I sat there for a long while, once again lost in thought. There was something suspicious about all this—I could feel it. The same man who'd kept me buried under menial tasks for five years was now personally offering me a lead role in one of the company's most important projects? What was it again… a brain interface? That hardly sounded revolutionary. Plenty of devices already connected the human brain to computers—controlling robots, operating VR headsets, even prosthetics. Sure, Homhance had never ventured into this area before. But still—was this worth all the secrecy? Maybe it was just a strategy to get me to say yes. If so, it had worked. And the test was tomorrow. He couldn't have warned me earlier? I didn't even know what I was getting into!
As I tried to sort through everything that had just happened, time slipped away. I'd been staring into space for fifteen minutes. I grabbed my bag and stood up. I was on autopilot—still trapped inside my head. The only reason I didn't bump into every wall along the way was muscle memory, carved into my body after years of taking the same route every day.
When I came back to myself and looked up, it was snowing. No wonder I'd felt cold. Oddly, it helped keep my thoughts clear despite the storm swirling in my mind. I boarded the train, but this time, I didn't feel like putting on the VR headset. Not tonight. Tonight, I didn't want to forget—I couldn't afford to. I needed to think. I needed every ounce of focus I had. No distractions. No escape. And then, in that moment—despite everything—I felt… calm. I glanced around the empty train car and let my eyes wander to the horizon. It was the first time I truly saw that landscape. Under the snowfall, everything looked beautiful. I felt like I'd missed something precious—something that had always been right in front of me. For once, I turned my gaze away from the Homhance tower and began to look at the other buildings. Unfortunately, they weren't much to look at. Homhance was the beating heart of this city—it was the reason this city even existed. Its glow was blinding compared to the rest. I'd never thought about it before, but outside the Homhance district, most buildings were run-down. Mass-produced residential blocks, rarely maintained. Ever since the boom in robotics driven by general AI, countless jobs had been replaced. Only the most qualified engineers and doctors held real value in society anymore— which, in turn, had driven university tuition through the roof. And yet, look where I was now. All it took was the whim of one man to send it all crashing down. But tomorrow— tomorrow everything would change. I was about to take part in Homhance's biggest project yet. This would be the beginning of my ascent. I would finally reclaim the place that was rightfully mine.
Vrr…
A vibration in my pocket snapped me out of my thoughts. I checked my phone—it was a message from an anonymous number.
"You will find attached the test details for project 'BonRetour.' No technical specifications about the product will be disclosed, for confidentiality reasons. However, you will have access to all information deemed necessary."
Another vague message… I clicked the link, and a massive document opened—about fifty pages long. The title read: Operation BonRetour. So… this wasn't just a product. It was a full-blown operation. I started scrolling. Text. Lots of text. Then images. Diagrams. Graphs. I couldn't make sense of the purpose or procedure. And then… a thought occurred to me. A disturbing one. I buried it deep, didn't want to believe it. But as the pages continued, I couldn't lie to myself anymore. The truth stared me in the face. This was a surgical procedure. And it involved the brain—but not just the brain. If I was reading this correctly, it targeted the entire nervous system. Still in denial, I scrolled up and down—but the pages didn't change. I forced myself to read the introduction carefully. Everything was vague, full of legal language and euphemisms. But some things were clear enough:
"Replacement of vital organs."
"Collection of physiological data from the test subject."
"Warning: critical maneuver."
My vision blurred. My head spun. Outside the window, the scenery had changed—the train was already reaching the city outskirts. My stop was next. I didn't want to move. I swallowed the tears welling in my eyes and summoned what little strength I had left to drag myself off the train.
I was a fool. Of course it was too good to be true. Of course they weren't just asking me to test a prototype. If Homhance was developing brain-interface technology, it wasn't going to be some cute little electrodes stuck to my head. I was so stupid. Had I really believed Thomas Homhance was trying to make amends? That he felt guilty? I hated myself for being so naive—more than I hated Homhance for hiding the truth. And that was the worst part.
Deep down, I had suspected it. But I had buried my instincts beneath a pile of comforting lies. And now…only one question remained: Would I go through with it? Or would I back out?
I was torn. If I refused, they'd have the perfect excuse to finally get rid of me. With Homhance holding the monopoly in the region, I'd have to relocate just to stand a chance at finding another job. And let's face it—my experience here wasn't exactly stellar.
But if I accepted… I might finally be part of a major cybernetics project. Just like I'd dreamed. I could become the first person equipped with such a device. But that came with the ultimate price—my life.
Bang! A dull sound broke my train of thought. I turned toward it—then quickly looked away. More punks. Looked like they were beating someone up.
Still, curiosity tugged at me. I peeked. Three guys surrounding a fourth, younger one, curled up on the ground. Must've been the one who took the hit. What had he done to deserve that? He didn't even look like the type. Average build, skinny, messy brown hair, green eyes.
"That's all you got for us?" one of the thugs barked. No reply.
Should I help him? I mean… I'm probably going to die tomorrow anyway.
I weighed the pros and cons—but turned away and kept walking. I wasn't going to throw my life away for a stranger. If I was going to risk it, it would be for something that mattered. Something worth it. Besides, who knows what he did to get himself in that mess? Maybe it was all his fault.
I walked the rest of the way home in silence, trying to convince myself I wasn't a coward.
It was late. I still hadn't made a decision. I kicked off my shoes and collapsed into bed. I wanted to keep thinking—dwell on my misery, spiral deeper—but the exhaustion and stress pulled me straight into unconsciousness.