Zaphod - Part One

My trips to the mainland had been twice now in the space of a week, the first time was mere exploration. The second time I ended up in some desolate city more run down than Toxia, the buildings were in ruins the stone artichecture crumbling. Place was deserted so I thought anyway, turns out it wasn't the case at all. I was dumpster diving for something to eat, unaware that someone had snuck up behind me. When the first voltage hit me it made my spinal injecters unload the nanites in to me, a second charge then a third til I was on my knees while my circurity overloaded. Whole thing fried to a cinder all the fucking wires, the world goes black the last thing I see is a masked face. Before I pass out completely I feel myself being carried, then I forgot everything else as I succumbed to the forced sleep.

I awoke to find myself chained to some table my legs, left wrist and hand had been removed, the chains attaching around the stumps that were left and around my right wrist. I actually have a metal cap with clasps on each leg stump, it makes it easier to attach the legs and keeps them in place. Briefly I struggled while lamenting the once again familar situation, a hand was pushed on to my chest right over the heart cavity.

"Steady now", gruff male voice hinted with a weary note. "Don't want ya hurting yourself". He left so I turned my head to see where he had gone, the male was board covered in scars a wound that was recent still healing slashed over his back. He had fually cybernectic legs and arms, an eye visor I recognised as something my own wife wore. Whoever he was he seemed old grey of hair, even his shorts or what was left of pants torn and tattered. Yet he moved with the fluidity of youth possibly spurred on by his own nanites, I saw my hand limp in his own then he began to work on it.

"What are you doing"? I asked.

"Fixing this ere circuitry, idiot melted it all together. We'll get it running again, don't ya worry now lass".

I sighed as he was more than likely going to put something fucked up in the subroutines of it, but at least the Hive protected us from that back at Toxia. Without here though..... "Hive won't let you mess up my head".

He grunted refusing to answer.

"Who are you though stranger"? This one was female I recognise her voice, I remember her its her fault I ended up like this freak of nature. I lifted my head and that confirmed it, Zaphod that red headed woman was leaning against a doorframe. Her mask as usual on her face possibly with that cocky grin of hers, I glared at her before letting my head back down. "Blueray, I'm the leader of the continuum. You left me in charge".

A sharp gasp, "Lads let her go she's safe, she aint working for them I know her". After I was sitting on the table edge rubbing at my left arm stump and my leg stumps dangling, she came up to me to look me over see if I wasn't damaged. "You changed a lot since I saw you last, they'll fix your shit up without messing it. How is everything, hows the Hive"?

"Fine and the Hive is fine too", I said back to her. Course she would be worried about the Hive she made it, its like her baby and it acts like one treating her like its mother. Now that I could see around the room it was less a room and more like a caved out dirt hole, a few work benches with parts on them the table I sat on and one barely working med tank. Wow what a fucking dump. It felt croweded with three people in here, I bet it was cramped if there was more in here. Sardines in a tin.... "Where am I"?

Zaphod moved to the guy who was working on my limbs, he started re-attaching them soon as he was done with them. I was grateful for them to be back, I flexed my left hand and kicked my legs. All in working order and better than before.

"You're in my birthplace well not this hovel but the ruins above, my people are here they needed me back". She seemed to twitch, "I lied when I said I lost my arm on the boat, it was actually chewed off by one of the monsters here".

I quirked an eyebrow at her, "That would explain why the Toxia monsters never scared you".

"Heh yeah. Milertary here were playing God, mixing human DNA with that of snakes, lizards and tortoises. They succedded but the creations mutated beyond their control, they escaped the lab they were born in decimating the army and the city's people. They tore down most of the city defence, whatever people they didn't manage to kill they left to die on the streets". She looks at me as if asking me to call her a liar, I refused to say anything so she continued, "Those of us who were already experimenting with technologly in humans became as you see us now, we used the same knowledge to help the dieing to live and they joined with us. We figured the monsters would just escape to the wild and not come back, we were wrong the snakes had far more intelligence than their fellow comrades. They began to breed to gain in numbers, then they attacked us and we been fighting them ever since".

Silence fell then I took a deep breath about to say something after all, when some kid dashes in and blurts that the monsters were on their way.

"Distance"? Zap asked barking her question.

"Be here by sun up tomorrow Ma'am", he was out of breath so it stuttered a bit.

"Well then Blueray, looks like you can help us out while you're here".

Great I thoguht just what I needed, a bloody god damn battle that isn't my own to fight in.

Lulz of the day:

Blueray Darkes: I think the cat just farted.