Chapter 56 – EVO
***Tirnanog, Mount Aerie***
***Astra***
I was just channelling my inner Dr. Frankenstein! Magnus explained while the family was sitting around the mansion’s dining table.
Normally, I had always been sitting next to my parents, but with Magnuss arrival, the sitting order had been changed up to avoid mistakes with the food.
In the middle of the huge table, we had a pot with stew from which everyone could eat. In addition, Magnus and I had our separate selection of meats while Mom and Dad had their own across from us.
Magnuss prize, the ratkin core, was also on display a macabre trophy which ruled tonights topic.
You could have told me what you were trying to do! Etan complained. Instead, you just went and mutilated a corpse like some madman! While everyone was watching you!
I lifted the fork and took a bite from my medium raw hornhop steak. It was a welcome addition to my dull meat diet thanks to partnering up with Magnus. While the others bickered, I chewed slowly and enjoyed the show.
Technically, it wasn’t a corpse, or I wouldn’t have been able to monitor the necessary nerve signals to keep the core running. The creature’s nervous system is giving off a constant ‘I am alive’ notice. Without it, the cores just shut down. Assuredly to prevent outsiders from using them, Magnus explained. And I have to say it was quite the overreaction when you slapped the core out of my hand and swore everyone to secrecy.
The pioneers from the seventh were about to arrive! Etan exclaimed. I don’t expect the information ban to hold for more than a week before rumours begin making the rounds. Do you have any idea how big this is?
He shook his head. If we can utilize a dead creature’s core… it could jump-start our way back to high technology! And you went and demonstrated it in front of a hundred people!
Hold your horses. Magnus raised a hand. First, it was an experiment. I didn’t even know whether it would work. And if I understood correctly, then you guys don’t even know what half the cores inside a monster do. These heart-pumps are obvious, but I don’t get what the smaller ones are for. Not at all.
Did it ever occur to you to think about what it would have looked like if the experiment hadnt worked? Etan narrowed his eyes. I remember you asking questions about cores! Hasnt anyone told you about the worms? If you could take one over-
Of course, I have, Magnus rebuked him. I also remember Gilbert mentioning lots of your people dying due to the radiation afterwards. I am not going anywhere near those things unless you find one dying of old age.
Mother rubbed her temple and winced. You said that you would take him out to gather some reputation among the hunters. Not start a rumour mill about him being either the greatest prodigy our strata has or a total nut-job. Have you at least closed the breach?
Etan waved the matter off. The pioneers closed the ratkins tunnel without further problems. Then he turned on me. Astra, say something! He is your partner.
I slowly swallowed my meat before I spoke. Actually, I recognized the reference for what it was. I vaguely remember watching Frankenstein with my biological parents back on Earth.
See? Magnus patted my head. I honestly thought about calling out ‘Heureka!’, but figured it wouldn’t fit the situation. My other line was ‘Kali Ma!’ from Indiana Jones. Or Kano wins!, but I thought it even less likely for anyone to get the reference.
Either of those would have made you sound like some creepy cultist, I pointed out. Nine out of ten people wouldn’t have understood it. Maybe none at all. I am glad you chose to quote Frankenstein.
Mother groaned. Don’t encourage him, Astra!
I lightly chopped his forehead. Bad Magnus! You should have understood that Etan was trying to build up your reputation and acted all proper.
Magnus shrugged. I can live with going down in the annals of history as the one who gave cores a better purpose than mere feed for a smelter.
I thought so too. Magnus and I had to do some extraordinary things if we ever wanted to step out of my parents’ shadow.
But Etan’s and Teresa’s point of view was also understandable. Mom, Dad, I understand where you two are coming from, but maybe you are seeing the situation a little too much from an elder’s point of view. You two are essentially immortal. Even if you are trying to raise us as potential successors, it will be quite some time before we have to take over. At least I hope so. In the meantime, we have to forge our own path to gain recognition.
I turned to my partner. Magnus, I think it wasn’t quite the publicity disaster my parents are making it out to be. One bad rumour about you wont change much in the long run.
He smiled lovingly at me.
But don’t do something like that at a public announcement like the annual festival where thousands of people would be watching you. Or I will strangle you myself, I added, deadly serious.
He stopped smiling.
You want me to cut a microchip out of you? Thalia regarded Magnus with a mocking expression. I know you are some kind of spy, but this is movie material. I suppose I am not allowed to tell my parents about it?
Just tell them that I will explain during tomorrows gathering at the Hall of Law, I told Thalia.
So its something big, my friend concluded.
I had no illusions about her and her parents sharing everything sooner or later due to their unique mental abilities. But it was unlikely for the Tates to cause any trouble if they were promised their questions would be answered at the next meeting.
Fine, but I will need some special equipment for this. Thalia gestured for us to follow her.
Special equipment? Magnus asked worriedly. Just cut it out and be done with it. We are just here because Astra refused to do it herself.
I cleared my throat. Magnus, I am good at dressing game, but Ive never operated on someone and have you seen yourself in a mirror recently? When you told me where the chip is located, I knew we would need to ask the Tates for help.
Where exactly did they put it? Thalia asked.
Right at the back of my left thigh where all the fat tissue is. It shouldnt be a problem to cut it out. If I was flexible enough, I would do it myself. Magnus reached down to his thigh where the chip had been implanted. Oh!
Having seen and felt him naked often enough, I already knew what he hadnt thought about. Muscles, I affirmed.
The zipper mutation was a little peculiar, in that it changed all of a persons fat tissue into muscles. Still remember when you got punched to kingdom come and your skin and flesh were gone but the muscles remained unaffected?
That might be a problem, my partner admitted sheepishly.
Thalia eyed us contemplatively over her shoulder while she was walking. I suppose I better find some pliers.
Half an hour later we had Magnus complaining while lying on his belly on an operating table. It twinges.
Dont be a baby, Thalia replied while she pried apart dark, fibrous muscle tissue. I gave you the most powerful local anaesthetic I had on hand. More and I would be afraid of killing you. Your poison resistance is monstrous.
I watched the operation in silent fascination while I held two pliers for my much weaker friend.
Wirecutter!
I handed Thalia the dubious medical instrument. Why would you people have a wire cutter in your surgery toolbox?
You two arent the only ones with resilience enhancements, Thalia hissed while she snapped one of the muscle strands to free the chip.
Ow! Magnus called out and hit the metal operating table with his fist, denting it.
Hey! Control yourself, Thalia reprimanded him and cut out another strand before she finally managed to retrieve the chip with a tweezer.
She placed the chip in a surgeons bowl and added the removed muscle to the others on a Petri dish before she began sewing Magnus up with practised movements.
The chip was a flat piece of what looked like murky glass with rounded edges. It was two centimetres in length and about eight millimetres wide. If it werent for the golden lining on one side, I would have taken it to be any old piece of glass. But according to Magnus, it was the worlds best method for permanent information storage.
Once Magnus was cleaned up and turned back around, his eyes fell immediately on the Petri dish. Did you vivisect me!?
Just a little, Thalia admitted. It will grow back. I have to take a look at these muscles. I have a theory that they are some form of hybrid between a battery and a capacitor for them to be able to deliver such a high power output in relatively short time intervals. In any case, this operation at least confirmed my suspicion that your musculature is no longer purely organic.
She brought them over to a microscope. These look like countless little capacitor cells if you ask me. When you look at the cross-section where I cut, they look like a winding element which can be statically charged.
Magnus sighed and rubbed his thigh.
I smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek to make the pain go away.
Anyway shouldnt Iv be around here somewhere? I havent seen her today.