The Artificial Deer

Zephyr awoke, her body feeling strange. Her vision wasn't so great, she felt like she was drowning...

Her eyes opened up a little more, and she realized that she really was in water! Cables and other mechanical parts were connected to her body, which floated within a tube filled with water. Her face was covered with a breathing apparatus, which kept her alive in stasis.

She tried to move her legs, and she strangely could feel them there, but...

Zephyr looked down at her body - her front two legs were missing!

She panicked at once, she wanted out of the chamber, she wanted to see what had become of her body.

And then...a small needle stuck into her neck from a little machine within the tube, and she was sedated. Her eyes closed, and all she could think about was her family...and if she'd ever see them again...

When Zephyr awoke, she was no longer in the tube, but on an operating table. Her body was mostly covered with a cloth, and her eyes were blinded by several lights that shone down on her. There were several humans around her - some stroking her back and forehead, others tinkering with strange metal appendages that had been attached to her. She didn't understand what was going on, and little by little her vision and hearing came back. She didn't struggle, she just lay there and waited to see what would happen next.

"It's ready to go.", one of the humans said. The others uncovered Zephyr, helping her to her feet. She was still drowsy from the sedative, but she managed to stand on her hind legs coming off of the table. Then they helped her move her new front limbs onto the floor. The legs made a slight 'clink' sound when they hit the ground, and Zephyr was slightly wobbly on them, but she was able to stand.

"Come here, my doe.", one of the humans said from a distance. She held a bowl of water, and upon seeing it, Zephyr suddenly felt very thirsty. She easily walked with her hind legs, but making the cybernetic front legs move was a challenge. She had to think to move, not just move like she normally would.

Little by little, she got the limbs to move. With each step, the humans spoke to each other with high hopes for the young doe. They had done something quite amazing for a doe who would have otherwise died.

Zephyr finally made it to the human and her water bowl, and lapping the water, she let them pet her. They were happy, and she was slowly relaxing...

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An hour passed. Zephyr had gotten used to her new bionic legs, and with each step she took, the humans jotted down notes and petted her happily. She didn't know that something was happening elsewhere in the building - several other humans came in, those not as kind and loving...they had their own intentions...

"The government has ordered us to shut down this facility.", one of them said, "And they have instructed us to dispose of anything we deem unfit to live."

The kind humans tried to stop them, but the cruel ones took out their government-issued pistols and pointed them at their own kind. The kind ones could not stand in their way, and one by one, the other test animals were killed before their eyes.

Zephyr heard the popping sounds - she had heard that before, and it frightened her naturally. The humans next to her already knew what was going on, and at once, they led her away. "Come quickly, we can get you out of here, but you will have to move.", they whispered to her.

She obeyed, not knowing what was really going on. When they got her to the exit, she saw an open field where she would have to run far to get out of view. "Go, my child! Go live!", the humans told her, and at once she bolted, her new legs carrying her faster than she had ever gone before. She was nearly there...she was nearly there...

*Boom!*

A sharp pain hit her, she collapsed at once, crying loudly. Her back was completely shattered from a hunting rifle's bullet, and she lay on the ground bleeding and crippled. She could see the hunter, who aimed at her head.

It can't end like this..., she thought to herself, and closing her eyes, she waited for the man to fire at her again.

"Enough. Open your eyes, Zephyr.", she heard a voice say.

Obeying, Zephyr found herself in a great plain. She sat up, able to move again, and discovering her actual legs were there. "That was an odd nightmare...", she said to herself, noticing the others there who greeted her.

She lowered her head, having one more thought, "I hope no one ever has to go through that kind of pain..."

The end of this chapter...