Fragments of Her Life

Everything was dark. I felt suffocated, yet I wasn't lacking air. It was as if I were lost at the bottom of the ocean with immense pressure weighing down on my body. Numerous cables and connections emerged from me, linking me to a galaxy of sea stars.

Suddenly, I was floating in space. The sea stars transformed into planets, and I became the sun, with everything orbiting around me.

Gravity disappeared, and I began to fall so fast that it felt like my body was on fire. Like a shooting star, I crashed into a house. Amid the wreckage, someone reached out their hand to me. I grabbed it and was pulled upward.

I opened my eyes and sat up with a jolt, as if someone had really pulled me. But it had all been just a dream.

Even though I was awake, my surroundings still felt dreamlike. The bunk bed seemed to be floating, and I was surrounded by darkness and stars. Only the moonlight lit up the area around me.

“Huh...? What is this? Rei? Dom?” I asked, confused.

Instinctively, I grabbed the phone beside the pillow, but the call had ended. Rei must have fallen asleep too.

I swung my feet off the bed but hesitated to step down, afraid I might fall. It had to be a visual effect, right? But it felt too real, and my fear did too.

Finally, I managed to reach the floor, and the room returned to normal. The effects were mesmerizing, so realistic that I could have sworn I was somewhere else if it weren’t for the bunk bed. I then headed for the bedroom door.

The other room was a huge rectangular living space. A small table with a globe on top sat in the center, surrounded by four two-seater sofas. Strangely, there was no television, even though it looked like a living room.

Near the apartment’s exit door, I noticed a vertical machine. It looked like a tanning booth, with lights glowing from it at that moment — probably because Alba was inside. I approached and saw a countdown timer showing 5 minutes remaining.

Other than that, there wasn’t much around. I tried to find a kitchen or bathroom, but there was neither.

Now what? I really needed to go to the bathroom, but I couldn’t leave the apartment. So I went back to the living room and waited on the sofa for the timer to hit zero, hoping to figure out what to do next.

When the timer ran out, Alba stepped out of the machine and walked toward me in the center of the room.

“Inertia! I thought you’d be resting longer. You don’t look well… How are you?” she asked, concerned.

“I'm fine. My body feels normal… It’s just that I looked for a bathroom, but it seems there isn’t one.”

“Dom’s working on that and looking for some food for you. Can you wait a little longer?” she asked, visibly concerned.

“Yes, I can wait, don’t worry. And you can call me Innie, that’s what everyone calls me.”

“Alright,” she said, glancing down.

“What's that machine over there?” I asked, pointing at it.

“Oh, that? The air outside is contaminated, and our bodies are affected by the mist. That’s why we use the machine to preserve ourselves for as long as possible. My biggest fear is you getting exposed to the little that enters when the outer door opens. If you start feeling skin or respiratory irritation, itchiness, or coughing, tell me right away.”

“So far, I feel fine. So, from what I understand, you don’t eat or need bathrooms… What are your bodies made of?”

“Well… it varies a lot. We can choose the composition of our bodies. There are many materials that can withstand the mist and won’t disintegrate, but the better the material, the more expensive it is. The closer they resemble human bodies, the pricier they become. So, it really varies.”

“Does that mean you can change your appearance as you wish?” I asked excitedly. That would be amazing.

“Yes, many do. In fact, almost 90% of the population has altered their appearance. Beauty standards change over time, so people adapt, often abandoning their original looks.”

“Wow, this is amazing!”

I’d love to change a few things about myself too, I won’t lie. Alba’s beauty was out of this world. Had she changed her appearance as well?

“People here in the southern region are probably the exception. I think they’re part of the 5% who’ve kept their original appearance,” she added.

“You’re naturally beautiful, then,” I said.

She laughed and thanked me.

I had so many questions that I kept asking whatever popped into my mind.

“Alba, why did you choose to live here instead of in Nowy?”

“Straight to the point, huh?” She widened her eyes, laughed, and continued answering while arranging a bag she had brought.

“I got separated from my family when the world started to change. We were on a trip in Brazil when the mist began to consume everything, and I lost them in the chaos. My parents tried to find me, but there wasn’t enough time. They were sent back to our country without me.

Because of that, I’ve lived here in the southern region for many years. They rescued me and took me in from the very beginning.”

She conveyed a sense of gratitude for being here.

“My parents eventually became influential in their country, but they never stopped trying to find me. I chose to keep my natural appearance, which made it easier for them to locate me many years later.

I love them, but I also found another family here. Dom is like a brother to me, and Chefe is like a second father. I tried returning to live in Nowy, but I couldn’t adapt well to life in the center, so I came back here.”

Alba’s life story was moving, and this was only a glimpse into the extra 4,000 years they had lived. A pang of guilt washed over me for prying into her life like that.

“I’m sorry… and thank you for sharing your life with me,” I said, regretting having asked.

“Don’t worry. I just don’t like the image people get of me once they learn I’m the daughter of someone important. You would have found out sooner or later anyway,” she replied.

I was so caught up in her story that my urgent need to pee seemed to fade away.

Suddenly, the globe at the center of the room began to blink. Alba touched it, and it floated into the air, scattering lights around us. In an instant, the entire room transformed into a different environment. We were still physically there, yet it felt as though we had been transported to where Dom was. The realism was breathtaking — not just the globe, but the floor, walls, and ceiling all seemed connected to the device.

“Alba, we have a problem!” Dom said.

“Oh, Inertia’s awake already? I’ve got some good news and some bad news for you two. I found something to take care of your, uh, ‘natural calls,’ Inertia, and something to quench your thirst. But as for food… everything’s contaminated. Couldn’t find a single clean item,” he went on.

Alba’s expression turned serious and thoughtful.

“I think I’ll have to go back to my parents’ place. They might still have a tree with clean fruit or some uncontaminated animals. Dom, head back here. I’ll figure this out today,” she said.

“Okay, I’m on my way,” he said.

The call ended, and I immediately felt worried for making her go back there just to help me.

“Inertia, don’t worry. I need to check in with them anyway. You must be starving, so as soon as Dom gets back, I’ll head over there. My only concern is that my father might notice something unusual and start chasing me again… and if he does, he’ll find you too.”

Not even a minute later, Dom returned with none other than an old, time-worn toilet, water, and a reservoir. According to him, the toilet was old but eco-friendly, created in the years after my time to help save the already-damaged environment. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about where to dispose of my waste.

“Here’s your beautiful eco-friendly toilet, Inertia! I got it from the junkyard, and I didn’t even have to pay. They gave it to us for free!” he said.

Dom seemed proud of the toilet. The situation was both comical and serious, and I almost cried from embarrassment and relief.

“The closet will be your bathroom for now. As for bathing, you’ll have to make do with a cloth until I can find a proper shower. And here’s your water, don’t worry, it’s decontaminated,” he explained.

“Thank you so much, Dom, really!” I said, filled with gratitude.

“Alright, I’m heading to Nowy. I’ll keep in touch with both of you,” Alba said as she packed her things.

Dom pulled Alba aside and seemed to send her some information.

“Alba, if you think your father might interfere, go straight to Felipe. He’s at the consulate on the border, and I’m sure he can help you get some supplies,” he said.

“Thanks, Dom. See you later, Innie,” she said.

Then Alba grabbed her bag and left. Now it was just me, Dom, and the eco-friendly toilet.

End of Report 07.