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Nathan curled his fitted themselves into the spaces we created with our bodies, and everything was finally right with the world

INTERLUDE III: METAPHASE

Oh, my precious children, what have I done to you? What kind of world have I created that you would do this to each other?

–DR SHANTI CALE

We’re all going to wake up any day now, and this will all be a dream Until then, why don’t we enjoy the chance to live in a science fiction novel?

–DR MATTHEW "FISHY" DOCKREY

October 2027: Tansy

Still here I’m still here I’m still me I’m still here

But only barely, I think Every day I’m a little less oing He’s stealing pieces of e is pain So , so breathing stops seeood idea I try to stop I’ve tried over and over again to stop to let go to es like flat paper boxes on a hill and why do I think of that over and over what is the hill what does it o there what do those boxes do? I can’t reain I try, and every tiis pain

It’s been long enough that I’m not sure the world has ever not beenI s that I un po bang bang and being free and being happy and being home Like Adam and Sal and Sherman How could there be other people like me when I’m not even possible?

He’d said that to me more than once "You shouldn’t be possible," and so to be celebrated, and other tiry withthat was supposed to exist It didn’t seem to matter how he said it It always ca to his tone, and started listening for the silences between his words If I could just fill o away

I didn’t kno long I’d been where I was I didn’t know anything anymore All I kneas that I hurt I hurt so bad

There was a click as the door on the other side of the roo open I whimpered I couldn’t help ain I just wanted hi Maybe this tiht Maybe this ti, and they’d let o Maybe

Heavy footsteps approached h the floor and into lad I couldn’t see hi I’d never considered that blindness could be a blessing