CAPTAIN REID IN SPACE

Shore leave

I was sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Mutaes’ office.  It was my last mental counseling. At least if he Okayed me for deployment.  I could finally get the hell off of this frozen planet and out of this cripple sanctuary.  I was viewing an episode of Headline News when it walked in the door. It. She. Whatever. It stopped as the door hissed closed behind her.  It was an android.  Nothing fancy just a simple utilitarian model with plastic skin and faintly adorned as a female. She paused for a few seconds and her head turned as she scanned the room. She was looking for someone.  After one look, her gaze turned and she stared a hole in me. She was scanning me.  After 3 seconds she strode directly toward me.  I tensed and leaned forward in my chair. She walked right by me and took the seat right beside.  And then she just stared straight ahead as if nothing was strange. For a droid it would appear logical, but for a human it would have seemed absurd.  The waiting room was nearly empty. Numerous chairs would accommodate her without crowding in right beside me. It was probably some social programming glitch.  Still I was nervous.

The door slammed open and a tall muscular man entered the waiting room. He was a fine figure of a man. Dashing good looks and he carried himself proudly and boldly. I was looking at his right side as he turned to scan the room. I shuddered as his left and horribly scared of his face and body came in view.

His right side had been horribly burned and his right arm was torn off.  His facial flesh was nearly liquid and melting.  His right arm had been violently snapped off just below the shoulder and the jagged broken stub of the bone protrudes dagger like...  I gagged. He smiled at me and strode to stand in front of the android.

         “That it is a social programming glitch?

That’s all you think.

  Kill it.

Use that new arm and smash it right now.

He backed up and made a stabbing motion into the unresponsive androids face.  The jagged bone slashed just in front of the oblivious droid’s plastic eye. 

I was confused and nauseous as I stared at this damaged man…creature.

         “Come on, do it.”  He insisted while jabbing at the android. He walked in front of the unmoving robot.

“These utility models get tunnel vision.  Yep. This one is here to kill you. Assassin” he hissed skin stretched his soggy flesh and cheek moved upward exposing some white jaw bone.          

         “Think it is here…to see the doctor?  The shrink.  Ha. I don’t think so since its personality is on a little chip in the back of its neck.”  He knelt down in front of me. “Are you listening to me?”

His molten greasy face dripped fluid onto my boot. My stomach rolled. I looked at the door.

He rotated his head toward the robot.  Relief at the stunning brow of a man who had movie star looks.

         “That’s right lead it outside. I bet it will follow you into those bushes by the sanctuary stream.  Lovely place to make a kill. Get up. Get moving.  When that last patient leaves”, he looked at the old man who was sitting by himself, “When he leaves, that thing is going to kill you.”  He scowled at the android.

I was repulsed and terrified.  I wanted to scream and cry and run away. But then he slapped the shit out of me.  My head smashed against the wall. A picture behind me crashed to the floor. The old man alone looked up concerned.

         “Boy you know some secrets…and now you are a nut case.  They won’t let you live.”

I thought to myself, but I couldn’t remember anything.  My brain had been turned into pudding during the last deployment.  My brain and my ….  I reached over and massage the attachment point.  I had lost my arm.  I raised the arm and flexed the flesh toned shiny hand.

This apparition who had just knocked the crap out of me…was me!

         “That’s right boy. Now you’re getting it.”

I honestly couldn’t imagine what I could know that would put my life at danger.  But this monster insisted I did.  But Dr.  Mutae, how could... he would betray me?  How could he know?”

         “He is a telepath. You idiot.  He can read your mind.”  He tapped my forehead.  Even what is left of it. He doesn’t have to rat you out; all he has to do is record it in your file.  They can read it.  They want you dead.”

I heard a voice and looked up to see the snow white skinned and blind Doctor Mutae being lead by the arm by his assistant droid.

         “It is true Patrick.” The old Andorian's antennae pulsed and quivered. The alien doctor’s head weaved through the air as if he was listening to music.  He could see this monster before me.

“I am a telepath.”

         “Doctor…what is happening?”

         “You son…you are making a break through.”

         “Do what he says.  You may use my office.”

The hideous man creature whispered at the old doctor, “Now we are talking.  I knew I liked you.”

         “I can’t.  I don’t know how. This can’t be happening.”

My vision turned toward the unmoving android.  “Pull its chip at the base of its neck.” His bone stub motioned upward and downward.  I turned and nearly screamed as I saw my bloody detached arm coiling around the neck of the android.  The bloody fingers pulled the collar of the android down and the index finger taped the exposed chip and data port.

         “Remarkable.  Quite remarkable.”  The doctor pulled his hands together as if grasping at the vision.  He could see it all.  He could see my hallucination.

My heart sank. I would never be deployed and my career.  MY life was over.

         “Perhaps. No not necessarily.  We must investigate this.  This is entirely new! Remarkable!”

         “But I am crazy?”

         “Maybe.” The doctor was being honest.

         “What?”

         “You may not be crazy.  We have to investigate.”

         “What do I do?”

         “You have to go into my office alone and see if this unknown android follows you in. If it tries to kill you, well, then you are not crazy.”

My horrible alter ego smiled, “I love this doctor.”

“Thank You.” Dr. Mutae spoke out loud and directly to my hallucination.

I got up and stepped right through the monster. Dr. Mutae gasped. He was watching telepathically.  He stepped to the side as I entered his private office.

  My apparition danced joyously out in front of me and motioned with its bloody stump. The grisly human danced and punched like a fighter warming up for a big match. “That’s right…leading it in here. I will show you how to kill this thing.  We are gonna have some fun.”

I should have been more concerned.



But I smiled because I could hear the android get up and follow me step for step into the office.



It was going to try to kill me just as soon as the door to the office closed behind us.



It was going to try to assassinate me.



I was so very happy.



I wasn’t crazy, at all.