Chapter 4


    The birds were singing their morning songs. Liam''s eyes fluttered open. He felt a momentary confusion, thinking he had woken up in his old room, until a drawing of Sarah on the wall caught his eye. He had stayed asleep longer than he planned, after the exhaustion from the day before had caught up with him. He got out of bed and examined the drawing of Sarah, wondering what could have happened that she wasn''t part of his life anymore. Did they betray each other? Or did something occur while he was unconscious.


    He decided to erase this thought and focus on figuring out what to do next. He headed to the kitchen to get some cleaning supplies and grabbed a rag from one of the drawers and stain removers from underneath the sink before passing by the dining room table. He stopped suddenly; something was off. A second glance at the table confirmed it: the knife he had picked up the night before during a moment of weakness was missing. His mind raced as fear threatened to creep onto his face—someone had been inside his house while he was sleeping! He quickly rushed to the front door and opened it.


    “Good morning, Liam! I hope you slept well,” Tyler was still there, outside.


    “Morning. You were here all night? Outside?” asked Liam.


    “Yes, sir. Gets pretty cold if I must say so,” said Tyler.


    “Did anyone come inside last night?” Liam attempted to sound nonchalant.


    “Nope. We wanted you to have your privacy.”


    “Ok, just checking,” replied Liam as he closed the door, then walked back to the leather couch in the living room. He''d seen enough movies to realize this had become a prison of sorts. But why would they lie about the guard coming inside? Maybe there wasn''t one, or maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. Liam got up and headed toward the door, wondering what he should do next, when suddenly, someone knocked on it three times. He opened the front door to see Tyler again.


    “Liam, Bliss is ready to see you now. She''s waiting at the other house.” Crap. Already? thought Liam. However, he figured that might be an opportunity for more answers, and decided to at least go meet Bliss.


    As he wandered down the path connecting the cottages, Liam recalled the mysterious woman, Bliss, whom he had seen. He picked up his pace, shaking off any lingering doubts about evil corporations and malevolent villains. He reminisced about the embarrassment of acting like a jerk in front of his family when they had all come to visit.


    Before he knew it, he arrived at the entrance to the house. The idea of peeking through the window crossed his mind, but he resisted. Tyler''s voice echoed from afar, urging him not to be a creep and just go inside. Liam took a breath and tapped on the door before pushing it open. As soon as he stepped inside, everything looked familiar: same living room layout, same decorations, yet no one in sight. A melody suddenly floated out from the kitchen, which caught Liam''s attention straight away; it was none other than the “Galway Girl” song! He remembered how, back in college, he and his friends would belt that tune during St. Paddy''s Day celebrations. And I ask you friend, what’s a fella to do? Because her hair was black and her eyes were blue…


    A cheer came from the kitchen. His heart warmed with nostalgia, and a smile crept across his face. He strolled towards the room, where the same woman he''d seen the day before was dancing and cutting food at the dining table, completely unaware of his presence.


    "Ahem," Liam said.


    At the sound of his voice, it seemed like time froze, and she jumped slightly in surprise. "Hi," she said cheerfully.


    "Um… You wanted to see me?" Liam asked.


    The woman whirled around and grabbed something from behind her, revealing a delicious BLT sandwich. She brought it to him with a smile on her face and told him to have a seat. Apparently, this was all for him to make him feel more comfortable, which seemed odd since they had just met. Confused, Liam inspected the sandwich and questioned what was going on. He noticed that this was his favorite type of sandwich—how did she know?


    "What is this? I mean all of this, the song, the sandwich, the old-school house, the guards. Why am I the only one who doesn''t know anything?"


    "Okay, wow, too much? No hello? Alright, then, let''s start with introductions. My name is Bliss. I''m here to help you get your memories back, just like everyone else."


    "Is that what this was all about? Like, what the fuck?" said Liam


    “I apologize, I was trying to do things you would like,” said Bliss.


    “That''s what I''m saying! How do you even know what I like?!” shouted Liam.


    “Please, settle down, we just want the best for you.”


    “That is what I mean! Who is ‘we’?”


    Liam began to question if she was doing it on purpose or not; yet, it seemed like she was genuinely distressed and sorry.


    “Look, I didn''t mean to yell. Yesterday, I was proposing to my girlfriend in Tahoe. Next thing I know, I am here,” Liam said, trying to calm himself down.


    "Oh, wow. That was your last memory? Proposing to Sarah?” asked Bliss


    “Yeah. Wait… you know her?” asked Liam with surprise.


    “No, I''m sorry, but indeed I''ve heard of her. It must be an overwhelming feeling knowing that is the last memory you have in that world before entering this one."


    Liam sadly looked away and nodded his head in agreement.


    "I can''t understand how hard it must be—memories are so important to us all. When I met the love of my life, he came out of nowhere. I was too busy building my career and pursuing my dreams to think about relationships. We happened to be interns at the same job and almost immediately connected; it felt like destiny. He made everyday tasks enjoyable and always supported me, no matter how much our interests clashed. He was my best friend and for the first time ever, there was someone who constantly stayed in my mind through good or bad," Bliss let out a nostalgic sigh as she concluded her story. “Tell me about her,” she said abruptly, quickly changing the subject.


    “What do you mean?” asked Liam, confused.


    “Just your last days with Sarah. I’m interested in hearing about them from your perspective.”


    “Alright. Well—”


    Liam talked. Talking helped him ease his mind. He discussed things that he''d forgotten for a while; conversations he had with his parents, as well as memories leading up to his final moments with Sarah. She would chuckle at his dad''s awkward moments and make this adorable expression when he spoke about his mom. Though she worked for the evil corporation and had ulterior motives, it was nice talking to Bliss; he finally felt like he could breathe again. He felt secure, though he eventually realized what she had planned.


    “I don’t suppose I can leave, can I?” Liam murmured quietly.


    Her smile faded as she shook her head no.


    “What would happen if I tried?” Liam questioned calmly.


    “To tell you the truth, I don''t know,” she replied gravely. “Legally speaking, you’re a threat to our company. This technology is groundbreaking; Dr. Tithonus and this company believe that they''ve found the key to immortality.


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    "Can you imagine anything more groundbreaking than that?" she continued on without waiting for an answer. "But you''re now someone who poses a danger to the company''s interests. It would alarm shareholders if they learned that our technology wasn''t yet viable for human testing.


    "The board members are powerful people," she added ominously. "Like any other corporation, we need funds, and developing this technology costs quite a bit of money; perhaps, more than just money alone." She hesitated before continuing, then said softly, "And creating human vessels? The technology necessary to save the human brain? You have no idea what you’ve given up."


    "What have I sacrificed?" Liam asked, confused. "I wish I could comprehend that. Have you ever fallen so deeply in love with someone that you''d give up anything, including this ‘immortality’, just to spend the rest of your life with them? Our problems are nothing alike."


    “That''s not necessarily true. Getting your memories back should tell you what happened to Sarah and everything else," Bliss said.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.


    "Grandpa? Are you here? That weirdly polite stranger out front directed me here," a voice came from outside.


    Bliss opened the door to reveal Boi standing there.


    "Hey, I''m here to take my grandfather to Dr. Tithonus'' office downtown," he said.


    "Of course, come in," Bliss replied.


    Boi walked in and saw Liam.


    "Where''s your dad or the rest of the family?" Liam asked him.


    "Oh, they couldn''t make it. They sent me instead," Boi answered half-heartedly as his gaze strayed away, almost like he was messaging someone.


    Liam got up and headed for the door; he glanced at Bliss, who stood in the doorway with a smile on her face.


    "Well, thanks for speaking with me," Liam said uncertainly, not sure if that were true or not.


    "We can talk more when you come back again," she smiled wider. "Maybe, I''ll show you around this new city."


    "I''d like that," he wasn''t sure why he''d said that either, but couldn''t really deny it now even if he wanted to.


    "Can we use your elevator?" Boi asked her.


    "Of course," she nodded her head.


    The two made their way to the elevator and rode it down together silently until Boi finally spoke up.


    "Who was that?" asked Boi


    "I have no idea; she works for Dr. Tithonus," Liam responded cautiously.


    "She seemed kind of familiar," Boi added innocently enough, but Liam still felt almost guilty in response, thinking Boi had noticed more than he let on before continuing on to say, "Do you mind if I do a live stream while we''re here? My followers have increased since your story leaked to the media, and everyone is interested now."


    “Sure, I don’t care,” said Liam


    “What’s up, everyone? It’s your boy here, giving you all an update. Today’s adventure? I''m taking Grandpa to the doctor. What secrets will be revealed? Stay tuned. Please share with friends and subscribe to me if you''re interested! Could we be the last generation to not die?!”


    Liam raised an eyebrow. “Is this some kind of school project?”


    “No. It''s interesting, and people are starting to take notice,” Boi replied.


    “Ah, popularity. You want to be popular,” said Liam knowingly.


    “Oh, please! I don''t care what people think. This is my chance to document history–maybe even start a career as a film director,” Boi responded eagerly as a black town car pulled up for them to get in.


    As he continued filming, Boi asked for the address, but was quickly informed by the car that it had been programmed in already. He laughed nervously and decided to explain, “Yeah, everyone is connected these days–you can pretty much look up anyone or anything.”


    Liam queried curiously, “Really? Could you look up an old friend of mine then? Sarah?”


    Boi seemed taken aback by the request and replied hesitantly, “Uhh, why would I… Well, ok, if my friends seem to want me to, but who do you have in mind? You''ll have to be more specific; there are thousands of Sarahs out there!”


    He admitted sheepishly, “Last name is Smith. Her middle name is Marie; she was born in New York City and moved to SF at the age of twenty-one. She has blonde hair and hazel eyes, always smiling. She''s outdoorsy, and she''d be my age now… Or she could very well be dead from old age.”


    “Well, if it''s this woman you''re talking about, she is alive. About 106 years old, I''d assume? Lives in a city up north called Forestville. Let me dive deeper and find out what she used to look like.


    “Wait, can you pull up a photo from a particular date?” Liam asked.


    ‘Yeah, man. You might look young, but you sure sound like a grandpa!” Boi joked.


    “Check any photos from June 10th, 2024—I may still be in it,” Liam suggested.


    “Hmm… Nope, no photos of you here,” replied Boi.


    Liam''s heart sank.


    “On those dates, it’s just some pictures of her hiking in… Tahoe, most likely. It stinks that you don''t have the chip inserted. I would just show you how to do this,” whimpered Boi.


    “Tahoe?! That must be Sarah—we have to go to where she is!” Liam jumped onto Boi and gave him a hug of excitement. “That must be her! Forestville—we need to get going!”


    “What? No way! You''ll get me into so much trouble!” Boi protested.


    “Please—this was someone very special to me, I loved her,” pleaded Liam.


    "What? No way! You love Grandma—you ended up with Grandma! You can''t love anyone else!" Boi exclaimed angrily.


    "Look, I''m sorry—I don''t even know your grandmother or you for that matter. I''m lost, and this person is the only one who knows me more than anyone else in the world; we once loved each other deeply!" Liam tried to appeal to Boi''s emotions as he continued speaking. “You named yourself LoverBoi, right? That must have been for some girl—have you ever felt as though something is missing without them? The sweetest dreams of them never being as good as the real thing?" Liam worked on manipulating his way into getting Boi on his side. "Plus, it''ll make for an amazing documentary—all these people watching want to see a great love story come true, don''t they?"


    “Grandpa, I don’t…” Boi''s eyes unfocused and looked ahead. “What? My-My followers exploded. Wow, I’ve never had this many,” Boi started to become popular on his live feed.


    “See? People agree. Everyone loves a love story,” Liam said.


    “What do you all think? Ugh, okay. But after the appointment. We can still make it back by tonight,” Boi gave in.


    “I apologize, Boi. I''m sure your grandma is a great person, but I don''t know her. The last thing I remember was proposing to Sarah, she said yes, and then… Here I am.”


    “Darn. That must be tough,” Boi sympathized.


    “You bet it is! This is all strange to me… Not what I expected my life was going to be like with all that you and your dad have mentioned so far. Like, what was I doing for work?” Liam asked.


    “You were a scientist,” Boi answered simply.


    "No way, I never went to school for science, there''s no way I''m that smart," Liam explained.


    "What did you envision your life would be like?" Boi inquired.


    "I''d marry Sarah and move back east to New York, where I''d work as a sports writer; we both wanted to find a small town to call home. She loved the idea of living in a small town more than anything," Liam remembered.


    “I had no idea that about that. I thought you were a traveler, not the kind of person who would settle down in one place! I saw pictures of you with Grandma—you both never looked really content in one place. Even when work became a full-time thing for you, your joy seemed never-ending. I never guessed sports writer could have been an alternative career for you. I just assumed you were a nerd growing up," Boi said incredulously.


    "What do you mean? I love going to games and playing sports!" Liam replied, confused.


    "Nope. You were into science. Wait, that means… Did they not tell you? You worked at Athanasia—can''t remember what title you had, but it sounded like it was pretty high up there."


    "No way! In school, I barely scraped by my anatomy class," Liam said in disbelief.


    "Well, what can I say? Your grandmother was employed by them, too," Boi responded.


    Liam''s insides twisted in his stomach as he realized his missing memories could not be an accident. It was impossible to find out everything he needed to know and track Sarah down within two days, but luckily, she hadn''t ventured far away, so it was feasible. He''d just need to get the answers from Dr. Tithonus first, then he''d be on his way to her.


    “Are you getting more followers now?” Liam asked Boi, his tone tinged with curiosity.


    Boi’s eyes unglazed as he replied, “Yeah. A lot. But… I stopped recording.”


    Liam’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “What? Why?”


    “I am not allowed to record in the office. And Grandpa…” Boi stumbled on his words before correcting himself, “I mean, Liam. I want to help you. You are right. I chose LoverBoy because of a girl that I really like; we’ve known each other since second grade. She always used to call me lover boy ''cause she thought I was a catch and could get any girl. But secretly, I wanted her. I figured if I started streaming, maybe she would watch it and notice me,” Boi paused for a moment before continuing. “But besides that, hanging out with you has been pretty cool, too. Learning things about you and seeing all these similarities between us has been interesting. I’d like to learn more and see where this goes.”


    A small smile appeared on Liam’s face as he replied, “Thank you. You know, I don’t know how great of a father I was back then, but Lee must have been a good one. ‘Cause you seem like a great kid.”


    Boi laughed for a moment before saying, “You calling me a kid feels weird, though, since we’re around the same age.”


    “Yeah, it does feel weird,” Liam agreed.


    “From now on,” Boi said, “you can call me Steven. That’s the name I wanted to change my name to.”


    Liam raised an eyebrow in confusion before asking, “Why not just start calling yourself that now?”


    “Well,” Boi explained, “until we pay and fill out an application, my displayed name will still be LoverBoy. The display name is the only name people will call you, so you have to be careful.”


    The two men laughed, their relationship growing stronger by the moment.


    Liam paused and asked, “Do you remember your great-grandparents?”


    “No. They were gone before I was born,” Steven stated.


    “Coincidentally, my father''s name was Steven, so maybe I can tell you stories about them. You look so much like him,” Liam said fondly.


    “I would love to hear those stories,” Steven responded.


    The car pulled up to the Athanasia building and Liam stepped out, owning a newfound admiration for Steven. His gaze shifted to the towering skyscraper in front of him; the secrets it held had been kept hidden for so long, and that day he''d finally get some answers.