Me and Myselves (Bleeding Rose)

The wind was cold, blowing through my night shirt and over my bare legs. The hard wood floor was chilled too.

"Where is she?" Muffled voices said.

"There, outside!" one voice said in a panic. Then it donned on me, why am I not in my bed? The door opened and the screen was thrown to the side and I got groped from every possible angle while being dragged into unfamiliar territory. Before I was consumed by the house and its residents I got a good clear look at the outside, something is very wrong.  A few feet past the wooden steps of the house is some sort of drop off like a cliff.  Beyond the cliff in the far distance I could see that we were in a domed structure of some sort.  The walls were made up of cages and rotating gears, making a mild grinding sound in the atmosphere.  A bright light was shining down making the outside look rusty orange and grey, but I didn't see the light source before getting grabbed.

I slid across a tile floor and many of the hands released me, the remaining hands pulled me up to the ceiling but stopping just in time, I was planted on the ground, standing.  I'm confused, and scared, and lost, if I kept this up I wouldn't be able to stop. I was feeling many things right now, most of them I've never felt before, or to this magnitude.

"Are you okay?" someone behind me said.  I got a good clear look at those who had grabbed me. It was me... or me's, myselves? They were spitting images of me, but different, some had different hair styles, some had glasses in different frames, some happy while others not so much.  Whats going on? Am I dreaming or has my mind shut down from the stress of everything.

"Leader are you alright?" I was asked again.

"Leader?" I looked for the one asking and she was happy to let herself be found.

"Who, are you?" I asked.

"I'm Extroverted" I tilted my head to the side like a confused dog, I was too late to keep myself from doing such a odd thing.

"I... don't understand" I said.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, of course you wouldn't" she held her arms out as if to present the other me's.

"We are the aspects of yourself you have yet to conquer. I guess you could say we're your personalities. I'm your extroverted personality, but you can call me E" E went around the room and introduced me to myself. Angst, Introvert, Saucy, many aspects of my personality.

"Everyone! Stoic is playing right now, c'mon" the girls vacated the kitchen and went to the living room.  One of MooK's selves was playing a videogame of some sort.

"What is this E?"

"Thats you she's playing"

"Uh,"

"Oh! sorry again, what Stoic is doing is playing you, your physical body. Take a closer look" I shuffled through the group of me's towards the TV and got a good look at Stoic.  She had her hair braided and she had an expression a statue would have trouble keeping up with.  I looked at the TV.  The morning light that occupied the hospital made waking up at six for training so worth it. But Stoic wasn't at training, she was with other people.  It was Anna and Tesla, we're eating breakfast.

"Why, Why is she in control?"

"Because, well... your away at the moment, here with us.

"Why am I here though, what purpose does this serve?" Extroverted looked around the room until she found who she was looking for.  Me in what looked like a college professors outfit.

"Well, Philosopher?"

"I dunno, maybe she's here in order to understand an aspect of who she is, an angle of her personality she's been unable to tap into" A part of myself?

"Well in that case we should show you around the house" Extroverted wrapped her arms around mine and she took me on a tour of this house.  I was introduced to a few more me's.  Pervert, Tsundere whatever that means, and Jolly stood out the most.  From what I could tell, the house is big, it would be more appropriate to call it a mansion  for its sheer size.  Most of the rooms were similar, however, they were occupied by me's of very different types so they were all pretty unique in what each room was filled with.

"Isn't this place just so great, everyone gets along so well its nice to be able to see you too, like I'm seeing a friend I haven't seen in years" E said.

"Whats downstairs?" all activity nearby came to a halt as they looked at me.  Shy came up to me, fidgeting with a scarf around her neck.

"Uh... we, we don't go down there. Thats where the bad ones are"

"She's right Leader, we worked together to get all the crazies out of here so we wouldn't go mad from having them around.  Once we got them in there we barricaded the door so they couldn't get out but" Extroverted looked concerned.

"They can play from inside there too, we're safe but you aren't, those you love out there are in danger still" E was concerned.  I don't know what to do now.  I want to look outside again see that dome we're in.  We're on the second floor and I think I saw a balcony nearby.  I opened the door and looked out onto the shell. it looked the same as before. My personalities were watching me from the safety of the house.

"What in the world is that thing?" Nobody wanted to answer, E stepped up but cautious.

"We're, not sure MooK. Philosopher won't say anything to us about it either" I wanted to see the sun, or rather the source of light above us, but no matter where I stood I couldn't see it.

"Wheres the sun, what or where is that light coming from?" I said, getting anxious.

"We don't know, there is nowhere in the house that allows us to see it directly" E said.

"Thats insane" I walked downstairs to the porch.  The drop off at the edge of it was serious.  A straight down drop into oblivion.  I was careful to turn around, I still couldn't see the sun, like it had rolled back behind the house.  E and some others charged out and flung me back in the house.

"You can't go out there Leader"

"Stop calling me that, my name is MooK"

"Stay away from the fall, we don't know what happens if you fall over the edge" E said.

"Has anyone, jumped?" I asked, not sure whether knowing was a good idea.

"Just one.  But thats all we can tell you"

"Everyone inside, Leader take a look at the TV" One of me said. I ran in and watched the TV.

"Looks like its time for you to go, MooK" Extroverted said. Stoic looked at me from the floor, the most I've seen her move since I got here.  She held the game paddle to me.

"What about you guys?" I said.

"We'll be fine, just watch out for yourself okay?" I looked down at Stoic, her unchanged expression and posture still offered me the game paddle. I took hold of it and sat down at the table a little further away. Philosopher looked at me.

"MooK, MooK!"

"Hey MooK" Anna said to me, circling her straw in her drink. Tesla as per the usual messaged people over her phone.

"You feeling okay? You've been quiet all morning" Anna said.

"I'm fine, really I"m just daydreaming I guess" It was the best thing I could think of at the moment.

"Must have been a hell of a dream, lets finish lunch and get you a new outfit, borrowing Tesla's clothes has got to be irritating" Tesla looked up from her phone.

"Are you saying that I have bad taste?"

"I'm just making a clear statement that your fashion does not extend past your own physical appearance" Anna and Tesla started back and forth but I couldn't get past a few things. How did I get here? I remember going to bed but how did I get all the way here? And what was that dream I had? It was so bizarre I can't even remember it.

VacaMission (Bleeding Rose)

Blue sea, white clouds, and a cool PBR.  Nothing could get better than this.  Well, maybe if we were on land instead of another ship, but this ship is way different than our combat carrier.  Breech was lost in thought while staring out at the crystal sea and Ratchet was having a gearhead orgasm over how intense this cruise ship is.

"Dakka look at this! its built with the same engine as our carrier! if only I could give them a few pointers at how they could optimize the system" Ratchet was doing what she did best, and trying to get her to relax would be hard so I figured I would leave her be.

"Hey Breech, see anything good out there?" Breech was in a world all her own, she didnt even hear me.

"Breech" I said again while pressing my frozen can to her neck.  She yelped and dropped her lemonade overboard.

"What the hell was that for?" Breech's empty eyes pierced through mine with violent effect.

"Sorry, you were so out of it I thought you might just fall over the railing if someone didnt bring you back to reality" maybe I was a little too casual.

"Well thanks to you my lemonade is gone, it was the best I've ever had" Breech looked down to see if she could spot her blue glass in the water.

"Here, lets go get you a new one, I'll buy one twice the size" I shook my can to see how much was left, I could use another.

"I dont know how you can drink that crap, we're on a multi-billion dollar cruise ship and you choose to drink that garbage" Breech said.

"Says the lightweight of the team.  Maybe the FNG will steal that title away from you when we get her" I finished off my drink and started for the bar, Breech met my stride and Ratchet disappeared, looking for more info on this ship.

"When will she be ready? we need the body right away" Breech said.

"Next week, she'll finish basic training, the week after that, she's ours" I replied.

"Two whole weeks? thats insane!"

"They've been having issues with her training so its dragged a little longer.  From the stats I've read she has some bad ass skills with shotguns" I said. I opened the door to the hall leading to the bar.

"Another close quarters expert? we dont need another one"

"She isn't just being trained in close quarters, she'll be trained in every skill we have. From my assault rifle skills to your fine precision sniping, to even Ratchets mad mechanic skills. She'll be good at everything"

"But doesn't that mean she won't excel at anything? she'll be the definition of average" Breech said.

"Well like I said she kicks ass at shotguns, so we can take advantage of that by teaching her the many ammunition types available to her" if she can't be an expert in any of our skills she she better be great at something, even if its shotgun specific.

"Whats her name? I havent heard anything about that" Breech was a little eager to know.

"Its MooK"

"MooK?"

"Thats what I said"

"Thats... a little offensive, MooK the shotgun expert who also knows all our skills" Breech held her hands out like she were putting up a sign for a movie theater.

"Hey it wasn't my idea, thank the guys in basic for that one" I opened the door to the bar, why is it that bars are always so dark inside? that said how come its always so bright when the hangover arrives? its a mystery.

We took our seats and I ordered another PBR while Breech got her lemonade. Her hands were fidgeting.

"You seem tense, everything alright?" I asked.

"It just feels strange we're on company time and we're having the time of our lives"

"we're pretending to be on winter break from college, this is the one practical way we can keep an eye on our target" I started to whisper at this point no need to tell everyone what we're doing here.

"I just feel so vulnerable right now.  No gun, no badge, this is no place for a long range expert like me to be in"

"we'll get you your gun, and your nest once we get off this floating paradise, we're all about the mission.  Our drinks arrived and Breech snapped to a huge smile when she drew her glass closer and had a long sip of her lemonade.

The bar door opened and Ratchet stumbled in, she took the seat next to me.

"One white russian please" she sounded defeated.

"Whats your malfunction?" Breech said

"oh... I wanted to see the engine room but they wouldn't let me in"

"why would they? they have no reason to think you want to get in their for a good reason. For all they know you want to sabotage the engine"

"But WHY?!"

"Shhh!" me and Breech hush her in unison.

"buy why does it have to be like that, its not fair"

"just load your pipe and relax, we'll get you something to play with soon enough" I said.

"If I'm disappointed I'm going to scramble your computer when we get back"

RE-birth (Bleeding Rose)

The atmosphere among us was calm and collected, which it had never been since we started this project.  Whiskey was in its final segment of the whole construction period.  I look at the tank that holds our creation, submerged in curing agent.  This fluid will clean out everything we might have left behind during the build and seal the whole body together.



“She looks so uncomfortable in there” Nicholas said, looking at Whiskey it looked like it was holding its breath underwater.  Its arms and legs were bound to limit the movement while submerged, but I think Nicholas looks at it as if we were mobsters tossing a body in the river.



I didnt want to say anything, I just wanted to admire my work.  If you didnt know she was a cyborg it would never cross your mind, it was a perfect blend of deception, beauty, and power.  The door opened and the annoying doctor that headed the whole project walked in.



“Gentlemen, in an hour our work will be officialy over. Its been a long BUT rewarding week.  Marcus, Nicholas.  Feel free to go take a break I’ll oversee the curing and I’ll call for you when we transfer her to a regular room.”  I grab my hips and stretch my back, I was pretty worn out, a nice plate of pasta sounds wonderful.



“How about lunch Nick?” he nods, a slow and creaking turn away from the tank he follows next to me as we meander down the hallway.



“Dr. Black I have your daughters report” Barbara, Nicholas’ receptionist was waving a clip board towards us.  Nick collected the report as we walked by, he didnt say a word as he walked past her.  He sifted through the paperwork reading specific notes and numbers.  He chuckled for a second.



“Anna was claimed legally dead for 30 minutes, I’ll have to have fun with her about that”



“You enjoy teasing her quite a bit” I said holding open the door to the elevator.



“I have to bug her like that, I’m her father afterall” he smiled, I just rolled my eyes.  The elevator fell to level 2 ‘cafeteria, gifts, pharmacy’ the area was pretty vacant, a few random visitors lay strewn about the area.  We walked into the cafeteria and I grab a tray.



“I hope the pasta is chicken fettuchini, that’s got a good ring to it today” I shuffle into line ahead of Nicholas who’s looking around like he’s looking for someone, then I hear it.



“Doctor Black!” a young girl with light pink hair gallops over to Nicholas while typing on her phone.



“Tesla, how are you” Nicholas said.



“I’m fantastic Doctor, we just relocated your daughter to her new room, she’ll be up in an hour or so” she didnt stop typing throughout the whole conversation, let alone look down to see what she was typing.  Kids these days.



“I have Anna’s report right here, I was just skimming through it” Nicholas and Tesla spoke while we shuffled through the line, I placed my order for chicken parmigiana.  Nicholas made a hasted order for a bowl of clam chowder and breadsticks, and Tesla got a simple hot dog.  I grabbed a cup and filled it with that which I wanted so much, cola. I ignored the two as I searched for a table to settle at, they crept over while still chatting. Nicholas looked at me in surprise, like he forgot I was around.



“I’m sorry Marcus. Tesla, this is Doctor Marcus Wheeler, he’s been working with me on the project i’ve been busy with” Tesla sprung from her seat and held out her hand in a professional handshake.



“Tesla Watchman, aspiring Cybernetic Engineer, its a great pleasure to meet you Doctor Wheeler” I didnt want to but I would’ve felt awkward not standing up, I was being played up so well I couldn’t put a bad image on someone who was interesting in our particular field.  I returned a firm handshake and a kind smile.



“Marcus Wheeler, its always nice to meet people who are interesting in science” She gave a half curtsy before sitting down to her lunch. I got in a few bites of my chicken before Tesla started asking questions related to the field, which I for the most part was glad to give. Having been around Nicholas and other people who were well rounded in our practice didnt give me much chance to converse like this.



“What about those new accelerator cores coming out, how do you feel about the potential advantage they have for athletes?” Tes said.



“Well, given their statistical output they have been banned by numerous sponsors as an unfair advantage, there are two places they will find potential use, your average civilian can get an advantage from it.  But the Military will find it to be a great addition to any soldier upgrade” I boasted a little.



“But in natural fashion the military will work with the lowest bidder meaning the quality will be questionable. Do you remember the Madness case reported last year? the soldiers were equipped with a low quality power core upgrade and most of those soldiers went mad from side effects.  And your average civilian wont need such a high end upgrade unless they decide to put on a cape and fight crime, or even do the opposite.  Athletics and sports can gain a huge advantage from applying this technology with a little calibration regulation, we could even see the invention of a new sport or two from something like this” Tesla said.  I was thrown back, she had done her research.



“It seems to me we’ll have a strong addition to the field with her around” Nicholas said.



“More than that, she’ll be running this place in no time” we all had a cheerful laugh as we finished our lunch.  The PA system rang its polite bell across the cafeteria.



“Dr. Black, Dr. Wheeler, please report back to your stations” the message repeated again.



“Just in time” I said, excited that we were about to watch our creation awaken to its new life.  Nicholas sighed, whether or not it was one of stress or joy was hard to tell.



“Why dont you check on Anna’s condition Tes, I’m sure it would make her happy to have a friend around when she wakes up” Nicholas said.



“That was my plan from the start, I want to help her work into her new body” Tesla was working the keys on her phone again.



“I do have to say that I would prefer if you didnt tinker with these parts, their top notch” Nick asked her.  She smiled and understood what he was saying. I’m sure she was part of the reason Anna’s old parts worked like they did.



We made our way back to our station and saw a camera that was watching our project as it slept in its bed.  Whiskey would wake up soon.  Not too long after that it would be out of our hands.  Whiskey would go through basic training before being sent off to its new home at sea.

-=+=-

I was nervous, or maybe I was upset, or guilty, or proud.  It was way to hard to tell.  The way I felt about Project Whiskey was a roller coaster.  I was proud of my work, but working on an innocent girl who should be dating and getting an education was out of my moral range. The door opened to the room and Tesla walked in.



“What the hell is she doing in there?” I said.  She sat next to the other bed in the room, the one I didnt pay any attention to until now.  Anna was in the bed next to Whiskey.



“They put... my daughter... in the same room as Whiskey” I looked around at the staff in the room, they didnt seem to have an issue with it.



“Too late now, look” Marcus said. I looked at the monitor, Whiskey was shuffling in her sheets while Anna was waking to Tesla’s excitement over her new look.  Anna waved Tesla to calm down with her real arm since she had just woken from her procedure. The two girls looked over at Whiskey who was looking around the room.




“Look at that!” Marcus said. Watching our piece of work do something as minor as sit up and look around, granted she had no idea where she was or even who she was.



“Get someone in there to look Whiskey over, right now” I wanted to go in too, I want to make sure that if something bad happens i can protect Anna.



“I’m going in too” I started out the door, with a nurse in tow. Marcus grabbed my lab coat.




“Nick, everythings fine... Whiskey isnt a danger”



“We dont know that yet” I growled. I hustled down the hall to their room on the way I ran into members of the team Whiskey was going to be joining. I cant deal with them now, I need to get in there and make sure everything is alright.  I stop at their door and take a deep breath just as I open the door.  I found Whiskey flying through a small bowl of soup, like it was the last one ever.  Anna and Tesla were chatting about breaking in her new parts when they looked at me.



“Dad, look!” Anna lifted her new arm, but it looked like she was wading through molasses, she waved at me, my guard fell like a stack of bricks I walked over to her and hugged her with the kind of hug I as her dad can only give her. Tesla watched with a kind smile.



“Anna, how are you? are you okay?” I asked her.



“I’m fine dad, what about you, your sweating” I took the back of my hand and set it on top of my head. I was indeed sweating, with worry for my daughters well being with someone who has, for the most part, woken for the first time.  The nurse who tagged along was looking over Whiskey, reassuring her she was in safe conditions.  I had to talk to her, to say something positive to her in her moment of unknowing, the fear that can creep in and say things are not right. I set my daughter down, Vincents work was just as I expected it to be, incredible.



“I’m going to look at your roommate for a just a second” I step up and move to the other bed.  I had to be very careful of what I say right now, I cant say something that will bring attention to what Whiskey is, I need to focus on making sure she’s alright, not afraid of her surroundings. The nurse checks her breathing as I sit down.



“She’s just fine, breathing is normal, no abnormalities detected” she says.



“Thank you, I think I have it from here” I look at whiskey who is running her fingers through the bottom of her soup bowl.



“Do you like the soup?” I venture, she nods.



“Bring us another helping, just like this one” the nurse nods and leaves the room.  I reach for Whiskeys hand and start checking that everything is as it should be. I stand up and feel her back, measure her breathing.  I feel so strange, she feels so natural to the touch, it was eerie that she was filled with metal and wire.



“Lie down please” she does as I ask.  I squeeze her stomach and check for irregularities, again I come up empty.



“Where... am I?” she asked in a whisper I almost didnt hear her.



“Your in Van De Merve Hospital” I said.



“Who... who am I” A feeling like a baseball in my stomach hit me. I was afraid she would ask that. What do I say? what can I tell her that can reassure her she is in safe hands?



“I can answer that for you” I looked at the door to see Levan she floated in to look at Whiskey.



“Wow just look at you, your a cutie” I step away from the bed and Levan replaces my position. She poked and prodded at Whiskey who, was attempting to protect herself from Levans groping assault.  The nurse returned with another tray of soup, and swapped it with the old one. Whiskey lunged for it and ditched the spoon.  She for the most part drank most of the soup, stopping every once in a while to mix her bread sticks in.  Anna and Tesla watched as Whiskey consumed her second helping, such a small girl had such a big appetite.  There was a knock at the door, Marcus had caught up with us.



“Dr. Black, we still have work to do” I looked at Anna, then at Whiskey her eyes, those deep blue eyes were easy to get attached to. Levan walked over to me and started patting my on the shoulder.



“Dont worry about her Doc, Ill take care of her.  We’ll get every situated” I nodded in understanding.  I turned towards the door, but not before turning to Anna.



“I’ll see you later ok? Take care of her Tes” Tesla gave a mock salute while Anna waved and smiled. I walked through the door catching Whiskeys glance one more time, she smiled at me.



The same smile that Anna had.

Upgrade (Bleeding Roses)

Rain, on a day like today, it just had to rain.  School was out and I was on my way to get my upgrade.  Dad said he had a surprise waiting for me at the hospital, a new set of parts had to be waiting for me.

"Anna!" I turned around to see Tesla running towards me.

"Wait up" she stopped to catch her breath.

"Whats up Tes?" I shifted my shoulder as the bag started to slip.

"Can I go with you? I want to see you get your upgrade" Tesla was looking to get a major in cybernetics, much like my dad.  She would want to talk to him too, brag about the work they do.

"As long as you dont spam the web with what upgrade I got 'OMG a DIY kit, liek total lame powers o.O'" I didn't need the people at work freaking out about what brand I get.

"You know me, I'm a wall" she made that look, the one that was a total liar.

"whats it made of, croutons?" Tesla just looked at me.  "oh you XD" plastered on her face.  She followed me out to the parking lot.  I was wondering how well she would handle riding with me again.  Last time she almost puked in her helmet.  I wanted to see the look on her face as my bike came into view.  her face was going pale, I however felt great.  The fact that I was getting rid of these awful medical prosthetics made me feel like a cooling fluid was circulating through me.  Dad said the new parts would be more responsive, but the part I was excited about was the new look.  The clean, rounded parts of the hospital tech was boring and didnt match anything I wore. The sky blue frame with green rubber covered joints meant all the shirts had to be long sleeved.

My bike was big, very big.  Dad wouldnt let me buy one unless it was a tank and I got mild Grinder pilot cybernetics.  The synchronization allowed me to balance better and ride with more efficiency.  Most people who tagged along for the ride end up sick, but if they saw things the way I did, they would understand me better.

I put my jacket and helmet on and Tesla just stood there.  I handed her my extra helmet and she put it on as slow as she could.  I pulled the cable from my bike and ran it to the connection in my neck.  Syncing with my bike felt like I was in a lucid dream, my body felt numb as I take my position.

"alright, lets go Tes" she slid on behind me and gripped me like I was a pillar for her life.  I pulled out and hit the freeway.

We arrive at the hospital in record time, the streets werent as cluttered as usual.  We park in the lower garage and take the elevators to our level.  The floor was very active, it seemed to be at that point if one person slipped, chaos would ensue.

"Anna" it was Barbara, the receptionist.

"Looking for your father are we?"

"Yeah, I'm getting my upgrades today"

"Oh well good for you, you'll be surprised when you see what they look like, your in for a treat" she was smiling like she was keeping a big secret.  It made my anticipation that much greater.

"Your father is in the middle of a big project at the moment, but his break is coming up soon.  We'll start you in room 706 on the left" she stood from her seat and held my hand, I thought the kind gesture was lost in the prosthetic somewhere.

"If you and your father ever need anything, I'm always here for you" I was tired of this whole sympathetic image I somehow emanated.  Its been years and no matter what I do I can't seem to express the fact that I can take care of myself.

"thanks Barbara" I said in a manner that expressed that I was upset for the sympathy.  Tesla and I strolled to the room and waited for my dad.  After a few minutes the door opened.

"Cancer I'm afraid, we'll... have to remove the head" Nicholas said as he shut the door behind him.

"oh dad, think your a funny guy" Dad smiled at me, his cheerful demeanor slipped a notch when he saw that Tesla was with me.

"hello Tesla, could you wait outside for a moment" Tesla sprung from her seat and headed for the door.

"as long as I can get in on Anna's procedure" I rolled my eyes and leaned away, dad looked at me.  I nodded in acceptance.

"How about a front row seat, we'll hold it in the theater" Tesla bounced on her heels in excitement as she shut the door.  Dad sat down, he looked exhausted.  He set his hand on his face, a clear sign he was frustrated.

"you okay?" I stretched my metal limb out to him and he grasped it with a strong grip.

"its this project Anna, its kicking my ass.  I've told you about my work, most of it you shouldn't know.  But this" whatever he was working on it was beating him up inside.

"I love you Anna" He looked at me with the face he made when he was serious.

"I know dad"

"Its a girl, she's... so young and frail looking, and Marcus just see's a platform for science.  We, we're turning her into a machine, a monster and... I'm part of the development" I spotted a tear on his face, I wrestled my hand from his and wiped it away.  I got off the bed and sat next to him.

"she's younger than you, I cant even imagine what life she lived before she got here"

"where is she dad? can I see her?"

"her torso is complete, her arms are done down to the elbow.  Once your upgrade is complete and the physical therapy is dealt with, she'll be done, then Ill let you meet her" he had regained his composure, his business face was on again.

"I'm sorry my darling but I wont be overseeing your upgrade, this project is too important for any of us to take on other work till its complete.  I'm leaving you in Vincents hands, you know Vincent" I didnt like the idea of dad not doing my work but its not like I can argue with him.

"If you have to"

"I do, unless we postponed the upgrade"

"not happening. Oh Barbara said you have a big surprise for me" he smiled.  He walked to the table and pulled a large metal briefcase out of the cabinet.  My heart was beating hard, he turned it around.  The case read 'Dark Blood Works: Model 88 "Stampede" My organs almost jumped out of my throat, it was the model I wanted.  I know its childish but I still jumped for joy.  Seconds later Tesla barged in and joined in while sending the message out.  The nurse entered the room.

"Mr. Black, we're ready for your daughter now"

"This is Tesla Watchman, she would like to observe the operation.  Be sure to let Vincent know" the Nurse nodded and escorted me and Tesla out.  I gave my dad a quick hug and left the room.  Me and Tesla spoke on our way to the operating room, nothing specific just random things from school.  We started down a hall that was less trafficked, a single woman stood in the hallway, waiting outside.  She was juggling a knife between her hands, stopping to admire the weapon for seconds before continuing to pass it between her fingers and hands.  As I walked past her, time seemed to slow down.  She looked me straight in the eyes, there was a break in our contact when her knife floated into view.  for seconds all I could see was her silver hair, hints of yellow and green reflected off from the lights.  When our eyes met, Tesla nudged me.

"hey are you listening to me?"

"oh, sorry.  Daydreaming" I looked back and heard some call from the room the woman was guarding.

"Ed, c'mere please" the woman slipped the knife away and left the hall.  We made it to the operating room and I changed clothes.  while I stood I looked at my reflection.  Two legs, an arm, most of my organs, an eye and my ears were all made of metal and plastic. I held my prosthetic arm out, if I concentrate hard enough I can make it stand still.  If I forget it'll twitch a little, if it leaves my mind it'll have a tendency to react in a strong way, be it a nudge or a kick.  All the sleep I've lost because of it.  After this It'll be a thing of the past.  There was a knock on the door.

"we're all set to begin"