Call of the sirens (1)

"Michael, settle down please," the teacher reprimanded Michael after his sudden outburst. Following a brief apology from him, the teacher resumed the lesson.

Confusion lingered among his classmates as they tried to decipher the meaning behind Michael's outburst. "Who's Zero?" they whispered amongst themselves, unable to comprehend the significance of his exclamation. Their confusion soon turned to amusement as they exchanged mocking glances. "The guy finally lost it," one student remarked, eliciting laughter from the rest of the class.

"Who said that?" The teacher's gaze swept across the classroom, his eyes narrowing in search of the culprit. Unsurprisingly, no one came forward to claim responsibility. With a resigned sigh, the teacher cast a fleeting glance at Michael before resuming the lesson. He recognized that Michael was struggling to acclimate after the incident, but his attempts to offer support had been met with hostility and resistance from the old Michael.

However, Michael was oblivious to the classroom dynamics as he conversed with Zero. 'Is it you, Zero?'

[Affirmative, although I am no longer connected with the origin, I still retained some data, although most of it is corrupted]

The "origin" refers to the main network back on Earth that AI Assistants use to receive and save data.

"Are you aware of where we are and what happened?" Michael asked. "Any data from the reactor explosion to now?"

[Analysing...]

[Retreiving last data log..]

[WARNING.. WARNING.. DIALING EMERGENCY SERVICES.. WARNING.. HOST IN DANGER]

As Michael processed the information provided by Zero, he felt a tinge of disappointment at the lack of detailed data about the reactor explosion and subsequent events. Nevertheless, he quickly refocused his attention.

"It's fine, forget about it," Michael sighed, dismissing his initial inquiry. "Repeat what you said before about the update."

[Yes!]

[Sufficient Energy... System update available, the host can update the system using 50% of the available energy or increase a stat using 100%!]

"Available Energy, you mean the unidentified attribute with the percentage value?" Michael sought clarification.

[Correct]

"If it is Energy why is the name undefined?"

[Energy is a temporary name given by me, its real name and source are unknown.]

"Then name it Energy for now"

[Yes]

[Strength: 3.1 | Agility: 2.2 | Vitality: 2.7 | Intelligence: 3.2 | ?????: 1.1 | Energy: 101%]

"Didn't I have 102 just now?"

[The use of the Basic Assistant Function consumes energy]

Michael was taken aback. 'This means that whatever the source of this Energy, it is similar to the bracelet's battery life,' he concluded. Organizing his thoughts, he posed his final questions.

"You said the host can update the system using 50% of the available energy or increase a stat using 100%. Do you mean that I can increase my physical attributes? How is that possible? Why are you able to do that now? And what would happen if I increase an attribute? If answering these questions consumes more than 1%, do not answer."

[Analyzing...]

[Retrieving data...]

[Confirmation...]

[Answering...]

The AI's response echoed in Michael's mind as he awaited clarification.

[Yes, the host can indeed increase physical attributes using available energy. This function was already available when you turned me on again and further details are currently unavailable. Increasing an attribute would enhance the corresponding aspect of your physical abilities, such as strength or agility. As for the consequences, they remain uncertain, as this functionality is unprecedented and lacks sufficient data for analysis. Proceed with caution.]

Michael absorbed the information, his mind buzzing with the implications of this newfound ability. Despite the uncertainties, a spark of excitement ignited within him at the prospect of enhancing his physical capabilities.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Michael posed one last question: "What new function would updating the system gain? If answering this question drops the energy value under 100%, don't answer." However, he received no response.

With a sigh, he realized the importance of careful deliberation. "I can't make a rash decision" he thought to himself. "I need to understand the energy source and its properties, as well as the potential consequences, before proceeding. But... There is no way for me to do that... To understand the Energy source and its properties, I would need a modern laboratory, as for the consequences, the only way to figure them out is through testing" Michael's eyes focused on the panel.

[Strength: 3.1 | Agility: 2.2 | Vitality: 2.7 | Intelligence: 3.2 | ?????: 1.1 | Energy: 101%]

***

As the school bells rang, signaling the end of the class, chaos erupted in the classroom as students gathered their belongings and chattered excitedly. The etiquette teacher collected his rosewood box and departed, leaving Michael amidst the commotion.

Michael remained seated at his desk, waiting for the mess to clear out. Suddenly, he felt his belly deflating and quickly covered it with his hands. A sense of hunger — never felt before — came from his stomach.

He bent down and looked around, checking to see that no one was looking at him. Beneath the desk, Michael reached into his pockets and retrieved two worn shillings. These coins constituted his weekly allowance, a modest sum.

As Michael sat there thinking of what to get, a piercing siren shattered the air, its shrill sound cutting through the chatter like a knife. The noise reverberated loudly, echoing in the endless sky, sending shivers of panic and worry through the students.