SYSTEM RECONFIGURATION COMPLETE
I blinked, struggling to process the glowing words hovering in my vision. They were bright and sharp, as if etched directly onto my retinas.
"What the..." I muttered, still a bit groggy and now … disoriented. The text dissolved, replaced by another message.
WELCOME TO THE QI CULTIVATION SYSTEM
"QI Cultivation SYSTEM?" My voice betrayed a mix of confusion and curiosity. “What the hell is QI?” This was far from the diagnostic interface I had expected from the nanite controller implant. Before I could make sense of it, the words were again replaced, but this time with what looked like a classic RPG status screen.
Dazed, I stumbled to an all-metal chair that seemed sturdy enough to hold my weight and sat down. decided to work through this bizarre situation. I needed to know that whatever the operating system running my controller implant had not been replaced with the nanotech version of a virus.
STATUS SCREEN
* Name: Lucas McLaughlin
* Level: 1
* Cultivation Rank: Initiate
* Health: 20/100
* Energy (QI): 8/100
* Strength: 5 (Currently: 2 Due to Low Health)
* Agility: 5 (Currently: 2 Due to Low Health)
* Intelligence: 10
* Experience: 0
* QI Control Level: Initiate
I stared at the screen, my thoughts racing. This was like something out of a video game, but it felt unnervingly real.
Who the hell messed with my beautiful nanite controller, I thought.
Tentatively, I mentally reached out, as if lifting a metaphysical hand, and the screen responded, sections highlighting as I navigated it like a digital interface.
At least the controller is responding to my mental cues, like we designed it.
But this menu has got to be joke" I muttered to the empty room. The SYSTEM, almost as if reading my frustration, offered more information.
THE QI-CULTIVATION SYSTEM is designed to assist you in mastering QI control through structured cultivation techniques. Your progress will be tracked and updated in real-time. Begin your CULTIVATOR journey by completing the initial tutorial tasks.
What followed was a short list of actions that could be taken.
I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “How did this happen? Was the Athena mainframe hacked? I was expecting the Athena bootup diagnostics or maybe the live dashboard data streams. Not... this … QI crap!”
I’ve just awoke in Fallout hospital, I look like a survivor from Birkenau, and it just came to my attention that the prototype brain implant I received has had it’s OS completely overwritten. Am I really going to satisfy my curiosity and work through what looks like an RPG game tutorial instead of working on the five Physiological Needs to survive: Food, water, clothing, sleep, and shelter, I asked myself?
Yes, my curiosity won out. I quickly scanned to waiting room. I’ve actually coded in worse conditions than this, I thought to myself as I mentally selected the first task.
INITIAL TASK: Familiarize yourself with the interface. Learn to access and navigate your status screen and skills menu.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The status screen dissolved into a sleek, holographic menu. Its design blended futuristic aesthetics with elements of a classic game interface.
MENU
* Status
* Skills
* Map
* Settings
"At least there isn’t any cheesy background music I need to mute," I murmured. “Alright, let’s see what’s in here,” and I reopened the Status option. The stat block reappeared and this time I noticed the small info popup buttons next to each attribute. Curious, I “hovered” over each one, and a detailed description appeared.
* Health: Represents your physical well-being. Can be restored through rest, food, and certain QI manipulations.
* Energy (QI): The energy required to perform QI manipulations. Restores naturally over time.
* Strength: Determines your physical power and ability to perform tasks. Can be enhanced by certain QI manipulations.
* Agility: Affects your speed and reflexes. Can be enhanced by certain QI manipulations.
* Intelligence: Influences your ability to understand and control advanced nanite functions.
* QI Control Level: Initiate
I nodded, grudgingly. “Okay, this is complex and not at all what I expected. Let’s hope it’s useful.”
I quickly looked at the Skills menu and found that there were three options:
* QI Manipulation (Basic)
* QI perception (Basic)
* Energy Pulse (Minor).
I expanded the QI Manipulation (Basic) option and saw:
* Basic Repairs: Direct QI to repair minor injuries or physical damage to both internal and external targets.
* Structural Alteration (Low-Grade): Currently limited to superficial changes.
* Environmental Sampling: QI analysis of nearby substances determining basic composition.
I closed the Skills menu and selected Settings.
* QI API (Simplified)
* SYSTEM Integrated Development Environment
* SYSTEM Log
* Interactive AI
"I feel like I’ve been dropped into a bad fantasy novel," I grumbled. This cannot be happening, I thought. I must be still asleep. Right, this is just my confused brain due to the general anesthesia.
Even though I was 50% sure this was all a drug induced dream, I still sighed in relief when I saw that I had still access to the SYSTEM’s integrated development environment.
Completing the initial task of exploring some of the menu SYSTEM, a message flashed before me.
TASK COMPLETED: +10 XP
10xp! Whee!
Curiosity got the better of me and I opened the SYSTEM Logs.
LOG SYSTEM ACCESS
* 213:311:17:21:53 Reconfiguration Notice: The Advanced Nanite Controller and Programmer Module has been renamed “The QI-Cultivation SYSTEM” and reconfigured based on data integrated from the wider QI network.
* 213:311:17:20:36 SYSTEM Integration: The SYSTEM completed integration of all updates available on the wider QI network made by authorized cultivators.
* 213:311:16:57:02 Waking Protocol: Wake-up procedures initiated due to the dissipation of wild nanites in the surrounding area, opening a safe corridor for egress.
* 213:311:0:0:0 Health Update. Energy intake: Adequate. Muscle tone: Low. Biometrics: Stable.
* 213:311:0:0:0 Health Update. Energy intake: Adequate. Muscle tone: Low. Biometrics: Stable.
* 213:310:0:0:0 Health Update. Energy intake: Adequate. Muscle tone: Low. Biometrics: Stable.
* 213:309:0:0:0 Health Update. Energy intake: Adequate. Muscle tone: Low. Biometrics: Stable.
…
"Well, that explains the weird interface," I muttered. “Lucky me. Upgraded for years by random people and hopefully not by the AI.”
Then I notice the timestamps.
Dear Lord! I thought. If the timestamps were correct, those damn nanites turned me into a modern day version of Rip Van Winkle! 213 Years!
My Mom, my Dad ... gone. Hell, everyone that I have ever known is gone, as well as there damn grandkids!
I sat and stared out into space for a few minutes, getting my pounding heart to stop racing.
… and then a random thought entered my stream of consciousness, Hey! I don’t have to go to work tomorrow!
I noticed that the logs also showed that the SYSTEM was monitoring my vitals. The Energy intake kind of creeped me out though. It’s not like I was eating anything while I was out.
Then another thought hit me. All those bones … Could the nanites have been feeding me?
Shudder.
After a minute, I closed the logs. My mind was filled with disturbing thoughts. I had to force my thoughts onto a different track or I would just sit here paralized. I focused on the one weird word that kept popping up – QI.
Curious, I typed into the AI prompt: “What IS QI?”
The response was immediate: QI is the SYSTEM’s name for general-use nanites that are everywhere, and your personalized QI that is your stored reserve.
I sighed. “So, QI is just free-floating nanites and my personal stash. Stupid xianxia rebranding. Who’s the fanboy that thought this was a good idea?”
Wait, I thought. What is personalized QI?
The AI responded with, Personalized QI is QI that has be reprogrammed or “attenuated” to your internal SYSTEM for immediate use. It is gathered via cultivation, either passively or actively.
I really knew that I had to get out of this place. There was no food, no water and even the shelter it provided was questionable. I knew it in my bones, but the programmer in me just had to dig a little deeper.
I opened the SYSTEM Integrated Development Environment menu option. First things first. That stupid leveling SYSTEM has got to go.