Peter POV:
The afternoon air of New York smelled like car exhaust, sweat and crushed dreams. My Sandevistan was integrated, humming softly along my neural pathways. I wasn't fully mobile, lower body still mangled, legs refusing to cooperate but my upper body was alive. Heightened reflexes, fine motor control, neural coordination: all perfect. At least on the upper body.
Gwen was swinging through the skyscrapers in her costume with me strapped on her back. I was also wearing a ski mask and it was colourful. A choice made by Gwen. People below weren't noticing us as they were busy with their own business. We landed on the roof of an abandoned building, one of many in New York.
" So, what now, cyber dork?" Asks Gwen, still a little angry about the fact I opened and operated on my spine without telling her. " I have designed the first set of tests carefully. Small, controlled, just enough to understand the limits of as the Sandevistan to fully shine needs the coordination of the entire body." I explained.
> Advisory: Initial sensor calibration complete. Neural latency < 15ms. Biofeedback nominal.
Gwen perched on a rusty AC unit nearby, Spider-Woman costume fully on, white mask reflecting the glow of the afternoon sun. Beneath her mask her expression was a mix of curiosity and concern.
"You sure this is safe?" She asked, arms crossed over her chest trying to hide her nervousness. "I'm not letting you explode in front of me like a science experiment gone wrong."
"Safe-ish." I replied, smirking. "Mostly. I'll tell Clanker to trigger emergency shutdown if anything goes haywire."
> Emergency protocols active.
Test One: Time Perception
I held a stopwatch in one hand and a pencil in the other. My task: watch the second hand tick while performing small calculations.
"Ready?" I asked. Gwen leaned forward, eyes scanning the stopwatch.
> Initiating time-dilation test.
The world slowed. I could see the tiniest shifts in the second hand, the imperceptible tremor of the pencil lead as I scribbled equations on a pad. What normally took a minute felt was done in seconds. My neural processing and motor functions are accelerated.
Gwen gasped. "Holy shit, Peter!!! Did you just finish 15 minutes worth of math in under a minute?"
I looked down at the pad. Equations sprawled across the question sheet, all answered with my handwriting. The paper is slightly warm due to friction. "Yeah… the Sandevistan accelerates my motor functions, slows down time but when used fully I can move at 1,056 miles per hour at short bursts because I'm only human. My legs are useless but my hands could move at speeds faster than eyes can track. But the strain on the nervous system is enormous. So, I don't plan on using it to full potential anytime soon." I explained to Gwen.
Her jaw dropped. "That's… insane and dangerous."
"Insane? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely." I scribbled a series of chemical formulas at lightning speed, barely lifting the pencil from the pad.
Test Two: Accelerated Writing and Neural Load
Next, I decided to push the interface a bit further. Clanker synced the neural feedback with my handwriting. The goal: see how fast I could write while maintaining legible thought patterns.
Gwen hovered beside me, her pulled up mask reflecting the flicker of the Sandevistan. "You're literally going to fry your brain if you keep going," She warned, voice playful but tense.
" I've accounted for the neural load. Chill." My pencil danced across the page in a blur. Gwen struggled to read the first few lines when I looked back, but the system was capturing every micro-stroke and stabilizing it for clarity.
She leaned closer, eyes widening. "Peter… that's… that's faster than any normal human. You're… insane."
I grinned, sweating slightly. "Yeah, but functional insanity without burning out is the goal."
While the pencil continued its frantic dance across the page, Gwen grabbed a drumstick from her bag. "I bet I can match your speed on drums." She challenged.
"Go ahead, Spider-Woman. Let's see your best shot."
She tapped out a rhythm on the side of the rusty AC unit. Her speed was lightning fast due to her superhuman physique but I could see every movement. Her wrists, fingers, micro-adjustments in extreme detail thanks to my accelerated perception.
"You're terrifyingly good." I said, grinning. "And faster than I expected. But it's not just speed, it's perception. That's where the Sandevistan shines."
She laughed, leaning back. "You really can make everything sound like a video game. Neural enhancers, time dilation… next thing I know you'll be calling me a support NPC."
I snorted. "Careful, or I'll assign you side quests. First one: fetch me coffee."
"Ha. Very funny." She rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her amusement.
Observation & Reflection
After a series of small tests — penmanship, micro-precision movements, reaction time simulations — I sat back, watching the Sandevistan's neural nodes pulse faintly under my skin.
Gwen sat nearby, mask off this time, her eyes soft. "Peter… this is incredible. I mean, I don't even understand half of it, but… it's like you're… superhuman without even moving your legs yet."
I shrugged, tired but grinning. "Yeah… upper body's back. Legs… someday. Don't worry, Stacy, it's all coming together."
She reached over, tapping the edge of my console. "Just… promise me you'll be careful. Don't push too hard too fast."
"I promise." I said, voice soft. "I've got limits. I just… wanted you to see this, that it works. That I'm… okay."
Gwen smiled faintly. "You're more than okay, Peter Parker. You're terrifying, brilliant… and a little crazy. But doesn't mean you get to hide things."
"Sounds like a compliment. Also, cross my heart and hope to die."
"Take it however you want." She said, smirking. "But next time, you need to at least tell me what you're doing."
I laughed. "Deal. But no matter what, from now on you get to be my official observer of Parker Tech."
Her eyes rolled, but the grin on her face was genuine. "God help me."
And for the first time, I felt… normal or as normal as a guy with a Sandevistan, broken legs and Spider-Woman as her best friend could feel.
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