“It is.”
“I had sent a second letter two days ago explaining the situation, did you receive it in time?”
“Yes, I did.”
“So are you providing –”
“– Yes.” Alfred looks at Peter who is observing the room then smiles.
“The fees for the operation must be paid in advance, you do that at the reception. I will bring the Agreement.”
“Okay.”
The Doctor rummages in a drawer and brings a black folder. He passes it to Alfred who skims the page and signs the document.
“Shall we begin?”
“Yes, please,” says Alfred.
Doctor Byron holds Peter’s arm and leads him into an operating theatre. Peter looks at Alfred in confusion as the doors close behind him. Alfred takes a swig from the hip flask, then another. He wipes his damp forehead, this time with shaky hands and lets out a whimper.
The Royal Society of Bio-Mechanical Augmentation (RSBMA) Agreement for Testing and Experimentation Mister Alfred Burton, guardian of Peter Chambers, permits The Royal Society of Bio-Mechanical Augmentation to perform an experiment with aluminium prosthetic on Peter Chambers. Peter Chambers will have his left leg amputated which will be replaced with raw aluminium for testing. This will be replaced in ten days with the refined version of the alloy. It will be a permanent fixture. Mister Alfred Burton understands that the RSBMA is unaware of any side-effects or dangers the metal could cause to Peter Chambers. Mister Alfred Burton understands that the RSBMA does not take responsibility should the operation result to be fatal. Signature:
Alfred Burton 14/04/1873 Stephen Byron Monday
The room that Peter is brought into has a single metallic bed placed in the middle, a toilet in the corner with a sink next to it. There is a small pantry on the other side of the room.
“Listen to me Peter,” said Doctor Byron, “you will be staying with us for some months.”
“But why?” The question slips through his lips involuntarily, even though there’s a nagging feeling in him telling him exactly why.
“You will be transformed. I can picture it already, the first man with a permanent fixture for a leg. You are creating history!” Doctor Byron stepped away from him, “Mister Burton had to make a huge sacrifice for this to happen.”