May 18, 2067
Alex Mitchell (Volkov) POV
"Vega, how's the nanocolony coming along?" I asked my assistant, who had been overseeing the process in my absence.
"I'm in the final stages of calibration," she replied a minute later, her voice calm and efficient. A primitive loading bar flickered onto my visor display.
"Estimated time remaining: approximately twenty-three minutes," she added, this time with more precision.
With Vega occupied, I needed to kill some time. Fortunately, I had a few options. I wandered into the adjacent room, where I'd set up a small shooting range.
Recently, I'd managed to acquire the neighboring pavilion. Kiwi and I had dumped all our unwanted junk there, and after clearing it out, I'd converted one of the rooms into a concealed storage space for my suits. Keeping them off the radar had taken considerable effort — and a small fortune in security measures. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best I could afford for now. Eventually, this would be my dedicated space for upgrading and maintaining my armor. Until then, I had to make do with my cramped little workshop.
"Alex, calibration is complete." Vega's message popped up in my HUD.
"Thanks, on my way."
Heading back, my gaze landed on the container Vega had been configuring. I picked up the cube-shaped device, turning it over in my hands before slipping it into my pocket. Then, I went to find Kiwi.
"Hey, got something for you," I said, raising a hand in greeting and lifting the container with my other.
"Is that the one?" she asked, eyeing the cube with interest.
"Yep." I placed the capsule on Kiwi's desk and climbed onto the operating chair. "So, shall we get started?"
"Lie down and shut up," she shot back, rolling her eyes as she pressed a button on the side of the cube.
The container unlocked with a soft hiss, revealing its contents. Inside, nestled in a docking cradle wired to various monitoring instruments, was a vial. It held the nanites — the microscopic swarm that would soon be coursing through my veins. Up close, the liquid inside looked eerily like mercury. And, to be honest, the thought of Kiwi injecting this stuff straight into me wasn't exactly reassuring.
"Don't move. Wouldn't want to miss and hit something important," she teased, wagging a finger at me as she loaded the vial into an injector gun.
That shut me up. I lay still, waiting as she prepped the injection. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long. Within moments, the injector — built tough enough to pierce my enhanced physiology — pressed against my skin. A sharp prick, a brief rush of cold spreading through my veins, and just like that, the tiny machines were inside me, ready to awaken their dormant brethren.
It didn't take long for them to get to work. My visor flickered as lines of data began scrolling across the display, feeding me real-time updates from the AI I had designed. Step by step, it documented every stage of the process, logging every detail with precision.
Initiating de-preservation process for designated object: "Nanites"…
Process successfully completed. Beginning assimilation of the reactivated colony…
Assimilation complete. Analyzing deep memory layer protocols…
Analysis complete. Preparing for full colony integration…
Processing mutagenic tissue…
Analyzing biological code of the host…
Mutagen and biological code analysis complete…
Compatibility check initiated…
Check complete. Conducting initial neurodrift with the host…
Primary neurodrift completed. Preliminary compatibility score: 82%…
Initiating additional calibration...
A sudden shiver rippled through my body, like a swarm of tiny insects skittering just beneath my skin. A few seconds later, symbols flickered across my retinal display, flooding my vision with chaotic data. The overload forced me to shut down my visor before it blinded me completely. I clenched my jaw and waited as the nanites worked their way through my system.
The whole experience was unsettling, to say the least. But I kept my expression neutral, unwilling to show any sign of unease. According to Vega's projections, full deployment of the nanites would take about five minutes — meaning I only had to endure this for another couple.
"Alex, how do you feel?" Kiwi's voice carried a hint of concern as she studied my blank expression.
"Manageable," I admitted. "But the constant tingling across my body is freaking me out a little. I know it's just part of the recalibration process to push compatibility to 100%, but that doesn't make it any less uncomfortable."
My visor stayed off, but my retinal interface continued bombarding me with updates. Kiwi didn't push the issue, focusing instead on the scanner readings built into the operating chair.
Calibration process complete…
Neurodrift synchronization reached 100%…
"Looks like it's finally over." I exhaled, diving into the fresh batch of data my AI had compiled.
Mars — that was the name I'd given my custom-built AI — had managed to wrap up the final recalibration a full minute faster than Vega predicted. Not bad.
"According to the scanners, your body accepted the nanites without any issues," Kiwi confirmed.
"They were designed with my modified DNA in mind, but to be honest, I wasn't sure that'd be enough." I flexed my fingers, testing out the functions of my newly integrated nanocolony.
Unfortunately, with the current limited supply, my options were pretty basic — I could reinforce small patches of skin, coating them with a thin layer of nanorobots. But even with their low quantity, the durability boost was insane. A scalpel with molecular precision barely left a scratch on the nanite-covered surface. In other words, the experiment was a success.
"Alright, break's over. Time to get to work." I sighed, already bracing myself for the headaches that awaited me.
Sure, the nanomachines would eventually enhance my body in every possible way, but for now, they weren't enough. Generating a full suit of armor was still out of the question — my body simply couldn't store enough of them yet. Right now, the best I could do was a thin coating over my skin — enough to boost durability and physical stats, but nowhere near what I envisioned. Maybe I'd find a solution soon. Until then, I'd have to make do.
"At least you're one step closer to your ultimate goal. That means you're on the right track." Kiwi flashed a thumbs-up.
"Oh, I know. I just want everything all at once." I waved her off, groaning as I pushed myself out of the absurdly comfortable chair. "Anyway, I'm heading back to brainstorm some more. Thanks for the help."
As I walked out, I kept toying with the nanocolony, running small tests just to see how it responded. It was fun for now, but I had a feeling I'd get bored of it pretty fast. I was already used to this kind of thing — ever since I built my first fully functional exoskeleton, I'd practically lived inside the damn thing, sometimes even falling asleep in it.
"Man, those were the days..."
***
It took over two weeks of relentless work just to start getting a handle on my new acquisition. Even after all that effort, I hadn't mastered even a third of its full potential. I didn't even want to imagine how much longer it would've taken without Vega's help. She didn't just optimize the nanites — she trained Mars in the process. My AI had become noticeably more efficient compared to the sluggish mess it was during our first interactions.
Beyond that, I'd also taken extra precautions with my cybersecurity. The last thing I needed was some unfriendly entity — be it a rogue AI or a netrunner — hacking into my system. Locking everything down had been a serious pain, but necessary. To be fair, I'd always been a tough nut to crack, and hijacking any of my devices was damn near impossible. But I wasn't stupid enough to think my defenses were impenetrable. As a failsafe, I designed a kill-switch — if someone ever managed to breach my system, it would instantly sever all network connections, leaving the attacker with nothing to manipulate. Of course, it would also cut me off from the outside world, but that was a small price to pay for keeping my body out of enemy hands.
As for my suit, it was still way too early to think about generating it directly on my body. Right now, even forming a basic protective layer took thirty minutes and required an external container stocked with nanites.
I was working on accelerating the process, but that wasn't something I could afford to rush. And the reactor? That was an even bigger headache. Unlike the rest of the armor, it couldn't yet be fabricated from scratch, meaning I had to lug it around wherever I went. Fortunately, it was compact enough to be portable.
I planned to finish the nanocolony's basic training by the end of summer — by then, the number of unwanted witnesses wandering the wastelands would have significantly dwindled. That would give me all the time I needed to train Vincent. His new toy required a very particular set of skills, and there was only one way to acquire them: real combat. I'd also have to inject him with nanites and administer an upgraded version of my DNA-based serum to make sure he could handle all of Atlant's functions without breaking himself in the process.
A normal human wouldn't last five minutes using it. Reacting and making decisions at high speed required something like a Sandevistan or Kereznikov just to keep up. But even with those implants, he'd burn out fast — the human brain would fry itself long before he realized something was wrong. I could try redesigning V's suit to make it more user-friendly, but that would mean overhauling everything from the ground up. In other words, a complete waste of time.
Luckily, we'd managed to get the serum to a somewhat usable state. It now allowed adults to undergo transformation without too much trouble, though the side effects of the mutagen were... peculiar. Throughout the process, the subject would experience an insatiable hunger, devouring food in massive quantities. Based on our estimates, the transformation period would last anywhere from one to two weeks, depending on the individual's physiology.
When it came to testing our serum, we had no shortage of unwilling volunteers — scumbags from Night City who were all too eager to stumble into our hands. Did Kiwi and I ever stop to consider the morality of it? Not in the slightest. A long time ago, we'd already divided people into three categories: those we wouldn't hesitate to kill, those we were indifferent to, and those we considered family.
The new world was a brutal place, and in some ways, I had already adapted to it. It would be strange if I were still the same person I'd been at the start of this journey. If you really thought about it, we were even doing the city a favor — cleansing it of its lowest filth. And that arrangement worked just fine for us. The police didn't care about the disappearances of bottom-feeders, and the Sixth Street Gang never bothered to ask where their street trash had vanished to. In short, we had everything under control.
Living at this pace, I barely noticed summer slipping away. The days blurred together, but even with my packed schedule, I made sure to carve out time for the people closest to me, taking short trips into the city whenever I could.
As for my main job, hiring Gloria was a game-changer. With her help, we finally got the relief our bodies desperately needed.
She officially joined us in the last month of summer — though joined might not be the right word. Dragged in was more like it, practically wrapped in a damn gift bow, courtesy of Jeremy. And honestly? I couldn't blame the guy. His wife had stubbornly refused to leave her old job, insisting the extra money would come in handy. No matter how logical Jeremy's arguments were — or how much he was already making — he couldn't convince his hard-headed Latina to quit and just let him take care of her.
At first, Miss Martinez was stiff and guarded around us. Not that we were any different. Kiwi and I kept our distance, cautious in our own way. Thankfully, by the time she arrived, I'd wrapped up my more urgent business. It wasn't that I was afraid of revealing too much — more that I knew exposing her to certain things wouldn't do either of us any favors.
Maybe, in time, she'd learn more than she did now. But definitely not anytime soon.
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