Fragmented Visions

Heaven Give Me Wings

The first thing that she saw when she regained consciousness was the face of the nurse. It was a pool of colour in an otherwise sterile world. The nurse's lips moved. Sounds came from their mouth. It took some time before the sounds became words and the words became sensible.

"Hey! Welcome back! Do you know where you are?"

She shook her head and tried to repeat the words she had just heard, but her mouth refused to cooperate.

"Alright. Do you know your name?"

Again, she tried to reply. This time it was easier. "I'm ... ." Her thoughts were like smoke. She concentrated. "I am Lieutenant Terasawa. Kaori Terasawa. My service number is - ." The words tumbled from her mouth.

The nurse stopped her. "Good. That's good."

"Where am I?"

The nurse's expression changed, became concerned. "Alright. Now listen carefully. You were in an accident. We found your trauma pod a year ago. You were in there for ... ."

Memories coalesced from the smoke in Kaori's mind. She screamed.

There was the usual feeling of disconnection as Lieutenant Terasawa'ss returned to the limits of the physical. While she had been plugged into the systems of her craft, everything she saw, everything she felt, everything she experienced had been through her neural interface. She had been one with her craft. Now, bereft of the data overlays, the light-speed reflexes, the world seemed dull and flat.

She waited for the canopy to be undogged and for the hangar crew to lift her out of the cockpit.

"How was the flight, sir?" The crew chief always asked the same thing after every sortie.

"Outstanding, chief." Kaori bowed her head to make it easier for him to remove her helmet. "My compliments to your team on the work they've done. The new compensator arrangement worked perfectly. The ride was as smooth as silk."

The crew chief allowed himself the luxury of a smile. "I'll be sure to pass that on, sir. In the meantime, the CAG has asked that you report to him. As soon as you've freshened up, of course."

"Thank you." Kaori waited for the hangar crew to wheel her smartframe over. It was a construct, humanoid in shape, with myomer muscles and foamed metal bones. Interface ports at the shoulders, hips and neck of the frame mated precisely with the neutral interfaces at the corresponding places on Kaori's body. Once she was inside it, the frame's electronics 'shook hands' with Kaori's nervous system, then adapted its form in response to her desires. Lieutenant Terasawa rolled towards the ready room.

"You have a visitor," the nurse announced.

Kaori glanced in the nurse's direction. "I don't want any visitors." Then she lay back on her bad, her gaze fixed on the sterile, white ceiling above.

"He says he knows you."

"Then he's a liar." Everyone that Kaori had known, had cared about, was long dead.

The nurse tried again. "He said he was here to make you an offer."

"Not interested." Kaori rolled onto her side, so that she was facing the wall beside her bed. The various biosensors trapped under her protested, but she ignored them.

"Oh, I think you might be." It was a deep, masculine voice.

Kaori was curious. She shifted in her bed to look towards the door of her room. It was an effort to do so. Her body had suffered as a result of her time in the trauma pod. Every movement hurt and drained her energy.