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?