Still a kid.
Lys stared at her reflection in the mirror.
She was now a 12-year-old alien.
Well, by her birth year, she is technically 42, but when she fell into a coma, her body was frozen at its current age. It was suggested and put into place for coma patients so that they would not have to face the disconnect of her mental age and that of their physical body.
That was good, imagine going through puberty when unconscious and waking up to raging hormones! Urgh! But that also meant that she had to go through puberty again in a few years. Yuck.
And aliens? Well, humans had genetically modified their bodies with the genes of different aliens in the galaxy. They now could live hundreds of years (averaged at about 200-500 depending on their abilities ranking) as compared to the normal 70-80 years of the past. They had now settled outside of earth (which was a protected planet), of which they had to leave when they had consumed most of its resources. They were part of the Nibilian Empire, where the people with more powerful abilities reigned supreme.
She had tried to find out more, but her parents had looked at her strangely, so she stopped. She would have to find out more from this world's version of the web in the future. Or just pay attention in history class.
Regardless, she was no longer an orphan and had a pair of loving parents, and 2 (younger) brothers.
Why (younger)? Apparently, they had grown older than her when she was in a coma, so now she was the youngest.
Her parents were quite reputable in this world. Her father was one of the few S-Ranked warriors and top Generals of the Empire. He disappeared from time to time whenever there were invasions, attacks, or secret "missions". There were always some aggressive alien species in the galaxy that tries from time to time to "conquer" the "humans". All these aliens were apparently into the whole "dominance over all beings" thing...
Well... Some were nice, at least...
Her mother was an A ranked warrior, but she didn't like the training at all and left the military to continue her parents' legacy which was owning and operating some of the top entertainment companies. Known as the Media Queen, she was feared in both the entertainment world (for her ruthlessness) and in the streets for her strong ability.
The ranking of powers in this world ranked from F to S. Most of the population was endowed with one or more "abilities" or superpowers as some called them. Others have also called it being a mutant side effect. It occurred as a side effect from the genetic experiments that humans performed on themselves when trying to make themselves stronger when facing the aliens in the vast galaxy.
(please see author's note for ranks explanation)
People below the age of 25 were usually unranked (unless they showed great promise or have already displayed their abilities before then) and were considered minors. They were not ranked and not discriminated against as they were usually considered full of potential; they had equal opportunity to advance to different ranks based on their abilities. One's level of abilities was not determined by the abilities of the parents, just their own affinity to the elements.
Her brothers were following her father's footsteps and were doing well in the army. One was doing well in the intelligence department and the other was having fun with programming and technology. Both were ranked at A+.
Her parents delighted in filling her up with information about all the friends she had growing up. They showed her picture after picture using a weird holographic device while bragging about their accomplishments, regaling her with tale after tale of escapades, awards and triumphs her peers had done during her coma. They went on and on, not noticing she curled up more and more as time went by.
How was she going to survive in this world? She was definitely not the same person as the one that was on the plane back in 2019!
Her baby brothers had grown up. Her old friends were all working and in relationships. They wouldn't want to talk to her anymore. Who would want to be friends with an old kid? She would be accused of trying to "act like an adult" if she tried to fit in (with her kid stature) and she would stick out like a sore thumb if she hung out with the kids "of her age".
People who knew her would all judge how she acted and behaved.
While it may be good that she had been diagnosed with amnesia and would have some leeway with gathering information on how to survive, she would have to be sneaky on how she did it. I mean it is a highly advanced society and they should be surveilling everyone. Not to mention she had a brother in intelligence...
It was hard enough to get away with all that as an adult, not to mention that She. Was. Stuck. As. A. Kid.
How fun.
The ranks that were as follows:
F – Had little to no ability. About 10% of the population was like that. Also called the Free(s) or Failures(s) as they had no need/obligations to serve in the military/in high positions. Usually the bottom rung of society. They were basically the same as the Humans before the genetic experiments. Average age: 100 years.
E – A bit of ability, not very strong (Hey party tricks!). About 40-45% of the population. The normal/grunts of the workforce, usually blue collared workers. Sometimes nicknamed the Everyone(s), they were slightly stronger than the average humans. Their strength and capabilities were the equivalent of average athletes of 2019. Average age: 150 – 200 years.
D – Have the ability to protect themselves. Slightly faster and stronger than the Es. Their five senses and fitness was well above the average, stronger than the special forces of America. They could easily spot someone who was standing 500 meters away. They made up about 20% of the population. Average age 200-250 years.
C – The stronger version of the Ds, not much difference from them other than being slightly stronger and living a bit longer. Apparently if someone with C-rank abilities appeared on earth, they'd be almost superhero like, (think Captain America). About 10-15% of the population. Average age 250-300 years.
B – Most of the police and main force of the army was ranked here. About the 10% of the population. Considered the upper-middle class of the population; were well to do and did not really have to about day to day lives. They were strong enough to be able to hold up collapsing buildings and bust through mountains. Average age: 300-350 years.
A – Second strongest of the abilities, most of those with this rank is considered "Nobles". About 5% of the population. Most were enrolled and trained in higher positions of the army or held high positions in the Empire. They were considered tactical weapons, each of them were as powerful as a nuclear weapon(or more, depending on their ability type). Average age: 400 years.
S – Strongest of the abilities. Calculated by how much impact/damage one person can cause. Less than 1% of the population. Royals or Top positions in the Empire is held by people with such ranks as they would, at any time, have to be ready for battle. Everyone with such a rank is monitored and considered either a giant risk or a treasure for the Empire. If they burst into battle between themsleves, they could destroy planets. Average age: 500 years.