A cold whisper dragged him out of the void.
His eyes fluttered open to a ceiling lined with flickering neon strips, their blue-white glow casting jagged shadows across the sterile room. A rhythmic *beep… beep… beep…* echoed softly, the sound of a heart monitor tethered to his body. The scent of antiseptic stung his nostrils.
He tried to sit up, but his muscles screamed in protest. His body felt foreign, like an ill-fitting suit. A slow, creeping panic settled in his chest. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know why he was here.
He didn't even know his own name.
His breath quickened. He grasped at his mind, trying to snatch any fragment of memory—anything. Faces, voices, places—nothing came. Just a void, yawning and infinite.
Then, a voice whispered in his head. **"You're awake. Finally."**
He gasped, twisting his head, scanning the room. No one. His heart pounded.
**"Relax. I've been waiting for you."**
The voice wasn't coming from the room. It was inside his head.
Pain flared behind his right eye. He clutched his temple, groaning as static crackled through his mind. Shapes flickered in his vision—lines of code, fragmented words, a distorted figure that vanished before he could make sense of it.
The voice chuckled, low and knowing. **"Looks like you're running on empty. No memories, huh? That's going to be a problem."**
"Who… who are you?" His voice was hoarse, like he hadn't spoken in days.
**"Now that's the real question, isn't it?"** The voice paused. **"Call me Argus. I'm your eyes, your guide… and maybe the only friend you've got right now."**
A faint *hiss* echoed in the room. His gaze snapped to the door—sliding open with a soft pneumatic sigh.
A woman in a white coat stepped in. High heels clicked against the floor. Her face was unreadable, framed by short, raven-black hair. She held a sleek datapad in one hand, her other tucked into the pocket of her coat.
"You're awake," she stated, more observation than relief.
"No thanks to you," he muttered, his throat dry.
She arched an eyebrow. "Do you know your name?"
Silence.
He clenched his fists, frustration burning through the confusion. No answer came to his mind.
"Didn't think so." She tapped her datapad. "You were found in Sector 12, unconscious, without identification. No records, no implants, no prints on file. It's like you don't exist."
His chest tightened. No past. No identity. Just… nothing.
Argus hummed in his ear. **"That's not suspicious at all."**
He ignored the AI. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled thinly. "Dr. Evelyn Kade. Lead neurotech specialist for Helios Medical. You were brought here three days ago."
"Three days…" He exhaled sharply. "Why?"
Kade glanced at her datapad. "You tell me."
His jaw tightened. "I don't remember anything."
She nodded, as if that was the answer she expected. "Memory suppression isn't uncommon. Trauma, neural tampering, even high-grade cybernetic interference—" She stopped, observing him. "We ran scans. No implants, except for one anomaly."
His pulse quickened.
**"Here we go,"** Argus muttered.
Kade narrowed her gaze. "You have an AI embedded in your neural cortex. Not standard issue. No manufacturer signature. No known encryption patterns."
His mouth went dry.
Argus chuckled. **"Guess that means I'm special."**
Kade leaned in slightly. "So tell me… who installed it in you?"
His fingers curled into the sheets. "I don't know."
She studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "Then we have a problem."
Footsteps echoed from the hallway. Sharp, deliberate. Not the soft taps of a doctor.
Kade's expression shifted. "We're out of time."
The door slid open.
A man in a black tactical suit stepped in. Face obscured by a visor, weapon holstered at his side. The kind of presence that meant trouble.
"Mr. Bishop," the man said.
His breath caught.
The name meant nothing to him. But something deep inside twisted at the sound of it.
The man took another step forward. "You need to come with me."
Kade's eyes darted to him, then back to the soldier. "He's not ready."
"That's not your decision."
Bishop's pulse hammered. His body screamed at him to move.
**"Run."** Argus whispered in his head. **"Now."**
Bishop bolted.
The soldier cursed, reaching for his weapon.
The room exploded into chaos.