Here I come, tomorrow!

My translocation into this world, a thousand years in the future of Earth, was soon followed by me stumbling across the concept that in my possession were three unique abilities. I did not know how I had acquired them, for certainly I had not worked for or aspired for them. The tiny magic I had been taught as a child was inferior in nature and power to what was now in my possession. In order to survive, I had used the unique ability that had made least sense to me and the one that had made the most sense to me.

Ero-sensei was just a way to divert the target's attention, mainly because its effect, although one might initially believe to be a blessing, would prove to be an internal hindrance for the enemy in a highly demanding battle. The other ability allowed me to analyze a magi-code and adapt to it. I could clearly see the code vulnerabilities, errors, bugs and places of improvement, thus either returning the enemies spell with a more refined version of his own medicine, or intruding into the framework and casting the spell useless.

Both of these abilities were perfect for both attack and defense. However the third ability was a very dormant, non combat type. As much as I could understand, and as much as I had found to know already from my mysteriously acquired schematic knowledge upon arrival into the future, this ability would, as I initially thought, prove to be useful for detective work. I was very proud of myself for having devised a way to utilize it in a much more incompatible manner, and finding a use case to capitalize out of it.

"That was so cool, Hasumi!? Was it a magicode?"

"I can guarantee you, it's a very complicated magi-code. The current data retrieval techniques being implemented go about in a linear step by step manner. The process of retrieving deleted files from mobile devices and computers include memory acquisition; using tools like LiME to acquire memory images from the target system. This is followed by memory analysis: extracting deleted data structures, using carving algorithms like Scalpel and foremost to analyze deleted files from memory image, further enhanced by Metadata analysis to keep an eye out for valuable data in timestamps."

Yuki had now turned to face me, completely immersed, and as I hoped, impressed by this effortless and unimpressive technique. I couldn't wait to see her usually helpful face now looking up to me for an explanation. Still, I couldn't shake aside this feeling of deceit.

"Yuki, stop acting so dumbfounded when you already knew what I told you."

"Well, it's you who were so keen on explaining what I already know. I wanted to at least give you points for effort."

She smiled, teasing me as she said it. This act of hers made my throat dry. For one, I was never going to explain things to her so easily again. 

"If you're so smart, shouldn't you be able to figure it out, hmph?"

When she teased me, it was like a breath of fresh air. For once, I felt human again. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest, and I could finally allow myself to smile, to see her smile, and to feel like I deserved it.

"Okay, so how does this thing actually work? How can you get data from light?"

"Well, think of it like this. When we look at light, we usually see it as just light, right? I've figured out that light can actually carry information, kind of like a secret code. The first step is to figure out what frequency the light is. This tells us if there's any hidden information in it. The state of the light can reveal many things like Is it polarized or even tangled up with other light particles. These properties can hold even more hidden info."

"Hmmm? But how do you unlock this hidden info?"

"Ah, well you see, that's where quantum computing does its part. Instead of just using binary to draw out numerological formulae, my magi-code utilizes qubits, increasing my magic potential 6 fold. If the data is locked with a quantum key, we use that key to unlock it, just like a secret password. And if there are any mistakes or 'errors' in the data, we have special tools to fix them, making sure we get the right information."

"Hey, isn't that cheating? Hasumi, you just may be the hacker you claimed to be in the past! But hey, shouldn't we keep it top secret."

Yuki whispered in my ear, looking around suspiciously.

"We need to keep you safe, otherwise we may grab unwanted attention. Worst case,the government will take you away for experiments. But I can see how you'll use this ability. You'll extract lost data, and charge people for the service."

I nodded, proudly but avoiding a broad smile. The lingering warmth of Yuki's breath from when she whispered in my ear was still slightly tickling my ear.

"Yuki, I can also do this."

I lifted my finger, and placed it on her forehead.

"Huh? What?"

"If I want, I can see your memories."

All of a sudden, Yuki kicked my shins and violently pushed herself away from me.

"Were you seriously going to do that? What's wrong with you?!"

Her reaction was swift and intense, catching me off guard. It reminded me of the pain she must have endured in the past, the memories she must carry with her. Yuki was more than just an android; she was a being with a history, a being who had faced hardships no one should ever have to endure.

"I'm sorry, Yuki. I wasn't going to do it. I just wanted to share with you what else I can do. That's all."

Still, I couldn't help but wonder, what kind of past did she have? What was Yuki, who was more human than me, yet had experienced a treatment far worse than an inanimate object? To find out would be to intrude her personal space and rights. I had to keep my curiosity in check.

We walked back to the doctors house. Yuki had checked the time multiple times, indicating that she needed to go. Maybe she worked in shifts on Earth, driving buses disguised as a human. I wanted to ask her how dangerous it was entering the city being an android, however Yuki began the conversation first. I decided to put the question aside for later. I needed to rest myself, considering I had to start earning money to be eligible to partake in the neurochip auction.

"You should stay here, Hasumi. I mean, you don't expect me to take you back to my home, do you?"

"Of-of course not. See you.. Tomorrow."

"Oh, and don't be too careless. You still don't have encryption on, so don't lower your guard. Stay indoors as much as possible if I'm not around, ok?"

I nodded at her. Once she had disappeared round the corner of the street, I turned to knock at the doctor's door. The gate was made of a big iron door. There seemed to be no sign of a doorbell, and the entire wall and gate seemed to be welded together. I hadn't realized while stepping outside, but why was there no hinge that would enable a door to open? Surely, one wasn't expected to jump over the wall to enter. I didn't want to wait outside all night, so I tried banging against the metal gate, firmly built between the wall. To my surprise, the moment my hand was to come in contact with the metal door, it passed through it, a small glitch appearing indicating a possible hologram.

"What the?"

"Come in. The security system recognized you as a trusted visitor."

It was the doctor's voice, coming from behind the hologram. What type of joke was this? Why was such an inefficient security system deployed on the doctors house?

"Don't be disappointed, human. If the system had determined you to be a threat, it would have burnt both your eyes to blindness by sending concentrated microwaves towards you."

"That's scary."

I nervously pass through the holographic metal gate. I was still nervous talking to the doctor, because of the small confrontation from before."

Upon entering the house, I once again had the narrow staircase that led upwards. The doctor was sitting in the middle of the staircase, blocking my way. He was wearing something similar to a long kimono, with a sheet wrapped around his legs. He was wearing a strange mask-like object, which emitted steam from one corner.

"Is the doctor sick? Is he nebulizing himself?"

"Do you smoke?"

"Oh! No.. no I don't., doctor."

"Good. I'm not smoking because it's healthy. I was tempted to smoke by my friends when I was a kid. It's not something meant for any age."

"You're one to act like a father all of a sudden old man? Didn't you nearly kill me earlier?"

Right when the salty thought popped into my mind, I was just fast enough to block the doctor from reading my mind. It wasn't that people here did it intentionally. The neurochips in their minds were configured to catch every detail vividly, and interpret them before relaying them into the grey matter in the nervous system. It was mostly an automatic process, with the negligence although not deliberate, from my side and not theirs.

I was thankful for having the code analysis ability.

"For earlier, humans. Please do not hold it against me. Androids here don't just trust humans without a good reason. Even though you're here, I still don't have a reason to trust you. Although you may not have wrong intentions, it makes me wonder why she helped you?"

"I don't know myself, to be honest. I only know that I wouldn't have survived without her help. For this, I will always be in her debt. What makes me wonder is, what did you guys have to go through to be so distrustful of humans."

"We live here, in the underground neighborhood. Sure, it's a nice place, with music, food, and comfort. But is this really freedom? Are we really living life, or are we trapped here, stuck between the fear of being hunted down and the fear of losing our very sentience, our very sapience."

"Are you not happy with this life? You do not even need to do much to sustain this place."

"There is no such thing as an easy life. If we think it is free, we are only at the mercy of others. How long do you think before someone makes a mistake and we get discovered? No one here wants to realize, but it's impossible for such a place to really go unnoticed. Those who are capable of knowing the existence of such places, many others of which might be in existence, why are they not acting."

"I.. I don't know."

"Yuki, she never trusts humans. This is the thing I have pondered upon. I have cared for her more than others. We are like family. If anything were to happen, can you promise me to take care of her?"

"Doctor, I promise you, I'll never abandon her. However, there is something you need to know. You need to rest assured that Yuki is strong. More than me, even. She is fully capable of protecting herself. We'll be okay, doctor. Thankyou for worrying about us."

Although these words were exchanged, it made me realize how weak I was, and how much I needed to grow stronger, in this new world, where for some strange reason I had been given three unique abilities as a jump start by fate. For whatever reason I had been thrown into this world, it was annoying to think I wasn't strong enough yet to figure out what it was. I had to grow stronger, and find out myself, what it was that I had to achieve a thousand years away from home.

As I climbed into the levitating bed, for my first rest since I had arrived, I smiled at the prospect of waking up the next day to set up business. What would doing a small scale business feel like? It took me back to the past, in the days when I hadn't become a famous cyber criminal, and did small gigs related to computer programming for a living.

"Here I come, tomorrow!"

As my tired body finally got to relax and my mind drifted into a peaceful sleep, at that very moment on floor 99 of the megacity Ozymandias, a powerful and influential man was discovered dead, laying on the floor, with all of his limbs crushed into pieces.