Yawn...
A young woman in her mid-twenties lounged comfortably in her chair, long black hair cascading down to her waist. Her room was dimly lit and modest—just a single bed and a desk outfitted with a gaming setup—but it was remarkably clean.
Ring, ring!
The silence was broken by the sudden shrill of her phone. She pulled it from her pocket and answered with a drowsy murmur.
"Yeah... Eliza White speaking."
Her voice was low, roughened by sleep. The man who answered, however, spoke with an unnerving calm—smooth, dark, and enigmatic.
"Are you interested in a game? A game that brings a novel kind of excitement..?"
Those words echoed in the silent dark room. Then Eliza answered, her tone shifted, a spark of curiosity ignited.
"Yeah, sure. Go on."
A faint chuckle echoed through the line.
"Excellent…" a long pause followed the single word, then "However due to time constraints, the essential information will forthwith be sent to you. You may investigate freely, but I strongly advise you not to ignore the details—it may hinder your experience."
The call cut out immediately, leaving the room in complete silence once again.
Eliza blinked once, twice... "Huh. Rude." and only those words escaped her mouth.
She tossed the phone onto her desk and booted up her computer. Her inbox had a single unread message from an unfamiliar sender: ArchonWorlds.
She opened it.
The message contained detailed information about a new game—Satellite Invasion—a fully immersive VRMMORPG set in a hyper-advanced world of superpowers, monsters, and futuristic technology. Alongside lore snippets and gameplay mechanics, there were... peculiar instructions.
> "To begin, lie on a bed and focus strongly on the game's name."
She frowned.
"What? That's it? No device? No headset?" She muttered to herself, raising an eyebrow. "Is this a prank? No way tech's gotten that advanced..."
Nevertheless, she found the concept intriguing, and there seemed to be no upfront cost. Thus she leaned back in her chair, then hesitated. Rather than follow the bizarre instructions, she first typed "ArchonWorlds" into a search bar and started digging.
Dozens of pages. Forums, gaming news, developer lists... but nothing was found, as if this company never existed in the first place.
"Crap," she cursed in a low voice and flopped onto her bed, not even bothering to shut down the computer.
'This is probably bullshit... But...'
She closed her eyes, sighing again.
'Okay, relax. Focus on the name. Satellite Invasion... Satellite Invasion...'
She pushed away stray thoughts and concentrated. Five minutes passed in silence like that.
Then, slowly, her mind began to blur. Her body felt light. Her consciousness slipped away.
And just like that—she was gone.
***
Elsewhere... In a Hidden Laboratory
"Hah! I've done it! The ultimate augmented human! My masterpiece!"
A black haired man laughed madly in a sterile, white room. A true mad scientist, cliché in every sense—wild hair, glasses, lab coat, and maniacal grin. He stood in front of a massive cultivation pod, where a young woman floated inside a translucent green liquid.
She was beautiful, silver hair flowing like silk, a toned, mature body suspended in artificial stillness. Her features were unnervingly flawless, an engineered ideal.
She hovered in the liquid naked, not wearing anything except of a strange metallic collar that felt out of place.
Suddenly, a rapid beep-beep-beep cut through the air.
The man turned sharply toward the monitor.
"Her vitals are spiking—she's waking up!" he shouted, eyes wide with excitement. "He will be immensely pleased by the successful completion of my project! Our path to ascension goes one step further !"
***
Inside the Pod
'Ugh... My head... feels like it's about to burst...'
Eliza stirred. Her eyes fluttered open to a blurry green world. The liquid around her was thick and cool, pressing against her skin.
'This... this is real? No way this is a dream.'
She tried to move, but her body was locked in place. Only her eyes responded.
And in front of her, through the foggy glass, stood an old man—grinning ear to ear like a lunatic.
'That... does not look good.'
He fumbled with a nearby console and slammed a button. Subsequently, the machine hissed. The liquid drained rapidly, leaving her drenched but free to move. The glass slid open with a mechanical shhhhk—, and she stumbled forward, awkward and exposed.
The man spread his arms like a proud parent.
"You've awakened! The pinnacle of human evolution! The—"
"Great. I don't really care. But, could you give me clothes?"
He froze, mouth half-open.
"..."
The silence hung heavy between them.
'Maybe that was too harsh..?'
"...Could you please just... explain what's going on?"
Eliza's voice was laced with irritation, masking the confusion she felt inside her, but the scientist didn't flinch, his frown only deepening.
"Don't you know the reason of your presence?" he asked, his tone almost curious.
Eliza's eyes narrowed, clearly even more confused.
"..No?"
The scientist's gaze shifted, misinterpreting the girl's confusion with rudeness. Then something unsettling stirred in his mind. The subject's soul should have been bound to his will—obedient, docile, a mere puppet. But instead, he was faced with a defiant, impolite woman. And the unexpected was always dangerous.
After a brief pause, he took a slow step back, his movements deliberate. Reaching a nearby desk, he picked up a small, rectangular device with a red button on it.
"What are you doing now?" Eliza began, but before she could finish, his voice cut her off—sharp and commanding.
"Even without the soul binding, controlling you using pain still works.." The man said while staring at the woman's neck.
Eliza's eyes flicked to the collar around her neck, the cold metal pressing against her skin. Her heart rate quickened as her mind raced.
The puzzlement had gradually turned into fear as she envisioned many possible scenarios of her succumbing to all kinds of pain. A choking collar that could behead her, powerful electric shocks that burned the skin, or maybe even an exploding collar... She tried to push down the panic rising in her chest.
But just then, one single fact aided her in somewhat regaining her composure.
'Wait... is this still part of the game? What kind of plot is this?'
If taken into account that it was a normal course of action that should follow the game's plot, she could calm down. Nevertheless, she had to play along. There were no other options, at least for now.
'Okay, Eliza. Time to bring out the acting chops. You've got this.'
Following the self-encouragement, she cleared her throat lightly, then began her performance.
"But of course, my good sir. I was just disoriented... my memory seems to be playing tricks on me. I beg your pardon for my earlier rudeness. You see, when I'm anxious, I have trouble expressing myself..."
She shot a nervous smile, inwardly cringing at her attempt.
'Shit. This is awful. Why didn't I take those acting classes like Mom said?'
The scientist, however, didn't seem convinced. His eyes narrowed, but instead of reprimanding her, he stored the device in his pocket, his fingers instead pointing toward another room.
"There are lab coats in there. Put one on and follow me."
The words barely registered before a strange sound echoed in her mind—a sharp ding.
[Your soul has successfully linked with the other you in Satellite World: Nebula.]
'Wait... what?'
A second ding followed, and this time, a full game panel materialized before her eyes.
---
[Game Status]
Race: Chimera
Soul(s): Earthling / Nebularian
Current Identities: Eliza White / Eliza Belladone / Test Subject C-127
Level: 1
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 7
Vitality: 5
Magic Power: 7
Mental Fortitude: 11
Gene(s): Chtonian (1/3) / Xenomorph (dormant) / Primordial Demon (dormant) / Dragon (dormant)
---
Eliza blinked. Her heart raced.
'What the hell? This... This is so cool!'
The previous dread was instantly replaced by marvel as she scrolled through the stats, her mind trying to make sense of the numbers.
'Wait... I read in the message that was sent to me that the stats for level 1 should only add up to 20, but mine are almost double that? Is this because I'm augmented?'
But the real mystery laid in the genetic information.
Chtonian? Xenomorph?
Her eyes flicked back to the scientist, who was now tapping his foot impatiently.
"Why are you standing there like a dazed idiot?" he snapped. "I don't have all day!"
Eliza bit back a sharp retort. 'He's acting like a child...'
With a sigh, she quickly moved toward the room he had pointed to. Inside, she found the lab coats and grabbed one, pulling it on over her bare body. It wasn't much, but at least it covered the essentials.
"Finally," the scientist muttered under his breath.
Without another word, he turned on his heel and began walking down a brightly lit corridor. Eliza followed, the weight of the situation settling over her. 'What now?'
___ ___ ___