The ensign walked down the dimly lit hallway, its walls covered in various cords and pipes. The crew's division was much less luxurious than the Bridge... The ensign reached his quarters with a sigh. His cabin was the size of a bathroom in one of the luxury suites in the VIP's lower decks. It had a cot, a small side table, and a window. That was all. Ensign Jacobs looked out the window and saw Marvin's shuttle twist and turn through the vaccum toward Corinth Research Station. Marvin was an odd fellow. The ensign had only seen him once, during the award ceremony on Livadia. Marvin was intimidating and almost god-like in his power armor from his commando days. He is very young for an officer... Even he [the ensign] was older than Marvin. There were rumors spreading of alleged drug-abuse by the Grand Admiral, but they were dismissed as Council propaganda. Nobody pays attention to drugs in the Frontier Worlds...
Marvin stepped of the shuttle Stranger In A Strange Land. The door slid open with a "swish". Corinth's director, Winston Percival Dorsey, was waiting for him along with a whole team of biomedical engineering students, and many new doctors. The regular crew is on leave, the teams rotate every five months. The look on the eager students faces was of awe and amazement. It was obvious they had never seen a Cyborg of this magnitude before. They stepped out of the way as Marvin strode down the corridor, walking next to the new Team leader, Dr. Fujikawa Toshimo. They neared a security checkpoint and yet another door... The guards looked up at Marvin with wondering eyes. Dr. Toshimo pulled a key out of his pocket, an oddly shaped one at that. The last barrier opened. One of the guards looked to be a Cyborg also, of a newer generation, although shorter than Marvin by .5 feet, they seemed as tough as nails.
Dr. Toshimo's voice boomed over the loudspeaker.
"Are you ready, Marvin?"
"Ready as I'll ever be", Marvin replied.
"Good, Lets begin the 'uprade' procedure." Toshimo said calmly.
"Marvin's hemisphere of brain, which is computerized has become outdated. This new unit shall improve it." Toshimo continued to his students in the observation room overlooking the OR.
One of Dr. Toshimo's most trusted pupils, a man of Rhienlandic descent, named Mel Stude entered the room as Marvin layed down on the custom-length operating table. Stude slipped on black latex gloves --- or so it looked. He began removing screws from Marvin's head, first on the back of the head and moving forward. The skull plate lifted and made a sickening squish sound as the Rhienlander set it on the steril paper nearby. Marvin was required to be more or less awake during the entire operation, otherwise they'd not know if the new device was working properly right away or not. They didnt want to damage 'their speicimen.'
Stude then began to unlink the pins and screws securing the artifical unit to the natural brain and the skull wall itself. The actual brain that was left composed of memory storage, and other specific processes. Marvin heard Toshimo talking again, even through the thick glass that seperated them.
"Marvin's heartrate, body temperature, and other general processes are controlled by this new artificial unit. It will make him faster, stronger and more resilliant. Not to mention improved senses." Toshimo's voice dimmed as Marvin could not hear anymore...
He felt hot as Stude lifted out the old unit, it bloody and nearly falling apart. Marvin saw his lips moving saying something to the effect of "Beautiful Specimen" But he wasnt sure. The room was starting to blur. His surroundings began to spin around him as he blacked out.
The students watched perplexed as Stude put the new, slightly larger unit into Marvin's empty skull cavity. He seemed rushed as he reattached and resautered the many bio-optical wires back into place. Marvin began to stir and feel far better. Odd, actually. Faster. Like he was blinking too fast for himself to keep up... Like he could take on the world. He then felt dull shooting pain up his spine as the doctor placed the skull plate back on and reattached the seams. His pulled the bloody gloves off and said "Its done" as calmly as ever.
Then Marvin passed out.
Dr. Fujikawa paced in the small observation room.
"Hmm... Hmm... Could this be a side effect?" Dr. Fujikawa said, worried.
"He'll sure do better in recovery than in that cold place." Stude said reasurringly.
The biomedical students along with Fujikawa struggled to lift the giant onto the bed to roll him into the Intensive care wing of the hospital.
Marvin awoke... there was glaring sun in his face. He knew where he was... Just then, he choaked on the tube going up his nose and down his throat. He pulled it out, unknowingly tripping all the medical equipment. A nurse ran in, smiled at him and shut the beeping machines up... He looked out the window and saw his juggernaut floating. The crew are probably wondering where he is... Dr. Fujikawa had left him a note
Dear friend,
I am happy to say you will get better. However, this may be a side effect of the transplant and will most propably disappear in a few days. It appears we made a big stain over nothing...