Chapter 4 - Awakening

  Samurai are terrifying, awe-inspiring and completely above the law. There are very few things that can keep a samurai in line. The only one with any real chance of success is another older samurai, and I don't mean age, I mean time from initialisation; most samurai are on the younger side in terms of age. We don't know what causes the protectors to choose those who are younger, but it makes up a large portion of the samurai population. So you are now going to be dealing with teens with the ability to blow up cities, play nice, everyone! - Colonel Jennet Amartan, head of the Irish military integration of samurai program 2026.

  I am pulled towards the surface of the blackness but I can still feel nothing. Just awareness starting to come of people talking quietly nearby then comes a voice I have dearly missed during my confinement.

  Alexander.. Alexander, can you please permit me to remove the implant?

  “Anand.. do what.. you will.” I with difficulty huff through a barely working and far from human throat.

  Thank you.

  ——

  New purchase

  Class I - Standard Comprehensive Removal of Altering Machinery - 50 points

  ——

  I heard a thump next to me and then someone spoke from behind my head. As the fog began to clear from my head, I realised my head was currently twisted to the side and staring at a blank wall. The thump must have been the box teleporting in containing the S.C.R.A.M that Anand had got to help me.

  “Minstrel, get over here and follow the instructions and use this thing quickly!”

  I heard running, then shuffling through a box that Anand had obviously dropped beside me. I try to turn my head and realise I can't, I am simply imagining this, it's got to be there's no way Seraphina would be dumb enough to let me out. As much as I hate her, I have to admit she is too damn intelligent for her own good.

  “Got it!” I presume whoever was Minstrel said

  It is either that I’ve finally gone completely insane, or possibly she's gotten something to make me more pliant by putting me in a pleasant dream of being out. Yeah, that's gotta be it, don’t get comfortable she’ll pull the rug out from under you soon. Don't give her the joy in your hope!

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  There was a faint sting of a needle at the base of my skull and then a scratching sensation as that woman’s implant tried to claw further around my brain to fight whatever was being injected.

  Is it actually over! That was actual feeling I felt the needle go in, but then why can’t I feel anything else? My lungs will continue to take in breath, and my body will continue to live, but it shouldn't take this long for my healing to start to kick in and begin healing.

  The nanobots are working. Alexander, you will be free of all influence soon and then we can make introductions properly once you are in full control. Until then, try to stay relaxed and don’t use your augs. There is still some infected code we are going to have to purge once we are done with the nanobots.

  I attempted to relax as Anand had instructed it's not easy. She’s the most calm and reasonable one out of the sisters, and I’d rather her than Macha’s constant teasing. This is the longest I've been disabled for since my initialisation. I forgot how much it sucks to have a severed spine and how helpless you feel.

  After a minute of the nanobots working, I was getting restless as I got a grip on the fact that this was reality and not a half dream.

  The nanobots have completed their assignment, and you are free of the implants' influence. Welcome back Alex!

  Anand said, and there was a hint of excitement in her transmission.

  Finally, we’re back. Now back to combat, I’m getting bored!

  The croaking tone of Badb came as expected.

  “Yes ma’am.” I heard a voice from behind me.

  The feeling in my neck started to return as my healing implant seemed to finally kick in, and I saw someone step around me while holding a knife dripping with blood.

  That made sense. No wonder I couldn’t feel anything; they had to disable me completely to be able to administer the nanobots.

  After another few minutes had passed, I had full feeling back in my body, and I began wiggling my toes and fingers to get used to giving orders to my body again. After a minute and I was confident I would probably not just faceplant as soon as I stood up.

  I began to carefully push myself up to a crouch, trying to get used to my increased muscle and digitigrade legs. Once more, it felt as if I’d reverted to when I first underwent the modification and had to relearn how to walk and hold things again.

  Once I was crouched and on my haunches, I looked up at the group ahead of me and saw one or two flinch. They were obviously military, but I didn’t recognise their markings.

  They all wore different underclothing but matching navy coloured chest rigs and helmets, oddly missing any visible ceramic plates and held double the normal combat load of magazines. The helmets also looked more similar to crash helmets rather than ballistic-rated ones. This was rather odd for standard military, but otherwise, they were using standard equipment.

  Did she move me out of the country? Why were they speaking such fluent English?

  There was an older man, possibly pushing the maximum age before military retirement, a couple younger than him, maybe getting towards their early 40s, and the rest were young-faced enough to have just joined up in the last few years.

  I decided it would probably be wise to shift back to my hybrid form and then introduce myself.