Page 4 of Cyborg's Tether

Dr. Vex nodded, her expression revealing sympathy and scientific curiosity. “That’s to be expected. Your neural pathways are still adapting to the cybernetic interface. It’ll take time for your organic and synthetic components to fully integrate.”

He scowled as he processed her words. He had known the conversion would change him, but the reality of his transformation was more profound than he had anticipated. Was he still the same warrior who had fought countless battles across the galaxy? Or had he become something else entirely? “My memory is full of holes.”

She nodded. “Let me guess...it affects your long-term memories more than recent ones?”

He nodded, straining to remember his previous life before the cyber-conversion but finding only bits and pieces. His head ached when he tried to force it.

“That’s to be expected. It happens about eighty percent of the time. Many cyborgs regain their memories within two to three days.”

“If I don’t?”

She gave him a small smile tinged with melancholy. “If they aren’t restored when your circuits and neurons fully integrate, the vast majority have probably been destroyed in the meshing process.”

He nodded, recalling having been warned about that before he was offered the chance to become cybernetic. He didn’t remember much about his past, but he recalled being certain it was better to risk his memory to become a functioning cyborg than a paralyzed human soldier of no use to anyone.

“Your combat subroutines are showing excellent responsiveness,” she said, seeming oblivious to Xavier’s internal struggle. “Let’s test your reflexes. I’m going to activate a series of holo-targets. Please neutralize them as quickly as possible.”

Before he could respond, a dozen glowing red spheres materialized around the room. Without conscious thought, his arm transformed into a plasma cannon. In a blur of motion, he obliterated each target with pinpoint accuracy. The entire sequence lasted less than two seconds.

Dr. Vex’s eyes widened. “Impressive. Your reaction time has improved by three hundred percent compared to your baseline before conversion.”

Xavier stared at his arm as it morphed back into its default configuration. The raw power at his disposal was intoxicating, yet it filled him with an unsettling sense of detachment. He had always prided himself on his skill and discipline as a warrior. Now, it seemed his prowess was more a product of programming than personal ability.

“Is something wrong?” asked Dr. Vex, noting his prolonged silence.

Xavier looked at her. “I’m...uncertain. This body responds with perfect efficiency, yet it feels foreign. Am I still myself, or merely a machine approximating my former identity?”

Her expression softened. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, a deafening explosion rocked the facility. Alarms blared as emergency lights bathed the room in a pulsing red glow.

“What’s happening?” he demanded, instantly alert. His combat subroutines activated, flooding his system with tactical data and threat assessments. At that second, he felt every bit the warrior he’d always been.

Dr. Vex rushed to a nearby console, fingers moving over the interface. “There’s been a critical malfunction in Lab Seven. The quantum stabilizer has gone critical—we need to evacuate immediately.”

As if on cue, panicked shouts reverberated from the corridor outside. The sound of running footsteps and slamming doors filled the air as staff members fled the danger zone.

Xavier rose from the platform, his massive frame towering over Dr. Vex. “What are the evacuation protocols?”

“We need to get to the emergency shelters on the lower levels, but first, I have to secure the data from your conversion process. It’s too valuable to lose.”

He scanned the room with his cybernetic eye, identifying potential threats and escape routes. “Negative. Your safety takes priority. We must leave now.”

Dr. Vex shook her head stubbornly. “You don’t understand. This research could revolutionize cybernetic integration. It could save countless lives. Every bit of data is crucial.”

As they argued, the facility shuddered again. The lights flickered ominously, and acrid smoke began to seep through the ventilation system.

His tactical systems calculated their dwindling window of escape. He faced a difficult choice—follow his programming and ensure Dr. Vex’s safety or respect her wishes and risk both their lives for the sake of scientific progress.

In that moment of indecision, Xavier realized that despite his cybernetic enhancements, he was still capable of making uniquely human judgments. The realization brought a small measure of comfort in the middle of the chaos.

He could feel his cybernetic eye whirring as he processed the situation while his organic parts and mechanical enhancements working in tandem. It was strange but already less noticeable than it had been even moments before.

The facility shuddered again, and he made his decision. “We must evacuate now,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the chaos. “I’ll secure your data while we move.”

Before she could protest, he scooped her up with one arm, cradling her against his massive chest. With his free hand, he grabbed the main data core from the console, yanking it free in a shower of sparks.

As they exited the lab, alarms blared, and emergency lights bathed the corridor in an eerie red glow. His newly enhanced senses picked up the acrid smell of smoke and the distant sound of panicked voices like it was right in front of him.

“The quantum stabilizer.” Dr. Vex gasped, clinging to him. “If it goes critical, it could tear a hole in the fabric of space-time.”

---