"Good morning, Max", greeted a cheerful Professor Woods.
"Morning." Replied Max
"How are you?" he asked.
"A little apprehensive", replied Max. She was not giving too much away.
"So, Max, what we will do today is assess you to see how well the nanotechnology is settling in with you. We know how good your numbers are in the gym, so we'd like to give you a different test!" explained the Professor.
"What do you mean?" Questioned Max
"Well, lifting heavy in the gym is great, and you are more than capable....without nano assistance of outlifting most of the people who go in there! I, we, Langer, the agency, need to see you out in the field. We have set up a scenario for you." Explained the Professor.
"Bring it on. I feel good." Max was ready for the challenge.
Langer wanted a word before the technician would continue to brief Max;
"Welcome, Max, to the C.S.A. training town. It's a mock-up of a real town, a mixed-testing environment. I want to see what you and the Nano's can do. Don't worry about a thing, and you can do whatever you need to do, Max." Langer passed Max over to the tech.
Hi Max, whilst you can punch through walls and the nanotechnology reinforces your bones, your skin can still be cut open. To protect yourself, please wear these gloves." the tech connected various sensors to Max's clothing.
The look on Max's face spoke volumes.
"Okay, no gloves." agreed the tech.
"I'll try my luck." Max smiled.
Max was driven the short distance from Operations control to the mock town. All of the people were C.S.A. agents. All of them playing different independent roles for it to be hyper-realistic. Max was given a simple brief. Follow the suspect and then intercept the handover.
Langer spoke again as Max was nearing the beginning of her test.
"Max, I want you to go for it. There's nothing here that can't be rebuilt."
He added something a little disturbing;
"Just don't hurt anyone too much. Broken bones are ok, but no fatalities." he wasn't joking.
"Are you serious? Max was taken aback about Langer's comment- breaking bones, let alone fatalities?? Was he a sadist? Crazy? And as for rebuilding? What do they think I am capable of?" She asked herself. Max was starting to feel a little apprehensive and concerned.
The tech finalised his brief for Max;
"Anytime you hear the claxon sound, the exercise must stop immediately; await further instructions. Max, as soon as you walk onto the street, it will be like a real mission. Ops control is in your ear. Good luck, Max," the tech walked off, leaving Max.
Max took a deep breath and walked down towards the street. She was wearing gym clothes with various sensors built into the clothing. It certainly didn't make Max feel like an undercover agent, more like she was doing CrossFit.
Max walked onto the street and took a deep breath. The exercise started. The C.S.A. training facility was like a small town. Cars were moving; people were scurrying about; dogs were roaming; rubbish was on the streets; deliveries were taking place; even cop cars were driving past. Everything was hyper-realistic. Max was instructed to proceed. She walked a few steps and received the description of the suspect.
The suspect is a 5ft 6 white Male with black hair, wearing a green jacket, blue jeans and white trainers. Max walked along the street, looking around and scanning for the suspect. Amongst the hustle and bustle of the fake C.S.A. town, over the street, Max spotted someone matching the description of the suspect. Max crossed the street and started to follow the suspect. He turned around and clocked Max. The suspect began to run off away from Max down a service road. Max gave chase, following him turning into the service road. Max was behind, but not that far behind, but when she entered the service road, there was no sight of him. Max, eager to show how good she was, turned back and ran into the main street. He had disappeared. Max walked back to the service road. She looked despondent.
A voice spoke in her ear, it was Langer.
"Max, be yourself. It would help if you were yourself, relax. Be creative," Encouraged Langer.
"He disappeared probably behind that locked door; I don't have the key," protested Max, getting annoyed.
"Max, relax. Max, remember you are the key. You have a new ability. Start again." Langer was trying to get Max into her zone.
Max didn't know when her natural strength would stop and the nano enhancements would kick in. How do they know? Max wasn't entirely sure how this was supposed to work.
Positions were taken up again a few minutes back. The exercise re-started, and the chase replayed in almost the same way. The suspect clocked her and ran into the service road. Max followed, and the guy was gone.
This time, Max went up to the steel fire door and tried it, confirming it was locked. Max tightened her grip and started to pull the handle. To her surprise, the metal plate started to buckle and tear away from the steel door, the metal stretching and groaning as it surrendered to her strength. Solid welds cracked on the toughened steel safety door as Max continued to rip the handle and the metal plate out of the door. The locking mechanism broke and fell to the floor. Max looked at the handle and plate, amazed by what she had done and how easy it seemed, before casting it aside.
Max slowly walked through the doorway, checking her surroundings as she entered a dark hallway. From the shadows came a six-foot-four guy screaming and shouting towards her.
"Who the fuck are you? Get out of here! What have you done to the door? Fucking bitch"
"Police, well..." Max wasn't sure how to announce her authority, and after what she did at the door, Max didn't want to hurt anyone.
This character, though, had no respect for authority and grabbed Max and started to push her out of the building. He continued to swear at her, shouting in her face. Usually, Max would have dealt with this situation, but it felt alien in gym clothing & as a rookie C.S.A agent, knowing she could snap him in half!
"Be yourself, Max." Said Langer via her earpiece.
Max tensed her leg and calved muscles, bringing the guy to an abrupt stop. He crashed into Max and then tried to shove her, but he couldn't budge her. He stepped back and then lurched towards Max. She punched him hard in the chest, and he doubled over; then she launched a knee strike to his face, and he fell to the floor out cold.
"Sorry," she whispered as she stepped over him.
Max had nothing to worry about with the Nanos. They didn't need to assist in the situation. She was starting to understand how they worked in tune with her muscles.
Max could see that the suspect had gone upstairs by the lights on the lift. She sprinted at least four steps at a time, bounding effortlessly up the stairs like a gazelle. Max quickly reached the same floor as the suspect, but no sign of him.
"Max, use your smartphone." said the voice in her ear.
The C.S.A. had top technology, and the smartphone could do many things. One of them was an infrared X-ray sensor. She knew the suspect would be hot from running, so he should be easy to spot using this device. Scanning the walls and doors as she walked past, Max reached the second but last room. She spotted him. Max kicked the wooden door off its hinges and burst into the room. Looking around, there was no sign of him. She checked the rooms, and eventually, in the last room she went into, Max could see the window open. Max climbed through the window and out into the fire escape balcony. She looked down. The suspect was climbing down the fire escape.
"Okay, let's be a bit more super", Max said to herself.
Max grabbed the steel ladder he was on. Her forearms tensed as she pushed the top part of the ladder away from the wall, ripping the fixings out as she did so.
Max then tugged the ladder harder. The steel ladder twisted and bent from her strength.
, causing more fixings to fly out; the momentum continued, causing a ripple effect as her power travelled down the ladder, further fixings and pieces of bricks flying everywhere as the escape ladder was being ripped out of the wall. Max gave a final shake of the ladder, which caused the suspect to lose his balance and fall into a dumpster two floors down.
Max stood still for a moment. She peered down to the ground and then took a step back. What she did next took everyone by surprise. Max positioned herself at the edge of the balcony. Her hand on the railing, she took a deep breath and then leapt over the balcony.
Langer stood up, his chair fling over. He looked panicked and turned to Professor Woods.
"What the fuck? Is this going to work, or will she die?" He asked the Professor.
"I'm confident, Langer." replied the Professor adjusting his collar and loosening his tie.
It seemed like everything was in slow motion. Max was travelling towards the ground. Max landed on her feet. She had just jumped five floors.
"Fucking hell," she said out loud.
Langer jumped, punching the air before straightening his suit and looking at the Professor.
"Did that just happen?" asked Langer. They were both overjoyed.
"Are you okay?" asked the tech checking via the earpiece.
"It felt like I jumped from three feet, not five stories! I bloody love those Nanos." Max whopped a couple of times.
This did wonders for her confidence.
Max ran out of the service road to locate the suspect again. He was getting into a car. Max sprinted over to the car, which was pulling off. She grabbed the back of the vehicle with one of her arms. Max's bicep erupted with power as she started to slow the car. The engine tone sounded under strain. The wheels began to spin, smoke coming from the tyres. Max managed to hold the vehicle back with one arm. Her bicep felt like it would burst out of her skin, but it looked great. Applying her second arm, she lifted the back wheels off the ground. The car's rear wheels were hopelessly spinning. The suspect turned in the back seat and looked at Max. She was too busy admiring her strength. He took advantage of her distraction and quickly leapt out of the car, falling to the floor. Max was enjoying overpowering the car a little too much, her hands starting to crush its steel bumper. She saw the suspect running off and dropped the car to the ground. Its wheels spun off before the driver slammed on the brakes. Max then ran after the suspect.
A delivery truck pulled in front of Max, blocking her path.
"Move the truck!" Max yelled; of course, the C.S.A. agent was briefed to be as difficult as possible.
"Move the damn truck!" Max yelled again. There was no response.
Max grabbed the side of the truck and started to push it out of the way. Its tyres were dragging along the tarmac. The brakes could hold the truck but not stop Max. Once the truck was moved, Max ran down the narrow street after the suspect. She stopped. She could hear two motorbikes roaring up behind her.
The first rider came past, hitting Max with a bat.
"Oh, that hurt!" Some blood ran from her head. It reminded her that she wasn't invincible and could still be injured.
The second bike came roaring towards her. Max attempted to grab the rider, but her timing was off.
"Shame you guys couldn't have also given me faster reactions! She said, knowing Langer and Woods were listening.
The first bike came back at speed towards Max. As the rider got nearer, swinging his bat. Max stepped back and then timed her kick to perfection. Her powerful leg made contact with the moving motorcycle, and her kick caused the bike to career into the building. The claxon sounded to pause exercise whilst the medics checked out the rider. He was okay, which is more than can be said for the motorcycle. Max's kick had struck the centre of the frame, just missing his leg. It appeared just one kick from Max had managed to bend the frame from her powerful impact.
Langer came on via the earpiece whilst the medics were checking the rider.
"Max, pick up the motorcycle," Langer instructed.
Looking down at her vascular arm, Max flexed her forearm and bicep, her veins like a roadmap, pumped with power. Her physique had never looked more glorious. Max was radiating with strength. She grabbed the front forks and the rear swing arm, her muscles tensing as she lifted the motorcycle effortlessly.
"Now, Max, see if you can bend the bike. I want you to crush it." Langer demanded.
"That's a Strange request, but I'll give it a go. I don't back from a challenge!" replied Max
Max brought the already damaged motorcycle level with her chest and held the bike in front of her with slightly bent arms. Max slowly started to bring her powerful arms inwards. They were trembling as they overcame the motorcycle frame. Plastic started to break, and metal and steel groaned as her toned arms began to crush the motorcycle frame and its components. Her magnificent physique flexed with muscles tensing as she crushed the helpless machine. Her strong arms were like hydraulic presses as she compacted the steel and metal, twisting and crumpling it together. It was soon half of its original length. Max dropped the pile of scrap onto the ground.
"Is that good enough? Was that just for you, Langer?" asked Max, standing with her foot on the defeated motorcycle, still crushing parts of it.
"Max, you are more than we hoped for!" Langer turned and looked at the professor in sheer amazement.
"Max is excellent. Her strength is greater than I thought, " said the Professor turning to Langer in the ops room.
Langer was still in awe, looking at the scrap heap.
"I've cut my hand. Can you get the medic over to me?" asked Max
"She did that and needs a plaster!" laughed Langer.
"Good news, Max, the rider is okay! Exercise starting in 5-4-3-2-1" said the voice in her ear.
The remaining bike came past so fast it almost knocked Max over. It turned around and came at her again. This time, Max grabbed the rider, pulling him off the motorcycle. She put him gently down on the ground.
"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned for the rider. Max didn't want to hurt anyone, especially a good guy.
"Just lie down and play dead. Hope your ribs are okay," said Max to the rider. Max needed to move on.
She saw the mark run into a clearing. A helicopter was lowering to collect him. Max looked at the helicopter,
"No fucking way!" Max had a huge grin on her face.
By the time Max got over, the helicopter had risen about six feet. Max grabbed the landing skid with one hand, quickly adding her other hand—the skid bent and crushed inwards slightly as Max's grip was so tight. Max began to pull downwards with all her might.
Max enjoyed the feeling of the helicopter attempting to gain altitude, pulling against her arms before she would pull it back down. She loved pulling it down. To Max, it seemed like a gym exercise. She was in complete control of the helicopter. The pilot increased the thrust to maximum, desperately trying to gain height. He looked down and couldn't quite believe what was happening. The helicopter's engine was struggling against Max's strength, and there was a notable change in its engine as it tilted towards her. Max's feet were entirely on the ground, and it was just her upper body preventing the helicopter from gaining height. The engine started to splutter and misfire, incentivising Max to apply more power. She pulled harder and harder until the helicopter was almost touching the ground. Max then again surprised the team observing her.
Max raised her right foot onto the skid and let go with her hands pushed down with her leg muscles, bringing the four thousand-pound helicopter down to the ground. Her calve muscle burst with power, and her quads were like granite as she pushed it to the ground. Smoke poured from the engine cover. Max grabbed the mark.
"Game over," she said smiling, pleased with herself.
"That was amazing. I can't believe what you just did" The C.S.A. staff member playing the part was utterly shocked over what had just happened. Without warning, a loud cracking noise came from the engine cover. Bang came from the engine, and more smoke poured out.
Max not only succeeded in pulling the helicopter down when it was at its full power, but she also caused the engine to blow.
"So this is on a crane. Did you guys lower it? Max awaited the response from her ear buddy.
"No, Max, it's a real working, well, was once a working helicopter!" confirmed the voice.
"I just pulled a helicopter down? I fucking love these Nanettes!" Max had effectionally renamed them.
The claxon sounded at the end of the exercise. Max flexed a victorious double bicep and still couldn't believe what she had done. The rest of the C.S.A. staff stared in disbelief; some clapped and cheered, but most stood there looking at Max.
Langer shook Professor Woods by the hand.
"Max is unstoppable. Did you see what she just did?" said Langer sming.
"It does worry me slightly. What if she goes rouge?" the Processor had to mention it.
"Make a kill switch," Langer said coldly.
"What?"