“What the hell?” I snarled, grabbing the edge of the table. “Sorry…” Rook said. “I guess the feedback is still stronger than I anticipated.”

“It’s not that, I’ve never felt that before. My brain always felt like my banana being squashed by my SMB, now? It feels like a heartbeat. It’s subtle. I can take it. This is much better.” I said.

Rook’s lips curled into a smile and he nodded, probably feeling more elated than me. He Flipped the switch at my ear, turning my cybernetic eye back on.

My cybernetic came on without a fuss. The HUD was the name, but with the rattling keyboard, I assumed it would’ve changed. A loading bar resonated into my eye and filled up to 100% within two minutes. “Rebooting the system one more time, let’s see how everything works now.” He said.

My cybernetic eye dimmed before shutting off. Then, My SMB clutched my brain, not with the same force it’d been these past months, but with a tingling sensation, one that I welcomed wholeheartedly.

The HUD for my Cybernetic was different, it had sleeker lines, which were thinner compared to my previous HUD. On the left, close to the border read my slethe levels. It’s rising…good, I thought. Above that was then readout for my synchronization ratio of both cybernetic arm and eye.

Stancer Cybernetic Eye V3.8 Functioning at 88% — Synchronisation Ratio 60%

Egrinizer Cybernetic Arm (Prototype 8.39: Fencer Class) — Synchronisation Ratio 35%

Slethe Levels - 37%

“Egrinizer Fencer Class?” I asked, confused. “I thought this was a Stancer.”

“It’s registered as Stancer, but with the firmware update you finally get full access to what it can do now.”

“What it can do now?” I asked confused.

“Alright Cypher, unlocking the military parameters for the arm.

“Military parameters?”

My Cybernetic eye dimmed, then got brighter. In the middle of my sight, a message read “Egrinizer: Fencer Class— Cybernetic Arm— Unlocked”.

My Cybernetic arm began to hum for a moment, and then a few dozen small vents snapped open steam flooding out of the warm. A tutorial popped up showing a short sword twenty inches in length, the short sword beaming orange as if heated and then a floating fist.

“Try it,” Rook said, smirking.

“Try what…?” I asked confused.

“The short sword.”

“I’m lost…”

“Right. Sorry, I forgot to explain. Your Cybernetic Arm has a short sword embedded within. There’s also a detachable wrist.”

“You’re not making any sense.” I huffed, “I just got this maintained yesterday and no one mentioned that.”

“It’s designed that way Cypher. Designed to be undetectable.”

“I see.”

“Just think of releasing your opening up your short sword from your hand and it should work.”

“Fine.”

I stimulated my SMB, trying to wield a short sword in my hand, but nothing happened. “Are you trying?” Rook asked, after five minutes. “Of course, are you sure it’s working?”

“Yes…it’s working, try again.”

I tried again, but nothing.

“Shit…sorry.” Rook said, typing into the keyboard. A white small window appeared in my cybernetic eye. ‘Thoughtbinder’ activated. “Try now.”

I stimulated my SMB for the third time, and a loud snap echoed, as my cybernetic wrist flipped back, a short sword twenty inches long slung out with a shearing sound that sent goosebumps through my body. This…is…cool. I thought.

The double-edged short sword had dark grey ripples woven into the blade, which made it seem daring.

“How do you like it?” Rook asked.

“Not sure, my arms are strapped to this bracket so I can’t test it,” I said.

“Funny.”

“Who said I was joking?”

Rook swallowed deeply and eyed me from the corner of his eyes. The tension that dissipated when I attacked him, returned, but that’s what I wanted, but this wasn’t the time or place. So I drew my lips into a smile. “Just kidding,” I said. Rook didn’t buy it one bit, but after a minute of stiff smiling, a smile flashed across his lips.

“I’ll remember that, there’s no need for the threats,” I said.

“Right. Now try to heat the blade.

I activated the thoughtbinder with my mind, and the blade turned orange, steaming wafting from the blade majestically. Nice, I thought, that'll come in handy.

"Good," Rook said. "it's working perfect now try to retract it.”

I stimulated my SMB, thinking about retracting the blade and it did so, then my cybernetic wrist snapped back in place. “Good Good…now let’s see how good your aim is.”

“My Aim?”

“Yes, Aim your fist at the sink, and think about firing it.”

“Huh?” I asked confused.

“Just try…don’t worry, The firmware update mitigated your slethe usage, it won’t consume much. So the feedback from your SMB won’t be too rough.”

The Thoughtbinder register window popped open again. I closed my eyes and mentally thought about shooting my cybernetic wrist at the sink.

Nothing happened.

“No no…keep your eyes open, it uses the sensors of your eyes to decipher distance, you dictate the speed.” Rook said.

“Ahh…”

I zoomed in on the sink and stimulated my SMB. My wrist snapped off with a boom, shooting towards the kitchen sink. The faucet snapped in two as my arm shot right through the hole in the wall.

“Holy shit!” Rook said. “Now try, bring it back, let’s see how good you are.”

I stimulated my SMB, thinking about my wrist returning to my hand. Two loud thuds echoed throughout the room, as my fist cracked the wall and doors beneath the sink. It ventured up, levelling itself with my arm and shot right past me fall flat on the ground, then rolling to a stop.

“Shit…” I said, feeling the mental fatigue of my fist. “This is harder than I thought.”

“Are were you aiming for me?” Rook asked.

“I wasn’t” I snapped, breathing heavily. “Why am I so tired?”

“The slethe is working overtime between your SMB and Cybernetic arm, you’ll probably feel a little drained, so don’t use it too much for now.”

“Understood.”

Rook then finished putting my cybernetic arm back together. This time he was a lot faster and for that, I was grateful because I needed a few hours of rest before the operation started.

“Thanks,” I said when he finished drilling in the last screw.

“Not a problem,” he said, whipping a bead of sweat from his temple. “Mr Black wants a word with you, so just sit tight and he’ll be back, alright?”

“I need rest before the mission.”

“It won’t be long Cypher.”

“Fine…”

Rook left me in the room for about a good ten minutes before I decided I couldn’t wait. After I pushed myself up from my chair, the door creaked open. Mr Black came strolling in, boards clopping with each confident step he made. “Ah good Cypher, you’re still here.” He said.

“Yeah…heard you wanted a word with me.”

“Indeed.”

Before he could clear the door properly, I saw two people following him, which annoyed the shit out of me. “…I’ll throw you a freebie.”

“Freebee? What are you talking about?”

“Cypher.” Mr Black said coldly. “I’m not playing, that painting I gave up…for you was worth three hundred million credits. I’m only asking you for one hundred and ninety-eight million million credits, hell, I’m helping you pay me back!”

“Fuck you” I hissed.

Mr Black tossed a flat object on the ground and pressed some small device he had in his hand. Light exploded from the device in the form of a holographic projection coloured white.

The image wasn’t clear at first, but once it solidified, I saw what he wanted to show me. Shin-Lee tucking Hannah-Lee into bed.

I was speechless.

I stimulated my SMB to snap my fist free, but I got a warning message. Target Rejected. Shit…I should’ve known, Mr Black would ensure this.

“I’m glad you like it, I do too.” He said. With folded fist and heat flowing from my lips, I turned to him, releasing the anger from my hands and calming myself. I looked him dead in the eye and saw my reflection in his ice-cold eyes. “How can I assist?” I asked.

“Good.” Mr Black said, ushering me to a seat.

“You sure this one is your lap dog? I can’t trust the other four.” Colvolt Weitson said with disdain, walking into the room.

“Mr Weitson, may I remind you. None of my men…are ‘lap dogs’ so please, refrain from such language here. If you want my help. Make your decision now or leave.”

“Fine…fine,” He said, scoffing his eyes at me.

“Good.” Mr Black said, “now, let’s begin.”