Watching two… technologically advanced aliens argue was strangely satisfying for Taylor; being the reason for said argument was even more so.
[Proposition…]
[You're getting ahead of yourself…]
[Considering…]
[No.]
[Proposition.]
[No.]
It all started with the Queen Administrator and Shaper, who began discussing the terms of their union.
Shaper wanted an equitable three-way business relationship with equal benefits for both her and the Administrator.
The Administrator emphasized that the most Shaper could offer was a version of Amy's powers far too diluted to allow her to establish what Shaper wanted.
From there, both fragments began to negotiate, with Shaper making different offers and the Administrator refusing.
This continued for a few more moments until the Administrator proposed something.
Shaper would give Taylor a sprout.
This sprout would be strengthened by the Administrator.
In exchange for the sprout, Taylor would provide data throughout her life as payment.
These data would be divided between the two fragments. 65% for Administrator and 35% for Shaper… that, along with some concessions that Taylor wished she hadn't heard about.
.
.
.
After her tenants made sure they hadn't left anything out of their contract, Taylor felt the Administrator begin to work in conjunction with Shaper.
Not because she was able to see and understand what they were doing… but because, as they worked together, Taylor received the knowledge of the power she had gained while feeling a second connection, not as potent as the first but still noticeable.
The knowledge flowed into Taylor, a clear and technical understanding. Perfect Cellular Control:
Unlike Amy Dallon, whose biokinetics gave her an innate understanding of biology to modify it at will when she touched something biological with her hands, Taylor had obtained a direct parallel in the tactical union between the two fragments.
Taylor couldn't directly manipulate or modify the cells of a living organism (like Panacea). Her power was different, for it resided in Perfect Cellular Control.
The Function: Taylor could control cells and command them on what to do. She could tell cells to die, divide, or move, as long as they were in contact with her skin.
She could affect both living and non-living cells.
The Tactile Range: There was a very clear limitation; Cellular Control was tactile. Cells had to be in contact with Taylor's skin to be controlled.
"(Cellular control... by touch)" Taylor murmured in a silent thought, sensing the map of her newfound ability. "(Not bad. It's perfect for manipulation and long-term development work.)"
.
.
.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a thin, soft hospital blanket, Taylor felt invincible and, at the same time, terribly exposed. She had just obtained the power of Bio-Manipulation through a negotiation with two fragments.
The Administrator Queen (QA) and the Molder Fragment were calm, in Observation/Analysis mode. It was time for the test.
Taylor reached out; her pale skin was still marked by light bruises. She concentrated, trying to summon the energy flow she had used on the insects, but this time directing it toward her own skin.
[Right hand cells. Command: relocate melanin to remove this mark.]
She waited for the response, but there was none. The cellular map the Shaper had shown her of her body remained rigid and unresponsive to her commands.
[Alert. Central Unit Control Failure.]
Taylor felt a pang of frustration. She tried again, focusing the command directly on a single epidermal cell.
[Divide.]
Nothing.
[Ghost Effect. The Primary Fragment (QA) prevents the Secondary Fragment (Shaper) from directly manipulating the Central Unit (Host) to avoid design conflicts.]
"(Ghost Effect… Damn it. I can't control myself.)" Taylor thought, feeling a huge strategic advantage slipping away. If she couldn't use her power to heal or modify herself, her usefulness was limited to others.
The Biomanipulator Master bit her lower lip in frustration, noticing the subtle pain that indicated Panacea had healed all her damaged nerve endings. The pain was no longer absent; it was now a normal discomfort.
A discomfort that reminded Taylor of the exact function she had acquired.
She brought her hand to her mouth, pressing her index finger against her teeth just hard enough to break the skin, causing a small wound and drawing a drop of blood onto her fingertip.
"(Direct contact)," Taylor thought. The blood was part of her body, but once outside, it was technically external to the central unit.
A gap. Taylor focused her attention on the drop of blood.
[Cells. Command: Stop movement. Stop clotting.]
The tiny drop, instead of spreading or thickening as fresh blood would, stopped completely. It remained a perfect little dome on her fingertip, defying gravity and fluid physics, suspended and motionless.
[Result: Bypass of blockage. Successful access to the host's external organic tissue. Efficiency: High.]
Quality control projected the concept of a successful calculation.
[Guest Taylor has found a way to bypass security... congratulations!]
A cold, fleeting smile crossed her face. She imagined what she could do, things like use her blood as projectiles, tools, etc.
[Platelets. Command: Initiate clotting.]
The dome of blood transformed instantly, thickening and sealing the small wound on her finger. A scab formed in seconds, leaving no trace that the skin had been broken, before vanishing.
No one would notice.
She was alone, and she had just discovered that the phantom effect only applied to her main body; her blood, her sweat, her hair... everything that came off was a perfect tactile tool.
Cellular Control didn't make her invincible, but it did make her incredibly versatile. With a touch or a small, intentional wound, she could manipulate biology at the exact moment and place.
Taylor had taken her limitation and turned it into a secret weapon… one she preferred to keep as a last resort.
"Taylor!"