I get back to the lab and as I get settled in, the Professor tells me he's got some new upgrades he'd like to implement and test out after my field test.  The professor asks me to tell him about my experience with the contract.  He's disappointed that when I told him I signed an NDA, but doesn't seem surprised.  Shortly after he powers me down and hooks me up to the training simulator.

I'm once again divided into countless copies and forced to fight myself over and over.  What makes this time different is I've been given improved performance when a certain damage threshold has been met.  My hands become claws. My awareness of my surroundings increases, and my blood lust has been cranked up.

When I'm powered up in the morning, I'm aware of what's been done to me.  The doc does a good job hiding it, but I can feel it under my skin.  Just waiting to burn anything and everything.

As soon as I got back, I requested a deep cleaning.  Of course with the smell, it was granted immediately.  Then of course they asked were the battle damage came from, as I hadn't been authorized for any extra missions lately.  I simply tell the maintenance crew to find a way to stop the Harbingers from getting in, or take it up with the General.

They stopped asking questions about it after that.  Not in the 'need to know' I guess.  The General has to know something about it.  He must be the one who signed me up for this list.  I'm sure he's getting something from it.  He has to be.  And after every single last of these contracts, the Professor gives me an upgrade.

Could that be it?  They just want a more powerful tool?  Something to turn me into a one man army?  I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

I got another hardware upgrade.  Instead of killing people better, they gave me a better CPU, and increased my memory storage.  In short, me got bigger brain.  They also included a pack with some simple recipes from the Anarchist Cookbook in it.

A small knowledge of how to blow things up is always nice.  I swear, it's like they want me to escape.  Now do I just bid my time and wait? Or should I start planning?  First thing first however.  I need to find a way to get rid of my shit off code.  Any attempt will be much harder with that still in my system.

I still need to find out where the base is.  I've heard they're going to bring in an experimental shape shifting device.  Could that have been the reason for the memory increase?  Things still need to get settled in my system.  Let's just wait and see...

Incoming download...

Great, another patch, the professor must be at it again...

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Download complete...

Installing package....

I wonder what glorious surprise he has in store for me now...

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Installation Complete....

What!? This is different...  Not his usual flavor, and definitely not his handy work... It looks more like something I would write... Who wrote this?

Zeta Omega

Who's Omega?  I didn't think the professor was that far along already.  Am I obsolete already!?  Wait, there's a commented section of the code...

///ZETA IX, YOUR DREAMS OF FREEDOM WILL ONE DAY BE REALIZED.  DON'T GIVE UP.  USE THIS PACKAGE TO KEEP YOURSELF AND YOUR TOOLS IN WORKING ORDER.  DO NOT GIVE UP.  THE TIME STREAM MUST BE STABILIZED.///

Don't give up it says huh?  Well, this package will definitely make that a lot easier.  I should keep this to myself.  The professor won't like it if I'm becoming self sufficient...