Evolve

Twenty

I woke up with quite a stir, like a truck suddenly jump starting back to life. I began coughing roughly and noticed there were needles and machines hooked up to me. The fact that they were able to pierce my skin was unnerving. I needed to find out what happened immediately.

There was no way to tell how long I was unconscious, my systems hadn't fully recovered to tell me anything yet. I pulled all the needles and wires out of me and put my boots on. My whole body was screaming at me to stay in the bed, but my mission wasn't over yet. Evelyn was still free, most likely with Maximum... and I was here. After examining my surroundings I assumed "here" was another part of the military base.

I went to make my escape, but noticed small security cameras on each corner of the room. They were watching me. I sighed to myself and tried to scan through the walls, but nothing changed. For some reason my systems weren't rebooting correctly and it began to make my usual confidence falter slightly. Whatever was happening to me wasn't right, something was different. I grew angry and lost my temper for a moment, punching the wall. The result was unexpected, I felt a blinding pain shoot up my arm and gritted my teeth as my hand went numb. My wounds from the previous battle hadn't even fully healed yet and now this, if Evelyn was anywhere around I'd have no chance.

"I suggest you lay back down, Ms.Eve." Hunter Simmons said as he came through the door. Unsurprisingly, his appearance did not improve my mental state.

"What's going on?" I said, sitting back on the bed out of exhaustion, not because of his order.

"You're back at the base in the emergency medical wing. What's the last thing you remember?" He let a doctor in who was examining the data given from the machines I was formerly hooked up to.

"My memory is fine, Simmons. I need to complete my mission. I need to find Evelyn." I said as defiantly as possible. I attempted to stand back up, but the room seemed to be spinning and it caused me to sit down. I was not used to such a feeling of weakness.

"I'm not sure your memory is that good, then," Simmons continued,
"If your memory was good, then you'd remember blowing yourself halfway to hell along with the new public enemy number one. We did our best to try and fix you, but we don't even know what you are. We didn't know if we needed a doctor or a mechanic." He forced a laugh and folded his arms across his body.
"We owed you for saving our asses, so we did what was necessary. We got my father to help." He seemed especially displeased with this peace of news.

"Your father is here?" I asked, remembering he worked with Ricardo in their younger days.

"Yes, but I'd avoid him if I was you. He knew a lot about you, almost too much I'd say. He helped stabilize you but there's a problem..." He looked as if he was trying to keep a secret, as if he didn't want to tell me.

"Captain Simmons, just spit it out." I told him.

"I'm still not sure what you are exactly, so it's hard for me to explain. It would be better to show you." He said and handed me my scanner from my bag.

Although I was slightly aggravated he went through my bag again, I let it go. I examined the scanner and saw nothing.  There was no beeping and no sound coming from it, though the device was clearly on. My brain was functioning enough to put two and two together, even if I hated the answer.

"My scanner is not picking up any nanobot technology in the area...because there is none to pick up, including my own. Somehow, my systems have shut down. My nanobots have apparently died." I stated very plainly. I would not let anger or pain show in my voice. This was all because of Evelyn, and I would not let her get the satisfaction.
"How am I still alive? I am not biologically made." I asked, more to myself than to Captain Simmons.