Two days passed in a flash.
"F**k! I finally figured it out!"
Peter stared at the small chip in his hand, his eyes wide with disbelief.
To be honest, designing a neural unit chip that could deceive the prosthetic body's erosion system was no easy task. The complexity was beyond imagination. If the scientists of this world were to research this technology, even with the most advanced equipment, it would take years—if not decades—to develop a working prototype.
The investment required was astronomical, and the current demand for such technology was limited. Most ordinary people only installed basic prosthetics to improve their daily lives, avoiding excessive cybernetic enhancements. As a result, cases of cyber psychosis were relatively rare.
The ones most affected were mercenaries and soldiers—people who pushed their cybernetic limits to the extreme. However, they were a minority.
No major corporation would invest in something with such a low return rate. There was no financial incentive.
But Peter had done it.
And it had only taken him two days.
Though the market for this chip was small from a corporate perspective, for an independent engineer like Peter, it was a goldmine.
---
A Warning from Johnny
Just as Peter was admiring his creation, a familiar voice rang out beside him.
"Peter, I get why you'd show this to your friends, but Rubei warned that mass-producing it could lead to irreversible consequences."
Johnny materialized next to him, his expression unusually serious. He had been observing Peter's work over the past two days, and he didn't like what he was seeing.
"You mean if it falls into the hands of mercenaries, they'll abuse cybernetics?" Peter asked, already understanding where Johnny was going with this.
With a chip that prevented cyber psychosis, people who had previously feared over-enhancing their bodies would now push their limits recklessly.
Johnny didn't respond, but his silence said everything.
Peter sighed. "I get it, Johnny. I have no intention of mass-producing this."
Hearing this, Johnny let out a breath of relief. He might have been reckless in his own life, but even he knew where to draw the line.
In reality, Peter didn't have to take Johnny's concerns into account at all. After all, if Peter wanted, he could simply shut Johnny up entirely.
Just then—
Ding!
[Incoming Call: Judy Alvarez]
Peter put the chip away before answering the call.
"Hey, Judy, what's up?"
"Peter, I think Ai's condition has stabilized over the past two days. I think it's time to take her to a doctor."
"Got it. I'll be there soon."
Judy hung up, and Peter wasted no time. He hopped into V's fully customized Viper and sped off toward her apartment.
---
Meeting Evelyn
Half an hour later, Peter pulled up outside Judy's apartment building.
He made his way inside and knocked on her door.
The door opened, and Judy greeted him with a tired expression.
"Peter, you're here. Evelyn's in the room. Go check on her."
Peter nodded and stepped inside.
As he entered Evelyn's room, he found her sitting on the bed, clutching a cup of coffee in both hands.
She stared blankly at the wall, her face devoid of emotion.
Peter pulled a chair over and sat in front of her.
"Do you remember me, Evelyn?" he asked gently.
She blinked slowly and turned to look at him, her expression empty.
"You are…?" Her voice was faint, and her words dragged, as if forming sentences was a struggle. The behavioral chip inside her brain was still damaged, making communication difficult.
Judy, standing behind Peter, sighed.
"Since she woke up, she doesn't remember much," Judy explained. "She doesn't even recognize me. Sometimes she just sits there all day, doing nothing. She doesn't even realize when she—"
Judy hesitated before finishing her sentence.
"—she doesn't even realize when she's incontinent."
There was no disgust in Judy's voice, only deep sorrow. Evelyn had once been full of life, sharp and confident. Now, she was a shadow of her former self.
Peter looked at Evelyn, his heart heavy.
This wasn't just memory loss—it was something deeper. Something was fundamentally broken inside her.
"Evelyn," Peter said again, softer this time. "Do you remember what happened?"
She lowered her gaze, staring at her coffee as if it held the answer.
"I... don't know..." she whispered.
---
A Plan to Help Evelyn
Judy crossed her arms, frustration clear in her expression.
"I've tried everything," she admitted. "Therapy, medications, even brain scans. Nothing's working. And the doctors say it might take months—years—for her to recover, if at all."
Peter tapped his fingers against his knee, thinking.
"What about an alternative solution?" he suggested.
Judy frowned. "Like what?"
Peter glanced at his cybernetic hand.
"There are experimental neural implants that could help repair her damaged pathways," he explained. "It's risky, but it might speed up her recovery."
Judy hesitated. "You mean like the chip you just built?"
Peter nodded.
Judy let out a breath. "Would it work?"
"I won't lie. It's not guaranteed. But if we do nothing, she might never recover at all."
Evelyn remained silent, but her hands trembled slightly around the coffee cup.
"Do you want to try, Evelyn?" Peter asked her directly.
She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face.
A long silence followed.
Then, finally—
"...Yes."
Judy's eyes widened in surprise.
Peter smiled. "Alright. Then let's get to work."
---
The Beginning of Recovery
Over the next few hours, Peter and Judy worked together to prepare Evelyn for the procedure.
Peter modified the chip, ensuring it wouldn't overload her system. The goal wasn't to enhance her—it was to stabilize her.
Judy monitored Evelyn's vitals closely, her fingers crossed.
As Peter made the final adjustments, he looked at Evelyn one more time.
"You ready?" he asked.
Evelyn took a deep breath and nodded.
"Do it."
Peter carefully inserted the chip into her neural interface.
A moment later—
Evelyn gasped.
Her body shuddered, and for a terrifying second, she seemed to glitch—like a bad data stream.
Then, just as quickly, she stilled.
Judy held her breath. "Evelyn?"
Evelyn's eyes slowly refocused.
Then, for the first time in days—
She smiled.
---
Final Thoughts
The neural chip had worked, at least partially. Evelyn was far from fully recovered, but this was the first real progress she had made.
Peter leaned back, relieved.
Judy wiped at her eyes, overwhelmed. "Thank you, Peter."
He nodded. "We're not done yet. But this is a start."
As Evelyn looked around, truly aware for the first time in ages, Peter knew—
This was just the beginning.
And he would see it through to the end.
---