Legends of Amacia The Awakening

The Nano Chamber

While searching for Enoch and Josephine, Hanna met Nemesis outside the Healing chamber. “I was just looking for you,” Nemesis stated as they met.

“Where are Enoch and Josephine,” Hanna asked. “I’m ready for the procedure.”

“They’re doing a final simulation to make sure the chamber is ready for you,” Nemesis replied. “Aeolus told them about the storm last night and wanted to be sure it didn’t damage the machinery. Come, they want you to be there.”

“Then let’s go,” Hanna insisted. “Where is the chamber, anyway?”

“It’s near the access elevator to the core,” Nemesis reported as he led the way. “We’ve been getting the chamber ready since we found it and realized Josephine could operate it.”

“Is she going to be plugged into the machines like she was at the Black Fortress?” Hanna asked as they walked.

“Yes, but she doesn’t need to be hooked in as extensively,” Nemesis stated. “You’ll see everything when we get there.”

“Okay,” Hanna murmured.

Ten minutes later, Nemesis led Hanna into the mysterious chamber. “Here we are,” he rumbled as Hanna stared in fascination at the chamber.

“Whoa,” Hanna breathed, taking in the completely alien nature of the place. “This place is off-the-charts strange.” The domed chamber spanned two hundred feet across by seventy feet in height. In the center sat an enormous bluish-white crystal machine similar to the healing machine sixty feet wide by forty feet tall with compartments inset into the crystal. A mysterious metal similar to electronium outlined the doors of the compartments, which were clear as glass. The machine was covered with plates and conduits made of the same strange alloy, connecting it to the floor of the chamber and to a large control console. Crystals of differing sizes and heights rose about the metal plating and conduits shrouding the machine, making it look like a crystalline porcupine. Enoch stood at the control panel looking at an open compartment with Josephine leaning back in it wearing a leopard-print halter-top swimsuit with high-cut legs and nothing else. As Hanna and Nemesis approached, Hanna saw Josephine firmly secured in the compartment with multiple bands around her organic arms, legs, and belly. Her machine arms lay stretched out to either side, vanishing into the mechanism of the machine on both sides of her in the compartment.

“How’s the feedback,” Enoch asked her. “Can you detect any anomalies in the machine?”

“The feedback is okay,” Josephine stated, “It’s well within tolerance limits and I cannot detect anything wrong with the machine. Everything seems to be checking out okay.”

“We have to be sure about this,” Enoch stated as Hanna and Nemesis stopped next to him. “We cannot have a repeat of the incident in the Armory. This system must be completely shielded and operating perfectly.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Josephine stated. “We don’t want anything to go wrong, but we can’t prepare for the unexpected. Chance plays as much a role here as our preparations. We may think we’re planning for all contingencies, but there’s always that unknown variable that may affect the equation and our plans. All we can do is reduce the number of unknowns to a minimum and pray that the Almighty and Fate shine their favor on our enterprise.”

“She’s right,” Hanna agreed, overhearing the conversation as she approached. “We can only prepare so much before we must take that leap of faith.”

“But this is your life we’re talking about,” Enoch insisted. “We cannot lose you. You’re far too important. We cannot leave anything to chance.”

“Am I so important that you’re willing to keep me from doing what you know I need to do?” Hanna asked. “Everyone here knows how important it is that I do this. I know I’m not strong enough to deal with the Emperor the way I am. I have to finish what I started. I have to take that final step in completing my soul. This reversal is that step.”

“But I fear the Emperor may send another dark spirit to contaminate the process and override the programming,” Enoch stated bluntly. “If that happens, you may die, or worse, become a dark soul worse than the Emperor. I can’t let that happen.”

Hanna sighed, patting Enoch on the arm. “I see your fear, brother,” she said soberly. “This is the same fear that’s led to my hesitation, but you must have faith. The Lord is not going to let this fail. He’s invested too much in me to let me down.”

“Aren’t you still afraid,” Enoch asked, looking Hanna in the eye.

“Terrified,” Hanna admitted. “But in order to overcome this fear, I must do this. I must go through with the reversal, even if it means my death. Only this reversal can release what will save us. I cannot unleash the power of the Beowulf until I become him. I’ve been over it countless times in my mind. There’s no other option. The storm I saw last night showed me how short our time is. That was no ordinary electromagnetic storm last night, Enoch. I know it. It’s somehow connected with the prophecy of the Rising. I’m sure of it. Even more bizarre is how I felt like I was sliding into a black hole while watching it. I felt an inexplicable pull almost as if gravity was collapsing in there. Fortunately, it didn’t collapse or we wouldn’t be here. It also created a dampening field that all but shut down my telepathy while it was happening.”

“Now that is interesting,” Nemesis rumbled. “I monitored the storm from the portal machine when it happened and saw some very interesting things.”

“Like what?” Josephine asked.

“Well, the storm was more than an electromagnetic phenomena,” Nemesis reported. “The portal picked up on both gravitational and temporal anomalies inside the storm. It had the instruments moving in ways I’ve never seen before, even when the Cadre and Emperor attempted to open the gates. I recorded the entire event with the portal machine, but haven’t had the time to do a full analysis of the data. Whatever happened in there definitely caused fluctuations in space/time that were measureable. I suspect some form of warp may have tried to open in the storm, but I don’t have the hard data to say so yet. But that would explain why Hanna felt like she was falling into a black hole.”

“It would also explain the dampening field,” Josephine added. “I felt the field too. It was as if someone threw water on the fire of my telepathy. The electromagnetic uproar of a warp could create both the dampening field and the sensation Hanna felt. You should investigate the data as soon as possible, Nemesis. It might be useful to get Horace to help too. I remember warps opening in the 1st Age. They were always harbingers of woe. Bad things always happened when warps opened unexpectedly. Remember, Hanna said a time warp put her in the middle of the Battle of Drakonia.”

“Indeed,” Hanna replied. “In fact, I vaguely remember feeling a similar sensation in Bolivia just before I lost my memories. But it’s very vague and I can’t be sure it isn’t a false memory brought on by the power of suggestion.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Nemesis stated. “It’s not important right now. As fascinating as this discussion is, it’s a tangential subject we don’t need to discuss right now. What is important is that the machine is in proper working order. Is it, Josephine?”

“You’re right, Nemesis,” Josephine answered. “Making sure the machine is working properly is our main priority right now. As far as I can see, it is. I’m seeing no flaws in the hardware or the software and the simulations we ran this morning have gone perfectly. Even the extra shielding we put around the hardware and software is holding firm. Despite the strange storm last night, it doesn’t seem the machines or the software was affected by it.”

“That’s good,” Nemesis rumbled. “What are the odds against something going wrong with Hanna’s mutation reversal?”

“Two to the power of 5.78 million to one against for something going wrong,” Josephine stated. “It’s an astronomically low percentage considering the equipment we’re dealing with. The machine is running well within the tolerances and margins of error. I believe it’s safe for Hanna to utilize it, though there’s always that remote outside chance something may go wrong when doing something of this complexity.”

“That’s what I’m worried about...that one chance for something to fail,” Enoch stated. “Hanna’s my little sister. I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”

“It seems to me you’ve done everything possible to ensure my safety, Enoch,” Hanna stated. “That’s all you can do. To have gotten the probabilities of trouble down that low really shows you guys know your stuff. Besides, it’s my ass on the line here. I trust you, Josephine, and Nemesis to make sure nothing bad happens. Now can you explain this machine to me and why Josephine looks like she did when we pulled her out of her core in the Black Fortress?”

“Of course, Hanna; the recess I’m in is the main control node for this machine,” Josephine stated. “It’s similar to the interface for the Teacher in the Archive, but it has physical connections to allow direct access to the system. This particular node is actually very comfortable, much more comfortable than my old core. I don’t feel confined like I did in my old core. The straps are to keep me secure while I operate the machine. Apparently, this control node was designed for cyborgs like me to run the machine at a higher rate of efficiency than from the main control panel where Enoch stands.”

“So, you don’t actually need to be there to run this machine,” Hanna stated. “Enoch could theoretically run it from this panel if he wanted.”

“True,” Josephine stated, “Simpler tasks can be operated from there, but for the task we’re about to do, I need to be hooked into this node. I’m presently hooked in via my main power link, the spinal ports, and the main neural hookup in the power linkage. You must understand reversing the mutation I did to you is about the most complex thing that can be done to any living being. Every gene must be scanned and the necessary changes made at a chromosomal level.”

“I understand that,” Hanna said softly. “But how do you do it?”

“Organic nano-machines,” Josephine reported. “Remember how when Enoch scanned you when you first came to the Red Tower, he found microscopic marks on you? That’s where I introduced my organic nano-machines to restructure you. When it was done, I pulled them back.”

“You used your own nano-machines to mutate Hanna?” Enoch asked.

“Yes,” Josephine stated. “The Emperor wanted me to use the metal nano-machines he created, but I didn’t. I had an abundance of them when Bolthor locked me into the machine because he provided large reservoirs of both organic and metal nano-machines for me to use to form my tentacle appendages throughout the fortress. So I used my own organic nano-machines and when I finished, I withdrew them. That’s why you never found anything, only some minor scarring.”

“That explains a lot,” Hanna murmured. “Will you use your personal nano-machines to do this since you lost that reservoir of nano-machines when we rescued you?”

“I don’t have to,” Josephine stated. “This machine has its own supply of 1st Age organic nano-machines that are compatible with me. I’ve programmed them to do the reversal. When they’re done restructuring your body, they will return to the machine until they are programmed for the next task. This machine is actually an extension of the Healer in that it can repair any damage done to anyone’s body the Healer cannot fix on its own. In fact, the Healer and this machine are tied together through a hardwired network link.”

Hanna’s eyes grew wide as she suddenly realized what lay before her. A gasp escaped her lips. “You mean this machine can repair any physical injury?” she asked. “Could it even replace missing limbs?”

“I suppose it can,” Josephine answered with a smile, “Though I haven’t tested it for such a purpose. We’d need to do a system’s check on it to make sure it has the proper software. If it doesn’t, it would be just a minor thing to update the software so it could do limb replacement.”

“Theoretically, how would it do that?” Hanna queried with great interest.

“Once the proper shell program is located and updated, someone familiar with the system would have to program the nano-machines for limb replacement,” Josephine replied. “Once the programming is in place, the nano-machines would rebuild the limbs one cell at a time using material cloned from the person using it.” Seeing Hanna’s perplexed look, Josephine said, “You see these pods next to me all around the machine?” Hanna nodded and Josephine continued, “The person in need of repairs would get into the pods. The machine scans them so it can create compatible genetic material the nano-machines would use to repair or rebuild the affected areas. It’s actually a very simple procedure that could be done from the main console. I wouldn’t have to be hooked into the node here like I am now.”

“Would you be able to do limb replacement on someone while doing a mutation reversal on a separate individual at the same time?” Hanna asked.

“No,” Josephine stated bluntly. “The power and memory requirements for doing a full mutation reversal will take ninety-five percent of the machine’s power and memory capacity. No other operations can take place at the same time. It’s a function of complexity. Doing simple repairs or limb replacements doesn’t take much power or memory when doing it. Because of that, multiple individuals could make use of it at the same time much as they do with the Healer. However, a mutation reversal is far more complex and takes nearly all the machine’s capacity to perform it. Only one person at a time could have such a process done. To do anything more than that while the mutation reversal process is engaged creates an exponential risk of catastrophic failure in the process, most likely killing the individual.”

“I see,” Hanna stated. “Did you know this, Enoch, Nemesis?”

“Yes, we did,” Enoch replied. “That’s another reason this worries me. To be frank with you, I didn’t even know about this machine until recently. Records in the Archive also say it has not been activated since the end of the 1st Age, and no one has actually tried to use it to reverse an artificial mutation like yours. We’re in uncharted territory on the use of the machine.”

“But the Archive also said it has the capability to do what we’re trying to do,” Nemesis added. “It’s just never been attempted. I agree with Enoch that we must proceed cautiously since we’re doing something no one has ever attempted before. But I also know it’s very important that we get you back to your true state, Hanna. You can’t truly unlock your potential until we do this for you. I say do it, but keep a constant watch as it happens. There’s also an extra variable that is working for us.”

“What’s that?” Hanna asked.

“Josephine is the one who actually mutated you,” Nemesis stated. “Because she did it, she’s intimately familiar with your genetic structure and should be able to reverse it. I would be extremely hesitant had we tried to do this without having her here. She’s always been the key to your restoration.”

“I must agree,” Josephine chimed. “The odds of you getting a proper mutation reversal without me are very bad; bad enough to not even attempt it. As the mechanism of your mutation, I saw who you were genetically in the beginning. No genetic record the Healer could record tops what I saw and recorded. I know you down to your last gene sequence and know your genetic makeup was and is still changing. You can look at it like this. The samples your portable healing machine provided were very useful, but they’re just snapshots that are not focused too well. Even the Healer’s records are the same way, only more detailed. On the other hand, when the Emperor had me mutate you, I recorded your genetic structure down to the last bit in my augmented memory. I have a full, focused portrait of your entire genetic being, Hanna, so that makes me the expert on your genetic makeup.”

“I get it,” Hanna stated. “The little healer gizmo we brought may have recorded my genetic makeup, but it’s did so in a wide, panorama type of shot with the main Healer getting a close-up. However, you got the electron microscope view from one end to the other. I guess that does make you an expert on my genetic makeup. But exactly what is going to happen when I do this? What’s the process?”

“The process is far too complex to explain it,” Josephine admitted. “You’d not be able to grasp it, but on a surface level, what’s going to happen is this. You will be placed nude in one of these pods in the machine, most likely the one right next to the control node here. Once you’re secured and sealed in, I will run the sterilization procedure to remove any contaminants you bring into the machine. It’s vitally important you be free of any dangerous bacteria, virus, fungi, or anything else since this is such a delicate procedure.”

“I can understand that,” Hanna replied, nodding. “Can’t have any dangerous germs getting their genetic structure mixed together with mine, right?”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Josephine stated. “Once you’re clean of all contaminants, I will use the machine to scan you initially to get a control set of your present structure to make sure your genetic structure is not in the middle of a riotous internal shift before we start. If I find such a thing, I will terminate the procedure and attempt to stabilize your genetic structure. Doing the procedure under those circumstances could have grave consequences for you. If everything is okay, as I suspect it will be, I’ll then put you into a deep stasis where you won’t know anything. It’ll be a sleep so deep you shouldn’t even dream. I think you may actually like it since you’ve complained about the nightmares that plague you.”

“That would be nice,” Hanna admitted, “I would like to have a time where nothing intrudes on me while I’m sleeping.”

“Well, this should give you that chance,” Josephine declared. “Once you’re in complete stasis, your heart rate and breathing will be slowed dramatically and the pod will be flooded with organic nano-machines mixed in an oxygenated genetically-compatible fluid, immersing you in it. At that point, I will inject the nano-machines into you the way I did when I mutated you and set the nano-machines to work restoring you using this machine’s own tentacle appendages. Since it will take some time for you to be restored, you’ll be given nourishment through the nano-machines in the fluid. The fluid will have everything your body needs to survive. Your body will be able to breathe this fluid and not drown. It will permeate every part of you, even your brain. The nano-machines not directly working on the genetic reversal will act as custodians, feeding your body and removing any waste products from your body or the process. In a way, you’ll be like a fetus feeding off its mother. I will be your mother and the pod will be my womb for you as I reverse I did to you. When this process is finished, you will be born again literally as a new being physically. You will a man again. It’s going to be a very intimate, life-changing experience just like your initial mutation was. Only this time, you’re the one making the choice, not the Emperor.”

“Whoa,” Hanna breathed, not having looked at it the way Josephine explained. “That’s majorly deep, and you’re right. It is going to be like I’m being born again.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Josephine insisted. “You ARE being born again. This is a complete genetic restructuring back into your male form. Every cell is being affected with this procedure, every individual gene and chromosome. Your very form will be altered and changed back into its male form.” She sighed and stated bluntly, “This machine, Hanna, is a womb where you will be oblivious to all outside influences. Just as an embryo gestates in a woman’s uterus after conception for nine months, so will you in this machine as I make the necessary changes to you. Remember, in the earliest days of pregnancy, the fetus is both male and female until the proper hormones trigger which sex will be the dominant one. In a manner, I will be taking your body back to that moment and turning back on the hormone that made you a man. The cloning process operates under this very concept, only you’re not a clone. When I reach that critical point, the nano-machines will start to restore your body one cell at a time, mimicking the growth of a fetus. You’ll not feel a thing and when it’s done, you’ll act just as a baby does when it’s time to be born. You’ll stir, kick, and want out by instinct. That’s when I will lift your stasis and let you out of the womb. You’ll be literally born again. The only difference is you’ll be able to speak, and move around, unlike an infant who can barely move and doesn’t know anything. Do you understand now?”

“I really am going to be born again,” Hanna breathed, looking at the floor. “It’s not some spiritual thing. It’s going to be real and very physical.” Suddenly looking at Josephine, Hanna declared, “And you’re going to be the mother who bears me this time, even though it’s being done with machines and not organically.”

“But it is being done organically,” Nemesis insisted. “The machine is under Josephine’s complete control and it will be changing you back.”

“You misunderstand, Nemesis,” Josephine interrupted. “I know what Hanna’s talking about.”

“What does she mean?” Enoch asked; a bit puzzled at what Hanna meant.

“Hanna meant an organic birth where I physically carry and give birth to her,” Josephine explained. “She knows it’s impossible for her to once again enter into her mother’s womb as an embryo and fetus. But this machine changes that. Her life has been nothing but pain and heartbreak for as long as she can remember. She realizes she’s getting a chance to truly live another life from the beginning. For her, this machine has become my body and these pods in the machine, wombs. Am I right, Hanna?”

Tears welled up in Hanna’s eyes as she walked over to Josephine and embraced her as she lay hooked into the machine. “Yes,” Hanna wept. “I’m really getting a chance to start over and not make the same mistakes again. I’m so happy you’re going to be my new mother, Jo. I’ll never forget this kindness.”

The straps holding Josephine’s organic arms in came loose, allowing her to return Hanna’s embrace. “You have such a kind and gentle spirit, Hanna,” Josephine cooed, stroking Hanna’s back while embracing her. “It’s the least I can do after everything that I did to you. You forgave me when you didn’t have to. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make right what I did. I know I can’t replace your real mother, but I do appreciate the chance you’re giving me.”

Hanna wiped her tears as she looked up into Josephine’s face. “We’re family, Jo,” she declared. “We’ve always been family. Families have to stick together. I know you’re to make a great mother. I’ll try not to be a pain in the ass.”

Josephine chuckled along with Enoch and Nemesis. “I know you won’t,” she told Hanna, patting her on the cheek in a motherly manner. “I’m glad I was able to get you to understand at least on a surface level what you’re going to do. You’re so strong and intelligent. You had the right to know.”

“I appreciate that,” Hanna stated, kissing Josephine on the cheek before stepping away from her. “I had no idea of how intimate this was going to be. I don’t remember anything about what you did to mutate me, Jo. I went to sleep as a man and woke up tied down spread-eagle on that table in the lab. The Emperor made it perfectly clear to me what had happened when he finger-raped me there.” Hanna shuddered and cringed. “Ugh...it still sends chills down my spine when I remember it. There’s no way to wipe those memories, is there?”

“No,” Josephine stated grimly. “There isn’t. We can do a memory wipe, but with someone whose mind is as powerful as yours, you’d be able to recover them. Besides, you need those memories. To erase them would invite a repeat of history. You don’t want a repeat of those, do you?”

Hanna sighed. “You are so right,” she admitted. “Forgive me for even suggesting it. Fact is it’s my memories that make me who I am. As much as I hate it, I need to remember all that pain, hate, and despair so I know how to avoid them whenever possible. It also gives me things to be thankful for, like you Jo.”

“I’m thankful for you too,” Josephine stated, laying her arms back down, letting the restraints secure them in place. “We’re all so thankful for you.”

“That we are,” Enoch stated. “We all love you just as you are. So it pains me to ask are you sure you want to do this?”

“I am,” Hanna stated. “There’s no backing out now. I must do this, and do it now.”

“Very well,” Enoch conceded. “Just asking; Josephine, is everything ready?”

“Yes,” Josephine stated. “Everything is ready and waiting.” Everyone heard the pod next to the control-node chamber hiss as its door slid up into the machine above it. “Take a closer look at the compartment, Hanna,” she ordered. “It will be your womb and home until the procedure is completed.”

Hanna looked into the strange compartment, seeing what appeared to be some form of table sitting up at forty-five degrees to the floor with all manner of ports, pipes, and blinking lights all around it. She touched the table, finding it incredibly soft even though it looked like metal. “It’s soft,” she observed. “I lie down here on this table thing?”

“Yes,” Nemesis stated. “Even though you can’t see them, there are restraints on the table similar to those in Josephine’s control node. If you look up to either side, you’ll see two crystals on a trolley mechanism. That’s the scanner Josephine will use to check your genetic structure before she starts the procedure.”

“Ah...okay,” Hanna cooed, instantly seeing the mechanism. “I see it. I can only assume these strange ports are where this machine’s tentacles come out.”

“Correct,” Enoch stated. “And if you look down at the bottom, you’ll see vents. That’s where the fluid concoction Josephine spoke of will come in.”

Hanna nodded as she saw the vents. Stepping back and looking at Josephine, she asked, “You said I would be able to breathe this fluid. Is that right?”

“Yes,” Josephine stated. “It’s a specially oxygenated solution that’s both carrier for the nano-machines and the essential nutrients you’ll need to survive the procedure. It has a very low surface tension so your lungs will be able to tolerate it, and take in the oxygen while expelling the carbon dioxide. The fluid will also be constantly circulated and cleaned of your body’s waste products as the procedure takes place. As I said, it’s going to be just like being inside a real womb. This fluid will act, in a way, like the placenta.”

“Oh,” Hanna replied as she understood. “The fluid is kind of like the stuff we used with the liquid-breathing systems on the surface when we wanted to go real deep in the ocean. We had a special oxygenated floro-carbon emulsion we used that wouldn’t damage the lungs. It allowed us to go to depths that would generally crush normal divers.”

“Yes, it’s similar to that crude compound,” Josephine stated. “But this fluid is far more efficient and accessible by the entire body. It’s also infused with all the nutrition, vitamins, and minerals you need to survive.”

“I know,” Hanna chimed, suddenly becoming much more at ease with what faced her. “I believe you. This should be an interesting experience. I’m literally going to be born as a completed soul if this works.”

“It will work,” Nemesis insisted. “I know your God is not going to let this fail. It was His idea to do this, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” Hanna agreed. “But I do think both you and Enoch are right about being cautious. Since this has never been done with this machine before, you might want to keep close watch on both Josephine and me. I’m sure Josephine is going to have her hands full just dealing with me and may not be able to keep watch on everything.”

“Hanna’s right,” Josephine agreed. “Having someone constantly monitoring everything from the main control there would be a very good idea.”

“Neither of you will be alone while this is going on,” Enoch stated. “You have my word on it. This machine will be monitored 24/7 while the procedure is going on.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about,” Hanna stated. “Enoch, I promised Rachel she could watch as I entered the machine. Could you go get her and Selina?”

“I’ll have Elias bring them,” Enoch replied. He then hit the communication’s link on the main console, saying, “Elias, are you around?”

“Yeah,” Elias replied through the speaker. “What do you need?”

“Hanna’s ready to start the reversal,” Enoch stated. “She wanted to see Selina and the little girl one last time before starting it. Could you bring them here?”

“Sure,” Elias replied, “Where are you?”

“We’re in the Nano healing chamber next to the core elevator,” Enoch reported. “We just finished running the last check and everything is a go for Hanna’s procedure.”

“Got it,” Elias answered. “Give me a few minutes. We’ll be there.”

“Sure,” Enoch stated. “We’ll be here.”

“I’ll step out while the little girl is here,” Nemesis stated. “My presence may cause her some distress because she’ll think I’m with the Emperor.”

Hanna raised an eyebrow at Nemesis’ comment. “No, Nemesis,” she disagreed, “Stay here. You were there when she was rescued. She’ll remember you as one of the people who saved her. Besides, I want you here when Josephine engages this machine.”

“If you insist,” Nemesis replied. “But I’ll keep my distance.”

“Okay,” Hanna stated. “And relax. Rachel is tougher and smarter than you think.”

“I’m sure of that,” Nemesis rumbled with a chuckle.

“We all underestimated that little girl,” Enoch agreed. “She’s definitely a survivor.”