I had saved for months, scrolling endlessly through eBay listings for something I could afford. A new cyborg was out of the question, but then I found her: a second-hand Aurora Framework Mk. 3, "Refurbished - No Limbs." The price was low enough that I didn’t think twice. Days later, the box arrived.

I cut through the tape and folded the flaps back to reveal her. Eilene-7, as the listing called her, lay motionless in the foam inserts. Her white body gleamed under the dim light, accented by blue details and the red stripe on her thigh. Her arms ended cleanly at the shoulders, her legs severed mid-thigh. Her white hair, streaked faintly with yellow and blue, framed her human-like face. She looked peaceful, almost like she was sleeping.

Carefully, I lifted her from the box. She was surprisingly light. I placed her on a chair and connected the charging cable to the port on her neck. After a moment, faint lights blinked to life along her body, and her blue eyes flickered open.

She blinked a few times before her gaze locked onto me. Her voice, soft and melodic but undeniably mechanical, filled the room: “System reboot complete. Aurora Framework Mk. 3 operational. Designation: Eilene-7. How may I serve you, owner?”

I stood there, stunned, as she waited for my response, her expression calm and neutral.