1.12 Virtual Part 1

“So will this work?” asks Joan.

“Should do,” replies Leo as he puts on the virtual reality helmet on his head.

It is sleek and smooth and very advanced, a creation of his new ally Shichiro Koizumi. The Japanese man is a fellow Gadgeteer who specialises in virtual reality.

Quite advanced really. Something I understand with my own power and intelligence, but lack the innate skill and knowledge that Koizumi is granted by this power.

Our intelligence is more versatile than any speciality.

I wonder what my speciality is? Every Gadgeteer has one. It becomes obvious quite early on. Koizumi’s is virtual reality, Tin Man is armour, Hard Shell is advanced engineering, Techno is electronics, Crimson Crusader is high power levels.

Perhaps we simply have enhanced intelligence?

No, I get too much creativity and inspiration from Iron. It fits in with what other gadgeteers say about their power and how it feels.

Mass production maybe? Long term manufacturing?

Possibly. Perhaps it might become clearer in time.

It has to be something broad. It is was on a more focused subject, we would have figured out by now.

Yes, maybe something as broad as engineering such as Hard Shell. Or maybe electronics like Techno?

What about physics or technology in general? Science maybe?

Joyous Star is a new addition to Leo’s companions, appearing when Legacy summoned Gord’Ang. He takes a form of a glowing blue person with no features and represents Leo’s happiness and excitement.

Leo has yet to tell anyone else about him, fearing what they will think of his sanity and mental state. After all, it isn’t normal to multiple voices in your head or subpersonalities. Even for a parahuman, it is abnormal.

Too broad. That would definitely be overpowered anyway.

Balance doesn’t seem to be a concern when peoples are involved.

We should probably get back to the task at hand.

Heart is right. We should focus on finding Legacy.

Leo takes a deep breath as he activates the virtual reality helmet. It works by connecting the mind to a server. Once there, the server varies from server to server. In this case, Leo is piggybacking on the signal that Jaylyn followed and found Legacy and Ceta on the other end.

He blinks as the world spins around him. The few others who have tried the virtual reality helmets claim that the process of their consciousness being projected into a virtual reality is jarring and dazing, often causing them to black out as their minds fail to take strain and remain awake.

But Leo has never had that problem. Whether his homebuilt is better built with the slight and minor modifications he made to the design Koizumi sent him or the enhanced mental facilities his power has granted him, Leo has always remain conscious for the process, suffering nothing more than a slight jolt as his mind enters the virtual world.

Or cyber world in this case. I wonder what this place is like.

Jaylyn said it is white and green and very utilitarian.

Not to mention being smooth, sleek and curved.

I wonder if it will look good.

Legacy or Ceta would never consider choosing from over function.

Of course, but that doesn’t inherently mean it has to be ugly.

I guess we’ll just have to find out.

Leo looks around the apartment. It appears that Jaylyn was accurate in her descriptions of the place.

“Father!” cries Jaylyn as she as tackles Leo.

He grunts and steps back as his daughter slam into him full force. Leo smiles at her, noting that her virtual form is accurate representation of who is she.

Now only if we could get her a body like this in the real world.

It can be done.

Either by science or parahuman.

“Hello Darling,” replies Leo as he hugs his daughter back, “Pleasure to see you again.”

“Greeting Leo,” says a familiar voice and Leo looks up to see Legacy in her Guardian armour with another person in green armour behind her, “I am so glad to see you again brother.”

Brother?

“Brother?” repeats Leo in a stunned voice.

“Yes,” replies Legacy as she strides towards him, “As far as I am concerned, you are my brother. By Deltaen standards, you would be.”

“I guess so,” says Leo as Legacy joins in with his hug with Jaylyn.

It actually makes sense.

It is an honour to have Legacy as our sister.

Aye.

Agreed.

Indeed.

Definitely.

“So who is that?” asks Legacy as she looks over Leo’s shoulder, “I know the others, but not that one.”

Leo doesn’t even need to look to know what Legacy is talking about. Another aspect of using the virtual reality helmet that is unique to him is that his companions also gain avatars in the virtual world, each taking the same form as they do in his mind.

He doesn’t know why that happens even though he does have a few possible theories on why. Before this moment, the only people other than Leo who known about this and by extent Joyous Star are Jaylyn and Koizumi. The former is ever loyal and supportive of her father while the latter simply doesn’t care.

It seems I have to explain Star to Legacy and Ceta now.

At least those two won’t find me weird.

“Legacy, this is Joyous Star,” says Leo.