He stepped through the sliding doors of the Second Life building. An imposing edifice in the centre of the financial district. He had to profess to being a little nervous. This was his second visit. The first being to digitally sign and corroborate that he was serious in his intent. That intent being to live forever.
Yes, no small thing that this company offered. The first of its kind since the requisite advances in DNA computing had finally advanced to a point where the full storage of a human brain and all of its potential was now possible. He had sat there whilst a clinical woman had walked him through the process.
Not only did they store minds here. The breakthroughs in virtual reality modelling meant that not only could minds be stored but they could live inside a myriad of virtual universes with other 'players' who had also chosen to live forever in this way. Literally living out their every dream and those dreams being indistinguishable from reality.
That was the claim anyway. He walked toward the brightly lit reception desk feeling the potential both weighing him down and lifting him up. Yes, he was nervous. But oh was he excited. He came to halt at the desk. A vivacious young woman briskly noted his details and pointed him toward a set of pastel blue armchairs nestled in a corner among muted cream spotlights. Pastels were much in vogue here he noticed. Very calming.
'Please take a seat Mr Emsley. Someone will be with you presently.' She smiled. An engaging smile which aroused a sudden desire in him.
I might be too old for you now but where I am going I can have whoever I want. Be whoever I want. Do anything!
He sat, folding his legs and consciously trying not to fidget. He had barely a minute before the swing doors behind the reception desk opened. A slim, well-dressed man of indeterminate age pushed through and approached him. He was wearing a smart black suit over a crisp white shirt and black tie. Very blues brothers Emsley could not help but think.
'Mr Emsley! My name is Loder. Please, let me take you through?' The man Loder thrust his hand forward and smiled.
For a moment Emsley couldn't move. Those eyes, such a piercing blue. For a moment he felt an unbidden panic. Then as quickly as it rose it faded and he found himself nodding and rising to shake Loder's hand.
'Pleased to meet you Loder. My name is Alan. Alan Emsley.'
'As you say Alan. Please follow me.'
Emsley followed him through the doors and along a short corridor. Such long hair, a startling white. Tied back in a pony-tail. So few people have long hair these days he mused.
They entered a spacious room. Dominating the centre was a large cylindrical machine. It looked to all intents and purposes like an MRI scanner.
They both sat at a small desk beside the machine which hummed slightly just on the edge of hearing.
Loder smiled charmingly. 'So, Alan. Everything is in order with your paperwork. I just have a few questions before we begin the procedure. These are the standard and final screening questions. Please do not be nervous but we may still decide at this late stage to reject you based on your suitability for... a second life. If this was to be the case you would be fully re-imbursed.'
Loder steepled his fingers and captured Emsley with those eyes. 'I do want you to relax. Very few people fail this part. We just have to be sure you see. We have to be sure that you are fully aware of the ramifications of what this all means. We do after all have your very best interests at heart.' That captivating smile.
'Yes, I think I have been fully briefed but carry on. Ask away.' Emsley tried a smile of his own but it was a candle to the sun of Loder's smile.
'Great. So you are fully aware that by scanning you and uploading you to the second life environs that you cannot come back from this?'
'Yes of course. At least until they figure out how to download a consciousness.' Emsley, felt a little smug. Oh yes. He had read the literature. He knew what he was talking about.
'Well... that is true but it has to be said that to date we are far from such technology. It should be stated that none of our clients have felt the need to leave to this day.' This last with a little chuckle. 'It should also be said that you can communicate with loved ones at any time, all that is required is for them to access any one of our many second life drop in VR centres.'
Emsley huffed a little. He didn't have anyone. If he was to be honest with himself it had been a long time since there had been anyone who would miss him. A pious life had rewarded him with few friends.
'Yes, I don't think that will be an issue but it is good that there is an option.' He replied flatly.
Loder, looked down at a display on the desk and then up again. 'And of course, you are completely aware that this is a destructive process? We cannot scan your consciousness at a quantum level without also destroying that which we scan.'
Emsley shivered a little. 'I am aware yes. It's completely safe though, isn't it? Tried and tested?'
'Oh yes, absolutely safe! We have 100% success rate. The process is fairly mundane despite what is achieved.' Loder leant forward and gazed at Emsley intently. 'It's just you know, there are some that would almost consider this a sin!' He barked a derogatory laugh. 'You know. Essentially you are committing to have your consciousness uploaded to a machine whilst your physical body... well. It ends.'
Emsley shifted a little uncomfortably. Yes, that issue had weighed on his mind a little. He had considered it long into the nights prior to this. Ultimately, he had been convinced by the counter-arguments. Namely that he wasn't dying as such as his consciousness, ergo his very soul would live on. Perhaps forever!
'Yes I am fully aware of this.'
'You have chosen your preferred environment and I am pleased to say that you have passed this very informal part of the process! Can you tell me now, are you truly ready to begin your second life?' Loder spread his palms out before him theatrically.
'Yes, yes I am.' There, he had said it. It was done. He felt a certain relief. All this life he had been selfless working for others. Never thinking of himself. Well now that was all going to change. He was going to put himself first now. You could almost say the next forever was going to be heavenly!
The machine beside them unbidden, hummed louder. A gurney extruded from the end nearest them. It was very dark inside the machine from what Emsley could see.
'Please my friend. Lie down on the gurney. And let us begin your new life!'
Emsley lay on the gurney and soundlessly it and he, slid into the machine. The darkness closed around him. For a moment he almost fancied that he could hear screaming?
'Commencing scan.' A soft voice pinged.
Everything faded. Sensation ceased.
He came to with a gasp. Had something gone wrong? He opened his eyes and looked around him.
Then he started screaming.
Awesome read... I love my second life, the door to alice's hole. the possibilities are endless.
Thank you, I liked this one very much :-)
@sazbird.....lovely writing....most eerie, as your short stories usually are, however this is an excellent illustration of a principle.
When one rejects the truth....he believes the lie.
Thank you for the reminder. Cheers.
Than you for your comment @bleujay. I see that you got straight to the heart of the story. Yes. That is the very principle. :-)
You know, I, somehow, always come as a grouch. :) I think I’ve gotten the symbolic point of your story – don’t give out willingly your consciousness or else. However, it’s on the continuity of the plot that I have the beef with.
I am sure you’ve watched The Matrix. In that movie, the robot civilization used humans to suck the energy from them and as a decoy, they played in their mind the virtual picture of the World in the end of the 20th century.
In my view this was silly. If they need energy why even bother with maintaining an expensive virtual reality, etc. What I liked though is that the creators of Matrix tried to offer some explanation of why they needed people in a half-conscious state.
In your story, it isn’t clear why “Second life” people needed to supposedly torture people inside the virtual reality? I mean they’ve already gotten their money. If anything, they could have just wiped out client’s consciousness completely. Since no one could test it anyhow. Why waste electricity and other expensive resources on the maintenance?
No one besides serial killers and sadists wants to torture or kill people just for the sake of torturing and killing. There are always “good” reasons for starting wars, slavery, etc. Usually, these reason is greed and thrust for power.
Yet in your story, I didn’t notice what was the “economic”, the “greed” reason of the company to torture people or rather their minds.
Oh I expected you to get this one! Your reasoning is so earthly bound, so literal. No offense :-) Didn't you recognise the blonde haired man?
This isn't some silly scam to get money. This is a modern devil. Fooling the pious into essentially committing suicide through the destructive process of assimilation into virtual reality. He touches on this when he says it could be considered a sin you know and laughs it off.
By committing such a cardinal sin they lose any chance they had at a heaven
The torture... Well he is the devil. And he had them now both in spirit and in person!
Hope that's a bit clearer :-)
You are right. I didn't pay enough attention. Perhaps because I don't believe in an existence of such personification of evil other than those that people themselves disseminate. When so much evil is committed by man, I cannot imagine a creature that will take the full responsibility for all this immense amount of wrong that's going on. A perception like this seems to me cute and childish. Must be not capable of a metaphysical trip. LOL :)
Lol, I can understand that!
Belief and the lack of can be quite the steerer of conscious thinking!