“It will be just like new!” exclaims Dr. Stein with a tap on my newly lab-grown ring finger. He adjusts some dials on his spectacles and stares intently at the finger. Although he is rumored to be over a hundred years of age, the doctor has a youthful appearance that makes him look no older than thirty.
“Much better than your real finger,” he says enthusiastically as he squeezes the stiff appendage, “stronger, more sensitive, and with self-healing capabilities thanks to the lizard enhancement. It will also last longer. As a matter of fact, it might just be the only body part that remains after you die and the rest of your body has decayed.”
“That’s some food for thought,” I say.
The doctor guffaws and slaps me on the back.
“Will it work just like before?” Sarah asks him.
He turns to her with a wolfish grin. “It will be even better, sweetie.”
“I can’t wait to try it!” Sarah says with an innocent grin.
“Oh haw haw! You’re a girl after my own heart,” Dr. Stein says to her. “Are you sure you haven’t considered nanotronics as a career path? I have just the position for someone like you.”
Sarah looks around at all the young female assistants in the laboratory.
“I’m sure you do,” she says.
“Oh haw haw!”
After scanning my finger with a phone sized gadget, the doctor seems satisfied with its progress.
“Two more days,” he says. “You’ll be wiggling that sucker like there’s no tomorrow.”
Then with another slap on my shoulder and pinch of Sarah’s cheek, he excuses himself and disappears down a corridor.
“Such a creepy old doctor,” Sarah says.
“You two seem to get along just fine,” I say standing up.
We walk out onto the courtyard, where a garden of tubular vines dangle limply from octopus trees, so called because of the tentacle-like branches they grow and also because they contain real octopus DNA mixed with weeping willows. At first glance, the garden seems just like any other until you focus on the details. Large ear-shaped leaves swaying to ambient sounds, beating hearts crawling up tree trunks like fire ants, eye balls blinking in dark burrows, clusters of finger blossoms beckoning, and all manner of fanciful engineered creatures slithering and scurrying through the pubic undergrowth.
“Every single living organism in this place is a criminal violation,” I remark to Sarah.
“We didn’t have much choice, did we?”
“I thought you said you knew how to fly a wing-jet?”
“I didn’t say I was good at it,” she says. “In my defense, I did get us here safely.”
I raise my bandaged hand. “I just wish the rest of me would’ve come along too.”
“Space travel is risky business. Accidents happen. I said I was sorry. Besides, you heard the doctor. In a couple of days, it will be better than new.”
“I hope so because right now it just feels like a sausage attached to my hand.”
A school of glowing medusas floats along the writhing tree canopy. Emerald birds leap across branches in a flurry.
“I really can’t wait to get out of this mad fun-house of artificial life."
Satellites blink beyond the sky-ports. I watch them longingly go by.
“So they’re a bit eccentric,” Sarah says with a nod. “The Alchemist said Dr. Stein was the best surgeon in this sector.”
“That’s what worries me. Genetic engineering is one thing, but bio-atomics is another. This Dr. Stein- and not for one second do I believe that is his real name- is clearly up to something.”
“The way I see it,” Sarah says fixing me with her stare, “this is none of our business. Once your finger is fully attached and healthy, we’ll leave this place.”
I shake my head pensively. “If the Alchemist is dealing with this guy in whatever capacity, then what are the chances that Tattiana is also doing the same?”
“You don’t think this is her doing?” she says incredulously. “To bring us here? For what purpose?”
I groan. Why do I have to be the one spouting crazy theories?
“It is mighty coincidental that we end up in a biosphere with a mad scientist and his coterie of perky assistants doing research into nanotronic life, a field in the forefront of longevity research.”
Sarah purses her lips for a moment.
“Like you said, Van, it’s just a coincidence, and as soon as your finger is better we can haul ass out of here.”
We hear voices coming down the path. I get tingling sensation on my regrown finger.
“Quick, behind the bench!” I say.
It’s Dr. Stein walking with a tall black woman. He’s speaking and gesturing animatedly while she listens with a hawkish demeanor. They disappear down the path and into the laboratory.
“I know her!” Sarah says. “I mean I saw her in the Three-Eyed Geisha. I thought she was a dancer.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! Oh my god, you were right,” Sarah says with eyes like a frightened gazelle. “It’s a conspiracy!”
“I didn’t actually say it was a conspiracy. I said it was coincidental.”
“And now we know why," she says grabbing my arm. "Come on! We gotta get out of here.”
“Wait!”
She races into a crop of resting faces swaying in micro-gravity ripples.
“Where are you going?” I say floating after her.
“I spotted a nice Corvette on the way in. We can jump to Nibhana.”
I catch up to her on a field of rippling tongues.
“Isn’t that the nudist colony?” I say.
“We need to lay low, and Nibhana is notorious for its discretion. It’s reputation depends on it. Come on!”
“What about my finger?”
I look at my ring finger and try to move it to no avail. I have many more objections to this harebrained scheme of hers, but she’s already gone through the grasses. So, I have no choice but to leap in the air and follow the ever-impulsive Sarah.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Artwork by @litguru