Xaviers!

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~~Neural Port functional
~~ Generating Interface protocols
~~ Connectivity established
~~ Network resources sufficient for Autonomic-CNS Bridge

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~~ Automated maintenance and neural stabilization engaged
~~ Generating log file...
~~ Structural damage to gas exchange module
~~ Material reclamation at 98%
~~ Fibrinogenesis operational
~~ Structural damage repair in progress

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~~ Energy levels at 38%
~~ Mitochondrial Status: Hydrogen Extraction inactive - No source material
~~ Liquid levels at 92%

Ashlie sits up from Natalie's 'life-support' seat with a start, pulling free from the connector that had sunk into the port on the back of her neck. She'd hoped to gain more direct access to the network. What she hadn't anticipated was the nanites engaging the connection almost immediately, connecting them to the rest of her processes and causing some kind of somatic response. All her functions were subdued and allowed the nanites to divert processing power to run some sort of self-diagnostic and data processing...

"Is everything alright?" Natalie's voice comes from a nearby console.

"In a manner of speaking. Attempting to link up with the network worked, but my autonomic nervous system apparently has higher access privileges than I do. It powered me down and ran what I can only assume is some kind of maintenance routine."

"Checking your network access," Natalie says, her brain running a check to see what, if anything, Ashlie had accessed while she was powered down.

Relatively little. The only thing she can find is that a good chunk of data processing was offloaded to the network, mainly compiling huge data packages down into smaller ones, shifting from one indecipherable mess into a neatly ordered one that's equally hard to parse for Natalie but looks like the kind of data she's familiar seeing from Ashlie.

"Not seeing anything unusual... Just looks like you were offloading... Wait... were you asleep?"

"That's impo--" she starts, then reconsiders. "I was asleep, wasn't I?" she groans.

"Based on review of the security footage, I'd say it's likely. Doctor McCoy would need to review your vitals to know for sure, but it is a reasonable conclusion." The console chuckles, "Annoying, isn't it?"

"Inconvenient at the very least. But it did provide me with a status update from the nanites."

"That is more than most people get when they wake up. Everything still holding together?"

"Almost suspiciously so. Very few of the materials involved play nice with biological systems, many should be highly toxic and in turn none of the materials should stand up to the harsh conditions biology presents to them. Not to mention the question of how the nanites are differentiating between a bullet and the exact same metals being present all throughout my system."

"Bodies can be good at that sort of thing, though I wouldn't presume to understand if the nanites are even modeling that. It makes you unusual, but *everyone* here is unusual, so you fit right in."

"I have roughly a million questions and barely time to answer any of them. Fortunately the semester is all but over, so once I finish untangling the remaining administrative snags and get everyone's courses filed I'll have the whole summer to work on this."

"I will insist in whatever way I can, though I think I will start by changing the chair's systems to no longer notify me when the port is disengaged. Forgot that was even still on."

"I hope you don't mind me using it. If it lets me run diagnostics on myself I might have it moved to my apartment."

"Not at all. I don't need it anymore and it was designed by Acala, well, you I guess, with my body in mind, so it may suit you well."

"I do produce some good work, even when I'm not entirely myself."

"You do and you are pretty good with ergonomics. The chair was quite comfortable. Did you dream at all?"

"Not unless I dreamt about status reports. Which is entirely possible, but I was only out for about... four minutes and thirty-one seconds."

"Sometimes it doesn't take long, but yeah, that's probably not enough time. It will be fascinating to see if that's a thing you do when you sleep."