Consequences

I was laid up on the floor of my hut, sobbing at what I thought was a dead dream. I didn't even have the will to get up. What was the point? After all that happened, was I just supposed to stroll through the village with a smile on my face? Screw Elias. Screw everything. I just wanted to lie in bed and never leave.

But fate wouldn't let me off the hook so easily.

It took me a few moments to realize that I hadn't been roused from my melancholic stupor by NICOLE which had apparently let me sleep in but from the sounds of a mass commotion outside. I tried to ignore it, gave up, and looked outside the windows.

There was a crowd gathered around outside: a mix of curious onlookers and what looked like reporters. I made the mistake of meeting the gaze of the first one, who shouted out, "There she is!"

They swarmed towards my window and I yanked the curtains back into place as the photographers snapped photos and asked questions, demanding to know the details of my meeting with Elias and why I was forcibly escorted out. I would have ignored them, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone. Grabbing a trashcan, I threw the window open and chucked garbage onto the closest busybodies, slamming the window shut as they yelled in surprise and disgust.

That surge of anger had jolted my system, and I figured the best thing to do was to pull myself out of my funk and come up with a plan of action, something to get me going. I took a sheet of paper and a pen, scribbled down ideas on where I could go from there... or rather, I tried to because I couldn't get a single idea. Nothing came to mind, as if my mind was refusing to work with me.

The shouting from outside died down. But they didn't get the hint and pounded away at the door. I yanked the door open and was greeted by a blast of flashing light bulbs.

"Sally, why are our orders coming straight down from Elias. Is something going-"

"Feck off!" I shouted, slamming the door.

Anyone who entered my hut would've found me looking less like the stoic leader of the Freedom Fighters and more like a deranged hobo.

When noon came, there was the knock at the door, and something slid underneath it. I found it was a copy of the day's newsletter, along with a large envelope. Ignoring the envelope, I took the paper and read it over, dreading what I might find.

Sure enough, the headline was about how Elias had decided to temporarily take command of the Freedom Fighters after I had apparently suffered a nervous breakdown. It even came complete with a report about the heroic reporters who had risked their lives to get a statement from me, only to be viciously attacked (a statement corroborated by an image of me throwing tomatoes and yelling at reporters from the inside of my hut).

Rumours were flying that I had gone psychotic from prolonged contact with humans or that the pressure of my position caused me to snap and lose my mind, or possibly both. Unable to get a response from me, the press had turned to Elias.

The report included several questions from those in attendance; someone had asked if Snively had returned to his old ways and Elias immediately said no. But when asked about Rotor who I had been seen working closely with, Elias had said he was currently on leave due to personal issues and refused to elaborate any further.

There was more to the article, but I didn't want to read anymore. Things were spiralling out of my control, and I needed to focus, not obsess over what the world thought of me.

I had just tossed the newsletter into the trash and my eyes fell upon the envelope. A quick glance revealed the royal seal on it. I swallowed. My stomach sank as I tore it open and took out a single sheet of paper. A page-long official document was never a good sign.

I was right.

Dear Princess Sally Alicia Acorn,

This letter is to inform you that you are hereby called before a review to assess your medical suitability for your present appointment and guardianship over Miles "Tails" Prower and the altercation with Bunnie D'Coolette.

Should you not appear at the scheduled date and time, we will consider your temporary suspension from duties permanent and your legal guardianship terminated with the aforementioned minor being placed with other suitable foster parents. Be informed that further legal action may be undertaken to ensure your compliance.

The date of the meeting was set for two days later.

Just enough time to let my mind run rampant about what Elias was going to do. Whoever had written that letter had made the term, 'legal action' intentionally as vague as possible. They wanted me to squirm so that I'd be a nervous, whimpering wreck when the date came, ready to accept whatever bitter terms they had in mind.

It was as if the whole world had gone crazy.

But what plunged me into a full-on depression was knowing that it was all my fault. I had been the one to push Rotor with my radical agendas; I had set everything in motion. Worse still was the epiphany that I couldn't fix it. I couldn't talk my way out of this situation.

No matter how many long counselling sessions I attended, or how many times I apologised to Sally's friends and smiled at their attempts to cheer me up. I knew nothing would get better. My involvement in the war was over.

I dropped the letter and ran to the bathroom, where I threw up.

I was at my lowest point and I needed help. There was only one place I could go. It was the last place I wanted to call, especially after all that happened, but I didn't have anyone else to turn to. I took up the walkie-talkie Tails and I had set-up.

The line crackled to life.

"Hello?"

I closed my eyes. "Tails?"

Tails were silent for a moment. "Aunt Sally?"

"Tails, is Bunnie there?"

"No, she's out." There was a pause. "But Uncle Antoine is here and he's listening in."

"Tails... You've been reading the paper, haven't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"Then you know what's happened."

A pause. "Yes."

"Tails... I... I need your help."

"Aunt Bunnie told me to stay here until things calm down. Come over and -"

"No Tails, I said. "I can't."

"Yes, you can. You need to recover from whatever happened-"

"Tails, they're going to take you away from me," I said, almost choking on the words. "I got a letter. They are saying that if I can't take care of myself. I can't take care of you."

"Aunt Sally, what are you talking about? You haven't done anything wrong."

I could just visualize Tails and Antoine looking at each other the horror and of what I had done. I couldn't bear to have them learn about it like everybody else. If I was going to enlist their help, I needed to tell them everything.

I took a deep breath. "Do you remember the incident at the mess hall?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with this?"

I gathered all the courage I had. "Tails…Antoine… That was me. I think I did it deliberately."

There was no reply.

"I love you but I think I hurt you because I selfishly thought it would get you out of the fight." I stopped for a moment, trying to slow my pounding heart, wiped away the sweat pouring down my face. "I... I wanted you both to find out from me. But now I need your help. Please."

There was silence on the other end.

"Tails?"

"Aunt Sally... Antoine wants to speak to you."

The phone was passed. "Princez?"

"Antoine?"

"Princez, listen very carefully. If you want to make things right, there's only one thing you can do."

"What?"

"You have to come clean. We can vouch for you that you're still a very good person."

"What? No, I can't do that! My reputation would go to pieces!"

"Zee truth is going to come out. It's not a question of if, but when. We all have to face our mistakes, no matter how painful it is. Now yes, it will hurt. But later on, you can start your life all over again."

"No!" I said. "I'll find another way! I'll-"

"Princez," Antoine said. "What I do is for your own good. If you don't accept responsibility and turn yourself in, I'll tell the prince. You may hate me, but so be it. Are you understanding?"

I cut the conversation off and threw myself in bed. My call to the people who could help me had only made things worse. I felt like a condemned inmate watching the clock, knowing that his final judgment was fast approaching and that there was nothing he could do about it.

I backed against the wall, clutched myself as tightly as I could, trying not to have an emotional breakdown.

I had lost everything.

I didn't know what to do.

NICOLE made a quip on the arrival of another storm over Knothole.

It had been gathering strength over the past few days and had made landfall in the direction of the village. I ignored the notification, too focused on my own misery to care. I felt empty, like I would never feel happiness ever again.

But as I thought about how the rain would sweep aside all the dirt and grime of the village and how it wouldn't make a lick of difference to my present situation; a switch had been flicked in my mind.

At once, all my worries were washed away and I came to realise what was truly important.

The whole world was against me; fine. I could live with that. Sally's friends and family were doing what they believed to be right. They all thought I was the problem. But they were wrong. They were the problem. They were all weak-willed whelps who didn't have the vision I did. My visions had changed their world, and they were all frightened. They were all trying to destroy me.

I smiled; let them try.

The more I thought about it, the funnier it seemed. They had all done me a favour and didn't even realize it. In taking everything away, my enemies had made me realize what truly mattered... my dream; a Mobius free from Robotnik. All my fears and worries were washed away. In an instant, everything made sense. There would be no more running and only one path ahead, one that Sally would ordinarily feel nothing but utter revulsion for; but recent events made it easy to follow.

In all their folly, all those who celebrated my downfall had forgotten one important thing: No one fights harder than someone who has nothing to lose.

Selecting my equipment was easy, I obtained a tactical body vest complete with plenty of pockets. At first, I wasn't planning on carrying any weapons. But the more I thought about it, I realized it would be idiotic to not have a way to defend myself besides the lethal set of ring-blades. Thus, I decided to go with smoke grenades. Because such weapons were more likely to arouse suspicion, I had to resort to obtaining small canisters and building my own from a home chemistry set.

With my smoke grenades and tactical gear, I was set. All I needed was the right time to set things in motion. Fate smiled upon me, for as I tinkered with the last of my smoke grenades one night, NICOLE meteorological data heralded the imminent arrival of the storm. It was almost as if the storm was the answer to an unspoken prayer and I was all too happy to seize it.

As NICOLE had predicted, the formerly pale blue sky turned dark like a blanket. Howling winds had driven Mobians indoors long before the rain arrived, leaving the streets abandoned. At any other time, Sally would have valued this as an opportunity to take a well-earned break. But for me, it was the night when I would finally get what I was justly owed.

After eating a quick dinner, I laid out my gear on the bed, double and triple-checking to make sure everything was in order. My ring-blades were functioning, my tactical bodysuit hugged my frame perfectly and NICOLE was tucked firmly into my boot pouch.

When I had finished going over my gear, I found that I still had a few hours to go in order to fully benefit from the cover of the storm. With nothing else to occupy me, I mentally reviewed my plan: I would sneak aboard the Alicia to initiate the procedure. NICOLE would disable any electronic security measures. I had my ring-blades, smoke bombs and the rain to cover my escape route.

It was a simple plan. Nothing complicated or fancy. Yet, as I kept reviewing it, I noticed that my legs were shaking. I chalked it up to nervousness, and who could blame me? Storming aboard a heavily defended aircraft is bound to get on anyone's nerves. But I realized that it wasn't just nervousness that hung over me like a spectre. It was like a premonition that something painful and unpleasant was coming.

Sally knew that stealing was wrong, no matter the motivation. In any other situation, I tell myself that I wasn't a thief and I was merely bending the rules to retrieve what was rightfully mine. Still, this logic didn't really sit right with me.

At last, the hour arrived. I put on a raincoat, left the hut, and went through the heavy rain. The minutes ticked away as I looked out the rain-soaked path ahead of me, trying to slow my frantic heart.

The howling wind and rain had driven virtually every sensible minded Mobian indoors. With the streets deserted, I made my way on foot to the airstrip. When I arrived, my raincoat was discarded and I took the opportunity to test out my movement. I took a deep breath, feeling the vest move with me like a second skin. Having made sure all my equipment was in place, I slipped across the rain-swept air, reassuring myself that everything was going to be fine.

Through the rumble of thunder, I made my way to the secure storage depot which set just across from a parked Echidna-built fighter. This was the riskiest part of my plan, where even a small screw-up could have disastrous consequences. Before me stood the first of my obstacles: two of Elias' men.

"Can we help you?" one of the guards asked, amused at my presence.

"I'm here for my property."

"Sorry, don't know what you're talking about"

"The roboticizer. It's my property and you have no right to keep it from me."

The guards looked at each other and chuckled. "Alright sister, if you say so."

I tried to keep my blood from boiling over as the guards passed through the tent flap and into the secure strong room. Going to a list mounted near the door, I searched for the most recent additions of rare and valuable goods. I found it at the top, listing one crate as containing the roboticizer. Going to the crate with the corresponding number, I pulled it from the shelf, set it down, and opened it.

There nestled among thick padding was the device itself.

Smiling, I tenderly lifted the familiar device and slid it into my boot pouch

"Whoa, sister," the guard said. "Where do you think you're taking that? That's not yours."

"No," I said. "It's mine."

"This says otherwise." The guard pulled out a tablet and began to read in the clinical tone of an emotionless lawyer. "Article six, subsection ten of the treaty: Any material found by the Freedom Fighters of use to the war effort is automatically the property of the army. Now, put it back your highness."

It would have been so satisfying to beat the guard into unconsciousness, but I didn't want to hurt anyone. Instead, I activated my charm.

"There has clearly been a clerical error in the system. The roboticizer was acquired prior to the signing date and I loaned it out to Rotor ergo, it is still my property. Impede my attempts to retrieve my property and I shall take this matter to Elias himself, is that understood?"

The first guard went pale, the grin vanishing from his face.

"Now, is this my property?"

"Uh... Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"Oh, and because of your deference to my regal authority, I have decided to be magnanimous and to forget this little indiscretion."

I left the tent.

Outside, I took a moment to congratulate myself. I had one treasure in my possession and only needed one more. I glanced back to grin at the guards, wanting to rub my moral victory in their faces. But they weren't looking at me. They were speaking into some walkie-talkies. It didn't take a rocket scientist to guess what was going to happen next. Alarms would be sounded, and guards dispatched to intercept.

I needed to move fast.

I boarded the loading ramp of the Alicia and was immediately accosted by two of Geoffrey's security officers. "Your meeting isn't due for several hours. May we escort you to the waiting room, princess?" one of them asked. They were tense and undoubtedly warned to keep an eye out for me.

"I had an errand to run for Rotor. He has asked me to gather some things on his behalf."

"May I know where you're heading?"

"I'm here for the neuro-override," I said. "Rotor and I have decided to do further investigation on his private time to see whether it could be used to grant our people immunity against the roboticizer."

The guard balked "We have orders not to let anyone into the labs."

I focused all the frustration I had to the guards. "I see. But if you don't let me pass this moment, I will personally tell Rotor which two incompetents delayed his research, and thus, who was responsible for his inability to develop an improved deroboticizer capable of saving every single robian trapped in Robotnik's clutches."

Without a word, the guards backed away and unlocked the door to the labs.

Hurrying through the door, I went through another airlock and entered the secure storage unit. A cold blast of freezer-air hit and doing my best to ignore it. I found the prototype neuro-override complete with thick slabs of ice to keep the device cold and sterile.

There was only one thing left to do.

I had just started back towards the door when it opened. I thought the guards had come in to escort me out, but it wasn't the guards who had entered.

It was Elias, flanked by two surviving secret service members.

"Sally? What are you doing?"

I had hoped to avoid confrontation but it seemed fate had other plans "Just taking what's rightfully mine, brother. I hope you understand."

Elias shook his head "Please, don't make me do something we'll both regret."

"It's a bit late for that," I said. "Besides, why do you care? I got that letter you sent me, but it was just a formality, wasn't it?"

"You're sick, Sally." Elias took another step towards me. "You're obsessed and you need help. If you stop right now, I promise I'll help you any way I can."

I took a step back and shifted into a combative stance "Are you only saying that because you want your precious roboticizer back?"

"Sally please, you'll still have a great future ahead. We'll need people like you for the rebuilding effort ahead. But if you keep this up, you'll be throwing it all away."

I took a step back. "That future won't exist, not unless I do this."

"No, it will. I can-" Elias' eyes shot to my back "Wait!"

A crate fell to my side. I spun and saw one of Elias' guards only a few feet away. In a flash, I realized that while Elias had been talking, his guards had shifted into my blind spots.

"Liar!"

The first guard swung a stun baton at me. Instinctively, I ducked; the first swing went over my head, striking the second in the chest. A swift kick to the gut ensured he stayed down. The guard wavered, too close to his liege to attempt another swing with his weapon, instead he adjusted his stance, trying to bludgeon me into unconsciousness with the back of his weapon.

"Don't hurt her!" Elias shouted.

He needn't have bothered. As the guard came down, I smashed my knee into his gut and knocked him into the bulkhead where he let lose a loud groan, feeling a smug sense of satisfaction as I did so. Elias made a grab for the roboticizer. He was fast. But I was faster, I yanked my foot back before his fingers could close around the device. I was so enraged that I reared back to kick him... and yet, I didn't. Or rather, I couldn't.

Fuming, I took off, leaving Elias on the floor.

In retrospect, I was making so many mistakes it wasn't even funny. I should have been a lot more cautious about the upgraded security measures that NICOLE's struggled to bypass. As I blindly charged ahead, convinced that I was so clever in overcoming all obstacles in my path, a thunderous wail sounded. Guards had undoubtedly been alerted and I had seconds before more serious firepower arrived but it was too late for regrets.

Adrenaline gave me extra strength as I made a headlong dash to the labs.

At least, that's what I thought, for it turned out that the royal shuttle had failsafe systems meant to seal-off sections of the craft from one another. I was trapped.

A guard called out from behind me. "There's no escape! Give yourself up, and you won't be harmed!"

Desperation, often come through in times of need. That desperation let me spot an ajar meeting room which led into a still open corridor. Its security door held open with NICOLE's intervention. All I had to do was prevent my pursuers from following me. I plucked out a grenade from my belt. Having never tested them before, I was about to find out if they even worked.

Plucking the pin, I tossed the grenade and heard a loud shriek.

There was the noise of glass breaking, the fragile chambers within the containing individually inert chemicals shattered, mixing the contents with the reagent in the central chamber, causing a violent chemical reaction. An enormous cloud of smoke quickly erupted from the canister. Elated that my homemade grenade had worked, I dashed out into the open hallway and shoved a desk in the hallway path, sending a hurricane of papers fluttering all over.

I ran for everything I was worth.

But the grenade, while potent, hadn't been enough to stop the guard, and he ran after me. Grabbing another grenade, I threw it ahead and ran into the resulting smoke, making a sharp turn into an adjacent corridor, waited five seconds, and then took off down hoping to find the entrance to the lab. The former royal shuttle came equipped with several, but it's one thing to map routes from the confines of my room and quite another to find the correct pathway to the labs in a smoke-filled corridor while being chased by guards.

I was still trying to figure out where to go when I was tackled.

The guard reached for a stun stick, and in a panic, I shoved him as hard as I could. He was thrown backwards and smashed hard into one of the shelves. He tried to stand, but his wobbling legs failed to support him and crashed onto the floor. The impact had stunned the guard so much that he didn't notice the shelf loaded with medical supplies was toppling over. In seconds, he'd be crushed underneath several hundred pounds of solid wood.

I could have left him there... but I couldn't leave the guard there to be crushed. He wasn't evil. He was just someone trying to do his job.

No dream, no matter how tempting, is worth a life.

I yanked the guard clear as the shelf crashed to the ground, the wood fracturing on impact. Leaving the guard behind, I ran.

"Attention all security personnel," Elias' voice emerged from nearby speakers. "We've had a break-in; Princess Sally has stolen an item of great importance from the secure storage room." He hesitated, and when he spoke again it was with a certain weariness I hadn't heard before. "Use whatever force is necessary to apprehend her."

The cat was out of the bag. In a way, it was a relief. No need to sneak around, lie, or talk my way past guards. There was just me and my goal, now so close I could feel it.

Turning another corner, I reached the central corridor which led down the spine of the aircraft. But security was fast, and I heard doors being thrown open behind me and guards barking to each other. I went faster. One or two guards I could handle, but not several at once.

Two guards burst through ahead, aiming tasers as they spotted me. That didn't deter me. The thing about having nothing to lose is that you're more willing to take risks. I barrelled into them, using my momentum to knock them off their feet. Not having the time to knock them out, I instead kicked their tasers down the corridor and took off again.

More guards charged through the narrow corridors as I reached my turn-off point. Luckily, NICOLE was remotely operating the various security doors to delay my pursuers. Heart pounding, I dashed into the operating theatre, yanked the doors shut, and slashed the control panel with the ring blades.

There it was: the automated surgery unit. I couldn't make heads or tails of the knobs, levers, buttons and the mechanical arms that jutted forth. To the undiscerning eye, it was something squat and hideous, but to me it was beautiful.

"NICOLE," I instructed. "Initiate quarantine procedures."

"Lockdown procedures initiated," NICOLE replied from by boot pouch.

At once, a loud klaxon wailed as protocols meant to safely isolate an unknown pathogen went into effect. Heavy doors slammed down across the exits, observation windows and air vents. Five inches of steel and airtight plexiglass separated me from the idiots trying to deny my destiny.

Going to the list of surgical procedures, I quickly found what I was looking for: the roboticizing program. I smiled. Much to my surprise, Rotor had apparently already expected the green light for the program and had already created a program in anticipation.

I was going to be its first test subject.

I was sweating and my hands trembled as I entered in the commands to install the neuro-override first, and to execute the roboticizing program. I punched in the code for local anaesthesia (general was out of the question) and selected the option for maximum-strength bio-med gel. As I loaded in the Neuro-Override and the mobile roboticizer on the machine's designated chambers, I could feel my heart slamming against my ribs.

This was it. This is what it all came down to. All I had to endure was five minutes of surgery.

"Warning, breach detected."

The first set of reinforced security doors was blown open and Elias ran inside, only to find his path blocked by the second set of reinforced doors. I could barely hear him shout, but whether it was to me or to the guards, I didn't know.

I didn't care.

The guards were still attacking the doors as I pressed the start button and got onto the table, settling into the designated grooves. Cuffs came out of the table and closed around my limbs, securing me in place. I gulped and closed my eyes as a needle came down and injected the anaesthesia.

I breathe deeply. So giddy with excitement.

That's when I first noticed the pain.

Confused, I wondered how the anaesthesia could wear off so fast. Twisting my head as much as the restraints would allow, I looked to the transparent panelling above that allowed me to see the various chemicals sealed within the machine. The bottle that contained anaesthesia caught my eye and in what may have been the most horrifying moment of my life - the dispenser was empty.

It's been said that when you're about to die, your life flashes before you. Good and bad alike are shown, and nothing is hidden. Like so many others, I dismissed it as little more than a literary device for books and movies. Now, however, I'm not so sure as needles descend toward my forehead and I realize that I probably won't survive this.

Fear makes me tremble, but the restraints around my limbs hold me in place as the mechanical arm descends, the needles glinting in the glare of lights above the table. I try to be brave in the face of pain and to keep panic from taking control. But it's so very hard, I instinctively buck, but the cuffs are too strong to break. I can't even move my head, for the braces screwed into it keep me completely immobile. It has to, lest the machine makes a mistake and cause irreparable damage.

I struggle, but I can't break free. I can't run away. I can't call for help. I can't do anything but watch as the needles get closer, closer, ever closer.

Then they hit.

The thick needles go through skin, muscle, and bone. I bite down as the plungers come down with a soft hiss, a cocktail of chemicals being pumped into me. With no pain receptors, my brain can't feel the pain, but I do feel Biomed gel sloshing just under my skull, moving, spreading…

…Growing.

The needles are yanked free, and I sweat. The pain is nothing compared to the fear. The needles were nothing.

What's coming is even worse.

The mechanical arm moves away, and, in its place, a new arm comes down. At the tip is a small circular saw. It starts to spin, sounding like the drill of a demented dentist, only louder.

It's coming for me.

I sweat. I shake. I try to hold back the fear… and I fail.

Oh, please, not that! I don't want this!

Raw animalistic panic takes over. Rational thought and logic are replaced with animal instinct, and my body thrashes, adrenaline giving my limbs and muscles strength. The screws on the cuffs creak as every muscle in my body reaches its limit, then goes past it as I fight to get away… but that's not enough. The cuffs are too strong!

The drill descends. I try to twist my head, but the clamps hold me in place. For all its strength, it can't force me to watch. I squeeze my eyes shut.. But all the darkness in the world can't protect me as the drill hits my head and begins to cut, taking its time.

Oh, it hurts! It hurts!

I scream.

Things go dark. Sounds fade away. The pain dims. I still feel blood pouring down my face, but it's fading away, all of it.

I've learned that the stories were true; you do see your life flashing before you as you die.

It's so clear to me now: I thought I could do it. I thought I could actually. But what had I actually received in return. Nothing but pain and suffering. Even if I survived I'll have to face the legal ramifications of my actions. I'll come out a broken person, abandoned by all. I'll live the rest of my life knowing that I came so close to achieving my dream only to have it robbed from me.

My entire purpose, my only reason for living, will have been for nothing.

Death is preferable to this.

Wait... Wait, this isn't... This isn't right. It can't end like this. It can't.

I blink. I'm back in the land of the living. I'm soaked with my own blood and the pain is terrible beyond anything I've ever endured, but I don't care, even as the drill continues to cut into me.

"Come on!" I yell at the machine. "Come on!"

The drill finally cuts through and retracts, leaving a hole in my skull. Above, a mechanical arm descends, the neuro override held within its grasp. That beautiful device is pressed through the hole and onto my goop-covered brain. Sensors scan the and determine there's a gap must be filled. Biomed gel is poured on and a small nozzle fires off a concentrated blast of heat to harden it. It feels like my head is on fire, and I roar in defiance.

"Do it!" I scream.

The bio-medical gel hardens, and more gets spread on top to create a smooth, seamless bond between device and skull; that too, is hardened.

"DO IT!"

One final jolt of pain slams through my skull, and I scream.

Something

Everything goes silent.

The drill retracts, as do the needles and the arms. Motors whir, and I'm brought in full view behind the door. Even Elias has stopped, barely able to believe what he's seeing. The screws upon my head loosen, and the headset retracts. The cuffs around my body release themselves.

"Neuro override installation successful," NICOLE announced.

I'm so tired. I don't want to get up. I want to sleep.

From the corner of a blurry vision, the roboticizer comes into view.

"Roboticization in progress."

It isn't painful. Roboticization, I mean.

It started as an itch in the limbs and feeling very bottom heavy. I feel organs shift and buckle which didn't hurt even though it should be excruciatingly painful. It was a little similar I suppose to the dentist who gives Novocaine so the drill doesn't really hurt.

The transformation reached my neck and I blacked out.

When I came to, I saw myself in the plexiglass reflection. Two glowing blue photoreceptors come into view. I reach out and a mechanical arm comes into view, I managed to look just as exhausted as I feel. I shouldn't even be standing after what's happened

...and I see myself in my reflection.

I giggle.

I start to laugh.

I did it... I actually did it.

I'm a Robian.

I laugh, and all the mental fatigue vanishes. The restraints release me and I felt a heavy thump as my metal foot ground on metal.

It worked! It worked! All I want to do is dance and sing and jump and shout for joy, and show the world what I've accomplished. You know what? I will! A whole world waits for me outside; the only question is, how do I get out of here?

The last few movements made had been involuntary. I had to relearn how to move all over again. I willed my hand to come to my face. It's so much harder than I imagined, as my mind struggled to cope with the strain of moving each servo in conjunction with the rest. I smiled, delirious from pure joy as I willed my digits to move into place. It's not much, but it's a start.

I will my hand into a fist and ignite my ring-blades and hammer away at the side of the aircraft. With my added strength, the ring-blades make short work of the aircraft's thin frame and eventually it gives way. Even with the rainfall, a large crowd has gathered below; apparently, word of what was really happening must have spread. They look and recognize me, unable to believe what they're seeing.

Looking back at the guards and Elias, I grin and wave. I no longer feel animosity towards any of them. How could I after what's happened? I stand up and totter on my new limbs, and give the biggest smile of my life before my stupefied audience. But as gratifying as it is to pose for them, I had way more important tasks on hand.

I stretch out my new legs experimentally and once I was satisfied they were as sturdy as they looked I took a running sprint, leap through the hole and dropped to the ground.