36. Private coms

Day 157.

Sitting on a flat stone the fresh breeze of the sea in his beard and hair Liam was carving a piece of wood, one that was similar in texture and color to the highest quality white ebony.

Various beautifully carved pieces of such wood could be seen next to him in metal boxes filled with clear liquid, a sort of glue that will protect the wood from rots, humidity, and other hazards. Each piece independently didn't look like anything as they were either part of a thumb or an index finger.

Evidently, it was part of the prosthetic for Mìruk, the wood shell to be precise, currently in the process of being carved to be treated, then polished and treated again, to then be modified again such as adding faux nails and grip pads.

The use of metal being heavily frowned upon if not outright considered a capital sin by the Na'vi means the outside and part that could be seen will be 100% nonmetal, the inside will be completely different and was the more complicated and technical part.

It will be a microcomputer connected to sensors all around that will activate the motor to move the titanium 'bone' and 'tendon' of the prosthetic digits following the muscle, tendons, and bones movement of the left hand and left forearm. Ultimately nothing grandiose, it wasn't connected to the nervous system or anything.

The fingers will grips, release, partially rotate l, extend each of the phalanx to a certain degree, and the like. Pretty much all of what those two digits if healthy and not missing could do.

It will be powered by two small self-recharging hydrogen batteries while also being entirely waterproof, the last part was simple as the bone used had hydrophobic quality. The two batteries are designed to never work together as while one powers everything the other is recharging.

The fact the outside was made of wood was a minor inconvenience that would affect its efficiency and durability but he was limited in the first place, it was half of a hand that needed to be done, one that would be superior to the real deal in power but not dexterity.

In any case, this wasn't going to be the last for Mìruk as he will grow out of it. It was only the first one Liam was making, he was going to improve on his craft.

And if he wanted to do a powerful prosthetic for the kid, the entire arm with the shoulder blade needed to go. Simple as that.

A surgical procedure he couldn't and didn't want to do and doubted the teen would want either. Even if the idea of making a cyborg was exciting in its own way.

Anyway, he started working on that right after the two left, the time passed talking with them was pleasant and interesting as his supposition of who the two were was found to be correct by him asking what is their clans and their status.

Tutee was a tsakarem, the student of the Tsahìk, the Olangi clan spiritual leader and healer while Mìruk was the son of the Olangi clan Olo'eyktan, the chief.

The Olangi is one of the major clans in terms of cultural importance and influence.

Liam was certain now it wasn't only a coincidence and luck that led the two to run at his base months ago, Eywa was involved in it, to a large degree.

That he was confident of, maybe it was paranoia but there never was enough of it when the local omnipresent deity was involved.

Even if said deity didn't hold any direct malicious intentions. He was an anomaly that appeared in her world by unknown means, investigating him in all aspects was the bare minimum.

'I think too much of this while I can't do shit about anything, it's unproductive…', Liam thought his mind's worries segueing from the planetary hive mind to his own 'hive mind', focusing on Orien that was a good bit more than half a hundred kilometers away from his current location.

He sent the female tetrapteron, the calmest of the four, with the two teens to be constantly informed in real-time.

He gave them a few instructions too, Orien was not a pet, and trying to play with it will end in the loss of fingers, and the teens will do the OK gesture to the bird when the tsakarems were out of their cave, and a thumb up when they are on their way to meet him.

And both took it as a mission to not fail at any cost, frankly, it was more to humor them than anything. Orien was smart, smart enough to know what it must do but it made things simpler.

He sent Septen as well to cover the general area the Olangi clan took the camp and collect information.

Cracking his neck, Liam stored everything within his hands in his inventory while data input traveled from the drone-phone to his implant, it was time.

He mentally commended the new metallic lid of the camera to slip open. His silvery grey eyes instantly lock on the screen flickering to life placed right below it.

"Hmm greeting Max… where is Grace?", Liam asked curiously about the evident lack of a certain feisty scientist while his eyes studied the scientist's expression and micro-expressions. He noticed the man was slimmer as well, good for Max but unimportant to him.

Micro expression, Liam could notice most of them but was still unfamiliar with a lot, he could do such due to him perceiving the world 'slower' virtue of him simply being able to think faster, better and, more efficiently. Adding to that his overall greater senses made this action even simpler.

It was creepy, in a way. But very useful even if it needed practice.

It didn't hit that much with the Na'vi as he wasn't the most familiar with their expression, even if human-like so it seemed 'normal' and they seemed to be 'not as slow' in general, like cats. An apt comparison considering they pretty much were the mix of cat and elf with blue dye.

But with other humans it was perturbing, many details he couldn't even have remarked before were plain for him to see now, from the micro twitch of a muscle to the minute change in the iris of an eye.

If his physical strength and a plethora of other characteristics of his weren't indicators enough of how far above he was from the average Joe, it was painfully obvious how inhuman he was.

But it was because of this he was alive so he could but do one thing, embrace it as it would be this way, for whatever how long he will live.

Only a suicidal idiot would reject who they are simply due to their own hubris. He was who he was, no matter what he might become or what he might have been, as long as he doesn't forget who he is.

Max Patel's expressions were composed and weary. Liam could see traces of uncomfortableness, nervousness, almost to the point of fear, and a hint of anger but the last part wasn't because of him. A nervousness that was usual for Liam to see from this scientist, and easy to deduce he was the reason.

Coughing Max waved in greeting before explaining the current situation at hand, making a snarky comment first, "Thank you for asking, I'm fine. Grace is currently occupied with Selfridge and from what I got it's about a shift of personnel within the Avatar Program. One that she wasn't informed about. Why it's the case… I don't have a clue but the last time I saw her she was … Furious to say the least."

Nodding Liam had already an inkling of who this sudden new personnel was for the Avatar Program, the crippled guy. Speaking of said program he didn't know much about it outside of the fact there was a driver and Avatar, Na'vi, and human hybrid that were piloted by the earlier mentioned driver.

And the one at the current head was Grace, Max was a member of the various teams she had under her wings. If he was in her place and something like this were to happen, he could understand that it might cause a few blood vessels to pop.

"Did you manage to do what I asked last time?", Liam inquired, his implant hidden behind the bandages glowing slightly brighter.

Max on the other side nodded before showing an old fancy watch with intricate if damaged Sanskrit carving, then a second similar one but without any carvings.

This earned a smile from Liam who only inquired further, "Good, I presume the second is for Grace, and might I know the frequency on which they are operating… And what can I anticipate they do?"

"Straight to the point as always huh.", Max mumbled under his breath and informed his interlocutor of every piece of information Liam may need.

Such as the frequency, one taken from a destroyed Link Unit, the bed used to drive Avatar, a frequency that was locked and unchangeable.

The Link Unit was destroyed years ago during a Na'vi attack on the Link Shack it was, a type of infrastructure capable of housing humans light enough to be moved around by a Samson.

And the functions of those two watches, they essentially were smartwatches but with a tactile holographic function added on top, pretty a smartphone you attach to your wrist but with less power and memories.

Ones to be used that needed the user biometric such as face recognition, retina scanner, or the classic fingerprint scanner.

From what Max told those were antique watches, at least 90 years old from an old long since gone company named Nokia, which at the mention earned a snicker and a moment of disbelief from Liam.

Max didn't understand why there was such a reaction and decided to put it on the man not being the sanest of individuals on Pandora's surface. Something that was arguably true.

Those two watches are Max's own, brought from Earth with the small amount of cargo allowed aboard the ISV, they are family heirlooms and as such held quite a significant sentimental value to him.

All of their data was purged for what Liam asked, which he expected his gratitude over but ultimately it didn't matter as their data were copied on other devices.

"You can turn them on.", Liam asserted calmly, his implant glowing brighter and brighter almost to the point it could be seen through the layers of tissue bandage almost.

He was focusing on the drone-phone, to use it as an intermediary, Liam's implant could only connect to machines made or modified to be connected to it but that didn't stop him from 'cheating' such as presently. Using a tool to use a tool.

Liam added the new parameter while keeping the last, having modified the drone-phone for everything to go smoothly. He didn't like faulty tools or anything he deemed faulty for that matter, perfection was unreachable but that equate to not thriving for the closest to it.

Max did as asked and waited in clear confusion, he didn't have a single clue of what Liam was going to do, or how, or what even if he had several guesses. Not for the fault of not holding on to questions, the man decided to play mysterious and said 'wait, you will see'.

A connection was made with the ex-drone N5 to the two smartwatches, it was shown by a green beep at the right top, Max accepted immediately then five seconds later appeared a light blue downloading bar with a 3D model of metallic prism that had in its middle an ethereal core glowing an intense ethereal white above.

It looked alien.

All happened fast and without asking for any authorization of any kind for it to be downloaded. Or any warning for that matter. It simply did.

Max's first thoughts were that it was some kind of malware, and he was right to a degree if the growing smirk on Liam's face was any indicator.

"This is benign, it's just a software I developed. Though it's just the first version and it will likely need to be updated. And don't worry, it's not like there will be a point in me doing something that will damage or destroy those watches.", Liam reassured, it was the truth even if he was essentially hijacking the two watches.

"I named it Overseer and it will be used for us to communicate with more ease, from what we do here to pretty much everything a smartphone can do. I'm reformatting the watch for it to operate as I have intended.", he added.

"Wait! How are you even doing this?", Max said, flabbergasted by it all, his eyes switching from smartwatches where the screen and holograms were evershifting to Liam.

"Wait…", he dismissed Max and like this nearly five minutes passed without him blinking as he stared into empty air, his left hand out of the camera's sight but the way his shoulder was oriented indicated it in his line of sight.

His silver grey eyes narrowed or dilated at seemingly random intervals but each corroborated to changements on the smartwatches' screens, and Max was getting creeped out due to how freaky it was almost like the various human-like robots back on Earth and he was also starting to worry but just as he was going to break the silence Liam blinked repeatedly before taking a deep breath.

Then he said groggily, "Urg sorry got a bit lost here in my thoughts… Be back in a bit."

And the call suddenly stopped, Max blinked in incredulity as everything from N5 was cut off and the holotablet turned grey.

'What the actual fuck was that?!', Max thought he would have liked having the time to compose himself but the two watches' screens started to blink and the call started without him accepting it, again.

"I'm back, my excuses for everything that happened but I never did that before.", Max almost threw both watches against a wall in surprise due to the sudden appearance of two low-quality holographic 2D images of Liam that looked both in random directions and then his voice echoing in double.

"Hmm, the volume is a bit too loud and the hologram function is not quite discreet. Any questions you might have?", Liam mumbled and asked, the volume lowering with the luminosity of the hologram while the one without the Sanskrit carving passed into sleep mode.

"No… And frankly, it's more Grace's thing.", Max lied, something Liam instantly noticed but didn't point out as both knew the other knew. The scientist had so many questions right now but he couldn't ask any of them, it was like a block, a mental block.

"Understandable. Again, I apologize for what happened, and if any questions may arise do not hesitate to text me via this software. Goodbye.", Liam said with a frown, if it was of displeasure, annoyance, or something Max didn't know but after he said his goodbye as well he sighed in relief.

"Maybe a genetically engineered individual isn't the answer as to what he is… Only a real-life meeting will tell and if he is okay to be examined…", the scientist mumbled, he felt drained of every bit of his energy.

Unknown to him the microphones of both watches were still on and recording every sound.

'I think a bit of both, Max… Probably, I'm not even fucking sure myself.', Liam thought looking down at his implant for a brief instant before packing everything up.

His head turned to see a flock of dorade verde flying, chirping, playing with one another, and surfing the wind above the waves of the coast, sometimes scooping strange fish in their beaks.

The next second a giant shadow manifested below them, then it breached the water's surface, a giant mouth full of teeth as long as Liam was tall anchored on a gargantuan mouth, itself attached to a large head with one pair of black beady eyes committed but all seemed compared to its body

An armored muscular monster of a creature with four pectoral flippers that is similar and superior in bulk to a blue whale. A literal Leviathan.

The flock had seen it arrive and flew higher in response, nearly as high as the cliff he was on but that wasn't enough, the shark-like creature jumped out of the water. And it jumped high.

Higher than its size and weight would let one thing, almost flying and with a wide open maw it gulped a dozen of the dorado verdente before falling back with a gigantic boom of foam and waves into the sea.

"I want one.", were the immediate words that escaped Liam's lips but it wasn't for now as disappointing as it was, he has more important things to do.

Though the idea and want were here, it's not like exploring the depth of the oceans and seas of this moon won't be part of the future. It's just not for now, and that's beside the point of managing to tame such a creature.

*

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