Artificial Heart
1

‘Nice and cool here,’ Prisha said, turning her head so the breeze could whisk away the sweat from the back of her neck.

She closed her eyes. The sun had almost completely set. They’d already set up their little tent and sleeping bags. Now, there was nothing to do but enjoy the sounds of solitude and nature and the feelings of a day well spent.

After such a hot, difficult hike the cool was unexpected and much appreciated. Prisha had been worried her sister would complain but she’d gotten through it rather well. Surprisingly well. Guess they weren’t too “old” after all. Her sister seemed pleased.

‘Pity about the mozzies.’ Renee slapped her arm.

Prisha leaned over and searched through her backpack. She pulled out a can of insect repellant and threw it over. It flew right over Renee’s shoulder and disappeared into the bushes.

‘Nay!’ Prisha exclaimed.

‘What did you expect? Go on! Go get it then.’ Laughing, Renee pulled out her hair tie and shook out her sweaty blonde hair.

Prisha got to her feet with a sigh and retrieved her headlamp from inside the tent.

‘You look like an idiot,’ Renee said, grinning, as Prisha strapped it on.

‘Still better than you,’ Prisha grinned back.

‘Wait, before you go …’ Renee handed over her empty drink bottle. ‘Thanks, Sis.’

Grumbling and smiling, Prisha went and searched for the can. She found it and chucked it back into camp.

‘Thanks a bunch!’ her sister cried.

Taking Renee’s drink bottle, she climbed down the slope towards the nearby creek. Steep and unpredictable, she used her hands and backside, her headlamp flashing into the trees.

The water rushed icily over the rocks, bubbling and splashing. Prisha cupped some and drank. She wiped down her face and the back of her neck. The water gurgled into the bottle and Prisha clamped it shut. She paused to listen to the crickets and the frogs; the rustling of the bats.

It was beautiful out here. She was so glad she was able to convince her sister to come. They hadn’t been alone together in a long time. If her sister liked tonight, Prisha hoped it would be the first of many times. Now that the last of Renee’s children had moved out, she could no longer make excuses she had no time.

Prisha’s headlamp flashed against the water as she stood to leave. It was almost completely dark now, and it was Prisha’s favourite time of day. The hike was great, but she always preferred the camping better. She stretched her back with a sigh, then turned her head at a sudden flash of light.

Prisha stared through the trees, eyes narrowed against the darkness. Nothing. She must have mistaken it for her own headlight. She wiped her wet hands down the sides of her pants and took her first step back to camp. Another flash of light. Red light.

She jumped and whipped around. ‘Shit!’

Was there somebody else out here? Her heart raced. She thumped her chest as it started palpitating. She saw nothing. She tried to listen but it was hard to hear much through the loud croaking of the frogs. The twilight turned black.

Prisha stood frozen, trying to keep control of her breathing. Shaking her head, she turned back towards camp, only to turn again at another flash of red light.

‘Who’s there?’ she called.

The light came again—and this time it stayed. Prisha held her breath.

‘Prish, are you all right?’ came Renee’s worried voice.

‘I’m-I’m all right,’ she called back. The red light didn’t waver. ‘I think there’s someone down here.’

‘What?’

‘There’s someone down here!’

She looked over her shoulder as her sister awkwardly climbed her way after her. She was wearing her own headlamp. Prisha turned away as it flashed in her eyes.

Renee took Prisha’s wrist, staring through the trees at the red light. It turned her sister’s skin grey and sickly, her usually calm blue eyes feverish. ‘What’s that?’

‘I don’t know. Who’s there?!’ Prisha called.

Renee’s grip tightened. ‘Don’t do that! It could be dangerous. We should go back!’

’Go back where? To our stronghold? Our tent’s not going to protect us, Nay.’

‘You think we need protecting?’

‘No. It’s probably just another camp. What else could it be?’ Her heart skipped several beats. She thumped her chest again.

‘I don’t know but I could imagine. I’ve seen horror movies. Come on, let’s go.’

‘I want to see.’

‘No, Prish! Let’s go!’ she hissed.

‘Go back to the tent. I’ll meet you there.’

Renee’s grip started to relax, then it tightened. ’No. I’ll come with you. You’re my little sister. I protect you.’

They tried to look into each other’s eyes but winced and turned away.

‘Turn your lamp off,’ Prisha said. ‘We don’t need it.’

The white light vanished. The red was brighter. Quietly, they moved ahead, the constant croaking concealing their footsteps. The ground was flat now, though rocky. After a short while, they stopped. Crouching together, they peered through the trees.

‘This can’t be real,’ Renee hissed. ‘This has to be a joke.’

Prisha stared, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to answer. Her skin prickled as goose bumps erupted all over her body. The air stood up all down her arms. The breeze turned from cool to cold.

‘What is it? Prisha? What is it?!’

Prisha’s throat was dry as she swallowed. ‘It’s a spaceship.’

‘No it’s not.’ Renee gave a nervous laugh.

Classic. Undeniable. Could it be a joke? Prisha doubted it. Secret human technology? Possible. Alien? Jesus Christ. Her heart was slamming in her chest as all her most terrifying, dramatic and astonishing fantasies exploded into life all at once.

She suddenly felt young again. Ten years old and reading her first Science Fiction novel. It felt like that. The iconic flying saucer, just boldly sitting right in the middle of the bush, in a little clearing in the middle of nowhere. A rainbow of dim lights gently circled around its circumference. The red light was beaming from somewhere high up. Its purpose—Prisha didn’t attempt to fathom.

All of that, however, was hardly the most heart pounding thing—below the red light was a ramp. Expectant. Tempting. Perilous.

‘It’s like they’re waiting for us,’ Prisha whispered.

‘We have to get out of here,’ her sister hissed in her ear.

Her cold hand was like a vice around Prisha’s wrist. Prisha felt herself being dragged away.

‘No.’ She pulled back. ’No. I want to stay. I want to see.’

‘Are you fucking crazy?’

’Are you? How likely is this?! How many people get this opportunity? We have to stay!’

’No, Prish! You have to come.’

Her sister tried to keep pulling her away. Prisha yanked out of her grip, stumbling backwards. ‘No, Nay! No! There is no way I’m going to miss this.’ She turned back to the red light.

‘Prish …’

’You have the car. If something happens to me, go home. Leave me behind. It’s my choice.’

‘You can’t be fucking serious!’ she hissed.

Prisha didn’t answer as she crouched down between the trees, eyes ahead, ears behind. Her sister didn’t move for several long moments. Then with a hiccough, she turned and hurried away.

The “saucer”, if that was what it was, was much smaller than what she envisioned in her fantasies or saw on T.V. Almost like a flying pod. Her legs buckled and she fell to her knees as she watched. Hoping for something. Anything. She should have told Renee to bring a phone back so she could record it.

As though she would come back. Prisha couldn’t blame her. It was a stupid thing to do. But an exciting one. An astonishing one. One which she knew she would regret not doing for the rest of her life.

The circling lights were making her dizzy. The red light was making her sick. The ramp remained lowered. Slowly, she stood. She checked over her shoulder to make sure Renee was completely gone. It felt surreal as she stepped through the trees and into the clearing. This couldn’t be real. She hardly felt her own footsteps. This couldn’t be her actual heart beating in her throat. The cool air seemed to claw at her lungs. Her legs felt stiff, like she was walking on tree stumps. Her breaths were panting.

She’d never felt more alive.

She could feel a gentle vibration beating through the soles of her shoes. It turned her fingers and toes tingly. It was accompanied by a deep mechanical hum that made her ears ring.

Standing at the bottom of the ramp, Prisha looked up into darkness. The cool air was scratching at her throat now. Her heart pounded in her ears, fluttering annoyingly as she steadily climbed the ramp. Stopping halfway, she peered into the darkness again. She could see faint light but nothing more. One last time, Prisha glanced over her shoulder. One last chance to turn back.

Would she ever see her sister again?

She wiped her mouth with a trembling hand. Her feet were like lead. She couldn’t seem to move. Then the ramp shifted. It was raising! Jerking to life, she hurried inside. She glimpsed the bush one last time before the ramp closed shut.

Her eyes swivelled in the gloom. The light was coming from numerous buttons located all over the inside of the ship. They were blinking, flashing, whirling or simply glowing. There was a window spanning almost half of the ship, looking over the bush. There was a seat. There was a console. But nobody was at the controls. Controls. Controls to an actual ship! The humming turned to growling. The ship juddered. Prisha lurched.

Earth was shifting. It was leaving!

Prisha turned and raced towards the closed up ramp. Pointlessly, she pushed and shoved against it. She used her shoulder and all her bodyweight; she slammed her fists but all she did was hurt herself. Gripping her throbbing hand, she whirled back towards the window. The bush was already gone. Now there was the only the night sky …

And beyond.

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