'Mistress.'
"Sean." She says flatly.
'As you impressed upon us the urgency of your request, we have take actions to accelerate the completion of your respiratory augmentation. After upgrades and units redistribution, our new timetable ranges up to a little more than a day.'
"That's a good news at least," she sighs tiredly. "But did you absolutely have to ruin my peaceful bathtime over this?"
'We apologize. You have been more conformable addressing us through speech rather than thought and we deduced it would be better to approach you while you were alone.'
"Yeah, the "voice in my head" thing isn't really working out for me," she admits. " But you're not going away anytime soon, are you?"
'In your current condition, it would be quickly detrimental to your health.'
"Of course it will." She steps out of the shower and grabs a towel.
'Indeed. The goal of matching your red blood cell count should be reached within the hour.'
Ponzu boggles. "One hour?!"
'Yes. This should significantly increase your stamina.'
"Is that so? I'm a pretty good runner, you know." She turns toward the bathroom's mirror with a frown. "But you said a day before. Why the huge difference?"
'Originally, we started production at a limited rate while we waited for your red blood cells count to decrease naturally, to ensure no strain on your circulatory system. Later observations confirmed that your bloodstream could support a very large number of additional units with no ill effects, with performance increasing proportionally. For reference, the introduction of 6e14 devices would increase your blood's oxygen storage capacity by a factor of 180 while staying at a safe viscosity level ."
"In practical terms, that means..?"
'That many devices would be enough to steadily and efficiently provide your muscles tissues in oxygen to the point of making muscle fatigue negligible in all but the harshest physical efforts. Peak exertion should be able to be fueled for 12 to 15 minutes instead of a handful of seconds.'
The green haired girl blinks at her reflection. "Okay. I definitely could use that."
'It could also supply your tissue in oxygen for hours in case of cardiostasis."
"By which you mean cardiac arrest."
'Indeed.'
"Nope," Ponzu says determinedly, drying herself with a vengeance. "Your casual creepiness isn't going to keep me down any longer."
'I do not understand.'
The girl buries her face in the towel. "That might be the saddest thing about all this." She put it down and starting dressing. "Anyway, you said you could introduce 6E14 devices in my body without making my heart explode. Are you sure about that?'
'Positive.'
"Then you don't have to replace my red blood cells, do you?"
'Not at the moment, no but a thinner blood would facilitate our collectives future expansion and help our travel within your body.'
'Let's leave that for later. For now, I want my red cells renew themselves as they should. For that matter, that goes for the white blood cells too. Let them come back."
'If we follow that directive, the chances of an extremely virulent reaction from your immune system are very high. The consequences to your health would be severe.'
"I'll deal with it," the fully clad girl says meaningfully. "I'm not planning on becoming a robot. Is that clear?"
'As a peaceful, clean lake.'
She puts on her hat. 'Good.' She thinks at us.
Now complete, she steps into the bedrooms. Megumi rolls on her bed and ends up staring upside down. She holds a deck of cards in the air and says timidly. "Do you play rummy?"
Ponzu plop down next to her. " Teach me?"
---------
"Whooooooooo!"
A few hours before sunset, A sandstorm warning was issued for the night, demanding passengers to stay in their room and let the passageways free.
Megumi was disappointed that she wouldn't get to see the storm from the main hall's, but vanished the first time the cyclonic winds swoop the sandsteamer's side so harshly they lifted the gigantic land vessel until it was standing on a single thread.
The scattered cards are forgotten in favor for standing on the room's inner wall. " Look, I'm a spider!"
"Geez, how old are you?" Sitting on the edge of her bed, one hand securely holding her hat, she looks down at the bubbly asian girl.
'Mistress, how can you keep so calm while we're on the edge of a disaster?'
Judging from the rapidly ascending field of vision. Ponzu has rolled her eyes. 'Relax, it'll be alright.'
As she says that, the wind dies down, and the behemoth fall back on its bottom with a mighty crash, creating a wave of sand so massive it cover the porthole entirely for an instant.
Megumi dives for her mattress at the same time, and quick weight shifting puts our Host on hers.
Megumi grins. "One more! One more!"
"Enough, you! You wouldn't be laughing so much if you're were on the lower level. Their furniture isn't bolted down."
"True, they even thought of mattress straps."
Suddenly, the steady staccato of sand against metal is muffled by dull, heavy booms the echoes along the hull. "Rocks?" Megumi asks
"We must have hit a rocky area." Ponzu replies. "This may be bad. The small won't get through the hull, but those winds are more than strong enough to toss boulders at us."
Megumi nods. "Maybe we should get out of the room? Getting further in would be safer."
[]Suggestions?