All Clear, Attorney

QO

2021

SHE'S FLOATING. THAT'S how she feels. There's a sweet aftertaste in her mouth na hindi niya alam kung saan galing. But it tastes like. . . lemon—a sweet one. It reminds her of that yellow candy she used to buy as a child at a nearby sari-sari store.

Fuck. What did she eat?

Wala siyang maalala na kumain siya ng matamis, and it's been a long time since she chewed that yellow Maxx candy, but at this very moment, everything seems so. . . nostalgic.

She feels livid. . . na para bang ang mga nakikita niya ay hindi tanging ilusyon lamang.

"Aster."

Napatalon siya sa kinauupuan nang marinig ang kanyang pangalan. When she looked up, she saw the man with black eyes standing in front of her.

"Dr. Galileo," she greeted him and gave him a smile, the sweet aftertaste on her tongue spreading to the insides of her mouth.

"How's the woman?"

"The woman?" Bahagyang kumunot ang kanyang noo at tumagilid ang kanyang ulo. "Who?" 

Sino ang tinutukoy nito?

The doctor stared at her for a few seconds before the corners of his lips lifted.

"Good."

And that response made her even more confused. She was asking about a woman, and he replied with an. . . uncanny answer. 

Good. 

That was. . . weird. 

She was about to ask him who he was talking about when suddenly, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers, making her eyelids heavy. 

Nagising na lang siya na nakaupo ulit sa upuan. Its leather texture scrapped against her skin, making her flinch. Nanlalabo na naman ang kanyang paningin, and that feeling of floating again. . . 

"Somehow, the drug couldn't penetrate through her subconscious mind anymore. It showed minimal changes on her prefrontal areas."

"The dosage is already high. How come?"

"Did Aster become immune to her own creation?"

"I guess so. The hypnotic suggestions and triggers still work, but I guess the repeated intake of drugs make her confused about what's real or not."

"And that's a good sign, right?"

"Yes. Because whatever she sees in this laboratory, she will perceive them as an illusion."

Her eyebrows met in the middle upon hearing those muffled voices. Sa nanlalabong paningin, pilit niyang inaninag ang tatlong tao sa kanyang harap, pero pumipintig ang ulo niya kaya muli niyang pinikit ang mga mata at napadaing. 

The three doctors looked at her. 

"She's awake."

"If her own creation made her like this. . . then. . ."

"Let's still try. Humans have individual differences, and that includes their brain. The dosage has a minimal impact on Aster's brain, but let's see what it might do to the other."

"It's been years of trial and error, Doc!"

"And we're making progress! You see those bots?"