The Deep of Oblivion

Татьяна Васькова

The Deep of Oblivion

Author's Foreword

Hey everyone! It's such an honor knowing you're holding this book – my first one, the one I've been dreaming about forever. As a newbie author, I've poured my heart and soul into it, and I really hope it resonates with you.

Please be kind – I know it's not perfect, but I gave it my all. I'd love to hear what you think, any comments, wishes, or feedback! Drop me a line at [e-mail] – your opinion really matters.

If you dig this story, I promise the sequel won't keep you waiting long!

And, of course, I have to thank the people who were there for me on this wild ride.

Zhanna K., my first reader and best friend forever! Your support was priceless.

Mom, my first editor! This story wouldn't be the same without you. Thanks for your keen eye and wise advice.

Anastassiya C., thanks to you, the main character is who she is! Your contribution to her creation is invaluable.

Tatyana M., thanks for your support and comments. I really appreciate it!

And, of course, thank you, my future readers! Thank you for your interest and for giving me a chance.

A small but important note: While the images of some characters are inspired by real people, this book is a work of fiction. All events and characters are a figment of my imagination, and any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental.

Chapter 1

A throbbing in her head pressed against her temples, like a vise squeezing her skull. Nia opened her eyes and tried to focus on the gray, rough wall right in front of her. An alley. Dark, unfamiliar, smelling of machine oil and something sickly sweet. She was lying on the cold ground, feeling the dampness seeping through the thin fabric of her pink skirt.

A skirt… Pink? She instinctively tugged at the hem. And a bluish top with weird patterns. This isn't my style, she thought. But what was her style? Her mind was a blank. Not a single thought, not a single memory. Who am I? How did I get here? her mind raced.

Nearby, on the ground, lay a small bag, more like a stylish clutch than something practical. Instinct told her the bag belonged to her. Gathering her last strength, Nia got up, wobbling, and grabbed the bag. Light, weightless. As if there was nothing in it.

The throbbing intensified, joined by some muffled sounds – either voices or the screech of metal. Without figuring out what was happening, Nia shuffled out of the alley, trying to stay in the shadows. I need to get out of here. I need to figure out where I am. And who the hell am I? That single thought pounded in her head.

Emerging from the alley, Nia froze, staring in awe at the scene before her. A city. But not like she imagined it. Or rather, like she thought she imagined it. Tall, warped buildings, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. Flying cars darting between them like fireflies. Huge screens broadcasting unimaginable images.

This isn't my world. She knew it in her gut. But whose is it then? Surprise turned to anxiety. Where is everyone? Why is no one noticing me? She was like a ghost in this shimmering, but cold city. Gathering the remnants of her will, Nia stepped into the nearest building. A large hall filled with people, or rather, their imitations. All were glued to screens hanging right in front of their faces or manipulating something with their fingers in the air. No one talked, laughed, or paid attention to each other. They moved like programmed robots, each in their own digital world.

Nia walked along the wall, trying not to attract attention, feeling alien and lost. She peered into the windows of strange little shops, trying to understand what they were selling. Some glowing capsules, strange devices with lots of buttons, food that looked like colorful plasticine. The prices were listed in some incomprehensible symbols: "50 TM," "100 TM." What was that? Currency? But it meant nothing to her. In one of the windows, between the glowing capsules and the plasticine-food, she saw her reflection. Long chestnut hair, slightly below her waist, framed an oval face. Large brown eyes, now full of bewilderment, usually probably sparkled with laughter. A delicate, slightly upturned nose and sensual lips – she was beautiful, even in this ridiculous outfit.

Despair crept in. She was completely alone in this alien, indifferent world. I need to find out something about myself, about how I got here. Finding a secluded corner, Nia sat down on a bench and opened the bag with trembling hands. Inside, there wasn't much: a slim wallet, a strange-looking key, something like a flash drive, and a holographic photograph.

The photograph was of her, but she looked different. Her hair was braided in an intricate style, her face held a confident smile, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. She was dressed in comfortable, loose clothing made of some soft fabric, clearly designed for active movement. They were sitting on the edge of a cliff, admiring the sunset. And next to her was someone with short, light brown hair. Their gender was hard to determine. Their features simultaneously read as masculine and delicate. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder and looked more like close friends than lovers. There was something about this person's eyes… something complex. A mixture of strength, tenderness, and a deep sadness.

As Nia examined the photograph, the silence of the hall was shattered by a sharp, piercing sound, like an alarm. Everyone around seemed to come to life as if on cue. People, like soldiers, synchronously rose from their seats and, without saying a word, headed in different directions. Some went to the exit; others, on the contrary, rushed to some workstations equipped with complex instruments and screens. Nia was bewildered. What's going on? What should I do?

Instinct told her it was best not to stand out. She stood up and looked around, trying to figure out where the main flow of people was moving. Some of them were heading towards the exit, apparently having finished their work. Others, on the contrary, were taking their places and starting to do something, immersing themselves in screens and instruments. Nia noticed that no one was talking to each other; everyone was communicating through some invisible channels. This world was both technological and frighteningly soulless.

Deciding that it would be best to observe someone, Nia chose a middle-aged man in a gray jumpsuit who confidently headed to one of the workstations. He didn't look suspicious and paid no attention to her. Nia began to follow him, trying to keep her distance and not attract attention. Where is he going? And what is he doing there? Maybe this will help me find out something about this strange place and about myself, she thought.

The man approached a complex apparatus, resembling a hybrid of a computer and medical equipment. He put some kind of helmet on his head and stared at the screen. Nia stopped a short distance away, watching him. What is he doing? Who is he communicating with? And what is this apparatus?

Nia continued to observe from afar, trying to decipher what the man was doing. He sat motionless, with his eyes closed, and some symbols and graphics flashed on the screen in front of him. "Something like an electroencephalogram," Nia thought, though she had no idea where she knew that from. Maybe this is a memory from a past life?

Suddenly, some more understandable images appeared on the screen – snippets of memories, vague faces, some places. Nia froze, mesmerized, watching the screen. Is this what I think it is? Is this apparatus reading minds? Can it help me remember who I am?

Curiosity got the better of her. Nia moved closer, trying to make out the details on the screen. She reached out to touch the image and accidentally bumped into a wire. The apparatus made a loud crackling noise, and the man flinched, tearing the helmet off his head. He turned sharply and stared at Nia with obvious irritation.

The man hissed, rushing toward her.

– You broke my connection! Who are you, and what do you want here?

Nia stepped back, looking at the man with fear. He was clearly not in the mood for jokes. "What do I do now? Lie? Run? Or try to explain who I am? But will he believe me? And what will happen if I tell the truth?" Her thoughts raced.

At that moment, two guards in black uniforms appeared in the hall. They quickly headed towards them, obviously attracted by the noise. Nia realized she was in trouble. Big trouble.

Her 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… The amount seemed astronomical to Nia. What are "Times"?

– Times? What is it? – she asked.

– Times is our currency, – Doctor Emmett explained.

A memory of the prices in the city flashed in Nia's mind. "50 TM… 100 TM…", she thought. Now she knew that it was currency. And fifty million Times was a huge amount.

– I… I don't know if I can pay, – Nia said anxiously.

Are they keeping me here for money? What will happen if I can't pay? Nia thought fearfully.

Doctor Emmett sighed.

– Since your case is unique, the hospital is covering all the costs. For now.

Nia felt relieved. At least some good news. For now… Does that mean I'll still have to pay later?

– Can I move around the hospital? I need to stretch my legs a bit, – she asked, hoping to see something new.

Doctor Emmett frowned.

– It's dangerous, Nia. We don't know how your condition will progress. What if you forget where you came from and get lost? There are a lot of corridors here.

Nia tried to object, but Doctor Emmett interrupted her:

– Okay, I understand. You need some light and space. I can arrange for you to be moved to a room with a window. That's the best I can do for you now.

Nia agreed. A room with a window was at least some progress. Maybe she would see something useful from the window? Or just be able to distract herself a little from these gray walls and intrusive questions. But it was better than nothing.

Nia was moved to the new room in the evening. As before, she was given an injection, and she hardly remembered being carried on a gurney. She woke up in the new ward. It was dark, and the lights of the futuristic city were visible outside the window. Flying cars darted around, creating a bizarre pattern of light.

Nia lay in bed for a while, trying to recover from the injection. Then she got up and went to the window. The landscape was mesmerizing. Tall, curved buildings, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, neon signs, advertising billboards floating in the air. But something was wrong.

Nia looked more closely. Evening seemed to have frozen in time. There was no sunrise, no sunset. The same twilight light all the time. She remembered that when she woke up in the alley, she hadn't seen the sun either. Was it always night in this world? Or were they keeping her in a place where there was no change of day and night? What were they hiding?

Anxiety grew, but Nia had many other reasons to worry. Doctor Emmett came to visit her periodically, and they had long, heartfelt conversations. As a result of these conversations, Nia realized that the doctors had already carried out all possible procedures and were not going to harm her. They just wanted to observe her condition. But why me? What's so special about me?

Doctor Emmett told her that he was a newcomer to this hospital, and she was his first patient. This seemed strange to Nia. Starting a medical practice at fifty was a little unusual. But the main thing was that she had at least one person she could trust in this chaos. Although… can I trust him?

Doctor Emmett began to visit Nia more often, and she looked forward to the time when he would come. The doctor decided to find out exactly what Nia could do by offering her different games and activities. He hoped to awaken muscle memory in her.

First, he ordered them to give him a ball, and they tried to play the games he knew. She didn't remember a single one and didn't know how to play. Then he tried to get her to cut and peel vegetables, but it turned out that she didn't know how to do that either.

– Maybe you can draw? – Doctor Emmett asked, taking a canvas, paints, and brushes from the closet.

Nia tried, but she only managed to make some meaningless strokes. She threw the brush on the table.

– I can't do anything! – she said.

– What about sculpting? – Doctor Emmett suggested, bringing a piece of clay.

Nia tried to sculpt something, but only a shapeless mass came out. She squeezed the clay in her hand, feeling it spread between her fingers: I am no one. An empty space.

– Okay, let's try something more complicated, – Doctor Emmett said, taking an old, broken clock from the drawer. – Try to disassemble it and put it back together.

Nia fiddled with the small parts for a long time, but could not understand how they worked. She leaned back in the chair, feeling despair engulf her: I can't even fix a broken clock!

Doctor Emmett was upset.

– What can you do then? – he muttered, looking at Nia with disappointment.

– I don't know, – Nia replied, feeling completely useless. Her eyes filled with tears.

Doctor Emmett pondered for a moment, and then his face brightened.

– Wait a minute! I have another idea!

He ordered them to bring him all the musical instruments that could be found in the city: a guitar, a violin, a flute, a drum. Nia tried to play each of them, but nothing worked. The strings did not obey her fingers, only whistling sounds came out of the flute, and the drum responded with a dull, arrhythmic thud. She threw the drumsticks away, feeling tears streaming down her cheeks again:

– I can't even make a normal sound!

Doctor Emmett sighed and put the instruments aside.

– Okay, Nia, let's not rush. Everything has its time. Maybe your memories will return on their own.

After that, Doctor Emmett stopped offering Nia any activities. He just came to her room, asked about her well-being. Nia felt that he was not losing hope, but also did not know what to do next. He just feels sorry for me, Nia stated.

The days dragged on, one after another, as alike as two drops of water. Nia looked out the window, trying to remember at least something from her past life. But it was all in vain. Her brain remained clear and imperturbable. I am a blank slate. But who will draw my life on it? The girl pondered.

Sometimes Nia began to think that she had simply gone crazy. That all this was just a figment of her sick imagination. But then she looked at Doctor Emmett, at his kind eyes and sincere concern, and realized that this was not so. She really had lost her memory. And she needed to somehow live on. Or at least survive.

On one of the doctor's visits, Nia, gathering her courage, asked:

– Doctor Emmett, why is there no sun here? When will dawn come?

Doctor Emmett raised his eyebrows in surprise.

– Dawn? – he asked again, as if he had heard something long forgotten. – I don't even remember dawn ever being… I think my grandmother or great-grandmother told me about the sun, but I can't remember exactly.

– What kind of lighting is this? Where does the light come from? – Nia continued to inquire.

– These are generators, – Doctor Emmett explained. – They supply the earth with energy.

– But how is that? Why doesn't the sun appear for so long? What happened? – Nia didn't give up.

Doctor Emmett sighed.

– There are legends that once the day began to shorten, and the sun appeared for less and less time. And then it didn't rise at all. We call this the Day of the Great Darkness. No one knows when the sun will rise again.

– But why did this happen? – Nia asked. – Doesn't the earth rotate in orbit? And if the sun disappeared, the earth would begin to cool down, wouldn't it?

Doctor Emmett could not answer this question.

– Hmm… You know, I never thought about it. I don't have the necessary knowledge in the field of astronomy. But I will definitely check with my colleagues and tell you next time. I myself have never been interested in this topic.