Here's to being human
All the pain and suffering

-I am Machine by Three Days Grace

Every day new experiments. Every day new tortures. Why did I not just die when that bomb went off? Why in god did I not just die? Was I not a good soldier? Did I not fight hard enough?

Oh sith, here they come now. I can hear them outside of my tomb now. A new beating? A new part to put on me? Are they going to force me to eat some revolting gruel just to keep me barely enough alive? When will they finally kill me? Why do they hate me so much?

My body hurts. I am damaged. I will never be the same. Freedom will never come. It feels like an eternity since I have been here, even though I have no idea how long it's really been. They continue to keep me in this box of horrors. When I am pulled out, a machine grips around my entire body; I cannot move in its vice like hold. Bruises I am sure eventually form, imprinting my body and leaving me with a constant reminder that I am a prisoner.

I cannot speak. I do not know why. They must have experimented on my vocal cords. At least that's what I presume. Maybe because they can't handle the sounds I will make when they put me through the countless agonies. I want to scream at them. I need to scream. All I can do is open my mouth and any inhuman sound that may have been made is only heard in my head.

I am placed on a table, the cool metal brings some relief to my battered self. There are tubes and machinery coming and going in every direction. I feel everything they do to me, but I cannot tell them to stop. I cannot make them stop. They do not take mercy on me. I am a mere pawn in their cruel game.

They drug me after every time they work on me. Are they looking for information? Maybe a person(s) or place? I fight and try and control anything that comes to my mind. I try and keep it blank so that nothing is taken from me. It is a losing battle. I constantly feel intoxicated; oddly I start to crave the substance that they inject into me. It numbs me for just a few hours and allows my mind to escape to other places even if my body cannot.

There is not much of my original self any more. There is a new hole drilled somewhere on me, a new wire placed in my head, my neck; anywhere they can, they do. Most of my body has been replaced. I can see my arms, they are robotic. I do not know about my legs. I cannot move my neck or head down to see.

Oh my god! They did it on purpose, I know they did. Why? Why can they not just let me die? I finally realize what I have become. The very thing I had fought my entire life against. I am a droid.

It feels like forever since I have been out of my box. I am starving. I start to long for that horrendous gruel. My body is shaking…am I going into shock? Any strength and energy I may have had is gone. I think I am nearing the end. Please lord let it end.

Wait! What is that? What are they up to now? Blasters? I hear someone outside. Help! I am in here! I cannot get my mouth to form any intelligible words. I cannot get my arms or legs to move so that someone knows that I am in here. The door is starting to open! What's going on? Do I hear my name? Who is it? Do not let anyone stop you, please!

"Echo?" That voice, it is so familiar. I am being pulled out of the box and gently placed on the ground. I am so confused. Gentle hands, a gentle embrace, something I haven't felt in so long.

"Echo, it's me, Rex. My boy, what have they done to you?" His voice hold disbelief and disgust. I am disgusting.

Rex! Oh please do not let this be a dream. Please let this be real. I feel hot sparks shoot from my neck, one of the tubes is loose. My body spasms and I flail around for a moment like a fish. I try and concentrate on his voice and not the pain that is coursing through me. I close my eyes and will my voice to return.

"Rex," my voice is harsh and raw, but I get it to work.

"Shh," he tells me. I can feel his gaze travel down my body and back up. I do not want to look into his sympathetic eyes, I am ashamed of what has become of me. I cannot stop myself. "You're going to be alright now, my son."

I do not want to believe it, but I do. "Rex…" I start, but I am too drained and I close my eyes once again. This is the first time I pray that the end has not come.

Hi all,

It's been a long time since I have posted a story, but here I am again! I hope you all enjoy reading about Echo and his journey on reemergence and acceptance.

A little side note...I purposely did not let Echo have any contractions in his vocabulary. I got the idea after watching Star Trek when Data mentioned that as an android he cannot form them. As Echo is half cyborg, I thought it would enhance his robotic side a little more.

As always I do not own anything

Please review! =)