Eleven: The Sequel of AlterMyth

The Victorian Girl In South Vietnam

Prologue

Irys' room was small and painfully sparse.

Aside from the one small bed, an unassuming night stand and its electric lamp, the room was bare. Only a single window, affixed with iron bars and plain hospital white curtains broke the monotony of the aged wooden walls of the closet-turned-room. Irys wandered through the room accompanied by the pistol-armed head nurse.

For a room from the future, it's rather underwhelming.

Irys glanced out the barred window, hoping to see some sort of majestic view. She had been told by Mumei on the helicopter ride to Da Nang that South Vietnam was once part of a larger French oriental colony. Unfortunately for Irys, there was hardly any French colonial flair to be found beyond her window.

Her window peered over the plain fenced backyard of the Army infirmary and the small oval-shaped running track within it. She saw Captain Hakos, the red-haired rat-girl, walking into the backyard while accompanied by a pair of armed guards. Irys watched the Captain ease herself into a handstand and continue the stretches she was doing just minutes ago.

She's really athletic, huh...? What a powerful core she has!

Captain Hakos' bright blue eyes met with Irys' only good eye and the captain's expression soured immediately. That was Irys' cue to turn away from the upside down Captain.

Beyond the fence and barbed wire around the backyard, the only other things that Irys could see were a few buildings built in the contemporary, utilitarian style: boxes of concrete, steel and glass with uniform roofs. At the same time, Irys' one eye still saw the array of wooden watchtowers that were manned by soldiers armed with black rifles.

Disappointed, Irys turned away from the window and faced the head nurse.

"This is going to be my home from now on, right?" Irys groaned.

The head nurse nodded and wore her practiced, kind smile.

"In this room, and on the second floor, you are free to wander around. There is a cafeteria down the hall, a nurse's station and a shared bathroom nearby, so all of your basic needs will be catered to." The nurse then pointed to a small box mounted on the wall with a button, "If you want to go downstairs or go out to the backyard, press the button on the intercom and we will arrange armed escort for you."

Armed escort? Is that why Captain Hakos had those armed guards accompanying her in the backyard? This really still is a prison at the end of the day, huh?

Irys heaved a sigh and considered throwing herself onto the bed. All of the fatigue from her battle with the horrors and the helicopter ride she took to Da Nang was finally starting to catch up to her, after all. Her eyelids were heavy and her plain little bed seemed like the comfiest darn thing in the world right there and then.

However, just as Irys was about to throw herself onto her bed, she saw a hospital gown folded nearly and placed on top of her bedsheets, along with a fresh change of underwear. Underwear that was nothing like what Irys had ever seen before.

Ladies of this era wear just this!? Was Captain Hakos wearing just these under that shirt and shorts!?

Irys' Victorian Era imagination went wild. Suddenly, Irys paused.

But if I'm being given these undergarments on my bed, then that means...

Irys whirled around to the head nurse who now wore an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Miss Irys." The head nurse apologized, "As much as I would like to let you rest, Major Omega wants to begin your examination immediately."