RE: https://aus.social/@rdm/110755143970645568

Leaving the burning laboratory and the charred remains of the madman who had re-created her, Mara staggered outside, finding herself in a light industrial park, surrounded by small factory units.

She could hear sirens in the distance. Thinking about it, she could feel the fire alarms going off. Silencing them would do nothing.

Suddenly she dropped to her knees. The energy she had expended had been immense, and her new body was running out of power.

Running feet.

She looked up, and saw two men and a woman in overalls running towards her. What would happen if they touched her? Would the nanobots that now made up her body infect them? Would she release another burst of plasma and set them on fire, too? She groped around in her body and found she still had vocal cords. That's right. She had been screaming before.

"Stay back! I'm not safe!" she called out.

The men stopped. The woman slowed, but still came closer, stopping just out of reach.

"Are you alright?" she asked crouching down, "Are you hurt? I'm Priya. Can I help you?"
"I ... I am tired. Running down. I need" and everything went black for Mara.

Mara's eyes snapped open. She could barely move, but she was conscious again. Looking around, she was now in a workshop, the top of the running gear she had been wearing when she was abducted had been cut away, and there was a pair of adhesive pads stuck to her. The woman, Priya, was staring at her.

"You are still you?" Mara managed to whisper after a few moments. "Nothing tried to cross over?"
Priya stared a few moments longer and then shook herself. "No, I'm fine. But you were dead. And the defib is just, well, flat."
"Good. I need more. More electricity" she could just move an arm, and pointed to an arc welder "There. That."
"The arc welder? But..."
"You want to help? I need electricity." Mara paused, then added "Please. Before I pass out again."

After a couple of seconds, Priya got up, and wheeled the unit over. It had still been plugged in, but turned off.
"Turn it on," Mara demanded.
Priya threw the master switch, and, before she could react, the recently dead woman grabbed the tip. Involuntarily her eyes went to the gauges, and saw them redlining.

Mara sat up still holding the welder. "Oh, that is so much better. Hi. I'm Mara. Or I was Mara? I think I'm still Mara. If I think I'm me, that means I am me right?"

#SF #SFF #SciFi #microfic #microfiction #tootfic

A sequel to https://aus.social/users/rdm/statuses/110755143970645568