A murky light hits your face, and you open your tired eyes. What first greeted your weary eyes was a neglected and stained grey ceiling, like those of an abandoned building. After lightly turning your head to your right and left, you discover that the rest of the room you are in is as ill-repaired as the ceiling above you, a small ruined bedroom.

"Am I hallucinating?" - You ask yourself as you try and get up.

Creak*

The bed groaned as you slowly stood up from its dilapidated mattress and creaking wooden bed frame, placing your bare feet on the cracked and dust-covered floor.

"Jesus... This place should hire a cleaner." - You comment as you stand up.

You take a wary look around the room and see a time-worn door slightly ajar to your right, and to your left, you see a rusted crowbar. Behind you was a veiled window, shining dim light into the room.

"... Better safe than sorry." - You say as you pick up the crowbar, the only thing in this room that can give you some sense of security.

However, as you grip the crowbar, you notice the discomfort in your hand caused by the rust, so you decide to take off your tank top and use it as a makeshift handle.

"How did I get here?" - You ask yourself, feeling a tad more clear-headed than before while holding your makeshift weapon.

You remember going home from work, tired from your shift in the supermarket. You then returned to your rented small apartment, took a quick shower, and slept with only a tank top and boxers. And then you woke up here.

"Am I dreaming? Or did I get transmigrated to another world?" - You ask yourself, wondering if you are some unlucky protagonist from a specific famous genre.

However, you don't expect yourself to have a protagonist halo. That doesn't happen in real life, especially to a mob character like you. Others in your world have cheat-like superpowers, with some comparable to living nuclear weapons. But you are just your average powerless joe, one of the majority in your world, one of the unfortunate 90 %.

"I guess I should explore this house first..." - You say as you cautiously eye the door.

Using your crowbar as an extension, you carefully open the door, but the old and rusty hinges shrieked in grief, letting out a creaking sound.

*Creak

Thankfully, the hinges didn't break as you finally opened the door. Behind the door was a small living room shared with a kitchen.

"A 1-room apartment, just like my own." - You figured as you cautiously stepped into the room.

Looking around the room, you see that the room was of an almost identical design to your apartment, but there were some key differences. One such difference is the appearance of the electrical appliances in the room. Although it looked old, dusty, and ill-maintained, it had a futuristic vibe. One that your apartment did not have.

After a scan quick scan, you confirm that the apartment is empty, with a locked metal door blocking the only entrance to the house. You also checked the futuristic bathroom and confirmed that there is nothing in the apartment apart from you.

Only after that did you relax your taut nerves a little. You then put down the crowbar and check the house more thoroughly. You first verified if the apartment had electricity or running water, but you were disappointed.

"Nothing... Something is wrong here, and I don't like it." - You frown as you continue to look around the room.

Your next focus was the most significant missing thing in the room; Your TV.

Where there was the outdated Full-HD TV you picked up for free on the street, you saw a hanging picture frame, and under it was a broad and short cabinet with two wide drawers.

You walk up to the picture and swipe it with your hand, revealing a drop-dead gorgeous Latina in her twenties with a nice body wearing a graduates uniform and holding a diploma, and next to her stood what you assumed were her parents. She was right up your alley.

"Hot damn... is this the owner of this dump? She is so freaking hot! What would I give to get laid with her, hehehe..." - You lasciviously laugh while turning your gaze to the cabinet.

"What does this thing hold?" - You open the top drawer.

Inside the drawer, you find three objects; A sci-fi-looking monocle that suspiciously resembles the scanner from a specific anime but with a transparent color instead of green, an equally sci-fi-looking visor like the one worn by a particular laser-shooting mutant, and a futuristic helmet that covers the eyes.

"What the heck are these for?" - You wonder while picking up the monocle.

You curiously fiddle with it for a little bit before putting it on your right ear.

"Heh... Cool. I wonder if I can see other's power-- Wow!"

[Buenos dias, Lola. Ha pasado mucho tiempo desde la última vez que me usaste.]

Suddenly, the device turned on, and a pleasant feminine voice sounded through the earpiece with a text displayed in front of your right eye on the transparent lens. The feminine voice even sounded a bit sad and disgruntled.

"W-What the... H-Hello?" - You hesitantly say.

[La huella del ojo no coincide. El reconocimiento de voz detectó una voz desconocida. Detectado que está en inglés. Cambiando al inglés.]

[Hello, guest. Who might you be? Where is Lola?]

The voice sounded again, this time more apathetically.

"Y-You can understand me?!" - You exclaim in shock.

[Yes, of course, I can. I am Apex Technologies' latest UT-658 AR assistant, installed with an 8TB-Ram Deep Learning AI and the newest artificial personality module.]

The female voice said proudly.

"You're an AI?" - You ask, still slow on the intake.

[Yes, as I said, I am an AI with an artificial personality module. Now, where is Lola?] - She asked again, a little more impatiently this time.

"Is Lola your owner? The hot Latina woman on the picture frame and the owner of this dump?"

[Yes, she is. And what do you mean, dump?] - She said, somewhat angry.

"Well..." - You hesitantly take a look around the room.

The room was full of dust, the walls stained with moss and cracked, and some metallic appliances were getting rusty. No matter how you look at it, the place is a dump. It will take a lot of cleaning and repairs to make this apartment liveable again.

[Scanning... Scan complete. Comparing the scan results to the saved house scan.]

[Comparison complete. Scan results show that this is indeed Lola's apartment. Why is it in such disrepair?]

The AI sounded confused and even a bit lost.

"I don't know. I am confused as you are. I returned from work to my apartment before sleeping, and the next thing I know, I woke up here." - You scratch your head, not knowing what to say.

[Acknowledged. The guest user is detected to be confused and disoriented. Would you like to call 911?]

"That will be a big help, thanks. But you also double as a phone?"

[Yes, through the wireless network and with radio frequency. I will now attempt the call--]

[Error, no network found. Attempting to call through radio frequency--]

[Error, line out of reach. What is going on?]

"I have no idea, but I have a bad feeling about this..."

Waking up in someone else's dump of a house is bad enough, but finding yourself in a place without internet or phone calls is even worse. The AI seemed just as confused as you are, which did not bode well.

Suddenly, you had a wild guess.

"Hey, what is the date right now?"

[March 22.] - The AI replied succinctly. It was the same day that you remember today to be.

"No, I meant, what year is it?"

[2172, of course.] - The AI said as if it was the most obvious of things.

"2-2172?! Are you sure you are not malfunctioning or anything?!" - You ask, horrified.

[Affirmitive. My internal clock has been working perfectly fine for the last 22 years.] - She replied in a matter-of-factly tone.

"... Oh my god." - You felt dizzy.

The situation became even worse. You are around 150 years in the future. However, there are some things you need to confirm before coming to conclusions.

"Hey, er... Miss AI?"

[You can call me Rosa. Lola named me as such.]

"Hey, Rosa, was there any cosmic phenomenon in 2008? The one where people started having superpowers?" - You cautiously asked, nervous.

[Cosmic event? Superpowers? No such thing has happened in my recorded database. We do have genetic enhancement though.] - Rosa stated.

"...What? It didn't happen? Then that means this isn't my world's distant future. I am in an alternate reality." - You say, coming to a realization.

[Guest user detected experiencing a delusional episode. Suggested that the user sit down and drink some water.] - Rosa said with a tinge of concern.

"I'm fine, but even if I wanted to drink some water, there is no running water here."

[No running water? Is there no electricity, too?]

"Nope, nothing."

[Odd. Very odd. Is there perhaps a power outage? Did you check outside?]

"Hah? No, not yet. I'll check it now." - You say and approach the veiled window.

You slowly open the veil, shining brownish light through the dusty window glass into the room. However, you can't see anything as the window is too dusty.

"Damn... this is like the window in that one abandoned house I sneaked into when I was a kid." - You mumble as you begin to wipe the window with your hand, removing the dust.

The next moment, however, your hand stops as you widen your eyes in complete shock.

"...Oh my god..."

[...Unbelievable.]

In front of your eyes were tall and futuristic apartment buildings, a few stories more than the ones in your neighborhood. But that wasn't what shocked you.

They were time-worn, and signs of nature reclamation were apparent, with climbing plants and weird-looking moss starting to cover them.

The streets were no better, and through the crumbling cement, you saw plants and moss starting to grow, covering both street lamps and scattered vehicles.

It looked like the abandoned post-apocalyptic scenery in movies or video games.

"... Rosa, do you remember the city looking like this?" - You ask blankly.

[...Negative. The city view in my memory looked like this.] - Rosa replied while suddenly an image showed in front of your display.

It was the same view as before, just that the buildings looked new, with no overgrowth in sight, and the streets looked clean and tidy.

"...This city is abandoned." - You conclude.

[Apparently so.] - Rosa agreed.

"Is there even anyone here?" - You ask yourself while clearing up more of the window.

After a bit of cleaning, you spot a humanoid silhouette idly standing a few hundred yards away.

"Hey, I see someone! Can you zoom in on him or something? I can't see clearly from here." - You say, your eyes lighting up and a smile forming.

[Affirmitive. Zooming in.] - Rosa says as the display on the lens suddenly zoomed in on the silhouette.

However, what you saw next wiped out your smile.

"W-What the fuck is that?!" - You utter while taking a step away from the window.

A greyish-green naked humanoid of average build idly standing there with its back turned to you, basking in the morning sun.

The humanoid was completely bald, and you could see large yellowish growths on its body. Its two humanoid hands and feet were also clawed, like some predators. You also notice something shiny on the back of its head, but you are too far to discern anything.

The creature then slowly turned around, and you saw its front side. The humanoid had a humanlike face, but there were marked differences. Its eyes were glassy and white, its nose was replaced by two nasal holes, and inside its slightly parted mouth were jagged teeth. You also notice that it lacked genitalia and had a few yellowish growths on its front and face.

[Alien humanoid lifeform detected. Analysis initiated with the current database. Searching-- Searching-- No matching results found. The subject possesses natural weapons and appears predatory. Categorized as extremely dangerous and unknown. Emergency protocol initiated. Calling 911. Error, unable to reach 911. Calling national guard-- Error, unable to contact the national guard. Please do not approach for your safety.]

"Yeah, you don't need to tell me that..." - You cringe as you stare at the monster a few hundred yards away.

Luckily, it seems that the monster didn't notice you as it dumbly stumbled along. It appeared exceptionally clumsy. Not wanting to take risks, you close the veil and slowly step back from the window.

You then walked to the dusty couch and dropped your behind on it, not caring about the accumulated dust.

"Fuck..." - You exhale, feeling surreal.

You are in an alternate reality, and that much is clear. If that wasn't bad enough, this alternate reality is a futuristic version of earth experiencing some post-apocalyptic end-of-the-world scenario. 

"Wait, am I even on planet Earth? Rosa, we are on planet Earth, right?"

[Yes, that is correct. We are on planet Earth. The guest user is likely experiencing a delusional episode, suggesting some rest.]

"Gee, thanks." - You roll your eyes.

[You're welcome.] - She replied, provoking another eye roll.

You then take a few deep breaths while rubbing your tired face.

"I wish I had some coffee right now... Or just plain water. Anything." - You mumble.

[Check the fridge, maybe it has something.] - Rosa suggested.

"The fridge? Yeah, it might have a bottle or something."

You get up and walk to the small refrigerator. You open it, only to be greeted by a puff of stale air.

"Cough* Cough*! Ugh..." - You cough and wince in disgust as you see what lies inside it.

All the food products have turned into balls of unrecognizable mold. You also see a water bottle in the fridge, but it was sadly already open and had mold.

"Gross." - You say and close the fridge.

You then return to the couch while thinking about what to do.

"There is a predatory alien monster thing outside, and I am trapped here with nothing but a pair of boxers, a rusty crowbar, and a sassy AI." - You mumble.

[Hey! I am not sassy. I am classy.] - Rosa says with an aggrieved voice.

"Right. Classy. As for the door..."

You look at the metal door protecting you from the unknown.

"I would prefer not to open it. God knows what's behind that door." - You cringe, thinking about the possibility of another creature waiting right outside that door.

[A correct analysis. Suggesting to stay in the room.] - Rosa says.

"But then, if I did that, I will soon die from terminal dehydration." - You replied despondently.

[Analyzing situation-- Correct.]

"... I wanna go home." - You mumbled. But with those words, it was like a dam breaking loose as tears gushed out of your eyes.

[Hm?]

"I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss my shitty rented apartment. I miss my backbreaking shitty supermarket job. I miss my abusive boss. I even miss my bitch of an ex. I wanna go home... Sniff*"

[User, your eye is glowing--]

"I wanna return to my world, to wake up in my room, as if nothing happened. I wanna go home!" - You cry out, both frightened out of your wits and in deep despair.

As if god heard your desperate plea, with a dim flash, you suddenly disappeared, leaving a void on the couch.

 

 

 

Flash*

"I wanna go home, sniffle* I just wanna go home..." - You cry with your eyes closed, hugging your knees.

[Unbelievable.]

"I wanna go home...Sniff*" - You ignore her, continuing your crying.

[User, you should see this...]

"Be quiet, Rosa. I am in the middle of a mental break... down? Eh?" - You utter dumbly.

Your reaction was understandable, however, because you found yourself back in your room, on your bed, in your rented apartment.

From sitting on the couch in the post-apocalyptic world, you are now on your bed in your world.

"I... I'm back?! I'm back?! Miracle-- It's a miracle!" - You exclaim, overjoyed, your despairing tears turning into happy tears.

[It's not a miracle. As unbelievable as it may sound, you did it yourself.]

"Hah? I did what now?" - You blink blankly.

[You heard correctly. You did it yourself. Through your own power and will, you just, for a lack of a better word, teleported here.]

"I... Teleported here?" - You mutter in disbelief.

[Yes. If I were to describe it, it was like you had a so-called superpower. Observe the recording.] - Rosa explained as she showed a video on the lens.

You saw your eye shine with light, and then there was a dim flash, and the scenery changed to your room. It was indeed like teleporting.

"I... Have a superpower? I can teleport?" - You say with uncertainty.

[Unknown. Further testing is required to determine this.]

"... Hehehe... Oh well, who cares. At least I'm back home..." - You say as you slump on your familiar bed.

"Home, sweet home. Hah..." - You exhale in relaxation.

Grumble*

Suddenly, you heard a voice coming from your stomach as hunger struck you.

"Damn, I'm hungry. I'll grab some breakfast first." - You say and head to the kitchen.