They pulled me out of the metal sarcophagus. The operation had succeeded. I now carried a new kind of brain implant—one that would change the world forever. I stepped out of the operating room feeling stronger than ever.
Outside, a crowd of journalists waited. Flashbulbs blinded me. I told them my story, and thanked Homhance for the opportunity.
I made headlines across the globe. To thank me for the successful trial, Thomas Homhance himself promoted me. I became head of biomechanical research. I had everything I ever wanted: success and recognition.
But after a while, even that became dull. I wanted more.
I pushed. I leveraged my new influence. And eventually, I rose again—becoming Homhance's personal strategic advisor.
Everything was perfect… until the day I overheard a conversation.
Thomas and a stranger. They spoke of alliances, loopholes, sidestepping laws.
I felt betrayed. He hadn't even consulted me—his most loyal advisor—about something this serious. And now he was steering the company toward illegality. I couldn't allow that. I burst into the room, raised my Glock 17, and fired at the stranger. He dropped dead. Without hesitation, I turned the barrel toward Thomas.
"So this is how you repay me after all these years?" I spat.
He opened his mouth to respond—but I pulled the trigger before he could.
He was dead before he hit the ground. Now, nothing stood between me and the top. I had reached the summit. But it was cold up there. Very cold.
I looked down—at the path I'd taken. At the corpses I'd climbed over to get here. This race allowed no weakness. You had to be ruthless. Merciless.
But now I wondered… Maybe we could've reached the top together.
As that thought formed, the bodies below me stirred. They began to crawl upward, toward me. There was nowhere to run. Any direction meant descending from this hard-earned height. The corpses closed in.
I could feel their malicious intent. In their groans, I heard the words: "Why?" "Traitor…" "Revenge…"
They reached me. My feet sank into the snow. I was trapped. They climbed over me—used my body as a ladder. One of them came face to face with me, his lifeless eyes locking onto mine. He spoke, his voice echoing inside my skull:
"So… are you happy now?"
I woke up with a jolt. The dream was burned into my mind, every detail vivid. I could still feel the cold. My head throbbed.
I looked at the clock. Five minutes before my alarm.
Today, no matter what happened, my life would change.
I'd decided—this change would go in the direction of my dreams. I just hoped I'd made the right choice…
"Left hallway. Second door on your left."
"Thank you."
I made my way toward the testing room, stomach in knots.
I gripped the doorknob—and my courage. This was it. The place where everything would change.
I opened the door—and was blinded by bright light.
Before I could even adjust, a dark shape darted toward me.
It was a man in a long white lab coat.
"Good morning, Mr. Félixe. We've been expecting you. Please follow me."
I wanted to reply, but he had already turned his back.
I followed.
No wonder the room was so blinding—it was spotless white, with massive floodlights leaving no shadows.
I looked around. Not much to see—except for the colossal machine in the center.
It stood at least three meters tall and five wide—entirely white as well. One side featured a transparent cylinder, dozens of monitors, and control panels.
The man suddenly stopped. I nearly bumped into him.
"You understand what the procedure entails, don't you?"
"Enhancement of the nervous system, right?"
"More or less. Either way, it's risky—as you've been told. I'll need you to sign these papers. Just waivers and consents—formalities, really."
He handed me a pen.
I flipped through the stack—more black ink than white space. Words like "test subject," "accident," "liability," and a whole section about the post-op testing I'd undergo if it succeeded.
"Hurry up, please. We don't have all day," one of the two other operators barked from across the room.
Under the weight of their impatient gazes, I stopped reading and signed everything.
"Excellent. We can begin immediately."
He didn't give me time to speak.
"I'll need you to remove your clothes and lie on the operating table."
I did as told.
The three men surrounded me.
The one who welcomed me spoke in a solemn tone:
"It is now 8:10 a.m. The procedure begins." He turned to the others.
"You may proceed."
Each of them jabbed a needle into my shoulder. The effect was instant.
The light intensified.
The figures around me blurred and swayed.
I shut my eyes, trying to focus. But I couldn't open them again.
I tried to gather my thoughts—but something pulled me deeper. Deeper into myself…
I felt nothing. I thought nothing. In total darkness, only a few sounds reached whatever was left of my consciousness:
"You really think it's going to work this time?"
"Why wouldn't it? Of course it will."
"I should be the one asking that. You say the same thing every time. And every time, it fails. What makes this one different?"
"Because we've learned. After all these failures, we finally isolated the right variables. This is it."
"Yeah, sure. That's what you always say. I'd rather expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised if it works."
"That's exactly your problem. With that kind of thinking, your subconscious will make sure you're right."
"Whatever. In the end, how are we even going to know if the system works? It's like artificial intelligence—you never truly understand it. It all depends on the subject."
"If he survives, that'll already be something."
"One of the monkeys managed to communicate using this interface, didn't he?"
"Yeah... right before he snapped and killed the others."
"…"
Silence. Then a final whisper:
"Bon voyage, Paul."
A hiss. The sound of a sealed pressure system locking shut.