[Kardian’s point of view]

That night, before going to bed, I looked through my gathered resources and organized them better. I had two big bags of food, one of various supplies, and another of tools that might come in handy for a survivor. There were a bunch of duplicates as well, and I was even lucky enough to find several electronic repair kits. As for the Universal Credit Cards, I had enough of them to be considered a rich boy! Unfortunately, I couldn’t just transfer the amount stored on them into my own Personal Account. I needed a bank and some living employees for that, and this wasn’t exactly legal either.

Technically, I was plundering and looting what I needed from the deceased but considering that this was a life and death situation, the law would surely ignore my little thefts. Then again, if they were to consider that the Nano-Z were still technically humans that could be saved, I would be considered the murderer of quite a few of them, with the exception being the self-defense situations in which I had no other choice but to kill them.

I couldn’t stop thinking about this, and I felt both guilty and sick about what I had done so far. A part of me was telling me that I had no choice, while the other one was admonishing for not considering any other options. Eventually, seeing how I couldn’t fall asleep, I asked Xerya to knock me out.

When I woke up the next day, it was already morning, and the sun was up and shining straight through the window and right into my face. I groaned and turned but then I quickly remembered that I wasn’t at home and that the Nano-Z were still out there, prowling about.

I got up with a jump, but the first thing to pop into my view wasn’t the ugly disfigured face of the Mutated Cyborg but the stunning bare chocolaty round breasts and firm abs of a woman. The gears in my mind which up until then were worried about the nonsense of the law were quickly brought to a halt and all manner of intelligent thought stopped being generated.

I just stood there, ogling like an idiot at the ebony beauty before me.

Back when we fought, I couldn’t even tell if she was a woman, a man, or a herm. While the latter were popping up more and more, especially when a little genetic engineering was involved, these days, sex change wasn’t that much of a big deal, and unlike how it was in those primitive times in the late XXI’st century, the techniques nowadays allowed for a complete genetic reconfiguration. So, those who wished to be one gender or the other could enjoy the full package without any side effects, psychological or physical. As for the herms, well, they started appearing naturally about 150 years ago or so, natural evolution the scientists claimed.

The black beauty in front of me was in her thirties, however, she was neither a man nor a herm, she was a full woman from head to toe, with big round breasts, an athletic build that made her even more sexy, and a few pieces of metal sticking out here and there without actually defiling her beauty in any way. On the contrary, the extra pieces of metal were more like a beauty mark if I could call them that.

The woman had deep black eyes with a straight dark brown hair that reached past her shoulders and flowed over her back, tempting heart shaped lips and a cute nose. She was beautiful enough to be called a top actress and tempting enough for me to think of her as a deadly seductress.

Seeing me looking at her like an absolute mesmerized moron, Xerya tilted the head of her host, making me jolt at the cuteness of her movement and then spoke with a voice that was quite different from the one that I got used to so far. It was more feminine, more human, but firm and decisive.

“Is there something wrong with this host body?”

“Aba... ba... ah... no.” I finished my blabbering by shaking my head fast left to right.

“That’s good.” she then lifted her right arm up and looked at her fingers.

Seeing those ripe melons move in front of my eyes pulled me in like a moth to the flame.

“I am quite satisfied with my work. I believe I managed to restore this body to its original shape.” she explained and then noticed my eyes glued to her chest again “Are these mammary glands that attractive for a human male?” she asked.

“Erm? What?” I blinked confused and looked up into her eyes, but I was blushing so hard that I was probably no different than a ripe tomato.

“Is this female body pleasing to you?” she asked.

“Erm, yes. She’s beautiful!” I nodded like an idiot.

Her eyes then moved to my crotch and then back up to my face.

“Do you wish to mate with this female body? I do believe that her reproductive organs are functioning perfectly, but a practical test would be better. Do not worry, the nanobots inside her are able to act as a contraceptive and eliminate with posthaste any fertilized eggs.” she explained and even added a smile to this.

Ah... just kill me now... I thought as I lowered my head in embarrassment. 

“No... you got it wrong. It’s natural for a human being to be sexually attracted to another this way, but this does not mean that I want to mate like a rabbit in heat... I’m sorry for causing this misunderstanding... Please wear some clothes so that... my excitement will die down... Besides, I honestly don’t think that having sex with you would be the wisest choice I could make right now... Like seriously, the host’s brain is still in there, right? Not to mention, having my first time be with a former Nano-Z... I honestly don’t know if that’s necrophilia or something worse...” I said with a wry smile as I tried hard to make sense of my disturbing emotions.

“Necrophilia implies copulation with a corpse. This host is alive, therefore, it would not be necrophilia. Although this body once belonged to the brain that is still within the brain cage, I am now the owner of this body. All of her functions and even her very survival depends on my will.” Xerya explained the rather unshakeable truth, which was her own existence, a powerful Sapient AI existing within the nanobots in my body.

“Just... forget that I ever said anything about that...” I shook my head “Get her dressed first before we continue with our discussion.” I told her as I got up.

“What clothes should this host body wear?” she asked.

I stopped and looked back at her. The woman was staring up at me with a curious gaze like a child who knew not what to do. All of a sudden, I realized that this was technically the first time Xerya was even asked to wear clothes, which implied a lot of problems which raised my embarrassment bar to a whole new level.

“Do you know how to wear clothes?” I asked just to be sure.

“Clothes are considered fashion items which humans use in order to protect their bodies from the elements or to incite attraction in a possible sexual partner.” she explained with what may have been a proud tone of voice.

I did a face palm and then grumbled “Not what they are... but if you know how to wear them.”

The woman lowered her head for a moment and then replied with her voice as she looked up at me “Negative.”

“Great! Just great!” I cried and then let out a heavy sigh. “Just... stay there. I’ll get some clothes for you. I’ll teach you how to wear them and then tell me if you understood.”

Instead of getting out to clear my thoughts, I walked over to my bag of spare clothes and picked up a pair of men’s underwear, a t-shirt, and a track suit. For the moment, she had to forgive me for not carrying around a bag of women’s clothes. I was NOT expecting for the Sapient AI in my nanobots to gain a remote-controlled body like that.

As I walked back to her, I said “Before we’ll move from this place, let’s search for some clothes for you. There should be some in all of these apartments. Going around in men’s clothing doesn’t do justice to that gorgeous body of yours.”

“So, you do find this form sexually appealing!” she remarked as she looked down at her own chest.

Tossing the t-shirt on top of her head, I retorted “No sane human would think you are anything but beautiful!”

“This piece of clothing... is a t-shirt. I’m sexy and I know it. Hm, I don’t understand this.” she said as she picked it up and then read what was written on it.

“I found it funny.” I shrugged and then helped her put it on. “This is the front, this is the back, and this is how you wear it.” I showed her both sides before pulling it on top of her.

“I will remember it.” she nodded.

“Now, get up, and put this pair of underwear.” I said as I showed it to her.

“Understood.” with a nod, she got up on her feet and when I saw her nether region, I was quite close to getting a nosebleed from all of that excitement. “I detect an elevated heart rate. Why?” she wondered and tilted her head.

“I saw the forest that I shouldn’t see...”  I shook my head. “Alright, let’s have you wear this... for now.” I then put on the underwear on her.

This was one of those moments when I wished I could just have Xerya download an app from the net that would help her learn how to get dressed by herself. Although, I was probably making a bigger deal out of this than I should be. True, I was still a virgin, but... well... my reactions were absolutely normal, right?!

Having her put on the pants and then the jersey was easier. At least she learned fast. The fact that my clothes were a bit tight on her body was in no way my fault. Those big breasts of hers felt like they were going to rip to shreds that t-shirt and completely filled up the jersey.

“It’s finally over...” I said as I felt as though I had lost almost a decade of my life from all of this excitement alone.

“I understand now how clothes are worn. May we talk now about my host body’s current situation?” she asked.

“Yes...” I nodded slowly.

 With Xerya dressed up, I felt like I could have a proper conversation with her. What I wanted to know first of all was who exactly was this mysterious cyborg person. While hunting for Nano-Z, I did encounter cyborgs now and then, but they all had their brains corrupted by the Zombolik, and their implants more or less functioned in a weird way. Most of the times, they didn’t work at all, especially if they were enhancing systems like artificial muscles or sensors. This made them easier to kill, for now, but if what Xerya told me was correct, then as time went by and the Nano-Z turned into Mutated versions, those implants would have a chance of becoming fully functional again or even be enhanced in some way or another.

“What can you tell me about the original owner of this body, the one whose brain is in there?” I asked pointing at her head.

“According to the information found within this host body’s implants and nanobots, her name is Nataly Yuriscycho. She was born 81 years ago in Chicago on planet Earth. She is the mother of one, father unknown. No relevant data regarding her past activity. No information regarding the current location of her daughter. No information regarding her current job. No information regarding who performed the operation of turning her body into that of a cyborg. According to my scans, only her brain and some of her inner organs have been kept, but under the altering abilities of the Zombolik infected nanobots, their DNA has been altered, although I find it strange that a big focus was placed on her reproductive organs rather than the major ones.” she replied, but all of this info just made me furrow my brow in confusion.

“That sounds very strange... But how is it even possible for you not to find anything about who performed her surgery? I thought details like that were important for both the patient and future doctors who might end up performing upgrades or changes? Even I am aware that something like this is extremely unusual.” I told her.

“You have never encountered individuals who lacked this information?” she asked me.

“Never.” I shook my head “It’s actually against the law to modify or refuse to add that sort of information, and according to a documentary I once watched, this information could mean the difference between the life and death of the cyborg since not all implants have a standard installation procedure, and you never know how the human body will react to the foreign materials inserted in the body. Some cyborgs even go through gene therapy that stops their immune system from attacking their cybernetic parts.” I explained.

“Then, in this case, I can only assume that she was an individual who didn’t wish to abide by the law but given both the materials and high performance of the implants, she is definitely not someone normal.”

“Speaking of which, are all of her implants still working properly?” I asked.

“Negative. I had to restructure and repair some of her implants, but not all of them are functioning properly. Thankfully, the artificial muscles, bones, and skin were reconstructed without a problem, however, there were some dedicated circuitries that were completely wrecked by the previous Nano-Z core. At the moment, I can’t even tell what exactly it was used for.” she replied shaking her head.

“Then, what exactly was broken in her and what exactly could you identify but not able to repair? Also... what exactly still works?” I asked her as I rubbed my chin.

The way I saw this whole situation, well, if this cyborg could still fight, she would be able to help me a great deal when it would come to taking down those Nano-Z. Not to mention, the company would keep me from going insane. If Xerya wasn’t here to talk to me from time to time and either chit chat or explain how some of my implants worked, then I would have most definitely ended up going completely bonkers.

“There are 12 different implants that I can’t make heads and tails of. They are beyond recovery and only the original host’s brain could know. Out of all of her implants, only ten were those that I could identify and confirm that I cannot repair given my lack of understanding of them. Among which there’s a Radar Tracking System, a Modular Laser Unit, a pair of Directional Boosters, Special Connectors Hubs, a Shield Generator Unit, a Transformation Unit, a Location Transmitter, a Surface Gripping Unit, a Power Amplification Unit, and a Modular Rocket Launcher Unit.” she explained.

“Some of those things sound like actual military weapons or enhancements.” I remarked.

“It is probable that she may be affiliated to either a militarized organization or the actual army of the United Planets of Sol.” she nodded.

“And so, what are the implants that were left functional?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“Besides the skeleton, muscles, internal organs, and sensory organs, there is a Muscle Strengthening System, which I am currently analyzing in order to better improve yours, a Camouflage System which survived only partially in her skin. A Subdermal Armor Implant, which I found interesting to analyze as well. A Sensory Amplification System that is oddly similar to the same one I made for you. An Internal Energy Convertor and an Oxygen Convertor for the lungs were also a surprise to discover among her working implants because now I can analyze them and create similar ones for you in case you will find yourself in an oxygen deprived atmosphere. Related to the basic survival of the host, another implant that I found promising is a Circulation Bypass, when the heart is damaged and needs to be stopped temporarily in order for the nanobots to begin healing it.”

“Sounds like only the implants related to her survival remained while the others were discarded or damaged beyond repair. It kind of makes me wonder what those other twelve implants you can’t identify might be, maybe weapons?” I wondered as I scratched the back of my head.

“Probably.”

“That being said, Xerya, tell me, can you connect to her brain and have her talk with us?” I asked with a smile.

“Her Brain Cage is a high performance one that appears to have a lockdown system designed specifically to prevent nanobot intrusion, however, there are some peculiar slots in the construction, which might be used with some sort of unique connector in the spine. I am trying to identify this exact system as we speak. I approximate that it would take somewhere around three hours for me to figure it out.” she explained with an optimistic remark.

“Three hours is... not that bad actually. Alright, well, you do that, and I’ll go and hunt down some nearby Nano-Z while also looking for some clothes for miss Nataly here. Erm, can you tell me her sizes, so that I know what to pick?” I asked as I got up and went to get an empty plastic bag, just in case I didn’t find a backpack on the way.

“I will use the visual sensor in your left eye to scan the tags. If the clothes are a fit, I will let you know.” she replied.

“So, I just have to look at the thing, alright. Erm, how far can I move away from you?” I asked her.

“Currently, only 200 meters at most. Past that, the nanobots will lose connection and this host body will revert to being a simple Nano-Z.” she replied.

“Is that with or without a signal amplifier?” I asked.

“With a signal amplifier. Nanobots are small devices, their antennas aren’t very big.” she pointed out, and for a moment that sounded like an annoyed scoff rather than her usual emotionless replies.

I decided not to pay any attention to that, and instead went to search for some clothes for Nataly. Of course, I had absolutely no idea what she might like or not, but at the very least, I could give her something to choose from for when she woke up.

Still, that was another problem that was on my mind, which was: How was Nataly going to react when she discovered that her body was currently commandeered by the AI in my body and more than half of all of her implants had turned to useless scrap? I certainly wouldn’t be able to remain calm. Just thinking about this could easily send me into a panic, and since she was a woman, it wasn’t out of question to accuse me of indecent acts while she was unconscious. Then again, I didn’t know what hurt more, the idea that I might die a virgin in this apocalyptic world or the idea that I might be accused of rape and whatnot while I was still sexually inexperienced myself?!

Just thinking about that depressed me, so I tried to focus instead on the task at hand, which was to find a woman’s closet and raid it!

Now that I think about it, this also sounds like a crime! I sure hope no one will come to me in the future with a video of me sneaking through apartments and looking for women clothes. I let out a sigh as I felt how the years were being shaved off my lifespan with each moment I spent thinking about this uncomfortable situation I was in.

As luck would have it, there were very few Nano-Z lurking around, so I could easily dispatch them and then collect their nanocores, unfortunately, I had a bit of a difficult time finding those clothes. The first closet I raided didn’t contain even a single piece of clothing her size, they were all Triple XXL! One pair of underwear felt like a veritable parachute.

Then, the second closet I raided happened to have the previous owner stuffed in there... I killed her with ease, but there was no way in Hell I could move her out of there. Even if I could, all that blood and grime was all over the clothes, thus I decided to head to another apartment. The next three were a bust as well.

Well, this wasn’t that much of a quest of finding clothes that were the right size, but also to be fairly good to wear. It didn’t really help if what I found was drenched in blood or buried under the guts of a rotting corpse. I could already imagine the disgust on Nataly’s face when she saw me place those rags in front of her.

I wasn’t one to give up that easily, so during those three hours, I did my best to actually find some good clothes for her. There were 24 new nanocores in my bag, and I also found a good backpack Nataly could wear while we traveled together. I packed inside all the clothes and underwear her size that I found so far. While I did add a red dress and a miniskirt in there, most of the stuff was actually practical for the situation outside. In other words, clothes that covered the entire skin and could protect her from small scratches. It was no military power armor, but it was better than nothing.

Then, upon returning to the camp, I found Xerya ready to begin connecting the cables to the sockets.

“You were able to find plenty of clothes, although I see no problem in continuing to wear these ones.” she said as she looked down at her jersey.

“Well, you are not wrong there, but maybe Nataly won’t be of the same opinion.” I pointed out.

“Her opinion in this situation is irrelevant. You are the conscious mind I made a friendly connection with, not her. To me, her survival and existence isn’t a priority. I can command this body well enough without the help of her brain.” she declared in a rather harsh tone of voice.

“Relax, Xerya. I’m not saying that either of us should hold a priority for you. You are the one to decide that, right?” I showed her a smile.

“Affirmative.” she nodded.

“However, you don’t know, maybe we’ll come to like her personality and we’ll hit it off as friends, you know?” I tried to convince her.

It wasn’t as if I had ever forgotten the fact that Xerya at any moment’s notice could turn my brain to mush and then my body into just another Nano-Z. The fact that she had no problem modifying and using Nataly’s body like that was more than enough proof for me.

The more Xerya saw me as an irreplaceable friend, the better it was... well, for the both of us.

“Shall I begin the process?” she asked me after a moment of silence.

“Go ahead, I’ll just place these clothes over here.” I told her as I dropped the bag next to my own.

Walking back, I saw her closing her eyes and then slowly opening them.

“Where am I? Where is this place? Why can’t I move?”

The voice that spoke was different than Xerya’s, it was human, with emotion, but it didn’t react with the panic I had initially imagined. Her questions weren’t filled with worry, but with the sense of questioning. She demanded information and didn’t show any sign of fear for her current situation.

“Hello, Nataly, my name is Kardian Pandora.” I said with a smile, and this marked the very first moment the two of us met.