Sabrina's POV

"Phase two. Commence!" a man said. My eyes were shut frozen as ice. I can't move any part of my body but I can barely hear things. I don't know what is happening to me. Suddenly I felt intense pain for a second, it stung like a bee. I tried to scream but words kept locked in my mouth until my hearing slowly vanished and the last I heard was:

"Complete. Sabrina Valheur. You did great, now time to sleep.." it was another man's voice. It was familiar, I heard this voice somewhere but I can't remember. I felt like there is a part in my mind that has been drifted away. It felt empty.

"Who are- they..? What is happening?" I asked myself and everything that happened vanished until my memory is depleted and all I know were my language and doing normal things.

I woke up in a bedroom in front of a window. The sunshine strikes through it and I can barely see outside that there were people having fun. There were tall buildings and flying cars passing by outside.

Another question bothers me, "Where am I? Where did I come from? What is this place?"

No matter how hard I try. I can't remember a single thing about what happened in my past life. I looked around the room, everything was normal. The lights, the bed and other kinds of stuff but there is this image that I saw at the corner of the ceiling. It was a logo of something I don't exactly remember. I quickly grabbed a chair near me to have a quick closer look.

"Lazarus Institute?" I murmured. I don't know anything about that name. Is it the brand of the ceiling material or something like the name of this apartment where I am at.

I sat down the chair observing the room once more and there I saw a key above the bedside table.

I grabbed it and opened the drawer. I saw a handbook. It was titled "The Phobos Empire". The author is a guy named Sam Wilson. I sat in my bed examining the book. In the first few pages, the author was introduced as a doctor and a scientist. In the book, it says that I am currently living in the Phobian Era and we are the humans who were lucky enough to live in such a world he called Utopia.
I have also read some few articles about the past telling us about a plague of a contagious disease that spread across the world which almost made humans extinct and he is the person who sacrificed his life creating innovative and new creations to make the future brighter and here I am reading his book about saving the day.

I looked in the drawer again and there I saw a weird-looking stick made of metal. It was weird in shape but there is a blue button in the middle of it. I clicked it and a hologram of a man appeared. I was shocked that I lost grip on the thing. I crouched and grabbed it to see and hear what will the man say.

The audio buzzed, "Hello. I am Sam Wilson and you must be surprised by this technology. Here I am to tell you certain few things about you that you must have forgotten after a deep sleep." he smiled.

"At the top of your ceiling you will see the logo of Lazarus Institute and we are the people who helped you achieve this state of life. Outside you will see people who are full of joy, free from sadness and sorrow of the past. The day you woke up is exactly December 31st of the year 3002 as set in the machine where you've slept for so many years. You were years late to wake up than the others." he added. I was intrigued by everything he said.

"I bet you felt suspicious already because you have no memories of the past and you are eager to know what exactly is the machine where you've been sleeping or even wanted to know why I am here speaking to you about your existence to this world?" he added. I felt quite relieved.

He revealed that below my bed is a machine called Cryosleep which opened when the time is up. He said that my room was designed by how I pictured it was. Not knowing I also forgot about my name.

"Your name is Sabrina Valheur. You are twenty-five years old born on December 12th, 2026. In fact, you were passed the age you are currently but with the technology I created, you survived for so long and here you are enjoying the gifts of my creation. I present to you the Phobos Empire, where your dreams will come true." he smiled until he made his farewell. The hologram disappeared.

I checked the drawers again and there I saw my identification card.

"This is me.  I work in a laboratory? Is this my dream to become a scientist?" I asked myself and took a deep breath.

I checked the cabinets and I found a different variety of clothes. It was in high technology but the outside looked like wood crafted by people. There was like thousands of clothing and I can't believe it. Almost every clothing I have in mind appeared there. Every detail I thought of.

"I like this one." I picked a casual outfit for the day and placed it in my bed before entering the bath to refresh myself.

I finished taking a bath and I went outside to see the surroundings.

The corridors were decorated with beautiful wallpapers. There were plants enclosed by glasses. The rooms were in different looks. Some are made with glasses, sturdy wood and even looking like out of science fiction books. I was stunned at how beautiful this place was.

As I entered the elevator down I can see people greeting each other and the beautiful gigantic chandelier in the center of this circular hotel-like apartment shining beautifully reflecting lights with its fragile glasses before I walked out. In the exit of the apartment, I passed through a hologram statue of the guy in the thing I am holding right now. I was surprised that the outside is much more wonderful than it is inside.

There were huge skyscrapers booming up in the clouds. The trees were everywhere too and it is such a spectacular scenery to see past and the future colliding to create the best world I can imagine. The people were talking about things. I even saw a sign that the currencies were given every month even if you do not work. It was awesome to think that it can happen.

I sat on a bench to examine my I.D and the thing where the hologram appeared a while ago when a woman sat beside me.

I ignored her and then she said, "Hey! You do it like this.", she grabbed the thing and clicked both ends of it and a hologram appeared. It was the logo of the Lazarus Institute.

I looked and asked her, "What is that thing?"

She chuckled, "Oh! You didn't read the whole manual did you?"

I asked, "The handbook? Well. I only read a few pages and some articles about the disease that almost killed humanity."

"Well me too. I didn't read the book fully because I really don't like reading long paragraphs." she said.

She added, "Oh! Right. This thing is actually a smartphone here in this era. It was called the Froztix"

She grabbed her Froztix, "It was created by the owner of that highest skyscraper here, the Lazarus Institute."

I nodded and introduced myself, "So umm. Thank you and by the way, what is your name?"

"Right! I forgot to tell you my name. I am Heather, Heather Shaw. I am working at the tallest building I'm talking about. The Lazarus Institute of Sector 13 and yeah the hologram didn't tell us about being the Sector 13. As you see there is an invisible force field guarding all of us here. We were like living in a snow globe but actually, there were 20 sectors but we can't exactly meet them physically but with technology, we can meet them and talk to them using these Froztix. Who are you by the way?" she replied in delight. She looked like she was sixteen. I wonder how did she end up here.

"Oh.. I am Sabrina Valheur. Nice to meet you." I said.

She replied shaking hands with me, "Nice to meet you too!"

She added, "I will add my contact to your Froztix so we can meet again. I need to do some urgent business right now! Welcome to Phobos Empire!"

She added her number to my Froztix. The contact details were the date she arrived, number and her character code. She arrived on June 12th, 2993, she is 9 years here before me and that was just long. Maybe she was just a child when she arrived here and I think she was one of the first humans waking up and living here.

I stood up and walked to see the streets of this so-called Sector 13. I saw happy people talking with their buddies wherever I walk. The logo of Lazarus Institute placed in some billboards. I felt hungry and when I checked my holographic phone, the balance of my money is surprising to have 20,000 Phobos currency. It was said in the inbox that they congratulate me on being part of their growing community. I checked the shops and restaurants and I saw very cheap prices for different foods. I was happy and ate the things I wanted to try.

January 6th 3002

I have lived here for almost a week now, I have not visited work and I felt like doing a visit today. There were no nights here and it felt like I can last three days or even more without even sleeping but in my head, there was this vision that appeared yesterday as I sat down on a bench relaxing and it felt like something was lost for so long that I can only see faint images of it. I can see myself as a running child, I can't look back but I can feel the terror of fear and darkness as the walls I ran to shrank and narrowed the passage. I felt that my visions were real and before I woke up from reality there was this voice muttering words I can't understand. It happened to me just once but I know it has some meaning about my past or something but it was so hard to understand at all. When I came back, I was dripping in sweat gasping for air looking at the surroundings with all the people walking undisturbed.

I took a ride to the address of my work and was surprised that it was Lazarus Institute of Sector 13.

It was huge and it is such a privilege to actually have the part of working here. I felt rejoiced and honored. I entered the facility which required the authorization of my I.D to pass and there I saw Heather from the crowd walking in the huge corridors of the building. I quickly followed her and tapped her back.

She looked at me smiling and said, "Oh! Hello Sabrina? Why are you here? Nice to see you again!"

I replied, "Hey Heather! This place is beautiful. I was happy to work here! So can you please help me to go to this room?" I showed her the room I was supposed to be part of and she was shocked.

"Wow! You are part of the heads and an assistant to Ms. Alisa Frost!?" her face showed how surprised she was.

I exclaimed, "Really? I can't believe it!"

Who am I exactly in the past?

She laughed and said, "So umm, the floor is in the topmost of this building. Let's hurry to get there."

We entered an elevator and then we arrived at the topmost part of the laboratory. We walked forward and saw a few people up there. They were all working and then we saw a beautiful woman wearing a lab coat. Her eyes were fascinating to look at. Those brown and blue eyes greeting me as her new assistant. I saw her name in her table it was Dr. Alisa Frost.

"Ms. Valheur, I'm glad you decided to go and meet me here at Lazarus Institute. Ms. Shaw, please let me talk to Ms. Valheur for a while and this is an important matter." the woman said and Heather left me alone smiling at me as her farewell.

"Goodmorning Ms. Frost! I am sorry to go here late for a week. I wasn't informed early that I have such part here in the Lazarus Institute." I said looking at her directly.

She smiled, "Please take a seat."

She added, "In Phobos Empire, we don't really encourage people to go to their jobs but going to your own job in this bright future means a lot to us. It will preserve our land of Utopia. The land that most wanted to achieve. We have peace and order." she told me about this world as a rule-free place to live.

I was relieved that she was a very gentle person. She was the head of Sector 13 Lazarus Institute, it is such an honor to talk to her. After Alisa's interview with me, Heather texted me to meet her in a cafe outside. I entered the nearest cafe and saw her waiting for me. I tried to walk towards her without noticing me and there I sneaked at her back and surprised her to wash off the dreadful look in her face. She was shocked and she felt uneasiness.

She was crying, "My friend is dead.."

"Who?" I asked.

"She was my first friend here and I don't know why but there is this ranking system here in the so-called Utopia." she said trembling in fear.

"What? A ranking system?" I asked curiously.

"Yes. Let's talk somewhere private. Can you show me that place you live in?" she asked wiping the tears in her face.

As we walk to the corridors of my apartment she told me that this friend of her doesn't go to her job and always buys things with money endlessly. Her friend enjoyed her life a lot until this day came that ended her happiness in a very mysterious way.

We entered my room and there she told me something I can never forget.

"The ranking system of this place has the high rankers to feel peace and authority but those that are below were the ones who can feel the unknown terror of this world." she said as she grabbed papers in her bag.

"Unknown Terror?" I asked creasing my forehead as I seat next to her.

"These people were alive during my first time here in Sector 13. They were not focusing on doing the right thing and enjoyed the blessings of this place, therefore, consequences faced their reality. I wasn't the only one who thought this unknown lurking terror was happening, there were many of us and I want you to believe in me." she said. I saw pictures of people who died having the same way of dying and a mysterious logo embedded in their skin.

I asked, "Heather? What do you mean? What is this logo? It looks familiar."

She replied and laughed, " I don't know! But don't you notice that this world is far from perfection than what it actually wants to portray!?"

She grabbed my hand, "You know what? These deaths were all connected and who knows what lies outside Sector 13? Don't you feel weird that visions appearing suddenly felt like the reality of our fears! Yes! Fears rule our life here in this cruel place. I can't help stop thinking about dolls. They terrify me! Those heads and their eyes following me everywhere. I haven't slept for so many years and I never felt tired!" she yelled loudly with her eyes exploring the room. I was scared.

"Heather! Snap out of it!" I shouted as her revelations shocked and terrified me.

She added gently, "There's no sickness to this world but I know that we're not alone. These people here experienced something that we will soon experience too. They were all ranked down as the least thirteen and I am afraid that I will be part of them sooner or later. "

I stuttered, "No-no! Don't ever think like that!"

"Sam Wilson! YES! HE IS STILL OUT THERE!!" she grabbed my arms tightly.

"Initiating Deletion" something just talked inside my room. The lights turned red. The papers vanished instantly.

Heather chuckled, "Here it goes again..."

"What!?" I shouted and fell down to the ground. I saw wires coming out of the machine where I slept for ages. It came out with a syringe and it is moving towards us.

"Don't forget.. Don't forget.." Heather repeated.

"What is happening Heather!?"

"Here it goes, Sabrina. Meet the Heather you know... Try to find the truth.." she looked at me smiling. The wires injected her something and it looked at me as if it can actually see what was happening and then it said, "Threat low" and suddenly lights turned back to normal and all of the wires crawled back to its place. Heather was unconscious and all of a sudden she woke up.

"What happened? Sabrina, why are you looking at me like that? Where am I exactly?" she said touching her head. It was like nothing ever happened.

"You said your friend died and some weird kinds of stuff and you are in my house.." I said in fear.

"What friend? I don't remember anyone dying? What's with that look in your face? What are you talking about and I am talking about something? I don't think so... Why did I ended up here anyway? I thought I texted you to meet me at the cafe." she replied. I don't really understand what exactly happened but all I know is that our minds were manipulated by some entity or worse.

To be continued...

Hidden Case Files:

Phobos Empire and its 13 Sectors

Phobos Empire is a place designed by Sam Wilson and the other head scientists across the world.

All in all, there are 75 Laboratories worldwide establishing the future for all and they created this virtual world where people can live their dreams. This is the planned world the scientists wanted but it must be a temporary dream come true and therefore use the people there as the food to the never-ending reawakening of the Phobos to prevent the end of the world.

The laboratories collaborated to create 13 sectors sharing the same origin and languages.

Sectors and their laboratory base:

Sector 1: ?
Sector 2: Cairo
Sector 3: Moscow
Sector 4: ?
Sector 5: Beijing
Sector 6: London
Sector 7: Sydney
Sector 8: ?
Sector 9: Tokyo
Sector 10: Seoul
Sector 11: ?
Sector 12: Paris
Sector 13: New York