Riley Perez raced through the shopping plaza, a sandwich in one hand and a Coke in the other. They could hear the footfalls of security behind them, calling out for them to stop. This wasn't the first time they had to run for their freedom. And all because they fell through the cracks of society. Now, the community sees them as a no-good thief, another reason to pull funding from helping the poor. They knew the large man huffing behind them wouldn't catch up to them. It was almost funny how the security guard chasing them could barely breathe, and he had only been chasing them for two blocks. Laughter bubbled from their throat as they ran, punctuated by deep, even breaths.

Once again, the security guard yelled across the ever-growing space for them to stop. "You really should do more cardio, man," was their only reply. With a sudden burst of speed, Riley made a hard right into a back alley. Just before them was a fire escape, just as they had planned, and they quickly scampered up and into an open window. Before they could turn around and see the confusion on the guard's face, a hand grasped their shoulder and spun them around.

"What did I tell you about stealing from the mini-mart?" The Pastor's low, rough voice released the tension of the moment. Realizing that they were safe, Riley just shrugged.

"I was hungry, Scott, and it's not like the store can't spare a few sandwiches. You should have seen the cop that was chasing me!" They laughed, but the Pastor frowned deeper. Scott Heather had taken them in when they were nine, giving them the first safe place to sleep they'd ever had. All he asked in return was for them to listen and follow his teachings, which was easy. In their opinion, Scott had the right ideas for making the world a better, fairer place. His clothes were threadbare and nowhere near as warm as they needed to be during the windy autumn season. He released Riley's shoulder and moved to the window, pushing the tattered curtains to the side and checking the alley.

"I understand that Riley, but what have I told you? I dont want you to get arrested for something as stupid as shoplifting when we have bigger fish to fry." As he finished his sentence, there was a loud chime from the old TV. Both of their heads snapped to the television in alarm. It was a breaking news bulletin, interrupting the quiet melodies of the public television's Music Hour. The news anchor shuffled some papers in front of him; a bored look on his face changed to a large, fake smile as soon as he realized he was on air.

"Good evening, folks. Tonight, we bring you an update on Mrs. Mindel. Many of you tuned in to see her get the first-ever dose of LyfeX given to a human on live TV just a few weeks prior, but now, we are pleased to say she is doing well. Let us go to Megan Stanley, at the retirement home where Mrs. Mindel currently resides. Megan?" The screen transitioned to a young woman, her brunette hair blowing in the cold Fall wind. She smiled, a smile Riley thought was just as fake as the anchorman before her. A woman was sitting next to her in a comfy-looking armchair. She was, at most, 70 years old, her long silver hair pulled back into a neat bun to show off her round, freckled face. She looked alert and ready for the interview, her pale blue eyes alight with life.

"So, Mrs. Mindel, you received your first dose of LyfeX exactly two weeks ago. Would you say it works?" The older woman's mouth lifted in a grin, and her kind eyes focused on the reporter.

"Oh, yes, Megan. I haven't felt this young and spry in 20 years!" A picture of an older woman appeared in the top left-hand corner, the word 'BEFORE' written under it. The woman in the photo was undoubtedly the same person, except she was much older. The contrast was startling, and Riley couldn't bring themself to turn the channel, even though they knew what would be coming next.

Scott had been grumbling about discovering the death cure, and Riley was utterly fed up with it. They readied themselves for the tirade they had memorized because he constantly went off about it.

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"That woman. She is asking for trouble. No one should mess around with death, especially those with money. Mark my words, Riley, they will ruin this world." Riley turned away from the TV and the now younger older woman, rolling their eyes as they did.

It may be a good thing. It's not like-" But Scott raised a hand to quiet them.

"No, there is nothing good that can come from this. We already have difficulty feeding the majority of the planet. Without people dying, how will we ever meet the demand? No, Riley, this will only end in pain." Having enough of the broadcast, Scott made his way over to the TV, pushing the power button more aggressively than he should have. The button on the old TV made a feeble 'click' and fell out of its casing. "Damn this old thing!" The pastor cursed, picking up the cracked and beaten button off the floor. "I'll get the super glue." And with that, Scott stomped out of the room.

With the TV now inaccessible for the moment, Riley turned their attention to the couch, walking over and flopping down to rest from their big day. They remembered they had food in their hands and, without a second thought, began to open the can of Coke and the wrappings of the sandwich they had successfully lifted from the mini-mart.

"Living forever, huh? Sounds exhausting," They muttered to themself as they took a big bite of the ham sandwich. Living the life Riley had to live was already hard enough without the prospect of living forever on the horizon. It's not like they would be able to afford it anyway. Oh, people would still die, alright; Pastor Scott wouldn't need to worry about that.

Still, the prospect of having longer in this world was not one that Riley could fathom, and who would get the shots? Who would be eligible for such a crazy concept? Riley knew the truth; Pastor Scott was right. The rich would live forever, and the poor would suffer and continue to die, oppressed by those in power.

That was the whole point of Pastor Scott's plan: to equal the playing field. But now what? Would their mission change? Would they be able to get the cure? So many questions still needed to be answered. Riley's head swam as they contemplated the new world dawning on them, whether they liked it or not, and a slight fear began to bloom in their chest. What did this mean for them?

Scott returned with a superglue bottle, cursing again under his breath. "Damn bottle is clogged. Riley, could you get me the scissors?" Riley sighed halfway through their sandwich and placed it on the table. They went into the old battered kitchen to find the scissors, noticing the empty pantry and shelves that once held plenty. Their heart hurt, knowing it wasn't just them that Pastor Scott looked after. Maybe he was right. The older man could sometimes be a bit much, but Scott was wise. He knew more about this world than Riley, and they looked up to him.

Retrieving the scissors from the drawer, Riley returned to Scott. Handing them over, Scott gave them a worn smile. The smile he wore when he had terrible news.

"Oh, Riley. This world is in trouble." The smile faded as fast as ice in summer. His worn, rough face betrayed his worry. Riley touched him on his shoulder.

"That's what our work is for, right? To correct the world and the lost to the right path? I know we can do it. We have you." Scott looked Riley square in the eye.

"That's exactly right. But it's not just me that will make this plan succeed; we need more people to spread the word. After you finish eating, I have a mission for you. Get ready; this new development will make our job harder." Riley pumped their first in the air, excited to finally be able to do something for the cause.

"You can count on me, Pastor! What do you need me to do? Hold on." They ran over to their sandwich and quickly scarfed it down, barely swallowing between bites, making Scott laugh despite the gloomy air around the apartment. "Okay, ready! What's the mission?" Scott filled her in as Riley finished their soda.