"Too bright," I groaned as Kerry opened the blinds.

Artificial yet convincingly natural lit up the room, and I struggled with it, scrunching my eyes tight.

"We have a busy day ahead," she said, moving to my side. "Come on. I'll help."

I scooted up the bed and then slipped the covers off.

"We need to get you fit again," she pointed to a thigh. "Your muscles are deteriorating too."

"What do you mean?" I bounced my skimpy chicken legs up and down. "Perfect, right Doli?"

"Perfect for roasting," Doli chirped up.

"That's just mean," I replied to Kerry's laughter. "Both of you! Mean I say."

Kerry stilled my bouncing legs and then applied neural monitoring patches to my temples and the base of my skull.

Her cool hands and efficient actions betrayed none of the anxiety in her gaze. I had had enough of that for both of us.

"You're sure this is the best place for me?"

"Dr. Chen is truly amazing, and we've managed to sneak in under the wire."

"Under the wire, how so?"

"I bought us in," she admitted.

"What? How much?"

"It was enough," she replied.

<<Enough to wipe her savings out.>> Doli informed me.

"Kerry," I said. "How much?"

"Everything I had," she sighed. "Happy now?"

"Happy, no way. You shoul—"

"We didn't have a choice. It was buy our way in, or we were going to get caught at the nearest station."

"How do you know he's—"

"Trustworthy?"

"Yeah," I said and started to pull away.

She eased me back with a firm hand. "We have to trust someone. Trust my judgment here, please."

"I do. I do." I was nodding, but I hate this. Everything she owned?

"I'll pay you back," I said. "I promise."

"None of this is your fault." Kerry insisted.

"No," Doli said. "It's mine, and I will pay you back, Kerry. I promise you, too."

"We'll all make money," Kerry said. "Besides, Piotr gave us a ship. You've both earned your place. The rest of us are just paying our way."

Pain shot through my head, and I couldn't help but let out a groan.

"Here," Kerry was fast to pick up an injection gun. Hitting me square in the arm. "This should help till we've seen Dr. Chen." she said.

"I'm watching his vitals," Doli said, not really needing to remind any of us.

"Thanks, Kerry replied to her. "Keep a very close eye on him, you've got direct access to my comms now. Use them."

"I will, Doctor."

"Dr. Chen's facility will conduct some intensive scans that could trigger you off. I've got medication on hand, but he's likely got better stuff there."

I wanted to nod, but I also didn't want any more pain. "Will I be conscious throughout?"

"That's the plan," Kerry replied. "It's better if you are, even if it's uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable how?"

"Well, some patients report sensory distortions, memories surfacing, and time dilation with neural mapping. It's normal."

"I have compiled all Dr. Chen's published research," Doli's voice resonated within my mind. "His results make most Federation protocols look medieval. Fifteen papers on interface technology, and eight specifically addressing traumatic pathway reconstruction."

"Impressive credentials," I replied. "Anything that hints at my specific neural architecture?"

"Nothing explicit. However, three papers contain methodological approaches that suggest familiarity with similar interface designs."

"I told you he's impressive." Kerry grinned.

"You did, and I do trust you—"

"But Doli's the one with the world at her fingertips, right?"

"You mean the blacknet?"

"Doli!" Kerry scolded. "You're not?"

"The blacknet is the only way I can obtain records without detection, should I—"

"You're doing fine, ignore her," I said. "Use what you must."

"Sorry," Kerry apologized. "I'm just not—"

"Used to thinking that way," I put a hand on her arm. "We're doing everything to vanish, that means we need to use the blacknet, and any other operational ghostlines we have to survive."

We both heard the door go, and Rob entered a moment later with a datapad in his hands. It was clear he'd been up for hours already.

"Been scouting?"

Sylvk entered from one of the side rooms, freshly showered and pulling on a shirt. "Thought that was you? Report?"

Robert nodded and put the datapad down. "The clinic Chen occupies is in Medical Sector Three," he said. "State-of-the-art security, private research labs, and a patient list that includes three former Federation admirals and at least one planetary governor." He activated a display with a flick. "His reputation is spotless, almost suspiciously so. Nobody's that perfect without having something to hide."

Kerry frowned and moved to look at the image. "Is that relevant to Piotr's treatment?"

"Everything's relevant when you're dealing with this level of neural tech," Rob countered. "Chen's specialized knowledge had to come from somewhere."

"So you're saying he's also in hiding?"

"More than likely, yes."

"Security protocols at the clinic include nano-metric scanners," Sylvk pointed at the image. AI surveillance systems with behavioral pattern recognition, and at least four armed personnel with military augmentation signatures. Nothing we can't navigate, but worth noting."

"You're expecting trouble?" I asked.

Sylvk's expression didn't change. "Always."

Kerry turned her attention back to me with a sigh. "Neural stability at forty-one percent. Not ideal, but better than yesterday." She handed me a small capsule. "Take it."

"You just—"

"Take it," she ordered.

I picked up my glass of water that had been there all night and gagged it down. "Just don't like pills," I admitted.

"Neither do I," Rob said and finally gave me the once over. He didn't however address me. "He good to go?"

"Yes," Kerry replied.

"Err, I am here, you know…."

"Supplement absorption rate optimal," Doli confirmed. "Temporary synaptic enhancement detected. Recommended departure time is seven minutes to arrive at Dr. Chen's facility with optimal timing."

"Are we going already?" I moaned.

Kerry held her arm out for me to take, I wasn't going to but she death glared me. So I did so reluctantly.

"Steady," she said as I wobbled, almost toppling her over.

"Sorry," I said and glanced down to my trembling legs. "I'm good, promise."

"He is steadier than yesterday," Doli confirmed. "But do walk slowly."

"Don't worry," Sylvk said, coming in on my other side. "Slow it is."

It was slow and painful. Yet, Sylvk guided us expertly. Pointing out in our command channel where to look as cameras panned our way. He guided us around all of it. Every surveillance station, every set of guards.

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<<He plotted all this while I've been asleep?>>

<<We plotted it all while you slept,>> Doli replied. <<Nexus helped with the surveillance cameras, some of them aren't connected to Cali's security, they belong to the Brakers underground network.>>

<<I can't believe they're that deep into everywhere,>> I said.

<<They are, sadly.>>

<<Just means we have more to prove,>> I replied. <<Right?>>

She didn't answer because we were standing outside a humongous building. "We here?"

"Yes," Kerry said and pushed the doorbell.

Once inside, we followed several corridors and up in two different lifts before we reached Dr. Chen's clinic. There wasn't another patient in sight. The place was almost a ghost town. How could they survive with no patients?

<<Likely they are like you, scheduled only and high priority clients.>>

Two mirrored doors opened for us as we approached. "Come in Mr. Smith," a voice said.

Once through the doors, the reception area spread out before us, a curved polished marble synthetic floor and desk lay ahead. It was manned by a woman wearing a crisp white uniform with the clinic's emblem, a stylized DNA strand in silver thread. A wall behind her displayed brief images of previous clients, I could only presume, they stood with Dr. Chen, shaking his hands in a variety of hospital gowns, then civilian and even full military uniform.

"Mr. Smith," Rob announced as we approached her. "We have an appointment with Dr. Chen at 09:00."

The receptionist's eyes flickered briefly to her terminal. "We've been expecting you." She glanced around my friends, then her eyes landed on me. She was no ordinary receptionist, of that I was sure. "Dr. Chen rarely takes walk-in consults, but he cleared the morning just for you."

Something in her phrasing sent a chill down my spine. Just for you.

"Money talks," I said, without thinking and Kerry flinched.

The receptionist, however, didn't bat an eye, <<Did she laugh?>>

<<She did,>> Doli confirmed. <<However, I recommend focusing on the task at hand, walking.>>

"I'm Miss Avast," she said and waved a hand. "Please proceed through the scanning arch for standard biosecurity protocols. Your companions may wait here while you—"

"They come with me," I interrupted firmly. "Medical proxy," I nodded toward Kerry, "security consultant," a gesture to Sylvk, "and legal representative," concluding with Rob, who managed to look appropriately professional despite the improvised title.

Miss Avast hesitated only momentarily before nodding. "Of course. Please proceed through the scanning arch individually."

Kerry moved closer to me. "The scan will detect Doli's presence," she murmured.

"Let it," I replied. "If Chen's as good as his reputation, he already suspects."

It felt cold as I stepped through the scanning arch and I couldn't put my finger on the why. The air in here was filtered, sterile filtered to protect clients, DNA could be left anywhere, at any time without you doing anything and Doli pointed out the ducts and sucking vents above and below me.

While I leaned on the wall and waited for Kerry the eyes of the two guys never stopped moving. Sylvk caught mine and nodded. I guessed he was happy with things in here. At least from a security standpoint.

Miss Avast then stepped through without pausing, and she escorted us through the several corridors and open doorways before stopping at another set of glass doors. This time she paused and placed her hand and eye to the glass.

<<Still surprised there's no one around.>>

<<My scanners tell me, not a soul in the whole building.>>

A soft click eventually sounded and the doors opened.

"Extra security inside an extra secure facility?" I couldn't help myself.

"Our main examination room," she explained and waved us inside, she didn't follow. "Dr. Chen will be just a moment."

"No way," I smiled as Kerry helped me to the central chair. "This is fully interactive."

"It is," Kerry said. "Everything in here is one supercomputer."

"That also means everything we are is on the table," Sylvk added.

Rob and Sylvk still began a survey of the room, despite nothing on display.

In the end Sylvk positioned himself by the door, and Rob stood the other side of me.

Kerry was inspecting my chair. "High end neural mapping chair," she noted. "I've not seen anything like it. Beyond anything I've ever worked with."

"Military?"

"No," she replied. "Anything Military has its own Id. This has nothing."

"Nothing at all," Doli interjected.

Before I could open my mouth to answer, the glass to my side melted away and a man stepped through, the glass melted back into place a moment later.

"Mr. Smith," he greeted with a raised eyebrow, his voice melodic despite his clinical demeanor. "I'm Dr. Chen."

He seemed to glide in beside Kerry. His thin frame and slight overhang of his trousers put him comfortably middle-aged, if not older. His obviously colored deep black hair had silver streaks on one side and yet not the other.

<<Quite stylish,>> Doli admitted.

<<Doesn't look much of a doctor.>> I bounced back.

Pausing only for a moment to glance at Sylvk, who puffed out his chest somewhat, and then to Rob, who nodded. He then touched the side of my chair and brought up a 3D holographic interface. Kerry's eyes widened.

"Neural interface integration with severe trauma-induced degradation, stage four cancerous tumors, removed by an extremely skilled set of surgeons, post opp complications by non-standard AI symbiosis." His eyes lifted to fix on me and they didn't move. "Fascinating."

I straightened. "I'm here for treatment, not to be studied."

A smile touched his lips briefly. "In cases like yours, Mr. Smith, the two are inseparable and you wouldn't be here if they were." He gestured toward the examination chair. "Lie back if you could. We'll begin with comprehensive neural mapping." He did glance to my friends again. "This can be quite boring," he said. "Your frien—"

"Stay with me," I stated, keeping my eyes locked with his.

"Understood."

"I'm Dr. Valde, functioning as Mr. Smith's medical proxy. I'd like to go over your planned procedures before we begin."

Dr. Chen viewed Kerry with renewed curiosity. "Academic medical training. Specializing in neural interface technologies." It was not a question. "Your concern suggests a personal connection beyond professional obligation."

Kerry didn't flinch. "My worries are for my patient's well-being. The integration is delicate; standard mapping procedures may cause cascade failures in his neural architecture."

"Which is precisely why standard procedures will not be used," Dr. Chen said, pointing to a holographic control panel. "I created protocols expressly for complicated integration instances. You are invited to observe Dr. Valde. Given your previous interactions with the patient, your insights may be useful."

I saw the medical tally adding up as he moved around the room, touching several panels.

Kerry winced at something.

<<What is it?>>

<<The bill,>> Doli said.

<<Show me?>>

<<You're sure?>>

<<Yes!>>

The invoice hovered in red: Level-?? neural mapping ₵ 88 140

Level-?? neural mapping

One-time full scan. State of the art technology, not stored anywhere but inside Dr. Chen's Bio-Drive.

Cryo-lattice nanite seed-stock (patient-specific, sterile) ₵ 142 600

One-time batch of 2.4 × 10¹² programmable nanites fabricated in a flash-frozen vacuum chamber so no genomic signatures leak. Single-user only; any surplus is flash-incinerated.

QESL vault-link & red-net air-gap upload ₵ 76 400

"Quantum-Entangled Secure Link" licences a pair of photonic keys plus 48-hour access to a Class-Red isolated data vault. Keeps the map out of Academy or Coalition archives.

I tried not to panic about the rising costs.

Dr. Chen paused. "Were you the surgeon as well?" Kerry didn't answer, just held his eyes until he swallowed. "Then I am in extremely competent company, I sincerely hope I live up to your expectations."

That caught her off guard. "I'm sorry, what?"

He cocked his head to one side. "You doubt your own skills?"

"It… we…"

"They were under a lot of pressure," I said for her.

"Of course," he looked back at me. "Life or death is pressure not many can withstand."

Kerry's face flushed, and he smiled. "No mind. Let's get on with today. I will, of course, guide you all through what I'm doing and my treatment protocol."

Dr. Chen slipped behind me, and adjusted the chair. "The halo will settle."

A pop sound made me look up to see a neural halo descending from the ceiling. "You will experience changes in sensations during this extreme scan," he explained, his tone warming slightly. "Don't resist them. Your mind will attempt to contextualize the scanner's neural pathway stimulation as memories or sensations. This is normal."

Doli's presence shifted within my consciousness.

<<External system attempting to map our integration pathways,>> she reported, her concern evident. <<Non-invasive but highly detailed. Unique scanning protocol detected.>>

<<It's fine, we have to trust someone.>> I replied.

I thought Dr. Chen kept himself quite neutral, just the slightest furrowing of his brows, and narrowing of his eyes.

He was worried.

<<Of course he is,>> Doli said. <<He's never seen anything like us before. Nor the damage, trauma your body has been through.>>

<<Do you believe he can help us?>>

<<If he can't, no one can.>>

Her answer was simple, but terrifying.

The map of my mind unspooled above me—nodes and connections glowing like an overcomplicated power relay.

Whoever designed this scanner didn't just want diagnostics. They wanted elegance.

The three-dimensional rendered in detail I hadn't ever dreamed of, but the areas of damage appeared as darkened voids. I shivered and he smiled at me sympathetically.

"The tumors?"

Kerry stepped forward and circled several areas of my brain. "From here, here, and here."

"I've seen a lot of surgery in my time," he said. "Nothing like this. You have talent beyond your years. Dr. Valde."

"Life or death," she said. "And I kinda like him alive."

I choked on her last words.

"Of course you do." He pointed to my scan again and waited for her to look.

Kerry kept looking at me. "Sorry," she whispered.

I shook my head, pointing to my scan.

"Well, that explains the extensive trauma to the temporal and parietal interface nodes," Dr. Chen observed. "Secondary degradation is progressing along the primary sensory pathways." He stepped around my chair and pointed to several other areas that were greying out. "However, the integration patterns are remarkable. Your AI isn't merely connected to your neural structure, it's actively integrated within it."

His fingers brought a secondary layer to the display in a contrasting shade of blue. "These are your AI's pathways. Notice how they're not parallel to your neural architecture but interwoven with it. This isn't a standard interface design at all."

Kerry moved closer to the display, professional curiosity momentarily overriding caution. "It is not," she confirmed. "Do you understand what you're looking at?"

"I do," he said. "The AI integration was accelerated under traumatic conditions. To save herself she also did the only thing she could. Adapt."

<<He really does understand,>> Doli said.

Dr. Chen's gaze remained fixed on my holographic image. "This is... evolutionary. Your AI has been rewriting itself to better integrate with your human neural architecture, and in doing so, it's rewriting you as well."

Pain shot through me and I winced as the scan deepened.

A rainbow of colors spread across my vision. The room fading from sight. Instead replaced with the Academy's training halls.

Ashley's laugh assaulted my ears, and I almost let out a sob. It was so real.

She appeared in my mind with such vivid details that, for a moment, I believed she was in the room with us.

Her features, her voice, the specific way she tilted her head when puzzling through a problem—all rendered with precision that made my chest ache.

"Interesting," Dr. Chen murmured.

"What?" Kerry asked.

"His emotional centers are remarkably intact despite the surrounding damage." He focused the display on this region, and looked at me. "Is this particular pattern... associated with someone you cared for?"

I didn't answer immediately, still caught in the vivid memory. Kerry responded instead. "The woman he loved, recently deceased."

"I'm sorry," Dr. Chen said. "I will try not to evoke those emotions."

I tried to focus on Dr. Chen's face. "If you need to do so to help me, then do it. I'll cope." Even to my ears, the words sounded more like desperate bargaining than conviction.

"Of course, only as you wish." Dr. Chen said again. Then, surprisingly, he addressed the air slightly above my head. "What is your assessment of your host? And please do tell me your name."

A moment of silence fell. Kerry's eyes widened slightly, while Rob and Sylvk exchanged a quick glance.

<<He's speaking directly to me,>> Doli said <<No outsider has ever done that>>

<<Then answer him.>>

"My name is Doli," she said. "My assessment of Mr. Smith is that he is lucky to be alive, and he needs extensive therapy, which only you can provide."

Dr. Chen nodded as though this confirmed a theory. The scanner finished its cycle, and the pink light faded as the halo retreated. The holographic brain remained hanging above me, gently spinning to expose the intricate damage and integration patterns.

"Your condition poses several obstacles, Mr. Smith. The amount of brain injury exceeds traditional healing approaches."

"What options do we have left? If any?"

"Limited ones," Dr. Chen stated candidly. "The damage continues to progress despite your AI's remarkable efforts."

"Can you help me?" I asked. "Can you stop the degradation

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