The next day Marcus was making his way toward the training center, it was early in the morning and Felix hadn't returned to the dorm last night.
Marcus felt a shiver run down as he remembered what Officer Volkov said about what happened after the surgery.
Marcus still didn't know exactly what would happen to him, he recalled that Dr. Fletcher said he could've skipped this entirely due to the fact he already had a core within him, yet she couldn't make that happen because this was outside her jurisdiction.
Marcus sighed deeply, a shiver running down his spine.
"You look nervous," Luna commented, tightening her grip on Marcus's hand.
"I was never comfortable with the idea of surgery, on top of everything else just makes me worried," Marcus explained.
Entering the training center, Marcus was greeted by the sight of the receptionist androids assisting a fellow cadet.
"Uh yeah." The cadet said, nodding his head, "So I just go down the right side?"
"That is correct, is there anything else I may assist you with?"
"I'm supposed to go to room A-7 right?" The cadet asked pointing at his phone as he showed it to the android.
"Indeed." The android replied.
"Cool." The cadet replied nervously as he nodded his head, he then proceeded down the right corridor.
Marcus sighed as he proceeded down the right corridor as well.
Luna chuckled almost immediately after she noticed. "I'm sorry Marcus, but I still find it funny how you avoid them."
Marcus smirked briefly. "I'm glad one of us finds this funny."
Navigating down the right corridor, Marcus noticed the cadet from earlier knocking on his assigned room door.
"It's open!" Someone from inside called out.
The cadet nodded as he opened the door, revealing a sterilized room filled with sensitive equipment and machines, with a surgical bed in the center of the room, directly underneath a harsh white light.
"Step inside and remove your clothes." The Dr. explained a woman who looked to be in her late forties, was dressed in a long lab coat with a face mask.
"What?" The cadet asked nervously, hiding his chest and nether regions.
"Kid, I have to perform a ten-hour operation, now get your ass in here before I drag you in." The doctor hissed as she grabbed the boy by his arm.
Marcus quickened his pace as he skirted around room A-7. The thought of being inside a room like that only sent his heart racing.
"It'll be fine Marcus, I'm sure of it," Luna reassured.
Marcus nodded as he continued forward to room A-10.
Reaching the door he took a few deep breaths before entering the room, hesitatingly stepping inside Marcus was greeted by a room similar to the previous one, a sterile white room with machinery everywhere.
With a surgical bed in the center, illuminated by a harsh white light overhead.
In the corner of the room was Dr. Fletcher leaning against the back wall with her arms crossed, she had a black expression, her eyes fixed on Marcus.
"So… what's gonna happen?" Marcus asked hesitantly, praying he didn't have to go through with the surgery.
"Well." Dr. Fletcher began. "Unfortunately for both of us, I'll have to cut you open, even though you don't technically need an implant, I still have to make some adjustments to Luna's core, I'd also like to guide the ether veins that have been growing within you."
Marcus barely understood what Dr. Fletcher was talking about, all he knew, was that she was going through with the surgery.
"Wait." Marcus said, raising a hand in protest, what, what about Luna?" He asked nervously. "I mean this is her core after all, let's hear what she has to say."
"Very well." Dr. Fletcher said with a sigh, "Luna?"
Luna glanced up at Marcus with a confused expression. "Marcus I understand you're afraid, but realistically there's nothing I can say to stop this, I think it'll be beneficial for you, while my core isn't harming you, I believe it'll be beneficial for Dr. Fletcher to get a better look at it, and guide its growth in your body."
"But what about you?" Marcus asked nervously. "Don't you need your core, what happens if it fully becomes part of me, won't you technically lose it or something?"
"No, technically speaking you only have about eighty percent of my core, I kept twenty percent to maintain my form and basic abilities, not to mention that both parts of my core are connected with ethereal energy, so as long as we're close we practically both have a full core."
"Does that satisfy you, Marcus?" Dr. Fletcher asked.
Marcus was not satisfied in the slightest. His mind raced with plausible excuses or questions he could ask to delay the inevitable, but no matter what he thought of, he couldn't find a way out.
Forcing a smile, Marcus hesitantly nodded. "O-ok." Marcus stammered nervously. "Can Luna stay with me?"
Dr. Fletcher nodded. "Of course, I plan to have her help me after all."
Marcus swallowed hard. "Okay." He said quietly. "But there are just two things I need to be addressed."
Dr. Fletcher nodded, "I'm listening."
"First, if you have to work you're on my lower half, I don't want Luna to see anything, second, it's cold, and I'm a grower, so if it's small, don't judge ok?"
Dr. Fletcher looked perplexed for a brief second before eventually, her cheeks began to redden. "Marcus." Dr. Fletcher said softly, her stern expression softening, "Please just take off your clothes."
Marcus hesitantly nodded. "Close your eyes, Luna." Marcus whimpered, "I don't want you to see me like this."
Luna smiled before obliging with Marcus's wish, covering her silver eyes with her small hands.
With a deep breath, Marcus quickly removed his clothes before lying atop the surgical bed. His mind was running a mile per minute, his fear was bubbling to the surface as his hand trembled uncontrollably, as the covered his nether regions.
"Just relax Marcus." Dr. Fletcher said reassuringly, actively a robotic arm.
With a smooth motion and soft hissing sound, the robotic arm positioned itself near Marcus's neck. It has a sharp, pointy needle sticking out of it, barely touching Marcus.
Several other machines began to activate, positioning themselves all over Marcus's body, from his chest, arms, and legs.
"Do you wanna be awake during the surgery?" Dr. Fletcher asked as she positioned a table of thin, sharp tools beside Marcus.
"Uhm, no, no I'd rather not," Marcus answered bluntly.
Dr. Fletcher nodded as she grabbed a mask from a nearby table, she adjusted a smile vile to it, before connecting a tube from a small machine on the floor near Marcus.
She gently placed the mask over Marcus's head and positioned it on his face. "Just take a few deep breaths, it'll put you under, and I've added something that will hopefully give you a pleasant dream as a distraction."
Marcus complied, inhaling the cool medical air with deep breaths. His eyelids began to grow heavy as his vision blurred. The last thing he heard was a brief comment from Dr. Fletcher, "Luna could you grab that towel."
— — —
Marcus awoke in a vat of translucent liquid that had a magenta hue. Attached to his face was a mask that allowed him to breathe.
He was almost completely naked, except for a pair of skin-tight underwear. All over his body were small disk-like sensors that had wires attached to him, leading to one end of the tube.
Marcus questioned where he was, looking around he saw that he was in a room with nine other vats, making a total of ten, five on two sides of the room facing each other.
Inside the vats were other cadets, Marcus knew this because he noticed the other cadet from earlier.
Marcus knew he shouldn't panic, as Officer Volkov had mentioned something about this happening after the surgery, but he wondered if he was supposed to wake up this early.
Just then, Marcus began to hear a soft chime dinging repeatedly, followed by an automated message. "Batch two completed, draining all tanks."
Suddenly, Marcus began to hear a loud draining sound, before the fluid in his vat began to drain.
Marcus steadied his breathing as the liquid began draining from the vat. He could feel his body becoming lighter the more fluid was drained.
The sensation was relieving, yet also slightly uncomfortable, as more fluid drained, his skin becoming exposed, leaving him feeling cold and chilly.
As the last of the fluid was drained, the vat glass slid down with a hiss, leaving Marcus standing on his weak legs, he wobbled as he tried to keep himself upright.
He looked around, noticing that the other cadets were in similar states to himself, all of them disoriented and confused.
It was around then, that the door leading into the room hissed open, revealing who looked to be Dr. Smith. He stepped into the room with an observant gaze, looking over each cadet.
Behind him were two assistant droids with towels in their hands, they walked over to each cadet, handing them a towel.
"You can take your masks off, there is no need to keep them on." Dr. Smith commented.
The cadets obliged, each one removing their masks, Marcus included.
"Towel?" A droid asked curiously as it outstretched its arms towards Marcus.
Marcus nodded as he grabbed one. "Thanks." He replied before wrapping the towel around his waist.
The droid gave a small nod before heading towards the next cadet.
"Are any of you feeling sick?" Dr. Smith asked, "Hot, Like you're running a fever?"
"I'm a little cold." One cadet answered, raising her hand.
Dr. Smith nodded. "That's to be expected, I'm asking if you feel a burning sensation. In your chest or limbs?"
Everyone shook their heads, Marcus included.
"Good." Dr. Smith said with a nod of his head, "seems none of you have been put back together wrong, if there aren't any questions, then I suggest you join me in the lobby, we'll get you clothes and send you back to your dorms."
"Wait." A cadet called out, "You're just sending up back to the dorm like nothing happened?"
"Yes." Dr. Smith answered without turning around, "We'll still have 53 cadets to get through."
Marcus exchanged a glance with his neighboring cadet, he looked just as confused as Marcus did, yet neither of them spoke a word.
The cadets followed Dr. Smith out of the room and down the corridor. It was then Marcus realized that he had never left the training center, just moved to a different room.
He realized this because as he walked down the corridor, he noticed the same rooms from earlier, A-10, A-9, etc.
As the cadets made their way into the lobby, they were greeted with medical gowns and rubber slip-on shoes.
"Grab your size and get moving, we don't have all day to dilly around." Dr. Smith urged.
The cadets nodded, murmuring amongst themselves as they selected their gowns and shoes. Marcus felt rather embarrassed and confused throughout the entire process but obliged nonetheless.
Once he was dressed, he exited the training center feeling a mixture of exhaustion and emptiness.
The whole experience wasn't as frightening as he thought, but it wasn't exactly pleasant either.