A technomancer's journey in an apocalyptic world

Chapter 10: Sudden Changes (Part-1)

Pain so much pain that was all Ryan knew, his entire body was screaming from agonizing pain to him it felt as if someone had seemed to lit him in fire and at the same time used a hammer to break his bones, he gasped as he tried to open his eyes, only to find himself being held tightly by something or someone he could barely make out someone calling his name out in spite of the fierce headache with great difficulty he somehow managed to open his eyes and was greeted with worried and concerned face of his mother he tried to speak but no words or sound came from his mouth as a bout of dizziness and nausea hit him.

Cool water washed down his throat that felt akin to desert receiving rain in a very very long time, "Ryan look at me can you see how many fingers I am holding in front of you."

Ryan tried to look up but the fierce headache was making it difficult as he somehow managed to open his eyes he spoke groggily, "Six.", before he closed his eyes again.

Nikita frowned at that as she spoke, That is not good, he is not seeing clearly that is not good, there is a chance he might have hit his head or the fever affecting him."

Ciara frowned at that as Nikita grumbled about lack of proper medical facilities, one of her soldier had brought a bucket and some rags, as Nikita began to dip the rags in water before applying it on his forehead in order to control the fever that was running rampart in his body.

It took at least half an hour for his temperature to lower to acceptable level along with that the headache subsided to mere annoyance as Ryan opened his eyes to look around his eyes fell on his mother as he tried to sit up only to wince in pain as he immediately fell back with a whimper, Ciara quickly held him as she spoke, "Ryan calm down, you are injured do not try to sit up so abruptly."

Ryan was confused for a moment before he remembered as he started to shake in fear and grief as tears began to fall from his eyes as he tried to speak but his were incoherent like a drunk making it difficult to understand his speech but Ciara was able to make the name 'Lena', as such she understood what had happened Ryan had witness her death and was in shock as such she quickly hugged him tightly as she began to whisper sweet consoling words in order to lessen his grief, when all of sudden Ryan stiffened before he went limp.

Ciara was taken aback by that before she turned towards Nikita, who was already checking on Ryan as she spoke, "He must have gone unconscious again, I recommend trying to keep him from anything that is too exciting for a while."

Ciara frowned as she spoke, "Did you recognize anything from the symptoms?"

Nikita a bit her lips as she spoke, "There are plenty of different reasons that this symptoms indicate but without proper diagnostic instruments I cannot be sure, except recommend plenty of rest as for medicines as you know until absolutely necessary I am not going to give him we are in severe shortage."

Ciara nodded at that acquiescing in her decision, as a mother she wanted to scream at her for not using some medicine on her child but as the major who was responsible for over a hundred lives she understood her burden as she spoke, "I understand if there is any instructions in regards to Ryan that I have to follow then please convey it to me and if there is nothing else you may leave I believe Ruby might find some use for you."

Nikata nodded at that as she spoke, "Keep him warm and comfortable, at the same time if he starts to run fever use the wet rag and place it on his forehead it will help and if he starts showing discomfort or something like that send someone to fetch me and as for his necrosis well we will deal with it when he is more lucid and is not suffering from fever anymore.", Ciara nodded as Nikita left shortly after.

She gently caressed Ryan's hair as the rest left her alone with him a few minutes later Captain Zhan entered the hut where Ryan was sleeping as she took a seat beside her, "Ciara about the dead"

Ciara sighed as she spoke, We will do what we have done to the rest of our sisters who have recently fallen, we will creamte them, how long has it been since they were brought here?"

Zhan frowned as she spoke, "It had been over an hour since they were brought here, do you think that the zombification was an isolated incident and they would not become one after all the rest turned into one within an hour after their death."

Ciara shook her head as she spoke, "No I am not taking any chances, it can be isolated but at the same time we know that everything is evolving so what says the evolution would not cause the zombification to be delayed, prepare to have them cremated as soon as possible."

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Zhan nodded slowly at that making Ciara frown as she spoke, "I know our church does not condone cremation but the situation is such that we have to, after all any other alternatives are much more immoral, I do not want to have to put them down after they turned to a zombie."

Zhan nodded at that she herself did not wish to do so for her comrades she looked at the sleeping figure of Ryan as she spoke, "Are you going to train him?"

Ciara nodded at that as she spoke, "I will or else I will never be able to forgive myself if my child died because I coddled him, I will have to teach him many things."

Zhan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she spoke, "Please stop blaming yourself you did what every mother wants for their child, to be safe and you raised him well how many mother can boast that their child is being scouted for joining the team that would represent their country in International sphere, you did a great job."

Ciara gave a small appreciative smile as she spoke, "Thank you."

Zhan smiled at that before her face gained a sorrowful look, "So Lena is gone."

Ciara nodded wordlessly at that as Zhan looked out towards the door and sat for a moment in silence as she spoke, her voice quivering in grief, "So it is you and me now."

Ciara almost choked a sob before she spoke, "Yes it is Zhan though if you kick the bucket anytime soon I will never forgive you."

Zhan gave a small punch to her shoulder as she stood up with a grin her eyes red and tears glistening in them as she spoke, "That goes double for you.", with her piece said she left the hut while rubbing her eyes leaving Ciara to cry in silence for the loss of her best friend.

Host Life Safe: Confirmed

Protocol 654: Deactivated

Host Status: Mana: NIL

Health: LOW

Initializing Files...

Rebooting System....

Awakening Host...

Ryan opened his eyes with a gasp as he found himself into a familiar place, the place where various blue prints are dumped in a pile but unlike before a screen was displayed in front of him, displaying various data on it.

HOST: RYAN O'CAHILL

HEALTH: 30/600 (Caution: Low)

MANA: 0/400 (Caution: Danger)

LIFE-FORM TIER: 2 (0/300)

VITALITY TIER: 1 (48/200)

STRENGTH TIER: 1 (46/200)

AGILITY TIER: 1 (46/200)

INTELLIGENCE TIER: 1 (48/200)

Blood Points: 225

Soul: 61

Perks Available:

A) REGENERATION

B) UNRELENTING STRENGTH

C) ZEPHYR

D) PARTITION OF MIND

He fell on his back staring at it soullessly, 'What is the point in all this when I could not even protect anyone.', he gathered his legs near his chest as he began to cry.

When all of a sudden he heard a voice as he turned to look he saw someone he knew very much his coach for fencing, he was towering over him as he spoke, "Child did you think you could become the best of the best in just a month, people have been fencing for years yet they are nowhere near the peak and you what just a month over here and already sulking."

"But I am the weakest there is.", a childish voice came from somewhere making look around but there was no one else but him present there.

"So what? I myself was called the most hopeless case in fencing my peers used to always used to taunt me, demean me calling me names in fact my coach used to say the only reason I was even allowed there was because I pay for it, hell he even once said that he always feared I might impale my send with my own blade, such was my condition when I had been practicing for four whole years and yet here I am teaching people who make it to our national team where as you just want to give up within a month of practice, shame on you I never thought to see the nephew of an army personnel such a coward, might be something he inherited from her."

Ryan watched the vision shifted from what seemed to be a person's feet to the face of his coach as the same childish voice shouted at him with anger he could see a tiny finger pointing at him as he spoke, "You take that back."

The coach folded his arms as he looked at him with bored tone, "Or what will you do little boy, no what can you do, you who is running away afraid."

The same voice growled in anger as he spoke, "I will show you what I can do, I will not only defeat them and then make you swallow your words."

It was an extremely familiar scene that he remembered to well and he also remembered by the end of sixth month Ryan had defeated everyone not only of his age group but even a few years older as well, how could he forget about his coach Mr. Sullivan's words, "You have got two very functional hands and legs, a nice brain more than most can say they posses, so stop moping stand up move forward."

He gained a nostalgic smile on his face, 'He is right I cannot mope and feel self pity I will have to move forward go stronger for my mother, for my sisters and my aunts.', he stood up with determination when all of a sudden he realized something, 'Wait a minute how did I view my memory like that, why did it happen and just what is my power, it always refers to me as 'host' so is it my power or am I simply having a symbiotic relation with something? Then who is it and what do they want with me.'

Ryan felt a headache coming because of it but he at present he could do nothing he desperately needed the power he knew it would make difference between life and death greatly, as he looked at the words floating in front of him he frowned so how should I upgrade myself, I do not have enough to move to the next tier but I can definitely increase my other stats and may be grab a perk or may be hold on to the points decisions decisions.'

Ryan frowned at that, 'The creatures are strong so I believe I should try to increase both my strength and my agility, it would help me hit harder as well as move fast, I have to find a way increase my tier fast but at the same time neglecting this might prove deadly as I would fail to hunt dangerous beasts and eventually it would all for naught.'

He closed his eyes in deep thought before he spoke with a sigh, "Add 120 to strength and rest to agility."

He watched as the numbers changed with 120 in strength he was at 166 out 200 for strength and 151 out of 200 in agility, his eyes then fell on the perks as he looked at them with narrowed eyes as he whispered to himself, "Well most of the things are except 'Partition of Brain' are in white color, except 'Partition of Brain', it is blue in color but why? Not to mention it sound ominous."

He looked at it hard as he raised his hand and was surprised to see that he was able to touch the as he moved his hand over the 'Partition of Brain', the entire screen disappeared leaving a dumbstruck Ryan, 'Huh what happened?' when all of a sudden the mechanical voice came to his ears, "Perk 'Partition of Brain' selected installing of perk in progress."

Ryan was stunned for a moment before he shouted out, "Cancel, Sto", a horrific pain erupted once again from his head as he curled up in fetal postion.

Ciara who was nearby had just returned from the funeral, her long time friend of over 25 years went up in flames it was an emotionally taxing moment for her, she entered her son's resting place along with Michalina it was never easy to see one of their own die, as they entered the room they saw Ryan was having what seemed to be a seizure making them dash towards him, as blood began to flow out of his nose and eyes, "Michalina get Ruby NOW!"

Michalina did not have to be told twice as she dashed off to get Ruby, Ciara held Ryan down on the bed and by then a few more had entered the room as they helped their commander to hold Ryuu down, Ruby entered the room a few minutes later with Nikita in tow and by then more and more soldiers had appeared as such she bellowed out in anger, "Get lost give me some space.", the others promptly stepped aside as Ruby began to check Ryan with a frown on her face.

Ciara looked worriedly at her as she spoke, "Ruby what is happening with him."

Ruby frowned hard as she spoke , "Nothing nothing is wrong with him per se, I have checked everything that could caused it his pulse is erratic like he has been exercising but nothing else even his blood pressure seems normal."

Michalina gritted her teeth as she spoke, "May be because you are not looking properly."

Ruby sneered at her as she spoke, "How right you are so why don't you get me a MRI or CT Scan machine."

Ciara snarled in anger as she spoke, "Ladies focus here."

Ruby had a troubled look on her face as she spoke, "Sorry Commander but I have no idea what is happening to him."

Nikita who also had a troubled look on her face noticed something that made her mind boggled as she spoke in disbelief, "Captain Ruby please look over here.", that drew Ruby's as well others attention to the place Nikita was pointing at.