[About your current identity. I’m sure you know without me reminding you~ yes?]

Yes, of course, she now remembers. She returned in her last year in college and during her internship at Cristy Agency. Half a year ago she started working and had so little time to look after her sister. 

Yes, a sister. In this life, she has one, a baby sister named Lallie.  

The little girl with a lisping speech and sweet voice calling her Sissy. Her heart shook. She needed to get back home now, every minute counts. At this hour Lallie is probably hungry and wondering where she is.     

Too bad last life big sister died early and little Lallie turned into a real orphan without anyone. Now that she’s back, she will not allow Lallie to suffer once again. 

Alvis stretched her sore limbs then looked at the time and date, she groaned. It’s past lunch now, everyone in the office is working busily including her boss. She dragged in a deep breath and looked over her surroundings. 

An eagle soared freely in the blue sky, a kid eating a popsicle crossed the streets and the wind had some faint smell from this morning’s rain. Nothing seems out of place. The world kept turning oblivious to the forthcoming cataclysm. 

Alvis’ short contemplation broke. There are plenty of things to deal with but she had a more important task to do. Within a month, everything they knew of this world will change.

Thinking about the apocalypse made her face numb. If she wanted to proceed unhindered, she had to let go of her job. Why did she even take up an internship in another city? She already forgot the reason. What’s urgent now is to resign then return to J City and file for a leave from her university.

There are still no changes in the atmosphere as of the moment. That’s good. The air and waters are still clean. According to her hazy memory right now a new kind of virus was discovered in the east, a week after this a pandemic will erupt, sweeping every corner of the globe. Another week later, a natural disaster will ravage the land. 

Volcanoes will erupt bringing with them the fumes that signal the mutation of all living beings. In the fourth week, the temperature will turn into extremes. And finally, those who died in the pandemic will walk the land once again. 

In the world torn in chaos, the experts from countries all over the world will gradually reveal themselves. People born with superior genes since ancient times, hidden and protected by their people. 

Unfortunately, some of those families are far too greedy. Instead of aiding mankind back to peace, they fought and competed with the rest. Vying for control and supremacy.  

The gears on Alvis’ head turned double time. A month, maybe less. She needs to take her sister somewhere safe, procure supplies and begin with the mission. Very well…

Although the apocalypse is approaching in a very indefinite time, she strangely felt calm after making a mental plan. Calmer than facing the aliens of an unknown planet. The undead? What are those? 

She was positively anticipating cutting down the mythical zombie’s when 00 put a damper on her enthusiasm. 

[Major, you are allowed to move at will provided you do not blow your cover.] 00 said. 

[What does that mean exactly?]

[Although this world is entering transition and abilities are starting to emerge, you cannot expose too much of your own and use any technology higher than Class 2. It will affect the world’s progress.]  

[Can we make a bargain?] she suggested.

[Negative.]

[Then tell me, how do you want me to proceed with a mission with Class S difficulty?]

00 quietly calculated how to answer. 

[When I was dropped on a primitive planet before my promotion test, I had a weapon with me. The marshals observing my test were also adamant I must not interfere with the natives' civilization by teaching or showing them Nova Empire’s technology. But you see, even when I wasn’t allowed to bring my things, I had something for security.”

00 was too quiet, not even a static can be heard. 

[You have less than sixty seconds to decide. Anyway I’m back to my original world, what’s in it for me if this mission fails--]

[Major wait!] 00 cried out distressingly. [Don’t be like this…]

[You’re abusing me, I should be the one crying.]

It’s true, she may be a soldier in the future but what is her identity here? Physical strength? She didn’t want to sell misery but what can a college girl like her do? Unless she was given enough time to train she would be able to get by. Right now the reality is that she couldn’t even outrun a dog!

So what of survival and combat skills? First and foremost she needed to have an able body.

[Major…]

[No compromise. No mission.]

M-Major is about to turn rogue. What do I do? 

[Alright, alright I’ll ask the officers.]

A playful sly smile tugged at her lips. See? It’s not so hard, is it? 

[But it may not be like you expect so prepare yourself.] 00 added weakly. 

Urgh, fine! What’s a handicap or two? As long as she can move her limbs and her mind functions well, they will manage. 

When Alvis stood preparing to go home her phone rang once again. 

“Yes?”

“Thank goodness Her highness finally picked up.”

Her expression hardened. It was the voice of aunt Lin. All the things related to this person, her emotions, impression and memories came back to Alvis at once. Including the old pain. 

“Did something happen to Lallie?” she asked in an unemotional tone. 

“Nothing new, if you ask me.” the woman on the other line replied with a subtle mocking edge. “Your sister had been crying since this morning. The neighbours are complaining about the noise and I don’t know how to make her stop.”

It’s not that she doesn’t know how to. She just doesn’t want to. If she could, Alvis wouldn’t leave her sister to this person, but jobs kept her busy so she had money to raise the baby. Her aunt would occasionally toss out half-hearted advice but she also silently gloated her dilemma.

In truth, she just wanted Alvis to quit the job at Cristy to prove to everyone how much of a loser her niece was according to her story. To the neighbours and to everyone they knew, she had no endearing words to say about her. 

On the surface, she showed sympathy but inwardly ridiculed her efforts. Although Alvis in this life already got used to it, deep inside her she still hoped to scrape the tiniest hint of familial love. Hope and fail. She would hope and then fail again until she can only accept that unreasonable selfishness does exist.    

Alvis was a full-time scholar, her credentials are enough to be admitted to any top companies. It was her dire finances that pushed her to take on small jobs for the time being while looking for the perfect opportunity.   

“You might want to consider going home soon dear.” Aunt Lin reminded her, prompting her flying thoughts back, “I’ll be leaving in a while and I cannot delay.”

Half an hour of bus ride later, Alvis is already in front of a two-storey house. Standing there looking at the old structure she hadn’t seen for years and years yet remained unchanged gave her a moment of joy. 

And finally, it sank in then.

She returned.

Alvis reckoned Aunt Lin wouldn’t have such a big heart to wait for her. It was the maid that came out of the front door and she wasn’t looking so merry when she saw her standing beyond the iron fence. 

“You’re finally back.” the girl said sullenly as she opened the gate. “Madam left already.”  

As predicted.

Alvis said none and followed her inside. There was nothing to talk about anyway, from the three maids working in here to the owners of this house none welcomed them. 

Over a year ago when her parents died in a research accident. Her and Lallie’s life tumbled down. She thought she could hold on. The thin thread of hope they were clinging on would remain if she just did her best, never complain and remain positive. She was wrong. 

The death of her parents cut off most of the road to safety for her and Lallie. 

And aunt Lin, in particular, was the best example of a person holding a sharp pair of scissors.

[Major, your sister is in the west room. She’s sleeping.]

[Got it.] she replied curtly. Her eyes looked around the house and adjusted to the changes.  

Concrete and wooden structure. But as she stepped to the main door, her body smacked on the wooden panel. The maid following behind her snickered seeing her dazed for a few seconds. She didn’t even bother to lower her voice when she said, “Stupid.” 

Alvis looked back shooting the insolent maid with a petrifying glare even the elites of her unit were frightened of. The girl made a step back, twisted her ankle and fell on her butt.

[I think you spooked her.] 00 mused.

[Just the way I like it.]

00 felt his Major suddenly turned murderous. She had several emotional fluctuations since receiving the phone call.  

[Everything here is so primitive.] 00 grumbled. [There are a few things my system can latch into. The house is not even fully automated. How could people live like this?]

Alvis listened to 00’s childish complaints on her way to the west room. Thankfully despite the slightly grating sound, it effectively distracted her from exploding.

[A stable and clean energy source is yet to be invented. It is understandable that technology lags. Besides, we are still in a 3rd class city once we transfer to the capital, things will be much easier.]  

To the current era, this level of technology is just right. When riding a bus a while ago, she was careful not to make a joke of herself but she did not expect she would hit the door when waiting for it to open for her. 

When they first came here in C City, she liked it very much. There are less traffic noise and pollution. The land stretches towards the horizon and red brick walls look in complete harmony with the surrounding. It was a good place. She had a good impression of these fashionable pseudo-Victorian houses surrounded by nature. Her aunt loved this place too because of the compliments she gets from her friends for having a refined taste. 

But twenty years in the far future has cleared Alvis’ vision. 

What she’s seeing now is an outdated house filled with imitation furniture reeking with formaldehyde. It blended with her aunt’s collection of fake antiques creating a tacky set. 

00 was right. It’s too primitive, but at the same time, it was also unique. This was a forgotten civilization, a proof that humans thrived despite the limitations of their environment in this ancient blue planet. Be it a genuine artefact, art or fake, the people of the Nebula Era would still crave to get a glimpse of it. 

Alvis fixed her expression before pushing the door to their room open.