All the events that had taken place over the past few days weren’t by accident. It was as if his mind and body were preparing him for something greater and more challenging than anything he’d ever faced. The steam from the shower proved to be therapeutic, helping him to relex and control his breathing.
Still, it was difficult to shake the burning intuition. To calm his nerves, he needed to return to the Vantz’s place. If he spent some time there, maybe his sense of normalcy would return. Besides, Vantz was probably wondering where his car was. After hopping out of the shower and getting dressed, Caiden went to the garage, but not before re-calibrating the security protocol on all the locks on the doors. He heard the echo of the air locks sealing throughout the compound. Nami, Hitomi, I’m sorry to keep you caged up like this, but it’s only temporary. All of this will be over soon and then I can get you guys home. I just need some time, he thought to himself. Caiden got into the car. Initiating the sequence, the secret passageway opened and Caiden drove out and back toward Vantz’s place.
The sun was beginning to break through the dull clouds. A cool breeze caressed his face as Caiden cruised through desolate Darkside with the window down. It was a ghost town during the day; typical of the neighborhood, as it was nocturnally inclined by default. Putting the car into auto-drive mode, he decided to redirect his restless energy toward his newly found sources of research on the nanocell. The nano-codec data was still uploading to both the main systems at his secret apartment, as well as his backup servers. It did, however, allow him to view some of the data that was in transit. The assimilation aspect of the nanocell intrigued him, especially video file eleven twenty-two, which focused exclusively on that phenomenon.
“Auto drive mode, please. Destination; Vantz’s apartment,” Caiden commanded the AI auto drive feature.
Recalling the discussion in the video about the assimilation of objects on a macro scale, he used his holo-watch to research any areas or stores that might contain titanium. If titanium was assimilated so easily by the nanocells during the tests, there has to be some way for me to do it myself, he thought. He then flipped the holo-display to a chart that represented the findings of the enhanced biometric scan. He expanded the holo-display and began studying his spine and cerebral cortex. He compared the nanocells that developed there to the other nanocells in other parts of his body. He noticed a significant discrepancy in shape and size depending on where they settled. The nanocells that formed around his cerebral cortex were in the shape of a decagon, as opposed to an octagon like the other nanocells. The nanocells that reinforced his bones seemed to act as an exoskeleton.
He then studied the nanocells in his limbs and looked at those embedded in his muscular structure, and found their consistency to be far more flexible and elastic. Due to these qualities, the nanocells in his arms and legs were more impressionable than others. The nanocells in the dermal and epidermal layers of his skin were translucent, flat, and elastic, as well.
The decagon nanocells in his cerebral cortex contained a fifty-fifty split of organic and techno-organic matter. The cytoplasm was organic, but the mitochondria and soma were techno-organic. Outside of the soma were techno-organic dendrites. These nanocells were also imbued with their own special type of axon, with different axon endings.
He placed his hands on opposite sides of the of the holo-display, bringing his hands closer together to zoom out by twenty percent. He rotated the projection one hundred and eighty degrees. There was something even more interesting that presented itself as he inspected the newly rendered display. Millions of these decagon nanocells were packed tightly together, interconnected by dendrites and axon terminals. This connectivity was heavily embedded to the cerebral cortex as a secondary membrane of sorts.
This membrane consisted of the decagon nanocells that were transmitting signals and data at an exceptional rate. He stared long and hard at this, marveling at what he had found. He couldn’t believe that these remarkable techno-organisms were inside him. They were at one with his body in a beautiful harmony of anatomical wonder. He was the only one who was made this way; a natural born Hybrid! This is incredible, he thought with extreme excitement.
His fascination soon turned to despair. No matter how hard he tried to remember, with all his enhanced brain functioning, he could not remember anything about his life before his fifteenth birthday. He had become so lost in thought and research that he failed to recognize that he had almost arrived at Vantz’s apartment. The car pulled into the garage and parked. He replaced the fake license plate with Vantz’s real one and got into the elevator leading up to the lobby.
"Morning Mr. Nyx. Looks like you got a couple packages delivered. They arrived here this morning" the lobby attendant said.
"Thanks a lot" Caiden replied as he went over to pick them up. Looks like their clothes got here. Now they don't have to lounge around in my t-shirts anymore, he thought to himself as he got into the lobby elevators heading up to the apartment.
It was a little after nine thirty a.m. when Caiden got back. Opening the door, the first thing He saw were two scantily clad women sprawled out on the couch.
