It was late. The sun had long since set over the desert outside the city. The only illumination the city had left was it’s own man made glare.

Victoria was used to these long nights. Even thrived off of them. Less hum of busy people wanting attention. Even the system was quieter. She could hear her own thoughts much clearer…

One of the advantages of being the boss was that no one checked up on you.

This was certainly interesting, thought Victoria.

Her predecessor had had markedly fewer ethical concerns about their research. That was one of the primary reasons he conducted so much of it in countries without medical oversight boards. Fewer pesky administrators poking around concerned about things like human rights. Unfortunately that had also led to serious concerns about the validity of the science. A thorough house cleaning was the reason she had been chosen. The first thing she did was close all of the existing facilities and open up a new one in her home of Australia. Far enough out of the way but easily accessed when it was important. It was also easier to attract top talent when your research was able to be at least somewhat public.

If he had still been in charge no doubt he would have had the three variances under lock and key with testing cycles well under way. Whether they survived or not was secondary to how much he learned from them.

While Victoria still prioritized the program, if the variances survived to the end of whatever was happening she wouldn’t be adverse to their survival. Her predecessor would’ve tested them until they died and continued testing their remains until nothing was left.

However, the information that was coming out of her scans indicated that she wanted to keep them alive as long as possible. If this information had been available to her years ago, who knows how the program would have evolved differently.

Early on they had recognized that even the advanced nanotechnology they were using had limits. Although the initial, and to a certain extent current, goals were improving health and extending life, they eventually started working on improvements. In much the same ways that plastic surgery went from helping disfigured burn victims to enhancing breast sizes, the nanotechnology eventually moved from curing diseases and forestalling aging to physical improvements. The first goal was to improve health and extend life, because with more time more things became possible.

While there were still limitations on the nanotech’s ability to deal with neurological deficits and aging, the physical side had been far more rewarding. The extremely wealthy were always willing to pay exorbitant amounts for extra years, especially higher-quality years. As with most medical advances, once they achieved successes in corrective therapies they moved on to improvements. Strength, endurance, and eventually tactical applications.

Very few had access to the full range of Abrasax improvements, which was why these variants held such an appeal to Victoria. Even the highest level of 1% only received carefully regulated and controlled nanotechnology. Certain members of her staff had more relaxed limitations due to their need to work on the technology itself, but even they had limitations. In many respects, Damien’s tactical units had both the greatest range of nanotech, but also the most severe limitations. They were able to enhance their tactical capabilities, but each of them knew that the nanotech carried suicide triggers to ensure they didn’t get any untoward ideas about their place in the bigger picture. They were worker bees. Extremely well paid and rewarded worker bees, but workers nonetheless. They couldn’t be allowed to act on thoughts of empire building.

She wished she had more information on the technology that the variants have been exposed to, but without more in person contact that wasn’t possible. She hoped they survived their tutorial. And subsequently escaped notice, so that she could study them further. The crew on the satellite had been working on a number of different technologies, but she had no way to gauge which ones had survived the crash.

Rarely was she this frustrated with her own technology. But if she was to learn as much as she could, she would have to exercise her patience.

“Kevin, please come in here?” Victoria said, pressing the intercom button.

***

After a brief stop in Whistler, they had continued north past Pemberton and up into the mountains. Up here even Google maps was vague and inaccurate sometimes. They hadn’t seen signs of other people for at least a couple of hours.

Once they passed the public campgrounds and headed into Crown Lands, they found a secluded spot to set up camp.

“System.” Daniel asked.

[Abrasax]

“Can you tell if the system will be able to detect us out here in the wilderness?”

[Unable to determine. Best practice counter surveillance indicates detection chances are minimal. Satellite surveillance unknown.]

“Do we start taking chances?” René asked.

“We’re going to have to at some point.” Farrah said.

“Part of the tutorial involves a linking up to other systems. It looks like we should be able to use the network between us, because if we have to link to the full system, somehow I think that’s a bad idea.” Renée said. “System.”

[Abraxas]

“For the system connection part of the tutorial, will interlinking between the three of us in our network meet the needs of the tutorial?”

[Local web interconnectivity currently meets at least 94% of system tutorial requirements. The remaining 6% may require connection with Abraxas system facilities.]

“Crap.”

“Well, let’s get this over with. Abraxas continue system tutorial as far as we can go without Abraxas system facilities.” Farrah

[Completion of system tutorial will create energy deficit.]

“How significant of an energy deficit?”

[Energy deficit of 8000 cal.]

“Well it looks like we’re doing this in the morning. Who’s up for some camp cooking?” Daniel asked. “It’s not like we’re within range of anything. We haven’t had cell service for over an hour, and we don’t have anything else that can get a signal out.”

***

“This area should probably work for us. We’ve read the manual, done all of the passive things permitted, played around with some of the things that maybe we shouldn’t have, but now there’s not much else left to do.” Renée shrugged.

They looked around them at the open area beneath the tree canopy. The mid-morning sun streamed down through the branches, but the canopy was thick enough that it didn’t reach the forest floor. They had picked the site partly because of the overhead tree tops and partly because it was near a large outcropping of rock. They estimated this was the best chance they had at shielding any emissions the system might create.

“Okay system. Let’s do this.” Renée said.

[3 elements of system tutorial remain. Interconnectivity, martial fitness, and Abrasax uplink.]

“Yes system. Thank you system. We know the theory. Let’s get on with it.” Daniel said slightly sarcastically.

[Establish interconnected web links. Abraxas system facilities not present. Establishing local area web. Subjects may now attempt to take control of other local systems.]

“Are you saying you want us to hack each other?”, René asked, stunned.

[System users must be capable of defending themselves from intrusion.]

“Here goes… Something, I guess?” Daniel said.