Chapter 6b
Ariel’s brain raced to connect ideas. She was on the verge of figuring something out, but the haziness in her mind annoyed her. She raised her head toward Cooper, who meandered to his right in the silence he had created, as fear, awe, and reverence converged in Ariel’s mind.
“But,” Cooper added, “if there’s one thing I want you to remember, it’s that parameters… and Vex do not go together.”
“Parameters and Vex don’t go together,” Ariel muttered to herself.
Her mind bogged down with thoughts of the Vex. Parameters kept all their intelligent units from gaining full autonomy. Without them, all the SUs (Security Units), AUs (Attack Units), DUs (Defense Units), and other IUs (Intelligent Units) could rampage across Eos. It was the necessary leash to maintain order.
Once again, Professor Cooper paused for effect, yanking Ariel’s attention back to him.
“There won’t be a final exam,” he announced, and relieved exhales followed. “Now let’s finish this chapter.” He grabbed a notebook and delivered a passionate lecture on Core Transfers.
As the lecture droned on, Ariel’s mind wandered. She tugged on her lower lip, now trying to formulate a question for the professor. She’d need to hurry—he was always the first to bolt after class, unless something held him up.
“Ariel,” Demetrius said, “Uh—”
She quickly gathered her notepad and books, stuffing them into her bag and rising without answering Demetrius. The truth was burning inside her, and she just needed to ask the right questions. The room echoed with the sounds of items being packed, chairs being pushed in, and bodies moving. She rushed to catch the professor, who was already halfway out the door.
“Hi,” Cooper said quietly, waiting for the elevator. “What can I do for you?”
“Hello, Professor, my name is Ariel Spica, and I was wondering about the Vex cell.”
“Sure, ask away,” he said as they entered the elevator.
“Is it possible that the Vex is here… on Eos?” Ariel watched the curious gaze he shot her before answering.
“No, it was first banned on Earth, and it’s strictly banned here on Eos. It hasn’t been developed since.”
“Okay,” she drawled. “But what if—hypothetically speaking—the Vex didn’t kill the person? Like the astrocytoma example. What kind of signs would you expect to see?” Ariel raised her eyebrows, trying to be as honest as possible despite the ludicrousness of her question. “I know it’s a silly question.”
Leaving his curious eyes on her, he answered, “Nonsense, it’s a good question.” The elevator pinged, and they stepped out into the faculty department. “It would be unusual for me to give specifics because who knows what sort of interaction it could have with the body? It could cause neurological interference, cardiovascular disruption, anything. Think cancer because that’s essentially what it is. But let’s entertain that thought, shall we?” He briefly greeted another professor with a handshake and a pat on the arm. “If the Vex cell could live harmoniously in the human body, the first and most obvious effect would likely be stamina and strength adaptations. After all, our AUs are pretty fast.”
“Stamina and strength adaptations?” Suddenly, Ariel was at a loss for words. “How soon would the effects take place?”
“Almost instantaneously, I would say,” he replied, stopping in front of his office and observing her curious stare. “Remember, Ariel, this is all hypothetical.” He smiled when she nodded. “I’m free for about fifteen minutes if you have more questions.”
“Oh,” Ariel said, already lost in thought. “That’s all I needed. You’ve given me a lot to think about.” Indeed he had. She might have screamed “Eureka!” if not for the people around her. She now had her answer. She now understood why her match against her brother had been so difficult. He had Vex. He must have.
Demetrius hadn’t trained—he had adapted.