Ding. Ding.

A strange feeling of déjà vu took hold as the hospital alarm rang once more. I opened my eyes and instantly felt the caffeine boost. The walls were back, along with my bed, and the lone Provider next to me buzzed contently as it sanitized my body. As expected, I couldn't move. I asked for the time and a small holo-display notified me that it was only a few hours before my scheduled entrance into the Singularity.

Was it a dream? But it felt so real…

"Sera." I muttered, remembering her words at the end of that experience. Wanting to confirm that it was all a dream, I took a deep breath and then quietly muttered her name a few more times. "Sera. Sera. Sera. Sera. Sera."

A part of me was ready for the walls to drop and for that mysterious lady to re-appear out of thin air. I waited, but nothing changed. The Provider continued its chores while the artificial assistant on the nightstand projected a question mark, unable to recognize the intent behind my words. Finally allowing myself to calm down, I sighed.

What a bizarre dream. Maybe I shouldn't have drank so much last night.

Recalling the time I spent with Mars yesterday, I was sad at the thought that we might never meet again. Having been orphaned at a young age, I had a number of fleeting friendships and flings the past decade, but Mars was the only person I could call a true friend. How much would Elysium change me from now until the time Mars' body was nearing its last legs? And if we met again as friends, would we decide to spend our remaining centuries together in the same paradise, or shuffle off into separate worlds?

In an attempt to cheer myself up, I shifted my thoughts toward the things I would do when I first land in Elysium. Lounging at a tropical resort orbiting a star. Experiencing a private bath-house with pristine views of the Horsehead Nebula. Maybe I would even indulge in one of the "role-playing" experiences I had heard about, such as becoming the king of a medieval fantasy world, or the president of an intergalactic organization. A smile crept onto my face as I realized with irony just how lucky I was to have gotten in that accident. Now my life can truly begin.

…move directly to presenting your selfish ass with the reward!

For some reason, the announcer's voice from my dream reverberated in my head. The words began to twist and skew in as I considered how strangely the audience had acted, almost like the whole thing was tasteless satire.

…faced with the undeniably obvious choice of whether to enter Elysium or save trillions of troubled souls…

…chose self-interest over the protection of others…

I asked the Provider to inject me with a calming supplement. It's not like any of that was real. Of course I'd step up if trillions of souls were really on the line. Soon feeling better, I asked the pyramid-shaped assistant to put on a game show.

***

The artificial assistant chirped and the following message appeared.

TRANSPORTATION REQUEST

Sato White. You are cleared for induction into the Singularity. Please confirm your intent to transport to the operating hall.

After accepting the request, the Provider next to me lurched forward and speedily wheeled my bed out of the room.

Moments later, I arrived at a large set of doors. An administrator was waiting outside, busily scrolling through documents that popped up on the holo-display beside him. He briefly glanced at my face.

"Sato White, I've been waiting for you. This will be a straightforward experience. We'll perform some scans on your body, then you'll be sedated and your consciousness transferred over to the Singularity."

Geez. If the announcer had just said it like that last night, I wouldn't have panicked.

"Your Provider will be able to answer any additional questions you have about the procedure."

And with that, the doors opened and I was on my way. Clean and efficient, that was how the Colony operated. I decided not to ask what would happen to my body, it was too late to pull out anyway. The Provider gently picked me up and placed me inside a large capsule before shutting the hatch. Rays of light began to shine down as the device gathered information about my body.

…drain your blood and harvest your organs…

…your bones and sinews will be ground up and recycled…

Suddenly, the lights in the device shut off. I heard a muffled voice. "…elevated heart rate affecting the scans. We'll take a short break." The capsule opened up, then the Provider reached in and raised my body so I could see out the narrow opening. I saw a few figures in lab coats leave the observation booth next to me.

As I tried to quell my anxiety in the lonely silence, an odd thought entered my mind. What if that encounter with Sera was real? I might already be inside Elysium. Users of Elysium have full control over their own realities. Did I somehow subconsciously create this normal hospital experience to get over how traumatizing that game show had been?

Doubts began to creep in as I suspiciously eyed the environment around me.

If I'm really a User, I'd be able to manifest something new in here.

Using all my focus, I closed my eyes shut, created a clear image of the brown-haired sticker-lady inside my mind, and imagined her suddenly appearing in front of me. Then I slowly opened my eyelids.

Nothing, huh. I guess--

A clicking sound was getting louder and louder. Through the small frame of the capsule opening, I first saw two feet wearing a pair of shining heels. As they clicked their way towards the capsule, I made out their owner's legs wrapped in black pants, and then the long lab coat draping down her body. Finally, she got to the capsule opening and leaned down, poking her face in front of mine. Although her crimson hair had been bundled up into a ponytail and she was wearing a pair of glasses, I recognized the sharp features of her face right away. Without a doubt, it was Sera.

"Saying my name six times... don't tell me you're in love?" She teased, as my jaw dropped.