Prologue
Where am I?
The surface beneath me feels warm. I try to get up, but my body feels heavy. "HELLO!" I call out, but my voice gets trapped in my throat. I stand up, trying to listen in to my surroundings, when suddenly, crackling wood and flames dance around me. A wave of heat hit me straight on, and instinctively I raise my arms. The energy shield from my left arm leaps up just in time to shield me from the burn.
My vision begins to adjust to the shock of my now bright surroundings. I find myself standing in an unfamiliar room surrounded by furniture and walls all ablaze. Get out! My brain pleads with my legs. The house is filled with hot smoke, and my lungs start burning. My eyes begin to water as a notice a door appear mere feet in front of me. I reach for the knob, but it won't turn. Quickly I lift my left hand up and punch a hole through the door. Making my way out onto a dirt road where all the houses along it were engulfed in flames. I try to call out for my family, but I choke and gag instead. Why can't I speak? I feel a well of worry begins to overflow within me. Dad, Matilda, Jon, where is everyone? Trying to steel my nerves, I sprint down the dirt road.
Quickly passing the burning homes, I get to a section where most of the buildings had already been reduced to ashes. I need to make a plan. Standing in the middle of a four-way cross in the dirt road, I steady my breathing and listen. Closing my eyes, I sift through the noises, concentrating on drowning out the blistering fires around me. Toward the right, five miles out, I hear women screaming and running. It sounds like they're being chased by a vehicle equipped with an automatic gun. My body instinctively reacts and tenses as my legs are readying to run toward them. It takes all of my strength to stop myself. I won't make it in time. Even if I use my full Tatio speed, I don't know of any dangerous obstacles in the way. I need to prioritize. I tilt my head back and try to drown out the women's screams.
I began hearing the sounds of a fierce battle to the south, the same direction I came from. I hear two people locked in explosive combat—the impact of heavy punches, gurgling blood, and gasps of air—also, the sound of men yelling and Tatios growling surrounding the fight. The next thing I heard was a big rush of feet, and a split second later, a blood-chilling scream. I open my eyes in shock. All that I can listen to now is the flames gripping the wood houses as they groan in agony. I couldn't make it even if I tried. I sigh heavily, knowing that the blood-chilling scream was a plea for death. A sound I know too well. It never changes. We all beg for it to be quick.
Only two options, travel left or stay on the north path. I don't know where I am. How did I get here? Trying to figure out these things, I start to get nervous. I tried to listen in for another fifteen minutes, but I could not hear any familiar sounds. No, Jon's annoying laugh, Matilda's incessant humming, or Dad's happy whistling. Determined not to feel uneasy, I call out, "Hello? Anyone there? I won't hurt you. I am in the Terraferma Military Academy. I can help you." I might be met with hostility. I can disarm them quickly, but without a weapon, I am at a disadvantage. My Tatio skills can't heal either rapidly. Defense and evasion will be my best bets. Only wearing jeans and a tank top, I'm doomed for an ill encounter. I focus my hearing again, "Help" I hear a faint cry on the wind blowing from the north. That's close! A child? I can make it! I begin sprinting with all my strength.
My surroundings blur as I approach full speed. A Tatio has the capability of running at speeds up to 50 mph. "Help!" The child cries out again. My whole body aches as I plant my feet hard into the ground. I make my way in and out of the burnt houses, following the whimpering. Before I knew it, I stopped in front of a small, burnt down house. Is this a trap? I question myself as I edge closer. Suddenly I hear someone running towards me, and I hide in the shadows. A tall, muscular man covered in blood stumbled into sight and fell in front of the house. An injury can be seen on his back, a deep gash running from his neck straight down his spine. He's hardly breathing, and in distress, he reaches for the radio on his shoulder. He begins yelling orders to evacuate and ignores the requests for his location for extraction. I watch the man from the shadows, and my heart fills with grief. That's Dad?!
Before I could reach out and help him, something moves in the ashes near him. The man tries to brace himself on one knee and weakly points a pistol at the source of the sound. I make a move to shield him; however, the shadows around me force me to stay put. NO! LET ME GO! I thrash around and try to scream, but nothing comes out. The man doesn't even make a move towards me. It's like he can't hear me at all. This is a dream. It's just another bad dream!
"SHOW YOURSELF," commands Dad. A little shadow pulls itself out from under the still-smoldering ashes. The shadowy figure stumbles and limps toward him while crying.
"Please," a fragile voice called out before collapsing onto the ground.
My Dad was visibly shocked. He holstered his gun and crawled quickly toward the little girl. He cradles her in his arms, barely six years old from her features. The shadows finally release me, and I jump to my Dad's side. He didn't even acknowledge my existence. He was shaking while he held the child; teardrops threaten the corners of his eyes. In his arms, the little girl is wearing a pink sleeping dress. From where I stood, it looked like she is missing most of her left arm. As I watch on, I unconsciously reach for my own left arm—the feel of the cold bionic arm underneath my artificial skin. I looked down and noticed the injuries I sustained during my break out. Rips in my skin eerily reflect a metallic shine underneath, and the deep cuts bleed without pain. I am brought back to reality when I hear my Dad on his radio, giving his location and request for medics. The commotion stirred the little girl awake. Her eyes flutter open, and he reassures her that everything will be okay. I stand up as I hear a group of people make their way towards us.
Search parties from the Excelsum branch are running towards us. Their olive-colored jackets are recognizable at any distance. He turns to the group sprinting toward him and yells for a medic. Gently brushing the girl's black matted blood-stained hair. Dad's face is shocked once he gets a better look at her eyes, "You're a special Tatio..." Her eyes are just like mine? Confused, I take a few steps back. The two medics frantically assess my Dad's wounds. "Captain Hearth! I can stitch you up here before going to extraction!" He shakes his head. Dad commands the medics to stabilize the girl first. One of the medics nods and grabs the little girl from him while two soldiers prop him up. The little girl cries and stretches her arm towards him. Dad smiles gently and limps to her as the medic wraps her in a heat blanket. "It's okay. What's your name?" He gently pats the girl's head. At the sign of being comforted, she begins falling unconscious. I also start to feel like I am fading away. A cold light begins to engulf me, and I hear a familiar voice call out.
"P...lease... Wa...ke..."
Dad...
"Wake up, Ary!"