A young girl, scarcely more than a decade old, lay on the hospital bed, eyes closed, chest barely moving as she took slow breaths. She had a respirator over her face, numerous tubes and wires connected to various points on her body, and a vitals monitor beeping with her heartbeat. A woman in a nun’s habit stood by the side of the bed, holding the girl’s hand.
Two men entered the room, one in a doctor’s scrubs, the other in a suit and sunglasses. The nun turned to face them.
“Doctor?”
The doctor just shook his head. Tears filled the nun’s eyes.
“If we had caught it earlier, sent her to a better hospital, then maybe, but…there’s nothing I can do now.”
The nun slowly nodded.
“I understand.”
“But…this man wanted to meet with you.”
The man in the suit walked forward, and extended his hand.
“Dr. Gaute Ottosen.”
The woman rose and shook his hand.
“Sister Johanna.”
The man nodded.
“Sister, we have a proposal for you.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Go on.”
“We have a new procedure. Highly experimental, highly risky, low chance of success. Honestly, failure is the most likely outcome.”
Sister Johanna’s eyes widened for a moment before she shook her head.
“I imagine such a procedure would be quite expensive, Dr. Ottosen. My orphanage has nothing to spare.”
Dr. Ottosen shook his head.
“Given the low probability of success, the procedure will be free of charge, should you agree to it. If I am honest, it’s more a science experiment to give us data for future procedures than an actual treatment, so it would be unethical of us to charge you for it.”
He took off his glasses to look Sister Johanna in the eye.
“But there’s a chance. Just a chance.”
Sister Johanna met his gaze for a minute, before turning to look at the girl. She walked over and gently brushed the girl’s forehead.
“...Do what you can for her.”
Dr. Ottosen nodded and pulled out a clipboard and a pen. Sister Johanna signed the bottom, and then Dr. Ottosen left the room.
As he exited the door he smirked.
“No, Sister. It is not what we can do for her. It is what she will do for us.”
Several years later…
A teenage girl lay on a table in the center of the room.
Or what was left of her.
Most of her body was covered in metal armor, only her head gave any indication of her humanity. Even that was not safe, metal covering the left half of her head, including her left eye. Her right human eye was closed and it wasn’t clear if she was even breathing. She had numerous wires and cables hooked up to her body, including a large one plugged into her skull.
Around the room were numerous tools, robotic arms, and computer monitors. Several scientists were working at their stations, most looking over the monitors. Standing over the girl herself was the now Research Foundation Director Ottosen, and an executive from the sponsoring organization.
“Marvelous, isn’t it? The culmination of all our efforts, the ultimate weapon. A solution to those so called ‘supers’ running about and spreading chaos. We call it the Non-Standard Leashed-Intelligence Cybernetic Enforcer. This one is designated NSLICE-00P.”
“I’m assuming that’s no mere armor.”
“Nothing so simple. A full on cybernetic warrior, bonded to our most advanced AI. The full flexibility and creativity of an organic, but with the loyalty and precision of a machine.”
Director Ottosen shook his head.
“Once we work out the final kinks of the control structure, that is.”
“What kinks?”
“We used a terminal subject with barely any consciousness, so wiping the extraneous data from the brain was fairly simple. The organic mind should not be capable of active resistance at this point. But the brain is proving remarkably adaptive and resilient, and we are having trouble fully subordinating it to the cybernetic. The AI continues to give way to the organic mind in several cases, but we are confident we can work it out in time.”
“Why use an organic mind in the first place?”
“Part of the control scheme. An AI simple enough to be fully controlled cannot match an organic mind in creativity and initiative, limiting combat effectiveness. But if we could use an AI as an interface to subordinate an organic mind, we could achieve the best of both with none of the downsides. Plus, it improves the available resources of the AI if we rely on the organic brain for instinctive tasks such as movement. No point teaching a computer how to walk, right?”
“I see. What are its capabilities?”
“Only the very best we could produce! The bionic prosthetics are noticeably more powerful and efficient than any organic body part, and can match even a Non-Standard in hand to hand combat! To support this, we have run countless simulations on martial arts and combat footage to produce the most efficient combat protocols in existence.”
Director Ottosen motioned the executive to a computer monitor at the wall and tapped the shoulder of the scientist working there. The scientist nodded and pressed a key, bringing up a readout of the girl’s systems.
“As you can see, we’ve also packed her with as much weaponry as we could fit. From the latest and greatest, to archaic firearms and blades, just in case we need backups.”Stolen novel; please report.
The executive pointed to one time in particular.
“And what is this, ‘Equalizer’, here?”
Director Ottosen smiled.
“Ah yes, our pride and joy. The Equalizer is the final trump card to end the threat of the ‘supers’. Built with the rarest and most valuable materials available, it can transform nearly any form of energy to any other, amplifying it in the process. It can therefore destructively interfere with almost anything it encounters.”
“So, some sort of EMP device?”
“A gross oversimplification but yes. But not limited to mere electromagnetic radiation. No, the Equalizer can shut down any energy type it encounters, provided it has sufficient power, of course. Including any non-standard energy types.”
“You mean…?”
Director Ottosen nodded and spread his hands wide.
“Superpowers. Magic. Qi. Technology. It matters not. The Equalizer can shut it all down. It will take those Non-Standards, whoever or whatever they are, and bring them back to the norm. A weapon to humble the gods, and reduce them to mere mortals.”
The executive nodded.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Director. I look forward to seeing it in action.”
Eventually, the NSLICE program was completed and NSLICE-00P was deployed into combat. She quickly proved herself the bane of any superhero or supervillain, her Equalizer shutting down heroic superpowers and evil genius-built superweapons alike. With her at the lead, the organization built an entire army of robotic warriors, establishing themselves as the preeminent bastion of order in a world that increasingly devolved into chaos.
And so her masters established themselves as rulers of the world, with NSLICE-00P as one of their most feared enforcers…
That is, until she was captured by the Resistance, due to the intervention of a most unexpected ally.
An ally who now stood before the hacked and reprogrammed cyborg, patting her on the head with a sad smile.
“I am sorry for what I must ask you to do. And I am sorry I could not set you free like the others. It will make it easier for you to complete your mission and you must succeed, at all costs. And…the journey is as important as the destination. If you survive, I am certain you will find your own way, and your own family. So…I’m sorry, and thank you. Please…complete your primary directive, and save the universe.”
NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered.
“Status Report: Affirmative, Commander. Directive received. NSLICE-00P on standby and ready for operation start.”
With that, the ally nodded and lifted an arm.
The Chrono-Shifter on her arm activated.
A beam fired from the device and hit NSLICE-00P, who vanished in a flash of light…
University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. The 1970s.
A young man smiled as he took in the scene. All before him, new freshmen bustled about, chatting to one another. Upperclassmen and faculty guided them to dorms and orientation meetings.
It had been tough.
No one had believed in him.
No one had helped him.
Not that poor excuse of a father.
Not that mother he never knew.
Not the teachers who ignored him.
Not the classmates trying to keep him down.
But by the grit of his teeth, the strength of the brow, and the speed of his intellect, he had made it. One of the most prestigious universities in the nation.
And now, the world belonged to him.
He would gain access to knowledge, resources, and, above all, opportunity. A chance to speak with the greatest minds of the age. The wealth and ingenuity of the nation’s brightest stars. To take for himself a slice of all that society valued and cherished and make it his own.
A chance to show the world who he was and what he could do.
To prove wrong all who doubted him. All who stood in his way.
Not to live a normal life.
But to achieve something of value.
Of significance.
Something that would endure.
Something that would change the world.
And engrave his name in the annals of history and upon the tongue of every man, woman, and child.
And his name was…
“Gaut Ottosen?”
He stopped. He turned around.
A woman approached him, or perhaps a young lady by the look of her. She wore a trench coat, a hat, and a pair of sunglasses.
He smiled at her.
It seemed already, things were turning around for him.
“Yes, that’s me. How may I help you, Madam?”
She lifted her hand.
He took a step forward, extending his.
She lifted hers past his hand.
His smile faded.
She didn’t have a hand.
Instead, he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun.
“Target: NSLICE Program Founder identified. Engaging termination protocol.”
There was the sound of thunder.
And then the world went white.
For everyone.
Everywhere.
And always.
NSLICE-00P found herself in a pitch black world. After all, there are consequences to causing a reality-breaking time paradox.
Mainly, being ejected from said reality entirely.
She couldn’t feel anything. Couldn’t hear anything. And all her sensors returned no data.
And worse…
NSLICE-00P was powered by something called a Geo-Oscillator Engine. A nearly magical device developed by a supergenius, it resonated with the tectonic movements of the Earth’s core to generate power. A nearly endless source of clean, sustainable, fuel-less energy.
But with one glaring weakness.
It had to remain within range of a suitable planetary core to function.
And her Geo-Oscillator Engine had just lost connection with the Earth.
Which meant it was no longer functioning.
NSLICE-00P did have some capacitors to store additional energy. But these were designed solely to increase the initial output of her weaponry, so they wouldn’t last long if they had to power all of her systems.
After all, her masters did not design her for long-term independent action. It was assumed that if her core ever malfunctioned she would be within reasonable range of a repair shop. And if she could not return to her masters, she was to self-destruct to avoid falling into enemy hands. Or anyone other than her masters’ hands.
Which meant if she couldn’t get the Geo-Oscillator Engine running again, she would run out of power within minutes.
And without the implants entwined with her organs, that meant death shortly afterwards.
She could hypothetically shut down and go into stasis and survive a while longer. Had there been a reasonable chance of rescue, that is what she would have done.
But the data and instructions given to her by her Commander indicated the chance of recovery by friendly forces was minuscule, and that she should assume independent action until contact was reestablished.
Which meant her only choice was to reactivate the Geo-Oscillator Engine. Without at least connecting it to a suitable planetary core, she would not be able to exit stasis mode. Which under the assumption of independent action meant an eventual, silent death.
“Diagnostic Report: Attempting to reactive Geo-Oscillator Engine. Error! No planetary core detected in range. Expanding search radius…”
The activation sequence failed.
“Diagnostic Report: Attempting to reactivate Geo-Oscillator Engine…”
She tried again.
The activation sequence failed.
She tried again.
And again.
And again.
Her capacitors were reaching critical levels.
Her systems began to shut down.
She devoted everything she had left to one final attempt.
“D-Diagnostic…attempting…reactivate…E-Error…no…detected…range…expanding…s-search…”
Her perception cut out as her reporting log was also shut down.
Everything went black.
Her mind grew foggy and faint as the mechanical half of it shut down. The organic half that remained…had no idea what to do. It had not been in charge at any point in its memory.
Her heartbeat increased in frequency. She perceived an error in oxygen intake. Her blood pressure was rising.
Until…
Suddenly the log returned.
“Suitable planetary core located. Connection established. Core activation sequence successful. Rebooting systems…”
And then her vision went white…