There was an endless black space in front of Tsukuru, filled with complete darkness and nothing else. It felt like one was asleep, yet at the same time, not. There were no dreams, no sounds, no noises, nothing. And all Tsukuru could see was an endless black space, completely unaware of the passage of time. As Tsukuru laid there, he saw digitized text appearing in front of his vision, like computerized text appearing on a black screen as a device was booting up.
[Congratulations, you have been granted the Video System..]
[The System will now unlock…]
[Beginning System initialization process…]
[System initialization in progress…]
[System initialization complete.]
[The System will now sync with your soul…]
[Initializing synchronization process…]
[Synchronization in progress…]
[Synchronization complete…]
[The System is now permanently synched to your soul.]
[The System now recognizes Hikiko Tsukuru as its user.]
[Now integrating System AI…]
[Initializing AI integration…]
[AI integration in process…]
[System AI now fully integrated into the System.]
[The System will now optimize your body]
[Initializing Adjustments...]
[Adjustments in progress…]
[Adjustments complete.]
[Your body has become optimized.]
[You will now regain consciousness…]
"Ugh…" Tsukuru groaned groggily, as he regained consciousness. He held his hand up to his temple as he stood up, as if he had a headache. As he looked around, he noticed that his vision had changed. Not only was his vision crystal clear, but it also looked as if he was viewing the world through a CRT TV screen, with black screen lines going down the screen. He assumed that his crystal-clear vision was due to him falling asleep with his glasses on. Why he was perceiving the world as if through an old-fashioned TV screen? Well, that he had no clue. But before Tsukuru could question the strange change to his eyesight, a light-blue, translucent, holographic screen appeared in front of him.
[Your Mutant Cells will now become acclimatized with the Video Ability.
Synching process will now begin.
Syncing process: 1%.
Estimated time to completion: 8 hours.]
Tsukuru stared at the screen in confusion. 'What the hell?' Tsukuru thought to himself, taking a step forward subconsciously. But as he did, he heard a resounding crunch. Looking down, he noticed that he had stepped on his glasses, completely breaking the left lens under his sneaker. He looked down at it, his eyes widened. Instinctively, his hands went up to his face, expecting to feel his glasses. He felt nothing. "What?" Tsukuru muttered.
He had ALWAYS had TERRIBLE vision. Running over to his desk, he pulled out something. It was a 2-dimension acrylic image depicting a winged angel wearing slender armor on one side. It had an oval-shaped stand allowing it to stand up-right if placed on a shelf. He placed it on the very top of his shelf, moving two anime figurines closer together to make room. Using it in the place of an eye-test chart, he took a step back. Then another. Then another. Then kept going until his back eventually hit the far wall. Tsukuru could still see the acrylic image perfectly. It was as if he was still standing next to it, despite him being on the other side of the room.
"What…What happened to me?" Tsukuru muttered. Then the memories flashed back to him. The video message from Mrs. Green. Him pricking his finger on the box's locking mechanism. The computer chip. The computer chip… Suddenly, Tsukuru's eyes shot wide open, and his hand instinctively shot to his chest. Immediately, he ran over to the far right wall of his room. As he reached it, it slid upwards, revealing a walk-in closet. He walked up to the full-length mirror built into the wall on the far side. As Tsukuru saw himself being reflected in the mirror, he raised both hands to his head, pulling aside his bangs on both sides to reveal his bare forehead. He expected to see a burn mark or scar from where the chip impacted into his forehead before electrocuting him. He saw nothing.
There wasn't a single mark or blemish on his forehead. Tsukuru stared for a moment, before he pulled his hands away from his hair, letting his bangs fall back into place, and brought his hand to his forehead. "I'm losing my fucking mind." He muttered. As he comprehended his own sanity, a computerized, feminine voice rang in his head, making him jump back out of fear.
[Welcome to the Video System.]
"Gah!" Tsukuru screamed. He frantically looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.
[To access the System UI, outstretch your hand and flick your index finger upwards.]
Tsukuru looked around, his eyes darting back and forth. "Okay…" He muttered. As he flicked his finger up, there was a slight ding, like a bell chime. In front of his hand, a row of three translucent, clear holographic circles with a thin line forming a circular outline appeared, the circles going down vertically. The first circle showed a silhouette of his body, from his head down to his shoulder, though his head was completely obscured by his hoodie's hood. The second circle showed an unfurled medieval scroll at a diagonal angle with a feathered quill resting in an inkwell in front of the scroll.
Finally, the third showed a shopping cart. Tsukuru's eyes shot wide open. On a hunch, he flicked his finger down. Instantly, the row of circles vanished in the same bell chime noise. Tsukuru waited a moment, then flicked his hand up again. The circles reappeared with the bell chime. He flicked down again, and they vanished. He repeated this process several more times. He began hyperventilating. His head then snapped towards the door to his room. "LOGAN!" he yelled. Tsukuru then began barreling down the corridor towards the room of his surrogate brother, Logan Green. "Logan! Logan! Logan!"
Meanwhile, in another room in the house. A short boy with green hair sat in a chair in front of a desk that was facing the wall. He had mechanical tools in his hands and goggles on his head, as he was working on some kind of mechanical marvel. The room around him was littered with all kinds of mechanical devices. Suddenly, a sound reverberated in his room from a distance away.
"Logan! Logan!" The boy lifted up the goggles, revealing bags under his eyes, as if the boy was in dire need of sleep.
"Ash, did you hear that?" He asked. A floating, black circular drone floated down near him. Its eye appeared as a blue, wavy line.
"I did indeed, sir." It replied in a computerized voice. "It appears as if Master Tsukuru is barreling down towards our location."
The very next moment, the room's door was flung open. "Logan!" Tsukuru yelled from the doorway. Instantly, the green-haired boy felt his heart-rate spike and his eyes shot open. Instantly, life-like mechanical spiders that would be indistinguishable from real spiders if it wasn't for their reflective surfaces gathered around his hand and forearm. They merged together, and formed a futuristic cannon of sorts. The boy swung his hand out towards the door. The cannon whirled, as it lit up green. A concentrated beam of green light shot out, missing Tsukuru's head by mere inches.
Slowly, almost mechanically, Tsukuru's head turned. There, right next to him, was a black scorchmark in the white wall of the room, forming a perfect circle. "Did…Did you just shoot me with a fucking laser beam?" Tsukuru asked, in a voice that was somewhere between astonished and incredulous. As he looked at Logan, he noticed something. In his vision, Tsukuru saw a circular vector appear over Logan's head. A line extended out the left side of the vector, before shooting upwards at a 90-degree angle. A square appeared at the top of the line, which showed a close-up of Logan's head without the goggles on, as if it was a close-up photo. Beneath the square, there were words written in a digital font. The same feminine, computerized voice repeated the words under the square in his head.
[Name: Logan Green.
Race: Human
Ability: Technology Communication.
Ability Level: 8]
Tsukuru raised an eyebrow. 'Huh.' He thought. 'That's neat.'
The boy pushed the goggles back down on his face. "I told you before not to sneak up on me!" He retorted, as he turned back in the seat. "What is it?" He asked. "I'm very busy doing some last minute work before we get shipped off, tomorrow." Tsukuru raised an eyebrow.
"What, still screwing with that stupid teleporter?" He asked, as his eyes glanced over at a strange, black square device in the fare-side of the room. To Tsukuru, it kind of reminded him of a suitcase. As he did, the circular vector appeared over it. Like with Logan, a line extended from its left, before going upwards and leading to a square that showed the device. Underneath, text was written. Although strangely enough, select text was glitching erratically, rendering it illegible and incoherent. Additionally, when reading the text, the feminine, computerized voice was replaced with static when reading the parts that were glitching erratically.
[_______ Teleporter
A device that opens a Portal to ___ _______ __________ when the correct code is imputed.
Creator: _______ ___]
Tsukuru raised an eyebrow in confusion. 'What the hell?' Tsukuru thought. Logan stopped in his tracks from Tsukuru's statement. He took a long, exasperated breath. It was almost as if he was trying to calm himself down, lest he shoot Tsukuru again.
"No." He replied, working on a black ball between his hands. "I'm not working on that BANE OF MY EXISTENCE." He put emphasis on that last part, his voice laced with irritation and annoyance. "I'm working on a miniaturized mech suit using my spider-bots." Tsukuru smirked, as he approached the boy.
"You know." He said, as he leaned over the side of the chair to watch Logan work. "I sometimes wonder if my mom would be flattered or creeped out that you managed to recreate her Ability using you little toys." Logan glanced up at him, and sighed.
"What do you want?" He asked. Tsukuru's face hardened.
"I just got a gift from my mother." He replied.
"From beyond the grave?" Logan asked, ceaselessly working, not even bothering to turn to face him. Tsukuru's eyes narrowed. "That'd be impressive."
"Don't be stupid." He muttered. "She gave it to Auntie Laura for safekeeping." Logan didn't stop working.
"And you're telling me this because…?" Logan asked.
"She put a System in my head." Tsukuru said abruptly. Logan's hands stopped for a moment. He turned back to Tsukuru, flipping his goggles back up to look his surrogate brother eye-to-eye.
"Excuse me?" He asked.
"You heard me." Tsukuru replied, all of his previous amusement gone. "She put…a System…in my head." He said, tapping his skull. Logan looked at him for a second, then turned back around.
"That's ridiculous." He muttered. Tsukuru's face remained unchanged.
"Is it?" he asked, looking away. "We live in a world of 'ridiculous'." His head twisted back towards Logan.
"Hell, my sister can TURN HER BODY INTO LIVING EARTH, forcrying out loud!" He retorted.
"Abilities and Soul Weapons are not out of the realm of possibilities." Logan said. "They have been examined. Researched. They can be explained." He continued working. It wasn't that Logan didn't believe him. It was more that Logan didn't want to be disturbed. Normally, he wouldn't have minded Tsukuru's distractions. But he was in a time crunch. He only had until he went to bed tonight to make adjustments. Because the military carrier would be there to pick them up first thing in the morning. "But uploading a System into someone's head? That's something straight out of the realm of science-fiction."
It was at that point that Tsukuru stomped up to Logan and grabbed his arm. "Hey!" Logan yelled, as Tsukuru grasped his hand around Logan's. Instantly, Logan's Ability, the Green Family's Ability of Technology Communication, kicked in, interacting with Tsukuru's System. Instantly, a System message appeared before them both.
[An Ability is attempting to access the System. Would you like to block the attempt?
[Yes] [No] ]
Logan's eyes widened in shock, as he saw the message. He looked back at Tsukuru, his attention now solely on HIM, Logan's previous work abandoned. Tsukuru thought the word 'Yes'. He didn't need to allow Logan full access to the System. At least not now. But now that Logan knew of its existence, he couldn't keep being obstinate. Tsukuru loosened his grip, and pulled his hand away.