The first thing I felt when my mind started coming to was a pinprick sensation on my forearm. It seemed to bring me a little closer to consciousness. A warm and tingling sensation spread from the area.

Within a few seconds I went from being a half dead, blurry minded, and delirious man, to wide awake with razor focus.

I knew I had just been given a massive dose of some sort of stimulant-laced cocktail of drugs.

The entire room was white. Between unadjusted eyes and the total uniform and nearly seamless white color around me, I experienced the illusion that I was floating in the sky for a few moments. I swear I could almost see faint clouds in the distance.

My arms and legs were bound it seemed. Even my chest seemed to be strapped down. My jacket, shirt, and pants were all missing.

I started to experience a drug-fueled bout of panic and anxiety when a sound of whooshing came from above.

From the perfectly white ceiling, an almost imperceptible section of ceiling seemed to fold out and unravel as well as droop down closer to me.

I watched in horror and fascination as the almost organic shape unfolded in a tangle of thinner and thicker snake-like appendage surrounding a drooping main large appendage.

The bottom bulb of the main appendage seemed to swivel and face me directly. On it's "face" sat what looked like multitudes of lenses and sensors. Some of the lenses seemed to focus in and out like the pupils of a human eye.

"That's good you're awake already!"

The voice was not coming from the machine. It came from the blind spot behind my head.

"You are doing amazing buddy!! I knew you could do it. Now that you are awake we can begin phase two!"

A vaguely familiar figure menacingly stalked into my sightlines from behind, then to in front of me. The closeness of the thing gave me goosebumps. It was almost as if it was a spider crawling over me.

It took position directly in my face. The thing definitely resembled a spider. Like a mechanical spider with a bunch of incredibly thick snake-like limbs. It was oddly disturbing.

"What are you?"

I spoke. I figured if it wouldn't even identify itself, it was not going to answer any of my many questions anyway.

The machine paused, directed its sensors towards me and answered.

"I'm Toby!"

I waited. It didn't say anything more. The fact struck me it was a computer and I was asking for too much with too little. When the machine called Toby began to move towards the large octopus like thing that had unfurled itself from the ceiling, I called out again.

"What are you doing to me."

Toby didn't stop as he went to the other machine and began to prod and poke at the machine. He seemed to be working on or altering it. The ends of a few of Toby's limbs were apparently designed just for such things.

"Besides the use of stimulants to wake you, nothing else is currently being done to you."

Watching it continue to fiddle with the other machine I was startled and confused. I definitely was secured to a table naked. That didn't seem like nothing to me.

It struck me that technically the question was properly answered. He wasn't currently doing anything to me. I decided if I wanted multi-layered answers I would have to ask multi-layered questions. This was a computer I reminded myself, again.

"What has been done to me and what do you intend on doing to me."

It answered while working.

"Candidate 782 has been injected with czt12 and modified Alpha cellular embryos as well as stimulants. Candidate 782 has shown reduced rejection levels and will proceed to phase two of candidate selection."

Nothing more was forthcoming. I digested what information I could. Injected... czt12... Alpha cellular embryos... None of it sounded good.

I part of me wanted to rage or despair right there, but I swallowed the rage.

"What happens to me during phase two."

"You are not authorized knowledge of testing procedures beforehand."

The robot seemed to lose its fake jovial tone as I asked questions that broke the rules. I wasn't punished in any way, but the tone told me no amount of asking would get an answer.

"What happens if I survive all tests."

The question seemed best to me. I couldn't break free. I couldn't resist. I decided I would find out if surviving the tests would be any better than simply dying in them.

"You will be assigned residence within the base for training and further testing after a judgment from a commanding officer is rendered."

So there was an after. That was good. I was worried this was just a dissection. This seemed like good news to me. There was the possibility of surviving. Training and further testing sounded hopeful.

The machine named Toby continued to work on the other machine while I digested the information.

"What is the purpose of these tests?"

Toby paused for a second. Then continued working while he answered.

"Once again candidate 782, you do not possess the authority to receive the answer to such questions. Your current rank is too low for such information to be accessed."

I was surprised by part of what it said.

My rank is too low? I don't have any rank!

" My rank? I don't have a rank."

"That is incorrect. All candidates are given the rank of sergeant before testing is started, as project operating procedures require."

I thought about it. I was a little surprised that I was now a sergeant in a long dead and gone army. It was odd but understandable. Some subroutine or program was in control. This machine was following a set of rules rigidly without any common sense or ethics.

"I have the rank of sergeant then? What privileges does that give me?"

I doubted it would be helpful, but I asked anyway. The machine called Toby answered with a chipper voice.

"Currently candidate 782 has no privileges. Candidate 782 is currently listed as in reserve. Reserve troops have no privileges within the base."

So it was a rank in name only. Why give out the rank if it meant nothing? The answer seemed to hang outside of thought though. I had a thought it might still be a good thing. You don't give a test animal a rank. It told me there were plans beyond testing and experimenting that required I have rank.

As I started thinking up new questions Toby chirped an odd almost joyful sound and spoke.

"There. All done. We can begin phase two now. Aren't you excited?"

Whatever he had been doing to the octopus-like thing was done. I was NOT excited in any way.

"No, I am not excited. I need more answers. I don't want to be experimented on."

The machine "Toby" paused and faced his camera towards me.

"It's a shame you are not excited, but under standing order #1257 the concerns and safety of citizens are of secondary consideration. I'm sorry you are not in agreement with the importance of these tests, but your approval is not necessary."

I hated this crap. I watched as Toby made an audible clicking and beeping. The octopus started to move again. It perched above me as it's many snake like limbs squirmed.

One of those small limbs slithered its way towards my mouth. Fear began to overtake me again. I guessed its purpose and clenched my jaw. I would die before I let this appendage in my mouth.

The end of the limb poked around my mouth area for a while before it split into dozens of finer ends.

These finer wire-like parts squirmed into my lips as I did everything in my power to turn my head and shake it away. My head was strapped down so my efforts were in vain.

To my horror, more and more limbs started descending and roving my body. As my eyes followed these new appendages they also split into many ended fiber like threads. I felt like puking at the sight but clenched my teeth harder instead.

"There is no need or reason to fight. Your cooperation will make this easier for all of us. Please cooperate buddy."

I realized it only called me buddy when it was trying to calm me. I knew it had to be some sort of programming to calm me. It seemed all the more sickening though, as this very inhuman thing attempted to mimic human emotion.

I wanted to curse at it, but as the thought crossed my mind I felt the fibers of the appendage that was peeling my lips apart begin to wiggle their way between my teeth.

I started to whimper and struggle harder. I was panicking. I was losing control and beginning to thrash harder than ever.

It did no good. The fine wire like ends peeled my jaws apart as if I was a toddler avoiding food.

When my mouth was fully open the entire appendage rushed forth and into my esophagus. It felt like a massive insect was burrowing into my throat and stomach. I could feel the fine wire like ends poking and prodding inside of my throat and stomach.

As I felt the new and awful sensation I also began to feel needle-like pain all over my body. It felt like I was jabbed by a hundred needles all over. Even my neck and head were not spared. It seemed to me the most injections happened around my spine and neck.

For a moment I wished I was unconscious. I was terrified and confused. The pain wasn't horrible, but the unknown nature of it all was.

"Begin nanite injections."

When Toby gave the order the octopus-like machine chirped in response and then I felt coldness spread throughout my body.

I felt like a man-shaped balloon being filled with ice cold water to the bursting point. I felt bloated and sick. My limbs felt heavy. I wanted to vomit, but couldn't as my mouth and throat was filled with the machine's appendage.

"Begin nanite/host integration. Monitor brain activity levels and begin mapping neuron response to stimuli."

The words were all gibberish to me. Only a few words stuck out to me. Nanite and host being at the forefront. But before I could think any deeper on the subject pain began to tear into me from the inside.

If I could explain the sensation, I would probably say that having your internal organs filled with fire ants was the closest description I could think of.

I tried screaming through my blocked throat to no avail. I tried bucking and thrashing but was held firm by my restraints. Time lost its meaning as I raved and jibbered and raged. I cried and attempted to beg for mercy.

The pain seemed to transfer from my organs to my bones. It felt like I was being eaten from the inside out. My bones felt like they were being ground down or scrapped viciously.

"Buddy you're doing good!! Stay with me buddy."

I wanted to curse Toby. I wanted to smash my fist into its camera as it watched me suffer.

"Administer an extra dose of stimulant. The Candidate is showing signs of passing out."

I wished the damn machine would let me pass out. I would take death over this feeling any day. A quick and painless death felt like mercy to me at this point.

I lay there in my pain. I was powerless to do a thing besides suffer and wait. Time became meaningless to me. I had no idea how long I had been in this state.

Only the now existed and right now all I felt was pain and a deep sickness. Toby continued giving commands to the other machine, but I had long stopped paying attention to his words.

I have no idea how long I spent like that but eventually, the jagged pain began to subside as a more fine and acute numbing pain spread throughout my body.

It felt like small amounts of electricity being spread randomly through my limbs and chest. Like little bubbles full of electricity were floating around inside me randomly popping.

The feeling was painful and uncomfortable, but compared to the earlier pain it was heaven.

I began to weep in happiness. Drool had splashed down the corners of my mouth and ran down my cheeks. Tears constantly filled my eyes.

"Phase two nearing completion. Note, Candidate is showing reduced rejection of nanite integration. Hypothesis, radiation poisoning and genetic differentiation may play a role. Further testing required to support the hypothesis."

I just lay there listening. I was in the back seat here with no power. I was happy to be alive but worried this was only the beginning.

"Brain mapping complete. Neural pathways connected. Nanite integration complete. Phase two complete. Beginning preparation for phase three."

I moaned in horror at the thought of phase three. How many phases would be required? I wondered if it would ever end.

"You are doing so good buddy. No candidate has achieved such optimistic results before. I knew you were special!"

I ignored the robot as I sank into despair. I just wanted release, death was good enough at this point.

When the appendages began to retract and the one in my mouth pulled out I screamed. It was not a scream of pain, but anger. I was enraged. I was furious at these machines. Furious at their creator. Furious at everything. I wanted to rip the whole base apart.

Toby didn't seem to mind my outburst at all. It continued its job with a happy tune burbling out of its speakers. It watched me for a long moment before speaking.

"The Candidate requires rest and recuperation before phase three can continue."

"What did you do to me? What was that about nanites!! My brain... WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

I screamed the questions at the machine. It seemed startled for a moment.

"Candidate showing increased distress and shock levels. Administer sleep aid."

"NO! ANSWER ME!!"

My demand went unanswered. I felt my consciousness slipping. Whatever was administered was a powerful sleeping drug.

My final moments of consciousness was filled with pathetic pleas for mercy and information. All of which went unanswered.

Darkness took me quickly.