the beginning of the end

The cold air from outside hit Atlanta's skin, through the small cracks and holes in the walls and windows waking her up, as her eyes fluttered open.

'What happened?' Looking round, she could see she was in a secluded room with zero people. The room was really spacious as there was nothing much in it, only a few beds and chairs that's all nothing else.

"Argh!" She grunted sharply, as memories from before she passed out flooded her head she recalling what happened.

'I've healed already.' She checked the areas on her body that had been injured, and surprisingly they had healed. They were injuries that hurt a lot, but they weren't that serious so she thought. It was treatable but still, there was supposed to be some kind of bandage or something to protect the injured wound from germs, as the flesh couldn't have healed so fast within short time lapse.

"This is unbelievable.." She muttered with wide eyes staring at herself, as her wounds had healed completely like there was never any signs of injury.

'I hope they're ok~'

'Nexus are you there?'

[Always..] Nexus calmly said responding to his host.

'Good.. can you check my parents heat signatures, to see if they're in this building?' She asked to which Nexus immediately got to work, and within a fragment of 5 secs he gave an answer she wanted to hear.

[Scanning... Ryan and Lisa heat signature confirmed, both are in perfect condition.] The system spoke in his usual male robotic tone.

'Phew.. that's a relief.' Those words seemed to calm Atlanta down a bit, as the thought of knowing her parents were safe was priceless.

'How long have I been in the fortifier?' She wondered. Ever since she got here she didn't know if time worked differently around here than in real life, or if they were the same. She didn't know anything about this machine and has never been in stimulations before, but she doubted the time periods were the same with each other.

[You've been in the fortifier for approximately 3h 42m 32sec.] Nexus confirmed her thoughts.

Getting up she walked around the room a bit, stretching her body and also gazing at the few items in the room.

"I can't believe all this happened 50 years ago." She softly muttered, touching a broken talk stool that barely stood.

'Even though it's a stimulation it feels... So real.' Touching the stool it's like she was touching it for real in real life, as it's authenticity seemed so real and hard to believe it was fake.

[A stimulation is meant to submerge with your conscienceness, giving a 100% realistic view of what you see.] Nexus pointed out.

'But why did I get transported here? was it on purpose, or is this some kind of test.' She didn't know why she got transported back to this period, at this particular time and moment but she had a few guesses. She knew the big 5 knew her secrets, so she subconsciously thought they were trying to put her up with some weird experiment to test her functions.

Though that was basically exploitation, but they put it in more of a cause for the greater good and all that bullshit. Second was that Maybe she'd upset miss lira somehow, so she was currently reaping what she sowed. And third, well machines were a constant and unpredictable thing now so maybe they had decided to get their revenge on humans starting with her.

'Whatever... I don't care if this is some stupid test or payback, am going to make the most of it.'

.....

[Easy stage completed! Atlanta breeze has successfully passed the easy stage trial, and has now advanced to the medium stage!] Back in the resistance HQ, the huge holographic blue screen displayed the feed of Atlanta's victory and passing into the medium stage.

"S-she passed?"

"Yeah, that's what the system says."

"I can't believe she made it this far without having an emotional breakout or worse, dying.."

"And that was the easy stage, who knows what she'll face next in the medium stage."

The students had a look of thrill and horror on their faces, seeing Atlanta fearlessly navigate her way through a world from the past. they were shocked and inspired by her act of bravery as they watched on, all except for Kaiser and his group.

'Idiots! they must think she's a god now.' Kaiser shrugged, scoffing at the useless and unprofessional looks of admiration and inspiration, on his fellow students faces.

"She's proving to be more stubborn than I expected, how could she even finish the easy stage with such ease?" Jack frowned. like Kaiser he hated her and wanted revenge badly, for her hitting him and disgracing him in front of all those people.

"I don't know guys.. maybe we should give her a little credit." Tippy softly said but immediately regretted it, as Kaiser slapped him across the face.

"Shut up you mutt! That's why you're the weakest link in our group, you're too soft." He scolded tippy, making the latter bend his head in embarrassment.

'She keeps getting interesting.' Zeke thought staring at the screen, his interest in Atlanta growing more.

"She passed.." Lira muttered with wide eyes staring at the screen, she was surprised Atlanta passed the first stage of the fortifier as she'd belittled the girl.

'How is she lasting this long? It's already been three hours, but her mind is still stable.' The fortifier was meant to strengthen the minds of the training cadets, to prepare them from anything. Normally, previous students that had passed through the fortifier only passed the medium stage, none never reaching the hard.

And the longer one stayed in the machine the more heavy toll it would have on the brain, as the mindset of the individual would become clouded and disfigured.

'The record someone's ever lasted there is 5 hours, with the completion of the medium stage.' Looking at the timer, three hours 45 minutes had passed still counting and Atlanta is still inside.

....

'Huh? I can still hear the system sound.' She thought a bit shocked as she heard the system message, stating she'd passed the early stage of the fortifier.

Shaking her head, she decided to go out the room and look for her parents cause she had some questions for them. But she didn't have to, because as she was about taking a step the lock of the door sounded followed by it creaking backwards open.

"You're awake." Ryan said with wide eyes seeing Atlanta already awake, he'd expected her to still be asleep and recovering but shockingly she was awake.

"I have a strong will, and besides.. we have to be prepared ya know, the hunters might sneak up on us by surprise." She awkwardly said jokingly, but Ryan didn't buy her joke as he chuckled awkwardly.

"Where's mom?" She asked seeing only Ryan enter the room.

'Mom.. it's the second time she's said this.' Ryan thought staring at Atlanta with worry. When they first met her she'd called both him and Lisa mom and dad, he thought it was a coincidence but now she'd called them the same thing.

"Look kid I don't know if you hit your head but I hate to break it to you, we're not your parents. hell! We're not even married and we don't like each other." Ryan softly said, trying to make Atlanta understand he and Lisa didn't have anything going on.

"For now.." Atlanta calmly spoke, causing Ryan's face to conntort a bit as he raised a brow perplexed at this young girl's confidence.

"Look I know you're scared, we all are. And I get you using me and Lisa as your parents might help to ease the fear, but it's getting a little bit awkward."

"If you say so.." Atlanta muttered walking away from Ryan out of the room, as she was clearly annoyed by what he just said.

'Haa.. I was just trying to prepare her for what's coming.' Ryan shook his head. he didn't mean to upset her, but he was just trying to make her prepared for the worst that's about to come.

Walking by Atlanta could see the building they were in was a four story building, she was currently on the second floor as she observed the layout through her system. She saw multiple heat signatures on the first and second floor, while the third was a bit scanty and the fourth floor was only occupied by two people.

"Argh! I-it hurts!" Atlanta's gaze was stolen by a scream from her right, she could see an injured resistance soldier with serious burns all over his body. His uniform was scorched with his skin as dry blood clicked to his burnt skin, his hair was completely bald his eyes void of life like someone that had just seen a ghost.

"Stay still." The nurse attending to him calmly said injecting a syringe into his wrists, the man's eye slowly fluttered shut as his weak body fell to the ground.

'Did they just..' she could sense the man's breath slow down with his heartbeat, after a few seconds she couldn't hear his breath or heart beat again.

"It's a shame we lost another soldier to those bastards! How many more lives will be sacrificed." The nurse shook her head softly, placing a white clothe that covered his body across his dead body.

Walking past the image she just witnessed kept playing in her mind, she could see several others severely injured some that were treatable were being treated, while the one's that were out of hand was given the same procedure she just witnessed.

Children were stained in blood some clutching their mother's, while some wondered aimlessly around the hall their faces pale and demented. She didn't know how long this war had ravaged on but she knew one thing, and that was it greatly had an effect on the people living in elite city 50 years back.

She then decided to go up to the third floor through the damaged stairs, she could hear several hunters airships fly by causing the building to shake greatly, threatening to fall and moment. Reaching the third floor the sight that befell her was the same as in the second floor, except this floor had fewer people.

"What are you doing here." Lisa was surprised seeing Atlanta here on her own two feet.

"What do you care? it's not like an your daughter or anything." Atlanta scoffed, giving a cold glare to Lisa before walking off away from her.

"What just happened?" Lisa was left dumbfounded standing in her position, she was concerned for Atlanta but it seems she was independently fine. Shrugging Lisa then went on to what she was doing before, attending to the injured soldiers and some other important business.

'Darn it! This isn't working out as planned.' Punching a wall Atlanta's fist made a small hole, as she didn't bother holding back her strength annoyed by her parents. She'd thought they would somehow remember she was their daughter, their beautiful Atlanta they loved so much but alas this was just a stimulation.

'Why does it hurt so much.' A single tear slipped down her cheeks from her already teary eye, as she recalled the little moments she had with her parents. The pain of never getting to really know them stinged her heart, as it haunted her for the rest of her lonely life.

"I told you, we have to do it now." The voice was faint, but she heard it with her advanced hearing.

"This is madness Richard! many lives will be lost of we do this".

'Huh.' This was the first time she heard the name Richard, she couldn't tell if it was the Richard gene as she hadn't seen his picture nor did the latter say his other name. She undeniably knew where the source where the voice came from, as she followed it up to the fourth and last floor.

Unlike other floors that had no doors and spacious halls, this one had a single black door at the end of the steps. She didn't want to burst in and make an intrusion, so she eavesdropped listening to the heated argument going on in the room.

"We have to Tom, i can't sit by and watch more of our men and women fall by the day."

"But if we go on with your plan, then it would be the beginning of the end for countless of lives." Tom protested, clearly not in agreement with what Richard proposed.

"I understand the cost and am willing to pay it, if it means we'll finally have something to live for." Richard said in a grim voice, making Tom gasp in air as he stared at his colleague in utter disbelief.