System Break Chapter 166: Exoskeleton

There was no convincing required for to suck on the gas which knocked out. If Jake, previously known as Pieter, wanted dead he could have dropped the container in the sea. Hell, he could have left at the Huan Estate.

Hours past and I woke in a haze of delirium. chanical whirring sounds reached my ears, and I could not focus my eyes; everything was a blur.

There was a garbled sound and only one word was clear, "Under." And then everything went black again.

One of the things about anaesthesia is the patient usually rembers nothing. Sothing about it stuffs around with your neural chanisms which is intentional on the drugs part.

But not .

I saw the ancient Chinese dude floating on a cloud again but just as he recognised I was pulled away. He had the hide to smile and wave at as I was sucked into another space.

A frog jumped and splashed - I was sitting next to a pond. I looked around and there was moss, rocks, mushrooms, and fungus all over the place. Then I saw her standing there staring at in surprise. It was Mother.

"You are here," she said, and her eyes twinkled with amusent.

"I guess I am. Where is here?"

She pointed and said, "Look out in the distance what do you see?"

There was a green translucent film at the edge of the garden, but I could see past it and I recognised the grassy area and tree line imdiately. It was the glade.

"I'm here?"

"I am just as surprised as you are." She smiled and approached . "But I think I know how you ca here. I added your core to the sacred willow this morning. It is now part of the land core."

I stared at the pond. It only now hit that I really died in the ga. There was no coming back to my old body; I died, and they held a funeral for .

"Do not worry," she said softly. "I think all will be well. And I have the pleasure of your company."

I stood and looked down at myself. I was naked but it wasn't the Svartalfar , it was the real with one exception; I was translucent too. I was a ghost.

"How did you recognise ?" I asked.

"I know how you feel and who else could do this? You are one of a kind."

"One of two don't you an?"

"Maybe."

My feet dangled in the pond. I could feel the cool waters or at least I think I could. I missed the carefree days when I stayed near the glade. There were always urgent matters taking us away but when I was here I was happiest. We'd train, run, eat, sleep, and of course bang like nymphomaniac rabbits.

"I miss it here," I said.

She sat beside and whispered softly to the tiny fish. "Do no be afraid; no harm will co to you."

I looked up at her and then across the rock pool. "How is it so big in here? The tree is only a few feet wide."

Her lodic laughed filled my ears. "This is my domain. It is not as it seems."

"This is where you disappear to. Do you sleep on the rocks?"

She shook her head. "I watch and think. I do not need sleep; it is enough I am here."

There was a light in the depths of the pond. "Where does that go?"

"A eting place for the Mothers."

I peered at it "Can I go through it?"

"You can go where you please Benzhi. I will not deny you. Whether you can or will is up to you."

I smiled at her. "I like it here. I don't need to et more Mothers. You're enough."

"Tell when you will be back. Gisael and the others would love to hear from you even if they cannot see you."

I sighed. "I'm working on it. I have soone helping , but it will not be easy my path is not clear. I need to do sothing about the Chancellor in Loctris and the gatekeepers. Otherwise it will be years before I can forge my own path as the Shaman did. I am a complete novice in the ways of the Ancients."

"You will find a way," she said with supre confidence in .

I smiled. "Thanks." It felt good that she believed in . It all stemd from the Qi Sage who ca before, but I didn't care.

"The forest is patient. I am patient. Do what you need to and co back to us when you can. Do not worry, the mystical beasts and the guardians can protect us. Although their training with you was short they learned enough to grow themselves."

At the ntion of Guardians I was overco with sadness. "Ailen, he will not be back. Neither will Sakaala. Send the new ones to the Reach to train with Kysandre and Peppin. Do not let them stay here."

"Ailen's body is here asleep in his ho."

"He will not be back." I sighed. "I saw him die - dispose of the body in case another tries to occupy it." There was a chance that I could take it depending on many factors, but it was uncertain at best. And there was sothing wrong about it. Even if I could - I would reject taking his body.

I thought I would do anything to return, but there were limits.

She stared at the pond. "Very well. We will add him to the land core."

"Tell Gisael I love her and miss her dearly." I stared at Mother. "I love everyone even Dark Bear."

She smiled weakly. "You can reconnect with him when you return."

I felt myself being pulled. "I will return, or I will die trying."

"Goodbye for now Benzhi" her words trailed off and I began to spin. I was six foot six and it felt like I was sucked through a tiny straw and then dumped back on my body in the old world. The real world. But they both were real; one was almost too good to be true.

I gasped for breath.

"He's alive," the technician said. He sounded like he was ordering a burger because there was zero concern in his tone.

"Good Pedro. You would owe quite a few favours if you let him die in such a simple procedure."

The technician frowned and hefted his robotic arm with and inbuilt screwdriver. "If its so simple find soone else who can do this."

Jake laughed. "But you owed a favour."

"And this big bastard will be able to walk. Assuming he can work the exo."

Jake nodded. "I'm sure he can, he's quite capable." He bent over . "How do you feel?"

"I think it's the first ti in my life I was glad I had no feeling in my legs." My throat was dry, and I cleared it. "My shoulders hurt like hell, I guess I have so feeling up here."

"Try and get up," Jake said. "Use the interface in your cybernetic implant."

The servo motors were surprisingly quiet I could barely hear them whir as I sat up. "Whoa. This is aweso."

Jake smiled. "We're just getting started comrade." And then he laughed at our private joke.