Chapter Nine: Red
Surge opened his eyes. He was in some kind of operating room. He couldn't move. He could only look up at bright yellow lights. Surge squinted, then closed his eyes. What had happened to him? The last he remembered, he was in the red light. Red. Red pill! That woman (what was her name?) had offered Surge two pills, and he had taken the red one. Then she stood up, and took Surge into a room and she made him sit in a weird- looking chair. She told him some things that he didn't understand. And then something happened to him that he could not explain.
Surge opened his eyes. He was immersed in a warm liquid and surrounded by red light. He- he couldn't breathe! Something was choking him, something was in his throat. He pulled it out. He realized that he was in a bubble, a womb or something. He tried to break the bubble by pushing and tearing with all his strength. He didn't have much strength. Finally he kicked at the bubble and it broke. He sat up, breathing in all the oxygen he could reach. The moisture on his skin evaporated and he was cold.
Surge realized that there were cords in his arms and, to his horror, up his spinal cord. He tried to take them out, but he couldn't. Surge heard a whirring sound from below him and he looked up. What he saw knocked the air out of his lungs. Thousands, maybe billions of red pods just like his. Sticking out of several towers, and as Surge looked at them all, he knew that they were occupied by humans. He knew that in one of these pods lay his mother. One of them held his best friend. His landlady. His fifth grade teacher. Each pod held a human life. He wanted to cry, but couldn't find the energy.
Suddenly, a great flying robot resembling a spider appeared in front of Surge. He tried to stay absolutely still. 'Maybe it will go away,' thought Surge.
But the spider-bot didn't go away. Instead, it picked Surge up and the cords unplugged themselves. It carried Surge away from the pod. Surge shut his eyes. He could feel the cold air on his naked body, and he tried to scream but he couldn't. Then the spider-bot let go and he was falling. Surge refused to open his eyes. 'Wake up, goddammit! You're supposed to wake yourself up before you hit the ground! WAKE UP!'
Surge opened his eyes and he was back in the operating room. It was a dream, a dream. He exhaled, closed his eyes and tried to think of something else. That woman. She was so beautiful. Surge hadn't been able to see her eyes, because of her sunglasses. But he felt her eyes looking at him. Like she was trying to see into his soul.
Surge opened his eyes. He was in some kind of operating room. He couldn't move. He could only look up at bright yellow lights. Surge squinted, then closed his eyes. What had happened to him? The last he remembered, he was in the red light. Red. Red pill! That woman (what was her name?) had offered Surge two pills, and he had taken the red one. Then she stood up, and took Surge into a room and she made him sit in a weird- looking chair. She told him some things that he didn't understand. And then something happened to him that he could not explain.
Surge opened his eyes. He was immersed in a warm liquid and surrounded by red light. He- he couldn't breathe! Something was choking him, something was in his throat. He pulled it out. He realized that he was in a bubble, a womb or something. He tried to break the bubble by pushing and tearing with all his strength. He didn't have much strength. Finally he kicked at the bubble and it broke. He sat up, breathing in all the oxygen he could reach. The moisture on his skin evaporated and he was cold.
Surge realized that there were cords in his arms and, to his horror, up his spinal cord. He tried to take them out, but he couldn't. Surge heard a whirring sound from below him and he looked up. What he saw knocked the air out of his lungs. Thousands, maybe billions of red pods just like his. Sticking out of several towers, and as Surge looked at them all, he knew that they were occupied by humans. He knew that in one of these pods lay his mother. One of them held his best friend. His landlady. His fifth grade teacher. Each pod held a human life. He wanted to cry, but couldn't find the energy.
Suddenly, a great flying robot resembling a spider appeared in front of Surge. He tried to stay absolutely still. 'Maybe it will go away,' thought Surge.
But the spider-bot didn't go away. Instead, it picked Surge up and the cords unplugged themselves. It carried Surge away from the pod. Surge shut his eyes. He could feel the cold air on his naked body, and he tried to scream but he couldn't. Then the spider-bot let go and he was falling. Surge refused to open his eyes. 'Wake up, goddammit! You're supposed to wake yourself up before you hit the ground! WAKE UP!'
Surge opened his eyes and he was back in the operating room. It was a dream, a dream. He exhaled, closed his eyes and tried to think of something else. That woman. She was so beautiful. Surge hadn't been able to see her eyes, because of her sunglasses. But he felt her eyes looking at him. Like she was trying to see into his soul.