After waking up, I instinctively want to stretch my arms and legs, but they hit some kind of metallic wall.  Startled by this unexpected discovery, I open my eyes and assume that I am in some sort of capsule. There is a small blue light which helps me see in the dark, but it doesn't help the fact that it feels suffocatingly hot in here. 

My eyes focus on a little dimly lit display, but I am unable to understand the symbols it is currently displaying.

Display:
ᎷᏋᎴᎥ-ᎮᎧᎴ ᏂᏋᏗᏝᎥᏁᎶ ፈᎧᎷᎮᏝᏋᏖᏋ. ᎮᏝᏋᏗᏕᏋ ᏕᏖᏗᏁᎴᏰᎩ.

I carefully touch the display, but nothing seems to happen. My thoughts are racing, fuelled by the thought that I can't escape this metallic prison. 

I tried to say "where am I?" but my throat was so dry that I couldn't even speak. 

Oh my god, I can't remember anything, not even my name....I need to get out of here! 

After knocking three times on the wall with all my might, still nothing happens. I shout "Help! Get me out of here!" but again only a hoarse sound leaves my throat. My heart is beating insanely fast, I'm panicking. Why won't anyone help me? I hit the wall again, and finally heard some sounds coming from outside of my prison.

"wa.. fo.  ea.. mm." I am so relieved to finally hear that I'm no longer alone...someone was talking. Then...click!....  and the wall in front of me opens to the side. 

Thank god, I'm free! I'm breathing very rapidly, followed by coughing due to the difference in air temperature. Finally my body cools down and I can breathe normally again.

I quickly look around me, not able to move due to my sore muscles. I seem to be in a hospital or some other similar place. 

A smiling lady now approaches me and says "calm down, don't worry, I promise you will be fine. You were injured, but are now completely healed. Just give me some time to get you out of the medi-pod, okay?"  

She is dressed in an unfamiliar doctor's uniform, or perhaps she is a nurse. I nod to her and her warm smile comforts me a bit, but I am still very much worried for my safety. I want to get out of this thing, but I can't, because I only now noticed that I'm in restraints. 

She first checks my body for injuries and it seems that she is also trying to figure out what I am thinking as I can't speak yet. Then she says "you seem frightened, are you alright miss? Don't you remember what has happened?"

I shake my head, while trying to say "No, I don't remember anything," but I can't, because I'm coughing violently again. While I'm coughing, the doctor is removing my restraints so I can put my hand in front of my mouth. Then, after a minute, I managed to calm down, so I took the opportunity to have a quick look around.

There are a few beds here, many large wall-mounted monitors, a desk and three chairs. There are also many small metallic looking instruments lying on the desk. 

"Don't you worry a bit," the doctor says in a very reassuring tone of voice, "temporary memory loss is normal when you use the medi-pod. It will be alright after a good sleep, I promise, okay?"

I nodded. I could only hope that she spoke the truth about the memories returning.

"Good, glad to see you are recovering. Can you please try to speak to me?" she asks, still smiling, which honestly really helps to relax me.

"y....y...." I tried, but was now at least able to make some sound without coughing.

"Ah, don't worry, drink this." The doctor, at least I think she is, is holding a glass of some transparent liquid in front of my lips and slowly pours the liquid into my mouth. I swallowed it, it was cool and refreshing, and it tasted pleasantly sweet. 

"Thank you," I was finally able to speak as the drink did wonders for my throat. I only wish that she had given me this earlier.

"No problem at all. The medi-pod has also cleaned your body during the recovery process, so let me help you get dressed. Do you think you can get up?"

I move my arms and say "yes, I think so."

She then helped me sit up straight and guided me with putting on underwear and a uniform.

It all feels so very strange to me, but also kind of familiar, maybe that is a good sign. I suddenly remember something, I remember that the uniform looks like pajamas, but otherwise I don't seem to remember much.

At least some memories are returning, that must be a good sign, right? 

"There, see, much better already, isn't it?"

"Yes, thank you doctor."

"Good. And I am doctor Vayra by the way. Now tell me, how are you feeling, are you in any pain?"

I took a few seconds to consider my reply, but I honestly felt great. "No doctor Vayra, I really feel fine now."

"Good, it seems that you are almost back to normal. Just give it some more time. Ah, one other thing, the medi-pod must have removed your ID implant, so I gave you a new one, but I don't know what your name and rank is. For now I gave you one of our spare medical uniforms, but without the rank insignia of course."

"Okay, but doctor, I am really worried, I don't remember anything." I said, sounding apologetic for not remembering my name but also for not knowing what had happened to me.

She shook her head, "don't you worry a bit about those memories. Ah, your file here says that you were seriously injured on the planet by phase gun fire and were brought back on board just in time to recover in the medi-pod. And I now see why I don't have your name on file....the doctor who helped you into the medi-pod forgot to add your name to the file. Seriously, how can anybody forget something as basic as that?" 

I shrugged, then I asked "Do you know what has happened to me?" 

"Sorry, I don't have any information about that, but I see on my terminal that the people who have rescued you from that planet have arrived. Do you mind if they come and visit you?" She gave me an encouraging smile.

I shake my head to show her that I don't mind, after which she allows them to enter this hospital...or whatever this place is. 

The doors slide open and I can see three people entering this room, one of them is a woman, probably in her early twenties. The other two are men, not much older than her. They are all wearing uniforms and seem to be carrying weapons which are fixed to their belts. All three are scanning the room, probably looking for someone. The woman then addresses the doctor, "Doctor, do you know where the alien is?"

"Alien? What alien? If you are referring to the person you brought back from the planet, she is sitting right over there," doctor Vayra said.

The woman looks at me, then to the doctor, and me again. "You said she?"

"Yes, that is what I said. Now, did I miss something? She has memory loss from the treatment, so you...."

"No, no, you were supposed to heal the alien's injuries, not turn it into one of our own!" one of the others said, interrupting the doctor and pointing at me as if I were some hideous creature.

My heart is beating quickly again, I feel like these people are going to cause trouble. Then I am distracted by my reflection in a wall-mounted monitor, so I decide to walk towards it. It is a black, glossy panel, not really suited to act as a mirror, but still good enough for me to recognize my own reflection. 

The others are following my every move while I take the time to study the reflection. My face looks very familiar, I have long, black hair, long pointy ears and big blue eyes with a slit in the middle. My nose is nice and wide, yes I look perfectly normal. 

And that is what I tell them, "but I look and feel perfectly normal? I look just like you do. How can I possibly be an alien? You must be mistaken." I said with an honest confused expression.

The doctor shrugs and then says "see, perfectly normal. I think you made a mistake or something. My scans confirm that she is a healthy eighteen year old Shalna woman. Definitely no alien."

I nodded in agreement, because she is the doctor and she is obviously correct.

Then the doors of this room slide open again and I see another person entering the room. He is walking past the trio, heading straight for me. The doctor tried to keep him away from me, but he quickly maneuvers around her.

"Good afternoon, I am doctor Bophin. I must say I am surprised, you now look quite different from how you looked when I put you into that medi-pod." The doctor sighs and then continues "I don't know what else to say other than that I am sorry for our little mishap."

I pointed at myself, showing a confused look and said "Who? Me?"

"Yes, there can be no mistake. You had serious leg injuries when they brought you here, and your form was....different. How are you now?" 

"I'm fine, I guess. I feel normal and I look normal, so I don't know why everyone is so worried about me."

"Do you know what has happened to you?"

"No, I already told doctor Vayra that I can't remember anything. Not even my name."

"Well, that is to be expected from the medi-pod. Your memories should be back after a good night's sleep.

While it was luckily able to heal your injuries, obviously something went wrong. Believe it or not, you are indeed the alien we put into that unit. But the question here is....why did it change your body to look like ours?"

Before I could respond to him, he addressed doctor Vayra  "do you still have her clothes?"

"No, they must have dissolved in the medi-pod," doctor Vayra said.

Doctor Bophin then scans me, "yes, as I thought. The medi-pod must have detected multiple DNA sources and only focused on one, completely ignoring your original DNA while restoring the body. There are still trace amounts of unknown DNA in her at the moment, but they are quickly diminishing."

Then I said "so....doctor. What am I then? What will you do with me?" I was really worried about my future, fearing for my life.

Doctor Vayra then approaches me, "don't you worry, miss. We will get to the bottom of this. One thing's for sure, you are our guest here and I promise that nobody will harm you."

 

I gave her a nod and a weak smile, before I noticed the trio suddenly approaching me, but the female guard kept her other two colleagues at bay. She says "I know just the thing to bring back your memories, are you up for it?"

What should I do? I don't really trust them, but any information may help me figure out what is happening here. 

I look at doctor Vayra who nods in approval. 

"Yes, what do you have in mind?" I asked. 

"Come over here," the female guard said. And she activates one of the wall-mounted displays. 

It first shows a logo, then I see pictures.

"Come closer, and tell me what you see," she said.  

I walked towards the monitor and tried to describe what I saw. Images started to flash in my mind, making me dizzy for a second. Doctor Vayra tried to intervene, but I gestured that all was fine. I can't believe it, this is really familiar to me. Then it hit me. 

"I see an image of the USS Portland."

"Ah, your memories are already coming back, excellent," doctor Bophin said, but I ignored him.

The images are now slowly moving, frame by frame. 

"Yes....there were bright white lights above me. First one...then another one," I said.

Then the image froze, and the female guard said, "see this image? That is you. That is your appearance from when we took you aboard our rescue vessel." 

I shake my head, and must have a shocked expression on my face, because I'm definitely not looking anything remotely like that being there.

"Maybe you should stop for now," doctor Vayra said. But everyone ignored her.

The images continue, and so do the flashes in my mind.

"Continue, tell us what you see here," the guard said.

"I see an infrared image of the bridge, two...things..are now entering the bridge."

And then an explosion follows, metal fragments and glass are flying everywhere due to the shockwave.

"Oh my god, they killed the captain!" I put my hands in front of my face in shock.

"Continue!" the guard demanded.

I didn't want to, but this somehow seems to help me... 

"I see..an impact on the thing above the Portland, it was probably hit by a friendly RIM-67 surface to air missile. And I see energy discharges on deck....oh my god, I was hit by one!" How can I possibly know this?

"Continue!"

The perspective of the images now changes, the camera source is moving away from this location. 

"I see...oh my god, no!!"

An energy beam from one of the lights above the Portland is discharged directly to the center of the ship, causing an enormous fireball instantaneously. Then only a second later there are secondary explosions from within the ship, probably from hitting the ammunition storage. The Portland then violently explodes from within, fragments being blown away from all sides. 

"The Portland. They destroyed her!" I shouted.

I then see two impacts on the attacking ship and it is utterly destroyed by RIM-67s. Burning fragments fall into the water and slowly disappear. 

"Alright, that is enough, now stop!" doctor Vayra demanded.

"It was not us, but," the guard tried to continue but was interrupted by the doctor again.

"No, I said stop! You are traumatizing her. Her memories need time to come back naturally. Now leave this medi-bay at once. You too doctor Bophin, she needs to process this!"

"No doctor, she needs to be debriefed at once, she obviously knows more about the signal they sent," the guard confronts doctor Vayra.  

"This is my last warning, LEAVE NOW, medical doctor's orders, or I WILL have you removed from here!"

But two guards ignored her and came towards me.

"How can you be anything else than an alien when you clearly know about those images!" one male guard shouts at me.

"I don't know! Leave me alone!" I shouted. 

 

One of the guards is keeping the only exit blocked, my survival instincts kick in, and for some reason I decide to hide behind a desk. The desk has all kinds of packages and small tools on its surface...weapons I can use to defend myself.

I shout at them, "stay away from me! I will.....I will...I will throw this!" And I threw a small box at them. Utterly useless.

"Alright, stay back, give her some space," doctor Bophin said to the three guards.

All the guards back off a bit, now leaving the door unguarded.
I waited for my chance, then ran like hell for the door and somehow managed to get outside of the room and into a corridor. Left, right? Choose! I ran to the right, running as fast as I could, causing some other people to jump away, barely avoiding me.

 

But then I am out of luck...In front of me is a huge window looking out into the depths of space, the Earth slowly coming into view. I fall to my knees and start to cry, "this place...where am I?"

While I look into outer space, accepting my impending capture, I see the reflection in the window of bystanders approaching from behind. 

"Are you alright, miss?" a kind and gentle female voice asks, but she is pushed away. It is doctor Vayra. 

I shout "Nooo! Stay away!" but she injects something in my neck.....and I lose consciousness.