Chapter 3

We were in a Gym of sorts, dummies and sport machines were strategically placed throughout the room.

Traction weight machines, modern running machines that simulated different environments these were but a few examples of the variety of chrome tinted contraptions design to push the body beyond its limits. The whole area had that pleasant new room smell, completely different from the old gym I used to frequent previously, whose odor was permeated with the sweat of multiple people. Separated by a glass wall was a shooting range equipped with virtual simulation projectors on the ceiling of the room. The whole room screamed “Rich” but I didn’t let it go to my head. Other than the shooting range and the gym, the station seemed to only be coloured grey, the colour was rather depressing; I hadn’t said anything before, but Idunn really did live in a sad place. There was no-one else here but her; at least before I arrived, and the station’s all-grey-and-technological theme really didn’t help with the claustrophobic feel of the place - did she even go to the moon-planet to stretch her feet and breath non recycled air? I would, it would be utterly unbearable otherwise, I would feel suffocated.

Clap, clap

I heard behind me, Idunn her hands together smiled with glee as if we were at the more exciting part of the day. Maybe she was right.

“Let’s discuss the changes I made to your body, Fenicia. As your m ... mother, I couldn’t leave you as you were, in your ... imperfect state. Even though you are a hybrid of my race and your father’s.” She spat on the ground when she said the last word, “You are still far from perfect.”

I could see that we had similar feelings about the old codger.

“First, let me tell you that the augments that your body received are not the ones I originally wanted to gift to you” Idunn looked at me, as if she was sorry about something. When she looked me in the eyes, that impression disappeared fast. Only cold calculation remained in her gaze.

“I can feel their effects, the way my speed, awareness and reflexes are out of this world. Everything is sped up, it’s really hard to keep my attention on you because you speak slowly to me.” I gave her my impression, maybe she had a solution? I can’t stay like this if I want to interact with people.

“That’s what I feared.” Traces of worry marred Idunn’s cute face. “Omega class augments without prior training with them are too much...”

“Where did you get them?”

“They were a present from a friend, but...” Idunn suddenly busied herself with a holoscreen and wouldn’t look at me.

“But... ?” I coaxed her on. Nothing is free, even among friends, and I sure as fuck don’t want to be paying the price.

Idunn sighed heavily. “There was a condition attached to their use, I need to go work for her full time. By now I’m sure that she knows they’ve been activated and will be on her way.”

So the augments have tracking on them, huh? It would be awfully convenient if the augments your prospective employer “friend” was using to keep an eye on your position were to be used on someone else ... someone who might disappear perhaps? Sell me anonymously to an unknown party like they do those super soldiers, make good money and the mercenaries take the fall. Super soldiers were either created in vitro, being birthed in artificial womb, or were kidnapped. Either way they were then enslaved and sold like cattle to mercenary’s outfits, conglomerate or governments. Nope, no slavery for me, never. I prepared myself to deck the woman and escape - but I paused, if a way out of her employer’s grasp was so easy to pull off, why had she not attempted it before? Still, I don’t want to take any chances. But when I went to move, I found the woman looking towards me, a saddened expression on her young-looking face. She pulled a crystal cube of the pocket of her lab coat and offered it to me with her dainty hand. I took it and observed it carefully. White circuits like lines crisscrossed its pale blue surface.

“What is this?” I asked, wary––.

“Your memories, I extracted them. Those are the memories of when you were detained and tortured in the Ares compound.” She didn’t shy away from my gaze anymore.

“What are you talking...”

“Come on, Fenicia you are smarter than this. Why were you injured and needed to spend a month in a regeneration tank?” The derisive tone she used cut through any doubts or justification I could come up with.

I could be wrong to be so paranoid about this woman, if she was truthfully willing to invest so much into giving me back my memories after taking care of me, then perhaps she wasn’t completely evil.

“I am not about to sell you to anyone. Fenicia, I left you in the hands of a society which couldn’t see how special you were, they had no idea; those muscle for brains idiots. I am sorry, but I am trying to atone, to help you and right the wrongs, I...” Idunn continued but I tuned her out, damn telepath...

I’ve heard of those fabled data cube, they can store organic memories; some of the larger ones are powerful enough to contain the personality and whole being of someone. High grade android or powerful AI uses them as cores. If the information about them is correct they can...

I was in dark place, only one ceiling light dimly lit the room. A man I don’t know entered the room, its only use must be to torture or force information out of people. He had a mace in hands, tall for a human and beefy. He smiled at me. The man swung the tool and went formy legs...

I was thrown out of the memory by a flare of pain in my lower limbs. I was on my knees and breathing hard, my mind stopped working. All I knew was pain. PAIN. I let go of the cube. Famous item, yeah. That fucking cube recorded every bit of your memories, even how you felt at the moment it recorded. The worst thing was, it recorded how you perceived the pain. Even though the actual level of pain might have been fairly low, if your brain had thought it was the worst thing you had ever experienced, then the cube would deliver