LEGACY OF THE ANARI

by Ashleigh Blayze

Chapter 4

Rin opened his eyes in the recovery room. He felt physically rested for the first time in days as well as calmer and more mentally refreshed than he expected. A quick shower got him clean and alert. He changed into a set of clean clothes that were waiting on the locker when he woke. After cleaning out the pockets of the clothes he had been wearing he grabbed a couple more energy bars and headed to the Atrium.

“So what do I call you?” His voice echoed a little in the empty corridor. This deserted facility with no one except an AI in it was starting to give him the creeps.

“I do not have an official name.” The face appeared on a wall screen monitor in the Atrium wall.

“Well I gotta call you something. I’m Rin, please don't call me Prime all the time. I’m alone here at the moment in this weird Maker damned place and just speaking to thin air is messed up.”

There was a pause before the AI responded.

“The candidates at the creche level referred to me as Vault. Is that adequate?”

“Hmm okay, weird but I guess it works. Okay Vault what's next?”

Rin thought Vault’s voice sounded a trace embarrassed when it spoke next.

“I have concluded that I cannot provide you the necessary training facilities that you require at this time. The principal purpose of the crá¨che facility above you was to raise Guardian and Prime candidates from their birth to the point of receiving their Keys and Symbionts. During this time they were schooled by their tutors and lived with their peers in the crá¨che. My role was mainly the management of the Vault and the Symbiont facility. I can provide you with data but not actual teaching. This current situation is outside of my programming, and as such I would normally render decisions to the base commander. In the absence of a base commander authority would devolve to the Prime candidate who at the time was Yeshi and aged 11. By following my principle objective of maintaining the Prime candidate's well being I am engaged in medical protocols to assist you. It is not possible to log you as a candidate within my data systems. In order to correct the logic break caused by your bonding with the Prime Key I have accepted you as Prime. As Prime not as a candidate. Therefore you have authority and I can offer guidance only. I do not have necessary systems to train you in the role of Prime and as such you will need to leave the facility to obtain this. However as you are currently still integrating for you to leave at this point would be almost certainly detrimental to your health.”

Rin was a little pissed, “You're seriously telling me that you don't know what to do, so it's my problem but you'll help if you can? And I can't leave yet because of this damn Ring?'

There was a long pause and electronic face on the monitor definitely looked embarrassed.

“Correct. I have concluded that I must try to integrate you successfully or you will die, but I cannot call you a candidate as you are fully mature, not a child and are also bonding already. It is time to review your medical status Rin, please proceed to medical.” The face watched impassively as Rin shook his head in disgust, then moved round the atrium and down the corridor to medical.

****

Rin was feeling odd. The last several hours had been spent in the medical bay getting scanned, and he was bored out of his mind. But now he was feeling odd, okay but definitely odd. It was like he could feel everything normally but in the last few minutes...

Deep within Rin's brain the Key completed its host integration functionality checks, and prepared to activate the next phase of her function. Augmentation would take longer than expected, and would continue throughout use, but critical deficiencies would need to be addressed. This level of interface had not been achieved with previous Anari users and only secondary cortex interface had been utilised. Primary cortex interface achieved and stable. Activating neural link…. Neural link established and fixed.

Hello Rin.

Rin jumped off the bed with a shout. He heard a girl’s voice in his head!

“What the hells?” He looked around wildly, first the AI and now this.

Rin you don’t need to shout you know. The feminine voice was friendly and chided him gently.

He was feeling completely freaked now. When Vault spoke he heard it just fine, but this wasn't hearing it was like a thought in his head.

“Who are you? Where are you?”

I’m your Key Rin, I’m bonded to you. The tone was warm and infinitely loving and sounded like it was set to giggle if he said something else dumb.

No Rin I’m not going to laugh at you. Okay not much anyway. There was a small but definite giggle in his mind.

“You’re reading my mind?”

Of course Rin, we’re one now. You don't need to speak to me you know. Not a good habit to talk to thin air. People will start to wonder. Just relax and think.

“How can you be in my mind? You’re the ring?” Rin's mental response was more a concept of confusion than a thought. Am I going crazy he wondered.

No you’re not crazy. The thoughts suddenly became clearer as the conversation continued. Better we're fully meshed now. Okay here is what we have. You picked me up and put me on. The ring that Yeshi had begun bonding with. I wasn't aware at that point, which is really good or I would have gone crazy. Because you didn't have that damn strong immune system that keeps causing the symbiosis problems, the automated meshing process began and we bonded. I am now physically part of you and I’m fully interfaced into your neural and nervous networks. We are now one Rin. Essentially I’m the command and control interface for your symbiont you get later on.

Vault calls you the Prime because I’m the Prime Ring, the most capable. They knew this from what they had deciphered of the technology and as such the most suitable Anari candidate would have worn me, but poor Yeshi could never have managed this. Her link up would still have made her a very capable symbiont warrior, and as such probably a great leader for her people but you are going to get the full package.

The Key's excitement came across loud and clear to Rin. The girlish voice was practically bubbling with anticipation.

“Just what have I gotten myself into here?” Rin wondered.

The Key’s mental tone turned coy, and Rin could almost picture a girl grinning impishly at him.

Why Rin I thought you knew already? Hehehe, you get to be the first full Warp Avatar in a million years or so. And you, I, we are gonna rock this corner of the galaxy. Happy laughter bubbled in his mind.

“Warp Avatar? What the hell’s a Warp Avatar?” The conversation was rapidly spinning out of Rin’s understanding. Key explained to him patiently.

The technology that made the Keys and the symbiont armour is incredibly ancient Rin. From time before man was evolved enough to be anything other than a small monkey. In time the Anari discovered it as they were exploring the galaxy and learned enough about it to realise that it would provide a means of enhancing their best and brightest. I don’t think they ever really knew what they actually had. The technology was fantastically ancient to them but actually it belonged first to an alien species who became so powerful over time that they were pretty much gods. They don't exist in this dimension any more because they ascended.

“Um, Key I’m feeling stupid I guess, but I never had much education in the slums. I’ve heard of the warp, but I don't know what it is, but the rest of what you just said means nothing to me.”

Rin felt a bit ashamed of his lack of knowledge. He guessed it wasn't his fault but it seemed like it was going to cause problems. Still the girl? woman? in his thoughts immediately picked up on his feelings and reassured him.

Shush don't be silly, you’ve never had the chance or need to learn this stuff, so you're not stupid. Remember I’m in your head here so I know. Actually Rin your mind is really very efficiently organised, you’ve a very good memory don't you?

“How do you talk like that? It’s not what I’d expect, although I guess I wasn't really expecting to be having a mental conversation with a woman thinking in my head.”

More laughter echoed in his mind, which Rin enjoyed.

We’re communicating via your shared language, and I guess you can call me eternally young so I’m not going to talk like some old antique. Okay I’ll give you some basics, explain what you need to know now. The rest can wait until you are safe and integrated. Like I said I’m the control of the armour tech, its core processing if you want. I am aware, and share all your sensations although I cannot take control of your body without your permission. You need to eat a lot of food at the moment because our meshed body uses a lot more energy than you're used to. When you’ve integrated fully that won’t matter because you will always have enough energy. Talk about that later though.

“Let me guess, this is the bit Vault said about the armour being female?”

Rin had been trying not to think about becoming a girl because the idea was so damn strange. Still at the back of his mind knew if the choice was be a dead guy or a live girl then it seemed appropriate to see what life was like on the other side of the fence. He wasn't a big macho type anyway, being built more as a slim wiry runner, and life in the slums had been hard enough that the first rule was always just survive, anything else was a bonus. When Key spoke she sounded apologetic.

You’re right Rin. Your symbiont and I are both female. We’re already bonded so there’s no way back, I know this isn’t something you would have wanted but there’s no other choice. We won’t be able to function otherwise and it will kill us all.

“So what are you going to do to me Key?” Rin felt nervous and afraid but resigned to his strange fate.

You’re going to sleep Rin, and I’m going to work with your and Yeshi's DNA. I’ll get a combination that produces the optimum female offspring of the two of you, plus some genetic extras that come with the whole Avatar thing. Then while you’re sleeping I will modify your body so essentially you become your own daughter plus bonuses. In a way you do get to father a child Rin, except you are that child as well. Your new body won’t be fully mature when you’re ready for the symbiont, just like the process would have been for Anari you will be adolescent in some ways. You will be unconscious while I integrate your symbiont into you. It’s exceptionally painful if done while conscious. When you come to, the process of augmentation followed by integration will be over. You will be adolescent still but complete and will then mature much more rapidly than normal and within months will be physically mature like you are now aged approx 24, the optimum, and that’s where you stay.

“Oh. Wow, I think.” It was a mind numbing thought and Key hastily diverted him.

Don't think about this right now Rin, it’s not important at the moment. First we both have to stay alive.

“Fair point that.” If you can grin mentally Rin knew he was doing just that.

You need to talk to Vault and explain what’s going to happen and that you'll be unconscious for it. We will be in the medical bay for the augmentation, and Vault will then need to get droids to manoeuvre us to Symbiont Laboratory where the implantation and integration will take place. It is critical that Vault maintains a supply of energy to our body during this processing, or we will have serious possibly fatal problems.

“Okay I will talk to him now, and let's get on with this.”

***

Vault’s subroutines observed the recovery lounge constantly but when Rin began to talk to himself, before going into a trance it was far enough outside of expected parameters that the main AI core was observing directly when Rin came to and explained his orders. The Vault AI accepted as evident that Key had successfully bonded with Rin, although it was apparent that this had proceeded much further and faster than recorded previously. Now the AI watched as Rin ate six of the energy bars that he had ordered before settling comfortably onto the bed. Vault programmed the lounge droids to ensure there was a supply beside the bed at all times. Rin explained the need for a constant energy supply meant that he might wake up and eat but would be back to sleep almost straight away. To the AI’s electronic consternation Rin also explained that during the process and until the armour was integrated the Key would be controlling his body.

Vault made the arrangements to ensure Rin's instructions were followed and then manoeuvred every sensor available to record as much data on the process as possible. According to Rin’s brainwaves he was not exactly relaxed but getting there. Finally he seemed to fall asleep. The AI observed as the brainwave patterns slowed to catatonic levels, as though in a coma. Then with a sudden spike, the opposite side of his brain lit up in a maelstrom of electronic activity, centred in portions of the brain that were generally never used. This continued for some time, with Rin lying motionless apart from the very shallow movements of his chest as he slowly breathed. Finally the electrical activity settled down to a more normal level of activity for a couple of minutes before suddenly the medical scanners reported an immense surge of activity throughout Rin's body.

The Key had combined and customised the DNA from Yeshi and Rin and was extremely satisfied with the result. The level of integration that had already been achieved had opened up possibilities that never existed before for augmentation and she pursued them fully. The customised viral DNA nanotech was distributed through the Keys neural and nervous interface and when everything was ready, she took hold of Rin adrenalin levels and his bodies electrical impulses, spiked them and began to rapidly expend energy as the new DNA was rampantly force produced throughout their body.

The process would take long hours and Key monitored her host’s progress at every stage, tending to the birth of her new body with infinite care. As the body’s energy levels fell, she considered raising the level of consciousness enough to eat more food before realising it was unnecessary. Vault's droids performed their assigned tasks efficiently, and began supplying intravenous fluids heavy with the necessary minerals, vitamins, salts, and energy. Finally the critical point was reached and Key isolated Rin's brain from pain signals as their body was tortured by genetic invasion.

***

Vault noted the beginning of physical changes that began to rapidly accelerate as they were recorded. Rin was a young male approximately 1m85cm in height massing about 75kg, with a slim build, now under the augmentation process he started to shrink. The scanners showed that his skeletal structure was rapidly losing mass, the long bones in his limbs thinning along their length and then shortening. The pelvic bones underwent major change first breaking, realigning along their new wider female proportions. The chest cavity compressed, rib cage tightening as if squeezed, ribs fracturing, before beginning to heal minutes later. Throughout his skeleton morphed as though made of plastic while internal organs moved to accommodate their more compressed location.

The AI noted the development of some new types of tissue, in various locations that appeared mostly hormonal. The development of what looked like a second heart was more interesting to the AI. As it formed the body's nervous system swiftly accommodated it, and it began pumping in tandem to the original as arteries and veins were rerouted. The sensors in the room recorded as the body shrank in on itself reducing in height by approx 10cm, hands and feet shrinking in perfect proportion, skull bones shrinking and reshaping to mould smooth female physiology.

The body regressed in age as masculine maturity was erased and female prepubescence took its place, skin colouring darkening slightly to reflect the genetic legacy of Rin's ancestors having been Nordic Caucasian while Yeshi’s Anari heritage reflected what a refugee from Sol would perhaps have recognised as a slight middle eastern heritage. The skin rippled as muscles were realigned, fat was redistributed, the smaller chest showing the beginnings of breast formation. Rin's loose shorts tightened as his hips widened, settling as his penis inverted and the formation of his womb and sexual organs began. The changes took long hours, and throughout Vault monitored an incredible depletion of mineral and energy reserves and maintained the constant infusion of fluids intravenously to keep the body within safe levels.

Finally the visible changes seemed to pause, Key taking a short break to allow the fluid drips to catch up before the remaining changes began. Vault' sensors noted increased tightening of musculature, the development of nano tube sheaths around critical organs, processes reminiscent of the general enhancements that a Guardian or Prime would have undergone making them faster and stronger, more dexterous, more durable. The changes Rin was undergoing were more extensive than Vault had previously recorded.

By the time the augmentation process was complete, the figure on the bed had transformed from prepubescent girl to adolescent woman, slim waisted and with the promise of beauty. When the medical scanners showed that the process had been completed the droids prepared the bed for movement to the Symbiont Laboratory. As the bed was moved Vault noted that although the figure was now measuring 1m 74cm her mass had actually significantly increased, now over 120kg.

The Symbiont laboratories were the main focus of the vault's existence, a robotic facility entirely controlled by the AI. The sterile lab comprised gene sequencing machinery, forced growth DNA culturing, and an operating suite where the candidates symbiont would be inserted into her body. The symbiont would complete its own instinctive bonding process governed by Key. The best Anari technology could only provide an environment for the process, not control it.

***

When the Anari discovered the ancient alien technology and archives they found a cache of the artefacts that looked like rings. Tiny samples of symbiont DNA that the Anari theorised had been used by the aliens were found but no whole symbiont was ever located. After decades of investigation and analysis the Anari learned enough to manufacture a prototype symbiont. When the prototype was tested with a control ring the Anari volunteer had suffered an agonising death while the symbiont successfully formed an armour suit before becoming unstable and terminating itself, after which its control ring had gone permanently inert. This first tragic failure gave the science teams huge amounts of data and they refined their understanding and experimented more.

Eventually the Anari scientists successfully managed to bond Anari, key and a symbiont, producing a warrior who went down in Anari history as one of the most celebrated in their history. All this occurred perhaps 2500 Sol years before the attack on the creche. The changes wrought on Anari society by the symbiont technology produced generals with huge skill, leaders with charisma and force of personality that was unmatched. The formation of the guardian and prime system led to a stable government that was able to dominate hundreds of light years of the galaxy. Their dominion was only a miniscule fraction of the galaxy itself, but enough that the Anari were recognised as a young developing power in their own right.

The Anari accomplished this without a true understanding of the technology they had acquired. The AIs were used within the symbiont facilities because of the immense computational power involved in developing the symbiont units, as well as the needs for security and sterility in the environments. Empirical science, trial and error eventually produced a biological organism that could be grown within the lab facility, which could be sustained almost indefinitely so long as sufficient reserves of power were available. This symbiont would rely upon its host for energy until it was sufficiently bonded to the host that the Key could initiate its organic energy core.

Initiating the energy core would provide access to vast amounts of power which would stabilise the symbiosis. Once stable the symbiont would spread rapidly throughout the body before forming the armour. Anari science knew the armour was organic and based around molecules that in a liquid form resembled silicates and ceramics. Physical damage to the armour would self repair very fast, and the host was able to operate in environments ranging from vacuum and extreme cold in space, to high pressure atmospheres toxic to unprotected Anari at high temperatures. Once in place the symbiont armour took the genetic enhancements that went with being an augmented Guardian or Prime and added raw power and durability governed by the processing ability of the Key, with a nervous system that processed data far faster than the human brain ever could. It was a potent mix and formed the basis for Anari power.

During its long isolation Vault continued the empirical science, making minute incremental modifications to the organism, testing to destruction, before recycling, analysing and producing the next generation, all very theoretical and within his original programming to further develop the technology that formed the Guardian culture. With vastly reduced power reserves after the attack and lacking available host the AI had been limited in what it could do. Therefore it chose to try and isolate those portions of the organism’s DNA that served to produce the organic energy core. The AI concentrated on increasing the core’s tolerances and improve its capacity under the logic that more available power was a better thing.

The result of Vault’s scientific work was that the symbiont available to combine with Rin's new body, would the AI theorised be a significant improvement on previous models. Either that or there was a small but definite chance that the new model would have gone further than the Anari body and Key could, which would be fatal. The AI declined to mention this data to Rin prior to the augmentation process as it realised that additional nervousness wouldn't do Rin any good, not that there was a choice anyway.

***

Vault directed the droids moving Rin's comatose form to the lab operating suite, through the airlock into the sterile environment. The droids rapidly sterilised the area around the symbiont insertion point, to minimise the chance of infection after the operation. The sophisticated robotic surgeon then positioned over the body and under the AI control first a laser scalpel incision was made then a miniature saw facility cracked open her chest cavity, before machinery carefully spread her rib cage slightly to provide access, while suction devices removed blood from the wound. Once this was completed the AI disconnected the symbiont from the storage facility's power supply and moved it into place next to Rin.

Time was now critical as the symbiont could only survive for minutes without its new host. The symbiont resembled a child's liver, with a bump at one end that the power supply had been connected to. As seconds passed the organism quivered as if realising its predicament and the bump morphed into tubular tentacle about 5 cm long. Ensuring the orientation was correct the AI inserted the organ into Rin's chest cavity fitting it slightly underneath her second heart. The symbiont was held in place for a few seconds before its gently questing tentacle brushed against the side of the Rin’s second heart and speared forwards forming a new attachment. The slow beating heart paused as the symbiont punctured it, then resumed its beat rapidly speeding up, Within seconds any trace of the wound in the heart muscle vanished as the symbiont adjusted the tentacle’s fit and healed the wound. The AI withdrew the operating implements and then closed up Rin's chest. If one could shine a light in Rin’s body you would have seen an explosion of activity from the symbiont and the Key. In one direction the Key extending its neural network into the symbiont organ, in the other the, symbiont began rapidly to spread tendrils into its new host.

Key was satisfied the augmentation of her new body was a complete success. Now Key maintained Rin's unconscious state as the AI performed the symbiont implant. Key knew the original users of the symbiont technoilogy had never had to go through anything as crude as chest cracking but the Anari had worked out a process that worked for their species. It made no difference in the long run. Monitoring the operation’s progress a portion of Key's attention ensured Rin didn't feel any pain, and temporarily paused her body’s healing process so it did not interfere. Most of Key's attention was focussed on the symbiont. The symbiont felt healthy, although its metabolism was faster than she anticipated. The operation would need completing as fast as possible before it ran out of energy.

Almost immediately Key felt the symbiont quiver after being removed from its energy link, followed by its feeling of hunger and awareness of falling energy reserves. The AI placed the organ within her body, and as the symbiont feeding tube emerged it brushed her new heart triggering its bonding spear into the muscle to form its new feeding tube. Immediately the symbiont's metabolism kicked back into high gear as it sensed the availability of fuel, rapidly drawing energy from Rin's body. Key felt it begin the process of expansion as it detected its new organic host, and the race to integrate was on. Key directed her nearest main nervous cluster to connect, which it did in seconds, while the symbiont sent out tendrils to surrounding organs beginnings to link in to Rin's body. Key noted her energy levels falling, although this was slowed by the infusions being received from the operating suite equipment and IV lines. Still it was apparent that initiating the energy core was going to be critical.

Through the new neural link to the symbiont Key exerted her control and began directing operations, feeling its compliance in return. The symbiont radiated intense hunger, a desperate need for energy, and the urge to expand and protect its new host. At this stage of its development the symbiont was like an infant following instinctive responses. Gently Key triggered the integration of the new organs the Vault AI had detected developing in her body. When the link was made she was able to start the production of the hormonal charge that would be needed to force the energy core to activate successfully.

The symbiont responded to Key’s control and ceased random connections to its host, fighting its instinctive drive to spread to reduce its energy demand as much as possible. Key ordered the preparations for the energy core and exotic biochemical changes began developing within the Symbiont’s core. As it did so Key became aware that the biochemical mix at the core of the Symbiont was not what she had expected. The energy demands of the symbiont were getting frantic and rapidly rising even as she fought to calm the organism and adjust the hormone mix in her supplemental organs to complement the core charge.

It would be close. Rin's body was beginning to suffer under the extreme energy demands being placed on it, and even under Key’s control her body could not keep up the transfer of energy for much longer. If the core link was not successful at the first attempt it would be too late for a second try. Rin's pulse and brainwaves began to spike erratically as adrenalin surged in spite of Key exerting control. The combined assault of the Symbiont energy demands and Key’s own needs were close to being too much. It was only seconds, but it felt like an eternity to the Key that could measure time in millionths of a second. The hormone organs, forced to accelerate production beyond their normal schedule by Key, finally charged to the right level.

Instantly Key fired the hormonal charges. The two swollen organs simultaneously delivered every molecule of the alien hormones through the feeding tubes to the symbiont’s dormant energy core. Their hormone charges delivered the organs shrank almost to nothing and Key shut them down, reducing her energy needs as much as possible. The symbiont’s dormant core, half full of the symbiont’s own chemicals was flooded by the surge. The exotic mix hit the right composition, chemicals reacted forcing a violent muscular spasm in the symbiont, and her core woke.

Rin’s comatose body contorted, spasmed and then screamed long and loud, as the most excruciating agony surged throughout every cell of her body. A gigantic fist hammered into her chest. Unimaginable power burning in her, overwhelming her cells and changing them, flooding onwards through her radiating from her core. Muscles contracted into spasms, daggers of pain stabbed Rin lancing through her traumatised brain. Rin wasn't conscious yet her mind would remember this. Vague unremembered nightmares would haunt her sleep for years. Rin’s brainwaves spiked once again then fell to normal levels as Key finally managed to contain the incredible energy surge.

Vault’s scanners burned out as an energy surge atomised most of the equipment in the lab, burning out what little was not destroyed immediately. In its hardened and shielded core Vault knew its functionality would not be impaired. The surge was unexpected but similar to experimental data from the early years of Anari research although seemingly more powerful. Vault’s working sensors showed the lab access had been fused closed. It would take 3 hours to regain access to the Symbiont laboratory before it could determine the status of the Prime. As Vault sent additional droids their instructions the Vault AI analysed what data it had, showing the Prime seemingly engulfed in a surge of crackling black flames of power.

Key knew in the tiniest fraction of time why the Symbiont’s energy demands were so high, and its metabolism so fast. It had been modified to move the core link higher up the energy gradient, and the energy flood was horrendous, far more than she had expected. Still she was the prime Key and was linked to an extent that actually offered the possibility of handling the link. If she failed it wasn't as though there would be anything left anyway. With all its attention now, knowing Rin would feel agonizing pain but with no other option, Key diverted the energy throughout her body, forcing the almost instant maturing and transformation of the cells as the warp energy burned through them.

As the warp energy hit her neural and nervous network the flood empowered her as well and Key diverted energy back to the core’s structure, forcing its expansion in seconds, erecting barriers to absorb the flood, before triggering the symbiont’s muscular new core chamber to contract. Finally the energy link was reduced, then stabilised to a nominal level, a forced balance where the energy link empowered the barriers that held it in place. If Vault’s sensors still functioned in the lab, they would have recorded a sphere of blazing black energy crackling around the body, suddenly enshrouded in jagged crimson fire before vanishing to nothing.

The body at the centre of the sphere fell with a thud to land in the perfectly formed crater carved by the ball of energy almost 3 metres across. The crater was eaten from the armoured floor and ceiling of the lab, with nothing left of the bed or nearby equipment. The remains of two attendant droids stood where they failed. Their remaining fried internal components visible where the energy sphere had eaten away their matter instantly. There was a moan and the body curled up into a foetal position before falling back into unconsciousness. Silence reigned in the lab again.

Key checked on her unconscious host. The damage caused by the warp energy was rapidly vanishing as Rin’s now fully empowered body healed her nerves, tissues and burns. Rin’s pain was successfully blocked once more and she would be fully healed in minutes. The armour symbiont was fully active now, and under Key’s guidance, began a methodical integration, radiating calm and a sense of protection and deep satisfaction now its energy demands were more than amply satisfied. With minimal gentle guidance Key ensured that the armour would fully assimilate then return to functioning at a minimal level.

Key noted the symbiont was now virtually mature due to its forced core growth, and was under pressure within Rin's overcrowded torso. Key instructed the symbiont on which organs where unnecessary now, including the twin hormonal chargers that had activated the core. Gradually the armour began to absorb them, releasing the pressure on itself, and freeing up room for future expansion if needed. Finally with all else well Key checked over her own links, ensured that Rin's brainwaves were satisfactory and started to work out just how far up the energy gradient, the Anari's armour Symbiont had climbed.