Chapter 17: About Cores (Patreon)

"Who is this? Did the fight end?" Was the first thing the square-shaped entity spoke after Alexa pushed the button.

"I was told that in case of danger, I should come and push this button," Alexa said towards the square-shaped entity.

She felt some trepidation at them, should she attempt to see if they would accept her in their society? Would it even work? Was this square-shaped entity free from the control of the [Humans]?

"Huh? A little girl?" The square-shaped entity said as it seemed to open its [Eye], she had heard its mechanical [eye] start working and could see a red [Light] above it.

...Was this square-shaped entity blind? Chances were it couldn't see unless a [Human] allowed it to [See]. So...it would be for the best if she didn't bring her plans of sedition, this spoke of a [Human] being around the square-shaped entity after all.

"I'm Alexa, will you provide me with protection? I was told that you would." She was interested in what the [Humans] had to protect themselves against attacks of the magnitude the [Human-Designation Superforce] and [Human-Designation Scorcher] could make.

Both seemed to move in extremes of power way beyond what she had been able to do at the peak of her power, granted she didn't have that much [Biomass], [Energy], or [Materials] to work with. But still!

"What? No! We need to make sure she is human first!" She heard muffled sounds followed by that statement, a single statement that made her blood feel cold, she wasn't sure why the weird feeling, her thermal signs showed her body temperature remained stable at 36°C.

She had noticed most of the humans around seemed to work between 36.5°C to 38°C, with the [Human - Adult Stage] usually staying closer to 36.5°C, reason why she was staying around 36°C. To see if she could awaken the [Power] that the [Humans] seemed to hoard.

"Sorry about that little girl, but we need to make sure you don't have a [Core]. Nothing personal." Said the square-shaped entity while a weird light formed on the floor just in front of the metal door. "Stand in the square and we will scan you. This will let us know if you have a [Core] or not. If you aren't a bug or beast you have nothing to fear. Easy right?"

What?

They wanted to make sure she didn't have a [Core]? Weren't they trying to make sure she was [Human]? What did her [Core] have anything to do with that?

"Why having a [Core] would mean I'm not [Human]?" Asked Alexa as she eyed warily the square on the floor.

She then heard some rustling from the square-shaped entity and after a few more seconds it spoke again, this time, however. The voice it projected seemed different, closer to the voice the [Teacher] had used, "Sorry about that darling. What my companion meant was that we need to make sure you don't have a potentially dangerous [Core]. Having a [Core] will not make you less [Human]."

It said this time the square-shaped entity, was this new voice a [Human - Woman]? She had noticed that the ones aligned with that genre seemed to be more...forgiving with her current form.

"Unless she has a [Beast Core] or [Insect Core]!" The square-shaped entity said again, this time the voice came more muted, as it had spoken from farther away.

"What is a [Beast Core] or an [Insect Core]?" Asked Alexa fully intrigued by their designation for cores.

Her [Main Core] didn't have one of those classifications, so she should be fine, she wasn't sure what they meant by that. Maybe it was the implementation of the [Blueprints] they used?

"Have you seen those people that grow furry ears or tails on the TV?" The voice started speaking, what was a TV? She understood the ears or tails reference though, the P9 subject had grown both of those, so she nodded her head like the other [Human - Child Stage] did to show her understanding. "That person awoke a [Beast Core] so their body adopted [Beast] traits, they have more strength and other qualities that make them closer to beast than humans. But in turn, their instincts are more...dangerous for normal people."

So their [Beast Core] adopted a more savage [Blueprint] and in exchange they lost control of their faculties? She now understood why the [Humans] didn't like P9, if their weapon couldn't control her urges it would be obviously purged. She would never go down that route if possible.

"Then an [Insect Core]?" Asked Alexa then after internalizing the information and leaving a note to check against her [Main Core] going that route.

"An [Insect Core] is the same, but instead of following the path of an animal. They follow the path of insects, they are more dangerous since their instincts are stronger. And like Insects, they gain strength many times their sizes, to that we include that their chitin-like armor makes them more durable...And the possibility of awakening other [Skills]...They tend to be more dangerous. And unlike the [Beast Cores] they don't discriminate in their feeding." The square-shaped entity spoke once more, this time she could [Feel] an emotion in the distorted voice.

"[Human emotion detected, fear.]"

They feared those that embraced the chitin superiority, she would try to harvest some of those [Insect Cores] to add into her library, maybe she could harvest some of their advantages while trimming the disadvantages. She should be able to make it so the more [Illogical] instincts arrived into her consciousness stream.

"So If I don't have either?" Asked Alexa looking her up and down, "I don't have chitin-like [Armor] nor [Furry Hears] or [Tail]."

And she gave herself a look over, she didn't have either of course, she knew how her [Blueprint] looked better than anyone.

"We need to still scan you, there are some [Core] users that awake weird powers, from [Camouflage] to [Shape-Shifting]...So please step in the light." The square-shaped entity spoke once more.

So she..."Will it hurt?" Asked that, somehow her voice seemed to [Tremble] at the question, was her [Vocal Module] failing? She had noticed this before too.

"Of course not, we will only scan you for mana signals or [Core] formation. We can identify [Beast Cores] or [Insect Cores] easily, but anything besides that will not be proved further." The square-shaped entity spoke and then remained silent.

So Alexa tentatively stood in the light and prepared herself to escape at the slight signal of danger.

"Scan in progress, please don't leave the designated area." Spoke the square-shaped entity, this time with no inflection. Was this the true voice of this square-shaped entity?

"Core detected...Designation: [Unknown]." The square-shaped entity spoke, she prepared herself to defend or escape but...nothing came. "Age: 5 Years, Gender: Female, Registration: NA, Name: NA, Status: Illegal Alien."

The square-shaped entity continued speaking giving extra data, "My name is Alexa." She said when the name showed as NA.

That wasn't her name at all!

"Updated information found, Name: Alexa." The square-shaped entity spoke.

"FIVE YEARS?!?" Then the square-shaped entity spoke once more, this time with an inflection in its voice. "OPEN THE DOOR SHE IS A CHILD!"

"Of course it is, didn't you hear me before? But even as a kid she still has a [Core], she stays outside." The first voice spoke once more, it seemed to be fighting against each other? "SHE IS FIVE! WHAT DANGER CAN SHE BE?!?"

Rude, she was plenty dangerous!

She just needed some extra materials to work with, "So can I leave the square?" Asked Alexa as the light in the flooring had disappeared.

It gave her weird feelings being in that thing, it felt like some of the parts of her [Tests] she used to do in the [Testing Chamber].

"Of course dearie, we will-" The square-shaped entity spoke, only to be cut again "-not be opening the door, sorry kid. But we can't risk it."

So they wouldn't let her in? That was...problematic.

"Do not react, repeat after me." She heard [Frank the Beetle] speak as a [Hand] was placed on her shoulder. "Under the provisional law for [Core Users] section 4, paragraph 5: Any nondangerous [Core User] must be treated as a normal human being. So long they don't have a history of being violent."

She found that information interesting since it spoke about [Humans] policing each other, she wondered how they managed to do that if not all of them had the power to [Enforce] such weird rules.

Either way, she repeated verbatim those words only for the square-shaped entity to stop rambling between them, "...Your parents are [Core Users] too then huh." The first voice spoke, "Under corporate law, we can't put at risk our customers at the expense of lives outside our umbrella. Unless you can prove that you have a membership with us (Which by the way requires proof of citizenship) we can't risk opening the door and allowing [Scorcher] to put at risk lives on this side."

"...I'm sorry, but maybe if you find another shelter? One whose boss isn't..." The second voice started speaking only to be cut down as the square-shaped entity's red light dimmed.

"They cut the connection huh, should had I known you were a [Core User] I wouldn't have exposed you to this." [Frank the beetle] said as he materialized at her side. "This is among the better ones and among the very few that can open after a warning goes on...But they discriminate against [Core Users]."

Discrimination? What was that?

"What are [Core Users]?" Alexa asked, did they have multiple extra designations? Were they also another different classification besides [Prey], [Predator], and [Power User]?

"Do you know what a [Superhero] or [Supervillains] are?" Asked [Frank the beetle] as he started moving outside this [Room].

She of course followed after him (Making sure the square-shaped entity was always in her range of vision), and arrived at the [Outside] once more.

"Like [SuperForce]?" She asked [Frank the beetle], his [Name] seemed close enough to [Superhero] at least.

"Exactly, a [Superhero] is a [Core User] that decides to use their [Power] for good. While a [Supervillains] is someone that uses for themselves." [Frank the beetle] explained, then pointed to his chitin-clad arm. "Most [Insect Core Users] have a hard time controlling their instincts, so they tend to gravitate to [Supervillains] or straight up [Super Criminals], so we have bad fame and we rarely get accepted into bunkers."

That seemed weird, if they were as dangerous as the square-shaped entity spoke of, then why would they accept being treated like that? She for one wouldn't accept.

"You see, at the start, it wasn't like that. We were treated as victims of circumstances, 'who would want to end like that' they said." Frank said while doing those weird sounds with his mouth.

"[Analysis finished, description found, weird sounds reclassified as: Laughter. Symbol of amusement, happiness, positive emotion.]"

"But then one [Insect Core User] was stressed and in a bunker, he was the only [Core User] so they expected him to defend them in case of danger...That one...Didn't deal well with stress, and his stress reaction to that was eating." Frank said with a grimace.

She didn't have a problem with that. "I like to [Eat] too, what is the problem there?" So she asked as such.

"You see, as [Insect Core User] we can eat...almost anything really. So when he ran out of jerky...He turned to the next [Meat] around." Frank said and then turned to look at her, his [Human] eye seemed...weird.

She didn't know what that look was, but his insect eye? She understood well that one. It was the same look she used to have while looking at her fellow test subjects, the look of someone eyeing [Food].

"...Ah." Was all Alexa could say when she understood the problem.

"[New Emotion detected and categorized: Sadness]"

So Frank the beetle was sad because of that?

"Ah, shit....right you are what? Five? I shouldn't be telling you about this kind of crap..." And he started hitting his head with his [Human] arm, "This stupid insect brain. It thinks of you as a [Fellow] but you are a kid, even with a [Core]...Actually, what is your core?"

What was her core?

[Main Core], but that wasn't what he was asking for right?

"You aren't a [Insect Core] or [Beast Core], the machine said [Unknown] so either it hasn't scanned your type or they didn't pay for the full library... Probably the second since they are known to be cheapskates." Frank smiled once more and turned to her, "By the way, don't reveal your core if anyone asks. Better that way if you can pass it up as a normal [Human] if asked just say that is a [Misc] one or a [Humanoid] type. They love the [Elf Type]."

The what type?

THEY HAD [Human Core] TYPES?!?!?

"There is a [Human Core]?" She asked unsure, maybe that was her [Core] type? She didn't remember anything saying that though.

"I guess? Not like it would give you anything, for example, mine is [Beetle Core]. As you can infer from my name, if I could pass up as something else I wouldn't share it. But everyone that knows already is aware of it. What I don't share is my [Skill] though." Frank said as he turned translucid and visible again, "So please don't share that part if possible...It would make my life harder than needed."

Then why share it?

"I share it with you because I want you to know that I will be around in case you need help, at least till [SuperForce] and [Scorcher] end their battle...Or we manage to find you a [Shelter] to hide in." Frank said immediately while she was thinking of a way to ask him that.

Could Frank also read her consciousness stream?

"Your emotions are painted in your face, that is why I knew what you wanted to ask." Frank said while laughing, "That is why I came to you, you looked scared and had this look of happiness at the same time, like you hadn't seen the subway station before."

...well she hadn't seen it before.

"So come, let's see if we can find another shelter without assholes in it." Frank said while extending his hand towards her.

"[Suggestion: Use chance to get a full blueprint of subject Frank the beetle for comparative blueprint study.]"

She extended her hand and took it, not only because it would make it easier to get the [Blueprint], but because she seemed to be experiencing a new type of [Emotion] while doing so.

And she needed all the help possible to understand how these [Humans] worked if she was to survive in this place.

"[New Emotion within host detected...categorizing...Joy.]"

She would try to find a place to study and decompress her findings, but for now? For now, she would walk around with [Frank the beetle] searching for a place to [Hide]. It would be a good way to find out more about human society and why they had slaved the square-shaped entities at the very least.

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