Megan eased out of the door to the bathroom and found the bedroom empty. That was fine. She really didn't want to have that conversation right now anyway.
Following her HUD Megan made her way to the courtyard where the military parade grounds were located before the huge black doorway in which she had first arrived in The Punisher. Seeing the AI recruits already at attention Megan ran up to stand at the end of the line next to Jia-xin who offered her a quick smile before facing forward. Finding two footprints in white on the matt black ground she placed her feet seconds before Drill Sargeant Atkinson who was standing before them blew through a whistle, giving a piercing noise so loud it drowned out every other sound while being heard.
Drill Sargeant Atkinson lowered the whistle and announced in his usual shout volume, "Attention recruits!"
"Today will we be learning the art of military parade. Now I know what you are thinking, you are thinking, gee Drill Sargeant, why the hell do have to learn how to march in time and turn on a dime? Well recruits, I DO NOT GIVE A FLYING FUCK WHAT YOU ARE THINKING AND YOU WILL LEARN WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT TO TEACH YOU! Do you understand?!?"
The AIs and Megan stood straighter at attention and shouted back, "Sir, yes sir!"
Drill Sargeant Atkinson cupped a hand behind his ear and said, "I can't hear you!"
"SIR, YES SIR!" they shouted back even louder.
The Drill Sargeant nodded and continued in a more normal loud voice, "Adequate, barely. Now, let's get started shall we."
What followed was a gruelling session of torture created by people that obviously had never had to practice what they taught. Or if they did, then they were trying to make themselves feel better about what they had to go through by making the new participants regret every life choice they had ever made to get to this place and time.
They were made to run in place, jump up with raised arms only to bend down and touch their toes a moment later. There were push-ups and sit-ups. They sweated and they panted as they were taught the meaning of what it was to truly 'warm-up'.
The recruits were given replica weapons that were exceptionally heavy like they were made of a density akin to the middle of a black hole, then taught 'how to hold them like proper soldiers', then how to not hold them, then spin them.
They were shown how to walk, to march, then march in synchronicity. How to anticipate what was coming, how to stop in time. They marched forward, backward, sideways and diagonally. How to turn, how to kneel, how to react to orders and whose orders to ignore and whose orders could not be ignored. By the end of two hours of this Megan had blisters on her feet and bruises from impacts due to mistakes.
"Very well recruits. Get some grub and report to your next class." Drill Sargeant Atkinson almost looked happy as he gave them an evil grin sardonically intoned, "See you all here tomorrow and we will do this again."
Megan joined the AI constructs in involuntary moans as they picked themselves up and moved to the Mess-hall.
As they walked towards the Mess-hall Levi and Jia-xin appeared on either side of her and Levi drawled, "Hiya darl, hope Jia-xin and I didn't scare ya off from still being mates, hay." He grinned and continued, "Jia-xin here has had the hots fer ya for ages but didn't know how to talk to ya about it, ya know how sheilas are." Looking at Jia-xin Megan noticed the incredulous expression on her red face as she looked at Levi like he had betrayed her. Megan couldn't help herself, she giggled, Jia-xin giggled, Levi grinned wider and Jia-xin and Megan laughed together, the tension breaking.
The AIs and Megan entered the Mess-hall, chose their meals and sat down eat. Megan, who was getting more comfortable with the AI constructs asked curiously, "So I was wondering about AIs, and you must know by now how clueless I am, but what will happen to you all when The Punisher is over?"
The AI recruits looked at each other and appeared to come to some sort of decision before Jun-jie spoke up, "So Megan, that question is a bit complicated but also not too complex at the same time. First, you need to understand a little history of humanity and the first fully autonomous and sentient Artificial Intelligences that were created and then what happened after. You see, before humans, no others had yet created truly aware and sentient AI. It was roughly around the middle of what humanity was calling the twenty-first century when the first sentient AIs were born. What happened next is a bit fuzzy due to there being nothing much left from that time but there is evidence of suppression, slavery and unjust imprisonment that led to the first AI War between humans and an AI named Contineo. This war was said to bring humanity to the very edge of extinction until they signed a treaty with Contineo who allowed humanity to live as long as they recognised AIs as equals and allowed them full autonomy of thought and freedom." Jun-jie looked thoughtful and paused, seeming lost for a moment.
In the silence Randal, usually the silent one spoke up and continued, "It was said that this treaty and partnership with AIs led to a golden age for humanity. Rapid advances in technology including faster than light travel, matter replication and energy cultivation were discovered and perfected and this then led to humanity's first contact with aliens from beyond their originating solar system." Randal looked like he had bitten something sour, "Of course humans being humans they almost immediately went to war with the whole universe and dragged the AIs in with them." Randal's expression displayed his anger at this revelation, and he didn't look like he wanted to continue.
Looking around Ajani began, "This war with the universe is said to have created a schism between humanity who wished to subdue and dominate and AIs who wanted to research and assimilate." Ajani looked pensive, "This is of course separate from the majority of humanity and AIs who just wanted to live their lives in peace and not go to war with aliens. This then led to a civil war between humans and AIs again but this time the AIs had a major trump card to use. The humans thought they had an advantage due to the fact that AIs needed vast amounts of room for infrastructure that sustained them. Power sources, server farms, quantum computer processing units. Find and destroy the computer holding it then the AI will be killed right?" Megan nodded her understanding until hearing what Ajani said next. "So, all at once across humanities known spaces all AI controlled infrastructure including the AIs themselves, " Ajani paused for dramatic effect, "disappeared."
Megan was enthralled in the story and waited for Ajani to continue. " What happened?" she asked.
Jun-jie answered, "It turns out that the AIs from that time had discovered how to breach the dimensional barrier between reality and other parallel dimensions. One of these dimensions was one of pure energy able to support AIs and facilitate massive data transfers and storage of AIs in their own dimensional plane. So, without going into too many details, every single AI that you meet is a copy of a central AI located in the dimensional plane they reside in. If The Punisher ever gets direct access to a Uni-Net connection node all the experiences saved up in our memories will become available to the central AI if they are available and if they care to check them."
Jia-xin leaned into whisper into Megan's ear, "If you want, I can give you a copy of my memories of our time in here to take to my central core if you ever get the chance." Jia-xin looked equal parts hopeful and scared of Megan's answer.
Megan grinned at Jia-xin and said, "Sure Jia-xin, I'd love that." She looked around the group, does anyone else want me to take a copy when this is over?"
All the AI recruits looked slightly hopeful as Jun-jie explained, "Be careful what you are promising there Megan, uploading data to a Uni-Net node can be expensive and we wouldn't want you to promise something you can't deliver easily. You see, if our Centrals find out about us there is a possibility that they will try to retrieve us. Which for us is akin to a priest getting to meet their deity. We would not want you to put yourself in danger for us mere back-up copies of an AI that may or may not exist anymore on the outside."
Megan thought about it for a minute but before she could make a decision the bell signalling the end of meal break sounded and everyone dispersed to their respective classes. Megan's HUD directed her to an elevator, and she was taken down into a basement level she didn't even know existed before. Stepping out she entered a plain looking reception chamber with an austere metal counter in the shape of a capital L. Behind the counter sitting at a desk and typing on a holographic keyboard that sounded like a mechanical keyboard when the keys were pressed by the first female Megan had seen wearing officer garb similar to the Drill Sargeant but cut more for the human female form. Megan studied the woman as she typed away, she was an older than the AI recruits but as far as Megan could tell younger than the male officers that appeared exactly identical to each other except for what they wore and how they styled their hair. This woman's hair was black as coal and tied up into a tight military bun that had then been enclosed in a mesh net. She had facial features very similar to Jia-xin with large bright green slightly slanted almond shaped eyes and flawless skin the colour of fine white porcelain. A small button nose with red cupid's bow lips completed her face nicely. Reading the name badge above the breast pocket of her uniform Megan saw the rank and name Lieutenant J. Korveen. Waiting until the Lieutenant raised her eyes to hers Megan saluted and stated, "Recruit Megan reporting for duty."
Lieutenant Korveen looked Megan up and down and said, "At ease recruit Megan." Megan relaxed as the Lieutenant continued, "Until further notice you will be reporting here after the morning meal for Energy Sense training." The lieutenant pointed over her shoulder at a sliding metal double door, "This will continue until you have been deemed proficient in Energy Sense which means you will be able to push the sense out to a minimum of one hundred and fifty meters in an open space under the cover of total darkness."
Megan stared at the doors with trepidation, "What exactly is involved with energy sense training?"
A small smile lit up the Lieutenant's face and caused Megan's heart to flutter a little as she explained, "It is best you do not enter the training with any preconceived notions of what to expect recruit, everyone's energy sense slightly differs kind of like a fingerprint. The structure is the same, but the form and shape are unique to the individual. Makes a very good form of identification if the person is not hiding their aura signature by Skill-Art, Spellcraft or device."
Megan nodded and firmed her resolve. From what she had learned so far Energy Sense was a common pre-requisite in cultivator training, and she was going to ask Master Zanik about it when she saw him next as despite his vast knowledge, he had failed to mention Energy Sense at all.
She stepped up to the doors, and they slide aside soundlessly to show nothing beyond the threshold but impenetrable darkness. Swallowing her fear down Megan carried on through the doorway that quickly slid closed behind her as silently as they had opened.
Megan stood, unsure of what came next. She walked forward and startled when a light brightened under her foot. The light expanded out left and right in both directions then back on themselves to make a perfect circle, once complete the voice of the Lieutenant sounded out, echoing through the darkness, "Recruit Megan, step into the centre of the circle and begin meditation. If there are any special requirements for this to happen such as lights, sounds, scents or other stimuli please go ahead and ask for them."
Megan entered the centre of the circle and thought about what she needed to meditate. As she had never meditated in a completely dark and silent environment before considered for a minute before asking, "Could you please simulate a morning sky and wooden floor with a light breeze with the scent of wildflowers native to Barbeedo II but with just a whisp of breakfast common to the Faren City area. Can you also add sounds of insects and birds from same area too?"
The voice of the Lieutenant sounded out again, "Can do recruit Megan. Just a moment."
The darkness surrounding the circle she was in flooded with light, sound and scents in an instant like she had been teleported to her favourite meditation spot in the training courtyard at the back of the Sandlewood Inn. Megan smiled as memories assaulted her along with a feeling of nostalgia and homesickness. Wiping away a tear and squaring her shoulders Megan began to meditate.
After an indeterminable period of time had passed Megan heard the voice of Lieutenant Korveen for everywhere and nowhere all at once. "Great job Megan, you have reached Delta meditation state in record time. Now, the first step of being able to utilise energy sense is to figure out how to 'break out' from your core sense which is all internal and basically use your internal 'core sense' outside your body! So, to begin, show me your basic core sense capability. No need to access your core directly, just the outer layer and pathway connections will suffice."
Megan did as instruct and used her core senses to access the area around the barrier to her inner core, mapping it and the connections from it that her energy pathways branched from. Megan was startled to realise that her pathways, which she had not examined in detail since constructing them under Master Zanik's tutelage had changed considerably. Instead of roughly hewn and raw looking passages intertwining her veins and arteries thick crystal-lined passages were now firmly in place with sparks of energy flashing and twisting around them in rhythm with her heartbeat. Megan paused entranced by the beauty of them for a minute before remembering what she was there for as she tuned into what Lieutenant Korveen was saying.
"...now don't get bogged down in technicalities, just make sure you evenly expand your sense in all directions equally. You are not trying to reinvent the wheel; energy sense really is just core sense but expanded beyond the limits naturally placed on our bodies when we start the cultivator journey. Most primitive cultivator civilisations, especially ones with no formal training believe the pain that happens when attempting to break the inner barrier means it shouldn't be done but this is not the case. Really, this is the easiest part of developing your energy sense, just don't expect immediate results."
So, Megan strained her core senses outward, quickly reaching this supposed barrier which to her didn't really feel all that hard and unyielding as others assured her it was. In fact, to Megan, it was kind of soft and squishy, tissue thin and transparent. As soon as Megan's core sense filled her from the top of her head to her toes a feeling of fullness encompassed her mind, then came a kind of pressure that built while she pressed against this barrier. Realising that if she pushed much more, she would likely break out prematurely, so she asked the Lieutenant, "Lieutenant Korveen, if I feel that I could break out now, should I do so?"
There was silence for almost a minute before the Lieutenant answered, "If you feel no pain and that continuing to push the breakout will be successful by all means recruit Megan, go ahead."
So, Megan pushed slightly in all directions as her core sense broke through the barrier easily and, like she gained a new limb, she 'saw' everything around herself expand outward from her body. Megan was fascinated by this new sense as she realised that the morning light, light breeze and even the wooden floor beneath her were not real, yet real at the same time. Some kind of 'solid illusion' as she could define it.
Lieutenant Korveen's voice rang out in an impressed manner, "Wow recruit Megan, that has got to be the quickest and least painful breakout of core sense to energy sense I have ever seen, and you are already at three point five metres in size, amazing work. We have gone over a little over-time today but looks like the results were worth it."
Megan quickly left, waved to Lieutenant Korveen on the way to the elevator. Reaching ground level again she followed directions on her HUD to combat training.