Chapter 1

"Words birds thirds turds." – Normal speaking.

[Words birds thirds turds.] – Texts / Emails.

"Words birds thirds turds." - in a phone call / other end of the call.

'Words birds thirds turds.' – Thoughts.

December 12th, 2022.

Monday. 23:02.

"Have a good day y'all," a rough, elderly voice called from across the small square, tech-filled room. Four desks, each with a single computer, took up the limited and cramped space. A young woman raised her head so she could see over the top of her computer screen. She leaned forward placing her chin on the top of her screen as she watched the older man pack up his backpack, placing his laptop, papers, and books inside.

"You're leaving?" she questioned, frowning as he continued to gather his personal items. He didn't reply as he threw his coat on, followed by his backpack. "Sir, we have so much work to do. Can't you stay just a bit longer?" she asked, hoping to persuade him to keep working a bit longer as what was left to finish was his work, something he was working on in his spare time to benefit the company's information system.

"Sorry, but no. I have a very late dinner with the misses as an apology for staying late yesterday," he replied with a sly grin as he pulled on his tan winter hat; complete with bright and bouncy pom-poms and leopard printed leather. It was a rather silly look in Alice's opinion, but it suited his childish-asshole nature. So, it was perfect.

"But sir, we-" she started. However, before she could finish her sentence, he had already crossed the distance from his desk to the door, allowing it to slam shut behind him. Alice, along with one of her other colleagues, sat silently in the quiet office. The lights automatically dimmed a second later, casting the office in a dark amber glow.

"You've got to be kidding me," Alice said as she leaned back in her chair with defeat. "Like, really?" she asked, more to herself than her co-worker. Bring her fingers up to her nose, she pinched the skin between her eyes in hopes to relieve the building pressure. With a deep calming breath, she glanced back at her computer screen. Line after line of code filled the screen, and it wasn't working like it was meant to. Now it was up to her and her partner to pick up the pieces their boss left them with. 'What a dick.' Alice thought to herself. It was nothing new, and she knew there would be many more late nights spent working on the project after her boss left. It wasn't like he cared if anyone else went home on time.

"It could be worse," said her co-worker, his voice a deep and strong. Alice couldn't stop the frown that took over her face. She ignored his attempt to cheer her up and leaned forward to continue working on the faulty code. "You shouldn't let it get to you," he gave her a small smile from where he stood above his computer that was opposite of hers. He chuckled as she sneered back at him. With a sour face, Alice grabbed her favourite coffee mug and made to stand. The happy smiling blue and yellow fish with the words 'just keep swimming' printed above looked out of place in her angry hands.

She knew Dan was right. In the technology industries/division, lower level employees were regularly taken advantage of by the 'higher-ups'. So, it was something they come into knowing from the start. She didn't agree with it, and she knew everyone had the same thoughts about the mistreatment, but they didn't say a word because the pay was good. Complaining would probably only end with a one-way trip to the unemployment office.

Relaxing back down in her desk chair no longer bothering with getting another coffee, she released a frustrated breath whilst running a hand through her chocolate bangs.

"Dan, I am serious," Alice started. "We have been working here for what, two, four, six or whatever months now?" She said counting on her fingers to make a point; even though she had lost count after three. Maths wasn't her favourite subject. "All we do is stay late and sort out his shitty work, while he goes home." She released her angry grip on the poor mug, putting it back in its place. Right now, not even the remaining cold coffee would provide her any comfort. Her empty hands quickly drifted back to the multi-coloured lit up keyboard, something that she had brought from home. It was also something that made her workstation stand out from her other co-workers. "For once I would like to actually finish early and be able to leave on time."

"But alas, my dear angel, that is not going to happen," Dan teased as he glanced over at her. He smiled as her nose wrinkled at his nickname. Alice sent him a flustered glare and added a 'humph' as she got back to work at the long code in front of her. Easily aggravated, she tugged on her long brown hair that kept finding its way into her line of sight. With a final grunt, she quickly plaited it and pulled it back behind her. Hopefully, it would remain out of her way, or she might be tempted to shorten it with the aid of Dan's scissors.

"We don't even get paid overtime..." Alice said under her breath, but Dan still heard her complaint.

"Yeah, I know. It sucks. We really should be compensated, considering we don't leave till 'bout one in the morning and then have to turn around just to come back a few hours later." Dan agreed with a sigh. Sitting as his own desk, he focused on his own work trying to find if anything needed to be corrected. Everything blurred together in front of him, so he pushed himself away from his desk and cracked his neck. In one fluid movement, he rose from his desk, grabbing both his empty mug and the one sitting beside Alice. Without looking at her he walked over the small, overworked coffee machine in the corner. "Want another?" he asked, as he dumped out the old coffee grounds and went about making a fresh pot.

"Yeah, sure," she said as she gave a sloppy thumbs up so Dan could see it over her computer screen. She fought to hold back the bitter comment she so desperately wanted to add. However, Dan didn't deserve her negative attitude. It wasn't his fault that they were stuck yet again, working a late night to fix someone else's mistakes. It wasn't the first time, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. They were the only IT engineers for the entire company, and with a little over one hundred total employees, there wasn't a need to expand or hire more engineers to help lighten the workload. "God, I hate my life," she sighed.

"Tsk, tsk. Cheer up, honey bun," Dan said, another charming smile beaming at Alice. He quickly filled both their mugs and crossed the room. Placing her mug so down on her coaster, he leaned closer to her and gave her neck a small nuzzle with his nose, making sure to breathe in her light scent.

"You're violating rule three you know," she said, trying to sound disappointed. However, she never bothered to tell him to stop or push him away. Her cheeks warmed, and her typing slowed down but didn't fully stop. He responded with a low grunt and pushed forward against her chair as his eyes slid closed. "Oi," Alice squeaked.

"Alice, sweetie. Let me have this moment," he begged with a groan. Moving his nose deeper into the shallow of her neck, Alice couldn't contain the small sigh that escaped her. "Working for fifteen consecutive hours is killing me," Dan confessed into her skin, enjoying the warmth under him.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Alice admitted as a smile slid across her face. Even though he was already breaking rule three of her relationship guidelines - 'No affection in the workplace' - she angled her head to rest it on his cheek where it was still nuzzled in her neck. "I am almost done with my section, " Alice informed Dan as she reworked the last line of faulty code, making the corrections needed. With the last keystroke, she stretched back into the warmth of the man behind her. He reopened his tired hazel eyes when she shifted against him. "I'm done," she smiled.

Reaching down to her main computer tower she activated the input port, pulling the cable that popped out and brought it up to connect with the port located in the temple of her forehead. The transfer only took a moment, then she disconnected, allowing the cable to retract back into the computer station. 'Thank you Hype for your amazing invention,' Alice thought.

"I finished a little before fatso left," Dan murmured lightly into her shoulder. It was no secret that their boss was a little round in shape. He pressed his mouth against her collar, earning a small grunt from her, along with a brighter blush and tremor. She couldn't help but feel his own port press against her skin at his actions. "God, I just wanna sleep," he complained with a yawn. A thought passed through his mind, and he allowed a slight chuckle to escape as he bit gently on her flesh. He loved toying with her skin, never biting hard enough to cause pain, just enough pressure to bring her some pleasure. He loved the effect it had on her, the small arousing grunt that escaped her soft lips.

"Geez, don't get started here," she frowned as she pushed at his well-styled hair. It was the quickest way to get him to 'retreat'. He grunted in disapproval as she messed with his pride and joy. "Oh, shut up," she told him with a smile, "you adore your hair being played with." And he did. But like she had her set rules, he had a few of his own, and his hair being anything but perfection in public was one of them. However, when alone with Alice, he loved the attention she would give any part of his body.

"Well-yeah-but-yeah-but," he stumbled. "Shut up," he smirked as he leaned closer to her again. "You know what I am thinking?" He questioned her.

Her mouth thinned into a small line, her hands moved to his and her thumbs graced his long slim fingers. She took note of the slight fuzz they had, how much larger they were then her own. How warm they were. Leaning back into his hold, she felt the slight prickle of his unshaven whiskers on her neck. He hadn't shaven in days, due to the extra workload this last week had unloaded on them.

"No," she replied. However, she did have a good idea of what he was thinking. When they were alone, he seemed to only have a few things on his mind. Like most men really in her mind.

"I'm thinking dinner," he said as he nuzzled her neck. "Followed by some crazy sex," he nipped her soft skin lightly to express his desire.

"Oh, is that all?" Alice said with a soft smile.

"Then we would watch an episode of Eastenders," Dan added without shame.

"Oh my God, you and your soaps," Alice said as she laughed, a small smile taking over. Dan grinned at her words, his eyes glancing across the small cramped office to land on the battered old clock that hung above the door. It's wasn't much to look at, and everyone hurried through the door because of the fear of it falling on them, but it did its job.

"Come on," Dan said as he pulled away from her and stood up straighter. He moved around to grab his muddy leather jacket and tugged it on.

"You sure you can drive?" Alice asked with real concern in her voice, as she freed herself from her desk. "You haven't slept properly in days," she said with a hesitant voice as she also stood. The growing black bags under his eyes was alarming. She knew she didn't look any better.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Sure. Of Course. I drove here remember?" he gave her a small dismissive wave, while he fought off a large yawn. "Plus, I have had a lot of practice for like the last six months now. "

Slowly, she tugged her sleeves down, pulling them over her hands as she glanced back to the man standing in front of her, accepting her jacket from him. The loud ticking of the clock only made the small office seem more abandoned, a rather spooky feeling for the entire building, really. Without missing a beat, she grabbed her belongings and followed Dan out the door. Gladly the clock had mercy on them and remained on the wall while they pass under it. Walking through the empty halls of the building, it was clear that they were once again the last to leave. Only the janitorial crew roamed around, doing their job in silence. Pushing through the last set of main doors, she kept a step behind Dan, following him to where his old motorcycle stood. An absentminded smile crept across her lips as he pulled out a plain grey helmet from the saddle bag, handing it to her.

"Where's yours?" she asked, frowning as he pulled out a pair of reflective goggles along with a thinner, clearly not meant for a motorcycle, helmet. It didn't even look like it would protect anything from a fall off a normal push petal bike, let alone one that would reach high speeds. "Danny, seriously? That's not going to do you any good if we crash!" Alice argued. While a part of her was touched that he gave her the better helmet, she was still concerned about his own safety.

"This will be just fine," he answered her. "Besides, it's not like anyone else is going to be on the road at this fricking time of night," Dan added, trying to calm her worry. He threw his leg over the bike and pulled it up, kicking the stand up. With much practice, he started it and allowed the engine to roar to life. With a childlike grin, he turned to Alice and held out a hand to help her balance while she swung up behind him. He loved the way she drew her arms around him, how her legs would tighten around his in an effort to not fall off. He chuckled as he revved the engine, the beast below them purring with a raw power. Alice tightened her grip, and Dan loved it. "Getting a bit handsy there babe," he called back to her.

"Oh, shut up!" she bit back at him. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath as the bike let out a loud roar before Dan drove it out of the parking lot and into the empty street. She was glad there was not much traffic. They only passed a few other cars on the road, and Alice could only guess what drove them to be out at this time of night. Were they just getting off work also, headed home to rest before starting it all over again in the morning?

Large trucks loaded with produce and other supplies made up most the other vehicles on the road. They had their late-night deliveries to make so as to not disrupt the business of their customers. Alice hated driving so close to the larger haulers, and Dan loved to swerve and drive around them. "DAN!" Alice called out in warning, letting him know she didn't appreciate his reckless act. She could feel his deep laughter while she held onto him.

"Come on, babe, trust me!" Dan called back to her. He glanced back for a moment as she responded by gripping his shirt tighter. The engine of the truck they passed got louder as it pulled up alongside them, casting a shadow on them. For the next few minutes, the driver of the truck stayed right next to them, and it had Alice on edge. Dan could tell it bothered Alice by the way she continued to grip his torso. "C'mon, babe," he called back to her in an effort to calm her down, "nothing is gonna-"

"Look out!" Alice yelled as she saw a dark figure running across the highway in front of them.

Dan cursed as he forced the bike to swerve so as not to hit to the pedestrian. Looking around he quickly he took note of what lane he ended up stopping in. "Shi-" he swore, acting with every bit of speed he had, he reached around and pulled Alice out of her seat behind him. Thankful that she was so much smaller and lighter than him, he pulled her to his side and away from the oncoming truck. It had been one that was behind the one that ran alongside them, it had been in his blind spot.

Moving at seventy miles per hour, the driver didn't have enough time to slow down. It wasn't until after the driver hit them that he slammed on the breaks, screeching and burning rubber while he tried to stop. The force of the hit smashed into the bike and its riders without mercy.

Alice didn't know what happened, one moment she was calling out to Dan to watch out in front of them, then he was pulling her from her seat. Next was the pain, everything hurt, and she felt like she was being weighted down. Her head was pounding, however, other sounds seemed dull. Her sight was blurry, but she could see the reddish colour on the pavement in front of her.

"Dan," she called out weakly. A cough escaped her lips as she tried to move, looking for her partner. Turning her head, she spotted Dan, their hands still connected, however there was no grip whatsoever. Her vision was tunneled, she couldn't see everything, but all she wanted was to know that Dan was okay. She bit her bottom lip, noticing a large cut in the corner. She tried to pull her hand up to see how bad it was, only to yell in pain. Turning, she saw her hand was crushed and trapped under part of the broken motorcycle. She tore her eyes away from it and looked back to Dan, calling out to him. He didn't respond, and didn't move. She started to panic as she saw a patch of blood matting up his hair, along with the large bloody ridge running across his forehead. "Danny..." she called out again, begging. "Danny, please," she kept trying to get a response. Her eyes clouded with hot tears, both from pain and fear. She kept calling out to him, hoping that he would commit with a smart-ass remark, she didn't take any notice of the small crowd that started to gather around them.

She took note of every part of him she could see. He looked much worse than she felt. Blood gathered under his head, where the helmet hadn't protected him from the ground. Bruises bloomed across his once strong cheeks, eyes, chin and nose. What wasn't bruised was raw from where the rough road tore away at his smooth skin. Blood seeped from both his nose and mouth, along with a large number of cuts that covered him. What worried her most, however, was the amount of blood seeping out rapidly from the port on the right side of his head. It looked like a crimson river flowing onto the concrete.

"Talk to me, p-please," she begged again. She tried with all her might to get close to him, but she couldn't move. She was stuck where she lied, her body screaming silently in agony. Her breath caught in her throat, a weak cough escaped and she could taste the bitterness of blood on her tongue. "Please...anything." She tried again. "Say anything," she cried. Tears ran down her face as she felt what little strength she had left her. Everything seemed to hit her at once, the amount of pain she was really in, and the fact that the world was darkening around her.

As darkness fell on her, and the world vanished, her mind struggled and screamed to wake up. However, she was pulled further down into the void. The numbing and unforgiving darkness had its hold on her, and wasn't about to release her. While a part of her felt calm at the floating sensation, no pain touched her, there was also, no Dan. The more she seemed to fight to wake up, the tighter it clung to her. The more scared she felt of this darkness that seemed to seep into her very core.

December 15th, 2022.

Thursday. 08:32.

After what felt like hours, she calmed. Allowing the bleak shadows of her mind to take her as she could feel her senses returning. Pain, was the first thing she felt. An unbearable pain in her legs, arms, and her head.

To her, it felt like mere hours as everything started flooding her systems. The sound of a soft beeping hit her first after the sudden rush of pain filling her. She could barely utter a groan as just opening her eyes was a task harder than normal. It took minutes to achieve, only to clamp her eyes close when fresh sunlight graced her for the first time in ages. She resisted wrinkling her nose at the strong smell of antibiotics.

A soft, shaky whine escaped her throat as she opened her eyes one at a time, glancing around the room, she took notice of it all. The white painted walls, snowy curtains surrounding her bed as she took note of the machines she was hooked up to. One she noticed was a drip, attached to her wrist making her feel oddly uncomfortable. She tried to swallow but the scratchy feeling in her throat prevented her, licking her lips, she felt the familiar scab formed at the corner of her lip.

"… What-" whimpering, a painful cough exploded in her chest. It took her a moment to reopen her eyes, scanning herself over the pale-yellow blanket and bedsheets as she saw stitches after stitches up and down her arms. Closing many deep cuts, she didn't recall getting. A frown graced her lips as she saw her right hand covered in a thick plaster of bandages. She yelped when she attempted to move a single finger, grinding her teeth to stop any more painful noises from escaping her.

There it was. The pain that reminded her she was still alive.

'This hurts. This hurts so damn much.' She thought, glancing over at her other hand by her side as she took notice of its absence. Literally, no hand or even forearm to access the condition off. 'Where is it? O-Oh my god where's my hand? It was- it was literally just here! Ohmygod where's my hand?!'

The loud, rushed beating of her heart monitor brought her back down to Earth as well as alarming the nearest doctor of her condition. It took no time for one to cross the hospital to her ward. A tall board man entered the room, a smile apparent on his face as he picked up the clipboard near her bed.

"Good morning sleepyhead. I see you've finally joined us," he jokes lightly, his eyes ghosting to her as she only narrows her golden blue orbs at him. "Okaay. Not one for jokes. Got it," he chuckled dryly. "I'm Doctor Valance and I've been keeping you company these last couple of days."

She opened her mouth to speak but coughed, pain filling her features. The doctor's eyes widen as he came over to the machine beside her, fidgeting with a few knobs and buttons.

"Looks like the levels of morphine your nurse gave you aren't enough," he chuckled, glancing at her as she grunted. "Give it a moment. I've upped it a little so you might feel drowsy or spells of nausea. Please tell me if you do."

"Unn," she whined slightly. Her eyes drifted to her window before back to the older doctor, frowning as the feeling of pain seeping out of her was just unnerving. Losing all the feeling of agony and being replaced with nothing. Absolutely nothing. Totally, unnerving. A moment later, he handed her a thin pair of glasses, seeing her discomfort.

"Your prescription. You'll get a headache without them," she blinked twice after putting them, as her vision cleared. She could read the inspirational posters on the walls. 'Don't give up!', 'It isn't as bad as it seems!' And 'Hang in there, kitten!' The kind of crap all hospitals had to cheer up their patients.

After a couple of minutes, the doctor took a seat at the chair by her bed, mindlessly watching her attempt to move her jaw. The pain was dulled, for sure, but still apparent to her. "Wa…er…" she frowned, muttering just above a whisper, pulling the breathing mask off of her face while making a face. She couldn't move her fingers well but her palm was enough.

"Oh, right. Give me a moment," the doctor rose to his feet, quickly exiting and returning seconds later with a bottle of water. Slowly, she lifted her right hand with a small hiss. "No-No, let me," he chuckles softly, helping her place her arm back down carefully before she took a small sip from the bottle.

However, this simple task was interrupted by a painful cough, launching forward. Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. The doctor pulled her back into a slight sitting position, watching her coughs tremble off into small shakes and sputters.

"Oh cra-wow, I'll just- get something for that," Valance gave her a quick bob of his head, chuckling as he ducked out the room in a hurry. She blinked quickly, a small sputter escaping her as she strained to lift her hand to her chest, clenching the fabric under her fingers.

The pain was excruciating. Dull, but returned with vengeance with each breath she took. 'I need to ask that Doctor what the hell is wrong with me.' She gave herself a small nod as she glanced at her missing left hand, a frown took its place on her lips. Alice quickly looked away to the window, taking note of the lack of- Well, anything.

A twinge of hurt hit her as she saw absolutely nothing. Days he said. Yet, there was nothing to even say that anyone had noticed her absence. No flowers. Not cards. No balloons. Nothing. 'Well… Everyone's aboard. It isn't like they would even hear about me and…'

She paused, her eyes widening biting her bottom lip as a silent sob escaped her.

How could she have forgotten about Daniel? Was he okay? Was he in the hospital with her?

Then it hit her.

Was he alive?

"Hello? Knock-knock I'm coming in," a strong, professional voice knocked against her open door. It was a man in a black suit and tie, smiling as he had a clipboard and suitcase in hand. Alice's eyes narrowed at the sight of him, especially his abnormally thick black hair. "Hello there, Miss Jones, my name is Hugo; it's great to see you're up already. How's the arm treating you?" the tall man questioned while walking over to her, glancing at the seat beside her. "May I?" he asked, taking a seat without waiting for a reply, placing his suitcase beside his chair as he leaned back into it.

Her eyes wondered his suit till the name 'Hype' read across his pocket in bright yellow colours, her eyes widened subconsciously as they wandered back to his brown-green eyes. A nervous chuckle escaped her lips as she scooted away from him in her chair. Her left arm fixed in place stopped her from moving too far, her frown now a lot more apparent.

"Look. I get it. You've just opened your eyes. You're in a lot of pain right now, probably drugged up on the good stuff," he mused, smiling with a small chuckle as he glanced to the missing part of her forearm before coughing into his fist. "None the less, my company and I saw what happened on the News… our condolences to you and your friend. A grave loss for you and his family. But, we have a proposition for you which simply cannot wait. It's best to start while your mental stability is low."

Slowly, taking a deep breath, moving the discarded water bottle with her legs which twitched with pain. She opened it clumsy with her right hand, giving the man a glare when he attempted to help but after a minute, she was able to drink from the bottle.

"W-What –cough- do you want from me?" she finally said, glancing between the man and the bottle as it took her a moment to screw the top back on it without ripping the stitches out of her hand. "I have nothing Hype would be interested in. I'm a simple Software and IT engineer. I'm sure you have hundreds of those at your disposal," she paused, her lips thinning into a line as she sat up as straight as she could without the pain disturbing her expression.

He gaze didn't lighten. If anything, a small smile grew on his face as he folded his fingers tighter.

"What do you want exactly? I'm really not in the mood for visitors. I'd really like to sleep this off," she croaked softly, frowning as she saw the doctor from before step in. He passed the man beside her with a harsh glare which only confirmed that he wasn't even meant to be in here. Valance gave her a nod before retreating out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Well. You're straight to the point. I like that," he smirked, looking at her left arm, making her shift uncomfortably under his gaze. "Actually. Being an S&I engineer is one of the few reasons we are interested in discussing this proposition with you," he started, pulling his suitcase onto his lap and opening it up. He pulled out a stack of paper, handing it over to her. "It's an experiment really, we have tons of people already going through it as we speak but we haven't, up till now, found someone of your… intellect and situation for a certain one," with two clicks, he placed the suitcase back down beside him, clasping his hands before him on his knees.

She pushed the thin glasses up her nose further as she read. "So," she slowed her breathing, reading the first page carefully with narrowed eyes as she wasn't wearing her contacts; making reading a much harder task. "This is a… two-year trial?"

"Two years, that is correct," he brought his hand up and stroked his goatee for a moment, smiling as he mentioned to the paper with said hand afterwards. "If it goes well, we might consider lengthening it for another."

A small scoff made its way out of her mouth, flipping to the next page before quickly scanning the page in front of her as best she could. Her hand gripped the paper tighter as the payment was mentioned, but it loosened when it mentioned what would be deducted. 'Thirty-Five Gs for a two-year trial?' Shaking her head, she brought her bandaged hand up to her mouth, coughing into it violently before repeating the difficult task of opening the half-full water bottle for another sip.

Once the fit had passed and her throat felt less murderous, she pressed on to read to the end of the paragraph as it stuck to her.

Thirty-five grand would be the original sum of money. Until you deduced a robotic forearm and hand, two months of rehabilitation for both her robotic arm, real arms and legs. And let's not forget the E contacts that they would be giving her… plus the extra money used to get them especially prescribed for her -2.75 / -3.00 eyes. Keeping in mind her left eye needed a Toric lens.

That would be taking a huge thirty-one grand chuck out of the thirty-five. Thankfully, from the look of what was written- the contacts were monthly use contacts that would be sent to her monthly for free for the two years. She would have only one grand if she didn't already have a port inserted. Leaving her with four. It was a shitty amount to have at the end, but it was replacing her arm, giving her another chance to continue her life. What more could she want?

She flipped over to the next page as she kept her straight face while reading. It got onto the part about what she would be doing.

What would she be doing?

For two years straight, weekly updates to the company about what was going on as well as her experiences. Once she got to the end of it, she released a sigh. Placing the staff of papers down, she pinched her nose as it was running through her head.

British hospitals were… complex. But at the same time, simple. They gave you minimal care for free. If you would prefer something like a replacement limb or anything like that. You'd have to pay for it.

She shook her head as she knew a replacement limb would be costly but something she would need for her job; it wasn't like it was easy to code with one hand- her employers would happily find reasons to fire her. Without this… arrangement. She was almost certain she wouldn't get the robotic limb in order to even work.

"What… happens? The explanation is rather brief." she said, looking back to the man who had been sitting rather patiently as she watched him sit up straight with this smug smile.

"It's quite simple really. We insert an experimental AI into your core," he mentioned to the port on her temple. "We'd like you to test it out. To put it simply: let it learn from your life, its environment and teach it about life here. While also keeping us up to date with how it's doing," he explains, gesturing with his hands a little before pointing to her. "Your AI is quite special. It's made after a well-respected past leader of Hype- a man I idolized actually. He rose through the ranks from a programmer, like yourself. This AI was even created by a very important scientist… before his death," he explains, frowning for a moment before looking back to her, replacing his features with a smile.

'This… all seems rather too good to be true,' she thought, frowning as she looked back down at the papers as if it would give her some sort of sign of what to do.

"You k-" she coughed, stiffening. "I-I just woke up and," she paused, "I… just… I'm not entirely-"

"Look, I understand you have concerns and worries. But, I can guarantee your safety with this project, believe me," he stood up from his seat, pulling out a business card in exchange for the papers. "When you decide what you want, give me a call," he encouraged, making her mouth dip into a frown at how sure he sounded of himself.

"Yeah. Sure. I'll call you when I decide," she hummed, pulling her hand back to her lap with the card in hand, giving it a look over as she noticed how shiny it was. Well, it looked real enough.

HYPE CORPORATION

Hugo P. Vasquez

Senior Vice President of Securities Propaganda

+44 7392 420HYPE

The card looked real enough. But she had met enough con artists to know that fake business cards were a real thing.

The brunette's eyes traveled back to the man as he placed the papers back into his briefcase, still smiling smugly as she shifted a little in her bed as a small coughing fit hit her.

"I'll show myself out. That doctor should be out here with some meds to sort that out," he mused, presenting her his right hand. After a moment of staring at it, she returned the handshake as she took note of how gentle he was being. Maybe it was pity. Maybe it was something she just couldn't describe. Either way, it left a deep, empty feeling in her stomach not knowing what this dark foreshadowing was.

With another small smile, he headed for the door, opening it and looking back to her. "Again, call if you need anything," he said before closing the door behind him, a small sigh escaping her as she looked down at the card in her lap.

Hype. Hype of all companies. It has been a worldwide powerhouse for the last three, four years. Quickly dominating whatever market, they went into from medical to food even to war. It was shocking, to say the least. Especially for Alice having someone from so high in his branch come to see her, a low-level IT engineer. Programming… yes, she had a degree in it but it wasn't something she was overly keen on talking about or even doing.

After a moment of silent thinking, her doctor finally entered the room with a cup of orange juice and a small jar of red and blue pills.

"I- That guy was," he stuttered at first, rubbing his neck after passing her the two items. "Let me get this out there- I didn't wanted him to come see you- well. At least so soon after you just-"

"What hospital is this," she questioned, grabbing a single pill before downing the juice.

"… It's Hype," he sighed, taking the empty glass from her and placing the jar by her bedside. "I know I know, he had every right to come in here but you- I mean it's only been-"

"Barely an hour since I woke up?" she said, placing the breathing mask back on with a soft sigh as the morphine had started to wear off. Alice glanced up to her nervous doctor, watching his hand move from his wrist to his neck. "It's fine. It's a good deal," she paused, frowning as she shifted herself back further into her bed. "I just- I want a little time to think it over."

Valance nodded, pushing a few brown bangs out of his face as he tapped his fingers against his forearm.

"Alright. I'll have the nurses come by in an hour to give you a check-up," he smiles, walking over to her. "Just don't die on me. I don't want another strike against me, my mentor will kill me," he joked, checking her machine. When the heart monitor sped up, he chuckled. "I'm kidding! I haven't lost anyone yet!"

"And I don't plan to be the first," she frowned. "Where is my phone?"

The doctor paused, looking at the table near the window. "Your phone didn't… survive but your SIM did. I transferred it to an old phone we had lying around," he said, bringing over the old 2015 model phone. She accepted it with a small nod, smiling. "I'll get out of your hair. Page me if you need anything- it's the top button on your bed," with a small grin, he was gone.

The patient moved awkwardly on her bed, turning on the phone with a cringe at how long it took to just start up. After verifying a few security checks, she headed to her contacts pulling up her brothers.

[Hey Pete, this is Alice. I'm currently in hospital right now so please, please call me when you get this.]

She paused, biting her lip as she sent the message before starting on the next one for her other older but younger brother.

[Sup Daryl guess who! Joking, this is Alice. I'm in hospital right now and I really need to talk to you and Peter. Call me when you get this.]

Okay, she wasn't at all sure what she was going to say to her brothers. She shook her head, holding it one-handedly as ideas started to spin around uncontrollably.

'Hey bros! Guess what happened to me this Monday! My secret partner Dan, yeah you know him, my roommate? Well, we got into a traffic accident and he died, at least I think he did because NO ONE IS TELLING ME ANYTHING! I have doubts, okay. I've lost part of my arm and I'm practically a cripple at the moment. Could you ask your commanding officers for leave from the freaking army to look after me?'

Yeah, like that was going to work.

She groaned, closing her eyes as she leaned back. Thinking.

'I have no choice, do I? Probably... probably not.'

December 15th, 2022.

Thursday. 18:04.

It was around two when Alice fell back to sleep, stutters escaping her as her slumber is filled with screams, yelling, crying. Waking her for a third time as she heard the door open and almost slam against the door behind it.

With a jolt, she rose up shakily on her hand. Body numb due to the painkillers, she slowly opened her eyes to see the man from earlier today.

Hugs McGee? Harry Vicky? Happy Sayz?

No names were going through her mind when her vision cleared. She paused, sitting up as she watched her doctor follow behind his heels with a clipboard in hand.

"Mister Vasquez, I'm sure this can wait till tomorrow," he said, walking up beside the taller man as it clicked finally. Hugo Vasquez. The man who offered her a rather serious opportunity only hours ago. Alice could only wonder what he wanted as Hugo stopped at the foot of her bed, a stressed smile on his lips.

"Sorry to break this to you Miss, but time isn't a luxury we own right now," he said, his words strained as he walked around to the chair beside her. "You see, the board are not willing to wait for your answer- they want it, now- but," he paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a slim, yellow input chip. It resembled the ones that most advanced workplaces had but it wasn't connected to anything. "We'll take a trial run before you give your final decision."

"What is that," she questioned, staring at the chip as he casually grabbed her hand, placing the small chip in it before closing her fingers around it. It was warm to the touch, but made her shiver involuntarily.

"A portable storage device for ports. A fancier version of a USB to put it simply," he sat down beside her, crossing his legs over one another while making himself comfortable. "The guys at R&D finished that yesterday. Crazy huh. It was like destiny," he chuckled, leaning forward in his chair. "This experimental A.I. will not leave this chip. Once removed from you, he will leave with it."

'So... this is just for me to get a feel of him,' she thought, biting her lip while looking down to the small chip. After a moment, she looked over to her Doctor as a frown was spread across his face as he tapped his pen against his clipboard. He looked powerless in the situation, despite being a doctor and being respected in this building. His influence only stretched so far when it came to the higher-ups in his company. "What is this man... like?"

"Powerful. Grand. Inspirational."

"Intimidating," she glanced to Valance as he spoke up after Hugo, watching the man give a glance to the doctor before back to her.

"There isn't anything to fear. Nothing will happen, relax," he said.

Her hands nervously moved around the chip, her eyes analyzing it for any visibly defects to stop her from continuing. She found none. The small yellow chip was spotless of scratches, dents and even discolouration. It looked like it had just come out of whatever box it was packed in, straight from the industry line.

It was decided. She closed her eyes for a moment, reopening them as she looked away from it.

She brought it up to her temple, looking Hugo straight in the eye. "I will be expecting compensation if this ruins my mind," she sneered lightly, inserting it into her port before her body spasmed. Valance rushed to her side to help her lie down, positioning her as her body fell limp. The heart monitor beeped slowly, calmly despite what just happened.

"You never said this was going to happen!" Valance yelled, a stern gaze thrown towards Hugo who brought his fist up to his mouth, biting his finger.

"This is a first," he paused, his eyes traveling from her pained expression before back to the doctor. "Write this down. Now!"

Unaware to them. Unaware to even her consciousness, a glitchy rough voice echoed in her mind.

Unnervingly.

'You're in for one hell of a ride, you little code monkey.' It spoke, statically.'Say hello to the King, baby- cause he's here to stay.'

I hope you guys like the first chapter to this series. This was beta-read by one of my dearest friends, DanniMitchell85. Thank you so much Danni! :)

I haven't spoken to her properly for awhile because of some troubles with both our families as well as the hurricanes in America. My heart goes out to everyone affected by it, either physically, mentally or emotionally.

Here's hoping you all enjoyed this chapter and I am able to post the next one as soon as I can. As well as chapter two to Shuttle Up! There is a poll concerning that story on my profile. ;)

My question for you guys: If you could have an AI of any Borderlands character in your head, which would it be?

My answer: Mordecai. Why? Because he seems like great company. He has a great mind, personality, and humour. I'm sure we'd get along well- seeing as I also love animals too! Although I have a fear for large birds. (T.T)