I suddenly shot awake, body lurching on the metal table I was on. But something held me down. I yanked my arms up. They didn't move. I looked down at my body and nearly passed out. It wasn't the fact that my limbs were being held in place that scared me, but the fact that my limbs were metal.
"No, no, no!" I screamed. I began to flail around. One leg burst through the band. Then an arm. With one final lurch I was free.
I rolled off the table to the cold linoleum floor. I knelt there and a touched my left arm. As I rubbed my hand, there was a quiet screech of metal on metal: my finger and my hand.
I began to panic. I stood up and looked for a way out. A white door was in the corner. But when I tugged and pushed on the handle, it didn't budge. Screaming, I hit the door with my shoulder. Something appeared in my vision. With a yelp, I backed away. But the thing didn't go away. I suddenly realized it was words.
PAIN. Discontinue activity causing PAIN.
Then I realized the words were coming from my eyes. Inside them. I fell the floor and held my head. What did they do to me?
The door opened. I scurried away from it on my hands and knees. An older man in a white coat came in holding a clipboard. His jaw dropped when he saw the table. Then his eyes fell on me.
"I thought the band's would hold this time," he commented. "I'll have to figure that out soon."
"This time?" I croaked.
He nodded and walked to the counter to set his clipboard down. "Yes. You're not the first one that's been in here."
"What did you do to me?" I hissed.
He pushed up his glasses on his nose. "You were in a terrible accident. You coded and were pronounced dead. So they gave you to me." He spread his arms out. "And you're alive now!"
"But what did you do to me?"
"They brought you in pieces. Nothing I could do to save your limbs. Your back was broken too. So I fixed that. In the end, and in basic terms, you have metal limbs, some of your spine has been replaced, and there have been some adjustments in your brain. Oh and those aren't your real eyes. They're a kind of screen, a retina display I call it. It will give you information about your body. You cannot feel most sensations, such as pain, heat, cold or texture. So this is when your display will tell you what you should be feeling."
"That's- that's terrible," I stuttered. I stood up slowly. "Why didn't you just let me die?"
"And let you go to waste? No. I gave you new purpose."
I threw my hands up. "Then take me to my family. Where are they anyway?"
He fidgeted with his hands. "Well, they believe you're dead. You're not supposed to remember them when you wake up. That's what I was coming here to do. I need to delete all your personal knowledge. Your childhood memories, family, friends. Your name. I hadn't quite gotten around to doing that."
I took a step back. "No, you can't do that. That's me!"
"I'm sorry but you're going to need to sit back down on the table. I must complete the process."
"Get away from me!" I ran at the door. It was locked again. The man approached me. "Now just sit down."
"No!"
He sighed. "I was afraid of that." He pulled out a little remote and pushed a button. My legs gave out and I crumpled to the floor. I suddenly couldn't move anything.
"By the way," the man said as gripped me under the arms and dragged me to the counter. "I am Dr. Quigley."
He leaned me against the cabinets. He tilted my head to one side and swept my hair to one side. His fingers went up the back of my head. I shuddered. Or at least I tried to but my body wouldn't move.
His fingers stopped at something and pulled up. I could feel the back of my head being lift up.
"This is your control panel," Dr. Quigley said. He pulled out a cord and plugged it into my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the cord trail up into a computer.
"This won't hurt a bit," the doctor said.
I closed my eyes and whispered to myself, "I am Brea Gregory. I am 18 years old. I have 2 siblings. I live in..."
***
I woke up again on the table. Dr. Quigley was looking down at me. "What is your name?" he asked. My mind blanked then I suddenly remembered. "I am Soldier 17B2D."
"Very good." He nodded. "Your common name will be, oh, let's say Eve. What is your job?"
Hmm... I don't think I have one. So I answered as such.
"Yes, yes. Your new job is to find a certain Dr. Juarez's soldier. This will be Soldier 23A1C. Common name, Jack. Find him and destroy him.
"It will be done as you say, doctor."
***
It had taken me nearly a week to track him down. Days of searching and research. Now, if this little stake out worked out, I would have his neck in my hands in less than an hour.
I was hiding behind a dumpster in parking lot of a disguised building that was actually Dr. Juarez's lab. I was almost positive that Soldier 23A1C was on a mission to find me too. It was a battle of who could find who in less time. And I had won.
The door swung open and I ducked down. I peered around the corner and saw a young man come out. My display locked on his face.
Identifying face... confirmed: Soldier 23A1C.
I smiled. Now was my chance.
I jumped out from behind the dumpster with super human speed. He immediately noticed me and braced himself. I landed in front of him. I held up my metal fists. He grinned. "I've finally met you. May the best soldier win."
"I will."
He swung at me, fist grazing my chin. I jumped again, this time landing on him. He caught my legs and swung me. My head hit the asphalt with a thud.
PAIN. Discontinue activity causing PAIN.
This time, the words lit up bright, signifying greater pain. I grunted and kicked at his legs. The metal clanged and his knees buckled a little. I swung my feet forward, using the momentum to get up.
He swung at me and I dodged it. He kicked out and I took a step back in time. He dropped his fists and suddenly ran. What was he doing? I couldn't lose him. I sprinted after him. He ran across the dark street into the park with a fountain. He stopped near it. I continued running, aiming to push him into the water. As I went to push him, he grabbed my hair, took a step to the side and threw me into the water. As I tumbled into the fountain, I felt my control panel open. I went under.
It was shallow and I tried to get up but the soldier held me under.
Limited air. Seek air now. A little bar appeared, showing just how much air I had left.
I struggled and tried to pry his hands off my head. My legs tried to hit his arms but they couldn't reach. I writhed as the bar got to the lowest point.
No air left. Commencing shutdown.
Soldier 23A1C suddenly lifted my head out of the water. I gasped and filled my lungs. He then suddenly thrusted my head into the water, hitting the concrete. I heard a crack. My retina display died and I lost control of my limbs. I could hear water rushing into the empty cavity of my shattered control panel. This was it.
The soldier lifted me out of the water and threw me onto the grass. I blinked and looked up and saw two approaching figures. Dr. Quigley and Dr. Juarez. The latter was smiling.
"It seems I've won," he said proudly. Dr. Quigley frowned at me. "Yes. I thought this one would win me this round. I guess I was wrong."
He reached into his coat pocket and gave Dr. Juarez a stack of money.
"Until next time?" he asked.
Dr. Juarez nodded and shook his competitor's hand.
"Until next time." He snapped his fingers and Soldier 23A1C quickly picked me up. As we walked back to the lab, a final shock went through my body and all systems shut down.