"Really?" you ask, surprised at how smoothly everything was starting to go. "I'd love too," you answer excitedly.
"Great," Ai says. She closes her locker and picks up her bag with your clothes in it. "Let's get goin." Ai lets you lead the way to the dorm wing.
Luckily, the station's layout isn't that complicated, and you remember they route you took to get here. You and Ai walk side by side, allowing you to look at her cybernetic limbs. You can't help but be mesmerized by the exposed mechanisms operating smoothly. They're far more advanced than anything you've seen and you curiously wonder how an athlete like her would end up with them. Ai looks over and sees you staring. "Interested in my prosthetics?" she asks holding up an arm to show.
"Ah! S-sorry, I didn't mean to," you say.
"S'alright. I don't mind. Are you curious about them?"
"Well," you say. Admittedly you were curious. You decide to take the opportunity to ask. "How did you get them?"
"The academy finances them."
"Really? Why?"
"For their cybersports division."
"Cybersports?"
"Basically the same as their sports division, but instead has cybernetically enhanced athletes rather than regular ones."
"And did you choose to do that or was it for like a scholarship thing?"
"Scholarship? What's that?"
Oh, seems like college is free in the future. "Nevermind. Why did you become a cyber athlete?"
Ai sighed. "You know how your body has a 'limit' it can't surpass?"
You nod, somewhat understanding.
"Well I reached my body's limit in high school. I worked so hard, practiced everyday almost. But eventually, I hit a point where I couldn't surpass. That's when I decided to become a cyber athlete. I'd use cybernetics to push beyond my limits," Ai said pumping a metal fist.
"Huh. But what about...how do I say this. Doesn't that sound like performance enhancing drugs? Isn't there some kind of unwritten rule that sports are supposed to push the limits of your body the way it is?"
"Ya know, I used to argue the same thing back in high school." You tilt your head in surprise. "I used to act so arogantly, acting better than others just for not using cybernetics. But when I hit my limit, I realized the pain they all probably went through at one point. The struggle of worker harder and harder, but not gaining anything from it, at least not like you used to. But when I got my cyber limbs, I felt like there was a whole new horizon for me to reach. Sure, I don't have muscles to strengthen anymore, other than in my torso, but now the key is learning my new limbs, eliminating the disconnect between me and them, and using technique over raw strength over my opponents."
"Huh, that's sounds really cool," you say. You couldn't help but admire her passion for what she does. "Oh, we passed my room," you say running back a few doors.
Ai followed you. "Here's your uniform," she says pulling out your still damp uniform and handing it to you.
"Thanks," you say taking it. "I'll get changed inside and-"
"No worries."
"What?"
"You can hold onto it. I got spares, and like I said, I don't wear them that much anyway. See ya, Shuji," Ai says jogging away while waving back at you. You wave back and go back into your room. Once you shut the door and take a breath. Well that was a good first day, you thought. Wait, no it wasn't. You'd only started the day. You get changed into your uniform and hang up Ai's and head out again, continuing with your day. Eventually you...
"Great," Ai says. She closes her locker and picks up her bag with your clothes in it. "Let's get goin." Ai lets you lead the way to the dorm wing.
Luckily, the station's layout isn't that complicated, and you remember they route you took to get here. You and Ai walk side by side, allowing you to look at her cybernetic limbs. You can't help but be mesmerized by the exposed mechanisms operating smoothly. They're far more advanced than anything you've seen and you curiously wonder how an athlete like her would end up with them. Ai looks over and sees you staring. "Interested in my prosthetics?" she asks holding up an arm to show.
"Ah! S-sorry, I didn't mean to," you say.
"S'alright. I don't mind. Are you curious about them?"
"Well," you say. Admittedly you were curious. You decide to take the opportunity to ask. "How did you get them?"
"The academy finances them."
"Really? Why?"
"For their cybersports division."
"Cybersports?"
"Basically the same as their sports division, but instead has cybernetically enhanced athletes rather than regular ones."
"And did you choose to do that or was it for like a scholarship thing?"
"Scholarship? What's that?"
Oh, seems like college is free in the future. "Nevermind. Why did you become a cyber athlete?"
Ai sighed. "You know how your body has a 'limit' it can't surpass?"
You nod, somewhat understanding.
"Well I reached my body's limit in high school. I worked so hard, practiced everyday almost. But eventually, I hit a point where I couldn't surpass. That's when I decided to become a cyber athlete. I'd use cybernetics to push beyond my limits," Ai said pumping a metal fist.
"Huh. But what about...how do I say this. Doesn't that sound like performance enhancing drugs? Isn't there some kind of unwritten rule that sports are supposed to push the limits of your body the way it is?"
"Ya know, I used to argue the same thing back in high school." You tilt your head in surprise. "I used to act so arogantly, acting better than others just for not using cybernetics. But when I hit my limit, I realized the pain they all probably went through at one point. The struggle of worker harder and harder, but not gaining anything from it, at least not like you used to. But when I got my cyber limbs, I felt like there was a whole new horizon for me to reach. Sure, I don't have muscles to strengthen anymore, other than in my torso, but now the key is learning my new limbs, eliminating the disconnect between me and them, and using technique over raw strength over my opponents."
"Huh, that's sounds really cool," you say. You couldn't help but admire her passion for what she does. "Oh, we passed my room," you say running back a few doors.
Ai followed you. "Here's your uniform," she says pulling out your still damp uniform and handing it to you.
"Thanks," you say taking it. "I'll get changed inside and-"
"No worries."
"What?"
"You can hold onto it. I got spares, and like I said, I don't wear them that much anyway. See ya, Shuji," Ai says jogging away while waving back at you. You wave back and go back into your room. Once you shut the door and take a breath. Well that was a good first day, you thought. Wait, no it wasn't. You'd only started the day. You get changed into your uniform and hang up Ai's and head out again, continuing with your day. Eventually you...
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March 23
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