Interstellar Age

Chapter 250 A Massive Upgrade

JT awoke with a start to see the grinning face of Erich standing before him. The man had trouble collecting his thoughts. This was obviously not the first time he had been brought back to life after suffering a fatality on the battlefield. But something was different. He did not feel right in his own skin. Which was a sensation he had never felt before.

When he saw Erich standing there, he almost wanted to lunge at him, but the silver-haired man spoke before he could do so.

"I'm not gonna lie. It was not the easiest task in the world for me to reroute your consciousness to a brand new body, but I expect this one will be much more to your liking. After all, Tia may have enhanced it in ways that your previous body was not capable of.

All it took was mapping out the Orcish Genome to understand that several of their genes were compatible with our own, specifically the ones that enhance their combat abilities. In a sense, you could consider your new body to be the next step in our people's evolution. So what do you think?"

Erich then held up a mirror to reveal to JT that he was not only larger, and more muscular that he was in his past, but any potential flaws that may have existed with his attractiveness had been removed.

Though JT still stood at exactly seven feet tall. He had also gained a significant amount of muscle mass as well as a denser bone structure, to the point where he now weighed a full 300 lbs. Tia had run the numbers, and decided that the Germanic Star-Empire's approach to tall, lean, and muscular warriors was superior to the Orcs whose genes relied on as much muscle mass as popular.

Thus, she ensured that JT was not overly muscular in his new form. However, Tia had also gone out of her way to enhance other things beyond their already superhuman abilities. Pushing JT's new physical prowess to the breaking point.

JT still had the usual blonde hair and blue eyes, but his facial features had become much more robust. Giving him an almost barbaric appearance. JT, in his enraged state, quickly picked up Erich, and raised him in the air, in a tone that was filled with fury, before questioning the man's sanity.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You fucking shoot me in the back of the head, and have me transferred into this monstrosity?"

Erich could not help but smile as he saw this before assuring the man that the next time he himself perished in battle, he would also be transferred into a similar superior body.

"I realized that as strong as we were, we were physically inferior to the Orcs. Imagine what our people could be, with the physical prowess of an Orc, but with the intelligence we have so carefully fostered over multiple generations of genetic engineering, and strict eugenics!

It has taken our scientists centuries to get to the point where we are today, but within a fortnight, Tia has perfected our genome! Don't worry brother, I too will be given a genetic enhancement when I next perish!"

JT released his grip over Erich. After all, he just realized how effortlessly he picked up a Germanic male with one hand. He could not help but shake his head before realizing the amount of power that was brimming in his body. If their previous forms were already genetically enhanced super humans, then what was this?"

Erich struggled to breathe as he knelt on the ground, JT had not known it, but he had actually crushed the man's windpipe with his incredible grip strength, because of this Erich was wheezing and pointing at his throat, telling JT to finish the job.

"Finish it!"

JT looked at Erich's pathetic figure and spat on the ground, before making a comment about this whole absurd situation.

"After this we're even, you selfish prick!"

With that said, JT effortlessly put Erich into a neck crank, and snapped his neck with ease. The absurd amount of his body could generate had truly shocked the man. And he gazed at Erich's corpse for some time with a complicated expression on his face.

That is, until a small robotic loli entered the room and sighed as she looked at her master's lifeless body.

"Master... Why must you never heed Tia's advice? Tia warned you this would happen... Well, don't just stand there, help Tia take this skinsuit to the incinerator. The cloning tank will have a new and improved Master completed within the hour. In the meantime, Tia wants to dispose of Master's corpse. Oh, but before we do, let Tia take a few samples from his brain!"

JT looked at Tia's robotic form with nothing but distrust, and was quick to shield Erich's body from her, despite her attempts to see open his cranium and extract his brain. There were a million reasons why JT wanted to prevent this and was quick to voice his concerns.

"Just what the hell do you intend to do with Erich's brain? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Tia frowned when she heard the organic lifeform arguing with her and was quick to sigh in disdain, before just barely giving a satisfactory reason.

"Tia does not have the time to explain the details of the task which Master has given her to a meatbag.... Just know that it is master's orders that his brain must be extracted, if at all possible, from every fatality he suffers. Now get out of the way so Tia can fulfill master's orders!"

JT did not want to move, but instinctively did so. He did not know why, but he felt a deep sense of fear in the heart of his soul when he gazed upon Tia's robotic eyes, which were clearly filled with what can only be called frustration.

The very idea that a machine could gain sentience was a not only a strict taboo in all research about artificial intelligence, but was condemned to death and destruction across the galaxy, including those who allowed such a thing to come into existence.

JT did not know why Erich had allowed this to happen. But he had already decided to keep Tia's existence a secret. And thus he remained silent, as Tia used a laser which was embedded in her index finger to cut open the top of Erich's skull. Before extracting his brain and preserving it in some unknown fluid. Once she had done this, she stared at JT with an annoyed look before berating him for his inactivity.

"Well, don't just stand there! Bring the body to the incinerator!"

JT quickly did as he was told and disposed of the body, where he then watched the clone be formed from scratch. A sample of Erich's DNA and memories were stored on board the ship, as a result of Tia's precautions, having not trusted any biological lifeform to maintain her Master's immortality. And thus she made sure Erich's new clone body was improved by the genetic enhancement sequence she had given to JT.

When Erich finally emerged from the cloning vat, he was considerably taller than he had been previously, being among the smallest of the WRAITHs, and least physically gifted. All of his physical abilities, including strength, stamina, agility, perception, reflexes, et cetera, had all been upgraded to a point where they were now on par with an Orc Warchief. Meaning even without his secret abilities, he could now contend with Mala and the most battle hardened of her warriors in a test of physical prowess.

There were also minor changes done to his facial features that were improved beyond their already handsome appearance. Tia had gone out of her way to make sure that Erich's facial features were considered damn near flawless by most humanoid races, especially the Germanic Race, Human Race, and Elven Races. His looks were now worthy of women like Lunaria and Celestia, who were considered by many to be the most beautiful women in the galaxy.

Erich was so shocked by this, that he immediately scolded Tia for changing his appearance without his permission.

"Tia! Did you fuck around with my face?"

Tia approached Erich's naked figure and blushed before pointing out that he was now better looking.

"Yes, Master, Tia took the liberty to improve your appearance. Though Master was already handsome, he was now the most handsome man in the galaxy, at least according to the standards of the Light Elves. Tia, however, did not want to get rid of Master's striking silver hair and eyes, which she believes make him exotic."

Honestly, Erich couldn't blame the girl for improving everything about him, including his appearance, and thus, he could only sigh and shake his head, before agreeing it was for the best.

"Fine, I will accept this. Though now that we have gotten that out of the way, I need to speak with JT alone."

Tia nodded her head before mentioning something that Erich had damn near forgotten about.

"Alright, but shouldn't master put on some clothes first?"

Erich looked down at himself and only realized now that he was fully nude. With that in mind, he smirked and nodded his head before agreeing with Tia's advice.

"That sounds like a good idea..."