Mari had never been this mortified in her life, waking up to finding herself staring at an unfamiliar sky where stars shone dazzlingly, in no way being overshadowed by a city full of light and bustling noise.
She wasn't from here, and she wasn't herself, literally, this was not her body but someone else's.
One moment she was in her grandmother's arms singing La Isla Bonita taking in the beautiful view of Kingston's nightlife on a Friday evening.
The next moment she opened her eyes, and now she's in… she doesn't even know where.
Unable to catch her breath she froze solid in shock. Her head felt heavier and so did her entire body.
"Weh pah me deh? Weh the heck!"/ "Where am I? What the heck!" she puzzled, her voice sounding unfamiliar to her ears.
Suddenly there was a stabbing pain in her head and memories came flooding in, unpleasant ones one after the other full of sadness and hatred.
Decades of drills etched into her mind, the ache of her synthetically grown muscles optimized for combat, no name just "Unit 9365AA." No birthday, and no family.
Just a weapon.
A large part of this woman's life hadn't been lived normally nor happily.
The year was 4733 of the Chronicle era, and she was now 22-year-old Ann Ivly No. 9365AA of Techno-State Zhao and a new grad from the International Technological military Academy.
But what about her Mari Muya, her nana Josie, her little brother Kenite and her ma and her pa.
She wasn't Ann, and she didn't want to be, she wasn't 22 she was 17 and as for weapons… She never held one in her life!
Panicking she ran to the mirror and there she was… well not her but Ann, and what stood before her was a woman not a girl. Forest green eyes wide and tired. Her skin-deep brown like caramel infused chocolate, kinky hair reaching the midst of her back matted and tangled.
"I'm… Mari… not Ann… no… not Ann… I'm… erk.. Mari…erk…" she flopped on the cold tailed floor wailing.
She really wanted to go back home to her beautiful Caribbean country taking in the ocean air with her family by her side.
Mari didn't leave the house for days.
The first few days she curled up in the corner of the cold bedroom floor, sobbing, whispering her family's names lime a mantra.
She hoped that she'd wake up again, back in the arms of her nana's.
About 4 days in, denial started to sink in.
"This nuh real" / "This isn't real" she muttered, she voiced dry and cracked as she stares into the mirror. "I dih inna a coma. Ah simulation dis. Dis cah be real."
She refused to eat the nutrient packs, convinced that any time soon she'd wake up.
By day 9 there was fear. Full, bone breaking fear.
What if she never wakes up? What if this metal made world was her new life? She screamed at the AI in her room.
Tried to smash the glass counter, but not even a scratch appeared. She threw up, cried some ore, and curled up in a fetal position back on the floor.
Day 12, she tried to end it. Mari took Ann's Electra-gun staring out the glass window as she placed it to her head, hands shaking, watching the city she didn't recognize. She sobbed for about an hour before dropping her hand. She didn't want to die, not yet again.
By the third week, she wasn't better, but functioning. Showering, eating and trying to find out more about Ann and her current era.
Turning towards the AI robot called Ali that stood at the corner of the room from which she recalled from Ann's memory she questioned "How many years ago was 2025".
"2025 was 2708 years ago Master Ann." Ali metallic voice rang.
"So, I'm 2708 years into the future?" she dejectedly spat.
Slumping down onto the floor she continued to question Ali in proper English to be understood, she questioned about what she knew and what she didn't.
….
Mari wasn't worried about anyone coming to look for Ann as she knew that Ann had no friends and no longer needed to attend school.
As for family and relatives she had none, Ann was born through what old Eartheners would call IVF and artificial womb cultivation.
People like her were cultivated and grown to fight, that was their sole purpose.
And yeah, that's right 'Old Eartheners', humans were still humans, but they were now genetically different all due to the rise of installer technologies and scientific advances.
Nonetheless, thankfully when Ann was younger the war had ended, as it was when the 5 major forces were founded.
After the five national forces were formed and a peace treaty was made the war was officially over and these artificially cultivated humans were able to retire and integrate into the real world, most of them joining the Empire Techno-state Zhao which was formed by other war born children and AI prophets.
Techno-State Zhao officially known as the Technological State of Zhao is one of the five major force mainly led by Zhen's.
Zhen's, also known as AI prophets, because of their Installer robot like appearance that have the ability to predict major events such as disasters, wars, drought, prosperity and death.