Naila dreams of something pressing outwards from her spine. Not pain — not quite. A pressure that wants language. That wants to sing.
She wakes to blood in her mouth. She checks her teeth in the mirror. They look... longer. Sharper? She presses gently with her fingertip. They *flex*.
The bathroom floor vibrates slightly. She assumes it's the train line. She hopes it’s the train line.
Downstairs, someone across the street is screaming. But not out loud — not exactly. The sound is inside her jaw, vibrating the hinge. A hum, like a modem handshake from 1997. Except she’s the wire.
April 5, 2029 – 05:34am
I don't remember falling asleep. I remember the taste of salt and copper.
I remember my tongue spelling out something on the roof of my mouth.
It wasn’t English. It was *calcium logic*.
My molars hurt. They feel like they're shifting. Or talking.
And when I opened my phone, my Notes app had a file titled "accept_me_final".
I didn’t write it. But it’s in my style.
LAB RECORD — BIOPATH NHS EAST - Ref #0299-BG2
PATIENT: Redacted (see attached scan)
SAMPLE: Extracted molar, upper rear left quadrant
OBSERVATION:
• Tooth enamel exhibiting extruded filament structures, silica-enriched
• Internal scan shows nested growth rings with non-biological symmetry
• Inner channel partially hollow — lined with conductive proteins
NOTES:
- Sample pulsed faintly during scan (13Hz ± 1.1)
- Reactivity to standard biopsy tools inconsistent — tool heating observed
- Recommendation: isolate and notify Home Office liaison
Filed by: Dr. Lenora Iqbal, Dental Pathology
Date: 2029-04-04
NHS BRIEFING: INTERNAL USE ONLY
SUBJECT: UNEXPLAINED SOMATIC MUTATION REPORTS
DATE: 2029-04-04
LEVEL: TIER 2 (TRIAGE + ESCALATION)
SUMMARY:
A small but growing cluster of patients presenting with:
• Unusual skeletal symptoms (e.g. density shifts, geometric marrow patterns)
• Minor oral bleed & dental distortion
• Sudden-onset insomnia with compulsive ideation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
- Notify regional A&E wards to log cases under code SKE-145
- Do not refer to external press without coordination
- Working term: “Somatic Integration Syndrome (SIS)” pending formal naming
Attachment: Preliminary guidance on sedation and journaling support
UK SLEEP CLINICS – AGGREGATE DATA (MARCH–APRIL 2029)
FINDING:
Insomnia incidence has risen 600% in 19–34 year-olds in urban areas.
ANOMALIES:
• Subjects report being “held awake from the inside”
• Many exhibit micro-temporal disassociation (looped movements, echo gestures)
• Most can’t recall dreams — but can repeat exact phrases in non-native phonemes
Most common phrase recorded (unconsciously vocalised):
> “Do not contain. Configure me.”
RECOMMENDATION:
Do not issue public guidance yet. Risk of mass psychogenic escalation.
Refer cases with mirror fixation or bone-signal dreams to Tier 3 clinics.