Welcome back pilot

The voice was feminine, pleasant and welcoming, yet stiff, and monotonous all at once. While it tried to seem humanoid, to mimic to the point of seamlessness, it was noticeably artificial due to the lack of the smallest of details. Things, that even a machine that stood to be more intelligent than its fleshy counterparts, could not replicate perfectly.

As the voice registered properly, she couldn't help but notice there was something so familiar about it, even though she was quite sure she had never heard it before, there was something in her that could not shake the notion.

The voice didn't seem to be coming from anywhere, but instead, it seemed as if it lived within her head, dancing off the walls of a skull left inactive for nearly a century.

Where... am I?

The girl spoke at last, but she had no definite voice. The sound, although it was indeed a sound, never graced her ears. Yet somehow, she still heard it, as if it only lived within in her head, as if it were a figment of her imagination, and nothing more.

You have been reborn pilot. It is time to move onto your next life.

My next life?

Yes, in the year two thousand one hundred and forty, the earth was completely decimated by nuclear war. As a result, the earth's surface was left uninhabitable. In an attempt to preserve humanity, Novus was formed. A company that has combined biology and technology in an attempt to give humans the ability to live, again.

There were a few moments of hesitation, as she allowed the information to wash over like the slow pull of a tide upon a beaches shore. It was jarring, especially when compared to her previous lack of existence, so naturally, she began to feel herself struggling as to what reality... was, and what existence even meant. Wondering if she had fallen into some sort of elaborate dream, a part her in search of some way to wake up, in search of some sort of exit.

Where am I right now?

It felt as though she was having an out of body experience. Like she was here, wherever here might be, and as if she were nowhere at all simultaneously.

Your body is being held in stasis in civilian bay one. Our technology has created a liquid based substance that can preserve the human form. The day you went into stasis you were placed in a capsule and put into a coma.

So I did have a body and I did exist somewhere? Just not here....

The girl, or woman rather, was surrounded by complete and utter darkness, there was no end to it as far as the eye could see and beyond. It was thick, and anxiety inducing, but the feeling of the floor beneath her was keeping her grounded... quite literally. Almost as if her thoughts were being read aloud, the floor underneath her became illuminated in a blinding white light, as floating screens appeared in front of, and around her. Suddenly, the white screams turned into menus, consisting of different physical features, and a small preview images to go along with them. Eyes, noses, mouths... and even species?

Some of which leaving her unsure of why anyone would choose them...

Pilot it is time to create your avatar.

She ignored what she expected was an AI’s question, overwhelmed by the insurmountable amount she was forming in her own head.

Do you have a name?

You may call me Omni.

Omni... why do I not I remember any of this?

Pilot, you have lived many times before. Your last experience was quite... traumatizing upon being ejected from Novus... you requested to have your memory erased.

Why-... would I do that?

I attempted to sway your decision, but you would not change your mind.

I wonder why...

The question was more rhetorical, although it lived in her head the same as the others, she was not yet sure if she truly wanted an answer.

Pilot, I took it upon myself to back up your memory, in case you changed your mind.

She couldn't help but further wonder what might have happened that made her... no pun intended, wipe her entire hard drive. But still, the sinking feeling that perhaps it was for the best, that perhaps that life was better left forgotten, throbbed in a head that could not feel pain in its current state.

Omni... what year is it?

The year is three thousand one hundred and forty. It has been one thousand years since humanity left earths surface.

And how old am I Omni?

You are one thousand and twenty-four human years.

So... I survived the war?

Yes. You are a founding member of Project Novus.

You’re going to have to slow down...

This entire system was created by the worlds most renowned scientists. In your human life you helped create the videogame that is the basis of Novus. being a founding member will give you special access and privileges that are otherwise obsolete, or unattainable.

She let her monotonous voice fall into the background as she stared browsing the screens suspended in front of her, however when she to her species selection, Omni immediately interjected.

May I intervene?

Although it was posed as a question, the tone and air about its delivery said otherwise.

Why?

The human species is underpowered and outdated in this landscape. There are many sub species that still retain a human like appearance, but are far more powerful.

So... I need power... like a mage or something?

Pilot. I do believe mages or... witches are considered overpowered and obsolete in Novus. Would you like me to check your founder privileges to see if you have access?

If they are overpowered-isn’t that cheating?

Pilot, based on your mental health evaluation, my systems do not believe that you will abuse such power.

Alright...

One moment please.

There was a deafening silence for a few moments as she absentmindedly browsed some of the species common to Novus. All of them looked so foreign to her, leaving her to begin to wonder if she had erased too much all those years ago. However, it was expected that if the decision was met due to trauma, that it likely was not a rational or well thought out one.

Good news Pilot. Your founder status grants you access to the species witch and many other ancient species that are otherwise obsolete to the Novus landscape.

She pondered for a moment before both answering the AI, and confirming her species selection. In her mind, she wasn’t envisioning the broom stick wielding, wand waving stereotype... but something far more badass.

I like it.

Please include your witches mark in your avatar.

My mark?

Your mark of the witch. It is... a warning.

Are witches that dangerous?

In Novus the only limit is your imagination, Pilot.

Moving onto her next selection, she opted for a deep red hair color with a purple tint, preferably long, braided on either side of her head, and pulled into a high ponytail. Unhappy with the size of underwhelming volume of the ponytail, she increased its density by a margin, which she figured she might regret at a later date. The skin tone she chose was lovely ivory, giving herself a slight tan, before settling on the first skin tone she originally selected. But as she moved onto the proper customization of her facial features, she stopped, and chose to ask Omni yet another question.

Omni?

Yes Pilot?

Is there a way to import my human face?

Of course. This is not the first time you have asked.

It was interesting that Omni shared the small sliver of information, and although she was curious as to why, she did not bother digging for details. Gradually, she watched the features of the avatar shift, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that her human face, was quite appealing to the eye. In a gesture that left her slightly ashamed of her shameless vanity, she plumped up her pouty lips slightly, and shifted the shade of her eyes to lovely pale emerald, with mesmerizing speckles of golden-yellow swimming within its depths. For a moment, she moved to adjust her nose, and the fact that one of her eyes id somewhat smaller than the other, but for some reason... she left it just as it was. The slightest imperfections made this avatar, as beautiful as she was, seem a little more human; a little more real. But she couldn’t help but shamefully boost her posterior dimensions... just a little bit...

Omni, could I ask you something else.

Yes, Pilot.

Could you give me some of my old knowledge... anything not pertaining to what I was trying to erase... you know... things that will help me survive?

One moment please.

There was another long pause before she spoke again, idly switching around some of her features every so often, but always ending up where she had originally started.

Pilot?

Yes Omni?

Upon deployment into Novus, you will have the essential information from your old life needed to survive the landscape. It may be overwhelming at first. But I am confident you have made the right decision in doing this. Some of this information will save your life in Novus. Humans playing for the first time often don’t live very long...

Is Novus dangerous?

Yes, Pilot. It is.

When she didn’t respond after a long few moments, the AI broke the silence to further move along the avatar creation process.

Would you like me to suggest some outfits the location you will be deployed into?

Where exactly am I going?

The slums in Kaishi.

Is it... dangerous?

Yes Pilot, it is.

She started flipping through outfits, but nothing truly caught her eye. Everything looked as though the person who wore it might be homeless. Until finally, she found an outfit that seemed suit her style... whatever her style was. Acid washed jeans that are nearly torn to shreds were over a pair of black tights, with a worn, black leather jacket, and a thick, patchy scarf hung around her neck. There was a pair of goggles propped atop her head, and heavy, leather, fingerless gloves pulled over her hands. To go along with it, was an assortment of rings on each of her fingers, with a side note that claimed they were meant for defense purposes.

Be wary of the climate in the slums. It is part of the challenge. It is said that if one cannot survive the slums of Kaishi, then they should not play that game.

The game?

Yes, although Novus has become a world and home for many humans, it is first and foremost... a game.

As anxiety swells in a gut that is yet to exist, she checks for little details before finalizing her avatar. At the last moment, she added things such as a double nose piercing on her right nostril, and some messy black eyeliner... *practical if she was going to be fighting for her life*. Giving her eyelashes a minor, movie star boost, she opted to remain more natural, her vanity not exceeding beyond her previous alterations.

Don’t forget your mark.

What is... this mark...?

It is... in the simplest terms, a tattoo. A crescent moon, in a place that can be easily seen.

Without any further questions, she placed a tiny crescent moon on her neck, tucked comfortably behind her ear. After doing so, she added the final touch in the form of earrings, crawling up the length of both of her ears.

Omni, I think I am ready.

One last thing Pilot, you have not chosen a name for yourself.

There was yet another, familiar silence for a moment, before she pulled up a search bar, and hoped to find some inspiration among the commonly used names in Novus. She probably looked through them for about twenty minutes, before finally making her selection, and feeling quite proud of her choice. It was going to be her name, after all. However she was sure that if Omni could do so, she would be impatiently taping her foot and sighing as the minutes passed. After entering her choice in name, and feeling as though her avatar was not truly finished, Omni finally spoke once again.

Eileithyia Moon, are you prepared from deployment?

Omni wait-... will we still be able to speak... right?

Yes, Eileithyia... I am always with you.

Okay... I am ready.

Thank you for choosing Novus. And remember, the only limit is your imagination.

Good luck.