; SOUL=DATA TRANSFER… 100% > INITIATING SOUL=UNIT SYNCHRONIZATION PROCESS… %

; UNIT_Activation… Complete. 

I flutter my gaze, a blurry haze of deformed shapes and forms, like I'd just woken from being blackout drunk. My world was shaking and I couldn't string a single coherent thought, I cupped a hand on my forehead, caressing it to ease my rude waking up.

I could make out strange text crawling from the bottom left of my eyes, continuously moving upward, indicating messages of some kind. 

; Malware_Unit status: Online… %

; Malware_Unit status: Disharmonious… repeating process… % 

But, a numbing sensation coursed through my body— shutting it down— freezing my hands, and locked my eyes open.

My sights were firmly pasted on the ceiling, tiled marble lit with a strip light, and the pervasive hums of a loud fan somewhere— an office?— then, turquoise lights on my eye’s periphery slowly crept on the top, encircling my vision, they were hexagonal and moved in a pattern. 

; SOUL=DATA TRANSFER; SOUL INTEGRATION PROCESS INITIATING. % 

; UNIT SYNCHRONIZED — SURFACE LEVEL ;

The text flashed with vivid visuals, disappearing as swiftly as it came. After a soft click on my temple, a torrential surge of memories came flooding my mind and coalesced into a single torrential headache that shook me to the soles of my feet.

An assault to every sense in my body from my dizziness intensifying my vision to static, to ear-splitting tinnitus from both ears and needle-like punctures through every inch of my skin. Without a clue as to why this was happening, I instinctively curled up, hoping it would go away.

While in place, the memories forcefully inserted in my head flashed images that had some connection to me: a barely maintained apartment bedroom— unpainted walls and rusty kitchenware, an empty office cubicle, and a plaza on a rainy night until…

Perplexed, I stammered on my words trying to rationalize these intrusions. “W-what? What is this?” Then, like a pang of mental clarity, the last of these visions, my cell phone and the footbridge guided me back to fill in the missing gaps in my memory. 

Coming to this realization, I crawled on the floor, using a nearby desk to lift myself on my feet. “Where am I?” I ask, my voice shrill and meek, though it did sound slightly off-tuned— different— like someone else's.

“I- I didn't die, did I?” I sighed, relieved to have passed that painful onset of my seeming re-awakening— my first awakening? I wasn't so sure anymore.

All those visions, they happened didn't they? They weren't dreams, right? It wasn't like me to fall asleep on the job, though this didn't seem like a place I'd be taken into after an injury. I'd expect the hospital or an emergency room at least. 

After reaching a hand to feel for a lump or swelling—on the location of the injury— behind my head, I only felt the length of my hair, was it always white? I could've sworn it was a lot darker… and there wasn't anything broken or in pain, I was completely fine.

Maybe, I was worried for nothing? It would at least reassure my restlessness for the time being. 

After combing through my downed white hair, with some curves and curls from my time asleep, I pinch a rubber band off the desk to tie this sudden overabundance. 

I tie a singular knot, a messy but simple high ponytail. I swept my bangs aside, freeing my eyes and ears, but while sweeping my hand over my eyes, I spotted some curious markings on my hand.

A sign of sorts, after looking further at the oddity written on the center of my palm. I recognize it as a barcode, like those in supermarkets. Strangely, this barcode emits a faint cyan glow roughly, pulsing every 3 seconds.

Despite not being there since I last saw it, I've wasted too much time to ponder it. If the night in my memory were to go by, it would already be midnight and I'd be woefully behind on my routine. 

With my wristwatch missing and my sense of time skewed I proceeded out of the cubicles with urgency. 

The main building—to my surprise— had all its lights on and the power was left running, even when the place shouldn’t be operating at this hour. Not that I found it bothersome, on the contrary, the added convenience helped me in vacating the place easier, so I had nothing against it. 

Descending the main building staircase, a shivering whirlwind draft came my way, almost knocking me down in place. I held onto the railing for support— eyes narrowing— my urgency shifting towards concern.

A breeze at this time of night wasn’t off, even if the doors were left wide open it shouldn’t let a breeze this strong inside the premises, especially not when the power was still running… not unless.    

THUMP, THUMP!

I swipe my glasses off and rub my eyes irritably, hoping to blind myself from the sight before me on the ground floor. The office entrance wasn’t just open, it was blown apart— a gaping maw on the used-to-be doorway of the office— overgrown with vines and moss all creeping from the outside. The sun was as radiant as it could be— mistaken for the midnight I expected— peeking through the windows and entrance.   

I fluttered my eyes, petrified while digesting the delusion cast upon me, I wouldn’t be fooled though, this was a dream, well— what I reassured myself with at least—

“This is not real, this is not real— This is not real!” I shout, with hands on my head and a pair of bulbous eyes locked, I wanted answers, I needed answers. In the wake of surviving an accident, I found myself trapped in an even larger, more consequential dilemma.

Brushing this off like some dream was the easiest answer, but even my senses were wronging my logic, like I was supposed to accept that the office had seemingly been abandoned for years in the brief moment I’d vanished— Madness— I wasn’t gone for that long, right?    

To quell my concern, I ran towards the entrance to see more of the outside, the happenings, and more answers to this unanswerable situation. 

SLAM

running face first into something bright, knocking me on the ground, before I reached the opening, though strangely nothing was on the way to have me hit, to begin with, “What the.” I mutter standing up, while a whitish shimmer gleamed through my glasses, raising my eyes. 

Inching cautiously, I extended my right hand out, after seeing that gleam It could only guarantee one thing. “This couldn’t be—” I submit, my mouth hanging agape, the barrier gleaning a striking red color with hexagonal patterns, growing larger the closer I did.    

After my finger touched it, a pop-up box appeared on my right hand, a message box present in computers… now existed with me? 

“ Complete the tutorial to open this barrier.”  

“T-tutorial? You’re kidding me” It’s been years since I last touched a video game— being the epitome of distractions— they were the sole addiction that deprived me of true happiness, It had to be eliminated before I could properly begin anew. 

But it's simply unfeasible for something as absurd as a real video game to exist, and for me to take part in it is even more unlikely… 

Another message popped up, this time much closer to my face, “Rejoice! Malware.UNIT and reap the fruits of paradise.”  

Yet, I'm here, breathing, walking, and experiencing an otherworldly scenario. Then, the prospect of me not being unharmed after falling suddenly felt less and less likely.

“I’m… Malware.” I mutter the name wasn't right, but this has been my name even before I fell— I sigh— SLAM. 

I struck the barrier with my fist to no avail, the thing was clear and corporeal in form and unbreakable— with what I could access— at least. Another message replaced the pop-up that I had on me. 

“To our dearest units, the delivered ones. Your units possess not just the tangible form of life, but a gift— an ability — bestowed by being a member of the EDEN network.” 

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP

“Eden? That’s not the first time I’ve heard that… but when?” Like an itch, each time the word was mentioned It fills me with disgust and betrayal even… if that make any sense?

However, seeing that the barrier wouldn’t open less I followed through with this tutorial, I had no choice and wanted my answers now, so compliance was the best option. 

While walking, the text continued to type, letter by letter at the same pace as I was. I chained my feelings about this place for now, as they’ll only cloud my judgment and mind when I need to learn as much as possible about the world.

If this world did turn out to be a video game, or I died in that accident... STOP SCARING YOURSELF! speculations yield nothing— not in this situation— After all, I have a new life to return to. 

“Units come equipped with their unique PROTOCOLS which will accompany you in your journey in the vast expanse of Eden, but first you must be knowledgeable of your protocols before you are prepared.” 

“How would I do that?” I ask, expecting it to respond with another pop-up, playing off the weirdness of this world. And sure enough, it did “Lift your hand and face the auth in the air. Activation will occur with Unit input.”  

“Did you mean?” I gaze at my hand looking at the glowing barcode with the message in mind. It opens with ease, revealing a select screen of three options.

Three things I can explore: EQUIPMENTS, PROTOCOLS, and STATUS. The message would highlight the middle, and with as little as the tip of my finger, I’m taken to the PROTOCOLS menu.     

; PROTOCOLS 

>TIER 1 — CAST STRINGS 

???

The information tab was empty, and it didn’t explain anything, so why bother leading me to a dead end? I cupped my hand, closing the auth with more questions than answers, It was the first time I was more intrigued than infuriated for wasting my time. 

I race my eyes around the office building, I had finished their tutorial and wanted to make my urgent leave, to leave this distraction— dream— and fix my routine. 

“Now what? I’m done with your tutorial aren’t I—” How I regret those words, speaking too soonly of such affairs, as something great and heavy on the roof, turned my head towards the glass dome of the office building. 

THUMP THUMP— CRASH   

The office ceiling collapses under the weight of what I could describe as a pair of bi-pedal mechs with tank-like chassis for bodies dropping feet first from the ceiling. 

One armed to the brim with guns— having an elongated arm cannon— while the more heavily armored wielded a heated arm blade twice longer than the length of my body.    

Glass shards rained down like diamonds reflecting the morning rays and debris crashed like meteorites, breaking into smaller chunks and the parts impacted, while dust peppered the ground floor with brown, their eyes didn’t spot me at first, with brown frames and beaming yellow eyes. I stood star-struck, eyes widened, and gasped.    

“They’re not allies are they—” I mutter, simultaneously attracting the attention of the mechs’, their sights flashed red and the ranged one calculatingly adjusted their cannon. 

BANG BANG BANG! Went the first mech’s cannons, flashing lights came from the gunfire, and smoke pillared from the barrel aimed at none other than me. I sprint to one of the side rooms of the building, while the stray shots would blow up against the hexagonal barriers, they would promptly shake the entire office once reaching the floor.  

“Wait— I didn’t sign up for this— I didn’t sign up for ANY of this!” I shrieked, for once in my life— terrorized— Not once had I got the misfortune of experiencing the sensations of life and death twice in a row. 

SLASH the wall was soon after sliced behind me and the bladed one would crash up against it busting it down, hurling debris and office equipment aside like toys, keeping their red eyes on me they would let out a mechanical roar of combustion and smoke in their rampant chase, thankfully, being an employee here helped me access the fire exit and lose the raging mech.

I climb the fire exit and to the second floor, being twice the size of actual tanks— with the larger ranged mech standing almost two stories tall. The rest of the staircase had eroded, leaving me stuck 

“W-what am I supposed to do against those?” I whispered frantically to myself, hoping that the messages would pick up. I trembled with my hands wrapped around me while the building shook by the mechs’ footsteps, surveying and eager to track me down.

What was this? It couldn’t be distress, it was far too heightened to be merely that. This turmoil in my shaky heart, I didn’t just hate it— I loathed it. 

Nothing… I nail-bitingly waited for that message while the stomping of one of the things got closer to me. Each step shoots me high with adrenaline. 

As much as I tried to distance myself from these rushing feelings, for once I couldn’t consolidate my emotions, like a shaken bottle of soda, no matter how hard I pressed the cap it’d eventually explode. 

Then at my least convenient moment— when one of the mechs was at their closest— the pop-up message startled me, alerting the mech to my whereabouts. 

“Use your PROTOCOL using your unit input!” 

Soon after, the wall opposite me starts melting— turning viscous— around the protruding arm blade of the adversary who's found me out. 

Staring at death itself, I had nothing to oppose, besides my protocol, if that was even remotely possible. As much as I doubted it, I had to try, I sighed, shutting my eyes while the emanating heat glowed brighter by the second. 

SLASH

“Eek!” With a muffled scream, I threw my hand upwards, wherever it took I seldom mattered. 

After it hears me through the wall, it lets out a thunderous screech of exhausting steam before collapsing the wall with the bulk of its body, but a pulling force managed to spare me in time.   

I cautioned, lifting my eyes as they struggled to remain closed, though I'd be left dumbfounded once I saw, fluttering at the sight. Finding myself above the mech, suspended mid-air. I flicked my eyes upward, locating the suspect. 

Ensnaring turquoise strings, coiling around the fingertips of my raised arm, clinging to the upper stairs railing with ease. I buffered in response, frozen in place.

This, was my protocol— strings? This has to be some kind of joke, for being burdened with the task of eliminating those two goliaths with something as harmless as sewing thread felt quite underwhelming— insulting— especially for a gift supposedly hand-crafted for me.     

DING!

“Susmaryosep! Why now!?” I cussed in panic, evident in my frantic search for the thing that made the noise and shut it before the mech heard me, but to no avail, as the red search-like rays enveloped me from below.   

The notification came from another tip message “+1 Information Token Received, use it accordingly to further your PROTOCOL. ” Said the thing before disappearing as swiftly as it came— damn bastards— whoever they were, and to hell with this place— distraction— that I’m now having to break out instead of working on my new beginning— My new life— that didn't involve murderous mechs nor systems like they belonged to video games.

GIVE ME MY LIFE BACK!