Colony Wars 1: War Never Ends

Chapter Thirteen - The Hospital

3rd June 2076 – 2nd Galactic Step

Pomona Hospital Wing

New Dawn City

Earth

Solar System

Thud thud... thud thud... thud thud...

The noise was just so loud, yet it felt very comforting to the foetus. The preborn infant was content within its warm confines. Its arms and legs floated gently within the smoothly swishing liquid that vibrated suddenly with each deafening pulse. The foetus's eyesight was very blurred, and when it did dare to open its eyes, all it could see was blinding pink light.

The foetus's thin bandy arms slipped down to touch is soft fleshy belly, but then it touched something that felt very alien. It felt cold and hard, a strange metal tube was pulsing and pumping into its belly. The foetus began to panic and squirm as it became aware of its surroundings. Then the water level began to drop inside the artificial womb and the tiny baby was born. A smiling doctor's face appeared at the top of the pink stained canister, and he reached in and carefully brought the new life into the world.

The metallic tubing was extracted from the baby's belly, the sudden lack of oxygen caused the infants lungs to expand, and he began to scream loudly as he sucked air into his body. The doctor's face appeared again, swaddling the baby into a rough white blanket, and then he raised the child up to near his face and whispered in its ear. "You're perfect."

"You're perfect... you're perfect..." the words spun out of control in the boy's mind, rolling turbulently around inside his fragile brain until something snapped and the vision disappeared abruptly.

Lance's eyes shot open suddenly as he woke up from his strange coma induced dream. The white ceiling flickered for a moment and then his retinal heads-up display flashed to life, giving his surroundings a faint bluish tinge. He tried to move his arms and legs, but they refused to respond, and Lance began to worry that he was paralysed.

"Lance, calm down," said a voice from beside him. He tried to twist his neck to look at the speaker, but his body just would not react to his urgings.

"Who's there?" Lance said in a stiff mumbled voice, and he felt a little happier that at least he could talk.

"It's me, Viktor," said the soft Russian voice. "I've restarted your internal systems, but a lot of your motor functions are still inoperable and to make sure you don't hurt yourself your arms, legs, neck and body have been restrained."

"Why... Where...?" Lance struggled to say.

"Your fight with Xu Sing, do you remember?" Viktor said gently and Lance felt his cold clammy hand press against his forehead.

Lance searched his memories and then it all came rushing back to him in an instant, the fight, the fear and the agonising pain. Lance tried to nod at Viktor, but his head did not move. "Yes, I remember."

"The fight mangled most of your external skeleton and you burnt out seven of your twelve servomotors," Viktor said removing his hand from Lance's head. "You've lost your left leg, and your right arm is currently in a critical state. I'm doing all I can to repair the tendons, the sinew, the veins, and the muscles but its slow going."

"I can't feel anything..." Lance muttered, only now noticing on his HUD that one of his legs was missing.

"You've been heavily anesthetised," Viktor said sadly. "...and I'm afraid to say that I've only woken you up to determine if your mental faculties are still intact, which they are. I'm going to put you under again soon to start the operations which will hopefully have you back on your feet again soon."