Condition Evolution 4 by Kevin Sinclair (parable of the sower read online .txt) 📗

some data. Enough to start plotting your growth,” he said, so happily I had a strong urge to do him physical harm, despite knowing it was a terrible idea.

Without further ado, I was speedily strapped back into the training apparatus. “Okay, Vakuna. I suggest going to your Mindscape. I think you know why,” Fiekela suggested with a smile playing on his lips.

I nodded solemnly, not feeling like returning his smile. I wasn’t experiencing the same kind of excitement he clearly did from all of this. Perhaps that would change. I might even grow to like it. Especially if I was working closely with Ialos.

I moved into my Mindscape before the pain started and was immediately joined by Fiekela. “So, young man! Let us assess your growth,” he instructed, leading the way to the Cerebral Interface. I followed, moving to stand alongside him, curious about this aspect myself. Looking at my Cerebral Interface was about as close to an identity as I could get.

Name: Vakuna

Age: 31 GY

Transcendence Level: 121

Strength: 225/1000

Agility: 80/1000

Speed: 112/1000

Intelligence: 60/1000

Constitution: 240/1000

Wisdom: 8/1000

Mental Resilience: 122/1000

Mental Clarity: 99%

Potential: 99%

“Marvelous!” Fiekela clapped by my side. “A 12 point increase in overall level. Unheard of for such a short timeframe. How do you feel about this? Are you impressed, Vakuna?”

I wasn’t. Not really. Overall, it didn’t mean much to me. Maybe knowing the specific details would shed light. “How did my speed go up? I didn’t move,” I asked.

“Despite not moving, we still activated your muscle fibers using a range of different stimuli. Stretching, compressing, and applying electrical impulses.”

“Okay, that sounds plausible. Why has my intelligence increased substantially, but my wisdom remains extremely low?”

“You have an inquisitive mind, Vakuna. An admirable trait. While your intelligence is a measure of your knowledge and application of that knowledge, wisdom is a little harder to pin down. It is the ability to use your intelligence in the correct way depending on the circumstances. For instance, if you find yourself in a position where you are hungry and you find a vegetable. You know what type of vegetable it is, and you know that it is edible, so you eat the vegetable. Demonstrating knowledge and its application. This displays intelligence. Not long after, you become unwell. It is from the dirt and bacteria on the vegetable. If you used wisdom, you would have hungered a little longer and washed the vegetable. If you were perhaps even wiser, you might have checked the vegetable for signs of rot after you washed it. You might have even found a way to cook it, releasing more calories and nutrients, and ensuring risk of infection was reduced dramatically. While that is not to say you cannot eat food directly from the soil, it is a risk that a person with high wisdom would assess and potentially not take.”

Even though I had asked the question, I’d lost complete interest a quarter of the way through his extended explanation about vegetables. I put it down to my low wisdom. When he looked at me for acknowledgement, I hoped I affected an expression of thoughtful contemplation rather than abject boredom. He seemed to be pleased with my general demeanor and continued talking. “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”

I shook my head in response, which was all the impetus he needed.

“Wonderful! So today, we will be working on increasing your processing speed. Bring you up to speed if you like.” He chuckled.

I died a little more inside, but managed to hold back the torrent of alien and unacceptable responses that surged in my mind.

While I wandered down a path of abstract thought, Fiekela continued, “After that, developing your other attributes will be much less time-consuming.”

“Whatever you think best, Fiekela,” I replied. What other answer was there? I was here because I literally had nowhere else to be.

“The first thing you must do is sit in your control center chair again. I need you to concentrate on the bond that connects you with your body.”

“That sounds doable,” I agreed, taking the seat. I closed my eyes, to try and find what he was talking about. It only took a second. I kinda knew what he meant anyway, be it from my past life, or the information that had been installed in my mind.

I heard him speak while I surveyed the thick smokey-grey bond that I knew attached me to my body. “Have you found it, Vakuna?”

“Yes, I believe I have. What would you like me to do now?”

“I want you to imagine this bond lengthening, stretching out if you like.”

I did as I was told, and the thick grey band began to thin, ever so subtly at first but with increasing speed as I came to terms with it. Whether Fiekela was aware of my success I did not know. As it thinned, I sensed it was becoming weaker too. It made me feel uncomfortable, so I stopped the process. “Okay, Fiekela. I’ve lengthened the connection substantially. I fear that continuing will weaken it further.”

“It is strange to have such concerns. How much narrower would you say the bond is from when you began?”

“It’s about a quarter of the original thickness.”

“My, my, Vakuna. Impressive, you appear to have a natural affinity for much of this. I wonder how much that has to do with your Potential. Do you think it could have stretched it much further if you wished?”

I felt some apprehension in answering his question for some reason, but decided to be open. “Yes. I stopped because it was dangerous to continue. I’ve no doubt I could stretch the bond into nothingness.”

“Hmm, unusual and unexpected. Not to worry, you did the right thing. Nonetheless, I may need to keep a closer eye on your innate abilities,” he said.

“That sounds sensible,” I said without feeling.

“Now you’ve successfully completed the process of creating disparity between the normal interaction of your body and your mind. The whole process took a great deal less time than I expected, so we will use this opportunity to work