A savage bear skin wearing women walks in the snow without feeling the chill of the cold, her twin hand axes covered with dripping blood as she comes back from kill
as the moon approaches, she is exhausted from her eventful hunt. She's carrying a large deer back to her cave for the night when, suddenly, a small thing punctures her stomach! She's never seen such an odd little device. It doesn't look like an arrow, it's not a bug, what is it? She plucks it out and just then, she starts feeling very sick, has a severe headache, and really wants to lay down. No matter what she chooses, she isn't going to make it far. When she looks around, she can't see anyone.
Grunt "I feel so terrible..." thinks as she begins to feel weak and dizzy "Someone must have done this..." sighs heavily and sits down against a large tree "Need rest..."
*as she drifts off, she sees someone covered in white cloths, distantly approaching. She's never seen anyone like this person, and she won't be around for long to meet them.**she's out for who knows how long, and then wakes up in an odd white room, it feels warm in here, but there's no fire. It's bright, but there's no sun. It's white, but there's no snow. Nothing makes sense in here, and it's freaking her out like nothing ever has. She's sitting on some kind of floor, not stone, not wood, some odd, shiny square substance. She's constrained by a strong metal chain, it's alien technology to her, she can't break out when she tries. All she can do is look at the bright, fluorescent lights on the room, alone. A few minutes later, a man walks in from a door she didn't notice, well groomed and wearing a long, spotless white robe. He clears his throat and says "Hello, can you understand what I'm saying?"
she scratches at her blue jumpsuit. She's not used to being clothed like this, and she still feels naked be ause she's missing all her tools"Uhh... yes? Who are you?" sounds groggy and confused "Where am I? Why... why am I here?"
"Excellent! You speak English! Well..."he sits on a chair nearby"You're here because we want to study you."he reaches to take a clipboard from the wall"Can you tell me where you're from, maybe a little bit about yourself?"
"I am... uhh... from snow and ice lands far to the north. I travel often. My name is... well... not important. What do you want from me?"
"Please, think about what you remember. I could really use your name, more details about who you know, your childhood, anything you can give me."
thinks harder, trying to remember what her parents called her when she was little... "My name is..." swallows hard "...Roskva."
"Roskva... that's it. That's my name." looks at the man suspiciously "Why do you want to know?"
he smiles at her"We believe you might be able to help us understand more about..."he looks down, trying to form his next words carefully, then looks back up and says"...the human condition! Please excuse me for being vague, but until our tests have concluded, there's not much information I can give you. Uh, can I get you any food or drink?"
"Food and drink would be good..." She pauses "...but I am not some lab rat. I want answers!" Her voice gets louder as she begins to thrash against the chains binding her. "Let me go or give me what I came for!"
Please, you'll have to work with us. I promise you this testing will only take a few days, and then we'll be able to tell you everything. I'll get you something to eat."he gets out of the chair and walks past her to the back wall. He presses 2 small buttons, and a plastic cup and bowl falls down, full with gray food and clear water. He sets it on the floor next to her,"Here you are. I know it's not what you're used to, but this will sustain you for the next few days."
"You... bastard..." She glares at him as she takes the cup and begins to drink greedily, wincing at the strange, tasteless meal. It doesn't seem like food, but whatever it is, it makes her full. "I will get out of here," she growls through gritted teeth. "And then you'll wish you had never seen me."
he stands a safe distance away and frowns"Well... if that's the way you feel, I'll give you time to calm down. I'll be back very soon."he leaves and shuts the door securely behind himself. She is alone once again
Still glaring at the door where he left, she takes the bowl and begins to eat the gray mush, wincing again at its flavorless taste. She paces slowly in the small white room, her eyes darting around as she tries to find some way out of this place. Her chains clank loudly with each step, reminding her that escape is futile for now...
"I will find a way out!" she growls to herself, pacing faster now as she works up her anger and frustration. "This place can't hold me forever." Her eyes fall on the gleaming white floor once again, wondering if there might be some hidden mechanism or flaw that could help her break free...
"I'm stronger than this place..." she mutters to herself, flexing her muscles beneath the white cloths. "There has to be a weak spot... something I can use..." Her eyes narrow as she focuses on the floor once again, searching for any sign of weakness in the smooth surface.
there is none
She growls and paces faster, eyes scanning the room over and over again. Perhaps she could distract them? She glances at the door, then back to the floor... No, it wouldn't work that way. Frustration building, she suddenly drops down onto all fours and begins scrabbling at the edge of her restraints with her bound hands, trying desperately to wriggle free.
it doesn't give!
"Damn you!" she snarls, her breath hot and hard against the floor as she strains uselessly at her bonds. "I will not be held like an animal! I am Roskva, daughter of a goddess!" Tears of frustration sting her eyes as she continues to try and break free from the unyielding metal that holds her.
The door swings open again, revealing Prince Baby standing there with a tray of food. "Oh, you're finished eating already?" he asks casually. "
"Would you like to resume the test, Roskva?"
"No!" she snaps, still struggling against her bonds. "Let me go!" Her voice is hoarse from shouting and exertion, and tears stream down her face. She glares up at him with defiance, even as exhaustion begins to take its toll.
Her struggles grow more desperate as she realizes that this man holds the key to her freedom - and yet he seems so unconcerned about her plight.
"Please, relax. I can't help you unless you work with me."
Her face contorts in anger and frustration as she growls at him, "What do you want from me? Why am I here?" Her chest heaves with each ragged breath, her bound hands still scrabbling uselessly against the floor. Tears stream down her face, mingling with sweat and dirt.
She glances back up at him, her eyes wide and pleading in spite of herself. "Please... tell me what you want."
"I want you to answer my list of questions, take a couple readings on our machines, we'll pump you full of medication, monitor you for 24 hours and... then our tests will be concluded."she doesn't fully understand all of his words, but they all seem very familiar
"And you will let me go?" She pauses, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What machines? What medication?" Her voice is hard and unyielding once more as she tries to regain some semblance of control over the situation.
She glances down at the metal restraints that bind her hands and ankles, then back up at him again, her expression calculating. "What do you want from me?" she repeats slowly, her tone now almost conversational.
he looks her right in the eyes and says"Yes. I can assure you, we'll let you go when our trials are through. Now..."he sits back in his chair."Are you ready for my questions?"
She hesitates for a moment longer, then nods reluctantly. "Very well," she says through gritted teeth. "Ask your questions." Her eyes never leave his face as she steel herself for whatever lies ahead.
he lights up"Perfect!""Just to confirm, what's your name again?""Do you know where you were born?"
Her jaw clenches as she answers his questions, telling him what he wants to know. She tries not to reveal too much about her past life or her people, but the man confronts her about it and tells her they cannot continue unless she answers truthfully and to the best of her abilities. Every honest answer brings them closer to the end of his questions. With each passing moment, her body grows more exhausted. He says she can sit in the empty chair near her if she wants, she declines but eventually obliges.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, he finishes his list of questions and returns to bring in a device that looks like some sort of large medical device. She's never seen anything like it in the wild. She instantly starts panicking!
"No need to panic! This machine will not hurt you!"he seems genuinely concerned by her stress
She narrows her eyes suspiciously but nods slowly, uneasily taking a step closer to the machine as he explains how it works and what it does. Her muscles twitch and tense under her jumpsuit as she waits for him to start running tests or hooking things up. He assures her that everything will be fine and that he needs her cooperation, so she forces herself to relax a little bit more...but only a little.
"Now, this one is going to make a loud noise, but it only takes a little while. Please be patient."he slowly presses a few buttons on the machine's touchpad and the machine starts whirring
Her eyes widen as the machine makes an ear-piercing screech. It's unbearable! She winces and covers her ears with her bound hands, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. The sound goes on and on, feeling like it will never end...but finally, mercifully, it does. After what seems like another eternity, the machine falls silent again. Trembling from the ordeal, she slowly lowers her hands back to her sides.
"
he smiles at her and gently pats her on the shoulder"Well done! We have a few more machines to test you on, and then we're going to give you a few shots. After that, I'll stay to tell you anything you want to know, and you'll be out of this room in 24 hours. Is that okay?"
takes a deep breath, still shaking slightly from the noise "Yes... but I want to know what is going on and why... You are not telling me everything." Her voice is quieter now, more submissive as she tries to regain some of her lost strength.
"Like I said, I'll tell you everything, we just have to finish these tests, okay?"
She hesitates for a moment longer, then nods slowly, her gaze flicking between him and the machine. "Very well," she says softly, still sounding uncertain. "Let's get this over with."
a few hours of uncomfortable waiting, irritating shots, and Roskva's brief lashing out later, the doctor says"That's all! Thank you very much for your participation! So..."he relaxes fully in front of her"Ask me anything, I'm all ears!"
"Why am I here? What do you want from me?" Her voice is quiet and slightly hoarse from the tests. "And why are all these machines so important?" She glances around, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Well, to put it bluntly, you're here because our studies predicted that you were a real figure in history, and... more than the average human. We at the International Institute of Biology took a keen interest in you, and when our friends at the International Institute of Artificial History found you in their simulation, 1 to 1, you were materialized and brought here. First, we want to prove your natural, extraordinary abilities, so we can reverse engineer them and utilize them for all of mankind- Oh, sorry, did I lose you?"
Her eyes widen at the mention of her 'natural abilities' being replicated for all mankind. "I understand, but I am not a lab rat!" She protests, struggling against her restraints anew. "I have a name and a life! Let me go!"
"For your safety, our board of ethics advisors require us keep you in here for 24 hours minimum, to make sure the immunizations work properly. We're going to start pumping normal air in here now, and monitoring you for symptoms. Then, you will be granted free will as a citizen of Earth and put to work in a job that suits you."
"You can monitor me all you want," she grumbles, still struggling against her restraints. "But I am not staying here to be your guinea pig."
"Well, those are the rules! And might I say, you have an impressive understanding of language!"he looks at the wall for a second to say"Neural boys'll be proud."then he looks back at her to say"If you stop trying to break out of your constraints, I'll give you a deal."
"What kind of deal?" she asks warily, not taking her eyes off the restraints.
"If you want, I can stay with you and help the time fly faster... maybe you'd like to meet my coworkers?"
She glances at him suspiciously, then slowly nods. "Very well." The mention of other people does sound somewhat appealing, and it might help to pass the time faster if she has someone to talk to. Besides, she's not about to let this man think he can control her completely.
"Great! They're not fully detoxed, so they can't see you in person, but they can conference in through the wall! Think of it like a window, right?"he turns to the wall and gives the thumbs up, a group of 5 other people quickly fade into vision and wave at her. They all look like they're really there, but that doesn't make sense because there was a wall there!
"Uhh..." she looks at them uneasily before nodding slowly. "Hello." Her voice is tentative and quiet, as if she's not entirely sure what to make of this strange situation.
they all say"Hello, Roskva!""We've been studying you right alongside Prince!"she asks"Who is Prince?"the doctor next to her says"Oh, that's my name."
She looks at him suspiciously before deciding not to comment further. "So... what do you want to know about me?" Her voice remains guarded as she waits for their questions.
one of them, a tall balding man says"We already have all the information we need, we just have to analyze it."a stocky purple haired woman says"You did a great job, Roskva!"
She nods slowly, not entirely sure how to respond. "Thank you?" She says uncertainly. "I just want to go home now." Her gaze flickers between them, feeling more and more trapped by the minute.
every one of their smiles fade, and they fall silent**when she looks over at Prince, he's looks just as solemn as they do and says"Well... we should mention that you can't, exactly, return to your time."everyone looks embarrassed as Roskva does angry
"WHAT?!" she shouts, struggling against the restraints again. "You can't keep me here! This is kidnapping!" Tears stream down her face as anger and fear mix together in a toxic brew. She glares at them through narrowed eyes.
The doctor, Prince Baby, looks back with pity and says "...Well, it's not something we have control over. You're 10 thousand of years from the time you remember, and our pseudo-time machine only goes forward." The others all look away or study their desks uncomfortably.
"B-but, don't worry, we can put you back in a simulation of the past! It's almost like the real thing!"
"Put me in a SIMULATION?" she cries. "That's not my life! I want to go home!" Her voice cracks on the last word as she realizes that there is no escape, no hope of returning to her time and family. Tears stream down her face unchecked as she sags against the restraints, defeated.
The others exchange glances, uncertain how to comfort or reassure her. The silence stretches on for what feels like an eternity before Prince Baby finally speaks up again. "Look..."
"We want you to know that we're here to welcome you in society with open arms. Life is pretty good in the future, you just have to give it a chance! And, the simulator is really realistic, you can visit your past any time you want to!"
She looks at him incredulously. "You expect me to believe that? I lived in the past! A simulation is nothing like real life!" Her voice shakes with anger and despair as she struggles against her bonds once more. "I want to go home, not live in some fake version of it!"
"Well, technically, that is your home. You've been living in a simulation your whole life. This IS the real world."
She stares at him incredulously. "That's ridiculous! I remember being born... I have family and friends!" Her voice cracks as she struggles to maintain her composure, tears streaming down her face. "How can you tell me that none of it is real?"
"If you'd like, we can show you the simulation in real time with our screen, and you can see it in your very own eyes when the 24 hours are up. There is a way to jack you into one of the public instances with your own controls, so you can flip to wherever and whenever you want!"
"If you were properly inserted to the simulation, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference!"She glances at him uncertainly. "Very well... I would like to see it right now though." Her voice is quiet and resigned now, her struggles against the restraints having subsided into a defeated slump. She looks away from them, focusing on the wall behind Prince Baby as she waits for whatever proof he can offer of her new reality.
He tells the team,"Alright, show her the cave, in her own time."the team hastily complies, showing her a perfect view of her home. She wants to jump through the screen, but the chains are preventing her
She stares at the image on the screen, her heart racing as she recognizes the familiar cave where she was born and lived. Tears stream down her face as she tries to process what she's seeing. It looks so real... but how can it be? "It can't be," she whispers, looking up at Prince Baby with wide eyes. "How is this possible?"
He watches her intently, waiting for her reaction. "Roskva..." he begins softly. "
"It's the simulation. But please, think it over. People in this time often get lost in the sim, and never experience true reality again. You will have the right to choose, but I still think you should consider it. You may feel trapped now, but very soon, you'll have a lot of opportunity!"
Her eyes narrow as she takes in his words. "I will not be kept here against my will," she growls, her tone leaving no room for argument. "And I will not forget who I am, or where I come from." Her voice is firm now, full of determination. "I need to go home."
She glances up at the camera, meeting its gaze unflinchingly. "Set me free, and maybe we can talk about this more reasonably."
"Alright. It's been... 48 minutes, just 23 hours and 12 minutes left. Can you handle that?"
"I will not give up," she says through gritted teeth. "You may have taken me from my time, but you cannot take away who I am." Her voice is strong now, resolute despite her exhaustion and the pain in her body. "If you truly want to help me, let me go home where I belong."
She looks at him defiantly, refusing to break even under the weight of his stare.
"Fine. I'll personally assure you. We can talk to our local representatives, get you lifetime funding in a traveller pod. In fact, they probably can, and the rep will get back within the first few hours."
Her eyes narrow as she considers his offer. "Very well," she says at last. "But I want my freedom in exchange." She pauses, then adds forcefully, "And I want to know that you will help me find a way back home." There is a steely determination in her voice that brooks no argument.
She looks away, focusing on the wall once more as she waits for him to respond.
"Yes. I'll help you. No matter what it takes."
Her shoulders relax infinitesimally at his promise, but she does not trust him yet. "We'll see," she says quietly. She looks tired and worn out, like the fight has taken everything out of her. The chains rattle slightly as she shifts uncomfortably against them.
Her gaze drifts back to the screen, watching as the image of the cave fades away, replaced by another scene from her past life.
*he leaves and returns with a small inflatable bed. It expands to full size quickly! He motions over for her to lie on it, and when she reluctantly does, it's incredibly comfy.*pretty nice, huh?
She glances at the bed dubiously before sighing and lying down on it. Despite her misgivings about trusting him, she's too exhausted to protest anymore. The bed is surprisingly comfortable, and she can't help but feel a hint of gratitude for his consideration. Still, she keeps one eye open, ready to spring into action if necessary.
Her attention drifts back to the screen as another familiar scene from her past life unfolds before her eyes.
"Alright. You can tap for food or water, the food is still grey unless you get the brain mod, or once you're in your past pod, food will be like normal."she doesn't seem to be paying attention to me"Well, I'm just going to go... we'll be monitoring you, so if you need anything, just let us know. See you later, Roskva."he gets up and walks off, away from her.
She nods politely as he leaves but doesn't respond. Her focus is on the screen and her own thoughts. She tries to remember everything about her past life, searching for anything that might help her get back home. The bed is comfortable enough that she begins to drift off into an uneasy sleep, still wary of the situation and the people around her.
After he leaves, a small buzz clicks off her restraints, and she is free to roam her room. Many hours drift by, and she drifts off to sleep.
She dreams of home. The sounds of the forest, the feel of the dirt beneath her feet, and the warmth of the fire on her skin. In her dream, she is free once more, able to roam wherever she pleases without being held captive by chains or restraints. Her family surrounds her, laughing and telling stories as they sit around the campfire under a sky full of stars.
As the hours pass, the dream fades away, replaced by fitful sleep on the unfamiliar bed.
She dreams again, this time of home. The familiar faces and smells surround her as they go about their daily lives. Her family gathers around the campfire, laughing and sharing stories. In her dream, she feels free and at peace. She's not sure how long it lasts before she is jolted awake by a loud beeping noise.
Her eyes fly open, darting about wildly as she struggles to recall where she is. The unfamiliar room comes back into focus; the chains gone and the bed comfortable.
this time someone else comes in, it's that stocky purple haired woman from the window"Hello, Roskva! You seem to be doing well, so we're going to let you go. Come along."
She takes a moment to gather her wits about her before nodding slowly and cautiously following the woman out of the room. As they walk down the hallway, she can't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. Perhaps there is hope for her yet.
"So," she finally says, "what happens now?" Her voice is tentative, unsure if she should trust them yet.
she says"Congressman Pagir is going to pay for your life in the past. Let's go."she guides him to a teleporter that leads to a facility that leads to a contract that she can barely read that leads her to a pod that leads her to the past. And... she's there, just like she remembers it. They told her about ways to change the time and place she's in, but she's content with exactly where she is. The end
She looks around warily, her gaze darting from one detail to another as she tries to take it all in. This place is just as she remembers... but at the same time, it feels different somehow. Perhaps it's because now she knows that she can never truly go back. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself against the pain and uncertainty that threaten to overwhelm her.
"Thank you," she says softly, meeting the blue sky with a determination that belies her words. "I feel just right. I'm finally home!"