Introduction

The weight of the week’s relentless grind bore down on me as I trudged through the dingy streets toward my shabby apartment. Each step felt like a burden, an echo of the monotonous days spent in a dead-end job, barely scraping by to afford the dismal living space in the rundown part of town. My name is Jennifer Paul, and at 25, I felt like a mere shell of my former self. Dark hair framed a slender frame, though the latter was more a consequence of scarcity than choice, thanks to the aftermath of my ex-boyfriend’s betrayal.

My existence felt haunted by the memories of a past life shattered by betrayal and loss. With my parents gone and the rest of my family having disowned me after the fallout from their tragic accident, I was truly alone in this world. Government assistance seemed like a distant dream, locked away behind bureaucratic red tape for the foreseeable future. My workplace, a grimy card shop frequented by shady characters, offered little solace.

Approaching my apartment door, I was suddenly confronted by two deliverymen and a woman brandishing a tablet. Panic surged within me, the instinct to flee clawing at my chest. But before I could make a move, a stranger—a woman who identified herself as Wonda Soupboarn from Ionone Bath Industries with a calming presence—stepped forward, her gentle eyes offering a glimmer of reassurance. Despite my apprehension, I allowed her entry.

Inside, she wove a tale that seemed too unbelievable to be real, an invitation to escape the drudgery of my mundane existence. The tablet displayed a series of documents outlining this proposition, promising a liberation beyond anything I had ever dared to imagine. I would be transformed into a hybrid between human and machine, capable of withstanding the harshest of weather without the need for clothing. With a mixture of trepidation and curiosity, I signed my name on the digital pages, feeling a spark of hope flicker within me.

The stranger guided me through the next steps, instructing me to shed my clothes and prepare for the journey ahead. With each garment discarded, it felt as though I was shedding not just fabric, but the burdens of my past. The unfamiliar cream she handed me promised to soothe and prepare me for what lay ahead, its cool touch a balm to my weary soul.

Stepping out of the apartment and leaving everything behind, including those things that identified me to this world, I was directed towards a sturdy crate positioned just outside my door. Despite the strangeness of the situation, my determination to grasp at any glimmer of hope overpowered any lingering doubts. The stranger’s instructions were clear: once settled within the crate, the journey would begin.

With a deep breath, I closed the door behind me, leaving behind the familiarity of my apartment. As the workers strapped me into the cradle harness tightly, securing me for the journey, I nestled into the crate, its edges cradling me, bracing myself for the adventure ahead. The world beyond beckoned, promising an odyssey into the unknown.

As the crate was sealed, the first tremors of motion rippled through me. The adventure had begun, propelling me towards a destiny shrouded in mystery and possibility.