FicWad

Chapter Twenty Six: Evolution Part Two

The return to consciousness was a slow, surreal process. Slowly he began to rise out of the deep, silent dark place into which he had fallen when that strange, terrible pain had struck. He began rising along what seemed like a long tunnel towards a distant point of light. The light that he somehow knew represented the conscious world.

The journey up the tunnel to consciousness was not easy; the whole thing seemed to be filled with banks of mist of different densities and thickness ranging from a thin easily penetrated mist to a mist thicker than cotton wool. He drifted slowly down the tunnel for what seemed like ages, though he wasn't even conscious of the passage of time. All he knew was that around him the tunnel began getting brighter, the darkness fading away first being replaced by shades of grey mist, and then finally the all encompassing bright light of consciousness enveloped him.

***

A soft gasp was drawn from John Tracy's lungs as his mind finally reconnected with his body. Sensations flooded back in upon him with breathtaking suddenness that almost sent him back into unconsciousness from the shock of it. Slowly John opened his eyes and immediately closed them again with a soft groan as the bright sunlight of morning sent white hot needles of pain stabbing along his optic nerves into his brain.

As the pain faded away John became aware of a strange feeling throughout his body, a feeling that something had changed. Accompanying the strange new feeling was the feeling of strength and perfect health that he had more or less become accustomed to, but even that was different somehow to what it had been before. What have the nanites done to me now, John wondered with a mental sigh before slowly opening his eyes again. Thankfully this time there was no pain from the bright sunshine filling the room, the nanites automatically adjusting his vision to the brighter light. A soft sound caught his hearing, a sound like someone snoring softly. Sitting up in bed John looked around and blinked when he saw that he was in the sickroom. The sickroom! How did I get here? The last thing I remember was that pain as I spoke to Scott, he thought then realised that his brothers had moved him here after he'd done his dying swan act.

Looking to the right he saw the source of the snoring sound. Scott was fast asleep in a chair next to his bed and snoring softly in his sleep. From the looks of him he had been their all night. Why am I not surprised, he thought smiling as he heard Scott snore again, and he says he doesn't snore. Still smiling he moved the bedclothes off himself and swung his legs over before standing up. Gently he reached out to shake Scott's shoulder but instead even the gentle force he used sent the chair and Scott crashing over onto its back, eliciting a yelp from Scott as the impact jolted him awake.

John stared in disbelief at what he'd just done. I know the nanites have made me superhumanly strong but I wasn't using my strength then, he thought then noticed his still extended arm, or rather the way the light blue pyjama's he was wearing hugged tight to his arm when they had before been somewhat loose fitting and now that he thought about it he realised that the rest of his pyjama's were fitting him tightly as well. What, what's happened to me, he thought, what have the nanites done now? Looking down ignoring the swearing he could hear coming from the direction of the chair he gasped at what he saw. His body had changed; somehow while he'd been unconscious his muscles had grown. He could clearly see where his chest muscles especially were pressing softly against the soft fabric of the pyjamas. Whoa, he thought a moment before a startled gasp made him look up to see that Scott was on his feet and staring at him a look of shock on his handsome face.

***

Shaking the stars from his head after his very sudden awakening Scott awkwardly climbed to his feet. That was not a wake up call he was going to forget in a hurry, suddenly getting brought out of a very nice dream by the back of the chair hitting the floor.

Scott looked in the direction of the bed and gasped in shock when he saw that not only was John awake and on his feet but his body had overnight undergone a dramatic transformation. He looked mostly the same but the way his pyjamas were fitting showed Scott clearly that John's body had undergone a big change. John wore large pyjamas because he was so tall, the tallest of all the Tracy family, but he was slim and lithe though even without the nanites he had been as fit and as strong as the rest of them. Normally because he was so slim the pyjamas hung loose on his body but they didn't any longer, instead they hugged close to his skin. John now sported a physique that resembled a professional male gymnast in its size and obvious muscular development yet also in the way that it was sleek and agile designed for a perfect balance of strength and flexibility.

At that moment John looked up and Scott saw on his face that John was as startled by his body's transformation as he was.

"Morning John," Scott said. "Welcome back to the land of the living. That was some wake up call."

"Morning Scott," John replied. "Sorry I didn't do that on purpose, I only wanted to shake your shoulder I didn't realise that the nanites have changed me some more. Have you been there all night?"

"Looks like it. I was only going to sit with you for a short while before turning in for the night. I must have fallen asleep in the chair without realising it. How are you feeling John? You gave us all a hell of a scare."

"You're not on your own Scott. When that pain came it was..." John's voice broke off and he shuddered at the memory of that strange, terrible pain that had come from deep inside him as the nanites has begun altering him some more. "As for how I feel now I feel fine, better than fine actually. I do feel a little odd but I think the reason for that is pretty obvious now."

"I believe that you are right," Scott replied with a smile. "You do look really good John. Everyone is sure going to get a surprise when they see you. Not to mention be very relieved that the nanites haven't harmed you given we weren't exactly sure what the nanites were doing to you. All we knew for sure was that the nanites were changing, their biological component altering into a new form. Still to be safe I think we should scan you again."

"Though I don't like how that thing feels I believe you are right Scott," John answered. "Though first thing I'm going to go have a shower and get dressed." Scott grinned.

"That sounds like a very good idea," he agreed wanting his own shower. "After that we can all gather for breakfast then come back here and see if we can find out what exactly the nanites have done to you now. Somehow John I think them suddenly giving you bigger muscles is only the tip of the iceberg."

"You're definitely right there Scott," John replied moving away from his older brother towards the entrance to the sickroom. "Whatever it is they've done to me altogether we'll find out and learn to live with it."

"Yes we will," Scott agreed. Because we have no other choice, he thought to himself as he followed his taller and now bigger younger brother out of the room into the rest of the Tracy Villa.

***

Dining Room

A Short Time Later

Freshly showered and changed into clean clothes John arrived in the dining room to see everyone who was on the island was here already and talking amongst themselves. John smiled at the very normal breakfast scene, the only things missing was the presence of their father reading a newspaper and Grandma.

"Morning everyone," John said in greeting. Conversation instantly cut off and everyone turned to look at him, their looks ones of complete surprise - except for Scott of course as he already knew about his change. John couldn't help but fidget mildly uncomfortable under the amazed glances of everyone in the room.

"Wow John look at you," Gordon said awe in his voice as he eyed the way John's clothes hung tight to his newly muscular form. "Methinks Scott is going to have some competition in the attracting ladies department." Then he winced as the comment earned him a playful thump on the arm from Scott. John laughed as he went around to his place at the table and sat down. Something's never changed; it was just like Gordon to make that kind of a comment. Just like it was typical of Scott to respond with a playful thump.

"You do look good John. It's nice to see you up and about," Virgil said as he to grinned at the typical antics of Scott and Gordon. "How do you feel?"

"Thanks Virg," John replied. "I feel fine. Better than that actually though I admit I do feel a little odd. Guess that suddenly having this additional muscle is going to take some getting used to but I think there is more to the way I'm feeling than being bigger."

"T...t...that is very l...l...likely John," Brains said even as his mind tried to work out how the nanites could have overnight changed John's body in such a dramatic fashion. Try as he might though he couldn't work it out, it seemed impossible. Though where the nanites were concerned Brains suspected that impossible was a subjective term.

"Whatever they've done we'll find out," John said. "As me and Scott were saying earlier when I woke up it would a good idea to scan me again."

"It would be sensible," Virgil agreed. "But first we should have breakfast. After which we can scan you John then call Dad and Alan to advise them. Both of them will still be asleep at the moment."

"I think we can all agree on that Virgil," Scott said as Kyrano appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray on which he had a jug of cold milk and a selection of small cereal boxes as everyone on the island started breakfast with cereal. Kyrano gently put it down on the table then slid into his own seat to join everyone for the first part of the extensive breakfast meal he had prepared from the time he had awoken this morning.

John smiled and reached out to pick up one of the cereal boxes. He knew there would be no more talking now, not until after breakfast. Then they would go to the sickroom and scan him again with the diagnostic beds bio-scanner attachments. A scan he was privately dreading as he hated the way his body felt during the scan, but a scan that he knew was necessary to find out what exactly the nanites had done to him this time. I'll just have to grin and bare it, he thought, after all I want some answers about what they have done. Somehow he knew that the answers they were going to get would be interesting, very interesting indeed.

***

Sickroom

One Hour Later

John sighed to himself as he carefully climbed up on the diagnostic bed and lay down ready for Brains to run the scan. Looking over at the control console he saw Brains sat there with Tin-Tin with Scott, Virgil and Gordon standing behind them. For a moment nothing more happened though John could see that Brains was working the controls ready to start the machine.

"Are y...y...you ready John," Brains asked looking up at last.

"As ready as I can be Brains," John replied bracing himself for the scan to start. "Let's do this."

"Beginning s...s...scan," Brains said as he pressed the controls that started up the diagnostic bed.

Immediately John felt something as the diagnostic bed began powering up. A strange feeling of power, he could feel power flowing through the machine beneath him. He perceived it as a slight but pleasant warm tingle the soothed his body making him relax almost as efficiently as a hot shower banished the pain of tired muscles. Closing his eyes John breathed evenly as a strange perception filled his awareness, he could almost see the energy flowing below him as a luminous, softly pulsating haze. A haze that got ever so slightly brighter as he bed finished power up. Then John noticed a section of the haze on the sides glow brighter before a bright line appeared between the two points. Okay what's going on here, John thought in confusion wondering what exactly he was feeling and seeing inside his head. Then he answered himself. I can perceive the energy flows somehow. It's got to be the nanites, great what else have they done to me now.

John barely noticed when the perceived line of energy haze began moving. Even though he was startled by feeling the energy he felt himself relaxing more and more, enjoying the feel of the energy as though he would enjoy a good massage. The outside world seemed to fade away; all there was the feeling of energy and the glowing hazy image in his head. The warm tingle got slightly stronger, moving slowly down his body but their was no discomfort at all this time, instead it made the feeling better. Oh man I don't know what this is but it feels really good, he thought, I'll have to watch myself I could easily get addicted to this. It just feels so good. He noticed when the strengthened tingle faded away as it passed his feet, then for a moment it returned even stronger as a powerful wave of the haze raced down his body.

Then a lifetime too soon it was all over. The haze and warm tingle vanished as the power to the diagnostic bed itself died. John sighed and opened his eyes again before sitting up and after a moment getting off the diagnostic bed. He immediately noticed the odd looks he was getting off his brothers.

"Oh boy that was weird," he said.

"What was John?" Scott asked. "You looked like you were enjoying that scan. That's a very different reaction to the last time you were conscious when the bed scanned you. Then it was obvious that it made you uncomfortable. But this time you were positively relaxing, I thought you were going to go to sleep."

"I felt different when that scan was being run," John replied as he went over to join his brothers. "It wasn't uncomfortable at all and I could feel something."

"What did you feel," Virgil asked curious.

"Its hard to describe but I felt the energy in the diagnostic bed," John answered. "When I closed my eyes I could see it. It was like a, a haze, a glowing aura that I was aware of almost as though I was part of it. It was really strange but very relaxing."

"I...I...interesting," Brains commented while he waited for the computer to analyse the scan results. "It's possible that the c...c...change in the nanites has g...g...given you a sixth sense John. Like an e...e...energy sense. Theoretically you s...s...should be able to consciously m...m...manipulate a field your aware of."

"Manipulate you mean control it," John asked. Brains nodded.

"Quite h...h...how you could m...m...manipulate it I don't know," Brains answered. "If you c...c...can it might be a basic m...m...manipulation like being able to turn things on and off just by c...c...concentrating on it. Or it c...c...could be more complex and y...y...you'd be able to manipulate t...t...technology to a complex degree with your mind." For a moment everyone in the room was silent.

"Now that would be cool," John said at last.

"Yes it would be," Scott agreed. "Though would probably be quite scary as well at least until you mastered it, if you can do that kind of thing at all John."

John opened his mouth to reply when the console gave a soft bleep to indicate that it had completed its analysis. John looked at the console just as Brains brought up the details and began reading them. Looking at the scan results himself John found that he could easily read them in seconds he read every single screen and understood every word, every graph, and every number of what was displayed. Wow these things have really changed, he thought then blinked startled realising he had read all the screens a virtual eye blink, whoa how did I do that? I can't read that fast or can I? If what this is saying is true then it's perfectly possible.

"Wow," he said aloud. "I just read all of that. It's incredible."

"What," Brains said breaking off to look at John in surprise. "Y...y...you read all these screens in l...l...less than five s...s...seconds John?" John nodded.

"And understood every word Brains," John replied faintly noticing that a faint twinge like an oncoming headache was beginning in his skull. He ignored it, it had happened to him many times in the past and ninety percent of the time nothing happened. "Though don't ask how I did it because I honestly don't know. I just did it."

"Now that's freaky," Gordon commented. "So what did the scan reveal?"

"Basically these things inside me have completely changed," John answered. "The organic part of the nanites has changed into a completely new form and the circuitry of the machine part has seemingly reconfigured itself."

"E...e...everything that the nanites were doing before they are n...n...now doing with greater e...e...efficiency," Brains added. "Energy efficiency has s...s...shot up. For every task they seem to be u...u...using eighty percent less e...e...energy than before. John's metabolism is almost b...b...back to what it was before the nanites integrated with him."

"Wow," Scott said. "So no more fainting spells from lack of energy John."

"Looks like it Scott," John agreed. "But I should still ware the energy monitor. But that's not all that they have done."

"Y...y...yes they have done much more," Brains answered. "The bio-polymer r...r...residue that was in John's system isn't their anymore. The n...n...nanites no longer s...s...seem to be producing it as a by product of t...t...their metabolic activity."

"I thought there as an awful lot of that in John's blood," Virgil said. "That his kidneys were only slowly filtering it out. Where did it go?"

"Here Virg," John said flexing the muscles in his arms so the peaks of his biceps and triceps pressed visibly against his shirt. Then he lowered his arms to normal position. "When Brains analysed that bio-polymer residue before he found that it was made mostly of a new form of protein that my body couldn't use. The nanites have since changed that and used it to not only make me more muscular but they've completely altered the structure of the fibres in my muscles to the newer form."

"Yes. I will h...h...have to run some projections," Brains added. "But from the looks of it John's muscles are e...e...even more efficient than they were after initial i...i...integration and capable of c...c...considerably greater force."

"So in other words not only are you much bigger now John your also much stronger," Virgil said.

"Yes," John replied. "And its going to be fun trying to figure out how strong I am now considering how much fun we had finding out last time." Virgil nodded remembering how they had once loaded a barbell to the maximum amount of weight it could take and John had still been able to do multiple lifts of it without really breaking a sweat.

"T...t...there are also nanites in areas now w...w...where they weren't before or where t...t...there were very few," Brains said.

"I thought they were everywhere," Scott replied with a frown.

"Not quite Scott," John answered. "There were only a few in my nervous system but now they are everywhere, and whatever it is their doing it doesn't look like their done yet." As he spoke he winced as the twinge in his skull turned into a headache that seemed to get worse with each passing second.

"John what's wrong," Gordon asked frowning in concern.

"It's just a headache Gordon," John replied. "Nothing to worry a...." John's voice trailed off as the headache exploded inside his skull, filling every synapse with pain. Clutching at his temples John cried out in pain before stumbling blindly as the pain took away his ability to see proper, just like a migraine would.

He would have fallen if someone hadn't caught him, faintly he heard what sounded like Scott speaking to him in concern but he couldn't make out what his brother was saying through the intense pain. Please stop, please stop, he thought as the soothing darkness of unconsciousness reached up to grab him. John gratefully gave himself up to it, spiralling back into the peaceful silence of unconsciousness.