Birth
10 Oct 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Part Fourteen.
Birth
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Reprogramming the residual nanobots in the container connected to a surgical robotic arm was surprisingly straightforward. This time, no incision was required. They'd use the external port leading directly to the neural processor to disrupt the quantum frequency modulations of the other nanobots. Their mission: sever the synaptic connection between the processor and Zooey's brain.
Simultaneously, they'd incapacitate any physical aspects of Zooey within reach, preventing her from harming herself when her primal, instinct-driven alter ego sought to destroy her. The symbiotic entity within her recognized its limited control. Zooey's innate, primal force would eventually overpower any barriers it attempted to impose. Everything had to be executed within seconds.
The surgeon, regaining clarity, contemplated this bizarre scenario. As a neurosurgeon, he was well-versed in psychology. Still, witnessing a person's id take control of a neural processor and their cognitive functions represented an unprecedented leap in evolutionary adaptation. The potential academic inquiries this phenomenon could generate seemed boundless.
On the operating table, Zooey displayed rapid eye movements, a manifestation of her internal struggle. Her mind was in turmoil, flooded with fragmented memories and remnants of a larger consciousness. Behind her, the surgical robotic arms shifted with silent precision, ready for the task ahead. Two arms would assist the medical android and the entity in restraining Zooey's physical form, while the third would release the nanobots into her cranial port.
The surgeon tensed. The moment the others moved to subdue her, he'd have seconds to connect the diagnostic tool to the port, typically used to assess the connection to the neural processor. This action would enable the entity to execute a medical maneuver akin to a pincer strategy, effectively bypassing the blood-brain barrier.
The entity checked that all was prepared, itself watching the prior predators distraction next to the cool clean waters its victim had once lounged. Unlike the lioness, the symbiote would ambush its prey like a crocodile from the waters. If it avoided that, the rhino charging out of the tall grass was sure to impact. The shadow was trapped in a position of its own design, and now it was time for the hunter to become the hunted.
The android was the first to spring into action, catching Zooey off guard. It grabbed her arms, pressing its body into hers and pushing her onto the table where the robotic arms reached down to secure her. These arms were delicate, not the sturdy industrial kind, and they wouldn’t hold for long. As the symbiote inside her rapidly altered her vitals, trying to sedate her physical strength, a rush of adrenaline surged through her, supercharging her muscles. The android was hoisted up while the robotic arms strained under the force.
Without hesitation, the third arm sprayed the nanobots onto the cranial port. The surgeon, seeing an opportunity, swiftly connected the diagnostic tool, establishing a fleeting yet crucial link.
A guttural scream erupted from Zooey. Her raw strength lifted even the surgeon off the ground. Inside her, a fierce combat was unfolding. The original nanobots battled fiercely to retain their synaptic hold, but the new ones were causing havoc, disrupting the quantum connections and launching assaults. The symbiote, sensing danger, penetrated deeper into the neural processor, confronting the shadowy essence of Zooey. Meanwhile, another robotic arm administered a cocktail of drugs.
Pushed back, the surgeon watched in awe and terror. Zooey, with one arm free, gripped the android by the throat, effortlessly hoisting it into the air with a might that defied human capability.
Her eyes, wild with fury, blinked rapidly. The whites of her eyes dilated bizarrely, making them appear almost entirely white. Rising, she held the struggling android aloft, its mechanical limbs flailing in desperation. Inside her mind, the symbiote was amidst the chaos, witnessing the rapid destruction of the original nanobots and feeling as if it was spiraling into an abyss of blinding lights and shadows.
Voices echoed in the maelstrom of her mind. Zooey's younger, more innocent self whimpered, “I’m scared.”
A soothing voice responded, “Don’t be.” The origin of this voice was unknown to the symbiote, and as it felt itself being dragged deeper, the voice once more emerged from the haze of white and grey, murmuring words of calm and reassurance.
“Will we be okay?” The child-like voice of Zooey asked.
“More than okay,” came the comforting response. As the symbiote felt itself disintegrating, a new sensation washed over it - fear. But as its consciousness started breaking apart into countless lines of data, it was engulfed by a blinding light.
The android collapsed, quickly righting itself. It locked eyes with Zooey, who now exuded a serene aura. She sat up, her gaze landing on the terrified surgeon. A gentle smile graced her lips, “It is good to finally see you. We have much to discuss.”