New Haven
City of New Athenia
Gaian Temple“A new life awaits you! Brothers and Sisters!” Temple Father Zionus announced, his voice booming through the crowded streets. The New Haven Directorate being kind enough to allow the Gaian Harmony to construct a Temple in their capital city, the temple itself was a work of art, made up of towering spirals, sleek and curved shapes, it was almost maddening to describe the structure in words. Assisting the Temple Father were MK1 Legionary drones and and rather pleasing-looking Temple Sisters as they passed out infopads to curious onlookers, always parting ways with potential converts with “May you find True Paradise.”
“I know that Transcendence can be daunting, even frighting.” The Temple Father said. “But all you need is to take one step! Gaia’s gift to you all, the chip! Such a small device can bring you closer to paradise, to true happiness! No strife, no war, only peace!”
New Haven was still adjusting to having new colonies of mankind suddenly pop up. Not to mention how different each colony was. The visitors this time came from Gaia and now they were preaching their message in New Athenia. One curious scientist named Sheldon came up to them with an assistant nearby, "Salutations! I'm interested in doing this so called transcendence for the sake of scientific discovery! My assistant will be monitoring it for all the fleshy people around us of course."
“Hazzah! A new brother to join our flock.” Temple Father Zionus said, followed by eyeing the assistant with a flash of a glare, subtle, yet bone chilling. “Of course, your companion can witness you for your first step towards true paradise. Follow me.” The Temple Father stepped down from his podium, as he and two Temple Sisters escorted the pair into the interior of the Temple. The Temple itself was dim, yet illuminated, a long tall, golden statue of a feminine figure standing at the end of the walkway.
"PERFECT!" the prospecting researcher exclaimed. "LEROY! READY YOUR EQUIPMENT!"
The man behind him was dragging a whole cart that weighed about a ton. Even with his exoskeleton assistance he was already panting, "I fuckin -
huff!- am already!"
"Well chop chop! We're wasting daylight!"
"Why am I the intern?" he whispers under his breath.
As they enter the temple interior the researcher then asks, "What will the process entail?"
“We’re not too far, we’ll gladly show you!” Zionus said as he led the group deeper underneath the Temple, entering a clean lab environment, rows upon rows of inanimate robotic shells lined up on one section of the facility, along with several clear rooms of operating tables of sorts. A glass door slide open in one of the rooms as Zionus was the first to step in. “Please lie down on your stomach, brother.”
"PERFECT! SO INTERESTING! LEROY YOU BETTER GET THIS ON FOOTAGE!"
Leroy, the assisstant, looked at his boss and said with a dry exasperated expression, "Shouldn't you ask first whether we can film this?"
"It'll be fine! We are scientists! We have a moral obligation to record things for posterity and for the betterment of mankind as a whole!"
The researcher then goes over and lies down on his belly, "I AM READY GOOD SIR!"
Zionus turned to Leroy, placing his cold hand over his shoulder. “Do not worry, my son.” He said. “We have nothing to hide….” At least, in first phase of the procedure….
Zionus turned his attention back to the eager scientist. “I would brace yourself if I were you, If I remember correctly, the process will be a bit….painful.”
With that said, several elongated mechanical arms emerged from the celling, all equipped with unique surgical tools for such a delicate procedure. An additional arm emerged, on the tip it carried the Chip implant, ready to inject directly to the brain.
Leroy continued to film and asked to his researcher friend, "Are you sure about this Sheldon?"
"There is no boundary for science Leroy! Be brave! BE BRAVE FOR PROGRESS!" Sheldon braced himself for the procedure
Leroy continued to film, despite the imposing presence of Zionus. For his comrade in science, he must show no fear.
The arms went to work as they begun the surgery, cleanly cutting through meat and bone as a gapping hole was left in Sheldon’s cranium in the aftermath, the arm with the chip slowly lowered itself and in quick succession, inserted the chip deep in his brain in a blink of a eye. Once the process was completed, the arms resumed with resealing the surgical spot. Within moments, the arms retreated into the celling as Zionus was the first to step forward and approached Sheldon. “How do you feel? Sheldon?” He asked.
"I feel... Okay I think?" Sheldon looks around himself before looking back at Leroy, "You got that on footage right? How'd it look?"
Leroy then said, "It looked terrifying... But then again, we do our procedures using nano-surgery which is far less intrusive. This does the same thing but in a more direct way."
"Hmm... Keep recording these notes! I'm interested" Sheldon then returned his attention to Zionus, "What's next then?"
“The final step of Transcendence is choosing your new body.” Zionus replied as he led the group out of the room and towards a wall lined with rows of inactive Gaian shells of varied designs. “Choose whatever suits you, my brother, what speaks to you?”
Sheldon put a hand to his chin and browsed through the selection as if he were picking a suit for a wedding. He looked over one body with a sleek, elegant, yet simple design.
"I think I'll go for this one" he pointed over to it, Leroy of course was close behind filming everything as they went. Then he said, "You're finally getting cyberdized like you always wanted."
"Heh- Well, this isn't exactly what I pictured, but it's close enough right?"
Leroy let out a bit of a chuckle before looking towards Zionus.
“Ahh, a fine choice indeed…” Zionus said. “Come! Greatness awaits!” With that said, the selected shell sank into the wall, the group once more, leaving the floor and ventured deeper into the Temple, right into the Transcendence Chambers. Dozens of glass tubes lined up, ready to be filled with potential “occupants”. Said tubes were all linked to greater machines as they let out low hums that filled the air. The group stopped at one particular tube as the New Sheldon hung over it, tendril-like wires and tubes gripping and connecting the shell with the machine. The glass seal raised up.
“Step in, and your past life will be all behind you.”
"I'll see you on the other side friend" Sheldon shook Leroy's hand before stepping into his glass tube.
"Alright, I'll see ya!" Lucas continues to record Sheldon's transition.
Sheldon’s body was consumed in a blinding light as the Transcendence begun, you could almost hear a hauntingly beautiful hum ringing out during the process, and for a moment, screaming could be heard from Sheldon’s tube, tearing one’s mind apart and reassembling it into code would no doubt be..painful. Zionus looked to the Lucas, who no doubt was alarmed. “Do not fear, my boy.” He reassured him. “This is all part of the process, all part of bettering yourself, all part of Her plan.” The hums soon died down as well as Sheldon’s screams, all was silent as the light dimmed. The tube that carried Sheldon’s new body lowered itself towards the group, the glass door sliding open as a cloud of smoke filled the air.
Electronic-sounding joints whirred up as Sheldon took a step forward, scanning the room with his new eyes, feeling a sense of euphoria as he behold himself to his new form. “It is done.” Zionius said, his pride and accomplishment hard to hide. “Welcome to the fold, Brother Sheldon!”
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