The door to my room suddenly opened, and Mr. Norman and David walked in.
"Hello Frankie, how are you? Is everything feeling alright? If you encounter any issues, just let me know," David said, his smile reassuring.
"Well, truth be told, I've just woken up and haven't had a chance to test everything yet," I replied. I was still lying on the bed, dressed in a loose hospital-like gown. Because of that, I hadn't been able to try out my new leg yet.
"Well, no problem, just take your time and let me know if you find something uncomfortable," David reassured me.
"Well, I tried moving my arm, and I'm genuinely shocked and surprised by this Neo. I used to think that since it's made of metal, it would be heavy. But that's not the case at all—it's very light, almost like my real arm. What's even more astonishing is that I can feel things!" I continued, my expression reflecting my amazement.
"It's a bit strange, though. I thought I wouldn't have any sensation, that I could only use it to grab things and such. But I can actually feel things with this Neo. What kind of sorcery is this?" I asked David, a mix of curiosity and surprise on my face.
David smiled and explained, "This isn't sorcery, but rather science. Neo Engineering goes back around two thousand years, and we've been tirelessly refining this craft ever since. The 'Neo' you now have is the remarkable outcome of those years of progress" He continued with enthusiasm.
"Most Neos are crafted from a special alloy known as NeuroSteel. It's designed specifically for creating Neos, those silver and chrome prosthetics you've seen people wearing. NeuroSteel is tailored to replicate natural limbs, tails, and wings. It's even capable of restoring the sense of touch. Unlike your Neo, most regular Neos are slightly heavier than a natural limb, and boast the strength of regular steel. And of course, they're corrosion-resistant." David explained enthusiastically.
"I see, you do light up whenever the topic of Neos comes up," I observed with a faint smile.
David chuckled, replying, "Well, naturally. Why do you think I became a Neo Engineer in the first place?" He shrugged playfully.
Interrupting our conversation, Mr. Norman, who had been quietly listening, interjected, "All right, you two, that's enough. I understand that Neos in this world are quite impressive, but we have other matters to attend to."
"I agree. Frankie, let's catch up later and chat more about this. I can even show you how to take care of your Neos so you don't need to keep visiting Neo engineers for maintenance. And since your Neo is a special case, regular Neo Engineers might not be equipped to handle it," David said, looking pleased with himself.
"Sounds like a plan. We'll set up a time to meet when you're available. Oh, and can I leave now?" I inquired curiously.
"Definitely. But before you head out, could you try standing up? I want to make sure everything is working properly before you leave. And maybe take a short walk too," David instructed
"Sure, let me give it a shot," I replied.
I started by lowering my normal leg off the bed, and my Neo leg followed suit. Placing my real foot on the cold floor, I could distinctly feel the chill. Surprisingly, my Neo leg responded in a similar way, much like my Neo arm had earlier. I could genuinely sense the sensations through my Neo leg—feeling the coldness as if it were real.
With a deep breath, I stood up. So far, so good. Now, the real test: walking.
I placed my normal foot first, followed by the Neo one, and then I started walking. It felt a bit strange after using that makeshift peg leg for a while. It's a funny thing—first, when I lost my real leg and had to resort to the makeshift peg leg, I missed my real leg.
But now that the makeshift peg leg has been replaced by the Neo, I find myself missing the old peg leg. Lost in these thoughts, I stumbled and started to fall, but fortunately, David caught me just in time.
"Whoa… take it easy. It usually takes some time for people to adjust to their Neo's, so don't push yourself. By the way, do you feel any discomfort or pain?" David asked me, curiosity in his expression.
"I don't have any discomfort or pain, but I do feel kind of weird. I'd been using that makeshift peg leg for a while and got used to it. Suddenly replacing it with something else feels kind of odd," I explained to David.
"Well, that kind of thing happens all the time. If you want, I can lend you some crutches," David offered.
"Thank you, I will take you up on that offer," I accepted his offer.
After that, David asked someone to bring the crutches, and with their support, I started walking. It was much easier this way.
"So, how long have I been unconscious for?" I asked David.
"Just one night. I gave you more anesthetic than usual because I had no idea how long it would take me and my team to install your Neo's," he truthfully explained and continued.
"Oh, and you can take those crutches with you for now. You can return them later when you can walk properly," David told me with a kind smile.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it. And Mr. Norman, you were saying something about going somewhere?" I thanked David and turned to Mr. Norman.
"Well, it's nothing important, but Nolan wanted to talk with you about something. It's nothing urgent, so take your time," Mr. Norman explained.
"Well, I have nothing to do here anyway, and even David said that it was safe to leave. So why don't we go to Nolan's workshop?" I suggested to Mr. Norman.
"If that's what you want to do, then that's fine with me," Mr. Norman replied with a casual shrug.
"Anyway, David, we are planning to go now. I am looking forward to our conversation later. Oh, and can I get my clothes back?" I asked David.
"Sure, just a minute, let me ask someone to fetch it for you," David said, and he arranged for my clothes to be brought to me. After dressing up, Mr. Norman and I bid farewell to David.
Then, we began walking toward Nolan's workshop. Walking was still a bit challenging for me, but the crutches David had lent me proved to be really helpful.
.....
After a few minutes of walking, we finally reached Nolan's Workshop. Nolan was deeply engrossed in his work, focusing on the mounted hydro cannon that I had acquired from the Mermen. Surprisingly, Lucas was also there, I wondered if Lucas was helping him with the repairs.
Nolan looked up and noticed me and Mr. Norman approaching. He greeted me with a warm smile, "Frankie! How are you? How did the Neo installation go?"
"Well, I'm getting used to the arm, but the leg will take some time. What are you working on right now?" I asked Nolan, curious about his current project.
Nolan excitedly explained, "I've been working on modifying the mounted weapons you acquired from the Mermen. I've successfully modified two so far, and this one is the third."
Curious, I asked, "How many of these are you planning to modify?"
"Well, you got around five of them, right? I'm thinking of modifying four and keeping the last one for myself. I wanted to check with you first since you're the one who found them. Do you mind if I keep the last one?" Nolan asked, his eyes filled with hope.
"Sure, I don't see any problem with that. And where are you planning to add those?" I inquired.
Nolan pondered, "I'm thinking of adding two to the front and two to the back of the NS Scorpion. But, since the torpedo launching tubes are at the front, I'm not entirely sure about that. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Well, considering that the torpedo launching tubes are located on the bottom, why not place the mounted weapons on the top of the NS Scorpion? This way, you can use them without interfering with the torpedo launching tubes," I suggested to Nolan.
"I was also thinking the exact same thing. I'm glad we're on the same page. So, I guess for the backside as well, I'll add the Hydro cannons on the top so that they won't interfere with the propeller," Nolan explained and continued.
"Oh, did you try the new weapons that I added to your Neo arm?" he asked me with excitement.
"Not yet. David mentioned that you're the weapons expert and suggested I ask you about it," I replied to Nolan.
"Well, I guess that's fine now. There should be a small hidden switch between your middle and ring fingers. Turn it on and try to bend your wrist forward a little," Nolan explained with a very excited tone.
I followed his instructions, turned on the hidden switch, and bent my wrist forward a little. And then I saw it.