Prologue
Date: May 17, 2279 Location: Piutony
"We're losing her! "
"I can see that! Stanch the wound and get some artificial cells on it. She's losing blood fast."
The heart monitor showed her beat accelerating, her unsteady breath weakened. Her face twitched, her brow creased, and her dark fingers turned pale. The doctor to her right added more anesthetics before sprinkling some new cells on the bleeding thigh. The metal was being attached to her right hip. Her left arm and plating on her stomach and back were finished, but they cut too far on her thigh, and punctured an artery. The artificial cells would help repair the cut tissue, but this meant that the patient may have defects. Subtle, but they will be there. If they have to add blood, it is theoretical that she would not be herself in after the operation, minus the fact that she would be part metal.
The doctors worked quickly, and were able to stop the bleeding, and add more blood, but in the end they turned somber. This one would be different than the other four. Leaving the patients in their now-empty bedrooms, the doctors walked to the living room to rest.
"This is only our first official operation, Dr. Croxer." Said a young, but well experienced, physician.
"But this girl was different than the rest from the start." Dr. Croxer thought for a moment, then said, "I'll look after her."
The other doctors panicked. "But sir, that would blow our cover! What if she remembers prematurely from your presence?"
"Then we give her a waking phrase that I would never say." A pause. "Make it what her brother said to her right as she went under. I'll act as the worst caregiver alive." He didn't like it, but it may just save her. He would die for that little girl. She was their only hope.
