self-preservation instinct kicked in instantly. Nia whirled around and tried to run but tripped over a wire and knocked over another machine, which crashed to pieces with a loud bang. The man in the jumpsuit cursed angrily, and the guards quickened their pace, heading towards her. It was pointless to run.
Gathering her courage, Nia tried to explain the situation:
– Please, wait! I don't know who I am! I woke up in an alley, and I don't remember anything! I just wanted to know what's going on here!
The guards stopped, exchanging surprised glances. They clearly weren't expecting this turn of events.
One of them asked, approaching Nia:
– What are you babbling about? Are you malfunctioning? Spouting some nonsense.
Nia tried to repeat her words, but the guards interrupted her, not understanding what she was talking about. They clearly weren't prepared for such an unusual case.
One of the guards said, grabbing Nia by the arm:
– Alright, that's enough. You clearly need diagnostics. We'll take you to the Disease Study Center, they'll figure out what's wrong with you.
Nia tried to pull away, but they were stronger. They grabbed her and led her away, towards the exit. She resisted, shouted, tried to explain that she was fine, she just didn't remember anything, but it was all in vain. The guards didn't listen to her, considering her defective or crazy.
As soon as the guard pressed a button on his wrist, a wave of numbness passed through Nia's body. She could still see and hear, understood what was happening around her, but she could no longer move. Her body felt foreign, beyond her control. Fear gripped her heart. What was this technology? And what were they going to do to her?
The guards waited for the arrival of a strange vehicle. It was a streamlined capsule on an anti-gravity platform, most resembling an ambulance, only without any identifying markings. One of the guards explained something to a gaunt person (or robot? – Nia couldn't be sure) in a light blue suit, and she, motionless, was transferred to a gurney and wheeled inside the capsule.
Chapter 2
The ride was short. Nia watched in horror as the futuristic landscapes of the city flashed by outside the window. Where were they taking her? What awaited her? Her surprise was great when the capsule stopped in front of a building that didn't match its surroundings at all. It was an ordinary hospital, as if taken from an old photograph. Brick walls, windows with curtains, a green lawn in front of the entrance. No glittering technologies, no futuristic constructions. Just people in identical light blue suits scurrying back and forth with worried faces. What was this? A secret base? Had a time machine transported her to the past?
Nia was transferred to a gurney and wheeled through long, convoluted corridors. She lost track of time, listening to snippets of conversations echoing around: "…unusual case…", "…cognitive impairment…", "…requires full diagnostics…". What are they saying? In what language? Although…somehow I understand them, the girl wondered.
She was wheeled for so long that Nia completely lost her sense of direction. Where are they taking me? What are they going to do to me? And why does this hospital look so old-fashioned? Is this some kind of secret facility? She tried to sit up to look around, but her body still wouldn't obey her.
Suddenly, someone leaned over Nia and gave her an injection. A very ordinary injection, with a syringe. It was so unexpected and archaic that she didn't even have time to get scared. An injection? Why? Her vision went dark, and she fell into oblivion.
Nia woke up in a bright room, connected to many wires and sensors. People in light blue suits crowded around her, discussing something animatedly. They were talking out loud, in normal voices! After the silent streets and emotionless faces, it seemed incredibly strange and even a little scary to her. Did they even see that she had woken up?
"…unusual indicators…", "…complete amnesia…", "…no signs of brain damage…", – snippets of phrases reached her. Nia tried to understand what was happening, but no one was listening to her. Doctors and technicians continued to perform some manipulations, take tests, scan her body. Like a guinea pig. What were they looking for? She tried to say something, but her throat seemed to constrict.
After a series of tiring and pointless, as it seemed to Nia, experiments and tests, she was finally disconnected from the equipment and transferred to a small room, painted in white and gray tones. The room contained a bed, a bedside table, and a chair. No windows, no personal belongings. Only cold, faceless walls. Nia was left alone, without explanation and hope for rescue. “Prison. I'm in prison,” she sat on the bed, feeling the coldness of the sheets.
The days dragged on slowly and monotonously. Periodically, people in blue suits entered the room and asked Nia the same questions:
– How are you called?
– Where do you live?
– What do you remember?
She honestly answered that she remembered nothing, but they didn't seem to believe her. Their faces remained impenetrable, like masks. Why ask the same thing if you don't believe it? Are they mocking me? After they left, Nia went to the bedside table and looked at her reflection in the metallic surface. The same unfamiliar girl with brown eyes full of despair.
Most of the time Nia spent alone. She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to find at least some crack, at least some clue. Or wandered around the room, touching the walls, as if trying to feel a way out. But it was all in vain. There was emptiness in her head.
Three times a day, food was brought to the room. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she was served nutritious but completely tasteless porridge and some pills. The food looked quite normal, but after what she had seen in the city: those colorful plasticine snacks, capsules, and other synthetic foods, Nia began to suspect something was wrong. Why do I get normal food, while everyone else gets something strange? Are they hiding something? Or do they want to feed me something? She pushed the plate of porridge away.
One day, Nia tried to refuse the food, but the nurse in the blue suit simply shrugged and said:
– If you don't eat, it will be worse for you.
No explanations, no persuasion. Just a cold, indifferent look. Nia clenched her fists.
She realized that she was trapped. They were keeping her here against her will, feeding her God knows what, and asking meaningless questions. She needed to get out of here. At any cost. She glanced around the room, looking for at least something that could help her. She needed to do something. She needed to find a way to escape. But how?
Chapter 3
One day, when Nia had already lost all hope, a man came to her room. He looked to be about fifty years old, with wrinkles on his face and a weary look in his eyes. He sat next to her on the bed, and Nia felt for the first time that someone was treating her like a human being. Could it be that at least someone sees me as a person, and not just a guinea pig? The thought flashed through her mind and disappeared.
– Hello, Nia, – the man said in a gentle voice. – My name is Doctor Emmett. I really want to help you, but, frankly, I don't know how to do it. You're not even trying to remember anything, and our equipment isn't showing any problems. Your brain is completely clear.
Given that this was the first person who had spoken normally to her, Nia decided to trust him and try to find out as much information as possible.
– Doctor Emmett, – she began in a trembling voice, – why are you examining me with such old technologies? In the city everything is so modern, and here…
Doctor Emmett raised his eyebrows in surprise.
– Old technologies? What do you mean? This is the best medical equipment we have. We even try to give you non-synthesized food, which is a great rarity these days. You should understand that such an examination is very expensive. About fifty million Times.
Fifty million Times…