Grayson drifted back to awareness slowly. His mind felt sluggish, thoughts blurred. It took effort to peel open his eyes. Everything seemed strangely tilted.

As his vision focused, he realized he was upright in a contoured chair...inside a compact chamber. The gleaming white walls and LEDs jogged his memory - this was an escape pod! He was strapped into the emergency landing seat.

Grayson's pulse quickened as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The last thing he recalled was opening the crystalline cube from his parents. There had been dazzling lights, then a creeping paralysis before blacking out.

He peered through the small porthole but saw only the inky void of space dotted with stars. The pod must still be in orbit. But why? Where were his parents?

"Where am I?" Grayson queried the empty compartment.

"Yes Sir, I am here," responded a smooth voice through Grayson's jaw implant. It was similar to Room, but not quite the same.

"Room, is that you?" Grayson asked. "Can you explain what is happening?"

"No Sir. My name is Egg. I am your personal AI assistant. Let me summarize the situation," Egg responded. "Your parents have initiated the next stage of their long-running genetic engineering project. The gift you received contained nanomachines which have incorporated themselves into your tissues and neural architecture."

Grayson's eyes widened in alarm. His mouth felt dry, heart hammering against his restraints. But Egg continued explaining in a calm, measured tone.

Grayson's mind raced, struggling to process Egg's revelations. A neural lace now threaded through his brain? Implanted remotely without consent while he slept? How was this possible? He squeezed his eyes shut, willing it to be some twisted prank or simulation. But the humming pod around him was undeniable. This was real.

As Egg calmly explained the situation further, Grayson's shock gave way to a swirling torrent of emotions. Confusion, fear, betrayal...the foundations of his reality had fractured.

His parents - their cheerful guidance and playful games to hone his skills. Had it all been an elaborate indoctrination for this? Every birthday gift, each proud hug masking a hidden agenda. Angry questions flooded Grayson's mind. Why didn't they prepare him openly for this destiny they imagined? And did they truly think any ends justified taking away his freedom of choice?

Sensing Grayson's rising distress, Egg interjected "If you wish, I can connect you to your parents now. However, a clear head would be wise for this discussion."

Grayson nodded reluctantly, taking a few deep breaths to compose himself. As much as he wanted to vent his outrage, losing control would only make this situation worse. For now he pushed the roiling emotions down. "Before I speak to them, what else should I know about my... enhancements?" Grayson asked, struggling to keep his voice neutral. The reality of being biologically augmented against his will still turned his stomach.

Egg calmly summarized the full scope of changes, explaining Grayson's embedded biometric sensors, neural link to navigate data, ability to communicate anywhere globally, and tools for ecological engineering.

Objectively it was astonishing technology. In different circumstances, Grayson may have even been eager to wield such abilities for humanity's benefit. But the choice being ripped away hauntingly eclipsed it all.

As Egg concluded the overview, Grayson steadied himself. "Please connect me to my parents once we are established. We have much to...discuss." He worked to sound authoritative, hiding the anger and pain.

Maybe they had convincing reasons for their actions. Grayson desperately hoped so. Because at this moment, he had never felt so lost and alone...

The descent back into Earth's atmosphere was jarring, even in the advanced landing pod. Grayson had never set foot on the planet itself before. Space-born generations found ample living space in habitats and platforms. But his parents' deep tie to Earth had clearly shaped their mission.

As the pod rattled through buffeting winds, Grayson tried to focus on keeping his stomach inside his body. He could feel the blood pooling in his legs and the weight on his chest as g-forces pressed him into the crash seat as it swayed through the atmosphere. This planet already felt alien.

The pod jerked violently as retros fired and parachute deployed to slow their speed for landing. Through the small porthole, Grayson got a brief glimpse of vast waters sparkling in sunlight before heavy clouds obscured everything.

They broke through again lower, giving him a heart-stopping view of the ground rushing up before- WHAM. The pod skipped and skidded across an ancient lava field before finally grinding to a halt tilted on its side.

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Grayson waited for the world to stop spinning before releasing his restraints. He lowered himself gingerly to what had been the wall but was now the floor. It seemed solid enough.

Sliding the emergency hatch open took all of Grayson's strength. It finally jerked open and he crawled out onto blessedly solid ground as real sunshine bathed his skin. Cool floral scents filled his lungs between panting breaths.

His racing pulse gradually settled as he took in the rocky volcanic slopes and scrubby vegetation. "So this is Earth..." he murmured in wonder.

"I suggest recovering supplies before the tide comes in," Egg prompted via his implant. Grayson blinked, realizing the pod's chaotic landing had brought them to rest precariously just above the surf. He rushed back to haul out survival packs and a rugged 3D printer/assembler combo unit. Between waves he managed to carry it all to the shelter of a lava tube cave just inland.

As the adrenaline wore off, exhaustion hit Grayson. He sank onto a mat unrolled on the stony cave floor and activated his biometric scans. "No major damage from the landing," Egg reassured him. Reassured, Grayson slipped into a dreamless sleep, the crash of waves echoing up the stony tube.

There was much to do tomorrow - his work was just beginning. But for now, he needed rest for the challenges ahead...

Grayson was getting ready to go to sleep, despite his roiling emotions, but he then noticed a blinking icon in his vision and clicked on it. To his surprise, it was a recorded message from his parents.

"Son," his dad began, "we know you might not like us very much for this, but your mother and I believe that it's time to take off your training wheels and give you a chance to develop into a real adult. We have done all we can for you here on the Ring, but humans evolved for the ground. It's what we are built to do. We have been working on a project for the last several years that will give you a chance to develop like no human has ever done before."

"Some of what I'm about to tell you, you will no doubt have already heard from Egg." He went on to explain that the gift Grayson received was an activation trigger for nanites in his bloodstream to start building a neural lace in his brain. This lace would allow him to receive and send limited signals, which would enable him to benefit from a stand-alone human augment AI that his parents had developed. This system would allow him to have some augmented functions like Room provides and some that Ring offers, without being connected to either of them.

But that was not all. Grayson had also been given a biological upgrade that his parents had created with some colleagues. It was an artificial virus that had the ability to splice genetic material from other organisms into Grayson's cells, creating a hybrid life form. This process would take some time, roughly the gestation period of a chicken. The gift came with a terminator gene to prevent any horrible mutations.

Finally, his mother added that this was not an overreach, as they had discovered some concerning trends in the Earth's ecosystem. Humanity had already passed the point of no return when it came to creating a global extinction event. The Earth is about to have a massive ecological collapse within the next century or so. We are hoping you, along with a system similar in scope to Ring, will be able to force evolutions faster than nature could ever hope to. We hope that doing this will allow some new species to fill in the biological web intersections that are breaking by adapting them to the new niches coming into existence. There may be problems. There may be false successes, but there really isn't much more to lose. We can't correct the damage done by humans while any humans remain on the planet. We may as well give the planet a chance to change as fast as human technology has."

"You son, are our best hope. We trust no one else to have this level of influence over the future of Earth using our technologies. Ring has simulated to the best of her ability the possible outcomes of someone doing what we are tasking you with. It is a lot to ask of a brand new adult, but you have spent your life learning how to see more than the average person.

You are very responsible and capable and driven. You will have chances to pass on your task to others within your lifetime. We hope you will do so as a sort of retirement, but you do have the option at any time if you just wish to quit. This is only our hope, not our demand of you. The choice is yours, my son. Call us when the system unlocks the option for you." Mom reached forward and ended the recording at this point.

"Wow," Grayson wowed to himself. "That has got to be a record for the most extreme rite of passage to adulthood that has ever been devised. Just save the world, Grayson. We aren't asking that much. And don't come back until it's done." Ok, maybe she didn't say that last part, but it sure sounded like she would disapprove.

Grayson awoke to dawn's light filtering into the lava tube cave. His whole body ached from yesterday's ordeal, and fitful sleep. But there was work to be done. He knew he wasn't going to return home anytime soon even if he gave up.

First, he inventoried the supplies salvaged from the battered landing pod. The hardy 3D printer/assembler would be crucial for manufacturing necessities. It could break down salvaged material on a molecular level to be reformed into almost anything.

For now it could run on battery power, but sustainably fueling it would require setting up solar collectors. Fortunately, unfolding solar mesh and tiny rugged photovoltaic panels were among the supplies.

After a simple breakfast, Grayson got to work. He began by sending the quadcopter drone from the pod up to scout a base location nearby. It returned with images highlighting a vantage point atop a stony ridge that gave 360 degree visibility. A good defensive position.

Grayson then had the drone map out an optimal spot for solar exposure, close to the base but unshaded most of the day. He carefully carried the printer and other gear to this sunny clearing, watching for unstable footing on the rugged lava flows.

With guidance from Egg giving him augmented notes, Grayson slowly figured out how to install the collapsible solar rigging and get the panels feeding power to the batteries and printer. "Small wins build confidence," Egg reminded kindly when Grayson grew frustrated.

By nightfall, he had a functioning power system and basic shelters erected for protection. The familiar technologies made this alien land feel a bit more like home. He fell asleep gazing up at the unfamiliar constellations, feeling hopeful about the days ahead.

There was so much yet to learn and do. But step by step, he would find his path...