How where you scared and at peace at the same time?
Haha the dichotomy must be strange from your perspective… Peace can be found in even the deepest of depths, I found mine by thinking of who matters.
Your going on a tangent again.
Okay-okay.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
I started to stir.
The smell of antiseptic solution greeted me, but this time with the smell of burnt hair and oil?
Where am I? I was just-
I-I-I-I … I am alive!
Alive!
Wait-wait calm down.
Step by step your fragile ego can’t take this all at once.
Please let it be true.
First thing first… I still cant see from my right eye, but I can hear better than I have ever been able to.
Score 1 out of 2. Not bad, could have been worse.
I cant move but that is probably intentional. They wouldn’t want me messing up whatever they were doing. Limiting external factors or whatever they used to say.
My eyelid which felt like heavy lead is recovering mobility. It doesn’t feel like I am lifting the mountain every time I blink anymore. The sedation must be losing it’s effects gradually.
The machines suddenly start humming and I realized that the sound is coming from within me.
That must be the augmentations that they previously explained to me. They where going to add a small reactor that functions by breaking down regular food into fuel that would support the AI and the implants.
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Apparently it is safe to transport the fuel through my blood. It is apparently an upgrade to the regular ATP that fuels us it holds 5 times the energy and it is twice higher in availability than regular ATP that fuels a normal human.
They promised that externally I wouldn’t look different except for my metallic eye and ear.
They would remove all the accumulated scar tissues from the burns and various bone fractures that I suffered from. New muscle tissue from my own stem cells.
I can’t wait, I would vibrate from excitement if the muscle relaxants would allow it.
….
Whether the AI implant has been successful or not, I can’t tell.
The surroundings are unfamiliar. rather than a warm hospital bed, it is a cold lab room. The walls are lined with screens full of data. Robotic arms used in my surgery on the side, idle like gargoyle statues, ready if there is any need.
My hearts starts racing as more memories of the procedure come back.
A soft chime alerts me to the presence of multiple people entering the room, scientists and doctors in their white lab coats file in. their faces are mixture of intrigue, excitement and wonder.
They quickly start to inspect my body writing down notes and inspecting the screens, trying to gleam any piece of information available.
An older gentlemen spoke to me “do you know your name?”
“yes, my name is Alex Mihawk Hawkin”
“Do you know where you are?”
“yes, in the lab after my procedures are done hopefully, you said it would take days but it doesn’t feel like it”
“it has been days Mr. Alex I am glad that your are here with us, welcome back is in order” he said with a hint of smile on his face, his wrinkles easing from his face.
“you cant imagine how glad I am to be back” I said with a smile on my own face.
“Let us go through the question and then we will bring you up to speed” he said pointing to his papers.
“sure”
“how old are you? And when is your birthday?”
“30 years old, 02 April 2007, I started my surgery on 1st of December 2037”
“what is your mother and siblings names?”
“my mom’s name is Stylet Poniard Riptide. my brother’s name is Sting. my sister’s names are Angel, Aurora and Avery in that order”
The rest of the questions were pretty boring.
The alleviated the meds slowly asking how I was feeling.
I cant complain, some chronic pain in my limbs are gone and I can slowly move them again. No tremors. Which I am happy about.
I can pick a pen and point perfectly.
I was ecstatic. Until I remembered the AI Implant.
Another older gentlemen stepped in and explained that the integration of the AI chip is still ongoing. It will take time for it to develop and further tests will be ensure everything is function correctly. He looked me dead in the eye with a mischievous glint and whispered “but from the readings so far congratulations boy, it is a success on all metrics”
I felt relieved.
the cry baby Alex announced his presence as they all started to chuckle and leave me some privacy and a shred of dignity.
Alex is no longer a worthless burden to his surroundings.
He is finally free…
He is finally reborn.