Chapter 1: The Corpse of Steel(11)

I rest my fingertips against the crumbling wall and feel the sound as vibrations: uneven, irregular and unmistakably human. An image forms in my mind of the space around me - a child conceived from sensors in my arm and the optics of my IIs. The vision of a bat without the excessive screeching - at least on my end. Take the third left and then the 6th room on the right: That's where the whining beckons.

Inside I'm met with a curled up mess of adolescence. A teenage boy has reverted to fetal form and whimpers into his arms and knees. My right hand tightens into a fist as I do my best to soften my expression along with my tone.
"Kid... are you okay?"
He snaps up to look at me instantly, bright blue hair falling just into wide yellow eyes that overflow with panic. The oversized green hiking bag on his back and the way he's curled up gives him the appearance of a turtle, peeking cautiously out of its shell.