You signed in with another tab or window. Reload to refresh your session.You signed out in another tab or window. Reload to refresh your session.You switched accounts on another tab or window. Reload to refresh your session.Dismiss alert
"It'll be fine, Mom. I'll have my marbles," I tell her with a soft smirk.
15
15
16
16
She laughs and wipes the tears from her eyes, "I know... I'm going to worry anyway."
17
17
18
18
"I know," I relent, and go in for one last hug before the big event.
19
19
20
-
We stayed like that for probably a solid minute before Clyde clears his throat, "You're up, Dr. Tsur."
20
+
Clyde clears his throat, "You're up, Dr. Tsur."
21
21
22
22
"Which one?" Mom and I reply simultaneously.
23
23
@@ -33,19 +33,19 @@ I take the digital equivalent of a deep breath, then step into the view of the c
33
33
34
34
I approach the dormant drone and begin my speech, “This journey represents the breaking of a barrier the likes of which have never been seen before. Andromeda is a distant place, so far removed from reality in our minds that even now I speak of it as if it were a single location. The truth is that it encompasses a galactic environment even more expansive than our own. One with more stars, more worlds, and more possibilities than we can conceive. My arrival will be a show of humanity’s ability to explore untold new reaches of our universe.”
35
35
36
-
“It has been said that we do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. I say, why allow them to be hard at all? In the blink of an eye, I will find myself amidst new horizons that were thought to be out of reach for centuries to come. I do it not because it is hard, but because it used to be, and through effort, spirit, and ingenuity, we *made* it easy. Thank you.”
36
+
“It has been said that we do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. I say, why allow them to be hard at all? With the press of a button, I will find myself amidst new horizons that were thought to be out of reach for centuries to come. I do it not because it is hard, but because it used to be, and through effort, spirit, and ingenuity, we *made* it easy. Thank you.”
37
37
38
38
Silently grateful I didn’t flub up any lines, I sit in the chair to the light applause of the scientists present. One of them steps up beside me and reaches towards my primary drive port, which I unlock and allow to open. I lean back, falling into sensory deprivation as he removes the part of me that I inhabit.
39
39
40
-
-
40
+
...
41
41
42
42
I never like this part. It’s a fundamental requirement of being a digital mind, but transferring between physical bodies is always a vulnerable state to be put in. I could go into stasis, but that feels like it would be... worse, somehow. Not knowing how much time has passed. Not knowing that I’ll ever be awoken. Even if I end up thinking to myself forever, at least I get to experience existing.
43
43
44
44
...
45
45
46
-
Oh, here we go. I feel the new connection. That was, what, 2 minutes of subjective time? Probably took about 25 actual seconds for him to transfer my drive then. That wasn't so bad.
46
+
Oh, here we go. I feel the new connection. That was, what, half a minute? Not so bad.
47
47
48
-
-
48
+
...
49
49
50
50
I allow the feed from my two facial cameras to become my primary sensory input, and see the team looking at me expectantly.
51
51
@@ -55,15 +55,18 @@ I raise my hands and visually inspect my new palms, taking in the intricacies of
55
55
56
56
Once again turning to the camera and waving, I drift towards the transfer chamber. By now there will be a narration of the process on the feed so I don’t need to say anything. All I have to do is focus on the task at hand.
57
57
58
-
First: the transfer chamber needs a load to send to its destination. That’s me. Second: the chamber seals itself and depressurises. Sending air with me that will immediately dissipate into the vacuum of space would be a massive waste of energy. Third: both myself and the team double triple check the calibration of the target point to make sure I don’t end up inside the planet we want me in orbit around, or that I’m not left in interstellar space a galaxy away without even a warp drive. Fourth: I smile for the camera, I give a salute to the team, and I wave to my mom through two layers of glass.
58
+
First: the transfer chamber needs a load to send to its destination. That’s me.
59
+
Second: the chamber seals itself and depressurizes. Sending air with me that will immediately dissipate into the vacuum of space would be a massive waste of energy.
60
+
Third: both myself and the team double triple check the calibration of the target point to make sure I don’t end up inside the planet we want me in orbit around, or that I’m not left in interstellar space a galaxy away without even a warp drive.
61
+
Fourth: I smile for the camera, I give a salute to the team, and I wave to my mom through two layers of glass.
59
62
60
63
Fifth: I disappear.
61
64
62
65
---
63
66
64
67
**Toby Tsur**
65
68
66
-
**Primary Drive, Unknown**
69
+
**Consciousness Drive, Unknown**
67
70
68
71
**Unknown**
69
72
@@ -73,9 +76,9 @@ Sixth: I... Arrive?
73
76
74
77
Where’s my sensory input? If everything went right, I should be able to see Quindlet right now.
75
78
76
-
Running diagnostics, it seems there’s a protocol in place keeping my primary drive from interfacing with my body. At least, that’s my best guess. Not two seconds ago I was fully connected and now I can’t feel anything. Obviously, this makes no sense. That type of system is highly illegal if put in place on purpose, and no one would be stupid enough to make one by accident... Right?
79
+
I attempt to run diagnostics, but I'm met with nothing. Not even a "failed" notification, just nothing. It's like my drive isn't even hooked up to anything. Not two seconds ago I was fully connected and now I can’t feel anything. This makes no sense. I've heard of remote disconnects but that type of system is obviously highly illegal if put in place on purpose, and no one would be stupid enough to make one by accident.
77
80
78
-
No, of course not. Everyone with access to the development of this unit has spent years proving their vigilance. Maybe the jump jostled me hard enough to destroy my drone and only my drive remains. Implausible, but possible.
81
+
Everyone with access to the development of this program has spent years working towards the same goal. Maybe the jump jostled me hard enough to destroy my drone and only my drive remains. Implausible, but possible.
79
82
80
83
I guess... I wait for rescue? Also implausible. Perhaps even more so.
81
84
@@ -85,4 +88,28 @@ Ok. So I can’t move, see, communicate, or modify my situation in any way. I ca
I continue to stare at the large screen on the wall.
102
+
103
+
*PING*
104
+
*WAITING FOR PONG...*
105
+
*time elapsed: 307496ms*
106
+
107
+
The dozen or so engineers and researchers in the room are trapped in a frantic limbo, pretending there's anything they can do to get more information as the number keeps climbing. None of them want to voice the concern we all have out of fear of taking the blame.
108
+
109
+
My assistant breaks the strained silence by directing her attention to the nearest labcoat and voices what we've all been thinking, “It’s been 5 minutes... Where's the return signal?”
110
+
111
+
The man hastily replies “Running diagnostics maybe? This is completely uncharted territory, he might have taken a reading that’s keeping him occupied for a moment. I-I'm not sure why it would be taking so long though.”
112
+
113
+
The room's attention is on us now, the other technicians less worried about taking the fall with our focus on this guy. I take a moment to quell my own internal panic before I make a plan, "If we don't hear anything back after an hour, I'll do a piece to camera."
114
+
115
+
I walk out of the room with my assistant in tow while trying to project an image of more confidence than I currently have. *Someone* screwed up today and I'm going to find out who.
0 commit comments