I’m assuming you know the reason and are planning to tell me, but frankly I’m not sure I want to know the particulars, Doc.”
Kyra nodded in answer to Peyton’s questioning gaze. She was not surprised Peyton had figured it out. So had Alex, and Marshall before him. Feelings were natural for humans and they felt natural. She had also learned that awareness of them came back quickly when nothing was neurologically blocking their way. Unfortunately, some feelings were more pleasant to experience than others, as Peyton was about to find out.
“Let’s start by discussing the work I did on you. I incapacitated you by activating a hidden reboot code in your cyborg programming. Then while you were unconscious, I replaced your primary processor. The new one I gave you isn’t keeping your synapses firing with actions and thoughts you used to be programmed to repeat and follow twenty-four seven. Without those repeating signals blocking the way, your very human emotions are free to find normal synaptic paths across the various parts of your brain. You have physical body parts that rely on you having a processor, but there’s no reason you can’t have access to both your cybernetics and your feelings. To achieve that end, I’ve been working on a viable restoration process for the last seven years.”
“ Seven years? I don’t recall being modified for much more than three years.” His processor spun as he sought to validate or invalidate her statement. He could tell the answer was buried in his brain somewhere, but he just couldn’t get to it.
Kyra took in a breath and let it out slowly. The truth had to be said aloud, but explaining it to her third restored cyborg didn’t make it any easier.
“Captain Elliott, you’ve been a full cyborg and running programs off artificial intelligence chips for ten of the thirteen years that have passed since you received your first modifications. At the time you signed up for your military enhancements, there was no way to reverse the process as I just did. The military lied to you about it because the fledgling UCN believed Cyber Soldiers were necessary to end the wars. It was only later that scientists and non-scientists alike realized there were a great many things that could not be undone. Complete reversals are not physically possible nor mentally feasible. In short, once converted to a cyborg, a person cannot be anything else. For the rest of your life, you will always be part man and part machine.”
Peyton rose and began to pace. His stomach contracted painfully at hearing he’d been existing in some sort of cybernetic limbo. He felt the truth of it instantly in his gut, plus it finally offered a plausible explanation for the gaps in his memories. But how could so much time have passed without his awareness? That seemed improbable.
Damn it. Was the woman lying to him? Was she his enemy? If she was, how had she created such an elaborate illusion?
Peyton turned and glared. “What was your role in the situation you’re describing?”
Kyra stared back without blinking at his rising anger. It was nothing she hadn’t seen before.
“I am one of the two original creators of the Cyber Soldier program. I didn’t engineer your prosthetics, but I wrote nearly all the code that makes your brain work with them.”
Peyton ran a hand through his hair. “Did you know back then? Did you know there was no way to reverse the process when you cut off working parts of our bodies and made us what we are?”
Kyra swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes. I knew. But just like you got the enhancements for the noblest of reasons, I believed by the time your duty was done to the world, scientists like me would have discovered a way to restore all the soldiers. Unfortunately the other original creator developed an idea that was deemed a much better solution than attempting to reverse cybernetic modifications. He won the debate and I was never allowed to officially work on a restoration process.
Kyra nodded in answer to Peyton’s questioning gaze. She was not surprised Peyton had figured it out. So had Alex, and Marshall before him. Feelings were natural for humans and they felt natural. She had also learned that awareness of them came back quickly when nothing was neurologically blocking their way. Unfortunately, some feelings were more pleasant to experience than others, as Peyton was about to find out.
“Let’s start by discussing the work I did on you. I incapacitated you by activating a hidden reboot code in your cyborg programming. Then while you were unconscious, I replaced your primary processor. The new one I gave you isn’t keeping your synapses firing with actions and thoughts you used to be programmed to repeat and follow twenty-four seven. Without those repeating signals blocking the way, your very human emotions are free to find normal synaptic paths across the various parts of your brain. You have physical body parts that rely on you having a processor, but there’s no reason you can’t have access to both your cybernetics and your feelings. To achieve that end, I’ve been working on a viable restoration process for the last seven years.”
“ Seven years? I don’t recall being modified for much more than three years.” His processor spun as he sought to validate or invalidate her statement. He could tell the answer was buried in his brain somewhere, but he just couldn’t get to it.
Kyra took in a breath and let it out slowly. The truth had to be said aloud, but explaining it to her third restored cyborg didn’t make it any easier.
“Captain Elliott, you’ve been a full cyborg and running programs off artificial intelligence chips for ten of the thirteen years that have passed since you received your first modifications. At the time you signed up for your military enhancements, there was no way to reverse the process as I just did. The military lied to you about it because the fledgling UCN believed Cyber Soldiers were necessary to end the wars. It was only later that scientists and non-scientists alike realized there were a great many things that could not be undone. Complete reversals are not physically possible nor mentally feasible. In short, once converted to a cyborg, a person cannot be anything else. For the rest of your life, you will always be part man and part machine.”
Peyton rose and began to pace. His stomach contracted painfully at hearing he’d been existing in some sort of cybernetic limbo. He felt the truth of it instantly in his gut, plus it finally offered a plausible explanation for the gaps in his memories. But how could so much time have passed without his awareness? That seemed improbable.
Damn it. Was the woman lying to him? Was she his enemy? If she was, how had she created such an elaborate illusion?
Peyton turned and glared. “What was your role in the situation you’re describing?”
Kyra stared back without blinking at his rising anger. It was nothing she hadn’t seen before.
“I am one of the two original creators of the Cyber Soldier program. I didn’t engineer your prosthetics, but I wrote nearly all the code that makes your brain work with them.”
Peyton ran a hand through his hair. “Did you know back then? Did you know there was no way to reverse the process when you cut off working parts of our bodies and made us what we are?”
Kyra swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes. I knew. But just like you got the enhancements for the noblest of reasons, I believed by the time your duty was done to the world, scientists like me would have discovered a way to restore all the soldiers. Unfortunately the other original creator developed an idea that was deemed a much better solution than attempting to reverse cybernetic modifications. He won the debate and I was never allowed to officially work on a restoration process.
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