Isekai'd into New Meridian

A Trial of Worth

I felt at peace with the void that my consciousness was floating in, a dreamless place where the idea of time ceases to exist. I would be lying if I said I hadn't had such peace in a long time and desired to stay here for a while. After all, Dr. Geiger did say it would take a few months to complete the ASG conversion operation, so I might as well take this peace for all it's worth.

Then, something peculiar happened. The empty void became a blur of sights, images, and sounds that I've never known. One was a dark room filled with a landfill worth of junk with a small box television upon the floor; another was the face of a green-haired girl with a look of pure terror on her face, and so forth and so on. I couldn't see anymore; everything was becoming blurred, the sounds louder. I felt as though my chest was about to erupt from the sudden pain that manifested there. I was falling, down into the center of the maelstrom of experiences, wanting to yell in pain but being unable to move, with my limbs moving unfeelingly like the limbs of a ragdoll. I was falling faster, a white floor quickly approaching me from below. I was about to hit it, and just as I did...

I woke up in a sterile, dimly lit room upon a medical bed with several machines showing my vitals. I proceeded to sit up on my bed before I realized that I could feel my lower torso again. Tossing off the sheets still covering my lower torso with my left hand, I could feel, and see my leg nubs moving as thou my spine was never cleaved in two. I let out a great sigh of relief and laid back down with a sheepish smile on my face as I proceeded to wait for the doctors to come check on me.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything picked up incredibly fast since my reawakening from my medically induced coma and subsequent transformation. The first order of business was simple physical therapy sessions aimed at ensuring that I could move my prosthetics and adjust them accordingly. After completing the basic physical therapy sessions, I had to undergo fine motor control and skills testing to ensure that I could perform more delicate tasks such as writing, hand-eye coordination, and controlled motions. Once my basic physical and motor skills were deemed satisfactory, I underwent a series of cognitive and psychological evaluations. These evaluations were conducted to assess the extent of my mental capabilities and the potential psychological effects of my transformation. The tests ranged from simple memory tests to complex problem-solving tasks, and they were administered by a team of psychologists and cognitive specialists. The results of the evaluations showed that not only had my cognitive abilities been preserved, but they had also been slightly enhanced thanks to the advanced cybernetic technology that had been integrated into my body.

Although my psychological evaluations were mostly normal, they did reveal that I was suffering from mild symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This was due to my occasional night terrors, minor insomnia, and difficulty remembering important details of my reunion with my Skullgirl sister, Vannisa. Fortunately, the Lab 3 staff was able to assign me a personal psychologist who is currently helping me with both cognitive and exposure therapy to manage my symptoms.

Once the ASG Lab directors felt confident with my physical and emotional state, I began my rigorous training to fully utilize my new body. The training involved hand-to-hand combat, learning to control my prosthetic's numerous weapons and utility features, and grueling combat simulations. The intensity of my training made time accelerate to an extent that I previously didn't think was possible. It all came to a head when King Franz Renoir came to see the fruits of his financial investments into the ASG Initiative.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was in the midst of subduing the last two mechanical combat units in a simulation created by the ASG directors to demonstrate my capabilities. Using my "tea towel" (as I liked to call it), I teleported behind one of the units and proceeded to jump on its back, using it as a makeshift shield as the other combat unit began to fire its machine gun at me. The bullets quickly disabled my meat shield, so I put the barrel of my prosthetic grenade launcher against it, forced a parting gift into its chest cavity, and fired a buckshot grenade. The resulting blast launched the decommissioned unit at its fellow unit with blinding speed, embedding it firmly in the still-functioning unit's torso cavity. I then turned away from the two conjoined units and pressed the activation button on my parting gift, which caused a satisfying explosion that annihilated the combat units into scrap metal. I then exited the simulation via the exit and made my way upstairs to the observation deck.

As I ascended the stairs, I heard Dr. Geiger's excited voice drifting down from the observation deck.

Dr. Geiger: "As you clearly saw, my majesty, Black Dahlia is a soldier like no other in the Canopolis Kingdom. The combat simulations demonstrated before you today show she is able to navigate the toughest terrains, strategize impeccable tactics, and successfully take out ten of the most advanced combat robots with little to no difficulty."

Dr. Geiger finished his speech as I finally reached the observation deck and proceeded to enter before bowing to King Franz.

Dahlia: "Hello, Your Highness. I hope my performance has met and surpassed your expectations."

King Franz: "At ease, soldier, and yes, I found your performance to be satisfactory. However, if there is one thing I've learned, it is that a mock battle cannot be compared to a real fight. Though the challenges you faced in the simulation were most certainly impressive, I want proof that you can handle yourself in a real struggle. An automaton can be a fearsome foe, but it's predictable. A real, thinking, breathing individual isn't so, as they are typically unpredictable. The gunman may do the obvious action and shoot his firearm, but he could also charge you with a knife, flee, or distract you so the true threat that lurks outside your vision can strike."

King Franz punctuated his final word with a solid strike on the observation deck's metal floor with his living weapon, Eroberung, causing a sharp noise to permeate the room before continuing. After a moment's time, Dr. Geiger stepped towards Franz, his brows lowered in concern.

Dr. Geiger: "What would Dahlia need to accomplish to satisfy you, Your Majesty?"

King Franz: "I need Ms. Dahlia to take care of an upcoming problem arising in New Meridian. In particular, I need her to investigate and destroy a supposed warehouse where human trafficking has taken place. Normally, the police would handle such a trivial matter, but certain intelligence indicates that they've once again been infiltrated and corrupted by the Medici Mob. They've been increasing their influence after the fiasco at the abandoned sports arena. My informants tell me that it's caused by several of the major gangs and mobs losing their leaders during the incident. The Medici Mob, now going by the name Medici Mafia, has been able to use the vacuums of power and leadership to assimilate its competition into its group. The extent of the Medici's reach in the underworld is unknown, but rumors suggest that almost all save for a few still-standing opposing criminal organizations have been taken out by the Medici Mafia."

"I believe this operation is being run by the Medici Mafia as a new opportunity for revenue now that their competition has mostly been dealt with and their ability to influence government agencies is at an all-time high. All this means I can't rely on the typical means of law enforcement and courts unless the Medici's realize that I'm both aware of their plots and attempting to dismantle them. Therefore, I must rely upon either my Egrets or the ASG Labs as they're the only ones that the Medici's can't influence freely without drawing my ire. However, my Egrets are preparing for the eventual conflict ahead and thus I must befall this task upon Ms. Dahlia here."

Dahlia: "Very well. Where can I find this warehouse sir? You mentioned it being located in New Meridian, but do you have a general idea of its location?"

King Franz looks at me with a renewed sense of approval as he began to explain that the warehouse is believed to be near the New Meridan Trade Ports due to tidbits of information and generalization of optimal positions to run such an operation effectively.

With an area to begin my investigation, I proceeded to leave the observation room only to be intercepted by a worried Dr. Geiger.

Dr. Geiger: "Are you absolutely sure about this Dahlia?"

Dahlia: "Of course, I'm sure, I'll be fine."

I began to walk away while stating with a grin that showed through my veil: "Besides, I have several years of hell I've been meaning to repay in full."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next chapter: "A Meeting of Bird and Flower."