[Hey... Null?]

[Yes?]

[There's - there's an upgrade that I've been avoiding. It'll improve your mental capacity by a lot, but there might be some - different - side effects.]

She sounds strangely worried, which is a bit new. Strange side effects are nothing new when it comes to Joule and her upgrades, so if she's concerned, they must be some unusual results.

[Tell me something new. Weird stuff changing me has been for the better so far, and it can't be all that bad compared to upgrading my body.]

[That's a good point in that it won't physically hurt at all, but I don't know what you'll be experiencing when this one happens. It'll directly be affecting your limbic system, or at least the version of the limbic system that you have.]

Again, I'm not overly concerned. Usually, when Joule starts spouting off scientific words I don't understand, I end up gaining some sort of powerful ability, even if it's one I don't need (like the 'subspace').

[Go ahead. I trust you.]

[Okay...]

And I pass out.

Opening my eyes, I realize that I don't have limbs. Or a body. Or much in the way of anything, really.

"What's going on?"

Did I just talk? It didn't feel like the mental communication I was used to. At any rate, the darkness I'm enveloped in is getting annoying.

"Joule? Are you there?"

I sense a massive presence approaching. Unlike Noah's abrupt explosion of energy as he appears from wherever he comes from, this feels like a slow tsunami of growing energy.

"...Are you Joule?"

A wave of emotions wash over me, but they don't feel like mine. They feel too... big.

Finally, a voice speaks, loaded with frustration and annoyance, despite the faint hint of respect buried deep within it.

"Rip-off."

And suddenly I'm back in my body.

[-AKE UP OR SO HELP ME - oh, you're back.]

I shake my head from the volume of her yelling.

[What do you mean, I'm back? Was I gone?]

[Yeah, for about twenty minutes. What happened?]

[I don't know. I don't remember any of it.]

She starts laughing hysterically. It goes on for quite some time.

[What's so funny?]

[I've been sitting here for twenty minutes, yelling at your unresponsive body, and you don't even remember anything about what happened.]

[You disappeared back then, didn't you?]

[I was doing research. That was different.]

[Not much. But enough about me - how are you doing?]

There's a long silence before she answers.

[Did you just ask about my well-being?]

[...Yes?]

[Are you feeling all right?]

I'm a little indignant.

[Why wouldn't I be?]

[You haven't asked me how I was doing once in the entire time I've known you.]

[I'm sure that's not true.]

[Trust me, it is. I'm going to have to do some work, try and figure out just how much you were affected.]

[Okay. Take your time, we're not in a hurry.]

I feel like she just did a double-take.

[Did you-]

[Yes. Get on with it.]

Her voice is relieved when she responds.

[That's more like the Null I know and love.]

I'm a little startled.

[You love me?]

[Of course. I may have been built by Noah Cosmic, but I've spent more time with you than anyone else, and your grumpy fast-paced attitude is... refreshing, for some weird reason. Why wouldn't I love you?]

I'm not sure how to explain this.

[You don't really have a... body.]

[Why would that have anything to do with - oh. OH! You thought - and I meant - ]

Joule turned off.