“Mission control, this is research bay, module 3, Marshall Boons reporting for my health interview.”

“Good morning Marshall, I am Doctor Rosalyn and I will be doing your examination today. How have you been feeling lately?”

“I’ve been well! Awfully broad for a medical interview though. I don’t mean to cut pleasantries, but the new engineer up here has been fidgety and unconfident. It was my turn to watch him so we should be quick.”

The doctor on the screen frowned. 

“All right, I was wanting to be polite. Have you been keeping up with your exercise regiment? Send the log for review.”

Boons was all too compliant, he needed to make sure the engineer didn’t screw with his lab. He only had to fix the lock in the lab; he had to be capable of at least that, right? Boons was occupied with his anxieties and unfocused on the camera. He was not planning to take a lot of time with her.

“Alright, now have you experienced any joint pain or difficulty moving in your workplace?...”

She strung him along the usual health questions and he glided through the process. Then an odd question came in.

“How about your research? Anything interesting come up?”

The question surprised Boons. He was not supposed to reveal much of anything to anyone not involved. The doctor’s generally never asked him about it either, considering they probably weren’t allowed to. He warily asked if she was also on the research team.

Rosalyn was astounded. She had to be a better leader than this; Boons was her top researcher and yet he had no idea who she was.

“Oh. I’m the woman who is paying for your lab.”

Boons immediately reconciled; an unfortunate ignorance on his part. If he had put the slightest effort to pay attention to her he would have remembered.

“Miss Greze?”

“That’s me. Now I need to know if there have been any changes.”

“Of course, Ma’am!” 

His Texan always came out when he tried to be formal. It seemed to put everyone in a better mood.

He sent her the report log and his research notes. Except, he had one thing that he wanted to tell her in person. 

“Ma’am, there is something odd about the colonies happening up here that doesn’t happen at home.” He started.

“You’ve piqued my interest, go on.”

“Well…” he stressed the pause, for he knew this would be an unprecedented discovery for the entire company and maybe even the world, ”I noticed that when I put them into the suction and mixing chamber, they-“

A rumble throughout the ship and a sharp electrical popping sound cut him off. 

“I have to go! The engineer blew something up. No, don't! Seal-“

Boons' voice faded off as he left the audio range, leaving Rosalyn utterly stunned. He not only withheld his research, but he had the audacity to try to tell her in person so he could keep it to himself. This was entirely not protocol. She was not going to be able to talk with him for another six months; it was now a priority to get to him before he did something more serious. 

“What’s this?” she stated after looking at the logs. The colony names were deleted. She quickly tried to open up the original research log files from when they launched. She opened it just in time to see the inputs “H1” become deleted. They had no paper logs. None. The new governmental funds wanted it digital. Boons was probably planning to keep the research himself or worse, sell it to the military. This mission could turn disastrous very quickly.

---

Annie woke up to darkness. Not her usual nothingness, but darkness. She didn't notice. She tried to sit up but her head was pounding. It felt like the back of her head opened up, like a nose spray that had dripped down her throat. She could feel her eyes twitching. 

Hallo princess

She shrieked, making the pounding in her head grow and the voice roll out a smooth “shh”.

Dontchu wurry lass, I mean ya nu ‘arm. Yur mummy spoke luk this, aye?

She began to shake and quiver as the voice kept imitating her mother’s Irish. Eventually, the voice relented its attempts to soothe her like that.

I’m sorry, I don’t mean to scare you. I thought it would have been easier to introduce myself if I imitated your mother. I sound like you, don’t worry.

She hid under her blankets and waited for her roommate to come in. 

I don’t know what has happened to you or me, but I am currently inhabiting your visual tracts, occipital lobe, and eyes. I have not taken anything though, more like improved them. I don’t know why I did that either, but I think it was part of my ‘birth’. I have gone through your memories as well, not of my own accord though, so I’m sorry for the invasion of your privacy.

She stood silent, shaking in the dark of her covers. She was sweaty. Where was her roommate? Oh! She was on a plane back from visiting family in Ohio! 

You chose a bad time to be gone, Jordan.

Why is that?

Annie screamed bloody murder this time. Hopping out of bed and running into the brightly colored room of her apartment, she hid behind the couch.

Your adrenaline is high, what are you running from?

“You!” she rang out in a hoarse voice, starting a stabbing cough. Then she noticed something. Everything looked weird. That was the strange thing; it LOOKED weird. She didn’t know how to describe it! A sense of euphoria rushed over her as she tried to yell, ”I can see!!!!”. She was thrown into another coughing fit as the mental voice began again. 

I wouldn’t know. You should drink some water, you’re dangerously dehydrated. 

She stared blankly, peeping over the couch and blinking to test out her eyes. Maybe they could focus, she heard eyes did that when there was a difference in lighting. She had no idea what that meant.

“Who’s there?” she hoarsely asked the space where she remembered her room to be. 

I’m confused, why are you asking that?

“Stop playing around and show yourself!”

Do you mean me?

At this point, she realized that the voice was like her inner voice, her thoughts. Maybe she was dreaming and imagining the voice, sights, and thirst. She pinched herself.

OW! Why did you do that? You didn’t seem to be the masochistic type earlier. 

Maybe it wasn’t a dream. Everything looked really loud. Intense maybe, and what she thought would be described as colorful. Her newfound eyes were struggling to focus on everything around her. As they over and under adjusted, her headache was getting worse.

What is going on?

I told you. I’m inhabiting your brain. I don’t know how I got here or even what I am, so I can’t help you there. 

How are you hearing my thoughts?

Like I said, I don’t know. I just know that I am. I am living through you, sensing and touching. I can’t see myself right now, but I can detect what is going on inside you and what you see, touch, and hear. For now, at least. As I’ve been growing, those senses have come to me and been getting almost as clear as you feel now.

I don’t understand anything you just said. Annie thought plainly.

I’m not sure I do either. I only know what happened. I gained control of myself when I figured out how to speak. You are a heavy sleeper; did you know that? The voice questioned.

That’s a perk about being blind, rather that was a perk. I didn’t have working anything in my eyes so I relied on my body’s crappy Circadian rhythms and other people to wake me up. I’m Annie by the way. 

Nice to meet you Annie. I don’t have a name; I just know that I am. You need water desperately.

You’re right! I know where the kitchen is. I can finally see it!

She turned to where she remembered the kitchen was and took in the sight of all the reflections (at least that’s what she guessed they were) of light off the metal. It was odd, the lights weren’t even on. Reflections needed to have lights, right? Maybe the sunrise was good enough to put a good glint onto everything. She looked around the cupboards and filled a glass with water. That was definitely not enough. She kept drinking until she had filled herself with water. She found her roommate's hotdogs and stuffed one in the toaster oven, following her touch memory and guiding her eyes to all the newfound places. It wasn't easy to do, she was very uncoordinated and her headache sometimes made her close her eyes. It wasn't too different like that.

As her food cooked, she made small talk with the voice, getting to know its personality and mannerisms. It was a lot like her, but more polite. She started to think about what to do with her new eyes.

I can’t wait to start seeing the world and going out to see my friends faces as I tell them I can finally see!

You sure like to use the word see. All that sounds wonderful, I hope you don’t mind me tagging along.

“Absolutely! You gave me something I have never had; you can come wherever you would like with me. Though, I don’t think you have too much of a choice…” she said excitedly.

Yeah… But I feel content with my existence. Your hotdog is burning by the way.

“Oh crap!”

She pulled out the hot dog, burning her hands a little, and put it in a bun. She savored the flavor; it tasted so much better than she remembered, even if it was burnt. She guessed it was because she made it herself. Soon after, she went to the bathroom to shower. She saw herself in the mirror and stopped in awe.

What are you doing?

“I’m seeing what I look like; I have never seen my own face. Or the color of my hair. I’m always told I’m ginger with pretty freckles, but I have never seen it myself.”

To her dismay, she was dressed in a dusty looking one-piece nightgown as her curly red hair was strung out wildly. She attempted to brush through it, but the occasional pain provoked a protest from the voice in her head. She looked at her eyes. The edges were a brilliant color. It seemed more like a colorless color. White! That was it! The ring of color stood out even more. She was told the rings were a blue tint behind an always cloudy film. They seemed blue to her, but not at all a dull or quiet blue. It was bright and lively, with a color that looked like a brighter version of her hair, filling the center of her eye. She remembered it being called the pupil.