My eyes wandered over to the window to peek at the outside world, and there I stood absentmindedly looking outside. My trance was interrupted by the growling of my stomach, I sighed.
Times been going so fast lately, I have no time to finish my projects. I pried my eyes away from the window and lifted my hand to adjust my shirt, but soon realized that a supercapacitor was in the grasp of my hands.
Ah right, the capacitor that was giving me quite a hassle. It's extraordinarily light and its capacitance exceeds any on the market currently, if we compare it to its weight to capacitance ratio. Results from thousands of revisions of the design, It will be useful for the handheld railgun project.
I carefully put it down.
The rail gun project was started by the military in order to obtain effective weapons against shielded vehicles with heavy armor. The demands are that the rail gun should be able to penetrate 10 cm of steel, and a normal human wearing mechanical armor should be able to wield it without any severe kickback.
In my calculations I estimate that the bullet should weigh at least 1 kg, have a diameter of at least 50mm, and be capable of speeds of 1800m/s or more in order to penetrate 10 cm steel with the energy of about 1.5 megajoules. Which depends on how much current the supercapacitors can deliver, and that can increase/decrease the velocity. Of course other factors also contribute, such as friction of the rails touching the bullet which would be minimal if they are machined precisely.
Several scientists were designing different models of the gun, all of the different rail gun designs will be tested and only one will be accepted. Each of the scientists are specialists in their field but I have a clearer advantage since I study electrical engineering. At least, in regards to power delivery of the supercapacitor and potentially superconductors; with a combination of a pressure and cooling system in order to maximize the amount of current being delivered from supercapacitor to the rails and at the same time shrinking the cable or bus bar size.
The firing chamber might also be vacuumed in order to minimize air drag inside the barrel.
Considering all these ideas combined into one, it will be a weighty object so the important thing is that it has to be carried with mechanical armor, or else it does not serve any useful purpose beside being repurposed into a gun turret perhaps.
I stared into the distance and sighed again.
Ha. How funny, for me to make weapons...
No choice... I have no choice.
I shook off my distress and walked through the apartment thoughtlessly.
Food. right, I'm quite hungry.
I came to my senses and quickly analyzed my surroundings to deduce that I should take a left turn next.
And there my kitchen was, in all it's glory. I went over to turn the oven on and noticed that a chair was placed obnoxiously in front of my refrigerator so that it blocks the door.
Ah, I forgot to move the chair back from when i was fixing the refrigerator. I swiped the chair with one fluid motion and placed it closer to the oven then I quickly span around, twirling my leg and sat on the chair cross-legged.
I thought about several things while I sat there, staring at the oven.
My dad, I wonder if he's up there along with my sister watching over me? My face muscles relax as I think my deceased family. If only we could have avoided that accident somehow. Then my sister wouldn't have needed to pass on. Damn people and their emotions... Why are we humans so imperfect?
My reminiscence was interrupted by a mechanical pling. I stood up straight as a reflex. Thankful for the distraction, I quickly focused on something else, my gaze wandering to the freezer.
Maybe I should make something easy today, like a pizza perhaps.
I took a pizza out and put it in the oven. The oven automatically recognizes the food and adjusts the timer and heat accordingly. It will also make a sound when it thinks the food is done.
If there's one thing that accident has taught me, is that emotions are not needed in times of crisis. I value rationality much more over emotions, I looked over at a picture stationed at the top of a drawer.
Members of my family were shown in the picture. The picture was taken when I was 15, just a year before the accident. I looked over to the face of my mom.
Mom, I hope at least you're doing well. My eyes jumped over to look at the face of my sister. She was a cute child truly resembling her mother with the same traits, she had brown hair, a cute small nose, and a happy outgoing personality, but most importantly, she was kind. Whenever my mother and sister went out shopping, my sister would always think of me, telling my mother to buy my favorite snacks or drinks.
A tear forms in my eyes as I get emotional, thinking how sad it was that such an innocent child could lose her life because of an adult's idiotic decision.
My eyes are so sensitive. I wiped the tear away with my shirt.
I shook my head and looked at the oven to check the time remaining.
Seems like there's only a few seconds left. Let's just take out the pizza and think about something else.
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16:00 - After eating.
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In the shades of the shadows, tiny rays of sunlight were cast through the curtains. I sat there with my legs stretched out, reading a book on my comfy sofa.
I was looking down at my book, thoroughly enjoying reading about complicated topics, my full focus was directed to this book, at least until a merry tune reverberated throughout my apartment.
Someone had rung the doorbell.
The doorbell? Who's here I wonder. I walked over to the door, walking through my living room, my kitchen, then finally to my main door.
I opened the door slowly because I knew the halls were cramped and I didn't want to slam the door into whoever was standing on the other side.
"Yes?" I say as I peek through the opening.
A woman jumps into my vision.
"おはよう~, it's your favorite おかあさんだよ~!" The woman says in a strange accent mixed with a language I didn't know.
I took another good look at her and realization dawned on me.
"Mom?!" I was caught off guard, I didn't know she was coming here. She didn't call me or anything.
Wait, wasn't that Japanese?
My brows raise in suspicion. "My mom doesn't know Japanese! Who are you? Where is my real mom?!" I say in a grand splendor of theatrics, moving my hands with practiced grace.
She looked sad at my comment "Ehh? I am your real mom! How could you say such a horrible thiiiing?!" She said cryingly. But then, she suddenly took a defensive posture. Her legs slid along the floor as she put one foot far behind the other, it resembled the kicking stance of taekwondo, "You're right, I'm actually a gangster and I'm here to steal your money!" She laughs heartily, this sudden change of demeanor brought a smile to my face.
We both begin laughing heartily. All our dialogue so far was just a joke that we like to do, It distracts us from our family losses. "No, but seriously, when did you learn Japanese?" I questioned.
I didn't know my mom spoke Japanese, is she taking lessons, or is it self taught?
My mom ponders for a bit.
"I remembered when you were small, you said you wanted to go to Japan. And I'd thought it would be fun to learn another language. Anyway, don't mind that." She smiles at me with a motherly care.
"How are you doing my son?"
Just because of that? I looked at my mother. My mom has always been compassionate like this. Even though she is nearing her 70's she's still so vigorous and kind.
"That's amazing mom, and I'm doing just fine, how about you?"
My mom shakes her head.
"You don't have to worry about me, that's my job." She responds lovingly.
If only everyone in the world was like my mom. She's loving and caring when needed but when the time calls for it, she is rational and determined. I've seen that for myself after all. I had a faint smile on my face, my mood generally boosted from this sudden visit.
"You can come in mom. I'll make some tea for you." I walked over to the kitchen and up to a box adorned with flowers and pretty lines to accentuate the beauty of the box.
I will probably never forget what her favorite tea is. We always used to drink tea, all four of us, at home. I opened the box which let the aroma escape. I took a deep breath and enjoyed the smell before handpicking a specific tea bag from an array of several tea bags.
My mother sat down at a chair around a table in the living room. She enjoyed the rays of the Sun and sat there waiting for me.
A minute later I finished making the tea and came over to sit on the chair opposite to my mother, I noticed the backpack at her side but quickly ignored it and sat one teacup down.
"Here mom, I picked your favorite tea." I handed the other teacup over to her.
"Thanks, honey," She accepts it with both hands.
I took a sip of the tea, but when I was about to put it down I noticed several objects laying on the table that I haven't seen before.
I don't remember putting something on the table, is it perhaps mom's stuff? But, I find it hard to believe that she would bring a syringe, is it really her stuff? Why would she? I looked at my mother with a strange look after seeing a syringe laying on the table. There was also a bracelet and a folded piece of paper, but the syringe was clearly the most suspicious item here.
"What are those things? Are they yours?" I ask, clearly confused.
My mother's expression changed to a serious one as I mentioned the items.
"I've recently gone through my husband's stuff and I found these." She looks at the syringe, bracelet, and the piece of folded paper.
"Really? What are these items, why was there a syringe in his stuff?" I didn't expect my father to leave something like that behind, so I looked at my mother for answers.
"Please read this," My mom said seriously. She stretches out her hand, a piece of folded paper laid in her rough but kind hands.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Is this also from my dad?" Having her hands extended out, I had no choice but to accept it.
"Yes, it is. Please take a read." She encourages.
Spurred on by my mother I folded the paper up, the note was written with neat handwriting and spacious sections.
Dear son, if you are reading this, it means that I am probably dead. I stopped reading and looked up at my mom.
"When did my dad write this?" I questioned.
"Don't mind that, keep reading. I'll answer your questions afterward."
I nodded and looked down to read the rest.
I've left behind this letter and some other things in the case of my death. The reason I've left behind these things is so you can be enlightened to the exciting path on which I was researching. You're probably seeing 2 things in front of you right now, a bracelet and a syringe. Inside of that syringe are nanobots. Tiny little machines that can go inside someone's body. What I've been trying to do with my research is to get that bracelet and nanobots to communicate together and gather information about the body through the cells in our body. I won't go into the details in this letter because I've already left all the details on the bracelet in the notes tab. If you're even remotely interested in my research and nanobots then you can inject yourself with the nanobots that I've left behind. This is one hundred percent safe, I've done it on myself and another researcher. I've also tested it on hundreds of mice... That's all I have to say. And son, I love you and your mother, I always have.
What?? Nanobots? I was astonished and looked up at my mom.
"Have you read it? What are your thoughts?" She looks at me expectantly.
"Umm, he wrote about nanobots? Are there really nanobots inside that syringe?" I took a quick peek at the suspicious syringe laying beside the bracelet. The liquid inside the syringe was sloshing around, if I looked closer, I could see numerous tiny little black things inside the liquid.
"Yes, I think so. I don't know much about this nanobots business, but since my husband referred to his son in his letter, I think they were meant for you to have." She said as she pushed the remaining 2 things on the table to me.
I inspected the bracelet and syringe. 'He seriously managed to create nanobots and this bracelet thing that can communicate with the nanobots? How did he do that? He must have been funded by a big company right? That's amazing!' I looked back at mom with thankfulness exuding from my facial expression.
I have to thank my mom some way. I would have liked to take her to a restaurant or something, but it's too late now. I'll surprise her with that later.
"Thank you, mom. If you hadn't found this I never would have known what dad was researching." My face relaxed at the thought that I finally know what my dad was doing all those years in his lab.
My mother smiles at me. "You don't have to thank me, I just did what every mother would have done."
I looked at my mom with a smile, thinking back to everything she's done for me, the emotions invaded my thoughts. And, even though I said I wanted to cast emotions away, it's not like I can rid myself of them 100% of the time, just when the time calls for it.
"No, I have to thank you for everything you've done for me throughout my life." I went over to hug my mother with a big embrace like it was the last day I could see her.
"Aww, you're too sweet son." She pats me on the back. We stand there for a good 3 or 4 seconds of hugging.
She looks down at her watch. "Oh. Sorry, I promised to meet my friend today, and I'm already late." She abruptly says.
"Oh, okay. That's fine mom." I followed her to the door.
"I'll visit some other time. So be sure to have some tea ready for me." She hurriedly dresses and walks out the door.
She waves at me as she walks down the corridor, I wave back.
"Have fun with your friend!" I shouted down the corridor.
When my mother was gone I locked the door and walked over to my workbench. I moved the supercapacitor and all the other stuff away from my bench to gain some more space to place down the two items.
A syringe and a bracelet... My father wrote that I should inject the nanobots into my bloodstream, was it? Does the bracelet work without the nanobots injected? I equip the bracelet, but nothing happens.
I guess not. So, I guess I have to inject the nanobots? I'm not so keen on syringes, but, it's from my dad and I trust him. If he says it's safe then it must be. I had full faith in my father. And I had this worrying feeling that If I don't inject the nanobots it'll be like I have denied my father's hard work throughout his life.
It can't be that bad, I've had several vaccines injected into me throughout my life. Plus, this one is smaller than any one of those other syringes. I wonder how small these nanobots are? Anyway, let's think about that later. I held the syringe over my left arm. I looked closer at the syringe, the liquid and black dots were sloshing around.
The black dots must be the nanobots and there's also liquid inside the syringe, but I'm not sure what kind of liquid it is. Hmm, I don't know much about syringes but I think I should tap the syringe to get out potential air bubbles that might be stuck inside. I held up the syringe, tapped it a few times, and pushed the plunger up a little to get any air bubbles out.
Okay. Here it goes, I plunged the syringe into my arm. I injected the nanobots slowly, It stung a little bit, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
That's weird, I thought I would feel something from the nanobots entering my bloodstream, but it just feels like a normal syringe. I injected the whole thing into my bloodstream and finally removed the needle from my arm. The tens of thousands, no, even hundreds of thousands of nanobots that were injected into me began swimming through my bloodstream, waiting to analyze cells with the permission of the bracelet. Nanobots in today's advancements were around the micrometer mark, so he might have even been able to cut it down to around 1 micrometer. So, it's no wonder that he could fit so many nanobots in one syringe.
I don't feel any different. That's so cool, to think I have thousands of nanobots inside me right now. I looked at the bracelet, but nothing was happening.
Maybe I have to activate it with this thing? Is that a fingerprint reader? I put my finger against something that looked like a fingerprint reader.
New user detected Adding fingerprint as admin... Complete!
"Woah!" I stumbled backward, almost getting caught between my chair's legs and tripping. I quickly restabilized and was awed at what I saw in front of me.
What? Is this a hologram? I poked the hologram. My hands went right through it. My heartbeat suddenly sped up at this shocking new sight. How cool! Damn, did he make the hologram as well or did someone else make that? I'm starting to wonder here, what kind of company did he get funded by? Or was this just something he did with his own time and money?' I started racking my brain, I was curious and I wanted answers. 'No, considering that it's quite expensive making a couple of thousand nanobots even in 2030, he must have been funded. Funded by which company then? Or maybe it's not even a company. I can see the military using a technology like this, but It's hard to say. I looked at the hologram. Looks like it's added my fingerprint now.
Connecting to nanobots......... Complete Will you allow nanobots to analyze your cells? Yes / No
Jeez, they pop up so suddenly. I read the text on the hologram that appeared out of seemingly nowhere.
Oh, I need to permit them. It's good I still have some choices. I didn't think much of it and just pressed yes.
Please look at this while we are gathering data and building the status screen
Information related tabs:
[Medical]
[Biological]
[Status]
Okay, so this is where I can learn more about the functions of the nanobots? I looked at the 3 tabs.
Well, let's go from the top then. I clicked on medical.
Medical Nanobots can neutralize dangerous viruses, bacteria, cancer, or toxins from the bloodstream or organs. The nanobots do this when it detects a danger and asks the host for authorization to remove said danger. The nanobots also help mend lacerations, bone fractures, internal bleeding, and more, effectively speeding up recovery. Healthy and trained individuals will recover faster.
Wow, that's amazing! I've read that nanobots would potentially be able to kill viruses and look for cancer, but to think it can help heal the body as well! I'm simply astounded. I read through the text once more just so I could memorize it a little better. 'I'm sure this thing can do much more exciting stuff right?' I clicked on biological.
Biological Various information about your body is displayed on the hologram such as body condition and the required amount of nutrients for your body to survive. Nanobots can look into mental conditions too, as long as you allow them to travel beyond the blood-brain barrier.
Huuh. Wow. They can even figure out my mental state if I allow them into my brain? That sounds like a great way to allow people to hack the nanobots and make me into a robot or something. I'm not sure how vulnerable the nanobots are, but it sounds risky. Even though I did criticize it, it still amazed me.
I glanced over it several times, my excitement building up by the second over this amazing device. After I admired the nanobots biological functions enough times, I then clicked on the next tab.
Status example Stats Name: x Strength: x Race: x Constitution: x Age: x Dexterity: x
This is your status screen as shown in the main menu. It contains basic information such as name, race, and age. Which is calculated from looking at your genes. But you have to insert the name yourself. Basic stats are more complicated as it has to look at your muscle density, blood delivery efficiency, energy conversion efficiency, and more. These are all monitored to provide a general approximation of strength, constitution, and dexterity. The stats are numerical values and are shown compared to an average adult male if the host is male and vice versa if the host is female.
Oh wow! I get an RPG style status menu? I remember when I was small I played games like this where they had a status menu. That's so cool. I glanced over the hologram and began reading.
I have to wonder. If they can get information at such a high degree, how many nanobots were really in that syringe? 10 thousand? 100 thousand? a million? Who exactly funded my father?! I wondered, absolutely astonished over the nanobots. I turned my head away from the hologram to look out the window, some rays of sunlight were settling on my face. The sun was about to set. Hm. Maybe I can find out in the notes tab? Anyway, I have work tomorrow. Let's go to sleep. I waved the hologram out of existence and readied myself for bed.
I laid down on the bed and stared at my plain ceiling, thinking about everything that happened today.
My dad made such a wondrous device that defies all of my thoughts on today's advancements in science, even though I do work at an advanced research facility. I know that the government and companies are hiding technology that would defy the common sense of regular citizens today, but to think my dad had something like this... I looked at the bracelet that I was wearing even though I couldn't see much over the cover of darkness. I feel like it'll be a good day tomorrow. I closed my eyes and slept peacefully through the night.
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Day 30/09/2030
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I woke up to having my ears be invaded by the screams of the tone on my phone.
Okay, time to get up, work is calling. I struggled to move my tired body. I eventually sat up straight and tapped my phone to unburden my ears from the screeching of hell.
It's a new beautiful day and I will go to work along with this bracelet. I looked at the bracelet and then back on my phone. Since I still have some time to spare, let's take a peek at the status menu. A smile formed on my face when I thought of this amazing technology that my dad made.
I pressed my finger against the fingerprint reader on the bracelet.
Building status menu... Complete
I wonder who programmed this? Was it my dad? I'm not a programmer myself but coding something like this must have been hard right? The coding must be almost as impressive as the technology they use in the hologram, it's astounding that you can interact with buttons and press yes or no on the hologram. I looked at the hologram as it slowly built the status menu.
Status Stats Condition Name: ??? Strength: 1.08 Health: No issues Race: Human Constitution: 0.87 Toxins: Toxins detected Age: 40 Dexterity: 0.96 Food and water: No action needed Settings Library Notes
Ah, It looks a bit different from the example. I looked at the question marks where my name was supposed to go. Can I insert my name here? Do I just click on it? A virtual keyboard instantly appeared under the status menu when I clicked on the name. Woah, what is this? That's so cool. Can I actually type on it? The key on the keyboard was pressed down and a letter appeared beside the name. Wow. I quickly got over my surprise and pressed the remaining keys to spell my name.
Okay, let's go over this more deeply afterward. I have to hurry to my workplace. I closed the hologram and got dressed.
Alright! Let's go. I walked out the door of my apartment with my back straight and a smile on my face.