Chapter 2. Activation

— Until it’s activated… — I broke the silence. — Just install it. I’ll figure out the activation myself.

The synthmaster slowly lifted his gaze to me.

— Either you’ve got balls of steel, or you’re just an idiot, — he muttered. — Hope I won’t regret this.

He started rummaging around the table, pulling out tools. Metal clinked. Something clicked.

I exhaled slowly, nervously.

There’s no turning back, I repeated to myself.

— Well? Ready? — the synthmaster tossed out.

— Huh?.. Yeah… — I swallowed. — Tell me, is there going to be some kind of… pain filter?

— What? — he snorted. — Where do you think you are, kid? You think I’m wasting money on that crap? Clench your teeth. Here — bite down. Don’t bite your tongue off.

He’s fucking with me…

The process was hell.

No anesthesia. No preparation. He cut into me while I was conscious, like I was livestock. Pain came in waves so strong the world shattered into fragments. I screamed, but barely heard myself. A few times I thought I’d black out.

— …Looks like that’s it, — his voice came from somewhere far away. — Adjust here… done. Just don’t activate it.

I barely understood the words.

— What?.. Activation?.. What are you talking about… — I mumbled.

And at that exact moment, a beep sounded.

Short. Clear. Inhuman.

The system activated.

— What the fuck?! — the synthmaster shouted.

He jumped back, staring at me in horror.

— Get the fuck out of here! Now!

I didn’t understand anything. My head was foggy, my body burned with pain. I hadn’t even realized what had happened yet.

He grabbed me, lifted me, and literally shoved me toward the exit.

— Get out! — he yelled. — Get the fuck out! Right now!

The door flew open, cold air slammed into my face.

I stumbled and almost fell.

And then it hit me.

Signal.

Sensor.

Location.

The biocore had already transmitted my coordinates.

I stood in the middle of the street, trembling, my body torn apart, with only one thought in my head:

What the fuck do I do now?

A timer echoed in my mind: 64 seconds.

My vision blurred.

It was hard to make out what was happening around me. Pain. Nausea. Trembling. It felt like my body was trying to reject itself.

And then…

I saw particles in the air.

Bright. Warm. They stretched in thin trails, as if leaving behind a whisper. I tried to focus, but they moved, pulsed, reacted to me.

What is this?..

— Serena Airskye, — a cold female voice sounded directly in my head.

I snapped to attention.

Biocore activation detected.

CYCLE-CLASS ANOMALY REGISTERED.

LOCATION: TOWER-7.

STATUS: UNSTABLE.

The world froze.

Remain in place for your safety.

In case of escape, lethal force will be used.

— Fuck… — slipped out of me.

What do I do?

The answer came on its own.

I ran.

I bolted forward, turned sharply into a narrow alley, nearly crashing into trash containers. The world swayed, my legs buckled, but I kept running.

Left.

Sharp turn.

I saw a maintenance hatch and crawled inside without thinking.

Metal scraped against my jacket.

My skin burned like sandpaper.

I got stuck, tore myself free, collapsed inside, breathing heavily.

The light particles didn’t disappear.

On the contrary — here, in the darkness, they glowed even brighter. Swirling around me, reacting to every movement, every breath.

Cycle…

What the hell does that even mean?..

Sudden pain pierced my chest.

Then my head. As if something was tearing me apart from the inside.

I dropped to one knee, gasping.

— Fuck… it hurts so bad…

And then the voice returned. But different. Not cold. Not official.

Activation completed successfully.

Incompatibility with host body detected.

Full functionality unavailable.

— What the hell?.. — I whispered, clutching my chest. — How do I get out of here?..

I slowly stood up, leaning against the slick wall.

Recommended route: left.

Shortest path.

No threats detected.

A thin line of light appeared in the air before me. It trembled, as if alive, pointing the way.

— You’ve got to be kidding me… — I muttered.

But I had no choice.

I followed it.

One step.

Another.

My body screamed in pain, but the line didn’t vanish. It waited. Adjusted to me. I was almost out of the sewer when I heard voices above.

— Did you find him?

— No. The signal cut out.

— Are you fucking serious?!

— I don’t see the problem. He’s still nearby.

I froze.

Slowly lifted my head.

Through the sewer grate, I saw a man.

For a moment, it felt like our eyes met.

His gaze slid downward.

Right to where I was standing.

I held my breath.

— Check that idiot. He must know something.

— Nah. He’s not an idiot.

Their footsteps faded away.

And only then did I realize I had never felt so calm — and so terrified at the same time.

Great. Get it together. Move.

I climbed out. Fresh air hit my lungs, making me cough.

What now?

Home. They’re looking for me — I need to grab my things and disappear.

Good idea?

No.

Any other choice?

Also no.

When I reached my place, Cord-7 wasn’t nearby.

I exhaled.

Hope I never see them again.

(Cord-7 — special units responding to extreme anomalies.)

Stepping inside, I forgot everything for a moment. Ordinary walls. Silence.

And that’s when it hit me: I had made a mistake. Installing the biocore was madness.

Signals from outside pierced my ears. Alerts. Notifications.

I hurriedly packed my things, throwing them into a backpack.

Then I heard voices behind the door.

— Nah… he’s not an idiot.

— What if he’s here? Hey. If you’re inside — I’m not your enemy.

— You’re an idiot. What if he actually is here?

My heart dropped.

I grabbed the backpack, ran to the window, and jumped without hesitation.

The fire escape rattled. I slid down and landed in a pile of trash.

— He’s down there! — shouts rang out.

I got up and ran with everything I had.