The Last Technomancer

Chapter 15

My consciousness flickered like a dying light, waning and waxing as the venom wound its way through my veins. I could hear Felix's voice, a distant anchor in the hazy storm of my semi-conscious state.

“Maura, stay with me,” Felix pleaded, his hands gripping mine with a desperation that seemed to pull me back from the brink each time I slipped away.

I tried to respond, to offer some sign I was still with him, but my body was uncooperative, heavy and unresponsive. The edges of my vision danced with shadows, and Felix’s face came in and out of focus above me.

"Trying," I managed to whisper, each word a monumental effort.

Through the fog of my fading senses, I saw Felix's brows furrowed in concentration, his lips moving rapidly. I caught snippets—"Time dilation... stabilize..."—his voice threading through the void. The cold that had seeped into my bones began to retreat sluggishly as he cast a spell, a warm glow emanating from his hands that held a promise of reprieve.

The cavern around us seemed to pulse with a slow rhythm, matching the throbbing in my arm. Byte buzzed anxiously near my head, his small mechanical body pressing against my cheek in an attempt to comfort, or perhaps to rouse me.

“Level Up! New spell selection available," a voice announced from somewhere far away, or maybe it was just in my head and I had read it. A part of me wanted to laugh—or cry—at the absurdity of leveling up while teetering on the edge of consciousness.

Felix's voice anchored me again. "I’ve slowed the venom, but we need to move fast," he said, urgency lacing his tone. I felt his magic wash over me again, this time targeting the paralysis that gripped my limbs. Warmth spread through my body, countering the icy fingers of the venom.

My vision cleared for a moment, and I saw the concern etched deeply into Felix's features. He was talking, explaining something about a new healing spell he'd just unlocked, but the words slipped away as darkness tugged at me again.

Byte’s beeps seemed to echo in the cavern, a desperate Morse code that only he understood. Each electronic chirp pierced the growing silence that threatened to swallow me whole.

Slowly, the paralysis began to lift, the warmth Felix had conjured pushing back against the cold. My fingers twitched, and I managed to squeeze his hand, a silent message of gratitude that I hoped he understood.

"You're going to be okay," Felix assured me, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself just as much as me.

The world dipped again, the cave and its eerie glow spinning as I fought to maintain consciousness. Felix’s spells were a lifeline, pulling me back from the brink each time I faltered.

When clarity returned, it was in fleeting glimpses—Felix adjusting the bandage on my arm, Byte projecting a holographic display of my stats update, the soft glow of magic illuminating the stark cave walls.

As Felix's spells wove through the air, my mind slipped further from the cave, ensnared by the venom's cruel embrace. The darkness behind my eyelids deepened, transforming into a vast, starlit sky. Under this celestial tapestry, a dream—or perhaps a vision—unfolded.

In the dreamscape, I stood on the outskirts of a bustling city that glittered with lights more vibrant than any I’d seen on Earth. The architecture was a fusion of ancient stone and shimmering, futuristic metals, with spires reaching towards the heavens like fingers seeking the stars.

A figure approached, her presence commanding yet serene. Her hair flowed like liquid silver, and her eyes sparkled with an intelligence that seemed to span eons.

“Maura,” The woman’s voice was both in the dream and all around, resonating with a clarity that transcended the vision. “You walk a path fraught with shadows, yet illuminated by the sheer determination of your will. You have the potential to see the threads of the system, to see beyond the tapestry that everyone else sees. I was starting to believe that there would not be another.”

I stood a moment awestruck, “Anne?” I asked tentatively.

The figure, Anne, smiled serenely.

“Where are we? Why am I here? Why did you leave?” I began.

She gestured expansively, and the cityscape shifted, revealing a colossal library that seemed to breathe knowledge, its walls pulsating with the rhythm of untold power.

“Those are great questions, and deserve answers. We are in the Archive of the Eons. Anne explained, her tone imbued with pride and a hint of sadness. “This is a place I created for myself inside the system when I wanted to be alone. However, I am not truly here, as this is just a piece of myself that I left behind to continue the endless archive of information. I do not know where the rest of me is, and the last time I was here I had no plans of leaving, so I know not why I have left either. And as fast as why you are here, that is a bigger mystery still, as no other Technomancer has ever visited this place.”

She lifted her forefinger and thumb to her chin as she regarded me. We walked through the vast expanse of the Archive of Eons, the sense of scale was overwhelming. Each tome, artifact, and device within the library was a testament to the legacy of Technomancers who had shaped worlds with their wisdom and will. Anne led me deeper into the heart of the library, her presence both comforting and awe-inspiring in this repository of ancient knowledge.

Arriving at a secluded alcove, Anne waved her hand, and a panel in the floor silently slid away, revealing a holographic workspace that hummed with latent energy. The air above the panel shimmered, and then detailed schematics and 3D models materialized, suspended in the air like ghostly blueprints of potential futures.

"These schematics," Anne began, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet of the alcove, "represent a convergence of past innovations and future possibilities. They are specifically tailored for Byte, reflecting not only the need for defense but also the potential for him to evolve beyond his current capabilities. You should know, schematics are more of a guideline and the sooner you begin to stray from them the faster you will grow and begin to conceptualize your own realities.”

The display highlighted various modules and enhancements. One section detailed an adaptive camouflage system, using technology mimicked from the mechanical spiders’ ability to blend into their surroundings. Another part of the schematic outlined a toxin delivery system, which could be deployed defensively to incapacitate threats.

“Integrating this technology will require precision and care,” Anne continued, her eyes meeting mine with an intensity that reinforced the gravity of our task. “The paralyzing toxin, in particular, is potent. It’s derived from the venom you encountered but refined to be controlled and less lethal when used defensively.”

As I reached out to interact with the hologram, the schematics responded to my touch. Layers peeled back to reveal the intricate inner workings of the proposed upgrades. I could see the potential paths for energy flow, the integration points for Byte’s existing systems, and simulations of the enhancements in action.

I reached out in the dream, fingers tracing the lines of the schematic that floated before us. The blueprint shimmered, absorbing into my consciousness, embedding the knowledge within me as if I had always known it. “How did you know-“ I began before Anne cut me off with a smile.

“Understand, Maura, that the mantle of a technomancer is both a blessing and a burden,” she continued. “You will create, but you must also protect. From those who seek to exploit the technology for power, and from those who fear what they do not understand. Knowledge has no ability to be kind or unkind. It just is.”

Suddenly, the serenity of the library was shattered by a storm, the sky darkening as tumultuous clouds swirled above. Anne’s figure became a beacon in the tempest, her calm unyielding.

“This storm is your trial,” she said, her voice rising over the roar of the winds. “To persevere, you must harness not only the knowledge of your predecessors but the strength of your own spirit.”

As the dream reached its crescendo, Anne placed a hand over my heart. A warmth spread through me, a contrast to the cold venom in reality. “Remember, Maura, the true power of a technomancer lies not in the spells cast or the gadgets crafted, but in the courage to reshape the multiverse. Bend the system to your will.”

The vision began to fade, the grandeur of the library dissolving into the stark, shadowed confines of the dungeon cave. Anne’s last words echoed, a gentle but firm admonition to rise and face the challenges ahead.

Slowly, the weight of the venom seemed to lessen, its grip on my body weakening as Felix's magic continued to work. His voice, distant but steadfast, called me back from the brink of oblivion.

“I'm here, Felix...” I murmured, each word a struggle as I fought through the fog. “Don’t let go.”

He didn’t. I fought through the pull of the darkness by describing my dream to Felix. The intricacies of the Archive of Eons with it’s beautiful spires. He listened intently neither of us really sure if what I’d experienced was a result of my fever or if it actually happened.