Project Sable Rose, Wolfheart [online e reader TXT] 📗

restrained her so she couldn’t move anything. Where was she? Pain; there was so much pain. Then there was nothing.
When she woke again, there was a bright light. She could hear voices now. There was activity around her, and though the pain was gone, now she was numb. Sleepy, she was so sleepy…
But she must listen…what was going on…?
“She has re-gained conscious. Give her more tranquilizers.”
“Commencing.” A machine replied. Then she was so very tired…
She was asleep again.
The third time she woke the pain was there, but it wasn’t bad; it was just enough to tell her she was alive. It hurt to breathe or move her left leg, right arm or head. Other than a little dizzy, she was mostly just achy. There were no other people around her. The light was dim. Quiet music played in the background. What was that kind called again? Classic…violin? Yes, that was it. It was kind of nice, even soothing.
From what she could see of it, the room looked small and completely made of steel. It was capable of being very bright, like it had last time she’d woken. There were medical items on a metal table that she could see in the corner of her eye. On a table on her other side was some kind of food. For some reason, she couldn’t recall what any of it was or how to consume it. She tried her best, but couldn’t place it.
Have I seen this food before?

The door opened. She turned to see a man in a lab coat and two girls in normal attire. One walked with a staff; it was clear from her eyes that she was blind. The other looked a little strained and limped in her left leg.
I wonder how she hurt her leg. Wait…how did I hurt my leg? Why am I here? In the name of science, where is here?

“Speak to her quietly and slowly. The hardware we installed in her brain may still be adapting, so light and sound may be painful for her.”
“I’m well aware of that, asshole. Shut up and get out.” The girl who limped snapped. She was the taller one, with red-blond, long hair bound in several braids. From where she was, Sable couldn’t tell what held them up. Her left eye was blue, her right eye was brown. The other girl was only slightly shorter, with black, short and spiked hair. Her eyes were dark brown, though unfocused. They shared similar features to one another, including their tiny waists.
I know them. Where from?

“Hi Sable.” The blond nearly whispered, as gently as she would to a frightened child. “You’re finally awake again.”
Sable? Is that my name?

“You know…it’s been three weeks since I last saw those beautiful eyes of yours, and they had to go and change them, didn’t they?” She sounded very upset.
“They changed her eye color?” The blind one sounded furious. “What in the Empire's name did they do that for?”
“We didn’t, girls. The nanobots did. That is only a small side effect of how healthy she will be.”
He seems smart. I wonder if I know him...

“Can she speak?”
“I don’t believe she has fully adapted to the alterations we were forced to make. Why don’t you leave us for a few days? Your handlers will be wondering where you two are…”
They hesitated a moment, then nodded and left together. The man stayed. Sable watched him.
“Can you speak?” He asked quietly.
She shook her head; there was no way she’d have enough air to speak, even if she’d remembered how.
“Alright. I want you to answer me by blinking once for ‘yes’ and twice for ‘no’. Do you understand?”
She blinked once.
“Good. First question; do you remember who you are?”
She thought a moment and blinked twice.
“You’re name is Sable Rose. You are nineteen years old, and a scientist for the government. Does any of this sound familiar?”
Something flashed behind her eyes. Pain exploded through her. She screamed until it stopped.
He was by her side in a second, looking at this and checking that. When she’d calmed down, the pain was gone and he was finished, he faced her.
“That was the computer we replaced the left side of your brain with. You were in an explosion. To save your life, we replaced your heart and brain with computers. We added microscopic robots called nanobots into your bloodstream to maintain those computers and allow communication between them and yourself. We also gave you mechanical limbs; your left leg and right arm. Unfortunately, your left eye wasn’t savable either, so it’s been replaced with a bionic eye as well.”
Sable stared at him in horror. They replaced half of her brain, one of her eyes, her entire heart and two of her limbs with machines

?!
“I am your programmer, so I must ask more questions. Do you recall who those girls were?”
She blinked twice. She felt like she should, but couldn’t.
“Well, we’ll fix that. Alright. Next question; do you recall how to eat?”
Sadly, she blinked her eyes twice again.
“Alright. I’m sorry, Sable, but it seems like the main problem is that you are currently unable to access most of the hard-drive. You’ll need another dose of nanobots. I’m not even sure what to tell you about that; it might be the most agonizing thing you've ever felt, or it could make you feel like you’ve reached cloud nine. For the love of science, you could feel nothing at all. Just remain still, grit your teeth and hope for the best.”
He pressed a button.
The door opened to emit a girl with a long syringe. Since she couldn’t exactly get up and run away, Sable did as the man had advised; she remained still and waited for whatever was to come. There was a sharp pain that lasted for a split second before pleasure exploded through her. She relaxed fully, completely caught off guard, fully enjoying it.
Thousands of minds raced through hers, talking, listening, communicating. She could suddenly recall her name, the explosion, the importance of her work and basic operation. But she didn’t care. The minds, the feeling racing through her…it captivated her. She wanted it to never end. Though it was slow, the minds integrated into her thoughts or heart. She felt them flowing through her blood then. Massive amounts of them, willing to do anything she asked of them that they were capable of doing. The second the ecstasy was gone, she was drained.
The man and woman were staring at her. Not really caring, she grabbed the plate, shoveled down the food – still not able to fully use her right arm - and allowed herself to fall asleep.

When Sable awoke for the fourth time, she had to blink at least three times just to adjust to the difference in her vision. Everything was sharper and brighter. She could look at something and lock onto it, then pull up a summary of it from the back of her mind. It happened several times before she locked onto a medical tool and flinched at its use. Then she closed her eyes and listened instead, a bit sick to her stomach.
At first, only violin music reached her ears. Then she could hear voices outside the room. She locked onto the most familiar to her; the man who had brought those girls in. He was talking with some other people, and when she heard her name she paid closer attention.
“Her name is Sable Rose. Her program is a little different from what I’ve set up for the others, so tread carefully. She has far more combative power and intelligence. She can actually control computers with her mind, given the chance. Unfortunately, I also couldn’t download the obedience program properly, so don’t just go and give her orders. She has to want

to obey, alright? She also has no memory of her own personal past; she recalls her sisters, with their modifications, but I didn’t have enough information about them to even imply personalities, or her interests for that matter.”
“What? I’m not handling her!” A man snapped. “If she isn’t of any use, then what’s the point in even meeting her?”
“She’s very intelligent and can use computers with her mind

. How is that not useful?” The man sounded furious.
“She won’t listen to orders.”
“Of course she will; she’s a soldier, even if she was in the science field. You just can’t treat her like an object; she has emotions like any other person.”
“We’re in need of a weapon

, not a daughter.” The other man growled angrily. “If you think she’s so valuable, you

be her handler! You can handle a weapon just as well as we can!”
“I don’t know anything about guns. That’s the only weapons program her system accepts.”
“Then she should be fine, if she already knows how!”
“Fine! Get out of my lab!” The man was yelling by now.
“Just as well with us!”
Sable Rose flinched at the sound of a slamming door. She lost focus, and the only sounds she heard were inside the room; beeping computers and dripping water, as well as the wonderful violin music. Sable sighed. The door opened and in came the man, with two nurses behind him. His face was brisk and professional.
“Alright, Sable Rose, today you should be feeling much better. Can you move your left leg or right arm?” Sable moved both slightly, proving she could. Fire flared through her muscles with even that simple movement.
He turned and typed something on the computer Sable had heard beeping earlier.
“Do you know where you are?” He pressed.
“No.”
He typed something else.
“You’ve a small case of amnesia. I can’t really fix this, but I can tell you. You’re in a medical facility in the government headquarters called H.A.D, standing for Human Alteration Development. We’re here so the staff and soldiers like you and your sister, Terra Lain, have their problems caused through government work taken care of. Your injuries were severe enough that the modifications we made to you were the only thing that could save your life. Do you know what happened to your sister?”
“Something happened to her? I thought I just saw both of them…they seemed fine…”
“I see. The programing is very confusing, isn’t it? Alright, because the left side of your brain holds your memories, I’ve had to implant what I knew about you. That leaves…blank spots. Professional paperwork isn’t very helpful for re-building a life, because they don’t ask for your personal interests – from what your favorite foods are and your political views to your favorite music and your relationships. You’ll have to piece those back together, I’m afraid. They seemed to really care about you, so you three must have been close.”
“Really? I can recall their faces, their careers and their ages, but…”
“The rest is very personal information, so I couldn’t recreate them. I’m sorry; you’ll have to re-learn your sisters again. Today, I’m going to go through some basic information with you…”
“What’s a handler?” Dying to know what was going on, she couldn't help but ask.
He sighed. “A H.A.D employee trained to assist the development of an injured or recovering soldier. You were a scientist, but H.A.D has been ordered to train you again in a much different field; special combat unit. I’m a scientist, but I’ve had the training I will be giving you, and was going into the same program…but traded off to be a programmer and handler.”
“Whatever. I really don’t care.” A headache was