The city is filled with a gloomy air, smog and rain seems to have blanketed the whole world into a state of stillness and silence.
Surprisingly, people crowded under the rain as both sides of the road are packed full of onlookers. Most noticeable is a procession of people who occupied both lanes of the street while sheltered under their black umbrellas and trenchcoat.
Occasionally, sobs and cries could be heard from not just the procession, but also from the onlookers by the side of the road.
What is happening? One might ask. But no one in whole world would. Because everyone knew that today is the day when one of the world's greatest of minds will lay in eternal rest.
Eizen John Evanhelista III was born in the twilight of mankind's existence, a time when the world started to evolve. As other species evolved, mankind's proud claim as the apex predator vanished and was left behind at the mercy of other species.
Eizen exhibited unparalleled intelligence since childhood, at seven years old, when other children are barely just able to grasp their ego Eizen already graduated his first degree in electrical engineering, then he developed a biological chip that can act as an assistant in his future researches. The global application was of course phenomenal and captured the attention of the scientific community.
He then started to dab into genetic engineering when he was ten and developed the very first biotech weapon he called 'chimera' after two years which led to the great progression of mankind. Cities were reclaimed from the mutated lifeforms and new ones were established under the protection of the 'chimeras'.
At the age of fifteen, he was hailed as the 'world's hero' the sage who saved the human race from the brink of extinction. Humanity once again took its place on top of the pyramid of power.
Now that he is 18, the whole world looked forward to the global change he would gift to mankind. Not to fail everyone's expectations, he did announce the launch a new program called 'Android' which combined man with machines, and monster genes. Except he never made it to that project launch as he was brutally murdered by the very prototype he created.
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"These old bastards!"
Eizen cursed as he struggled to stand. Under the pretense of helping him, the elder council sabotaged his program and made his very own creation kill him.
'I've been careless in my belief that as I served for the benifit of mankind, I will be loved and respected. I forgot how human nature takes over when one's benifits is involved. The old books are right, humans are 'complicated' creatures.'
"Hahahahahahahahaha! This fucking sucks."
His maddened laughter echoed in his laboratory as the android's bladed fist met his heart which killed him instantly.
'I have been arrogant and careless like a child bathing in praises.' a spark of realization just before the end. His consciousness slipped into the darkness of the oblivion.
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In a certain underground laboratory.
"Subject 2537 is showing signs of waking up! Get the doctors."
"Monitor his vitals!"
"Where's Dr. Frank? Someone inform the doctor..."
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"...."
'I died. Didn't I?'
Eizen opened his eyes in wonder and was met by a bright light from someone who looked like a doctor who was wearing a mask and gloves.
"The subject is exhibiting signs of stabilisation with drug 4622. Pupils are still dilated. Inject 12mg of pagizirine. Stat on his his vitals?"
"He's stabilising sir!"
"Good, report to the team immediately, and contact 'the doctor'."
Eizen was limp and couldn't move freely as he was taken inside a white room with a glass door. Men and women wearing lab coats occasionally checked on him to observe and take samples.
"Dr. Frank, the subject is currently weakened but is showing great promise, his mental activity is currently stable, he should be able to talk, shall we begin with the tests?"
A thin middle aged man with ruffled hair wearing glasses observed Eizen with great interest while nodding as he listened to the report.
"Let's proceed with the tests immediately, HQ is hounding me for results. How are the other subjects doing?"
"As of now we have eleven awakened test subjects who are alive from the previous fourteen, the previous subjects showed violent tendencies and killed themselves under containment. We managed to save most but lost three due to severe damage."
The man reported professionally but his expression fluctuated in the middle of his report. He was afraid of being blamed for making the government lose its money. He knew what happened to others before and it could also happen to him.
"What were you doing letting them kill themselves? Don't you know how much resources are poured into each of these subjects?"
"Get Kenny and tell him to be extra careful with our remaining specimen. I don't want to lose a single one of these existing ones do you understand?" Dr. Frank continued his eyes gleaming interest as he looked through the glass wall.
'What makes you so special 2537?'
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...
[Elizabeth is on standby, awaiting your orders sir.]
Eizen's eye lit up as he realised his assistant biochip is still working.
"Elizabeth, I died right?"
[That is correct, your heart was destroyed and your life signature ceased to exist, to be exact.] Eizen sighed. He didn't really care much as he accepted death's embrace the moment it came, but who would know that something like this could occur? Transmigration stories and fantasies are some things he only read in order to refresh his head and gain inspiration.
"Then what is this? What am I doing here? Is this whole thing real?"
[I have insufficient data on how this event came to be or the purpose of it happening. I am sorry sir. With regards to the reality of it, parameters shows that there are no abnormalities. This is 100 percent real.] As he rested on his bed in the white room he Elizabeth a bunch of queries most of it related to possibilities which the assistant didn't have the answer to.
"Elizabeth scan my body and compare it with those who are outside the room."
[Scanning....]
[Scan complete]
[Gene deterioration detected, currently at 30 percent.]
[Foreign dna strain detected, isolating...]
'Isolate the origin of gene deterioration.'
[Detrimental strain isolated]
'Simulate, biomorph...'
[Simulating]
"Show me my stats as compared to normal human beings."
[Eizen John Evanhelista
Physique: 600.5
Rate of improvement: .1/day
Life expectancy: 3 years]
'600.5 points in physique!? I guess I did gain a great boon in my second life.'
It was a very straightforward statistical analysis which showed that Eizen is more than six times stronger than an average human, this would have been possible with his technology before he died but it would require body operation involving the use of machines to improve one's physique. In this world however, it became possible with just adding foreign dna strands into his own, this showed great potential with how the crude technology here in achieving such results when it came to body enhancement.
'Is this karma? I was a scientist before and I'm an experimental test subject right now. Sigh, moreover, I have no idea where I am. I have to escape. But I have to observe first.'
As a bunch of things ran through his head, he slowly drifted into a trance and memories that are not his own slowly flashed before him.
....
Jayce Bracknell Evans, a man with outstanding morals and loyalty to his country. An orphan whose parents were killed in a mutant beast wave when he was just seven years old and drafted into the military academy when he was eleven with burning hatred for mutants. He had great dreams but reality shot him down as he graduated ranked private first class after four years of training due to mediocre talents. He wasn't phased that much though, who would have thought that he would be promoted to team captain through his merits on the battlefield against mutants for five years through luck and sharpness of mind alone. His lucky streak of being able to survive hell in his missions seems to have run out on his very first task as team captain as except for the captain himself, his entire unit stood no chance and died in an ambush of mutated wolves. He lost his right eye, an arm and both of his legs. Others say he was still really lucky to have survived, but that's their opinion. Jayce personally think he should have just died honorably in the face of the beasts instead of being crippled.
Being useless plagued him. At the current era when mankind is waging war for survival, being deemed as a cripple almost broke his mind, a strong willed as he is, he didn't want to give up so as a final gamble with fate, he applied as a volunteer for the 'human enhancement' program of the government while thinking 'at least I can of service to humanity before I died', and die he did as his heart stopped from the overwhelming pain of gene infusion that crushed what remained of his consciousness, as his mind shattered into oblivion another took his place and absorbed the fragments of his soul.
'Jayce huh, not a bad name, let's just go with that from now on. Elizabeth, I want you to filter through this memories and integrate it to my own.'
[Affirmative]
[Please assume a comfortable position...]
[Task completion... 1%... 25%... 69%... 96%...]
As expected, its full of fighting dying and agony like the people in my previous life. There's magic elements too? Too bad he didn't have much knowledge in this aspect. Eli, do you still have combat grade muscle reflex in your database?'
[Affirmative. 24 hours to install. Proceed?]
'More than double the time... can't be helped I guess. Proceed.'
After 35 hours inside the white room, the door finally opened and he was transported to a different room while wearing a metallic collar which rewards aggressive behaviors with shocks of electricity and a controlled explosion in some extreme cases.
[Access to a computer network has been detected. Requesting permission to proceed.....]
'Go forth my Eli.'
[Connection established.]
[Initiating hijack protocol.]
[Progress 1%... 69%... 99.9%...]
'It seems they are not very secured when it comes to cyber attacks, or maybe they simply aren't very secretive about these information, anyway, Elizabeth download everything that can be of use to me. Mwahahahaha!'
The progress looked slow but in fact it very fast as Elizabeth would copy every single information that is available and create a backdoor for future infiltration.
[Download Complete. Proceed with memory integration?]
'Denied we'll have time to do that later.'
At this time, he was led to a room that suggested the interrogation feels. A middle aged man was already waiting there to receive him.
"Subject 2537, my name is Kenny I am here to ask you simple questions you have to answer me truthfully or else the collar will know and well... you already know what would happen."
"So to start off... how are you feeling?"
Kenny asked in a caring tone without expressions on his face. Weirdly enough, he projected the impression of an android or a robot. Too bad that Elizabeth can not be fooled easily.
"Aside from the VIP treatment? I'm fine, I guess."
"Do you feel pain anywhere?"
Kenny simply shifted from Jayce to writing without any visible expressions on his face.
...
After a series of questions Kenny pressed a button and two guards came in.
"Take him to area level two for a brain chip implant, then bring him to commander Zora on area one."
"Understood!"
The guards answered at the same time.
'Hail hydra' Jayce thought with a mental smirk.
The chip was implanted inside his head in no time and he was quickly taken to the person called commander Zora.
It was a tall buff man wearing army uniform.
"What is your name soldier!" the commander came an inch to his face and asked Jayce loudly, saliva and all flying around.
'So I guess dental care is also not developed?'
"I am subject 2537!" Jayce answered in a fashion similar to the previous owner's style.
*Eughhhh*
A strong punch landed in his solar plexus and he curled down while retching bile and saliva.
"Stand up!" Zora commanded
Jayce complied and stood up slowly and stood in attention.
"What is your name soldier?!"
"Subject 2537!"
*Screech*
Jayce flew two meters and swept the floor for a few more meters.
"Stand up!"
Jayce again stood up and stood in attention, in fact he wasn't damaged in the slightest from those attacks and just pretended with the help of Elizabeth.
'Maybe I should be an actor this time.'
"Hohoho. I like you already! You labrats are truly sturdy! Should I give you a kiss huh? What is your name soldier!?"
The commander laughed and asked as he lightly slapped Jayce's face with a provocative gaze.
"I am Subject 2537!" Jayce answered without a shred of emotion in his tone. He was familiar with military training even when he was a scientist as it was required for everyone to know the basics due to the circumstances in his previous life. Crossing these commanders isn't a good thing for his plans.
"Good, very good! Alright 'subject 2537', let's do a simple physical test shall we?"
Running speed, lifting weights, punching force, sparring etc. Jayce was worked to 'exhaustion' as his data is collected.
"Interesting, enter that room and we will start with the next test. I'll be waiting for you when you come out, so you better get your sorry ass ready."
Eizen entered the room and saw hundreds of capsules, inside each one of them are human subjects just like him.
Two white robed scientists approached him and led him to an empty capsule, he was stripped naked and cold gadgets are attached to his body.
"Please get in." one of them said.
He was then injected with a gold colored drug labeled A-637 and the capsule door closed.