Someone's In My Head (WATTYS AWARD WINNER 2015)

Chapter Twenty-One (Pt. 1)

Our next stop wasn't exactly a 'stop'―it was more like a fast-forward version of a 3D all-around video. Sounds epic, eh? Well, it would've been cooler if there were dramatic sound effects playing in the background, but I'll take what I can get.

After his admonishing comment at my 'blatant staring', Lenny snapped his fingers, and with a start, the Athena Lab was rapidly populated by numerous scientific apparatus. A metal shelf appeared magically right under where Lenny and I were standing, effectively chopping off the bottom half of our bodies. It didn't even tickle. I guess being an overly-lifelike hologram was creepier than I thought.

The spotlights around us dimmed slightly, and once again I saw Lenny Jr. He seemed to be pacing around the room at one moment, then bending over the surgical bed on the next, but the motion was sped up, so I couldn't be sure what exactly he was doing. There were lumps of whatsit―bodies?―appearing and disappearing on the surgical beds at sporadic intervals.

I must admit that Lenny Sr. was a terrific narrator. "The unofficial commencement of Operation Athena was in the fall of 1997, and I began delving enthusiastically into the operation, spending brutally long hours in the lab every day. I was desperate to please The Duke, to show my utmost gratitude for his generous support. The enthusiasm blinded me; I became so obsessed with my research that I was oblivious towards The Duke's intentions and his callousness.

"At first, it was just theoretical assumptions. Then, we began experimenting on lab rats, and a year later, I had managed to perfect the procedure for Phase One." He turned to me quizzically. "You do understand the two phases in Operation Athena, don't you?"

Under his expectant gaze, I had no choice but to be frank. "Yeah. Phase One, extraction; Phase two, implantation. Pretty straightforward."

Lenny Sr.'s expression darkened. "Easier said than done, although Phase One was relatively easy. A few months after I've perfected the procedure, we received news about the attack in Kandahar. We flew there right away, and in the ramshackle makeshift lab they'd prepared for us, I managed to extract the consciousness of the first―which turned out to be the only―survivor we received."

"Phillip Rogers," I whispered.

Lenny Sr. nodded. "He was barely alive when they brought him in; he had lost three of his limbs, and his vitals were failing at a shocking speed. The man was beyond saving, but we weren't there to save him. We were there to give him a second chance at life."

A thought―so distant that it seemed foreign―struck me. "Are you sure he was the only survivor?"

"Pardon?"

I realized I had been mumbling the question to myself. I repeated my question, this time more audibly. "Are you sure there were no other survivors?"

Lenny Sr. frowned. "Based on what I recall, nope. The others were decimated instantly by the cannon blast. Phil was lucky to be alive at all―they were all saying it was God who'd protected him from the blast." A wry smile crept up his lips as he recalled the nostalgic moment.

"And he was your friend." I pointed out, trying not to sound as if I was blaming him for choosing to save his friend over my dad. I think I failed.

Fortunately, Lenny Sr. didn't seem insulted at all. He merely gave me a strange look. "Yes, he was. Anyway, with Phase One complete, The Duke told me that there was no time for respite, and ordered me to initiate Phase Two right away. I didn't mind―the obsequious mindset has yet to be wiped off me yet."

He thrust a finger in the direction of his younger equivalent, disdain written all over his face. "Eager to please The Duke, I started Phase Two right away, but was met with a serious setback. Before we went down to Kandahar, The Duke informed me that he had had a couple of hospitals contracted to send in brain-dead patients to LAMRAED for 'research purposes'. This was to make sure that I had patients ready for me to work my hypothesis on once Phase One was complete. I had no idea how did he manage that, but I wasn't interested in asking at that time.