The Body Transplant

A.D. 2367

There was total silent darkness around him. He felt as if he was in the deep reverie of a soothing dream; however, he knew that he was not sleeping. This was some other world or dimension of being where vast gulfs of pitch black space loomed and strange light particles floated. These lights that started to appear seemed like distant stars but as he got a further glimpse at some of them that glided by he could see that within their shimmering bodies lay countless miniature planets and solar systems that orbited into infinity.

"Welcome to the end, Kalidar," a booming, elder voice called from inside of his mind. "But alas, it is not yet your time. I see a great many more years before you are truly ready for the plunge into the depths of this universe. Enjoy your life, young star traveler."

"Where... where am I?" he asked the voice. His voice seemed to disappear into the depths.
The being did not speak again but, as if in answer, a bright redness seemed to seep between the layers of the dark around him.

This sudden light swallowed him as the floating specks began to dim and he began his return to his prior world, wherever it was he came from.
He opened his eyes to the blaring light that hunched above him and breathed in. There was an overall clean smell to the room. He had tubes running up his arms, legs and around his nose. An outworlder man and a humanoid woman in what looked like medical scrubs stood above regarding him with curiosity. The woman grinned at him and he couldn't help but get a sense of deja vu.

"Who are you?" he asked helplessly. "Where is this place?"

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Mr. Lumino," the blue man said. "The body transplant was a success; at least it appears so. You are currently in Walgax's Mediplus Hospital and we are to be your nurses for the time being. You suffered a pretty awful ship malfunction, if you can remember. You were drifting out in space with no oxygen for... quite a while; however, your ship sent out a signal and our robots recovered your brain from your decaying body."

Suddenly, he began to have a foggy recollection of this incident.
That was right; he was on his way to his grandma's house on planet Odelia IX when his ship's oxygen supply sprung a leak. Helpless in the vast cosmos without fresh air, he must have passed out or suffocated before he... died?

"How am I alive?" he wondered. "I don't understand."

"Another of your species, a Fralion as you know, had previously donated their body i exchange for an integration to an android shell," the woman said. "We simply took the structure of your brain matter and implanted its electric signals into the new body."

"That doesn't sound very simple to me," he complained. "It sounds complicated and not to mention very expensive. How much is this going to cost me?"

"Not to worry," the man consoled him. "There is no cost besides the fact that you will need time to adapt to your new body. Now if you don't mind, we have a few questions for you."

"Okay, go ahead." He sat up in bed clumsily.

"First, you remember your name, right?" the woman said as she pulled out a floating tablet that she began to type on. "Your full name?"

"Of course; it's..." he pondered this for a moment. "Kalidar Juni Lumino II, after my dad." She typed in this information.

"Do you know your galactic security number?"

"Sure," he said. "It's 32479467897."

"Now what is your birth year, or more accurately, 'was'?"

"Um... It's 2309."

"Very good, Mr. Lumino," the man said. "Now I'm sure you'd like to get acquainted with your new face. Give me a moment while I fetch a mirror." The two nurses left.

The woman promptly came back with a glass of viscous orange liquid. He instantly recognized it as his specie's hydrating liquid, known as opolu. He downed the liquid in three massive gulps and thanked the lady kindly.

The blue skinned man appeared at last with the mirror in his hands, giving it to Kalidar. Kalidar gazed at himself suspiciously. In many ways, this new face was an upgrade from the previous. No longer did he have sores and excessive pimples. He peered at the smooth, light purple skin tone of his kind, the Fralions, with no blemishes. He appraised his deep blue eyes, his smile and all of his teeth, which appeared to be all in order. He gave himself a wide grin and laughed at his reflection.

"This is amazing," he said to the nurses. "I've never looked this good in my life."

"Yes, quite a remarkable replacement for you, isn't it?" the man remarked.

"Definitely," Kalidar said as he looked again and ran his four fingered hands through his short black hair.

"Alright then, Mr. Lumino; there are some clothes over there, also free of charge," the lady pointed. "We'll let you get dressed while we wait for you outside." The two of them briskly walked out, leaving Kalidar to himself.

I wonder how grandma is going to look at me now, he wondered to himself. No more pimply old Kalidar; say hello to the new and improved Fralion.

He shucked off his hospital gown and dressed himself in the new clothes set out for him. They were comfortable, and clung to him like a warm embrace from an old friend. He set the mirror aside and threw open the door to a new day and a new life.