David proudly presented his creation and declared, "I call these Taurus."
As I gazed at it, I was struck by its unique appearance. Unlike the typical silver or chrome prosthetics I had seen before, this one was sleek and black, giving it an unconventional and striking look.
"Why is it black? Typically, these things are either silver or chrome," Mr. Norman asked David, his curiosity clearly visible in his expression.
"Well, that's usually the case because I make those with normal metal. However, this is created using Hyper Alloy. And that's not all—just a few days ago, I visited Nolan and with his help, I also integrated a few weapons into the arm. Both the arm and leg are nearly as strong as diamonds," he explained, his excitement ringing through his words.
"What! Hyper Alloy? You really went all out, huh, when I said that money isn't a concern?" Mr. Norman looked shocked and asked with a skeptical tone.
"Well, in order to create the best Neo, I need the best materials," David replied with a shrug.
"Wait, what's this Hyper Alloy thing?" I chimed in, a puzzled look on my face.
"Well, I guess you don't know about that, huh… well, it's a very unique and rare metal that can only be created by Volcarians. This alloy is as strong as diamond, but when other races try to use this metal, their toughness reduces a little. Volcarians are the only ones who can fully harness the potential of Hyper Alloy," David explained, his voice carrying a mix of excitement and expertise.
"Wait, if humans can't use it properly, then why did you use it?" I asked with genuine curiosity, my brow furrowed.
"Well, besides its incredible strength, there are other properties that make it highly desirable. Despite being a metal and a good conductor, it remains cool most of the time, making it capable of withstanding very high temperatures. And that's not all—hyper alloy is remarkably lightweight, flexible, and resistant to breaking," he replied, his excitement evident in his voice.
"I-I see, then what are the weapons that you spoke of?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
"Well, I guess Nolan can explain it better than me. Why don't you ask him later when you see him?" David suggested.
"Alright, I'll do that," I replied with a shrug.
"Anyway, Frankie, I need to administer some anesthesia before I install these Neo's in your severed arm and leg. The process involves reopening your wounds and attaching the Neo's to your nervous system for proper functionality. It seems like you've applied some sort of makeshift first aid to your injuries—almost like treating them with fire. Even if I successfully install the Neo's, they might still leave noticeable scars due to this unconventional first aid. Are you alright with that?" David's tone was a mix of concern and confusion as he asked me about the procedure and its potential outcomes.
"Well, I guess that's that. As long as I can use them properly, I don't care about my looks," I told him with a determined look.
"I see, then that's fine," he replied with a small chuckle. Then, he turned to Mr. Norman and continued, "Mr. Norman, can you please wait outside? I am going to perform the surgery now."
Mr. Norman nodded and said, "Alright, alright, I'll be waiting outside. Frankie, just let me know when everything is done." He started to leave, but David stopped him.
"Mr. Norman, I did tell you to wait outside, but I said that to be polite. Due to Frankie's complex wound and the unique nature of the Neo created with Hyper Alloy, the procedure will take a bit longer than usual. So, why don't you come back tomorrow instead? Frankie can spend the night here. Don't worry, I won't charge you for the extra work; it's on the house," David suggested with a kind smile.
Mr. Norman looked at him with surprised eyes and said, "So you're kicking me out? Fine, I'll go then. See you tomorrow, Frankie. Someone doesn't like me staying here," he added with a snort.
"It's not like that, Mr. Norman. As I said, I need to perform the surgery and it will take some time. That's why I told you to come back tomorrow," David tried to calm down Mr. Norman.
"Fine, fine. I understand. Anyway, I will be leaving. See you guys tomorrow," Mr. Norman bid us farewell and left.
After he left, David turned to me and asked, "So, shall we get started?"
…..
Some time had passed since then, and David handed me a loose cloth resembling a hospital gown, instructing me to put it on. He led me to a room reminiscent of an operating theater, dressed in surgical attire. He directed me to lie down on a central bed.
"Alright, Frankie, first I'll remove this makeshift peg leg, and then I'll administer the anesthesia," he explained, proceeding to detach my makeshift peg leg crafted from an assault rifle barrel.
It was a bit uncomfortable, causing a slight sensation of pain, though nothing too unbearable.
"Feeling any pain anywhere?" David inquired as he worked on removing the makeshift peg leg.
"A little discomfort, but it's manageable," I reassured him with a wry smile.
"Well, if you say so, but it's honestly quite remarkable how, despite the severity of your wound, there are no signs of infection," David remarked a tinge of surprise in his voice.
"I've been diligent about cleaning my wounds with water and alcohol to prevent infections," I explained.
"Really? That's impressive. I suppose Drifters like you are more resourceful compared to most people in this world," he said, genuinely taken aback.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, intrigued by his comment.
"In this world, education isn't widespread like on Earth. Major cities offer free mandatory education, but it's not universal. Remote islands lack education due to isolation caused by limited landmass. TerraNova's continent is an exception. The government provides mandatory basic education for all, with better options in private schools and Avain's top-notch universities, though these demand exceptional skills or wealth.", he told me with a sigh and continued.
"Well, some people who come here have no idea about first aid, and most of the time they are severely infected and we have to cut that part out and then install Neo's to them. Most of these people are from the small island I don't blame them but it's kind of hard to deal with those people. How about your world Frankie?", He asked me curiously while still removing my makeshift peg leg.
"Well, it's kind of the same I guess, We do have free education but it's not the best but at the same time I can't say the expensive ones are perfect as well. It's kind of complicated and depends on the person I guess", I told him my honest thoughts.
"Well, it looks like the education in your world is more complicated than here. Now that I've removed your peg leg, it's time for the anesthesia," David explained.
He placed what looked like an anesthesia mask over my face and instructed, "Alright, Frankie, take some deep breaths. Everything will be fine."
Following his instructions, I took deep breaths, and soon my vision started to blur. Gradually, everything faded to darkness.
…..
The sun started to rise, its morning light sneaked through my room's window and landed on my face.
*Agggh*
I groaned upon waking up. I was covered by a blanket, with only my face exposed. Then, a familiar sound reached my ears.
*Woof! Woof!*
Rex, my loyal companion, was joyfully bouncing around and wagging his tail so vigorously that it seemed he was on the verge of breaking the sound barrier. Usually left behind during our visits to Nolan's Workshop or David's office, it seemed Rex had been quite lonely and was overjoyed to see me again.
Where am I anyway? I found myself in a small, unfamiliar room. There was a single bed against one wall where I was lying, a table in a corner, and a closed door giving no clues to my location. Lost in thought, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my left hand. Oh right, I remembered—I had been in the operation theater with David. But what happened after that? As I pushed aside the blanket covering me, my eyes fell on the sleek, black prosthetic leg and arm.
I tested out my new arm, lifting it and moving my index finger with ease. To my surprise, I could even feel things when I touched them. I wasn't familiar with how prosthetics worked on Earth, but this technology was truly impressive.
Not only did it provide a sense of touch, but the arm was also incredibly light, almost like my real hand. How could something like this even exist? I was completely amazed by the advanced prosthetics in this world.
As I pondered all of this, the door to my room slowly opened.