Upside Down – Alternate Destiny

[Friday, May 3rd 2058]

As I slowly awaken, my eyes take in the sterile, white surroundings of an unfamiliar room. My lavender gown I’m in is the only splash of color in the otherwise clinical space. Confused and disoriented, my first thoughts are focused on why I am here and how I got here. Glancing to my right, I see my childhood friend Chinatsu sleeping soundly in a chair beside me, her hand tightly holding onto mine. How long have I been unconscious? As I attempt to sit up, Chinatsu stirs and awakens. Her bright eyes widen with relief upon seeing me awake, and she quickly jumps into my arms, embracing me with all her strength.

She holds onto me tightly and exclaims, “Sora! You're awake! I've been so worried!”

"Ouch!" I wince in pain as Chi holds me tightly. “Chi, please be more gentle,” I plead while trying to hold back my tears and failing.

"I'm sorry, Sora,” Chi says with an apologetic smile as she wipes away the tear tracks on Sora's cheeks.

I look around the brightly lit room, taking in the sterile smell and unfamiliar surroundings. I’, in a hospital, but where? “Where are we, Chi?

“We're at NTI Medical Center,” she replies hesitantly.

Confused, I ask, “Why am I here?”

"Do you not remember?" Chi asks, concern evident in her voice.

My mind is blank for a moment as I stare at her, trying to comprehend what she's saying. “Why would I ask a question if I already know the answer?”

She takes a deep breath and begins to explain, “Well, when I came over to get you for dinner, I found you unconscious on the hallway floor. I ran to get Mom, and she called for an ambulance.”

I struggle to focus on what she's saying as my hand repeatedly brushes away the long strands of fiery red hair in front of my face. It's becoming more and more distracting, almost like it has a life of its own. Wait a minute... Red hair? That can't be right.

Confused and slightly panicked, I reach up and touch my hair, following it down with my fingers until I reach the end at the top of my butt. How long have I been asleep for this to happen? Plus, who would do something as drastic as dyeing my hair without my consent? The questions swirl in my mind as I try to piece together what could have possibly happened while I was unconscious.

As I turn to face Chinatsu, I’m almost overwhelmed with a jumble of emotions; flustered, upset, and deeply confused. “Chi,” I ask, my voice trembling, “how long have I been here?”

She hesitates before responding, her eyes filled with guilt. “I'm sorry, but I can't answer that,” she murmurs.

My frustration grows as I demand an explanation. “What do you mean you can't answer it?”

Her shoulders sag as she confesses, “They made me promise not to tell you anything.” She pauses, and then hastily continues, “It was the only way they would let me stay with you.”

Frustration turns into bewilderment as I try to make sense of her cryptic words. “Why would they ask you to promise something like that? Wait...nevermind. Just forget it. I'm just grateful to see you here.”

A small smile tugs at her lips and she gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. Before we can continue our conversation, there is a knock on the door followed by its slow creak open. Uncle Eiji and Aunt Haruka step inside and their faces light up when they see me sitting up in bed.

Uncle Eiji's warm smile lit up the hospital room as he greeted me, “It's about time you woke up, sleepyhead!”

Aunt Haruka playfully swatted his arm and hushed him with a disapproving look. “Not so loud, this is a hospital.” Turning to me, she asks with genuine concern, “Are you feeling alright? Any pain or discomfort?”

I took a moment to assess my body before answering, “I suppose I'm alright. Though my chest feels tender, overall I feel fine.” A sudden realization hit me as I glanced at my reflection in the window, “Wait... why did someone dye my hair?”

Aunt Haruka raised an eyebrow and shared a questioning look with Uncle Eiji. Their silence made me anxious. How long had I been unconscious? What had happened to me? My heart began to race as I waited for their answer.

He hums thoughtfully, his brow furrowed in concern. He reaches for a nearby chair and drags it over to the bed, taking a seat with a soft thud. "Can you try to fill in the gaps for me? What's the last thing you remember happening?" His voice is gentle and patient.

I take a deep breath and begins recounting what happened. "I was chased home by some of the guys who like to bully me. I managed to lock myself in the basement when they followed me into my house. I stayed down there until they left, then I came out. I was about to head to your house for dinner when suddenly I got dizzy and had intense stomach cramps.” I pause while trying to recall more details. “And...that's all I remember until waking up here.”

Uncle Eiji's expression darkens as he listens. “You didn’t do anything else while you were in the basement? You didn’t touch anything?”

“I used the bathroom and drank some water,” I add, hoping it's not relevant to what happened to me.

Uncle Eiji frowns deeply and runs a hand through his hair. “Sora, try to remain calm, alright? We'll figure this out.”

A shiver runs down my spine as he speaks, his words carrying a heavy weight that I don't want to bear. My eyes dart to Chinatsu, desperate for some reassurance, but she avoids my gaze and stares intently at the ground. Turning back to him, I swallow hard and force out a small, hesitant “Okay.”

His next question catches me off guard. “You know your parents were were geniuses and the top researchers in their field?”

I can only nod mutely in response, my throat closing up with emotion. It's not something I like to think about since the memories are too painful. As soon as the thought enters my mind, I push it away and focus on his words. “What does that have to do with me being here?” I ask, trying to sound calm and collected despite the racing of my heart.

His eyes flicker over to Aunt Haruka, and he gestures for her to come around to the other side of the bed. She obeys, her footsteps hushed on the linoleum floor as she takes a seat next to my hip. Her touch is gentle as she grasps my hand, concern etched into every line on her face.

My anxiety only deepens as I turn my focus back to the man standing at the foot of my hospital bed. He seems hesitant, his hands fidgeting nervously in front of him before he finally speaks. “Well, the last we knew, your parents were working with nanites to address the population issue. They must have been experimenting with them in the basement when you were exposed and these tiny machines have been rewriting your DNA while you've been in a coma.”

I furrow my brow, trying to make sense of this new information. “Why were they doing that at home? Shouldn't they have been working on it at their research labs?”

He sighs heavily, his shoulders slumping slightly. “It's complicated, but yes. However, you know your parents. They were always thinking about this or that and had a lab built in the basement to allow them to follow up immediately when they had an idea at home, or maybe they were working on something they didn’t want anyone else knowing about.” He shrugs. “Knowing them, it could be either, both or something else entirely.”

I sit there for a minute, my mind reeling with the weight of his words. It did make sense - my parents were always odd and it only seemed to intensify after I started attending school. "Alright, so what does this mean for me?" I ask, curiosity tinged with concern in my voice.

He glances at Aunt Haruka, a look of discomfort crossing his features before he plays it off with a forced smile. I turn to her and she meets my gaze with a soft expression. With a quick glance between us, she speaks up, “You mentioned your chest was feeling tender, correct?” I nod slowly, unsure of where this is going. “Did you happen to investigate why?” She asks with her eyebrow raised questioningly.

Realization dawns on me and I shake my head. “No, I didn't think to...” I trail off as she reaches for the neckline of my gown. Confused, though a little intrigued, I allow her to pull it open slightly. Then I see it - or rather, THEM. My eyes widen in shock and I am rendered speechless as the realization hits me like a ton of bricks. I have BOOBS! Heat rushes to my cheeks and I can feel myself blushing furiously as I meet Aunt Haruka’s gaze with a mix of confusion and embarrassment written all over my face.

Frantically, I slide a trembling hand under the warm covers, searching for reassurance but finding nothing. Panic sets in and I gasp for air, struggling to catch my breath. A sinking feeling settles in my stomach as I realize something is missing. Suddenly, arms wrap around me and a soft voice fills my ears. “It's okay,” she whispers, holding me close. “I have you.” Her presence brings some solace, but it takes a while for my breathing to slow down and my heart to stop racing.

Once I've regained some sense of control, she turns to Eiji with a calm expression on her face. “Honey, why don't you go get some tea in the cafeteria?” She suggests gently. “I'll come find you when we're done here.” Her words are like a soothing balm on my frayed nerves.

As Eiji leaves the room, she continues to hold me, her fingers tracing calming patterns on my back. The familiar scent of lavender and vanilla from her perfume envelops me, bringing comfort and familiarity.

Gradually, my body relaxes against hers and I can feel the tension melting away. Taking deep, steadying breaths, I try to push aside the lingering panic and focus on the warmth and safety of her embrace. Though it may not be a permanent solution, in this moment, that's all that matters.

As Uncle Eiji makes his exit and closes the door with a soft click, she turns back to face me with a gentle smile. “I understand that this may be difficult for you, but you have already seen the evidence of the changes. The nanites have transformed you into a girl, and a beautiful one at that.

“You've been in a coma for almost an entire month. The doctors had all but given up hope, but yet, here you are, awake and breathing. It will take some time to adjust, but the important thing is that you're alive.”

“I... What am I supposed to do now? Look at me! How will people react when they find out?”

“Don't worry about that. The director is a close friend of the family and will ensure that this remains confidential. And as for our plan... Would you like to see yourself?”

My voice fails me in this moment, so I simply nod in response. She takes my hand, helping me stand up from the bed, and leads me towards the bathroom door where a small mirror hangs.

As I gaze into the mirror, a stunning girl stares back at me. Her waist-length hair is a fiery shade of red, cascading down her back like a waterfall. Her lashes are long and fluttery, framing large emerald green eyes. A thin, perky nose sits above plump, pink lips that are just begging to be kissed. Her figure is slender and delicate, with slender arms and a slim waist leading down to shapely legs. A small yet perfectly rounded butt completes her petite frame, all set against her fair skin that seems to glow in the light. Despite not having large breasts, they fit her petite form perfectly. I am completely taken aback by this gorgeous reflection staring back at me, and all I can do is stand there admiring her beauty in the mirror.

“Sora?... Sora, are you okay?” Chinatsu asks with concern. It takes me a few seconds to realize she’s speaking to me.

I reluctantly tear my eyes away from the mirror and look at Chinatsu. “Yeah, ~ahem~ I’m fine.” Then I point towards the reflection in the mirror and ask, “Who’s that girl?”

Chinatsu's mouth opens and closes a few times before she bursts into laughter. “You’re so silly, that’s you!”

“What? No, it can’t be, I’m a…”

As I try to explain, she looks at me with an odd expression before reaching out to touch my breasts. She interrupts me, saying “Since when do normal boys have these?”

For the second time in less than five minutes, I’m left speechless. As much as I want to argue with her, she has undeniable proof in her hands.

I let out a sigh and quietly say, “Can you let go of those? I think I need to lay back down.”

The two of them guide me back to the bed and assist me in getting comfortable. When there's a knock on the door, Aunt Haruka, who had been sitting next to me, shoots a frustrated look at the door.

“Excuse me,” a male doctor says as he enters the room, smiling and nodding at everyone. “Good afternoon. It's good to see that you're awake, Ms. Ito. I'm Dr. Sato. How are you feeling? Any pain?”

Ms.? Oh, right, I'm a girl now... “I'm okay, I guess. My chest is a bit sore, but other than that, I’m not hurting.”

“Alright, then please open your gown so I can examine you,” replies Dr. Sato after some hesitation.

“Why…” Aunt Haruka interrupts me before I can even finish my question. She covers my mouth with her hand and shakes her head.

“He needs to check on you, and make sure everything is okay,” she explains.

Without waiting for my response, she starts to unfasten the front of my gown, but I quickly stop her.

"Please, Aunt Haruka, no," I plead.

She merely shakes her head and insists that the doctor needs to examine me thoroughly. After all, I've gone through a lot of changes in the past month, and they need to ensure there are no issues or complications.

All I know is that I don't want anyone to see my breasts. Despite this, I reluctantly let go of the front of my gown and shut my eyes tight. Maybe if I can't see it, it won't be real.

With a gentle touch, he places the thermometer under my arm, and then palpates my breasts, which is uncomfortable, but I try to relax and let him do his job. After removing the thermometer, he instructs me to close my gown before moving on to check my blood pressure, listen to my heart with a stethoscope, examine my ears, and have me open my eyes so he can inspect them as well.

Through a series of tests and numerous inquiries, he finally concludes, “Although I can’t detect any abnormalities in her breast tissue, we can schedule a scan if you'd like. However, based on her stable blood pressure, temperature, eyes, ears, and heart, and the fct that the director informed me that she can leave when she woke up, I believe she’ll be able to go home tomorrow. She’ll be weak from being in a coma for so long, so I recommend physical therapy.” He turns to look at me and adds kindly, "Do you have any questions for me?"

After shaking his head and getting our response, he flashes us a smile, nods, and exits the room. I turn to Aunt Haruka with a look of shock and confusion on my face. She smiles reassuringly at me. “Don't worry, dear...I know this is all overwhelming, but Eiji and I have become your legal guardians. We were planning on talking to you about it the day everything happened, but we needed to make sure we could make medical decisions for you without any issues. If we didn't, the government would have placed you in an orphanage or given custody to one of your relatives. We didn't want that to happen. I'm sorry we didn't ask first.”

This time, I'm confused for a different reason. How can she possibly apologize for adopting me? She's always been like a second mother to me. I glance at Chinatsu, who seems on the verge of tears again. I don't understand. I reach out and gently stroke her hair, smiling reassuringly before turning back to Aunt Haruka.

“Thank you, and you're right. If given the choice, I would have gladly let you adopt me. Either way, I'm happy with how it turned out.”

Losing my parents still hurts, but having Aunt Haruka and Uncle Eiji as my new family brings just as much love into my life. So, I don't have to fight for emancipation from my ‘relatives.’ This is a major win for me.

“Sora, we have to leave now; visiting hours are almost over. But we’ll be back tomorrow morning to pick you up, okay?”

“Alright, I'll see you then. Umm, what should I call you? Is it still Aunt Haruka? Or?”

“Well, Eiji and I discussed it and given the circumstances, it would be better for you to call us Mom and Dad.”

“Okay, but may I ask why?”

She nods. “You may, but not right now. We’ll explain everything in detail later. See you tomorrow.”

She leans in and kisses my cheek before standing up and gesturing for Chinatsu to do the same.

“See you in the morning, Sweetheart. Let’s go, Chinatsu; we need to stop by the store and get an outfit for her before we head home.”

Chinatsu leans over, hugs me tightly, and whispers, “See you tomorrow, Sis.”