Created

Part 3, Chapter 9

Carter

CHESF base

Burning. Only burning. Carter's veins were on fire. His synapses were shooting everywhere. He could never think about one thing for very long. The doctors said that his testing was different than the others. He had to be conscious while they put the blue serum into his limbs. He couldn't ignore the pain. Carter screamed out from it. He could feel his body shifting, and growing. Muscles bumping against nerves, bones poking and prodding at every expanding skin. Then all at once, it stopped. The syringe bar receded from his arm, and he could move again. The metal pod didn't open, but he still had room to flex his fingers. When the box did open, Carter saw two nurses standing by either side, waiting to help him, if he needed it.

Carter stepped out of the containment unit, and looked at his arms. He was muscular before, but now it was insane. His biceps looked like cantaloupes, but it didn't look unnatural like those major bodybuilders. He also noticed that he dwarfed everyone else in the room. Before, Carter stood at 5' 10". He now felt at least 6' 8".

"How do you feel?" One of the nurses said as she held out her arm for Carter to grab hold onto. He casually swatted it away, and stood up straight.

"I feel great actually. A lot taller, but great nonetheless."

Everyone, even in the observing deck chuckled a little.

A very important looking person in the glass observing booth reached over the main overseer, and clicked on the radio.

"Well, you definitely look taller. Your newly augmented muscles grew you to the height of 6' 11"."

"Wow. That grew me more than a foot!"

"But wait there's more!"

"There is?"

"Derryl, take it away." The man stepped back and the overseer clicked the radio button.

"Hello Carter." He said in a very stern voice. "Aside from being taller and more muscular, you are also superhuman in almost every way.

"You are stronger than your muscles make you look. You are faster than any normal person, with your max running speed currently being 31 miles per hour. You also have more endurance, rapid healing, and increased lung capacity."

"So, I'm awesome now."

"Basically."

"Sweet."

"Indeed. Let's show you your suit."

"I have a super suit?"

"Yes. And a few weapons to even out an unfair fight with, say, a tank, or something. We also watched you battle crime back in Hollywood, and we made some adjustments to the original to make the suit's features and weaponry more comfortable and familiar for you."

"Awesome."

They led Carter out of the room and down a stair case into a completely cement room that was lit by white fluorescent lights. It was clean, but it still looked like the basement of a parking garage. Carter gasped when he saw the suit. It was beautiful.

It looked like the base part (that would cover his skin) was a black leather one-piece that looked like it would fit him snugly, and not constrict his movements. There were several pieces of armor that were mainly navy blue with some red and white stripes on it. In the middle of the torso was a chestplate that came down to where his belly button would be. It stopped where tank top sleeves would. In the middle of it was a single white star. On the thighs there was armor that was blue and red in equal stripes, with three stars running down the length of it. They went down to just above the knee, where the lowest piece of armor was located. The ankle, calf, shin, and foot armor was all one piece that acted as a very large boot around the entirety of his lower leg. It was mainly navy blue, but the sides were red, and they each had one star on the shin.

Above the thigh armor was a red belt, but it's buckle was a white star. On the suits biceps, there were pieces of navy blue and red striped armor. Just where the elbow started was a steel plate that extended about 4 inches past the hand in a point. It was navy blue, but had two stripes, the exterior being red, and the interior white. Along the length of the plate were five stars spaced evenly apart.

The helmet was completely closed. It had two red pieces of glass where Carter's eyes would be, and a steel plate covering the bottom of the helmet. The main helmet eas blue, but the steel plate was covered with vertical red and white stripes.

Carter whimpered. It was the best sight he had ever seen. He was especially grateful for the steel plates on the lower arm, for that was what he used before in Hollywood.

"Would you like to try it on?" One of the nurses looked at him expectantly.

"Heck yeah I do."

The nurses led him up the platform and turned him around so he was facing directly away from the suit. He heard a squelching sound, one that made him cringe on the inside, and he was then enveloped by the suit.

There was a moment of silence and darkness, then the suit awoke.

Carter saw the parking garage room in high definition. He saw the nurses in normal, x-ray, and thermal vision. The normal vision then took up a majority of his view, but he could still see a mini view the thermal and X-ray vision in little boxes that were lined up on the left hand side of his HUD.

Hello there Carter. Said a male voice in the back of his mind.

"Woah. What was that?" Carter said aloud.

I am an artificial intelligence that is built into this suit. I have accessed your neural consciousness and can now communicate with you telepathically. I have full access to the suit and can give you a tutorial about it's functions, as well as fighting for you while sleeping.

"That's awesome!" Carter said.

You can also communicate with me telepathically so you don't have to worry about talking aloud.

Is this working? Carter thought.

Yes it is.

Sweet!

Anyway, I can also control your HUD vision. You can see in 4 different varieties not including normal. You have X-ray, Thermal, Facial recognition, and echolocation.

I have echolocation?

Yes. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. This suit also has advanced stealth features, reconnaissance capabilities, and improved power being metal and all.

What should I call you?

I have not been named before.

Would you like to be?

I have no emotion. My only purpose is to protect you, the user.

All right, your name is Serus.

That is an appropriate name. I will now go by Serus.

Alright, you were telling me something about a tutorial?

Yes. Let us retire to the training room.

Carter didn't know what he was supposed to do with the suit, but whatever it was, it was going to be fun.