by LM. Preston
“She’s my girl, Jake. What else would you expect? See you in a few,” her dad yelled back. He grabbed her hand and walked inside the hospital.
“Dad, this place smells nice. Or better yet, doesn’t smell so intense like it did outside. You sure this is a hospital?” Shamira asked and then removed her hand from his.
“Oh, it’s a hospital alright. We haven’t gotten to the prep room yet,” he said. Someone walked up to Shamira, and she instantly knew it was an android because it didn’t have any scent at all. It touched her shoulder before she could jerk away.
“Welcome, Shamira Nobel. Come with me, and I’ll get you settled while your father finalizes the paperwork. My name is Kylin 5, and I’ll be your android for your visit here at the hospital. Please follow,” it ordered. It gently placed a soft hand on Shamira’s shoulder and led her toward the operating prep area. Shamira sniffed while walking, concentrating on any smells she could recognize. As she walked further, she smelled a very faint tinge of blood. This was not something most people would notice, but it was an old sort of smell, like it had been cleaned over and over again but never quite completely removed.
“Here we are. Your room is right here. This room is where you will change. After you change, lay down on the bed, and it will move to the room next door where the operation will take place. The operation will only take about thirty minutes per eye. Your father mentioned you are to regain your original eye color of hazel brown. Is that correct?” Kylin 5 asked.
“I’d like to keep my original eyes and my original color,” Shamira said with a frown. She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, for this was one thing she refused to compromise on. She wanted to remember being blind. It was so much a part of who she had been for all these years. She wouldn’t let her parents just try to erase that away like it was something wrong.
“As you wish. In that case, the surgery will last a bit longer per eye since we will have to do a repair instead of a replacement, but that’s no problem. We’re here to accommodate. Now, please hurry. The doctors are waiting next door,” Kylin 5 said and then moved to the door. Shamira knew the android was still in the room because she could hear the slight hum of its internal battery. She didn’t care, though. She was ready to get the whole thing over with. The sooner this was done, the sooner she could go home.
She yanked off every stitch of clothing and then jerked up the gown on the bed. Doing as she was told, she didn’t have to like it. She pulled the gown over her head and got into the bed like she was told. The lights in the room grew brighter, and heat warmed her from under her gown. She felt a shift on the floor and heard a slight grinding like gears were turning, and her bed moved through a set of sliding doors to a much brighter room than the one she had left. She forced her mind to go numb. Being in this new place was making her feel just a bit out of place.
“Hello. My name is Doctor Hawkins, and I’ll be completing your surgery today. I heard you requested that we repair your actual eyes, and I’ll do my best. It won’t be that difficult, but it will take a little longer. I’m sure your android already explained. Your father will be here when you wake up in a few hours. Now, we’re going to put some tubes in your nose, and they will make you a bit sleepy. Enjoy your nap,” he said. That was the last thing Shamira heard before she felt the tubes going into her nostrils, smelled a strange aroma, and was thrown in total darkness.
She awakened with a start and jerked straight up. She tried to open her eyes, but they were taped shut.
“Oh, great!” she said. Now I have to wait to open my eyes. What kind of cruel joke is this?
“Shamira, have patience. You can see. They just didn’t want you to open your eyes before I got here. I wanted to be the first person you saw when you opened your eyes. I was running a little late, pumpkin, that’s all,” her dad said. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Well, are you ready?”
“Dad, just remove it, okay? Take off the tape. I want to get this over with,” Shamira forced out. She bent her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She was shaking slightly as her fear and doubt built.
“Uh, Shamira, before I take these off, I should warn you that your eyes are a bit more advanced than, say, a normal person’s. Since I hoped you’d one day be a Security Force Elite, I asked the doctors to enhance your sight. You will be able to see an extreme distance away. You will also be able to see through walls, but that’s our secret, okay? It’s going to take you a few days to get your mind used to controlling all of these features your eyes have, but it will be well worth it. Ready?” her dad asked. For once, Shamira was speechless. With all that her dad added to her eyesight, how could she not appreciate his thoughts? This would help her immensely when she got home, and she smiled at the thought and nodded for him to proceed.
Her dad’s right hand was on the top of her head. He held her steady while he gently removed the tape from her eyes. She held her eyes closed and waited for him to remove his hands, and then she slowly opened both eyes. She marveled at the light peeking through her eyelids, and opened her eyes just a little. She breathed in deeply, then threw caution to the wind and opened them up to see her dad just an inch away from her. He had dark brown skin, a strong chin with a dimple in it, brown eyes, dark brown wavy hair, and a goofy smile on his face.
“Daddy, you are funny looking!” she said. She reached out and hugged him and laughed out loud. She looked past him and jumped back. The wall of white appeared to be within an inch of her nose. She cautiously put her hand up to her face and then reached it out to the wall that seemed to move. She shook her head. What kind of eyes did they give me? “Dad, the room is moving! Ugh! Stop it!” she yelled. She placed her hands over her eyes to take her back to her place of peace, the darkness she had known for so long.
“Shamira, you have to open your eyes. It’s the only way you will adjust and learn to use them,” said Dr. Hawkins.
“How long is this going to take? I want to get out of here and go home! This sucks!” she spat out vehemently and then banged her heel on the bed. The confused vision made her feel helpless all over again. For the first time in over thirteen years, she had no control. She had to start over.
“If you open your eyes, it will only take twenty-four hours for your brain to adjust. But, if you hide in the darkness, it will take longer. Do you want to stay with us for a week instead of just a few days?” the doctor asked in a condescending tone.
“Fine,” Shamira spat out. She opened her eyes to focus on her father’s angry face.
“Shamira, your attitude stinks. This is a good thing, and you should be more appreciative. Now, take it slow and concentrate on getting used to managing the images in this room. I hate to leave you, but I’ve got an important call I have to take in private. I’ll just be outside the door.” As he stood to walk away, Shamira tried to focus on him, but he appeared to be moving in a blur toward the door. The doctor was staring at her now with a stern look on his face, and she promptly stuck her tongue out at him.
“Your dad is a good friend of mine, and I know he raised you to be better than this—stronger and willing to fight to improve. Let’s show him that you can make him proud. Open one eye at a time. Look at the wall with the open eye and concentrate on looking through it to the other side. Push your sight through the wall with your mind, Shamira,” he said in a deep, forceful voice.
Shamira concentrated with her left eye closed, and her right eye pulled the image of the wall closer. She commanded, Go, push, go away, and the image moved back to where it was supposed to be. Taking a deep calming breath, she told her eye to look past the wall, and she saw her dad looking like he was arguing with himself. She figured he was using his earlink, and he clearly wasn’t very happy with the way his conversation was going. Switching eyes, she repeated the exercise. Smiling to herself, she opened both eyes and could see through the wall and past her father. She thought, Further, push inside him, and she saw blood pumping. The nanonytes that roamed through his body, through his technosuit caugh
t her eye, and she laughed and said, “This is sweet!” In a much mellower, grateful tone, she looked up at the doctor, and said, “Thanks. Thanks for… you know… setting me straight.”
Chapter 8
Her father walked in at that moment. She noticed his mood had changed. The look on his face was gloomy for a moment, but he shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled at her.
“You want to see something beautiful, Shamira? I bought this mirror. I want you to see the beautiful little girl I see. Here, take it,” he said, handing her the mirror he held behind his back.
She lifted her hand and hesitantly took the mirror from him. Never having thought much about what she looked like, she didn’t realize that at this moment, it meant something to her. She was scared that she wouldn’t like what she saw. In the dark, she could be anything—a warrior, a fighter, and beautiful. But now that she was in the light, would she like what she would see? She held the mirror reflection away for a moment. Closing her eyes, she slowly lifted it up to her face. Opening her eyes cautiously and slowly, she lifted the mirror up higher and looked at her face for the first time. Pale blue eyes looked back at her. She blinked and saw her dark brown lashes flutter, and she poked out her full pink lips in a pouty fashion. She slowly smiled at herself, noticing a chin dimple that she obviously inherited from her dad. Her smile grew, and her full cheeks plumped under her olive skin. She took her hand and smoothed away the wayward golden and chestnut brown curl falling over her face. Then she touched her light brown eyebrow and caressed the side of her face.
“Not half bad, Dad. I don’t look half bad. I was worried I would be a hag. Not bad at all,” she laughed. Her dad lifted her up into a bear hug and laughed with her. Then she heard it. In the middle of his laugh was a slightly wounded whimper. Something was wrong. She felt it; she knew it.
Her dad pushed her slightly away from him, and he looked down at her like he did before she could see, “Look, Shamira, we can’t stay long. We have to go home as soon as you are able. I have to go to the Security Force Headquarters for a few days. I hate doing this to you, but it can’t be helped. We have to fly back in a private Security Force cruiser. Earth has locked off outgoing airspace travel unless it’s for official business. Shamira, please hurry and get well. I have to go. I’m proud of you. I love you, pumpkin.” Then he got up and abruptly left.
She wanted to throw the mirror at him. He was holding something back, she knew it. Since her father had left, Shamira looked over at the doctor and took her anger out on him. “What are you looking at? Get over here and help me get better. I’m ready to go home,” Shamira spat out. Tossing the mirror at the foot of the bed, she growled in frustration, and squeezed her bent knees.
“Look, I know you are a lot more than you seem. I’ve read your medical records. You will heal in half the time of any other patient in this hospital.” He flipped opened her file and said, “Because I’m a longtime friend of your dad’s, I’m going to give you some advice. Keep your secret to yourself. Don’t let any other doctor here or on Mars examine you if you don’t trust them. I have sealed your medical files. There will be another doctor attending you tomorrow, your last day required here. Make sure you keep your rage under control. We wouldn’t want him to see what you’re really capable of, Shamira, now would we? Now practice, and good luck to you,” Dr. Hawkins said then he left.
Throwing off the cloak of self-pity, which she’d never been too good at wearing; Shamira climbed out of bed and practiced controlling this new gift. She had been given the gift of sight beyond what she could have ever imagined.
A few days later, her dad barged through the door during one of her personal training sessions. She didn’t look at him but kept gazing out the window through the wall of the building across from them. She was intently watching some kids play a virtual videogame that she knew her brother would love. Shamira was good at many things, and holding grudges was one of them. She was still ticked off at her father and wasn’t about to speak first, so the videogames provided her a welcome diversion. He had left her there for days without one call. No word at all, she seethed. Oh yeah, I’m definitely ticked.
“Hey, pumpkin,” he began humbly, “I’m so sorry I had to leave you, but we need to talk now,” he said. Her huge dad tried to sit in the small gray metal chair near her bed, but he barely fit. She walked over to where he sat, and he motioned for her to sit on the bed.
I will not say a word. She knew he was about to spill the beans, but she didn’t know if she was ready to hear what he had to say. She felt the heat of his body rise. She looked deeper and saw his heart was pounding faster. Oh, yeah, this is going to be bad, she contemplated. She sat down with a feeling of dread when a tortured look passed across her father’s face.
“There has been a tragedy at home, Shamira. Your mother and brother were out riding their motor pads when they were ambushed. During the fight with your mother, as some sort of distraction I believe, they stole your… your… oh, God, pumpkin, they stole your brother,” her father said in a broken voice, barely able to keep it together. He was trembling, and tears were pooling in the corners of his eyes. She felt it then—a building sadness, anger, and fury that felt as if it might overtake her right in that moment. Down, down, down! Don’t lose control here! She would save it, save it for them all. Tears fell heavily and unchecked from her angry eyes. Her lips thinned, and her fists balled up so tightly that her hands started to bleed. The sanitary whiteness of her room was tainted with small specks of blood dripping from her fingers biting into her hand. Droplets fell onto the white blanket.
“Shamira! Shamira! You’re bleeding. Stop it. Stop it!” her father yelled, and jumped out of his chair to shake her. She came out of it, but not without the sting of frustration. They had to leave—NOW! Being here wouldn’t help her find David. Oh, and I’ll find him and kill anyone who hurt him, she thought menacingly. She turned quietly and took a deep breath. She grabbed her clothes from the bag near her bed and went to the bathroom. She had to get dressed, and fast. She got out of the shower and quickly put on her clothes.
She walked out of the bathroom and looked at her dad. “Let’s go save him.” Walking past him to the door, she was determined to leave immediately.
“You’re reading my mind, little girl… reading my mind.” He walked past her to lead the way.
Chapter 9
She didn’t worry about looking at the boring white walls that surrounded them while they walked down the hallway. All she could think about was getting back home to Mars to save her brother and kill the monsters who would dare to steal him away.
“Shamira, this way. We don’t have to drive to the Space Pad. There is a direct path to it down this hallway.” He pointed ahead. The hallway they went down was white like all the others but had a sliding door just midway down.
Her dad had his eye scanned, and a voice welcomed him with, “Nelson Nobel, please enter.”
Shamira watched the door open, and they went into an elevator.
“Level Minus Two,” her dad said.
Shamira looked into the mirrored walls of the elevator. She peeked behind her and noticed that her bottom protruded much more than her dad’s. “Hey, Dad, why is my butt so big?” she asked with a frown.
“Don’t blame me! You’re shaped like your mom,” he laughed.
“That’s not funny,” she said. Then she folded her hands behind her back. This is useless. She hadn’t seen her rounded behind before and didn’t mind then. I just have to accept me for what I am. She dropped her hands to her side and looked straight ahead at the back of her dad’s head.
“Our stuff is already loaded on the ship. You’ll be helping me fly. I want you to use your experience from all the simulation exercises we did on Mars. I know you did it without sight and thought it was a joke,” her dad said, regret in his voice.
“Stop beating yourself up about it. I’m fine, and seeing has its benefits, but there are some things I could have gone without seeing,” she said, peeki
ng back at her protruding behind and smiling.
“Here we are. Let’s go straight to the cruiser. Not many of the staff is around. They’re all preparing for the lockdown on Earth,” her dad said when the elevator door opened. They walked through a large garage that held the private space jets for Security Force members. The space jets were sleek with retractable wings and a silver sheen of paint accented with black and gold trim.
“These are beautiful,” Shamira said in awe. She walked over to the one that lit up for her dad when he approached and touched it. She closed her eyes, using the second sight she’d depended on for years, and walked from the middle of the space jet to the end. Joy spilled from her belly, and she smiled with her eyes still closed.
“I’m glad you like it. Now get in so I can go over the controls with you.” He was smiling at her when she opened her eyes.
“Sweet,” she said and ran to the door. The door slid open smoothly, and she climbed in and to the back of the jet. The leather seats were comfortable and plush. Shamira got comfy in hers, and her dad climbed in and closed the door. She stretched out her legs and placed her feet on the pedals.
“Sit back in your seat. Your console is coming from the ceiling,” he said and worked the controls. She watched the flat gray ceiling adjust, and the secondary console came from above. A detailed screen was attached that showed the back of her dad’s head, the view in front of her, and the mappings of their route to Mars.
“Dad, this is amazing. I’m so ready! Can I drive first?” she asked. For the first time she could ever remember, she got butterflies in her stomach. She felt guilty for it, because she knew she should feel no joy knowing that David was probably somewhere hurting. Oh, I’ll definitely kill whoever took him and the others. The smile on her face turned to a frown then she pushed her moment of happiness away. She was ready, raging, and angry to get home and do what her hunger wanted her to do—hurt, kill, and avenge.
