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.