11
“Really Gunny? Weights?” Aria asked.
“Yes. We need to benchmark your strength.”
“I’ve never lifted a barbell a day in my life.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” Hauora retorted. He was grinning too. “I’ll walk you through it and won’t let you hurt yourself.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You might need some gloves though,” the sarge said, ignoring her comment. “I’ll order you a pair, and in the meantime, you can try lifting without.”
“Do I have to?”
“Yes,” the sergeant answered. “Now do what I do. I’ll correct your mistakes since I don’t want you to experience a pulled muscle yet.”
*
“Everything hurts,” Aria complained.
“You did good. Stretch like I showed you. Then, we’ll get lunch,” sergeant Hauora said. “Tomorrow will be a cardo day. So, you’ll be on the treadmill again.”
“Not going to torture me more this afternoon?” Aria asked as she stretched her back like he had showed her.
“You’ll have different training this afternoon.”
“What sort of training?”
“Sight and hearing training.”
“Let me guess, smell, taste, and touch will be tomorrow and the day after.”
“Not a bad plan, but no. Once you get used to your new hearing and eyesight, we’ll move onto taste and smell. We’ll finish with touch in a few weeks,” Gunny Hauora replied. “After you come to terms with or master your senses, we’ll move onto more practical training.”
“What sort of practical training?” Aria inquired. “I’m already using my senses every day. Isn’t that practical training?
“It is, and while that is a bonus, that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
The gunny grinned. “You’ll see. I promise I’ll enjoy it.”
“That means I won’t,” Aria pointed out. His grin seemed to grow.
“If you’re nice, I’ll let you in the pool for some cardo training instead of using the treadmill in a couple of days.”
“I think I hate you.” I’m not sure if I mean that or not either.
“Good,” the gunny said. “That means I’m doing my job properly.”
*
“Alright. We’re going to start with what is called palming,” Dr Linda Klippenstein stated in the small sitting room sergeant Hauora had led Aria to after lunch. “Palming is a yoga exercise.”
“Ok,” Aria replied uncertainly.
The doctor smiled. “Palming is a way to reduce eye fatigue and relax the muscles around your eyes.”
“Sounds like something I should do when I finish this training,” Aria said. “Sort of like stretching.”
“It is,” Dr Klippenstein agreed. “But like stretching, you want to do palming to loosen up and prepare yourself as well as help the muscles once you’re finished exercising.”
“Alright. How do I do this palming, doc?” Aria asked. “And you don’t mind if I call you doc, do you?”
“You can call me doc or even Linda if you like,” Dr Klippenstein said. “As for palming, start by rubbing your hands together. Once your palms are warm, close your eyes and lay a palm over each eye and corresponding cheekbone. Breathe deeply this way for five minutes.”
Linda doesn’t seem concerned about or disgusted by my eyes. She honestly looks like she just wants to help. I’ll be nice unless she proves otherwise.
“Sure doc. Thanks,” Aria replied, doing as the doctor instructed by rubbing her palms together. This feels a bit weird. Should I mention my enhanced sense of touch? The sarge will probably say consider it more training.
After the palming, they moved onto a blinking exercise that involved closing her eyes for two seconds at a time, then onto focusing on near and far objects, and finally a tracking exercise. The tracking exercise was mostly Aria following a pencil with her eyes as Dr Klippenstein moved it around in figure eights in front of her.
*
“I am Dr Tlaib and will train you for your new sense of hearing,” the man said by way of introduction. “You may address me as doctor or Dr Tlaib.”
Great, this guy can’t stand the sight of me. He’s barely looking at me and when he does, he immediately looks away. This is going to suck.
“I’m Aria Baird,” Aria replied. “You can just call me Aria.”
She heard the gunny snort. He didn’t say anything though.
“Yes, well Ms. Baird, we’ll begin by playing different sounds at different levels starting very lowly. From there, we’ll move on to more focused training. I’ll play music and some other show or movie at the same time. While those distractions are playing, I will walk the room around reading lines from an article. You’ll repeat those lines to me.”
“Uh sure.”
“Then let us begin, the doctor said. Immediately a canon roared loudly followed by a low bird chirp. She covered her ears and noticed a smile on the doctor’s face.
“That’s too much to start with doctor,” Hauora stated.
Tlaib frowned but nodded. “I will start with softer sounds at a lower volume.”
Asshole! Aria thought. He knows what he did hurt me and doesn’t care.
*
The next week proceeded the same way with only the workouts varying. Aria didn’t get to see her parents but did talk to them daily on the phone or comm. Yeah, I guess it’s a comm since my phone was destroyed and I haven’t replaced it and am using the implant instead.
“I have good news and bad news, Aria,” Gunny said as joined her for lunch.
“What’s the bad news?”
“Dr Roth is still stonewalling your parents and seems to have the favor of one of the company’s top executives.”
“Yeah, dad is still trying though.”
“Good for him.”
“What’s the good news? Do I get a few days off?”
“No, no days off,” Hauora laughed. “You’ll get to use the pool tomorrow provided you can swim and you’re doing well enough that the decision has been made to move you onto the taste and smell training.”
“No!” Aria said in mock horror. She added, “I can swim.”
“Yes!” Gunny happily replied. “Training is good!”
12
“Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick!” Aria exclaimed the first day of her sense of smell training. She pinched her nose to keep the offending odor out.
This isn’t helping.
“Really Aria?” Dr Pamela Beasley asked. “It’s just some natto and curry.”
“Trust me doc, it’s bad,” Aria replied. She then hurled, nearly getting the vomit on the doctor instead of the trashcan in front of her. Dr Beasley had jumped up and backed away to keep from being vomited on.
Gunny Hauora laughed. Both women glared at him as did the male nurse that was assisting the doctor. The sergeant held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, but I’m a simple man and that’s funny.”
“Oh God!” Aria exclaimed as the vomit odor hit her. She threw up again.
“That’s a strong reaction to your vomit,” Dr Beasley noted. The nurse handed Aria a damp wash cloth once she was done. He took the trashcan and two samples away.
“Perhaps we could start with milder smells?” Aria asked.
“Perhaps,” Dr Beasley replied.
“Dr Beasley, I think we should stick with natural smells for now,” the sergeant stated.
“Such as plants and animals?” the doctor asked.
“Specifically, those find out in the Southland region,” Hauora replied. “Start with dry smells and then work up to wet smells and skunks.”
Well, if there were any doubt and hope I’d get out of being sent into Southland, that request proves otherwise.
“Skunks gunny?” Aria asked.
“Yes. Skunks are one of the worst smells on the planet to people and are found in the region,” Hauora answered. He grinned. “It’ll be good training.”
Dr Beasley looked at her nurse. “You heard the man. Go get some inoffensive natural samples from the vault and do something with those other samples and that trashcan.”
“Yes ma’am,” the nurse replied.
*
“Is something on fire?” Aria asked.
“Not that the sensors are showing,” Dr Beasley answered after checking her tablet.
“You smell smoke?” Sergeant Hauora asked.
“Yes,” Aria answered. The nurse entered the office pushing a cart loaded with different plants and other things. Aria started to back away from the cart.
“Brett, stop,” Dr Beasley ordered the nurse. He stopped, giving her a questioning look. “Do you have anything smokey on the cart?”
“A towel that one of the guards had held over a fire this morning,” the nurse answered.
“Get rid of it please,” the doctor said. “Aria smelled it when you were in the hall and it’s evidently overwhelming the other samples.”
“You got it doctor,” Brett replied. He exited with the towel.
“Not again!” Aria said. She threw up on the floor this time. “Something smells like dead fish.”
“Hmmm,” the doctor said. She examined the samples on the cart. “Aha! A Bradford pear flower is the culprit.”
Aria slumped against the wall furthest from the cart and door as the doctor tossed the flower into the hall. She then slid to sit on the floor, putting her arms on her knees and then her head on her arms as the door slid shut.
“Aria?” Gunny Hauora asked.
“I can smell rose and lavender. They’re nice smells, but are very strong, and are about to make me sick again,” Aria replied.
“I suggest we call it a day sergeant,” Dr Beasley said. “I’ll do some research and see if we have any mild natural scents and arrange for them to be brought in tomorrow.”
“I agree,” Hauora said as the doctor keyed something on her tablet. An exhaust fan in the ceiling started up. She then pushed the cart back into the hall. “I assume Brett will take that away.”
“Indeed,” Dr Beasley replied.
“Thank you,” Aria murmured.
*
“Sergeant Hauora, I expected more by this stage of the experiment,” Dr Roth said. “For example, today’s scent training. The subject was with Dr Beasley for barely half an hour.”
“You knew this was a time-consuming process, doctor,” the gunny replied. “From what I’ve read and heard, the ogres, other elves, dwarves, and orcs required a long adjustment period for their enhanced senses too. And they aren’t as enhanced as Aria.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Be that as it may…”
“Dr Roth, if you want Aria to be a successful prototype super soldier, then it’s going to take time,” the sergeant countered.
“But the high elves like her are not supposed to be super soldiers, Hauora. That’s what the orcs, lesser elves, dwarves, and other races are.”
“Then what is Aria supposed to be?”
“I want our little test subject to be a successful proof of concept,” Dr Roth retorted. “Once I have that, I’ll get the additional funding I need to begin creating high elves that are infiltrators, assassins, bodyguards for top executives, and even bedwarmers for said executives.”
“Then why not use a soldier in the first place?” Hauora asked.
“Expedience. Our little elf was in the right place at the right time,” Dr Roth answered. “Speaking of our little subject, where is she?”
“In the pool working on her conditioning. Why?”
“In the pool with the chemicals?”
“No,” the gunny answered. “We haven’t used the chemicals to clean that pool since she threw up in it a few times the first week she had pool access.”
“Hmmm. It’s probably easier and cheaper to just empty the pool and clean it then refill it than constantly clean it with chemicals,” Dr Roth muttered. “Anyway, I think it’s time we throw something unexpected at the subject to see how she does.”
“Like what?”
“Just a little run in with some troopers.”
“That might not be wise. Aria doesn’t have any self defense training yet,” the sergeant said.
“That will make for an even better test,” Dr Roth replied. “Let’s see how the little elf reacts. It’ll be an interesting test.”
“I’m going on record to say I disagree.”
“Noted.”
13
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*
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14
Aria started toweling off after finishing her laps in the pool. I enjoy swimming in the pool more than running on the treadmill. The water feels nice and is just the right temperature.
She wrinkled her nose as a scent hit her. Ugh. Smells like sweat and stinky socks.
Three large, odd looking dark-skinned people entered the poolroom from the furthest doorway. I was wrong. They’re gray skinned, not dark-skinned though they are wearing blank tank tops and shorts which is why I didn’t notice their gray skin at first. Gunny wouldn’t be happy with that mistake. She spotted nametags on their tops and read them silently. Simon, Bedford, and Young.
The three stopped when they spotted Aria and gestured to her. Aria wiped the towel around her waist and slipped her feet into her sandals. Gunny just had to run off and leave me alone. She glanced at the trio as they started walking towards the pool and her. They’re watching me intently, but I don’t think it’s with any sexual desire. Their gaze seems more… predatory.
Aria glanced around the poolroom and then up at where she knew cameras were. I’ve never once even seen anyone other than the sergeant, a few guards, and staff that work with me here. I can’t imagine they would risk my health if what they’re claiming is true. So, does this mean I’ve been setup for some reason like a test of some sort? Doesn’t matter. It’s time for me to go. I’ll apologize for any water I drip in the halls and to Gunny for returning to my room without permission later.
*
“Those are not troopers,” Sergeant Hauora stated.
“On the contrary, those are troopers of the shock variety,” Dr Roth retorted, a smile plastered on her face. “Our subject seems scared.”
“With good reason. She’s only ever seen normal humans and herself in mirrors,” Gunny countered. “Orcs would seem like monsters to her.”
“As they should. Orcs are meant to be monsters,” Roth replied.
*
“I smell something that smells damn good,” Bedford, the largest of the trio said loudly.
“Me too,” Young, the female whatever they were agreed. Instead of saying anything, Simon quickly moved to cut Aria off from her escape.
They’re like pack hunters, Aria realized. Or bullies.
“No comments little elf?” Young asked. She then gestured at her tall muscular body. “You’re not the first elf we’ve seen, but I bet we’re the first orcs you’ve seen.”
“I don’t want any trouble,” Aria replied nervously. Orcs? What the hell?
“We don’t either,” Simon said as he closed the distance between Aria and him. “We just want to have a little fun.”
Bedford made a show of sniffing loudly. He smiled widely, revealing what looked like oversized canine teeth. The other two smiled, revealing their canine teeth as well. Fangs? No, not on Bedford. His teeth are larger. It’s definitely time for me to go. I wonder if I can fake them out and dash past Simon.
Aria started to drop her shoulder and take a step toward Young when Bedford moved. The largest orc moved as fast as she had been able to move in the testing and grabbed her by the throat. He then walked to the closest wall and slammed her into it. Aria cried out in pain.
*
“This is going too far,” Hauora said.
“No, but it’s disappointing,” Roth replied. “I expected more from our test subject.”
“Aria has never had any sort of self defense training or skill downloads, and you know it,” the sergeant stated. “I’m going to put a stop to this.”
“I’ll signal the orcs to stand down,” Roth said as Hauora rushed from her office.
*
Bedford brought Aria’s head down towards his face as the other two laughed and closed in. Aria started shivering in fear though she could breathe fine.
“Your fear is tantalizing,” Bedford said in a low tone of voice. He paused, his eyes going unfocused. He then shook his head and sniffed her again, making her cry out. “Yes, that is what I want to smell.”
A trickling sound came from below. Young started laughing.
“The elf is so scared she pissed herself!” Simon exclaimed.
Bedford looked down, then back up at Aria’s face. “You’re lucky none of that is getting on me.”
Aria cried.
“That’s enough!” Sergeant Hauora called out. He was flanked by three other guards. All had weapons drawn. The orcs took in the guards and looked excited. “Standdown. That’s an order.”
“You’re not in control of us, Gunny,” Simon said.
“No, I’m not. But I am in the chain of command here,” Hauora replied as he cocked his handgun. “Bedford, Simon, and Young standdown. You’re tough bastards, but I doubt you can stand up to my .44 mag and the 10 gauges my backup has.”
“Fine,” Bedford said after a moment. He turned his head back to Aria. “We’ll play more later, perhaps in Southland were there won’t be any interference.” The big orc dropped her, and she sunk to the piss covered floor. “Let’s go.”
Hauora and the guards kept their weapons up until the orcs left the poolroom.
“I’m surprised they backed down,” one of the guards muttered.
“Dr Roth most likely threatened them,” another guard said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Gunny said, holstering his sidearm. “Aria, let’s get you cleaned up.”
*
They want me to fight those… orcs? Aria thought in disbelief as she used the poolroom’s locker room shower to clean herself off. She tried not to think about her… accident. It was beyond embarrassing and had been recorded. That she was sure of. Aria shook her head and toweled off.
Aria emerged from the locker room a few minutes later to find Gunny leaning against a wall. He looked pissed off. She walked past him and exited the poolroom. He followed and caught up to her as they neared her room.
“Aria, I want to apologize about that incident with the orcs,” Hauora said. “I had no idea Dr Roth was planning that.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Aria mumbled. “I’m done.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m done. I’m a musician. I can’t fight those… things. I won’t do anything else. Threaten me and my parents all you want,” Aria answered as she entered her room. The sergeant could hear the hopelessness and defeat in her voice. “You might as well kill me and get it over with.”
15
“Get her back into training!” Lin Roth snapped. “The subject can’t just stay in bed all day.”
“Aria isn’t a soldier, Dr Roth,” Sergeant Hauora replied. “I’m out of my depth here. She might need a therapist.”
“She’s refused the meals we’ve sent to her room today,” Craig Clarkson added.
“Why don’t you and Collingsworth modify her implant’s programming and force the subject back to work?” Jessica Kennedy asked.
“Is that possible?” Dr Roth asked.
“No,” Dr Clarkson replied. “That’s not possible. Aria’s mind is still fully functional and in control. The implant controls the nanites in her body, Collingsworth’s leveling system, functions as a communicator, and acts as a computer and health monitor. Everything else is all her.”
“Can’t the nanites take control?” Dr Roth asked.
“That would be highly unethical,” Gunny pointed out, making Jessica and Dr Roth frown at him. Clarkson looked thoughtful and then shook his head.
“It’s a moot point anyway,” Craig replied to Lin’s question. “The nanites were built to facilitate the species change and regulate the level upgrades once the subject reaches those thresholds, nothing more.”
“Collingsworth agrees with Craig,” Jessica announced. “He also thinks trying to change the nanobots’ programming would overload them and possibly kill the host. That, or render the bots inert.”
“Which would really set the program back,” Hauora stated.
“Fine,” Lin said after thinking things over. “Give the subject the rest of today and tomorrow to pout and sulk. After that, get her back in training.”
“And if she refuses?” Craig asked.
“Why not let her see her parents?” Gunny asked.
“No. If she wants to see her parents in person, she needs to get her ass in gear,” Dr Roth replied. “Jessica, work up a sound file of ever higher noises including those beyond human range. We’ll force her up if she refuses to cooperate on her own.”
“Yes Dr Roth,” Jessica happily replied.
*
“I’m not getting up,” Aria muttered two days later. She rolled over to face the wall.
“You’ll get up like the sergeant ordered or I’ll happily see if your hearing really is as sensitive as a cat’s,” Jessica announced over the room’s speakers.
Aria didn’t respond. Jessica started playing heavy metal music. Aria still didn’t respond other than covering her head with her pillow.
“Have it your way,” Jessica said. She moved on to gun shots. After a few minutes, she paused the sounds. “I know this hurts. Get up and I’ll stop.”
“This isn’t right,” Hauora said from Aria’s doorway.
“You can leave sergeant. I have this under control,” Jessica replied, moving onto ultrasonic sounds such as a dog whistle. That didn’t seem to bother Aria. “So, you can hear those sounds, but they don’t hurt you. So, let’s try this.”
“You’re not supposed to hurt Aria,” Gunny said.
“I said you can go sergeant,” Jessica retorted. “This is my job.”
Car horns, crashes, gun shots, and explosions started coming from the speakers. The volume kept going from low to extremely high. Aria started to thrash and moan. A few minutes later, she screamed and clutched her head before falling still.
“Stop dammit!” Gunny shouted. He rushed to the bedside as the sounds stopped. “Fuck! Medical to Baird’s room. Aria is bleeding from her ears.”
*
“I did not want my test subject injured, Jessica,” Dr Roth said. “I simply wanted her back at work.”
“Sorry Dr Roth,” Jessica replied. “I was trying my best.”
“I doubt you’re sorry or were trying your best,” Craig stated. “You deliberately hurt Aria and she’ll be out a week or more.”
“What do you know?” Jessica huffed.
“Your search history,” Craig retorted.
“Enough!” Lin Roth said. “Jessica, you’re off the high elf project. I’ve reassigned you to the lower elf project.”
“But ma’am…”
“Get out!” Dr Roth ordered.
“Yes Dr Roth,” Jessica replied sullenly. She exited her boss’ office.
“How long will it take for the subject to recover?” Lin asked Craig.
“A week if not a few days longer,” Craig answered.
“That like an excessive amount of time.”
“It is, but she was dehydrated and bordering on starvation from not eating or drinking,” Craig explained. “The nanites need more nutrients to heal her. They had already started to eat into her body’s muscle and fat stores.”
“Is she on fluids?” Lin asked.
“Yes.”
“Dammit! Johannes Sagan will not be pleased with this delay,” Lin said. “You know he has very high hopes for the high elf project.”
“I do,” Craig agreed. “Perhaps we should allow Aria to see her parents. That might help restore her spirits.”
“No. Arrange for her to be visited by a therapist just as soon as she’s recovered enough to hear though.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
*
“Aria, I’m Dr Jack Jaymes and this is my wife, Dr Eva Jaymes. We’re therapists,” an older man said after he entered the recovery room. “You may call me Jack and Eva, Eva.”
“It’s a pleasure to see you awake,” the older woman with him added. “We’re here to help you with your recent incident.”
Aria laughed. “I don’t want to talk to you. Go away.”
“We’re here to help…” Eva trailed off and flinched when Aria turned her pale-yellow eyes on the older woman.
“Unless you’re here to slit my wrists or neck, you’re not here to help me,” Aria retorted. “Or you could untie me, and I’ll slit my own wrists.”
“That’s not…” Jack began before snapping his mouth shut. Aria stared at him. Jack blanched as did Eva. He gestured to the door and Eva walked out. He followed his wife without another word. Aria laughter followed them as it turned to sobs.