Paul thought back to a conversation him and Juniper had in the woods. To pass the time, they both got really deep into the weeds and Paul really cared about what Juniper had to say.

"Paul, you joined the Patriots because you wanted to feel meaningful, didn't you?" Paul looked puzzled at his statement. "You probably made that decision without even knowing the intention behind it, but it was for meaning... You may not have noticed this but everybody is always looking for meaning. We all are trying to become something bigger than ourselves." Paul understood what Juniper meant, but he was unsure if it applied to himself.

"I don't know, Juniper. I don't really care how much I mean to others. I mean, if I'm being honest, I think I decided to do all of this so my family wouldn't live in poverty. I don't think there is some big purpose behind any of the things we do. We all just try to survive and take care of one another." Paul said while scratching his head.

"Well why do we try to survive? What's the point if there is no bigger meaning behind it all? On top of that, if we were all trying to just survive, wouldn't our lives back in the 5th district be enough?" Juniper said while avoiding a knocked down tree. Paul shrugged his shoulders in submission. That did seem reasonable to Paul, but he was confused as to why humans acted that way. Paul glanced at Juniper.

"Why do we do it though? Why do we die and kill for meaning? I mean, we all die and that's it. What is the point?"

"How sure are you that we just die and that's it?"

"Well, that's how my father explained it to me. Religion was outlawed almost 100 years ago." Paul said lackadaisically. Juniper chuckled.

"No... you are thinking about this in the wrong way, Paul. Religion has nothing to do with it. We are creatures of purpose and meaning. We create art, wage war, and love deeply. Nothing else in this world does that. The only force that can drive a being to such an extent has to be spiritual. We all have that force inside of us. I mean how can you even begin to explain what Ramsey did in the pits. It was nothing short of miraculous." Juniper said while staring longingly into the sky. Paul looked down.

"I can explain it." He said. Juniper looked at him eagerly. "It's called the fourth dimension. My father predicted the appearance of a blackhole and left me a note. So about a month ago, both Ramsey and I looked at it through a telescope." Paul said all of this very quietly. Juniper looked fascinated.

"What did you see?"

"It's a different plane of existence. A different world. We both call it the fourth dimension. But I think it can be explained by science. I saw the singularity and I was shot into outer space.. Well my consciousness was anyways. Ramsey saw the same thing." Juniper was floored.

"That's incredible, Paul... and to think that you believe that we all are meaningless."

"Well how does that mean anything? We both got lucky and saw something we shouldn't have."

"Yeah, you could look at it that way, but that's a pretty sad way of looking at things isn't it. Life sucks enough already." Paul smiled at Juniper's remark. For a second, Paul imagined his existence with purpose. Everything seemed brighter and warmer.

Juniper was hauled off into the clearing by two inquisitors. They dropped him in front of Agent Larisa; his limp body crumpled to the ground. Paul started panicking. He couldn't let him die. He had purpose in his life and he truly meant something to people. "Juniper isn't like me, I'm useless. He is brave, and deserves to live." Paul could not rationalize the thought of Juniper dying within his head. It didn't make sense.

In a righteous rage against fate, Paul tore through the woods and entered the clearing. All 13 inquisitors pointed their guns at Paul. Tears were streaming down his face. Agent Larisa looked crestfallen.

"Let him go, he's... he's important." Paul said in a desperate voice. Agent Larisa looked at the ground.

"Take him." She said regretfully. Two guards forcefully grabbed Paul's arms and marched him to the edge of the clearing. They bound up his hands and dropped him on his knees. Paul struggled to get free.

Juniper must have heard Paul, because he regained consciousness.

"PAUL! ARE YOU CRAZY?" He screamed with angry eyes. The guards led him right next to Paul. "Why didn't you go back to the camp..." Tears began to well up in his eyes.

"I- I wanted to make sure you were ok. I wanted to be a man of action, and not a meaningless idiot." Paul said while looking desperately at Juniper. Juniper dropped his head.

"They are going to shoot us. You know that." Juniper said while looking at the two guards standing in front of them. They were just awaiting orders from their boss. "Paul, I am scared..."

Paul's eyes widened. He was going to die. And Juniper was going to die with him. It was as if an entire mountain dropped upon his shoulders. Paul was not ready, fear gripped his chest like a snake wrapping around its prey. Will it be nothingness? Will he go to hell? No... Paul was already in hell. The one man Paul knew who was never afraid of anything was crying like a baby right beside him. The one man Paul knew who made him believe in meaning, was about to be put down like a rabid dog alongside himself. It was all a cruel joke. 

Paul's entire world was crumbling around him. He never thought much about what happened after death. It was all silly to him. Paul was young and had a full life. But the finality of existence burned a hole deep inside his heart. His breathing was rapid and sporadic. He didn't have time to accept what was about to happen. Dread dominated his mind and it was sharp like a knife. Juniper spoke up again.

"They say... in your last moments. You savor each minute. Like it is a gift given from heaven. But even now, Paul, I feel like this can't be the end. I was made for so much more, wasn't I?" He said in desperation. "PAUL! This is all a dream, right? I'm not going to die like this. I have meaning, I'm not just some animal." Paul could barely look at him. He was too ashamed. How could a person with meaning die this way? 

What was the point of savoring each moment if in the end we all face the same terrible fate. Paul's fragile belief in meaning crumbled instantly. The best among us, and Paul's dearest friend, Juniper, was about to die without accomplishing anything in his life. There was no meaning in this world, just cruel and absurd reality. Nevertheless, Paul forced a smile and spoke.

"Juniper, you have mea—" The gun rang clear as a church bell. It was a clean shot to the head. Blood splattered on Paul's face before he could even finish his sentence. Juniper crumpled to the ground. Paul's body went numb.

11:45 PM Eastern Time. Agent Larisa and the 73rd Branch regrouped within the heart of the woods. They had lost three agents and it was critical that they return back to base. The mission was deemed an outright failure. Two guards were positioned in the tree's as lookouts while the meeting commenced.

11:51 PM Eastern Time. An unnamed member of the Patriots was identified and taken hostage by the 73rd Branch followed by another. The second perpetrator was affiliated with Ramsey Erickson. He was to be questioned on the nature of Ramsey's unusual abilities.

11:57 PM Eastern Time. The unnamed member of the Patriots was neutralized promptly. The following is a recording of the events that proceeded.

Agent Larisa approaches the surviving perpetrator.

"Tell us everything you know about Ramsey."

The suspect is despondent. He appears to not react to vocal commands. Agent Larisa strikes him across the head with the butt of her firearm.

"Answer now."

No response.

"If you do not answer, we will have no choice but to kill you."

The perpetrator looks at his dead comrade.

"Do it."

Agent Larisa looks down in defeat and raises her arm. A guard raises his firearm in the direction of the perpetrator.

Another shot is fired from the woods. It neutralizes Agent Sickle who was supposed to carry out the execution. The aggressor is identified as Arthur Rogers, another Patriot who is affiliated with Ramsey Erickson.

The Agents ready their weapons and aim towards the source of the bullet.

A figure appears behind the agents.

He appears to maim his eye with a dagger.

He falls to the ground in pain.

The guards are alerted by his laughter.

The target it identified as Ramsey Erickson.