Jason held his hand to his head. “Either that was really confusing or my head is hurting for some other reason.”
“Your genetic code is being rewritten,” Wilson said flatly. “I think it’s upgrades, but we’ll have to wait and see. Already some of the muscular limitations of your cell density have been surpassed. Goku levels aren’t going to be your peak anymore, and we’re seeing activity in a lot of other areas. I think the blackout was a way to hyper process, and the active readings aren’t showing a stoppage. You’re still changing.”
“How can you be sure this isn’t tampering by someone?”
“Can’t, just a gut feeling, but if someone has a way to alter your genetic code, we can’t find the tool they’re using to do it, but your Essence is flowing inside you in a way I’ve never felt before. Same with Vitor.”
“Has he woke up?”
“Not yet. I’m relieved you are.”
“I don’t think it’ll last long,” Jason warned. “I’m loopy enough I might pass back out.”
“Then don’t stand up. Try and calm yourself as much as possible. Relax and let this play out. I’ve been hoping for something like this for a long time, and you don’t want to squash it by treating it like an enemy.”
“You never said anything.”
“It was just a hope, nothing more. The universe is structured for continual advancement and adaptation. You and the others hitting physical limits didn’t feel right. Essence was a relief because it was a work around, but if it can actually change your genetic code and upgrade you into a higher form, that lets a lot of other puzzle pieces fall into place for me.”
“Me too,” Jason agreed. “I hope that’s what’s happening. I can’t confirm or deny. I’m just a mess right now. Do you know what the trigger was?”
“Not using your Essence is related. Maybe it was just a matter of letting it settle inside of you so this could happen, and constantly draining it prevented the change. Might be that this could have happened long ago and you’ve been stalling it. Could be something else entirely. Your biomonitor data isn’t revealing, and that leads me to believe it’s definitely Essence causing this.”
“Which means we can’t analyze it,” Jason said, leaning over on his elbow as he stayed on the elevated bed.
“Nothing in the Temples can either. Either the Neofan are holding back information, or this is something beyond their knowledge.”
“Paul?”
“No word. But he’s got Cal-com with him. If he blacked out like you then he’s got a bodyguard.”
“I had no idea this was coming.”
“Nor did your biodata. Whenever I start to think we’ve solved most of the universe’s mysteries, it smacks me in the head like this, and I rather like it. Training was getting kind of boring with caps all over the place.”
“Am I getting any new super powers?”
“So far it looks like an upgrade of all existing base functions, but you’re still in flux so who knows where it will stop. I don’t think there’s a risk to you, and none is showing as of yet. But if this happened in the field, you’d be helpless.”
“That would be ironic. The universe gives you this monster upgrade and gets you killed by some passing newb at the same time,” the Archon said, laying back down again. “I’m starting to lose it.”
“Let yourself process. I don’t think there’s anything you need to actively do.”
“Guess you’re not grown up enough to be affected.”
“Insulting as that is, it’s better so I can sense your Essence by touch. If there’s a problem I want to know immediately.”
“Thanks,” Jason said, with his voice wobbling, then his eyes closed and his hands folded over his abdomen as Wilson felt him lose consciousness again, though in a more controlled manner than last time.
“Another spike,” a medtech said, referencing the rate of change.
“Good boy,” Wilson whispered to Jason, guessing that had to do with his state of mind as he put his hand over his forehead and tried to sense as much of what was happening on an Essence and Ikrid level as he could, but he was like a two year old trying to understand calculus. There was just too much to comprehend more than the occasional tidbit that he caught.
“Increase his foodstuffs,” Wilson ordered. “If he puts on a little fat that’s fine, but we need to overestimate his requirements. I don’t want any roadblocks for the changes.”
“Then I recommend atmospheric alteration,” a medtech said. “His oxygen levels are a little low, probably due to consumption overdraw rather than blockage.”
“Do so, and Vitor too, on both counts. We need to aid the transition as much as possible, and cross our fingers that I’m right about this.”
“If you’re wrong, we’ve already passed the threshold for the regenerator to return their genetic code to normal.”
“I know, but I don’t want to deny them this because of misguided caution. No known external source created it, and if it’s coming naturally then we’re running with it, for better or worse. And I doubt it could be worse than their Saiyan transition.”
“Things can always get worse.”
“Thank you, Captain Negativity,” Wilson said, his hand still on Jason’s head. “He’s going to get through this, and with a little luck he’s going to open up a new whole new avenue of advancement for the Archons and our medical science.”
“I don’t think this is completely new,” another medtech said that was analyzing a series of holographic displays.
Wilson took his hand off Jason’s head and turned around. “What have you got, Gerald?”
“I’m starting to see some familiar patterns emerging. It’s early, and far from conclusive, but these advancements have the slightest feel of another genetic code I’ve examined in detail. I thought so a moment go, but this new spike is adding to
