Level Up

Morning Machinery

        I am awakened from my dream by an electric shock. It runs down my arm and into my brain. I snap open my eyes and withdraw my finger from the Socket. With a beep, the Socket turns off. It has done its job for today.
        I stand up and stretch before heading to the MechNourish. It sits in the corner of the room, and its motion-activated screen lights up.
        "Is this Axx?" it says in a mechanical voice. I press the 'yes' option. It beeps. "Please select the purpose you would like the nourishment to serve." A list of options appears. As always, because I am a Pupil, only the first two options light up - 'Sustain Life' and 'Fuel Powers.' I select both of them, and crouch down to watch as the inner cavity fills with a green liquid, and the syringe fills halfway with it. The cavity empties, and is filled again with an orange liquid, more chunky than the green. The empty half of the syringe is filled with the orange substance, the cavity is emptied, and the syringe emerges from the MechNourish through a small hole.
        I take the syringe and inject the nourishment into my body. As always, the panel implanted under my skin lights up, and the two bars on it fill all the way up. The green bar slowly begins emptying, but it won't be fully empty for at least a day. I drop the syringe into the bin on the MechNourish, which fills with a sanitizing substance so it can be sterile when it is time for me to be nourished again.
        Right on schedule, the MechScour in the far corner of the room beeps, signaling my uniform is ready. I walk over to it and watch as the sanitizing liquid drains away, and my clothes are heated up and folded neatly on the platform attached to the machine. I carefully take off my night attire and drop it into the bin, which whirs and fills with the sanitizer. Then, I put on the bodysuit and top of my uniform.
        Next to the MechScour is the MechScour:Footwear. My Trainer recently praised me for my progress, and as a reward, he gave me the MechScour:Footwear to wash my footwear in - before, I had to wash my footwear in the regular MechScour, and since that is meant for clothing, my footwear were often unsterile.
        The MechScour:Footwear beeps, and I see the sanitizer drain from its body cavity. Specialized blades and brushes emerge and scrub the bottom of my footwear. They are warmed up and placed on the platform, where I pick them up and slip them onto my feet.
        Just now, Trainer comes out from his room. When he sees that I am fully dressed, he smiles, and motions for me to follow him to the Training Room.
        Trainer is an elderly creature. I believe he is a Faelinae, which are a medium-sized species, with long whiskers, and exceptionally good hearing and vision. According to the Archives, they are a distant relative to felines.
        "Come, Axx," Trainer says, with a warm smile. We stand at the door to the Training Room. "You are gaining experience fast, and will likely move on to Level 12 soon. When you reach that stage, you'll be allowed to choose another Skill. Remember- once you get to Level 17, you will have four Skills, and earn the Rank 'Unit.'"
        Just hearing that puts a smile on my face. Everyone says that just because my parents died, I'm nothing but a weak orphan. But I CAN become a Unit, I know I can.