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?