“Okay.” Gao Yang settled into position.
“Now, I’ll increase the pulses to your brain. You’ll feel dizzier, but it’s normal. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll ask you three simple questions. Answer them as you see fit. The evaluation isn’t based on what you say, but the data collected from your neurological reaction.”
“Okay.”
The dizziness grew, like the onset of intoxication. Though seemingly lucid, Gao Yang felt his focus slipping, his attention narrowing to a thin stream.
“If you can hear my voice, say yes. Then answer my questions.”
“Yes.”
“Who are you?”
“Liu Li.”“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“Do you choose survival, or doom?”
“Survival.”
…
“Who are you?”
“Gao Yang.”
“Where are you going?”
“Gates of Closure.”
“Do you choose survival, or doom?”
“Hope.”
…
“Who are you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where are you going?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Do you choose survival, or doom?”
“Truth.”
…
Gao Yang didn’t know when he fell asleep or for how long. When he woke up, Dr. Stone smiled at him, but there was unconcealed worry in her eyes.
“How does the test go?” Gao Yang’s memory was hazy
Dr. Stone paused, then sighed. “You’re in good physical condition, Liu Li, but your mental state, not so much. You show strong signs of schizophrenia.”
“Really?” Gao Yang didn’t much care one way or another.
“Your situation is special, though.” Dr. Stone smiled bitterly. “Do you know what others called you before you woke up?”
“Lucky mascot.”
“That’s right. The odds of a patient surviving after being in a coma for a month are low enough. Patients who have been trapped in their dreams for more than three months almost all end up dying. You, however, had been unconscious for more than ten months. You can count on one hand the number of such miraculous cases.”
Gao Yang didn’t say anything to that.
“I can apply to prolong your rehabilitation period—”
“No need,” Gao Yang said. “I want to be discharged normally.”
“I’ll advise against that,” Dr. Stone said earnestly. “You’re in a difficult situation. Excuse me for being frank. You’re poor, without memory, suffering from side effects, and have turned down the follow-up treatment we offer you. You stand no chance of returning to the society. You may not survive for more than a week.”
“I appreciate the concern,” Gao Yang insisted, “But I want out.”
Noting that Gao Yang had made up his mind, Dr. Stone nodded. “Alright. We’re done with the basic rehabilitation process. We respect each patient’s choice.”
“Thank you.”
“Before discharge, there's someone you must meet. If you'd chosen to stay, I could have turned them away.”
“Who is it?” Gao Yang asked curiously. The boring story is finally seeing some new turns.
“The police. They are investigating the murder of your family.”
“Alright.”
Gao Yang rose to his feet. He didn’t ask where the police officer was. Yan had already balled up and started leading the way.
He followed the AI pet to a reception room in the lobby on the first floor. When he walked up to the automatic door, the door made a knocking sound automatically.
“Come in,” said a man’s voice. The automatic door opened.
“Master, according to statute 36 of the AI Companion Safety Act, I cannot be present during police proceedings. I’ll wait for you outside.” Yan lay at the door, its two round eyes flickering blue as it wagged its tail.
Gao Yang entered the room.
The door whispered shut behind him. Unlike Dr. Stone's soothing blue office, this room was mainly in cold gray. A police officer waited in one of two ergonomic chairs, his shaved head, wide chin, and sculpted features painted the picture of a shrewd, composed man. His experienced eyes fixed on Gao Yang with piercing intensity.
Gao Yang stood at the door, eyes prickling.
A few seconds later, he called out to the man.
“Officer Huang.”
Officer Huang paused. “It seems that Dr. Stone has told you about me.”
He stood, and a holographic police cap materialized above his head. He extended a hand. “Hello, I’m Huang Qi, a police officer in the seventh district of Moon City. I’m the main investigator of your parents’ murder.”
“What an uninspiring script.” A tear fell from Gao Yang’s eyes. “It’s so uncreative. Is the dream so scared of me spotting a flaw?”
Officer Huang pulled his hand back, eyes fierce. “Dr. Stone was right. You’re not in the right condition to be questioned. I’ll visit you another day.”
“Let’s make it today.” Gao Yang laughed. “I’m leaving today and don’t plan on receiving follow-up treatment. According to Dr. Stone, I’ll be a dead body the next time you see me.”
Officer Huang studied him, then snorted. “You’re not like the other Jupiter Travelers I’ve met. You’re seriously ill, yet clear-headed somehow.”
“Dr. Stone said I’m schizophrenic.”
“You’re fun.” Officer Huang seemed to have warmed up to him. “Had we met in a private context, perhaps we would’ve become friends.”
They sat across from each other.
Officer Huang didn’t call up a holographic panel. It seemed that he had memorized much of Gao Yang’s information. “You lost your memory, so I’ll give you a simple summary.”
“You were born on April first, 2049. Your parents died getting caught in a crossfire. You were adopted by an orphanage and given the name Liu Li.”
“When you were six, you were adopted by the Gao Family, consisting of Wang Yun, your grandmother, Lin You, your mother, Gao Shou, your father, and Gao Xinxin, your sister.”
“Your father started a manufacturing company for stimulated snacks with a friend. Your mother was a full-time homemaker. Since the outbreak of the Jupiter Virus, she would volunteer at a nearby hospital every week.”
“You and your sister were both students. You got good grades.”
“On April 1st last year, the night of your eighteenth birthday, your grandmother, father, and mother were found killed at home, while you suffered minor injuries but had fallen unconscious. You were soon diagnosed with the Jupiter Virus and sent to Closure’s treatment center. You didn’t wake up until last week.”
“Where’s my sister?” Gao Yang asked.
Houseau3's Thoughts
Hmm just what is the significance of those three questions?
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