Rei still couldn’t open her eyes as her consciousness returned. She rose and touched her face, feeling a soft bandage around her upper head, and two soft pieces of cotton rested against her eye sockets. Her eyes still hurt like burning in a pan, covered by razor-sharp glass.

Besides her eye pain, she laid on something soft with a sheet over her legs. She must be on a bed, a cozy bed with a hard mattress. In the cool air, she smelled baby powder and cleaning alcohol at a hospital.

Wait! Was she at a hospital?

A door clicked open and tapped against the wall. Then two feet stepped inside toward Rei.

“Oh thank goodness, you are awake,” said a woman’s voice.

Rei moved her head around. “Wah….. Where am I?”

A hand touched her lap. “You are at the Animas Medical Center. The MCPD squadron brought you here after they found you at the Nexus Auto Factory. Your partner, Luna, is here too.”

Rei turned her attention toward the voice. “Luna? Where is she?”

The woman giggled. “She is on the thirtieth floor, being-”

“Where the hell is Rei?” Luna’s voice shouted from outside.

The door slammed against the wall as two feet marched into the room. “There you are!”

“Please go back to your room, Luna!” The woman’s voice shouted. “You still need to recover!”

"I'm fine! How is my partner?"

The woman sniffed. Rei assumed the woman was a nurse.

"Not good I'm afraid," the nurse answered. "Her eyes are completely damaged by a scratch mark. She will no longer see."

"What?" Rei cried. "I'm blind for life?"

A hand padded Rei's right shoulder.

"Don't worry, kitty," Luna spoken. "You can get your eyes replaced with artificial ones. Nobody can lose a limb in this city."

"But bionic parts are very expensive," the nurse warned.

"So! She just caught a bounty last night. Her reward can cover up the expense. Plus I know a good place to get her fixed up."

Rei sniffed. If she still has her eyes, she would cry all over her bed. "You will really do that for me, Luna?"

"Yes-well….. You are my partner. Fiona will bite my head off if I don't help you."

Rei nodded. "Daedanhi Gamsahabnida!"

"Please, no more Korean. Can you tell me what happened?"

Rei sighed. "I chased Gonzo to the Nexus Auto Factory. He ambushed me in a Muscle Lifter, but I disabled the machine. Then he teleported out and slashed my face. Instead of escaping, he tried to have his way with me before I punched him out."

Luna growled. "That dirty creep!"

"I'll leave you two be." The nurse tapped out and closed the door.

Rei touched her bandage and moaned. "Seonlyang….. I thought he was going to kill me. And he took away my eyes!"

"Did you honestly think being a bounty hunter will be fun?" Luna asked in a serious tone.

Rei faced Luna's voice, but she didn't answer.

"There are worse creeps out there who we will need to hunt next. If you don’t want to risk your life again, you can quit now. But I can’t force you to decide. Either quit now or keep hunting. It's your last call."

Rei thought about why she became a bounty hunter in the first place. Not for fun, but for the money. If she doesn't have money, she cannot survive in Moreau City. She was too young to live on the street. "No! I'm not quitting!"

"Really?"

Rei tightened her fists. "Gonzo almost killed me, but I know I can do better. I will take this job seriously. Just get me the best eyes from your source. Gwaenchanh-a?"

A soft chuckle came from Luna. "You are one stubborn kitty. I'm sure the guy I know will give you the best eyes you can't find elsewhere."

Rei smiled.

*****

"Okay! You can open your new eyes now," said Dr.Lo's voice.

Rei gulped and slowly opened her eyes. At first, she only saw darkness, until a blue digital sentence appeared.

Eye Version Initialized!

A static screen flashed with buzzing noises, running through Rei's ears. After a click, her version turned normal in full color, viewing a mole rat's face close to her. A wore black goggles and a lab coat on his egg-shaped body. He must be Dr.Lo, checking on Rei. "Can you see me?"

Not only Rei could see the mole rat, but a heads-up display also surrounded the rat, viewing data as if she was inside a computer. She glanced around as the numbers and letters changed. She stared at the white walls and the light gray marble floor beneath a bed she was sitting on.

Dr.Lo stepped back with his hands behind his back. "Well?"

"Yes….. But it's weird." Rei stared at the ceiling and down to the floor. "I see data around my visual screen."

Dr.Lo wiggled his goggles. "Your new cybernetic eyes are special. I called them Hunter Vision Oculus, H.V.O for short. I crafted specifically for bounty hunters to help them catch criminals. You can basically do anything with them."

"Like what?"

Dr.Lo pointed his finger up. "You can analyze your targets, change visions, hack computers, control machines, increase your viewing distance, and much more. To trigger those abilities, you have to focus and think to use them. Try scanning me.”

“Gwaenchanh-a!” Rei focused on her new eyes on the mole. A blue circled around Dr.Lo’s form, and then his body blinked while a profile appeared next to him.

Name: Daniel Lo

Age: 40

Race: Mole rat

Occupation: Cyborg mechanic

Crime: None

Wanted: No

Reward: None

Rei giggled. “Your record is clear.”

“Thank goodness,” Dr.Lo laughed. “Your eyes are powered by electricity from your brain. Keep them clean using eye drops, and you can see forever.”

“Daebag!”

“Would you like to see your new eyes?”

“Yes, please!”

Rei hoped her cybernetic eyes wouldn’t look like a camera lens or binoculars sticking out through her head. But when Dr.Lo held up a mirror, Rei widened her eyes.

They were blue, just like her original natural eyes. However, her feline blue pupils shined like blue sapphire gems. She wanted to touch them while her own eyes seemed to hypnotize her. But she doesn’t want to ruin her visual screen. “They’re beautiful!”

“Splendid!” Dr.Lo handed her a clipboard with a white form on it. “Sign here, and you may leave.”

Rei read the paperwork and bit her lip. “Do I have to pay the fee now?”

Dr.Lo shook his hands. “No need, your partner already paid the fee. There is nothing else required for you.”

“Gamsahabnida!” Rei signed the paperwork and gave it back to Dr.Lo. “Where is my partner?”

Dr.Lo pointed his clipboard at the door. “Luna is waiting for you in the lobby. Take the elevator to level one and walk through two hallways. The signs will direct you.”

“Dasi han beon gamsahabnida!” Rei then slid off the bed and strolled toward the door. She was about to see the entire world in a new way.