A.O.M.

They took me to a room while 4 others, 2 male, 2 female, escorted me alongside Christa and Oliver. They lead me to a room, it looked almost like a small apartment.

A made bed on the right, to the wall, a small window near the head end of it. 2 closets a big one and a small one, both filled with clothes. Mostly street style clothes but some rather fancy looking clothes. Dresses even. I wonder if they even expect me to wear those.

As I walked past the bed I hit my hip on the nightstands, not having noticed it. it had a single drawer and a small lamp on top of it. After that I looked out of the window, it was night. In front of me I saw a huge city spreading out as the lights were dotting every window I saw. A true sight to behold.

As I turned around there saw a woman with violet hair in front of me. mimicking every movement I made. Rather odd to me I tried touching the person. But as I did touch their hand, I felt an ice cold plate, almost like touching a glass with a cold drink in it.

It then dawned on me. it was me I saw in there. A young looking woman, I estimate myself about 5 feet tall and look rather well formed. Not too big of a chest. Deep red eyes decorated my slightly tanned face with small lips under them.

I guess that is how I look then.

I decided to change my clothes, and as I opened the big cabinet to see what was in there it confused me for a second. There were no clothes, instead a different room. A toilet and a bath with a shower in there. A sink as well. My guess is that this isn't a closet.

I walked to the other closet and grabbed some clothes out, a plain white t-shirt, a brown vest and a soft pair of pants. It felt way better to have this on, or does it feel good to be bound to a chair?

I heard someone knocking on my door.

"Come in."

I said, not sure why. But I did. And soon after Christa would come in, closing the door behind herself.

"I hope you don't mind but I was looking in the closet for clothes."

"Then why is that door open."

"I may have thought it was a closet… But, well I don't know what it actually is."

"Right, well- Wait you don't know what a bathroom is?"

"A bathroom?"

"You do your needs there for taking a leak and wash yourself. Have you never done that?"

"Not that I remember at least."

She didn't say anything and handed me a bottle that read 'shampoo'

"What is this?"

I asked her with genuine curiosity.

"This is shampoo. It is meant to wash your body with as you shower, also for your hair. Let's hope it won't wash out the paint in your hair?"

I nodded as she handed me it.

"How do I use it though?"

"You simply combine it with water from the shower. That Is the big bowl on the ground with a steel rod. I am sure you'll understand how to use it. And to be honest you might want to do that. I am sure you haven't been cleaned in a while."

After that she simply left the room. I sighed as I was sure she mean my body not my clothes. So I unclothed and stepped into the big white bowl on the ground. I pulled a lever and felt an immediate rush of cold water over my legs.

Despite it startling me I stood where I was, the water slowly warming up. I used the shampoo I got and cleaned myself with it. drying myself off after using a towel, but in the corner of my eye I caught something interesting.

In the mirror I saw it. A scar on my shoulder. It is formed like the number sixteen. While it is odd, I don't want to think about it right now.

I grabbed the clothes I choose earlier and put them on, along with a pair of sneakers I found. Though it all just doesn't feel right. Why am I here? Why can't I remember anything?

But without getting the time to even think about it Oliver knocked on my door.

"What is it Oliver?"

"I want you to come with me for a few tests."

"Tests?"

"I get that you don't like your situation but the more you co-operate the easier it is for all of us."

Reluctantly I followed him, the halls here seem like a maze. And an endless one at that. How can anyone even find their way around here? Though while I was thinking I heard a voice.

"Over h-h-here"

It sounded distorted and deep.

As I looked around to find what it was I didn't really see anything but the endless halls.

"Hey Oliver? You mentioned A.O.M. before, or something like that. Do you mind explaining me another time what those are?"

"I recall Christa telling you, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to tell you again. They are Artifacts of-"

"I know what it stood for. I want to know what exactly they are though."

I said cutting him off, this man really has a way of biting away at my patience.

"Well they can be anything really, a CD, a safe or well as it currently stands you are one."

"That doesn't make sense."

"The artifacts usually don't, they hone a weird extradimensional power. Each seems to be connected to a world separate from ours."

"So they are magic."

"Most people call a science that can't be explained magic. So if you don't see the logic in them, then yes. They're magic."

"You don't sound like you understand them."

"Never claimed to."

I simply remained silent as we walked through a room full with glass Casings with the most random collection of objects.

"C-c-come closer-er"

That weird voice again, is it in this room? I stop and look around, when suddenly everything around me gets dark. One light, just one remained. Above one of the more peculiar choices from the objects.

An old gramophone record.

"Make me what y-y-you want t-to be. T-then my cervices-ces will fore-e-e-ever be yours."

Without realizing what was going on, I raised my hand and laid it on the glass. The record slowly began morphing on the sides, like it was moving on it's own. I slowly raised my hand and made them into a fist.

But just as I did the record broke into 8 distinct pieces and flew toward me. The sound of shattering glass and what could only be described as bad as nails being torn over a chalkboard.

The force against my shoulders knocked me to one of the other glass casings, the shards of it stabbing me in the back as I fell to the floor. Slowly I managed to crawl into a sitting position. A faint voice got louder and louder.

"Hey?... Hey!... HEY!"

I tried my best to get my eyes back open. The light blinded me as I slowly saw the person calling out was Oliver.

"Are you alright?"

"Do I look alright?! I got stabbed in the back by one of these glass cabinets you prick!"

"Hey, calm down, nothing broke and you do not seem to have any injuries."

"Wait, where are the glass shards? And that broken record?"

"They were fake."

I took a good look around and, he was right. They were fake.

"I had to push you onto the floor after you tried to break the glass casing around that record. It must have been the artifact's power."

He said almost seeming fascinated. But soon helped me up either way.

"Come, it is better if we do those tests now. Or god knows what effects these other Artifacts might have on you."

He said while leading me toward a weird white chamber with a couple cabinets and a single chair in the middle.

"I'm sorry but what kind of tests did you want to do?"

"See it as a normal physical, but we are going to see what effects that artifact in your arms has had."

"Why does it feel like you care more for that stupid Artifact you keep talking about, then that you care about me?"

"Well putting things in perspective, you are one life compared to a possible billions that could die."

"possible billions?"

"Each artifact has a different power entirely, we have yet to find one that matches another. So for as far as we know you could be changed into a world threatening weapon before we get a chance to stop it."

"You have a lot of uncertainties for someone who should be knowing what they are doing."

"You're far smarter than what I had anticipated."

"And you are not as much of a gentleman as you look like."

"Touché."

And those were the last words I heard before he locked me into that room. So with few options left, I sat down in the chair and awaited my examination.

It didn't take long for someone to enter the room. Two men with hazmat suits on. They first began with simple things like asking for age, name, place of birth and what I can remember about how that artifact got stuck in my arm.

Well simple for someone without amnesia, I suppose.

Next up they would began looking into my arms first, taking a blood sample and asking me to make certain movements. But then it started to get a little odd.

One of them asked me to relax my arm on the chair as I sat down. I did so, and without a chance to react he used two leather belts to pin my arm.

It would be feckless to resist, or at least so I thought. But me instinctively pulling my arm toward me was accompanied by the snappy sound of the belt ripping in half.

Though what I expected even less was that the two men calmly left the room, with Oliver and Christa walking in. Though only Oliver spoke.

"Looks like you have passed your first test."

"First test?"

I asked, aggravated by their actions.

"We think to have found out what exactly that Artifact did to you."

"Woohoo… Can I go now?"

"I might have a more interesting offer for you."

"Let me guess, I can rent the room at a special price."

I heard Christa's brief snicker as I said it.

"Not that kind of offer. We want to do more research, and we could use some new blood in the agency."

That would explain the sample you took.

"I want to offer you training and a job here. Your terms of stay will change a little. But since you have amnesia, I have no doubt you are willing to look for your past. So in your downtime we will let you look into your past. But whenever there is work, you work for us. In both scenario's you can use any tools and resources at our disposal."

"And what exactly is in it for you?"

Oliver seemed surprised by that question.

"As I said, new blood in the agency."

I have nowhere to go, and no one to try to contact. So I have no reason to decline either.

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Consider yourself hired."