Unseen Worlds: SciFi Challenges

Where One Stops And Another Begins

"What makes us human?  Is it the body we're born into?  The experiences we go through? Ever since we achieved the Singularity we've decided it's something much simpler and more elegant: it's the patterns of our neurons and connections between them.  But uploading your consciousness is one thing, and a relatively simple one at that. Massive Dynamic was ready to take the concept one step farther.  And this is where those steps led us."

He stepped to the side of the mysterious, draped monolith behind him.  With a flourish he pulled away the curtain and revealed a tall dark box.  It looked like a coffin.  It was one, in a matter of speaking.

"This takes the concept of transferring the patterns that make up our consciousness to the next level.  It transfers the patterns that make up your entire body, your memories, your personality, the whole package and it -" he stepped into the box and grinned as he hit a button.

He disappeared in a flash.  There was a gasp of surprise and confusion.  Then a voice from the back of the auditorium that caused every head to snap back. "It sends it all somewhere else.  Where ever you want, in fact.  We've tested it all over the world, from Alaska to Antarctica. Now, thanks to Massive Dynamic, you can teleport."

The audience had been flabbergasted by what they thought was a trick.  A simple embellishment to excite his audience in preparation for his announcement.  No one thought the trick was his announcement. 

He sauntered back up the center aisle and every eye followed him.  "I assume you have questions.  Let's hear them!"  He jumped back onto the stage with a laugh.

"How does it work?"

"Like I said, it's the same concept behind uploading consciousness.  But instead of uploading neurons and linkages, we're uploading the entire body.  Then we rebuild it some where else.   We use the same technology as a 3D printer.  But it happens lightening fast."

"So you make a copy?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"Then what happens to the original?"

His smile faltered.  He had hoped he wouldn't have to answer this question.  But he recovered quickly. "Deconstructed.  Again, lightening fast.  And the remaining atoms are used to reconstruct the next person who comes in."

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"And you make perfect copies?"

"Every time."

He was lying.  I knew he was because I'm him.

* * * *

There were nine of us.  The first few copies turned out very badly.  Even I was considered a failure.  But he never let anything happen to the "original".  He kept us all locked up, experimenting on us to learn from his mistakes.  What was wrong with me?  I was missing a digit from each limb.  That's it.  That's all that separated me from him.  Two fingers and two toes.  But that was enough.

I smiled to think how he would react when he realized we were gone.  He would rage and scream and then he would be scared.  He would be completely terrified of someone learning about all his failures, about how he had experimented on himself.  That's how I would feel.

I felt the phone in my pocket vibrate.  Everyone was out.  My duty as look out was fulfilled.  After the presentation I simply blended into the crowd and walked away.  I would meet my brother again soon enough.

I didn't have any money but I did have all of William Bell's memories and most of his finger prints.  It was easy to obtain resources, though harder to cover my tracks.  I had to be willing to live in discomfort, to work long hours and reap little reward.  I couldn't even contact my brothers.  It was lonely being the only William Bell I saw everyday.

Sometimes I forgot I wasn't the only William Bell.  Sometimes I forgot I wasn't the original.  It's easy to get wrapped up in memories I never really experienced in a body that I never called my own.  And then I would catch a glimpse of my hands: nimble fingers just one digit short.  And I would remember.  Not just who I was but my brothers.  My duty to them.  I worked on.

If William Bell looked for us (and he must have, I know I would have) he never got close to finding any of us.  Our work continued.  We checked in monthly and then silence would recommence.   It was almost a year before we reunited at Massive Dynamic.  The transporters were about to go live.  We had to stop it.

It was easy to get in after hours.  No one questions the boss.  One and Two were brought by Three.  Their only job was to survive and three's was to watch over them.  Four brought his research and Five brought his laptop.  I was Six, the last of the damaged specimens.  Seven, Eight and Nine were the successes.  I envied and loved them.

We rode the elevator in silence.  We couldn't read each other's minds but we all thought the same thing, even One and Two, the poor bastards.  Now.  Finally.  It's time.

We found him in his office where we knew he'd be.  He looked so surprised to see us.  I don't know why.  We shouldn't be able to surprise each other.  But we surprised him.  For once, the old bastard was speechless.  But finally he found words.

"I'm so glad you're back!" He feigned enthusiasm with the desperation of a dying man.  He knew what was coming for him at long last.

Seven and Nine grabbed him while Eight set up the camera.  He shouted at the top of his lungs but no one heard him and no one came.  The rest of us crowded into the shot.

"S-stop!  What are you doing?" He demanded

"We are going to make and announcement.  Just like you like to do."

"Why?"

Now I was surprised.  What he really so clueless?

"Because it's what you deserve.  You won't get any success out of our suffering."

"What I did I did for science!"

"It doesn't really matter why you're getting shocked and cut up when it's happening to you.  You just want the pain to stop.  And this is the only way we can make sure it never starts again."

"Please - my invention is complete.  I perfected it.  I don't need you any more.  I promise I'll never hurt you again.  What do you want?"

"Just one thing... revenge."

Eight cut in.  "And we're streaming live in three, two, one, action!"

I turned to the camera. "Hello America... no, the World.  William Bell, all the William Bell's, are coming to you straight from Massive Dynamic's corporate headquarters in New York City.  You may think that this is one of the genius' many technological tricks.  But it's not.  This" I grabbed William Bell's hair with my for fingered hand and yanked his head back for the viewers to see, "is the original William Bell.  We are the copies he made with his transporter.  Eight, why don't you show everyone what happens when you go through a Massive Dynamic transporter."

The camera panned around the group, focusing mostly on One and Two, though Three made an appearance and I showed my hands off for effect.

"Is this the fate you wish to gamble with?  As someone who must live with the mistakes of that William Bell, I beg you to reconsider.  And in case that wasn't enough to convince you know this - Massive Dynamic will keep on file every shred of evidence they glean from your transportation.  All your memories, all you physical imperfections.  Say good bye to privacy forever."

Eight cut the transmission.  There was no celebration, no applause.  We looked at each other grimly.  There was only one thing left to do.

"We developed a virus to destroy your transporters programming.  We're going to upload it to your mainframe."

"NO!" Our creator screamed.  He made one desperate attempt to stop us.  It was all in vain.  We were too many.  When we slammed him against the plate glass window it shattered.  I was so angry.  I pushed him so hard.  The forced carried me out too, and we fell together, until we met the concrete below.  We hit at the exact same moment, our bodies crushing and scattering together across the city block.  I was a part of him again, and he was a part of me.  We were no longer original and copy, just two men who used to be William Bell.