"Th-th-thirteen years?" Rayiss didn't know what to think. How could a human be kept alive for that long and not know a thing of her past? "Y-you mean... you mean I've been... asleep this whole time?" she asked the man, finding it hard to place her words.
"Yes," he stated flatly, now losing his patient tone. "You've been kept alive by the advanced medical science of our Team, right until now, which is the age where your powers truly emerge. You, my young Ssidere, will be assigned a Keeper. He will care for you while you are, let's say, put to work."
Rayiss tilted her head and was about to ask another question when she felt a sudden numbness in her right arm where one of the tubes was needled in. She fought to keep her eyes open, but she lost the battle and was sent into a spiral of darkness.
"Uuunnggghh...." Rayiss rubbed her head - wait.. she rubbed her head! There were no more tubes attached to her and she wasn't lying on an uncomfortable table! She snapped open her eyes and looked around, a sudden thrill coursing through her. But it was extinguished when she realized she was in a tiny, dark gray room with no windows and just a small bed in the corner, upon which she was resting. The light came from a round bulb in the ceiling with a short string dangling from it.
As if she'd been taking a short nap and not been sleeping for thirteen years, Rayiss leaped up and ran to the door that stood opposite of her. "Hey! Anyone out there?!" she shouted helplessly. Being out for that long leaves one's mind a little... muddled.
A swift click and rumbling noise startled the girl. She stepped back, hands clasped together in front of her chest and tears brimming in her eyes. She felt so afraid and confused.
The door slid open slowly, but Rayiss made no move towards it. Something held her there, and she literally had no control of her muscles for the moment.
Two people walked in; one was a tall man, much like the one who'd explained stuff before, and another was slightly shorter, but he looked to be clothed in normal things.
"Good afternoon, Rayiss," the tall man greeted. He closed the door behind them and crossed his arms over his chest. "I expect the Doctor explained all of this to you?"
Rayiss felt herself give a small nod, though she didn't consciously make the choice to.
"Good. This is your Keeper." The man motioned to his companion, who stepped forward.
"Hey-" He paused and cleared his throat, glancing a little nervously up at the taller man. "Hello, Miss Rayiss. I am Jaylin Grey, your assigned Keeper." He bowed briefly before stepping back, meeting Rayiss's deep green gaze with his own blue eyes. A silence ensued, but suddenly the tall man spoke.
"I will leave the two of you now. Mr. Grey, you are to be her mentor, as you are well aware. Teach her well." He gave Jaylin a severe glare, eyes dark, before turning and exiting the small room through the door. It slammed behind him.
Rayiss was released from the strange frozen state and fell back onto her bed. She leaned against the wall and drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. Her eyes searched the floor awkwardly.
"Ahem. Rayiss- can I call you Ray? You're in the Housing District of our Factory. This room...." He stopped to glance around. "Is your home."
"Home?" Rayiss thought the word sounded odd. "Mr. Grey, why am I here?"
Jaylin held up a hand. "Just call me Jay." After a heartbeat of quiet, he continued. "You, as you know, are a Ssidere. Your powers are basically endless, and a bounty of energy is within you." He was reciting the long-practiced introductory that he'd prepared for this moment. "Since... since your kind is considered dangerous to humans... Ahem... You are to be living here, providing your strength for the good of all."
Rayiss lifted a brow, trying to remain outwardly stable. "The good of all? Providing my strength?"
"Uh..." Jaylin stared at her for a moment, seeming at a loss for words. "To make a long story short, you will be giving your energy to produce electricity for humans.... I mean, that's the basics."
Rayiss suppressed a cough of surprise. "Me?" What on earth could she do to produce electricity?
"That information is to be kept secret," Jaylin said as if reading her mind. "You will assume your position tomorrow morning for the Extracting. But don't worry. I'll be there to help." He lifted his hand again quickly. "I gotta go, so... see you tomorrow morning, I guess. Oh, and your meal will be here shortly."
With that, Jaylin left and could be heard locking the door and walking off down the corridor.
"Extracting?" Rayiss played the word around her tongue. An ominous feeling settled in the pit of her stomach at the thoughts she conjured up.
