The world was a blur as Alex stumbled into a dimly lit alley, his vision wavering with each step. His brain felt like it was on fire, buzzing with an electric hum that refused to relent.
The side effects of the neural sync hit him harder than he expected. Every pulse of pain felt like a hammer against his skull.
He leaned against the cold wall, his chest heaving as his body tried to recalibrate. The backpack and suitcase feeling much heavier than normal.
"Sparc," Alex muttered, his voice weak. "What... what's happening to me?"
Sparc's voice chimed in, soft but tinged with concern.
"Warning: since our neural sync, something has been extracting itself from your neural augment interface. It's like a hidden program woke up inside your systems."
Alex groaned, clutching his temple. "What program?"
"Analysis: failed... data is heavily encrypted," Sparc replied. "The only thing I can confirm is its name—ARSE. Somehow, it successfully installed itself during our sync. But..."
"But what?" Alex rasped, his knees buckling.
"It's consuming the NAI-7's dedicated storage and processors which causes heavy strains to your brains. If the pattern continues—"
Before Sparc could finish, Alex felt the world tilt. His vision darkened, and his body collapsed onto the damp ground.
Unbeknownst to him, a figure was staring at him from a distance ever since he entered the alley.
---
Alex stirred awake, his head pounding as if someone had hammered nails into his skull.
The room around him was dim, lit by a single, warm glow emanating from a bedside lamp.
His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was a simple, well-kept ceiling—cracks running like veins through aged plaster.
He groaned, attempting to sit up, but the moment he moved, a sharp jolt ran through his brain.
"Warning: Overexertion detected. Rest advised."
The voice was synthetic but oddly smooth, like it had been designed to sound reassuring.
"Who's... there?" Alex muttered, his throat dry.
"Good morning, Alex Kael," the voice replied. "I am ARSE—Augmented Reality System, Experimental. Successfully installed and operational as of 03:17 local time. Neural sync integration is 94.7% complete."
Alex froze, his grogginess dissipating as the words sank in. "ARSE? Wait... you're in my head?"
"Correct. I have been initialized within your Neural Augment Interface. My primary functions include knowledge transfer, skill augmentation, and situational analysis. However, please note: prolonged usage may induce fatigue due to your current neural and physical limitations."
He winced, massaging his temples. "Great. Another piece of tech trying to kill me slowly. Just what I needed."
"Your sarcasm is noted. However, I assure you, I am here to enhance your survival and efficiency."
Alex sighed, letting himself fall back onto the pillow. "Survival, huh? I feel like I'm barely hanging onto that right now."
"Your vitals indicate significant neural strain and low glucose levels. Immediate nourishment is recommended."
"So... what can you actually do?" he asked, finally sitting up, ignoring the sharp ache in his skull.
"My capabilities include direct knowledge transfer. For example, should you require combat training, I can provide immediate familiarity with techniques if you have the corresponding Knowledge Module. However, prerequisites such as physical fitness and motor coordination must still be met."
Alex let out a humorless laugh. "You wish you could, right? There's no such thing as direct knowledge transfer. If there was a technology like that, it would be kept as top-secret with only a select number of people... knowing about it."
Alex suddenly felt anxious, suspicious of everything that happened for the previous six months.
Getting hired by AetherCorp was the first step on his plan on owning a permit for bodyguard robots, legally providing Sparc a body he can use.
After a year or two of internship, he should be promoted as a Junior Researcher. With the right title and enough credits to purchase the permit and the bodyguard robot.
However, everything changed after he had lunch with the elusive Department Head and Senior Researcher, Elara Voss.
She started mentoring him causing the whole department to be shocked, the whole company shocked.
He remembered what Sigma said in passing...
There's nothing confidential about me.
He recalled his childhood.
His university days...
Alex paled, blood draining from his face, his brain trying to connect the invisible dots.
He sighed as the impossible might become a possibility.
"I was used," Alex thought to himself.
He became a mule to smuggle out a highly experimental technology.
"Or I could just be overthinking."
However, several things bothered him.
How did he pass the deep scan? Why did riots start to escalate weeks before today What about those pillars of light? The strange virus?
The more Alex dig for answers, the more questions he get.
"Library search complete. We have Knowledge Modules for Brawling and Running unlocked. Would you like to initiate any of the baseline training module?"
Alex didn't know what to do. Somehow, he got an experimental technology that promises wonderful things and yet can't unleash its full potential because of neural and physical limitations.
Just imagining the number of people looking for him caused his headache to return.
"Cancel the training," he said quickly, shaking his head. "First, let's figure out what the hell you are and why you're in my head. Then we'll talk about kicking ass."
"Understood. Diagnostic scans will continue in the background, estimated time to finish I'd 30mins. In the meantime, I suggest addressing your immediate needs. Energy depletion is hindering recovery."
Alex swung his legs off the bed and looked around the cozy but unfamiliar room. He remembered fainting in an alley... but how had he gotten here?
His stomach growled, cutting through the moment. He groaned and stood up, steadying himself on the edge of the bed.
Alex flinched seeing a little girl on the other side of the room, no older than eight, her big curious eyes watching him intently.
"Are you finished with your call?" she asked, her voice cheerful and innocent.
Alex blinked, his thoughts recalling everything he spoke outloud earlier. "Ahh, yes. Where... am I?"
"The adults found you in the alley," she explained, her legs swinging as she sat on the chair. "You looked really sick, so they brought you here. This is our home!"
Alex scanned the table and saw a couple of history books with one open in front of her.
"What's your name?" Alex asked, sitting up slowly, his head still heavy.
"Lyra!" she chirped. "What about you?"
"Alex," he said. "Thank you for... watching over me, Lyra."
"You're welcome!" Lyra said proudly. "Do you feel better now?"
"A little," Alex admitted, though his body still felt draineda and stomach growling.
Lyra began to chatter about her favorite books and toys, her innocent ramblings pulling Alex into a sense of normalcy he hadn't felt in days.
For a moment, he allowed himself to forget the chaos outside—the pillar of light, the conspiracy, the betrayal.
---
The peaceful moment was interrupted as the door creaked open. Two adults stepped in—a stern-faced man with a mechanical arm and a woman with sharp eyes, her bionic implants glowing faintly.
"Lyra, go play outside," the woman said gently.
Lyra pouted but obeyed, skipping out of the room with a cheerful wave to Alex. She handed a stun rod to the woman before going out.
Alex recognized his stun rod but kept quiet about it. Now that he had time to think, he realized he didn't have his Nexus hub. He searched the room for his backpack and suitcase, but didn't find it anywhere.
The man pulled up a chair, his bionic fingers drumming against the wooden armrest. "We need to talk," he said.
Alex nodded, sitting up straighter despite his exhaustion.
"Who are you, and what happened to you in that alley?" the woman asked, crossing her arms.
Alex hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But their watchful eyes told him they wouldn't tolerate lies.
"My name's Alex Kael. I... I was in the train wreck earlier, trying to go home. After that, Is blacked out while trying to get away from... everything. I'm not sure if it's because of the train wreck, I hope not, but I will visit a hospital as soon as possible."
The man's eyes narrowed, trying to find out if Alex was lying.
The woman shook her head. "Unfortunately, that would be difficult. The whole mega city is currently in turmoil because of the virus outbreak."
"Virus outbreak? Those crazies outside?" Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Although he prepared himself for the inevitable, hearing a confirmation from others saddened him.
The worse thing is most advanced viruses like these were man-made.
"Why can't people work together and create a better future together?"
The adults exchanged a glance before the woman spoke. "We saw you at the market yesterday. I saw Marik lead you back to his house, so we got worried."
The man leaned forward. "Marik has a gang of violent people. He and his partner are well-known scammers around here. They prey on people like you, people who look out of place or vulnerable. You were smart to run."
"I understand," Alex said. "Thank you for helping me. I just wanted to get off the street fast, so I followed him since he looked like an okay guy."
The man nodded, standing up. "Rest for now. We'll keep an eye out for trouble. If his group comes around, just stay quiet and we'll take care of it. But when you're ready, you should move on. This district isn't safe for someone like you."
Alex panicked and acted confused. "S-someone like me? I'm not special, I'm just a regular folk."
The woman smirked. "No worries, we're not interested in hunting employees from the top global companies. Just be careful, some groups are broadcasting concerning messages about their hunts."
The man added, "if you don't want other people to know who you are, better destroy your IDs or get a bionic wallet added to that arm of yours. It will keep your cards out of sight and have them handy when you need them."
"Thank you, I'll consider it." Alex bowed slightly, already decided to install one if he ever get the chance.