She was the most beautiful gal I ever seen, even from behind the bandages. Hazel eyes, light blue tint skin, fiery orange hair tied into pony-tail. I must be in some kind of heaven. She was meticulous and gentle. She removed a small pouch from her messenger bag and drew out a long tube from it as drawing thread from a silk spool. She must been a professional seamstress or artisan. She inserted it through the bandages and said,"This patch will pump and recycle curing fluid to your skull. Do not touch it for 3 days so it can heal to your cranium profile."
"Okay Madam... No problem."
"It's Louise." She smiled and left. Now that was breath-taking. Then I saw my old friend Malcolm. It just keeps getting better and better.
"Say Malcolm. Are we in some kind of an after-life zone? I heard from various mythologies that describe it to be a place of bliss. I didn't know we actually got here."
"No. Mr Davis. Both of us are still very much alive. By now the effects of the cellular surge to your marrow will wear off."
He snapped his fingers to my ears. I was suddenly in the midst of smoke and broken metal. There was a row of wounded lined up beside me. A newscaster, a camera man and a security guard. There was also a stranger in pyjamas. All of us have head bandages with healing patches strapped to our bodies.
"Welcome back Mr Davis. We have heck lot of a mess to clean up."
The taxi was smoldering as a crane lifted it out from the cavity in the building. The cabby boy knelt on the street devastated, being comforted only by the indefatigable livewire, Miss Cordelia. I did not really feel sorry for him. There will be whole a slew legal issues to be ironed out once I am out of these bandages. All these things will only slow me down. There was a deep sinking feeling. About this city. Corderlia. Malcolm. The cabby boy. The CEO of the newsbuilding. The fallen tower. Something I dread dawned upon me. I must get out fast. And it's best if Malcolm was not looking.
"A penny for your thoughts old friend?"
I pretended I was in pain and directed my gaze elsewhere so he could not read my eye.
"Urrgg! Malcolm! Is there a professional institution here? I think I need better medical attention... My head... is spinning."
"Then you have already come to the right place. Vincent. Can you help me with this patient?"
"No problem." Another man walked over. He had light orange skin, dark blue pupils and a mixed locks of white and grey hair. He was in a medic jump-suit.
"Malcolm... Who's this guy? Is this a circus?"
"No. He's a first generation Serviant. Partly machine, but fully human and fully sane."
The stranger propped me up and brought out a pistol-syringe.
"Sorry Mister. There aren't treatment centres here. Only mobile hospitals. I will send you off to dreamland and run another scan of your skull." He pressed the non-intrusive syringe to my right arm and injected. I have never received a nano-inoculation before. But I know it can mess around with how you see things. I began to see my world in quadraple. And the image colour channel was tuned into red.
"I am still dreaming right Malcolm... the whole - bunch of you..." I faded out.
Malcolm turned his attention away from Laurent as Vincent placed him on a wheelchair and pushed him up into a large white truck parked nearby. He strolled towards a dazed Jerrod who was still looking at place where the tower was once perched.
"It's finally gone. My twenty years. They won't be coming back."
"Well. Don't give up hope just yet." He took the pen out of his pocket and handed it back to Jerrod.
"All dreams can come to an end. What matters is that you're safe and you can start writing a brand new story."
"Thank you Mr Eddings."
"Keep this well. Never lose it again."
"Can you help this boy too?" There was a girl behind Jerrod. She was in a tattered blue dress with scruffy hair. The cabby boy was behind her cowering and fearful.
"You are the Master Seer Mr Davis was talking about. He said you can build a city in hours. Can you fix his car?"
"Sure." He looked into her eyes and said, "You're Cordelia. Princess of Heraldsia. I heard of the place you came from."
"I know. But please help this boy. He hasn't been paid since we got here and he lost his car."
He came over and knelt beside the boy.
"What's your name young man?"
"Rollie. Rollie Hawkins." He retreated further behind Cordelia. "Are you still one of them, Sir? One of those from the Association?"
"No. They had robbed and taken everything from me. I see a lot clearer now and I don't throw in my lot with them. You're in good hands." He motioned to Louise who had just returned from tending the wounded.
"Louise. See to it that Rollie's car fixed and his company is notified of the damages."
"Alright Doctor." She was strucked by Cordelia's appearance and stopped. "Why are you dressed like this?"
"My client said I couldn't buy essentials till we made our first dollars."
"He is a buffoon. Come with me. I will get you cleaned up and looking as good you should."
Cordelia turned to follow after Louise but an alarming revelation shot through her mind. And she spun and broke out.
"Mr Eddings. If you've lost your powers. Who can help fix my country?!"
"I must say I can't, your majesty. But your client can."
