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    Invasive Procedures: A Novelette
    Invasive Procedures: A Novelette
    Invasive Procedures: A Novelette
    Ebook41 pages36 minutes

    Invasive Procedures: A Novelette

    By John Walters

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    About this ebook

    A single mother facing a life-threatening illness, deportation, and the possible loss of her children goes for a job interview in a strange mansion filled with virtual reality machines and other high tech devices. In exchange for the health, wealth, and safety of the woman and her children, the prospective employer requests that she undertake a painful, terrifying task.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAstaria Books
    Release dateAug 4, 2018
    ISBN9781386578390
    Invasive Procedures: A Novelette
    Author

    John Walters

    John Walters recently returned to the United States after thirty-five years abroad. He lives in Seattle, Washington. He attended the 1973 Clarion West science fiction writing workshop and is a member of Science Fiction Writers of America. He writes mainstream fiction, science fiction and fantasy, and memoirs of his wanderings around the world.

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      Book preview

      Invasive Procedures - John Walters

      Table of Contents

      Invasive Procedures | By | John Walters

      Invasive Procedures

      By

      John Walters

      Published by Astaria Books

      Copyright 2018 by John Walters

      All rights reserved.  No portion may be copied, other than brief passages for review purposes, without permission of the author.

      This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to actual persons places or events - except those in the public domain - is purely coincidental.

      *     *     *

      Invasive Procedures

      From Hades straight to Wonderland, that's what it's like.

      When Tina finishes her ordeal at the public hospital - waiting for a seeming interminable amount of time amidst the coughing, sneezing, groaning, trembling, perspiring, bleeding multitude; enduring yet another exam at the hands of indifferent personnel; confronting the shock of the diagnosis along with a description of various horrendous treatment options - she wants to do nothing but go home, slough off her clothes, put on her bathrobe, and pour herself a glass of Chianti.

      Instead, she has to shower, brush her hair until it shines and clip it efficiently behind her neck, dab on spots of makeup to muffle at least some of the many minute wrinkles that have begun to pattern her face, apply a subtle flower perfume, and head out for the job interview.

      To avoid being late, she takes a cab that she can't afford instead of the city bus.

      The high, spike-topped wrought iron gates open by themselves. The driveway leads through well-tended gardens, lawns, hedges, and trees. In front of the house it circles a stone fountain whose waters bubble up out of a cup held by a brass cherub.

      After paying the driver and waiting for him to exit with the sound of gravel crunching under the tires, Tina takes in the immensity of the house. It is built of wood and stone and has three stories plus a basement: probably at least fifteen to twenty rooms. Although by the classic architecture with its eaves and gables and twin bay windows it appears to be at least one hundred years old, it is obviously well kept up. The shingles and paint are fresh; the windows shine with cleanliness; in fact, there doesn't seem to be a flaw anywhere.

      The sky full of low roiling gray clouds frames the structure and makes it appear almost luminescent.

      Slowly she climbs the granite steps one by one.

      When she reaches the massive dark oak door, a white speaker box just over the bell button to the right side of the frame says, Welcome, Mrs. Santos. Please come in. She hears a soft click, and then the door swings inward.

      Another speaker in the ornate entry hall says, Please sit down in the room on the right. I'll be with you in a moment.

      The living room has a high ceiling with two chandeliers, a fireplace built of large stones embedded with streaks of rose, an assortment of comfortable-looking couches and chairs roughly circling a

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