//------------------------------// // Making the Most of Oneself // Story: Manehattan's Lone Guardian // by Curtis Wildcat //------------------------------// Current Power Output: 98%. System nominal. Energen Levels: 100%. Reserve Tank: 99.8%. Solar Energy Backup: 2%. Inoperable. Please see your technician for repairs or replacement. Structural Integrity: 72%. Estimated repair time: 59 hours. Auto-Repair Systems: 100%. Currently operating at maximum efficiency. Armor Integrity: 92%. Motor Control: 92%. Dash Thrusters: 100%. Systems nominal. Coolant Levels: 100%. System nominal. Combat Capabilities: 85% overall. Ice Manipulation: 95%. Frost Javelin: 98%. Systems nominal. Armed Phenomenon: 71%. Recommended Course of Action: Continue running auto-repair. Usage of capsule not required. ... I've just spent the last few hours taking a nap and running a full diagnostics scan, and my health is looking better all the time. There isn't much I can say about a lot of these. The two biggest concerns are still my frame and my solar absorber. Regarding the former, the gash in my side is more than halfway fixed... good, but it could still be better. That also leaves all the other damage, so I'll still need to wear my coat in public for a while. On the latter, while it isn't strictly required for the absorber to be functional, it's still convenient to have working. It's present as a supplement for my Energen tanks. Provided that I'm either out in the sun or close enough to the water's surface for its rays to reach me, it slows down my fuel consumption by as much as thirty percent. And on the off-chance that I run out of Energen, I can shut down everything not required for my day-to-day survival and subsist entirely on sunlight. Very nice to have when I'm off-duty. Plus, any combat I partake in between now and when I return home will most likely be on land, so any edge I possess will be good ones. I remember hearing some speculation once that long ago, the earliest sapient robots were powered by and large by solar energy. If that's true, then why the switch to a mineral-based power source? Was it because the robots could then be counted on for work anytime day or night? Of course, there are two major caveats to this setup. First, if I'm someplace where the sunlight won't reach me--like the room I was collapsed in post-Omega--then the absorber's completely useless once it runs dry. As I told my associates earlier, I'd be nothing more than trash if I was without both supplies of power. For another, keeping my combat functions active once I'm reduced to my absorber uses up the energy much more quickly. I would need to take long, frequent naps in sunlight if I wanted to continue functioning. Much like a cat. Or Gray. Truth be told, I'm not convinced that what few cats I've seen here aren't solar powered themselves. While I was on my way to the Big and Taur shop the other day, I passed by a stray that was resting on its back squarely in a particularly large patch of sunlight... but I'm off topic again. My coolant levels have fully replenished themselves. Because Heartbreakers, for those who forgot. I'm sure it makes sense in some haphazard way that I'm not getting, but I've got other things to worry about at the moment. I'll get back to my viewers on that. Some who are unfamiliar with me may wonder what my diagnostics mean by "Armed Phenomenon". To dumb it down some, it's a secondary form I can access in certain situations. If I'm up against someone that I would have difficulty defeating normally--Mr. Two Minus Two himself, for example--then my body shifts and morphs into a jet-equipped manta ray submarine. It boosts almost all of my combat capabilities, with the biggest standout being my speed, which quadruples. The only real problem with it is that it requires a large body of water for mobility's sake, such as that found at the Temple of Ice, but that's just a minor issue at best. The Armed Phenomenon is usable even at low efficiency, but for it to unleash its full potential, it requires four things: a steady power supply, plenty of Energen, a stable frame, and functional ice manipulation. It's why my prior scans listed its efficiency at 0%: their poor conditions negated any effectiveness the form might have had, despite it being in otherwise decent condition. Everything else my diagnostics are telling me won't be problematic. 92% isn't anywhere near low enough for my armor to start falling apart, or for my motor controls to malfunction entirely. My ice manipulation and combat capabilities will max out when everything else does, and my Javelin's cursory damage can be saved for last. So all in all, I'd say I'm in 'Good' condition. 'Excellent' is when I'm at 99-100% on all fronts. ... Back in Drama's office, I'm considering my options. I hadn't stated as much when I wrote my reply to Celestia, but I left enough of an implication that I was willing to test my abilities against whoever it was she was going to assign. So I have two matches coming up: a serious one against an opponent to be determined, and a not-quite-so-serious one against Bossa Nova. And as you might respect, contemplating these future events takes me back to the past. Or more specifically, my embarrassing showing against Omega. Zero was able to best Omega multiple times, with his final victory coming when the latter was being empowered by the Dark Elf. I fight baseline Omega once alongside Fefnir, and... well, you know that story already. Dr. Weil's going to have someone just as strong or close to it ready by the time I get back. If I tried fighting whoever it is as I am now, there wouldn't be enough of me left to store in Drama's cookie jar. I'd probably be justified if I tried labeling him as a force of nature by now. As long as I'm making comparisons, everything I knew of X told me that he was a genuine force. According to Neo Arcadia's archives, he never stopped improving throughout his entire career. Whether it was through personal advancements, copying weapons from his opponents, or gifts left behind in unlikely places by his long-dead creator, he was able to constantly adapt to whatever environment he found himself in. The only thing keeping him from steamrolling everyone and everything was his own attitude. If he had a choice in the matter, he would have stomped "Elpizo" long before he had the chance to grab the Dark Elf, and the events that led to my being here wouldn't have happened. Hmm... now if I was told that I could go back in time and meet one specific person, his creator would have been it. How in the world did he have the foresight to hide one of his upgrades in an enemy tank before it was even built? Very clever. There was one other person spoken of in hushed tones that we Guardians were taught to remember. I was always impressed by this one's accomplishments. He was built specifically to drive that generation's hover vehicles, and he didn't disappoint. He passed every test he took, drove up the morale of everyone around him just by existing, and could be counted on for anything. If you needed someone to watch your back during a high-speed chase, he was your best bet for getting out alive and in one piece. Surrounded by Mavericks and in need of a rescue? He'd blast away every enemy with his bike's cannon without so much as singeing your hair. Wanted a chaperone for someone's date? Sure, he had free time. He followed orders, respected everyone, was respected in turn, and never lost hope even in sticky situations. He was an absolute ace. So it was that when he gave his life helping X take down a Maverick stronghold, everyone mourned his passing. If the site of his burial hadn't been lost to the ages, I imagine that there would still be people visiting his gravesite to this day. He has simply earned that much respect. Though one has to wonder about his name. Most non-civilian Reploids have designations with some sort of meaning behind them. I was named after a sea monster or some other aquatic creature, for example... history's iffy on that. Maha Ganeshariff's name and appearance are references to an ancient and mythological elephant. The list goes on. The ace that we all hold in high regard? His designation was "Green Biker Dude". What kind of self-respecting name is that? It sounds like the sort of name that I would give... ...him... ... I've been doing a really good job of zinging myself recently, haven't I? Personal degradation aside, here's the point I'm trying to make. I don't have X's adaptability, or Zero's unrelenting skill, or G.B.D.'s everything. I might be one of X's "children", but that doesn't mean that I inherited his talent for getting stronger over time. I can only do so much on my own. There's an expression you're probably familiar with: "Go out there and give 110%!" It's used to encourage and challenge others to work hard, to do their very best at certain tasks. What it doesn't mean is that they can break their limits. No matter who you are, eventually you will reach the point where your body refuses to get stronger or perform any better than it already can. When you push yourself to try and surpass yourself, you're not really overcoming your limits; all you're doing is trying to find out what exactly your limits are. Trying to break your limits in the truest sense only leads to pain, misery... possibly death, depending on how moronic you are. This isn't fiction where the protagonist can casually overcome their deficiencies via pure willpower and grit. The same is true for me. My limits were set in place the day my conversion into a warrior was complete. Metal, hydraulics, and ice can only carry me so far. I might be superior to any of our creators in a physical sense, but I have clear limitations that I cannot overcome. I can be creative with what I do have all I want, but it may not be enough, whether I'm fighting Zero or Weil's forces. Which leaves me with only one option: it's time for some upgrades. But how? I don't have access to however it was X's creator was able to provide him with new equipment. And I might be familiar enough with my designs and weapon that I can perform maintenance on myself if circumstances are dire, but I'm no true mechanic or technician. Linking up with fresh equipment and parts would require me to shut down and rely entirely on another's hooves. In addition, just to reiterate: at least three hundred years behind the times. Home computers haven't been invented here yet, never mind the sort of technology that would ensure everything went smoothly. If I had to, I suppose I could scrounge around and locate the materials I would need to craft all of the components of a computer. I have enough working knowledge of hardware and software both that I could figure something out. But even if I were able to create a new operating system entirely from scratch, or whip up new hardware on my skill alone, it's not going to solve my real problems: getting myself stronger, and getting myself home. I'd really rather not have to rely on shortcuts, but it's looking like I'm going to have to rely on magic for this one. Before I resort to anything like that, however, let's call up my blueprints and combat specs. I've been over these on several occasions before, but now it's time for a more in-depth look at what needs improving. Who knows? I might have missed something along the way. Comparing specs to current self now. Full scan triggered... HELMET All functions are linked to unit's processor through the head. Only unit designated "Leviathan-01NA" can make use of these functions. Functions can not be utilized if helmet is not worn. Jet Propulsion: Powerful, quick and easy maneuverability through water. Maximum safe speed is 130 knots. Defense: Offers limited cranial protection. Jellyfish: Additional defensive measure; will ward off anything that touches it when activated. Password Locked. Currently inaccessible. Subsurface Radar: Scans surroundings in a fifty-kilometer radius around the user in order to track points of interest and enemy targets. Most effective underwater, but can be used above ground with vastly decreased range. Password Locked. Currently inaccessible. OPTICS Normal: Allows for the equivalent of 20/20 vision in humans, with an approximate 150° range. Can discern color. Has most of the same basic weaknesses as human eyesight, with the exception of contact sensitivity. Deep Sea: Enables easier navigation of the ocean floor. Extremely sensitive to light. Warning: usage beyond what is intended risks optical damage. Hunter: Allows user to see invisible objects. Shuts off vision in one eye as a tradeoff, limiting range. Password Locked. Currently inaccessible. Lock-On: Become immune to changes in perception. Password Locked. Currently inaccessible. BODY Armor: Standard-issue Guardian Armor, with minor modifications to shape. Provides limited protection, but should not be counted on for blocking all types of attacks. Ice Generators: Allows for the manipulation and control of ice in its most malleable form to be shaped as the user wills. Most effective usage is through the Frost Javelin, but similar results can be attained without it at the cost of time and effort. Dry Ice Mode: Allows for the generation and use of dry ice to be shaped as the user wills. Can not be used through the Frost Javelin, only through direct contact via the hands or, if necessary, the feet. Password Locked. Currently inaccessible. Overdrive: Sharply boosts all capabilities for up to thirty seconds. Emits an aura around the user that freezes everything in a meter radius. Once energy is expended, this function is locked for twenty minutes to allow the user to cool down sufficiently. Password Locked. Currently inaccessible. Inventory Space: Used for carrying items and weapons recognized by internal hardware. Slot #1: In use by Frost Javelin. Slot #2: In use by Armed Phenomenon equipment. Slot #3: empty. Slot #4: empty. BOOTS All functions are linked to unit's processor through the feet and ankles. Only unit designated "Leviathan-01NA" can make use of these functions. Functions can not be utilized if boots are not worn. Dash Thrusters: Triggers a momentary speed boost of up to 74 MPH (119 km/h) for short distances on land, and an extra 10 knot boost underwater. Can be used in quick succession with no drawbacks, but is affected by decreased motor control. Ice Skates: Allows complete freedom of movement on surface ice and other slippery surfaces. Boots do not morph into actual skates, but they can still be treated as such. Double Jump: If in mid-air, gain extra height equal to 80% the height of a normal jump. Can also be used to jump across the surface of water without submerging. Password Locked. Currently inaccessible. Frozen Aerial: While in mid-air, create icy platforms beneath the unit's feet to traverse gaps. No more than three platforms can be active at a time, and each will dissolve after ten seconds. Password Locked. Currently inaccessible. ... It wouldn't be too difficult to imagine the entire theater jumping off its foundation as it was rattled by Leviathan's shocked yell. ... I'm sure they heard me screeching all the way in Canterlot, but I don't care. Seriously, WHAT IN X'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE?! Was I always this powerful? Did I have this all along and just didn't know?! 'Overdrive'? 'Frozen Aerial'? What even is this?! ... Wait, wait, wait. Hold up, hold up. Calm down, girl. Let's think about this. "Password Locked. Currently inaccessible," I say to myself as I read over the scan one more time. To the best of my knowledge, I have never possessed any of the abilities with that label. As I said prior to starting my scan, I've been through these enough times to be overly familiar with what I possess. Having something be available to me, only to be told it was password protected? Something is wrong here, because I know for a certainty that I didn't own any of that. There shouldn't have been anything there that would need that label applied to it. And from the looks of things, my system agrees. I'm getting red flags popping up across the board and notifications in my HUD that I need to speak with a technician or programmer post-haste. At some point in my existence I've been tampered with, and my brain has just now realized it. As far as I know, I didn't have any real enemies of my own in Neo Arcadia. Or to specify, none that hated me personally enough to want to make me less capable. Only our most trusted staff is allowed entry to our domains, and those that we hire are required to go through rigorous background checks to ensure that we're not getting anyone who would compromise our ability to keep the peace. So who does that leave? The average citizen is right out. If anyone tried, there would have been alarms going off all over the place. My support staff is out of the question, too. They might have been a rag-tag group of random, nameless Reploids and weaker humans who were good with technology, but they legitimately believed that what they were doing was for Neo Arcadia's greater good and wholeheartedly supported the regime. And I'm fairly certain that a few of them were fans of mine; I've walked past their workstations a few times and noticed that they had vid-screen images of me where they normally would've put pictures of their loved ones or friends. I can't blame Copy X or Dr. Weil, either. For all of his faults, the former knew that we were loyal to him and treated us with respect as long as we carried out his orders. The latter wouldn't have been around due to his exile, and if he'd come anywhere close, the entire city would have been up in arms; us Four knew of his crimes all too well. I suppose he could've done his work while Fefnir and I were incapacitated, but there's too many things wrong with that for it to make sense. Thirdly, he seems like the type who would program all Reploids to be his attack dogs if given the chance, and I'm clearly under no obligation to follow his directives. So who does that leave? Who would have the authority and enough security access to tamper with either my blueprints, myself or both directly, and possibly even the other Guardians too? ... I feel like I've just been hit with a thrown sledgehammer. "The Judges," I breathe, leaning on a wall to keep myself upright. Us Guardians were well-acquainted with the Eight Gentle Judges. They were a set of Reploids that had worked with the real X where judicial matters were concerned since before the Four of us were created, second only to him in power. After Copy X came into power, they helped "determine" whether or not certain Reploids were Mavericks and passed judgment on them. And in fact, within hours after Copy X's destruction was reported, they unanimously nominated Harpuia to become the city's new ruler. We'd had mutual trust and respect for each other, and I'd like to think that they wouldn't try anything to negate that trust... or at least I would've said that months ago. I don't know all the details, but I was able to glean enough from my interactions with X, Phantom, and Harpuia that the Judges were in Weil's non-existent back pocket the entire time. Whoever it was that created the Judges were never discovered, so if Weil had been the one to do so, that would explain a great deal. The fact that Omega was sent to space instead of executed, among other things... The Judges themselves don't strike me as being able to tamper with me. Neither my interactions with them nor their official records told me that they specialized in computer programming, hacking, or Reploid design. However, there are ways around that: it wouldn't be difficult for them to covertly seek out someone in Neo Arcadia who was skilled in that sort of thing and either force or bribe them to do the deed, providing them with any permissions they would require. And if the programmer was a Reploid, there was nothing stopping them from killing him or her afterwards to keep any rumors from reaching Copy X. The most difficult part of it would come from a delicate balancing act: dumbing down our abilities and power enough that we would be unable to oppose Weil if he returned, but not so much that we couldn't mow down anyone who looked at us funny and keep the city adequately safe. Most likely this was done when we were first turned into combat Reploids, as I can't imagine myself needing most of this stuff in my original occupation. Fooling those responsible for maintaining us would've been difficult, but not impossible. My team was good, but not perfect; if they found any of this extra equipment during routine maintenance, they probably assumed that it was responsible for what we were already using and didn't give it another thought. Serial numbers and the like can be disguised from all manner of scans if one knows how, and if the blueprints had been altered appropriately... It probably would have raised too many questions, caused too many risks if they'd tried to discard, throw out, or otherwise dispose of the parts. High-quality parts just sitting around gathering dust, or being sent to the incinerator? Word gets around, and people would think. Any person with more than half a brain--little Ciel, just to name one example--would be likely to come across the parts and wonder why they weren't being used. Instead, they were stored in the least obvious hiding place: inside ourselves, hidden behind a password and memory blocks potent enough to prevent even that from being detected. Ingenious, dreadfully so. Speaking of the blocks, I am wondering what it was that broke them and allowed me to learn that the hardware was available. That can wait for another time, though. I'm too incensed to dwell on it too deeply. I could name instances where these locked abilities would've been useful. Dry Ice Mode could have done some serious damage to Omega, or at least to that outer shell he wore. The Subsurface Radar could've been used to keep better track of Zero during our fights, warning me whenever he was about to strike, and... ...and it's really sinking in now what they did to me. All this time, I thought I'd known what I could do. What about the others? What sort of abilities could Harpuia, Fefnir, or Phantom have been able to utilize had they only known? What was locked behind doors that they had no way of learning of? Errrugghh... I sink down to the floor, removing my helmet and setting it aside. My face drops into my hands. Doctor. Weil. He himself didn't plan this, but the Judges were loyal to him and would do anything to support his ambitions even while they pretended to be X's left hand. What they've done to us, to me, because of his directives... I don't have the words for it. X in Cyberspace, I think I'm going to throw up...! That's the illness, and getting home and giving Dr. Weil all of the justice he deserves is the remedy. If Zero can't do it, I don't think anyone's going to complain if I do it myself. ... I take some time to steady myself and haul back the urge to get sick across the floor (because seriously, what half-processed Energen looks like is something that no biological being needs to know about). This is another one of those times when I'm envious of humans: at least they have tears they can shed if they feel like having a good cry. With some effort, I bring my mind back to here and now: I've got a fight ahead of me sometime, and I need to be ready. Steady as she goes, Leviathan. Focus. You can do this. ...Therrreee we go, girl. Treat yourself to a cookie. ...Or not, since you can't eat them. Rephrasing that, treat somepony else to a cookie. Now then, given the choice between magic and technology, I'll take tech any day. These things I've got locked away seem like my top choices; I have them, might as well use them. Let's see if I can't crack these passwords. Flexing my processor, I direct an inquiry regarding the requirements for breaking the protection. Password must consist of exactly 2,000,000,000 characters utilizing the CCSID 437 character set. The password is different for each ability. "Kyahahaha..." Wow, okay. They really didn't want us getting our hands on all of these in a timely fashion. Two billion characters, and I have around 240 choices for each one. Well, I suppose I should devote a subroutine to cracking the codes, because there's no way I'm going to be doing that consciously. ...And having that subroutine clear away the "password denied" message before it reaches my HUD would help, too. I don't want my vision to be flooded with those. Alright, the subroutine's complete. I'm going to sic it on the shield around my boots' Double Jump and see what happens. In the meantime, I'm going back to sleep and shutting off all non-essential functions. I've got nothing to do, so I see no point in staying awake for any of this. It's best if I just let it work. ... Well, after I take care of one more letter. I've got curiosity to sate, so where did I put that Heartbreakers wrapper? Let's get this mystery cleared up once and for all.