Prologue

The day that changed William’s life started like every other day, laying on his medical bed unmoving with a sexually abusive nurse hovering over him. He had been in this bed ever since his squad's helicopter crashed and he had lost all movement in his body. William’s locked-in syndrome wasn’t a common diagnosis and his doctors had thought he was in a coma until his sister had noticed that he was responding to their movements in the stateside hospital in Virginia.

Now he slept, ate, and surfed the internet all from the comfort of his medical grade bed in rural Idaho, a long way from his time in the Marines, and any semblance of dignity. It wasn’t until a particular message came across his screen that morning that he actually woke up from default mode.

Hey Bro, soooo my work is pretty mad at me. 

Do you have time to chat?

(I have literally nothing but time.)

(Previous Text Deleted)

Sure, what’s up?

So, you know how I got that set up for you

so you could type with your CT waves and 

Actually talk but I had to bribe that surgeon to 

Get it done?

Yea, vaguely

Yeah, that gear was a prototype and I wasn’t 

strictly allowed to do that

This is my only way to communicate that 

doesn’t involve Mrs. Pedo

They want it back but I was able to convince them

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

That it was integrated, and ripping it out will kill you

Also, some reps will be stopping by tomorrow to 

Interview you.

*Great*!!! So they are placating you

And are just coming to get 

their STOLEN property

NOOO, they are coming over to see if your 

a good candidate for implementation

im sending you a file. Just sign it and you’ll be

fine

(Kami_Technologies_NDA.pdf)

I have to go, I love you Big Bro! 💜

Love <3 you too

William closed the chat window and sent a message to his mother in the other room. 

She buzzed in on the intercom that was on his nightstand, “Ok, do you know when your sister’s coworkers will be here?” 

"Tomorrow," William responded using the specialized device that allowed him to communicate through his brain waves. The device had been a lifeline, the only connection he had to the outside world since his body had failed him. His family had rallied around him, doing their best to provide care and keep him engaged, but the constant struggle with his condition had taken a toll on everyone.

His mother's voice carried a mixture of concern and hope as she replied, "Alright, we'll make sure everything is ready for their visit. Hopefully, this could be a chance for something positive, Will."

William sighed mentally. He understood that his sister was just trying to help, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this visit was more than just another intrusion into his already limited life. He glanced at the file that his sister had sent him—the NDA from Kami Technologies, a subsidiary of the software development firm ZefraTech Inc. It was a formality, he assumed, but it also meant that his world could change again.

His thoughts drifted to the message from his sister. The prototype device that allowed him to communicate was unique, a piece of technology that had provided him with a semblance of agency in a world that had seemed increasingly out of reach. If Kami Technologies wanted it back, it was a decision he didn't want to make. But then again, what choice did he have?

As the afternoon sun filtered through his window, casting a warm glow on his bed, William pondered the potential of the interview. He had heard of Kami Technologies and their advancements in virtual reality technology, mostly from his sister in what she could share of her work with Dr. Kami. He was a recluse genius with a mind for pulling random bits of science into extraordinary breakthroughs in medical technology.  The first time he changed the world with brain computer interfaces for cybernetic body parts, that had garnered him a Nobel Prize in Medicine. The second time, he was politely asked to retire, after a failed human trial of his latest experiment resulted in the death of his daughter. If there was a chance that their technology could grant him even a fraction of his former mobility and freedom, it was worth considering, risks be damned. 

With a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, he opened the NDA file and scrolled through the legal jargon. It was a contract that outlined the terms and conditions of becoming a participant in a groundbreaking virtual reality experiment. He scanned the document, the words blurring together as his mind wrestled with the decision before him.

The screen blinked as he reached the bottom of the document, prompting him to confirm his agreement with an electronic signature. He hesitated for a moment, his mind racing with the implications. Signing this contract meant a leap into the unknown, a departure from the only reality he had known for years.

After a deep breath, he maneuvered the cursor and clicked the "Accept" button. A sense of both anxiety and excitement washed over him, his heart pounding in his chest as he realized that he had taken a step toward a potential transformation. A potential to transition...finally.