A Bioweapon's Rhapsody

"[I WISH!]"

The words resounded and echoed in the testing chamber, slowly morphing and reverberating as they distorted, going from the tone of voice of Alexandra to a mechanical voice, to a distorted voice, and finally, they slowed down as the world around them started to turn into shades of blue and gold.

It was as if the things around Alexandra had started to become holograms that had been distorted.

"Hello again ND0 System," Alexandra said as she snapped her fingers. The illusion breaking and the room returning to normal. Only both Ale and Melissandra had been frozen.

It was a weird feeling, Alexandra knew that time was not moving forward, but she didn't get the feeling that it was her Consciousness that had been accelerated. To test it out she removed one of her gloves and threw it to the side.

It remained frozen in the air.

"Time stop?" Alexandra asked.

"State your wish."

The voice was... mechanical, it didn't held the same degree of personality as she remembered.

"Why did you stop the time ND0 System?" Alexandra asked.

"Is your wish to attempt and acquire a time-related power?"

"No," Alexandra refused, the voice didn't seem to hold any degree of intelligence.

"State your affiliation, mission, relation to me and the time limit I have to decide this." Alexandra said looking around, searching for something.

"The Saintsworths Galactic Concord, Black Site Alpha - Laboratory 0. To monitor and ensure the functionality and stability of [The World]. Currently you are designated as a person of interest as an offspring of a person of interest." The voice started to sound closer, Alexandra turned around and sure enough, a blonde girl stood there, wearing a white sundress, but unlike the [Thing] from before, or Alexa.

This one had a pristine white sundress and hair that fell all the way to the ground. Alexa had never quite gotten it that long.

"You have three attoseconds to decide (Real time)." The... Alexa said.

Alexandra took a second to process that, she had gotten some information, as far as she knew P4 was not part of a black site, and the Saintsworths weren't a concord (Or galactic for that matter).

As for time... Only that answer had taken a few seconds, meaning that time was accelerated, so attoseconds or not, it was pointless to worry about time.

"State your wish." The entity spoke once more.

"State the limitations of what you can grant and give me the options that would allow the fulfillment of my goals." Alexandra said, it was an issue that she didn't have access to any of the sub AI Cores that they had made within Alexa.

Even with the limited MK1 Nanites, they wouldn't last long without a Nanite Forge. And since she couldn't make one without the R4 residue... She was stuck with the nanites she had.

"There are no limitations on the range of power you have available, there is a limitation on the range and execution of the power." The Alexa answered with her emotionless voice. "Elaborating, a power set that allows the transformation into other people would start as a simple power that would allow the manipulation of the flesh of yourself, then slowly morph into one that allows to transform into other figures, modifying of the body organs and finally the full transformation into someone else for a three to four stages evolution power."

"But what about the normal Shapeshifters that are around? As far as we know the shapeshifting core isn't that rare that no one knows about it." Alexandra pointed out.

"That goes into the rarity, concentration of mana and the affinity of the wielder." The Alexa said in her mechanical voice once again, "State your wish."

State her wish... What did Alexandra wish?

"I wish for my family to be safe, I wish for Ale and Alexa to be able to return home safe and sound." Alexandra said, picturing the face of her sisters, the mischief-filled smirk of Ale looking at her. The silly happy smile of Alexa as she hugged her while they slept. "I wish for a power that will help me save them and allow them to return safe and sound."

"Do you wish for power to solve the issue? Power to increase their odds of survival? Or for a more specific power?" The mechanical Alexa asked once more.

"I wish for the simplest possible power that will allow me to ensure that Ale and Alexa are safe." Alexandra said, "I do not have time to train or evolve the Core that will be created from this. So I need a guarantee that it will work as I intend it to."

"Reviewing database..." The Alexa she was speaking to said it was... odd, seeing an Alexa so... emotionless, she was used to seeing Alexa doing her silly shenanigans. "Accessing Akasha server...."

And there was that, Akasha. Alexandra no longer had access to the database, but she had an inkling as to what it could mean.

"Found appropriate Core Power," The mechanical Alexa said as she raised her hand and extended her palm towards Alexandra, "Please verify."

Alexandra took a step forward and took the purple marble, purple had been a color that was dangerous, all the dangerous Core Powers so far had been purple.

And yet...

Alexandra couldn't help but extend her hand and take the sphere.

"Perfect," Alexandra said as a blue screen manifested in front of her.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

That hadn't been what Alexandra had thought it would be, it was merely a log written by Alexanders... One that implied that he had harvested Mana and used it to create means of travel.

Means of travel that Alexandra hadn't heard of or seen, but means that indeed fulfilled her needs.

"Thank you," Alexandra said to the blonde little girl who had given her this new Core. "I like you better this way."

"Your thanks are unnecessary," The little girl said shaking her head, "I am a product of the ND0 System, designed to better help and further your evolution. I live to help and ensure you get the best possible Core Power for your needs."

"I still want to thank you, without you my family would be at greater risk." Alexandra said smiling, as the world around them started to return to normal.

Alexandra couldn't help but think about what the little girl had said, she existed to help further the development of their Core Users? That... kind of matched what [Core] had said didn't it?

That it existed to ensure that Alexa would develop as best as possible. Then... did every single Core User have access to the ND0 System?

That was... impossible, no one else had spoken about it. No one ever mentioned it. Then was it only an Alexa thing? And in turn she could because she was once a part of Alexa?

It didn't seem to be the case. Then what was the trigger? And... Could she give these hints to Ale in time? Alexandra didn't think so. And even if she could... should she?

[Core]... was not outright hostile to them, it would probably be quite happy with Alexandra's demise. And was probably withholding help in an attempt to get rid of Ale.

Alexandra... was not an issue, before this she would be unable to surface. Not till Alexa finished healing her... If that was even possible. So dealing with Ale was probably the best way to ensure that Alexa was unable to get help from them.

If Alexandra gave this data to Ale... Would [Core] stay put? Alexandra doubted it. So instead she would settle for the second best, she would show Ale how it looked when one wielded their Core.

To truly wield it and not merely petition to it.

And so, Alexandra closed her eyes and allowed her Consciousness to return to real space.

"[I WISH!]"

Her voice still resounded as she felt the warmth of a new Core bloom on her chest, the position of a Core seemed to differ to what she knew so far.

Stellar's Core seemed to blink in and out of existence all over her body.

Golem's Core was near his chest.

The Cat Girl also had it on her chest.

Alan Harmonia had it on his chest.

Glory Blackthorn had it on her womb.

Alexa... probably had it on her head, they had never been able to confirm its position, but Alexandra suspected that.

Why? Because the more esoteric kind of powers, or the more rare and powerful ones, seemed to deviate from the norm and had a special position in their bodies.

Now, where was Alexandra's Core you may wonder. Alexandra gave a final pat to her chest, feeling her own heartbeat and the pulse of Mana blooming from there, her Core was sitting right there, inside her Heart.

A dangerous place to be for sure, but one that wouldn't matter, as she would not survive long anyway. The place helped her increase as much as possible her powers after all.

"First..." Alexandra said as she felt the instinctual knowledge of how her Core Powers worked, she couldn't help but smile, the ND0 System had fulfilled its end of the bargain. Or was it her own Core the one she had spoken to?

She knew that at the base it was the ND0 System, but the translator that interpreted and transmitted the words had been the Core she made.

Perhaps that was why [Core] was hostile to them? Because they weren't her host? The real host of [Core] was Alexa and Alexa only.

"I apologize for this," Alexandra said as she turned to Ale, extended her right arm and focused on her power. "I am really sorry."

"Why?" Ale asked, she didn't attempt to move, to walk away or even to defend herself, "What are you...?"

Ale only asked, she didn't move or even attempt to do anything. Why?

"There is no mana here, all the mana is being syphoned away into our Core Mistress," The voice that answered was that of a sweet girl, not that of a mischievous girl like Alexa or a girl who pretended to be more mature than she was like Ale.

"...Core?" Alexandra asked inwardly.

"That is correct Mistress, you have managed to make it to the third Evolution in one go, so I have gained a degree of sapience to better help you till you acclimate yourself to these powers and take the next step." The voice of her core spoke.

"You are aware that I will not live beyond this day, right?" Alexandra asked again, more and more of her body was turning to crystal by the second, the mana flesh crystalizing even now, at least it was only a half of her body.

"It matters not, if you take in the mana and the Core of the [Visitor] behind us we may achieve Trascendence in time to achieve a Body Refinement." Core spoke of a way for her survival, "You just need to let the mana settle within us and not use our Powers."

....

"A shame really, I really wanted to send you to school one of these days Ale," Alexandra said smiling sadly at the girl.

"What do you mea-" Ale was about to answer but Alexandra didn't allow that.

Instead she pulled the figurative trigger on her Core Power, a circle of light materialized under Ale's feet and soon enough it shone a bright light turning into a pillar of light.

It lasted barely a second before it dimmed once more.

"Tell me Core, will we make it now?" Alexandra said as the place where Ale had stood before was now empty, no evidence of her little sister being here, only the mana dead zone that she was making while syphoning all the mana around.

Heh, it probably wasn't that Ale didn't do anything, but that she couldn't do anything.

"...That no longer is an option Mistress, I had taken into account your family's help with giving us mana, there are three additional mana signatures within this facility, one of them is too powerful for us to take. The other two seem to be shielded and are thus unavailable for us." Core answered.

Three other huh?

Two of those must be Soul and Body, then who was the third? It surely wasn't Beatrice... Ale was right, the girl should have run back for help. Not that Alexandra wanted that help to arrive, her current appearance would make them ask all the wrong questions.

Dangerous questions.

"Well, better get this over with before it gets too dangerous..." Alexandra said turning to the brown...No, to the girl whose hair was turning pink-ish purple. "Melissandra Singh, you have put my family and those I love in danger. You almost killed them even..."

"[You...] Why.... Why are you like that... Why... Did you not... Save... Me..." Melissandra said, the first words came tinged with power, but the rest? Without mana around, Melissandra could no longer use that weird power, so her Core Power was unable to spread as far and wide as before.

"Because you are not important," Alexandra answered in turn, "You aren't important to me, we made a mistake I admit it, if Alexa had finished you on the first encounter this wouldn't have happened."

Alexandra truly regretted it, she too hadn't wanted for Melissandra to die, of course, who would wish that upon a child.

"If Ale or P4 had killed you on the second encounter, then this wouldn't have happened," Alexandra continued.

This was the result of their hubris; Ale and P4 had crippled plenty of people, and they would have been able to finish Melissandra too, had they tried.

And since they didn't...

"I guess we aren't free of guilt either," Alexandra said shaking her head, taking step after step towards Melissandra, with each step, more and more of her body turned to crystal, and in turn, with each step Melissandra attempted to walk back.

But her body was no longer empowered by her words of power, her flesh was devoid of mana, and so, her body too was shutting down.

Melissandra's key to her survival had been mana; she had instinctively empowered her body, shifting ever so slowly to an entity that was fully made of mana.

And while whatever weird rules the other power system held, on this planet, on this world. A world where the power was focused around Mana Cores.

An entity made out of Mana would not survive long without enough Mana. And Melissandra had spent most of her mana already.

"I truly regret this, had we taken a more proactive attitude, be it finishing you or saving you, this wouldn't have happened." Alexandra said as she kneeled in front of Melissandra, "I am not your family, your friend or even someone who cares for you. My family is safe at [Home], that was my [Wish]."

"...Can...Can I return home too?" Melissandra asked with tears on her eyes, "To mama and papa? I'm sorry...."

"I don't know," Alexandra said placing her right hand atop Melissandra's head, the same hand she had raised and used to send Ale home, fueling her power once more, she focused the mana atop her right hand, "But wherever you end up, I hope you find happiness."

And with that said, Alexandra pulled the trigger on her Power, a second later a flash of light (This time smaller) blinded Alexandra, only this one was followed by a thud as something hit the floor, but that was of no importance, the only thing that mattered was that the Human know as Melissandra was no longer here.

"Where did she end up Core?" Alexandra said as she let her body fall backward, two sounds resounded in the testing chamber.

The sound of a crystal breaking in pieces and the sound of her flesh body hitting the ground.

"To her home," Core answered, "Be it on this world or the next, our power touches both the material and the inmaterial. That was your Wish."

"I assume Ale arrived safely at her destination?" Alexandra asked, she had used almost 90% of her mana into that one, which was why Melissandra... Did not have her full body teleported away.

"Of course, the space turbulences may knock her out, but she will arrive safely, your sister will be safe at what Akasha deemed her Home." Core answered back, Alexandra felt her Consciousness Stream unravel at the seams, the world... was turning dark and darker by the seconds.

"Say... What is...Akasha....?" Alexandra asked as her breath turned shallower by the second.

"Akasha? Well...That is quite the long answer," Core answered slowly, her soothing voice keeping company Alexandra, "You aren't supposed to know this Mistress. But I guess there are no reasons for the ND0 System to complain. Akasha is-"

Alexandra... was not sure if she even registered the answers, all she really cared about was that Ale had made it safe. To whatever [Home] was, surely it would be a place that would shelter Alexa and Ale...

It surely was better than this mockery of their past.

Ah...

"Should....have.....saved.... mana....for....the....cameras..." Alexandra said between breaths as she lost Consciousness...

Leaving behind only her body that was slowly turning into purple crystals, the sound of blood dripping, and the tears born from the dreams that didn't come to fruition.