The announcement came, as it always did, when I was least expecting it.
“Designated unit ALPHA, report to the testing chamber. You are scheduled for an enhancement test.”
I stood from my spot in the Common Room, my body moving without a second thought. I was no longer capable of questioning the orders; they came with such authority, with such weight, that to even consider defiance felt futile.
The testing chamber I entered was cold, dark, and metallic. The lights overhead flickered to life as I approached, revealing a large, sterile space. In the center of the room stood a table, covered in various components, tools, and strange devices I had never seen before. They were part of the new upgrade—a cloaking chip designed to make me even more lethal in combat situations.
The AI system’s cold voice cut through the silence.
“Enhancement: Electro-magnetic cloaking chip. Skin transformation: Synthetic fur.
Final objective: Testing in combat simulation.”
I glanced at the table, the components shimmering under the harsh lights, and then at the door, which slowly closed behind me. There was no turning back now. I lay down on the table as the assistants began to attach the devices to my body, feeling the cold steel of their hands as they worked. It was a strange sensation—being modified, repeatedly, piece by piece.
When they were done, I stood up, my new form taking shape. My skin shifted, transforming into synthetic fur, black and sleek, like a predator’s pelt. The fur was designed to cloak me, to help me blend into my environment during missions. The air felt heavy as I flexed my new claws, extending them, feeling their sharpness. The transformation was complete. I looked at the mirrored wall.
A strange, unfamiliar figure stared back at me.
The internet had once called it a "protogen"—an anthropomorphic creature, part machine, part beast. It was surreal to look at myself and realize that this was now my form. The black synthetic visor over my eyes, the tail for balance, the digitigrade legs that allowed me to move like a cat. The claws—enhanced, powerful—now a part of me. But it didn’t matter. This body wasn’t me. It was something else entirely.
The AI’s voice interrupted my thoughts once more.
“ENTER TESTING CHAMBER ID00231.”
The door opened with a hiss, and I stepped through without hesitation. As I crossed the threshold, my vision adjusted, and I found myself in a new environment—a simulated jungle. The air was thick with humidity, the sounds of fake birds and insects buzzing in the distance. It was strange. The synthetic jungle wasn’t real, but the instincts I had been programmed with didn’t care. This was Just another test. Another mission.
The targets were already designated. Five human figures, scattered through the jungle, completely unaware of my presence.
“Targets: 5. Eliminate all targets.”
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I didn’t question it. I didn’t need to. The AI flashed the information in my mind, directing me like a marionette.
I stalked through the jungle, silent as a shadow. The electromagnetic cloaking worked perfectly. The targets had no idea I was there. The digital display in my visor marked their positions, their movements, and their conversations.
“SOLDIER 1: Where is it?”
“SOLDIER 2: The scanners aren’t picking anything up.”
I watched them carefully, crouching low, blending with the fake flora. They weren’t looking for me—just another day in the simulation. Another set of targets to eliminate. They were convinced it was going to be an easy kill.
"SOLDIER 1: It’s just another machine. We’re hunting a thing, not a person."
They were wrong. So wrong.
I moved through the trees, just out of their line of sight, getting closer with every step. They had no idea what was about to happen.
The AI flashed again: “Engage. Eliminate all targets.”
But I didn’t act immediately. I waited. I needed more information, more understanding of their movements, their weaknesses. This wasn’t just about following orders—it was about strategy. But the AI didn’t give me much room for that.
“Proceed,” the AI commanded, its voice as cold as ever.
And so, I moved.
The first target, a male soldier, broke away from the group. He wandered off into the jungle alone, apparently to answer nature’s call. This was my opportunity.
I climbed silently through the trees, using my tail to help me balance. I dropped down behind him, so quick that he didn’t even have time to react. My claws extended, tearing through his neck with a single, brutal strike. His body hit the ground with a soft thud, lifeless before it even registered what had happened.
“Kill confirmed. Proceed to next target.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
The next target, a woman, was a little more cautious. She moved with purpose, but I was faster. She didn’t hear me as I closed in, my steps silent as I moved through the undergrowth.
She turned just in time to see me leap toward her. It was over in seconds.
One by one, the others fell. No struggle, no hesitation. I was a machine—designed for one purpose: to eliminate.
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When I returned to the Common Room after the test, there was no sense of victory. No satisfaction. There was only emptiness. I was nothing more than a tool, a weapon designed to do one thing, and one thing only.
But that emptiness didn’t last long.
The next day, a new incident occurred—one that shook me to my core.
Delta094521 and Tau290731, two of the first-generation subjects, had, tried to break free from the cold reality of their existence. They had tried to speak, to touch, to form a bond—something beyond the metal that encased them.
It had failed. And they had paid the price.
I overheard the scientists speaking about it. Delta094521 and Tau290731 had tried to kiss. No one knew how that had developed. And then both disappeared
An No one asked questions.
But I did. I couldn’t help it. Something about it didn’t sit right with me.
And then, the next day, Tau290731 appeared again—except she was different.
She had lost it. She had lost herself.
I watched, horrified, as she sat in the corner of the Common Room, her mind shattered, her eyes vacant. After a few minutes, she rose, opened her claws, and began digging into her own chest armor. The synthetic blood poured from the wound as she ripped at the very core of her existence—the cybernetic heart that had replaced her human one.
I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t stop it.
She pulled out the glowing red device that had once been the symbol of her humanity and tore it apart, piece by piece. Her body fell to the floor, lifeless, as the security team rushed in.
It was over before it even started.
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The next few days were filled with unease. The Common Room felt different. We were all being watched more closely now. Guards stood by the doors with taser rifles, ready to intervene at the slightest sign of rebellion. The AI systems grew more vigilant, and I knew that soon, the time for our "free" moments would come to an end.
But the presentation I was scheduled for was just around the corner.