The first sensation was numbness. Not physical—something deeper. Where the constant hum of my nanomachines should have been, there was only a dull whisper.
[Nanomachine count: 2.3 trillion. Operating at 12% capacity.] [Warning: Quantum suppression field detected] [Critical systems impaired. Adaptation in progress...]
I forced my eyes open. The cell was a perfect cube, its walls shimmering with an iridescent energy field that pulsed in mesmerizing patterns. Brooklyn facility's quantum containment unit—they'd actually managed to cage me.
"ATLAS?" I called out mentally, but received only fragmented responses.
[ATLAS core functions: 67% offline] [Attempting quantum field analysis...] [Progress: 0.03% - Estimated completion: 43 hours]
Every movement felt sluggish, like moving through honey. Without my usual nanomachine enhancement, I was reduced to something barely above baseline human—a feeling I thought I'd left behind forever.
But my nanites were learning. Even suppressed, they were slowly adapting to the quantum frequencies that held me prisoner.
[Alert: Detecting non-terrestrial energy signatures] [Analysis: 89% probability of Xynos origin technology] [Integration potential: Limited but possible]
Hours passed. The nanites continued their analysis, each cycle bringing them closer to understanding the quantum field. It was maddening, this slow progress, but there was something else—something familiar in the alien technology patterns.
[Adaptation progress: 0.47%] [New quantum resonance patterns cataloged: 23] [Warning: Quantum field fluctuations detected]
The quantum cage wasn't perfect. There were micro-fluctuations in the field, tiny windows where my nanites could potentially break through. But it would take time—time I wasn't sure I had.
"Show me the patterns," I commanded internally.
My remaining active nanites generated a visualization. The quantum field was complex, beautiful in its alien design. And eerily similar to the Xynos technology I'd absorbed before.
[Analysis complete: Quantum field is teaching nanomachines new configurations] [Warning: Each lesson costs 0.01% of total nanomachine count] [Current count: 2.299 trillion]
Learning came at a price. Every adaptation burned through my nanites, forcing me to choose between understanding and raw power.
The walls shimmered more intensely. Footsteps approached.
[Multiple hostile biosignatures detected] [Defensive capabilities: Severely limited] [Recommendation: Continue adaptation. Maintain passive facade.]
I lay back on the metallic bench, closing my eyes. Let them think they'd broken me. Every second in this cage was teaching my nanites quantum mechanics—even if it was slowly consuming them in the process.
The footsteps grew closer. My captors were coming, unaware that their perfect cage was becoming my classroom.
Even if the tuition was paid in my own diminishing power.