Blackout

Chapter 1

Screws, nuts, bolts, wires and chips. All of these things accumulate and combine, to become something that can be used. These parts are worthless on their own, but together they can create many things that serve many purposes.

It could be a ustensil for the kitchen, a tool for construction, a tracer in investigation, or even a weapon of destruction... But I don't know what it'll be yet...

I always build something, it's my addiction. I always have to surpass my previous effort and result, so that I don't lag behind. Often I know what to build, and just take the multiple steps to getting there, but more often than not I don't... I just do what people would call let your heart decide, and I subconsciously build something. Later I find that the things I've built serve a purpose, other times they just bring back memories.

"... Finished!... " I exclaimed, as I twisted the last screw. I looked over my creation, a modified motorcycle, and inspected it. I tried to feel some form of accomplishment, but all I see is room for improvement.

I rubbed my eyes, and yawned loudly. I had been up and working on this thing ever since eleven PM last night, and it's eleven AM right now. I never know when to quit, and everyone who saw this would say that this lifestyle isn't healthy.

My sleeping pattern is messed up, I often skip meals, and I bottle anger and frustration until they erupt like a volcano. I have too much money to spend, one of the first things I did was pull strings so that I could get a license for building and selling support items. With the money I have to spend I could probably live in some fancy mansion, but I don't.

I live easy, I have my own apartment, and I use a garage with a lot of space as a workplace. I rarely leave the garage, the apartment is empty ninety percent of the time. I don't just work here until I pass out, I eat, sleep, train and meditate. The garage is my home, and I've done things to make it look like whatever is closest to a home.

I walked away from the bike, intent on eating breakfast for once. Then I stopped, and walked up to a wall. It had been painted, a sky blue with some white clouds, and in front of it was a small desk-like shelf. On the shelf there were some lights, and they all surrounded a picture.

The picture was a photograph, a family photo. The people in that photograph were all happy, as they smiled at the camera. The family consisted of three people. A young and beautiful woman, the mother, a cute and small girl, the daughter of almost eight years... and a man who looked to be the same age as the woman... me... The father...

We were all so happy that day, our daughter was overjoyed because she had seen a rainbow. I took this picture so that we could look back at it and smile... But now I'm the only one looking at it, because they're gone...

I could feel how my body was trembling, my sadness was turning into frustration that bottled into pressure. I reached for the back of my neck, and felt a device made from metal and plastic... The thing that is keeping my neck in place, and helping me walk.

I looked towards the painting of the blue sky, as I wore a sad smile.

"That is what you longed for, the thing that you really wanted to see... Isn't it?... " I muttered, as I let go of my neck. I was still and silent for a while now, until the device rang.

I could see a digital screen appear in my field of vision, something only I could see. The device kept my neck and nerves in place, but it also let me do something else. I can remotely hack and access technology, by controlling it with my mind. It also gave me these menus in order to show me statistics or feeds... The device is called Nervelink, and while it helps me around my own handicap even if my movements have become stiff and robotic, you could say that it is my quirk... Or rather, my Artificial quirk...