The Only

CH 29

The cell was tiny, a ten-foot square nothing like the room we were kept in before. There was a single cot against the far wall under a tiny window through which I could see the continent of North America.

We were rising in altitude.

Timmy was in the cell to the right of me; through a speaker on the wall I was able to speak to him. Jesse was on the opposite side of him, not responding to anyone.

"Can you see him?" I asked Timmy, who walked to the other side of his cell, peered through the speaker, then turned back to me.

"Yeah, it's getting worse." He said. "His infection is spreading. He won't last much longer."

"Do you know what they're going to do to him?"

Timmy shook his head. "His body is only useful before he turns. If he goes zombie before they get him out, he would be useless to them."

"What do you mean 'get him out'?" I asked.

"When they harvest bodies, they release the spirits, the consciousness of the person inside. If they get him out, he would still be here in consciousness, healthy. And they would have a healthy body. Everyone wins. Unless they decide one body isn't enough. they could always leave us here to rot."

"Well, if they take me up on my offer, they'd be getting two bodies and you would be free to go."

"They won't. They're liars. They'll take you and Jesse's bodies, and then they'll take me too. They wouldn't just let me go."

"Then you'll just have to escape." I said. "Find other survivors. Tell them what's going on. Fight back."

My cell door whooshed open and Solktech stepped inside. "The doctors are ready," he said, gesturing for me to step into the hallway.

I looked back at Timmy. "Good luck," I said, standing up and walking out. Jesse was already there, eyes bloodshot and teeth bared, snarling.

"Wait!" Timmy yelled from inside his room. "I'm coming too."

"These two are the only ones being operated on today," Solktech said, smirking.

"I know. I want to watch."

Solktech sighed, then nodded, gesturing to one of his guards to open the doors. Timmy stepped out, straitening his uniform.

"Let's go," Solktech snapped, his guards slapping their hands against their rifles for effect. I shivered as I walked down the cold corridor, on the way to the medical bay.

We passed several pawns in the halls, all holding guns and saluting, as if their general were off to a war.

The doors to the medic bay slid open, revealing white-covered doctors holding metal instruments, standing over white-covered tables. A giant box-like machine stood in the center of the room between the two tables, with wires connecting each side, and a glass tube stretching out above it.

Jesse growled and punched one of the guards in the face, sending his lower jaw flying out into the corridor. The other guard rose his gun to shoot, but Solktech rose his hand.

I grabbed Jesse's shoulder. "Hey, they're going to help you," I said, feeling like I was lying.

He nodded, calming down. The other guard slung his rifle over his shoulder and walked Jesse to the far table, motioning for me to sit on the closer one.

"Sit." Solktech said to Timmy, pointing to a swivel chair in the far corner. Timmy complied, scooting the chair a few feet towards me.

I watched the doctors tie Jesse's arms to the table, then his legs, then placed a mask over his face. Solktech moved into a chair next to Jesse's table, and the doctors placed a mask over his face as well, and hooked wires from his mask to Jesse's.

I looked at Timmy. "He must be getting Jesse's body," he whispered.

Oh my god, I thought, trying to imagine Solktech as Jesse.

I heard the bones in Jesse's arms snap as he struggled against his restraints. The doctors fired up the machine, then came over to me and hooked me up as well.

The room started getting darker as I breathed in the gas. The glass tube filled with a blue smoke.

Timmy scooted his chair closer, grabbed my hand, and I closed my eyes.