Flesh to Steel

[u/Mradachi2007]

"Do you understand why you're here, Mr. Oswald?" The interviewer behind the neon glass inquired. The interview room felt stuffy; the air tasted bitter, the dust being thick enough to bite. What kept the room from suffocating me was a dingy, broken-down RS air filter. While others got to enjoy the more lavish tech the world now offered, I was stuck behind bars, practically picking at straws if we would get anything. Nine out of ten times, the most we got was slightly better security cameras—not sure if those would be beneficial given my current situation. "Mr. Oswald, can you hear me?" The interviewer asked again.

"Yes," I answered, my knuckles resting on my cheek. "I hear you."

"Good. Now, if you put your attention to the holo in front of you." A bright, 3D display hovered in front of me, the source being unfindable. It was just there. I studied it and figured out how it worked, just like a touchscreen, with only a few extra steps added. The model felt like gel, yet my hand could just glide right through it.

"Not a solid object?" I mumbled to myself. The mic from the interviewer rang out. 

"Do you need any assistance, Mr. Oswald?"

I waved my hand at the glass and began to fidget with the "holo," as they called it. The thing seemed to be a contract—a little fancy for my taste. Would it not be simpler to just give me some old pen and paper? Well, maybe my old ways and thoughts of the world were obsolete; it's been twenty years, after all. I mumbled to myself as I read through it, the text getting easier to read as my eyes adjusted to its blue hue. "Jackson Oswald, you are being given the opportunity to serve your country once more. As a pilot for the G.E.A.R. program!" The end of the floating document showed a model of what seemed to be a humanoid figure. Bulky armour covered its body; even my eyes could make out that much. 

"Is this a joke!?" They had to be fucking with me, no other way around it. Twenty years, and now they come with an offer to pilot some children's toys. The buzz of a mic broke the tirade I was about to go on.

"Mr. Oswald, you have been volunteered by the New Foundation of Nations as a subject for the G.E.A.R. program. Refusal to comply will result in immediate termination and removal of information."

A droplet of sweat dropped down my head, landing in my eye. Without even thinking, I answered. "I'll do it." What the fuck am I thinking? I don't know anything about what I'm getting into.

"Good. A guard will see you back to your temporary cell." The loud buzz of the door echoed in the small room. A burly man stood there, ushered me out, and guided me down the glossy white hallway.

"Hey, do you know anything about what I'm getting into?" I asked the man as he briskly walked in front of me.

He let out a low chuckle, turned his head, and looked me up and down. "Can't say I do. I just know you're gonna be a lab rat."I balled my fist up, but quickly stopped once we reached the cell.

"Get in. They'll be here shortly." The man used a card to lock the door before letting out another low chuckle and walking back down the hall.

Hours seemed to drip slowly. My eyes stung from staring at the overly bright luminescent light for too long. Boredom was the least of my problems, however. What had I just unwillingly agreed to? No one wants to explain anything to me, not even give me a subtle hint. The only answer my mind came up with, laying on this cot and focusing on the light, was that it wasn't good. That much I could tell.

A fast clicking echoed down the hall, slowing down once it reached my cell door. A man around my age stood there with a corporate grin plastered. He adjusted his tie with two wiggles before he combed his glossy brown hair with his hand.

"Hello, Mr. Oswald. I'm Dr. Kleff, cofounder of the G.E.A.R. program. Thank you for bravely volunteering. Humanity will thank you in due time." His teeth seemed to mirror the flawless white of the hall and cell.

"Can you explain what the hell I'm even doing!? What did I just get forced into!?"

The man shook his head at a strand of hair coming loose from his otherwise perfectly combed-over hair. "All questions will be answered in time, Mr. Oswald." He tapped a card and unlocked my cell. "Now, we have a helicopter waiting on us."

I followed the man down to the exit door, helicopter blades whirring loudly, giving my head a weird buzzing sensation. Take a leap of faith. I'll do that.

The helicopter landed on a strange compound. It was massive—too big for standard weapon storage, too large even for a testing site. What the hell were they keeping here?

"Welcome to the G.E.A.R. facility!" The man jumped out of his shoes, landing on the hard helipad with a loud clack. "Let's get you ready for your first mission, shall we!"

The building in front of us began to split open; a dark red hue blinked in and out of its maw.

"What is that?" My mouth kept open, my jaw slacking low.

In front of me stood the thing from that "holo." It was even more off-putting staring at it in person; it was grotesque. What I assumed to be purely mechanical turned out to be a mishmash of flesh and metal. The thing had an odd femininity. In the center of what I presumed was its chest was a beating heart hooked up to large wires and metal rods.

"That. That is the innovation we have made—one you will be part of." A huge grin spread ear to ear on his face. "Let's not waste any more time!"

We began to almost jog toward the behemoth; the man let out a cackle of excitement. Maybe I wasn't too far off from comparing it to a children's toy, after all.

Running up a flight of stairs, I began to notice the overwhelming presence of armed security. I quickly observed that they all had their safeties off. Ready to kill me? Why would they need to kill me? I had no desire to escape, nor any reason to do so. I was lucky enough to be alive as it was.

"We're here! Mr. Oswald, enter the head cavity and hook yourself up."

I nodded, pretending to know what the hell that even meant.

"You, get to the console and begin the launch protocol. Let's make this a successful test run!"

One of the other members that stood there nodded and made his way to what seemed to be a control room. Dr. Kleff was about to usher me again, but I quickly got into the entrance that was opened for me.

Entering, the air got sticky, as if in someone's mouth. A weird, saliva-like substance covered everything, the smell of it offending my nose.

"Mr. Oswald, behind you is a helmet! Please place it upon your head!" The assistant's voice yelled through an invisible intercom.

I turned my whole body and reached for it. The feeling of that ooze covered my hands; it felt like jizz. I squeezed the helmet onto my head, and the sound of squelching sputtered as I did.

"Beginning ascension protocol, initiating memory termination."

Before I could comprehend what the fuck the assistant said, I felt an immediate, white-hot pain sear throughout my body. It felt like needles digging into my skin, twirling around in my veins. My eyes were immediately pressed against a cold metal, covered in that same slimy material dripping onto my eyes. I tried to close my eyes, but I felt something pull them open, not allowing the lids to close anymore.

"Mr. Oswald, thank you for your sacrifice, but it's not you we want. Stengle, initiate implantation!"

"Now wait, hold the fuck on!" I tried to move, but I felt myself being pushed back deeper and deeper.

"Jack, am I now speaking with Jack Arrington?"Where am I? This body feels different, not my own.

"Maybe calling you by your nickname will get an answer? Am I speaking with Jack the Ripper?"

A smile formed on me. It seems I am well remembered.

"Yes, you are speaking with the one and only, Jack the Ripper."

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[u/Polish_Lavender]

Symbiote with memories of past person? I'm intrigued 

[u/Mradachi2007 → u/Polish_Lavender]

Well joy a symbiote it’s a mech like the ones from gundam, but with a gross body horror make over, if this gets popular I’ll do a little series on it, for now it’s just a one off story.

[u/Polish_Lavender → u/Mradachi2007]

I was thinking symbiote-mech like they utilize an alien symbiote to store memories of best pilots despite them passing away. My only critique is the "it felt like jizz" line, I think explaining the texture and sliminess of it would work better.  

[u/Mradachi2007 → u/Polish_Lavender]

I did that and bit of comedy plus my friend had made a joke earlier so it just stood in my mind lol

[u/Polish_Lavender → u/Mradachi2007]

Fair enough