Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. It is a draft; there are mistakes, many misspellings and sometimes long periods of no updates. copyright: ion fyr 2026
Nila lay on the bed with her right arm encased in a tube out to the side. Inside the tube flesh was quickly being laid onto a scaffold, stronger than natural bone. It wasn’t complete yet; tendrils of muscle twined down, enveloping arteries and veins, intertwining them like cords of a rope or tentacles of a squid. A film of new skin, pink and hairless, slowly draped itself like a viscous waterfall or candlemelt.
Indicators flashed along with the pulse of a strong heart and solid breath.
Her eyese were closed, lips faintly open. Nila was motionless.
Luc looked at the doctor and asked, “how long, Doc?” Drawing Etelka’s attention from the scroll in her hands. Pool sat on a chair in the corner, eyes lowered in thought.
Dr Daytime responded, “The arm will be as good as new. The synthbone scaffolding will be stronger than the original. The skin, however, will be ultrasensitive to the touch for a week or so. When the arm is more complete I’ll take her off the drip and she’ll wake up.”
“Good to know,” we might have to take off..leave Tesifon soon.
He turned back to Etelka.
“See, it is him.” She held up the scroll. On it were two images, one a scan of Pool she had taken that morning. The other a screen capture from a video feed running on a loop in the corner. “There was a…’security sweeping’ in Singopolis, and this is the moment he takes off the mask and looks at the camera. He’s missing the mustache but that is unmistabable the same man, if not the same than an identical twin to our Mr Pool, over there.”
“My mustache?” Pool looked up and ansesred with a whinging voice. “What happened to my mustache?”
“It’s alright, Blackwood. It will probably grow back. I can even see stubble around this one’s mouth.”
“It’s true, Pool. Although if your mustache does not return in its full glory I will have Akki catch a rat in the garage and you can wear that on your lip.”
Etelka giggled, almost uncontrollably. Then looked at him with earnest sympath. “It will grow back don’t worry. It’s not even you. It’s just the other version.”
“Is that my fucking raincoat?”
They all turned. Nila was sitting up partially, propped on her one complete elbow.
The doctor, who had been looking over the shoulders of Etelka and Luc at the image compared to Pool, rushed to Nila and eased her down, uttering a litany of soothing commands.
Pseudo-Pool was up out of his chair at her other side before either Etelka or Luc could speak.
His new hand, clearly a completely synthetic prosthesis, touched her arm. “How are you, Ms Tagore? We have been worried.”
“He speaks for himself, Blue. I haven’t been worried. These primative friends of yours don’t understand our fancy future magic.”
“Quiet all of you!” Hushed Daytime, then to Nila, “How is it you are conscious? You’re supposed to be out for a few more days.”
“I don’t know. How am I supposed to know? Where the fuck…? Dr Daytime? Why are you here?”
“You were injured. Luc brought you here. The juice box blocked the memories of the event as well as the pain.”
“What’s a ‘juice box’?” Asked Pool without looking up from Nila.
“It’s the medical device that we attached to stop the bleeding. It injected a coctail of medications and soporifics, chemical and nano,” explained Luc.
“Pool, how did you get my raincoat? Or did you like mine so much that you had to get one just like it?” She said drowsily, slurring toward the end.
“Well, Ms Tagore, that’s not entirely me…,” Pool started to explain, but Nila’s eyes were shut again.
“I turned her drip up. She’s not ready to be active. The arm’s not ready,” explained the doctor.
***
“I…I don’t know what happened. She’s supposed to be under!” Said daytime. “Her eyes….they’re open…gods!!”
“Hey…Doctor…long time no see…,” Nila said with a beatific smile, a beaming glow in her iced eyes.
Daytime stood back, almost fell over herself.
The juice in Nila’s arm-bottle fizzed and boiled.
Ion Fyr 