"WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!"
"Aa—!"
I jolted upright, heart hammering, dragged out of whatever darkness I'd been drowning in.
The first thing I saw was a man.
No… not just a man.
A mountain of one at that.
Tall—easily over six feet. Broad shoulders. Weathered skin. Had a old basketball cap . A long scar carved across his right eye which made his eye white there .
" A Monster ..."
That was the first word that came to mind.
But before I could take it in any further—
Something hit me. did i just spoke my thoughts....
"…Did I just… speak?"
My breath caught, it happened again..
almost afraid—I raised my hands to my throat.
Cold solid Metal.
I froze and felt like I just lost something great...
Then I looked down.
My arms—lined with thick metallic seams. Joints reinforced with exposed mechanical components.
"What…?"
Panic surged.
I reached for my brain sensor—instinct.
As the saying goes in hiev ' if in trouble… just ask Hivebot '
Nothing.
I got no response from it..
My hands scrambled over the side of my head, searching for the implant—
Gone.
Only a faint, uneven patch of skin remained where it used to be.
"My… sensor…"
It was gone.
A hollow feeling opened inside me.
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
Then it hit all at once.
I wasn't in the Hive.
I was outside.
In the wasteland.
And standing in front of me…
Was one of them.
My chest tightened.
"Who are you…?" My voice trembled despite myself. "Don't come any closer or I—I…"
"Woah, woah—easy there, little fella!!!."
He raised both hands, calm. Too calm.
"I ain't here to hurt you. Whatever's running wild in that head of yours, settle it down."
His voice was rough. Dry. Like wind scraping across old wood.
"Just so you know," he added, "I'm the one who saved you . So you might wanna keep that in mind."
Saved me?
My guard didn't drop.
Not even a little.
"Listen," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. Simple as that."
He glanced at my arms.
"And those?" he added. " I had them installed to help you move and talk ."
He stepped closer and sat on the bed on which i was lying
I immediately pushed myself back into the corner of the bed, every muscle tense.
He noticed.
Didn't react.
Just… sat down.
Like a tired man who'd seen too much.
Silence stretched between us.
I swallowed and gathered my courage , just like before I thought of something and this cyberimplant on my neck vibrated and spoke-
"…Where is this, sir?"
"Roosevelt," he said. "Small town. A few miles out from your Hive, I'd guess."
Then he looked at me.
Sharp.
" by the way , what's your name, boy?"
I straightened instinctively.
"My name is 189 Decimus. A Class 2A citizen of Shadow Embers Hive." I lifted my chin slightly. "And I am a ten-year-old adult."
Then—
He laughed.
"Hahaha , it's rare to see kids like you nowadays "
"You're proud of that?" he continued, shaking his head. "Ten years old… calling yourself an adult… and second class at that?"
He leaned forward, eyes narrowing slightly.
"And that name… 189 Decimus?" he scoffed. "Sounds more like a damn serial code than a person."
"That's rude—" I started.
He cut me off.
"There's a number in your name, kid. If you're gonna make a name up, at least make it sound human."
His tone hardened.
"And who the hell calls a ten-year-old 'adult'? "
I clenched my fists.
"You won't understand," I said. "It's my real name. And I am an adult. I've worked for seven years."
I held my ground.
Even if he was just a barbarian buy i have to explain atleast
Even if this place was beyond everything I knew
He studied me for a moment after my previous answer
Then stood up
"Get yourself together, kid" he said simply, turning toward the door. "I'll be outside."
He paused at the doorway.
"Come find me when you're done ."
Then he left.
The room fell quiet.
Too quiet.
"…Damn it…"
My voice came out weaker this time.
"What the hell happened to me…?"
I sank back onto the bed.
The weight of it all pressing down slowly.
"I messed up because of which I am here "
A long breath escaped me.
"…But what can I even do now , i have illegal cyberware in my body and this damn thing on my neck speak everything that i think In my mind "
I lifted my arm again, staring at the metal embedded into it.
Cyberware here too
They back in the hive said it could corrupt the mind of it's host.
Turn people into something else.
Something less than human.
And yet—
Here I was.
With parts of my body… replaced.
" Sigh! , i feel like dying..."