"Nigel!" I exclaimed happily as I stepped put of the elevator. Nigel flashed me a hearty smile and clapped me on the back.
"Chase, nice to see you again though I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." Nigel replied.
"Well I have a small problem that I was hoping that Baset could clear up." I replied. Nigel's expression turned to curious.
"Well now I'm intrigued." Nigel said. He motioned down the hall and smiled. "Come. Baset is waiting for you."
The two of us walked to Baset's office doors and Nigel opened them for me. Baset stood inside her office leaning against her desk examining a long sheet of paper. She made no moves to acknowledge my presence or Nigel's, she just continued to examine the sheet. I stepped inside the office and waited by the door while Nigel walked around Baset to her desk.
"Chase is here." Nigel said. Baset glanced up from her paper and nodded curtly then continued reading. After a moment she finally addressed me.
"What do you make of this?" She held put the paper she was reading to me and walked up and grabbed it. I read it a bit and was surprised.
"This is a Lysdale readout?!" I exclaimed. Baset looked surprised at me and crossed her arms.
"You can read it?"
"Of course!" I scoffed. "They teach us Lysdale script in middle school!"
"Wow that early." Nigel said.
"It's basic stuff. Though I'm surprised either of you know about since lysdale script is used in techno-splicing." I replied.
Lysdale script was the complete genetic sequence of a evo written out in lines of script. It was basically it's own alphabet consisting of forty-eight letters arranged in four letter cells with line containing fifteen of those cells. Each letter of that alphabet corresponded with a specific gene known to be compatible with splicing found in every animal.
"Lets see….ape, alligator and cuttlefish? What the hell? Oh it's a Thrad…" I said as I looked over the readout. I scoffed and shook my head. "Geez this sequence isn't going to work. Line 257-s is going to clash with line 331-6s and cause facial deformities, reduced mental capacities or abnormal bone growths."
"And how would you know that?" Baset asked.
"I grew up in a techno-splicing town, hell my dad is the lead geneticist in the towns biggest factory. I've seen this sort of combination multiple times over the years. People are always trying to add octopus, or cuttlefish or chameleon into evos hoping they'll get a evo that can turn itself invisible." I replied. "Ooh that's cool new take with that sequence…"
"Well, well aren't you just full of surprises?" Baset said. She held her hand out for the readout and I handed it back to her. Baset picked up a pen off her desk and scribbled something on it before rolling it up and handing the readout to Nigel. "Take this Amon and have him keep me updated."
Nigel nodded and quickly walked out of room.
"So tell me Chase what is it you needed my help with? Class hasn't even started yet." Baset asked eyeing me intently.
"Is there a more complex element?" I asked.
"Complex elements?"
"You know, like stronger elements than fire, earth, water and all that. Something higher." I tried to explain. Baser's eyes glowed with recognition at that last part.
"Oh! You mean the core elements!" Baset exclaimed.
"Core elements?" I parroted. Baset nodded.
"The universe consists of six basic elements that make up the fabric if our world fore, water, earth, electricity, light and shadow. Then there are three core elements that govern how the lesser basic elements interact with the universe: Time, space, and flesh. In order for anyone to use magic they have to have a connection to one of the three core elements. It's why splicers can do what we do cause our connection is to the flesh element." Baset explained.
"Time, space, and flesh?" I mused.
"Think if it like this. Flesh is the person or object that the basic elements are effecting, space dictates the area that elements may operate in in relation to the flesh, and Time dictates how long a element may effect the flesh inside space's area. Does that answer things better?"
"That does actually." I replied.
In Deilopho Salagor's book it talked a lot about the basic elements and how they effected the structure of your systems in the beginning of the book. Basically what I needed to do was channel my mana throughout my body in a certain pattern that corresponded with one or more of the five elements. Only problem with that was the patterns looked a little too much like a spell sigil. When I tried to channel my mana in the most basic pattern shown in the book, I failed, but after about twenty tries I managed to complete one and the second it was completed the pattern shattered.
This information however clarified one of the more advanced techniques. Instead of trying to channel my mana into specific shapes it would have me cast a spell that would allow me to argument my body to create a physical system within my body. At first I figured that means it created system of solid mana tubes throughout the body. Now I know that wasn't what it meant. The spell would use the flesh element to create veins or tubes inside my body to carry mana throughout my body.
While I couldn't cast the spell because of the mana-nana manipulation spell, I could try and replicate the same effects by channeling flesh attribute mana throughout my body. To do that however I needed to do some prep work.
I closed my eyes and started flowing mana throughout my whole body. I didn't try to change the attribute but instead tried to sense things with my mana. It took a few minutes to work but soon my mind was flooded with sensation and smells that I was not familiar with. I focused my mana and anger to get it to flow from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet in waves. Using the crest of the wave I memorized every cell and gene in my body.
Slowly but surely I started to work out my own genetic sequence and mapped it out like I was trained, in a lysdale readout. Once I had the full thing mapped I repeated it over and over until I had it memorized and then repeated it again until the knowledge was second nature. To do what I was planning I need to know my own genetic structure like the back of my hand so I don't accidently make a mana vein in the wrong place or have the veins makeup different from my own and have my body reject them. Both will kill.
Sure I finally had the sequence memorized correctly I opened my eyes. I found that Baset was sitting at her desk filling out some paper work. When she noticed my movement she looked up from my desk and eyed me intently before speaking.
"Well you were out for a while. Figured you were doing something with your mana given how bright your farm crystal was glowing." She said. I frowned and crossed my arms.
"How long was I out?" I asked. Baset looked at the clock in the desk.
"About six hours."
"SIX HOURS!" I screeched then looked down at my hand.
'It only felt like a few minutes….'
"Yes I'm surprised as well. Not many splicers your age have the mental fortitude to channel mana for that long." Baset smirked and folded her fingers together as she eyed me inquisitively. "So did this exercise yield anything for you?"
"I think it did. I understand my genetic sequence for the first time and I have a much better understanding of magic thanks to your words. I think I have enough understanding to try something…"
I held my right arm put and forced mana into it. I didn't try to change it into a specific attribute, at least not right away. I focused my mana into a shape and condensed it, making it denser. Of course my mana didn't want to stay in that shape, it was a struggle to just keep it from flowing out of place or dispersing. After a few minutes beads of sweat started to form on my brow and I realized that shape was too large. So I changed plans and let the mana disperse momentarily before reshaping it and condensing it into two thinner and longer shapes.
It was so much easier to control like this and after a few moments I had my mana in the perfect shape. I smiled and changed the attribute, imagining hard bone, strong as a elephant's. I felt a slight numbness and change in weight in my arm as the bones took shape. I gathered more mana into my arm turning it into muscle tissue and ligament, attaching both bones loosely to the my ulna and radius bones just above the elbow. As I created nerve endings and wrapped those in muscle tissue I slowly began to feel my creation in its entirety. After double checking my work I smiled more brightly and opened my eyes.
Baset was watching me with an eagle eyed intensity. It was the same intensity my dad had when he was watching a evo gestation in one of the vats at the factory. She was waiting for proof of change and growth.
"Finished." I said then flexed my arm. Two bone claws popped out lf my hand, just above my second and forth knuckle. Baset's eyes widened in astonishment and then horror. I looked at her slightly confused when I suddenly felt my arm go numb entirely. I glanced down at my claws and saw blood and skin coating them. It took my mind two seconds to realize what had happened and the same amount of time for the pain to come flooding back.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"