Page 15 of Cyborgs' Origins

Simone nodded, her gaze never wavering from Tiberius’s battered form. “It’s our only chance to save him.”

The medic shook her head, her brow furrowed with concern. “Dr. Wiley, that technology is still experimental. We have no way of knowing the consequences—”

“We don’t have a choice.” Simone’s voice rang with conviction, silencing the medbay. “Tiberius is dying, andconventional medicine can’t save him, but the biocircuit interface can.”

She turned to Izzy, her eyes pleading. “Prep the lab. We’ll need to move him there immediately.”

Izzy hesitated for a heartbeat, then nodded. “On it.” With a final squeeze of Simone’s hand, she darted from the medbay, her footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Lancer stepped closer, his hazel eyes searching Simone’s face. “Are you sure about this?” His voice was low and laced with concern. “Turning Tiberius into...into a cyborg? That’s a hell of a decision to make for someone else.”

Simone’s gaze flickered to Tiberius’s ruined hand, her throat tightening. “I don’t have a choice,” she whispered. “It’s the only way to save his life.” The thought of living without him was dismal and crushing, shrouding her in darkness. Maybe she was being selfish, but she’d save him no matter the cost, even if he hated her for it.

With a curt nod, Lancer turned to the medics. “You heard the lady. Let’s get him prepped for transport.”

As the medical team sprang into action, Simone allowed herself a moment of vulnerability, her mask of professionalism slipping. She reached out, brushing her fingers against Tiberius’s bloodied cheek. “Hold on,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m not letting you go that easily.”

Chapter 6—Simone

SIMONE’S EYES NARROWEDwith determination as she hovered over Tiberius’s still form. The lab hummed with the steady thrum of life-support systems, but she refused to relinquish hope. Not when she was so close to a breakthrough that could save him.

“Prep the neural interface,” she said to the medical team, her voice calm. “We’re proceeding with the biocircuit integration.”

Murmurs of concern rippled through the room, but she paid them no heed. Her focus remained on the readings flickering across the monitors, analyzing Tiberius’s vitals with clinical precision.

“Doctor, the risks—”

“I’m aware of the risks,” she cut off the protest, “But we’re out of conventional options. This is our only chance.”

Silence descended as the team recognized the finality in her tone. They moved with efficiency, calibrating the intricate machinery and running final diagnostics under Izzy’s direction. At the heart of the setup loomed the fusion reactor, a towering marvel of engineering that would provide the immense power required for the delicate procedure.

As the preparations continued around her, her hands moved with practiced ease, making the final adjustments to the neural interface. This was the crux of the operation, the delicate link that would allow Tiberius’s biological neurons to seamlessly integrate with the cybernetic enhancements they had installed to heal him after stabilizing the link.

“Initiating power transfer from the fusion reactor,” said one of the medics.

The room seemed to hold its collective breath as the machinery whirred to life, energy crackling through the intricate web of circuits and conduits. Simone felt the familiar thrill of scientific discovery coursing through her veins, mingling with the undercurrent of trepidation that accompanied any untested procedure.

She couldn’t falter when Tiberius’s life hung in the balance. “Neural interface online and syncing,” she said, her fingers moving across the control panel quickly. “Commencing integration sequence.”

The air thrummed with energy as the biocircuit interface initiated its delicate work, weaving synthetic pathways into Tiberius’s neural network. Simone watched with bated breath, her brilliant mind processing every fluctuation and nuance of data that streamed across the monitors.

Time seemed to slow as the intricate process unfolded, each second stretching into an eternity. Her world narrowed to the rhythmic beeps of the life-support systems and the subtle shifts in Tiberius’s vital signs.

Then, without warning, a piercing alarm shattered the tense silence.

“Synaptic rejection,” cried one of the medics, her voice laced with urgency. “The interface is destabilizing.”

Simone’s chest constricted as she fought to maintain control. This was the critical juncture, the moment where Tiberius’s body would either accept or reject the cybernetic integration. “Increasing neural dampeners,” she called out, adjusting the controls. “Modulating synaptic pathways to compensate.”

The room held its collective breath as the machinery whirred and hummed, the fusion reactor thrumming with power as it fed the ravenous demands of the biocircuit interface. She grimaced,her mind a whirlwind of calculations and adjustments as she guided the process through the treacherous waters of rejection.

Seconds ticked by, each one an eternity unto itself, until finally, the alarms fell silent. The monitors flickered, displaying a steady stream of data that brought a relieved smile to Simone’s lips.

“Integration successful,” she said with wonder. “The biocircuit interface is stable.”

A collective sigh of relief swept through the room, but Simone barely registered it. Her gaze was fixed on Tiberius, taking in the subtle changes that had already begun to manifest. His body, once ravaged by the Sventian blast, now hummed with newfound vitality, the cybernetic enhancements already working to repair the damage.

As she watched, his eyes flickered open, those warm brown depths locking onto hers with an intensity that stole her breath. They had crossed a threshold, venturing into uncharted territory, where the boundaries between human and machine blurred. She hoped he wouldn’t hate her for this.

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