The Deep of Oblivion

Nia felt disappointed. Doctor Emmett seemed so smart and knowledgeable, but even he couldn't explain what had happened to the sun. What kind of world was this, in which even the sun was just a legend?

The days dragged on slowly, filled with anxiety and expectation. Doctor Emmett did not return for a long time, and Nia began to worry. What happened to him? Why doesn't he come? Maybe he got sick? Or did he just forget about her? She rushed around the room like a beast in a cage.

One day, an unfamiliar man in a light blue suit entered her room. His face was impenetrable and cold, and his gaze was aloof.

– Doctor Emmett will no longer be able to visit you, – he announced without any preamble.

– What happened? Where is he? – Nia asked fearfully. She felt her heart sink.

– Doctor Emmett has been arrested for his interest in forbidden knowledge, – the new doctor replied.

Nia felt the world around her collapsing.

– Arrested? For what forbidden knowledge? What will happen to him now? – Tears welled up in her eyes. She had become so used to Doctor Emmett, to his kind eyes and sincere concern. He was the only person she could trust in this crazy world.

– Don't worry, – the new doctor snapped. – Doctor Emmett will be cleansed and sent for retraining again. Then he will reappear in the hospital and take on a new patient.

– Cleansed? And retrained? Won't that take a long time? – Nia wondered.

– No, not at all. It's only a few years. There's no need to worry about Emmett. He's been through this procedure several times. He starts getting too close to patients too often, and that's unacceptable and causes problems.

Nia was shocked.

– Cleansed minds? Several times? That's terrible! How is that possible? – There was despair in her voice. She pressed her hands to her chest, as if trying to protect herself from this terrible truth.

The new doctor just shrugged:

– These are the rules. Our job is to heal, not to befriend. You must understand that all this is done for your own good.

With these words, he left the room, leaving Nia in complete confusion: Mind cleansing. Forbidden knowledge. Friendship with patients is a crime? What is this world I'm in? And what will happen to me now? Am I next?

Nia spent what seemed like several more months in this hospital. How much time had passed? A week? A month? A year? Her favorite pastime was watching the lights of the unusual metropolis in the distance, and she began to prepare an escape plan. Since both days and nights were very similar to each other, it was unclear when the day began and the night ended. What difference did it make? It was always twilight here. She decided to wait for a time when there would be the fewest people around the hospital, and jump out of the window, since that was the only way out. It was the third floor, and she thought that even if she broke something, it would be better than just doing nothing. A broken leg is better than a broken will.

The girl tried to pull out all possible things and tie them together into a long rope, but the length was naturally not enough. Then Nia decided to drop the mattress from the bed down below, in order to at least somewhat cushion the fall. She barely managed to drag it across the room and lift it to the window. The mattress was heavy, and Nia had to put in a lot of effort to get it over the windowsill. The main thing was not to fall.

Then she tied a sheet to the leg of the bed, hoping that this would help her descend from a lower height. The sheet was thin and fragile. Nia understood that she would still fall, and possibly get injured, but she was willing to risk it. Risk is all I have left.

Waiting for it to become completely quiet outside the window, Nia climbed onto the windowsill, took a deep breath, and looked down. The mattress lay on the ground, like a small island of hope. Jump. Or stay here forever. Closing her eyes, Nia jumped.

Nia flew down, feeling the wind whistling in her ears. The sheet tightened, slowing the fall a little, but it was still scary. Just don't break your neck! She landed on the mattress, which, although it softened the impact, did not completely absorb it. Her legs were pierced with sharp pain, but Nia, gritting her teeth, got to her feet. Alive. And that's the main thing.

She expected everyone around to rush to her, start shouting and grabbing her. But nothing like that happened. The people passing by were simply going about their business, as if they didn't notice her. They behaved like obedient robots, immersed in their own thoughts and concerns. They didn't care. As always.

Nia looked around. The urban oasis was far away, but she decided that she needed to go there. There was nothing more for her to do here, near the hospital. Soon they would start looking for her, and then it would all be over. She needed to run. Before it was too late.

She needed to get to the city as quickly as possible, but in such a way that as few people as possible noticed her. Nia understood that she would have to move carefully, avoid crowded places, and hide in the shadows. Become a shadow in this city of shadows.

She ran towards the metropolis, trying not to pay attention to the pain in her legs. Strange vehicles rushed past, people in identical suits, billboards with incomprehensible images. Everything was alien and unfamiliar. I am a stranger here. And I always will be a stranger, the girl realized.

Nia felt lost and lonely. But she knew that she couldn't give up. She had to find answers to her questions. She had to find out who she was and why she was in this strange place. And she had to find a way to survive. At any cost.

After the desperate jump and the, albeit cushioned, but painful landing, Nia felt every bump under her feet. The pain in her legs pulsed with every step, reminding her of her risky escape. The roads she walked seemed endless, gray ribbons running into the distance. They were laid between some strange fields, where not so much trees, not so much bushes grew, all equally gray and lifeless. Like her life.

She wandered, stumbling, along these godforsaken paths, feeling hunger twisting her stomach more and more strongly. Due to the lack of change of day and night, Nia completely lost track of time. It seemed that an eternity had passed since she woke up in the alley. She didn't know how long she had been walking, but she knew for sure that she needed to eat. And drink. And find out who she was.

There was no one around. Only these endless gray fields and strange, emaciated plants. Nia began to doubt that she had chosen the right direction. Maybe she should have stayed near the hospital? But they would have found her there anyway. There was no turning back.

Chapter 4

When hope had almost faded, she saw a figure in the distance. A person? Or was she imagining it? Nia squinted, trying to get a better look. Yes, it was a girl. She was standing in the middle of the road, as if waiting for someone. Who could be waiting in this godforsaken place?

As Nia got closer, she couldn't believe her eyes. The girl was incredibly beautiful. Sparkling hair flowed down her shoulders, perfect makeup emphasized her expressive eyes, and her clothes were so stylish and elegant that they didn't fit in with this bleak landscape at all. She looked as if she had just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. What is she doing in the middle of nowhere? Nia thought.

The girl saw Nia and smiled.

– Hi! Are you okay? You don't look very well, – her voice was soft and melodic.

Nia was a little confused.

– I'm lost, – she squeezed out of herself. It sounded pathetic. – And my leg hurts.

The girl examined Nia carefully.

– Yes, I see. You've hurt your leg. And you look very tired. Let me help you. I live not far from here. We can go to my place, I'll treat the wound and feed you.

The offer was very tempting. Her leg really hurt terribly, and she was tormented by hunger. But something about this girl seemed suspicious to Nia. She was too well-groomed and beautiful so far from the city. She offered help too easily. Intuition screamed danger, but her body demanded rest and food. You can't trust anyone. But there is no choice.

Nia hesitated:

– Thank you. But I don't know…

The girl gently took her hand. Her touch was cold, despite the smile.

– Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. My name is Lira. And I just want to help.

Of course, you just want to help, flashed through Nia's mind.

Lira… The name sounded like music. But what was hidden behind this beautiful cover? Having no idea where to go in this gray, monotonous place, Nia reluctantly agreed to Lira's help.

They turned around and went, seemingly without a road, straight to the west. Lira walked confidently, turning several times, as if she saw an invisible path and knew where she was going. She was here not for the first time. Who is she? And what does she want? Nia just obediently followed her, trying to keep up, despite the pain in her leg.

They reached Lira's house quickly enough. From the outside, it was a small hut, unremarkable and almost blending in with the gray landscape. It was so well hidden that it was impossible to see it from afar. Nia again felt a surge of suspicion. How can such a girl live in such a miserable place?

But when Lira opened the door, and a soft light lit up inside, Nia was amazed. The hut inside seemed much larger than it was on the outside. It was impossible! What the hell?

Nia involuntarily exclaimed:

– How is this possible?

Lira smiled, as if she had been expecting this question.

– This is an old technology, almost forgotten, – she explained. – In the two thousand nine hundred and thirtieths, due to overpopulation, each person was supposed to have only nine square meters of living space. Many people were uncomfortable with this, so scientists created a device that increases the space inside a room. Something like spatial distortion.

Lira paused for a second, as if thinking something over, and then continued:

– Now there is no problem of overpopulation.

She cut herself off, as if she realized she had said something extra, and said nothing more. A shadow flickered in her eyes.

At that moment, it dawned on Nia: two thousand nine hundred and thirtieths. Spatial distortion. “There is no overpopulation now.” Why is she talking so strangely?

Nia gasped:

– Does that mean I'm in the future?

Lira looked at her silently. Nia felt her heart beginning to pound wildly. Everything fell into place. The futuristic city, the flying cars, the strange technologies. She had ended up in the thirty-first century! But how? And why didn't she remember anything? What was this? A game? Or reality?

– What year is it? – Nia asked, trying to hide the tremor in her voice.

– Three thousand seventy-seven, – Lira replied. Her gaze was scrutinizing.

Three thousand seventy-seven?! More than a thousand years in the future! How was that possible? And what awaited her in this new, incomprehensible world? “I must find out the truth! At any cost,” Nia vowed to herself.

Stopping the conversation about time, Lira approached some strange device, resembling an iridescent cube with many buttons and glowing panels. It certainly wasn't a refrigerator, it was something from another time. To Nia's surprise, Lira took out food, but it wasn't the usual food, but colorful pieces, resembling plasticine, each of which glowed with its own shade.

Nia looked at it with doubt.

– What is this? – she asked, trying not to betray disgust.

– This is nutritious paste, – Lira replied. – With the taste of apple, strawberry, and even steak!

She handed Nia a small green piece, glowing in the twilight. It smelled like apple, but the appearance was not at all appetizing. Nia took it cautiously. What if it was poison?

Nia was even more surprised when Lira took out an ordinary bandage and began to bandage her leg in the old-fashioned way. She treated the wound with some brown ointments, smelling of herbs. It was so primitive. Was she pretending? Or were they all so strange here?

Nia, reluctantly biting off a piece of “apple plasticine,” couldn't resist:

– Lira, why in three thousand seventy-seventh year are you still using such outdated means? I saw in the city: there are so many advanced technologies there!

Lira raised her eyebrows in surprise, like the doctor in the hospital. Again, that surprised look. They were all hiding something.

– Outdated? What do you mean? This is the most modern thing we have. Bandages made of special material, with antibacterial properties, and ointment based on medicinal herbs.

Nia choked on the artificial apple.

– But I saw scanners, lasers, some memory readers. Surely you have nano-robots? Why don't you use them? Shouldn't medicine be more advanced in the future?

Lira paused for a moment, as if recalling something from history.

– At some point, long, long ago, the development of medicine stopped. I don't know exactly when or why. We were told that it was necessary. That it benefited everyone.

Benefited whom? flashed through Nia's mind.

– Stopped? How is that possible? – Nia was shocked. – Why?

Lira shrugged.

– I don't know. I wasn't told the details. They said it was related to some ethical issues. Something like medical technologies went too far and became dangerous.

– Dangerous for whom? – Nia didn't understand.

Lira hesitated again.

– Well, we live here, away from the city, we are engaged in agriculture. We have our own community.

A community? A sect? Nia's suspicions grew with each passing minute.

Something was wrong here. Too many inconsistencies. Too many oddities. Lira was clearly hiding something. “I must be careful,” Nia reminded herself.

After this strange conversation about medicine and history, an awkward silence hung in the air. Nia was digesting what she had heard, trying to put all these inconsistencies together in her head. “The cessation of development,” “ethical problems,” “dangerous technologies”… What does all this mean? And why is Lira so evasive in her answers? “I must find out the truth,” Nia thought.

Lira, as if sensing the tension, smiled softly.

– You must be very tired, Nia, – she said. – You probably haven't slept in a long time. And your leg hurts. Let me make up a bed for you. You need to rest.

To tell the truth, Nia really hadn't slept for a very long time. After escaping from the hospital and wandering through the gray roads, she was exhausted physically and mentally. The opportunity to sleep on a soft and cozy bed, away from danger and uncertainty, seemed incredibly tempting. Who knew when she would have such an opportunity next time?

She looked at Lira, trying to see sincerity in her eyes. Could she be trusted? Or was this just a trick? But fatigue took its toll. Nia felt that if she didn't rest now, she would simply collapse without strength.

– Okay, – Nia said, surrendering. – I'm really very tired. Thank you.

Lira smiled and led Nia to a small room, furnished simply but comfortably. In the center of the room stood a bed, covered with a soft down blanket and pillows. On the walls hung paintings depicting some landscapes that did not look like the gray fields outside the window. The room smelled of herbs and freshness. Too cloying. Too perfect.

– Here, make yourself comfortable, – Lira said. – I'll bring you something to wear for sleep. And then I'll leave you alone.

She left the room, leaving Nia alone. Nia looked around. The room seemed safe and peaceful. She went to the bed and ran her hand over the soft blanket. How she wanted to just fall asleep and forget about everything in the world!

Soon Lira returned with some kind of nightgown made of soft fabric.

– Here, take it, – she said. – I hope it fits you.

Nia took the shirt and looked at Lira gratefully.

– Thank you, – she repeated. – You are very kind to me.

Too kind, flashed through her mind.

Lira smiled.

– Rest. You need to gain strength. And I'll be around if you need anything.

She left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Nia was left alone. She quickly changed into the nightgown and lay down on the bed. The blanket was warm and soft. The pillow was fluffy and comfortable. Too comfortable… This is alarming.

Nia closed her eyes. Fatigue instantly fell upon her. She felt the tension leaving her body. She was falling asleep…

But even in her half-sleep, doubts and suspicions did not leave her. What was Lira hiding? And why was she acting so strangely? Something was wrong here. Nia felt it with all her being. But sleep was stronger. And she fell asleep, plunging into restless dreams about a glittering city, gray fields, and a mysterious girl named Lira.

Chapter 5

Nia was awakened by some strange pressure in her chest. In her sleep, it began to seem to her that something was pressing on her and suffocating her, not allowing her to breathe. She tried to turn over, but couldn't. Something was restricting her movements. Another nightmare?

Abruptly opening her eyes, she realized what was happening. Her nightgown was shrinking! The fabric constricted her chest, arms, and wrists, like steel hoops. And the long hem of the shirt had already bound her legs, tightly wrapping them like a rope. Nia tried to move, but couldn't. She was like a fly in a web. What was this devilry?

Panic overwhelmed her. What was this nightmare? What was happening? She tried to scream, call for help, but the fabric of the shirt was squeezing her throat, preventing her from making a sound. Betrayal…

Gathering her last strength, Nia still managed to exhale a hoarse, barely audible cry.

In that same second, the door to the room burst open. Lira stood on the threshold, and she was not alone. Several guys entered the room with her, or at least, Nia thought so at first. But looking closer, she realized that these were not quite ordinary people. Freaks…

These were strange creatures with some additional limbs and unusual facial features. One of them had three arms, one of which stretched out from under his cloak. Another's face looked somehow blurry and indistinct, as if its features were constantly changing. What were these creatures?

Entering the room, they stared at Nia, restrained by the shirt. Some impatient anticipation was read in their eyes. Their gazes were sticky, disgusting.

– Where is the artifact? – asked one of them, the one with three arms. His voice was low and hoarse, as if he had been silent for a long time.

Nia didn't understand what they were talking about. Artifact? What artifact? Moreover, she couldn't answer. The fabric of the shirt was squeezing her throat and arms, not even allowing her to breathe.

Lira stepped forward.

– Loosen your grip, – she said to the shirt, as if addressing a living creature. – We need her to be able to speak.

The shirt loosened its grip a little. Nia was able to breathe and cough. Air… How wonderful it was.

– What artifact? – she asked hoarsely, looking at Lira with horror. – What are you talking about?

Lira no longer seemed like the kind and caring girl who had helped Nia on the road. Steel and determination were read in her eyes.

– The artifact should have been with her, – Lira said, her voice now sounding cold and detached.

Lira began to quickly search her belongings, or rather, the little that she had. The hospital clothes that she had worn since the escape, the nightgown that turned out to be a trap… Nothing more. There was nothing to search…

– She has nothing, – one of the freakish creatures stated.

– It can't be, – Lira objected. – It had to be with her. It's always with them.

Lira came closer to Nia and leaned into her face. Her breath was cold and unpleasant.

– Where is it? – she hissed. – Where is the artifact? Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.

Nia shook her head.

– I don't know. I don't remember anything. I really don't know what artifact you're talking about.

Lira recoiled.

– She's lying, – she said to her companions.

Some more time passed. They tried in various ways to find out where the artifact was. They asked questions, threatened, even tried to look into her thoughts with the help of some strange devices. But it was all useless. Nia really didn't remember anything. Or didn't want to remember?

Finally, Lira retreated.

– It seems she really doesn't know anything, – she said. – At least, not yet.

– And what do we do now? – asked one of the members of her gang. – Kill her?

Lira pondered for a moment.

– No, – she said. – We can't kill her. The artifact is connected to her. If we kill her, we may lose it forever.

– Then what?

– We'll keep her with us, – Lira said. – Until she remembers. As soon as she remembers where the artifact is, we'll take it first.

From that moment on, a new chapter began in Nia's life. Life in Lira's gang. She was a prisoner, but at the same time, a valuable asset. They watched her every step, not trusting her for a second. She lived in constant fear, not knowing what awaited her in the next moment.

But deep down, Nia still hoped. Hope that she would be able to remember her past. Hope that she would be able to escape from these monsters. And hope that she would be able to find out what this artifact was that they were hunting so much. “I will find out everything. Or die trying,” she thought.

Nia spent about a month in Lira's gang. Time dragged on slowly and monotonously, like a gray ribbon, like the roads surrounding their hut. During all this time, not a single new person appeared in their hut. It seemed that they lived in some isolated little world, cut off from the rest of the world. A sect. A godforsaken place.

She was assigned household duties: preparing food from this strange “plasticine” mixture, cleaning the hut.

After a while, Lira began to trust her a little. She was even allowed to walk around the district alone, collect herbs, or just breathe fresh air. But Nia couldn't go far. She was not given any technology, no means of transportation. Without technology, she couldn't go far, she would be quickly caught.

The girl understood that she was a prisoner. But she also understood that she had to wait for her chance. She watched Lira and her henchmen, studied their habits and weaknesses. She hoped that one day she would be able to escape. “I will be patient. And when the time comes, I will escape,” constantly spinning in her head.

One day, a man came to their hut. He introduced himself as a doctor from the very hospital from which Nia had escaped. The man was dressed in a light blue suit and looked very worried.

– I'm looking for a fugitive, – he said to Lira. – She escaped from our hospital about a month ago. We believe that she may be in this area.

Lira, without batting an eye, replied:

– There is no one here. We live here alone. We have not seen any fugitives.

Her voice was as even as ice. “She is an excellent actress,” Nia thought.

The doctor looked at Lira carefully, as if trying to see a lie in her eyes. Then he looked around the hut. Nia hid in the corner, trying not to attract attention. Just so he wouldn't notice.

Fortunately, the doctor noticed nothing.

– Sorry for the trouble, – he said. – If you find out anything, please let us know.

He left, leaving behind a oppressive silence. Lira looked at Nia with a warning.

– You see, – she said. – They are still looking for you. You must be careful.

A threat was read in her gaze. “She is afraid. So I have a chance,” Nia noticed.

After the doctor left, Nia's life returned to normal. She continued to perform her household duties, watching Lira and waiting for her hour. But now she knew that her past was still haunting her. And that one day she would have to make a choice: to remain a prisoner in Lira's gang or to try to escape and find answers to her questions. “I will choose freedom. And the truth,” she thought.

One day, Lira gathered all her servants and announced: