"Hahaha! Relax, my friend. I was merely testing you, and I must say, Captain, you've surpassed my expectations," the reinforcement captain quipped, chuckling as he patted Damien on the back.
Damien's expression shifted as he began to question when this man had actually arrived so close to him.
"The name's Lewis. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Lewis stated.
[He's suspicious.]
'Ah, Luna, you're back.'
[Yes, host, I've returned.]
'Sigh, I thought I had lost you.'
[Well, you came close.]
'Hmm?'
[Your new ability doesn't permit external interference of any kind. Unfortunately, even though I was connected to your nervous system, I was still classified as external, so I was suppressed.]
[If you hadn't summoned me, I would have been erased in five days.]
'What do you mean?'
[Not all external functions of your parent's system were eliminated. Those deemed helpful, like your nanobots, were either retained or transformed.]
[The system couldn't decide whether I was a threat or not. It would have relied on your memories to determine, but human cognition can be influenced by bias.]
'Explain.'
[Two conditions had to be met for my return. First, the system had to determine that your memories weren't distorted by bias, and you had to consciously or subconsciously call upon me.]
'I see.' Damien replied ' but you haven't explained what I asked though '
[.....]
Sigh!
'Nevermind'
The government currently had over five hundred thousand cyber soldiers. Among them, seven percent boasted compatibility levels above eighty-five percent with cybernetics. Emma and Adele were part of this group, with compatibility percentages of 87 and 85, respectively.
Those with over eighty-five percent compatibility could access more built-in functions, including the NCA (Nervous to Cybernetic Ai). This Ai was developed to ensure the system's stability and assist soldiers in effectively utilizing their cybernetic enhancements.
Luna represented an advanced version of the NCA, integrated into Damien, with an additional role of safeguarding his life. When the system was initially implanted into Damien, it displayed a 97% compatibility. However, the overseeing scientist, in their moment of celebration, overlooked the fact that Damien was an asthma patient.
Damien's compatibility occasionally dropped to 15% when his asthma flared up, introducing complications. To address this issue, a device called the core was created and surgically placed in his chest (it's on the book cover). The core functioned similarly to an asthma inhaler but was internal. It not only prevented compatibility drops but also provided alerts for any issues with Damien's body.
---------------
A/N:
I think that's enough for now, too early for an info dump
_______________
"The name's Lewis. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Lewis stated.
"You should already know our names, so there's no need for us to state them," Damien replied.
WTF?
Lewis's smile wavered for a moment before stabilizing. "Of course, you're the current hot topic in all the bases. How could I not know your name? I also know the names of the others."
"Good, now let's get down to business," he replied.
Contrary to what everyone thought, Damien wasn't being cold to Lewis. His mind was just elsewhere; he was engrossed in a conversation with Luna, who had just returned. Hence, the seemingly distant treatment, which was merely the result of his absent-mindedness.
As Damien recentered his focus on the conversation with Lewis, he couldn't help but feel a touch of embarrassment for his momentary distraction.
[Just ask a random question to dispel the awkwardness]
"So, Captain Lewis, what's the primary purpose of the Copperheads being dispatched to our base?" Damien inquired, awkwardly steering the conversation back to business.
Lewis frown disappeared, adopting a more serious tone. "We're here to reinforce your team and provide assistance in dealing with the growing Abyssal threat in this region. The situation is getting more challenging, and HQ decided that our specialized unit could be of significant help."
"Reinforcements are not really needed," Damien said, his mind now fully engaged in the discussion. "We haven't faced any powerful Abyssals at all, all we've been doing is just a battle of wits."
Lewis disagreed. "Our team is well-equipped and experienced in dealing with such threats. We'll also share our knowledge and tactics to enhance your group's effectiveness."
"But we've been doing fine," Adams added. "Or does HQ doubt my strategic abilities?" he asked with narrowed eyes.
"Of course not. That's why we are called the REINFORCEMENT. Our job is to support, not to replace. Even if you've managed to push the enemy back a little, you still haven't made any significant discoveries or achievements, have you?" Lewis argued back.
[ Tsk, what a stubborn guy]
Damien and the others remained quiet. They weren't going to reveal the information they had gathered to Lewis until they were sure he could be trusted.
Gotcha!
Taking their silence as an admission, Lewis grinned evily before quickly shifting to a normal smile. This didn't go unnoticed by the three captains, but they chose to remain silent about it. Inwardly, they sneered, as their suspicions had been confirmed without any effort.
"And that's why I was sent here... to ASSIST you," Lewis emphasized the word assist.
After an eternity of arguing back and forth Lewis and his team were eventually accepted into the group.
___________
At night in a dark alleyway far from Damien and the others
" Infiltration successful, though I think they're suspicious of us"
"Yes yes, the captain handled it well"
" They won't notice my absence, I made sure of that"
" yes .... I understand "
Thw figure looked around before disappearing. After he left a group of tiny nanobots the size of fire flies appeared from different directions and followed after him.
__________
Listen o avatars of mine, if you're reading this book, kindly add to library or else... hehe