The Evergreen

"Where am I?" I asked myself.

The place seemed empty and it's dark. I roamed around aimlessly in a place that felt like the word "Nothing" had materialized—

It took a while but I had finally reached an end; more like a wall to this void. I followed the direction of the wall and kept walking

even further to what felt like an eternity. I had reached a corner, then proceeded to move into its direction and had reached another.

I was surprised as to how fast I had gotten there but I still kept going until I felt a corner again. I stopped in my tracks and backed away till I felt comfortable to stop... It was too bizarre: I'm dreaming. This is the first since my stay in the room since I've always slept peacefully, devoid of dreams.

I wanted to wake up but I couldn't. This feeling of helplessness was too similar, I hated it. I stood quiet in this black shroud—

thinking maybe I'd wake up anytime soon but my thoughts were disturbed by this shaking sensation as if there was an earthquake.

I moved with arms stretched out since I couldn't see. My finger tips felt an object—shocked, I pulled my arms back. It was impossible since the nearest wall was long ways from my position, so I reached again but only with my right hand this time: my palm felt the same cold walls. I closed into it with disbelief only to be proven wrong... I backed away from it, a few steps further away I moved till my back felt the same cold flat surface. Bewildered, I walked forward again with arms out but my hands felt the imaginary wall stopping me—Distressed and panicking,

I pushed against the ever moving force but suddenly in my predicament I heard a whisper.

The voice grew louder and louder as the remaining space I had grew opposite in comparison. As I focused on pushing my way out of desperation, throughout the struggle I paid no mind to the surrounding—A blinding light shone above me: I felt its warmth gently caressing my skin. I looked up then the voice called for me again, it came from where the light originates; I yearned for it. There was something about the gentle light that attracted me, maybe it was the voice that lured me into it but I just couldn't ignore it... the light, the voice.

"Sylas?" a familiar voice.

I heard my name and couldn't resist looking towards the eye blinding light. During my gaze, I started getting used to the luminance

and in turn I saw a hand reaching towards me. As far as I'm concerned it was either I slowly get crushed or reach for the unknown:

I chose the latter. Moments later I reached towards my salvation and gripped tightly as I could, Quickly engulfed by the brightness

before me. A sound erupted with a bang as I shockingly reopened my eyes while gasping for air, cold sweat drenched my back and saw

myself in a familiar place. I slowly caught up to my breath and finally noticed the only one thing different—I stared into my hands

that bathed in this beautiful brightness that felt warm, cozy, wonderful... my eyes followed the light only to find this big window where

the blank wall used to be.

I sat on the floor in front of this magnificent view that filled me with awe, I inched forward the glass panel and looked below to a huge garden teeming with life. Plants of different shapes, sizes and color. The inner walls along some broken windows that were on the first floor of the building were intruded with vegetation but there was one thing that my eyes couldn't stray away from: it was this massive tree that made the extinct Coastal Redwoods looked puny compared to it. It's large size was unbelievable that I'm surprised that people actually managed to build the whole facility around it, the tree looked about a hundred thousand feet in width and due to its height I could barely see the sky. The whole scenery was peaceful and beautiful that I forgot about the horrid nightmare I was in.

"Hello?! Sylas are you there?"

Her faint voice broke the silence, I remembered that I fell asleep on the floor after exchanging formalities with her. I stood while walking towards the chute while appreciating the view in mind: how would it look at night? I wondered... I saw the hatch was closed and the pen I had slipped in between it lie on the floor below. I propped it with the same pen agai—

"Answer already!!" she shouted kinda concerned.

I flinched as her high-pitched voice blasted out the chute; she's really energetic today .

"He-Hey! sorry" I answered meekly.

"I kept calling you since this morning! don't ya know making a girl wait is rude?!"

"I just woke up sorry... the hatch was closed"

"So that's why you wouldn't answer... Anyways never mind that! did you feel anything?"

"Felt what?"

"Hmm... maybe.. my imagination but.. I felt.. was shaking..."

I couldn't make out what she was trying to say since she kinda muttered to herself but it looks like she isn't interested in talking about it anymore. It went silent and I still had a load of questions, I have to find out what happened to me. As of now the only things

I've found out is that we're in an unknown facility on a planet somewhere and that I'm stuck with this really mouthy

girl.

"How many hours has it been since I've slept? a few hours?"

"What are you talking about? you've been asleep since yesterday morning"

"really?!"

"Yeah you did! I thought you died or something..."

This girl is really rude and the way she said it had no hint of concern whatsoever. I never knew that I was that tired maybe because I was too preoccupied with my thoughts... or was it not sleeping the whole day yesterday?

"Anyways I'm sorry that I fell asleep but could you help me?"

"Help you with what?!"

"You see... since the first time I woke up here I can't recall any memories except for past memories"

"How can I help you with that? you need a doctor duh!"

"I me-meant with questions to get my memory back! like maybe what are we doing here or something?"

"I don't know anything about your situation but I'm the Head of the biological research department, I was recruited by D.I.R.E to do some research here on Nova. I've been here almost a year."

D.I.R.E.! I remember it! it's the Department of Interstellar Research and Exploration... I'm guessing that I got recruited too for the same purposes but not for Biological research but for more technological approach since I'm an engineer.

"That's really im-impressive Lorelei but ca-"

"That's right you should be impressed! after all I've done a lot of research and contributed scientific discoveries during my college years! I've been elected as president of the research team that time too! and a lot of companies gone after me but of course of of them I had to tu-"

she went on and on blabbering about herself, is she narcissistic?

"Uh ex-excuse me... not to be rude but I was hoping I could ask you how we got here and why are there no people around?"

she got silent for minutes, so maybe I thought she took her time trying to figure it out on how to explain the situation. Meanwhile I waited so I took a meal out from the F.N.A.

"Lorelei?!"

"Hey? what's up?"

what does she mean by that? I tried to ask her something and it's like she forgot.

"Remember I was trying to ask you something?"

"Oh right! well just like you I woke up with no people around insight and judging how you're still talking to me. I'm guessing we're in the same situation but the only difference is I still have my memories"

"You're stuck too? what was the last thing you remember?"

"Yep! been stuck here ever since I've woken up from my nap and couldn't find anyone in sight! I took a short nap after staying awake for a day because I was so deep into the research of a new plant sample we got that day but too bad I'm stuck in the med bay and I wouldn't have to be wasting time talking to you"

I brushed off her arrogance, She talked as if she couldn't careless about our situation.

"I'm stuck in the m-med bay too! Shouldn't we find a way out and look for answers?"

So she's basically in the same position as me, Although I still can't remember anything—things like D.I.R.E. and T.I.R.F do seem familiar but my memories wont come back to me: It's all still so blurry in my mind. she is really arrogant, I really don't want to deal with her too much because she's a handful but I have no choice since we're the only people here... I'll just have to get used to how she is, I'm just happy that I can share this isolation with someone.

"What do you mean we? you seriously thought that we would work together? someone like me? besides there is no way we

could get out of this situation! once the facility hits emergency status everything would be on lock down. The only way for us to get out of here is by forcing our way out which is impossible due to these reinforced steel walls or over-riding the system at the control center! there is nothing to do except wait, plus I don't know how I could help you but maybe the med-bay P.S. record office might help you."

"Wait? wa-wait for what? isn't there any other way and what's a P.S. record office?"

"There is no other way... unless the whole facility shuts down"

The feeling of hopelessness struck me but the possibility of finding out the reason for my stay here instilled my spirits with hope, still the thought of freedom seemed like hundreds of light-years away; forever a dream. Despite wishing for it, I knew to myself that it would countless centuries before the facility crumbles away for our inevitable liberation—Facilities like this needed to run countless of years with enough power to harbor a red giant. In that time we would most likely be dead... I have to find a way out of this room with enough determination and hopefully

the items here would help me figure something out. Although something still lingered in my mind: what did she meant by waiting? she completely ignored it... I'll have to ask her next time but as ignorant and as simple she may seem, she's quite cautious.

The next three days I did the usual stuff, bantered with Lorelei every now and then but ultimately I was looking for a way out. I explored the whole room searching for something that could mean a way out, every nook and cranny of the place was exposed

to my hopeful eyes. The whole meaning of my search got dreary because I found nothing, so I took a rest and grabbed some food. I sat in my favorite spot in the whole room which was in front of the window—As I stared into the night with the moonlight beams flowing towards me, each bite, chewing, and swallowing was slow as I was entranced by the majestic view; it seemed like the earth but as if it was perfect... a utopia. The main attraction was the tree that glowed green, to be more precise it looked like veins that coursed throughout it's entirety all the way up to the leaves. Within moments it rained fireflies, small speck of glowing green light slowly fell into the earth; it was like a movie scene that lulled me to sleep.

I opened my eyes to a familiar sight, it was dark and I knew I had been here before—I'm dreaming again... my body instinctively moved as if I knew where to go and as I was walking lifelessly: my body felt like it had a mind of it's own directing me to a location

unknown. I heard voices during the journey but they were faint as though whispering, from afar I could see myself walking towards myself and as I grew closer I noticed it was a reflection of my own image. The mirror was black as the ocean depths but I could see myself clearly, The voices I heard were louder the closer I got to it; finally I had arrived but for some reason I could tell that the whispers and murmuring came from the mirror. Horrified, as I saw my own reflection smiled quite eerily towards myself with eyes wide open while staring unblinking but I tried to disregard the nightmarish clone as the voices enticed my curiosity as their odd sounds called me towards it.

I leaned into the glass ear first but its icy cold surface made me shiver, I felt the cold burning sensation on the side of my face and for a second I held on because the cold felt unbearable. In that brief moment I could only catch a phrase...

"Knowledge is beyond limitless"

My mind wondered the meaning beyond this phra—

*Thud! thud!*

The sound of loud tapping disturbed my mind and what I saw on the mirror made me tremble from terror, my mirrored image was tapping from his side; I couldn't comprehend the situation. Out of fear I slowly backed away from it with each step I made it tapped accordingly to it and so I turned around running for my life although I couldn't see it, it's soft tapping turned into loud booming noises that echoed louder. The ground shook each time the sound pounded in my ears! it made running reckless so I turned slowly behind me to see if I outran it: I don't know

how much I can run anymore but it was right behind me—I stumbled and fell face first into the darkness.

*Gasp!*

I was exasperated trying to catch my breath and my whole body was trembling, dripping with cold sweat. I realized I had fallen asleep

on the floor again.

"I gotta sleep on the bed next time..." I muttered to myself.

Sleeping on the floor might be the reason for my night terrors but I couldn't forget those words I heard.

*tack! tack!*

My skin crawled, I thought I heard a light tap but I ignored it thinking that it might be because of the nightmare so I pulled myself up and went to the rest room. I turned on the light and washed my face I still felt a little bit dizzy so I checked the time... "2:52am" It was still really early so I turned to the towel to my left and then I felt off-balance as I was reaching my whole body was wobbly then the sensation grew stronger as I fell on the floor.

"Earthquake" I thought to myself as I was pathetically crawling outside, I swung the door open while trying to stand then I heard several strong taps on the window. The once moonlit room dimmed as if the glass was covered by something and so I took a peek at the shadowy figure—I was petrified by what I saw: fear intoxicated me so much that I couldn't move.