At the end of the hallway I spot an elevator and a few potted pnts give this pce a less frightening appearance. The view through the nearby window is basically the same as before. There are only skyscrapers nearby and I can see a few shorter buildings as well, but in the far distance.....only total desotion.

  One of the walkways between buildings appears to be nearby, but exploring the pce isn't my main objective at that moment, I need to escape!

  The sign above the elevator is in pin English, thank god, and shows "isotion area 2C."Well...that at least expins the ck of people, which gave me the possibility to escape in the first pce.

  I push the 'down' button on the elevator and hear it beep in a familiar way. Another good, and human sign at least.

  After only a few seconds of waiting, the doors open, after which I step inside. The panel looks somewhat fancy with more buttons than you'd expect to see in a hotel. But then again....this is no ordinary hotel. "Can't say I've ever been in a building like this one before. Weird..." And yes, I should stop talking to myself.

  The red LED digits above the door confirm that I'm high up in a building, on floor number "147" no less.

  The top floor seems to be 150 according to the panel, but I'm going in the opposite direction. The button 'parking: floor -1' seemed like the most sensible one to push, so I did exactly that. Escaping is all about avoiding any unwelcome interactions and parking areas usually have more than one exit, so I hope that it will provide the best chances of escape.

  The elevator slowly makes its way down, ever so gently, and the floor number indicator slowly shows the same. For a skyscraper this tall, the elevator seems a bit on the slow side, but I guess I'm just anxious to leave... just wanting to get the hell out!

  Only now noticing a spotless mirror behind me, I see the same person as before, but now in even better detail. "Is that really me? Those ears.....they can't be real, can they? Am I hallucinating? God, I need help!"

  "Ping...." The elevator unexpectedly stops on the 56th floor and I prepare to make a run for it, should it be needed.

  However, it seems that I'm in no danger at all. The doors open and a man joins me in the elevator. He too has fluffy ears on top of his head, but the ears and his hair are brown instead of my white. "Morning," was all he said after giving me a quick nod.

  He presses the button for the ground floor and stares at the doors like most people tend to do.

  "Em...good morning to you too." I replied, albeit a bit te. He....he didn't even try to stop me?

  "Ping..." Once more the elevator stops, this time on the 31st floor. A woman joins us, definitely human.....the way I should be. But what does learning this fact make me then?

  "Morning." She too only said the most basic of greetings and ignored me as well.

  I gave her a quick nod, while trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible.

  The man is wearing a uniform of sorts, all dark blue and a few very tiny LED-lights are blinking near what I believe to be a name tag. There are those weird squiggly lines again.......but somehow those now start making sense to me. "Communications, Ivar, 2nd Executor."

  Yeah.... 'Ivar' is probably his name, but I don't have high hopes about his rank. It sounds like 'executioner,' right?

  I'm definitely hallucinating....no doubt about it. It's the only thing that can expin why I can suddenly understand those weird letters. Or maybe I'm just dreaming?

  The human dy however looks completely normal, except for her military uniform. It's a dark green and a patch near her shoulder shows a satellite dish logo, or something like that.

  "Ping..." The elevator stops at the 1st floor and my two fellow travelers step out without giving me another look. I take a peek and see people walking into the building from street level. After expecting them to join me, I quickly press the 'close' button and in another few seconds the doors open with another 'ping' to reveal my destination.

  Finally I made it to the parking area! "Heh heh heh...lucky me, those two didn't notice that I'm only wearing socks."

  The parking area is just a normal ordinary concrete floor, and there are plenty of concrete support pilrs, so nothing unexpected. When I pass by a few parked cars, they all look like normal everyday cars, again no surprises there. There are many empty parking spots, which makes navigating between the cars easier for me.

  Every so often I stop, carefully looking for an exit, only to find none. And then I noticed one disadvantage of this area....the cold concrete isn't all that pleasant to walk on. But I need to hold on, just a bit longer until my safety is guaranteed.

  When I finally notice an 'exit' sign on the cold concrete floor, I follow it to the other side of this floor. Having finally found the doors, they however won't open for me. No matter what I try, I can't find a way to open them. Perhaps the sensors only work for approaching cars, since they won't do anything for me, nor are there any buttons for me to push.

  "Open the door!" I said out loud, but nothing happened. Also "open sesame, ... ......open, ........exit, .....emergency....." None of those words did anything to open the doors.

  My frustration quickly vanishes when I spot an emergency exit, and my situation definitely qualifies as one. It's a metal door and its metallic bar handle looks too inviting to ignore, as it's my only ticket out of there.

  And sure enough, the door opens without any issues....only for a loud arm to sound immediately, forcing me to make a run for it. Perhaps I should have used the regur exit on the ground floor instead? Well, it's too te for regrets now.

  I run across a grassy field towards the sidewalk and then calm down. Right now I'm walking like every other normal person would, simply pretending to be minding my own business. As long as nobody sees my now dirty green socks, I'm good to go. At least, that's what I thought.

  The streets are still mostly deserted, except for a single military jeep quickly approaching the exit I used moments ago.

  Shit....and things went so well. What should I do? Make a run for it? No...they might even shoot me.

  So again I'm feigning ignorance. Oh, and to make matters worse...it just started to snow.

  A soldier without the fluffy appandages exits the jeep and runs over to the emergency exit, but another one surprisingly rushes over to me. "Excuse me, ma'am?" His bright green uniform with reflective yellow striping on his shoulders seems designed for high visibility. The rifle he's carrying encourages me to stay calm and polite.

  Crap...I knew it, I'm busted already."Oh, good morning. Can I help you?" I tried to py along...calm....calm..

  "Yes, did you perhaps see anyone leaving that building?" He points at the emergency exit, no surprises there.

  I follow his gaze and pretend to squint. "That one?" I wait for him to nod. "No, sorry."Crap....he spotted my socks.

  "Ma'am....were you in a hurry this morning?" He points at my now green socks.

  "Yes, as a matter of fact I was. I was feeling dizzy and nauseous, so I decided to get some fresh air." It isn't a real lie, I really was about to faint or at least freak out.

  "Sorry to bother you, but may I please see your ID?"

  "Em......" I'm pretending to be searching for it in my pockets, but of course don't have any with me. "Oops...I seem to have left it back home?"

  "I see. One moment please." While holding his rifle in his right hand, he takes a rather odd looking cellphone in his left and pushes a few buttons on it. "Central, I have a probable 5-20 right outside Central Pza, South Building, block A. Lantosian female. Can you check if anyone's missing?"

  Lantosian? What....the....heck? Am I....an alien or something? Please tell me that this isn't really happening!

  He then looked at my disgruntled expression. "Sorry, ma'am, I'm not judging or anything....but walking outside this early in the morning without shoes or a warm winter coat is hardly...normal. Be honest with me, did you perhaps use the emergency exit? Do you need help?"

  I'm shivering from the cold morning air and my cold feet aren't helping much either. The guy is definitely a human, and I can't possibly survive for much longer in these freezing temperatures. I simply need his help. That's when I decided to give up, right then and there."Em....to be honest....yes, it was me and I need your help. Can we talk in your car, please? It's kinda cold."

  "Of course, I was going to insist on that anyway." He points at his jeep and a few moments ter he opens the rear passenger door for me. The jeep looks armored, and very sturdy in general.

  After I took a seat in the back, he stepped in as well and called someone again. He confirmed that I was the one who had caused the arms to sound. He also mentioned that he had scanned for it, but found no ID on me. Well, at least it's warm inside the jeep.

  He looks back at me from the driver's seat. "My colleague should be back in ten or so minutes, so why don't you tell me why you were walking around in freezing temperatures dressed like that?" He pointed at my clothes.

  "Em.....can I trust you?"

  "I'd like to think you can, ma'am. I'm with Earth Force, surely that should say something about my integrity?"

  "Eh...Earth Force? Never heard of that. Whatever, nevermind that. The truth is.....I witnessed a pne crash...st night I think. Then two robots found me and when I thought that I had finally escaped, another robot found me. Next two FBI agents joined our little chat and the robot zapped them. After that....the lights went out."

  "The lights?" He frowned.

  "Yeah? Like the thing drugged me or something? When I woke up, I looked like this." I'm pointing at my now furry ears. "I managed to escape and then ran into you."

  "Okaaaaay....." He said, and I swear, he definitely thinks that I'm a total nutcase. "....that's....interesting. Were you onboard the pne, ma'am?"

  "Hell no! I was minding my own business and bought take out to have dinner with my parents when that thing exploded in a park near our home. When I called 9-1-1, the dy told me to go to the fire department, but I never made it there."

  "Wait....you actually live there? I mean....in a human home?" He looks surprised...like really surprised.

  "What? Of course I live in a human home! Don't humans usually do that?!!!" Sheesh, is it really that difficult to understand?

  He blinked a few times, then replied "I see...."

  "Oh, for crying out loud. You think I'm nuts, don't you?" I crossed my arms.

  "Well....the thought had occurred."

  "Dude! I'm human, I swear by all that's holy! What in heaven's name do I have to do to make you help me?!"

  "Truth be told, you sound human at least. Assuming all you said is true...how did you end up looking like that?"

  "I'm telling you, I don't know! The robot must have abducted me! Maybe someone experimented on me?! In any case, I can tell you all about me, where I live, the names of my parents, heck even where I work! Let me call them, they'll vouch for me! Please, officer, you have to believe me!"

  "I'm not an officer, but that's beside the point. Alright, let's say I believe you. What's your name?"

  "I'm Christie Woods, 21 years old. Born and raised in Franklin, New Hampshire." 'Finally we're making progress!`

  "Alright.....let me check with Central. Give me a few minutes, okay?"

  "Sure....at least it's warm here. And safe."

  He gave me a thumbs up and told me to make myself comfortable, after which he informed Central about my name and such.

  After a few more minutes, the radio sounded."Patrol 1-12, this is Central."

  "Go ahead, Central."

  "We have a confirmed missing person's file for Christie Woods. Last seen in Franklin, New Hampshire. And she's there with you?"

  The dy on the radio sounds very surprised. Well, that makes two of us. At least my parents reported me as missing already. They probably think I died in that crash or something.

  The soldier replied "affirmative, she's adamant that she's that person. She's right here in the car."

  "Understood. One special agent from BETA is on his way and will take her off your hands."

  "Central, understood, waiting for BETA to show up."

  "Copy that. Central out."

  He then turned back at me and must have noticed my confused expression."Don't worry, the FBI will take over from me. Is that okay with you?"

  "Em....will that person be a human?"

  "Of course ....wait....are you serious?"

  "Very serious. Please tell me....the people with the furry ears....are they... aliens?"

  "You....you really don't know?" He waited for me to nod. "My god...you really are serious. Yeah, they are aliens...but good aliens. Wait..is this like a test or something? To see if we humans are polite to our Lantosian friends?"

  "Oh my god. So I really have a freakin' alien body now? And that word...Lantosian.....you said that earlier. Is that how they're called?"

  "Y.....yes. So....this is not a test?"

  "No, sir. Can't you please stay with me? So far you are the only one who seems to be trustworthy. I fear for my life right now. For god's sake...please protect me!"

  "Don't worry, the agents are on our side....assuming you really are a human."

  "I am....that much I know for a fact. When I combed my hair st time, the reflection in the mirror looked totally different. I swear, even my hands and feet look different now! Someone did this to me, and I want them to.....I dunno...fix me?"

  "Alright, I will report this to my senior officer. At least people will start asking questions to make sure you're safe. It's the best I can do. Would you like me to do that?"

  "Yes please...tell everyone....anyone....just please help me. I don't know who else to trust."

  "Understood, I'll make sure to file a report. But I'm not the one who decides about these things, but I promise to talk to my superior officer in person."

  "Thanks....I really appreciate that. So....the agents...are they good guys? Not evil alien parasites or something?"

  "Parasites? Lady, what happened to you?!! They're just normal regur humans, so please trust me when I say that they are on our side and that they are good people. Don't even doubt that, not even for a moment. This area is sealed off from the outside world, so nobody can take you away against your will."

  "Then how did I arrive here, huh? I sure as hell didn't knock on the front door to get into this freakin' alien town!"

  He grinned for a moment. "Alien town...good one. Accurate too. I don't know what happened, but you will get some help now, okay? You can trust me on that."

  "Alright....you have no idea what kind of a relief that is." I leaned back in my seat and felt much better already.

  "No, I don't, but I can imagine. Look...they're here. Fast aren't they?"

  A bck van pulls over next to this jeep and then another person, wearing that same bck outfit, approaches us. I swear, just like before.....except for the sungsses, that guy looks like an MIB agent straight out of the movies!

  If I have to guess, he's in his te fifties, and lots of silvery gray hair seemed to suggest the same. His expression is polite and professional, not creepy or suspicious so far.

  The military guy I was talking to steps out of the car and opens the other rear door, after which the agent takes a seat next to me.

  I increase the distance between us, pressing against the door....just in case.

  "Miss Woods, I presume?" The agent said. His warm and familiar accent, I believe he was raised in Missouri, put a smile on my face for a moment, because it reminded me of retives.

  "Yes, that would be me." We shook hands and noticed him frowning for a second. "I met two of your colleagues yesterday evening. Agent...Ward...if I'm not mistaken?"

  "Yes, I read the file. And do you also remember his companion's name? I'm trying to confirm your identity."

  "Em....sure....something with a bird? I think?"

  "Close....agent Hawkes. It seems you really are Miss Woods, and since you also don't have a Lantosian ID, I'm inclined to believe you. But I'd like to talk inside where it's more comfortable. I'm special agent Lee."

  "Em....Bruce?"

  "No....Ben, but please don't go that way...that joke has lost its charm decades ago."

  "Right...my bad. But before we go, are those two....alive?"

  "Yes, they were unconscious for a while, but they'll make a full recovery."

  "Thank god. And the robot?"

  "No trace of it so far. Now, if you would please follow me inside? I'll stay with you until this matter is settled. Airman Olsen, thank you for contacting Central, we'll take over from here."

  The Airman nodded and said "Christie, good luck."

  I shook hands with Airman Olsen. "Thanks, mister. I trust you."

  He nodded in such a way that basically said 'I will make sure that you stay safe.'

  The agent asked me to show him the room I woke up in, so I took him there. Ten minutes ter I found myself in that same room again, all the way up in the skyscraper and I must say....unlike outside...it was nice and warm. I could have pointed at any random room, but I answered truthfully about the exact room I woke up in.

  There isn't much of a choice really..... I have to trust him. Escaping on an empty stomach and without proper clothing would never work. Perhaps I can escape when people least expect it. Unfortunately most of them seem to be armed and I'm not, so all I can do for now is to py along.

  I sat down on a cabinet and waited for agent Lee to stop using his smartphone. He apologized for making me wait.

  "So...agent Lee, I was a human until I woke up about an hour ago in this very room. Trust me, something's fishy and my gut told me to get the hell out of here."

  "I can certainly understand your reaction, and it's Special Agent actually, but let's leave the formalities for another day. I'm here to keep you safe and find out what exactly led to your...transformation. You can't leave this pce for now and while I won't be going into the specifics, we do have a Treaty with these people and abducting humans is specifically forbidden."

  "Ah...., let me guess, they didn't care st night?"

  "Perhaps. That's why I'm here. Truth be told, it says here that someone contacted Earth Force that a human somehow ended up in..eh....a medical facility. They asked for a mediator, since human civilians are not aware of the alien presence on Earth. They cited article 7 on us, meaning they couldn't have avoided involving you. But it's my job to find out what exactly happened. The question is...do you trust me?"

  "Um....not really, no." I shook my head and shrugged.

  "An honest answer, I appreciate that. As you can see, I'm armed and will keep you safe. These buildings are maintained by Earth Force, meaning they're ours. We have human security inside and armed forces are standing by, even though these aliens are our friends as you will soon find out for yourself."

  "Okay....just...promise to protect me. I have a really bad feeling about this situation. I'm supposed to be a human being...not....this!" I pointed at my ears.

  "Of course, I promise. We'll take it step by step."