Evolve

It was still alien, this feeling. He moved his arms around, turning them from side to side, looked at his hands, flawless, seamless. He smelled so human, the sweat, the emotions, he could hear his heart thumping in his chest, he could hear the mice scurrying about the apartment, the birds chirping outside. Beams of light illuminating dust as they made lines on the floor. The air tasted metallic, rough and sharp, and of dust. This feeling was so strange. He could never have expected that he would see this clearly in his lifetime. He moved one leg, and then the other, marvelling at the beauty of life, and of creation.

Outside, he could hear cars honking, could smell the diesel from the petrol station nearby wafting into the air. His hair flew around, as a gust of wind came in, caused a small storm of dust. He could see each particle as it flew around.

The medics had dropped him off at his old apartment after his surgery. By the time he got here, people had already stripped it bare. He wasn’t angry. This place was like that. He would have done the same. You assume someone will die, you empty their house. People had problems enough without having to buy new things. The violence, the turf wars, the shooting, the guns, everything. People had probably assumed that he would not make it. Heck, he hadn’t assumed he would. For a moment, he thought he saw the-, ugh, no. He wouldn’t think about it. He had come back, it was a miracle, and this was his chance to build his life anew.

Rebuild he would.

He had his health, and that was all he needed. This time, he would do it all right. An itch on his back. He made to scratch it, and rubbed against something hard. This was probably where they had stitched him up. He guessed, the medics who dropped him off didn’t say much, they were Eastern European, and looked very intimidating. Their clothes looked uncomfortable and comically tight on them.

What to do first? A nice wash and shave, and then he would find food and cook. He wondered if his cards still worked. He needed to check his mai- a screeching paralyzed him. Loud, insistent, urgent. It rang through his ears, vibrated through his body, calling him to attention. He was on his knees, hands on his ears. The wooden floor, the light beams, something stood in their way, more pressing, more urgent. A shadow.

WELCOME HOME. ALL SYSTEMS ARE WORKING, THAT IS GOOD.

Who are you? What.. What is going on?

I AM THE ONE WHO SAVED YOU, GAVE YOU LIFE. THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?

Yes, i think… so. What do you mean?

THINK. WHY ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE THIS.

The realization hit him hard.

What have you done to me? What? Why?

He fell to the floor with a metallic thud, whimpering, crying.

I HAVE MERELY TURNED YOU INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF HUMANITY’S EVOLUTION. YOU ARE THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL TEST.

Why?

REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED YOU WHAT YOU WOULD GIVE TO LIVE?

And he had said everything, and everything had been taken from him.