Project Boussh: Questions And, Uh... Questions
by Josh Nolan

"Ooryl," asked Brad groggily, "What happened?  How did I get here?"

"Ooryl lifted you off the floor," the Gand replied guardedly.  Ooryl had
read the reports - Brad could be cunning when the need arose.

Brad began to chuckle weakly, but broke off with a grimace, his hand
moving to his broken ribs.  "How very obtuse of you," he muttered.  He
fixed Ooryl with an uncomfortably unfocused gaze.  "Tell me straight.  I
ate the worm, right?"

Ooryl frowned in confusion.  "What worm?"

"The one at the bottom of the bottle," groaned Brad.  "Otherwise... what
shit have they fed me?"

Ooryl began to decipher Brad's meaning.  "You are in a safe place,
Brad," he said as soothingly as he could.  "It will all come back soon."

Brad groaned again.  "That's what I'm afraid of."  He moved his head
very slowly as he tried to take in the room.  "This is my safe place?"
he asked Ooryl.

"You will come to no further harm here," Ooryl said firmly, shining his
glowrod into Brad's eyes again, checking how the pupils responded.

Brad closed his eyes again and visibly relaxed.  "Ha," he breathed
mirthlessly.  "Wouldn't the meditation teachers love this.  They always
said to make our special place in a forest, or a mountain or
something."  His chest spasmed in silent laughter.  "Well, here I am in
some dingy hotel room with a fictional bug for company."

Amnesia.  This was not a good sign.

Just then, there was a knock at one of the doors to the room, and a
young man with a loose ponytail of dark curly hair stuck his head into
the room.  "Mornin'.  How's young Brad coming along?"

Brad squinted at Nick, trying to bring his face into focus.  Something
about that face rang a bell...

"Do I know you?" Brad croaked at the intruder.

The man blinked.  "Huh?"