Mother's Hand

Prologue

Fifty thousand of us walked together, silent and naked. We were packed tight. Afraid and awkward in our nudity. Our feet rung out dull slaps against the concrete as we stepped out into the night. We were greeted to a nipple twisting chill and the smell of kerosene. They were fueling up the kilometer-long shimmering black spaceship that would take us to the stars to fight the Scynthians.

Ahead, a bridge led us to the embedment hall.

There is where my mind would be stored while my body went and did the fighting.

A light drizzle fell. My skin prickled as I brushed shoulders with the people next to me. These would be my fellow soldiers and yet, I would never know them.

The age of us varied – you could be called upon to serve anytime from sixteen to sixty-five. I'm  a six-foot-two guy, so I was taller than most and could keep my eyes above of the naked marching procession.

In the distance, was the glowing neon from the spires of the city and above it all, loomed the giant statue of Mother. She soared above the tips of the skyscrapers like they were toddlers. The way her cowl and robes were carved, made it look like she was moving, striding forward through the city like it was a field of corn.

And it was always harvest time, I thought.

We were told from that Mother loved us. That she came to Earth as our protector.

But could we really be sure of that?

My neck throbbed where my bio-rig had been installed. I touched it gingerly, and a sharp pain shot down my spine to my heels.

As an 8-year veterinarian, I knew enough of the science. This little node was already growing into my spine and extending its tentacles into my nervous system. it would soon take over every part of me, until it could lock my mind away for the next four years.

We were across the bridge now and stepping into the embedment hall. The structure was built from grey stone. Massive metal columns swept up into an arched dome above us. The building was immense. They had built it that way; to match the serious, life-changing moment that we were undertaking.

Thousands and thousands of human-sized pods were laid out on tracks. The back of the hall was open, and the tracks led out into the belly of a spaceship, like a Space Dragon had its guts splayed out.

Skuffing hell. It is really happening.

Mother's mantra is Service is Life. But now I was really here, after trying to avoid Mother's grip my whole life, I could feel myself start to freak out.

These could be my very last moments of my consciousness being attached to my body. Ever.

I tried to steady my breath. Thousands died in service. No one knew the odds, but I knew many didn't come back.

Mother's Hand were here to ensure order. The irony that we were naked, while the autonomatons that surrounded us were clothed was not lost on me.

But no one seemed to be acting out. Around me, Mother's Subjects were bending down and slowly getting into the pods. Mother had pushed us down so much we were docile, even to the end.

A nearby Mother's Hand gripped my arm, making me jump.

"828–Kal," he said. It was a man, similar age to me but much thicker set, loaded with service muscle. He spoke the words like all Mother's Hand, with no inflection and although his eyes were on me, they had a thousand-yard stare. The technology was good, but not perfect. They did not seem human.

"Yes, that's me," I answered.

"Lay down here. Do not be afraid."

I thought about the speech the Prince Rufus had given us, before we had been stripped of our clothes. Towering above all of us, the nine-foot colossal superhuman walked across the platform in front of the terrified crowd.

"Be proud," he had said. "You are taking part in the greatest moment in human history. For your kind to continue we must defend ourselves from the Scynthians. My brothers will lead you in this battle, and yes, there will be losses. But this is your service and service–" he let the sentence hang for us to finish.

"Is life." We murmured.

"It is life continued for the human race." He preached. "Mother wants you to survive. This is why she sacrificed herself. She wants humanity to grow, so do not be afraid. You will not know the horrors my brothers and I face and that is our gift to you. So, go! Keep your heads high as you walk into the abyss and do not be afraid. Those who refuse will be executed on the spot."

My attention snapped back to present as the pod filled with blue gel. I slowly stepped into the goop and the Mother's Hand guided me down to my haunches. The goop was warm, almost body temperature.

Around me thousands of others were doing the same thing. We would be pumped with proteins and growth hormones as we travelled. Then we would wake... no, I corrected myself. I would not wake, my body would wake as Mother's Hand. My mind wiped clean, and under the control of Mother's great algorithms just like the creepy skuffer that was stood next to me

I laid down in the pod submerging myself and the gel framed my face.

Above, a great space battle was painted as a fresco on the ceiling above. Two ships blasting at each other. In the fray, I could make out tiny specs of people, who were being blown out into endless space.

I imagined swirling, spinning into the abyss like that – and realized that would be me. Suspended in an endless four-year dream.

The Mother's Hand above moved about plugging something in, I heard the taps echo out in the gel.

My breath quickened, noisy in my ears. Skuff this, I need to get out. I need to explain there has been some mistake.

I went to push myself up, but and the Mother's Hand was over me in less than a second. With both thick palms gripping hard onto my shoulders, with a vice-like grip and an inhuman strength the Mother's Hand pushed me under the gel.

I kicked about, my feet slipping against the smooth surface of the tank. I tried to reach up, but my fingers slithered over the rim without finding purchase. I couldn't breathe, then he released me but the cover of the tank shot over me.

I'm trapped.

I took in a few desperate breaths and pummeled my fists against the lid. I screamed for them to let me out.

The gel crept up the sides of my coffin. I took a final breath as the gel rose to fill the tank completely. I traced the edges with my fingers, there was nothing to grab, no edge to push against. 

Above, I could see the silhouette of the Mother's Hand standing over me. 

My lungs were bursting. Blackness started to bleed into the edges of my vision. I had to breathe.

I broke and sucked in the blue gel.

Then, I was gone.