[No, you are not…]

“If I am hearing voices, I am going insane!” I replied, not backing down. I mean, I was basically talking to myself, so there was no problem, right?

[And I am saying you are not.]  As the voice finished speaking, a green light flashed in front of me, and a small figure appeared. 

It was a green bug-looking thing. “Flying cockroach?”

[Have you ever seen a cockroach look like me!? No, that is not important. I can not stay long. I can only say that your reality is not real. I will give you a gift. This gift will save your life in what is about to come.] 

I didn’t even get to ask what sort of gift they were talking about when I felt a sharp pain in my head.

 

[Simulation Breaker Activating…]

[Host confirmed…]

[Choose a class…]

[Draconic Technomancer]

[Cybernetic Vanguard]

[Biohacker]

As the pain in my head slowly fades, I see a transparent green screen in front of my eyes. It almost looks like the Sci-decks that those on the upper floors would use. I have seen them a few times on the rich people who come down to the slums to do dirty deeds. 

But what I do not get is why the hell am I seeing shit now. “I am really going crazy. So crazy I am seeing words in front of my face.”

I stretch my hand out and try to swipe away the strange window in front of me, only to hear a beeping sound as the choice Draconic Technomancer lights up. And then I feel a sharp pain in my head that shoots throughout my body. “Ahhh! Shit!” these were the words that escaped my lips just before everything went dark.

As I came to, I blinked a few times, disoriented, feeling three distinct sensations in my body. The first two were atop my head, and the last at my backside. The bizarre feeling on my lower back was what alarmed me the most, prompting me to hurriedly feel around my butt, where my fingers met something smooth yet solid, seemingly fused to just above my butt. I breathed out a short sigh of relief, thankful to at least feel my own touch.

But that relief evaporated in seconds when I realized something was actually growing from the top of my butt! “What the hell!?” Panic clawed at my throat.

Twisting around, I caught sight of a long, thick, dark green scaled tail. I had only ever seen tails on cats, dogs, and rats before. But I remembered images of an ancient species called lizards that had similar tails. “Did I turn into a lizard!?” The thought was crazy, yet there it was, attached to me. Before I could even begin to come to terms with my new appendage, more messages flashed before my eyes.

[Class Choice Completed…]

[Host: Alicia Mason, class changed to Draconic Technomancer.]

“Draconic Technomancer? What the hell is that?” I cried out, my voice climbing in pitch. Everything was happening too fast, overwhelming me and sending my heart racing. This was really starting to freak me out!

I scanned the area, but the flying cockroach—or whatever it had been—was nowhere to be found. It had come out of nowhere, messed with my mind, and vanished without another word. But seriously, what on earth had I become? I shakenly reached up, my fingers finding two sharp, pointy things that were growing out of the top of my head. 

“I’m done for. I am no longer human.” I cried out before slowly pulling myself up off the ground. I once more looked around but saw nothing but the screen in front of me following my vision. But I at least now knew I could interact with it. I mean, I do remember the button glowing as my fingers hit it and then blacking out.

I sighed and looked at what was in front of me. The screen had changed to a large display, this time with much more information about myself. Although it seemed I might just be going crazy, maybe this is why people do not live near the barrier.

[Name]: Alicia Mason

[Age]: 19

[Sex]: Female

[Race]: Halfbreed: Human/Poison Dragon

[Class]: Draconic Technomancer

[Power]: 15

[Nano]: 20

[Passive Skills]

{Toxin Resistance (Lvl 1)} 

[Skills]

{Data Pulse (Lvl 1)} {Tail Strike (Lvl 1)}  {Horn Charge (Lvl 1)} {Scale Harden (Lvl 1)} 

“So I am a halfbreed…” I get up and walk over to the shiny piece of metal I have been using as a mirror to see that I am indeed still human-looking, for the most part. My eyes were glowing green, and I now had slitted pupils. I had very dark green, almost black, horns on my head that stuck up out of my black hair. They were still small, so I could easily hide them with my hood, but the biggest problem was the tail. I do not know how it works but the tail seemed to have been able to create a hole in the back of my pants that allows it to easily pass through it as if the pants were created for tails.

I let out a long sigh as I looked at myself in the shiny metal. “Just what the hell am I? That flying cockroach said something about how this was going to help me, but all this does is harm me. I can’t even go out to get my trash tomorrow! In fact, I can’t even sell those chips now! What am I supposed to eat now!?”

As I cry out, I hear a whistling sound coming straight towards me. I know this sound very well since only flying cars make such sounds. As the sound gets closer and closer, a bright light shines down on my rooftop, and before I can even figure out what is going on, I feel something stab into my neck. Once more, I begin to lose consciousness. I really must be losing my mind. How many times in a single day will I be knocked out?