Artificial Heart

Time ticked away. Strangely, she didn’t feel tearful, only more enthusiastic as her story continued. As she remembered more. She felt closer to Alf than she had for the last several days. It made him seem more alive.

She skipped right over the intimacy parts, of course. ‘And then we were together,’ was all she was willing to say. ‘I will not tell you more.’

‘I have no desire to hear it.’

She frowned at Tobias. ‘They treated him like trash, you know?’

‘Who?’

‘Command, as he calls it—his species. I don’t like them. They’re arseholes.’

Tobias’s eyes widened. ‘You met them?’

’No. Thank God.’

She fell silent as her thoughts turned to Alf and all his unspoken sadness. Tobias gestured for her to go on.

Prisha burned with anger. ‘Alf is the discard of a greater him, so he told me. Apparently they clone themselves. They don’t die.’

‘They clone themselves?’ Tobias’s eyes bulged from his face. He looked down at his notepad and scribbled something hastily. When he next looked up, he was smiling politely, though his hand was tense around his pen.

Prisha’s throat felt sore and she reached over for a drink of water. Her hand was shaking. Now, the tears were finally swelling in her throat.

‘He-he told me he’s not coming back,’ she said. ‘He’s in danger …’

‘Why? Why is he in danger?’

’His species. His clone. Command. He was never meant to contact us. Not officially.’

‘You mean he’s acting as his own agent?’

Prisha nodded. ’If they knew what he was doing, what we were doing …’

The man in the rear corner hadn’t moved. The cameraman was listening to it all with huge eyes. The camera light was blinking.

‘And that upsets you,’ Tobias said.

‘Of course it upsets me.’ She stopped sharply, frustrated with herself, and quickly turned her face. ‘Especially with … everything now …’

‘But you said he’s waiting for you. Out in the memorial park, didn’t you say?’

‘Yes.’ Her belly swirled sickeningly. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. What would they do?’

‘We looked but couldn’t find anything.’

‘You-you looked? Oh … well … maybe I was mistaken.’

‘Why would he be back?’

Prisha shrugged. Her bottom lip trembled. Because he knows about the baby. Because he loves me. Or maybe I’m just desperate, imagining things because I miss him so damn much. ‘I think … I think I just want him to.’

‘Could he be monitoring you?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe.’ She turned her head in the direction of the park. ‘Can I get a room with a window? It’s like a closet in here. It’s depressing.’

‘I’m sure we can sought that out.’

‘I want to know about my sister.’

‘I will find out about your sister.’

‘And Scott. I don’t want him to get in trouble.’

‘I don’t know who that is.’

Prisha sighed. ‘What are you going to do when the baby arrives?’

’If it arrives—hopefully. We will monitor it. It’s special. We’ll give you everything you need. All the support you could ever want, as long as you keep us in the loop with its progress.’

‘So, you’ll let me go home with it?’ Prisha stared at him, surprised.

‘As long as you’re both healthy.’

‘But you’re going to keep me here until then.’

’We have to. For your safety. For its safety. We don’t even know what it’s going to look like. How smart it’ll be. What it’s capable of.’

‘But that’s nine months!’

‘Not necessarily. It could be shorter than you think.’

‘It’ll look human. Alf looks human.’

‘It is a very complicated situation. Alien DNA …’ He frowned as he stared vacantly into the distance. Then he blinked and was smiling at her again. ‘That’s enough for today. Thank you for your cooperation. I will speak to you again soon.’

He stood.

‘I want to leave.’

He paused in the doorway. He gave her a discerning look. ‘Perhaps we can take you out to the park, see if he’ll come. We want him back. We have so many questions.’

Prisha leaned towards him hopefully. ‘We could try. We could definitely try.’

‘I’ll come back.’ He nodded at the cameraman, who began packing up.

They both left.

Prisha fell back into her pillows, staring up at the ceiling, heart pounding as she thought of the possibility of seeing Alf again. She shifted her shoulders at the itch at the back of her neck. She turned her head again and suddenly remembered that she wasn’t alone. The man in the shadows remained.

‘Aren’t you going to leave too?’ she said.

He didn’t answer. What did he actually do here anyway? Prisha shivered. He reminded her of a ghost. He walked out, the door locking shut behind him.

Later that evening after Lucy had checked her vitals and handed over her dinner, Dr Embry came in with a familiar box. He pushed it in on a trolley, a cloth covering it as though it were some precious thing. Prisha supposed it was.

Extraterrestrial.

Prisha got up. ‘Thank you.’

He smiled. ‘My pleasure. I’m curious to see how they affect you. How much are you supposed to have?’

‘One a day.’ She took off the lid. ‘Did you find anything interesting about them?’

‘Lots. Apparently, the structure of this box is made from a material we have never seen before. Even the plastic of your “sachets” has an unseen before molecular structure.’ He shrugged. ‘So I’ve been told.’

‘Is that why you’re wearing gloves?’

He raised his hands. ‘Indeed.’

Prisha smirked at him. ‘You have nothing to worry about.’

Prisha took out a sachet, flicked off the little cap and immediately downed the entire thing. She licked her lips.

‘What’s it taste like?’ His eyes were bright.

’Nothing much. It’s sweet. But they do make me feel better.’

‘As they should. You have enough potassium in there to feed a band of monkeys.’ His forehead wrinkled. ‘In fact, so much potassium I’m worried there’s too much. And magnesium and calcium and …’

‘Collective.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘It’s a collective of monkeys, not a band.’

He chuckled. ‘Okay.’ He studied her. Laugh lines surrounded his dark eyes. ‘I want to take another blood test tomorrow.’

Prisha sighed. ‘Another one?’

‘Daily. Like I said, these “sachets” contain nutrients outside the human norm.’

‘I’ll be fine. They always make me feel better. I don’t want another blood test.’ She looked down at the crook of her arm. It was always sore.

‘I’m just worried about you.’

Prisha smiled warmly at him. ‘Thank you. You’re the first person to say that.’

‘Remember your call button. You feel strange and Lucy will come in.’

‘I know.’ She smiled at him again, this time crookedly. ‘I still don’t understand how this happened … you know … this.’ She indicated her belly. ‘I know menopausal women can have babies …’

‘You’re not in menopause.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘You’re not in menopause. I’ve checked your hormones. They’re normal. In fact, much more than normal. Both your oestrogen and testosterone are higher than they should be. Along with your growth factors. Much higher. Surprisingly high. Replacement therapy and steroid high.’

Prisha stared at him. ‘Seriously?’

He nodded.

‘I suppose that explains …’ She shook her head.

‘That explains what?’

‘I’ve been getting fitter, faster, stronger.’ She frowned. ‘I wonder what he did. And why he did it.’

‘Me too.’

His tone made Prisha look at him sharply. He leaned in close, whispering, ‘Those above are very interested.’

‘Yes, I know. It’s an alien baby. Of course they are.’

‘It’s not that.’

He looked at her meaningfully. Prisha frowned, puzzled. He glanced behind him where the mystery man usually stood. Prisha suddenly wondered why he wasn’t present. He was like a body guard, always accompanying the doctor. In fact, he accompanied everyone except Lucy.

Not today. Was the doctor doing something he shouldn’t?

‘Why?’ Prisha whispered, catching on. ‘Why are they interested?’

‘Think about it. Higher testosterone. More physical power. What might that be useful for?’

Prisha felt her stomach sink. Of course. ’No wonder Alf despised us. I despise us.’

‘Don’t say that’

’Why not? It’s true, isn’t it? They don’t care so much about saving humanity. They care so much about saving their kind of humanity.’

’We’re not all like that. You’re not like that.’

Prisha folded her arms and looked away. ‘I can’t believe this. Why can’t Alf just come back and take me the hell away from here?’

’Because we need you. We need him. You’re our only hope,’ he said loudly, voice echoing around the room.

Prisha frowned. ‘What?’

‘All you need to do is cooperate and everything will be fine.’ He gave her a meaningful look. His eyes darted around the room. He leaned in close. ‘There might be something we can do to help you,’ he murmured. His eyes flicked to the ceiling. ‘We are being watched.’

‘Help me?’ she whispered.

He sat back in his chair. ‘I’m glad you agree. I’ll leave you your box. I trust you will only consume what you’re supposed to consume. Any more could hurt you.’

‘I understand.’

‘I’ll be back,’ he said quietly as he stood.

Prisha watched him leave. Once he was gone, she leaned back into her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

The back of her neck wouldn’t stop itching.