What's your name? My name is cultural shock.

'It's gonna be a long day.' Karaza thought to herself. 

Near the psychological evaluation room, with a band aid on her wrist she looked at the list on her hand.

-Medical examination: ( Blood test - Full check up - Psychological evaluation).

- Hexagono acquirement.

- City guide.

- Language.

- Joining society.

'Will I do all this today?'

Sinking into the comfy chair she looked at the dark wooden walls and floor of the hospital, mixed with the smell of sanitizer a cozy relaxing atmosphere engulfed the building, or so until nurses pass by pushing a bed to the operation room.

'Well, it's a hospital in the end of the day.'

"Miss Karaza, it's your turn." A nurse calling her in brought her back to reality.

She walked in, seeing the same surgeon who did her surgery.

"Hi, how are we feeling today?" He asked.

"Good.." She wanted to complete the sentence, but the dizziness won over her, with a hint of something else.

'What.. was his name?' The question sparked in her mind, suddenly.

"The magnetic field here doing a number on ya?"

"I guess."

"Well sit down, this gonna be quick." He said while slipping in some new gloves.

She looked at the chair she's suppose to sit in, half dome thing above the head and a wooden board thing with cogs lookalikes on it next to the chair.

"Don't worry, it's not a torture device." He chimed lightheartedly.

"Do I make it obvious?" She sat down stiffly.

"Many newbies pause like you did."

He said, voice got lower with focus as he start moving some cogs on the board.

'Newbies huh, that what they call newcomers here. Even in this context, I'm too old to be called that.'

He put a wired clip on her thumb. She sat straight in an attempt to get a better glance of his name tag.

Some vibration occurred in her thumb, causing her to be alarmed. He's still adjusting the cogs, looking at some colored columns different in height.

"So this machine knows what's wrong with me?"

"Not entirely, just scanning violent tendencies. Now, this should be irritating."

He raised his free arm, still moving cogs with the other. The name tag is closer to her eye now. He started snapping his fingers, with a safe distance from her face.

Four snaps in and she instinctively grabbed his forearm, stopping the snapping.

'Oh shit..' She eyed his reaction fearfully.

"Good, Normal reaction. We're done."

He spun one cog in a full rotation, taking the clip from her thumb.

She's sitting on a normal chair much relaxed now. He took the gloves off and grabbed a board in a hexagonal shape, in a size of a book, reading from it. It was also hiding the name tag.

'Come on.. lower that thing.'

Some frustration started to build in her.

'I am really out of my prime huh? I never forgot a name before, look at me now, can't remember the name of someone who stitched me.. and banned me from smoking a whole week.'

"Well, couple minutes and the report will be ready- did you do the fertility test?"

"They're out of testers so they sent me here first."

"Seriously?" 

His hand let go of the board, which stayed floating in the air, as if the torture chair wasn't enough for today.

'Damn! the name tag, that was my chance.'

He came back after looking in some drawers, with what resembles thermometer... with a tiny needle on the tip.

"This will go under your nail bed, do you want local anesthesia?"

"Please." She scoffed, reaching her hand out.

On a wooden extension her arm laid balm down. He was in front of her, name tag finally exposed. She looked while he checked her fingertips by applying some pressure.

'I know it, I never forgot a name.'

"Did you wish to erase your name?" She asked, as if the flying board wasn't enough for today.

"I did. These have been fractured recently, give me your other hand."

The needle went in and out seamlessly in a swift motion, way less painful for the location its piercing.

He checked the reading on the thermometer and looked at her with that composed sympathizing look of doctors bringing bad news.

"I know I am one hundred percent infertile." She stated, deadpan, occupied with something else.

"Oh."

"Why?" She looked him in the eye.

"It pissed me off so I got rid of it." He said like he's talking about what he ate for dinner yesterday.

In her almost empty apartment she laid on the bed. The ceiling spun slowly and the fan got wobbly in her eyes. She looked at her new gadget. Something hexagonal shape, size of a hand mirror. Magnetic powder morphs into letters and numbers in one side.

`ID: 649562 (Newbie)

Member Name: Karaza

Note: Please choose a last name. `

The morning sunshine drowned the room. Someone knocked on the door. She opened to see the government worker on the door.

"Good morning! I'm here to be your guide today." Natasha stated, bright and optimistic with the slight stiffness of a novice, something made Karaza smile, a small soft one.

"I will be in your care today."

"First thing first, please take care of the small hexagonal gadget you received yesterday, it contains your Identification and your banking and health information so don't give it to anyone."

She looked at the hexagonal thing wondering where all these things are since its only displays her Id number and name.

"You can use it with your eyes."

"Huh?"

Natasha pulled up a mockup gadget and stood near to her.

"See the small circle in the bottom, look at it, then move your eyes to the right."

She tried that, the magnetic powder shifted, the letters changed now representing her test results.

"Woah.."

"It's still not used to you, with further use it will change information faster."

"Getting used?"

"Yeah, it has a sample of your blood inside, with more use the minerals of your blood get magnetized more and the magnetic powder work quicker."

'What kind of sorcery they are doing here?'

"It's knowledge. Cool right?"

"Sure."

In the kitchen Natasha looked at her hexagono, displaying supply of kitchenware.

"I will send some pots and stuff to here, one minute."

"Don't bother, I'm not a fan of my cooking."

"I see. Well then, as you probably know we are always near a food shortage, due to the mineral nature of our land agriculture is challenging."

Natasha went to a hexagonal shaped hole in the wall with a built-in cover, she opened the cover reviling the dark pipe.

'They sure love this shape here don't they?'

"If you have any vegetable peels or spoiled food, please throw it here."

"Where does it go?" She asked, looking at the inside of the pipe.

"This pipe connect to the major compost area underground. We can go and see it but I don't like the smell so I will tell you that we can't go there."

'Then why did you..? whatever.'

Then she pointed at a bigger built-in hexagonal things in the wall.

"This is a freeze dryer, if you have too much produce or food that you want to store please use this to preserve it. Above it is a regular over."

"That's...useful?"

"I know it's inconvenient but these steps are necessary for our living here."

"Don't worry. I decided to live here so I will do it probably."

Natasha gave a big smile.

"By the way, What's the bigger hexagon on the wall do."

"It's the washing machine, please don't use soap! It cleans clothes with magnetic rotation. Any detergent will ruin it."

She looks doubtfully at it.

"Do you have dry cleaners here?"

"We do. Now bring any jewelry or metal decoration you have." She stated, opening a big bag. Karaza stared, confused.

'Robbery?'

"Why?" She asked hesitantly.

"We have to paint it with metal neutralizing coat. Any metal from out side must be painted or it will fly into the sky."

"Yeah, the magnetic field."

'Becoming a citizen is kind of a pain.'

By the time they finished painting the metals Karaza was almost out.

"Hexagons, magnetics, metal powder." She repeated.

'The culture shock is setting in huh? Was she really a mercenary though? She seems way too adjusted. Hope that doesn't render itself a bad thing.' Natasha thought.

They sat near three big public faucets, one for Water, cola and the last for quenshy.

They drank on the bench near the faucets, a hexagonal podium next to them.

'I'm gonna turn into a hexagon next.'

"Quenshy is a substance that contain a lot of nutrition. Half of a cup equals a whole day worth of everything your body need. Please use it whenever you need."

Karaza drank some of the thick liquid while staring at the podium.

"This is a self service machine. You will learn about it with time. That was a lot for today."

"Thank god."

"Well, that was everything from my side, since you can speak Sadi we can skip the language training . Another government agent should come to you to discuss jobs and joining society. Nice to meet you."

She reached her hand, and they shook hands, Karaza tried to recall the last time she shook hands with someone.

"When the agent will come?"

"It suppose to be tomorrow but we're lazy and slightly corrupt here so who knows."

She blinked at that answer. As if hexagons were not enough for today.

"Is there anything else I should know? Any rule or something?"

"Well, don't hurt yourself or anyone else... and don't do crime."

"No shit."

"Also every capable citizen should volunteer a six months in their life but that can wait. Take your time to adjust!" She said with a sincerity that hurt Karaza to look at for too long.

Her mind drifted to the Radioactive tornado, she knew she doesn't have much time and the lack of shockwaves does the opposite of comforting her.

The part of her that was somewhat apathetic to the end unsettled her. 

'Maybe nothing is going for me but, I wanna do one last thing properly.'

"I wanna start that tomorrow!" She stated.

"Well, you don't have t-"

Natasha's attention drifted when a familiar person passed by.

"Yello!" Roxy greeted.

"Mom!" Natasha hugged her.

'That's a drastic shift.' Karaza thought. 'Wait...MOM?' That somehow scared her more than the tornado.

"I'm sorry, we were swamped last weeks! This weekend is gonna be all about your graduation party." Natasha squeezed her.

"That was gazillion weeks ago, now I'm just a burden on society." Roxy sulked dramatically.

"That's three weeks ago... but d-don't worry! I will abuse my position and get you a job!"

"Please don't, climb the ladder first and then abuse your position."

Karaza was absolutely mortified, not by the inhuman creature but by the hot pink cheetah patterned suit she was wearing. 

Roxy's eyes landed on her, eyes widening in horror the moment she registered Karaza's lilac hair and her brown dress with gingerbread inspired embroidery.

"Oh shoot, gotta go now. see ya!" Natasha went running when her hexagono floated in the air as a notification.

'I knew it the moment I saw her, I can't deny it any longer... I can't stomach this woman's taste!' Both of them shared the same thought.

"Is judging allowed here?" Karaza asked.

"Yup we love it."

"Ah, no. I forget to ask her." Karaza remembered, ending the mutual dirty stares.

"About?"

"Getting a last name, and the six months volunteering thing."

"Just change the last name from the hexogono."

After fifteen minutes and pain in the eye she managed to reach the changing page with Roxy's help.

"Now put you last name in the blank space in the middle." Roxy instructed.

"What do I put?"

"...Your last name?"

"Don't have one. Tell me what to put."

Roxy looked at the name Karaza written in the hexagono.

"Karaza... sound like how you say cherry in Arabic. It also works with Japanese syllables. Very cute."

"I know, picked it myself."

"...really?"

"Real women and real mercenaries name themselves."

"Hardcore."

"Well come on, I want my arch nemesis to pick a last name."

"Arch nemesis?!" She gasped, surprised and excited.

"With this suit? Of course you are."

She put her hand on her mouth, thinking deeply.

"McLovin!, I read about it in an ancient text, it goes well with Karaza."

"Done." She squeezed her eyes shut, groaning.

"Well, guess the volunteering thing goes tomorrow."

"Take your time."

"You know I can't! soon everything gonna be ashes." She whispered, almost inaudible.

"It's gonna be fineeee. A tornado like that came ninety years ago and everyone rushed to sort their life out, then we all looked like clowns when it evaporated."

She whispered, equally quite.

The human paused. Processing what she heard.

"How old were you then?"

She counted with her eyes, giving up half way through.

"Old! And if it all ended no one will care if you serve your time in volunteering or not."

"It's not about anyone. I decided to do this so I will do it properly."

Roxy looked at her, playfulness subdued.

"See the next street from here? There's a community warehouse. Ask for a dude named Momo and tell him you're from my side."

"Thank you." She said, a little automatic but coming from the heart.

Walking home after two long days coming to an end. She would've rather sort the volunteering thing today but stores are closing one after another as the sun sets, everyone going home.

She instinctively reached out to her pipe and lighter, only to find that she's out of Tabaco. 

After walking around in the almost sleep city she lost the hope to find a smoke shop, she sat on a bench in a street she doesn't know, leaning to the right dramatically like she's about to faint.

'Even my emergency stash at home is finished, haven't smoke in four days because of the stupid medical tests. Kill me...' 

A certain nameless surgeon was humming while lightning his pipe on his way home, only to see what looks like a fainting person on a bench in an empty street.

"Are you okay?"

Her head rose with the hint of smoke stripes and they recognize each other.

"With all due respect, this is tasteless." She told as she took a lungful of his pipe. She gave it back to him, he's sitting next to her.

"More for me then." He said before taking a puff.

"Where can someone buy Tabaco here?"

"Hmmm, I don't know." He teased.

"So you're a responsible doctor now?" She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, eyes closed.

"I'm not a doctor."

"My fault...I don't understand this place yet."

"How was your tour?" He asked after exhaling a long string of smoke. Looking for a mere conversation.

"Hexagonally shaped."

"Well, welcome here."

She opened her eyes looking at him, in the same scrubs he wore when he examined her, in a addition to a mystery spot.

"You were in the hospital till now?" 

"Yeah, double shift."

She looked up at the shelter above the bench, blinking. 

"Why did you erase your name?" She asked, still looking up. His existence itself was blurry now, unlike how it was at the hospital. If she didn't know better her brain wouldn't register him as a person. 

"Why do you wanna know?" He played along, unsurprised.

"Cause no one give me a name, and it's your problem now."

He looked at her, the last string of smoke came out of the pipe. He looked at the died out pipe. 

"Sorry, that was stupid to ask." She got up, adjusting her dress. Maybe the it's the nicotine supply she got from the puff, maybe it was too much to ask or maybe she didn't want to know after all.

"There is a smoke vending machine left to hospital."