Free Numb by Viola Grace Page B

decontamination and then walked up the steps to the top of the tank. The ports went in, the jacks were plugged to nutrients and she was lowered into the liquid for her trip to Rekfa.
    It certainly beat every time she had caught her thumb in a seatbelt. Joints that had been dislocated as many times as hers did not hold. This was a longshot, but it was a chance at a future that might hurt, but she could feel it.
    She was tired of being numb all day, every day.
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    Being decanted was peculiar. The oxygenated fluid in her lungs came out in a rush, followed by a wave of coughing that lacked dignity but got her breathing again.
    The medical station at the Rekfa spaceport was fairly busy, but a wide berth had been made for her tank to be escorted into the private operating theatre for her decanting.
    Two doctors watched from a distance, but it was the young man at her side stroking her back and helping her calm down to breathe easily.
    “Come on, Gala. You can do it.” He ran his hand over her wet spine over and over until the coughing eased. She could hear the slide of his hand on her skin and the sound was reminiscent of sex.
    She finally raised her head and stared at him. “Hiya.”
    The man smiled. “I am Rekfa. You are here to replace this body.”
    “That was blunt. What is wrong with that one?”
    His lips quirked, and there was a sad expression on his features. “Jurad passed into the next world a few centuries ago. He was dying when I took him, and I gave him hundreds of years until he was ready to pass into the next world. You are not dying, so I expect your will to live is stronger.”
    She sat up slowly, monitoring where her limbs were. “Is it painful?”
    “No. I have heard it is pleasant and the feeling of freedom is tremendous. We can fly, call the winds, do whatever you want to do.”
    “Can I feel?”
    “It will be the first thing that we do, but I need to bring you to my home where the transfer can be engaged in with no damage to the surrounding area.”
    “Will it be dangerous?” She reached for the railing, but he helped her to her feet.
    “No, but there will be a lot of power coming out of me and entering you. It will have the effect of sunrise and sunset at the same time.”
    She cocked her head. “Fine with me. That is what I am here for.”
    Rekfa looked her over, and she knew what he saw. A lifetime of checking for injuries had turned up more than one. She was dotted with scars, her joints were swollen and burn marks dotted her arms and legs. She was a mess. She didn’t want to be beautiful; she just wanted to be normal.
    Letting the mind of a world use her body was a price she was more than willing to pay.
    “When do we leave?”
    “As soon as you are dressed. Wait here a moment.”
    Rekfa flipped and landed next to the tank, grabbed a few articles, and then, he flew back to stand at her side. “I have brought clothing for you.”
    She looked at his loose-wrapped tunic, trousers and boots. “Like that?”
    “Something a little more comfortable for you.”
    She laughed. “Comfort is not an issue.”
    He blinked and smiled. “Of course. Allow me to help you get dressed.”
    The wrapped garment was a dress, and he settled it on her carefully. She was still damp, so it clung to her. Rekfa smoothed it out and moved behind her to put the belt on her. She felt pressure, but when she turned her head, he was simply standing next to her.
    “May I carry you?”
    Gala nodded, and she was swept off her feet. She tucked her arms in as Rekfa flew them down to the floor of the theatre, and from there, he walked down the halls of the medical centre until they were in the outside air. To her surprise, he lifted off the ground, and they flew in a whirlwind through the sky of his planet.
    She looked around and saw an alien world. It was the stuff of dreams, the views and vistas that humans back on Terra could only imagine.
    The stone building reminded her of ancient temples that she