munchies for scifi

Heartbeats

Ba-dum.... "one"
Ba-dum.... "two"
Ba-dum..... "three"

How long ago had she started counting the beats of her heart. How many days had passed since she had started at "one". Time has so easily slipped from her grasp, she knew the answer, yet was terrified to give it a name. Before he the expanse of space stretched on into infinity her weightless body curled in fetal position in only slight spin. The viewport of the ship completely viewable through her silicone eyes at this angel. This rotation had become her day and night, though she could not feel it in the tightly curled ball she now held herself, she knew that in a few minutes she would no longer be able to look out among the stars. Or maybe a few years, it really was all lost on her.

She hated the window, the barrier that separated her and the infinite cosmos. It was in these moments her sanity returned to her, she could no longer dream and escape the reality of her situation while it was in view. How lonely she had become, drifting in space untouched by the gravitational pull of a star, wandering unexplored space without the comforts of company or the hopes of rescue.

If she had any energy left, she would have cried tears of utter defeat, as she believed she had done so many times before. Apart of her though remaining unconvinced, had she ever cried at all before? Was she even able to? Did her manmade eyes even have the capacity to display the utter emptiness of her current soul? Questions that chased each other like a dog chasing its tail. Round and round they spin in her head, much like she spun within the safety of her vesel prison. Decades passing before the viewport escaped her vision, or was it seconds? Regardless she was now able to delve into insanity. Relieve her broken mind of the burdens her situation heaped upon her. In the absolute silence she returned to a much younger age...

Molly was loved dearly by both her parents, she was such an cheerful child, always so full of wonder. Every day was like her birthday or an exciting adventure. She didn't quite cry much, even when she scraped her knees learning to ride a bike. Little Molly was in love with the outdoors, she loved to run in open soccer fields and climb upon the kiddies jungle gym. She was most alive when the sun kissed her skin, or the rain blanketed her in its cool caress.

It was nobody's fault that it had happened, yet it seemed so beautifully orchestrated by the universe. Her parents distracted for but a moment, the driver just glancing down to receive a text, the ball Molly was kicking rolling into the street, the giggling child chasing after it.

Molly woke in a white bed, in a room that smelled thick with cleaning solution and medicine. That was the day the old Molly had died, died to herself and died to her parents. No longer was she the gleeful little girl that ran through fields and climbed on jungle gyms. She was now Molly that lay useless and lifeless upon a cot.

It was not all bad, she still had the undying love of her parents, and with practice she could speak again. Her smile was still the same, her voice reassured her that she was still little Molly. She could still feel the sun on her face in the morning, when it would creep through the window and lightly place itself on her cheek.

The weight of her hospital bills strained her parents. Both now working full time to keep up with the devastating monthly payments. Though they didn't show it when they visited Molly, she could see the bags under their eyes, smell the liquor upon her father's breath when he leaned down to kiss her every evening. She pretended not to notice, always smiling for them, always telling them she loved them.

It was when she turned 13 that the doctors had been discussing with her family about "alternate solutions" a new procedure had just been given the green light by the government. Molly was a potential candidate to become one of the first to undergo it, If her parents could afford the initial fees of course. The doctors promised it would give her back 80% of her mobility, as with some time and therapy she would come to regain full use of her new body.

Hope twinkled in her parents eyes, they would get back the Molly they had known from her youth, the only thing that stood between them and that reality was the mountain of bills that they simply could not pay. That changed rather suddenly for Molly though. Her parents were quite pleased to share the news that she was going to be whole again. Her father was especially excited, showering her with gifts every day, a new bike, plenty of dresses, dolls and toys she could play with when she could move again. Her mother always smiled during these visits, but the tears that welled in her eyes did not escape Molly.

Then abruptly her father stopped visiting. Only her mother came to see her, to sit by her during the tests that would lead up to the actual surgery. She claimed her father was simply "very busy" but wanted to come see her very soon. Soon never came though, and the dates day has arrived, Molly was going to be made new.

It was quite scary to be honest, despite being in a room full of people, she felt rather alone laying upon that cold steel table. She stared up into the light as the sleeping mask came down, hearing from one of the doctor's "count your heartbeats Molly"

Ba-dum.... "One" BA-dum...... "Two" Ba-dum........"three"