coughed and her voice was barely audible.

“I think I’m sick.”

Allison promptly collapsed leaving Futama asking her if she was alright repeatedly before engaging LSR Emergency medical services. When Allison woke up next, a Synthlin in a six-armed encounter suit was standing over her. In each of its arms there was a large needle. She started to gag, something was in her throat. Another Synthlin quickly pulled a tube out of her mouth and nose. She was covered in some form of really disgusting feeling slime. Her flight or fight response was triggered and her fangs came out. Synthlin encounter suits weren’t built to calm the observer, while they were, but they were built to calm Synthlin who were neural networks of cells like slime molds. Only intelligent. Their sense of aesthetics was much different than a human’s.

Strong arms held her down. She could feel the talons pressing against her bare flesh, she looked up and saw Futama’s face. She started taking deep breaths to slow her racing heart. Her fangs slipped back in. Once Futama saw she wasn’t going to start ripping people limb from limb he released her.

“You’re still weak, Allison. Calm yourself. You’re safe. These ladies are here to help.”

Allison realized she was completely naked, except for the aforementioned slime coating. She tried to cover herself. She realized her mouth and nose had a slime coating too and she started to spit it out. Now that she was calm she could taste it, it did not taste good. It was even in her throat. She coughed some out in globs. Futama spoke before stepping out of sight.

“I’ll let them clean you up, then we’ll talk.”

The Synthlin medical staff started cleaning the slime off of her and dropping globes off into clear containers. They worked wordlessly, but gently. The one with six arms formed them into normal sized arms and offered one hand to her and pointed it to a washroom.

“Allison, please clean off the remainder of the breathing medium. You will find attire on the other side. Welcome back.”

Allison washed herself off. She found slime in places she did not want to find slime. It was everywhere. She probably spent fifteen minutes more in the shower than she needed to; She just felt gross. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be convinced the slime wasn’t hiding somewhere on or inside her. She got dressed in the clothes she’d been provided. It was a simple white dress. Futama was waiting for her on the other side. He motioned for her to follow him. She followed him. When they finally arrived, she realized she was on a space station orbiting a beautiful gas giant that had varying shades of purple and pink for bands, it almost glowed.

He motioned to a pair of seats in the observation room. Allison wasn’t sure how long it had even been. They were alone. Allison sat down and looked out at the beautiful planet.

“Where are we?”

His wings perked up.

“The Za’na’gash medical center. The most advanced medical center in the League. We’re about fifteen light years from Silwra. I apologize but your condition needed advanced treatments that were only available here.”

Allison raised an eyebrow.

“Condition?”

He leaned forward and interlaced his claws.

“As I told you previously your body is becoming more dependent on the nanites you’re producing naturally. Your deaths and subsequent resuscitations have accelerated this… It is not permanent, there is an equilibrium but when they are forced to resuscitate you it takes a lot of them. They get depleted and your body struggles to reproduce them fast enough, at the same time your body is depending on them for various functions until they can restore it to the point it can do the job the nanites expect it to do. Reach the equilibrium. I do not know how you have become so depleted in such a short time or how I could have miscalculated your body’s supplement requirements so badly. It is like you have been starving them out for over a year. Your body is still trying to recover from your death at the hands of the Sal’nash. I am sorry, I have failed you as a doctor. If not for our Synthlin friends, you would not have come back this time.”

Allison was very confused then she realized she had died again but had been in the past for over a year and had no supplements. In fact, she’d forgotten to take any of them since she got back.

“It is not your fault. Something happened…”

She sighed.

“I was stuck in a temporal anomaly for eighteen months I did not have supplements and I died another time. I forgot to take them when I got back. I just don’t understand how I got sick.”

He looked at her.

“When you die, your cells start to die. Your nanites bring you back and start trying to repair all the cell death. I suspect the Sal’nash toxin might actually be capable of destroying them. Depending on the extent of the damage and nanite count it could take you a week to a decade to recover fully. When you arrived at my office your nanite count was near zero. Your white blood cell count was also almost non-existent, your body just wasn’t producing new ones. So, one small infection turned into an almost fatal infection. I am surprised you haven’t gotten sick before this. The Synthlin determined that the only way to save you from the infection that was going to kill you once we pulled you out of the slime tube was to inject you with enough nanites to kill most normal organics. Right now, those nanites are acting as your immune system, making your lungs work and basically taking care of every anatomic function your body has. You’ll need another injection in a few hours. Most will self-destruct, they are hoping a few will accept code from your own nanites and start acting like them. Only time will tell.”

Allison stared out at the beautiful planet below and realized this is the room they gave bad news in. Hey, look at the pretty planet, sorry you’re going to die.

“Could you dumb that down for an idiot who is still in high school?”

His wings drooped.

“Well, you’re either going to be fine in a day, or back in the slime tube until your body can create enough nanites on its own to keep the infections at bay. Slime tube is not the technical term but it’s what everyone calls them. The Synthlin are brilliant scientists, but they really do not understand our humanoid minds and how disgusting the slime is. It is the best solution to the problem of people not breathing on their own that we have discovered.”

Allison shuddered at the thought of being covered in the slime again.

“What is that stuff anyway?”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“It is a network of single celled organisms that feed off of the carbon half of carbon dioxide it also loves eating bacteria, and viruses so it is a completely sterile environment. So, you get put in the slime tube. The slime gets into your lungs and happily exchanges the carbon dioxide for oxygen. Gets into your blood stream and eats up all the microbes we don’t want there. After you’re pulled out a nanite injection destroys the slime that is in your bloodstream. They have to specifically target it because the slime is a chameleon that tricks your body into thinking it should be there. If your nanite count wasn’t so low, they would likely have been able to reject the slime.”

Allison stood up and leaned on the view port edge staring at the planet.

“How long have I been here?”

“Not long, six hours.”

Allison nodded. She only had fifty hours before she should be starting her next semester. It would be if that was her only concern. She got very quiet. He stood up.

“I’ll give you some time. I’m in a temporary office three doors down. Come and see me when you want to get something to eat, or if you’re feeling off at all. Please don’t fiddle with the white band on your wrist it is how they monitor your vital signs here.”

Allison nodded absently and continued staring out at the planet. For some reason a song started dancing through her head. It was one her mother would listen to on repeat for hours. Her mother used to drive her nuts with it until she found out that it was her long dead Aunt’s favorite song. She started singing it softly to herself moving her head to the unheard music in her head. It’s a bittersweet symphony that’s life…

She sighed. She was a miracle, she could come back from the dead, but by coming back she was killing herself.

“Thanks moms. I love how messed up my life is.”

The Synthlin that injected her with nanites entered the room. Their encounter suits were each unique to their owner. When she spoke her voice was chocolate to Allison’s ears. She’d heard that about Synthlin.

“Allison, are you feeling alright?”

Allison nodded.

“I feel fine.”

The Synthlin paused briefly, as if debating speaking further, she spoke again.

“I am sorry you are suffering from our discarded technology. It is unconscionable that your life and health have been impacted so thoroughly. To hear that your race almost went extinct because of one careless Synthlin has caused my people a great deal of sorrow. I promise you we are putting all of our resources into finding a cure for you. I hope the home we provided on Silwra so you can continue receiving ongoing medical treatment has brought some small comfort.”

Allison glanced up at her.

“Ma’am, my parents chose to have me. My mother was concerned this would happen. They made me, not you. Do you think I’ll be alright? Will your nanite treatment work?”

“Yes. Ten percent of the nanites we injected have aligned with your own and are now working in tandem with them. Another three doses of the same level and more infusions of the cocktail of supplements recommended by Futama of the same period will bring your system to a state where it is self-sufficient in fighting off infections. We should have you on your way home in less than a day. I would recommend you consider staying longer, here or on Silwra so we may try further treatments.”

Allison bit her lower lip.

“But when you finish these treatments, I’ll be back to normal?”

The Synthlin nodded. Allison sighed.

“I need to go home after the treatments. Where are my things?”

The Synthlin bowed the head of her encounter suit.

“They are in secure storage. We do not allow non-station electronics here, there are many sensitive instruments and devices we cannot allow any interference. I apologize. You have been assigned to a room. The VI will guide you when you leave this room, but please stay as long as you would like. We have found that the planet’s coloring and lightning storms have a calming effect on patients. Based on your vitals I believe it is working for you.”

She was almost out the door when Allison called out.

“Thank you for saving my life.”

The Synthlin bowed her head again before heading out.

*****

Allison was back in her condo on Silwra. Her treatments had gone well. Not as well as everyone had hoped but her nanites were effectively fighting off infections before they could do any harm. She threw her dress on the ground the robot VI scooped it up and vanished from sight. She sealed the front of her armor and tied her hair back into a bun. She was speaking to Bit.

“Have you cleared our launch window with Silwra control?”

Bit responded.

“Of course.”

Allison picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulders.

“And the wormhole approval to Eden?”

Bit sounded indignant.

“Of course I have. Did you think I would forget?”

Allison made her way to the medical landing pad on the roof where Bit was waiting for her.

“Don’t know. You are getting really old. I figured you be getting senior moments any day now.”

Allison smiled when Bit sputtered then realized her friend was teasing her.

“Well, considering where you were, that would make us the same age, so maybe I should be quizzing your memory, Allison.”

Allison laughed.

“Okay, that was fair.”

She climbed up the liquid metal ladder and stuffed her backpack into the pile of stuff in the rear seat.

“I really need to get this crap out of here.”

Bit snuck another in.

“Especially if you keep eating a diet almost entirely comprised of desserts.”

Allison confirmed their flight path to her FTL jump window and launched.

“Well, considering those were the doctor’s orders, I’m going to ignore the fact you just said that. And if I have to eat another candy bar I’m going to throw up. These nanites are hungry little devils.”

Their trip home was an uneventful affair. She looked at her father’s car then back to Bit. She was getting a bit nervous about carrying the entire history of an almost extinct people in her fighter that could be blown up if she made a mistake. She sighed and unpacked the cockpit just that filled up the rear seat of the car. She then went to the stasis pod holding the baby Raghar.

“Alright Bit open it up.”

Bit wordlessly released the stasis on Raghar. He lunged at her. His rear paws were on the fighter, and he licked her face mercilessly.

“Okay, okay. Come on. Get in the car little guy. I have someone who really wants to see you.”

He looked around and sniffed the air before climbing into the driver’s seat and across it into the passenger seat. Allison closed the stasis pod and ran around to close the passenger door. Bit spoke to her.

“You should check the news. There is an interesting story on your sister’s news station.”

Allison groaned.

“Dark Mother save me from reporters and Major Ghai. Thanks Bit. See you in a few days.”

She slammed the car door and pulled out of the hanger. The temperature was steadily going up in New Alexandria at this point. Spring thaw would start in a few weeks. Soon it would be above zero even at night. Allison longed for warm summer nights. The weather was good. It was a clear winter day. Raghar took in the scenery as she drove past it, Helen was their next-door neighbor, so it was only a few fields over. She’d walk it in the summer, no problem, but in the winter, she was not really that kind of masochist. She did not like the cold much.

She pulled into the garage. Both the pickup and her mom’s car were there, that meant everyone was probably home. She opened the door for Raghar who hopped out. She pulled out the gifts for her mom and Robin from the back seat. She headed inside. Most of her family were eating breakfast, including her father. She almost dropped the gifts to rush over and hug him. Aryna’s cutlery dropped to the table, and she pounced on Raghar who pounced on her. They fell in a ball of silver hair and ginger fur. Apiyo gasped.

“Saints preserve us, another one!?!”

Allison put the ornate wooden gift boxes down and glomped onto her dad for dear life kissing his cheek. He laughed and hugged her tightly.

“I missed you too shortstuff. Had a busy trip hmm?”

Allison blushed and just buried her face in his shoulder taking in his scent. She was sitting on his lap. He patted her back.

“I missed you so much dad. Are you back for good?”

He laughed.

“I am, I am. Can I have my legs back now?”

Allison blushed again and hopped off. Oozie was strolling out and as soon as she caught sight of Raghar she lunged towards him. She was growling low and sniffing around him. Aryna stood between the two nargles.

“Hey, he’s a friend. Be nice Oozie.”

The two nargles had a staring contest for several moments before they mutually decided to ignore one another. Oozie casually walked over to Allison and brushed against her. More than she usually would have. Robin came running out of her room. Her hair was wet she hugged onto Allison tightly. Allison hugged her back and looked back at the gift boxes.

“Robin, could you go grab the box with the pink ribbon on it. Tell me what the tag says?”

Robin walked over and looked at it. Her eyes went wide.

“It has my name on it!”

Allison nodded and smiled.

“It is for you, from a very good friend of mine. Go ahead open it.”

Robin bounded off to a spot on the living room floor and started untying the ribbon. Allison picked up Apiyo’s gift and offered it to her the ribbon on it was the Qual’sa take on African fabric patterning.

“Mom, my friend wanted you to have this. She asked me to tell you that it was from someone who had no other way of showing her appreciation for taking in orphans in need.”

Her mother’s hand went to her chest. Robin was already into hers. Apiyo was more delicate with the removal of the ribbon. She opened it and gasped. Inside was a dress made from Qual’sa silk. Allison knew just how soft that felt on the skin. Once again it was done in the same style as one of her mother’s favored African dresses. It was accompanied by matching jewelry.

“Who sent these? We need to send a thank you note at least.”

Allison sighed.

“Sorry mom, she died. She would say taking care of us is thanks enough.”

Aryna was on the floor with Raghar who was the size of a small husky puppy, the nargle was on her lap.

“I know who my gift is.”

Aryna ran her hand through Raghar’s fur. Allison had never seen her friend this content before. She smiled at Aryna. Robin bounded over to Allison holding up a beautiful blue dress made of Qual’sa silk.

“Look! It matches my hair clip!”

Allison hugged Robin.

“Yes, you can go try it on I’m sure mom won’t mind.”

Robin looked at Apiyo who gave her a nod. Robin rushed off.