Spiritual Connection

Jim decided to wait before biomassing any further white blood cells. These two subdued cells still seemed to need some guidance. For example the cleaning cell tried to clean up the poison sac. He caught it trying to tear it apart as if it was trash. It took a while to instruct it, but eventually it started to understand that there were things to clean up and things to leave alone.

And the processing cell, it wasn't clear what it was doing at first. Eventually he saw a slot open in its membrane and a long thick mass of proteins came out. Looking closer he discovered that it wasn't actually proteins. It was a mass of protein pieces that had been clumped together and had been bound together molecularly into one single body of matter.

'Let's try to biomass that?'

Hesitantly saying something he went into this system and asked it to biomass the proteins.

[Waste has become biomass. +316 Biomass.]

'Oh! Mother load!'

Next another port in the second subdued cell appeared and a flood of simple carbohydrates and nucleic acids came out.

'Double mother load! Nice. This can fuel the membrane and poison sac, too.'

This is nice, but there is obviously a problem. This processing cell needs to get up and get moving to clean up some of this free floating crap. Yet as he watched an amazing thing happened. The cleaning cell came up to the processing cell and off loaded the debris that it had cleaned up.

'...'

Soul Jim was absolutely floored. This was incredible. These two cells, without any instructions from me had specialized in order to do a much better job then what he could have ever thought of.

'I am humbled by these two subdued cells. Thank you, thank you!'

Right after his moment of silence for this awe inspiring event Jim's cell started to shake once more.

'Oh, right! I forgot about the killer T cell. Got to get back on my jobs!'

Quickly he subdued a third cell and the shaking stopped. 

'Mother of easy!'

Next Jim went back to work upgrading his membrane as much as he could and bringing in more regs in order to biomass their plasma membrane. One of which he mentally decided would become the back up prisoner cell for subduing.

'You know, here I am subduing cells without any thought for their welfare and benefit. Do cells care if they are subdued? Should I assume they do?'

[Concentrate II +1]

'Oh! I could get used to this! Thank you, my lovely goddess of gifts!!'

It took some time to develop a new pattern, because now the amount of tasks that he had to do had increased. Now he had keep an eye on the cleaning cell to make sure it didn't start taking apart anything it shouldn't and check on the processing cell in order to biomass its waste. While it was true that it was putting carbohydrates and amino acids into the cell proper again the amount was about one tenth as much as what the two cells were removing. So for now they were moving in a positive direction.

Jim saw that the cleaning cell indiscrinantly cleaned up the carbohydrates and amino acids. 

'Sigh. One more thing to teach it!'

Slowly and carefully he taught it to let the good stuff go. Not because it was hard to teach it. He was starting to get how to tell if what to pick up and what not to. Slowly and carefully had to be the method because he had so much going on all at the same time. It was important to get it right the first time and not have to go back and reteach it later when a bad habit was ingrained. Further all the other stuff he was doing was just efforts to try to save his life. Important to him, it was.

'I am going to have to worry about what to do with all this extra energy and protein building block in the future. But for right now I think I need to be fine in keeping working on surviving.'

Pondering to himself, Jim knew that unless he could figure out a means of movement he would still be stuck here. Which meant that he was going to have to destroy every single cell that came his way. This had to include the killer T cells. Right now it was all okay, because the one right out side his membrane was not attacking unless it had a confirmed identity. However, could he really trust it to not attack. The only thing he could do was remain vigilant and then do his best to deal when that eventuality came up. Sooner or later there is going to be a situation that I can't deal with. I just don't know enough about cells.

[Concentration II +1]

'Yes, my goddess. I will focus.'

Jim was so greatful to Cassandra. He didn't know what would have happened to him if she wasn't there to help him survive.

[Hey, you know I can read your little cell brain and soul really easily right?]

'Ahhh, yes?'

He said confused as to why she was asking. Then he firmed up his resolve.

'Yes, I know. I just can't seem to help being completely taken with you!'

Even as he said it Jim's soul cringed. He was such a looser!

[Ha, just so you know. Since you started providing me with chi, I have been able to enslave several other life forms. You are not my only source of power now.]

Cassandra said, as if she was breaking some news that could potentially destroy him.

Destroy him it did.

'What!! I am not your one and only anymore!'

[Nope, you are so cute. No I have other sources of chi, now. Don't worry, you are still a main provider. That is why I am continuing to take care of you and keep you focused. Okay?]

She wanted to burst his bubble now when he was still in the beginning stages of his enthrallment. If she did it later it was possible that she could throw him into a spiral.

'Okay, I suppose that as long as I am beneficial to you!'

This was all he could say. The thought of becoming angry and disillusioned was farthest from his cell body. Infatuation and obsession were the only emotions his cell body were able to produce when it came to Cassandra. Even if his soul body wished it could temper these emotions down it was like standing in front of a fire hose. His soul was just pushed away. At least it did some good, maybe, hopefully.

[Alright, one more thing. That thing you did with those two cells. You are going to have to do it again to any additional cell you subdue. Got it?]

She tried to prompt him.

'Okay, but I don't even know what I did?'

This little bit of helpful advice was too much for him to process what she was saying, no matter how important after just having his dreams destroyed.

[No, problem. You know how your soul embodied your cell membrane?]

She started to explain.

'Yes.'

All he could do was affirm her.

[Well, you did the same exact thing with these subdued cells. Only instead of them being inert and a soulless reservoir like your cell membrane they already had a soul. As tiny and insignificant as it is, each of these cells already had a bit of a soul. Probably the tiniest portion that could still be called a soul, but they did.]

'Wait, I do not understand. If they already had a soul and I, what did you call it, embodied them. Then, I don't know. I don't know how that could happened.'

Jim expressed his confusion.

[Don't worry, this is really basic stuff, it only seems confusing because you are just getting started with soul skills and talents. You reached out to embody and succeeded. No worries, that is correct. But since the object of your embodiment already had a soul and that soul was sympathetic to you it worked. You didn't have to fight it in other words.]

Cassandra was kindly and patiently working to get something across to him.

'Okay, it worked. But it doesn't feel like I am embodying anything. In fact it feels like they are completely separate. Right?'

He didn't want to question her, but he didn't know how to ask what he needed to ask without asking so he tried his best to make it a statement that she just had to confirm in the positive or negative.

[Yes, that is correct and it is also incorrect. They are still a separate soul, but not completely separate. Basically your embodiment has empowered them. You know have a spiritual connection. They won't be able to go against you, but they also have the ability to make their own choices. They started out as subdued cells and that is still true.]

'Wow, this is great then! I can do it again and again even more benefits. It is actually making them better too, right!! This is awesome.'

Jim was starting to get excited about this spiritual connection.

[No, no Jim. You can't do this again and again.]

Cassandra showed a bit of displeasure for the first time. As if she was stressed out.

'Oh, no! I am sorry, so sorry, what did I do? Are you okay? Can I help?'

Immediately he was on his figurative knees wanting to help her.

[Ahem. "Cough, cough."]

She had broke the fourth wall with him and she knew it. Just trying to get back on track she continued on.

[No, problem. I can handle it. You have empowered these two cells. Basically you gave them power, but where do you think that power came from. It came from you. This is a very dangerous talent that you have developed. I want you to be very careful. Don't empower this third cell until your soul body has had a chance to recover. Please. I am asking you. Will you wait at least a day?]

'Yes, yes, of course. I wouldn't do anything to harm you and would do anything for you. Whatever you need.'

He had patiently waited for her to finish memorizing. Every word she said so that he could respond positively to her as much as possible.

[Okay, keep up the good work. I know you can do this.]

She said and then she was gone.

The last words she spoke had blown Jim's brain up. The feedback between his cell body and soul had gone into overdrive. He was so happy he could barely contain himself. She had said that he had done "good work." The enormity of her simple effort to reinforce him was out of this world. It was radical.

[Concentration II +1]

'Oh, right. Thank you, thank you!! I will get back to work.'