Chapter 9: Zombie Gas
Nikoloz’s heart raced as he felt himself falling. He hit the top of the machine, bounced once, and came to rest draped over one edge. His muscles were stiffened, as though frozen in mid-movement. He still lay as if stretched out along the rafter, though now his legs protruded stiffly from the edge of the machine.
“What the hell was that?” The doctor’s voice shouted.
Nikoloz could see nothing but the dusty top of the machine inches in front of his nose. He could not shift his gaze, could not move a muscle voluntarily, though his heart pounded and his lungs gulped air. He felt the impact, though. He’d landed on his right side, with his arm curled beneath him, and that arm was throbbing. His right shoulder and hip ached, and he thought he might have banged his head ag
