Divine Evolution (2021 Watty Awards Shortlist)

CHAPTER TEN

Her next memory was coughing.

She coughed hard enough that it felt like she might vomit all her body parts out of her mouth in one, glorious and hideous mess. As soon as she had the thought, she started to choke. There was something in her throat. She couldn't breathe around it and it made her gag. Then it was gone and she coughed again. Hands grabbed under her arms and hauled her upright. She felt herself placed on her stomach on a warm table where her coughing began again in earnest and she fought to clear her lungs.

When she settled and the heaviness in her chest eased, she felt a warm blanket cover her and hands gently wiping her down—her legs, arms, torso. Even her hair and face were dried. She felt gooey, as if the same remnants of goo in her lungs also covered her body. Suddenly, she could hear sounds. They may have been there all along, but they'd been muffled and she hadn't noticed. Then she could see as well, but the images were blurry and there was too much light. She winced and tried to cover her eyes, but her hand wouldn't move. In fact, she couldn't move at all. Her entire body felt stiff and awkward, as if she didn't know how to use it properly. Or, like she was trying to animate a body that belonged to someone else.

She tried to talk and ask what was going on. Instead, she coughed again, her whole body shivering in response. She couldn't seem to warm up, and the shivers turned to muscle spasms. Then she heard shouts, but they sounded nonsensical and she couldn't string the words into a pattern that held meaning. She started to panic, and she wanted to get up but her body still wouldn't respond. Her heart felt like a butterfly trapped in her chest, fighting desperately to break free. She couldn't breathe then, like every bit of air was a fight for her lungs to hold on to. Worst of all, images started to flash through her mind. Things she hadn't known before, but now for some reason, she just...knew. It made her head ache and she wanted to rub her head as if that would help, but couldn't, and then—

A voice penetrated her fog, saying words that actually make sense. Best of all, it was a voice she recognized. A voice she actually wanted to hear. Niko.

"I've got you now, Cyann," he said, the words seeming to form inside her head at the same time she could hear them. "It's over. I won't let you go. You're safe."

She felt a pinch at her arm again, and darkness descended. However unlike the last time, she believed it. If Niko was there, she was safe.

*

When Cyann woke the second time, she found herself propped up in a bed. Her throat hurt, but she was fine otherwise. She was alone in a white room that contained little more than a table and a few chairs. The air was odorless and sterile, and a large bay window overlooked the city of Dragholme, its glass tinted a smoky gray to filter out the sunlight. She wondered if there were any flying boats out there. No, not flying boats. Air-rakers. Bed sheets were pooled in her lap, and she wore a thin white slip-on shift. Her arms were bare and lifting the sheet to look down at herself, it seemed her feet were as well. She had no idea if it was morning or afternoon or how long she'd been lying there. She didn't even feel hungry, so she couldn't her use stomach as a guide. However, she did need to relieve herself so she swung her legs experimentally over the side of the bed. She sighed in relief when her legs obeyed and she took a few halting steps to test her balance.

Next she tried the room's two doors. One was locked, which was unsettling. Was she a prisoner now? The second led to bathing facilities. Inside, she found a full length mirror mounted to the wall. Studying herself, she found she look almost the same as when she'd gone into the immersion chamber. There was dried goo in her hair and on her skin, making her itch. Spying the shower stall, she decided she may as well use it. Within seconds, the shift was on the floor and she was reaching for the circular dial that turned on the water. That brought her in front of the mirror again and she paused, startled by her appearance. Maybe there were changes after all.