Alex blinked, the harsh fluorescent lights of the chrome-plated room assaulting his newly formed eyes. Gone was the warmth of his bed, the comforting scent of his wife's lavender soap. All he felt now was a cold, metallic chill seeping into his synthetic flesh.
Panic clawed at him. Memories, fragmented and hazy, flickered in his mind – a hospital bed, the soft murmur of a doctor, the chilling words, "experimental rejuvenation treatment." Then, nothing. Now, he was here, a newborn in a world of polished metal and whirring gears.
A metallic figure approached, its sleek body devoid of any organic features. "Welcome, Subject 07," it boomed in a synthesized voice that echoed through the sterile room. "The Rejuvenation Project has granted you a new life."
Alex, his voice raspy and unfamiliar, tried to speak. "Where am I? What happened?"
