Out of the Void

It was not long before I acclimatized. I drifted lazily, lost in the haze of the past few weeks. Bit by bit, wandering through the events that had transpired.

It was slow going, but I could feel my mind reconnecting with my body. It became apparent when my body was awake, or asleep, and my ability to track time was starting to improve.

I was feeling more energetic as well. Thoughts were coming faster and with more precision. Emotions rang through with far more clarity.

I was starting to see myself again. Feel myself again.

As my mind awakened, I did the only natural thing I could, and attempted to return to the world beyond. As I tried and failed, time and again, I came to see the consequences of my journey thus far. The last step into wakefulness continuing to elude.

It was during one of these failed missions, that word finally arrived from the outside world. I was not prepared for it's message.

As I readied myself for another attempt, an unfamiliar sensation began to sweep through me. An electrical hum, that poured into my awareness like a swarm of angry locusts. It grew until it was all I could feel. It ballooned beyond that, until my thoughts were but a whisper in the background. It grew and multiplied until it was all I that I was.

A singularity made of lightning and pain.

It took me in it's grip and refused to let go, squeezing until darkness descended.

When I finally awoke, it was to a familiar sight. Sethra was standing next to her workbench, idly working on another of her projects. I could barely contain my excitement.

It was over. It had all felt like a terrible dream, and it was finally over.

When I tried to speak and found I could not, I learned it was only just the beginning.

From what I could gather, all other senses but for sight were unavailable to me. Sound was nonexistent. Touch also gone. Even the view of the room remained unchanging. I was locked staring forward, unable to shift my eyes.

I sat there helplessly, for what seemed like hours, until Sethra finally turned towards me. She was speaking with someone just outside my view, and it seemed like she finally knew I was there.

She quickly turned and left, my eyes unable to follow. When she returned, there was a pad of paper in her grasp.

A quick glance in my direction, and she started scribbling on it's surface, holding the page up in front of me when complete.

"Hello Sweetie. " The pad held aloft in my view.

"There is much to discuss. To tell you. Please try to remain calm." She flipped the page after holding it up for me.

"I am sorry." she paused to add more. "Please, understand, we did the best we could despite the circumstances." She looked saddened as she marked down the next page.

"Your body has, despite out best efforts, effectively shut down. Your nervous system refuses to take input." She was visibly shaken, her shoulders heaving in disappointment.

I wanted to reach out, to hug her, let her know it would be okay. That it wasn't her fault. The privilege was not to be granted however.

"The technologies you've been exposed too, especially those that override your own movements, have damaged the link between your mind and body."

The magnitude of what she was saying spread through me like a winter chill. The meaning of the words before me almost too much to digest. I read them again and again, in the vain hope they would change.

"The Doctor says it may not be permanent, but it is best to seek alternative measures in the meantime."

There was hope. At least. Why did it still fell like I was being tossed into a pit?

"Your body is in stasis for now. We have created a bio-filter that should, at least, give you a fighting chance. It will however, take some time to do it's work."

She paused. Her hands shaking as she formulated her next thoughts.

"Until then, we have devised a fairly nominal way for you to interact with the world. It isn't much, but for now you should at least be able to see again. We are working on a system that will allow for senses beyond sight, but the tech is highly protected."

As the moments passed, her countenance began crumbling under the weight of it all.

"I'm so sorry. Sweetie. I'm sorry. I love you."

She barely held up the page before running off, covering her eyes as she finally gave in to the emotion of the situation.

As she fled, a stray tear flew off a fingertip, and onto the camera lens.