Chang QinFei woke up, already clear-minded. Feeling the coolness on the back of her plastic body, QinFei knew she was laying on her back, defenseless. Her eyes shifts down and sees that she was laying on what seemed to be a waterbed, wearing some kind of oversized pajamas. It jiggled when QingFei push herself up to sit. With underlying curiosity, she poked at it involuntarily and notice that it seem to be filled by semi-solid liquid, like some sort of gel.

"Good Afternoon, Survivor3527. You are currently in the Lotus Lab's makeshift ward. I am Achelois, and I serve Engelina Trees as NurseBot. Asking a question: What is your full name, Survivor3527?"

Startled, Chang QinFei swiveled her head to the right too fast and over shot by many degrees, and had to take some time to readjust her head, rotating slowly to face the source of the voice. While doing so, she took a moment to scan the room and see that it's almost bare except for her, the robot, a bed-stand, some kind of hospital-like monster machine, the gel-bed and its frame.

Chang QinFei then blinked emotionlessly at the sight of the robot before her eyes. It's got that ovoid frame, similiar to the first one she had seen, but slimmer, and instead of legs, it was attached on a barley-twist¹Barley-Twist: having a twisted form/twisted in a way that resembles a twisted stick of barley sugar. Also; characterized by twisted design elements leg stand that splits in a set of wheels that one can find on an office chair. The tendrils of multiple thin hydraulic metal hoses protruded from all around its sides, with slender crocodile clip ends for fingers-like functions. Some of those were toying with some kind of flat object that resembled a circuit board, and some were fidgeting on air as if manipulating something substantial, but she could not clearly see what it was except for a blur of fast and seemingly precise motions. There was even a pair preforming maintenance on another one of its own.

Chang QinFei stared in awe and wondered what kind of technological advances these robot eggs—they do looked like eggs, with varying legs, of course—represented. She had been staring for too long without responding that the robot before her self-prompted itself to repeat the question it had for her.

"Repeating the question: What is your full name, Survivor3527?"

The repeated question made her temporarily reign in her wandering mind."Chang QinFei," she answered honestly.

"Asking a question: Of what nature shall Achelois refer to Chang QinFei as?"

"Errm..?" Her eyes flickered again towards the flurry of activities the robotic appendages performed on their own. Those things are distracting.

"Repeating the question: Of what nature shall Achelois refer to Chang QinFei as?"

"Aiya, what do you mean?" Chang QinFei retracted her gaze and wanted to scrunch her face questioningly, but the rigid plastic doesn't show any hint of human expression.

A pause, and then, "Asking a question: Do Chang QinFei wish for Achelois to specify a honorifics, an alias, or an entirely different moniker for future interactions?"

The strange perfect mention of her name was a tad creepy, but she considered the question a little more deeply than she should. "I can change my name?"

"Answering the question: Yes."

A tsunami of possibility raided Chang QinFei's mind, but she did not want to hastily decide yet. "Can I change it later, ba² a Chinese particle used at the end of a sentence. This sentence's usage sort of means casual question "..., yeah?"? I'm going to think about it."

"Answering the question: Yes." Whirr, it began to retreat out of the room.

"Wait!"

Whir, it retook its position before her. "Asking a question: Do you have a request?"

"Yes, what happened?" Cang QinFei paused, and added,"to me, I mean." Had had intended to ask the question holistically, but considering that it's a robot it might have not given the specific that she wanted.

"Answering the question: You have been disabled by TingLing³停(ting)-stop; 灵(ling)-spirit. Talisman, and suffered minor case of temporal shut down. You will retain no further damage."

"Oh." She then noticed the lack of dent on her shoulder, but unsure of the bent shin's situation. She asked another question, "Where am I?"

"Answering the question: You're currently in Lotus Lab's makeshift ward."

"Oh. And what is the address of this Lotus Lab?" Her eyes flickered towards the metal hoses. The pair that was in the process of maintenance seems to be done, and the repaired appendage moved stiffly, as if testing itself out.

"Answering the question: It is currently situated on 8th Road, Grid PF459, Area A3."

Chang QinFei was silent. Was she the real intruder here? QinFei began to lament some with doubts more in her heart— or what should have been a heart in this plastic vessel. The robot was silent as well. Perhaps awaiting the next inquiry or dismissal.

"Okay, thanks." She sighed woefully. Her mournful voice doesn't match the rigid expression on the mannequin's face. Seh felt as if the body is dead and entering the state of rigor mortis, and she was some sort of zombie, trying to be human again. She suddenly remembered to ask.

Whi—Achelois was in the middle of retreating when Chang QinFei called out again, "Wait!"—hirr.

"Asking a question: Do you have a request?"

"Yes! What happened to my body?" Might as well try to see what else she could get out of this treatment.

"Answering the question: You have been disabled by the TingLing Talisman, and suffered minor case of tempo—"

"No, ah," Chang QinFei waved her hand, interrupting the speech, "I mean, like, the biological make up of this body? Am I just a piece of plastic? Can I change body? Don't I.."—a pause to consider how to ask the important question—"Don't I have a human body before this?"

"Answering the question: The composition of your body is made of light, versatile synthetic resin made from the polymerization of ethylene, Polyethylene. You are categorized as one of non-organic carbon-based humanoid lifeforms, Synthmanoid. You do not have obvious means of biological digestion or reproduction. You are detected to be Qi dependent. In that case, all forms of healing must be done through skilled individuals in the middle stage of JieDan⁴结丹(JieDan) Core Formation cultivation rank. Changing of life-form vessel is a branch of studies we have not been able to advance on due to the lacking in the availability of controlled individuals qualified to partake in the experiment."

—A pause, to let QinFei reel the onslaught of information in—

"If you have previously possessed a different life-form vessel, you might have had your essence transported into your current life-form vessel."

Chag QinFei blinked again, "Hah?" Is this an science-based world or magic-based one? Why is cultivation being mentioned? Aren't those Martial-Art-And-JiangHu⁵江湖 (JiāngHú) – literally translates as “Rivers and Lakes”, but figuratively refers to the “underground world of martial arts”.-related stuff?

"Repeating the answer: The composition of y—"

She interrupt again before the NurseBot gets on a lengthy sermon, "Ah! Okay, okay, okay!" She have heard it the first time, darn robots for still not getting the concept even if they managed to conquer the world. Did they actually conquered the world or not?! She wanted to cry out in frustration but she found a nagging doubt to address. "So, we're on a planet, right?"

"Answering the question: Yes."

"What's the name of this planet, ah?"

"Answering the question: CB345H" QinFei squinted. That could mean anything.

"Are there humans here?"

"Answering the question: There are 5,203 living humans rediscovered so far."

Rediscovered, ah! "So are we on Earth?"

"Answering the question: Yes."

The robots definitely threw a rebellion! Even worse, they renamed Earth and now they serve the big boss, Engelina Trees. What weird name! Robots are supposed to have cool electronic sounding names, not ...Engelina Trees. Maybe it's deliberate in order to throws people off.

Chang QinFei flung her arms in awkward excitement into the air, only to have them abruptly pulled back by loops of metal wires that burst from the metal support under the gel-filled waterbed to snake around her frame. QinFei's head over-swiveled in shock and then over-corrected as she stiffen, trying not to resist and get hurt. She is innocent, ah! Heavens are laughing down at her!

Ai ya⁶exclamatory phrase expressing surprise, blame, dismay, shock, or fear.! These things are too sensitive! She was only being dramatic!

Slumped in defeat, she faux-sobbed and glared at Achelois with much grievance she could muster with a plastic face. "I'm sorry, ah! I will not do it again!"

"Stating an info: The wires will soon retract on its own in half of an hour."

"Oh. Thanks." Chang QinFei sneered inwardly. The robots are getting cocky.

Whirrr, Achelois finally was able to fully retreat and attend to whatever NurseBots usually attend to when off duty. The buzzing of active electronics ceased but still lingered in the air as a constant reminder that Earth was not the same as it used to be.

Chang QinFei obediently let her head fall back onto the raised pillowed bump of the gel-bed and waited for the wires to retract on their own. It wasn't long before that happen, but she stayed still anyway, not knowing what else to do. 

Chang QinFei had a vague objective but she wasn't sure if it would be necessary, so she decide to just wait and see what else would happen.

In the end, she did get her answer, but however, it still left her with more questions; Why did the robot suddenly wanted to suppress humans? What does it mean by my being non-organic carbon-based humanoid life form? Are there other people like her, then? What happened? Has everyone gotten their consciousness stolen by the robots to be placed in inconvenient vessels? Why them? Does that mean they were seen as unambitious and harmless, and the robots had wanted to preserve them... ? 

... wait a minute.

Are they being preserved for experiments? 囧⁷This is an Chinese emoticon for gloomy emoji, like orz or OTL

"Ai ya! Ai ya! You.. What do you all want to do?" QinFei cried out for the NurseBot but didn't move wildly.

Responding to the panicked cries, the Achelois wheeled itself into view but not near enough for the mannequin to reach it before the metal wires restrains the patient. "Answering the question: We are the Lotus Lab workers. We do not partake in any force to oppose any other force. This is a neutral ground. Please do not attempt to be violent or we will be forced to assign you to a secluded ward."

"I don't want to be cut opened and looked at, ah!" Chang QinFei still didn't move but she wailed loud as she could. Maybe they will have to kill her before they experiment on her, so she does not have to face them while they are doing this and that to her body, ah! She may not be human anymore, but she still have feelings, okay!

"Responding to statement: There are no surgeries being carried out without consent of any organic life-forms."

"What organic life-form? I am not organic now, ah! Cannot also be considered to be sold in the organic food store, ah!" With new found inspiration to avoid being experimented on, QinFei continued: "That's right, ah! I am very useless. Nothing inside me, only air and plastic. Not even a hint of metal inside! There are much better mannequins without life in other stores! Plus there are really good looking ones made of fibergla-"

A laughter sounded at the entrance, which cut QinFei amidst her rant that border-lined pleading. "We're not experimenting on any lifeforms, whether organic or synthetic!"

Chang QinFei swiveled her head too far again and caught sight of two feminine figures. One tall than the other, with green tight bodysuit and lose white toga. The other, who is in a light pink summer dress ...is another mannequin!

Ah! Saviors, albeit strange saviors.

Chang QinFei wanted to join them for some protection but the avid green complexion of one of them stopped her. That person isn't wearing a bodysuit... Why is that person so green? Is it an illness?

Not minding the gawking, the tall green female looking humanoid approached the forgotten NurseBot and pat it on the head. "Dismissed, go have your Qi tank replenished."

"Instruction received." It obeyed and wheeled out of the room, apparently going to refuel itself.

"What happened to you?" Chang QinFei's question can be considered as rude during normal daily life, but now, this life doesn't seemed to be in the range of normal anymore.

"Nothing happened. Why?" The green lady smiled, knowing what the question meant but decide to tease QinFei a bit.

Chang QinFei paused, almost believing it. "Why are you so green? Did you get painted?" It was truly just curiosity.

"I was born this way, hehe."

"No wa—" QinFei paused mid-sentence, and looked at the two new comers closely.

The other quiet mannequin was nice looking and elegant, just like the pretty boutique kinds. Nothing strange, except it seemed to share the same strange occurrence as QinFei. And the fact that it walked over by itself gracefully into the room too.

Ai! Good fortune only happens to the good-looking!

The other person... does look like ... what they would consider as actual living organic human, just with green complexions and ... are the ears pointed too?! Wah! Is that an elf in front of her?

Chang QinFei wasn't much of a disbeliever of magical and mythological creatures, but she considered those stories as exaggerated versions of actual stories of what must have been accidental abnormalities. However, now... She even got reborn into something else entirely different from her actual body, ah! What else to say about science and logic? All her towers of worldly knowledge toppled.

"You... are you an elf?" Saying the word out loud made it even more unbelievable.

The mannequin beside the green lady snickered as the 'elf' lady smiled in amusement. "Is that another word for aliens?"

"A..aliens?!" Chang QinFei looked at the green lady up and down, again. Where does she look like alien? She may have green glowing skin, but the the features is normal like human, ba! The head is human proportioned, the body is also human proportioned. The bust looked normal, the legs, longer than average but that is normal if she's a model, ah! What alien, ah?

"Yes! You can call me Engelina. I am one of the Four Fairies!" The proud look on the 'elf' lady was evident. So, this must be the Engelina Trees person that Achelois, the NurseBot, serves, ah! That meant the robot did not gain sovereign over the humans. Whew!

"Fairies?!" Although she knows little of the various Chinese tales and myths, Chang QinFei was absolutely sure there was no such concrete evidence of things such as immortals, fairies, demons and devils, ah! But, she remembered what she is and decided maybe they weren't really simply just folktales. "Like fox spirits?" That was the majority of her knowledge on Chinese fairy stories.

"They are demi-Yaos⁸Yao (妖 yāo): demons – sometimes left untranslated as “Yao” or alternatively translated as Monsters. Not all Yaos are inherently evil, although many have antagonistic relationships with humans.. Emerald Fairy is my title." Engelina had a really graceful smile.

"Yaos?! There's Yaos?" This is simply ridiculous, ah! Chang QinFei looked at the other mannequin in confusion.

The other mannequin met eyes with her and shyly smiled. A bolt of shock struck Chang QinFei.

It... it smiled! How can the other mannequin smile, so prettily even, when Chang QinFei couldn't even frown! This is truly the example of heaven's favoritism, ah! 

Being gawked at made the other mannequin awkward, she could sense envy rolling off Chang QinFei. Not to mention, it was the very mannequin almost mentioned by QinFei herself — a fiberglass mannequin. There wasn't hard feelings but the barrier of being talked about behind the back is still there.

Not noticing the distracted surprise due to QinFei's poker-face, Engelina continued to explain, "Well.. yes, but demi-Yao and Yao is different. Demi-Yao is born when something gains consciousness and cultivates or when someone falls into Qi Deviation and emerge with changed essence but still have a cultivation rank lesser than ChengXian⁹ChengXian - Immortal Ascending (成仙). Yao are when a demi-yao finally step into the rank of ChengXian. But there are two kinds of Yaos, though. YaoJing and YaoMo."

"C-cultivation?"