"I don’t feel any changes." Hao Ren doubted as he pinched his upper arm.It did not become brawnier or resistant to pain. He could not summon the magic thunder ball too; he felt he was still a mortal. What about the ability of enhanced regeneration? As much as he wanted that, he could never build up the courage to slash himself...
"What more do you want?" Raven 12345 flipped through the operating manual for instructions to recalibrate the Bioenhancement and Reconfiguration Chamber. At the same time, she asked, "How about the magical ability to conjure up three fire balls?"
"I thought you meant combat strength?" Hao Ren felt he was being shortchanged. "You assigned a bunch of monsters to me. Don’t you think it’s absolutely necessary to give me some equivalent ability to match? What have you done to me exactly?"
"I administered some hormonal treatment to remove the scars on your elbow while I treated your white hair," said Raven 12345 with a straight face. "At least, for now."
Hao Ren was speechless.
"You look hilarious!" Raven 12345 could not hold her laughter anymore seeing Hao Ren mugging. "Don’t think too much, dude! I know what you’re thinking. I have had more recruits than I can remember. They unequivocally had the same thing on their mind—instant, superhuman gratification. Guess what would happen if you were given the ability to perform 20-meter vertical jumps overnight?"
Hoa Ren was unsure. "No more freaking out when the elevator breaks down? Become Spiderman’s double?"
Raven 12345 stared at him, unblinking. "You remind me of someone. By the way, your answers are a little far-fetched. If you suddenly acquired such an ability, you would instantly crash into walls or shoot through the roof as a result. Bioenhancement is a step-by-step process." she patted him on his shoulder as she continued, "You’ve got what it takes. The ability is only being capped by a ‘mind lock’. The ‘mind lock’ is there to ensure that you never go too fast. For the time being, get your feet wet first and over time you’ll adapt to your new found ability."
Hao Ren then realized that he was not exactly shortchanged. The deal just worked in installments. Raven 12345 was right; the safety lock is an absolute necessity considering his mortal body was only configured for the earth’s gravitational environment. He could get himself killed if he was unable to control his new found ability.
He was pretty self-aware though; he was calm and cool for the majority. However, curiosity would overcome him sometimes. It was too tempting not to try out his superhuman ability just to see what it was like.
"What kind of bioenhancement am I getting?" Hao Ren asked expectantly. "I suppose asking a question isn’t against the rules. At least I get to know what I’m getting into."
Raven 12345 sounded serious, "Swift muscle reflex, super strength, regeneration, reactive evolution and resistance to radiation, toxins, extreme temperatures, caustic substances as well as any other nasty stuff you can think of. But, all these are basically still in the process of being built upon your mortal body. Other aspects of bioenhancement will follow suit once you pass the test, which is extremely stringent. You’re not allowed to abuse your abilities and you need to show that you’re in control of yourself."
Hao Ren nodded as if he understood. He was pretty confident that he would pass the test but as Raven 12345 had mentioned, it all depended on the outcome of the examination. Nevertheless, he was now officially an employee of the Space Administration albeit one of the lowest rung on the ladder.
"Protective gear—checked. Bioenhancement—checked. Help yourself to the rest of the employee’s codes of conduct. The most important thing of all is, never ever tell anyone about the Space Administration except your tenants." Raven stared straight into Hao Ren’s eyes. "You may tell them why you’re doing this—which is to protect them but just that, no more. They’re chosen but they’re not part of the Space Administration yet. I think you understand the difference, right?"
Hao Ren looked a little surprised. "Talk about confidentiality, huh? Space Administration, God’s organization. I do wonder though, doesn’t God like to spell it out loud when it comes to His great plans—global worship, evangelical outreach?"
"Publicity is only necessary when the need arises." Raven 12345 shook her head. "In the case of the Space Administration, there’s no need for that. Just remember, the administration has its own local civilization where its history follows its natural course. It’s totally independent. God wouldn’t mess with history. It would spell disaster for the human race if they learn that there are higher beings out there who are controlling their fate and their world. Of course telling them about the Space Administration isn’t going to cause an end-of-the-world scenario. Most people won’t even believe it. However, that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to do so. It’s a matter of principle."
Hao Ren nodded in response and seemed like he had understood it. "Okay. So essentially, the Space Administration is in a way, a secret society—we keep people in the dark while we’re in it?"
"Not really. The Macro World isn’t constant in itself." Raven 12345 continued again as she shook her head, "It’s a massive system built by the emperor; an ever expanding virtual web of the empire while the Space Administration is sort of its central nervous system. Naturally, we would encounter all kinds of situations.Sometimes, a civilization or a community expands to become large enough, or a major disaster strikes. In such cases, the Space Administration can no longer keep itself a secret. It would then be forced to intervene. When it does, the affected community would then be accepted into the empire, with prior approval of course. But you don’t have to worry about all this, just mind your own business. Anyway, the examining officers are rather lenient nowadays. During the early days of the Space Administration when the empire was in turbulence, the rule of confidentiality was enforced heavy-handedly. Anyone in the civil departments who defied the rule would be executed under the martial law. Capital punishment still exists today but as long as you stay in line you’ll be fine."
Hao Ren was in cold sweat as he had only begun to comprehend how serious the monstrous organization was.
Yet at the same time, there seemed to be a silver lining: despite only having a vague understanding of the web and Space Administration, he was part of the system now. However, he wondered—was the earth, the solar system, or the entire of space just a speck in the Macro World?
The more he pondered, the more motivated he was.
By then, the room was cleaned and tidied up. Raven 12345 led him outside. "Stop thinking too much. We’re done with the orientation. Now, I have a mission for you."
Hao Ren was excited that the organization needed his service.
"In two days, you’ll be going to Europe," Raven 12345 remarked. "Your mission is to bring a tenant back. I’ve spent considerable effort to bring him in but that dumbass disembarked to a place with an entire eight hour time difference instead. It’s time to show your worth."