Chapter 375: Press Start.
VOLCAN was supposed to be delivered to someone working for Eidolon. Assuming they knew the relic’s true capabilities, they likely saw it as a threat to their Genome supremacy, which is why they were attempting to keep it away from anyone walking the cyborg path, especially the Gear Cult, seeing how they are the ones leading it.
The Gear cult should have had a [ ] in getting the relic, so why didn’t they try to snatch it away? The answer to that is simple: they did. They hired a crew of mercenaries and tasked them with stealing the relic. But the mercs failed, and the relic fell in the Genome’s hands, or so it seemed.
’That... sounds like it...’
Dante grimaced while trying to remember the details of that mission. Gaspard was the one who got the gig for them, saying it was a personal favor for a friend. At no other point did this friend come up after that, so Dante had no clue on who they are. Viktor didn’t seem t know, either, and with all the people investigating Gaspard and his crew after the incident, trying to find out who the client was far too difficult.
The trail had gone cold now that a few months have passed, so Dante doubted that he would find anything if he tried investigating the incident now. Still, not looking into the matter felt like a great oversight. The client from that gig might still be after the relic, and if they’re truly connected to the cult, they might come after him sometime soon.
"So... how does it work, exactly?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Dante gave the underground Doctor a confused look.
"You called it an upgrade." Said Larry. "That means you take something and improve it, right?"
"... yeah..." Dante tilted his head slightly. "To be honest with you, I’m not too sure how it works."
"Really now?"
"Yup. I don’t have any idea." Dante shrugged. "I mean, I was unconscious the entire time, right? The process is entirely automated."
"Seriously?" Sighing, Larry pressed his cigarette into a portable ashtray. "Well, it’s good to hear you aren’t a part of the cult. For a moment there, I thought you were the reason they sent that monster to this city."
Dante knew exactly what monster he was referring to, and because of that, he couldn’t help but pull a face. Seeing his reaction, Larry held a hand to his forehead.
"You got to be kidding me..."
~[ ]~
"We’re doing it in VR?" Dante craned his neck as he asked the doctor pushing his wheelchair.
"Yup." Larry answered. "You’re gonna need a lot of practice to get used to it."
What follows the installation of a neural implant is usually a lot of rehabilitation to help the recipient’s body adapt to the change. At the moment, Dante had yet to make use of his new implants, at least not in a major way. It is for that reason why he tried to remain still until he got a feel on how the new implants affect his body.
"The implant itself came with a training chip." Said the doctor. "I uploaded everything on an exocore and did some translations, but it’s not perfect. The thing is in Orvakian."
"Damn..."
’Can you handle it?’ Dante asked internally.
[Sure. I am capable of understanding most of the known languages with 90% accuracy.]
’Great.’
Soon enough, they arrived at a simple room with a single chair that looked like something you would see at a dentist. Same as before, Larry helped Dante off the wheelchair and onto the operating chair.
"This is your first time plugging in, so it’s going to feel really weird. Are you ready?"
Filling his lungs with the room’s sterile, Dante slowly exhaled.
"Alright." He said, lowering his head to expose the back of his neck. "Do it. "
Larry stared at the port cluster at the end of Dante’s neck, studying its odd shape. Catching himself spacing out, he quickly took a step back and went about retrieving the necessary cables, which extended from the hole at the center of the headrest.
"Brace yourself."
Before Dante could say anything, Larry took the main data cable and inserted its plug into the main port. It went in with a satisfying click, and at the same time, Dante’s body suddenly jerked as if he had been zapped by something.
"Holly-"
"Pffft."
Larry couldn’t help but chuckle.
"The hell are you laughing at?"
"Nothing." The doctor answered, smiling as he brought another plug. "You didn’t wet yourself, did you? Make sure to hold it in. I don’t want to clean your mess."
Larry went ahead and plugged the cables one after the other, ignoring Dante’s protest. By the end of it, Dante looked like an android undergoing maintenance. No sooner had the last cable connected than a screen appeared in front of Dante.
[
Overmind Systems: Overmind Test Simulation.
>Start. Exit.
]
"Now, you just have to put this on." Said Larry as he handed him what looked like bulky headset. "You don’t have optics, so you’re going to need that."
The MLP included an Optic Augmentation Module, so it had AR capabilities, but for a full VR experience, one still needed a proper headset, unless they have the right optics. When he put the headset on, the interface he was seeing changed, though it still displayed the same message.
"Make sure you don’t press on the cables too much." Said Larry. "The plugs might be secured, but the cables themselves might deteriorate."
"Sure, sure."
The headrest of the chair had a hole where the port cluster could go, so Dante didn’t feel any discomfort while lying on his back.
"So, do I just press start?" He asked.
"Yeah," Larry replied. "I will be watching, just so you know. If you need anything, just ask."
"Alright."
Dante felt a hint of excitement as he stared at the start screen. Despite his disinterest in video games, the one he was about to try managed to get him hyped up. Of course, the simulation he was about to undergo wasn’t exactly a game. It was a training program meant to help him adapt to his new implants, but that prospect seemed all the more exciting to him.