Bionic Evaluation

The nurse produced the next test. It was almost exactly the same as the last. A glass box that required specific keys to unlock a series of latches in a specific order. A simple task once you made a few trail and error guesses.

The notable distinction, however, was the prize. The dollar had been replaced with a cigarette and lighter.

Orion searched his pockets frantically, only to realize he had in fact been pick-pocketed. He turned to the mirrored window with a look of explicit annoyance.

“Are you serious? Have you sunk this low?”

“Please proceed with the test, Sir,” the nurse's disembodied voice sounded over the intercom with poorly concealed mirth.

“Triquati…” he murmured as he picked up the small brass keys, preparing to repeat the test.

His organic limb trembled in unreasonable weakness, barely able to hold the keys. “So you've messed with my real arm's nerves and basically fucked me. You do realize I'm providing the funds for this shit, right?” He asked, receiving silence for an answer.

The first violently shaking key touched the lock only for a small spark to jump from the lock and send a small electrical current up his heavily drugged arm. “SEYAKTO BHEKS!” The key fell to the floor as he shook his hand out limply. “Are you fucking kidding me!?” he shouted at the mirror, “You say you need to run some tests on me, and now I'm being drugged and electrocuted like a fucking lab rat. Seriously, what is this stupid bullshit? You've really outdone yourself this time, you aggravating fucks.”

When no one answered him, he turned back to the puzzle. How to unlock the glass box without setting off the charge. He tried a different key, only to be similarly shocked. He reexamined the cart, noticing a new addition to the seemingly random bits that he could use to solve the puzzle.

~~~~~

“He found the hand,” A voice belonging to Dolkar noted, somewhat proudly.

Orion jammed his wrist into the socket at the end of the metal hand. It was designed with combat in mind, and was reinforced with heavy armoring like the arm it was attached to. it was steady and strong unlike the organic counterpart. Evens so, the bionic was incredibly fickle. It likely would crush the key, but Dolkar figured he could figure out how to adjust the force of the grip and do so well enough to finish the test.

“He understands that the arm is metal and therefore more conductive.” one of the scientists in the observation room noted quietly. Dolkar wasn’t exactly surprised. Based on Orion's gadgets and devices, His knowledge of Electricity was clearly equivalent to or greater than their own. But he kept his comments to himself.

The grey-haired man went back to the glass box. Dolkar seemed rather confused that he ignored the small tray of brass keys. “What’s he doing?”

Suddenly, Orion cocked his elbow back and punched through the roof of the box, sending shards of safety glass across the floor. He smoothly placed the cigarette in his mouth,  flipped off the mirrored observation window with his jittery hand, and lit the cigarette with the lighter firmly held in his other. “Write that down, you fuckin' lab monkeys.” he said smugly, smoke escaping his mouth.

Dolkar smacked a hand to his face, as the nurse let out a somewhat tired sigh of frustration.