Manchineel - OBE

That evening, when I enter my room, Dr Cho is already there. She jumps slightly as she turns and sees me.

“I’ve just bought you some fresh water.” She pours a glass, then places the carafe by the bed. She covers her initial shock well, but I’m left with a niggling feeling like I’m 15 and she’s been reading my diary.

“You look tired. I’ll give you some space.” I nod and smile. She leaves, closing the door behind her.

As I sit on the bed, I let out a sigh and begin to remove my prosthetic. It’s been an eventful day. I touch the fingerprint release pad, but nothing happens. When I try to tug it, I realize that my prosthetic has fused itself to my stump, causing excruciating pain when I pull. I give it a last tug but accidentally knock the carafe of water onto the floor. Amazingly, it doesn’t smash, so I grab a towel and quickly sop up the water. Luckily, the glass beside it survived my clumsiness. After glugging the contents, I settle down to sleep.

Collapsing on the bed as the exhaustion overwhelms me, I’m asleep in seconds.

As I enter a dream like state a strange vibration takes control of my body, like humming, but not my physical body. Something inside, like my essence, is trying to break free. I go to sit upright and look around. Not all of me has done so. My physical body is still fast asleep on the bed. The other 'me' floats towards the ceiling. When I looked down, I see my sleeping body on top of the bed.

Am I dead? Shit, no, I don’t want to be dead! What about Laura? The thought sends me into a panic.

But I look back and see a silver cords attached to my body the other end attached to the wall of the house, like shining umbilical cord. It’s somehow reassuring to see it there and the panic eases.

I’m being pulled towards the window like there’s a giant hoover outside. I can feel the force of the wind on my skin, drawing me away from my body. As I drift out through the window and over to the Cherry tree in the garden, I notice its gentle cascading blossom and float down so Im standing at it's base.

The tree begins to turn on its side along with the horizon. I turn with it. When I’m level with the ground I don’t stop but travel through the ground, through red regolith and debris. Almost immediately, I’m floating fast through twisting tunnels. Soft luminescent colours swirl around me. There are smaller tunnels leading from the larger main one. I’m being sucked forward at an incredible speed through what I can only describe as a mycelium network. I surface in a scene the opposite of where I was. It’s dark but with an eeri orange glow. In front of me I see the tree I saw in the video footage. Knurled and twisted, its branches more like roots than twigs. If I had traveled here with my physical body the Martian atmosphere would have killed me instantly but it doesn't affect the form I'm in.

Instead of blossom this tree bares fruit. Tiny red apples in-between sparse jagged leaves. A wet, sticky substance drips from its twigs. Around its base lie twisted parts of a transporter vehicle identical to the one I travelled to the dome in. The twisted decaying bodies of a work crew, wearing the same blue overalls I was issued on arrival, lie among the debris.

Something catches my eye as it move in the branches. It’s dashes along a branch then stops to look back over it's shoulder, it's a lizard of sorts. It looks directly at me. I notice a mark in the middle of it's forehead. To my horror, the mark between its eyes parts to reveal a third eye. I scream and tug frantically at the silver cord behind me.

*

I awake to Dr Chow’s looming face. She looks as shocked as I am.

“What are you doing?” I yell at her. While scrambling out of the twisted duvet covers, instinctively covering my leg.

“I was checking you’re ok?” she replies, taking a step back.

“I was asleep! Why wouldn’t I be ok?” I ask angrily. Her eyes flick to the empty carafe on the side table as she changes the subject.

“I heard you lost a rover down crater 212 yesterday.” She states casually.

I look at her, confused. News travels quickly on Mars, it seems.

She glances down at her hands.

“That’s where the last Earth crew they sent here ended up.”

“What?” I ask confused.

She saunters slowly towards the door.

“It was a tragic accident. I’ve probably said too much.”

She picks up the pitcher and leaves.

My blood runs cold, the dreams, the nausea, the headaches. It’s all making sense. She’s been spiking the water!

Dr Cho must have thought I’d drunk the whole carafe I spilt last night. My heart sinks as I realise, she’s checking on me because she wasn’t expecting me to wake up yet - or if at all.

I swing my legs out of bed and go to stand. I look down and notice a spongy flesh coloured substance growing from my stump over the prosthetic. I touch it and immediately feel a tingling sensation. On closer examination, I recognise the texture. It’s fungal but it’s very close to the texture of skin. My mind flicks back to the introduction demo. Maybe it’s not just the houses that repair themselves around here?

I don’t have time to figure it out. I’ve overslept and I have to submit a full report on the missing rover. Dressing quickly I head to the cargo bay.