[ 6 am - in the hologram room ]

  FLASH

  After blinking a few times, due to a brief intense fsh of light, I find myself standing in a very, very different pce. My eyes go wide from amazement. Did they just teleport me?

  I'm standing inside a huge, mostly dark room and I appear to be all alone. The moment when I want to take a step forward, I surprisingly bump into an invisible wall.

  "Please don't walk...this is only a projection." The voice originated from the ceiling, so it was probably the room's AI who had said that.

  Since I'm still all alone, I touch the walls and see a few ripples from doing that. Yup, this is more like a TV screen. I'm still inside that narrow hologram room. What amazing technology these folks use!

  After a few moments I see a few fshes to my right, so I now focus on those. Five people are standing next to each other, perfectly lined up. They seemed authoritative...dangerous, if you know what I mean. Three of them are male, the other two are female, but all are Lantosian.

  Anisa once said that these people are basically 'evil' and Ben seems to mostly agree with that assessment, so it's hardly surprising that I feel more than a bit nervous right now.

  "Are you Kiwi Woo?" The male in the center asked.

  Bingo, rude already. Why don't you introduce yourself first?"Em....no, that's my old name. I'm now called Kaya, daughter of Funami."

  "In that case...be welcome here, Kaya, daughter of Funami."

  "Thank you. Sorry, but I'm new to all of this."

  "Worry not, you are perfectly safe. I am the Hierarchy's Arch Sentinel and you may address me as such. You will only speak to me, the others next to me are my witnesses."

  "Oh...understood, eh....Arch Sentinel."

  "Very well. First of all, please accept our sincere apologies that we couldn't prevent your soul transfer into a Lantosian body."

  "Um...of course. I accept your apologies, it was an accident." Confronting them won't help me get my human body back anyway.

  "Not quite, but we will discuss that in a few moments. Thank you for your kind consideration. This meeting is intended to discuss your situation and what we can do to make your life bearable. But it seems that you are adjusting remarkably already."

  "Yes, I had lots of help. Being Lantosian isn't a real problem or something like that....it's just that I miss my parents and friends back home."

  "Of course, of course, that's very natural.

  We have heard many interesting things about you. You taught about human customs and accepted the role of drone repairer. Is this role something you are comfortable with?"

  "Yes, it's fun actually. Fred, that's the drone repair AI, is very capable and he's a good friend to me. I love helping people, and helping drones is no different. But to be honest, Fred does all the work. I only have to tell him what to do."

  "Very surprising...so you say that this role is not satisfying enough?"

  "Huh? Not at all. It's satisfying, but I think that the AI can do most of the work. I simply believe that the role of drone repairer shouldn't exist, because the AI is competent."

  "Interesting point of view. Perhaps we'll discuss that in the future. But right now we would like to offer you an additional task, concerning the safety of your fellow Lantosians on Earth and the humans as well."

  Huh? But I AM human, right? Well...sort of. Do they really believe that I'm one of them now?"Does this perhaps involve unidentified communications to and from space?"

  He raises his eyebrows, something Lantosians apparently do as well."Yes, it seems you are already aware?"

  "Yes, Arch Sentinel. I talked to special agent Ben Lee from BETA. He told me that the Hierarchy and BETA are investigating a mystery in our city on Earth. Some individuals are sending covert signals and those people might be dangerous. In fact, BETA arrested two Lantosians a few hours ago. They transmitted data in the middle of the night, which triggered a security alert."

  "Interesting, that news has not reached us yet, thank you for sharing that. It seems that the rumors about your capabilities are based on facts after all. While it's obviously te for us to ask for your support, we would like to officially request you to look into this matter. We can't spare anyone else from our staff right now, but a new security team is on its way. They will take over from you as soon as possible, but this can't wait."

  "Of course, I'd love to help. But it's Fred who's basically keeping an eye on things. He's the one who detected the signals and warned me about them."

  "Yes...your AI. We received disturbing reports that it was accessing Hierarchy records...without permission."

  "I am aware of that fact, and I asked him to stop doing that at once. The AI has been upgraded recently and he simply wanted to help me. He shouldn't be bothering you or anyone else anymore."

  "Very good. If we detect him again, we will intervene."

  "Understood. I told him that already. He seems aware of the consequences."

  "Very well. And since he did manage to identify those signals already, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt...for now. One moment please....

  I see......we received a message from our Chief of Security on Earth about the arrest of two Lantosians regarding this investigation. Next time, please consider contacting us without dey if it concerns urgent Lantosian matters."

  "Understood. May I ask who will be my contact?"

  "For now, you may send a message to the Hierarchy directly. Soon someone will contact you in person, which should make things easier for you."

  "Thank you."

  "You are very polite ....for a human."

  The dy next to him said "Arch Sentinel, I must respectfully disagree. She's Lantosian now."

  The Arch Sentinel then replied "I stand corrected. You are definitely Lantosian now. With whom lie your loyalties, Kaya, daughter of Funami?"

  Oh oh..careful... "My loyalties lie with the truth, whether they rete to Lantosian or Earth matters. I was born human and still feel the connection to my birth pnet. I'm however physically one of you now and feel a connection to you as well. I'm of both worlds...please respect that, I mean you no harm." Unless you're scheming behind my back. Don't you worry, Fred has his eyes on you.

  "A very diplomatic answer...it is noted. We will discuss your cloning incident momentarily, but time is short. First, on behalf of the Lantosian Hierarchy and general public.....we extend our gratitude for saving four of our highly valued military officers. They only intended to learn about Earth...until their ship crashed."

  Uh-huh...suuuure. Posing as humans....not suspicious at all."Your drones saved them, but still, I appreciate that. May I ask if you found a reason for the crash?" Sucking up to the people at the top might help me someday.

  "Not yet, but we hope that the interrogation on Earth will yield some answers soon. However, we believe that a third party must be acting behind the scenes."

  Oops...we seem to be bouncing topics. They want to talk about my accident, so let's return to that. "Understood. Um...if I may ask...is it possible to return me to a human body?"

  A deadly silence followed where the Hierarchy members gnced at each other until the man replied. "No... we have banned all forms of cloning everywhere, in all situations. Our apologies once more....but you won't be able to return to a human body. In return we shall care for you and accept you as one of us.

  Please, don't speak to anyone about cloning. Nobody but a very select group of people know about it. Speaking about it is considered illegal, punishable by imprisonment."

  "Yeah....I already thought you'd say that." Hearing it still sucks.

  "Please understand our perspective. Cloning people is still experimental. Your code of life is gone...erased by the very machines that were designed with safety protocols and privacy in mind. Even if....let me emphasize that...EVEN IF...we could restore you to a human form, you would never appear the same. We would need to extract genetic materials from your parents, and even then the result might be too different for you to accept."

  "Oh...I think I understand."

  "Thank you for your kind understanding.

  Now please listen carefully. The following facts will help you stay safe and continue your investigations on Earth.

  We were able to determine that your current body is based on an experimental tempte. It was only intended to be used in experiments by the TechCon Group....never to be used on real people.

  You were not supposed to be cloned, Kaya, that much is certain. Why it could even happen is still part of our investigations. Rest assured, we will fight to uncover the full truth."

  "Of course, thank you."

  I thought that they would be sharing more facts with me, but I was apparently wrong to assume that.

  Another male asked a question, and the Arch Sentinel then repeated the question to me."May we inquire why your hair is white? It is an unusual color."

  Yeah, like you don't know that already. I can't trust them, Healer Nalea explicitly warned me not to share this with anyone. "Um...the First Healer told me that I have some sort of rare medical condition. It's not dangerous to my health, but it still affects my hair color. Something like that." I hope that my poker face is holding up.

  The Arch Sentinel nodded. "That is most unfortunate."

  His tone of voice tells me that he is surprised by my reply, but his words are only a formality. In other words, he didn't mean to say that in a comforting way. This proves it......these people are not going to be my friends...ever.

  All five of them started whispering to one another, leaving me standing there...worrying about my future.

  The Arch Sentinel then looks at me again."Is there anything else you would like to discuss right now?"

  "Um...yes. I heard people talking about css points. What are those?"

  "Our society rewards people who contribute to it. The more you contribute, the more points you will receive. There are compensations for people who cannot contribute and such, but let's not discuss those at this point.

  You are exempted from these points and have been awarded a base css of 1000 points, meaning that you are respected everywhere. The fact that you are now a drone repairer adds even more points to your css."

  "Oh...I think I understand. So is that why I don't have enough points to ask for spare parts?"

  "You don't? Let me see.....yes, you are correct. Do you need more spare parts to carry out your repair role?"

  "I do, yes. While humans are contributing spare parts now, I would like to have proper Lantosian components as well."

  "If humans contribute, so will we. Your base css points are now 3000. It should help you order what you need, as long as it's reasonable. We will find a way to send obsolete drones your way for recycling first."

  "Thank you very much, that should help."

  He smiled, and then said "very well. Then let us welcome you into the Alliance, which is a confederation of 7 races, spanning 37 star systems. While we will continue to respect your human origins, you are now also a citizen of this Alliance. You are free to remain on Earth as long as you wish, but know that you will be welcomed here as well."

  "Thank you...I really appreciate that." But I'm not going anywhere!

  "One more thing. Your service record now shows that you're working for BETA and for the Hierarchy as well. Should anyone access your record, they can verify this and that should help you in your investigation. Please use that authority with respect."

  "Of course."

  "Very well, until we meet again."

  The lights around me suddenly got brighter, meaning the call had ended.

  I left the room, still thinking about what happened and found a Lantosian male waiting already."Ah, sorry for making you wait."

  "No, problem, miss." He walked into the room and I found myself all alone once more.

  [ 7 am ]

  It was nearly 7 am when I decided to visit Fred again.

  Man, I really don't understand what's going on in this pce. Am I now really working for the Hierarchy as well? Is the Hierarchy truly evil? Does Ben want me to keep secrets from them? Does the Hierarchy think of me as a Lantosian first and human second? I really don't see the big picture anymore.

  That's when I shrugged and pressed the proverbial 'I don't care anymore' button in my mind.

  When I entered the drone repair bay, I saw a brand new drone waiting in the alcove. The alcove's protective door is already open, so I can take a good look at Fred's test handiwork.

  "Fred!"

  "Yes, Kaya?"

  "Fred, my friend! This is a work of art! Wow...just wow!"

  "Are you pleased with the appearance?"

  "Very! She looks....real! Alive!"

  "I'm happy that you approve. May I activate the drone?"

  "Please do!"

  Her long brown hair looks very real, just like her ears. Her uniform is simir to mine, but has a more casual look with more blue and green patches.

  Anisa will give her something else to wear, of that I'm absolutely sure. She has quite the cleavage to show off...the drone I mean. But at least the thing looks very real now. Quite...enticing. She's truly pretty, a work of art.

  I take a few steps back and see the drone coming to life. First the eyes open to reveal two amber colored, crystal clear eyes. Then a smile appears while she's scanning the room.

  "Hello?" She said, ever so lifelike.

  "Wow....eh...good morning."

  "Are you my master?" Her voice sounds natural and even a bit sensual, especially with that cute smile.

  "No, you are in the drone repair room. Fred, the AI here, has repaired you."

  "I feel...different. Everything looks so...real now."

  "I know what you mean. Do you have a name?"

  "I am drone Unnamed, TechCon registration 814619 for model series Urawa."

  "No, as of now you will have a proper name. If someone asks you, don't give them your registration number, give them your name. Do you have any suggestions?"

  "No, this drone has no suggestion."

  "Well, that was fast. Okay...Fred? Any suggestions for female names?"

  "Scanning the Lantosian cultural database. How about Akyja, as in the goddess of Summer?"

  "Eh...no, even though she's a goddess alright...wow.. No, give me another one."

  "Okay...scanning goddess names. Nena, goddess of light, might be an acceptable name."

  "Alright....sounds fitting. Nena it is. Welcome to your new life, Nena."

  "Thank you. I am Nena. Who are you?"

  "Um...you still need to practice your social skills, Nena. I am Kaya, your repairer."

  "It's nice to meet you, and thank you for repairing me. I have been offline for...scanning.....3 years...7 months...2 days."

  "Yeah.. please don't give that many details, people don't like that."

  "Of course, Kaya."

  "Uy I.....please touch your ears?"

  "Sure, Kaya."

  I touched her ears and then her face. So real and warm! Oh boy.....if Mia were here, she wouldn't like this one bit! "Wow....that's so soft! Do you know what your purpose is?"

  "Scanning.....no, that information has been deleted..3.......no, long ago."

  "Good answer. Alright....your master...or I should rather say, your employer, will expin it to you. Please make sure not to hurt anyone, as you will be in ...ahem...close contact with people."

  "Understood."

  "Also make sure to tell everyone to treat you with respect, you are important."

  "Of course. Thank you for respecting me."

  That's not what I meant, but I'll take it. She had been dormant for years, so let's give her some time to adjust.

  An interesting thought just made me grin."Alright...Nena. Do you mind if I take control of your body for a moment? I want to deliver you to your employer. I will log off after that."

  "I don't mind. May I monitor your actions so I can learn?"

  "Of course, that won't be a problem, Just watch for now, Nena. You are going to amaze lots of people. You are truly beautiful and smart. No drone is as advanced as you are, I know it."

  "Understood."

  "Well...you need to rex a bit more...whatever, you'll get the hang of it. Fred, can I use the alcove again? I want to interface with her for a few moments."

  Nena stepped aside and even brushed off some dust from her uniform, which of course was brand new. But just the act of straightening her uniform and keeping it clean was very realistic.

  Once more I entered the alcove and seconds ter I saw everything from Nena's perspective.

  "Wow....this is amazing!" The view is crystal clear until I look down to see my oversized assets blocking the rest of the view. Well...no surprise there. Thankfully mine are nowhere near that big.

  When I look to my left, I see myself standing in the alcove and to be honest, I look pretty cute as well...for an alien. When I approach the alcove, I see a few bands around my body, probably to keep me from moving.

  "Fred?"

  "Yes, Kaya?"

  "Can you move the alcove horizontally so my body can rex?"

  "Yes, changing position now."

  The alcove slowly turns into a horizontal position so my body can rex as if it were lying on a bed.

  "Alright, thanks Fred. Nena, here we go."

  I slowly walked out of the room using Nena's body, heading for Anisa's shop. Most men I encountered along the way were staring at me and that caused me to smile. Most dies simply ignored me or gave me a polite nod. So far nobody has realized that this is a drone's body...so cool!

  Even the reflection in the elevator's mirror confirms that I'm as real as it gets. All of this is beyond real! I really look alive now!! I mean, this drone of course.

  Nena's legs however move much faster than my still recovering legs, so I had to slow down a bit.

  "Time to have some fun!" Oh, and yes...her voice is cute too!