020 - Dr.Azima

If I were to tell you the most popular urban legend at the moment, I wouldn't hesitate to mention Dr.Azima. Even though this name would make most people picture a weird drug dealer who claims to mass produce shuttles to heaven, Dr.Azima was, in fact, a real doctor. A doctor who, supposedly, could fix anything.

Dr.Azima was gifted. And not the super smart type. More like the sorcerer type. Obviously, because of this factor, numerous fake tales emerged, and the real powers of Dr.Azima were shrouded in myths, transforming him into a completely fictional character to the general public.

Dr.Azima did not have a office. Rather, he travelled around the world, always evasive.  But all the time, Dr.Azima hides in plain sight. Everyone interested in the urban legend, at some point, had an opinion about what Dr.Azima looks like. Some pictured a mad scientist. Some imagined a spy in a big trench coat. But the only ones who were right, were those who thought that Dr.Azima looked extremely normal. He didn't need to hide, or to run. Because everyone who ever saw his face, knowing that he was Dr.Azima, were mysteriously unable to remember his appearance after meeting him.

Dr.Azima didn't need appointments. He didn't need a mailbox, or a secretary, or even any kind of medical instruments. To find a client, he simply sat somewhere, and waited. He spends days, alone, in any public places just to find the perfect patient. A patient with a big problem. A patient who needs help that nobody else could bring. And after a couple days on the watch, he found a client.

James was your average, stereotypical miserable employee with a boring 9-5 job. Mid-forties, a marriage in shambles, and none of his three kids enjoy having him around, a feeling which is reciprocated. When asked about what he does in life, he would probably answer that he moves papers around, adding that he's waiting for death in case you ask after a couple of bottles.

Now, you are probably wondering what kind of therapy Dr.Azima was about to perform. Antidepressants ? Ineffective. Injecting motivation ? Boring. A bullet in James's head ? That's the one ! ... Just kidding. No, Dr.Azima used a technique that nobody else could do. He called that 'Reprogramming'.

When Dr.Azima saw James walking, looking at his feet, he called.

"James, come here."

James stopped, and looked at him.

"Do I know you ?"

"Please sit here. I have a good story to tell you."

James hesitated, but he didn't really care about anything. So, with a sigh of resignation, came to sit next to Dr.Azima.

"James. When you were a kid, what did you want to become ?"

"You told me you were going to tell me a story."

"That's what I'm going to do next. But first, just answer my question."

"I don't know, hmm... At first I really wanted to become a superhero, but then I thought that supercriminals were cooler. You see-"

"So you wanted to be a high class criminal ?"

"What ? Nooo. No no no, haha, it was just-"

"A kid's imagination."

"Yeah, yeah. That's it."

"What do you think about it, today ? Do you think being a supercriminal is cool ?"

"I mean, in a way… but it's illegal, and very dange-"

Without even waiting for the rest of the sentence, Dr.Azima raised his right arm, and promptly slammed it straight on James's forehead.

"Be at peace. Dr.Azima will take care of you."

And the magic began.

Dr.Azima's power was incredibly complex, but after years of experience, it became really easy to use, and he could use it to its full capacity. To put it simply, every person on the planet has a 'Mind World'. Unconsciously, their conscience is engulfed in the Mind World. The Mind World was made of everything the person felt. Connections, emotions, hobbies, fears… The Mind World influenced the person based on those aspects, but it also grew with the person's experience. People do feel their Mind World superficially, and sometimes other people's Mind World, but it contained more information that any person could consciously interpret. Dr.Azima's power was the ability to explore other people's Mind World at will.

When he entered James's Mind World, he saw exactly what he expected to see. A vast, almost empty space filled with dark and depressing colors. Occasionally, a few objects with bright colors could be seen. Most of them were placed in a giant heap in the corner. Presumably, that heap contained all of his earlier memories, which were put aside after entering his life of hopping between tiring jobs, living in a horrible household and experiencing entire uneventful years.

At the center of the area, a giant, unmissable statue of a woman was looking down in disdain. Unmistakably, that would be his wife, who was represented as a figure of authority and control. Around the giant statue were other, smaller statues of faceless men, traditionally meaning a high suspicion of infidelity. And finally, all around the place, many family mementos could be seen, like portraits, photos… There were also other kinds of memories, like baby clothes and toys. However, those were very dusty, symbolizing that just like the heap of his early memories, it was simply there, like a memorial. James remembered feeling a bit of joy about being a father, but did not feel it in the present.

Secretly, Dr.Azima loved those boring people, just like James. Why ? Because they were so easy to change. Actually, Dr.Azima's power wasn't only the ability to explore the Mind World, but it also allowed him to change it at will. And once again, he cracked his knuckles in anticipation for his favorite part of the job : the makeover. In his current state, James was like an empty box, simply waiting to be filled. But without the doctor's intervention, he could have stayed empty all his life. And this was about to change.

Dr.Azima felt like the statue of the wife was a distraction. With a swift karate chop, he cut the monument diagonally, then watched it collapse. After getting rid of the rubble, he then gathered all the family stuff, and simply threw it on top of the heap. At some point, he considered getting rid of the heap, but he feared that without those past memories, James could completely lose his sanity, which was obviously not the intent here.

As a final touch, Dr.Azima added a few elements to the area, including rudimentary decoration and a touch of bright colors. One last time, he looked from a distance to appreciate his masterpiece. He he was ready to release the beast that he just created. And finally, both woke up.

James was sitting there on a bench. He felt like he was missing something. For a moment, he even wondered who he was. But then he remembered… he was James. And that's it… ? He looked on his right and saw a man sitting next to him. Slowly, without saying a word, the man stood up and went away. Suddenly, James felt something. For some reason, he knew that the man who just left was important.

"Wait ! Who are you ?"

But the man did not stop. And with another similar feeling, James thought that following him was a bad idea. So, he just tried his best to forget it.

James went home, like usual. Like usual ? At this point, he was doing everything following his mechanical memory. As he stood there in the entrance, a vaguely familiar  woman came up to him.

"You finally decide to come home, uh ? What the hell were you doing ?"

James didn't answer. He was trying to recall who the woman in front of him was.

"Oh my god, you forgot to get the groceries again, you goddamn dumbass ! Go back out there before it gets dark !" the woman continued.

James still didn't answer.

"What ? You're deaf today ? I told you to get out there and-"

"How about you shut the fuck up for one second ?" he interrupted, with an annoyed voice.

The woman took a step back, with a shocked face.

"Don't tell me you started drinking again !"

"What ? I didn't drink anything ! I don't even know who you are !"

"James ? What's gotten into you ?"

"Look, I don't know what you're saying or who you are, but if you're here just to piss me off, you better get out of my house right now."

James went in his room. When he entered and looked at the pictures that were exposed, he understood, but at the same time, he didn't. The woman he met at the entrance was his wife… but why did he forget her ? What really happened today ? Again, he thought of the man who was on the bench next to him. James looked back at the pictures, and learned that he had children, too. But, why ? He never wanted to have children. Did his wife coerce him into making children, as well ? He took the time to gather his thoughts, and came to a decision. Whatever was happening right now was definitely a sign. And he decided to go according to it. From now on, HE was the one to choose how to shape his own life.

Two years. That was enough for James to turn his life around. He managed to get back in shape by losing more than 30 kilograms, divorced a wife he didn't even know he had and let her take care of kids he didn't remember wanting. Unaware of what job he had, he quit it promptly as soon as he got a call from his company asking about his whereabouts.

At last, he managed to fulfill what he remembered was one of his early adulthood dreams : owning and managing a bar. Truly, compared to almost his entire life, those last two years were the real adventure for James.

One night on an usually calm day, it was approaching time to close up. But there were still two people. The first one happened to be a regular. A miserable employee, who hated his job, and even his own life. Though he felt pity for him, James always felt a strange feeling of compassion and understanding towards this guy. The second man was here for the first time. After ordering his drink, he did nothing more than looking blankly at his glass, sometimes grinning and chuckling. He looked quite normal, but James was a bit uneasy around him. Also, he reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Intrigued by this newcomer, James tried to strike a conversation.

"So, you're from around here ?"

"I'm from everywhere." the newcomer replied.

"That's not an answer. You live somewhere, yeah ?"

"Sometimes I do, yes."

"What do you mean sometimes ?"

"You know. I keep being on the hunt."

"Hunt ? For what ?"

"A job."

"Sorry." James chuckled. "I'm not hiring."

The newcomer looked at the regular, who was about to pass out from a visibly excessive alcohol consumption, and smiled.

"Don't worry. I already found one."