Jessica, feeling a bit better after drinking the health medicine her mother had given her, suddenly realized that she might be late for school. Her mother assured her that there were no serious activities scheduled, and most kids were just there for fun. The school authorities had even sent emails to every student's guardian, advising them to take a few days off to prepare for night classes.
With her mother's comforting words, Jessica's mind was at ease. Isabella Maya had taken care of the broken window and tidied up the entire apartment while Jessica was asleep. She informed her daughter that she was off to work, leaving the apartment in Jessica's care.
"Take good care of yourself, dear," Isabella Maya said, planting a loving kiss on Jessica's forehead.
"Bye, Mom," Jessica replied with a smile, waving as her mother left. With the apartment all to herself, she headed up to her room and then to the bathroom for a shower.
While in the soothing embrace of warm water, Jessica had an unexpected experience. Visions from various timelines and memories of different individuals or beings flashed before her eyes. Some of these visions were terrifying, and she felt a sharp pain in her head as she instinctively placed her hands on her throbbing temples. Simultaneously, inside her body, her heart raced, and her organs seemed to be merging with the Xentorium core's energy. It was a painful and bewildering ordeal that caused Jessica to collapse in the shower.
Several hours passed, and Jessica regained consciousness. She turned off the still-running shower and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes glowed with a binary blue light.
"Oh no! What's happening to me?" Jessica whispered to herself. She felt a surge of energy within her, which slowly began to take the form of an arc reactor on her chest. It was a shocking sight, and Jessica screamed in disbelief.
Panicked, she rushed out of the shower, completely naked, and ran to her room. Beside her bedside, she opened a drawer and retrieved a pair of scissors. Desperation overcame her as she attempted to remove the arc reactor that had mysteriously affixed itself to her chest. Try as she might, her bare hands couldn't dislodge it.
As Jessica struggled to remove the arc reactor using the scissors, they snapped in her hands. Panic-stricken, she dashed downstairs and grabbed a kitchen knife. However, this knife also met an unfortunate fate, breaking into a sharp fragment that pierced her left hand's palm, lodging itself there. Her initial fear of injury soon turned into amazement when she saw her blood suspended in an eerie stillness, refusing to flow.
Summoning her courage, Jessica carefully removed the knife fragment from her hand. To her astonishment, not only did the injury heal, but her blood mended itself too. The experience left her in awe, and she decided to abandon her futile attempts to remove the arc reactor.
Returning to her room upstairs, she stood before a wall-sized mirror, still naked. In an inexplicable turn of events, she discovered that she could see through her own body like an X-ray. She marveled at the sight of her internal organs and body parts that her eyes could locate without the need for the mirror.
In addition to this newfound ability, she realized she could hear sounds from great distances. She heard whispers in the city, the rustling of the wind, the soft thud of a fallen object, and even the murmurs of sand grains. She could discern the flow of fountains, streams, and rivers, and the mighty symphony of the oceans. But what astounded her most was her ability to hear conversations from around the world, and even the celestial sounds of stars burning in the far reaches of the universe. But her astonishment peaked when she realized she could perceive something even more remarkable – she could see beyond the edge of her universe.
Shaking off her astonishment, Jessica finally dressed herself in simple attire – blue jeans and a red shirt. Yet, as she was about to put on her shirt, she couldn't escape the sight of the arc reactor still affixed to her chest.
"Why is this happening to me?" Jessica whispered to herself. "I need to clear my head," she decided, opting for a walk in the dimming evening.
After locking her door, she stepped out onto the street, now bathed in the dusky light. As she wandered aimlessly, she stumbled upon a life-threatening incident. An out-of-control vehicle hurtled towards an elderly lady, who seemed defenseless. With lightning reflexes and instinctive courage, Jessica intervened just in the nick of time, rescuing the old lady from a fatal accident.
Jessica's swift and miraculous act of saving the elderly lady left her in awe. Unbeknownst to her, it was the Xentorium core that granted her this newfound ability, transcending her instincts. In a seemingly unconscious manner, she conjured a virtual disabling device out of thin air, tossing it toward the out-of-control vehicle after securing the old lady from harm. The virtual disabling device vanished after safeguarding the vehicle and its driver from harm.
This astonishing display caught the attention of the surrounding crowd. They hailed Jessica as a young hero, someone who had put her own life on the line to rescue another, not only saving the elderly lady but also expertly halting the impending catastrophe.
After her heroic act, Jessica continued about her business, making her way back home. Her mother had returned from work and was worried about her daughter's whereabouts. Jessica's arrival eased her mother's concerns. Jessica recounted her side of the story, explaining the events to her mom. When she tried to reveal the arc reactor on her chest, her mother couldn't perceive it. To her mother, there was nothing there, and only Jessica could see the mysterious device.
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This revelation shocked Jessica, who had assumed her mother would see what was clearly on her chest. In a bid to prove her point, she entertained a risky idea and reached for a kitchen knife, attempting to cut herself in front of her mother to demonstrate her ability to heal. Her mother, alarmed, swiftly took the knife from her daughter and chalked up Jessica's experiences to the tumultuous years of adolescence and a growth spurt, urging her not to put too much pressure on herself.
In disbelief, Jessica gazed at her mother, her eyes wide open, feeling a pang of disappointment that her mother didn't believe her. She promptly retreated to her room, locking the door behind her. Isabella Maya sighed, her heart filled with compassion for her daughter.
As Jessica lay on her bed, she contemplated her mother's reaction, perplexed by the profound changes happening within her and the lack of understanding from the person she trusted most.
"Why does Mom not believe me?" Jessica pondered. "And why is this happening to me?"
A voice, unlike any she had heard before, broke through her thoughts. "It may be hard for you to understand all now, Jessica, but I assure you, it's for your own safety, and I'm sorry the process took longer than it should. I'm also sorry for the pains that you feel and the one that I've caused you during the bonding final process," the voice said. It introduced itself as Ultra AI to Jessica, who was taken aback by this sudden, mysterious presence.
Jessica shifted from a lying to a sitting position on her bed, searching for the source of the voice. It didn't take long for her to realize that it originated from the arc reactor on her chest, which glowed whenever it communicated with her.
"What or who are you? And how did you know my name?" Jessica asked, her curiosity piqued.
The Ultra AI revealed its true nature, disclosing that it was the Xentorium core that had bonded with her, but it also went by the name Ultra AI for short. It demonstrated an uncanny knowledge of Jessica's entire life history, leaving her in shock.
"Wait, you were the one who guided me to save that old lady and the driver from the accident, weren't you?" Jessica asked, seeking confirmation from her newfound companion. Ultra AI responded affirmatively.
A conversation unfolded between Jessica and her Ultra AI. She inquired if it was connected to the power source of the Ultra Heroes within her universe, which her Ultra AI promptly distinguished and explained its origins and journey.
Ultra AI disclosed that it had traversed various multiverses, planes of existence, and dimensions to reach her at random. It had bonded with previous hosts of various natures, some good, some evil, and some who had willingly relinquished its power. Jessica was left astonished when she learned she was host 1,999,887,666.
While Jessica and Ultra AI were in the midst of this revealing conversation, Jessica's mother knocked on the door. She had come to apologize to her daughter. Jessica greeted her mother with a hug and a smile, understanding her mother's concerns.
The following day, Jessica and her Ultra AI had important work to attend to. While her mother carried on with her daily routine, Jessica engaged in a private conversation with her Ultra AI. It informed her that she would be mentored by an incoming transmission from her mentor, Sophie McCoy, the original previous owner of the Ultra AI.
A mentoring message appeared in a holographic display that only Jessica could see. Sophie McCoy appeared in this form, delivering an important message. Jessica's Ultra AI explained extensively about the McCoy family and their connection to Maniverse 101, Earth 1A, the Multiverse, Universe X24, painting a complex and fascinating picture for Jessica.
"So, Peter McCoy was an alien who shared his abilities with his foster family, known as the McCoy family, and Sophie, known as Xentoria, was Peter's cousin all along until they became aware of it through another Xentorian who revealed the truth to them," Jessica mused, sharing her newfound knowledge with her Ultra AI.
"Affirmative, Jessica Starr," her Ultra AI confirmed.
Jessica absorbed the astonishing information. "Wow! That's a lot to take in. The fact that they're protectors of the multiverse and have triumphed over powerful cosmic beings and threats. It's much like the version of our Ultra AI in my universe," she remarked to herself. "Bruno and Samantha would be mind-blown when I inform them about this," Jessica continued, her excitement evident.
Her Ultra AI, however, cautioned her. "That's unethical, Jessica. You have a different purpose, a much greater destiny awaits you once you've proven to be worthy of me."
Jessica responded with playful curiosity, "Worthy of you? Like, are you some kind of Thor's hammer_Mjölnir or what?"
Her Ultra AI reminded her that she needed to take Sophie McCoy's mentoring seriously, as their path held immense responsibilities and challenges. Jessica hesitated for a moment but agreed, although she secretly yearned for self-discovery.
"Relax! I've got this. How difficult can it be to become a hero? Besides, I can also find some lesson tips about Ultra AIs from my universe's Ultra AI museum," Jessica reassured her Ultra AI. The journey of discovery and responsibility lay ahead for both of them.