B.E.C.K.Y.: Am I A Superhero?

The Shark

Life was great! 

I was living my dream!

I would wake up in the morning and go for a jog on the beach, then go into the personal training center in my basement and workout down there. 

Oh, I should probably clarify, when I say workout, I mean train like a Special Forces soldier. Becky had this crazy set up in the room where I went through constant battle simulations. Apparently, while I was "sleeping" he had reviewed and researched every martial art form on the planet, selected the best parts of each, and proceeded to implant this information in my mind. So, I had the knowledge, but my muscles did not have the memory needed to perform them fluidly, instinctively. 

Let me tell you, what Becky set up looked like Shaolin Monk meets Cyborg central!

He had developed and designed a Wing Chun dummy so that it was built from some form of polycarbonate that was supposed to be indestructible.  He said it needed to be due to my increased strength. But, he had given it the ability to switch and change at a moment's notice; one moment the classic shape, and then the next it might have an extra "arm" thrust out at me. As Becky explained it, this would help to hone my instincts and reflexes. At first, all it did was freak me out! But after a few weeks, I was able to deflect and block them with a skill level that surprised me and pleased Becky. 

Then there were the combat mannequins. Again, they were set to move and strike in patterns that were not predictable at all. A basic AI was programmed to look for my weak points and strike at those. As soon as I adapted, it would find another, and I would have to respond anew all over again. Trust me, when you have a combat dummy thrusting a knife at you, no matter how dull the blade might be, you learn how to block and dodge real fast!

Then there was the ever-changing obstacle course that I had to run every day as well. It was never, and I mean, never, the same pattern. But it taught me just how agile I now was, and how strong my legs were! A leap of 20 feet from a standing position put me on the top of a pole only big enough for my foot or the palm of my hand. A flip from that to another post 15 feet away was no problem for me.  But the course would sometimes change even as I was planning my next move, forcing me to adapt and adjust my plans in mid-motion.

One day, after a workout that left me panting and dripping with sweat, I asked my internal companion why he wanted me to do all of this.

*For two reasons; 1 - Your health. A good and regular regime of exercise not only keeps you in prime physical form but also helps you to think more clearly. To assume that I can maintain your body in peak health, while valid, is not wise. You cannot simply rely on me to keep you healthy. You must stay in prime shape on your own.  And the other reason is quite simple; if the government sends agents after us, you need to be able to defend yourself against whoever they send.*

Okay, that second one was not a comforting thought!

So, back at it! 

I learned how to strike a person's nerve points to render them unconscious, paralyze them, or put them in such pain they were unable to move. I also learned how to soothe and ease pain with the right pressure at the correct point on the body. I learned so much in such a few short weeks it made my head spin!

Don't get me wrong, it was not all exercise and training to satisfy my paranoid partner!

I had fun too.

Lots of fun!

I swam in the ocean, which proved interesting as I could swim faster than the best Olympic athlete. I shot through the water like Aquaman! The first time I dove into the waves and started swimming, I did not come up for air for a good 10 minutes and, when I did, I was several miles out to sea!