Tremors through her body. Needles in her skin. Broken bones and torn ligaments. Sadie knew on an unconscious level she’d felt all of these things, but now they were faded, like a distant memory. Sedatives and painkillers can only reduce so much and the aches were real. The pain was old now, and for the first time in days, she had the energy to move. Dry eyes opened to a dimly lit room.
The bed she thought of as a coffin was open with the white pillows still stuffed all around her. The first thing Sadie noticed was she was dressed in a new outfit. Crinkly brown overalls, a white long sleeve almost thick enough to be a sweater, and white fuzzy socks. Where were her old clothes? It was hard to complain about new clothes that were so warm, but it was still a strange feeling. At least she hadn’t woken up naked with a collar around her throat.
Sadie tried to rub the sleepiness from her eyes when she banged her hand hard into the side of the coffin. Cringing, she tried to put the pinched finger into her mouth and almost took out her eye instead. She tried to use her other hand and promptly whacked herself upside the head.
“You’re awake,” said a soft female voice. “Motor function appears to be off.” Sadie rolled to the side, hitting just about everything in the process. Her groggy mind wasn’t ready for the woman next to her.
She had alabaster skin with a rounder, gentle face with blue eyes so bright they practically sparkled. Sadie gawked at the hair. Louis was blonde, but this woman’s hair was gorgeous, like a flowing river of gold. She wore a black top and a flowing white skirt. She was tall, probably taller than Louis, with a full body like an Amazonian come to life. And she wasn’t real.
“Um. Hello?” said Sadie. The hologram smiled back at her.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable? Is the medication making you feel dizzy or sluggish?”
“No. I’m…who are you?”
“My name is Maia. It is nice to meet you.”
“Where’s Louis?”
“Louis is busy. I am here to get you out of bed and acclimated. You have gained over twelve kilograms of weight and grown almost fifteen centimeters.”
Sadie looked down at her body. It was hard to gauge laying down if she’d grown, especially dressed. She felt heavier, but that was probably the drugs. The only noticeable thing was the appearance of small breasts on her chest now. Every woman she knew was flat save for those with babies.
“I don’t know if I can get up yet.”
“I am infinitely patient.”
Maia sat quietly and waited. She changed her focus every once in a while, played with her fingers, and uncrossed and crossed her legs. It didn’t take long to realize Maia only did a few actions at random intervals and didn’t say anything as long as Sadie kept quiet. She was a computer on standby.
Realizing no one was going to help her, Sadie tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed. She stubbed all her toes on the edge and came up so hard she almost teetered to the other side. Her vision blurred as blood rushed to her head. Maia snapped out of her standby state and watched her with interest.
“Please be careful when standing.”
“I’ll go slow.”
“Your limbs are not the length you think they are. It will take time to adjust.” Sadie heaved herself out of bed and landed on unsteady feet. Her knees buckled and she tried to catch herself, missing the coffin, and ended up sprawled on the floor. Maia peered over and smiled. “As I was saying.”
Sadie rolled over and pushed herself up on her hands and knees. Scooting back to the coffin, she used it to brace herself and stand. Her legs didn’t feel as shaky now, but the room did look out of perspective. Like the ursa clinic, it was the wrong size. Only now she was the one who was too big.
The medical bay was hardly a bay; maybe a medical closet. Her bed had been fitted against one wall and there was a bed embedded into the opposite wall. There were clear cabinets filled with supplies all over the room. A terrifying machine made of robotic arms was opposite the door behind a glass window. Sadie had a feeling those metallic hands had been working on her. Maia was sitting against the cabinets opposite her. The chair was also an illusion.
“Your limbs aren’t just longer. They’re stronger.”
“How much stronger?” Sadie was thinking of the superhuman things Louis had done.
“Not that much, just enough that you will notice. Your dexterity will need to be improved. Deformities in your skeleton have been corrected. You will need to learn to stand and walk straight again.”
Stand up straight? Humans didn’t stand up straight. That’s how you drew attention to yourself.
Maia held a hand out and the door opened. “Ready when you are.”
“Where are we going?”
“To physical therapy.” Sadie didn’t know what that was. She was just going to have to get used to that. Outside of the medical bay was much brighter, stinging her eyes. Maia watched her rapid blinking with understanding. “Your eyes have also been improved, but it means you have not seen proper light. It will take time to adjust.”
Sadie made it to the hallway, admiring the nature themed walls and the brilliant floor. She’d never seen a place so clean. Maia walked out of the room behind her and led her to the next door on the right. The transition was seamless, her form never blurring. Sadie followed with a shaky gait, wishing there was a railing to hold on to. She slumped against the wall, urging new feet to move forward. The floor wasn’t slippery. Her feet held traction as long as she focused on them. The second her concentration slipped, so did her feet. It was a long drag along the wall before she fell into the next room.
The medical bay might have been a closet, but this felt more like a refurbished storehouse. It was long and narrow. Half the floor was padded. It was not her half, which was plain bulkhead metal. It felt just as comfortable to fall onto as the tile floor outside. Without Maia’s prompting, Sadie was crawling toward the padded area. Maia made a motion at the far wall and a horizontal bar at waist height emerged from the wall. Maia placed a hand on it and waited. Taking the hint, Sadie pulled herself up next to her, staring in shock at her reflection along a wall of mirrors.
Seeing the height difference in the mirror was astonishing. Even hunched over and braced on her arms, Sadie was taller than she’d been just weeks ago. There was no denying her increased width, even with the frumpy clothes. Shoulders and hips unheard of in the reservation extended out from what had once been a rail thin body. And she had hair! Not a thin buzz cut of weak, wispy hair, but a full head! Gorgeous, curly locks like she’d never experienced hung down to her shoulders. It was a tangled mess at the moment, but it had so much floof that she had to play with it. When she pressed it down and released it sprang back up like it had a life of its own. It brought an involuntary smile to her face.
Her teeth! They were bigger, and clean! Was it natural for people to have teeth this white? Sadie poked at her mouth, admiring the new chompers with delight. There were even teeth where there had never been before. How did that work? Her tongue moved down the line of teeth in confusion, looking for empty spots it knew should be there. Hand still on her face, she felt her skin in wonder. It was smooth. There were no pockmarks or scars. What used to be sunken cheeks were now full. Her skin had a slightly darker hue than Sadie remembered. There were no callouses on her hands. It looked like she had not worked a day of labor in her life.
“How?” was all she could manage.
“I told you. You have put on over twelve kilograms of weight and grown almost fifteen centimeters. Physical imperfections from your upbringing have been erased. This is the body you would have had if raised with proper nourishment and a healthy environment.”
“Growing up in the reservation was, what?” Sadie didn’t know how to express it.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Stunting your growth,” answered Maia.
“Does this mean everyone would look like me if they received the treatment?”
“There would be differences in appearance, but yes. I imagine all of them would be much taller and more physically fit.”
“How is this possible?”
“Your physical change or the deformities caused by your environment?” Maia smiled. “You do not have the education for me to explain either properly. We will get to that. Today’s mission is to get you to walk.” Maia stepped back to the wall. “Please walk over here and use the bar as needed.”
Sadie’s legs worked better with the support, even if it was only on one side. Her legs trembled with each step, but they held. The only time Sadie fell was when she was too busy gawking at herself in the mirror. Maia waited for her to reach one wall, then moved to the next, and they repeated the process over and over. When Sadie was feeling confident, they moved to walking without the bar. Her limbs weren’t atrophied, just unfamiliar. Practice made perfect.
“Let us test your dexterity.” Maia waved at the wall and a screen of boxes came up. There were twenty-five enormous boxes with four different colors and they went from the floor to just above her head. “When you touch a box, it will light up.” She touched one as an example and it glowed white. “Please touch all the green boxes.”
This was easier and harder than it should have been. Sadie’s hands often went too far, like she was trying to strike the colored boxes. More than once the wall beeped angrily at her as she mistakenly waved her hand through multiple boxes.
They moved slowly through a few exercises. Maia released looped cords from the ceiling and had Sadie pull on them. It wasn’t difficult, but it made her body cry out when she pulled too hard. Maia raised the resistance in tiny increments. It was a strange adjustment. Her body was stronger, but it was heavier. Her grip was stronger, but her hands were larger. Everything felt easier and more awkward, as if she had never performed the motion before. Maia watched with all the interest of a computer, giving vague compliments or snide remarks. Sadie almost believed Maia was amused at her failings. A few times the cords seemed to retract too suddenly or became too heavy, causing her to fall. Living a life of subservience didn’t allow Sadie to have much pride, but there was something awful about being demeaned by a hologram.
“Can we take a break?”
“Your current progress is satisfactory. Let me show you to your room.”
Maia moved past her and back out into the hall. A door opened on the left and Maia held out her hand in invitation. Sadie glanced at the broom closet of a room. There was a bed the full length of the room built into the wall. Below it were dresser drawers. At the end of the room were a pulldown table and a chair that folded out of the wall to give her a desk. It was as barebones as any barracks she had ever seen.
“Shower is down the hall,” added Maia helpfully.
“Thank you.” Sadie didn’t have to squeeze in, but there wasn’t exactly breathing room. “What do I do now?”
“I have been instructed to make you useful.” Maia looked so sweet, but sounded so condescending there. The table came down and a screen appeared. “I have an assessment test prepared to see what you know. Then an aptitude test. We will test your physical aptitude over the weeks to come.”
“I didn’t get a lot of schooling,” admitted Sadie.
“I am aware.” Maia’s stupid height made it seem like she was always looking down on her. Sadie looked at the computer screen ruefully.
“Can I get something to drink first?”
*
“Your pet is awake.” Maia appeared in Louis’s room. He was standing by his desk with multiple holographic windows open. The one on his left was a map of the Amoroso System, the one on his right a gas planet, and the one in the middle a floating station with lots of text scrolling underneath.
“How’s she doing?” he asked absently.
“Like a baby giraffe learning to run. She’s hit the floor so many times you’re going to have to make her a new nose.”
“Be nice. We spent a lot of money fixing her.”
“We can afford a new nose.” Louis continued reading, barely noticing Maia. She walked over and drooped her head on his shoulder. “Are we really going to spend the time making that simpleton worth anything?”
“At the moment all she’s doing is taking up space and eating our food. Why not make her useful?”
“Because it’ll take ten times the resources to produce anything. Not unless we want to convert this ship into a mining rig again. Then I could push her out onto an asteroid.”
“Hopefully with a spacesuit.”
“That’s a lot of additional training.” Louis smiled and Maia poked him in the cheek. “I’m a terrible teacher, Louis.”
“You already wrote a program to do the work for you, don’t lie to me.”
“Well I feel bad for the program. It’s like having an adult first grader back there.”
“Exactly. Neither of us want to talk to an illiterate child, so get to work.”
“I am, I am.” Maia moved away from his shoulder and looked at the projections. “This is where Ravi is?”
“Mirakus Station. It’s basically a big gas refinery. No major accidents, reliable, out of the way. Station was built thirty years ago and has been expanded to keep up with production. No habitable planet in system so it’s long term assignments only.”
“Why would Ravi be here of all places? It looks awful.”
“Or a great place to go where nobody asks questions. What’s one boring human in the most boring part of the galaxy?” Maia laughed unexpectedly.
“Sorry. The girl just face planted again. So you think Ravi is here?”
“We’ll know in a few days.”
“And if he’s not? What do you want to do with the girl?”
“Maybe the gas station needs someone to clean the pumps.”
*
Sadie was laying in her bunk, eyes closed, and head pounding. Maia was relentless. The questions kept coming and Sadie kept failing. She’d never felt so stupid in her life. She didn’t know anything about engines, machines, or spacecraft. She thought she knew something about agriculture and botany but nope, a moron. The topics were all over the place including public speaking and diplomacy, complete with Maia creating holographic opponents to talk to. The only areas she’d done well on were geology and math. You can’t grow up in a mining town without knowing about rocks and how one wrong calculation brings the tunnel down on top of you.
“Maia?” Maia appeared in her room. “Is all this necessary?”
“Women without skills throughout history are usually only used for one thing.” Maia raised an eye over Sadie’s newly developed body.
“Fair. Can we talk about something else besides school?”
“I have vast banks of knowledge. What would you like to know?”
What did she want to know? This might be the first time she had access to anything she wanted to know.
“I grew up on the reservation. Are there other reservations?”
“Yes. I know of twelve active reservations.”
“Are reservations just the name for human cities? Are there ursa reservations? Is a hive a bug reservation?” Maia took a moment to respond, looking down at her feet first.
“A hive is a reservation for raknath, or bugs as you call them. There are no ursa reservations. They are a free species. Humans and raknath are owned. Your species only propagates because someone allows it.”
“Why?”
“The raknath were a fierce species, a threat to all living creatures. Through decades of subjugation and eradication campaigns, their species were reduced to controlled hives, owned by a variety of species. They are preserved as a scientific and wartime resource.”
“What about humans?”
“That is a very long story.” Sadie held her hands out to her empty room, emphasizing how little she had to do. “I suppose it is important for you to know your history.” Maia took hold of a newly formed chair and sat down.
“In the 22nd century, humanity’s home world, Earth, was visited by travelers from another world. They have many names, but they are most commonly known as the Masters. They are believed to be the first race and no other has topped their achievements to this day. But they did not come to humanity to lift you up. They were at war, and they needed soldiers. They enlisted every species they found into the Master War.”
“Who were they fighting against? Themselves?”
“No. Their greatest creation. The Singularity, robots that gained full sentience and rebelled against their creators. Humanity joined near the end of the war and when the Masters lost, so did humanity. The Singularity destroyed your home world and the majority of your species. 99.99% of humanity was killed.”
It was a daunting number, but one that somehow felt worthless to Sadie. How big was humanity before? How big was a planet? This felt like it would’ve been devastating news to the first few generations of survivors, but she was over tenth generation in her reservation. She wasn’t sure she could comprehend any other life. “Grandma Snibbs said Louis was from Earth. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“How is he still alive then?”
“Because he is a Delta, and does not age as you do.”
“What is a Delta?” Another pause.
“I’m unsure if you should know this.”
“Why?” Maia leaned forward, locking eyes with her. For a computer program, she had a lot of emotion in those eyes.
“Sadie. To you, a Delta is a hero. A man who can do what you cannot. To the rest of the galaxy, they are a threat. Aliens will try and kill him for sport, like ancient hunters and a lion. The Singularity still exist and some consider the Delta a grave threat. They would not hesitate to bury your entire reservation if they thought they could kill a Delta. Being a Delta is Louis’s greatest secret and not one you can speak of.” Maia took a deep breath for dramatic effect. “I am programmed to protect Louis and this ship. If you spoke of his secret, I might terminate you before another has a chance. Do you understand?” Sadie sat up in her bunk, nodding. The friendly computer who gave her lessons had a dark side.
“What a Delta is, isn’t entirely known. All we know is the Masters found something compatible in humans. They gave up their bodies and minds to infuse themselves into humans, to make something more. They turned them into the universe’s most dangerous weapon, armed with tools created by the Masters themselves to turn the tide of war.”
“But you said the Masters lost.”
Maia shrugged. “The Deltas were a last ditch effort. Major victories are attributed to them but it was too late. The Singularity won, wiping out the Masters and most of the species that allied with them. They could’ve conquered the universe if they wanted to, but they didn’t. They pulled back to their selected systems to do as they pleased.”
“How many Deltas are left besides Louis?”
“Nobody knows.”
“What has he been doing this whole time?”
“In the past three hundred years? Everything.”