Assembly

Assembly

         His eyes fluttered as he regained consciousness. He couldn’t move his head or limbs. Darting his eyes back and forth he became aware that the ceiling was moving. Or maybe it was him. He couldn’t tell. He was still in a daze.
         As he awakened more, he discovered another sensation, or the lack of one. His arms and legs were numb. He could no longer feel them, but couldn’t determine whether it was because they were tied down, or if he didn’t have them anymore.
          He did not know where he was. His memory was cloudy. He was desperate to recap the events that lead him to his current situation, but his mind was completely blank. He was suddenly gripped with the realization that he wasn’t sure who he was.
         His other senses started to come back. The distinct smell of machinery oil. The whine of gears accompanying the odor. He began to also hear the clank of metal on metal. He tensed up as fear started to take its grip on him. Where am I? He thought. What’s going to happen to me in this place?
         His motor skills had not returned. His body refused to function under his commands. He wanted desperately to know what was happening to him, where he was, and why he had been brought there. He was helpless and, with no memories, hopeless.
         A machine carrying what looked like stiff human limbs hovered above him. He made a soundless gasp, wondering if they were his. The movement of the ceiling came to a slow halt. The machine above him stopped as well. He sensed rather than felt a tiny prick at the back of his neck. His muscles relaxed as the machine lowered.
         He couldn’t see what the machine was doing, but he smelled singed flesh. Occasionally, sparks would jump high enough to be caught in his sight. He now understood that the limbs on the machine had been intended for him, and not taken from him.
         New questions surfaced. Why attach new limbs? What were those sparks?
         The machine, now empty, lifted away from him and the movement started again. When it stopped next, he saw two thuggish gray creatures hovering above him. They lifted him up and he got a quick look around before his head slumped down. There were several other creatures at different parts of the room. They looked similar to humans, save for skin color, and he did see several other humans in the same situation as himself.
         The gray hulks dragged him to a small room, laid him on a bed, and left him. Above him was a small skylight, where the moon let a slight glow into the room. As he lay there, a voice spoke to him. He couldn’t tell if his ears were hearing the voice, or if it had been in his head. “Try to relax. Sleep. Questions will be answered soon.” The voice was gruff and uncomforting. He didn’t want to sleep, but soon he found he had no choice. A white cloud filled the room and his sight blurred. His last thought before losing consciousness was What if I don’t like the answers?