The next morning, new and interesting things started happening. For one, Lilia woke up sick to her stomach. She decided it wasn't worth the big deal though, so she ignored it. They had officially arrived at what they called “§¢£ºº••ª¡¡¢∞¶!” or in English, “Camp Human”. The name being severely offensive, they collectively decided to call it “Camp Alien”. The campus consisted of several dome-like buildings, most likely for the different cabins. There were also a couple of large ones, which Lilia guessed were for staff, the dining hall, the hospital… basically everything else.

Lilia started wanting to go home. The feeling settled in her chest and throat, burning like alcohol and leaving her unsettled and uncomfortable. It made it feel like she was struggling to breathe. Which was especially bad, because she thought she could deal with every problem pre-prepared. How were you supposed to prepare for homesickness? There was no tool for fixing that. Even bringing things that reminded her from home, might even make it worse.

Lilia wanted to cry. But she couldn’t, because she barely knew these people, and what if they look down on her and start to treat her like shit? It isn’t even her first day here. How many days would she be here? Did anyone even know?

Her mind went too fast for her own heart to process.

“I don't- how am I supposed to-” but Lilia’s thoughts were too jumbled to even finish that sentence. She was stuck. Not literally, but in her mind, she was completely paralyzed.

“Miss Everly, was it?”

Who the fu- Oh. It’s one of the people in charge. Lilia forced herself to breathe. “Yes?”

“Ah, so that is your name. Perfect. It is your turn for the health exam. You will go first.”

The elderly lady smiled an adorable smile, one that just screamed she was the type to bake fresh cookies every week for all the neighborhood children. Lilia always wished her grandmother was like that, but sadly, she never met her. Her parents had had a falling-out with her grandmother before Lilia was born, and since then she hasn’t seen so much as a word from her.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

The old lady, whose name was Ranne, took Lilia past several buildings before taking her down to the medical center. She sat her down in an exam room.

“Okay, so we are just going to do a quick checkup and have you fill out a questionnaire. You will be here a while, so just get comfortable, and feel free to take refreshments from the snack room down the hall. Any questions?”

Lilia had none that came to mind at the moment, but she was impressed by how organized and respectful this whole thing was.

Ranne proceeded with the exam. Vitals, blood test, the usual. Then she took Lilia to a comfy room with a bean bag chair. She handed her a mental health exam, which was this thick packet of questions about how she felt, her life, her habits, and values. Lilia looked at the questions and the feeling in her stomach returned. Her breath quickened. Tears started to roll down her face, white-hot and searing, though she wasn't sure why. It was like her brain and her heart were at war. She didn't even understand what the questions she just read even said.

“Woah, Woah…” Ranne gently helped her up. Lilia wasn't even really sure what was happening. “Alright, I see.” The elderly woman gently coaxed her into a different room, and laid her on a bed. “I’m going to do a brainwaves scan. If you aren't able to answer the questionnaire without panicking, it must be serious. Don't worry, we’re here to help you.”

Lilia had been through countless simulations, but this wasn’t a test she could simulate. The sensation of being captured, of being outnumbered and helpless, was completely foreign to her.

She fought back the impulse to check her restraints, knowing it would only show hostility and resistance. But still, her fingers twitched, wanting to reassure herself that the ropes were breakable.

Her chest tightened, the air suddenly too thin in her lungs. She could almost hear her own heartbeat in the silence.

This is nothing, I prepared for this. But yet still, something in her gut twisted.

The room, too clean and too clinical, only amplified the isolation. It reminded her of the sterile white halls of a hospital, where emotions were buried beneath layers of efficiency. This wasn’t a procedure. This didn’t seem controlled.

Lilia didn't want her poking around in her head. Her memories belonged to her. Her thoughts belonged to her.

“No, don't…” Lilia weakly mustered.

Then she got dosed with anesthesia, and the world went dark.

The tests went on for maybe a couple days? Lilia didn't know. Occasionally she would wake up, be asked some questions about her life that she wasn't sure how the doctors knew, and then was promptly dosed again and fell back into deep slumber.