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Chapter 9

The ride to Eden was quick and delivered them to an impressive sight – a small rural town. The streets were lined with trees and quaint houses, a light wind rippled across jade green lawns and the sound of birds filled the air. All that broke the illusion were lights that ran the length of the blue concrete ceiling and the absence of vehicles. There was only a small electric bus that ferried groups around.

Richard watched a handful of people cross toward a General Store. They were dressed in the same green scrubs and some moved in the same stiff manner as him - the result of being new to bodies that weren't their own.

The population consisted of Locums and patients who couldn't afford the extravagance of taking their loaner bodies into the real world. These groups were broken into housing sections, a North and South side, which kept interaction at a minimum. Mixed among them were a handful of onsite Doctors, Therapists and Porters to help with healing.

Eden had been designed with rest as a priority. There were no sterile rooms or concrete walls – the goal was to lessen the chance of depression and create a sense of community. With some stays lasting as long as six months this was a true benefit.

"Which Cottage?" Richard asked. His eyes never left the activity on the street.

"You're in 115 May. Close to the clinic due to your condition," Jackie replied. "No one wants to take a chance in case you have more problems."

Richard looked to his left and right. "No cart?"

"I was going to get one but Carter recommended you walk. Good for the circulation."

"Of course he did." Richard grunted. "You know how hard that's going to be? How many times do I have to repeat myself before someone listens? Something about this body is off."

"Well - you do get a lot of money to whip them back into shape." Jackie said.

"I have fuck all for energy. I'd rather take a nap than lift my foot."

Jackie started across the street. "Guess it sucks to be you."

With resignation, Richard heaved himself forward and followed her. Despite his grunts and groans Jackie never slowed her pace.

"I really need help," Richard wheezed after they travelled a block.

"We're almost at the house."

There was no reply. Richard plopped to the curb. His face was red, his breath short and his eyes pinched with pain. The sounds made Jackie stop and look back.

"It's really that bad?" she asked.

Richard clutched at his chest and nodded.

"Christ, I'm so sorry." Jackie's face was a mask of worry. "You just complain so much that I didn't take you seriously." She turned on her Tablet and pressed a button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

"Nature of emergency?" asked a robotic voice.

"Extreme fatigue," Jackie replied. Her eyes never left Richard, who was now taking great gulping breaths.

"Patient Locum number?"

"57126."

There was a brief pause, then a beep. "Cart is en route."

Within moments an object was speeding down the street toward them. It resembled a gurney but there were no wheels and no one steering. When it arrived beside Richard it dropped to his level. Jackie set her Tablet on the grass and helped him on. He rolled easily, stopping on his back with a groan.

"Destination?" squawked the gurney.

"115 May," Jackie said. She gathered her things and stood. By then the gurney was up and on the way.

The trip wasn't far. At the end of the block it made a right, then turned into the driveway of the second house on the left. It was small and quaint, with a street level entrance and a tree in the middle of the front yard.

When Jackie caught up the front door was open and the gurney was moving inside.

"Tom?!" Jackie called as she stepped into a wide foyer. The interior of the house matched the look of the outside, with a gleaming hardwood floor, simple furniture and a clean, airy smell.

"Right here," replied a small, wiry man. He was swathed in bandages and stood a few paces away.

"Richard's suffering from exhaustion."

"I was wondering what was up." Tom Vector – who now inhabited the body of a burn victim named Jim Spencer, watched the gurney move toward him.

"Hey buddy," Richard said with a weak wave.

"Which sleeping area?" asked the gurney.

"Number one. Right beside you." Tom pointed at the first of two doors on the opposite side of the hall.

"How are you Tom?" Jackie asked while she watched the gurney spin and negotiate the door. Once inside it stopped beside the bed and tilted so Richard could roll off.

"Not bad," Tom replied. "Burns aren't too severe. Pain's pretty minimal but I'm starting to itch like crazy."

"That's good to hear."

"So our friend's not doing well?"

Jackie pursed her lips and tapped a finger against the Tablet cradled in her arms. "This is his fault you know."

"I'm not surprised."

"Didn't follow protocol. For some reason nothing was done about it."

"Rules seldom apply when you're a draw like Rich. Money talks. The patient may have asked for him and the agent did everything he could to line things up."

"Seriously?"

Tom turned and moved toward the kitchen. "How long have you been working for Sands?"

"About two years," Jackie replied, following him. They entered a small but functional room with a fridge, stove, table and chairs. Everything was white including the tile floor. At the far end was a window that looked on to the back yard.

"And you're still that naive?" Tom asked as he eased himself into one of the chairs.

"I'd like to think I'm not."

"You work with or around Rich before?"

"A few times."

"Then you've seen how people react to him. He's a poster boy, a fucking celebrity. The guy makes this place a shitload of money. Stands to reason they do whatever needs to be done."

"Why cater to anyone? It's not like anywhere else offers the procedure."

"But there are other options. Plenty of hospitals do very good in and out work. Near painless procedures with little recovery time. I guess the Foundation sees them as a small threat and does what's necessary to land every patient."

"Even if it's dangerous?"

"Neither Richard or the Foundation seem to care. That's the beauty of their arrangement – both love cashing a cheque more than anything else."

"Greed is so ridiculous."

Tom chuckled. "Then you're in the wrong business. That's what gets most Locums out of bed in the morning."

"I hardly think so."

"How else do you explain why a bunch of people risk their lives by giving up perfectly healthy bodies to inhabit sick ones for great lengths of time?"

Jackie sighed and stood. She left the kitchen, crossed the hall and paused at the bedroom door to have a look at the snoring lump on the bed. "I'll come by tomorrow to check up. Keep a close eye on him."

"I'll put his monitor bracelet on. Shift Doc will know if something goes wrong."

Jackie rolled her eyes and left the house. Tom had missed the point entirely.