"All systems online. Project Retry is ready to operate."

Blinking slowly, the grey hedgehog starts to open his eyes. The bright light stings his eyes, but eventually, he sits upright to check his surroundings. He notices the machine he's hooked up to and the people in white coats monitoring whatever they are doing. A tug at his memory made him feel he should remember these people or what led him here, but there's nothing.

"Where...am I?" He asks, voice sounding foreign yet oddly familiar. Immediately the people in white flock to him, bombarding him with questions, prods, and pokes. It's all too much for him to process, but he answers the questions as best as he can—making him wonder how he knows all these things but has no memory before waking up. None of it makes sense.

After several minutes, a bald man with an enormous moustache, more prominent than he has seen in his life, walks up to the hedgehog. "Ah, you're finally awake, (Name)." The hedgehog blinks, confused. "...(Name)?" He echoes, the word feeling weird coming out of his mouth. "Yes, that is the name you have given yourself. Your final gift before we put you in your new body."

The world seems to spin and sway with this newfound knowledge slowly. "Before...what?" The bald man sighs, a bleak look crossing his features. "I was worried this may happen. It seems your long-term memory was erased when we removed your brain." The man strokes his moustache before giving the hedgehog a solemn look. "You named yourself (Name), and I intend to call you that. Whatever you called yourself before this life doesn't matter anymore. It won't bring memories back." He explains. The hedgehog remains confused. "I don't understand any of what you mean."

"That is quite alright, young one. We will get you up to speed soon enough." He turns and speaks in hushed voices to one of the white coats by his side before clearing his throat, returning his attention to the grey hedgehog seated upright. "(Name), how do you feel?" The weird word rings in his ears as if his mind is wracking itself to connect the dots. He can feel a hammering in his chest, a squeezing sensation stealing all his attention. He can feel himself breathing more heavily, as if the air is slowly being sucked out of his body. "Sir, his vitals are going haywire!"

"Shoot," the man hisses, settling a hand on the hedgehog's shoulder. "(Name), I need you to calm down. You're having a panic attack." He explains, but the words hardly reach the hedgehog. It feels like he's submerged in water, words muffled and muddled and making no sense. It feels like he's drowning. Maybe he should give in and let the air be sucked straight from his body. Then, he could close his eyes and return to his deep slumber. That felt comforting.

"(Name)," his ears flick upon hearing the strange word again. What did the man say it was? His...name? Was that it? How did the man know that, but not him? Nothing else seems to register past his 'name', but that soon changes when a prickling sensation in his arm catches his attention. His head moves groggily, looking to see what caused the sting. But instead, he sees a white coat withdrawing from him, a weird gadget in her hand with a sharp point. Before he can even try to register what it is, his body gives out from underneath him, and he collapses back on the plush surface of whatever he is on. The darkness consumes him once again, and for once, his consciousness finds solace.