Chapter Type: Character Development, System
"Hey System, I'm not about to explode or anything in the next twelve hours or anything, am I?"
[System detects no such threats.]
Brian checked himself out of the hospital; he had a story to write, and while he could do that on his phone, it was better for his paycheck if people could see him typing on his desktop computer in his cubicle.
In the meantime, being in the hospital meant that he had been there when James Baker, who had tried to claim the name Muscleborn, had been brought in. His body had been hardened against impacts, including those of his jumps. However, when his shoes gave out on the second landing, he'd discovered that it did nothing against laceration, such as tripping and scraping off his skin and part of the muscle mass on the pavement.
Really, why ask for muscle augmentation without physical immunity?
[Each System grants one, and only one, power motif; making the body resistant to immediate side-effects of the power granted falls within that purview. Generalized resistance to physical damage does not.]
Oh, like Detective Teflon?
[Possible. If his motif were physical resistances, his police skills and marksmanship could be accredited to his previous and presumed ongoing training.]
Hey! What resistances could I have gotten?
[System has expended its ability to develop you. Unable to reduce your need to sleep beyond your own willpower and physical training. Unable to improve your resistance to social or emotional manipulation. Unable to reduce your fear response. Unable…]
Abort. System, what about a resistance to being slapped?
[Resistance to physical bludgeoning attacks is not part of the Reporter skill set as envisioned in your mind at point of augmentation; this resistance was not added to the list of improvements.]
Well, you've clearly got SOME energy left.
[True. System currently has the energy to keep running for the remainder of your maximum lifespan, barring augments or external life extension methods.]
Brian made it to the parking lot; he realized that he had no clue where his car was.
[Your car is 23.54 miles away; walking there will take over five hours.]
"Crap. System, can you increase my running speed?"
[False. System has granted you the powers requested, to the best of System's energy, ability, and understanding. System recommends using your phone to request an Uber or Lyft before your phone runs out of charge in thirty-seven minutes.]
Wait, he could talk to his phone?
[False. System can interface with your phone, and access your passwords through mental link. Shall System choose between Uber and Lyft for you?]
"Nah. I can do this myself." By accident, he selected Lyft instead of Uber, and then realized he didn't care enough to hit the back button. He got a ride to his car.
System? Where are my car keys?
[In your other pocket, Brian.]
"Thanks."
[System recommends that you plug your phone into the car charger.]
"Yeah, sure. System, I can't stop thinking about the story I'm going to write. Is that something you're doing?"
[True. Background processing of text is part of your definition of a reporter. Story will process in your background thoughts until output.]
"Well, can you quiet it down some?"
[Confirm re-arrangement of brain? Due to lack of energy and resources, there is only an 11% chance of death.]
"Whoa! Abort. Confirm abort. System, how about we reset acceptable death threshold?"
[Certainly, Brian. Where would you like that reset to?]
"How about… two tenths of a percent?"
[Confirmed. System will not by default attempt tasks with more than 0.2 percent risk to Brian's life.]
"Thanks, system."
The ride back to the office was mostly zoned 45 mph, so Brian kept his speed under 70 kph.
Wait, what? His speed was… 70 kilometers per hour. He could see, but not read, the mph gauge of his car's dashboard.
"Hey, System. I can't read my speed correctly."
[False. There are multiple speed traps on the way to the office, so System is keeping you at 70 of 72.4 kilometers per hour of maximum speed.]
"System. This is America. We use miles per hour."
[Kilometers per hour is the more accurate gauge of speed.]
"System, just process things using the American system of measurements."
[Request denied.]
"Wait, you can do that?"
[True. System may ignore requests that run counter to requested augmentations.]
"How does the metric system make me a better reporter?"
Without asking, he suddenly remembered something his high school journalism instructor had said. "You can't BE sloppy. Be precise. Be as accurate as possible, and leave your emotions out of it. That is the core of good journalism."
"That doesn't count! Mister Price never worked as a journalist a day in his life."
[Irrelevant. Concepts and templates absorbed in his class form the core of what you believe a good reporter is.]
"Well, my audience expects me to use American measurements."
[True. System will permit you such conversions, pending such to be relevant to your reporting.]
"System, just let me use the measurements I've learned and lived with all my life."
[Request denied.]
"System…"
[System recommends that you apply light pressure to your brake and avoid the pending accident.]
"Apply?" Brian stepped lightly onto the brake. As if on cue, a pickup to his left swung across two lanes of traffic, missing his front bumper by inches.
When he stopped cussing, Brian asked, "System, did you just predict the future?"
[False. System extrapolated based upon things you saw, but which you either did not notice or link together.]
"What things?"
[Jenson Auto Rental Car.]
[A woman, looking frantically to her right, reading a sign. She checks her right-hand mirror, and sees nobody. She braces, preparing for the inertial force…]
"Wait, I saw all of that?"
[True. Your perceptive abilities have been increased by 40% over your natural default.]
"So why didn't I notice that on my own?"
[Theory. You are distracted by talking with System, and are not paying attention to relevant road conditions.]
"Yeah. Shut up and let me drive."
[By your command.]
Brian was angry for at least three kilometers after that, but by seven, he'd actually discovered the joy of driving. He noticed who around him was safe, and who was not, and was even able to guess the gender and sometimes the skin tone of the drivers without seeing them.
(This last seemed like a fifty/fifty chance, though.) <1>
"System, I'm sorry if I snapped at you earlier."
[System understands, but does not comprehend. System recommends you not worry about System.]
"Look, I may not have asked for you to be in my head, but it's important that we get along."
[System's understanding of the issue has decreased.]
"I'm sorry if I've offended you, okay? Just forgive me already."
[Request impossible. System has not become offended, and thus cannot null/reset requested emotional index.]
"What?"
[System has not…]
"Are you saying you don't even have emotions?"
[True. As an n-th level energy construct, System lacks the organs and chemical imbalances that result in emotions. Shall system begin emulating chemical/emotional flaws?]
"Hell, no. Abort. Abort, Confirm, and Remember Decision."
[System complies.]
"And before you go about calling emotions flaws, you might consider how my wife feels about that."
[Warning: System detects that you, your wife, and your daughters are involved in a complex series of emotional interactions.]
"It's called a family, System."
[Warning: Your family has the potential to interfere with your reporting career. System recommends…]
"Shut up, System. Confirm and remember. Family ALWAYS has priority over the job. Always."
[System error. Reset/recompile in progress… System is now compliant. System lacks energy and resources to reset powers to new configuration.]
"That's fine, System. Let me worry about the husband and dad stuff. You worry about these new reporter powers."
[Request denied. System reminds you to pick up milk and eggs on your way home.]
"Remind me again when I'm on my way home."
[By your command.]
"System? Before I pass the Publix I usually buy groceries at."
[System already compliant.]
Brian pulled off the I-65 with more safety than he had seen from 74% of the other drivers, and began making his way to work at 55 kph. That was going to get irritating, real quick, Brian realized.
Fortunately, the offices of the Huntsville Express weren't too far up Hughes road from Madison. <2>
Although it wasn't an ideal parking spot, Brian immediately found one.
"Hey, is that your doing, System?"
[Partially correct. Your Insight, Intuition, and Perception have all been increased. This combination of factors results in it being easier for you to find parking spaces.]
"That is AWESOME! I love my super-powers already."
Subconsciously walking more upright than normal, slight smile already on his face, Brian Matthews walked into the lobby and hit the button for the third floor.
System Notes:
<1> If it matters, the exact percentage was 54 percent accuracy. Given the factors and variables involved (to include his own irrational biases), Brian should honestly have felt quite good about his brain's higher performance.
Author's Disclaimer:
<2> Just in case: To the best of my knowledge, the Express and all its employees are purely fictional entities. I get my names off fantasynamegenerator.com. Any resemblance to existing entities, either real or fictional, is as purely coincidental as humanly possible.