DOOM SAGA I - I'll be home tomorrow

Prologue

INFO: The main character named Io is speaking in her mother language, German, in the first chapters and it is marked by italic text. Same counts for the later chapters when the main language is English.

Earth

Her half-open eyes stared at the golden corona the earliest sun was creating around the curtains of her bedroom window. Her collection of stones and gems on the windowsill glimmered and glinted, refracturing narrow beams of sunlight onto the leaves of the plants around the room. It was morning after all. With still heavy from sleep limbs she sat upright in the bed, flyaway hair all around her head like she had stuck her hand into a socket.
Friday.
A big smile appeared and vigour filled her muscles as she jumped out of the bed. Bathroom - Clothes - Bag. Her usual breakfast before school and a packed lunch later she was nearly ready to leave. She held a counted hand full of coins and a 10 € bill as she sat on the big table in the kitchen that held enough space for a whole dinner party. It should be enough for the evening's supply of sugars, salts, and drinks. She prepared some more slices of bread and a cup of strong coffee with two pieces of sugar and carried it up the big staircase and the old dark brown wood creaked with every step. His door opened quietly. Still asleep, his arm was hanging from the big and worn-out wood-framed bed. The room was a mess and she had to step over books and papers to reach his desk. Dust particles danced in the few beams of light that were able to reach his window at this time of day. With her elbows, she shoved away some notes and placed the breakfast on the desk.
She closed the zippers of her light blue high-ankle sneakers, checked her bag twice, tried to remember if she had forgotten any homework, and ensured her phone was charged enough. It was getting a little old, which happened quickly nowadays, but she had an extra charger cable in her bag since she wouldn't be home tonight. She pulled it onto her shoulders and shoved a thin jacked through the holders behind her back.
"I love you Io."
Her head darted up to the second floor where her dad was leaning against the rail. His tired smile shined against the dark-circled eyes.
"I love you too dad."
He groaned and suppressed a yawn but lost the fight.
"Take care of yourself, dad.", she said a little worried about the number of hours he worked himself every day. His head sank as he nodded.
"That was my part..."
She smiled lovingly. Grabbing her keys and headphones, opening the front door.
"I'll be home tomorrow. I call if I'm coming after lunch."
With her usual quick step, Io wandered down the street towards her school. Not even 15 minutes away and right around the Main streets of the city centre, as well as the little shops in the narrow side alleys filled with little nicknacks she loved to explore with her both friends. She thought about the coming evening, what they were going to snack and play and watch, stepping in between the tightly parked cars in the quiet neighbourhood, that had connected, five-story apartment blocks from the time after the war that stretched all the streets length to each side.
Loudly squeaking brakes made her look left to see the front of a small truck before-

Her ears were buzzing as the darkness began to lighten. She woke up on a hard, cold floor of metal and stone. Her left side hurt, her arm, her leg, her ribs, but especially her head. Her fingers scratched off some half-dried blood as she rubbed her eye to rid it of its stickiness. She moaned slightly in pain and confusion as she looked around with blurred vision. The ceiling was high and she was behind a breast-high structure as much as she could see. The walls were delicately decorated, lines and structures creeping from the floor she stood on upwards over the rounded walls to the middle of the ceiling. She pulled herself upon it and her foot almost got stuck in her bag's strap. She tripped forward and clung to the railing-like thing as if she were slipping off a cliff, she could hardly keep her balance.
"What the..."
Her eyes widened. The bright form of Earth itself contrasted the dim-lit interior. She struggled and climbed around and through the middle towards the large window wall. Her hand slipped over buttons or something that seemed to be a control panel, like in a ...
SPACESHIP?!
As fast as she could she limped to the window, her head pressed against it she tried to see if it was for real a spaceship or something else. Maybe it was a stupid prank played on her or a stupid dream. The truck. She remembered the sudden pain. She was probably unconscious.
She slid down and sat her aching body against the window. Calming her breath and mumbling to herself she tried to focus.
"That's not real... no need to panic... I'll be fine... It's not real... I'm going to wake up soon... I'm not dead... They will take care of me... IT IS NOT R E A L."
Apologies, human.
A short and high-pitched scream left her lungs as she pressed her body into the window in horror.
I am afraid that this is reality, as far as my data can confirm.
"What - who - what - where?! Who is this? Come out!"
Her eyes darted from corner to corner, but the room was empty. The woman's voice had been so loud like she was standing right in front of her. She stretched her arm out to see if there was an invisible someone and swung her arm like walking through a pitch-black room. Wouldn't be the first time she had a night terror. But nothing.
My name is SODIA. I am the System Operating Digital Intelligent Assistant of the Fortress.
She felt the calm rise along with the gripping fear.
"An AI. Of course."
You are in distress. How can I help you? Please identify yourself.
"Well... Where am I?"
You are currently in the Fortress of Doom. An old Sentinel Warship that lately has been used in the war against the armies of hell. The Slayer has not returned yet.
Her mouth stood open.
"WHAT?! The what and what of whom?! What the fuck am I dreaming now?! I should watch fewer movies before bed..."
Unbelieving she trod to the middle of the dome again, scanning the building around her franticly, looking for signs of imaginary objects or things from her room. The world started to spin and anger bubbled in her stomach.
"Stop fucking fooling me! Where am I?! "
I repeat: You are in the Fortress of Doom, stationed above Earth. Please identify yourself.
She gnashed her teeth and pressed her eyes shut at her answer.
"And why am I here?!"

Yσυ αɾҽ ԋҽɾҽ ƚσ ɯαƙҽ ƚԋҽ Sʅαყҽɾ

The voice pierced deep into her skull making her fall to her knees. With burning eyes, she felt like blacking out again. SODIA softly spoke to her while her mind seemed numbed and shattered.
There seems to be a problem with the system... Can you hear me? Hello? Can you hear me?
I do not know what you are or why you are here.
Her head swayed and her eyes fixed on the planet in front of her. The continents seemed to have moved from where they should be, green where there was desert before, and some countries fully vanished in floods or black burned ash. In the dark was no light from cities left to shine.
"What the fuck happened...?" she whispered as her chest started to tighten and her eyes welled up, staring at the world that was no longer hers.
"That's not real! It can't be...", she mumbled to herself with a hoarse throat and pressed her knees against her chest.
My data clarifies that you are not a human of today's Earth nor a sentinel warrior. I cannot explain this. Who are you? How did you get here? Please reply with honesty, or I will have to deploy defence measurements to secure the Fortress again.
Lights travelled around the walls, floors, and ceiling, commands were sent, metallic noises got louder. She fidgeted, panic overcame her. Wide opened eyes searched for answers that were nowhere to be found. Her breath shook and her heart raced. She couldn't keep it any longer.
"I DON'T KNOW! I don't fucking know! STOP! I want to go HOME! What is this sh-shit?! I thought you would know...! PLEASE, stop! Just s-s-stop...", her voice broke to become strenuous sobbing.
The metallic noise stopped and for a few moments, she wept in silence. With her arms clutched tightly around her chest she rocketed back and forth like a baby. The salty liquid diluted the dried blood on her cheek and eye, her arms stained as she wiped her unstoppable tears over and over.