The Creatures that We Are

“She was in the neighborhood when your family met an untimely demise. She was suspicious.” Officer Huang asked, “Do you remember anything?”

How did you forget Qing Ling, Officer Huang? We used to be the golden trio.

Gao Yang would like to tease him, but ended up shaking his head. “No.”

Officer Huang made a pensive sound before enlarging the photo further. Qing Ling’s prosthetic arm ended up filling the frame. There was a faint pattern on the back of her hand.

A few seconds later, the photo was artificially enhanced to reveal a sun symbol.

“What’s that?” Gao Yang asked.

“The symbol of an organization,” Officer Huang said with a faint smile. “They call themselves the Nine Scions. It’s said that the name came from their nine founding members.”

Gao Yang blinked before breaking into a smile. “They sound strong.”

“They are. It’s said that all Nine Scion members are Jupiter Travelers with powerful superpowers, and their augmentations are all military-grade. They have been working in the dark with unknown goals or stances. They are a mysterious bunch.”

“From what I’ve learned, what happened to your family must have something to do with the NIne Scions.” Officer Huang gave Gao Yang a pointed look. “If you ever learn anything about them, tell me. And be wary of the Nine Scions.”

“I will.”

They talked for a little longer. Officer Huang left after confirming he wouldn’t get any answers.

Gao Yang followed Yan to the front desk of the rehabilitation center for discharge. The holographic receptionist was friendly and patient. She guided Gao Yang through a stack of electronic documents. It was a hassle to complete the process.

Footsteps approached. Gao Yang turned to find a young woman approaching with measured strides. Her face was a study in contrasts—large eyes and short chin giving her a youthful appearance that belied her composed demeanor. She wore an edgy white coat over professional attire and stilettos, a blue work badge at her chest, one hand tucked in her pocket while the other held a cup of coffee.

As she neared, her badge automatically displayed: Deputy Director, Section 9 of R&D Department, Closure Corporation, Sha Ye.

“Do I call you Gao Yang, or Liu Li?” she asked without preamble.

“Liu Li.”

“Hello, Liu Li.” Sha Ye extended a hand. “I’m Sha Ye, from R&D.”

Instead of taking her hand, Gao Yang asked, “Are Old Wang and Yanyan alright?”

Sha Ye paused. Gao Yang must have learned about her information. He wouldn’t be the first Jupiter Traveler pretending to be a prophet; it was one of the main complications of the virus. The Jupiter Travelers believed the real world to be a dream and the dream world the reality, when in truth, what they experienced in their dreams were all projections of the real world.

Sha Ye smiled politely, “Thank you for asking. My family are well.”

“I just finished getting discharged,” Gao Yang said. “I have nothing to do with Closure now.”

“I checked your record. It was rare for a patient to wake up after ten months of coma. Other than you, there were ever only two other recorded cases. And they are overseas. I hope that you’ll…”

“Be your guinea pig?” Gao Yang interrupted.

Sha Ye’s smile faded. She said seriously, “You seem to have a deep misunderstanding of Closure. Without Bodhi’s treatment, you would be dead. That’s a hard fact.”

“To Jupiter Travelers, recovery from their complications is a long and arduous process. Closure provides free treatment while respecting your rights and privacy, collecting only data regarding the illness to develop better treatment and save more Jupiter Travelers until we overcome the virus altogether. I’ll call it a win-win situation.”

“Have you considered that I may not want to wake up, that I’d rather die in what you call a dream?”

“What you’re experiencing now isn’t your true feeling,” Sha Ye said with certainty, “It’s the Jupiter Virus.”

Gao Yang shut his mouth.

There was no reason to treat the dream so seriously.

“Fine, what do you want?”

Sha Ye was caught off guard. She had thought they were going to debate, but Gao Yang suddenly changed his mind. She couldn’t know that Gao Yang had agreed because of his guilt for her—her counterpart in the Mist World, to be more precise.

“I’ll copy the treatment data from Dr. Stone and review all the content of your dream. It’s your privacy. I need your permission for that.”

“Moreover, I need a sample of your blood, some brain hormones related to emotions, spinal fluids, and vitality genes—it’s also known as mutated genetic energy. Don’t worry. It won’t do you any harm, and the extraction process won’t hurt.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“No twenty-four-seven tracking? No daily medicine and self-reports? No weekly follow-ups?”

“That’s not necessary.” Sha Ye chuckled. “If possible, please keep your I Chip connection accessible. I may contact you again, but you can turn me down.”

“Alright,” Gao Yang agreed.

“Many thanks.” Sha Ye projected a holographic agreement with her laser pointer. “Please read it through and sign.”

Gao Yang didn’t even glance at it before reaching his hand out, activating his I Chip. Gao Yang confirmed he would wish to sign and write in the air with his finger.

The name “Liu Li” appeared on the agreement.

“If possible, I’d like you to follow me now.” Sha Ye smiled again, her eyes gentle. “To tell you the truth, it’s my daughter’s birthday today. I’d like to get off work early.”

Gao Yang's expression remained blank as he quickened his pace.

…

The medical chamber opened with a soft click, releasing a white mist with a sharp tang. Gao Yang stirred from his induced sleep, unconcerned about what had been taken from his body or how long he'd been under.

“It’s done.” Sha Ye stood beside him with her hands in her pockets. “Thank you for working with me.”

Gao Yang stood up and stretched. “If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

Sha Ye hesitated before saying with a smile, “I’m heading out, too. Why don’t I give you a ride? This is a big place.”

“Sure.” Apathy guided Gao Yang in this dream.

“Come. Let’s get you into some fresh clothes.”

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