Chapter 18 · The Meat Grinder

"Don't move, you stitched piece of trash!"

The shout ripped through the silence right as a heavy boot slammed into my ribs. I hit the floor hard, the air leaving my lungs in a pathetic wheeze. Before I could even scramble, a cold metal collar snapped shut around my neck.

Static. Pure, blinding white noise exploded in my head.

"Jammer's on," a voice sneered. "Let's see how your little instincts work when you can't even hear your own heartbeat."

I tried to snarl, but the noise in my skull was like a thousand needles scraping against bone. It wasn't just sound; it was a sensory blackout. The world vanished. No smell of rust, no flickering lights, no heat from the bodies surrounding me. Just a void and that screaming static.

"Is it the one?" another voice asked. It sounded like it was coming from underwater, miles away.

"Vane wants it alive for the graft," the first one replied. "But if it fights, break the legs. He doesn't need it to walk to be a battery."

I felt a hand grip the scruff of my neck, dragging me across the grit.