The Mars Frontier Box Set, page 47
part #1 of Mars Frontier Series
What happened to Georgia? Had she managed to defeat Redmayne. Grant remained confident that she had found a way. It didn't bear thinking what Redmayne may have done to her
Am I dead? he thought. If this is heaven, why am I strapped to a bed in the dark? He didn't feel dead. But there was something different about him that he was unable to define. And, if he wasn't dead, how had he survived the fall? There were too many questions and no obvious way to get answers.
"Megan!" he called out. "Georgia? Is anyone there? I'm awake. Can someone please turn the lights on?" There was no reply. The ominous and oppressive silence closed in on him, making him feel anxious. None of this makes sense!
Grant lay there for a long time, trying to piece together the different elements of the puzzle. He was frustrated at having absolutely no information to help him, only his memories. And they only created more questions for him. Without knowing it, he eventually drifted into a light sleep.
***
Grant's sleep was disturbed by a sudden burst of light as a door silently opened. He squinted as his eyes became accustomed to the light, but he was unable to see who, if anyone, had walked in. "About bloody time," he called out. "Can you release me from these straps and explain why I've been tied up and left in the dark?"
If Grant expected an immediate response, he was disappointed. The room remained deadly quiet. Perhaps the fall has damaged my hearing. He waited for someone to move into his limited field of vision. All he could see was the ceiling and some strange equipment he didn't recognize hanging from it. He was getting a very bad feeling about his situation and was close to panicking.
"Okay, the joke's over. It's not funny anymore. Can you please get over her and release me!" He tried to sound assured but was disappointed to hear the slight tremor in his voice let him down.
He heard a faint sound that he thought was an intake of breath. And then, from somewhere to his left and out of sight, someone spoke. "I am sorry for the restraints, but they have been necessary for your own safety." Grant didn't recognize the voice, but it had a melodic quality to it that quelled some of the anxiety he was feeling. But he was unable to tell if the speaker was male or female.
"Who are you? And, where am I? I know for a fact this isn't Alpha Base."
"I understand you have many questions. I promise they will be answered in good time. My name is Falmas. You have been brought to a safe place where your injuries have been tended. Your body is still rejuvenating, which is why you find yourself in your current position."
The name sounded familiar, but Grant couldn't remember where he'd heard it before. It certainly wasn't one of his Expedition Two crew mates. "Where is Doctor Betts? Why isn't she taking care of me?"
"There is no need to worry, Jim Grant. You are receiving the most advanced surgical treatment known to us. The repairs to your body will be complete within the next day and then I will answer all of your questions. May I get you any refreshment?"
The relaxing sound of Falmas' voice was easing some of the concerns Grant had. But the failure to answer his questions was disturbing. He realized, however, that he was suddenly very thirsty. "Thank you, Falmas. I could do with a drink. And can I see your face? I'd like to know who I'm talking to."
Falmas replied, "I shall see that you receive a drink immediately. As I said, we shall talk properly tomorrow and I will answer all of your questions. It is pleasing to see you awake."
Grant heard some footsteps before the door closed and the room returned to complete darkness. He lay there, helpless and annoyed. If anything, the brief conversation had only raised more questions in his head. What was the reason for the secrecy? Where were the rest of the crew? If his injuries were almost healed, how long had he been there?
His thoughts were interrupted by the almost imperceptible hum of a tiny motor. He felt the soft tap of a tube against his lips and instinctively took a sip. The cold liquid tasted like water but had a bittersweet aftertaste. As his thirst was eased, he wondered if he should have taken a drink. There could be any number of drugs in it. That was his last thought as the anaesthetic took hold and he fell into another deep sleep.
***
This time when Grant awoke, the room was illuminated by a soft light, allowing him to see the space around him. Once again, it took him several moments to remember where he was. This time, however, he was able to turn his head as the restraint had been removed. He tested his arms and legs and noticed that they were still lied down tightly. Cautiously, he turned his head slowly to the left, hoping that Falmas had returned. There was no sign of either Falmas or the door, just a blank wall. The view to his right was exactly the same. With some effort, Grant raised his head and saw that he was covered in a glossy metallic fabric that clung closely to the outline of his body. Beyond the end of his bed, the wall was also bare. He couldn't see any corners so wasn't sure if the room was square or round. This is one of the strangest medical rooms I've been in, he thought. Where is all of the medical equipment?
He lay his head back down and closed his eyes to concentrate on the facts he did know. His surroundings suggested it was almost certain he was no longer in Alpha Base. His doctor was called Falmas and he had suffered severe injuries. The only logical conclusion was he'd been in a coma and transferred back to Earth for surgery and other medical treatment. But that would have involved waiting two years for the next suitable transfer orbit from Mars to Earth. Surely there was no way he'd been unconscious for that long.
The name 'Falmas' continued to resonate in his mind. It must be one of the doctors at Houston, he thought. There had been plenty of fresh-faced doctors at the space center during training, all far too eager to carry out physical and psychological experiments on the trainee astronauts. He couldn't be expected to remember all of their names. So why did he think he'd heard that name more recently?
And then, with a recurring flood of panic, he recalled Georgia telling him that one of the aliens she had encountered was called Falmas. Suddenly, several more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. He was on the Sentinel's ship. They must have saved him, as they had done with Georgia. Their advanced medical knowledge had been applied to him. So, he was still on Mars after all and, in all likelihood, the presence of the Sentinels meant that Georgia had succeeded against Redmayne.
The secrecy made perfect sense now. Georgia had said that the Sentinels weren't supposed to intervene in human progress. He was being kept like this so that he didn't have access to any of their technology. That was fair enough. He would have liked to experience the technical advances possessed by alien civilizations but at the moment he was simply happy to have had his health restored.
Satisfied that he'd been able to work out the mystery, he relaxed with a smug smile and waited for Falmas to return.
The faint hiss of a door sliding open interrupted Grant's thoughts. He opened his eyes and turned his head in time to see a tall humanoid being walk into the room. Grant tried to suppress any feelings of fear as he stared into the large eyes and blue face, rationalizing that the Sentinels had proved to be a peaceful race. So far. They'd certainly not harmed Georgia.
Again, the soft tuneful voice rang out as Falmas spoke. "Hello again Jim Grant. As promised, I am ready to answer some of your questions." Falmas' facial expression contorted into what Grant assumed was a smile as he moved closer to the bed. "You are not surprised by my appearance. I therefore assume more of your memory has returned during your time of contemplation."
"Hello Falmas," replied Grant, not knowing if it was morning or afternoon. "Yes, your name finally registered with me a few moments ago. You saved Georgia Pyke's life several days ago. My last memories are of crashing to the ground and I guess you have performed similar procedures to heal my broken limbs and other injuries. For that I thank you. I cannot express how grateful I am for saving my life as well as Georgia's. Can you tell me that she is okay?"
Falmas paused for a moment. "I can confirm that Georgia Pyke is safe and well. When I left her, she was about to return to your base. That is the good news. The injuries you suffered were far more serious and extensive than the ones she experienced. Not only had you fallen from a great height, you had also been crushed by falling machinery from an explosion in your vessel. When your doctor was unable to save you, I offered to assist and evaluate your condition. We immediately determined that my ship did not have the medical facility to save you."
"And yet I'm here and alive," said Grant, not sure where the conversation was heading but needing to say something.
Falmas nodded. "Indeed you are. And it is most gratifying that you have recovered. I gave Georgia and your doctor a choice. You would die where you were, or I could return you to my planet where we have more extensive medical facilities. Georgia chose the latter so that you would survive. It was the only way to save your life."
Grant was stunned by the revelation. "So, you're telling me that I'm no longer on Mars! Where in hell am I?"
"You are on Nikari. It is my home planet, located seventy-eight light years from Earth."
"Seventy-eight light years! How long did that take?" Grant couldn't believe it.
"Not as long as you think. Eleven of your Earth days. We placed you in a stasis chamber for the journey so that you did not die from your wounds."
Grant was stunned by the numbers. All those years studying relativistic physics had been a complete waste of time. Einstein had a lot to answer for. "How long have I been in this room?"
"We arrived thirty days ago. You are currently in one of the recovery rooms in the Science Ministry located in our capital, Prema." Falmas pressed a button, causing the wall to the right of Grant to dissolve and transform into a panoramic window overlooking a city.
There was too much information for Grant to take in as he took his first look at an alien world. His senses were still reeling from the knowledge that he was so far away from home. The whole experience felt like a dream. The vista outside the window was unlike anything he could have imagined. The sky was a clear deep blue with high altitude clouds but that was as far as the similarity to Earth went. Although he couldn't see the sun, it cast long harsh shadows. His room must have only been several floors up because he could see the ground less than fifty feet below him. Metallic vehicles of different shapes and sizes buzzed through the air and along transit ways. There was no obvious sign of life that he could see. He counted five tall majestic buildings in the distance, but the closer buildings were no taller than twenty stories. Science fiction movies had gotten alien worlds totally wrong!
"Did anyone else travel with me?" he finally asked.
"No, that was not possible. I am in enough trouble returning here with you. But at least I could use medical research as an excuse. It would not have been feasible to have a healthy human returned. I assure you that Georgia gave a lot of thought to her decision and she knew you would be here alone."
"Okay I understand. Falmas, I am really grateful for everything that you have done for me, especially if it has caused you any trouble. Now that I am healed, can you tell me when you'll be taking me back to Mars? You have to understand that I'm eager to be reunited with my friends. I'm sure they're worried about me."
"I am sorry, Jim Grant. This trip was one way only. Again, Georgia was aware of this. It is not possible for you to return to your friends. In time I hope you understand."
Grant was dumbfounded by Falmas' words as their meaning sunk in. "So, I'm trapped here, alone? Maybe you should have left me to die!"
Chapter 2
Falmas stood and walked to the window, allowing Grant a few moments to gather his thoughts.
"I appreciate this is too much news for you to fully process. You have been through a most traumatic time and your recovery has taken longer than anticipated. After all, you are the first human to experience the procedures we had to undertake. That is part of the reason we have waited until now to explain your situation."
"I'm sorry," said Grant. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I wasn't prepared for any of what you just told me. And I naturally assumed I'd be allowed to return home. I cannot even comprehend how far seventy-eight light years is or in which direction my home is. It's too much to absorb in one go. But if you brought me here why can't I go back? What future do I have on your planet? Am I simply going to be a lab rat for your scientists to experiment on?"
"Nothing like that, I promise. Although there are ongoing discussions among our senior ministers. We do not yet have a consensus over what to do with you. That is my fault for being too compassionate toward your species. I didn't consider the consequences of my actions. My motives were purely to save your life and to help Georgia after she prevented my ship from being taken. Even though I have no regrets for what I did, I expect I'll be reprimanded for my actions."
"Where does that leave me? Why can't I return? Can't you carry out a mind wipe like you did with Georgia?"
Falmas returned to his seat next to the bed. "I'm not sure you're ready for the explanation. You've already learned so much today. It may be better that we wait until tomorrow."
"That's not good enough!" Grant almost shouted. "I've been brought here without my permission and you're telling me I can't return home. I deserve to know the truth now. It can't be any worse than being trapped here, never being able to see my loved ones again."
Falmas shrugged. "You're right. I cannot imagine the distress you are going through at the moment. I am not sure there is a good way to explain, but I will try." Falmas paused and looked directly at Grant, a look of sorrow on his face. "When we returned to Nikari, it took ten days for our scientists to confirm what treatments could be applied to your frail and broken body. The bones in your legs, hips and hands were badly crushed. Despite the stasis field, infection had set in during the flight from Mars. It was the first time they had worked on one of your species and several thought you could not be saved. They were extremely fearful that your anatomy wouldn't be able to deal with the required adaptations."
"What do you mean by adaptations?" said Grant slowly. It wasn't the term he expected to hear when it came to medical procedures.
"It's probably easier if I show you." Falmas stood and gently pulled back the fabric that had been covering Grant's body to reveal the procedures that had been performed.
As Grant looked down the length of his body, he noticed a myriad of fine scars along his chest and over his heart. He gasped in horror as he looked to his right and saw that the whole of his arm had been replaced by a metallic mechanical arm, seamlessly joined to his shoulder. He could see where the metal blended into his skin. He looked across at his left arm to see that had also been replaced.
"So, you've kept me tied down so that I wouldn't discover the truth," he said through gritted teeth. "You've turned me into a monster!"
"Not at all. The restraints were necessary to allow the bonding process to complete. Not just with your skin but also to your internal nerve endings. Nano-tech is connecting all of your nerves so that your brain can operate your hands and fingers. You'll be able to feel and touch as you did before. In time your dexterity will return. Think of it as an enhancement. You'll be stronger and the parts can always be replaced should they wear out or malfunction. These adaptations are natural for our people and have sustained us for thousands of years."
Grant was only partially aware of what Falmas was saying. He was trying to see his legs but couldn't raise his head high enough to see over his chest. "What about below my waist? You said my legs were crushed. Have you replaced those as well?"
Falmas nodded. "Again, there was no alternative. Your legs had to be amputated to counter the infection that was threatening to spread through your body. In any event, we wouldn't have been able to repair the bones. At the same time, your hips were also removed. Every bone below your vertebrae had to be replaced. You will be able to walk and run, and much faster than you ever could. The advanced alloys used to construct your arms and legs are virtually indestructible."
"No doubt you think I should be pleased that you saved my life as well as giving me enhanced limbs. But what is left of me. You've turned me into a cyborg. My legs and arms may have a lifetime guarantee of one thousand years but the rest of me doesn't. So, I don't see any advantages at the moment. In fact, you've taken away most of who I was. What am I left with?"
Falmas struggled to understand Grant's question. "You're left with your core. Your brain and mind are still yours. You are the same person on the inside with the same knowledge, preferences and dislikes. They are the important parts. Your physical body was merely a weak and badly designed container. You will soon forget that your limbs have been replaced."
"Is there anything else I need to know? Any more enhancements your scientists decided to add as a joke? Should I change my name to Inspector Gadget?"
"I do not know who that person is. Of course, we have had to make alterations to some of your internal organs. We have installed a micro generator to power all of your systems, an interface directly to your brain to download data from our neuro-net, and your lungs have been upgraded because of the lower oxygen content in our atmosphere. Other than that, we have kept as much of your original body as we could."
"Good god man, I think that's more than enough. I hope your scientists are satisfied with their handy work. They made damned sure that I can never return to my own kind. In fact, am I still human?"
"That depends on how you define what a human is. I understand that many humans have prosthetic limbs, mechanical hearts and organ transplants. Does that make them less human in your eyes?"
Grant was quiet and looked out of the window as he contemplated Falmas' words. They hit close to home. Back on Earth, he'd been inspired by stories of courage and valor from soldiers who'd created new lives after life-changing injuries. They hadn't given up when faced with devastating losses. ''I don't know," he said quietly. "Perhaps I over reacted. You can't really blame me. I've just discovered I'm half machine. I am still alive, which is the important thing. I guess I need to reset my expectations. When will you be freeing me from this bed?"
