The steam quickly surrounds me and feeling its warmth around my skin. From within the fog of steam, the flashing green light from the object stops. I know it's coming closer from the hovering sound. I felt worried, my body was alert. Why is it coming closer? I step back as far as I could and reach the back of the capsule behind me. I felt like a mouse trapped in a small box with no way out and exposed!
The object suddenly spoke! "Ah! Do not be frighten! I won't hurt you."
The fog of steam now died down, and the object was hovering in front of my face.
"Hello Human! Rise and shine! Time for you to get ready for departure!"
When it talks, its lens blinks with white light. Its voice sounds cheerful, robotic male voice. Did he just call me Human? What's a Human? Is it my name? Perhaps my kind? Another thing it said is that I will have to get ready for departure. Depart? This word sounds very familiar. Why? It feels as if I used this word every day, but I just can't remember!
As I was thinking, I suddenly felt unconformable around my left side of the stomach, as if something had stung me there and left the stung. I looked and see a needle there, sting to my body, and there is a small transparent wire with yellow liquid in it flowing in to my stomach, connected from the back of the capsule to my stomach area. What is that? What are they injecting me? How come I didn't notice it till now? I went to reach it, but then the object intervened.
"Wow there hold on! I'll take it out. Gee, that thing can hurt you! If the needle breaks while it's in your stomach, we'll have more issues to deal with"
The object hovered down to where the needle is. It project a beam on the needle and smoothly pull it out and hovered back in front of me.
"There! Now you can move freely! Come on out and get ready!"
I am quite startled at how nonchalant and excited that object sound ate the same time. What is he anyway?
The object tilt side ways toward left about 45 degrees.
"What are you waiting for? Why so hesitant? Come on, let's go!"
This time I tilt my head at it. How does he expect me to just follow him? Sure I may have no other choices, but.... no. Naw uh! Not until I get some answers!
"What are..." My voice sounds like I swallowed a sick crow! I felt something is in my throat and it made me cough. *cough cough, Ehm!* Oh that feels much better! Though I feel a bit embarrassed. The object this time tilted itself towards the right about 45 degrees.
"What are you?" I ask "what was the needle injecting me?"
"Oh, my goodness! How rude of me! I am DRO1506242. Please excuse my manner."
DRO150 what?
"The injection that you were receiving were your nutrients." the object continued "After all you needed to get nutrients somehow. Now, any more questions?"
Of course I have more! I wanted to shout, but then, I don't think that's an outstanding idea. I took a deep breath and relaxed. After all, if it had any intention of harming me, it would have done so by now.
"Well, I have lots of questions, but first I didn't quiet get What you are DRO150... what was it?"
"Its DRO1506242! It is my code, I am the AI that has been assign to guide you!"
You should have said that sooner! Although for an AI its livelier than any other AIs. Not like any other typical AIs. Wait.... an AI? Somehow that term is familiar, just like 'departure'. Why did I think this AI is not typical? I just thought it unconsciously. At any rate I might have to come up with a name for it, there is no way I can remember that! Speaking of names; I wonder if it knows what my name is, or if it knows about my past.
"So uh DRO150..6..942 right?"
"No, it's 1506242!!" Replied frustratingly
I don't know why, but I feel one shouldn't speak to someone who has no memories like that. Are all AIs like this?
"Oh, wait... you humans typically have a hard time remembering our codes. Whatever... Just call me 42!"
It raised and move its wings up and down playfully. OK, 42 is a lot easier to remember, and it answered some of my questions. I doubt it was intentional though, but maybe I can get more answers out of him if I continue like this? At any rate, this confirms that I am a human kind and there are others. What did he mean by we typically not remembering their name? Did he guide another human before me? I suppose I can find all that out later, but what about my past?
"42 do you by chance know anything about my past? Who am I?"
42 Stop moving its wings and hovered stationary in front of me.
"Question after another! Aren't you the carious type… I suggest you step out for now and prepare? I'll answer your questions while you're preparing. You see… things about to get hectic, very soon, for there are a lot of you that needs to depart. Thankfully, your group is the last batch! Now come on! We have to move so we can beat the rush! We already wasted enough precious time!"
Fair enough. I can move along while he's answering. So I took my first step out of that capsule. Well, I can't exactly go out yet, there is no floor to step on. I feel very light, almost as if I could float away. 42 hovered below my capsule, the portion where it had two handles on either side of a keypad. 42 beamed to a portion of the keypad, and it opened. Turns out to be some sort of a drawer or storage of some sort.
"Before you step out, here are some items that will be helpful, which we have prepared. We also stored some items that were already with you from before. As the answer to your past, I am not provided with any details, actually."
42 paused as to realize something and turned toward me.
"How can this be? I always have information on all the humans that come under my care! I mean, I had a few individuals whose information were very vague. You, on the other hand... I have nothing! Only the code for me to find your capsule."
Nothing? Well, so much for that! I suddenly remember the beings from the room from before. I wonder if they know anything. I look at the storage, it too far for me to see what's exactly inside it. I sat down on my knees and went closer. The first thing I see is the object I saw in my flashback, glasses. I pick it up, though it looks different from my flash back. The frame of the glasses is silver color, and it has only three sides on each sides of the glass. There was no frame on the bottom portion. I put it on. The sudden change of my vision took me by surprise. I can see now!
I look around and find all the capsules are going through the same procedure as I am. They are endless numbers of them everywhere. I find a few individuals are out already, but I felt something is wrong. They have no clothes! Then I look down on myself. I see myself and my private part completely exposed.. I may not remember my past, but I suddenly have a distinctive feeling that I should wear something ASAP!
"What are you waiting around for! Hurry! Few people are already out! Gee, you're a slow one. Get the suit from the capsule storage so we can get going!" said 42.
I look in the drawer; I found underwear and a white T-shirt, so I put them on. I realize that I remember simple things and tasks and general knowledge. I can't remember names, objects, or items, places, events, or faces. I continued looking in to the drawer which I found an globe shape item, and it's shiny black. The size of the globe was about the same size of 42's main body, maybe a few diameters smaller. "What is this?" I asked 42.
"Now you're asking the right question! That is a device that will assist you with the departure and your journey to adapt at your new place! It's called 'Prototype Manna Orb', It's also your suit.."
"my suit?"
"yes! it's something that helps you to navigate through here!" 42 flap's its wings up and down again playfully.
"Well, I know what a suit is.. but how is this Orb thing a suit? And how will it help me?"
"Oh! well you'll know soon enough, there is no time to explain. For now, just press anywhere on it and it will activate!"
I pick up the Orb with both hands; it felt to weight around 25 pounds and pressed it with my thumb. The Orb vibrates, and suddenly it felt as light as a feather. Then it hovers in the air, taking me with it. I let go, but that little lift is enough to make me float away from my capsule, slowly. I try to grab the handle but I am just half an inch away from the tip of my finger. The Orb scans my body with a beam. Moments later the dark Orb lights up and evaporates into a tiny particle that looks like a cloud of black dust. The cloud was the size of the Orb originally, but it's growing! That made me very uncomfortable. Worst part about this is that I can't control myself, for I am floating in the air and no way for me to move around!
"Relax!" 42 said, hovering right next to me. "The Prototype Manna Orb can turn itself in to tiny particle and multiply its self to adjust to its user, Thanks to our advanced Nano technology! It builds the necessary materials in molecule level. It has its limits however, it cannot make anything bigger than that capsule you were in. Wait no, a bit smaller. By the way, you might want to stop struggling so much, it's not like there is any gravity in here to help you move around freely."
I can't understand half of the explanations, What's Nano Technology? Once again this sounds very familiar, but no clue what it is. I trust 42, so I relaxed. The Black clouds was four times bigger now, and it comes towards me. The cloud surrounds my legs, like it swallowing me, But I didn't feel it even touching me. The cloud makes its way up towards my upper body. Behind the cloud it looks like the black dusts are coming together and settling down, forming what it looks like metallic boots. Eventually it covered my entire body the same way, my hands, arms, chest, all the way up to my neck. Then it got tight, and I felt a little tingle all over my body. It's matching my physique. Then it stops.
I inspect what used to be the black Orb. The new suit on me looks very similar to the one I saw earlier on half organic green creature. He must have used an Orb like this one. Now the question remains. How do I use it to navigate? I am now quiet far from my capsule, maybe a couple of meters now? Now I'm stuck smack in the middle of the two rows of capsules on my sides, however I'm not sure which direction I'm floating to. Speaking of capsules, I look around and see one in three of every capsule there is someone out at its door. Most are busy with their droids, getting their items from their dowers; however, for some of them, I seem to have caught their attention, judging by their stares. 42 is hovering in front of me and flapping its wing while observing me. What's up with that reaction?
"42 how do I navigate with this suit?"
"Hehehe. It's Simple! You just have to imagine it! In other words, you just have to navigate by your thought!" 42 said excitedly, "Now come on! People are getting out!"
Imagine? navigate with my thought? So... you mean to tell me I can just picture myself going there?
I closed my eyes and pictured myself getting to my capsule. I opened my eyes and... I am at the same spot where I was. Floating away without a care in the world! Perhaps I didn't think correctly? So I gave it another try. I did the same process, closed my eyes, imagine and then open. Now.... I am nowhere near any capsules! Nope! Not one bit. I'm thinking 42 is pulling my leg.
"What do you exactly mean by.. 'Imagine it' 42?"
42 stop flapping its wing and stays steady, then he starts to scan me, right at my face without a word or warning. The sudden beam startle me. Before I could say anything, he stops. For a moment he pauses.
"So my first scan wasn't wrong... How did you imagine to navigate?" 42 asked, in a rather serious tone!
"I just thought I want to float back towards my capsule. Is that the wrong way to approach?"
"No, this would work for most. However, I have encounter humans that the usual way wouldn't work, so based on those experience... try to feel, or imagine feeling that your floating, or flying, whichever suits you! Don't try to just get there. Imagine how you'd like to get there..."
42 hovered behind me.
"I'll help you out to navigate, by combining myself with the Prototype Manna Orb, but I would still appreciate if you try, You see I am not exactly made to push objects that are more than twice as big and twice as heavy as I am."
I felt the back of my suit opened up and re-tightened, though it felt 42 got absorbed in to the suit. Then I saw part of the suit came off and turned in to the black dust cloud again. It grew a bit and went on my left ear. The part that is now empty from the detached dust, is being replaced by the suit's dust cloud.
"Can you hear me?" 42's voice echo through that ear piece, that's quite amazing, and I can hear him clearly.
"yes, I can!" I respond
"Ok! proceed as I instructed" He replies "Also this Orb has very limited, for example you cant just teleport."
"What's a teleport?"
"Ah never mind, just don't imagine that you can just.....pop there"
'Teleport' also sounds familiar, but can't remember it, also...who would just....pop to places? I take in a deep breath and I closed my eyes. How does flying feel? Would my past self know? I tried hard to remember and think. Nothing.. Why is this so hard? Wait, would the same thing happen like before when I remembered my glasses? I felt heavy in the stomach, I really don't want to experience that again, but do I have a choice? I am floating in the air and have no control over my navigation, I can't really rely on 42. No one seems to be willing to help me, and I feel it's unwise to ask for help, for others seem to be in a similar situation. I took another deep breath and try to think again. My head suddenly start to hurt, and about to lose conscious, but I kept pushing. It hurts, IT HURTS! OUCH! I try to stop, but it's too late, my vision is going dark. I can't regain my conscious and there is nothing I can do about my pain, so I focused on staying awake. Just before my vision go completely dark. This time it wasn't just images, it was a series of flashbacks.
I haven't quite lost my consensus. I can still sense that I am floating, but I can feel the experience that I am having in the flashback, or maybe a dream. No, it can only be a flashback! I am standing in a barren place; the sun was high in the sky; the air feels hot and dry; I am standing on a sandy hill. I can't move or look around, and my body moves on its own, it's as if I am watching through someone else's body and vision but I have no say, no command for it. That's how I know it's a memory, besides this place is very familiar, I just can't quite figure out where I am. There was a pleasant breeze hitting my face, while looking over beyond the horizon from the hill. I felt shorter than usual, and I did not have glasses.
"What are you doing?" A man with a deep voice called out from behind.
"Baba? How does it feel to fly?" I said in response, with a voice of a child.
I turned around to a tall man and look up at him. I can't see his face for there was a shadow on most of his face, but I knew who he was, or rather I remember right away. He was my father, and baba is a Persian word, which means dad. He has broad shoulders, his nick is not too long, but not short either. He had beard all over his face, and mustache too. He looked like one of those people with a mean and serious personality, but in truth he's the complete opposite. The only thing that gives away his true personality is that when he smiles, If he smiles, which that's what he had at the moment. Among our close friends and family; He was famous for his smiles, when he smiles that is, for they were rare for some reason.
He picks me up, and puts me on the back of his nick, my feet dangling over his shoulders. He secures me by holding both of my thighs.
He chuckles and said, "I don't know, how about we find out together? Close your eyes and stretching out your arms. Imagine you're in the sky above the clouds".
I close my eyes and did just what he told me. Suddenly he ran. The breeze against my face, and feeling how light I was, picturing myself in the sky, it really felt I was flying. That made me happy and scream and laugh with excitement. Then I thought if this is how it felt to fly, I wish I could do it all the time.
"I AM FLYING! I LOVE IT!"
I open my eyes, and I find myself in a hallway. It was very dark. I'm in a special suit flying with night vision active on the glass of my helmet. There was no gravity. I am holding a big weapon, with dim blue light shines at the center of the barrel, and the outer part of the barrel spin around the light. On top of the gun is a multipurpose scope, and its on night vision mode. Below the scope was a screen, it reads 'energy at 100% charged'. I was holding a rail gun, it was a brand new sniper. On my right arm I see a screen reading '89% Oxygen left, 11% used. On my left arm I see a different and a bigger screen reading in three lines 'energy at 98%, shield at 100%, invisibility mode: off'. This time I had glasses.
The sudden change of atmosphere made me confused for a moment. Is this another flashback?
I wasn't a child, and my father was nowhere in sight. Instead, I was with three other men, wearing the same suit as mine. We were flying fast, but carefully. We are in two-by-two formations, two men are at front leading and clearing the way, two at the back, providing support, cover and watching our backs. I was the front man on the right.
Ah yes.. now I remember. We were on a covert mission. Our objective was to destroy a critical enemy ship, before it reaches our fleet. I hear fighting noises all around us, and I hear the explosions outside of the ship which were our ships that came to help with our mission. I could hear fighter crafts, both the enemies and ours. It's a full space battle out there. We weren't the only squad on board of the ship, there were other squads somewhere on board of this ship, fighting. I could hear them shooting somewhere far behind us. I also hear the enemy screams and strange noises that they make, that is to be expected though, for the enemies we're fighting, are not humans.
"ETA 10 minutes, boys! You have to destroy this ship before our time is up!"
That was the admiral who brought us here, who is tasked to assist us with our mission, and is in charge of the group of ships that had made the surprised attack on the enemy. He was quite well known in our fleet, for his sharp and witty intuitions. He was a very sharp tactician. I can't quite remember his name though.
"We may have the surprise on them, thanks to some of our recent tech advancement, but that won't last long." said the admiral.
"Oy mate, that's a foken tight timing!" Klaus said from behind me.
Klaus was my best friend. We joined the military at the same time, and were some of the top cadets in our special force company. He was best at medical and anything academically. He was also the best in any form of combat, especially close combat, the closer the range, the deadlier he becomes. He was a perfect solder, however when it came down to sniper battles, I was better; other than that, I can't say I was one of the best in combats, in fact I was one of the weaker ones comparatively to others in our company. I was however one of the best when it came down to engineering and techs. These were the only few things that I had an advantage compared to anyone else.
"For crying out loud, this is why I was against letting rookies on the operation! To make it worse we got two of em green beans on the same damn team!" Said the squad mate next to Klaus. He was a Sargent, but I can't remember his name either.
"Why am I assigned to this team?" The Sargent complained.
"Cmon mate! No need to be so cranky. See that's why I always drink tea instead of coffee, it will never make you feel cranky." Said Klaus.
Klaus is that one kid who presses all the buttons that say 'don't touch,' and whichever has the worst effect, he keeps on pressing it. His favorite is the Sargent, 'The bloody bastard has too many colorful buttons' he would say. Though that part of him would put him in trouble, and most of the time I got dragged in it too. Because of that, we both had the worst time in the drill camp, but it was worth it! How did I become this guy's friend again? Though Klaus loves to make troubles, especially his superiors, he would never disobey them.
"Focus on the mission at hand, this is no time to joke around! You heard the admiral, we got no time! On the double!" Our squad leader interrupted us, not giving the Sargent a chance to respond.
Our squad leader was the captain who was in charge of the groups that were on board of the ship. He was also a well-known officer; we knew him for his quick and on point decision making in the heat of a battle. Every man in his division respect him and see him as a living legend, they even dare to compare him to the admiral. Even Klaus had a lot of respect for the guy. At his command, we all speed up our engines.
"Captain, their attacks ain't as vicious as expected. Somethin is fishy," one of the team leaders radioed in from our rear.
"Keep your guards up then, that's our only way out," The captain responded
"Team 6 and 7, how are you doing at the front?"
"Were at the target's gate, It's quiet here captain, no resistant." One of the team leader whispers back over the radio, I can't remember from which team, they were together anyway, as scouts "Though we are hearing some noise at the other side, that's why we turn on our invisible mode."
"good thinking Joe, well meet you there in 30 sec," our captain responded.
"All right activate your invisibility mode boys, along with your 3rd vision gears."
"Yes, Captain!" All three of us replied and activated our invisibility mode.
The 3rd vision is a special device that lets you see friendly invisible groups, and if the enemy uses the same tech, you can see them too with a different sequence, but the enemy doesn't rely on that. I see eight figures in front of the gate through my helmet's 3rd vision glass, that was the two teams that was sent ahead of us. We finally reached them.
"So our target is here, huh?"
"Yes, captain it is" One of the squad leaders replied holding the tracker.
"Bloody hell! Have you noticed there was almost no resistant? You think these wankers are setting up a trap, and why is there no alarm? They know we're here!" Klaus points out.
"You think too much greeny, Let's get this mission done and go back to the front line," The Sargent answered.
"Klaus has a good point Sargent, be on your guard everyone, we don't know what's behind that gate, for all we know this could be a trap. This ship is one of the most dangerous ships against our fleet, if this ship won't go down, our fleet will have no issue defending earth at the front line for a while."
Meanwhile, the captain was explaining; I analyzed the gate. It was a hexagon shaped gate, and its door... seemed to be an organic membrane. I could hear screeches and strange noises from the other side. I touched the screen on my right arm and activated an Orb. which came out of my back. It was a Prototype Orb, except it didn't have the Nano tech ability, and it was much smaller, the color was white. I clicked a button and put it back on my back. Then my helmet started scanning the hex gate.
'So we had these orbs too, though they were new to us I. huh'
"Whatcha see there greeny two?" The Sargent asked.
"Ah, you and your bloody magical fingers, What is it with you and those damn devices?" Klaus remarked.
I knew it was a joke, so I ignored it, for I knew he had one too, it's just that I'm the one who got adapted to using it quicker than anyone else. The scanner picked up some red objects, but weren't many behind the gate, they were moving around quickly. Then I clicked a bottom on my gun, and now its scope had picked up those objects as well. I count five red moving objects. Suddenly those five objects lined up behind the door, as if they were preparing.
"Be advised, I picked up five hostels behind the gate all lined up!" I said.
The captain activated his Orb and ordered everyone to do the same. He signaled two of the men from the other squads to put a bomb on the gate. The rest of us went back and prepared for attack.
After the two men finished their worked, they flew back and joined us in formation. I held my gun up, looked in the scope, and held my breath. The bombs exploded, burning off the hex gate. The five beings stepped out, but since we were invisible, they were hesitant of what to do, but they knew we were here.
I zoomed my scope on one of them, and I zoomed on its forehead. The being had three vertical eyes, all lined up on its forehead. On its head were tentacles, swarming with it, but the strangest part was that its face looked like a human skull, except with sharp carnivore teeth and it's three oval eyes in vertical shape, and it had no lips.
"Fire at your discretion", the captain whispered.
I pulled the trigger back, and not just mine, but all of our bullets went flying.
At that moment, I woke back up to my full conscious.
*To Be Continued*