Incompatible
by Biffiea

     Ah, the wonders of Gaming. Bryan Alsen had just purchased a brand new Xbox 360 Black. He was euphoric during the card ride home, and could barely focus on the road ahead of him. Bryan was a typical mid twenties guy, working his way through law school. He had scrimped and saved, and plotted out a period of spare time in which he could play it. Having only had a Playstation 2 in the previous generation, he was new to the Xbox, and was eager to try out some of the bigger titles for Xbox. Like Halo and Halo 2. He bought Halo 2, and rented the original, and was determined to finish them both before the weekend was up.

     A few minutes later, he was back at the small house he shared with three other guys going to the same law school. They each split the rent, and they had managed to hold on to it with few problems. “Okay. This wire goes in here, and the additional USB port gets plugged in here. Where the hell does this wire go?” He didn’t know too much about technology in as much as he could turn on a TV, and understood little else about its operation. He was personally happy he had held out as long as he had for the upgraded system. Maybe this one wouldn’t freeze.
     “Well I think this thing is set up.” He lightly touched the power button, hand almost shaking out of the thought that his hand might suddenly jolt forward, acting outside his influence, and destroy his new treasure. The green light of the power button turned on, and the main screen appeared. “Sweet! Halo time!”

     36 hours later. He had only gotten a few hours sleep, and hadn’t stopped to eat but a few morsels in his personal race to beat Halo NOW. He was a bit exhausted from the total gaming experience, as he shut off the console. “Now I’m gonna be wondering unceasingly until Halo 3! Ah! I need more closure!” Cliff hangers are fun, aren’t they?
     He was about to resign himself to go to sleep, after all, he had classes in the morning, and a job in the afternoon, but decided there was one more thing he needed to do. “I should really get Xbox Live working. Just to make sure I’ll be able to use it.” Now, he had the wireless adapter to go with the Xbox, and was about to connect it to his wireless router. however, there was a problem.
     For years, Bryan had used an iMac, and to match it, used an airport extreme for his wireless internet. Now if the reader will stop to consider this, he will realise our subject is now attempting to connect his Microsoft product to the internet be means of an apple product! No possible manipulation of the fabric of time and space could ever intervene to make this connection. It is like matter touching antimatter! Total opposites about to exist in the same point in space time!
     “And check for signal.” The Xbox went to work, trying to connect to the web, but the system put up the message, “Error 27753? What the heck is that?” At that moment, the control slots, memory slots, anyplace where the system was not completely covered, a brilliant, and pure white light started to shine out from the system. The console started to shake, and steam rose from the vents. “What the hell!” Then, it stopped.
     Bryan froze to the spot, waiting to see what would happen. “I guess I won’t be getting onto Xbox live then.” As he turned around, he felt an incredible pressure in his head, then, in his chest, then all over his body. Inside himself, he could feel a torrent of sensations. Organs were moving, shifting, mutating into completely different. He put his hands on his head to deal with the pain, but saw that his arms were a brown hue now, not tan. Bryan then collapsed onto the floor from the incredible pain inside his body.
     His skin became leathery as the new color over took him. His spine started to stretch as he gained height. The victim could hear the vertebrae popping and forming into place. His hand themselves started to burn as his pinky and ring fingers merged on both hands, giving him four on each. They quickly went back to holding his head. His feet became stumpier, almost hoof like. A contrast to his lengthening legs.
     Then, the pressure turned into heat. His muscles were becoming filled with new power. Not growing too much, just increasing in the strength they held. He had become incredibly powerful, more so than any body builder, than any machine of human origin!
     Then, he felt a new presence in his mind, taking over, telling him what he now was. he didn’t fight it. A sense of pride overwhelmed him, and new fortitude took root. Despite the pain, he pulled up to his feet. Seeing his new height of 8 feet. Somehow, he didn’t feel even the tiniest bit clumsy on his new feet. Bryan wasn’t even bothered by the harsh cracking sound of his legs reforming.
     His head started to change. His scalp started to feel strange. He shook his head, and saw all his hair had fallen out. The front of his face pushed forward into a point, giving him a quasi muzzle. Then his bottom jaw felt white hot. The pressure felt in the bone was immense! He was relieved when it violently split into four pieces. The elite jaw. Teeth lined each one. His neck lengthened more, increasing his height, and forcing him into a leaning position.
     He felt the physical changes slow, and he looked over himself. “A covenant elite.” Speaking with his new bone structure had not phased him. Then his stretched and strained clothes mutated. They all bleached into a pure white.  
     His mind started to speak to him. He was an elite.
     His pants thickened, and hardened into powerful titanium.
     He was a trained soldier, more powerful than nearly anything else.
     Bryan's shoes connected with his metal pants, locking in place, and re-forming into metal cast for his foot.
     He was the most powerful thing within light years of that spot. Smarter and faster than any human could be.
     His shirt went through the same process as his pants. It turned to steel that was spreading over him. It linked with his pants at a newly formed joint. It molded to his new shape for best comfort and function. It spread over his arms, and engulfed his hands in new gloves, resistant to the intense heat of weaponry.
     These humans were respectable enemies, but unless they were in large groups, he could pick them off easily. Indeed, he needed to find others like him, to make others like him. to make this world ruled by elites like him self.
     The metal went up the back of his neck, breaking into flexible plates, before forming a helmet on his head. It formed an ornate patter over most of his face, leaving his eyes a clear viewing range. It formed a hook over his snout that came into a point.
     Bryan was now the arbiter. Chosen by fate to solve a new crisis. He was the only one of his species on the planet. He grabbed his airport as he walked out the door, into the night