10 weeks of basic training, 16 weeks of advanced individual training, 3 weeks in airborne school, and another 3 weeks into the ranger assessment and selection program. William had about eight months of military training before Akira merged with him and took over.
November 15, 2005. He's officially 19 this year and if luck would have it he should be deployed to Fort Benning with a rank of specialist or sergeant in another three weeks. Then he could proudly call himself a man of his own. This all changed when Akira brought with him the strange ability to assimilate technology.
William slipped out of his barracks bunk, moving with the silent precision drilled into him. He waited for this time when most of the base would be asleep, and only the night patrols would be moving around. He made his way to a secluded spot near the perimeter fence, where a small auxiliary communications relay sits tucked behind some crates.
"Owkaay," He muttered under his breath, glancing around to make sure he's alone. "Let's see what this ability can really do."
The world around him faded a little as his mind expands into a series of networks that spread live invisible threads in the air. He understood that these threads are specific frequencies which he can tune into.
Curious and determined to see what he can do he tries tuning into these specific frequencies. He locks onto the patrol route radio channel, listening in as guards coordinate their rounds. With a little concentration, he shifts his focus to a civilian broadcast from a nearby town. The country music that was being broadcasted is now playing loud and clear in his head.
"Cool," he whispers, grinning slightly. "Now for the fun part."
He reaches further, pushing past the base's usual channels. He finds encrypted military bands he shouldn't have access to, and somehow… he can unlock them with ease. Just by understanding the signal's pattern, like reading a language he never knew he spoke. He caught snippets about a "special assignment" being planned for the next week, but he pulls back before he can hear too much. Now is not the time for snooping.
Then he decides to test transmitting. Instead of using his voice, he sends a mental message. He sent a simple string of numbers to the relay. A second later, the base's weather monitoring system beeps, displaying those exact numbers as if they were sensor readings.
"Whoa…"
With building confidence he tried to reach further, attempting to connect with a satellite signal passing overhead, he hits a wall. A sharp pain shoots through his head, and he stumbles back, gasping. The connection snaps like a rubber band, leaving him dizzy and sweating.
"Okay, note to self—don't bite off more than you can chew, so I still need to assimilate with batteries if I wanted to improve this ability... Hmmm I'll see which one would fit me best later." William mumbled while massaging his temples.
William pulls out a small notebook he'd tucked into his pocket—something he'd started carrying since the merge, using it to jot down observations about his abilities like a science teacher taking notes for class.
He flips to a page where he'd listed every battery type he could think of from both his lives: alkaline, lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride, even the specialized military-grade ones used in communications gear.
"Let's break this down," he mutters, leaning against the crates as he crosses out options one by one. "Alkaline's too common and doesn't hold that much juice. NiMH has memory effect which makes it not ideal for the job. But lithium-ion… high energy density, lightweight, and military variants are built to handle extreme conditions. Not to mention accessible to trainees who has practical background in engineering."
His thoughts drift toward a supply shed nearby. He knew they keep cases of Li-ion batteries for the base's portable radios. A quick check of the patrol schedule tells him the next guard won't pass by for another ten minutes.
He sliped inside with relative ease, grabbing a single battery pack, and found a dark corner. Taking a deep breath, he held the battery in his palm. The familiar tingle starts up, but this time it's different. He was aware that the changes occurred in his cephalic region when he assimilated the radio. This time however felt warmer, more intense, like tiny sparks dancing under his skin.
The assimilation hits him harder than the radio did. His whole body buzzes for a few seconds, and he has to grip a shelf to stay steady. When the feeling faded like a dream, he looked down at his hand and sees faint blue arcs of electricity crackling between his fingers, harmlessly dancing across his skin.
'I'm electric! Literally!'
"Whoa… that's new, I have to be more careful when I do it in the future." he whispers to himself, touching his fingertip to a metal tool rack. A small jolt shoots out, making the rack hum softly. He closes his eyes instinctively and focused. He felt the energy stored in his cells, how it flows through his veins like a second bloodstream.
'I'll need to make sure I'm able to control it.'
Somehow, the control issue did not bother him since the charge and discharge was intuitive. He could charge himself via normal energy generation or by plugging directly into an outlet. There are pros and cons to both but William or Will as he prefers was way passed that.
He was more curious about how it affects his radio transmission and reception. Testing it out, he reaches for the threads again. This time, when he reaches for the satellite signal, there's no pain—just a smooth connection that lets him glimpse data streams from hundreds of miles up before he gently pulls back.
He dropped the empty battery casing and heads back toward the barracks. As he walks, he notices his muscles feel lighter, his steps more efficient—like the stored energy is giving him a subtle boost.
'Okay,' he thinks to himself, grinning as he tucks his notebook away. 'Looks like we've leveled up. Now I just need to figure out how to keep this under wraps until I know what I'm really capable of.'
As he climbs back into his bunk he made a new note in his book. "Test energy discharge limits tomorrow—maybe start with small electronics first." Written in his own encrypted version of Baybayin, he felt no need to worry about people reading his notes.