The Righters

Chapter 4

Making the transition from a lowly peasant to an upper-class citizen was hard work. Blake Thomas, however, appreciated the opportunity to turn a lifelong dream into an actual reality. The man with the looks of Taye Diggs and the inventive brain of Bill Gates had finally made it.

Blake enjoyed his work at DNABotics Corporation, the leading robotic engineering organization in the world.

Since the release of the highly sought-after Auricles, Blake longed to have his own. He had just finished getting one installed at the Auricle Surgery Clinic, the only clinic in the region that provided surgery for the installation of Auricles.

After he came to, he sensed an excruciating pain emanating from his left ear.

"Jeez, Doc. Is this pain normal?" he asked Dr. Borski.

The doctor examined Blake's ear closely. "It's perfectly normal, Blake. You'll probably experience sharp pain for a day or two. The sharp pain should convert to a dull pain which will last for roughly a week or so. I gave you a pain neutralizer which should help subdue some of the pain for a while. You won't be able to activate your Auricle until the third week. This will allow the nerves to interact with the Auricle technology. Once this process is complete and you've activated your Auricle, it will be ready for use."

Blake nodded in response.

Next, Dr. Borski carefully dressed Blake's ear.

"Do you have any questions?" the doctor asked.

"You basically covered everything. But do you have anything else for the pain?"

Dr. Borski pointed a finger in the air, a gesture suggesting that he'd suddenly remembered something. "Thank you for reminding me." He opened one of his drawers and pulled out a small bottle containing only one pill. "This is Epexinol." Dr. Borski handed Blake the bottle. "Take this pill when you get home. You won't feel any pain for about nine days. By the time the medication wears off, your ear should be fine."

Blake grabbed the bottle and observed it closely. He figured that one pill would probably cost him a month's salary.

"Thanks, Doc," Blake said as he pocketed the bottle.

"No problem. Stop by the clerk's desk on your way out. She'll have you checked out and ready to go."

Blake shook Dr. Borski's hand, exited the surgical floor, and stopped by the clerk's desk in the main lobby.

Five clerks manned the counter, one of which was particularly beautiful. Blake chose to approach her.

"How are you today?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Are you checking out? If so, I need your ID chip."

"Yes," Blake replied casually after handing her his identification chip. After a slight hesitation, Blake decided to press on with a pickup line. "As a matter of fact, I've been checking you out."

Terrible.

The clerk took the chip and raised her left hand, palm facing her, in order to show Blake the impressive ring on her finger.

Blake grimaced at the sight of the ring. "Sorry, didn't know you were—"

"Don't worry about it. Plus, I don't dig guys with funny bandages on their heads." With that, she smirked and began typing frantically.

Blake smiled nervously and looked around the frantic hospital. Seconds later, the clerk handed him his identification chip.

"You're all set," she said dismissively.

"Thank you," he replied, simultaneously placing the chip in his pocket.

"Have a nice day." The clerk quickly turned around and told her coworkers that she was going on break.

Blake left the clerk's desk and headed for the exit.

"Bitch," he murmured under his breath.

Blake squinted as the brightness of the outdoors assaulted his eyes. He placed his hand above his eyes in order to shield them from the sun.

Getting a taxi at this time of day would prove to be an encumbering inconvenience.

Suddenly, a black floater drifted toward the hospital and stopped directly in front of him. One of the doors lifted, and a man in a black suit got out. He looked rough around the edges; there was a large scar on the right side of his face. His hair was slicked back and neatly trimmed in an unorthodox manner.

But something about the man wasn't right. Then Blake noticed what was different.

His arms were far too large for his body.

He appeared to be in good shape—maintaining a slender, athletic figure—but his arms would make the most dedicated professional bodybuilder blush with embarrassment.

The man stared at Blake intently.

Puzzled, Blake asked, "Can I help you?"

"Get in," the man replied.

Blake's heart skipped a beat. "There's no way I'm getting—"

"I won't ask you again," the man interrupted. "Now get in!"

"Why should I?" Blake asked.

Suddenly, Blake felt his body tense, and a distinct pain ran throughout his entire nervous system. His knees locked, and before he could comprehend what was happening, he was shaking on the ground uncontrollably.

Seconds later, everything slowly faded to black.