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Life was cheap. Jhenai considered the value of her own existence as the tiny light danced along the barcode on the back of her neck. It came with a tingle and a pit in her stomach.

After the sensation faded, she turned around and stared ahead. Her right eye met the light next, then her left. She needed a moment for her irises to refocus again.

"Bring the skirt higher," a voice said in her ear.

Her ample bosom was already threatening to fall out of this ancient skin-tight top. But when she failed to comply, the red light appeared in her line of vision once more.

Therefore, she swallowed down her reservation and hiked up the black skirt.

She supposed this was the value put on her life—the price of this outfit.

Behind her, the door to the cylinder slid open. That wasn't necessarily a means of escape.

"Prisoner one four six requesting reactivation," she begged.

A voice pounded in her right ear. "Twenty-four hours granted."

That gave her pause. She bit back a grunt and tried to engage the voice again. "Prisoner one four six requests clarification. I was permitted forty-eight hours previously."

"And previously, you failed."

Never mind the humiliating outfit or the awful and vivid color of the light blue top that would make her stand out like a very easy target, this time's allotment was cruel.

"Prisoner one four six requests a reevaluation. I was previously granted forty-eight hours. That is a set time."

Silence.

Once she exited, there would be no means of negotiation.

He was being stubborn. That gave her hope. "Hal, hon—"

"Your fixation with this corpse is strange. Referring to me as honey one more time will result in a harassment complaint, thus extending your sentence. You've been warned. Now get out."

Jhenai waited, scrambling for a counter argument.

Finally, she said, "If you were just a corpse, you wouldn't care how I refer to you."

When Hal didn't answer, she allowed herself a smile.

Her arm tingled and she examined her right wrist to see the numbers rise momentarily instead of drop as her sentence dwindled.

Six months. He'd added six months.

"That's petty." Twenty-four hours. She couldn't extend her arm far in the all-white cylinder but she managed to type on her right forearm, entering in the second countdown. "I accept the terms." She asked, "Who is my tether?"

"You get no tether."

Jhenai gasped.

Panic flooded her until Hal added, "But your husband is on the other side of this assignment."

The blue top ended above her navel, the skirt started below, both less than ideal for the tethering belt. Rather than dwell on the aesthetics, she did something ill-advised and brought the black tethering band around her left wrist.

"Leave the shoes," Hal informed her.

She'd figured as much.

Once she turned to face the open door, she asked, "Did you get my gift?"

Her arm tingled again and she looked down to see the number rise. Only a day.

The absurdity of it all made her scoff.

From the black band on her right wrist, she tugged a small dot which extended into a thin wire. It could tether to anything. Almost anything.

One step took her out of her cell and into a frigid morning. Immediately, she clutched the silver railing on the hallway wall. In her left hand, she slid the wire along the metal banister as she inched down the corridor. Several people in heavy boots and proper clothing stomped past her. One or two glanced her way. A tethered couple nearly paused before her until the man shook his head to his companion and they walked on.

Getting to the proper room took thirty minutes out of her precious twenty-four hours.

When she finally reached the hall to see the lone guard dressed in yellow, she let out a held breath.

"Nai!" Caleb rushed her, grabbing for the wire. "That prick. He did it on purpose. They said someone'd tether you."

Hal was playing tricks. Good.

Caleb shoved the wire into the belt around his waist. Jhenai stood to her full height. Their pace became a bit better.

"Take it easy," Caleb soothed. "In fact, let me carry you."

"No. That's too risky. Let's just get into the room."

Forty minutes. Wasted.

Once the main lab door closed, Jhenai let out a sigh.

The silver tethering wire snaked back to the black band affixed to her wrist.

"I'm telling you," Caleb complained, "it's not right. None of this is fair."

Jhenai held his face and he calmed. Getting him worked up wouldn't help anyone.

"How is our hero?" she asked.

The once busy reanimation lab now sported a skeleton crew. Other than the two of them, three doctors remained.

Now that she could walk freely, Jhenai rushed to the cryo-bed and peered down at the messy brown hair and pale face.

Caleb joined her, putting his left hand on the small of her back. "Though I can't complain about the outfit, kinda hard to ignore why you've got it on."

Jhenai reminded him, "Hal said it gave off the best results."

"Sure, he did." The stubble of his shallow beard brushed against her skin as he put his chin to rest on her shoulder. "I still can't believe...this is the guy."

This was the guy. The one responsible for their entire world. Their entire existence. As of now, the only person alive worth anything.

So when Caleb snapped his fingers and a blade slipped from his wrist, which he caught, Jhenai held his hand.

Caleb met her gaze then sighed. "I'm telling you, offing him and letting an Upper consume his brain for the knowledge is a better risk."

(Continue this excerpt of the first chapter in the book "Do No Harm [( ONC )]" ) Link in the comment →

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