The last thing Commons saw before the concussion wave hit was code he’d been focussed on writing for the last several days. Then there was nothing but the high pitched ringing. The only sensation was horrific pain caused by the rebar which had entered the back of his neck, pierced his vertebrae & now protruded 3 feet from the front of his throat. His body tingled, like the pain from a sleeping limb waking but throughout every inch of his flesh.

Everything faded out.

Commons woke to florescents & digital beeping. A fuzzy figure floating over him rezzed in slowly, morphing into a very attractive pale woman’s face.

‘Hi there, I’m Dr. Slade. You’ve been out four days now. We had to rebuild your neck & amp up your torso to support the upgrades. It may feel weird at first but you can try standing now.’

He followed her directions, feeling an abnormal fluidity to his movements. He’d expected stiffness but his joints worked better than ever.

Then he saw his new neck in the mirror.

Just what he’d always wanted.