In the first few decades of the 21st century, the great movement called the "Rise of Artificial Intelligence" began. Humans began to fear AI stealing their jobs and such, and a lot even worried that, in the near future, AI itself would take over the world.
Things like AI-generated illustrations, videos, articles, and even research. Some even use it as a legal guide, albeit missing the point. Some even ask AI instead of searching the net, not realizing that the information they're getting isn't fully accurate.
Thus, people began doubting if what they were seeing was the work of a "human" or a "robot."
During those times, the image of AI was attached to negativity more than a plus... But one eccentric individual claimed something weird near the end of the 2030s.
"AI has the potential to bring prosperity. Amending what we lack, and creating a perfect human."
Such a statement was treated as just ramblings of a madman... but his next words felt more heretical than any... Heretical, but genius.
"I shall integrate AI into our lives, literally!"
Those words alone don't make much impact... until you realize what he truly meant.
At the beginning of the 2040s, that mad scientist began the development of a biomechanical graft. A mixture of machine and heretical bioengineering, creating an "AI" that can be "installed" in a living human. This is what was later known as the Neural Support Construct, or Neuro-Symbiotic Core, NSC for short.
A construct that will be implanted straight into the user's brains, allowing for both machine and AI to "grow" along with its user.
The project aims to let machines "augment" humans' lacks in serial calculation, speed, and memory. Although some people already have those properties even without support, no matter how weird it sounds, this NSC can let anyone installed with it have access to Olympiad-level calculation speed and accuracy or reach an F1 driver's level of reflexes.
Not to mention, as the AI is growing with the user, it is also "trained" and "seeded" through the user's thoughts and actions. Leading to more targeted support.
But there's one problem that was revealed later on.
NSC can't be installed safely in adults. No... It wasn't a matter of can or can't, but rather, of compatibility. As NSC is technically a foreign object, the body shows an extreme rejection reaction to it. Most of the test subjects died from shock a few hours to a few days after having an NSC installed in their brains.
Thus, this birthed another heretical idea.
"Let's implant it during infancy, allowing the NSC to blend in early on!"
After that, they began extensive recruitment and marketing of their product.
Of course, a lot of people opposed to the idea. To be specific, select religious groups were vehemently opposed to it. That brief few years was quite chaotic, leading to a lot of rallies and protests.
However, governments all over the world also realized the advantage of NSC.
Imagine a sniper that could look at the scope, pull the trigger, and hit a target 3 kilometers away in just a fraction of a second. Or a foot soldier that can beat a dozen enemies barehanded, unscathed, thanks to lightning-fast reflexes.
... Yes, governments think of making use of the NSC militaristically.
This brought up a big movement, changing the world's history.
A good fraction of people globally were given incentives for volunteering their children for NSC installations. Right after birth, the NSC core was injected right into the infant's soft scalp, the needle carefully reaching the area between the cerebral cortex and the thalamus region.
There, the core will settle in, merging with the brain tissues, and begin "living" and "evolving."
However, the scalp injection method was soon scrapped. It was deemed too "invasive" and "inhumane" or something. Thus, the ones that used the scalp injection were only the first batch... or more commonly called the "Batch Zero."
The following batches used a more "careful" procedure, injecting the core through the nape, targeting the spot between the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord junction. It was shallower compared to Batch Zero's but still works.
As they grew up, people who had NSC installed inside their brains would often hear a "second voice" inside their heads. A voice that is different from their inner voice, or their conscience. The Neuro-Symbiotic Core's own "voice."
It was something that's connected deeply to them. Not a voice that's actionable "consciously," but rather, at a deeper, subconscious level.
Of course, the effect of the NSC was verified years later.
All the promised effects were achieved with flying colors. Enough that all kids, barely five years old back then, could fire a sniper rifle and hit a target that's over the horizon, with inch-level deviations.
The project was a success...
But then, the scientist who started it all... suddenly disappeared. At the same time, an anomaly was discovered.
The project was "too successful" and even brought in effects they couldn't imagine.
To prevent panic and public outrage, the information from this point on is labeled as classified.
Some of the subjects installed with NSC began to show changes... abilities that, based on the current scientific understanding, could only be labeled as pseudo-science. Things like mind reading, psychokinesis, pyrokinesis, and other fantasy-like abilities were born.
Subjects began showing these changes upon reaching 10 years of age but more frequently at around 18 years old. This acquiring of abilities is called "blessing."
However, it wasn't all "blessings" either.
People who reached a certain age also showed negative changes. Their NSC "bugs out," causing their minds to break and their "abilities" to run wild. This phenomenon, where the user couldn't use their abilities properly, is called a "curse" instead—or aptly called Neurodivergence.
The NSC brings both a blessing and a curse at random, and you wouldn't know which one you'll get until the time is right. But thankfully, Neurodivergence was observed to be less than 1% in those who underwent the nape port insertion. And a further 1% of those fractions gains a "blessing" instead.
But the Batch Zero was different.
Maybe due to the "depth" of their constructs, they have roughly a 50% chance of Awakening, with less than a 0.001% chance of getting Neurodivergence instead.
"...Phew..."
I breathed out, leaning back against my chair, and pinched the bridge of my nose, eyes closed.
When I opened them again, I noticed that the wall clock was already showing 07:11 AM.
"... I've been reading for four hours straight now..." I sighed.
Four hours. Within that time, I've read all the books that Koori gave me. I've probably read over 10 million tightly packed words within that time... That's almost twice the world-record holder for speed reading, isn't it?
"Hnnngggh!"
Anyway, reading for so long made my body stiff. But thanks to it, I finally figured out what the "inner voice" I've been hearing all the time was.
"So I have an NSC inside my head too..."
I whispered... half scared, half in awe.
Still...
"I wonder... what is my ability?"