Riley lay in bed inside the Tower's recovery chamber.
His friends rested nearby—Aeris meditating, Lyria fussing over hair filters, Kaela sharpening her blade with unnecessary aggression.
A soft beep echoed.
A small pod in the chamber opened.
A girl stepped out.
White metallic skin.
Blue lights glowing under her joints.
Eyes bright silver.
She blinked at Riley.
"Hello," she said in a soft mechanical voice. "Are you my user?"
Riley stared.
"Uh—depends. Who are you?"
"I am Nyra-Unit Seven. Combat AI android.
My data says: 'Assigned to anomaly Riley Cross.'"
Aeris nearly choked.
"They assigned you an android?!"
Kaela groaned.
"Great, another girl. Just what we needed."
Lyria gasped. "She's so cute—look at her little antenna lights!"
Nyra walked to Riley, placing a hand on his cheek.
Riley froze.
"I detected your instability," she said.
"My purpose is to keep you alive."
Kaela muttered, "Lucky him."