I wake up drowsy and with a nagging feeling of monachopsis. My eyelids feel heavy but I can feel that I'm lying in bed - the thing is I can't ever remember falling asleep. It's kind of strange though. Everything that happens is when I fall asleep, it's as if half of the chapters in my life are literally waking up and on that point it would really suck if some theories about life are true such as the deux ex machina one.

Slowly regaining my other senses, it's my sense of smell that rouses me into the material world - the putrid scent of extreme cleanliness which alerts me to where I truly am. The hospital.

The slight ringing in my ears muddles my mind and it's at points like these I wish I had went in for a diagnosis of my tinnitus but then again if I did I'd hate myself later because the kid in me still has the faintest belief that whenever the ringing happens it's because aliens are trying to contact me. I know it's kind of weird but it's something I like to believe in, after all, if people can believe in The Worm why can't I believe in aliens?

I wince as another strong wave of hospital stench wafts into the ward I'm in. Normally it wouldn't be so bad but in combination with my tinnitus and my confusion it's as if I'm being forced to eat a jar of wasabi mixed with a side of dragon's breath chili and a dash of fatigue. I shake my head as I breathe out of my nostrils causing them to flare up like a hippo and I'm surprised by a lovely aroma just to the right of me. Casting my vision to the right I see a vase of flowers just past their prime yet they still possess a lingering fragrance of the staleness that erupts from sodden soil when rain is finally blessed upon the dry tundra that it whence bequeathed. The comforting smell is as nostalgic as the dust bunnies back at the Upbringing and as I plant my face in between the bouquet I'm startled to see a pair of eyes peering at me right through the thicket of stems.

Retracting my head back to almost the point of whiplash, I bite my lower lip in embarrassment but the eyes haven't lost their focus and seem to be rather staring right though me than at me. Normally I'd be a bit freaked out but as the person is the Mayor I'm sure he has a lot to daydream about but... why is he here?

Waving my hand slowly across the Mayor's line of sight he recoils so fast that I swear the whiplash has affected me and in superposition with his shocked expression, it has. I know why he's here but that's the thing... How is he here?

"Ahem." I cough gently not wanting to put the Mayor in anymore shock than he currently his. "What are you doing here?"

If I remember correctly I'm sure the Preacher shot him and if my memories, or rather, the person who I inhabit when I'm not awake memories serve as a comparative basis then he should have bled out until stillness took over his body.

"I don't actually know..." The Mayor scratches his sideburn with a hesitant smile to which I sweatdrop.

"But shouldn't you be... Shouldn't you be... dead?" I ask hoping that the way in which I used this unfamiliar word was correct.

I see the Mayor's face lose colour and I have mixed feelings about whether I should be confused or scared.

The Mayor's bottom lip trembles slightly. "Excuse me?"

"Shouldn't you be dead?" I repeat more clearly this time.

The Mayor gives me a nervous chuckle before pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry but I must be hard of hearing right now. Could you please elaborate."

"Well." I state matter of factly. "You got shot by the Preacher with a shooter of death. Normally when people get shot with a shooter of death they become still don't they? Deathly still."

"A gun." The Mayor barely whispers.

"A gun. Is that what it's called?"

I see a shadow move in the corner of the room and my sudden curiosity has been swallowed by fear. I let my guard down for a minute and spilled information on something which probably should have never been spoken of. I can only hope that the shadow doesn't belong to the Preacher or otherwise we're definitely as good as dead.

"Guns?" The shadow says in a voice which thankfully isn't the Preacher's and from how at ease the Mayor is I hope they aren't a threat. "What are you going to disclose next? You're supposed to be our leader yet you embark on life threatening missions alone and then give out classified information to an officer no less."

The shadow rounds the corner coming into full view and I'm bewildered to see that it's Doctor Soy. It's obvious that she's aware of my presence but for now she's ignoring it. Honestly though, I'm happy that she's not paying any attention to me because compared to the day of the aptitude tests she seems to have a completely new stature. I hear the Mayor sigh and from the heavy tone to it I can extrapolate that it isn't good news.

"Oh Soy. Judging from that fact that you're here I'm assuming that I've failed."

"Failed?" Doctor Soy says in disbelief. "Don't give me that crap. I've been standing here long enough to know that you still have all the memories from the event."

The Mayor tuts as he shakes his head slowly. "Clearly not long enough... I don't remember but..." The Mayor pauses and I feel two pairs of eyes shift in my direction. "He does."

I don't lift my head to meet their gazes fearing what I might see but from the following laughter of Doctor Soy I can tell that she doesn't believe the Mayor.

"He does! You're telling me that this boy that was dragged in here for fainting knows what happened. Sure, he may have fainted near where you were found nearly bleeding to death but that coincidence doesn't mean-"

Raising my eyes slowly I see the Mayor give Doctor Soy a coy smile leaving her in a state of disbelief.

"Fainted-" Doctor Soy says in a way that reflects the word itself.

The Mayor nods. "Yes. That was your analysis."

"But- but-"

"Hey Aegis." The Mayor turns to me, ignoring Doctor Soy's state of shock. "Just before you fainted did you happen to have a headache or any pain around, let's see, your temple area."

I nod slowly and if it were possible I'm sure Doctor Soy's jaw would have dropped to the floor. I actually feel like doing the same because right now I have no idea what's going on. No idea whatsoever.

"Right." Doctor Soy blinks as she slowly backs away. "Umm. I have to see to another patient. I'll be back when I can."

The Mayor nods before waving Doctor Soy out. She seems hesitant, almost jittery, the same way someone is when they're nervous or excited but when she finally leaves the room it feels as if she's left it in a better place than when she entered. I sigh letting out a breath that I didn't know I was holding and I almost choke when Doctor Soy pokes her head through the door telling me I'm discharged. As quickly as she said it she was gone again but I sit still for a few seconds just in case she gets the jump on me again.

"It seems as if I was right to pass on to you that note then." The Mayor begins. "Then again, the prophecy was enscribed in the Dracollavion so I suppose I can't take all the cred-"

I fumble with my pockets as I remember that I also have a piece of paper which has ties to the Dracollavion. I feel a rush of adrenaline pump through my veins as it dawns in me this is the opportunity that I've been waiting for! The Mayor should be able to explain what the Dracollavion is, who Small Sister is, what ties everything has to The Worm and practically every other phenomenon that has been going on lately. Trying to locate the piece of paper within my pocket in haste the Mayor sighs as if reading my mind and stops me before I can pull it out.

"I always did wonder where the last pages went but I suppose that's the least of my worries right now." The Mayor looks me in the eye and it dawns on me just how much knowledge, how many secrets lay within his weary eyes but right now hidden amongst the burdens that he has accumulated over the years is an ounce of childish glee which stands out over everything else. "I'm sure you have many questions yourself but in the current state I'm in I'm sorry that I can't be of much help. It wouldn't be fair though to keep you in the dark after the many things which you have been through so I will tell you what I can and hopefully guide you in the right direction if you still wish to pursue this dangerous path."

I nod hoping to get all the information I can. The Mayor makes it seem so interesting as if this were a dystopian novel but in reality it's probably some type of scandal which I guess is a catastrophic calamity compared to the usual utopia we're all brought up in.

Everything does eventually come to an end though, even if there is an omnipotent being guiding your society, because as long as we're human we will make mistakes. It's kind of the type of statement that's so obvious it's always overlooked yet knowing that does make me feel any better about the fact that the Preacher is shooting people even if it is some sort of deity cleansing. The thing is, as blasphemous as it is coming from me, I don't believe any God would ever want anybody to harm one another. If that were the case we would still be savages rooting up plants for food without inhibiting their pain receptors and frankly just the thought of that makes me want to puke.

"I think I'll start with what I was doing before, as you say, the Preacher shot me." The Mayor says bringing me back to the topic at hand. "You must think I was being reckless but the Preacher doesn't always carry a gun - he only has one when he exterminates those who have reached their expiry date."

I open my mouth to ask a question but the Mayor raises a finger as if anticipating my response. "I don't know much about extermination that's why I was following the Preacher. Recently there was a scientist, the one Sebastian stopped you from leaking information about, who had a breakthrough in gene therapy. He discovered a way in which we could, in layman's terms, develop superpowers such as telekinesis. Small Sister, an underground organization, which the Preacher is a part of, has quite a large influence and when individuals step over the boundaries, refuse to conform to societies whim and/or reach their expiration date they are exterminated and all knowledge of them is erased from existence. If people somehow remember them then they are swiftly taken care of but if they upset the balance too much then they too are exterminated. It's sad really... I'm supposed to be the leader of all Mytopian's yet every time I try to save an individual or prevent Small Sister from accomplishing their goals it's as if my efforts are just an annoyance set within their acceptable parameters."

I see the sparkle in the Mayor's eyes fade slightly and I want to tell him that through Sebastian he did save me from 'extermination' but I can't think of a way that doesn't demeaning or pitiful. There's also the unknown factor of Sebastian. When did the Mayor tell him to stop me and how did he convince him? Does Sebastian even know about Small Sister? He says he didn't but I still don't buy that as the whole truth.

"What is extermination and what is the expiration date?"

The Mayor gives me a weak smile and I know I won't get a straight answer. "It's not my place to tell you everything. Just know that the Preacher is only a pawn on the chessboard and sadly that's all I can amount to be as well. There are larger things at work than you can possibly imagine. I know it sounds like a load of mumbo jumbo coming from someone nearing his expiration date but I don't want to drag any more people into this than I need to. It's your choice if you want to find out more but this isn't a game. If you are found out then it's over - and not just for you."

Not just for me? What could he mean by that? What the Mayor says doesn't really make sense; I don't know what this expiration date is or how death really works but I can tell that the Mayor is being very serious.

"I want to find out more." I say with conviction. What else could I say? No? That I don't want to have anything to do with Small Sister and forget everything weird that's going on, batt an eyelid to all the cryptic mysterious floating around and ignore anything unusual? I can't do that. I just can't. I can't pretend that my memories aren't real because without them I'm an empty shell. I would rather die than live a life that forces you to conform. "I really want to find out more."

The Mayor gives me another smile but this time I can feel the gratitude within in. "Well then, as I promised, I'll guide you in the right direction."

The Mayor holds out a hand and I copy his movements allowing him to close my fist around something that feels similar to a microchip. "Small Sister may be an underground organization but it isn't the only one. Here's my mine pass and here's some passwords you may need. The next meeting is an hour before curfew. Only open the passwords when the time is right;!don't worry you'll know when that is. Just remember; there is a time and place for everything but not now. Oh. And you must say the passwords in that exact order."

I nod as I pocket the mine pass and passwords. The Mayor gives me a curt nod before motioning towards the door and now that I've got a clear goal in sight I have no reason to stay here any longer especially with the rank smell off too much clean. I make sure to give the Mayor my thanks for his help and can't help but notice a few numbers written on his medical card which is clipped to the end of the bedpost.

Name: Cyrus 423315
Age: 29
Height: 200cm
Weight: 100kg
Stress: 5%

I'm slightly surprised by the numbers. I always thought the Mayor was around twenty something but I never knew he was that old. He might even be the oldest person I know!

"And Aegis." The Mayor says as I cross one foot out of the door almost completely whisked away in my train of thought. "One last thing - A friend of yours has come by everyday to give you flowers. You should thank them the next time you see them."

I nod again but although my mind registered the words they don't make sense right now. The talk of expiration dates and how the Mayor is super old is slowly connecting the dots. It's obvious that nobody is around forever, if that were the case the first Mytopian's would be walking the same streets as us. I think we were told in our younger days that our ancestors were chosen by The Worm to ascend into the heavens to live with him after some special events happened. Perhaps that's what happened to all the people who disappear like the smart scientist guy. Does that mean getting shot is the way to ascension? Are the men in black angels of The Worm?

I don't believe that for a second. The men in black have a malevolent aura which couldn't possibly be associated with angels and if I consider my reoccurring nightmares as flashbacks from the past then I'm pretty sure shooting people until they reach a state of 'death' isn't exactly the way angels would behave. Additionally, if getting shot was a one way ticket to meet our maker then I'm sure it would have been advertised by now because even though we supposedly inhabit a utopia it doesn't even compare to the legends of life after ascension. What's more is if dying is so great why does the Mayor try so hard to stop it and, more importantly, why don't we ever seem to remember anyone who has 'expired'?

It's clear that in addition to my growing lack of spatial awareness I'm also losing my ability to multitask because as I walk in the direction of the front desk to sign out I bump into a patient causing him to drop his medical card. After a relatively mild debate of who was more sorry, which took place with our heads bowed towards the ground as we each tried to awkwardly pick up the medical card, I noticed that the patient was also 29 years old.

I have the urge to ask him if he remembers or knows anybody around his age as I know asking the Mayor would be a waste of time but I'm somehow hesistant or more likely paranoid that what I'm doing is being closely monitored by Small Sister. You can't blame me though, after the Mayors explanation I'm sure anybody would be paranoid but then again I did say I was willing to take the risks. I gulp as I try to pluck up the courage before it's fully digested by my stomach and internally psych myself up as I know that now is a good of a time as any to see if I'm really up to disrupting the grip Small Sister has on society.

"Umm... I know that I've just met you and this is crazy but..." I take a deep breath. "Do you happen to know anybody around your age, preferably 30 years old and above?"

The man stands up straight and scratches his head. His expression reveals the kind you would expect when asking what's '1+1' yet simultaneously as if asked he would rather be frozen alive or burned alive.

"Umm, I'm quite ashamed to say that I don't at the moment. It's as if my mind has gone completely blank-" The man says apologetically as he places his medical card on the front desk.

"Oh, no, no. That's quite alright." I shake my head hoping not to upset him.I've got the result that I've wanted anyway; now I just have to wait to see if my theory proves to be true.

"Well, good day to you. It was nice meeting you." The man says as he walks away, apparently discharged from the hospital which should make my observations now easier.

"It was nice meeting you too." I wave as he walks away muttering to himself about why he can't remember the answer to my question.

Not wanting to lose my observee I hand in my medical card as well to the front desk which officially discharges me from the hospital. The nurse at the front desk accepts it with a courteous nod which I return before turning around to see the results I've been anticipating a lot sooner than I thought. Through the glass doors it's unmistakable to notice two lone people loitering in the street, one in regular colours whilst the other dressed in pure black. Surprisingly, nobody else is around or even appears to be aware of the encounter which almost seems to be too much of a coincidence when the man in black imitates a familiar gesture causing my observee to fall limp temporarily. what's even weirder is the fact that within a few blinks the man in black has vanished without a trace and out of nowhere the street seems to be bustling in comparison to the momentary ghost town. If anybody just witnessed what just transpired I'm sure they'd dismiss it as a trick of the light, even now it's difficult to believe what I just saw with my own eyes. There is one way to prove it though, but again, I'm going to have to take the bet that Small Sister isn't watching.

Taking another breathe of courage, I exit the hospital trying to act as natural as I can yet focusing on how I walk seems to make me walk more awkwardly than usual. It doesn't take long to catch up with my observee, especially now that he's dazed from what may or may not have just happened, but finding a good excuse to approach him is proving more difficult than I thought. Luckily the awkwardness of my current walking style doesn't exactly provide the best balance and within a few paces away from my observee, gravity provides the assistance I need to initiate conversation.

I fall clumsily, yet still more graceful than the previous walk, and feel a sharp sting as I graze my knee. Wincing as I brush the dust from the wound, it seems that the medicine I must have been given has accelerated my healing rate because the blood clots and scabs over before my observee has even reacted.

"Oh! Are you alright?" My observee finally reacts as I stand up, my wound almost completely healed.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"That's good." My observee nods before a strange expression invades his face. "Do I happen to know you from anywhere by chance?"

I shake my head not wanting to cause him any more trouble. "No. We just met recently."

"Good day to you then."

"Good day to you too."

I wait for my observee to leave before walking back to the station. Knowing that my hypothesis was correct fills me with adrenaline and although I don't really like running I can't find any other way to expel my excitement. It isn't long though before I bump into someone else again and as I realise who it is, it feels as if it's a deja vu moment but in a different location.

Although the sun still shines morning ai'm pretty sure I've got a lot of explaining to do when I get back to the station and if I take the amount Officer Penny says into account I need to be at the station ASAP otherwise I'll get an earful for being late for lunch as well. I can't just leave Sebastian on the ground either no matter how captivati- capable. No matter how capable he looks, especially with the bouquet of flowers he's cuddling in his arms. The warm colours of the flowers perfectly emphasise the liquid bronze orbs that stare at me still in a daze and with a quick compliment, about the flowers, naturally, and a helping hand, I let him get on his way. Even though I would love to stop for a chat, and possibly a Q&A session, I have to stick to my now very tight schedule if I even want a chance to visit the mines later.

Whether Sebastian knows about Small Sister or not it will have to wait. I don't know if I should be happy or sad but I do know one thing; for better or for worse my lachesism is starting to come true.