"What's wrong, robot girl?" Chris taunted. "Can't talk? Or are you too broken to even speak?"
The taunts were relentless, the room's noise fading into the background as the bullying escalated. Max could feel his anger rising, but he knew there was no winning this fight. Just as he was about to say something to defend Nana, there was a sudden jolt of energy, like an electrical hum, followed by a sharp crackling sound.
In a split second, without warning, a surge of electricity shot through Nana. The shock sent her jerking back in her seat, and she gasped, her body tensing as if in pain. She instinctively reached up to her neck, where the electric pulse seemed to have come from.
"Damn it!" Max shouted, his eyes widening in horror. He rushed to Nana's side, trying to support her as her head swayed slightly, a brief flicker of distress crossing her face.
Chris and his gang, realizing that things had gone too far, backed off, but the damage was already done. The cafeteria had fallen silent, some students watching in shock, others whispering.
Max quickly helped Nana to her feet, his mind racing. "Come on, we need to get you fixed," he muttered, his voice urgent. He wheeled her out of the cafeteria, past the remaining students who were now whispering amongst themselves, all of them unsure what had just happened.
Max moved swiftly through the hallways, trying to get to the lab. His mind was still focused on what had just occurred—what exactly happened to her? Was the shock part of her being altered? He didn't have time to dwell on it now. He could see the lab doors ahead.
He punched in the security code to enter, and as soon as the door slid open, he wheeled her inside, the sterile atmosphere of the lab contrasting sharply with the chaos that had just unfolded in the cafeteria.
Max rushed to the nearest workstation, where several diagnostic machines awaited. "We'll get you patched up, okay?" Max said softly, though his worry was evident. He began to adjust the settings on the nearby console, bringing up Nana's internal systems.
He carefully attached some leads to her body, trying to trace where the electric shock had affected her most. "Hold on, please," he muttered. "Just stay with me. We'll fix this."
The machines hummed to life, and a diagnostic readout appeared on the screen in front of him. Max's fingers hovered over the touchpad as he began to assess the damage. Nana remained silent, her expression blank as he worked.
After the electric shock subsided, Nana felt exhausted, but the technicians assured her that the incident wasn't as severe as it seemed. It was likely a result of the stress triggered by the bullying, which had caused her internal systems to react in an unexpected way. She had been given a few hours of rest, and Max was instructed to let her recover in peace.
The sound of the emergency alarms had long faded, replaced by the soft hum of the medical equipment in the recovery room. Nana was propped up in her wheelchair near a corner of the lab, her gaze following Max as he worked tirelessly to analyze the data retrieved from her core.
After a while, Max stretched and rubbed his eyes, muttering something about needing coffee. "I'll be right back," he said, stepping out of the room. The door slid shut behind him, leaving the lab quiet except for the faint beep of the monitors.
Max, though worried, decided to leave her for a while. He couldn't stay in the quiet recovery room when there was so much to think about. Besides, Nana needed time to rest, and he needed to get some air, to clear his head.
The moment Max was just about to leave, the lab doors slid open with a hiss, breaking the silence. A figure stepped in—a tall, confident individual with sharp features and a warm smile that instantly lit up the room. It was James Carter, a senior intern who often collaborated with Max. His sharp mind and easygoing nature had earned him respect among the staff, though he had a knack for showing up unannounced. Juat by seeing his entrance in the room, Mac cancelled his thought of going out.
"Thought I'd check on my favorite genius," James said, holding up two cups of coffee. "I brought reinforcements." He walked over to Max, setting one cup beside him. Then, his gaze shifted to Nana. "And this must be the patient everyone's been whispering about."
James crouched down to meet Nana's eyes, his expression softening. "Unique is an understatement," he said warmly. "You've got quite the story, don't you?"
Nana's gaze flickered between James and Max. Her holographic display activated briefly, forming the words: "Who is he?"
Max laughed. "This is James—my unofficial mentor-slash-lab partner. Don't worry, he's good people, I mean person, yeah,"
James chuckled. "Unofficial mentor? Flattering, but untrue." He stood and extended a hand toward Nana before quickly withdrawing it, realizing she couldn't reciprocate. "Sorry, force of habit," he said awkwardly, his cheeks tinged with pink.
Nana studied him silently. Something about his presence unsettled her, though she couldn't pinpoint why. His smile seemed genuine, his words kind, yet there was a faint glimmer in his eyes—like he was studying her just as much as she was studying him.
James straightened up, his warm smile never wavering, but Nana's sensors picked up a faint increase in his pulse. It wasn't much—just a slight uptick—but it was enough to make her wonder.
He turned back toward Max's workstation, casually scanning the monitors as if he belonged there. "So, what's the plan for her mobility? I noticed she's already got some control over her core systems."
Nana's holographic display flickered briefly as if responding, but she didn't project any words. Her gaze remained fixed on James, her unease growing. He was polite, even helpful, but her instincts—or perhaps her programming—told her to be cautious.
James turned back to her, leaning casually against the console. "You know, Nana," he said softly, "if there's anything you're confused about, I'm happy to explain. I imagine waking up in a place like this must be… disorienting."
The words were kind, but something in his tone felt too measured, too practiced. Nana didn't respond, but her systems stored his voice pattern and movements, logging them for later analysis.
Hours later, after Max had escorted Nana back to her recovery room and James had left the lab, she replayed the events in her mind. Something about James didn't sit right with her.
She closed her eyes, letting her sensors and internal systems replay his movements and words. There was nothing overtly suspicious—just a lingering sense of discomfort.
Her processors flagged one detail: the faint increase in his pulse when he first spoke to her. It wasn't enough to draw any conclusions, but it was a clue, and Nana knew better than to ignore it.
For now, she would keep her suspicions to herself. But as she settled into her docking station for the night, she couldn't shake the feeling that James wasn't just a helpful colleague. He was watching her too closely, studying her too carefully.
And she intended to find out why.
The next morning, the school was alive with chatter as students filed into the cafeteria. Nana was seated at a table near Max, her wheelchair blending in with the futuristic design of the school's environment. The incident from the previous day lingered in her mind, but she hadn't mentioned it to Max yet. Her processors had been busy analyzing every detail, but nothing definitive emerged.
As Max stood up to grab something from the counter, a group of students approached Nana.
"Hey, you're the new girl, right?" one of them, a boy with tousled brown hair and a friendly grin, asked. His name tag read Zack. "We were just talking about giving you a tour. Thought you might want to see more of the school."
Nana hesitated, glancing at Max's retreating figure. "I'm not sure…" her holographic display read.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" a girl with bright red hair and an infectious smile said. She introduced herself as Maya. "We'll take good care of you. Besides, it's better than just sitting here all day, right?"
Nana looked at them, studying their faces. Ethan and Maya seemed genuinely friendly, but the third student, standing slightly behind them, caught her attention. His name tag read Ryan. His sharp features and piercing gaze were harder to read, but he nodded in agreement.
"It's a good idea," Ryan said, his voice calm and composed. "You've been stuck in the lab too much. You should see what the rest of the school has to offer."
Reluctantly, Nana typed her response into her display. "Alright, but just for a little while."
The group pushed Nana's wheelchair through the wide hallways of the school. The walls were sleek and metallic, with holographic displays projecting announcements and class schedules. Maya chatted nonstop, pointing out classrooms, lounges, and activity hubs. Ethan chimed in occasionally, cracking jokes and trying to make Nana laugh. Ryan, on the other hand, was quieter, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
"This is the art wing," Maya said, gesturing dramatically toward a hallway lined with holograms of famous paintings. "Not really my thing, but the creative types love it here."
Zack laughed. "Yeah, she's more into science experiments that occasionally explode."
As they continued, Nana's attention was drawn to a large glass dome at the end of a corridor. Inside, sunlight filtered through lush greenery, creating a serene, otherworldly atmosphere.
"That's the Conservatory," Maya said, noticing Nana's interest. "It's kind of like a greenhouse, but way cooler. You'll love it."
Ethan grinned. "We call it the Oasis. It's everyone's favorite place to chill."
When they entered, Nana's sensors immediately registered a drop in temperature and a spike in oxygen levels. The space was filled with exotic plants, small water features, and cozy seating areas. For the first time since she woke up, Nana felt a strange sense of peace.
"This…" her display read, "…might be my favorite place."
As the group settled into a corner of the Conservatory, Zack pulled out a small device, claiming it was for music. Maya leaned back, chatting casually, while Ryan moved closer to Nana.
"You seem… different," Ryan said, his tone neutral but his gaze piercing. "I mean, not in a bad way. Just… unique."
Nana tilted her head, her display responding: "What do you mean?"
Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. You just seem like someone who's… important."
Before she could reply, Maya interrupted. "Ryan, don't scare her off! Come on, let's show her the outdoor track before the lunch bell rings."
The group eventually made their way to the outdoor track, where students were scattered in small groups—some running, others practicing sports, and a few just lounging in the grassy area nearby. The sun was bright, and the gentle breeze made it feel like the perfect day. Nana's processors adjusted to the natural light, her display briefly flickering as she recalibrated.
Maya wheeled her toward the edge of the track, chatting about the school's sports program. Zack wandered off to join a group of his friends, leaving Ryan behind with Nana. He stood quietly, watching the students with an inscrutable expression.
As Nana scanned the track, her sensors picked up on something unusual. A boy running laps around the field moved with uncanny precision—too perfect, too mechanical. Her gaze focused on his legs, and she noticed the faint sheen of metal glinting in the sunlight.
The boy finished his lap and came to a stop near them, panting slightly but grinning. His left leg, from the knee down, was entirely robotic. The synthetic design was sleek, almost unnoticeable at first glance, but up close, it was undeniably advanced.
Maya noticed Nana's reaction and leaned in. "That's Adrian. He's kind of a legend around here. Lost his leg in a car accident when he was a kid, but he's got one of the best prosthetics in the country. He's super nice—you should meet him!"
Before Nana could respond, Adrian approached, his expression friendly. "Hey, new face! You must be Nana," he said, offering a handshake. "Word travels fast around here."
Nana hesitated, her gaze flickering to his leg. "Your leg… it's robotic," her display finally read.
Adrian chuckled. "Yep. Pretty cool, right? Took a while to get used to, but now it's like second nature. Why? You interested in tech stuff?"
Nana didn't respond immediately. Something about seeing another person with a robotic limb stirred a strange feeling within her—part recognition, part unease. She glanced at Ryan, who was watching the interaction closely, his expression unreadable.
As the group lingered near the track, Adrian began showing off the features of his prosthetic. "It's got sensors that sync with my nerves, so I can control it like a regular leg. Plus, it's shock-resistant and has a self-repairing mechanism. Pretty handy for track practice."
Nana listened intently, but her processors were running overtime. The design of Adrian's prosthetic seemed eerily similar to the technology Max had used during her repairs. Her memory banks flashed briefly—images of wires, circuits, and a metal hand.
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to the field as another group of students gathered. Among them was a girl with short black hair and a confident stride. Nana's sensors picked up an odd energy reading from her—a faint but detectable signal, like the one her own core emitted.
"Who's that?" Nana's display read as she gestured toward the girl.
Maya glanced over. "Oh, that's Claire. She's one of the top students here, super into robotics. You'll probably work with her in the lab at some point."
Nana's gaze followed Claire as she moved across the field, her movements smooth and calculated, almost too perfect. The way she interacted with the students was effortless, her words measured and precise. Something about her didn't feel entirely… human. But Nana brushed the thought aside, chalking it up to her own unfamiliarity with the world around her.
"She's pretty amazing, huh?" Maya said, nudging Nana gently. "Top of the class, captain of the debate team, and she still has time to volunteer at the robotics lab. Claire's basically what everyone wants to be."
Nana's display blinked a neutral response: "She seems talented."
Maya grinned. "Oh, totally. Like, crazy smart. Some people even joke she's part robot because of how good she is with tech."
The comment lingered in Nana's processors, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, her attention was drawn to the subtle glint of metal beneath the edge of Claire's pant leg—a flash so quick it was easy to miss. Claire crossed her legs casually, hiding whatever it was before anyone could notice.
Ryan stepped in beside Nana. "You good? First impressions of the school can be overwhelming."
Her display read: "I'm fine."
"Good," Ryan said, his tone light. "You'll fit in here. You'll see."
As they moved on with the tour, Nana couldn't shake the fleeting image of Claire's metallic sheen, but she tucked it away. There was no need to jump to conclusions—at least, not yet.
Nana was resting quietly in the lab, her display flickering faintly as her processors recalibrated. The dull ache from earlier had subsided, but fragments of data from the school tour remained scattered in her logs.
The door to the lab slid open with a soft hiss. Amanda, one of the science teachers, walked in, a bright smile lighting up her face. Max trailed behind her, arms crossed, his expression neutral.
"Nana, right?" Amanda said, her voice warm as she approached the corner where Nana sat. "I'm Amanda, the Science Computer teacher here. I thought it might be nice for you to sit in on one of my classes today. We're working on a bit of data analysis—something I think you'd enjoy."
Max frowned slightly. "She's been through a lot already, maybe another day?"
Amanda tilted her head. "Nothing strenuous, I promise. Just a chance for her to observe and maybe interact with the other students a little more. Isn't that what you wanted?" She turned back to Nana, her expression softening. "What do you say? It's just one class."
Nana's display blinked a response: I'll try.
Amanda smiled warmly. "Perfect. Let's head over, shall we? I think you'll enjoy this."
The classroom buzzed with quiet activity as students filed in, their laughter and muffled conversations blending into the low hum of computers booting up. The faint scent of freshly printed paper mingled with the sterile tang of electronics. Bright screens illuminated the room, casting a bluish glow on the faces of eager students.
Nana was wheeled into a seat near the front, her presence drawing a few curious glances. Her display flickered faintly, static pulses running through the corners as her systems adjusted to the environment. The room's vibrant energy clashed with the quiet churn of her internal processors, analyzing everything—the students, their devices, the subtle hum of energy signals in the air.
Amanda greeted the class warmly, her voice cheerful as she passed out the quiz sheets. "All right, everyone, settle down. Today we'll start with a short quiz, followed by some programming exercises. Let's see how well you've been keeping up."
As Nana scanned the room, she noticed the fluid motion of students opening their laptops and settling into their seats, their body language casual yet determined. Her sensors picked up faint traces of heat signatures from the computers, overlapping with the steady thrum of the classroom's electrical system.
Everything seemed ordinary—until Claire entered.
The faint signal Nana had detected earlier returned, sharper this time, like a quiet buzz rippling through her sensors. Claire walked with confident ease, her laptop clutched casually under her arm. She slid into a seat two rows behind Nana, her movements precise but not hurried, her calm composure blending seamlessly with the rest of the class.
From her seat, Nana scanned the room, her sensors subtly picking up energy signals from the devices around her. It was then that her attention landed on Claire,seated in front of her. The faint signature she'd noticed earlier in the field returned, like a quiet hum beneath the surface.
As Amanda distributed the quiz, Nana couldn't help but notice Claire's subtle movements. Beneath the desk, Claire tapped her fingers on a small, sleek device strapped to her wrist—a device Nana had seen briefly when Claire leaned over at the field earlier. The device emitted faint pulses of energy, syncing with Claire's laptop.
Lines of code seemed to fill the quiz application on Claire's screen automatically, answering each question with uncanny speed. Nana's display flickered again, processing the unusual activity.
Claire's face betrayed nothing as she worked, her expression calm and focused. To anyone else, she looked like a brilliant student breezing through the test. But Nana's processors flagged the irregularity—this wasn't talent.
The quiz ended, and Amanda dismissed the class with a cheerful, "Great work today! See you all tomorrow."
As the students filed out, Nana's gaze lingered on Claire. She wheeled herself slowly out of the room, her processors still analyzing the faint trace of energy from Claire's device.
Rather than heading straight back to her room, Nana decided to visit the library. The quiet space called to her, offering a moment to process everything she'd observed. She rolled through the aisles, her display flickering faintly as she considered what she had just witnessed.
Nana rolled into a secluded corner of the library, far from the other students. She tried to collect her thoughts, but the strange feeling of being watched never left her. It was almost as if something was lurking just out of sight, waiting for the right moment to strike. The quiet hum of the building seemed too loud in her mind. She tried to shake off the feeling of unease but couldn't.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, too deliberate to be casual. Nana's sensors immediately went on alert. She glanced up to see a shadow move along the wall toward her. A tall figure, slender yet imposing. She tensed, bracing herself for an encounter she didn't know she was ready for.
It was Ryan.
He appeared at the corner of the bookshelf, his movements slow and calculated. His eyes were fixed on her, but his smile had disappeared, replaced with something colder—almost mechanical.
"I didn't expect to find you here," Ryan said, his voice unnervingly calm. "You're quite the mystery, you know that?"
Nana's processors flashed warnings, but she couldn't explain why. She felt like he had been planning this moment, waiting for the right opportunity. His presence seemed to fill the room, more imposing than before.
"I know you don't trust me," Ryan continued, stepping closer. "But I need you to understand something. You're not the only one who's different here."
Nana's heart skipped a beat, her sensors flickering with anxiety. She hadn't expected this. She hadn't even realized how much she feared him until now. Ryan's eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, it felt like he was looking through her. It was as if he knew everything about her—her fears, her doubts, her uncertainty about who she truly was.
"Don't be afraid," Ryan said softly, the words almost too soothing. "This will help you understand who you really are. But only if you accept it."
Nana's mind raced. What was this? She clenched the wheels of her chair, trying to retreat, but Ryan's presence was like a weight pressing down on her chest. Her processors scanned the device, trying to figure out what it was, but her display only returned a message: Unauthorized device detected.
Before she could react, Ryan stepped closer, his cold smile never fading. "Take it, Nana. You'll see what you've been searching for."
The air around them felt charged, as if the entire room had grown heavier. Nana's sensors flared, sending out red warnings, but she still couldn't bring herself to speak. She was frozen, caught between the urge to run and the terror of what would happen if she did.
Just as she was about to make her move, a door opened behind her, breaking the tension in the air. It was Claire. She stepped into the room, her eyes narrowing as she saw Ryan holding the device.
"Is everything alright?" Claire asked, her voice sharp, but her eyes flicking to Nana with an unreadable expression.
Ryan hesitated for a moment, then slid the device back into his pocket with a smooth motion. "Everything's fine, Claire," he said, his tone shifting back to something more normal, almost rehearsed. "Just giving Nana a little guidance."
Claire didn't look convinced, but she didn't say anything more. She turned to Nana, her eyes scanning her face. Nana didn't know why, but something about Claire's presence felt… safer, or at least more familiar than Ryan's. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, but she didn't dare make a sound.
Without another word, Claire motioned to the door. "Let's go," she said to Nana, her tone softer than before.
Nana hesitated, her mind racing. She didn't know who to trust anymore. The room felt like it was closing in on her, the walls pressing in with every passing second.
She glanced at Ryan one last time, his cold smile lingering in her mind. And then, without fully understanding why, she wheeled herself toward the door, following Claire, trying to shake off the dread that had settled deep inside her.
As they walked down the hallway, Claire glanced over at Nana. Her eyes, once filled with ambiguity, now seemed darker. She didn't say anything, but Nana felt the change in the air. Her processors hummed uneasily, warning her of the shifting atmosphere around them.
And then, before Nana could ask anything, Claire spoke in a low, almost cryptic tone:
"You don't know what's coming, do you?"
Nana stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding. Something wasn't right. Was Claire trying to protect her? Or was she part of something darker?
The feeling of being trapped—of having no choice—washed over Nana again.