It was dark and blissfully quiet. You felt warm and comfortable, as if you were wrapped in a soft cloth. Although you could see nothing in the space, a gentle breeze flowed through the air, carrying the scent of flowers with it.
As you laid there, in that peaceful place, you had an odd sensation. As if there was something you were supposed to be doing. You tried to recall it, but then changed your mind. Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.
You felt tired. Perhaps you had been doing something strenuous. That made sense. You had probably been at school again, participating in the forced sports events that you were never really that good at. It was a wonder you had even been able to pass your training...
Training? What training?
You felt confusion flit through your mind again, and the same sensation of nostalgia washed over you.
Maybe you were thinking of the maths training that you would have to do with Rachel when you got home. Yes... that was probably it.
Maybe if you left early enough, you could visit the ice cream shop with Rachel. She always bought you your favourite ice cream, and you would sit on the bench together watching the birds in the park. Sometimes, you would bring stale bread from home, and pull off pieces for the birds. Eventually, you even convinced Rachel to do it too, and you remember how she looked when she seemed to truly smile for the first time. Those moments that you spent with Rachel were your favourite moments of all.
It was time that you didn't have to spend at home, trying to avoid the gaze of your mother.
You remember how when you were very young, you would look at the faces of the men she brought home, and wonder if this time, maybe this one was your father.
She eventually stopped bringing the men home with her. You eventually got used to returning to an empty house.
Suddenly, the dark space you were lying in no longer felt comforting.
You had to get out.
But where could you go? As you stumbled to your feet, you paced around, your hands outstretched in front of you, searching for a wall, door, anything. There was nothing. It was an endless corridor of darkness. You turned around and around, searching desperately for a way out. Not like this. You couldn't leave it like this.
As you thought of that, suddenly you could see a light, far off into the distance. It was as if someone was holding a torch, searching for you in the darkness.
"[F/N]?" You heard a voice call out. "[F/N]?!"
"I'm here!! I'm over here!" You called back. Then light didn't move closer. You started to race towards it, but something held you back. You stumbled, falling to your knees. As you looked back, you could hear the clink of something metallic. Gingerly, you touched your ankle to find what felt like a chain cuffed around it. You tried to pull it off, but it only seemed to tighten.
"H-Help me please!!" You called into the darkness. "I'm trapped..."
But the voice didn't reply: And you never heard it again.
After a long time, you carefully raised to your feet again. The light was still there, but it seemed further away now. As you moved slowly towards it, the chain seemed to move with you.
You found yourself wondering how you had come to be trapped here, chains around your ankles. It was as if you were some kind of criminal. But you hadn't done anything wrong, had you?
As you thought about this, an image flashed to your mind. A man... no, an android... strapped to a chair. Across from him was... someone else. You couldn't make out the words he said, but it sounded like an interrogation. The android recoiled in fear at the other man's words. As you tried to take yourself into the scene, you began to hear the words more clearly.
"Did you feel anger? Hate?"
Anger? Towards what?
"He was bleeding, begging you for mercy, but you stabbed him again, and again, and again!"
On the other side of the glass, watching the scene, you saw someone stand up. Then with a jolt, you realized it was you.
Suddenly, you were seeing the scene through those eyes. Then in another moment, you were standing in front of a cell, staring at the android through the bars. You found yourself feeling sad for the android. You wanted to somehow help the android.
As you looked at the android, he seemed to stare back at you. As if he wanted to tell you something. You stared at the android's moving lips, trying to make out the words.
Ra9...
Something clicked inside you. Your eyes flashed with visions of the word. Ra9... Ra9 was everywhere. Scrawled on paper, carved into wood, graffitied on the walls. You heard a voice behind you.
"Ra9... written 2471 times..."
You turned. Someone stood behind you. You knew his face so well, yet you couldn't quite recall his name. When he noticed you staring, he smiled at you. It was a little odd... you didn't think you had seen an android smile before.
As you glanced away from him, another scene formed around you. You were standing in a crowded place. It looked like a freighter. On the wall near you, Ra9 was graffitied once again. The letters stretched far into the darkness, until you could no longer see them. What did it all mean?
"Do you know what it means?" The man asked you. His eyebrows lifted in a way that made him look curious. His chestnut colored hair felt slightly across his temple, making his brown eyes stand out even more than they would usually.
"Who are you?" You blurted out. The man smiled.
"Who are you?" He asked you back.
You tried to process his question. Who were you? You looked down at yourself. You wore a white dress, that hung loosely on your body. When you looked up, you were in a different place. A luxurious looking room with fancy furniture and a rich red carpet. A man paced in front of you. His name flashed through your mind. Elijah Kamski?
"You see... I needed someone to test a prototype chip on. A human, someone young, whose brain had not fully developed. Of course, you were the perfect subject for this. Reviving you after the accident was the best way to test it."
You felt unsettled. You wanted to leave.
"The coding of that chip is 'Ra9'."
Ra9?
"You are Ra9."
You shook your head. You didn't want to be Ra9. You weren't Ra9! That wasn't your name. Your name was...
What was it?
"Don't you remember?"
The same man from before stood in front of you, the image of a perfect officer. He took your hand, and walked beside you in the darkness.
"I don't know... I don't know, what is my name? Who am I?"
"I'm sure you can figure that out on your own," The man smiled, taking both of your hands in his own. "Think long and hard... after everything that has happened, surely you can recall something."
Your eyes trailed over the man in front of you. They lingered from his neatly trimmed hair, to his deep brown eyes, to the perfectly maintained uniform he wore. As you eyed the uniform, you noticed the words RK800 written on them. Those words flashed through your mind.
Suddenly you realized that you knew this man. For so long, he had been by your side.
How could you have forgotten?
You saw all those moments where he held your hand, or wrapped you in his arms. He taught you how to fight, how to defend yourself. He showed you another side to the world you had thought you already knew. He was with you in your worst moments, and the moments where you felt at peace. Even at the very end, he pulled you into his embrace. He was the one you were going to marry, the one you had promised to spend the rest of your life with.
"Your name is Connor," You said, your face lighting up with a smile. He smiled too, pulling you into his arms just like he always did. You felt tears prick the corners of your eyes.
Suddenly the whole world was cast into sunlight. The scent of flowers was stronger now, as if you were in a field surrounded by them. You laughed, pulling away and gazing up at Connor's face.
"You shouldn't give up now [F/N]..." He said, your name sounding beautiful on his lips. "It's not time yet. You have a lot of people who are waiting for you."
"You're right," You replied, taking his hand in yours. You squeezed it.
"We have a lot of time on our hands. It's important that we live every moment to the fullest."
He led you further into the light. Suddenly, the world around you faded away.
---
You were in a warm place again. You felt comfortable and relaxed, lying on what felt like multiple sheets. A breeze gently caressed your face. That wasn't the only thing touching your face.
You felt something... wet? A snuffling noise murmured near your ear. You crinkled your nose as you felt something wet, and rather sloppy, on the side of your face. You tried willing it to stop, but it happened again. You groaned, your eyes flickering open.
You were lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room. On top of you, was the biggest dog you had ever seen. If you weren't currently being excitedly licked by the creature, you would have been worried about being crushed to death.
You took in the dogs appearance. It was a Saint Bernard, with brown and white fur, and deep brown eyes.
"Sumo?!" You gasped. The dog got even more excited at the sound of his name, continuing to lick you insistently. "Hey, stop it!!" You laughed, pushing the dog off you.
"Sorry, he was so determined to see you, we had to let him in."
You raised your head at the sound of the voice. You turned to look at the doorway, and standing before you, his back pressed gently against the door frame, was Connor.