Dr. Takeda led Jon through the complex to a cylindrical room about forty feet in diameter and about the same height. Against one wall was an alcove, and inside it was his super costume.
"Am I supposed to put that on?"
"It shouldn't be necessary for now. Since you had the tech implanted, the suit is mostly just for style. The only thing you really need there are the repulsors in the boots." He stepped forward and pulled a small tablet out of the pocket of his lab coat. "All right, I'm going to activate your implants now. This might feel a little weird."
He jabbed a button on the tablet, and Jon's scalp tingled. He felt a sudden wash of vertigo and grabbed the wall for stability.
"Are you OK?"
"Yeah. I got a bit dizzy for a moment, but it's getting better."
"Excellent! Are you ready to try activating the devices?"
"Sure. What do I do?"
"Start by imagining yourself getting lighter -- floating upwards, like a balloon."
Jon concentrated. He bit his lower lip and furrowed his brow. But nothing happened. After a minute he stopped.
"I'm sorry, doctor. I don't think it's working."
"Don't worry! That was just the calibration run! Now that we've mapped your neural pathways, I'll just switch it to live mode, and..." he tapped another button, then grinned at Jon. "Try it now."
Jon concentrated again, and suddenly felt a strange tingling feeling in his left breast. A few moments later, he saw that he was starting to float gently off the floor! It was working!
