The black box hums softly in my hands, and I swear I can feel it pulse along with my heartbeat. ORION… it's strange calling it that, like it's a presence sitting beside me rather than a piece of tech. I can sense the nano-core thrumming inside me, warming my chest, crawling through my veins. Every nerve feels alive.
I take a shaky breath. My body feels different—lighter, faster, but somehow… my own. I raise my hand to the desk and drop a pen on purpose. Without thinking, I snatch it mid-fall. My heart skips a beat.
"Catch successful. Reflex improvement confirmed," ORION says in my head, calm, unflinching.
I blink. Reflexes improved? Muscle coordination? I run my fingers through my hair, trying to make sense of it all. My voice comes out almost as a whisper. "Okay… this is real."
I test it again. I toss a chair gently, catching it before it hits the floor. My movements feel fluid, effortless. There's a sharpness to everything—my hearing, my vision, even the way my muscles react. It's unnerving and exhilarating all at once. I swallow hard.
"Host: full motor calibration recommended," ORION continues.
I pace, weaving between the furniture. I notice details I've never paid attention to before—the scratches on the desk, the pattern of light through the window, the tiny speck of dust dancing in a sunbeam. My senses feel… amplified, alive.
I can hear distant sirens now, the groan of the city outside. Fires, explosions, chaos. WW3 isn't some faraway headline anymore. It's here, just outside my home. And I have no idea where my parents are.
"Host, risk assessment: moderate. Tactical recommendation: observe before proceeding."
I nod, even though ORION can't see me. I step outside. The air is thick with smoke and dust, burning my lungs. Flames curl from nearby buildings. Cars lay overturned across streets. People run blindly, screaming, panicking. My first instinct wants to freeze, but ORION's presence steadies me. It's… calm, inhumanly calm.
I focus. I notice details most would miss—the cracks in the pavement, a flicker of fire, a loose beam about to fall. My reflexes kick in automatically. I roll, duck, leap around debris. Each movement feels effortless, precise, like my body knows what to do before my mind decides.
I see a man trapped under a beam. Instinctively, I sprint toward him, pushing my enhanced body to its limits. I lift the beam with one hand—strength I didn't know I had—and help him out. He stumbles back, wide-eyed.
"Th-thank you!" he gasps. "I… I thought I was done for!"
I barely nod. "Move. Stay low," I tell him. My voice sounds strange even to me—calm, steady, commanding. My heart still pounds, but fear isn't in control anymore.
"Host: strength and motor coordination optimal. Probability of success increased."
I keep moving, testing my abilities. I catch falling debris, pull people away from danger, dodge flames and flying glass. It feels like my body and ORION are syncing, moving together as one. The black box hums faintly, but it feels more like a heartbeat than a machine.
I pause across from the park near my house. Smoke drifts from blocks away. Fires consume what used to be ordinary streets. People scatter in panic. I can hear a child crying faintly under rubble. My enhanced hearing locates him immediately. I sprint toward the sound. My body moves faster than any normal human could react.
I reach the child. Debris traps his legs. I kneel beside him, hands glowing faintly with nano-energy as I lift the heavy wood. He scrambles free, tears streaking his face.
"Thank you! Thank you!" he cries.
I nod, chest burning from adrenaline. "It's okay. Run!"
"Host: strength and precision verified. Core efficiency optimal. Emotional stress within parameters."
I take a moment, leaning against a broken streetlight. My lungs burn, my body tingles, and my mind races. I realize I am… more than I was. Faster, sharper, alive in ways I didn't know existed. ORION whispers calmly, a guiding presence, precise and patient.
I glance back toward my house. Smoke rises from nearby streets. My parents… I have no idea where they are. But I know one thing—whatever happens next, I am no longer helpless. I have ORION. I have the black box. I have my mind and body synced in a way that makes me… dangerous, in a good way.
"Host: tactical assessment complete. Recommendations: gather intelligence, maintain awareness, avoid confrontation unless necessary."
I nod. I can feel my muscles relaxing slightly, my adrenaline shifting into a steady rhythm. I move again, this time slower, deliberate, weaving through the ruined streets. Each step is precise, controlled. I notice how debris shifts under my feet, how smoke drifts, how distant cries echo differently.
For the first time since the explosion, I feel… ready. Ready to act, to survive, to understand. ORION hums in response, a faint vibration in my chest. I am not just alive. I am awakened.
A shadow crosses my path—a group of people fleeing toward the park, carrying what they can salvage. I adjust my speed, moving faster than them, scanning for danger. I notice a collapsed lamppost on the edge of their path. Without hesitation, I lift it enough to create a safe gap for them to run through. The tiniest detail, unnoticed by ordinary eyes, saved lives.
"Host: situational awareness enhanced. Probability of civilian survival increased."
I step back, breathing heavily. My mind is alive, buzzing, calculating. Every sensation is sharper, every motion smoother. I can feel ORION inside me, syncing with every nerve, every muscle, every thought. We're connected now.
I pause, letting the chaos of the city wash over me. Fires, smoke, screams—it all feels surreal. And yet… I am in control. I can move, I can react, I can help. I am not just surviving. I am adapting.
"Host: initial calibration complete. Advanced capabilities unlocked. Recommendation: continue exploration and testing."
I take a deep breath, looking at the streets I grew up on, now unrecognizable. This city, my home, is burning. People are suffering. And I… I am awake. ORION hums softly inside me, a calm voice in a world gone mad.
I step forward again. Each motion deliberate. Each step confident. I have no idea what comes next. But I know one thing: I am ready to face it.
The fires crackle. Smoke curls higher. The world is collapsing around me. And I am awake, alive, and more than human.
This is only the beginning.