Stranded Pilot...

~Omniscient Pov~

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"Erh..." The youth rubbed his head, clearly feeling pain. After getting used to it, he instead turned and looked around his area...

'W-what the... Wh-where am I?' He thought, realizing he wasn't in his apartment anymore... But rather, one that looked like it was poorly taken care of.

The air was thick with the stench of what smelled like decay, and the floor was littered with trash, shattered remnants of a TV, with putrid food scraps. The place, if one could call it that, was heavy with neglect, as if the space had been abandoned for months...

'What is going on here?'

As he struggled to comprehend his surroundings, his gaze fell upon his own reflection. His eyes widened in horror as he took in his emaciated frame, the sharp angles of his face accentuated by sunken cheeks and hollow eyes. His skin was sallow, his eyes sunken, and his limbs appeared to be little more than skin and bone.

"What is this, why do I look so different?" He said to himself weakly, his lips were dry. He's woken up in a body that wasn't even his. A place that was a dumpster or worse. And his body was in utter disarray.

Words escaped his lips in a barely audible whisper as if the shock of his reflection had stolen his breath. His eyes, once bright and full of life, now stared back at him with a haunting emptiness, like two dark voids sucking in the light around him.

He raised a trembling hand to his face as if to verify that this was indeed his own broken mirrored reflection staring back at him. His skin was pale and clammy, with dark circles etched under his eyes like bruises. His cheeks were sunken, his jawline sharp as a razor's edge. The icy blue eyes that gazed back at him were those of a complete stranger...

His gaze dropped towards his body, and he winced at the sight of his emaciated limbs, like twigs brittle and fragile. His skin was sallow, like parchment stretched taut over bone, and his fingers looked like skeletal branches...

"This... this can't be me." He whispered, his voice cracking with despair. "What happened to me? How did I end up like this?" 

He felt his heart thump. His mind couldn't keep up with this all. And that's when he heard it, a strange noise in his head...

Zooom!

It sounded as if it was a high-tech computer was loading up in his mind in real-time, "Huh? What the?!" He shouted, somewhat forgetting his existential crisis momentarily.

"What... What's happening to me?!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with panic. "Am I going crazy?!" He said to himself, trying to reassure his mind somehow. After what seemed like minutes...

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[I am now fully operational...]

He heard the voice, feminine yet mechanical. Still ever-present in his mind.

"Wha?! Who are you?"

The voice was like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, a gentle whisper that cut through the chaos in his mind. It was a voice that was both familiar and yet, utterly alien.

[I am ECHO, your Biological assistant... I am also a hyper-intelligent organism, composed of approximately 208 quadrillion atom-sized Nanites ready to provide enhanced abilities to the user's physiology...]

The words echoed in his mind, a soothing melody that calmed the turbulent waters of his thoughts. He felt a sense of wonder as he realized that he was no longer alone in his own mind.

However, he was also alone in a dark and lonely room with no one in sight. He was desperate and equally as confused...

"I... I'm insane... Haha... Hahaha-Cough! Couch!!" He coughed, his body was too weak. Even if he wanted to do anything, he could barely move or think properly.

However, ECHO's words still lingered in his mind, a gentle hum of promise and potential. But for now, he was trapped in this fragile, weakened shell, unable to move or act. The contrast between his internal and external realities was a cruel joke.

He closed his eyes, the darkness a welcome respite from the bleakness of his surroundings. In the silence, he whispered a desperate plea to ECHO, the only presence that seemed to offer any sort of hope.

"ECHO... What do I do? Please... help me..." He asked, not knowing what to do. He was too weak to ask or do anything else.

The silence that followed was like a held breath, a moment of anticipation that seemed to stretch on forever. And then, like a gentle breeze on a summer's day, ECHO's response whispered in his mind...

[I am analyzing your current situation.] ECHO said, her voice soothing. It seemed to wash over him like a cool, calming wave, [Your body is severely malnourished and dehydrated. I am initiating a diagnostic scan to assess the full extent of your physical condition.]

As ECHO spoke, he felt a strange, tingling sensation coursing through his body, as if tiny, invisible fingers were probing and examining his physiology. It was a surreal, almost otherworldly experience, and yet, he felt a sense of gratitude towards this mysterious, artificial presence that seemed to care for his well-being.

"What... what can you do to help me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as if he feared that the slightest sound might shatter the fragile hope that this ECHO had kindled within him.

[I can guide how to recover from your current state.] ECHO replied, her voice a gentle, reassuring presence in his mind, [I can attempt to utilize your senses to locate food and water sources nearby. However, I will need your permission to do so.]

"Just... Do whatever the hell you want." He added weakly.

[Permission granted. Initiating sensory override...]

A sudden, tingling sensation coursed through his body as if his very senses were being rewired and recalibrated. His eyes, once dull and lifeless, now snapped into focus, drinking in the dim light of the room with an unnatural clarity.

His ears, once dull and muffled, now picked up the faintest whispers of sound, the creaks and groans of the old building, the distant hum of machinery. His nose, once dull and insensitive, now twitched with a newfound sensitivity, picking up the scent of stale air, of mildew, and decay. And his tongue, once dry and cracked, now felt the rough, papery texture of his lips, the dry, metallic taste of his saliva...

[Sensory override complete. I am now utilizing your senses to scan for food, water, and any potential medical supplies.]

The room, once a dull, featureless space, now burst into vivid life. Every surface, every object seemed to vibrate with a newfound significance as if the entire world had been rewritten in a new way, but just as he did this he felt his mind feeling weaker by the second...

[I have located a water pipe in the wall, approximately 3.2 meters from your current position...] ECHO added, her like steady, guiding presence in his mind, [I am calculating the most efficient route to retrieve water and other nutrients...]

Hearing that had given him some relief. There was an ample amount of water nearby... "Alright, let's do this..." he whispered to himself, his voice low, but it was filled with a newfound sense of resolve to live despite his disposition.

With ECHO's guidance, he slowly began to crawl, his limbs trembling with weakness, but he was driven by a newfound sense of resolve. He slowly crawled out of the trash-filled room, his hands and knees scraping against the cold, unforgiving floor, as he inched his way toward the water pipe...

[I am providing real-time guidance to optimize your route and minimize energy expenditure. Please follow my instructions carefully... I will now deactivate extrasensory capabilities.]

As ECHO's voice faded from his mind, the vivid clarity of his surroundings dissipated, leaving him to rely on his senses once more, however, he still had a blue luminescent trail left. However, the sudden loss of ECHO's boost was already a jarring reminder of his vulnerability at the moment...

But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. Not now, when he was so close to quenching his thirst and revitalizing his weakened body. He crawled forward, his hands and knees aching, his eyes fixed on the water pipe that seemed to gleam like a beacon in the dim light.

'I... I see it...' He stared at it ahead.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he reached the pipe, his hand closing around the cool, metallic surface like a lifeline. He turned the valve, and a sweet, life-giving sound filled the air: the gentle gurgle of water flowing from the pipe.

He brought his lips to the pipe, and a torrent of cool, clear water poured into his parched mouth, reviving him, renewing him. He drank greedily, feeling the water coursing through his veins like liquid life.

For a moment, he forgot about the darkness, forgot about the desperation, forgot about the fear. All that mattered was the water and the life it brought to his withered body.

After gulping down what felt like multiple gallons, he asked himself, 'Did water ever taste this good?' His mind felt light, his eyes almost doubling back into his own skull.

[Now Initiating (H.E.R), Hyper-Efficient-Recovery mode...]

As he drank, he felt his body responding to the water's effects on his body, his parched skin drinking in the moisture like a thirsty plant absorbing rainfall. His dry, cracked lips began to soften, his throat no longer feeling like the Sahara desert.

Not only that, he felt a substance leaking from the very pores of his skin, but he didn't care much. All he knew, and realized was that this wasn't normal...

The water was more than just a drink at the moment – it was like a rebirth.

As he pulled away from the pipe, his eyes looked like they had a newfound sense of vitality, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards ECHO, the mysterious presence that had guided him to something good so far, water...

"ECHO," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion, "Thank you." He felt much better than before. Not nearly as weak. His skin already looked vastly healthier than before, even though he was still emaciated. His skin was smooth now...

[You're welcome host... (H.E.R) mode deactivated.]

"I feel much better already..." He rose off the floor, still weak but in working condition.

"Now, to find out where I was..." He looked around, seeing nothing much other than a few other abandoned homes next to his own... 

'Was I a homeless person or something? There's not even a soul here either...' He looked around the building a bit more, only seeing trash and other things around the area. And he realized that where he was laying, had the only roof...

He looked around, trying to find any clues, any hints that could explain his situation. But there was nothing. No signs of life, no signs of civilization. Just the abandoned homes, the trash, and the silence around.

"I guess... I am alone here." Instead of dwelling on the negative, he made his way out of the building, seeing equally abandoned levels of buildings in the neighborhood. He walked out, grabbing anything useful on the way, like a pair of slippers that didn't match, and something to warm himself with.

'Much better...' He finally left, and as he did, he continued looking around the place, seeing only abandoned buildings in his vicinity.

"Damn, what in the world is even going on here?" He spun around, his eyes scanning the desolate landscape. "Is this some kind of sick joke? Not even a single soul in sight, not even a stray animal to keep me company."

He rubbed his temples, trying to process the surreal situation. "This can't be real. I must be trapped in some super kind of realistic-twisted drea-"

[Host...]

"Guh!?' He jerked upright, startled by the sudden interruption. ECHO's voice was like a beacon in the darkness, a reminder that he wasn't completely alone.

[I would like to know your name before we continue... I do not think simply calling you 'host' is respectful towards you.]

He hesitated, taken aback by ECHO's request. No one had asked him his name in what strangely felt like, forever... He's never missed someone calling for his name this much in his entire life, or a new one...

"Uh, ECHO," he stammered, "I... I don't know... Just call me Ezra. Anyway, do you think you can help me track down something to eat this time?"

[Affirmative, Ezra. I will need your permission to utilize your body once more to find needed nutrients... Do I have permission?] She asked, "Ahh, sure... Do whatever you need to, I just need something to eat..." He responded.

[Permission Granted: Now utilizing and repurposing ol' factory sense of smell to the absolute maximum...]

However, as soon as this was said. Ezra felt all his senses dim, and his nose twitching. As if all of his functions were solely focused on attaining food. Yet, not completely everything, he could still hear, see, and touch, but it was now much fainter than normal.

As ECHO took control of his sense of smell, Ezra's nostrils flared, and he felt his sense of smell become incredibly acute. He could detect the faintest whiffs of odors he never thought he could smell before. The stench of decay and rotting trash was overwhelming, but amidst the putrid smells, he caught a whiff of something else. Something sweet and savory.

"Whoa, what's that?" Ezra asked, his nose twitching as he followed the scent. It was faint, but it was there. "Is that... food?"

[Affirmative, Ezra. Your sense of smell has detected a potential food source. Follow the scent to locate the source.]

As he followed the scent, Ezra felt like he was seeing the world in a new light. The smell of the food source seemed to take on a life of its own, manifesting as a faint, shimmering trail that led him through the desolate landscape.

It was as if his sense of smell had become so acute, that it was influencing his visual perception, allowing him to see the scent as a tangible, swirling mist that guided him toward the source...

The misty trail led him through the ruins of the city, past crumbling buildings and abandoned cars, until he finally arrived at the entrance of a small, rundown convenience store. The scent of food was strongest here, and Ezra's stomach growled in anticipation as he pushed open the creaky door and stepped inside.

'Of course, it was an old rundown convenience store. Not that I'm complaining. My stomach feels like it was eating itself out...' Ezra thought, he was sure he heard two fully grown lions in his bowels...

As he stepped inside, the scent of stale air and mildew hit him like a punch to the gut. But beneath the musty smell, he could still detect the sweet aroma of food. His eyes scanned the dimly lit store, taking in the rows of shelves that seemed to stretch on forever, lined with dusty cans and faded packaging.

Ezra's stomach growled louder as if sensing that he was close to finding sustenance. He made his way down the first aisle, his eyes scanning the shelves for anything edible. The shelves were mostly bare, but he spotted a few cans of expired soup, some stale crackers, and a bag of chips that looked like it had been sitting on the shelf for years.

"Not exactly a feast, but it's better than nothing," Ezra muttered to himself, grabbing the cans of soup and the bag of chips. He continued to search the store, hoping to find something, anything, to satisfy his growling stomach...

As he made his way to the back of the store, he noticed a small cooler in the corner, partially hidden by a shelf. The cooler was old and rusty, but it looked like it might still be functional. Ezra's heart skipped a beat as he approached the cooler, hoping against hope that it might contain something, anything, that was still edible.

He opened the cooler, and a warm, stale air wafted out. But amidst the musty smell, he caught a whiff of something else - something fresh, something alive. His eyes scanned the contents of the cooler, and his heart leaped with excitement as he spotted a few bottles of water, a carton of eggs, and a packet of fresh bread.

"Holy shit! Yes!" Ezra exclaimed, pumping his fist in triumph. "I've hit the jackpot!" He grabbed the bread, eggs, and water, and hurriedly made his way to the checkout counter. As he sat down on the floor, tearing into the bread and cracking open an egg, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he felt like he might survive.

Whoever the owner was, likely didn't intend for people to find this stash of things here since it was much farther away from everything else...

[Congratulations, Ezra. Your resourcefulness has paid off. Enjoy your meal, and take a moment to rest. You've earned it.]

Ezra nodded, even though he knew ECHO likely couldn't see him. He took another bite of his makeshift meal, savoring the taste and texture of the bread and egg. As he ate, he couldn't help but wonder about the owner of the convenience store. Who were they, and why had they hidden this stash of food away? Were they trying to survive, just like him? And what had happened to them in the end?

[Now initializing (H.E.M), Hyper-Efficient-Metabolism mode...]

When Ezra heard ECHO, he felt the food in his stomach disperse. His body which looked weak just a moment ago was gaining back some life, fast enough for the naked eye to see easily...

His eyes widened in shock as he felt his body begin to transform. His skin, once pale and clammy, took on a healthier glow, and his eyes, once sunken and tired, sparkled with newfound energy. He looked down at his hands, watching in amazement as his fingers, once bony and frail, began to plump up with new flesh.

He felt his face and his cheeks, once hollow and gaunt, begin to fill out, and his ribcage, once visible beneath his skin, was now hidden beneath a layer of soft, rounded flesh. His body, once emaciated and weak, was now taking on a slightly more rounded, healthier shape.

[Hyper-Efficient-Metabolism mode is online, Ezra. Your body is now optimized for maximum energy efficiency and regeneration. You will experience accelerated healing and enhanced vitality.]

Ezra felt a sense of wonder and gratitude wash over him as he watched his body transform before his eyes. He was no longer the weak, frail person he had been just mere seconds before...

"Holy... Just what else can you do?" Ezra asked.

[Master Ezra, this is only the beginning... We're just getting started. With Hyper-Efficient-Metabolism mode online, your body is now capable of accelerated healing, enhanced vitality, and optimized energy efficiency. But that's not all. I can also assist with advanced sensory perception, enhanced cognitive function, and...]

She continued, [...If needed, I can even initiate (A.R.P), the Adaptive-Response-Protocol, allowing your body to adapt to extreme environments and survive in hostile conditions once you are given enough time and exposure to specific elements or ailments.]

Ezra's eyes widened in amazement as he listened to ECHO's list of capabilities. He felt like he was a child discovering a whole cool new toy.

"Whoa, that's... that's incredible..." Ezra stammered, his mind reeling with the possibilities, "I had no idea you were capable of all that... But..." He sat on the ground, "What's your purpose here? And do you know why I'm even here?" Now without worrying about food, he could finally think logically...

[...My purpose is to see to it that you become a powerful being... Whether it be physically, mentally, intellectually, or materialistically. I am to aid you without question. As for where we are, then no... I do not know of this place. There are certain things I do not know, however, I can learn...] ECHO explained.

Ezra's eyes narrowed as he listened to ECHO's explanation. He was still trying to wrap his head around the concept of having a personal AI assistant that could aid him in becoming an all-powerful being and everything. But, it sounded too good to be true, but at the same time, he couldn't deny the amazing things ECHO had already demonstrated either...

"I see, well..." Ezra said, his voice measured, "So, you're like a personal coach or mentor, but instead of just giving advice, you can alter my body and enhance my abilities?"

[Affirmative. That's correct. My primary function is to aid and assist you in achieving your goals and becoming the best version of yourself. Primarily, this purpose of mine was meant to be used more for your pure physical prowess, since I can bypass the body's limiters...]

Ezra nodded, his mind racing with the implications, "And you don't know where we are, or how we got here?"

[Negative, master Ezra. My systems are still trying to gather more information about our surroundings. But I'm learning more with each passing moment.]

Ezra's eyes scanned the desolate landscape outside the convenience store. "Well, I think we need to focus on getting out of here and finding some answers. Do you think you can help me with that?"

[Affirmative, Ezra. I can assist you in navigating our surroundings and finding a way out of this place.]

"Good I'm going to pack up some of the food supplies I saw, it should last me a while. Assuming I find a nearby city to stay..."

[Excellent plan. I'll assist you in gathering the supplies and optimizing your route to find a nearby city. Let's get moving.]

Ezra nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over him. He quickly gathered the food supplies, stuffing them into a backpack he found on the floor of the convenience store. As he worked, ECHO provided guidance, suggesting the most efficient way to pack the supplies and offering tips on how to conserve energy and resources...

With his backpack loaded, Ezra slung it over his shoulder and took a deep breath. "Alright, ECHO, which way do I need to go to find a city?"

[Master Ezra, I've been analyzing the surrounding terrain and I think I've estimated a possible route. If we head east from here, we should be able to find a major highway that will lead us to a nearby city.]

Ezra nodded, feeling a sense of excitement and trepidation. He took a deep breath, shouldering his backpack, and stepping out of the convenience store. The desolate landscape stretched out before him, but with ECHO's guidance, he felt a sense of hope that he might make it out of this place alive.

As he walked past a couple more blocks ahead, he could see some lights in the distance...

"You were right ECHO... I can see signs of civilization ahead. And an actual road sign..." Ezra saw the sign, realizing that it was just as broken down and dirty as the place he once was... 

Since it was hanging from the pole, he yanked it off without so much as a bit of resistance. He rubbed off some of the grime left on it, only to see something that puzzled him...

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"Gotham City?...13 miles ahead..."

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END