Chapter 7

I was sitting at a table with a platter in front of me. I ate a little bit, but couldn't taste anything. The room was faded and cloudy, and everyone was ignoring me. Then, a man with a suit walked into the room. Step by step, he slowly came over to me. I tried getting up and moving away, but I was somehow stuck. Subconsciously, I knew it was a dream, but that didn't stop the ice cold fear clutching my heart when the man got closer. He reached a hand out to me, with no expression what so ever, and placed it on my face. I couldn't see or breathe or move.

*****

"This is too frequent," a mystery voice said.

I knew I had awoken, as I could feel and think again, but kept my eyes shut.

"This is the millionth time he's been injured because of his own carelessness!"

"Please, Dr. Magnusson, just give Griggs some time! I'm sure he'll stop goofing around."

"Okay. He'd better, or else…" the voice trailed off into the distance. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes, pretending to wake up. Sheckly was standing next to my bed.

"Hey, you're up!"

I lifted my hand to rub my aching head, when I realized it was covered with heavy bandages. I opened my eyes wide, looked down, and saw a large wrap around my chest. Memories of fighting manhacks, pulling myself across the floor, and that man flashed through my mind.

"Doc says you got a pretty nasty wound. He's surprised you're even alive."

"How long have I been out?" I managed to croak out.

"All night," Sheckly said, examining my head cocoon. "I managed to get everyone into a tight corridor, and we fought them off from there. Lazlo scorched up a large part of the base, and Dr. Magnusson is not happy."

"Lazlo's alive! Is he hurt?"

"He's perfectly fine, unless you're definition of 'fine' is—"

Just then, Lazlo came bursting into the medical room. His face was blackened, besides his eyes under his glasses, but he was as cheerful as ever. Sheckly smiled, and left the room quickly.

"Those flamethrowers work for you?" I jokingly asked.

Lazlo plopped into a chair next to me, pulling it up to my bed.

"Vorts say I should be more careful, but I really don't like taking their advice. Helpful as it may be."

"Why? Vorts are so friendly and helpful! What do you have against them?" Then, I noticed his body. No wounds, no bandages, he wasn't lying in a make-shift hospital bed, and he was the one in the heat of combat! "I guess some people have all the luck."

"Yeah, some…"

Then, Lazlo froze. His smile disappeared, and he became very sullen, not moving a muscle. Through those thick glasses and crazy eyes, I could see something else. Something not like him, something terrible. He nearly stopped breathing, and just stared at the wall. Then he blinked and returned to his normal state.

What was that?

"What was I talking about?" He said, and by the tone of his voice, I could tell that he was serious.

"I just said that some people have all the luck and you froze."

"Weird. I have no idea why that happened," he said, but I knew he was lying.

"Lazlo, be honest with me. What happened to you?" I asked, concerned.

"Well, what happened to you? I couldn't even find you, and then I turned my back and you suddenly appeared!"

"Well, Lazlo, you're not going to believe this, but some sort of man is hounding me. He appears here and there, and is influencing things, somehow."

"Psh! That's preposterous," he laughed as Uriah walked into the room.

"Hey Uriah, do you believe what Griggs is saying? Some sort of whacky man is stalking him."

Uriah rubbed the back of his head, thinking for a moment.

"I believe it would be wise if the Harrison rested for the moment."

Lazlo smiled at me, satisfied that he was right, and jogged out of the room. Uriah, however, stayed and took a seat. Or at least he tried to, as the chair was meant for humans. After one attempt, he got up, moving the chair aside.

"Every day, he chooses more people for his cause."

"Who?" I asked, curious if the Vortigaunt knew anything about this man.

"No one knows his name, or even species. He usually takes the form of a human, in a government suit. The Harrison must be watchful for him. Once he selects you for his plan, there is no escaping his clutches. It takes many of our kind, highly skilled in the Vortessence, to loosen his grip on anyone."

"Oh, wonderful," I said under my breath. "So, I'm a slave now?"

"The Harrison is not a slave, but rather a pawn."

Even better

"I shall watch out for the Harrison, but I fear I will not be able to help you without assistance from my kin."

After that, Uriah trotted out of the room. I watched him open the door a crack, and slip through it. As the door closed, my vision faded, and I once again fell into a deep sleep.

*****

I was in a small house of some sort in the forest. Around me were pictures of my memories, and books holding all my knowledge. Then, the door was thrown open, and the man walked into my house. I picked up a picture in a frame and threw it at him, but he absorbed it, and grew larger. I threw everything I could at him, but it only made him grow bigger and bigger as he got closer and closer. Then, he burst the roof of, and swelled to the size of a strider. He lifted his briefcase, and threw it down on me.

*****

My eyes flew open, and I realized I was breathing quickly and sweating. Looking around, I realized it was still day, however the infirmary was mostly vacant besides for a doctor here and there. I turned my head over and looked out a window. I had a perfect view of the citadel. That black combine structure jutting up out of the ground. Then, a side twitched, and moved upwards. Hundreds of city scanners were released, spreading all around City 17.

They must be after something big!

Then, a face flashed in front of my eyes. I knew who it was, starring me down with a sneer.

So, I'm your pawn, now?

I was almost waiting for a response, but I knew nothing would come. I shifted in discomfort, trying to find a reasonable positing with my heavy chest bandages. I stared at the massive combine monument. Scanners just kept pouring out, turning on their blinding white cameras, getting ready to photograph everything that moved.

"Sure is something," said a doctor, just walking up.

"Yeah," I said while squinting my eyes.

"You just rest up Griggs; you're lucky to be alive."

"Got that right," I replied as I began to drift off again. Everything Uriah had told me, Lazlo's reaction, and this man controlling me where swirling around in my head, like a pool of water trying to settle.

Some people have all the luck.