I awoke to my heart pounding. My skin was clammy and my mouth was dry. I couldn’t tell if I was hot or cold. I felt disoriented and an overwhelming sense of dread washed over. Low toned sirens faded into my hearing as I heard muffled shouting. My head pounded in sync with the pulsing red lights that flashed before me. Blurry outlines of humanoid shapes darted across my vision. Some came closer, but I couldn’t make out their definition.

I leaned closer, hoping to see what was happening around me only to bump my head on glass. An electric blue wave washed over the glass, revealing a blip of orange honeycomb structures hidden underneath.

Instinctually, I tried to move my hand up to my head, but my arms failed to lift like they were held down with bricks. My heart raced as I attempted to move any parts of my body, only to be met with the same fate.

I struggled to make my body move the way I wanted to. With every move, new sensations arose. Fabric rubbed against my chest and a wave of pleasure radiated from it. My skin, softer, more sensitive as everything I touched, was a new experience to me. Butterflies danced in my stomach, making me nauseous.

I blinked rapidly, attempting to clear my vision. A haze befell my mind. It seemed to play tricks on me. My arms appeared to be hairless, or at least the hair was lighter and harder to notice. My fingers were slender and smaller than I remembered. I attempted to wiggle them, only to notice the shiny purple nail polish.

“What the…”

Several metal thumps in succession cut me off. I jumped at the sound of high air pressure being released as the glass door swung upwards in front of me. I was instantly hit with blaring alarm bells and a man barking orders. Vibrant colors appeared before me as my eyes adjusted to the change. Different scents filled my nostrils unlike anything I’ve smelled before.

Weakly, I asked, “What’s… going on?”

I was taken aback by the higher pitch. It reminded me of the first time my voice cracked. My tongue grazed across my lower teeth that felt out of place, straightened, not crooked. I watched my chest raise and lower rapidly. I couldn’t take the sensory overload anymore. My world spun.

My eyes shot with pain like they were being stabbed with a sharp object. As tight as I could, I shut my eyes, enduring the pain. I opened them back up, hoping the feeling would vanish, but the overhead lights haloed and my stomach turned. Nauseousness overtook me and I leaned over the capsule to puke.

“She’s awake!”

I watched the floor drop away from me before I realized I was the one being lifted into the air. I didn’t notice I had been grabbed from the capsule I awoke from. My slow reaction put me in an awkward position as I tried to break free from my assailant, but my arms moved like wet noodles. My backside slammed against a solid object, causing the wind to be knocked out of me. All my discomfort shifted to just being able to breathe.

A voice called out to me, “What have you done?”

They had a masculine voice that sounded familiar, yet distinct. The sleek black helmet he wore covered his face. A reflection of a scared girl stared back at me in his glossy black visor. It was difficult to find out his build with how bulky his gear looked on him with several pouches and knives velcroed onto his vest. I would be impressed by the man’s strength if he wasn’t choking me out with one arm. Okay, maybe I was a little impressed.

He turned his head slightly behind him.

“Tell me she didn’t connect. Tell me we arrived here on time.”

As I was pinned to the wall, I could see past him. Ridged black tubes and colorful wires twisted around, each pushing into the walls and ceiling. A large center pipe pulsed with blue and red light that alternated traveling along it. A hub of human sized pods radiated around the center column. Several pods appeared to be damaged. Glass doors smashed in or parts ripped out with the wire and electronics exposed. With the door open, laid the last functioning pod. The one I had woken up in.

Troopers darted across the room, touching various electronics scattered about the room. Orange screens manifested before them, flickering to life. With the lack of a physical interface, the screen was visible on both sides. I attempted to read what I could, but the text appeared in reverse from my point of view.

A distant boom shook the room. The screens struggled to stay connected and the lights blinked back to life. Bits of dirt and ceiling tile dusted the objects in the room. We all waited patiently, watching the overhead fixtures swing to a stop.

“Was that…?” A soldier looked at his comrades before he swung his weapon towards the open doorway.

With a click of a switch, a high pitch whine occurred and his black visor transitioned to a green shade as he hovered a trembling finger over his trigger. He scanned the hallway, swaying his weapon with every movement. His visor returned to the glossy black as before and turned to his teammates.

“No life signs detected.”

“They found us.” another stated.

“It was only a matter of time. We’re balls deep, mate.”

One soldier frantically typed at the main computer that was connected to the hub of pods. She traversed several windows with walls of text before she landed on the one she was searching for. An obnoxious warning beep emitted from the device. Red washed out her face as a number flashed on the screen.

“One hundred percent synchronization with the target, sir.”

The man pushed my chest deeper in the wall to the point it became harder to breathe. I swung my arms with the little mobility I could muster. His aggression confused me. He looked back towards me, shifting his glossy black visor to clear glass. For the first time since I woke, I stared into this man’s hateful blue eyes. I began kicking my feet in his direction, hoping he would stop pinning me to the wall.

He released his grip on me, and I dropped to the floor, gasping for air on my knees. My hand trembled, and I struggled to find the words to say. What would I say at this point? Things were happening faster than I could comprehend. Was I still dreaming? I had to be dreaming.

It was just him and me on a stage of prying eyes. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Slowly, I stood up, trying to regain my composure. I couldn’t let this man intimidate me.

He balled his hand into a fist and flung it at me. A gust of wind brushed past me as his hand contacted the wall behind me. I stood wide-eyed as he pulled his arm back. Blood dripped from the open wound that now covered his knuckles. I expected him to hit me. I’m glad he didn’t, but maybe it would have woken me up from this nightmare.

He let out an ear piercing scream.

“Damn it!”

The female soldier I spotted earlier walked over to the frustrated man. She put her hand on his shoulder. Her visor turned clear as they both gazed into each other’s eyes. I could sense there was something more between these two. She leaned in closer and whispered into his ear. They were close enough I could just make out what they were saying.

“I understand she’s your sister, but the Romans are coming. You are in command, Eli. Act like it.”

The conversation I had with Nichole came flooding back to me in an instant. Eli was the name of her brother and technically, my other self. A quick glance down at me confirmed what I didn’t want to believe. I sighed, as I didn’t know what I expected.

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‘God damnit Nichole, what did you do?’ I thought.

“I…” began Eli.

The room shook violently as several loud booms in secession landed above us. I fell to the ground, getting knocked off balance by the sheer force of the blasts. I was having a hard enough time standing on my own as it was. My equilibrium felt off, and the vertigo wasn’t helping.

Mechanical ticks and clicks wound up, echoing down the hallway. Valves and gears moved rhythmically with periodic venting of steam as heavy footsteps stomped above. The soldiers raised their guns towards the entrance. I felt like a sitting duck, unable to defend myself if something happened.

“What are our orders, sir?” asked a soldier.

Eli closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, then exhaled. The heavy footsteps moved ever closer and the whispers among the squad grew. I pulled myself off the ground, still struggling with the change in center mass. I brushed off some of the dust that clung to my thin salmon colored shirt.

“Get her out of here, now!” shouted Eli with confidence.

Two marines grabbed me and I once again was held against my will. I felt the love in this lab tonight.

I said, “Get off me.” I, of course, fell on deaf ears.

“Bronzers took our only exit.” a soldier near the door relayed.

“So, we make a new one.” Eli responded.

Eli pointed to a trooper carrying a large backpack. The man gave him a thumbs up and kneeled down with his opened pack. He pulled out bricks on brick of what looked like Play-Doh. He stuck several bricks of the clay like substance on the wall and strung them out into a man-sized hole.

“Behind this wall leads to another lab. If we play our cards right, we can swing around and make our escape.” The demo man said with a wink in my direction.

Eli pointed at a group of soldiers huddled in a corner. They were talking amongst themselves before they snapped to attention.

“You three, with me. We have little time before those steam breathers march their way here. Amelia…”

“Sir?” Amelia asked.

“Blow this place to kingdom come. We can’t give them a functioning prototype.”

Amelia hesitated to follow his order. She looked at him, then at me.

“I know.” His voice cracked. “We’ll find another way.”

I was escorted to the corner opposite of the winking soldier. With my new height difference, my view of the battlefield was obscured. I didn’t like not knowing what was going on. I was also not a fan of being treated like a… actually, that one I understand.

The men following Eli covered the door. Their carbon black rifles trained down the hallway with their finger hovering the trigger. Their visors all turned a green hue as they stared down at their digital sights.

“We should never have come here.” one soldier said.

“Bruv, she’s his sister.” said another.

“Fuck off, mate. Could’ve fooled me with the way he...”

A metallic ting echoed in the hallway while the soldier’s body dropped to the floor. Fog creeped into the room as heavy footsteps followed.

“How did they…” one soldier said as he kneeled down next to his fallen comrade.

“Because they’re already dead. Open fire!” Eli ordered. “Brick, I need an exit now.”

“Working on it, boss.”

Brick carefully stuck two pins into the opposite ends of the circle. He then ran wire until he was a safe distance away. He glanced at Eli before connecting the other end to a small box. Eli nodded and the room suddenly became loud as the soldiers unloaded into the hallway. Shell casings bounced off the tile floor, creating a sea of brass.

Brick pressed a button on the device he held, causing a flash of bright light. Smoke swirled around me, hindering my vision. I coughed from inhaling the dust by accident. My ears rang, even though I was prepared for the explosion. The soldiers that were guarding me moved forward into the recently made hole to check if the coast was clear. They circled back, throwing up hand signals. I assumed the coast was clear.

“Hold fire.” Eli ordered.

The firing ceased, and Eli moved closer to check the hallway out. Smoke filled the room, creating a haze filled with the smell of gunpowder. The room echoed with the faint crunch of shell casings under Eli’s boots as he walked closer to the threshold. The ringing in my ears subsided enough I could hear the clunking of gears turning slowly as steam released. The heavy clicking of metal came to a stop.

“Hey boss man, the coast is clear to…” Brick gasped for air. A sharp reflective triangle object protruded out of his body.

The sharp, curved shape retracted as fast as it appeared. Brick fell to the ground, revealing a large armored bronze figure standing behind him.

Its armor was covered from head to toe in intricate ornaments that swirled in different patterns. Hoses and wires protruded out of its limbs, connecting to a central hub that it carried on its back. Its helmet took the form of a skull wearing a gas mask that emitted a small quantity of steam.

I was drawn to its chest, which appeared to be moving parts. With every motion he made, gears turned either clockwise or counterclockwise. The center of its chest had an analog time dial with a numberless face. I noticed it seemed to count upwards like a stopwatch.

I stayed in my corner of the room, unable to move, and only watched as it cut down seasoned soldiers like swiss cheese. Eli and Amelia, the two left, standing in an ocean of bronze and brass. They both emptied their rifles into the walking tank without leaving a dent. She turned to Eli, making eye contact for a moment before running towards the pods. Eli dodged the swinging scythe. His moves were fluid, like water switching between blocking and attacking. He put up a good fight, but in the end, he met his untimely demise.

I sat in the corner staring at Eli’s motionless body feeling helpless. Faint hissing of steam and slow heavy footsteps came closer towards me. This was it, my final moments. I glanced over at Amelia, hoping to get some help from her. She lay wounded on the ground, but managed to weakly move her hand to a console.

Faint ticks of clocks and gears turning, slowed to a stop. A bong of a bell and in a blip I befell to darkness once more.

I gasped for air and awoke laying down on a padded bench inside an enclosed pod. I slammed both my hands on the glass as I tried to push it open. The glass pulsed with blue energy waves giving way to the honeycomb structure. Several thumps of metal pins unlocking the glass door surround me.

The high pressure release of air whooshed out as I pushed the door open.

“Eli!” I screamed.

The surrounding soldiers all had their rifles pointing in my direction. I looked around the lab and noticed that it was clean. No signs of any battle had taken place. I had a serious case of déjà vu.

“Stand down. She’s my sister.” Eli ordered.

I couldn’t imagine what my face looked like at that moment. I had just seen this man get impaled by a heavily armored machine, yet he was standing in front of me. My eyes darted back and forth as I began questioning everything I had witnessed. What the hell was going on?

He took off his helmet, throwing it on the ground as he rushed towards me. Eli threw me out of the pod into the air. I tensed up, waiting to be slammed against a wall.

‘Here we go again’ I thought.

The wall slamming never came, instead I was greeted with a hug. At first I was rigid, but eventually I gave into his embrace. Hugs are nice. The different hormones surging in me caused me to become soft, I’m sure of it.

Eli placed me back on my feet. It was strange seeing someone else wearing my face. I might have lost it here if I hadn’t already been through a traumatic experience.

“I’m so glad you are okay. You made me worried sick that you went through with your silly delusion.”

“Eli…” I struggled to find the right words.

He walked away from me to talk to Amelia. I reached out to him but pulled my arm back. My mouth failed to let me speak words I wanted to say. I had to tell him the truth. I paced back and forth, thinking of words to say. Several booms shook the room. Murmurs spread around the room as the soldiers talked amongst themselves.

I quickly ran the previous events through my head and roughly matched up the times to the current events.

“I thought it was further away last time.” I muttered.

I quickly realized I said that out loud.

“What was that?” Eli asked.

I blinked at him, surprised that he heard me. I nervously looked around, waiting for someone else to step in.

“Sorry, I was talking to myself. I’m having a weird déjà vu moment. I think.”

All eyes were on me now. I felt like a stranger again. I looked at all of them as the whispers started spreading again. Eli quickly lost the sweet brother facade and I could see the hateful spirit in his eyes.

“Tell me everything.”

I retold my side of the story to him and the team. At least the important parts, seeing as we had little time. I may have left out some details regarding I’m not his sister but someone from a parallel universe. I didn’t want to die twice.

Eli whispered into Amelia’s ear before barking orders at the others. Amelia walked off towards another soldier that wore a red cross on his sleeve. They exchanged a few heated words before they gave in and gave her what she asked for.

I leaned against a wall, waiting for the fighting to start again. Thoughts bombarded me. What was happening to me? How did I go back in time?

A pinch on my arm caught me off guard. I jerked my arm away and looked up at Amelia. She stood next to me with a needle in her hand.

“Sorry, this is for your own good.” she said.

“Contact! Open fire!” Eli shouted.

My ears rang with intensity as my vision blurred. I grabbed onto the wall as I lost balance. I tried to speak, but my jaw went numb and only gibberish came out. I stumbled, trying to keep upright, but succumbed to falling into Amelia’s arms. The last thing I heard before passing out was the exchange of gunfire between the two sides.