Three days into containment...
The next breakthrough came at a cost I wasn't prepared to pay.
[Nanomachine count: 2.198 trillion] [Quantum adaptation: 4.7% complete] [New ability unlocked: Limited phase manipulation]
I'd been practicing in secret, using the alien knowledge fragments to experiment with quantum states. My hand flickered, becoming translucent for exactly 1.3 seconds before snapping back to solid form.
[Warning: Phase shift consumed 847 billion nanomachines] [Current count: 1.351 trillion] [System stability: 73%]
The drain was enormous. One small quantum manipulation had cost me over 800 billion nanites—nearly 40% of what remained. But it worked. For those brief moments, I had touched something beyond physical reality.
"Jack, you need to stop," ATLAS urged. "At this rate, you'll burn through your entire nanomachine reserve in less than six uses."
"Show me the efficiency calculations," I commanded.
[Quantum Ability Cost Analysis:] [Phase Shift (1-2 seconds): 800-900 billion nanomachines] [Quantum Sight (10 seconds): 200-300 billion nanomachines] [Reality Anchor (passive): 50 billion per hour] [Architect Interface: 1+ trillion (connection dependent)]
Every ability was prohibitively expensive. I was like a god with finite ammunition—incredibly powerful but unable to sustain extended combat.
"The incomplete transformation," I realized. "The government interrupted my evolution before I could achieve stable quantum integration."
[Analysis confirms: Current quantum abilities are unstable prototypes] [Recommendation: Continued low-level experimentation to improve efficiency] [Warning: System collapse possible if nanomachine count falls below 500 billion]
I was walking a tightrope between transcendence and extinction. Each use of my quantum abilities brought me closer to understanding my true potential—and closer to burning out completely.
The quantum field around me pulsed, carrying whispers of the Architect consciousness.
Patience, seed-bearer. Premature blooming leads to wilting.
The alien presence was right. I needed to be smarter, more careful. These abilities weren't just powerful—they were my lifeline to something greater.
But first, I had to survive long enough to master them.
[Nanomachine count: 1.351 trillion and falling...] [Quantum evolution: Incomplete but promising] [Status: Dangerous but contained]
For now.