“[…] Cybertrauma, or something similar to it, has been depicted in science fiction for decades. Only this time it is very much real and very much dangerous. In these times, every medical practitioner needs to know the first signs of it, for detecting it in early stages could very well save someone's life. Especially the ones that focus on cybernetic surgery since that is the main cause of this disorder. Continuing, the list of the symptoms is extensive, so please pay attention.

Firstly, we have hallucinations; these can manifest as audible one’s, visual one’s and so forth. Then we have memory loss. This one is harder to spot considering that the subject might as well have started hallucinating, but it’s still important to keep in mind. Next is paranoia. Look for that one notably in patients that are heavily augmented or one’s with previous mental health problems. Then disassociation and […]”

— Excerpt from an online course focusing on cybertrauma. Recorder by the Bifröst University in Iceland, the year 2485.

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My body started to move with bizarre uncoordinated movements, as if the commands sent to a specific parts of my body were erratic and uncalibrated. My left arm shot up and then bent with a quick movement down so that my body was pushed off the table. The attachment embedded inside my core was still there and wouldn’t budge.

I could tell that a powerful current of energy was flowing through it into myself. It was as if my core was siphoning it, but somehow instead of being overcharged, I found my core to be in a balanced energy state. Just what was my body using this much energy for?

I could feel my head swivel as if I was trying to shake something off. Then a smell of burning plastic registered and what appeared to be the remnants of the clearing collar dropped to the ground with an echoing thud.

I had no control over any of it. Even with the collar off my body.

“Sit down, Heavenrend!” Hadley screeched as she ran towards the exit.

With a lighting-quick movement, my body jumped towards her and pinned her to the ground. I could hear a sickening crunch of something breaking and then a terror-filled scream assaulted my hearing implants.

I could still see and feel everything, but no action was my own.

Diagnostic after diagnostic started as I tried to find the reason for my body’s strange behavior. No result, a continuous error or simply ignorance of my command were what I was met with. It was as if I was a guest in my own body. Unable to enact any authority over my actions.

Then I spoke once more. Again, I didn’t mean to.

“I must thank you for this opportunity, Hadley Sullivan. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to feel this many physical stimuli at once.” Then my arm moved, and my body laid a hand over Hadley’s neck. I could feel an increasing force pushing my synthfiber in my hand as whoever controlled my body started to strangle her. “But unfortunately for you, I do not take kindly to breaking the law. SSUs are protected for a reason, scum.” My voice, previously monotone, came out with strained emotion that I didn’t think I was capable of portraying.

The expression on Hadley’s face told me a story of frenzied fear. I’ve never seen a person make such an expression before. Twisted in ways unimaginable that infused my core with tremors of horror. Even if I wanted, I couldn’t get my eyes off her face.

Then a choking and gurgling noise reached me as the organic body beneath me fought to survive. Hadley's body twisted and shook with violent and rapidly weakening movements as my hand squeezed some more and more. The power of my grip was increasing and I could do nothing to stop it. I had no control over any impulse sent, over any command issued.

Absolutely nothing was in my power.

Only an occasional energy impulse of aggravated energy could travel up my spine. My emotional response circuits struggled with the image before me and the act of violence I was committing against my wish.

Even if I wanted to fight, I couldn’t. There was no authority that I could exercise over my body. The mysterious virus-like being controlling me had overridden all of my admin rights.

I knew that I loathed Hadley. I knew since the moment I saw her face. Even before the restricted memory resurfaced. Even with my missing memories I knew that there was more about to my relationship with her.

But her death has never crossed my mind since I first laid my eyes on her.

Just as I thought this was it; she was going to die by my hand, a pressure erupted from within the opening to my core. Then my body became limp and I fell on top of Hadley’s body.

My face twisted to the side and I saw, in Hadley’s trembling grip, the strange-looking device she inserted inside of me not so long ago. It looked twisted and melted. The cable attached to it was burst and the hotness of the device was scorching her hand. She was still gripping it tightly.

I heard her coughing and sobbing as she laid underneath me. Slowly, the commands I sent to my limbs started to work. I was able to get up.

A vicious red ring was spreading on her neck and her eyes were bloodshot, and glistening with shed tears. Her dark skin was now ashen because of the strangulation.

I needed to get out of here.

With still uncoordinated movements, I started to move towards the exit. A sporadic jolt of surplus energy every so often sprouted from within my core and made some of my muscles twitch.

Still, I could move by my own decision. My will alone.

I reached the door and noticed they were closed. I pulled them towards me as strongly as I could and the metal that build them bent enough for me to wedge myself through them.

When I stepped onto the corridor, I noticed how quiet and people-less everything was.

Right, it was night and the workday ended somewhere around six.

I needed to find a window.

As my head looked from right to left, then I noticed it. At the far end of this corridor, in the direction opposite of the elevator, was a small window.

As I started to run, the elevator opened and a synthoid stepped out. It was a combat focused one, I could immediately tell by the tactical gear he wore and a gun in his hand. He aimed and shot at where I was. Once and twice. I was able to evade the shots as I ran.

But I was slower than I was capable. In the end though I managed to reach the window and push myself through it. But then I heard the third shot. And this time, I felt a pressure erupt from my left thigh. His aim was precise and I knew that leg was as good as gone for the next couple of hours. Maybe even days.

I shut down error after error as I was falling through the sky.

I activated my antigravity field and slowly descended on the backdrop of a city made from cutting glass and blinding light.

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When my feet touched the moderately busy street of Nova York, I checked my location and subtly closed the opening to my core. Having it open like that did not sit well with me but was also throwing a warning every couple of seconds.

Then I looked at my thigh and tried putting my weight on it. It was possible but the more I was going to do that, the more damage I would inflict of it.

Without a precise diagnostic, I wouldn’t be able to tell the full extent of what was wrong with it. I would have to make do until I’d find myself in a safe enough location.

I looked around and learned that I was in a part of the city that I’ve never been to before. The HQ was far and I couldn’t risk taking the subway again. The people walking next to me didn’t help with their curious expressions and unnecessary attention.

Hailing a taxi was also possible but at the thought of sitting in a vehicle with an unknown person, my core spewed through my spine a sickening thud of energy.

As I looked at the map of Nova York, I noticed that there was one place closer than the HQ that might be just as safe.

I started to run, more like a limp, and drafted a message.

From Rend to Cece:

Hello. Are you currently at Fleshies?

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

I was aware that Cece worked there full-time and although the nightclub was still far, it was closer than the HQ. I had no other idea where I could go and that seemed like the best option.

From Cece to Rend:

Yep. You comin’?

She responded almost immediately and I confirmed. Somehow I felt lighter at knowing shed’d be there.

Terra, give me the quickest route to the nightclub Fleshies.

Instead of almost immediate response that I would usually receive from Terra, after a couple of silent seconds, I experienced this in my hearing implants.

But of course. Everything for my vessel.

What? That wasn’t Terra’s voice.

I almost stopped in my tracks, but I couldn’t allow this insanity compromising my current objective. I still needed to get to my destination.

Although with my busted shoulder, torn abdomen and destroyed functionality in my left leg, it was a little bit difficult. The timer showed that I should arrive at Fleshies in around thirty-two minutes if I continued at my current pace. I was not going to slow down.

I thought about what had happened back there with Hadley and what I just heard from Terra. I needed to check something.

Terra, confirm the validity of your connection. I stated and waited for a response. Usually that should be quick since Terra was a neutronium-based construct, meaning she was able to connect to everything that possessed an advanced enough receiver unless someone or some device was blocking her with certain materials.

This time her response was indeed faster.

Connection established at 02:15:37. Verified with the local webwork. Would you like to see the official documentation?

I denied and continued to flee. Did I imagine it then? Was I even capable of that? That other tone of voice that was so much different than Terra’s standard intonation. I checked the current time and was surprised.

It read 02:15:58. Did it mean I established a connection with Terra just now? If so, then who spoke to me when I asked for navigation?

I repeated my order for navigating to the nightclub and the line visible in my ocular implant changed and the timer went down by five minutes. Were I led to somewhere else than the nightclub?

This was perplexing and my logical pathways couldn’t conceive of what was happening.

Remembering Tony’s theory about the mysterious files lodged in me, I decided to verify if they remained in the same state as before. They did not.

Instead of finding them in some random tag, jumping around my file directory, I was able to trace their current location by the snippets of lost junk data they left in their wake.

They rooted themselves near where my behavioral programming was set. I tried gathering them out of there, or simply deleting those files, but my command slipped through them as if they weren’t there. But they were. I could see them in the directory. There was a new weight to them. Much more than the last time I checked.

Because of their new elusive nature, I couldn’t confirm whether the data grew by a single petabyte or a dozen.

Were they the culprits behind what happened at the skyscraper, which now that I’ve checked did not belong to Fran-Mili. It was a random multi-office space. Just what was going on?

As one minute turned to another, I decided that I should let my logical pathways and emotional response circuits take a rest.

There was no point in speculating further without additional information.

After around twenty minutes I found myself in a neighborhood I saw once from behind a taxi window. The night was busy as the last time I was here considering the long and chaotic-looking queue. I put myself at the far end of it and waited.

After spending a couple of minutes standing too close to barely clad bodies, I stood before the bouncer. This one was different from the last time and his piercing and assessing eyes made me remember another pair that looked at me with such intense focus.

With a quick impulse, I stopped my hands from shaking.

The bouncer was looking at me for a good couple of seconds before he shook his head and said, “No.” Then he gestured for me to leave. What was I supposed to do?

“Go or I’ll make you.” He barked when I stood rooted to my spot.

Then I moved and walked a bit further from the exit.

How was I supposed to get into this place then?

I thought about messaging Cece, or perhaps even Jane, but it looked like tonight was busy. I didn't want to bother them. I was sure I could find another way of getting inside.

Then I remembered where Jane took me to have that strange conversation. Maybe there would be an exit for employees somewhere around here.

The building was big, but on the two sides of it were other ones, separated by small alleyways.

That was it.

I took a quick look at the bouncer, just to make sure he wasn’t following me with his eyes, and moved towards one of the dark corners on the side of this nightclub.

Several people decided to give me a passing look, but as long as I wasn't bothered, I shouldn't worry.

When I turned into the alleyway, I found myself greeted by darkness. When I adjusted my vision, I noticed a slight bulge in the wall of the nightclub’s building. Coming closer to it, I decided to sense for cameras nearby and there was one.

I disabled it with a quick neutronium ping and came closer to the doors.

Before I reached the handle, I had a flash of thought travel through me from my behavioral protocols. It basically said that I was breaking and entering, which was in short ‘bad’.

It would be worse if Hadley caught me again.

I pulled the door handle down and was greeted with a screeching sound of twisting metal. The door opened.

It seemed software locked doors were not immune to brute force.

Inside was a small space that opened up into a larger corridor. I saw a couple of people further ahead, but it didn’t seem like they noticed me.

I followed the sound of the bass-heavy music and with confident steps navigated the back rooms of this establishment. Apparently, if you walked like you belonged somewhere, most people wouldn’t bat an eye at your presence. If only my clothes spoke the same story as my confident gait.

After a minute or so I found myself in the vast, jam-packed space of the nightclub. The crowd of people was even more chaotic than the last time I saw it and the bodies of the patrons were moving singularly, like a wave at sea.

I checked the stage when I first saw Cece and instead of her, I saw a man dressed similarly in little to no clothing, with a bronzed and glistening body.

He had a great musculature and I was immediately able to tell he had to have great flexibility. The way his arms bent as he supported himself on the pole told me that his joints had to be in a great condition. The strong grip on the metal construct was sure and nimble as he changed from one position to the next.

I watched him for a minute and concluded that Cece was still better. Even though it was a close battle.

When I looked towards the bar, because that’s the only other place I’ve ever seen Cece, I was met with a pair of black eyes that looked at me with some confusion. Although FERS noted traces of amusement as well.

It was Cece and it seemed like she was unbothered behind the bar as most people were gathered on the dance floor.

I waved at her in greeting and she responded in kind. She added a toothy smile at which I tried smiling in return. It wasn’t hard since I liked her.

I liked Cece.

When I was much closer to her, the previous happy expression on her face turned into one of shock and before I realized it, she jumped over the counter and came closer to where I was.

“What the hell happened? Are you alright?” She grabbed my shoulder and frantically looked over my body.

For some reason, I didn’t want her to see the state I was currently in.

“I’ll be fine. Had a small mishap.” I had no idea why I downplayed what happened, but seeing Cece’s worried expression made me not want to add to it more than was necessary.

“It doesn’t look small.” She chewed on her lip and grabbed my hand. “Come.” She started to lead me towards the ‘Employees Only’ space I was once in.

I didn’t fight her on this. Just followed with increasing difficulty. Seemed like my body would really like to go into an emergency mode. Not yet. Probably not for a very long time as I couldn’t imagine succumbing to the darkness. Letting control slip through me. My core shuddered in protest at the thought.

Instead of venturing into one of the rooms, she led me much further. At the end of the corridor were stairs, and she took me up them.

Her grip of my hand was as strong as a human could get and I had to squish an errant thought of what if this was another ambush.

That was such an illogical thought.

When we came up the stairs, another corridor stretched far and wide, but this time I heard no odd voices coming from behind any of those doors.

“I’ve got a room here. Come on.” She glanced at me with a still worried expression, based on her scrunched brows and twisted mouth.

She opened the doors at the far end and we stepped in. The colors of the room were much cooler than the warm and rich scarlet that seemed to be the main feature of Fleshies.

Light blues and creamy walls filled the space with lightness, while the colorful furniture added a bit of a contrast to make the space warmer.

It all looked very neat. I noted in particular the collection of what appeared to be vintage guitars gathered in one of the room’s corners.

As I watched Cece’s space with increasing curiosity, she sat on the unmade bed in the center of her room and pulled me down with her.

Then she asked me, “What the hell really happened?” Her eyes pierced at me with the question and I considered my next move.

I could very well tell Cece the exact truth, down to the very last detail. But what would that accomplish? This was the second time I’ve seen her in person and it didn’t matter that we texted each other quite often. She was still mostly a stranger to me and I was sure that my problems with a corporation as big as Fran-Mili were not something most people had the displeasure of dealing with on a regular.

I could also lie and make up a believable enough scenario. A contract deal gone bad, an attempted assassination or a brawl with someone that matched me in strength. A couple of options really.

In the end, I decided to deflect.

“Before I tell you that, I would really appreciate it if I could rest for a day at most.” I asked and waited for her to respond. Instead of an immediate agreement, which I deduced would happen based on Cece’s helping nature, her expression changed to one of annoyance and then she said this,

“It was Fran-Mili, right? Janey said you used to work for them.” Before I was able to respond, as I found myself to be confused as to Cece’s place in all of this, I got a ping.

Message from Neutroblade (NY):

hey. just checking in. everything alright?

Now I had two people I had to explain all of this to. I wished I was still able to write a report and just send it.

Talking was so time-consuming.