Two minutes from now it will all be over. The large industrial clock on the back wall thrust its chrome second-hand forward with a fierce determination to begin the countdown. Tick. One minute, fifty-nine seconds.
The room is almost an acre long and stuffed full of them like clowns in a Volkswagen. I pushed my back against the rough concrete of the outer wall and held my breath. Tick. One minute, fifty-eight seconds. Tick. One minute, fifty-seven seconds. Tick. One minute, fifty-six seconds.
They stared at me with vacant black eyes. I inhaled slowly. Tick. One minute, fifty-five seconds. Tick. One minute, fifty-four seconds.
The morning light played in from the full windows that flanked the right side of the room—like a platoon of steady soldiers. The light emphasized the dangerously tight and rubbery-looking skin that stretched over their smooth heads. Tick. Tick. One minute, fifty-two seconds.
They sat, row upon row, their wax-like limbs hanging together—waiting for the order to move. Tick. Tick. One minute, fifty seconds.
The pungent chemicals of their skin hung like thick tendrils of smoke in the air, lightly burning the inside of my nostrils. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, forty-seven seconds.
A loud-speaker barked out a baffling code of numbers and letters, creating uneasiness among them. I sucked in my breath and waited. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, forty-three seconds.
The colony of their swollen bodies swayed, shifted and parted. A set of veiny, wax-like arms stretched up, pulling itself out and away from the hive like an expelled drone. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, thirty-nine seconds.
The clumsy drone skulked forward. Its round unblinking black eyes locked on something outside the realm of normal human eyesight. I exhaled small inaudible gasps. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, thirty-five seconds.
My mind flirted cautiously with the unspeakable terrors that were locked in its over-sized head, just behind its alien gaze. I pressed further into the rough cement of the outer wall. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, thirty seconds.
It lumbered forward with slow and deliberate steps. Its mouth curled in a grimaced gesture of acceptance, causing the brittle skin to split. The small tear oozed a mucous-like substance that set the fine hairs of my nostril ablaze. A hiss escaped its thin purple lips. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, twenty-five seconds.
The hive behind it was restless. An incomprehensible insect-like chatter that chipped away at the audible determination of the wall clock. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, twenty seconds.
The loud-speaker crackled out another code. Another drone expelled. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, fifteen seconds.
I shifted my weight to my right leg. The first drone was dangerously close to my left side. Its pulsing veins echoed in my ears. It brushed against the denim of my jeans with its waxy arms as it passed. The hairs on my arms prickled. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, ten seconds.
An animal howl punctured the thick cement of the wall behind me, interrupting the chatter. The hive stiffened in synchronized unison. The light from the window soldiers filtered an unfocused mirage into the room—doubling their numbers in front of me. I inhaled sharply. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute, five seconds.
Another loud-speaker code. I looked down at the crumpled paper in my hand. That was my code. I exhaled slowly. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. One minute.
I stepped away from the wall and turned to follow the path of the first drone. Its sickly twin still staggered forward on its thick rubbery limbs. I avoided the vacant eyes as I cut forward—ready to get on with it. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Fifty-five seconds.
A grim man with distant eyes gripped my arm, pulling me backward into a mechanical chair. In one, well-practiced and fluid motion he had me secured. The field-duty green of his uniform was faded and hinted of strong antiseptic. The conviction of the chrome second-hand filtered in from the acre-long room. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Fifty seconds.
Beads of sweat navigated their way through my hairline, confessing my anxiety to an unappreciative audience. I blinked quickly to remain focused and purge the inevitable burn of salt. There were nine other mechanical chairs forming a circle out from me—a tyrannical amusement that forced us to watch each other. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Forty-five seconds.
The first drone was strapped down in the chair directly across from me. Its alien features twisted into a grimacing smile—forcing the mucous to ooze faster from its damaged mouth. Tubes of red fluid pulsed and pumped into its waxy chest. I flinched. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Forty seconds.
Cool liquid tickled my skin. It was an unfair sensation that preempted the attack. The grim man swabbed my secured arm in alcohol. I clenched my fist and dug in to the aged leather cushioning of the mechanical chair—bracing myself for the inescapable strike. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Thirty-five seconds.
The muffled loud-speaker spit out another code. Another drone expelled. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Thirty seconds.
My heart jack-hammered blood to my temples. I counted the seconds to remain calm. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Twenty-five seconds.
“This is going to hurt,” the grim man said. His indifferent tone and unyielding fortitude paraded far ahead of his rehearsed field-duty manners. I strained to hear the clock. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Twenty seconds.
The drone gurgled and choked. Red phlegm leaked from its broken mouth dragging the mucous down its alien neck leaving a wine-coloured stain. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Fifteen seconds.
A twin of the grim man secured the second drone to a mechanical chair beside the first one. The second drone twisted its features and hissed at the twin. I closed my eyes. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Ten seconds.
Thick metal drilled into my arm. My eyes exploded open in agony. My body crushed against the restraints. The grim man pressed the green light on the machine that clung to the mechanical chair. He adjusted the hoses of red fluid that were now tucked neatly into my body. The agony subdued to a dull, throbbing ache. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Five seconds.
I closed my eyes again. It was almost all over. Intense heat spread up my arm in search of my vital organs. I was being assimilated. I would be one of them when the grim man was done with me. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
The grim man spoke to me. His meaningless words drifted up over my head. They floated out into the acre-long room, high above the hive, and they bounced—unwanted– against the steady soldiers of the light. The red dye of the chemotherapy drug bulged and distorted its way through my veins. I was transforming.
I hissed at the grim man through waxy-thin lips.
~uberscribbler
