“R.E.A ... reach?”

‘What the hell does that mean?’

In big bold letters is the name of the agency set on the upper left corner of the building doctor Reed and I just walked out from. I didn't see it originally because I was brought in through the underground entrance, handcuffed like some kind of criminal ...

‘Bast-’

“Bastards!”

“Eh?” I react to the doctor reading my mind.

I turn to look at doctor Reed who, like me, is in deep thought over the bad experience we’ve had inside that that building. She's standing with her hands on her waist, biting down on her lip, and staring bitterly into the distance. You can damn well see the heatwave flowing out of her.

“How could they just!- And taking what doesn't even!- Just waltz into my space!- ... does that even make sense?!” she complains.

‘Not even a little bit’

It was hard to make what she just said, but I guess whatever the last thing the major said to her really got under her skin. I'm not sure if I should say anything with her venting out into the open.

The irate doctor turns to me, looking as if I have the answers for her.

“How can they do that, huh?!” she howls. “The level of disrespect ... argh!”

“... I take it you guys don't get along?” I ask.

“He should be well aware how my institution will view this kind of action! Talk about people who claim to uphold established regulations and yet have no problem violating them. Sending his reachers to come and trample all over my place! Argh! I'm getting a headache just thinking about it!”

The doctor paces back and forth while she continues to complain, anger and frustration just boiling out of her, and yet somehow, a smile appears on my face.

Even though I have no idea what she's talking about, I feel kind of amused and comforted by it.

“I don't know why either ...” I echo her complaint.

The doctor pauses as she realizes that she might be coming off a bit silly complaining like this in front of me. I hold back a chuckle by clearing my throat and casually look elsewhere pretending not to notice. But her sharp, piercing glare isn't so easy to ignore. I turn back toward her with a timid smile ...

“W-what?” I stutter.

She doesn't say anything out of embarrassment, but it's obvious from her expression that she wants to make sure that I don't think she's acting childish. She sneers, straightens herself up, and looks down the road toward something. Curious, I turn to look as well ...

“Our ride is here,” she says.

On approach is a blue, sleek, futuristic-looking sports coupe. It reminds me of those prototype vehicles you would only ever see in car shows. It arrives in front of us as its butterfly doors slide open. I take a peek inside and,

‘Yeah, it drives itself.’

A huge smile appears on my face as I start to bubble with excitement

“Say doc, this thing isn't going to turn into a giant fighting robot, is it?”

“What are you talking about?” the doctor stares at me with a puzzled look on her face. 

“No, I mean, look at this thing! It just feels like it will ... transform,” I chuckle.

You know the feeling you get as a kid when you see an amusement park ride for the first time? This was that moment right now. I imagine myself tugging on the doctor to let me get on.

The doctor lets out a sigh.“ I'm a [Healer]. Technomancy is not in my repertoire,” she says.

“Eh? Techno-what? ... wait, that's an actual thing?” I gasp. “There are actually giant robots here?!”

“Just get in the car,” the doctor retorts in fed up tone.

Wasting no more time, she climbs inside her vehicle, leaving me momentarily stranded in my own imagination of battle machines.

“Are they controlled by someone or do they use artificial intelligence?” I ask myself.

‘Maybe even a super-advanced sentient life-form with a mechanical body, like an Autob-’

“Sam!”

“O-oh yeah!” I snap out it and immediately jump inside.

My eyes wander around the interior of the car as I make myself comfortable. It even smells nice ...

“For someone who just woke up in a different world, how are you this thrilled over a car?”

‘How are you not?!’

“The car is of this world, no?” I reply.

“Touché.”

The doctor puts the car in gear, and we peel out of that place as if we were determined to leave our shitty experience behind with it.

 

************

 

Not that much time has passed since we left Reach headquarters. We are still on the road heading back to the hospital.

‘At least I think we are.’

The drive seems to be taking much longer than I remember heading the other way. The doctor is busy looking through her device, hardly paying any attention to the road. Why would she when her own car’s been driving itself this entire time?

Me?

I've been sitting here quietly taking in the scenery.

“What's wrong?” doctor Reed asks.

Maybe it's because I haven't had the time to really experience it, but I haven't felt like I'm in a different world. The sky is still blue, and the grass and trees are still green...

‘It's all the same.’

To be honest with you, it just feels like I'm still on Earth, in a place that is cleaner ... or something ... I don't know ...

“Sam?”

“Huh? … Uh ... Oh! No, it's nothing,” I answer her earlier question.

The doctor looks at me closely. She seems a bit concerned.

“You've been sighing for a while now,” she says. “What's on your mind?”

‘I have?’

“I guess it's just ... it's the first time I'm actually seeing this place, being outside like this.”

She ponders for a moment. “Did you not look out the window when you were in the custody of Reach?”

As odd as it may sound, I never really looked.

When I was being transported, those guys took a different route. I think it was entirely underground, I'm not sure. I don't know if there were points where the road surfaced for me to at least see a bit of the outside since-

“I had my eyes closed.”

“Closed?!”

My words must've boggled her mind as the doctor looks at me completely dumbfounded. I can't blame her since it does sound bizarre, but I didn't have a choice. My body felt tense during that drive, so I spent all that time trying to calm myself down.

“We took a tunnel … right? ... I mean, we went under ...” I stumble my words.

“Yes, the city does have a subterranean transit system-”

She goes silent from a thought that comes to mind, and her puzzled look turns to concern. I return a smile and a slight nod, but I think I'm coming off a bit awkward.

“So yeah, with the tunnel and all … I had my eyes closed.”

She quickly places her hand over my forehead as if checking my temperature. I flinch and pull myself away.

“I don't have a fever,” I say.

“Just stay still for a second,” she orders me.

Doctor Reed places her hand on my forehead again. Light begins to emit from the palm of her hand, and then my entire body becomes shrouded in a thin mist-like aura.

“Whoa!” I marvel at the sight.

“Be still,” she tells me.

I can't understand what is happening. I don't feel any different, so I'm not sure what the doctor is doing, but I oblige and allow her to continue.

The aura soon disappears, and the doctor breathes out a sigh of relief. I blink a few times a bit confused. Nothing's changed I don't think … “Um-” I look at her a bit confused.

The doctor flicks my forehead.

“Ow,” I flinch. “what did you do?”

The doctor smiles and sets the car to manual drive.

“Should we go somewhere?” she asks. “Let's not go back to the hospital and just go somewhere. Get a change of scenery, that sort of thing.”

‘Uh, what is she saying?’

I chuckle a bit at the thought that this could be a joke.

“Why?” I ask her.

“Why not?” she retorts.

“Because that sound very irresponsible for a doctor.”

Doctor Reed stares at me with a blank look, “… what kind of teenage boy are you?”

“I’m pretty sure a normal one!” I protest.

“Then-you. Shouldn’t-complain. About-spending-a-day. With-a-pretty-lady,” she says.

I pause to think for a second …

“… Who?-”

“Boy!” she smacks my head.

Her reaction is amusing and has me laughing a bit.

Honestly, I would love to go out and see this place, but-

“You don't think I would look weird being out in public like this?” I gesture to my hospital gown. I'm still a patient.

“What's wrong with it?” she asks without hesitation.

‘Is she serious?’

I'm wearing nothing but a curtain! If I catch the wind at just the right angle, it won't be just my bare ass showing.

“This is ... kind of dangerous,” I try to let her know in a subtle way.

The doctor takes a quick glance at me, “... Pfft-” she snorts.

“I don’t know that this is funny, doc” I groan.

“I guess it does look like you've escaped from a mental institution,” she snickers.

‘Oh my god’

“That's not exactly what I was worried about, but thanks for also adding that to the list for me,” I grumble and sink myself into my seat, pouting.

The doctor looks at me with a gleeful smile and messes with my hair.

“Don't be such a baby,” she pokes fun at me, “the city is filled with people wearing all kinds of interesting clo-”

“Yeah, no. No way. No. Let's just go back to the hospital where it's safe,” I decline and brush her hand away in protest.

“As much as enjoy what I do, spending an entire month inside my own facilities without a day of rest is too much even for me. And as for you … well, I cannot think of a more unbelievable start to life in a new world for a child to ever experience. So, it is fair to say we both need a bit of air to breathe.”

It’s a pretty good argument she is making, and any other time I would probably jump at the chance.

“But I don’t know, doc …” I grind by teeth.

I feel like she’s also pretending not to know what I’m really worried about.

Doctor Reed scowls. “You are such a difficult kid,” she sighs. “We are going. I’m treating. Doctor’s orders. We’ll get you a new wardrobe, new shoes, clean pair of underwear-”

“Ha! I knew you were making fun of me!”

“Heh, at least you know the word of the day is fun,” she laughs.

I let out a sigh of defeat knowing that there's no point whining. Honestly, as long as I don't have to look like this, I don't really have any complaints.

“Alright, I give up. We'll go, huh. Let's go do a fun montage of us happily wasting away in the city, doc.”

“Yes, let's! Haha haha”

The gleeful doctor shoots me a thumbs-up, thrilled by my decision to accept her invitation. I chuckle in amusement as I am amazed by how excited she seems. And with a smile of my face, I just watch her point out interesting places driving into downtown Tillmor.