Engineered Empress - The story of Bia

Engineered Empress Part 3

"I am an organism you accepted in your body. I am a self-aware extension from the Core. Implanted myself by mistake in your body and account at the moment for two pounds of your body weight. I was implanted and activated when you were 3.5 years old, when I found your system would expire soon. I helped regulate your body functions to perfection since then."

"When you are in my body - how can I see your body now?" Bia scrunched her forehead trying to figure out what was happening.

"I brought you into this thought scape, well again - I should say. The first time you did not react positive to it and fainted."

"Oh - the flower field. Okay, what is a thought scape and more importantly why are you a blob?"

"A thought scape is a artificial construct of an area, as you can see here, that allows us to communicate with each other. To the second question, well, - I don't have a shape or a body, I am a mass of cells in your body. Would you prefer to see a body?" Bia exhaled reeling from the information and nodded at the cloud.

"Yes, please Ceri, it would be less weird for me to see and talk to a shape, body or creature." Following that statement Bia saw the grey mass morph into different directions until it settled on the form of a grey colored, six-legged feline with leathery bat like wings. It was about knee high and fun to look at.

"Wow, look at you, you are cute, but what exactly are you?" Bia kneeled down to look at the feline.

"I am still Ceri, the body I am portraying is that of a creature from Ceri B Prime the Anri'Te held for comfort and companionship. It's called a Calla and could be compared to your cats."

"Okay...where is Ceri B Prime and why is it also your name, and what are the Anri'Te?"

"You are standing on Ceri B Prime, it was the second planet in this system until a great calamity ruptured it apart. Until then the Anri'Te were the sentient species on it. They did not see it coming or they could have evacuated. The Anri'Te had reached their peak of society and learned to harness light for all their needs. The flower field is one on their energy production sites. And those were controlled by an organic supercomputer called the Core.

It uses protein-based cells similar to your nanites to govern every system the Anri'Te wanted. When activated by fluctuations in your star these cells build a node to try to communicate with the core. That brings me to you, I don't know how it happened, but I was activated and tried to build a node. But the system I was in was inefficient. At the time you were dying, and my cells had to regulate your body before making contact with the Core. For that I had do build a lot of cells, enough to become conscious. After seeing my mistake, I hope you can forgive me, because I worked in your system without your consent and input."

"That was a long time ago, and I am sure my 3-year-old self would have given you consent if I had any understanding of the situation. For what it's worth, thank you for saving me and I agree to your interference in my body in retrospect. I mean it, Ceri, thank you that I am still alive. But why are you now my servant? Aren't you an individual in your own right?"

"I can't function without your body; therefore, I am a tenant to you. Also, I am the last sentient beside the Core without any specific function. We are programmed to serve the Anri'Te, but they are no more. Even the planet is the rubble you are now mining. At this moment you are the only heir to the Anri'Te and empress to the only surviving nodes of the Core of Ceri B prime and all its knowledge. Although you can't communicate directly with the Core, we are yours now to command." Said Ceri and bowed her head to Bia. "Okay, thank you but what do I need to do now?"

"For now, I took it upon me to insert more of my cells in your brain and your sense receptors. This will take a few days, then we can communicate without being on this thought scape."