Sep 4th, 2069
The dawn broke with a fresh day, full of raw potential. Ripples of pain that traipsed routinely across Richard's body seemed to be distant echoes. He awoke calmer, a subtle sense of peace washing over his pale face.
As the day unfurled, laughter and hopeful whispers filled the sterile hospital room. Brenda entered, a mist of apprehension still clutching her. Richard, feeling surprisingly less wrung-out, flashed her a smile.
“I feel good, Brenda. Really good. Is that normal?” Richard asked. His words were like songbirds on a spring morning, fluttering around the room infectiously.
Fear melted from Brenda's brow, replaced with a cautious wave of relief that was too sweet to resist. Her stern, professional façade dipped for a moment, and she found herself echoing his grin.
“That’s...a start, Richard. We hoped BioNano would ease the pain, but it's too early to say for sure. It could be a placebo effect or...” She trailed off. Never get too hopeful too quickly, she chided herself. There were no certainties in the world they inhabited.
Steeling her resolve, she swallowed and admitted something else. "Richard, from here on out, it's all up to the nanobots inside your body. Here’s the thing, I designed them so no one can meddle with their function or misdirect their mission - which means they’re completely unhackable."
Richard cocked an eyebrow, "Sounds like you've created some sort of rogue soldiers in my body."
"Something like that," Brenda chuckled. "The downside is, we can't really monitor their progress, not even through any sensors. They're going to do their work, and we... we just have to wait and believe."
Still wrapped in the warmth of the newfound hopeful prospects, Richard nodded, the color of optimism glinting in his eyes. "So, we wait. We, who've dared to cheat nature— let's see how this gamble plays out, shall we?"
On this unassuming day in the history of humanity, both Brenda and Richard had no idea that they were on the cusp of changing the trajectory of fate itself. It was a silent war waged by microscopic entities against an insidious invader, a war that would, unbeknownst to them, pave the path to the Era of Immortals.