Chapter 12

Two weeks later…

"The integration has been going well." Alex said to the others as they sat around the table in his office. "Ko's been exposed to every Typhon subject we have on board multiple times and in each case the response from the Typhon has been positive interaction or at least acceptance that he is one of them. None of them have shown any hostility towards him."

"That is excellent news." Igwe considered. "Did he do anything specific to facilitate this lack of animosity?"

Alex shrugged. "Apparently all he needed to do was act as they did, instinctively like a Typhon would instead of using human mannerisms and thought processes."

"Makes sense." Danielle remarked. "Besides the mirror neurons there's no human biological material within him to make them suspicious."

"He mentioned to me that he seems fairly comfortable around them as well, at least after a few moments of initial contact." Alex added.

"Well that's a good thing too since he'll have to be around them for extended periods on Earth." Mikhaila offered.

"Let's just hope he doesn't get too comfortable with them." Elazar remarked. "The last thing we need is for him to go rogue on us."

"He'll be monitored at all times while he's on Earth as well." Alex stated. "At the very least he'll be wearing a black box that records everything that happens, just in case."

"Do you think he will object to being monitored?" Igwe asked.

Danielle shrugged. "He's being monitored here constantly anyway, why should this be any different? If need be we can coach it in terms of data acquisition of natural Typhon interaction in the wild, which is something we actually need in order to update our long term plans."

"True enough." Alex agreed. "His studies have been going well and he's able to interact with the Typhon well enough. I think it's time we move on to the next phase."

"Can we be sure the other sub-species will be amenable to him such as the poltergeist and the various command and control Typhon?" Igwe prompted.

Alex shrugged. "It's not like we have a Telepath or Technopath to test on him. All we can do is hope, really. In any case, next phase. Combat training."

"I'll be heading up that training, obviously." Elazar stated. "He's had some limited experience with various weapons in the sim but we need to build on that. I want him not only to be proficient with various weapon systems and human close quarter combat but also how to use his own body as a weapon. He's taken some initial steps before but he doesn't trust his body completely. Or rather, he still fears if he uses it that way he might lose control and injure someone or something. We need to make sure he's completely comfortable using all of his Typhon abilities as well as acting like a human soldier."

"Even the simplest of basic training takes months to condition raw recruits into the necessary mindset. We programmed him to be extremely empathetic." Igwe stated. "Will this hinder his progress?"

"He's already proven he's willing to kill Typhon from the sim." Mikhaila suggested.

Elazar spread her hands. "That was when he thought he was Morgan fighting in a life and death situation on the station. His personality is considerably different now. This is completely uncharted territory at this point. We might discover that he feels so deeply that it would be impossible for him to injure another living being. Alternatively we might find that he can switch off his empathy like a normal human can when faced with another life or death situation. We have no idea what will happen. All we can do is run the tests and adapt as we go."

The group sat back in their chairs in silent thought for a few moments before Elazar leaned forward again.

"I think I'll start him on simple weapon training first, pistols and rifles, just to get him used to the idea of firing a weapon since he will be somewhat familiar with them." She said thoughtfully. "Once he's comfortable with that we can move on to other weapons like knives and possibly training him to use his body as a weapon. Those require more...intimate contact with a subject rather than long distance impartial attacks. Once we have that down we can see how he does on 'live' subjects to see how his empathy reacts. At the very least he needs to have the skills regardless of how he feels about killing and hopefully by the time we get to that point he'll be more willing to accept the notion as necessary."

Alex nodded. "Does anyone else have any thoughts about her plan?"

"I assume you plan to use Looking Glass for the later training?" Mikhaila asked.

Elazar nodded. "It's the only real way to have him practice using his abilities without damaging something or hurting someone."

"If he knows he is in a simulation we may not get the type of information we need." Igwe remarked. "We need genuine reactions to his attempts at attacking others to see if his empathy will interfere."

"What do you propose?" Alex asked.

Igwe steepled his hands. "You're going to be installing that new bed in his room today are you not?" He asked shrewdly.

Alex nodded.

"The headset attached to his bed is integrated into the Looking Glass system for media viewing. We could easily connect it to the simulation servers, allowing him to train in the simulation while being unaware that he is in virtual reality. That would allow us to confirm his behavior and instincts during these sessions." Igwe suggested.

"You mean trick him?" Mikhaila asked disapprovingly.

"A small deception yes, but I believe it to be a necessary one." Igwe replied.

"And what about when he learns of this trickery?" Danielle inquired. "How do you think he'll react?"

"No doubt he will be somewhat upset with us but I expect he will come to understand the necessity of it given the circumstances." Igwe said dismissively.

Elazar shook her head. "I don't like it. If we start playing games with him while he's still in training there will always be some doubt in his mind about us and our intentions. We don't need that kind of chink in his psyche, especially when he's on the front lines. Soldiers need to have complete confidence in their leaders and that what they are doing is best for them. If you don't have that…" She warned, glaring mildly at Igwe and Alex.

"You are assuming he would even find out." Igwe protested mildly. "We can make the transitions seamless so that he will have no way of knowing whether he was in reality or the simulation."

"How?" Mikhaila asked suspiciously.

"Simple." Igwe explained smugly. "The box and mattress were originally designed for the medical center. It includes a simple tubing system that runs through the mattress. Those tubes can have various modules attached to them via the equipment housed in the base. Normally they are used for intravenous insertions around the body but we can easily adjust it. The room itself is connected to the test chamber's pumping system in case we needed to render him unconscious for safety reasons. As that system is still in place we could easily connect the tubing system to it."

"Wait. You want to gas him?" Mikhaila asked in disbelief.

"I prefer to think of it as rendering him completely unconscious for the duration of the Looking Glass training after he falls asleep." Igwe corrected firmly. "With the dosage adjusted properly we can ensure he wakes naturally when the training is finished and his sleep cycle ends. Besides some drowsiness which would be passed off as normal he would not be aware of anything amiss occurring."

The women stared at him in shock.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this." Elazar growled.

"That would be even worse!" Mikhaila protested. "If we were to do that and he somehow found out he'd always wonder whether we just decided to stick him back into the sim! He would always wonder if what he was experiencing was real or not! Living with that kind of constant doubt...not to mention the fact that we would be gassing him without his permission!"

"We do not need permission, he is an experimental subject!" Igwe retorted sharply.

"He's a person with feelings and emotions!" Mikhaila reposted. "He has the right to be treated like one!"

"I begin to wonder if your attachment to him is clouding your judgement!" Igwe said heatedly.

"How dare you!" Mikhaila hissed at him, partially rising out of her chair before Alex held up a hand.

"Enough!" Alex barked, glaring at the both of them.

"Mikhaila, sit down." Alex insisted.

Mikhaila glared at the two men before slowing seating herself.

Alex gazed at her for a moment before looking sharply at Igwe. "Watch your words Dayo." He warned the man sternly before looking over at Elazar and Danielle with a sigh. "I have to admit I'm rather conflicted about this. What do you two say?"

Elazar glanced back and forth between them before she spoke. "It would undermine everything we've done so far regarding his training." Elazar concluded grimly. "It would almost certainly make him rebellious and uncooperative if he discovered we did this."

"Not to mention completely ruin any trust in us whatsoever." Danielle insisted. "I seriously doubt you want that."

Alex sat back in thought for a moment before nodding. "I agree. We can't take the risk. We'll have him work in the simulation but he'll be informed as to when."

He looked over at Igwe. "And we will not, under any circumstances, be making alterations like the kind you are suggesting to his room. Is that clear?" He asked sharply.

Igwe grimaced but nodded.

"Good. Now, is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" He asked everyone with finality.

After a moment the others shook their heads.

"Alright then, let's get to it." Alex said, adjourning the meeting.

Some time later…

Ko returned to his room to find two engineering Operators hovering near the corner of the room, welding down a new bed to the floor, with Alex standing nearby to supervise. As Ko stepped into the room Alex looked over and gave him a smile.

"Ah, Ko! I wanted to surprise you but I suppose since you're back already I'll show it to you now. We managed to build you a new bed." He said pleasantly. "I figured it was past time you had a more comfortable bed since the other one was more like a prison bed than anything else. Not exactly something I would want one of my employees or a friend to sleep on." He offered.

Ko smiled at the remark as he walked over to look at it curiously. The new bed was longer and the mattress much thicker than before with various small holes built into it along with a large solid base of black metal.

"What's with the holes?" He asked curiously.

"Air holes to allow it to adjust to your body type." Alex replied dismissively. "The box spring is down below to help keep it firm and in good form. We also added this." He said, pressing a stud attached to the bed's edge. From the end of the black metal base emerged a headset that could cover the top half of his head.

"A headset that includes aural and visual feeds so that you can watch movies or listen to music while you relax." He explained. "You can learn a lot about Earth culture and history by watching old historical vids too."

"Reminds me of the headset from the sim." Ko remarked as he examined it.

Alex nodded. "Why not try it out this evening, make sure everything works properly? If anything seems glitchy, let me or Mikhaila know."

Ko nodded. "Thanks Alex." He said with a smile.

Alex smiled at him warmly. "You deserve better quarters but I think you feel more comfortable here at this point. We'll see about sprucing the place up a bit fairly soon. Small steps." He said. "I'll be bringing an Operator for you to...well, consume...tomorrow morning."

Ko nodded. "Thanks."

"Least I can do." Alex replied, clapping Ko on the shoulder as he and the two Operators departed.

Having completed his lessons for the day and having little else to do at the moment he decided to try out the new addition to his room. Lying down the mattress he found it to be quite comfortable compared to his original one.

"Not bad." He muttered in approval as he shifted about, getting comfortable before grabbing the headset from behind him and placing it over his head. Allowing his body to carefully shift back to his normal form he was pleasantly surprised to find the headset still fit him well, the straps and various pieces moulding to fit the new shape of his head. A moment later the screen before his visual receptors lit up with the Transtar logo appearing and a pleasant series of tones filling his ears before a menu with various options appeared, including "Movies", "Television", "Music", "Online Media" and others.

"Welcome to the Transtar audio-visual playback rendering system." A female electronic voice stated pleasantly. "This device is capable of tracking eye movement. To properly use this device you may select a menu option by focusing on it and blinking twice in rapid succession. You can then choose sub-menus and specific options using the same double-blink action."

Ko played around with the system for a few moments before realizing that his multiple receptors were causing it to misread his blinks. Focusing his vision into binocular he quickly navigated his way through the menus, trying out the different functions the device offered and enjoying some snippets of videos and music before shutting it down and removing it from his head, allowing himself to slowly drift off.

The next morning Ko awoke to see Alex standing nearby with an Operator hovering next to him.

"Wake up Ko, time for breakfast." Alex smiled.

"You could have knocked." He grumbled as he slowly sat up, blinking his receptors.

"You sleep well?" Alex asked.

"Well enough." Ko replied as he stood.

"Good. Well as promised, here's your breakfast." Alex said, gesturing to the Operator next to him, housed in a gunmetal grey shell.

"Eat me!" It exclaimed cheerfully.

Ko recoiled slightly at that before looking at Alex. "Please tell me it didn't just say that!" He insisted.

Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "I told them not to add a voice." He growled. "Somebody's idea of a joke. I hope it hasn't put you off your meal."

"As long as it doesn't keep talking I'll be fine." Ko sighed as he approached it before looking over at Alex. "Are you sure you want to stay? I can be kind of a messy eater."

"I've seen you eat before." He replied blandly.

Ko gazed at him silently with his visual receptors for a moment before turning back to the Operator. Allowing his Typhon instincts to take over he felt the ever present desire that was always in the back of his mind becoming sharper with two sets of consciousness so near to him. Even as he did so he took a moment to compare the complex neural aura of Alex and the Operator as they glowed before him. Alex's was still a miss-mash of bright colors and somewhat chaotic spiky waves while the Operator's was much more placid and orderly with smaller and more regular wavelength oscillations appearing in dull grey.

"If the Operator's a bowl of placid grey oatmeal you're a full course buffet of colorful foods." Ko remarked to Alex. "At least as far as your auras are concerned."

"As delicious as I may look to you I'd appreciate it if you didn't gobble up my consciousness." Alex replied with gallows humor. "I do need that."

Ko huffed a quiet laugh before letting his conscious mind sink further, allowing his instincts to express themselves though maintaining enough control so that he didn't accidentally devour Alex's psyche. As Alex watched Ko hunched over slightly before his arms shot forward, grabbing hold of the Operator with his talons, the points piercing and sinking into the chassis of the machine with a metallic tearing sound. Sparks and arcs of electricity began to emit from various points on the machine as Ko's digits sank further into it. Currents of energy began to slide along Ko's arms like flowing water as the Operator began to stutter and squeak before it gave a drawn out electronic groan and fell silent. Ko released it a moment later, the machine thudding to the floor with a few last sparks, before he stood taller, the last of the energy flowing into his body as he sighed in contentment.

"How was it?" Alex asked.

"Like eating a data stream, if you can imagine it." Ko replied. "Streams of numbers and codes along with electricity and any information it happened to be carrying. Weird."

"But satisfying?" Alex asked.

"Somewhat, yeah. Like a normal meal instead of just snacking." Ko admitted.

Alex nodded. "Good. Well since you're finished and the testing with the other Typhon has gone well were moving on to the next part of your training."

"Which is?" Kobalt asked as he followed Alex out of his room.

"Combat." Alex replied as they made their way down the hall. "You got a little bit of weapons training in the sim but you're going to need more to be effective on Earth. Sarah will be overseeing your training but we'll be keeping it simple to start with."

The pair made their way upstairs and across the lobby to the Hardware Labs. One section of the long room with the airlock to the side was set up as a shooting gallery with humanoid targets fixed to the far wall. A table nearby held a series of weapons from pistols to rifles along with ammunition boxes and eye and ear coverings. Next to the table stood Elazar with her arms crossed.

"Good morning." She said briskly. "Ready to get started?"

Ko looked at the assortment of items on the table before looking up at Elazar and nodding. "Ready."

"See you later Ko." Alex said before making his way out.

Elazar nodded to Alex before focusing on the hybrid with a no-nonsense look. "Right. First things first. If you're going to be using any kind of weapon the first thing you need to learn is basic safety and rules regarding using them while on Talos 1. You will not be touching any of these weapons until you learn them, understand?" She asked firmly.

Ko nodded. "Yes Ma'am."

Elazar smirked a bit at the formally respectful tone. "Good. Now, first thing. Weapons like these are designed for one purpose. Killing. When you pick up a weapon you are stating your intent that you are prepared to kill using it. Now it is possible to simply incapacitate someone by hitting a non-vital area but that requires a high degree of skill and even when attempting to incapacitate, such wounds can easily become fatal. So do not assume you can simply use these to slow something down or render it harmless. That is not their primary purpose and you cannot guarantee a successful outcome. Clear?"

Ko nodded a bit hesitantly, glancing at the table with a bit more caution.

Elazar noted his reaction with a nod of approval. "You're wise to be wary of them. Too many people think of them as toys with no regard for the true consequences. You may think what happened in the sim will prepare you for this but even a close version of reality is no substitute for the truth. This will be the first time you have truly picked up a weapon so do not rely on your experiences in the simulation to guide you. I will be your guide and you will follow my instructions to the letter. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am." Ko nodded.

"Good. Now then…" She said, moving to the table and picking up one of the pistols before turning back to Ko. "Any time you even consider picking up a weapon the first thing you will always do is check to make sure it is unloaded. Never, ever, assume it is unloaded even if you just put it away empty 2 minutes prior. Assuming with a weapon is a sure-fire way to ensure someone is injured or killed. So, first you check the magazine." She said, sliding it out of the grip from the bottom and showing it to him before laying it on the table. "Next you clear the chamber." She said as she pulled back the slide, ejecting the round into the air and onto the floor before pulling it back a few more times. "Last look down the barrel." She said, peering into the chamber before bending down. She picked up the bullet before showing it to him.

"Standard ammunition for a firearm like this. Explosive powder in the rear of the casing propels the tip at the front at high speed. Now, keep in mind the rounds we are using here are not standard rounds. Normal bullets will punch right through the hull of the station and cause loss of pressure which is why we use non-lethal, non-penetrating rounds. Not much good against the Typhon when the outbreak occurred but it was to ensure minor accidents didn't turn into major crises." She remarked before placing it on the table and turning back to him.

"Now that the weapon is truly unloaded we can work with it. First you'll need to know how to hold it properly and how to stand when you fire it. I don't know if you've watched any old videos or movies in your spare time but if you have, keep in mind that the vast majority of gunplay in them is completely inaccurate at best and foolishly dangerous at worst. When you fire a weapon such as a pistol you stand like this." She said, turning to the side with her feet planted and her arms horizontal in front of her.

"You grip the weapon like this." She said, wrapping one hand around the grip with the other hand wrapping around her fingers from the other side. "This ensures that you have full control over where the weapon is pointing and are prepared for the recoil when it fires. Because you are setting off a miniature explosion in the chamber every time you fire the weapon will have recoil that forces your hands and arms back. The more powerful the weapon, the greater the recoil. People have fractured or broken bones due to the impact force when not handling them properly so be ready." She explained.

Ko nodded as he moved closer to examine how she was standing and how her arms were held as well as her grip on the weapon, all the while being careful not to stand in front of the barrel.

"I think I've got it." He said.

Elazar stepped out of her stance with a critical look before handing him the pistol grip first. "Show me."

Ko carefully took it from her before carefully planting his feet as she had, pointing it downrange towards the targets with his arms locked forward and his fingers wrapped around the grip. Elazar inspected his stance and his handle on the grip before nodding.

"Good, you seem to have it down. Always remember, whenever you hold a weapon and you choose to point it at someone or something you are declaring that, if need be, you WILL pull that trigger and you WILL accept the consequences of that action. If you are not prepared to fire it do not even think about pulling it out. Make sure that decision is settled in your mind before you decide to use it. Uncertainty or attempting to bluff with it will only lead to disaster, either for you or someone else."

Ko nodded, the weight of that notion making the pistol feel more heavy and real in his hands.

"Now give the weapon back to me and we'll load it. Always present the grip first, never present it with the barrel." She instructed.

Ko nodded as he got out of his stance and carefully handed it back to her, grip first.

"Now, I'll show you how to load rounds into the magazine later. For the moment, here's how you load it." She explained, showing him the magazine and how it slid into the grip. "Now the chamber should be empty. To chamber a round and make it ready for use, pull the slide back once." She said, showing him how to do so. "Now, the gun is loaded, a round is chambered, and it's ready to fire. Most weapons have a safety switch located here," she said as she pointed it out, "but never assume it's active." She said as she placed the gun on the table before putting on a pair of mufflers and goggles before handing Ko a pair as well. "The retort is very loud so you'll want these. It's even been known to deafen people temporarily on occasion."

A moment later she picked up the weapon again and got into her stance with her arms locked. "You aim down the sights at the end of the barrel with the tip of the sight just below where you wish to hit. Because of the recoil the barrel will jerk upwards and the bullet will leave the barrel slightly higher than where the barrel is currently pointed." She explained. "Are you ready?"

Ko nodded, his protective headgear in place.

Sarah carefully took aim at one of the targets and fired, the retort loud and echoing in the long room, making Ko wince slightly even through the mufflers. His body could feel the slight pressure wave that had emitted from the weapon as Elazar's hands jerked backward so that the pistol was pointing nearly vertical. Taking aim again, Elazar fired once more. She repeated the same process of careful aiming before firing a few more times before placing the weapon on the table and turning back to Ko.

"How did that sound?" She asked.

"Loud and kinda scary." Ko replied honestly.

Elazar nodded. "It's meant to be. Alright, we've got the basics down. Do you think you're ready to try it out for yourself?"

Ko could feel the hesitation inside of him but he realized a moment later it was a good thing. Reluctance to use such a weapon proved he was taking Sarah's lessons seriously about weapon safety and responsibility.

"I'm a bit nervous but yes." He replied.

Elazar nodded approvingly. "Good. You should be. Go on." She instructed.

Kobalt carefully picked up the weapon off the table and took aim with his feet spread and arms straight. Looking down at the targets before him he carefully aimed down the sight, adjusting his aim before slowly pulling the trigger. The weapon fired with a loud burst of sound and he felt his forearms being jerked back by the shot, the weapon nearly hitting him in the face as the bullet hit the center mass somewhat off center.

"Good." Elazar stated next to him. "Tighten up your arms so the recoil doesn't push them back so much and try again."

Ko nodded and took aim again, firming up his arms before firing again, the round hitting closer center target on the torso.

"Better." Elazar stated. "Again."

Ko fired once more, the round hitting the center on target.

"Good, your aim is spot on. Now try for the head." She instructed.

Ko nodded, adjusting his aim before firing, the round hitting the side of the face.

"Adjust and try again." Elazar stated.

Compensating his aim a bit Ko fired again, this time hitting around the nose area.

"Good. Once more." She said.

Adjusting again, Ko fired, the round hitting the forehead.

"Well done." Elazar stated with a calm smile as Ko carefully handed her back the gun. "How did it feel to fire it?"

"Weighty." Ko replied seriously. "Like I could feel the responsibility weighing it down each time I fired."

"That's as it should be." Elazar said with a nod. "Keep practicing. When you feel like you have a handle on the pistol I'll show you how to clean and maintain it."

Ko continued firing, practicing replacing the magazine and chambering before firing more shots into the targets, his aim steadily improving until he could easily hit the head and center mass multiple times. Elazar then showed him how to fill a magazine with rounds, the various parts of the pistol and their names, as well as how to clean and maintain it.

"I'm not going to make you take apart the entire thing and frankly you won't need to in order to clean it, but you will need to be able to take apart the main pieces and put them back together again." She explained as she showed him how to remove the barrel and slide as well as the guide rod before cleaning each and putting it back together. She watched as Ko carefully repeated the steps, making him redo it several times to ensure he remembered how.

"So far so good." Elazar remarked in approval when he was finished. "You catch on quick. I think that will do it for today. Tomorrow we'll practice some more with the handgun before I show you how to use a rifle."

Ko nodded. "I learned a lot today."

Elazar gave him a cool smile. "You'll be learning a lot more in the days to come."