Chapter 9

Chapter 9

She wakes to a scared nurse frantically bandaging her lower body. She catches every third word from her mouth as she screams about not having much time and how she has shrapnel in her back. Before she passes out again she sees a name tag on the nurse. Susan from Titan Industries. The company that made those fucking Remnant are the ones trying to save my life? What the hell is going on? She ponders as darkness takes her. A strong light wakes her up as the nurse from before sits next to her smiling.

“ Ms. Martinez I work for Titan Industries and I wanted to offer you a chance to walk again. The operation I am offering you is not legal in most countries but here in the middle east, they are less strict in this area of medicine. The short of it is that you would be granted top tier cybernetic legs called Olympia Tech. They would allow you to not only walk again but will enhance your running speed and leg strength substantially.” Susan says.

“What a favor you would be granting me, allowing me to walk again. Wasn't it your product that did his to me in the first place!? What about my team!? They don’t get a chance to live again!” Valencia screams.

“The investigation is ongoing and I cannot comment on what may have transpired at this time. We are offering this because of your outstanding service in the United Force. Anyway if you do decide to do it just let a staff member know.” Susan says as she gets up and leaves. Valencia replays it over and over in her head each time she comes back to one thing, the green eyes. She vows to expose Titan Industries but first, she will need legs again. The first step is to get them back then to work her way close enough to get some evidence. After she informs Susan of her decision a few hours later the door opens and a woman with a tight bun and streaky blonde hair enters her room. She is wearing a gray suit probably worth thousands. She holds in her hands a contract and pen as she sets them down in front of Valencia.

“Standard NDA must be signed, if the Doctor chooses you then you get the operation. Success currently is at seventy percent with a very low chance of life expiration. If the procedure fails and you survive, you will be paid a lump sum of thirty thousand dollars.” She says coldly.

“Thirty thousand dollars is all my legs are worth? Success isn't even guaranteed either and I may die? Is this some kind of sick joke?!” Valencia asks.

“Okay fine, I will bump it up to sixty thousand if it fails. Are you happy now Valencia Martinez?” The woman replies. Valencia slowly edges towards the edge of the bed. She reaches out to the woman and grabs her hand firmly and places it where her leg used to be.

“Your Remnant attacked us and my friends are fucking dead! You will pay me one hundred thousand per leg whether the procedure fails or not. If you don't I will be talking to every news site you can imagine about how our precious machine servants are plotting to overthrow their masters. Titan Industries will be the talk of the fucking world!” Valencia shouts. The woman can’t even meet her eyes and solemnly nods.

“Yes, mam. Can you please sign the document?” She asks meekly. Valencia grabs the pen and signs it. The woman slinks away with her tail between her legs. The next morning a man walks into the room wearing a white lab coat and outstretching his hand. She fakes a smile and grips his hand firmly.

“Nice to meet you Captain Martinez, tales of your heroics have reached me here in France. To think the youngest Captain in the history of the United Force is sitting here on my table. I trust you signed the paperwork?” He smiles warmly.

“Please Doctor call me Val for short, yes sir, the paperwork is signed. I just really feel like if what I read was true about this procedure I can still be of use to the military if I understood it correctly. Being in the field has been the joy of my life and to have my legs taken from me has been especially hard. Do you mind running me through the procedure?” She asks.

“It is a possibility as long as we have success. We are going to place an implanted microchip at the base of your skull dubbed the Olympia System or OS for short. This chip will connect your mind to your cybernetic legs and will also enhance your perception abilities. Naturally when we tell our body parts to move there is a time delay however small. The OS will remove that delay and make the thought and action happen in unison. Other patients have reported enhanced senses including sight and even smell.” He says.

“If all goes well, do you think I can rejoin my unit? “She asks.

“Honestly I believe even normal people will opt to have the procedure done just for the chance to become extraordinary. Why wouldn't the military want an enhanced soldier with your expertise? You may lie back a nurse will be in shortly.” He replies then leaves the room. Normal people he says. What a dip shit, whatever, I will succeed at this for them. She thinks of her team. The nurse comes in and injects her with something and she falls asleep. Nightmares grip her of Eric and Kyle dying. Caitlyn cries out as they are murdered by a man hiding in the shadows. The green glow of his eyes and mad laughter filled with hatred grips her very soul. She awakes in intense pain as she grabs at where her legs used to be. Instead of feeling nothing but air a cold metal now resides there. She sits up abruptly and wiggles her toes while running her hands over the black and chrome metal. A sense of relief, joy, and sharp pain at the base of her skull send her reeling. The nurse from before enters the room.

“Please lie on your stomach Ms. Martinez we need to reset the microchip it is not linked properly yet.” The nurse says. She complies and the nurse pushes her hair aside and she touches the chip with a device as it begins to scan the implant. A solemn voice fills her mind as the implant begins to communicate with her nervous system.

“Beginning the syncing procedure. Warning you will experience extreme pain.” It says.

Pain grips her entire body starting from her nerves and working its way out. It feels like the time she fell and broke her front tooth on the pavement as a small child. The nerve was exposed and even air touching it hurt like hell. This feels like that except the nerve is being pinched between someone’s fingers. She begins convulsing and shaking as the OS takes over her body. After what feels like hours the pain ends and she comes back to reality.

“How long was…” She struggles to say.

“Just twenty-five seconds, I know it seemed longer but your senses are now enhanced. Once you learn to control it, time will seem to slow down to a crawl and you may be able to perform superhuman acts of reflex. Right now all of your senses are firing at once and this is why the pain is so severe. We will teach you to turn whatever sense you want to ten and others to zero based on the situation.” The nurse explains. As she uses her device the doctor comes into the room.

“Everything seems to be working fine and in order. I will be spending time with you for the next few weeks until you learn how to control the system. I put out some feelers and the Director of Titan’s Operations team reached out to me about you. I took it upon myself to set a meeting next month. Hope you don’t mind.” He says.

“No, I do not. Thank you, doctor.” She replies.

“I look forward to working with you Val.” The doctor says as he leaves the room. She is alone again with her thoughts, with the ghosts of her friends. They never seem to leave her mind for very long only when she is focusing on achieving her goals. Bad things happen to good people for no reason but there was always a choice of how to deal with it. Her father Marcos would always tell Val and her older sister Maria that saying whenever something bad happened. She never really understood it until they were both killed in an accident by a drunk driver on her thirteenth birthday.

In the Martinez family, they had a special tradition when one turned thirteen. The lucky boy or girl chose a restaurant and they were treated to dinner and dessert, no matter the cost. Just them and their parents alone for dinner. For once it would be all about them for the evening. Maria chose seafood for her big day two years prior and word was the meal cost well over a hundred dollars but hey, it was special, you only turn thirteen once right? Seafood wasn't Val’s thing but Italian yes that was where it was at. She had a whole plan of where to go and what she was going to order. Instead of getting an amazing dinner and time with her father alone for a few hours, she got to sit in a hospital waiting room crying waiting to see if her family lived through surgery.

Her Mother passed during childbirth so for Val losing her father and sister at once was devastating. She never did get to go to that Italian restaurant because by the time she had enough money it was long closed down. Her father's words rang in her ears and she used them to become top of her class and excel at everything she put her mind to. Just like before she would do the same, the memory of her team would haunt her but also fuel her. To make the injustice they suffered right at any cost. The world has to balance out and if it couldn't she would force it to.