Saif

Several weeks had passed since the accident with Amanda and the loss of Jacob’s right arm. Saif had considered providing Jacob with a set of cybernetics to replace the missing arm. But the tasks in Jacob’s loop would not necessarily need him to have two arms, so Saif decided against it. It would be a wasted effort. Additionally, the General had grown used to having only one usable arm. No, that’s not entirely true. Saif had injected the necessary thoughts into Jacob for the man to perceive it as that.

If Amanda decided to phase through the vines in her mind there was nothing stopping her. Saif needed a back up plan. He needed Amanda’s loyalty even without the controlling vines. A novel idea. To control her mind not with mental chains or the seeds’ vines, but instead be kind and comforting to her. Appeal to the sadness which lined every thought made by the woman. He would try that, but later, his agenda needed him elsewhere. Saif licked his lips, the sweet power came alive at his command and he dove into Jacob’s mind.

A new subject had manifested while Saif slept. A woman again. An interesting observation; women tended to have the necessary genes more often than men and their manifestations were less violent.

Before entering the manifestee’s cell, Saif exited Jacob and jumped into the woman’s mind. The seeds had rooted properly and the vines held steady. No signs of deteriorating behavior. He yanked down some of the more pivotal thoughts in her life and studied them. An abusive father. Kicked out of school. Raped. Abandoned by society and left to live on the streets. But then fished out by General Jacob and shoved into the facility. Saif swallowed. He had lived on the street before, too. Homeless and penniless. Either it hardened you or it broke you. Saif had not broken and neither had this woman. A need to control her surroundings lined these thoughts. She could not be controlled by him if he wanted her to thrive. Had their similar hardships produced similar emotions in their minds? He pulled out of her mind and dove back into Jacob’s. The door slid closed behind Jacob as they entered the new cell.

“Hi,” the teenage girl said. “How are you?”

Saif hesitated. The thoughts in her head had implied that she should have been a full grown adult. At least ten years his senior. What kind of power did she manifest? Her thoughts had not revealed it. Was her power mind control? She might have changed the perception of herself in his mind to appear younger. But there were no mental chains or vines constricting his mind.

Saif dove into the girl’s mind again.

He searched for more recent thoughts. From her manifestation and forward. He yanked a set of thoughts and studied them.

No. Saif sighed. He let himself relax. The girl had no such power. Her power healed tissue, it forced cells to regenerate. She had healed her age! She controlled life!

The girl noticed Jacob’s stump, her head tilted to the side. Saif felt Jacob’s hopefulness as the girl stepped forward with hands raised. Her fingers stroked the stump as if she were petting a kitten. A strange tickling sensation followed her touch, almost electrical.

The seal on the stump broke and curls of flesh stood up from the cracks. No pain. Jacob’s eyes widened when the slivers of flesh knitted together. The arm was growing back! Strings of nerves grew into place. The correct skeleton structures came back. Flesh and skin. Blood flowed in new veins. Small hairs on the shaping fingers. Knuckles and joints. The girl smiled at him.

“Test it,” the girl said just as the last finger’s nail regenerated.

Saif stared through Jacob’s eyes at the completed arm. Outstanding! The fingers moved as intended. It felt strong. She could heal herself and others, could she heal a broken spine?

“You have to come with me and heal my broken spine,” Saif said with Jacob’s voice.

The girl nodded.

With a strange giddiness Saif guided the girl using Jacob’s body back to him.

As Jacob entered Saif’s chamber Saif jumped back into his own mind. There was a sliver of hesitation in Jacob’s face as the General regained his body. Saif gestured to Jacob to exit, ordered him to return to his loop.

“My spinal cord is cracked in two places. I cannot walk anymore,” Saif said, rolling around on the large couch giving the girl access to his back. Did she need to touch the affected area or did any skin-to-skin contact suffice? No time to waste.

The girl said nothing, her hands stroked his back. Saif immediately recognized the gentle electrical sensation. He would walk again.

Before a full minute passed Saif felt something. A twitch down his legs. He pulled forth his legs and looked at his toes. He wiggled them!

The girl breathed in short and shallow breaths and sat down. He noticed, stood up and scooped her up in his arms. He hugged her and walked a full lap of the chamber.

“You are tired. I get it, no problem,” Saif said. “What is your name?”