Day 207

[from Cyborg Team Alpha]

Ichiko's recovery was progressing well. She was more or less able to walk again, and was recovering the fine motor skills in her hands; she could now open bottles and such. However, she was finding that there were difficulties associated with her new bionic limbs that she had never had to overcome before. Her cybernetic hands, for example, had a maximum gripping force far exceeding that of a regular human. She had just about managed to moderate her grip strength, but not before crushing three cups, bending several items of cutlery in half, severely warping a metal doorknob, and ripping one of her shirts clean in two.

The next step would be combat training, and it was at this point that Ichiko realized exactly what she had been signed up for. She had been assured that Cyborg Team Alpha would be a strictly non-lethal fighting force, but even so, she was a thinker, not a fighter. She had never been in a fight in her life. What's more, the people she would be fighting were ruthless criminals, hardened by a lifetime of violence. Now that she had been given a second chance at life, she didn't want to die a second time at the hands of the Rising Sun, and although she still felt a burning desire to get revenge on them, she also felt the bitter realization that she was not strong enough.

On her first day of training, Ichiko arrived at the dojo located within the headquarters, completely unsure of what awaited her there, and equally unsure about herself. As she entered, she ignored the standard training equipment scattered around the large room, and instead focused on the man stood in the centre of the room: Professor Satoshi Toriyama himself. Ichiko had never seen him in person before, but she recognized him instantly. Even though he appeared to have grown a short white beard during his reclusion, he was still unmistakeably the man she had seen in so many news bulletins and newspaper articles.

"Professor Toriyama!" she gasped, awe-struck. "You're the one who's going to be training me?"

Professor Toriyama nodded, and slowly walked towards Ichiko. "In the 19th century," he began, "Alfred Nobel invented dynamite. He intended for it to be used in mining, but instead it was used to create deadly new explosives for war. He was so overcome with guilt, that he set aside his entire estate for the establishment of the Nobel Prize, to promote humanitarian science."

The professor came to a halt in front of Ichiko, and she could see the pain etched into every wrinkle of his face. "When the Japanese military hijacked my research on the Cyborg system, I felt the same pain that Nobel had felt, tenfold," he continued. "The Cyborg system, which had previously been thought to be the future of mankind, is now thought to be unethical and inhumane. The military applications might now be outlawed under the Geneva Convention, but the stigma still remains: Cyborgs are heartless killing machines that were never truly revived.

"My greatest invention, my life's work, has been wrenched from my grasp, and I was unable to do anything about it. Men greater than I have lost their minds over less, succumbing to the evils of revenge and despair. But I have not. Cyborg Team Alpha is my attempt at reclaiming my research, turning it into a force for good, and restoring my reputation. You and the others carry with you my hope. It is, therefore, understandable that I will oversee your training myself. I want to make sure that the Cyborg 2.0 system is utilized to its fullest extent."

Ichiko nodded. "Okay. So, what first?"

"First, you should know that some of your cybernetic enhancements are currently locked down," said Professor Toriyama. "These locked enhancements are, by and large, tied to your fighting capabilities. I wanted you to learn to walk before you learned to run, so to speak. As you progress through your training, I will gradually unlock more of your enhancements, until you reach your true potential."

The professor pulled a small tablet device out of the pocket of his lab coat. Presumably, this device controlled some sort of master override program that could remotely alter her systems, such as locking or unlocking certain features. Ichiko couldn't help feeling slightly nervous at the thought that such a thing existed, but she knew that the professor would only use it responsibly, and in any case, it would most likely have built-in biometric safeguards that would prevent anyone but himself from using it.

"I will start by unlocking the features of your bionic eye," said Professor Toriyama. "You will be able to enhance your vision by up to 32x, allowing you to see things from far greater distances than normal. The eye also includes X-ray and infrared filters, advanced object recognition and tracking systems that can feed information to your limbs, and a high-tech scanner that will read and display the vital signs of anyone you see. Its heads-up display will translate text in real-time for you, and highlight vital information such as enemies and escape routes. It will take some time to get used to these new abilities, and to learn to use them properly, but they will be the first step in learning  to fight effectively as a Cyborg."

"That's a lot of abilities," said Ichiko. "I'm sure they'll really come in handy, but they certainly do sound like they'll take some getting used to. Alright. Go ahead and activate them."

"This may be disorientating at first," Professor Toriyama warned.

Ichiko nodded firmly. "I know," she said. "I'm ready."

"Very well then. Here goes."

Professor Toriyama pressed a button on the device, and the word "CALIBRATING" suddenly appeared in the corner of Ichiko's vision. A second later, a digital readout appeared beneath it, listing the professor's height, weight, blood type, and current heart rate and blood pressure. "Hey, wow, that's handy," said Ichiko.

A moment later, Ichiko's vision suddenly jumped into X-ray mode, and she could now see the professor's bones through his skin. Looking down at herself, she could see her own bones, as well as the black patches that denoted her bionic parts. It was highly disconcerting, just as he had warned her it would be, but she managed to keep her calm.

A moment later, her vision jumped into infrared mode, which was only slightly less disconcerting. The world around her suddenly became a patchwork of blues and greens, broken only by the blinding pinks and whites of Professor Toriyama's body heat. Looking down once more, she saw that she herself was of a vibrant reddish-pink colour. "Yeah, this will definitely come in handy," she said, and green wisps of warm air floated before her as she spoke.

Her vision soon snapped back to normal, only to then suddenly zoom right in like a camera, until all she could see was one of the professor's sunken blue eyes. Somehow, this effect was the most dizzying of all, as despite her body remaining completely stationary, the sudden zoom tricked her brain into thinking that she was moving. Ichiko felt her mechanical legs tremble beneath her as her brain tried to counterbalance movements she was not in fact making, and as her vision zoomed back out again, she suddenly started to feel quite nauseous. "I didn't like that," she said. "That just felt weird."

"I told you it would take some getting used to," said Professor Toriyama. "The eye's calibration is now complete. Its processes are thought-controlled, so you should be able to control them like any other part of your body. Once you have used them a few times, your brain will start to adjust to the new sensations, and the feelings of disorientation will lessen considerably."

"So, should I just practice using it for now?" asked Ichiko.

"Until you get used to it, yes," said Professor Toriyama. "Its functions will be invaluable in the field, so strive to get used to them as soon as possible. But please, do not push yourself. You may put too much of a strain on your mind, and that would not do."

Ichiko nodded. She'd spent the last several weeks finding and pushing her limits, and she'd learned by now not to overstep them. "Understood," she said.