It took a moment for Carly to realise that the question was directed at her. She was lying on the ground. She felt groggy. As if she’d just been woken from a deep sleep. She shook her head to try and clear the fog a little. A squeaking sound filled her ears, startling her. She looked around and the same sound matched her movements. Finally she realised it was coming from something on her head. Something covering her head.
She reached up to touch it and was shocked to find she seemed to be wearing some kind of glove, that also squealed as it touched whatever was on her head. Looking down at herself she saw that she was covered head-to-toe in what seemed to be a black rubber or latex bodysuit. Its surface gleamed in the moonlight, as she stared at it. ‘What the hell?’ She thought. ‘How the hell did this get on me?’.
She started to get up, unsteadily, as the woman who had spoken to her reached to help.
“Maybe you should sit for a bit? Get your bearings. You took a bit of a knock there.”
“I…I did? What happened?”
“Well you ran right out in front of me, is what happened. You’re damn lucky I was going so slow - I was trying to find a parking space.”
“I did? I don’t remember that. I don’t remember how I got here.”
“You must have hit your head on the road. Here, sit on this bench and I will call you an ambulance. You could have a concussion.”
The woman led Carly to a wooden bench next to a bus stop and helped her sit down.
“Thank you,” she said, gratefully. “I’m just so confused right now.”
The woman looked at her kindly, her bright blue eyes filled with concern. She was old enough to be Carly’s mother. Carly suspected she was somebody’s mother. She had that air of matter-of-factness and compassion that mothers seem to have at the ready for just such an occasion, regardless of whether or not the young person involved was theirs.
“What’s your name, sweetie? I’m Susan.” she asked, as she rooted through her handbag for her phone.
“Carly. Carly Beauvais.” Carly replied, as she sat staring at her latex-covered body. She couldn’t understand where this outfit came from. She certainly didn’t own anything like it. Maybe it was a fancy dress costume, albeit an expensive-looking one.
As Susan spoke to an emergency operator, Carly tried to think of the last thing she remembered. She had met up with Miranda and Shay to go to a party at Tulisa’s house. She went to Shay’s for ‘pre’s and to finish getting ready. She’d been wearing her favourite dress - a brown, knee-length summer dress, with yellow flowers in a pattern over it. She’d put on her modest, one-inch heels - she was planning to do some dancing tonight (was it still tonight?).
She remembered being in Shay’s car - she was in front, Miranda in the back, and then…nothing. A gust of wind, ice cold, kissed her face, making her shiver. Wait - it was summer, and an especially warm one. It had been warm when they left Shay’s - so much so that Carly had left her shoulders bare. But right now it was cold. She looked at Susan and for the first time registered what the woman was wearing. Blue jeans, tucked in to lined, leather boots, a dark blue woollen overcoat, a grey scarf and a woollen hat that matched the scarf. She was dressed for autumn. But this was June, wasn’t it?
Carly put her head in her hands, wondering at just how snugly the latex seemed to fit to her head. She found the edge and pulled the hood down. Immediately she could feel the cold air against her scalp. She touched her head and screamed. Her hair was gone. Her head was completely bald. Her beautiful brown hair, all gone.
She was so shocked and upset that she didn’t hear the men approach. She was trying to stop from hyperventilating when she heard another scream and looked up to see a huge bear of a man standing holding Susan’s limp body in his arms. Before she could react, another man knelt in front of her. He had a cruel look on his face.
“You see how much trouble you’ve caused, 4826? Now this poor Good Samaritan will have to come back with us too. She is pretty, to be fair, even if she is a bit older than our usual targets. I’m sure we’ll find a use for her after she’s processed. Anyway, let’s get you back to factory, shall we. 4825 and 4827 will be missing you. You look frightened, but don’t worry. We’ll make sure you don’t remember any of this. Come on now.”
Carly looked at the man in horror, unable to process what was happening, what he was saying. Before she could say or do anything, the man pointed a strange-looking device at her and pressed a button. There was a burst of bright light, then everything went dark.
4826 stepped out of her charging booth and stood to attention. Her fellow units, 4825 and 4827 stood either side of her. A few minutes later one of the doctors entered, leading another latex-clad drone.
“Drones, meet your new roommate, 4828. I’m sure she’ll fit right in with you.” He said.
He led 4828 to her new charging booth and watched as she snapped to attention in front of it.
The man turned and walked out, leaving the drones to await their next instructions. 4828 stood silently next to the others, her bright blue eyes as empty and fixed as theirs.
