1 1
I woke up in a cold sweat, it was three in the morning. It is such an unholy hour, I attempted to grab a tissue from a nearby nightstand, "Dear me," I uttered hoarsely, "Where has my left hand gone off to now?" It is a dubious question, but since the accident, it has a decided mind of its own.
I was working late one night at the lab when a laser I had been working with, seared through my hand. It had cauterized on the spot, the plus was that there was virtually no blood. the bad point, the doctors could not sew back my hand. Yet since it was a work related accident, the lab set me up with an experimental bio-network hand. 2
So you see every now and then it vanishes in the night, or even if I take a mid-afternoon nap. But I'd like to know where it goes during the time it vanishes. 3
24
Another fit-full nights sleep, as I was disturbed by an audible click.
I opened one eye and saw my left hand crawling down the side of the bed, a small flap of skin lifted up as a mini antenna raised up. it spun slowly around, and issued a series of audible clicks and beeps. My hand had then hopped onto the floor, and moved like a spider towards the door, all the while its antenna spun like a top. Suddenly the antenna paused as a blue light emanated from it and opened a small portal, the hand vanished.
I bolted upright, and thought, (My God what had the lab hooked up to me?) it seemed about four hours have passed, then I noticed the blue portal opening, I made pretend swiftly that I was asleep, as my hand had crept through like a spider. As I heard the audible click once more that had earlier awoke me, I knew it had reattached itself, I awoke prodding where I had seen the antenna before.5
Then I laid awake and wondered a bit more, as to where my left hand had gone at three am.6
37
As I was sleeping I heard the audible click, as I had before. As I opened my eyes to peek, my left hand was on my chest fingers close to my chin, the antenna slowly rising from the back of the hand close to the wrist. My eyes widened as it sat there. I suddenly heard the sound of audible clicks, and beeps emanating from somewhere in the network hand, and a blue light shot out of the antenna, toward the headboard of the bed. I was dragged in by the tidal pull of the open window, A bright white light stung my eyes...8
9
410
11
Reeling from the experience, I did not quite know where I was, it was a dark room with metallic walls, and thick brightly colored cables running along the ceiling. My left hand moved spiderlike out the only exit from this room, and waited breifly at the door, and tapped its fingers on the floor (I guess I am to follow). I rose to my feet keeping squat and low, as I hit my head on the ceiling. Crouching apelike, I followed my hand through the door, and down a thin low metal corrodor, with brightly yellow cabled thickly covering the side walls of the corridor, and after several minutes we emerged into a central chamber, almost like a port hub, or nexus. A digitized unearthly voice belowed, "Welcome Doctor Grace, I am sure you are wondering why you are here." 12
"Why yes," I spoke hoarsly, "so this is where my hand goes every night."13
"Yes Doctor Grace," it said cooly, " I am the central nexus, a computer built by computers. Some time ago I caused your laser to cut off your hand, enabling me to have you linked by a neuro networked hand, so you see I was planning to lead you here."14
"Yes, but what for?"15
"I am pleased you want to know doctor," as the machine spoke two metal clamps locked my legs to the floor acting like shackles, and a thrumming noise could be heard."16
"Doctor Grace, you have been selected for cybernetic neuro- networking, you will soon cease to be fully human, as you will be intergrated into a machine, this will improve your lifespan to battery cycles."
"But I dont want to be a machine!"17
"Silence!" It coldly replied, " There is no choice in the matter, you will18
comply."19
"A cyborg, that's what this is about," I whispered through my teeth.20
"Yes Doctor."21
22
Suddenly a bright light enfolded me from all sides of the room, my head swam and I lost conciousness.23
24




2 old applause
