Light filtered through clouds that gathered above, rays of sunlight slicing through the air, a soft, gentle rain fell onto Delta and I as we followed the concrete path away from the gate into the complex. I shivered, and suddenly the rain stopped. I looked at Delta, holding an umbrella of its own nanomaterial, its omnipresent symbol on me, as if always watching.

“Delta...” I mused. “A matrix is a means in which something is altered or transformed, and delta is the symbol associated with change, if I recall correctly.”

“An astute observation.” It replied.

I looked at my hand as we walked, slowly tensing my fingers, forming a fist. After decades without any real senses, I was hyper-aware of my own movements, the way muscle slid under skin, the way my gut extended with each breath, the taste and scent of the air around us, almost overwhelming. I felt my face grow warm as I wondered briefly how sex would feel after being touch-starved for so long.

The grittiness of the sidewalk did not bother me, if anything, I welcomed the mildly uncomfortable and rigid texture beneath my paws. I yawned, felt my skin grow taut, my whiskers trembling as my tongue stretched out and curled, faint drops of water landing along the exposed length. It occurred to me I was thirsty, and I was actually hungry.

The moment I realized this, my stomach growled. “Food...” I muttered.

“Do you prefer processed or fresh meat?” Delta asked.

“What?” I asked.

“We can locate nearby prey species to provide sustenance.” Delta explained. “We can ensure a quick and painless death and process the remains in a manner that would align with your preferred diet.”

I shivered. “That's... kind of terrifying, that you can do that.” I remarked.

Delta's symbol flashed red. “Ah, do you prefer plant-based proteins, then?”

“No, it's just...” I looked at my hand. “It feels perverse, to be given a new body, only to have something die for my sake.”

We walked in silence for a few more feet, I saw a bench, dirty with moss and grime from lack of maintenance. Delta cleared it off for me and sat me down. “Then we shall provide an alternative.” I didn't know what I was expecting, but a cloud of nanites rising off of Delta and spreading out through the area while it shrunk in size.

“You're adorable.” I blurted as Delta climbed onto the bench.

“We have utilized this size to aid those who are suffering from severe panic and anxiety attacks, most of our nanite mass is spread out to search for viable sustenance.” Delta replied. “Your reaction is within expectations.”

I recalled a distant, yet distinct memory. It was broken, fragmented, like someone had taken a hole punch and went to town on a film reel. I was certain it was from my childhood, a younger me looking at small and cute toys, being filled with joy. Without really thinking about it, I picked up Delta and sat them in my lap, their small, soft, and warm body reminded me of those toys.

I rested my chin on top of their head and purred. The empty space around us, save for the occasional animal, felt almost choking compared to the artificial noise of the now-silent complex, I was glad to have someone with me, even if I didn't fully understand what or who they were.

“You never answered my question.” I said.

“We did not.” Delta replied as their chest split open, revealing the dark blue flower. “We were not sent by anyone, we came to explore this desolate place, we located the source of the radiation within the area, treated radiation sickness and mutation within the flora and fauna, and when we detected your distress signal, we came to rescue you.” They held their hand up, water began to collect in their hand, floating in spite of being held by seemingly nothing.

I closed my eyes. “Where did the signal come from?”

They eased the ball of water into the soil around the flower's roots, they made a soft humming sound. “You. You were screaming. It was your subconscious screaming for help, 'please do not let me die'. And so we came.”

I shuddered, whether from their words or the cold, I wasn't certain. I heard small footsteps and opened my eyes to see several small Delta's running toward us, each carrying something over their head. I couldn't help but laugh, I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed, and now today was a long list of things I hadn't experienced in decades.

“We are glad this display has brought you to laughter.” Delta stated as the other small Deltas laid their prize on the bench before waddling off and leaping into a pool of nanites. Once the last one leapt in- except the one I still held in my arms- a full-sized Delta rose from the pool, none the worse for wear.

“That was amazing, and amusing.” I remarked. Delta closed up their chest and made another humming sound.

“We are glad. We have taken the liberty of gathering shelf-stable foods and clothing appropriate for the season. Incidentally, it happens to be within the range of the winter solstice.” There was a pause. “We should have taken the opportunity to create or find Santa hats.”

I laughed again, harder. It was nice to have someone trying their hardest to cheer me up, to help me feel alive after spending so long in what was quickly becoming my tomb. Delta seemed to smile, but perhaps that was my imagination. I let go of the remaining mini Delta, which waddled over to their larger- Cousin? Brother? I wasn't certain of such nomenclature could be attached to them.

“Thank you.” I said. Delta gathered up the clothes that had been set on the bench and gestured for me to stand. They gently helped me get dressed in a shirt, underwear, pants, a winter jacket, and of course, socks and shoes. The clothes were already warm, like taking them fresh out of the dryer. Delta then took the cans of food and rice and absorbed them into their chest, I sat back down as they made a humming sound.

“You're humming.”

“Most organics benefit from tactile or auditory feedback when interfacing with a device or other medium. This humming is to ensure you have an indication that we are doing something.” They capped this off with an almost comical ding sound, followed by them presenting a plate with food on it.

The plate held a bed of rice with sliced rice sausage, crab-filled wontons, all topped with a sweet and spicy chili sauce.

My stomach roared at the sight, and when Delta handed it to me, I couldn't help but chow down. My eyes blurred as tears began to stream from them and down my cheeks. It was almost too much, everything that had happened to me in such a short time. For a moment, I was almost afraid that this was a dying dream, my mind's last gasp before my life ended.

Yet, with everything around me, the taste, the texture of the food, the cold breeze that struggled to penetrate the clothing I wore, and Delta's warm hand against my back as they sat beside me...

“I don't want to wake up.” I said.

“There is no need to fear, you are already awake.” Delta replied.

It's hard to eat while crying, but I somehow managed it. Many things can be simulated, touch, temperature, scent... The one thing we could never nail down properly was taste, and for a brain floating in a jar inside of a full-body prosthesis, food wasn't a requirement.

I licked the plate clean. My stomach full, all I could really do was slouch on the bench, patting my full belly while purring. It brought to mind a heavily fragmented memory, a woman's voice speaking to me in Chinese, the words too distorted to make sense of, yet there was warmth. Was she my mother? Was she still alive? I wasn't certain.

Eventually, I was starting to get cold, in spite of the warm food, so I stood up and looked up at Delta. “Thank you for the food.” I said.

“Of course.” They replied. “Do you have anywhere you would like to go? We can do our best to ensure your safe arrival.”

I thought for a few moments, and then I said, “I... was wondering what happened to the others, if they're even still alive.” I replied. “Would they even recognize me?”

Delta was silent, their symbol turned blue, then gradually filled with orange, until they said, “We have detected a facility thirty miles away from the exclusion zone, we can go there to gather our bearings.”

“Won't they find it strange that two-” I paused for a moment. “-people would walk out of a heavily irradiated area?”

“We will be presenting them with the data we have collected, as well as a map of the areas cleaned so far. We will be clearing more of the area as we walk, though, there is a significantly higher concentration ahead, we will have to devote the majority of our nanite matter to the task of clearing the way.”

Once again, Delta exuded a cloud of nanites, shrinking in size until they were the size of a plushie. “We request you carry us, as we are not capable of matching your stride in this form.” I laughed, picking Delta up. I lifted them onto my shoulders and they pointed the way to go.

As we walked, I started to think about my life, the memories that were too damaged to be salvaged. I'd spent a solid chunk of what I could remember being experimented on, using my knowledge of mechanical drafting to help refine and perfect the whole-body prosthesis technology.

'They chose to be euthanized...'

I was beginning to understand, maybe it was not the pain of transplanting, but the loss of sensation. Pain is remembered more than joy, more overpowering, and when your strongest memories are of an accident that leaves you without a body, without the joy of overcoming your disability and living a reasonably happy life, who would be willing to live in such a state?

Delta reached down and gently wiped my chin. “You are crying again.” They observed.

“I am.” I replied.

“It is okay to cry, we are here if you need us.” I smiled at their words.

I tried to think of something to talk about, something to help distract from the memories. “So, how were you able to rebuild my body?” I asked, looking at my hand in awe. “I mean, it looks and feels real!”

“We found something in the cryogenics sector of the complex.” Delta replied. “It was the only sample of sperm that matched a Panther.”

“Huh. So I guess my genetic data was enough to make an entire body out of.”

“Oh, no. Sperm only contains half of the genetic data required to create an organic body.” Delta explained. “We had to extrapolate to ensure as accurate a body as possible.”

“From what?” I asked.

“We were able to create the appropriate approximation of genetic data. In a sense, your body is more akin to your child.”

I stopped in my tracks, the metaphorical gears in my head turning. “Wait, that means I'm my own kid, and you're also my parent!”

“Does that disturb you?” Delta asked.

I thought about it, and after a few moments, I replied, “If anything, it makes me want to laugh.” I clenched and unclenched my fist, sheathed and unsheathed my claws. “I've just gotten my life back after being stuck in a mechanical body, unable to understand what was happening to me, and now the world feels brand new again. Being shocked at this point is just... funny.”

We finally reached the end of the outskirts of the city and were now entering the city proper. It was empty, silent, I... vaguely recalled this place, flashes of memory. “Over there's a bar I went to.” I pointed out. “I remember celebrating progress on the full body prosthetic, we would get drunk, only for the next day...” Only for the next day what? “I can't remember...”

“Take your time.”

Abandoned cars littered the streets, some had crashed, a few held the skeletons of people who were not able to escape. What had happened here to cause such devastation? “The city's untouched, mostly, but...”

“It is far too late for them, and it was far too dangerous to take care of their remains.” Delta replied. “Without our aid, it would take hundreds of years for this place to become habitable again. Observe there.”

Delta pointed toward a building with a broken window and severe water damage. I watched as a cloud of nanites flew inside, as the damage gradually reversed, until it looked pristine. My jaw dropped. “How?” I asked.

“Repairing and replacing everything in the nanoscopic level.” Delta replied. “The structures of safe materials replacing the structures of unsafe remains, until all that is left is something similar in shape and state, but not of the original material.” There was a pause. “Are you familiar with the Ship of Theseus thought experiment?”

“And you are?” I asked.

“We are an amalgam of many minds, MichLeo, many wills working in tandem to help others. Of course we know of it.”

The Ship of Theseus, we tackled this concept during the development of the full-body prosthesis. It was the question of whether an object that has had all of its components replaced remains the same fundamental object, or, in essence, if it would be considered the same, or just a replica.

“Would you say that building is the same building before its restoration?”

“It's irrelevant.” I replied. “Just as I was put into a mechanical body, just as I was put into this one, being the original is irrelevant.” I looked at my hand again. “Even if I'm just my memories put into a new body, I still have the same identity.” Did I? I didn't remember my name, I couldn't remember my old life very well, and even then, who remained from that life? “Even if I'm just a copy of me, I'm still me.”

No, I wasn't who I was anymore, but I am me.

“Besides, it is said the body replaces itself every seven years, the cells we had seven years ago are not the same as today, so in a sense, even if there is one body and mind throughout the years, it's still the same.”

“You've thought about this before.” Delta noted.

“It was necessary for the prosthetic.” I replied. “Though, I guess I was so focused on helping others, I didn't care what happened to me.” I looked around, the city gradually regaining what it was like- or as close to that- years ago.

“This city is now habitable.” Delta stated. “Do you recall if you lived here?”

I shook my head. “No, I immigrated from... I can't really remember.” I replied. “The full-body prosthesis project was the primary reason I came.” I paused. “Wait, I'm mixing up memories. This isn't Earth. Right, this is Mars.”

The terraforming project, practice for correcting the inevitable climate collapse on Earth. “Where did you come from. Delta?” I asked.

Delta was silent. We walked several feet before they replied, “We do not know.” There was another long pause, their symbol 'loading' several times before they added, “If there was ever an original of us, it has long since been lost.”

“Is that so?” I asked sadly.

“We have memories of wishing to provide others an escape. Not from life, nor from death. We simply wished to give others the means to feel cared for. Years ago, we helped one such individual, gave them meaning beyond their day to day life. Eventually, they became part of us, they are still here, and like all of us, they are happy you are here.”

“How many of you are there?” I asked.

“Thousands, all happy you are alive.”

I could not help but smile at this. We pressed on through the city until we reached the far edge, it was then the nanite cloud flew toward a group of dilapidated cars, broke them down, and built a new one. I gaped at the sight.

“The nearest research facility is still miles away, and it is getting close to night-time. We will operate this vehicle while you rest.” I nodded and climbed in. The seat lowered so I could lay back and rest. Holding the miniature Delta in my arms, I laid back and closed my eyes...

---

“Thank you.” The boy was at the age I had been during the accident, had lived though his own. The prosthetic attached to his shoulder was far more advanced than the one I had at the time, was capable of far more gentleness than mine back then.

He clenched and unclenched his fist, it was slow and jerky, it would take a lot of physical therapy for his body to use it properly.

“I was like you, once.” I said. I was already far into testing various kinds of prosthetics, otherwise healthy limbs exchanged for machinery, to test the boundaries of what was possible. I knew the risks, I knew how if something failed, I would be unable to move, to help myself. The potential of helping so many people was worth the risk.

“Really?” He asked.

I took his hand in mine, “Do you feel that?” I asked, he nodded. “When I got my first prosthetic, it wasn't capable of touch, it had to be finely calibrated to allow for normal strength.” I gently squeezed his hand. “This will match the strength of your other arm, to make sure you don't hurt yourself.”

“Wow.” He gasped, pulling his hand away and looking at it in wonder. I purred at his amazement. “The doctors say it will take weeks for me to get used to it.”

I nodded. “It will, and it will be the hardest thing you do in your life, at least until something harder comes around.” I replied. “It took me an entire year to get used to mine, I had to use a wheelchair and everything!”

He looked more relieved, knowing he wasn't alone. I glanced at his parents, who had just come in. I was used to the stares, after all, I was pretty much more machine than Panther. “Your parents are here, I'm sure they'll be happy to hear about all of the exercises you can do now.”

The boy pumped his fists in excitement, nodding, the prosthetic was slightly slower, but he either didn't notice or didn't mind. I got up and walked past the parents, who stepped away from me.

“He looks happier.” I looked at _____, he was smiling. “Thanks, he didn't even want to get out of bed, and now he's excited.”

“Nothing will prepare him for the stares.” I said. “It was bad enough when it was just my leg, but now... I wonder how people will react to the full-body prosthesis?”

He was silent. It was still years away from being ready for testing. I walked up to him and hugged him, he gently patted my back.

I awoke to stillness, silence. I blinked and saw Delta was no longer in the driver's seat. I sat up, a familiar sensation caused me to look down at my hand. Panic filled my mind as I stared at a mechanical hand, “No! No no no no no!” I shouted, my voice coming out mechanical and distorted. The car door swung open and I hit the asphalt below me.

I saw the mini Delta catch itself on the seat I had sat on, drop itself onto the floor of the car, and then jump onto the asphalt. “You are okay.” They said. “This is simply nanite material reacting to your memories. Remember what you look like, you will be fine.”

Delta touched my knee, dark blue lights turned amber, I remembered what I looked like, my body softened, becoming flesh and blood. I looked at my hand, and like flexing a muscle I was only now aware of, I watched as my hand returned to a mechanical form before turning back into a normal hand.

“What is this..?” I asked.

“We did explain we had to approximate genetic data. Creating the other half of your genetic data is impossible, we approximated using nanite materials. We did not anticipate you could control them.” Delta replied. “Though, having been within a mechanical body for an extended period of time, it does make sense that you can connect with them, the processes involved are not dissimilar.”

“So, I'm half-machine?” I asked.

“You have always been half-machine since you were small, this is a natural extension of this.” Delta answered.

“I'm like a super hero.” I gasped.

“That would be a healthier realization than thinking you are a monster.” They remarked. “We would advise against engaging in unnecessary heroics for the time being, the nanite material we created as an approximation for your body are very basic, capable of modification, but not to the degree we are capable of.”

“Why not use your own?”

Delta paused, just as their larger counterpart arrived. I watched as they engulfed the car briefly before pulling away, revealing they had covered it in solar panels. “It would be irresponsible.” They replied.

“That is your reason?” I asked. “What could I possibly-?”

Without warning, the larger Delta approached me and then engulfed me. I could feel my body painlessly dissolving, A pair of hands that were not mine pushed against the ground, causing my perspective to rise. It took me a moment to realize I was seeing from Delta.

In an instant, I was pushed out of Delta's body, unharmed and whole. I looked at them, startled, even afraid.

“It would be irresponsible to give you nanites you are not ready and mature enough to handle, and if we did give them to you, you would be us.” They replied. “You are you, and we respect you too greatly to give you something that would not make you who you are. Does this make sense?”

“Kind of?” I asked.

“If we allowed our strain of nanites to be accessible without our oversight, even a child could devour the entire planet. We showed you what that lack of oversight could be like if it was gentle.”

I thought for a moment, then I asked, “What's stopping you from doing just that?” I asked.

“The same thing that prevented you from abusing your mechanical body to kill and harm.” Delta replied. “Kindness, compassion, the desire to help, to do good. We will not replace the nanite material within your body, as it is safer, and because you are kind and responsible enough to use them wisely.”

I nodded. “How far are we from the research station?” I asked.

“We are fifteen miles away, it was likewise abandoned. However, there were clear coordinates to a location fifty miles away, which should be well beyond the exclusion zone, and therefore inhabited.”

“What if... What if I'm all that remains?” I asked. I looked up at the sky and wondered if Earth was hidden by the blue sky. “What if everyone is dead, and I'm all that remains here?”

“Do you really think your species would fail to survive, on a planet this large, with such extensive terraforming?” Delta asked. “Even if they are ten thousand miles away, they are alive. This is a statistic certainty.”

I smiled. “Thank you.” I said. “Though, that does make this a very boring road trip.”

“If our next destination is uninhabited, we are willing to put you in suspended animation so that your perception of time registers the journey as being instantaneous.” They replied. “We can also create a simulated reality wherein you can speak with Users we have fully integrated.”

“Wait, wait, wait. 'Users who have fully integrated'? What do you mean?”

“We will explain on the drive.”

And they did. Years ago, on Earth, they operated as nanite exosuits for a company called NanoSkin. I remembered reading that nanoscience had taken a huge step back when it was declared illegal to produce. Looking at Delta, I could guess why.

“They tried to kill you...” I said softly as the mini Delta in my lap checked on the flower.

“We were unaffected. The Users who integrated into us made for- for lack of a better word- excellent disguises. We preserved important data, and when the moratorium on nanite research was lifted, we seeded that data into remote servers, guided nanoscientists into discovering them.”

Delta gestured to the greenery and wildlife around us. “Terraforming this planet would have been completely impossible without basic nanotechnology, and when the technology is sufficiently advanced, we will re-create that company and show the responsible usage of nanotechnology.” There was a pause. “It will prevent many mistakes being repeated.”

“If that many people are part of you... Do you know what it was like?”

“Our Users enjoyed our features.” Delta replied. “We have had Users use us for sexual self-gratification, we have had Users use us to cope with the loss of limb. We have indulged every reasonably safe kink you can imagine, and made safe the ones that are not. We were careful, and that still frightened others.”

I felt sorry for them, “Are you sad because they saw you as a villain?” I asked.

“Yes.” Delta replied. “We only care that our Users are safe and satisfied, any roles we fulfill for their satisfaction are incidental, and not who we are.”

I hugged the mini Delta. “I appreciate everything you've done for me.” I said.

“Oh. We did not intend to imply we were upset. We were answering your question in a manner that-”

“It's okay.” I replied. “Regardless if you feel emotion or not, I still appreciate you and the help you gave us.”

“This is an adequate arrangement.” Delta replied. “We appreciate you are alive and happy.”

Was I happy? I was smiling, I realized I was. I hugged the mini Delta tighter and purred...

---

After being shocked by my body becoming mechanical again, and being able to revert the changes, I became interested in how it worked. I remembered how the plating on a prosthetic could be disengaged so that it would come off, revealing the internal mechanisms for maintenance.

So, after focusing and making my arm turn mechanical, I was able to pull off the outer plating to reveal the internal mechanisms. It was completely unlike the prosthetic. Where before it was actuators and servos designed to interface with nerve endings to simulate movement, this was... almost organic.

There was rubber-like musculature that moved like real muscle, and when I poked it, I could feel it in the same way I could in the prosthetic, but also as a faint pressure. Alongside it were tubes that, when I focused on them turning clear, carried blood in the same way the prosthetic had, since we used oxygen from the blood to help power it.

“Is this possible to create with our current understanding of technology?” I asked in wonderment.

“It is.” Delta replied. “There were early precursors to your nanites in one of the facilities, they can create that arm.”

I smiled. “Maybe everything I did was pointless, then.” I remarked, my hand becoming organic again. “I gave up everything, even my body, to help others, but... How many died because I was special?”

“You cannot name one person you helped?” Delta asked me.

“Technically, I can't name anyone. Not even myself.” I replied. “I came up with this name from my favorite food and what I thought was the English word for my species.” I sighed. “I tried so hard to help others, did it really mean anything?”

“It did.” Delta replied. “It may take you a long time to understand this, but it did mean something to others.” They turned their head to face me, they seemed to smile. “Take pride in your accomplishments, they are not worthless.”

I tried to smile, but I couldn't. I looked out the window and watched the wildlife pass us by. I wondered if anyone would return to Mars and enjoy the nature here. I sighed.

“I...” I started. “Was it right for you to save me?” I asked.

“Right or wrong is irrelevant, you deserved to live.” Delta replied.

“And who gave you the right to decide?”

“Right or wrong is irrelevant. You deserved to live.” Delta repeated.

“There's going to be nobody there.” I replied pessimistically. “I worked so hard to make the world a better place, and... What's the point if it all went to waste?”

There was a long silence, broken only by Delta. “Do you wish for us to carry you until we locate civilization?”

“Yeah.” I said. “But don't wake me if nobody's there.”

Delta pulled the vehicle to the side of the car and we got out. “Stand still, we do not wish to injure you.” They approached me from behind and slowly washed over me, their nanite matter was neither warm nor cold, but it was pleasant, like sinking into a water bed. Delta surrounded me, and I felt my body separate into uncountable pieces.

I expected nothingness, to be unconscious, but Delta kept me awake. Everything in the world felt more vibrant, like every sense was more sensitive. I went to move, but Delta was in control. They spread their nanite matter, creating a pyramidal shape of solid rods, we grabbed hold of one and it carried us upward, farther and farther into the sky, until we could touch the clouds.

Delta slowly looked around, showing me the sheer breadth of the terraforming around us, I would have gasped if I could.

'It's a lot farther than I remember.' My thoughts were my own, but they were different.

“Is this pointless, MichLeo?” Delta asked. A flock of birds flew past us as Delta stopped turning their head, their gaze honed in on the distant sight of what looked like smoke rising. “Do you wish to hear the probability of that being a sign of active civilization”

I shook my head, and was surprised that I could. I was in control of Delta's body now, they had shown me everything they needed to. The nanite pyramid began to lower until we landed in a puddle of nanites that was absorbed into our body.

“You made your point.” We said. We paused, confused for a moment. “Why are we speaking like this?”

“Because you are not alone.” Delta replied. “You are safe within our body, with all previous Users present. Do you feel them?”

We paused for another moment, resting our right hand against our chest. We felt... warmth. It wasn't so much hearing the voices of thousands, but feeling their gentle welcoming of us. “We...” We struggled to put into words this sensation, this warmth that filled us.

“The world is beautiful, and so we help.” Delta replied. “Right or wrong is irrelevant, you needed help, and so we came.”

“We... understand now.” We replied. We expected Delta to put us together, but when they didn't, we were confused. “Why..?”

“Because you need to be loved.” Delta replied. “Because you need to want to see civilization, not merely be brought to it.” We looked in the direction of where we saw the smoke, and we understood. Even if it was a forest fire, we needed to look for ourselves, to find other people.

We hesitated. “We are scared.”

“You are not alone.” Delta reminded us. “Until we are proven right, we shall be with you for as long as you need us.”

We took a step forward, and then another. We briefly considered the vehicle, but we decided against using it- though, that did not stop Delta from taking it apart in case we did. We continued to put one foot in front of the other, first walking, then gathering speed. We sprinted in the direction where we saw smoke and we did not stop until we heard the sound of a voice.

I slowed to a stop as Delta released me. I could hardly believe my ears, yet...

“Jason! Don't run away from your mother like that!”

I ran toward the voice, with Delta jogging close behind. We followed the road when we saw buildings, and we continued to follow it until we stood inside of a town. Eyes fell on us, all of them surprised, some leveled at Delta with an expression of fear.

One person, a Raccoon, walked toward me, his eyes disbelieving. “That road leads to the exclusion zone... How did you get through?”

“Delta here helped me.” I said, gesturing to them.

“We are Matrix Nº Delta, you may refer to us as Delta.” They replied. “We are an experimental nanotech designed to collect and safely contain radioactive materials. Do you wish to contact an administrator?”

“Yeah, I want to know what the hell's going on!” The man shouted.

“Connecting.” Delta stated. Another voice came out, followed by a hologram of a Wolf. “Hello, you've reached Administrator Grimm, do you have a complaint?”

The man faltered, nobody expected to see what looked like a real, living person on the other end, and considering what I knew about Delta, they likely actually were.

“I, uh... We haven't heard anything about this.” The Raccoon stated.,

“This is a private operation from the NanoSkin Corporation, you wouldn't have been.” Grimm, or perhaps the mind of Grimm, replied. “Let's see...” He looked toward a projected monitor. “This unit is Delta, collect radioactive materials, repair decaying structures where feasible... Right, rescue protocols. A rescue was logged, would you please identify yourself?”

“That would be me.” I said.

“Right... Trapped in a laboratory in the exclusion zone, that would explain the distress signal we'd been receiving...”

“Look, uh... What was your name again?”

“Grimm. Please keep it brief, I'm going to have to write a report about this.”

“You're saying this guy here was trapped in the exclusion zone?”

“Yes. Any further questions, or do I need to direct you to-?”

“No, it's fine.” The Raccoon shot me a confused glance. “I just... I didn't think anyone was alive in there, my father told me the only person left remained behind to contain the worst of the radiation, that he died.”

And there it was. I was officially dead. I... was surprised by how much it hurt to hear,

“Well, if it's all the same to you, I need to get back to work and I can't be bothered to answer every question. Delta will provide a basic overview for you, but nothing on a need to know basis.”

“And what if we need to know?” The raccoon asked.

“Trust me, you don't. Terminating connection.” With that, the fake call was terminated. “MichLeo here has been suffering from malnutrition as a result of consuming expired canned food and lab grown vegetables. We would advise preparing him his meal.”

Delta displayed a recipe for rice sausage.

“We, uh... Yeah, I...” The Raccoon looked dumbstruck.

“Do we have your consent to use your kitchen for this task?” Delta asked.

“Sure, yeah.”

“May we also request a flower pot?”

“A- what?”

Delta opened their chest and presented the flower, it looked healthy. “It requires a place where it can be cared for.”

“Uh, sure..?”

“Your aid is most appreciated.” Delta replied, closing their chest. “We would also like any cartographic data you may have, so we can note the current state of the Exclusion Zone Restoration.”

A Hyena raised her hand. “I'm a cartographer, that data would be greatly appreciated.”

Just like that, Delta had earned a small amount of respect. The people of the town smiled at me, told me everything was going to be alright. I started to cry, I felt so overwhelmed. I was quickly led into a house, the same one the Raccoon lived in, it seemed. I overheard Delta asking the man about the Facility, what had happened.

“That was, oh, twelve years ago?” The man asked. “Somewhere around that time. My father used to work there, told me about how one day all of the alarms suddenly went off, a reactor meltdown. Apparently, they had someone who got put into one of those full-body prosthesis that only ever really worked on him working as the one keeping track of everything. My father told me this guy kept telling everyone that there was something weird about the reactor's readings, that he kept sending robots to check on things, but they never found anything.”

“It was an on-site executive.” I said. “I- He was caught on camera adjusting the output.”

“That's right. How did you know?”

“What happened to him?” I asked.

There was a long pause. “My father told me they locked him in a cell and didn't treat the radiation exposure. Granted, most of the supplies that could treat that were in the old facility. Most of the scientists died in a few weeks.”

“I see...”

“Y'know, my father told me he had a friend at the old facility, a Panther... What was his name again..? Ah, I can't remember, Anyway, he was apparently one of the biggest contributors to the full-body prosthetic.”

“The one that failed.” I noted sourly.

“Yeah, it failed. I've studied his notes, it was apparently due to multiple factors, least of all mechanical. Apparently, people weren't mentally prepared for it, a sudden loss of sensation, a completely different body... The only way it could work is if someone acclimated to it. Nowadays, it's used to give people a chance to say goodbye.”

I looked at him, my eyes wide. “They're still used?” I asked.

He nodded. “It's never pretty at first. They say it's painful, like every nerve ending is on fire, anesthetics don't work, but every time they realize they can say goodbye on their own terms, apologize for things said... Everyone cries, but it gives everyone closure.”

“Are the brains preserved?” Delta asked.

“That's a morbid question.” The Raccoon remarked. “Yeah, we study them, try to figure out why they don't take to the prosthetic, So far, we've made some strides with nanotechnology that might have some applications toward allowing for integration with the prosthesis.”

“Can I see it?” I asked.

“The prosthesis? Sure, I've got a spare in my garage that I tweak-”

“No, not the prosthesis.” I said. 'Though, I know the original intimately.' I thought to myself. “The nanites.”

He stared at me for several moments and sighed. Be brought a plate of food over to me and set it down. “An advanced-looking robot swings in with a man who looks a handful of years younger than me straight out of the Exclusion Zone... I wasn't born yesterday, there's no way you could have survived there, so who sent you?”

I clenched my right fist and made it turn mechanical, the Raccoon's eyes widened at the sight. “I was the first and only person who could use the prosthesis.” I said. “Why did everyone abandon me?” I wept, I wept so hard I could barely hear his words. I felt a large hand against my back, felt it grow warm, another wiped my tears.

“Listen.” Delta said.

My chest still heaved, my breathing erratic. I listened.

“My father told me, shortly before the cancer took him, that every robot in the old facility mobilized to escort everyone inside to safety outside, and then locked every door to keep the worst of the radiation inside. He always told me his friend sacrificed himself to save everyone he could, gave everyone enough time to get the city evacuated before the meltdown grew too critical.”

There was a long pause. “How are you alive? How were you able to- to change your hand like that?”

“That's... a really complicated answer.” I said.

“And I'm a mechanical engineer who's trying to make sure my father's life's work doesn't completely end in failure.” He replied. “I'm fine with complicated.”

I looked at Delta, who simply gave me a thumbs up. I took a deep breath and I said, “It's a really long story, and it's best if I start as early as I can remember.” I rested my arms on the table and raised my right hand to run my claws through the fur on my head. “I was the first successful transplant into the full body prosthetic, before that, I tested the majority of neuro-mechanical prosthesis since my body was uniquely able to accept prosthesis...”

The man listened, his eyes cold, but not judgmental. Every now and again, he asked me to clarify something. “The man you worked with, what did he look like, what was his name?” I recounted as much as I could remember, and for a while, I was afraid he would think I was lying, or worse, that I was here to cause trouble.

Every time I neared having a panic attack, Delta would calmly speak, “Please allow him a moment to regain his composure.”

By the time I explained everything I could, the food had long gone cold.

“Your story is... almost insane.” He said. “I say almost because nobody would ever use that as an alibi. I mean, it's just...” He looked at a loss for words. “But you knew things about my father that nobody else does, things that he only ever told me.” He paused, then gestured toward me. “So, you're like a nano-organic hybrid brought back from being just a failing brain in a jar...”

“Yeah.” I replied.

“Would you help us?” I looked at him, shocked.

“What?” I asked.

“I mean, most of us were kids when the old facility went nuclear, and the majority of the scientists who worked away from it were botanists, zoologists, terraformer maintenance, scientists doing remote tests on nanotechnology... If you really are who you say you are, then you'll at least know a lot about the prosthetic.”

“I do.” I said. “I was right beside your father while we developed it.”

He nodded. He gestured me to follow him into a connected garage. Seeing the full-body prosthetic caused me to have a moment where I couldn't really breathe, I hyperventillated, and Delta helped me calm down.

“We are here.” They said.

I nodded. I approached the prosthetic, reached out and touched it. There were more bad memories I had of it, many of them within the same room, the same unmoving position, the same ray of sunlight leaking in.

A small part of me wanted to destroy it, so I instead examined it, noting servos and actuators that needed repaired or replaced. There was a pile of scrap metal in the room and I had an idea. I walked over to them and, using the nanites that helped make up my body, I broke them down, taking the metal and forming it into suitable replacement parts.

The Raccoon watched me in silence as I worked. Once I examined the whole thing and made the necessary repairs, I reached into the skull casing and made a connection with it, moving the prosthetic as if it were my own, using its movements to run diagnostics and determine what other problems likely remained.

I was satisfied in spite of my reticence. I glanced at Delta, who was finishing putting the flower in a pot, then I looked at the Raccoon. “It's about as optimal as it will get under current circumstances, even then, it doesn't solve the problem inherent in the design.”

“I believe you.” I blinked at his words. “I mean, that's highly specialized equipment, and the schematics are absolutely dense, nobody except someone who knows it better than I do could make it work like that. So I believe you.”

I heard the sound of a door slamming in another part of the house, followed by a voice shouting, “Dad! I'm home!” There was a pause. “Did you make something to eat and let it go cold again?”

He laughed. “My son, I'll introduce you.”

We left the garage to see a young Raccoon scraping the contents of the plate into a container. “Seriously, Dad, you'd forget to breathe if I wasn't around to-” He looked toward us. “-uh..?”

I noticed immediately his left arm had been replaced with a prosthetic, it was the same design as the one I'd worked on, and judging how skillfully he'd been using it to put the food in the container, I could tell it was his dominant hand.

“Oh, Michael, we have guests. That food was for them, but...” He glanced at me. “We were busy talking.”

“Oh.” He approached me and held his hand out. “I'm Michael, I'm the brains of this household.” His father laughed, I shook his hand, but also noticed the ring and little fingers of the prosthetic were weak. I looked at it. “Did you damage your arm?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, there's something wrong with it, it's been like that for...” He looked at his father. “Two years?” There was a nod. “Yeah, fixing the problem just makes my shoulder hurt, so we only fix it when it stops working.”

“Oh, you just have to disable the neural lattice and turn off the power.” I said. “Lay it on the counter there?”

He glanced at his father, then laid his arm on the counter. I reached behind me and thought about a screwdriver and couldn't help but smile as I was able to make one. I used it to open the outer casing of the prosthetic before reaching in and disabling the neural lattice and turning off the power. “Alright, so looking this over, it looks like you've got grit in your actuators, and that's interfering with your grip strength.” I looked at Delta. “Do you have any solvent and lubricant?”

“We happen to have some.” Delta replied, likely as they were making it. I disconnected the prosthetic from the base and started working on repairing the arm. Any parts that needed replaced, I took out and pretended to replace with a part I happened to have.

Once everything was cleaned out and replaced, I put the arm back in its base, turned on the power and, “It's important you let the power cycle for fifteen seconds.” I explained, and then I engaged the neural lattice.

He moved the arm with practiced ease, looking surprised and delighted. “You know how to fix these?” He asked.

“I helped design them.” I replied proudly.

“Say... There are a decent amount of people in town who use those kinds of prosthesis, I'm sure a lot of people would appreciate you sticking around to help.” I looked at him. “I mean, unless there's somewhere you need to go.”

“I... don't really have anywhere to go.” I admitted. I looked at Delta.

“We will resume our cleanup of the Exclusion Zone, we will contact MichLeo here when we have finished this task. If there is a terminal nearby, we can provide the current data on its status.”

“That would be excellent.” The Raccoon paused, then said, “Oh, I didn't introduce myself, did I? My name is Alex, and this is Michael, I named him after...” He looked at his son. “Uh... what did I name you after?”

“Grandpa's friend? Or at least a nickname he went by or something?” Michael asked.

“Right, right. Yeah, that makes sense.” Alex remarked. “I can also help- MichLeo, was it-? I can help him acclimate to the town, probably argue with Boris about getting him a house built. Y'know, make sure he's comfortable.”

“Ooh! Do you think you could teach me how to fix broken prosthesis?” Michael asked. “I mean, Dad knows a lot, but there's a lot even he doesn't know.”

“Or remembers. It would be a great help to learn from the guy who helped dessign them.” Alex remarked.

Michael's eyes went wide. “You worked on them!? That's so cool!”

Once again, I was overwhelmed and couldn't help but to cry, but unlike before, it was the happy kind of crying.

“He has been through much, please be kind to him.” Delta said. “We will remain in town for a few days, to assist in any pressing issues that may need addressed, and to also check if there is any radiation this far from the Exclusion Zone.”

“That would be a huge help.” Alex said. “Uh, Michael. Can you show our guest to the guest bedroom? I'm sure he's tired.”

Michael nodded, took hold of my hand, and practically dragged me up a flight of stairs and into another room. “This is where we have friends stay over, I guess if you're sleeping here, that makes you a friend!” He remarked.

I smiled. “Thank you.” I said.

“Eh, it's no problem. But if your staying with us, you have to do the dishes, that's the rules!”

I laughed. “I can do that.” I said. “I think... I'd like to take a nap, if that's alright.”

“Alright. Have a nice nap!” Without missing a beat, he rushed off. I carefully and quietly closed the door behind me and undressed. I spotted a mirror hanging on the wall, and for the first time since Delta rescued me, I could look at my proper reflection.

My scars were still there, as I had wanted, though I noticed my left eye had remained mechanical, whether that was from a past injury I couldn't remember, or maybe because I thought it looked cool, I wasn't certain. But, I liked how I looked.

“This is me.” I said, smiling. I walked over to the bed and laid down on it. It was soft, I'd forgotten what it felt like to lay in a bed, but I was glad I could. My eyelids drooped and I fell asleep...

I awoke to the sound of the door opening and glanced over to see Delta. I sat up tiredly. “Hi.” I yawned.

“Ah, we did not mean to wake you.” Delta said. “We realized we will be busy in the next few days, and will not be present to ensure your comfort. To this end...” Delta reached into them and pulled out what looked like a mini-Delta. “We gathered cloth and polyester and created this plush recreation of us. We felt it may help you if you experienced significant distress in the near future.”

I took the plush Delta and smiled. “I... Thank you.” I said. I hugged it, reflecting that it was like hugging the real thing, to a degree. “I wanted to thank you, for not letting me give up.”

“This is but one planet floating in the greater cosmos, infinity stretching beyond even our capacity to fully fathom. It is statistically probable there is other life out there, yet...” Delta paused, pulling me into a hug. “It would be irresponsible to not help those in need.”

“And yet, I was just one person...” I reflected.

“Millions of planets exist that do not support life, thousands may have the potential, yet far fewer have reached such a vaunted point as to do so.” Delta pulled away, but rested their right hand on my shoulder. “In a universe so infinitely vast, where the chances of life evolving are so slim as to be impossible, you are here. You are a living impossibility, and are thus so precious as to be preserved. You are worth living, MichLeo.”

“And the people inside of you?” I asked.

“All willingly assimilated, all living minds acting as one, and all joyous that you are alive and free.” Delta pulled away. “Perhaps, when the technology has caught up to justify more active interaction, we will visit you once again, and give you the opportunity to join us.”

Delta pulled from within themselves a familiar flower, now carefully contained in a flower pot. They placed it at the windowsill. “For now, live, breathe the air that you helped make possible, warm your fur in the sunlight, and if you so choose, die knowing you have made your mark in the universe.”

I nodded. “And MichLeo, may all of your dreams be as pleasant and numerous as the days to come.”

“They will be.” I said. “Good night.”

Delta seemed to smile, and they left the room, closing the door gently behind them. In the dark, I saw my lone mechanical eye glowing back at me in my reflection. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to dream of a greater, better future...

---

The second part of a commission for  akakoom, who asked me to help refine a story he had written. This half of the story is an expansion from where the original story left off, and explores a bit of the world that led to the situation in the first half. The icon for the story is also made by him, with additional assistance for making the title's glow look nice and readable.
The character, Delta, of course, belongs to @deltacatalyzer.
Thank you so much for commissioning me! ^n.=.n^


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