A strange hum echoed in the silence.
The med-bay of Sector 9's infirmary was always quiet at this hour. The only sounds were the rhythmic beeping of bio-monitors and the soft whirr of automated diagnostic arms adjusting themselves. But tonight, something was different. Something—or someone—was stirring.
Arin Verma lay motionless under the sterile white sheet. His body, though frail, radiated an unfamiliar warmth. His vitals, which had been erratic just hours ago, had stabilized inexplicably. The supervising medic had already made a note of it, puzzled but too overworked to investigate further. The official report would likely say: "Patient showing unexpected recovery. Further observation required."
But Arin wasn't just recovering.
Deep inside his mind—beyond consciousness—a storm was taking place.
He stood in a space of nothingness, surrounded by darkness, yet it wasn't empty. Strange whispers danced around him, forming symbols in midair—DNA spirals, cryptic glyphs, strange bio-mechanical structures floating weightlessly. A calm voice emerged from the shadows.
[System Integration in Progress...]
[Host Identified: Arin Verma]
[Bio-AI Core Fusion: 2%... 12%... 37%...]
Pain surged through his imagined form as his neural pathways were forcefully rewritten. Every cell in his body screamed and adapted simultaneously. He couldn't speak, couldn't move—only endure.
Then suddenly—silence.
The moment stretched like eternity… until the voice returned, smoother, firmer, almost mechanical yet oddly familiar.
[Fusion Complete. System Online.]
Welcome, Arin Verma, to the Bio-System v0.1. You are now a registered Host.
A bright light blinded him.
And he woke up.
---
Arin's eyes snapped open.
The world above was blurry, shapes moving, colors too bright. It took him a few seconds to realize he was still in the med-bay. The lights on the ceiling hummed softly, and the white curtain separating his bed from the others billowed gently in the air-conditioning.
He sat up abruptly. A soft gasp escaped his lips.
His body felt… different.
Lighter. Stronger. More alert.
"W-What the hell...?" he whispered, clutching his temple.
A transparent interface flashed in front of his eyes, seemingly floating in midair but clearly visible only to him.
> [Bio-System Activated]
Conducting Initial Body Scan...
DNA Signature Confirmed – Rank F (Weak Human)
Compatibility: 83% – Bond Level: 3%
Initializing Neural Interface... Success.
Arin couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was this a dream? Some simulation? His hand waved in front of the projection, but it didn't disappear.
"This… This is real?"
He jumped slightly as another notification appeared in a calm voice directly in his head:
> [Daily Quest Generated]
"Survival Begins"
Objectives:
– Walk 1000 steps
– Perform 10 push-ups
– Scan 3 surrounding objects
Reward: +1 Stat Point, Basic Muscle Recovery Serum
His mouth went dry. "A system? Inside my body?"
He tried to remember what had happened before he passed out. The mock combat trial. The shockwave. The pain. Then—blackout.
And now… this.
He swung his legs off the bed and stood, expecting weakness, dizziness. But instead, he felt sturdy. Balanced. Focused.
His fingers flexed with strength he never had before.
Just then, the med-bay door slid open with a pneumatic hiss. A middle-aged medic entered, flipping through a tablet. He looked up and froze.
"You're—awake?" the man blurted out. "That's… impossible."
Arin blinked, pretending confusion. "How long was I out?"
"Almost 18 hours. We thought you had slipped into a coma. Your vitals were unstable. The shock you took should've left you unconscious for days—if not worse." The medic approached, running a scanner along Arin's forehead. "But your readings are… normal. No—better than normal."
"I guess I'm just lucky," Arin said with a faint smile, suppressing the panic inside.
The medic didn't look convinced but nodded slowly. "We'll keep you under observation a bit longer. Just rest, alright?"
Arin nodded and watched him leave.
He had no intention of resting.
---
Over the next hour, Arin tested his senses in subtle ways.
His hearing had sharpened—he could hear two medics whispering behind the glass wall.
His vision was clearer, more vivid. Text on distant signs looked magnified as if auto-zoomed by invisible lenses. His reaction time had improved too—he caught a falling metal tray without even thinking.
But the strangest part?
He could now scan things.
He focused on a chair nearby.
> [Object Scanned: Metallic Chair]
Material: Steel Alloy Z-38
Structural Integrity: 96%
Estimated Weight: 14.3 kg
He blinked, stunned. "That counts as one…"
Next, he looked at the scanner on the wall.
> [Object Scanned: Bio-Metric Reader]
Manufacturer: MedTech Core Systems
User Access: Level 1 Clearance
Status: Operational
Two.
He scanned his own reflection in the mirror.
> [Object Scanned: Arin Verma – Host]
DNA Rank: F
Energy Capacity: 17%
Core Bond: 3.1%
Note: Eligible for Upgrade upon Quest Completion
Three.
Quest Progress: 3/3 object scans complete.
"Okay… That's progress," he muttered. "Now the push-ups."
He lowered himself onto the floor and began.
One. Two. Three...
Surprisingly, he didn't struggle.
In fact, he powered through all ten, finishing with barely a sweat.
[Push-up Objective Complete]
He rose, heart pounding—not from exhaustion, but from exhilaration.
Finally, he began pacing the room, counting his steps mentally. The translucent interface even kept track for him.
...984, 985, 986...
By the time he hit a thousand, another notification chimed.
> [Daily Quest Completed]
Rewards Granted:
– +1 Stat Point (Unassigned)
– Basic Muscle Recovery Serum (Delivered to Inventory)
– System Synchronization +0.5%
– Achievement Unlocked: "First Steps Toward Evolution"
Arin grinned, unable to hide his excitement. "This is real. This is actually happening."
He opened the system menu in his mind. A clean interface displayed:
> [Stats]
Strength: 3
Agility: 2
Stamina: 2
Intelligence: 4
Unassigned Points: 1
One point wasn't much. But to Arin, who had been weak all his life, it was everything.
He selected "Strength."
The moment he confirmed it, a faint warmth spread through his arms and chest. Muscles that once lacked tone now firmed slightly. It wasn't a dramatic change—but it was real.
And it was his.
---
Outside the med-bay, the world continued on, unaware of the awakening happening inside.
But Arin's emergence had not gone unnoticed.
Deep within the command towers of the Global Bio-Control Authority, a silent alarm triggered. A screen lit up with a profile:
[Unauthorized Bio-System Activation Detected]
Host: Arin Verma | Age: 16 | Rank: Unregistered
Location: Sector 9 | Status: Under Observation
"Another one?" a figure in a black suit muttered, narrowing his eyes at the report.
"Sir, that's the third rogue activation this quarter," replied a junior officer. "This one's even more peculiar—there's no known implant history. No core seed on record."
"Keep him under watch. Discreetly. If the system fused on its own… he might be more valuable than we thought."
Back in Sector 9, Arin gazed at the horizon beyond the hospital window. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and gold.
He didn't know who had given him this system, or why he was chosen.
But for the first time in his life—he felt powerful.
And deep within, the Bio-System pulsed.
"Evolution has begun."