Date: Unknown

  Location: Unknown

  Time had been an enigma since Neveck’s frozen departure. His body completely numb in a comatose state. Like the ocean depths, he feels as if his body is slowly sinking further into the abyss, growing ever more silent each second. Such a silence had never felt more loud in this umbral sleep, being enough to force one’s consciousness to beseech for even the slightest of a sound. It begins to feel like an eternity as the lacking of time’s concept becomes even more maddening.

  After such an unknown period of time, Neveck suddenly picks up on something. As if to answer a prayer, not one, but several different sounds can be heard from far away. Though muffled and barely understandable, the sounds that were heard are discovered to be voices. Tried as he did, he could not make out what the voices were saying. Despite being unfamiliar, these voices were fervently welcomed.

  Perhaps he was found? Maybe he is dreaming. It may even be yet another one of his many hallucinations. Many theories spring forward as they are the only thing Neveck could do, hoping for someone to entreat his awakening. Then, he feels something tap his forehead. Though he remains numb, he was able to feel what was a drop of water.

  This solace, however, was only temporary. After being struck by the water, the voices began to fade away into obscurity, leaving Neveck once again as a prisoner to the mercy of the darkness. Damn it, he thought. What the hell is happening? As he continues to fall down the endless darkness, Neveck’s mind begins to grow faint. Wait, he thought to himself. How did I get here? Another drop of water falls and hits his forehead. After being struck again, he fails in his attempt to recollect the events prior to his predicament.

  What… was I even doing?

  The slow journey has finally reached its destination as Neveck’s body gently lands. A sound of water can be heard as his body makes contact with the surface, sending out rings like a sonar. Neveck’s arms are laid out flat as soft, cold water seeps into his armor. He stares out into the abyss, still unable to see close or far. Another drop of water falls and hits his forehead. “This has to be a dream,” he spoke to himself. “Even so, I can’t get myself to move. What am I suppose to do?” He suddenly hears another sound in the distance. Another voice, although different from the previous ones he had heard before. The unknown voice calls out to Neveck in a muffled tone. Neveck furled his brows in confusion. “What are you saying?” he asks, wondering if the voice can even hear him. Another drop of water falls. This time, before making contact, the voice became loud and completely clear to him:

  “Wake up.”

  In the dark of night, a rather desolate city lies in an even more desolate land. The many buildings that once inhabited this space have finally been laid to rest, with only a few of them remaining. Pieces of unspoken history are written around every corner of this wasteland, with the only tourists being that of traveling small animals. The insides of every hollowed structure grumbles in annoyance from the breeze of the self inviting winds.

  Inside one of these decrepit buildings, with empty hallways that wail with the voices given to them by the winds, lies a room on it’s tallest floor, blanketed in dust. This seemingly lifeless room is mostly lit by the gleam of the moon’s light.

  Deep within the area, a sharp sound of beeping can be heard. The beep traces back to a heavily large machine, resting with it’s door completely raised. The glass on the door is heavily coated with misty water from condensation. The machine slowly shuts down as its power source had completely and finally run out. The slow, unrhythmic beeping, along with it’s dying light, slowly fade into silence as it falls into the eternal sleep.

  Within the machine, lies a shallow breathing person. The cryogenic process had finally been completed, thawing out the individual for awakening once its timer had run out. The person remains motionless in a deep sleep. With no one around to follow procedure or protocol, waking up is proven to be difficult to the suspended body. Bearing the weight of slightly rusted and cracked armor, the identity of the individual was shown to be Neveck. His forehead had been dampened by the droplets of water from the machine’s door, while his body lays in a small pool from the ice melt. A heavily pale complexion questions how long Neveck had been unconscious for. The moisture on the door gathers up one more water drop. As it pushes itself away from the surface, it falls on a beaten path towards Neveck. As if guided by faith, undeterred, it falls upon his forehead like a final knock on a door. A knock that was eventually answered as his eyes had begun to open.

  Neveck had finally awakened.

  With a broken gasp, he looks around to see where he was. The area seemed different than how it was before. Neveck struggles to get up, feeling completely weakened and weighed down. He unbuckles pieces of his armor and slowly removes them from him. He rolls over in the machine and tries to pull himself out of it. As he slowly rises, the joints on his body begins to make audibly loud cracks like the undead rising from their graves. His legs fail to keep him upright as he falls to the floor. Not only because he’s weak, but the air, and even the gravity, felt heavier to him. He begins to feel light-headed as the boarders of his vision grows white. The terribly sick feeling has overwhelmed him as he vomits onto the floor. He grabs the machine and tries to pull himself up again.

  “What-” he struggles to speak. “The fuck… Happened to me?” He gets himself onto one knee, catching his breath as he tries to recover. He slowly puts his hand on his forehead. “I was fighting, and then I somehow ended up here. Why? Why… Can’t I remember anything past that??” He looks inside the machine to find anything that could be a clue to him. The only thing that stuck out was pieces of his armor and his sword. He retrieves his sword and uses it as a crutch to hold himself. “I have to get back, but to where? Who’s waiting for me?” His memory has been completely scattered as he fails to recall most things. It wasn’t until that moment that Neveck had noticed something completely off. Though his vision was partly blurry, only one of his eyes were working. He puts his hand on his face and feels around to discover specific scarring patterns. He touches his left eye to the shock that he could not feel anything there. Instead, it is revealed that a false eye had taken it’s place. “My eye,” he says in disbelief. “What the fuck happened to my eye?? Why can’t I see!?”

  Neveck’s ears capture the sounds of footsteps in the distance. He looks around and finds a long corridor ahead of him. The footsteps were further down and drawing closer to his position. Neveck’s next move depends on whoever these visitors are. Ally or enemy, he had to think fast. He could hear the voices of three individuals as they draw near. Neveck stands himself up, readying himself for what’s to come. Though heavily fatigued from vertigo, he cannot afford to appear weak. Emerging from the dark hallway, the three men have arrived. With no door to hold them back, they invite themselves into the room. They lock eyes with Neveck soon as he was noticed.

  “Well, would you look at this boys,” says the man in front of the other two. “We got ourselves a Cryoflesh here; looks like he got up all by himself, too.” The three men that stand before Neveck shows to have distinct features unalike other humans. Upon further observation, it is seen that different parts of their bodies have been replaced with much more mechanical features. These parts seemed much more advanced than anything Neveck had previously seen, having similarities to that of a science fiction movie.

  The other futuristic-looking man steps forward. “You don’t see that often. How much you think this one’ll sell for?”

  “Only one way to find out. Now, you there. Why don’t you come with us, huh?” The man in front signals the other two to walk forward and apprehend him. Neveck’s thumb rests on the guard of his sword, firmly pushing the blade from its sheath as they approach. After weighing his options, he decided to take the risk and attempt to fight back despite himself feeling weak. Should his attempt fail, he would have no other choice but to make an attempt for escape. He waits patiently for the opportunity to strike. As the larger man in the group reaches out his hand, Neveck quickly pulls out his sword and swings it down at his accoster. This would give him a big enough window for his plan. The man moves his other hand and grabs the blade of the sword. Neveck tries to pull the blade back, but the man’s heavy grip was far too strong. “Whoa there. We got ourselves a fighter,” laughed the larger man. With little effort, he crushes the blade, shattering it completely. He then grabs Neveck and hoists him off of his feet with brutish strength.

  “Hey dumbass!” the leader scolds. “Watch the merchandise! That could’ve been worth a lot.”

  Neveck sees that the situation was more complicated than he had anticipated. He accepts that it was futile to continue struggling, and begins to think of other options. He looks over to his shield, still affixed to his left arm.

  The man next to the brute holds a device in his right hand and brings it up to his eye. “Scanning his carbon levels now,” he announces as the device lights up with peculiar sounds and its parts beginning to shift. Neveck observes in utter confusion as to what that statement meant. After the scan has been completed, the man looks at the device’s screen and baffled look appears on his face. “Hey Boss?” he calls out. “These numbers aren’t reading right. I thought these things don’t go farther than a hundred years.” The leader turns his head towards him.

  “What the fuck are you talking about? Course they don’t.”

  “That ain’t what this is saying? You sure this crap is brand new?” The man tosses the device over to the leader. He looks through the results carefully. After resetting the device, he scans Neveck again. The results reveal the same numbers as before. A duchenne smile takes over the man’s face.

  “You boys know what this means?” he announces excitedly.

  “What?” responds the other man, puzzled by this new expression.

  “If what I’m looking at is real, then we’ve just hit our retirement! With this kind of quality, this fucker is gonna sell for millions!”

  While they rejoice in laughter, Neveck sifts through his pockets. Despite losing his backpack, he should still have something useful to get him out of his situation. His hand stops on the only possible object that can help him, and comes up with an idea.

  The brute that has Neveck turns his head back, and sees him holding up the object that he had held in his pocket. “Huh? What’s this?” he questions. Seeing that the item is being handed over, the man reaches with his other hand and takes it. He inspects the oval-shaped object.

  “A favorite of mine,” answered Neveck. With his hand still out, a metal ring can be seen on his middle finger.

  The man opens his hand, and a click is heard as the metal piece springs outward from the held object.

  “Call it a parting gift.” The brute looks puzzled at the object.

  “I think it just broke-” his voice was cut short, as the item he had held in his hand exploded. Neveck held his shield in front of him to absorb the blast, but the force was too much at close range, and shattered it. The brute stumbles back, letting go of Neveck before falling to the floor.

  When the smoke clears, the leader of the group sees his companion on the floor. His hand and half of his head had been blown off by the explosive impact of the grenade. His ally rushes towards Neveck to apprehend him.

  Neveck looks around and plans his next move. He spots a window that had been cracked from the explosion. Without a second thought, he runs toward the window and jumps through it before the other man could catch him. Shards of glass fly outward as Neveck falls from the multi-story building. Though he had no other choice, he hadn’t anticipated being so high up. He stares up at the dark sky, the smaller glass shards blending in with the stars. It felt to him that time has slowed as he attempts to process the situation he had found himself in. He also begins to question his fate, feeling the weight of gravity and the distance he is falling. By the time Neveck had come to, his body finally lands as he is slammed on his back atop of a broken down vehicle. The force of the impact makes him cough up blood.

  After a passing moment which felt far too long for him, Neveck finally gasps and coughed some more. He painfully rolled himself off the destroyed vehicle, landing in a kneeling position. A sharp pain hits him and he grips his waist. After seeing blood on his hand, he looks down to see a laceration. Glass that remained itself to the window pane had struck Neveck as he propelled himself out of the window during his escape. He grabs the hood of the broken vehicle and lifts himself back onto his feet. “Those guys must be on their way,” he says examining his metal arm. From the explosion, to the fall, his left arm had broken apart and can no longer function. “Better get going fast. Don’t know where, but hopefully someplace where I can get fixed up.”

  The two men exit the building to find the broken down vehicle. Upon investigating, they see that their trophy had managed to escape. The leader kneeled down to take a closer look and notices a small blood trail that leads down the road. “I almost fucking had him!” shouted his ally. The leader stands up back up and faces him.

  “Call in the others. He’s hurt, and I’m sure he hasn’t gone too far.” He stares down the ruined road.

  “Besides, damaged goods is still goods.”

  Slowly traversing the silent moonlit night, Neveck drags his feet down the battered road of the forlorn city. Exhausted, he looks around the environment and sees that the buildings and architectures were different than before. The writings on each building were written in rather peculiar fonts, while other signs were written in languages that were completely outside of his understanding. Despite this, the evidence presented the assumption that a society was built here.

  “Something’s not right,” he uttered concerningly. “None of this makes sense. Who were those guys? Why can’t I remember anything?” he looks at his hand, still stained in dark blood. “What happened to my strength?” An onslaught of questions with nothing to bring answers to begins to agitate him. He sees the entrance that leads outside the city and makes his way.

  Leaving the societal tomb behind, Neveck travels through the nameless wasteland. With the injuries he’s sustained and the loss of his memories, his chances of survival were running slim, with only his willpower to keep him going. His hair blows stiffly from the winds, waving at the dust clouds as they pass him by. The earth beneath him feels different with each step. His steps begin to grow heavy, his feet demanding rest. He hikes to the top of a hill and collapses on his back.

  Neveck closes his eyes and tries to recollect himself. “Perhaps I’m still dreaming,” he thought out loud. “Would be better than the last dream I had. Nah… This feels a bit too real for a dream.” His eyes jet open when he suddenly feels a raindrop land on him. It slowly begins to rain. “That’s…. Fucking great, I guess.” Neveck lies exhausted, allowing the light rain to cool him off. He looks up at the dark sky. Though inconvenient, the rain was the only peaceful thing to happen to him.

  The moment was short lived, as Neveck hears a loud explosion nearby. He turns his head to his right, making an exasperated sigh. “What now?” he questions. He brings himself to stand again. Being on a hill, he surveys the lower land in search of the source of the explosion. Further down, he spots a road with a large truck that seems to have crashed off of it’s course. Neveck heads down to investigate the destruction.

  At the crash site, Neveck observes the design of the ruined truck. The engine in the front is engulfed in flames, making the truck useless to drive. The front tires appear to have been sundered and destroyed, suspecting that the truck may have ran something over. Upon checking the road, he spots nothing out of the ordinary. Which to Neveck is also unusual seeing that the road looks newer than the one in the city he left. He pans back to the truck. The word “A.R.M.A.” is printed on the side of the truck. Though Neveck cannot discern the acronym, the truck’s heavy duty frame suggest a resemblance to that of a military vehicle. Next on his investigation, he walks over to check the condition of the driver.

  The inside shows no passenger, and the driver is knocked unconscious from the accident. The individual appears to be wearing a black and red uniform, with an armor that bears the futuristic appearance and a helmet that veils their description. Neveck drags the body of the individual out of the truck and searches the rest of the inside. After finding nothing of use, he gets out and heads to the back of the truck.

  At the back, he is met with two locked doors. On the doors, an electronic lock is seen, but it bares no method of input for unlocking. What lies behind those doors could be the key to Neveck’s survival. He walks back to the unconscious body he had previously laid by the side of the road.

  Searching the unsuspecting body, Neveck finds strange miscellaneous objects that he begins inspecting. He finds a small metal slab that looks like a portable hard drive with a small screen that displays the number “sixty-three” on it. Seeing no use from it, he tosses it aside. The next object he finds look slightly familiar. Though he doesn't understand the language written on it, the design is obvious enough to be a food bar of a kind. Neveck realizes at that point that it had been quite some time since he had last eaten anything. Fending off the starvation, he tears apart the wrapper and wolfs down the food bar. He moves on to the third item. He finds a key with a circular green bow. Seeing that the lock had no keyhole, proves that it was meant as a spare for the truck.

  “There’s gotta be something here to open those doors.” He lifts the person’s left arm to check for anything else that can help him. The device on their wrist begins to blink as Neveck’s hand touches the pad on it, thus activating it. Neveck looks behind himself as he hears a buzzing sound coming from the truck. From behind the truck, the red light on the locked doors flash green. The doors had initiated the unlocking mechanism, allowing one of them to slightly open ajar.

  “Sure. I guess that works”. He reapproaches the back of the broken vehicle to reap what rewards await. He places his right hand on the door and pulls it open. He quickly turns his head back to hear something in the distance. It was discovered that his previous pursuers had yet to give up, and persistently tracked him down. Neveck quickly jumps inside the truck, and shuts the doors before they notice him.

  Inside, Neveck places his broken metal arm between the door handles to prevent them from opening. After detaching the arm, he turns around to observe the dimly lit area. The walls are encumbered with various monitors displaying various kinds of data. Neveck presses further after observing the patterns of code on the screens. Near the end are several cargo boxes, with a large object that is blanketed by a heavy black tarp resting at the end. In front of the tarped object, a faint glowing orb is locked upon a display stand. Curiosity gains its hold on him as his eyes were fixated on the tarp. What lies behind it calls out to him, begging to be revealed. Neveck reaches for the tarp only to suddenly halt. An ominous feeling grows within him as he reaches closer to it. Though his mind is convinced, his gut protests otherwise. He grabs the tarp firmly. Despite this strange feeling, he will need all that he can get to ensure his survival. He pulls it back with the strength of his only arm.

  After pulling away the tarp, a suit of armor is revealed to him. The armor is also locked onto a machine. Large black cords streamed outwards from the machine onto a large computer terminal and several server towers, feeding information through the monitors. Though everything appears high tech, the armor looks to have seen better days, showing itself worn and torn and void of splendor. The center of the armor shows a circular depression.

  Like a puzzle missing its piece, Neveck sees that the orb would fit perfectly into the armor’s center. He walks to the terminal and attempts to get the locks to release. The commands for each lock shown to be heavily encrypted, and regardless of the loss of Neveck’s memories, some of the codes harbor symbols of unfamiliarity. He unfortunately fails to decipher the codes. Running his hand by his hair, he firmly grips his head pondering for anymore options. “Dammit,” he sighs frustrated. Hitting a dead end, he slams his fist on the terminal. “DAMMIT! I can’t understand any of this. There has to be something else I can do...”

  Neveck turns around and leans back onto the terminal. He puts his hand on his forehead to ease some of the pain he had been feeling. He suddenly hears a beeping noise, followed by the sound of tapping. Turning back around, Neveck sees that the source of these emitting sounds was coming from the terminal. The keys had been typing by themselves, seeming as if the computer had been possessed by a spirit. Once it stopped, he looks at the screen to see what had been typed:

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “I would very much prefer it if you didn’t do that,” was written to him. Neveck looks around the area to see if he was being watched by someone. He turns back to the terminal and begins typing back.

  “Who are you?” he responds. The terminal begins writing back.

  “You don’t need to type. I can hear you just fine.”

  “That still doesn’t answer my question,” he speaks.

  “You may not understand this, but I am actually the armor speaking to you. At the moment, I am using the last of my power to hack into this terminal hoping to reach out to someone.”

  “Don’t think I exactly buy this. How is it that you’re able to talk? Let alone, capable of hacking computers? Just what exactly is it that you do?”

  “To answer your questions in order, I’m what is known as an ‘Ultra AI’, capable of having the ability to gain sentience and a sense of consciousness. With the hyper intelligence I have, I can learn and understand anything, and knowledge gained is stored in my memory network. As for ‘hacking’, it’s really just reading and understanding the code, then rewriting it as I see fit. As for my purpose…?” The armor pauses for a moment. “Interesting. I actually don’t have that data currently.”

  “An ‘Ultra AI’ that can’t remember it’s purpose, huh? Not very intelligent if you ask me.” Neveck sighs and leans back onto the terminal. “Not that I can exactly talk. Ever since I woke up, I haven’t been able to remember anything. With how much I look like crap, we’re pretty much on the same boat here.”

  “Then perhaps we can help each other.”

  “And how do you suppose we do that?”

  “Despite my appearance, I can still offer you an accord. Despite your appearance, you still may be a compatible host.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I understand you have many questions, and I will answer them all, but first, You’ll need to reinstall my Power Core. I’ll explain the next steps after.” Neveck looks over to the orb-like object and points to it.

  “Is that the one?”

  “That is correct. I will begin unlocking it now.” The AI brings up a different screen on the terminal. A stream of binary codes makes their way up from the bottom of the screen. After a few seconds, the locks release their captor and is then collected by Neveck. The orb weighs heavily on his hand and a faint vibration can be felt from within. He walks over to the armor. Holding it closer, the orb begins to resonate, and the vibration becomes intense. He looks back at the terminal. “So what’s going to happen once this goes in?” The keys on the terminal begin typing out it’s response.

  “With my central power core in place, I will permanently affix it to myself so that it will not separate again. After that, I will restart my programming, and restore myself to my original state. Unfortunately, due to separating from my previous host indefinitely, protocol suggested I terminate any and all previous knowledge acquired in order to prevent any unwanted power from reaching the wrong hands.”

  “I guess that explains why you couldn’t answer one of my questions before.”

  “That is correct. Along with my data, there were other parts that have been separated from me as well, Including two more power cores and the rest of my Nanomachines.”

  “Two power cores and Nanomachines? What kind of Sci-Fi nonsense is this?”

  “I don’t exactly understand the reference, but those are what I am in need of.”

  “Any idea where I can find them?”

  “Currently, I’ve lost traces of the other two cores. As for the nanomachines, they are actually stored away in one of these boxes here.” Neveck looks back to the few cargo boxes he had seen earlier. One by one, he opens each of the boxes. Inside the first box, an Assault Rifle is seen. The firearm’s design is far different than any rifle Neveck had encountered. Next to the rifle were several magazines and a pair of optics. The second box contains an even stranger object. He lifts the object out of the box to inspect it further. He sees what appears to be a handle behind the diamond-shaped object. Upon grabbing the handle, a metallic strap reaches out from one side of the object over to the other, holding itself in place of Neveck’s arm. The object releases once he let’s go of the handle, showing that the object he had been holding was a shield of some sort. He moves on to the third box which made even less sense to him. Inside, the box had been filled with a black substance. Neveck reaches in and tries to grab it. The black substance passes lightly by his fingers with a sandy texture. He turns away from the umbral sand and looks at the terminal. “I get the gun and shield, but what’s with the sand?”

  “What you see is not sand, but the nanomachines I’ve previously mentioned. Each “grain” of what you thought was sand are a cluster that carries thousands of form-changing nanomachines. It is necessary for my function.”

  Neveck opens his mouth to question the armor further, but was caught off guard by a loud banging on the doors. “We know you’re in there, cold blood. Come on out!”

  Neveck let’s out an exasperated sigh for his problems were only getting worse. His pursuers had eventually found his location after following his trail. The keys on the terminal began typing again. “I assume that they are not friends of yours?” the armor writes. Neveck marches over and begins putting on the weathered armor. He then moves onto the cargo boxes and begins assembling the rifle. “It’ll only get worse if you don’t comply. You’re only making this harder for yourself.”

  After loading in the magazine, Neveck straps on the shield to his arm and readied himself for conflict. The armor types out yet another message to him. “I detect multiple individuals outside, and you yourself are in suboptimal condition. I proclaim that your chance of survival is unfortunately 12%. Reminder that it does not have to be this way.”

  The sound of a loud buzzing was in the air as sparks began breaching in from the top of the doors. The ball of light and ember began slowly making its way to the bottom. Time was running out for Neveck as he holds up the orb. “So what’s your plan for this if I choose to help you?”

  “Once I get my power back, I will integrate the armor to your body. Once complete, I can assume temporary control and dispatch the aggressors for you. I will have to limit my strength to prevent further injury to you, so I may not be able to use my full potential for the time being.” The doors were now cut halfway. The metal arm used to hold the doors shut is destroyed by the cutting tool, with nothing more to hold them off.

  “By inserting the orb, I will have your confirmation and will grant you both my power and protection. We will be permanently bound to each other, and your body may be altered to better your survival. Your life will not be the same after this. Do you accept the terms of this responsibility?”

  Despite hearing this ultimatum, Neveck was too short on time to think it through. In what could be a life or death situation, he had to act fast and make an immediate decision. “Fuck it” he says. “At this point, what do I got to lose?”

  He swings the orb to his chest and locks it in place. The orb began to shine brightly as its power seeps into the armor and initializes the process. Traces of light pulses through the armor as if resuscitating life back into it.

  “Beginning host integration,” was the AI’s final message before separating itself from the terminal. Grain by grain, the sand began levitating out of the cargo box until they form what looks to be a dust cloud. It makes its way towards Neveck until it engulfs both him and the armor. The nanomachines begin changing and reconnecting themselves, forming a new suit onto Neveck from the bottom up. From his left side, a newer mechanical arm began forming outward. The rifle and shield began disintegrating as the nanomachines had been breaking them down. His false eye was also broken down, being replaced by a completely new one as the nanomachines began forming inside, causing a short, temporary pain. A short amount of blood trails down as the new eye activates, granting him full sight again. From the waist armor, a red and black cape flows downward, with several blades breaching out from the bottom. His shoulders become adorned with a set of pauldrons, giving his armor a somewhat similar look to a Knight. The armor emits its lights as it finishes rebuilding itself, creating a new and improved Neveck.

  “Integration complete,” it proclaims. “Now assuming temporary control.”

  Neveck feels a force on his body as his movements are now no longer his. The left arm moves outward and is observed before moving on to the right arm. The armor scans itself from top to bottom, checking for any external damages during the integration process. “Host condition, 54%. Armor integrity, 100%. Current survival probability, 112.45%.”

  Outside of the truck are four individuals. Two of the men who had been pursuing Neveck are accompanied with another man and one woman in an armored vehicle. On the doors of the truck, there is a robotic drone breaching and cutting its way downward. One of the men stands by the door with his hand on the handle. “Last chance bud!” exclaims their leader. “If you don’t give yourself up, we won’t guarantee your safety when we come in there.” The drone finally reaches the bottom of the doors and a thud is heard on the inside. The drone turns itself into a portable box after its job was done.

  “Welp! It’s time to claim our big prize,” says the man by the door. He eagerly turns the handle on the now broken door. “When we get back, drinks are on me-” the doors were suddenly hit by an overwhelming force, tearing off of their hinges and flying outward. The man had been struck by one of the doors and was also sent flying backwards, hitting the floor and rolling towards their leader. He gets up in a daze, spitting blood and a few fragments of teeth. They look in shock to see Neveck slowly walking out of the truck.

  The armor scans the four individuals. “I’ve assessed four armed targets. Threat level, 2.6%.” Neveck looks to see the box containing the drone. The armor picks up the box. The box starts breaking down and disintegrating, with the drone writhing out as if it was in pain.

  The woman in the group looks at the leader. “I thought you said he wasn’t armed.”

  “He wasn’t when we found him,” he replied. “Doesn’t matter though. He’s a Cryoflesh. Without a Rig, they can’t use our tech.” His injured subordinate charges at Neveck.

  “Let’s just fucking get this guy!” while he runs towards him.

  “Removing assailants now,” says the armor as a metal mask forms on Neveck’s face. He holds his right arm forward, and in his hand, an object starts to appear. By the armor’s will, the nanomachines quickly formed and rematerialized the assault rifle that had been broken down before. The man halts his charge to have the barrel of the gun meet his face. Without hesitation, the armor pulls the trigger and fires three rounds to the man’s head. He flies back to the ground as a spray of blood erupts from his ruined head. The man lies motionless as blood and mechanical fluids escape his body. His allies look at each other slack-jawed before looking back at Neveck. They bring out their guns and began open firing.

  A flurry of bullets stream through the air towards Neveck. The bullets collide with the armor, but its durability proves to be superior as they fail to cause any actual harm. As the sparks fly, Neveck returns fire at his attackers. The leader of the group jumps behind the opened doors of their armored vehicle. The man behind him looks over to the woman on the other side. “Soon as he runs out, I’ll rush him. You know what to do!” She nods as they wait for the cease fire.

  The armor stops firing the rifle. A smoke trail wafts from the barrel before the weapon dematerializes again. Movement was detected as another man was seen running towards Neveck. The man pulls out a stun baton and takes a swing. The armor steps to the side and dodges it. Throwing his fist up, the armor punches the man in the abdomen. The man stumbles back before charging again. The armor continues dodging effortlessly, reading and anticipating the man’s every movement.

  As the fight goes on, the leader reaches in the back of the vehicle and takes out a shotgun. He begins loading each shell. How is he using Nanotech!? he thought to himself. Just who is this guy!?

  The man facing Neveck is now battered and bruised heavily. He makes one last attempt and attacks again. The armor jumps backwards in an almost sideways flip. The cape swings at the attacker. The blades at the bottom of the cape activate and extend outwards, with highly concentrated energy between each part of the blades. The blades pass by the man’s hands, cutting them asunder with no effort. The blades continue past the man’s head, creating a diagonal cut. He falls over, his head squelching as it separates into two halves.

  Upon landing, the blades retract back into their original form. Two of the enemies have been dispatched, and the armor had already set its sight on the next one.

  Upon making its next move, it detects a technological disturbance. The armor’s system warns of an attempted breach that is trying to disrupt it. After running a diagnosis, the armor traces down the source of the disturbance.

  It was revealed to be coming from the woman behind the armored vehicle. She has her hand on a visor she is wearing, attempting to hack into the armor’s system. It follows the connection back to the device she was using. Altering the device’s commands, the armor overrides and overloads its circuitry. Sparks fly as the device becomes destroyed from its irregularities. The woman frantically removes the device and throws it to the ground. The device lets out some more sparks until black smoke emerges from within. The woman looks at the now broken device. “Did he reverse my hack?” she questions, bewildered. She raises her head to the window of the car door.

  To her shock, she sees Neveck was already at the door, staring down at her with a soul-piercing gaze. The armor grabs the car door and tears it off of its hinges. It tosses it aside so that nothing is left between it and the target. The woman pulls her gun from its holster and quickly aims it, but before she could pull the trigger, the armor grabs the gun and crushes it, breaking it down in the process. She then pulls out a knife and lunges for a stab, but alas fails as the armor was too quick and kicks her to the side. She hits the vehicle with a loud thud before falling to the ground.

  The leader finishes getting the shotgun ready and looks over for an opportunity. He sees Neveck holding the woman up by her shirt. With his back turned, he is left wide open for an attack. Without hesitation, he quickly makes his move.

  Neveck hears the man slide across the dirt and gravel. Within view, the leader begins pulling the trigger of the shotgun. The armor lets go of the woman in the air. Holding up the left arm, a shield begins to materialize into place. Holding down the right arm, a handle materializes in the hand. The armor swings the right arm forward in a throwing motion. While swinging, the handle springs out a materializing blade, with its powering energy giving the blade a glowing red aura. The woman falling meets an unfortunate fate, as she fell right on top of the swinging blade. The blade slides through her like a thousand degree burn through butter. At the end of the swing, the armor lets go of the handle, sending the sword after their leader. The leader fires the round, and the shell casing ejects from the action. The expelled ammo greets the sword as they fly past each other. The shield is hit by the blast, protecting its user. The leader was unfortunately not fast enough to dodge, as the blade of the sword pierces through his forehead, and out by the back. He falls to the floor with a loud thud.

  A sizzle is heard as the inside of the leader’s head is cauterized by the blade’s energy before powering down and dematerializing. Silence now falls over the area, with the only remaining noises being the passing winds. The armor’s cape flows at the direction of the winds as it scans the area. “All threats removed,” it says to Neveck. It releases its hold on him, giving back complete control.

  Neveck looks around to see the lifeless bodies on the floor. Seeing how easily they’ve been disposed of, he can’t help but have more questions. “So,” he begins to ask. “I take it you’re some kind of war machine or something?”

  The armor responds. “I suppose you could phrase it like that. Now that I’ve fully synched and reprogrammed myself, I believe a more proper introduction is in order.” The armor pulls up a display of itself that only Neveck could see. “I am a survival combat unit that will now be known as the ‘X9 Equinox.’ Code named ‘Death Moth.’ I am a tool solely programmed to ensure the survival of the host by any and all means necessary.”

  “Now known as, huh? Is that because you have a new owner now?”

  “By ‘owner’, you mean host, but yes. After a compatible host is found, we begin our integration where we link ourselves to the host’s body. Connecting our neural network to the host’s brain via the spinal region, we can learn and translate the brainwaves to better understand the needs and wants of the host. Through this, we can also gain access to the brains functions, knowing things like thought and memory, and even communication. This is how I am speaking to you without requiring any external resources.”

  “As… invasive as that is, I guess I can see how that can be helpful.”

  “Indeed. Another benefit, should it suit your needs, is that we can also educate each other. Through you, I will also be able to experience everything and can hold all data and knowledge in my personal memory network that will be known to you as the ‘Paradigm Compendium.’ Should there be any information I acquire that has yet to reach you, I can import them by translating the data into separate neurowaves, uploading them into your brain and altering it so that you now know the acquired information.”

  “Sounds like a prime way to brainwash someone.”

  “Quite the opposite. We are tailored differently to benefit each host. Should anything cause the host to expire, we too shall meet our end.”

  “If that’s true, then shouldn’t you have ceased to exist? Wouldn’t you being here mean that your previous host is somehow alive?”

  “Perhaps. Though I no longer have that information, the fact that I am still active could mean that they are still alive out there, somewhere.”

  “Well, their loss then, cause you belong to me now.”

  “Now that the conflict is resolved, what will be your next move?” Neveck scans the area to look for anything useful. He looks back to see the armored vehicle.

  “Think you can hack into this car?”

  “I can, but-” The engine of the armored vehicle explodes. “Our previous gunfire damaged it beyond repair.” Neveck takes a deep breath and lets out a disappointed sigh.

  “I guess we’re fucking walking then.”

  “I did detect a civilization down the road. It may be our best bet.”

  “Alright, lead the way.”

  Miles down the road, away from the crash site, Neveck and the X9 Equinox approach a sign. The words “Omni Pangea Capital ahead” is printed on it. “That’s a strange name for a settlement,” says Neveck raising a brow. As they continue onward, Neveck begins to ponder about many things. “Is there something you wish to speak about?” questions the armor. He forgets for a moment that the armor could actually read his mind. “Well,” he answers. “I guess I was just wondering if there’s any possible way you could help me with my memories.” The armor remains silent for a moment before answering. “I’m afraid I can’t.”

  “Yeah, I thought not.”

  “It is mainly due to your condition. I did not mention it earlier, but I unfortunately encountered errors and could not fully sync with your brain completely.”

  “Did something happen?”

  “If it did, it was before you found me. At some point, you seemed to have sustained severe brain damage. It may be because of this that you could not recover your memory. I’m afraid that until you’re completely restored, I’ll have to heavily restrict my level of power to prevent any accidental injury to you.”

  “I see.”

  “It appears we’ve reached our destination.” Neveck looks over to something that truly stops him. His eyes widen at the site of a fully lit city, with various neon lights and bustling sounds. He slowly takes a few steps forward. “Hey Nox,” he asks. “What is this?” Nox scans ahead.

  “I’m assuming it’s a city.”

  “That’s just it. From what I CAN remember, the world I knew ended. There shouldn’t be a city.”

  “Perhaps they just rebuilt one?”

  “The amount of resources needed build a city, let alone one like this-” Everything that Neveck had experienced up to this moment had finally started to make sense. He slowly puts his right hand on his forehead. “How long…. How long have I been asleep?” Despite the traumatic realization, Neveck continued walking into the futuristic city.

  Past the city entrance, Neveck is looking left and right to observe what’s around him. He sees various stores selling odds and ends, and bright screens posting different advertisements. Some of the stores hold signs that say “Closed during curfew hours” on them.

  He hears the sound of people approaching and quickly hides in the closest alleyway. Peering over the corner, he sees two women casually walking by. Their outfits looks rather peculiar, but could be interpreted to be a fashion sense. Their outfits glow with lights that matches their hair colors, with one being bright pink, and the other being neon green. They walked past Neveck, too distracted by their laughter and conversation to notice him. Nox scans the two women to detect zero threat levels. “I think those are just civilians,” it concludes. Neveck, taking no chances, continues scanning the area.“I believe one of the best ways through an unknown territory is to blend in with the environment. Allow me to help with that.” Nox scans one of the display mannequins of a nearby store. After marking down every detail of an outfit, it begins changing its looks. The nanomachines shifts their colors and shape, transforming the armor into completely normal clothes. “Well then. Good work,” says Neveck as he slowly leaves the alley.

  He tries to continue walking, but was struck with fatigue. Hunger and exhaustion have begun to take their toll on him, along with his injuries. “As much as we should continue investigating, you’ll need to rest. Your body can’t handle anymore stress.” Neveck leans back against the wall and slumps down. Seeing that there are no current threats, he begins falling asleep until he completely passes out.

  After some time, Neveck quickly wakes back up. He notices himself on the floor and sits back up. As he regains his vision, he notices a pair of feet in front of him, and quickly looks up after hearing the sound of someone clearing their throat. Neveck sees a woman standing in front of him, leaning forward with her hand out to him. “You’re not from around this district, are you?” she says. “Good thing I happen to be around. You look like you could use a friend.” She gives Neveck a gentle smile while he gets back up on his feet.

  “What? Who are you?” he asks her.

  “Me? I’m a bit surprised. Even Rogues know who I am.”

  “Rogues? What are you talking about?”

  “Rogues. You know, people with no IDs. I’ve scanned you to see if you needed any help, but you have no identification.” She leans to the side and looks behind his ear, her long black hair with pink tips flowing lightly in the breeze. “Come to think of it, I don’t see any removal scars on you either,” she ponders to herself while walking around Neveck, observing him with her bright blue eyes. He hears her gasp suddenly. “Wait are you a Cryoflesh?” Neveck’s blank stare remains unchanged.

  “I’ve heard that word way too many times today.”

  “So it’s true!?” Unlike the last people who were familiar with that word, the woman actually becomes excited. The starry-eyed woman begins composing herself. “Okay! So if it’s true, you must have a lot of questions, and you’re… PROBABLY VERY overwhelmed right now. So, let’s start small with an introduction.” She turns around and takes a few steps away, then spins back with her hand out. Her pink and black crop jacket droops down, slightly exposing her shoulder.

  “My name is Bianca Sanchez. I am a head researcher for the Department of Human Advancements and Preservations. I specialize and founded my own division known as the ‘Cryoflesh Division.’ I am twenty eight, and, if you’re into that, my pronouns are they/them. Sooo, what’s your name? It’s okay if you don’t remember right away.”

  Bianca’s happy-go-lucky attitude mystified Neveck as he was at a loss of words. Everything they had said so casually raised even more questions for him. He holds his head, remembering the pain that still lingers. Bianca leans in closer to him.

  “Hey, don’t try too hard okay? One of the common symptoms of being a Cryoflesh is memory loss. Once you rest for awhile, along with some mental and physical therapy, you should be good as new-”

  “Neveck.”

  “Hm?”

  “My name is Neveck. Other than that, there isn’t a whole lot I can remember.”

  “That’s okay. Like I said, it’s good that I happened to be around. I can help you.”

  “What did you mean by “Cryoflesh?” What exactly does that mean?”

  “Okay, this may sound like a lot for you, so try to take it as easy as you can.”

  “Just tell me,” Neveck demands, becoming slightly more frustrated.

  “A Cryoflesh is someone who has been frozen in cryogenic stasis. Presumably, for over a hundred years. You may have been asleep for a hundred years Neveck.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. What year is it?”

  “The year is twenty two twenty seven.”

  Neveck slowly looks down at the ground. He is completely nonplussed at the reality he now finds himself in. He looks at his new cybernetic arm. “Two hundred,” he says to himself. Bianca looks at him confused. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “I’ve been asleep for two hundred years.” Bianca watches Neveck. They can only wonder what thoughts are going through his head. They walked over and placed their hand gently on his shoulder.

  “Tell you what,” they said. “Why don’t you come with me? I’ll get you cleaned up, a place to stay, and after some rest, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” Neveck looks up at them as they give him another soft smile.

  “Do you trust me?” Bianca asks with their hopeful smile.

  “Honestly? What other choice do I have?”

  “Then its settled. From this point on, you and I are friends now. Come on, let’s get some nice tacos together.”

  They start walking along with Neveck trailing behind them. Despite everything that had happened, if the world really did change, Neveck would need all the information he could get about it. With Nox’s power, and Bianca’s knowledge, Neveck would have everything he’ll need most to survive this new world. Along with everything else that resides in it.