Hey everyone. It's been a while... AGAIN.
Though, this time I actually have some pretty good reasons. Since the last time I uploaded a chapter, I entered full-on study mode for finals, which ended up taking up a pretty large chunk of my time. On top of that, I also work, so trying to balance everything made it pretty difficult to find enough time to properly sit down and write for you guys.
Another thing that was on me was that I started working on a Wuthering Waves fic alongside this one. I ended up writing two chapters for that story, and I'm currently working on the third, so that also took away some time from this project.
But... I have some amazing news!
I have officially graduated from high school and will be starting college in August! Because of that, I'm planning on getting a lot more writing done and hopefully pushing out more chapters for you guys before college starts.
One major difference you'll probably notice right away is the cover!
About a month ago, give or take, I commissioned an artist through VGen to create a new cover for this story, and honestly... they absolutely cooked with it. The final result came out way better than I expected, and I'm genuinely really happy with how it turned out.
I'm also currently working on a ZZZ story as well lol. I already have something commissioned for that too, and funnily enough, it's from the same artist who made this cover. They're doing an amazing job, and I can't wait to show it when the time comes.
Here's the high-definition version below:
[IMAGE]
I will say, I do feel like this chapter might come across as a little lackluster compared to what I originally had in mind, and I apologize for that. However, like I mentioned, I intend to put out a lot more chapters now that I have more time available.
It'll also be nice getting back into the flow of writing because, man... I AM RUSTY.
Seriously, thank you all for being patient with me and sticking around despite the long gaps between updates. I sincerely appreciate everyone who continues to read and support this story.
Also, small side note: I genuinely cannot publish anything on FanFiction.net right now. That site has been giving me a lot of trouble lately. I might just move completely over to AO3 at this point, since from what my friends have told me, it's a lot more reliable and easier to use. I've also set up shop over on Wattpad as well, so I'll be posting there too!
Anywho, thank you all again, and I'll see you in the next chapter!
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The small handheld device in the researcher's hand emitted a soft, oscillating blue light as she moved it across Anthony's face, the scanner projecting faint lines of light across his skin.
"Keep your eyes fixed on the center of the lens, please," she instructed. Her voice remained calm and professional, though there was a hint of curiosity beneath it.
Anthony did as he was told, though his pupils instinctively dilated and contracted against the scanning light with predatory speed. While she examined Anthony, the data pad in her hand updated with rapid streams of information that immediately caught her attention.
His brown eyes now had a slightly reddish-to-orange tint to them, with his pupils narrowing into small slits. She removed the device from his eyes and watched as they slowly returned to normal.
She looked back at the data pad and hummed.
"Interesting… his ocular structure physically altered itself," she mumbled before looking back at Anthony.
"Now I'm going to test your reflexes."
The researcher pulled out a medical hammer from the tray. "I'm just going to lightly strike an area below your knee. I want you to relax your legs completely for me."
When she lightly tapped his knee, his leg didn't simply twitch or kick.
Instead, it snapped forward with enough velocity to create a sharp crack of displaced air, stopping mere inches away from the researcher's torso. Both her and Welt's eyes widened. She quickly stepped back, dropping the medical hammer as she clutched the data pad in her hands. Everyone nearby turned toward them after the sudden commotion.
"I-I'm sorry…" Anthony quickly blurted out as he brought his knee down and prepared to get off the table, but the researcher immediately stopped him.
"N-No… It's quite alright," she said as she stood up straight, fixing herself before immediately returning her attention to the data pad.
"I really am sorry… I'm just used to reacting with more force-"
She cut him off.
"It's okay. From what I can see, the data proves what you're saying. Your neurological response time is practically instantaneous. Let's back up and log the fundamental metrics first before I draw any premature conclusions. Stand right here, please."
She gestured for him to step onto a recessed metallic plate on the floor. A soft white light traced around his body, humming briefly as it calculated his physical displacement and mass.
The terminal pinged, displaying his results.
[ Height: 6'3 (193 centimeters) ]
[ Weight: 213 pounds (97 kilograms) ]
The researcher stared at the weight readout, then looked up at Anthony's frame, and back down at the screen. She rubbed her pointer finger under her chin, clearly trying to process the results.
"...That's strange."
Anthony looked at her, confused, while Welt spoke up from the side. "What is?"
"His weight should be much higher… it doesn't match his physical composition whatsoever. Not even mentioning his musculoskeletal structure."
"You could just… tell that from my weight and height?"
"From that plate over there? Yes. We have nothing but the best. Considering the funding lady-" she coughed into her other hand to stop herself.
"Well, the point is, we can gather a lot of data from what we just did…" She mumbled.
The researcher rubbed her chin with her thumb, looking at the data more closely. "Well, I suppose it's time we get into the real stuff. From what I can see from what Mr. Welt has sent in… you were trapped on a world for… twenty-two years, correct?"
Anthony nodded slowly, his eyes dropping for a fraction of a second to the pristine white floor before returning to her. "Yeah. Twenty-two years."
The researcher's fingers flew across the holographic display, pulling up a secondary diagnostic template. "We don't actually have any data on the ecology or atmospheric composition of the world you were on due to it not being registered within the IPC, so we have to treat this blind. When someone has been out in an undocumented wilderness for decades, our immediate protocol is to screen for hidden pathogens, heavy metal toxicity, nutritional deficiencies, and deep-tissue parasites."
She picked up a small, ring-shaped scanner from a sterile tray and held it near his arm, entirely careful not to touch his skin. "As I told you before, this is completely non-invasive. It just reads the chemical and biological signatures as they pass through your capillaries. I'm going to scan basic immune responses and your vital signs first."
Anthony watched as a soft green light washed over his forearm, the machine humming a low, steady tune. He folded his arms loosely, still a bit tense, but relaxed slightly when he realized the device didn't prick or pinch at all.
"Let's see what your internal systems are actually doing," she murmured, watching the data stream into her terminal. "Starting with a basic metabolic and temperature sweep."
"Pathogens…? If you're checking for those, then shouldn't I be in, y'know, quarantine?" Anthony asked, glancing at the scanner near his arm.
The researcher let out a small laugh. "Well, in a normal facility, yes. Before coming here, what did Mr. Welt tell you about the Herta Space Station?"
"That the space station is basically one giant museum for… curios?" Anthony answered, recalling the explanation Welt gave him earlier on the Astral Express.
"Yes, and what do you know about curios?" she asked, her eyes remaining focused on the data.
"That they have… well, weird powers?"
"In a basic sense, yes. Some are indestructible, some can alter your appearance or even rate your appearance, and some can even suppress pathogens." She tapped a few more commands into the holographic display, bringing up another set of readings. "The Herta Space Station contains technology and objects that go far beyond ordinary science. For that reason, we have access to methods that most facilities wouldn't."
"Meaning... through the use of a curio, while in the Herta Space Station, you won't get a cold, influenza, or gastroenteritis," she continued, offering a reassuring smile. "Doing it this way allows us to work in full tandem. And when we do get sick and something does happen to us, we can find the source, which, in most cases, always involves another Curio."
Anthony looked at the scanner again. "So you're saying I'm basically being tested with… space magic?"
The researcher paused for a moment before looking back at him. "That is an extremely simplified way of putting it… but yes."
She turned her attention back to the holographic display, which was now rapidly populating with deep crimson and gold diagnostic waves. Her fingers froze over the interface, her slight smile fading into a look of sheer bewilderment. She leaned in closer, her eyes scanning the metabolic readouts three times over just to ensure the terminal wasn't malfunctioning.
"Interesting…" she mumbled.
Her gaze moved away from the screen and toward Anthony. For a moment, she simply observed him, almost as if trying to compare the person standing in front of her with the impossible information displayed in front of her.
Then she stepped closer.
Without warning, she reached out and placed a finger against Anthony's bicep, lightly pressing against the muscle.
Anthony immediately flinched at the sudden contact, his body instinctively reacting before his mind could process what happened.
"W-What are you doing?" Anthony asked, his eyes widening slightly as he looked down at her hand.
The researcher quickly pulled away, realizing what she had done.
"Sorry. I was confirming something," she explained, raising her hands slightly in reassurance.
She returned her attention to the holographic display, her expression becoming more serious as she reviewed the results.
"Your body temperature, at least internally, is currently sitting at 102.38 degrees Fahrenheit (39.1 degrees Celsius)."
She paused briefly, making sure she was reading the number correctly.
"By every medical standard we have, your body should be experiencing the effects of a significant fever. Elevated heart rate, impaired cognitive function, fatigue, dehydration, possibly even neurological issues depending on how long it has been sustained."
Anthony stared at her, slowly processing what she was saying. "So… my body is running a fever, but I'm not sick?"
The researcher tilted her head slightly. "That would be the easiest way to explain it, yes. Except that having a fever would mean you body is fighting against something. This high temperature appears to be your natural state."
The researcher went back to her data terminal. "Lets see… a dessert world? Hm, we can't do any real testing without it being invasive…"
"Moving back to the body temperature, Mr. Welt, look at this," she said, allowing him to come over and look at her data terminal. "Despite the high internal heat, his resting heart rate is a mere 42 beats per minute, and his blood pressure is perfectly stable at 110 over 70."
"His heart is working with terrifying efficiency," she continued, her voice dipping into a tone of genuine disbelief. "His metabolic engine is running in absolute overdrive to maintain that baseline temperature, yet his cardiovascular system is as calm as an athlete at rest. It's an incredible paradox."
"C-Could we hurry up with the check-up?"
The researcher snapped out of her trance, her fingers freezing over the terminal as Anthony's nervous voice cut through her clinical excitement. She blinked, looking up at him, then over at Welt, who offered a small, understanding nod.
"Ah—right, of course. My apologies," she said quickly, clearing her throat as she stepped back from the screen. "We get a bit carried away in the labs when we run into... well, when we run into things we haven't seen before. Let's finish the baseline check."
She tapped a few commands into the holographic display, bringing up the final set of standard, non-invasive metrics.
"The audio and visual sweeps are already logged," she murmured, guiding a small, ring-shaped scanner down his forearm one last time to double-check his skin elasticity and cellular hydration. "And since the Curio-backed filtration systems are handling any potential pathogens, we don't need to hold you for a full quarantine cycle. Physically speaking, you are cleared."
She closed out his chart with a definitive swipe, the floating screens minimizing back into the console with a soft chime.
"We'll have a stabilizing dietary regimen compiled for you based on these numbers, just to make sure transitioning to standard Express or station food doesn't shock your system," she added, offering a professional smile. "But for all intents and purposes, Anthony... you're free to go."
Anthony let out a slow, heavy breath, finally relaxing his shoulders as he prepared to step off the examination table.
Welt stepped forward, adjusting his glasses as he looked toward the doorway. "Thank you for your thoroughness. Now, Anthony, if you are ready, I believe we still have a matter of proper clothing to attend to-"
Welt was cut off through a loud explosion, shaking the space station.
The violent tremor rattled the medical bay, sending a tray of surgical instruments clattering across the floor. The overhead lights flickered wildly before snapping into a stark, pulsing red emergency mode. Sirens began to wail through the corridors, a mechanical, synthesized voice echoing over the intercom system.