The door opened a crack. Ringa blocked Janus’ view of the inside of the room as she talked to whoever had opened it.

“I was the one that told you about the IL in need of assistance,” she said in a low tone.

“I will require a scan of your badge,” a robotic and feminine voice replied. Janus watched the detective make a motion with her hand. Her screen came up, followed a long blue beam that traveled across it. “Welcome, Detective Maulkin and Enforcer Jallen.”

The door opened wide. Ringa stepped inside first. Janus followed, heart racing as he awaited what potential horrors were inside. To his relief, the inside of the room had a more pleasant smell than the hallway just outside. His nose took in a few short whiffs. A synthetic citrus scent was a pleasant departure from the intense chemicals just beyond the door. The rest of the room was in better condition as well; although drab, the olive-green wallpaper looked to be in fair condition and the floor had a faint shine to it. To his right was a firm-looking bed with a white pillow at the end. On the opposite side was a floating screen similar to the ones project by implants that had a myriad of info and tables. Along the wall was a large cabinet that reached to the ceiling. It was closed shut, obscuring the contents inside.

In the center stood a white humanoid machine. The lower half was long and blocky with panels that resembled a long skirt. The upper portion had a petite, woman-ligure figure formed by a series of intricate and ornate metal rods and plates that mimicked a maid’s gown and dress. It spun its entire body around, looking at Janus with bright yellow eyes that were behind a white, glossy face-shaped plate. Above the round glowing eyes was a shiny gray metal piece shaped to resemble a short bob.

“Greetings,” it said in a feminine and robotic voice. “You are here for your scheduled implant procedure, correct?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Ringa said.

“And that is the patient?” the robot asked, pointing a metal finger towards Janus.

“You got it.”

“Have a seat,” the robot said, gesturing towards the bed with its open hand. Janus stepped forward slowly. He made his way to the bed and hopped on top, staring at the robot with both fear and fascination.

“That’s an Automated Medical Inspection Entity,” Ringa said as she and her partner stepped inside the room. Brielle closed the door behind them. “Everyone just calls them ‘AMIE’ for short. They’re the universal standard for automated procedures. They’re in every medical center in every city.”

“Once you’ve met one of them, you’ve met them all,” Brielle remarked.

“Nice to meet you,” Janus said as he gave AMIE a small wave. The robot hovered in closer and took hold of his right wrist. Its metal hands were cold, sending a chill throughout his body as it slid the sleeve of his jacket up his arm. A bright beam of light ejected from its eyes as it scanned the flesh.

“This appendage is compatible with a Late-Term Physical Implant,” it said while holding Janus’ wrist. “Would you like to proceed with the procedure?”

“Physical? What do you mean by that?” Janus asked worriedly.

The robot turned around and headed towards the cabinet. After a bit of rummaging, it came back and returned with a small, round and bulky blue device. It held it up in front of Janus.

“This is an LTPI. Traditional Implants can be only properly implemented in infancy. An LTPI must be used for adult individuals.”

Janus looked towards the other two in the room. Brielle remained stoic while Ringa looked perplexed by the device. He returned his attention back to AMIE. “I’m going to need a procedure to get that thing working? I can’t just… wear it or something like that?”

“Correct. It will require an intravenous connection to your neuron network. It will become a permanent attachment.”

Janus continued to eye the device with horror. The robot took hold of his hand once more and placed the LTPI on the back of his hand. Its bottom was made of a soft and flexible material, allowing it to follow the contours of the back of his wrist for a snug fit.

“Shall I begin the procedure?” AMIE inquired. Janus looked towards the other two once more.

“I don’t have to do this, do I?” Janus asked the detective and officer.

Brielle shook her head. “Only if you want to stay in Labrisson.”

“She’s right, Jay. Hate to break it to you, but you’ve got no other choice unless you want to wait in custody until a transport can be arranged to ship you off to the Outskirts. And who knows how long that will take.”

Janus scratched his head a let out a groan. “Fine. It will be quick, right?” he asked of the robot.

“Approximately four minutes and forty-eight seconds.”

“And painless too, right?” he asked while wincing.

“Pain is subjective.”

Janus could feel his heart try to burst out of his chest. He stared at the device that rested on his hand. With a deep breath, he nodded. “Alright let’s get it over with.”

“I’ll begin the procedure now.” AMIE reached into one of the compartments located in the lower portion of its body and took out a white wipe. The scent was the as what Janus had smelled earlier when he first entered the medical center. After a few strokes on the back of his right hand, AMIE placed the device on his skin. It pressed it tight, making sure that it fit properly. All the while, Janus’ heartrate continued to rise. He began to perspire on his head and neck as he watched the robot fervently.

“Hold still,” AMIE commanded. Janus tensed his muscles. The robot tapped the top of the LTPI, making it glow. It tapped through some screens that projected from the device. To Janus, the wording was backwards, making it difficult to follow what was being said at the rate that AMIE was going through the options. One final screen came up, this time showing off a long horizontal bar that was being filled from one side. Above it, Janus could read the word “INITIALIZING” despite it being backwards.

The bar progressed at a steady rate. His eyes followed the line, opening wide when it finally reached the end. “PROCEDURE IN PROGRESS” appeared across the screen and Janus could feel something could and sharp touch the surface of his skin.

“Ah!” he exclaimed. He tried to pry his hand free but AMIE’s grip on his hand made it impossible for him to break free. “I’ve changed my mind!”

“The procedure cannot be aborted mid-process,” the robot replied. It remained motionless while maintaining a vice like grip on its patient. Janus could feel four metal prongs press into his flesh. He held his breath as he felt his skin begin to puncture.

“Stop it!” he shouted once the prongs broke through the flesh. His other hand took hold of the robot’s arm as he tried to pry his hand free. AMIE remained unfazed, focused on keeping the device still. The device continued to embed itself deeper as Janus tensed himself further with each millimeter it progressed.

“Please! It… hurts!” The prongs touched the bone in the back of his hand. The metal pressed against the marrow, slowly penetrating it. The pain became too unbearable. Janus let out one last shout of pain before slumping over forward. Ringa came to his side and propped him up as he remained unconscious. Then a short jingle played from the device.

“Procedure complete,” AMIE said.