Opening my eyes, the white room came into view once more. I was still lying in the capsule, but its lid was open. That nightmare and my parents' last words to me still haunted me. Heart pounding like crazy and an incredible thirst, as if days had passed without water, added to my discomfort.

I have to get out of here.

Slowly, carefully, without rushing, I sat on the edge of the capsule. But after a couple of seconds, everything started spinning, and my vision darkened. Although feeling better than during the first awakening, the body still hadn't fully recovered. Reflexively, I grabbed my head and froze.

My hair!

Feeling my head with trembling hands, the realization hit hard. Tears rolled from my green eyes.

They're gone... My long, curly, chestnut hair!

Deep down, I knew this wasn't the biggest problem right now, but quiet sobbing couldn't be stopped. I loved how my hair cascaded over shoulders, fluttered in the breeze, and shimmered slightly golden under the summer sun. It felt like a piece of my identity, a part of myself, was lost. And so, I couldn't stop crying.

And I had no clothes on... They definitely experimented on me. And now it was clear why that jerk kept smiling. Pervert.

Sadness and anger replaced the tears. I urgently needed to find something to cover myself and get out of this damn experiment room! Who knows how soon my captors might return, whoever they are. Maybe that guy is one of them or works for them? Although he looks about my age. Or is he a victim like me? Either way, I can't trust him. He clearly knows something, otherwise, he wouldn't act so confidently. I need to look around. Maybe there's some clothing or at least a piece of fabric here?

Looking around the room, it was quite small. Along each wall, except the one with the door, there was a capsule that could fit an adult. One of them was mine, and the others were empty. Besides that guy, there could be another person here. Although it's unknown how many such rooms there are. While I was examining the capsule opposite me, I felt awful again. Imagining my unconscious body in this capsule filled with an unknown liquid was unbearable.

No, no, don't think about this now. Think positively, or I'll go crazy. Escape, and everything will be back to normal.

I tried to reassure myself, though I understood that things would probably never be the same.

At that moment, my attention was drawn to a feature next to my capsule that the others didn't have. It was an open foldable metal chair with what appeared to be some clothes and a digital notepad on it. I tried to get up and approach it, but dizziness made me fall back. Seems like I rushed too much. So, gradually, sliding to the edge of the capsule right next to the chair, I took the notepad. As soon as the screen was touched, a message appeared.

"Welcome! 🥳

I hope you had a good rest and feel great.

I found some clothes that should fit you. I recommend wearing them, as they will protect your body from external irritants.

P.S. While I'm away, you can explore the ship and see how everything works here, but just in case, remember not to leave its boundaries, as it could be dangerous for you. Have a great time!"

The casual tone of the message seemed completely out of place. It was almost absurd. Yes, I'm sure that guy left this message. It's nice of him to bring me clothes, but he could have at least covered me with something!

The clothes consisted of a tight-fitting jumpsuit covering the body, along with gloves and boots suitable for moving over rough terrain. Everything was white. The material felt dense but pleasant. The fabric was quite elastic. This suit should be comfortable to move in. Without getting off the capsule, with difficulty, I managed to pull on the suit. Surprisingly, it fit me perfectly.

Well, one problem solved. But now I need to try standing up.

Leaning on the edges of the capsule with my hands, I carefully rose to my feet. My knees trembled a bit, but this time I managed to stay upright. When attempting a step, I instinctively spread my arms to the sides to keep my balance and not fall. It felt like forgetting how to walk. The first step was tough, but it got easier and easier. I walked back and forth to get used to the movements and stretch a bit. Who knows how long I'd been lying there. During this warm-up, I noticed that my body felt lighter than usual and my movements more fluid and "gelatinous." Though maybe it was because I hadn't fully recovered yet? Anyway, I felt good enough to scout the area and come up with a plan to get out of this place.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I stopped in front of the door. What was behind it? According to the note, I'm on some kind of ship, but I don't feel any rocking. How big is it? How safe is it to leave this room? Summoning my courage, I decided to go out. Staying here wasn't part of the plan. After pressing the button on the wall, the doors swung open, and I slowly peeked into the corridor. The newly lit lamps buzzed slightly, but other than that, there was dead silence.

Is there really no one else here?

At one end of the corridor was a staircase leading up, and at the other, a door with a standard exit sign.

It can't be that simple.

I approached the door stealthily. It was quite massive. It looked much heavier and more reinforced than the others. To the left of it on the wall was some kind of control panel with a touchscreen. My touch activated it, and it displayed a prompt: "Confirm your exit request." I touched the checkmark on the screen, but nothing happened.

Strange. Why isn't it responding?

After several unsuccessful attempts, the idea to remove the glove came. Maybe there's some kind of security, and the program needs confirmation that I'm human or part of the crew? And it worked, but instead of the doors opening, I saw a red message about a lack of access rights.

What?! I can't get out? What the hell was the point of asking me to stay here if there are no other options?!

Anger quickly turned to despair. I realized I was trapped. Still a prisoner, and the captor was unknown. Sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, dark thoughts filled the mind again.

What should I do? The only option is to explore this ship.

I felt no optimism about my future, but sitting still wasn't a way. There were still three rooms on this floor that might contain something useful. And I needed to check upstairs too, but first, I'd look around here.

All the doors had small touch panels next to them. I approached the door nearest the exit and pressed my finger on the panel. "Access denied." A chill ran down my spine. What if I can't get access anywhere and end up stuck in this white corridor? To my relief, the next door opened. I cautiously peeked inside and saw an ordinary cabin with three built-in bunks. But a metal flask on one of them caught my eye.

Water!

I quickly grabbed it. My thirst had only increased since I woke up, and seeing the flask, I couldn't think of anything else. Hearing liquid sloshing inside. No, it's not water... This liquid is thicker. But what's in there? Is it drinkable? I'm dying of thirst!

At arm's length, I opened the flask and waved my hand over the mouth, slowly bringing the vapors to my nose. Then, finding no odor, I slowly tilted the flask to drip a drop on the floor and see its color and surface tension. It was completely transparent and looked almost exactly like water, but I was struck by how slowly it fell to the floor. Although just a bit, it was noticeable that it fell slightly slower than usual. Like time was slightly, imperceptibly slowed down. And then I remembered my internal sensations of body lightness and fluidity in movements.

It's all about gravity! It's weaker than usual!

Doubts began to creep into my mind.

Am I still on Earth?.. No, it can't be... Or...

Mesmerized, I watched drop after drop fall. It was incredible, like some kind of magic. However, my thirst interrupted my fascination with this new phenomenon, and I decided to risk drinking a tiny bit of the liquid. How pleasant it was to feel the taste of clean, slightly cool water! I would've loved to drink the whole flask in one go, but I knew it could be dangerous for my body. It probably wasn't ready to handle large amounts of food and liquid after a long sleep, so I'd have to endure and drink and eat in small portions. For a moment, I even felt relaxed and lighter.

Taking a deep breath, I headed for the cabin's exit to continue exploring the ship. I had to remember that my situation was far from simple. I still had too little information about this place and the reasons for my being here.

The last door on the floor was also locked for me. The only option left was to go up the stairs. Maybe there I would find a main control panel to solve the access problem.

To my disappointment, upstairs awaited another obstacle in the form of a large door with a damn control panel.

Damn it, are you kidding me! What if it's locked too? What do I do next?

Slowly bringing my hand to the screen for another scan, I prayed, "Please open. Please." Time seemed to slow down. My heart pounded in my chest. And when my finger was just a few centimeters from the screen, I stopped. The tension was at its peak.

I can't...

Fear paralyzed me. It wasn't clear what scared me more. Another access denial and the hopelessness of my situation or the potential threat on the other side. Everything happening to me now was abnormal! Who knows what I'll find next? Maybe there are enemies waiting for me behind that door. Or maybe the environment is so dangerous it'll kill me as soon as I step through! I closed my eyes and began to breathe slowly and deeply. I needed to calm down.

Probably five minutes passed before I decided to act and brought my trembling hand to the screen. Red light and denial.

"Damn it!" I shouted and hit the doors with my fist.

Well, that's it. No way out. I'm trapped here.

Despair overwhelmed me, and I trudged to the cabin. Sitting on a bunk and thinking for a while, concluding that the only hope now was that guy. Even if he's my enemy, he must have access to get out of here. There's no choice. I can only wait. I curled up on the cold metal bunk and closed my eyes.