Marco was brought to his room which was more of a cell with only a mattress and a desk with a dinner chair. He turned to look behind him as he entered, Lyle shrugged while looking at Marco who had a face of slight disappointment. Bodhi raised his thick eyebrows twice mocking him. "Welcome to our new life, pal."
The door shut behind him, He sat on the bed, it was soft, but not as comfortable as his own. He ran his one hand on the sheets and laid face up. Running his fingers through the bandage that wrapped around his abdomen, the right side felt slightly more hollow than his left showing his lack of healing.
He laid with his arms sprawled out to the side for what felt like hours. With nothing else to do, his imagination was the only thing that kept him entertained. Trying to be positive, the only thing that came to his mind was the world outside, or what was his.
he had spent the last nearly 20 years of his life at port Galicia where the only people he ever saw were his coworkers. All of his entertainment, his food, his relations with others and even the "trips" he took never took him further out than one of the highways that led to the nearby town. Working at any O.S.D. port usually came with the catch of not being able to do much outside the reigns of the small societies they live in.
He closed his eyes as he imagined his younger, his mother worked on and off as an adjuster on the old crew 9. His father was mostly absent from his life, the only thing he knew is he would disappear for a few days at a time, coming when she needed him. He resembled him, much taller and burlier than him.
He didn't have any memories together outside of eating the large meals he cooked. The only thing Marco knew was the resemblance of Arthur and his father's coat and hanging identification reading his name, Alonso.
A knock at the door broke him out of his daydreaming. He tried checking the time out of reflex before realizing his lack of a hand. The door opened, a tall blonde woman with wavy hair opened the door. "Not used to that, huh?" She walked in with a large box in her hands.
Taller than himself, she placed the box down at the desk and stood by the door. She wore a long lab coat that was rolled up to her elbows, fitted neatly into a black shirt and dress pants that covered with a red tie. The look of a business woman ready to make a sale with a fitting facial expression. The left side of her face lifted into a small smirk.
"You are?" Marco asked, his voice dry. She moved the side of her coat and showed her I.D. which displayed "Dr. Aubert." while she read it herself with a French accent. Her voice was low and smooth.
He had never seen her before despite his long time here, another odd mystery to add to the pile. He stood up painfully, and walked to the box which was lined with clasps all around. With his left hands he undid each one, opening the black box to a large cloud of cold white mist.
It dissipated slowly, revealing a mechanical arm. White fingers with ball joints at each knuckle, the same white material went all the way down to a spherical opening which would fit the part of his missing arm.
"State of the art," spoke the doctor, "ready to fit it on?" With no other choice, Marco nodded, she unwrapped the bandage around the wound in his arm, it was still moist but not bleeding, you could still even see the bones, arteries and even the connection for the arbiter.
He winced as the cool air hit the open flesh, the soft cap had been keeping air out and it safe, she took the arm in both of her hands and lifted it up. "You're gonna wanna sit for this, and here, bite this." She reached in her coat pocket and handed him a piece of real leather, maybe not a rarity but there were cheaper alternatives.
He placed it between his teeth and sat on the bed, pointing his arm forward as she placed it on the wound. It fit perfectly into the wound, pressing lightly into it and wrapping over his skin. She grabbed the part that covered the wound.
"I'm going to twist, and it is going to hurt like hell. On three." He straightened out, mentally preparing himself.
"One." She twisted on the first count. He felt needles jab into his arm, the pain rushing through the entirety of his left side as he felt his nerve endings being twisted. A soft whirring could be heard from within the mechanical limb as he bit down on the piece of leather. His face felt hot as it felt like whatever process was taking place took an eternity. The last and worst of it was as he felt a vibration through his whole body as he felt something grind against the end of his bone with what felt like a spoon.
He almost fell over from the pain as she held him up. His hand instinctively went up to her arm, resting his knuckle on her forearm as she grabbed it and pointed it away from her. The drilling continued as he could feel the inside being vacuumed and replaced with something cold. His entire body ached as the arm settled in place. Right as he felt that he was about to pass out, he felt that sensation again.
That burning in his chest, she had probably pointed his arm away for that reason. His head rested on her stomach, which he picked up in an instant as the rush of adrenaline tore through his body as so did the small blade which shot out of his left hand. His pain was gone, he panted heavily as though tired as she held him in place.
The room was now silent, the machine stopping it's inner barrage on him. He looked up as she saw her staring down at him, he looked down at his left hand, the object back once again as well as the indentation on the back of his hand.
She let him go as he opened his mouth to let go of the hide. She squatted down, grabbing a hold of his hand as she inspected it around. She took gloves out of her coat pocket. "Fascinating." It was as though she was thinking out loud.
He looked at his new arm. The white sleek material extended from his palm all the way down. His arbiter was back where it was placed, however it was slightly different, with an extra two points added between two of the lines. He felt a sharp stab on his left hand and took it back to his chest.
She used one of her gloved fingers and poked the inside of the purple rose on his left hand. It didn't hurt him but he felt the instinct to pull away from her touch.
"So, you can't control it?" She asked as he shook his head. "No, this is only the second time this happens." She nodded and took her glove off as she stood. "And the arm? Should replicate your old one."
He looked down at it again, curling his fingers one by one before balling them into a fist. He used his other hand to feel up and down it, while ticklish, it wasn't quite the same sensation. The main thing that put him off was the color.
"Couldn't choose another one?" He asked, she chuckled. "You are gaining this more than advanced arm and you are complaining over the color?" He tilted his head and shook it.
"It would compromise the integrity of the polymer, you can try painting over it but the paint crack around the wrist." She took his left wrist again, placing the blade between her fingers. It felt warm, despite having broken through his skin, it had not blood on it.
"Take the gown off your shoulders." She commanded of him, he reached behind himself and untied the knot which held the piece together. She put on another glove, feeling his chest. The skin was left untouched, but underneath she could feel a lack of something.
"Can you retract the blade for me?" He lifted his left hand up to his face, closing his eyes to concentrate. He sat silently for a minute, putting all his focus on this one thing. However he could not.
"We must go quick." She stood up and picked up the box, opening up the door and letting him walk through. Lyle was sitting on a nearby chair with a game console on his hands. He stood up as she whispered to him, nodding at her before he approached Marco.
"It's time to put your party trick through the wringer. Go." He made Marco walk behind the lady and in front of him.