Ancient Thought by Viola Grace (literature books to read txt) 📗

cables, and once she was patched up, they began to run a barrage of scans. They were doing a lot of work on her forehead. It was weird.

“Was something installed there?” She paused. The language that she was speaking wasn’t what she was used to. It was almost like talking with Jell-O in her mouth.

The medics looked at her and then each other. One smiled and said, “Try again.”

She took a deep breath and looked for another language. She repeated herself. Nope. Finally, she got back to her original speech and said, “What the fuck is in my forehead?”

They jolted as she said it and then laughed.

“The Malthu monks accumulate their knowledge, and then, they upload it to storage crystals so they don’t go insane. The process is similar to discharging a static charge.”

She frowned. “I don’t get to keep it?”

“Not all of it. You will still have the imprint of it in your mind. A lightly erased page.” He grinned. “That is what our information packets have stated.”

“So, you don’t actually know?”

“No. You are the first alteration of this kind to have been attempted with a Terran. We are surprised you are sane.”

Libby looked at her large hands, and she felt like she had fallen into wonderland. “I don’t think I am.”

“Ah, the avatar said you would be surprised by having your height increased by nearly fifty percent, but she said to tell you that, To stand eye to eye with gods and ancient warriors, you can’t always wear heels.”

Libby nodded. “Right. Good point. Well, she is a smart... Wait, did she say it, or did Gaia say it?”

The medic thought for a moment and said, “Gaia was speaking at the time.”

“Okay. That is something completely different.” Libby logged the phrase in her memory and waited until the medics were done working her over.

They brought her to a shower that operated by light and sound. They activated the shower, and she screamed. Her skin felt burned, her ears were pounding, and she slammed at the controls until things stopped. She was breathing heavily, and her skin was still tingling with the sensation that she had passed through a bonfire a little bit too slowly. It looked fine. There was no sign of damage.

“What. The. Hell. Was. That?” She gasped and looked out at the medics.

One of them checked her file and started scrambling an apology. The Malthu monks had enhanced senses. This included sight and touch. They were designed to take in input, and the physical senses counted.

She didn’t smack their heads together, but the urge was there. Libby chuckled silently. It was the first time that she had had that particular urge. “For the other ladies, please, look into any species specifics for what you fuse them to. It is rather important.”

They apologized several times and helped her into her new uniform. She had a simple band to reduce the bounce of her revitalized breasts, a gauzy wrap around her hips and groin, and then a robe wrapped first to the left and then to the right to cover her completely. She smiled and wiggled a little. It felt like she was wrapped in a cloud.

She lifted the hem. “What kind of shoes?”

“Sandals.”

She grimaced and took the pair of lace-up sandals, sitting down and pulling them into place.

Once her feet were encased, she was handed a set of gloves.

“These will keep you from getting overloaded while you are just moving things around normally. Well, that is the idea. The Malthu are difficult to get information from for those who keep archives.”

She flexed her fingers into the gloves and smiled. “These I can work with.”

“Most who have to wear gloves find them awkward.”

She chuckled. “I had to wear them outdoors for the first twenty years of my life and to formal events for decades after. Gloves and I are old friends.”

The other avatar entered the space and nodded when he nearly met her gaze. “Minerva will be pleased. She was worried about the hair. She was unsure of getting the shade right.”

“I like it. The shiny skin is a little odd, but I will get used to it. The rest of me has the same proportions, just over larger landscape.”

He smiled and said, “Shall I convey anything else to my dearest wife?”

“Yeah, if you are going to give folks a permanent waxing job, make sure they don’t have embarrassing tattoos under there.” She winked.

He let out a snort and nodded. “I am sure she will be suitably apologetic. Are you ready for your departure?”

“No, but I am going to do it anyway. That credo has gotten me to interesting places in life.”

“Lovely. Please, come with me, Elizabeth.”

She walked with him and scowled at the floor. It was considerably further away than she was used to.

He led her to the departure area, where an egg was waiting for her. He showed her all of the emergency hatches to blow if she slid open the visor and saw an environment that she couldn’t remain in. There were air filters that would feed her breathable air with the press of a button, and she could stay in the pod for sixteen hours for a pickup if needed. The interior coms were set to the monastery’s frequency.

She went through all of the emergency buttons and the contact button. “Got it.”

“I wish you the best, and as long as you remember that the Mathlu monks don’t want you there, you will be able to deal with your situation.”

She looked at him. “Why don’t they want me there, and if they don’t, who the hell invited me?”

He chucked. “The avatar of the Mathlu wanted you there. The ancients are a little broody, and they need new stimulation. As you take from them, they will give to you.”

“I am jumper cables.”

He grinned. “I know what those are. No, you are more like fireworks, there to brighten things up, but the monks like things to run smoothly.”

“This could have been mentioned earlier.” She huffed as he settled