*We're back in the desert. The sand feels strange as ever, propelling us. IKA is our foci, as she runs towards what appears to be some kind of hospital, though it seems... transparent? The walls outside are white as could be, despite the glassy nature, but the giant red "H" is fully realized.* ACT 1: MEAN *Ika enters the hospital proper from the front door. In front of her is a waiting room - chairs flank the walls, all of them with cyan-blue cushioning and metal legs. There's a receptionist's desk, similarly colored, with a floating set of bones operating it, somewhat resembling a human skeleton, but skeletons don't have PINK hair.* IKA: Uh, hi, do you know where I am, exactly? PINK: Hiiiii~! You must be the new doctor! IKA: No, you must have me mistaken for- PINK: But you're dressed for it! *IKA looks down. Indeed, she is put in a nurse's outfit, complete with the cute hat that has the same red "H" as the one outside.* IKA: Well... fine. I'd rather make this quick, though, I'm not supposed to be out with the spirits for too long. PINK: Very well. The room is 1.78e25. Down that hall, then take a left. *PINK uses a bone (not a finger of hers, a spare bone) to point down a hallway to the left. IKA nods and walks down it, counting the doors. They start at 1.78e1, then 1.78e2, and so on. They're all identical doors - some kind of boreal wood with a single handle, something gold or brass. Taking a right at an intersection, IKA comes face to face with door 1.78e25. She tried to her best to relax, opens the door, and walks in.* *Directly across from the door is a body, limp, in a typical hospital bed. It's connected up to an EKG, which is currently flat-lining. The body itself looks... oddly familiar? It's skin is pale, but it's hair is such a deep shade of blue... That couldn't be, could it? Before IKA could say anything, another skeletal DOCTOR chimes in, using a creaky, rattly voice.* DOCTOR: Ah, good, the specialist is here. Think you can help me out here? IKA: With the... that? DOCTOR: Yes, that's correct. IKA: Sure...? What do I do? DOCTOR: Just assist the patient when I wake them up. *The DOCTOR grabs the body, procuring a vial of blue liquid from their lab coat, and stuffing the whole vial down the body's throat, causing a kind of squeamish squeaking sound to be produced from the body. The doctor withdraws his bony hand.* DOCTOR: Alright, I'm going on a tenner. Just help them out when they reincarnate, yes? IKA: Reincarnate...? *The doctor already left the room. Ika looked back to the corpse - which, too, had become like the wards here - a skeleton, bones and all, with the BLUE hair still clinging on to the scalp. Despite this, IKA had seen the skeleton blink, the bone somehow contorting to simulate the effect. It arose from the bed, sitting up in its hospital gown, scratching its head with a bony finger.* BLUE: Uh... Okay... IKA: Hi! Are you alright? *BLUE recoils in fear, screaming a bit, before steadying himself on the bed.* BLUE: Don't scare me like that, kid... IKA: Sorry! Sorry, sorry, *so* sorry, I- BLUE: It's fine. I'm alright. Where is this...? IKA: A hospital, I think. BLUE: Oh, really, you think? *IKA nods her head.* IKA: Well, I'm thinking right now, aren't I? BLUE: Kid... you sound familiar. Do I know you? IKA: I don't think you do. Here, let's help you into the cafeteria, shall we? BLUE: Sure, sure... *Groaning, BLUE leaves the bed, leaving the covers in a state of disarray. IKA opens the door, which goes directly into the cafeteria.* ACT 2: MEDIAN *The cafeteria is not unlike your ordinary affair - on the left wall is a set of a couple of stores, mostly selling food, but in the middle is a gift shop for the hospital. In front of them is a set of tables, with some greenery on the far wall - mostly succulents and a single, small palm. IKA motioned to a table, which had two brown bags on it.* IKA: Here, have a seat! You must have a lot of questions, I'm sure. *The two sat down. BLUE reached into his bag, pulling out a strange fruit - it was red in color, with a small, brown stem at the top. He bit into it effortlessly.* IKA: What is that, exactly? BLUE: An... apple? Right? This is an apple. IKA: Ah... sorry, I've, uhm, never seen one before. BLUE: You've never seen an apple? IKA: No sir. Look, this- this isn't about apples! BLUE: Then what is it about? IKA: How are you... uh... uhm... Do you remember anything before you woke up? BLUE: No. IKA: No...? That's it? You don't, uh, You're not going to even try? BLUE: Nope. I must have been gone for a reason. Don't really care what that reason is. *IKA arose from her chair, slamming a fist on the table.* IKA: You're not even going to think?! To try and remember?! You're sitting here, just eating a-an apple, as if nothing happened?! You just awoke in a hospital for *ghosts!* A-and you're not even interested in your past life?! Everything you've done to this point, you're just going to throw it away?! I need to know! I've heard so much about these groups, these clans, these things in my head that don't quite make sense one way or the other, you're my only ticket! Do you know *anything* about the Evergreens?! The [[Tinkerers]]? What a clock is?! Anything?! *No response. The skeleton has gone limp.* IKA: ## ANSWER ME! *Nothing. The head rolls off the spine, shattering onto the floor. The hair has disappeared. The fluorescent lighting that helped illuminate the hospital suddenly goes out, and a red haze emanates from the windows of the cafeteria.* IKA: I should run. *With haste, IKA picks up the pace, dashing out of the cafeteria and into the halls of the hospital. They wind and wind, as if trying to upkeep some kind of boundary of mirage around her. After a bit, she notices that she's at a dead end.* IKA: I'm sorry, spirits, but I'm afraid I'm cutting this visit short-! *IKA runs at full speed at the wall in front of her. 12 paces. 6. 3. 2. 1. She braces for impact, smashing her side against the wall, but she finds that she smashes into nothing, and in fact, has smashed into nothing - she is currently falling.* ACT 3: MODE *IKA gets her bearings. She is currently falling from a great height, having just crashed out of the window of a tall tower. Around her are similar towers - and the concept of "City" makes itself apparent to her. She hastily looks around for anything to land on - nothing. She still has her sword, though.* IKA: Hah! Let's see if I still can do this... *IKA draws the blade, stabbing it into the air down and in front, creating a small gold square surrounded by pink electricity. She then draws the blade in a circle, creating more squares, all connected by the sparks. She then thrusts downward, creating a small rift into reality, before the object finally takes shape - an umbrella. IKA flips around to allow the umbrella to slow her descent, and get her bearings.* IKA: Hm... okay, we're here now. This... city. City? Yeah, city. *IKA looks one way. More city. Looks the other way. More city. Looks back the first way. Different city. Cohesion is starting to crumble.* IKA: I should be done here soon... just need to find an exit, right? *She hears a whoosh from above. Looking up, a briefcase is seen, falling from the top of the building. It thwacks, IKA in the head, causing her to go off balance, tumbling downwards to the right, while the briefcase goes left. IKA readjusts, allowing the umbrella to once again catch the air, but she quickly deviates from this, closing the umbrella and mounting it like you would a broom stick. This allows her finer control: she dives down towards the briefcase, catching it mid-air, before letting the umbrella hover in place. IKA opens the case, finding nothing inside but a note. It was written in some kind of hasty scrawl or scribble.* ``` DEAR IKA, STOP LOOKING STOP LOOKING STOP LOOKING NOW NOW NOW!!! I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK!! I TOLD YOU TO STAY SAFE!! WTF ARE YOU DOING??? SAVE YOURSELF!! ``` *IKA looked away to think for a moment. When she looked back to read it again, the document changed its writing - this time, to a font that was monospaced and formal.* ``` Dear beloved customer, Unfortunately, we can no longer provide the service you are asking for. The number you are trying to reach does not exist. Please contact Jayne for more information. You may eat the burrito to close the program. ``` *IKA looked inside the case again. A burrito, with "EXIT" written on the top of it in some kind of sauce, was inside. She took a bite, and finally, truthfully, awoke.*