Chapter 5


    Steven and Liam waited outside the entrance elevator.


    “Ready for this, Liam?” newly named Steven asked.


    “I haven''t been ready since I woke up, but it’s now or never,” replied Liam. The elevator doors opened and Dr. Tithonus stepped out, smiling at them.


    “Hello again, Liam,” the Doctor said before turning to Steven. “Ah, and you must be his grandson… LoverBoi?”


    “It’s Steven,” Liam corrected as he smiled warmly at his grandson.


    “Ah, Steven! Pleased to meet you. Well, thanks for coming. This way.” They followed the Doctor into the elevator, and it started to move upwards. “This shouldn''t take all day. We first want to check on you, make sure nothing is going wrong with your body before we attempt to fix your memories and download the rest of them to you in a few hours—nearly all of which will be spent waiting around.”


    They arrived at the floor of Athenasia and stepped out, following the doctor''s lead.


    “So, how are you going to download my memories back into me?” asked Liam curiously


    “Follow me this way, and I''ll explain,” replied the Dr., continuing, “the procedure is quite simple: we just download the information to the chip inside your brain—the same type that everyone has that allows them to augment reality, a process done by computers—and once it downloads, that chip transfers the data over time to your brain until all the data becomes a permanent part of your natural stream of consciousness."


    As they strolled along the hallway, Liam noticed that the office looked like a normal doctor’s office—there was a receptionist at the front desk, and multiple doors lining either side of the corridor. The only difference was the lack of patients—all Liam could see were workers. Every time he walked past them, they would all stare at him as if he were their only customer. It wasn’t until Dr. Tithonus opened one of the doors that Liam remembered this room—where he first woke up.


    “Remember this?” he asked, and a sinister smirk appearing on his face. “Steven, you can stay here too. A nurse will be in soon to check on you both. Do you need anything?” The two shook their heads before the doctor left with a warm smile and closed the door behind him.


    The atmosphere felt heavy in the room as Steven began pacing around, examining things that had been augmented during Liam''s stay. Eventually, he made his way over to the rolling chair and sat down, facing Liam.


    “So, tell me about yourself,” Steven started off by asking.


    “What do you want to know?” inquired Liam eagerly.


    “Let us begin with where you grew up? What was life like there? Your hobbies? Anything else that comes to mind!” Steven suggested.


    Liam began to explain: “I was born in San Francisco in 2000. I was your typical kid growing up then; I played sports and loved reading comic books, DC over Marvel any day!”


    “I didn’t know that about you. Wait. DC? They went extinct. They sucked. Marvel was way better,” said Steven, still not entirely focused.


    “What? DC is way better. No way Batman could go extinct,” Liam exclaimed.


    “Yeah. Disney purchased the rights and assimilated them into Marvel. All the main characters were under one big company. So you were kind of a nerd, right? Did Sarah share your interests? Comics or sports, maybe?” asked Steven


    “Uh… no. She was more into reality TV and famous people. Disdained sports, so when I wanted to attend matches, I had my buddies, and she had her pals,” said Liam


    “Huh,” Steven said, smirking away.


    “What?” asked Liam


    “I never knew you were passionate about sports, but Grandma definitely was; she used to take us with her to games all the time. Bet you that she was also interested in comic books as well.”


    “No, you don''t understand. You don''t have to share activities or thoughts to be in love. People can have different interests," snapped Liam


    “I''m not trying to say otherwise, but you haven''t really explained why you love Sarah yet,” said Steven.


    “Geez. I feel like I''m being interviewed or something. Alright, alright. Alright,” Liam cringed and heaved a big sigh. “I was 21 years old at the time. Living in San Francisco''s Marina District, and I used to jog across the Golden Gate Bridge early in the morning. One day, it was very thick and foggy; you could hardly make out anything. I have this habit of peering at tourists as I run past them; that day, my eyes locked with a blonde woman’s eyes; she had been admiring the view from the bridge despite its poor visibility. But then, disaster struck—I slipped and fell right in front of her! She was the only one around who noticed—kind-hearted soul that she was, she ran over to help me up, and we made our way to a café at the end of the bridge. She got me ice for my ankle injury, and we sat down together to chat. Turns out she had just moved there to work as a traveling nurse.


    “We soon became really close friends after that; we enjoyed going hiking and spending evenings on fun dates together. That photo of Tahoe? That''s where I proposed to her on June 10th, 2024. And that''s the last memory I have with her...” he said, completing his story.


    “Wow! You had a whole other life none of us knew about. I mean, if you stayed with Sarah, then I wouldn’t be here. Crazy! But still, tell me about what she was like?” Steven continued.


    Liam almost seemed offended by the question, but he answered regardless. “I don’t remember much about her. All I know is that when I talk about her, it always seems different. You just get this feeling that she was something special to me… like a goddess or something.”


    Liam looked off into the distance and sighed; he wished more than anything to recover his lost memories.


    Steven smiled in an attempt to reassure him, “Don’t worry, we''ll get them back soon enough.” Liam forced himself to smile back, trying to imagine what it would be like to have an actual brother.


    Out of the blue, the door opened, and a young nurse walked through wearing a face mask that covered half her face. “Alright, Dr. Long. You look good; your heart rate is a bit elevated, but that''s probably just your nerves.”


    “Wait, you didn’t do anything to me yet,” said Liam confused.


    “Oh, the room scans us once we walk in. Something to do with the high-tech cameras,” explained Steven.


    “So, Liam, the next step is some questions to see if your memory has improved, and then we''ll go downstairs to get you ready for tomorrow''s procedure. First question: have you remembered anything since yesterday?” asked the nurse.


    “In fact, he knows he used to work here,” said Steven, interjecting.


    “Oh, that''s great! You remember working here?” asked the nurse.


    “I guess... Yes,” said Liam.


    “He just hasn''t had enough water to drink; can you grab some? Right, Grandpa?” Steven nudged him playfully.


    “Yeah, that would be lovely,” Liam replied.


    “Right away, Doctor Long. I''ll be back soon.” The nurse smiled with her eyes and walked away.


    “What was that?” asked Liam.


    "Didn''t you see that? She called you Doctor Long and was super formal with you! I bet there were a lot of people here who looked up to you as their superior," said Steven.


    "Okay… What are you getting at?" asked Liam.


    "I bet you have access to a lot of things around here, like information. She said the machine is downstairs," Steven explained.


    "But she''s coming back and there are probably cameras," Liam pointed out.


    "You wanted to fight the world a second ago. Answers are right here, why wait?" Steven challenged.


    "Shit... okay... You''re right," Liam conceded.


    Liam and Steven stepped out into the hallway. Was all that noise they heard coming from before just a show? Making their way towards the elevator, they heard voices and decided to take the emergency exit stairs leading to the lower floor instead.


    The two walked out of the stairwell and saw the same type of hall as on the previous floor. They each chose different sides of the hallway, Liam taking left, Steven taking right.


    The first door Steven tried was a closet filled with boxes; Liam''s first try led him to a waiting area like the one he''d woken up in upstairs. After checking out Steven''s next door—which appeared to be some kind of office—they searched through drawers, scanned the computer for answers, yet came up empty-handed. The pair continued onwards; Liam went for his next door and called Steven over: "Check this out!"


    Steven and Liam made their way to the smaller room. To the right stood a lounge area and just beyond it, a computer setup with recording equipment staring out from behind an immense glass window. Wires snaked away from this station to another door across the far side of the room. Peering through the glass, Steven spotted a huge two-story space filled with towering six-foot servers on one side. Adjacent to them were two operating tables in the room’s center.


    “Should we go in?” Steven asked.


    “Why not? That direction takes us closer to answers,” Liam replied.


    “Do you want me to record this?”


    “No, let''s not take any chances; who knows who might see your live feed?”


    The pair descended the steel stairs into the server room. Steven strolled around examining the servers while Liam studied the table with wires connected to the servers in order to provide power to a head that would lie there.


    “How is it accessed?” Steven inquired.


    “I don''t know for sure. But look here—another door!”


    In the back of the room was a heavy steel door. It took them some effort to open it, but they eventually managed. The long corridor past the entryway contained twelve doors on either side, each with its own name. They stepped into the first room on the left, marked "Elon Bezos," grandson of Amazon''s founder. Inside, there was a single computer beside a colossal test tube filled with an adult-sized amniotic sac.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    “Whose body is that?” Steven asked as he moved closer to the computer. Its monitor displayed a biography of the person in the container. “Looks like they''re replicating human reproduction through gene splicing according to their preferences. We''ve entered a sci-fi movie now! You can even craft yourself an exact replica or upgrade your former self with whatever you''d like—blue eyes, for example. It''s all just code.”


    "Is there any information about me or Dr. Tithonus?" Liam posed the question aloud.


    “Not here, at least not on this computer. Let''s check out what''s behind one of the other doors," Steven suggested as they walked down the hallway, and he noticed that each door was labeled with the name of someone influential or wealthy. “Seems like they''re doing people with power first,” he realized aloud.


    “Well, they must have gotten funding from some source—or rather, how I got mine," Liam remarked thoughtfully.


    As Steven and Liam walked down the hallway, Steven noticed every name was of someone in power or rich.


    At the end of the hallway, they stopped in front of the last four doors.


    "Let''s check these,” Steven said. He opened the first door, but no name was listed; it seemed to be a storage room. The next door had a plaque with the name “Dr. Tithonus” inscribed on it. Inside was a computer and various diagnostic equipment typical of someone doing research or tests.


    The third door bore Emily Long''s full name: Emily Michela Long, MD. Inside, was a secure computer surrounded by numerous medical tools and an operating seat in the middle of the room. That must have been her workstation for performing surgeries and monitoring patients'' vital signs remotely, Liam thought.


    The fourth and final door revealed Liam''s name: Liam Van Long III, CEO & Founder of Blue Corp Industries Incorporated. On the wall beside his desk were several monitors displaying live feeds from facilities across the world and financial reports on companies that he had invested in. There was also a small workbench with various devices and tools used for robotics engineering projects.


    The two men looked at each other in amazement as they realized what they had stumbled upon—a hidden laboratory where powerful individuals were being cloned or enhanced through genetic modification—all done under one roof! Steven began to feel uneasy as he thought about how much power that place held, while Liam recalled his past experiences with advanced technology and how it could be abused if not managed properly. He knew that he would have to find some way to keep this secret from getting out into public knowledge—this was something that could unravel entire nations if it fell into the wrong hands!


    “What do we check first?” Steven asked.


    “Let''s start with the most obvious,” Liam replied.


    They entered Liam''s room and saw an empty skeleton of a space. Computer parts were strewn all over the floor, and tracks from something large led out the door where the body sac had been. Liam frowned in frustration. Steven reminded him there were still two more rooms to search through, but Liam was only interested in Dr Tithonus'' room. With no agreement formed, they split up.


    As soon as he stepped into Dr Tithonus'' room, Liam knew this was the place that held answers. Multiple sacs of growing bodies lined one wall; some in the early stages of development, while others seemed almost ready to be used at any moment. Each tube described different characteristics of its inhabitant. Liam searched for a computer, but it wouldn''t turn on; it was merely a blank screen. He started to look through drawers and spotted a pair of glasses in the top right one, prompting him to reconsider his choice not to take them. Upon putting them on, the paintings lit up around him and the lights brightened in contrast. The tubes showed more detailed information about what was being grown inside them; these weren''t just for research purposes—it looked like someone had ordered special bodies. As if on cue, the computer activated and became visible due to augmented reality.


    At first, he flailed his arms like a toddler trying to reach something out of grasp. Then, he began prodding the desktop items, as if his grandfather was teaching him how to use a computer. There were many folders of information that he needed to look at, but he didn’t know how to save them or download them for later. Any folder that mentioned his family or himself was at the top of his priority list. He eventually came across a file with his name on it, but it had a password requirement that was preventing him from opening it. After much thought, he had an idea: he used Google to search for the name of the doctor in charge of this project, and what he found was an old Greek tale about a man who wished for immortality. The god granted his wish—but did not give him youth. The man kept getting older and older until life became so unbearable that death felt like a sweet relief. Tithonus is a Greek character from a poem? If this wasn’t the doctor’s real name, why would he choose it? He tried tithonus as a password. No luck. Remembering the ancient poem from 1859, he tried Eros1859, the title of the story. It worked! Inside the folder were videos, emails, Excel documents, and theories galore—so much that he didn’t even know where to begin.


    He clicked on the first video that appeared, which showed a procedure in the operating room. On the table was an elderly man, and next to him, a body bag. In it, he realized, was his own current body. The staff wheeled the gurney out and a glass dome rose up around the two bodies. The bubble quickly filled with a neon green fluid, and then servers outside of it began lighting up. Out from the back of the operating table came small robotic hands carrying wires, which were attached to both the servers and the table within the bubble. As Liam watched this process, he flicked through some other files until he saw an email labeled "Care to explain?"


    Bliss had recently sent an email that read: I thought you said this was an accident. What is going on? How could you do this? Attached to the email was a video of Dr. Tithonus in the control center of the operating room with another person. It showed all the events leading up to the disastrous event that Liam had witnessed; Dr. Tithonus pacing back and forth, getting a coffee, spilling it, and then yelling at the other guy before running over to hit the abort button. The video showed how as he spilled the coffee, the servers started sparking, and when he hit the button, the bodies started shaking uncontrollably until it went dark. Liam replayed both videos, watching them until the end.


    Liam trembled. His fears were justified. What had happened that led to this? He kept searching, finding a series of emails from someone calling themselves the Board Members. The emails had started out friendly enough when asking about the progress of the project, but they had become more insistent and threatening as time went on, apparently demanding stocks in the company from Liam and another guy called Albert. The last email from the board stated that since Liam’s mind was not fully downloaded, he posed a risk and liability for future investors.


    “What are you doing here? Where is Liam?” a voice boomed from another room.


    No! thought Liam. He was so close to unlocking the mystery—he was sure there must be some basic way to download the files, but he didn''t possess the knowledge needed. Now he frantically searched for old records, anything associated with Sarah or his family… But then, his computer froze up and wouldn''t let him click on anything.


    “Finally, you''re here!” Bliss burst into the room with Steven lurking in the background behind her. He looked like he was trying to avoid being blamed for something.


    “What''s happening?” asked Liam.


    “I know you’re anxious right now, but I''m on your side,” Bliss replied. “We need to get out of here before the guards arrive.”


    “Guards? Why are they coming for me?”


    Bliss hesitated before answering. “It seems that restoring your memories is more complicated than we thought. The board members who paid for your procedure are debating what to do with you at this very moment. Some are saying they should keep trying, while others… They think of you and all of us as just property. They don''t see you as human, Liam; understand that.”


    “Property? What are they going to do with me?”


    “It depends on whether or not they can restore your memories. If they cannot, then it means losing a lot of money, and you will be seen as a failure, which could scare future investors. But if they decide that you are just property, then...” Bliss trailed off.


    “Then what?”


    “They''ll try again with a new body and dispose of this defecting chip,” said Bliss grimly.


    “No, this can’t be happening! I am me,” cried Liam.


    “Are you saying they want to kill my grandad?” Steven asked in shock.


    “I didn’t know. This isn''t supposed to be the way. We were creating a world without suffering, where disease and death would no longer exist—we wanted to be immortal here on Earth. But right now, it doesn''t matter—there''s no time," Bliss said urgently before racing down the hall. Liam and Steven exchanged a nervous glance before they followed her.


    "We need to go this way to the elevator," she called over her shoulder.


    "Can''t they see us on camera?" Steven asked, but Bliss shook her head.


    "I disabled the cameras so you could get as far as you did."


    At the elevator, they paused before boarding when it arrived at the bottom floor; four guards were coming down the stairs from above them. "Hey! Stop!" one of them yelled, but it was too late, the doors had already closed.


    "Quick, Liam, give me your glasses! And, Steven, take out your contacts!" Bliss commanded.


    Steven nervously turned to Liam, saying, "Granddad, I''m scared."


    “We need to get away, fast. They can spin the story and make it sound like they are doing us a favor. Here, take this.” Bliss handed Liam a tiny black box with buttons on its side.


    “What is it?”


    “A mini signal blocker. It will stop any connection to the internet or other networks. Like an EMP, but tiny radius. That way, they won''t be able to track you down.”


    Liam and Steven opened up their glasses and contact cases, then followed after Bliss.


    The guard at the bottom of the elevator shouted for them to stop. “Bliss this way!” Liam glanced around until his eyes met Tyler''s friendly face—the same guard from his house recently visited by security forces.


    He flashed him a smile and said, “Good to see you again, sir.”


    Tyler gave a smile in return. “They will be here shortly; radio traffic confirms they know you two made a run for the garage. We''ve got three patrol cars inbound, plus someone coming down in the elevator right now. ETA two minutes. Your car is spot seven; it''s been set to manual override since I disabled the AI earlier. Good luck!”


    Bliss took off running towards the car with Steven close behind her, but Liam stayed put to ask Tyler one more question: “Why are you helping us?”


    Tyler replied simply, “Before private companies took over law enforcement in place of police officers, there were still people who wanted to do some good in the world instead of clinging onto power at all costs. When Bliss explained what was happening here, I recognized it as a pattern I''d seen before—people always looking for ways to gain more power through whatever means necessary. I''m choosing to do what''s right and make sure I''m on the right side of history by helping you out—now go!”


    Liam eyed Tyler as he pulled out his pistol and leveled it at the lift. Steven and Bliss were already in the car and the door was open. Liam hopped in, and a steering wheel materialized before Bliss, enabling her to take charge. She accelerated away as they watched five men pour out of the elevator to face off with Tyler.


    Guns were drawn on each other for what seemed an eternity until Tyler barked, "Now”. One of the five men spun around abruptly and shot two of his peers, while Tyler took care of the others. They shared a victorious nod, which was cut short when a black car plowed into the man at the elevator. Shots rang out as Tyler fired away, but by then, the car was deserted. He swiveled behind him, only to bear witness to his partner getting riddled with bullets from men who had emerged from the vehicle just before. Three more cars followed in hot pursuit.


    Steven went ballistic: “They killed him; it was only supposed to be about getting your memories back!” But Bliss kept her cool, not uttering a word, though tears ran down her cheek.


    She needed somewhere safe to go—Liam knew exactly where that would be. “Steven, give me Sarah’s address.”


    “What? Not that again? Liam, we should go somewhere they wouldn’t expect. We can''t get anyone else involved. You remember what happened to Tyler!” said Bliss anxiously.


    “I''m aware. But the situation looks pretty helpless. I don''t know what will happen next, but something changed, it''s like a tipping point. I need to understand before it''s too late,” replied Liam.


    “It won''t be happening anytime soon, you two are safe for now. I’m not going there,” said Bliss, reluctant to admit the truth.


    The three cars appeared behind them and started picking up speed and bumping other cars off the road.


    “It doesn''t make sense for both of you to risk yourselves like this. It should be just me; I could face the consequences alone,” reasoned Liam


    “No way! Until you''re safe, we won''t be either. I can''t just leave you here!” exclaimed Bliss as one of the cars lurched forward, trying to perform a PIT maneuver on their vehicle. The tires spun out of control, making their car swing into the other car on the side, resulting in both of their fronts smashing together. For a moment, they lost consciousness.


    Liam jolted awake and noticed that the door to the car was open. He peered out and saw a gun lying on the ground between two cars; it must have been dropped during the collision. He quickly looked back: Bliss had a cut on her forehead, and Steven was holding his nose—possibly broken from the crash. Liam had no time to think. “Steven, can you trust me?” he asked urgently.


    Before Steven could answer, Liam leaped out of the car and grabbed the gun. He ran to Steven''s side and held it to his head. In a booming voice, he shouted at the men in the other vehicle: “Don’t come any closer, or I''ll kill him!”


    At those words, Steven called out, “Grandpa?”


    The men began charging forward with guns drawn, but Liam was already in shock. Without thinking, he pulled away from Steven and pointed the gun at himself instead. This stopped them in their tracks. “Wow,” Liam thought to himself. “Did empathy die in this new age? An asset more important than a kid''s life?”


    He stared them down as they stood frozen in a standoff. Finally, he yelled: “Back away from the car now, or I''ll blow my brains out!”


    The two men retreated, their guns still drawn on Liam and Steven.


    “Steven, switch this car to manual,” Liam said.


    “But—” Steven started.


    “You know how, right?” Liam barked in return.


    Steven complied, and then Liam let him go. “No!” Bliss shouted as she exited the car. All eyes were on her, but soon Liam hopped into the driver''s seat, and the men rushed forward. Too late, he was driving away, and the scene grew blurry as he drove further. From the rearview mirror, he could see that police had arrived at the scene—Lee and Andrew emerging from one car. He watched as Andrew hugged Steven so hard it nearly knocked him back, while Lee clung desperately to him. Soon thereafter, Steven was arrested and thrown in handcuffs in a squad car with Bliss. As they diminished to mere ants in his vision, all Liam saw was Lee trying desperately to reach for Steven as Andrew dropped to his knees in tears. It was too late to turn back now; there was no way to stop himself from getting what he wanted: freedom from this place… And yet, why did he feel so terrible?