Mark could hear voices around him, but couldn't make out what they were saying. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was still black. He tried to speak to no avail, nor could he seem to move anything.
"
Don't panic,
" he thought, "t
his is just me recovering from the anesthetic or whatever the chamber used to knock me out
."
The voices were starting to get a little clearer. Still muffled, but clearer. He could now see light and shadows, but still no ability to speak or move.
"Mark can you hear me?" he heard someone say.
He found he still couldn't talk, but he could now see blurry colours and he found he was able to blink his eyes.
"Just relax, everything will return to normal soon," he could make out Solara's voice now and was able to smile.
Solara's voice was keeping his mind preoccupied, while his body was trying to catch up, "Just relax for a few minutes, you've been through quite the ordeal. You had us quite worried, normally it only takes a few hours, but you've been in the medibed for several days."
Suddenly his body started feeling tingly all over, like his nerves had just woke up. It quickly passed and he found his vision was now clear... in fact crystal clear. He could see items further away and in far more detail than he could ever remember.
Mark sat up, Solara was steadying him with 3 of her arms while the 4th was holding a glass of water for him to drink.
The water was cool and refreshing and seemed to lubricate his mouth, tongue and throat enough that he felt he could now speak.
"Rayven," he croaked, "is she OK?"
He hadn't noticed the rest of the girls standing off to the side until Rayven leaned in and kissed him, "I'm fine Mark, I'm right here and ready for another round whenever you are! It's flattering that, after all you went through, the first thing you asked about was me."
"All that I went through? I just laid in this chamber so it could make sure I was safe for you and give me a tune up," Mark said feeling a bit confused.
"Mark, go take a look at yourself... then get dressed and come out to us when you are done," Solara said pointing to the mirror on the wall.
The girls again each gave him a kiss before leaving the medibay.
Mark sat alone in the well lit medibay, looking at his arms and seeing strange tattoos that weren't there before and thought, "
What did they do to me?
"
A female voice from out of nowhere said, "
To summarize, your genetic scan indicates you are a descendant of the royal bloodline, so the royal protocol was enacted upon your body. Your body has been returned to a prime state and I am now your AI. We are now permanently linked. What would you like to call me?"
"
So you're like my conscience then? My Jiminy Cricket?
"
Mark said awkwardly since there was no one else in the room.
"
You don't need to speak to communicate with me, I can read your thoughts. I am not your conscience, but since you are a technical guy, think of me more as your firewall and server. I monitor you and your surroundings constantly for protection and can assist you if necessary. What would you like to call me?"
"Would it be OK if I called you Cricket?"
Mark said with a grin.
"If that is your desire."
"OK for now, let's use Cricket. So what were the others saying... I've been through an ordeal? Why did it take days?
" Mark was trying to prioritize his questions.
"Please get up and walk around, your muscles need some exercise, I'll answer all your questions using terms and language you are familiar with."
"The first thing that happens when you lie in the medibed is it takes a genetic scan from your medibots. Tiny machines that perform wonders, they're actually what gives us the ability to communicate. When not in a medibed, they monitor your health and can heal small injuries, but when you get into a medibed they can heal almost anything and even do slight body alterations, although those can be quite painful which is why you are kept unconscious during the process."
Mark stepped off the table and stood up, that was the first time he noticed that his left knee didn't have that familiar pain he had grown accustomed to, nor did his back. He also noticed that his cock now and had a lattice tattoo on it, "
Whoa, what happened to my cock?
"
"The male penis is a remarkable organ, it was literally built to grow and shrink as a basic part of its function. So your cock was one of the areas we modified for you. Basically it's the same as it was, but if the person you are mating with can handle larger, such as Candaules, your cock will grow to increase her pleasure and yours! As for why it took a week... the results of your genetic scan showed that you are, in fact, a distant, direct relative of Atlas, the original Atlantean King before they left Earth. Since there wasn't a King, as of 10 years ago, you are now royalty, and the medibed implemented royal protocols. Your body has been returned to a prime condition state. You should walk over to the mirror and look at yourself."
Mark walked to the mirror against the far right wall. He stepped up in front of it and barely recognized himself. The person in the mirror appeared to be about 25 years old. He looked very well toned and muscled, but not bodybuilder muscled. He was still 6'3" and weighed about 210lbs, but his chest hair was now gone as was his pubic hair, his face looked clean shaven and it looked like his head had just had a buzz cut.
That's when he noticed his Phoenix tattoo had moved from his bicep to his left pectoral and his forearms now had this lattice tattoo that looked like a ring around his wrist and a ring just below his elbow and what looked like lines crisscrossing to create a lattice-like design. He then noticed he had the same type of tattoo from just below his knees to his ankles.
He chuckled when he realized he looked like an ancient gladiator, when they wore those leather straps.
Mark felt incredible and full of energy, but hungry as Cricket said,
"Your mates are preparing a meal for you."
They had told him to get dressed, but Mark couldn't find his clothes so he walked out of the medibay naked.
