Chapter 6 

[SR Headquarters - September 15th - 8pm]

James awoke in Ava’s room, staring out the window at a breathtaking view of the ocean. Digital waves lapped gently against the shore, creating a soothing rhythm. His body felt completely numb, a dull ache lingering in the background. He glanced to the side of the bed and saw an unfamiliar droid standing motionless over him, its metallic frame reflecting the soft morning light.

“Welcome back, James. How are you feeling?” the droid asked in a calming voice, its eyes glowing softly as it spoke.

James struggled to gather his thoughts. Everything felt like a hazy dream. “What happened? Where am I?” he managed to inquire, his voice weak and barely audible.

“You are back at the Shadow Republic Headquarters,” the droid replied.

Gradually, James became aware that he was indeed in Ava’s room. The faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, a gentle reminder of her presence. He noticed he was dressed in a blue medical gown, with an IV attached to his right arm, which rested beside the droid. Looking around, he took in the unfamiliar surroundings: walls adorned with soft, ambient lighting and a few vinyl records scattered about the desk, adding warmth to the sterile environment.

Suddenly, James’s gaze fell to his left arm. To his horror, his arm and hand were missing from the elbow down, the stub wrapped in a large white bandage stained with blood. He quickly looked away in disbelief, his heart racing as a sharp pain shot through his body. Waves of unspeakable emotions washed over him. “My arm. Where the hell is my arm?!” he cried out, his voice trembling with fear and anguish.

The droid gently rested its arm on James’s shoulder. “Please remain calm, James. You were shot in the arm with a bullet containing traces of a deadly alkaloid poison known as Curare. We had to amputate it quickly to save your life. I understand this is very painful.” It reached over to activate the interface on the IV. A blue liquid flowed down the tubes and entered his right arm. Within seconds, an intense wave of euphoria washed over him, followed by numbness throughout his body. He relaxed and closed his eyes, hoping it was all just a terrible nightmare.

“My name is Zep,” the droid continued. “I am a medical droid and will assist you in your recovery. Our team is working hard to design a fully functional robotic arm for you. First, we need to stabilize your condition. If you need anything, simply use your vision glasses or press this button on the side of your bed.” Zep’s voice was calm and reassuring, but James struggled to focus. He could barely remember the incident; everything had happened so quickly, a blur in his memory. The soft hum of the room and the gentle beeping of the medical equipment were the only sounds, adding to the surreal atmosphere.

“Where is Ava?” James whispered faintly.

“Ava is on a mission with Sentra. They’re meeting with the CEO of Legion Airwaves to discuss possible evacuation plans for the city. Unfortunately, it’s a highly classified operation, so we won’t have contact with her for a few more hours. Please don’t worry, James; she is safe with Sentra and will be informed about the incident as soon as possible,” Zep explained.

“In a few minutes, our staff will bring you something to eat. Later tonight, Sergeant Cole will meet with you to debrief on the mission and ask a few questions. Until then, try to get some rest. I will keep you updated on the progress of the prosthetic arm and prepare for the operation. Our design is incredibly advanced, and your arm will be as good as new. I have personally led many successful operations of this kind.”

“Good as new? Are you kidding? Tell me I can grow it back! That would be good as new!” Shade snapped, anger flaring.

“I understand your frustration. This reaction is quite normal. However, this method is much more effective. Regeneration is highly experimental. Besides, there are many benefits to being a droid-human hybrid,” Zep responded calmly.

Shade opened his eyes, and his expression shifted. “Benefits, huh?” James let out a weak, subtle laugh. “Damn, that sounds better. Do you think I could slap you across the face with it, Zep?”

“I am detecting sarcasm. That is excellent,” the droid replied.

James chuckled but was quickly halted by a sharp pain. “You have a good sense of humor… for a piece of hardware.”

“Wonderful. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to the lab.” With that, Zep exited the room, leaving James in a comfortable silence.

James glanced at his vision glasses and noticed several unopened voice messages from Ava. Her picture appeared in the center of the screen. The sight of her beautiful face calmed him, setting him at ease.

“Hey! I hope you’re safe. I keep thinking about you and trying not to worry. Please be careful out there. I just wanted to let you know that I’m being assigned to a mission. I grew up with the CEO of Legion Airwaves; we’ve been friends for a long time. Sentra and I have secretly planned a meeting with her, so I won’t be in contact for a while. Anyway, I miss you already. Seriously, I can’t wait to see you again.”

James froze the video, his chest tightening with a swell of unease. He’d found her—this extraordinary woman who seemed to materialize from nowhere, lighting up his life in a way he hadn’t thought possible. But now, together, they were up against the most ruthless criminals imaginable. The mission ahead wasn’t as deadly as Project Exodus had been, but the shadow of the SEA still loomed, a reminder of just how quickly things could spiral out of control. He’d lost too much already and every step forward felt like tempting fate, as if the next blow was just around the corner.

Feeling the effects of the drugs and the exhaustion from the long, eventful day, James removed his glasses with his right hand and leaned back, drifting into a deep sleep. He was awakened by a rustling in the room, after a much needed rest. 

“Oh, excuse me, sir,” said a tall, slender young woman dressed in white. She was placing a tray full of food on the desk across the room. Raising her hand toward the window, she brightened the room as the display transitioned from black to a deep, warm red light. “I didn’t mean to wake you. My name is Susan. I’m your nurse for the recovery process. It’s time for a red light therapy session.”

James struggled to sit up, and the nurse quickly rushed over to assist him, her hands gently supporting his shoulders. “Be careful, James. You’ve lost a lot of blood; you should take it easy. Here, take this drink,” she said, reaching over to hand him the blue electrolyte drink. 

“Thank you,” he replied, accepting the drink with his free hand and taking a cautious sip. The cool liquid soothed his parched throat.

The nurse glanced at the medical interface, noting the improving readings. “Your vitals are returning to normal. Would you like to have your meal now?” she asked, observing him nod in response.

James took the tray and spooned some bizarre looking soup into his mouth. To his surprise, it was delicious, with a rich, savory flavor that warmed him from the inside. The nurse stood by his side, her eyes scanning the medical interface hanging from the bedside. She meticulously checked the readings and reports, ensuring everything was in order. "Everything looks good, James," she said with a reassuring smile. "How’s the pain?"

"I'm fine for now," James replied. Just as he finished speaking, Zep walked into the room.

"I have some excellent news, Mr. Shade," the medical robot announced. "It appears you have become quite the celebrity in Aeon Prime."

James turned to the nurse. “This guy thinks he’s a real comedian. He always walks in here with these stupid jokes.” The nurse smiled and turned to Zep, asking, “What do you mean by that?”

"Well, James Shade is trending on the social media platform MetaWave. His picture has been shared over three million times in just the last two hours. That’s a historical record for the platform," the droid reported.

"See what I mean?" James said, talking to the nurse again. "It's like they programmed him for a sitcom. He needs to work on his bedside manner."

"I wish I were joking," Zep interjected. "The SEA has put out a bounty on you, dead or alive. Want to guess how much?"

"Wait, are you for real?" James asked, a mix of emotions flooding him. The droid opened his palm, revealing a holographic display that flickered to life with posts from the MetaWave site. One prominently featured a high-resolution image of him in a sleek SEA uniform, confidently entering the imposing Zaetra building. Behind him, a formidable squad of droids marched in perfect unison, their metallic forms gleaming under the artificial lights. Above the photo, the description read:

WARNING: TERRORIST AT LARGE

Bounty: $10,000,000

James Shade is a terrorist associated with the criminal organization known as the Shadow Republic. We ask citizens of Aeon Prime to be alert to any suspicious activity and report anyone making dangerous anti-science claims, as they are a threat to our democracy and the values of the Social Equity Alliance.

This afternoon, they led an attack on the Zaetra Headquarters to assassinate Nick Jones, the Head of Security, a major critic of their organization. We also believe they were attempting to release the Zaetra AI Service Droids stationed in the building for distribution; however, their attempts were futile.

The terrorist is wanted for six counts of murder, including the assassination of Nick Jones and four other guards who attempted to stop the brutal attack. They also attacked the MetaWave headquarters at 4 PM this afternoon, which was abruptly stopped by the SEA police force.

Anyone who provides information concerning his terrorist organization will be rewarded ten million dollars upon his delivery, dead or alive.

James burst into hysterical laughter, partially due to the heavy dose of pain medications. "Goddamn it, Zep! You always come in here with the jokes. This is wild! How much do you think they’d pay for half of my arm?"

"Well, I have it in the freezer; hopefully, at least one million," Zep replied. The nurse couldn’t help but laugh at such a dark joke. She covered her mouth, desperately trying to hold it back.

"Hold on," James said, glancing back at the article. His expression dramatically shifted. "I almost forgot. Did we get the droids out of the production bay? What happened with the MetaWave operation?!"

Zep closed the display and replied calmly, "Both were lies by the SEA. We actually retrieved every single droid. We wiped the Zaetra clean. The droids’ microchips were deactivated and are being sent to different sections of the city to prepare for evacuation. The mission was successful. In fact, many of the Zaetra models have been going out on their own and informing other droids throughout the city. It started a sort of robotic revolution. It’s been a very exciting topic for my kind.

As for the other operation, we were unable to hack the system, and the SEA had an army surrounding the headquarters. They somehow knew we were coming. So, the operation was held off. There were no casualties, and there was no attack."

"Oh, that’s good news—just more propaganda from the SEA. What else should I expect?" James said, a sense of relief washing over him.

After a few more minutes of chatter about the news and reviewing James's vital signs, Zep and the nurse bid their goodbyes and left him in bed to rest. As they exited, the lights dimmed, and James drifted off to sleep, this time without interruption.