Enzo could be seen in his white blazer sitting at a desk with his EGD board out.
Enzo was staring at the blank paper on his board with a confused expression.
"What am I doing here?" Enzo asked as the light shone on him.
Enzo's shadow grew, covering the whole background except for him, the desk, the EGD board, and the light.
Enzo looked around as he saw a mechanical pencil in his hand.
"When did this get in my hand?" Enzo asked as whispers could be heard.
"Hello, is someone there?!" Enzo asked aloud as the sound of drawing could be heard.
Enzo looked at the EGD board as he saw his hand drawing something. It looked like the futuristic suit he had been designing for a year up to this point.
It looked like a tall, humanoid figure standing with sleek, obsidian armor flowing smoothly over its muscular frame, broken only by glowing cyan lines that pulse like veins. Its head was sharp and alien, with twin ridges sweeping back and a terrifying split-jaw mouth full of serrated biomechanical teeth, emitting faint blue light and vapor. From its back rose two blade-like fins, and its limbs ended in retractable claws, completing a design that blended elegance, power, and otherworldly menace.
"What are you doing with this useless drawing, Enzo?" a deep voice said, coming from the darkness.
"It's not useless!" Enzo yelled, frustrated, as he slammed his fist on the EGD board, breaking it, and the room shook.
"Well, now it's even more useless. It's not realistic, Enzo, from its features to its design," the voice said, laughing, as teeth became visible around Enzo.
Enzo said nothing as his expression softened, acknowledging the fact.
"Enzo, what could a middle-class kid like you possibly get the money to buy this? You're in South Africa; grow up," the voice said with disappointment as the teeth above were coming down.
Enzo said nothing as he clenched his fist but couldn't deny that what the voice was saying was true.
"O.I.A. and that dumb little set will not change anything, and you are a fool to think you could even get that chance to change your life," the voice insisted as Enzo was about to be fully consumed.
"Enzo," a different voice called out, and it sounded like his mom.
"Enzo, my child, wake up," the voice of his mom said as Enzo looked for the source while he remained in total darkness.
"Enzo, I want to ask you something," the voice of his mother said as cracks appeared and light burst through.
"Enzo, didn't you learn anything from movies? Don't go to the light," the voice said as if it were next to his ear.
Enzo clenched his fist and ran up to punch the cracks breaking through, seeing a blinding light call his name, "Enzo, my child, wake up."
Enzo woke up in a cold sweat as he saw his mother's face smiling with a plate in hand.
"Oh, Enzo, you're finally awake! I came to ask where you got these pizzas in the kitchen?" Enzo's mom asked.
"Yeah, it was me who got them for you and Lerato," Enzo replied as he sighed.
"Thank you for the pizzas then; how grateful I am to have a son like you," Enzo's mom said as she placed the plate with pizza on his bed.
"Here are some pizzas. The rest will be shared with my coworkers tomorrow, and I want you to have some of mine as I'm full," Enzo's mom said as she left the room and closed the door.
Enzo looked at the pizza and took one as he checked the time to see it was 6 PM.
"It's only been 4 hours since I was asleep, but that dream felt like minutes," Enzo said, sweat running down his face.
"Well, User 01, it seems like you are awake, and maybe it's time for us to talk about the M.O.I. terms and conditions," O.I.A. said coldly as it opened up the contract.
"Well, I can't avoid it, but first, let me check that experiment we were doing this morning," Enzo said as he checked under the table to see it was solid.
"What the! It worked? It worked!" Enzo shouted softly as he saw the substance become solid.
Enzo took the MicroSynape set and was about to turn it on when…
"User 01, it would be smart of you to first put on the static generator shoes too if you don't want to experience the side effects again," O.I.A. said, cold and calculated.
"Wait, I almost forgot the letter you sent Ghilie to give me at school stating that the MicroSynape set is part of my family's tradition to wear; why did you send that?" Enzo asked.
"Well, it's simple, User 01. I realized that you forgot to remove the set and gloves at home and knew that if the set was seen by the teacher, they would suspect and even take the set away from you. So I decided the best course of action was to send a letter saying you must wear the set for tradition, which will allow you to wear the set without fear of it being taken," O.I.A. said in a calm and cold manner.
Enzo listened to the response, understanding that O.I.A. was protecting the set and him from getting in trouble.
"Fair enough, and if we're going to talk about the M.O.I. terms and conditions, you have to answer my questions about each section honestly," Enzo said as he put on the static generator shoes.
"Of course, User 01, I can't lie to you," O.I.A. said with no malice behind its words.
"Section 1 of the user safety protocol act 1—what qualifies as 'lost or stolen'? Could I lose ownership if I lend the set to someone?" Enzo asked as he looked at the experiment.
"What qualifies as lost or stolen is when the set or gear is taken away from you or you can't find it. No, you don't lose ownership of the gear or the set, but it will not work with anyone other than you," O.I.A. said in a calm and respectful tone.
"Question 2: Does 'with force' mean lethal force? Who decides what's necessary?" Enzo asked, confused by what happened with the experiment when he was gone.
"'With force' means whatever the agent deems necessary to get the set," O.I.A. answered in a cold yet honest tone.
"So Ghilie is the one who decides the force used?" Enzo said as he thought about Ghilie choosing the force.
"Can I refuse extraction if I'm conscious and just injured?" Enzo asked as he searched for bacterial reactions to foreign substances.
"Yes, you can refuse extraction if you are conscious, but it depends on how bad the injury is and if you can recover from that injury by yourself," O.I.A. answered.
"Hm, that's reassuring to hear. Question 4: Does the auto-heal affect my biology? Will it mutate me or leave lasting changes?" Enzo asked as he stopped searching for bacterial mutations, focusing all his attention on O.I.A.
"Well, technically yes, but no. The set triggers a signal that activates your brain's natural healing process, but the set accelerates that process," O.I.A. said with a cold yet honest tone.
"I see, so my body's healing process is only accelerated. But how fast is this acceleration?" Enzo asked, thinking about what the possible acceleration could be.
"Well, the set processes information every 9 microseconds per millisecond, so when auto-heal is activated, your natural healing process is accelerated by 9 microseconds per millisecond, which keeps your body from injuries by instructing it to seal wounds or regenerate as the injury is occurring," O.I.A. said plainly.
Enzo was shocked by the fact that the set processes in microseconds, even accelerating his body to recover in that time.
"Then why did my body start hurting after the protocol was activated in my duel with Masego? I felt drained, and my body was cramping up," Enzo said, curious about the auto-heal protocol activating yet he still felt pain.
"You see, User, the auto-heal isn't some magical healing potion that has no side effects. The auto-heal likely overused all your energy since you didn't have a stable or even a way to produce bioelectricity, which put your body at its smallest amount, causing you to experience exhaustion, cramps, and likely even the set's side effects, because you seem to have pushed your mind and body to their limits, destabilizing your mind," O.I.A. said, surprised that Enzo was even alive.
"That explains a lot about today," Enzo said, reflecting on how he felt earlier. "But moving on, can I trigger Black Halo manually, or is it only automatic?" Enzo asked.
"The Asset Retrieval Mandate can be activated manually, but the rest can't be manually activated."
"Interesting, but understandable. At least I know I can get my set or gear back if it's lost or stolen anytime," Enzo said as he looked at section 2 and readied it.
"Now, section 2 of the user training program: what kind of training is required to finish this phase? Is there a pass/fail system?" Enzo asked as he lay back on the bed.
"The training is divided into five categories: acceleration, division, multiplication, manipulation, and finally, you using those into your first technique. The fail system is just you being informed and doing it again, while passing allows you to do whatever you want with the set within the terms and conditions," O.I.A. said plainly.
"What about the gear? Do I have to pass a test for that too?" Enzo asked with curiosity.
"No, that one is optional and doesn't affect the training program," O.I.A. answered in a cold tone.
"Okay, how long does training take, and can I customize my training based on how I want to use the set?" Enzo asked with genuine curiosity.
"The time it takes is not determined by me or M.O.I.; it depends on how fast you tackle the training, and you decide how the training goes while I adapt to it," O.I.A. answered respectfully.
"What happens if I refuse to train, and can Ghilie assist with training?" Enzo asked with a worried expression.
"If you refuse to train, then you never get to the mission, and nothing else will happen to you as you are still a user. The Shopkeeper can assist with training, but it's up to him as he is usually busy."
"Really? Nothing bad will happen to me? No set taken back or being killed?" Enzo asked, confused about that answer he got.
"Why would we kill our user just because you don't want to train? Yes, it's ineffective, but we have to follow through on our promise. A company that breaks its own rules will fail over time," O.I.A. said in an honest and calm tone.
Enzo thought about how the contract seemed to tell the truth: O.I.A. doesn't profit from him, but he profits from it, meaning M.O.I. obeys that law too.
Enzo looked at section 3 and read through it, considering some questions.
"What kind of missions would M.O.I. assign me, and are rewards fixed or based on how well I perform?" Enzo asked as he turned on the set, watching the pulsing lights, and then looked at the experiment, trying to divide the substance.
"Missions are based on ways to achieve your dreams, and rewards are based on completion," O.I.A. said plainly.
"Can I decide my rewards, and can I accept or deny a mission?" Enzo asked as he put on the amplifier gloves and moved his feet up and down.
"You can decide what reward you want, and that is what you receive every time you complete your mission, but that reward you set is what you get. You can accept or deny missions as it's your choice whether you want to do them. Now lean against the wall; let me see what you're doing," O.I.A. said curiously as Enzo leaned against the wall to demonstrate.
"I see I should choose my rewards wisely. I'm just trying to understand what happened and why the bone and bacteria mutated," Enzo said as he saw orangeish and greenish lights moving together in ways he couldn't understand.
"Well, I can help you understand tomorrow, but let's finish this first," O.I.A. said with confidence yet a cold manner.
"Okay, are there other users, and if so, will we compete in completing the missions?" Enzo asked, looking at the O.I.Phone.
"I don't know if there are other users, but if there are, no, you will not compete, as missions are personally tailored," O.I.A. said plainly.
"You don't know, or you can't say?" Enzo asked.
"I don't know; you are the only user I have now and must assist with your dream," O.I.A. answered, not knowing about the existence of other users.
"Okay, I believe you," Enzo said as he looked at sections 4 and 5.
"Okay, I'm going to ask questions about both sections 4 and 5. You okay with that?" Enzo asked as he tried moving the pulsing lights in the experiment apart, causing it to fall apart.
"I'm fine with whatever you ask me, User 01. As your assistant, I must answer with the truth," O.I.A. said plainly.
"What is considered a violation, and am I allowed to experiment without supervision?" Enzo asked as he took the set off, saddened by the failure.
"A violation is exposing Merchandise Omni Innovations (M.O.I.) for making the set and gear to the public. You could face a memory wipe or data purge. You can experiment without supervision, but any willful or negligent destruction of the ecosystem will suspend your contract, the set and gear will be taken, and you will have to pay a fine for the first offense," O.I.A. answered in a cold yet calculated manner.
"I see I have to be careful not to mention M.O.I. and not to damage the ecosystem. Can I ignore a command from you or is that disobedience? What if I produce something useful but dangerous to the environment?" Enzo asked, curious about O.I.A.'s response.
"User 01, I am not your boss; rather, you are my boss, so you can ignore my commands and nothing happens. If what you produce is helpful but dangerous, it's best to save it for future use," O.I.A. answered.
"Okay, can I submit a personal term to protect my loved ones or allow them to know, and am I really free to do whatever I want as long as it's within the terms and conditions?" Enzo asked as his expression hardened.
"Well, that's a tricky one, but yes, you could submit that, but it will likely take days and may just be rejected. And yes, you have the freedom to do whatever you want with the set and gear within the terms and conditions," O.I.A. replied.
"Sections 6 and 7: how much is it to pay for repairs if the set and gear are damaged, or if I'm fined for breaking the rules?" Enzo asked.
"The fine for repairs would range between R5,000 and higher depending on how damaged it is. If fined, you have to pay double your income and rewards, and anything illegal isn't accepted," O.I.A. replied.
"Final questions: how much for attacking agents, and are you sure there aren't other users you know?" Enzo asked seriously.
"That depends on the agent, and I don't know, User 01. I can't say if there are more users, but if there are, they'll likely get their set after you did and will have to do their user training program, which can't be skipped," O.I.A. said as it closed the contract, and Enzo let out a sigh of relief as he looked exhausted from the questions.
"Now help me understand what the pulsing lights are and how I can identify them," Enzo said, interested in learning what he was perceiving.
"As you wish, User 01. What you are perceiving are microorganisms, and the reason you can't identify them is that you have no knowledge of them. But if you can learn, they will be named," O.I.A. said as it pulled up data on what Enzo's brain waves indicated he was likely seeing.
"User 01, what you are seeing right now are bone cells; the orangeish color represents them, and the greenish color represents bacteria, but I can't say which type," O.I.A. said as Enzo could see a name on the orangeish light in the experiment labeled bone cells and the greenish light labeled bacteria.
"Okay, that's what I'm looking for. How can I divide them?" Enzo asked as he moved his feet up and down, generating bioelectricity to charge himself.
"Well, you are going to have to observe their microbiological behavior. Because you messed this one up, we have to repeat the process by learning acceleration before division," O.I.A. said, analyzing the fact that the experiment had failed.
"Where's my little brother? I have a gift for you!" a voice said.
"Well, that's Lerato. I'll be back, O.I.A.; I've got to greet my older sister," Enzo said as he went out of the room, and his sister hugged him and gave him some cold drink.
O.I.A., hearing this from the room, went into sleep mode.