Early October, 2015

"She's healing at a phenomenal rate." Tandy said as she went through the numbers. "According to my data, without this advanced healing ability of hers, she would have some problems. Though I learned a lot by taking her apart, and putting her together, we still had some unforeseen difficulties."

"Yes. The spinal cord integration was a complete failure. You had to remove it, put in the artificial cord of silicon and fiber optics, and do several hundred nerve splices in order to get her organs operational." Jill sighed. "We'll need to work that into the next model, doctor. Unless we do outlying limbs first, then go into the spinal cord, this way had a few close calls."

"One was already too many." Tandy said tiredly. "However, her organs are under her control again, through the new interface and fiber bundle. We'll have to wait until she's able to wake up before we do full testing of the frame."

"You go rest, doctor. I'll stay with her." Danica said as she entered. "Jill, it's your shift on the front desk."

* * *

"Hm. Better then I expected." Aya said as she moved around. She frowned and activated her chips. "Tandy, is there something you wish to tell me?"

"Baby, the original operations were going smooth, however, when we moved to the rib cage, the cord began to reject all the connections. We had to do a full switch over to the enhanced system before we expected to." Tandy said, although she sounded a bit regretful.

"To be honest, I believed it might become necessary for that to happen, Tandy. The nerves might have sensitized and become an unbearable source of pain for anyone who undergoes the operational upgrades. Hold on. What is today's date? Is that correct?" She asked in a low voice.

"It is, baby." Tandy said. "For some unknown reason, your body heals about twenty five percent faster, then others, but that was before the operations. There is something within your system that now forcibly heals the body at an accelerated pace. The demand for nutrients is increased by over a hundred percent, but your regenerative speed is about one and a half times that of a normal human."

"Computer, compare my healing speed with the doctors, and the gang units." Aya asked, following a hunch.

"After the interface, the gang units all had increased regenerative factors. After the basic chips were installed, that factor increased as well. Not in proportion to your speed, but at an elevated and measurable rate."

"I'll be damned." Tandy said softly. "Computer, extrapolate a hypothesis. Does the interface allow the human brain to share some of its load, and therefore free more space for other functions?"

"Unknown at this time. The brain has never been a source of investigation in regards to regenerative healing, other then through alternative and holistic medicine."

"Well, it could be that the old doctors from centuries ago discovered something about the brain that many have forgotten." Aya said quietly. "Rational thought can make the brain affect the body, including inducing illness, or relieving headaches. Doctors sometimes prescribe harmless medication in order to placate hypochondriacs."

"Makes sense. Fear could increase the amount of pain a person felt. The mind can also eliminate fear, and pain. Just ignore it." Tandy said and looked at the data. "Still, this means that if we upgrade the girl's chips after they fully integrate and begin to use them, they will heal faster, and recover from a full skeletal upgrade. We also know that we can't go half measures once we touch the spine. We can do limbs, as regular doctors do those."

"Correct. Doctor, sigh...love." Tandy felt startled when Aya called her love. She only ever called her Tandy when they were in this environment.  "Please rest, and restore yourself. Then compile the data, the procedures, and create a series that will guide us in the future." Tandy's eyes softened, and the scary cold personality she sometimes fell into faded from sight.

"Alright, baby. Computer, engage sleep mode." Tandy's eyes closed.  As soon as she engaged the sleep mode, Aya pressed a button on her console.

"Computer, engage induced stasis for the doctor, and insert the upgraded chips. Keep their functions scaled to these ones until she adapts. Keep the communication chip as verbal only." Aya said, and watched as the mechanical arms that took care of the doctor's body, pulled two chips out, and seated two part parent chips in their place.

"Chips installed. Chips online, and tested. Chips powered, and throttled back to match the previous configuration. Monitoring host. Bringing host out of stasis, and into sleep mode. No anomalies."

"Continue to monitor her vitals, and put into stasis if any anomalies occur. Has there been any regenerative healing signs?" Aya asked.

"Negative. Her higher cognitive functions are not self sustaining without the interface." Aya's eyes closed, and in a moment of anger, she swung her arm down at the desk.  The white metal desk collapsed, its legs crushed, and its body folded like it was made of paper.

"Boss." Danica came out of the shadows. "You'll need to get that fixed before she wakes up." Aya sniffed and nodded.

"Were you able to pull up any pictures of her assailants?" Aya asked quietly.

"All five. Their dossiers are on file."

"Then I am going hunting." She grit her teeth. "My partner rests inside a vat to keep her alive, and five bastards that dared to lay their hands on her are walking free!" Aya walked out of the lab, and missed about how Tandy opened her eyes for only a few seconds, smiled gently, and went back to sleep.

She may not be able to wake herself up out of stasis, but sleep mode was nothing for a mind like hers.

* * *

"Convenient." Aya said quietly. She downloaded a new program she made for public use when she didn't want to be seen. "Engage stealth mode."

'Stealth mode engaged.'  She was fully aware of the drawbacks of this program, and its limitations at the moment. She didn't actually disappear, or go into a camouflaged chameleon state. Instead, it made her able to walk softly, and hide more adeptly in shadows. It made her mind more aware of her surroundings, and how to hide her presence in them.

Though she's had martial arts training since she was five years old, including the basics like karate, jujitsu, and military hand to hand, she was also aware of the mixed martial arts craze. Many mixed martial artists spend their time debunking old 'masters' and fakes, without ever trying to see beyond the surface.

An old 'master' who hadn't taught an active class in a decade, and only gave pointers based on his experience, was not a fake. Their bodies could no longer stand up to the rigors of the art any longer, and his students often allowed him to overpower them to show him their respect.  However, she disdained the fakes that allowed younger fighters to embarrass older respected martial arts.  She was a firm believer using what worked, and discarding what didn't.  With massive databases and programs at her disposal, she could incorporate just about any style of martial art into her combat readiness.

With her incredibly strong and durable body, even a 'master' mixed martial artist would need to put on steel armored gloves, but that wouldn't help them to survive.  They wouldn't have her enhanced speed, and computer augmented reflexes.  Nor would they have the ability to break the armored superstructure of her new frame.  Though some parts would wear out over time, her intellect was already working through some ways to overcome this inherent weakness.

She growled softly as two targets were within her sight, and in the process of a deal that her grandfather would not approve of.  They were far enough out of the public eye, that she was more then comfortable with her plan of action.  She accessed her communication chip.

"Danica. Access any cameras in the area, and disable them." Aya said quietly.

"Accessed and disabled. Good hunting, boss."