".... a revolutionary scientist and founder of the New Mind Science, which now forms the basis for scientific research in neurobiology, psychology, and the brain sciences. In view of his tremendous contributions to science, his death yesterday afternoon has been mourned by scientists as well as laymen all over the world. A fund raised in his name ...."

He heard nothing. Not a thing. Everything was eerily quiet. He felt his eyes open, only to receive a black emptiness. He tried to remember what had happened, but somehow his memories were vague and distant: his house, his wife, his work-his work. His work meant everything to him. He remembered how fortunate he had been to make it to head of department at only twenty four-a feat most of his colleagues had a hard time accepting ... but that was long in the past. He tried with difficulties to reconstruct what now seemed to be faint echoes of his own existence. He remembered how he had been ill-it had been a long time since he had done anything .... anything substantial. What about the present?

"Where am I? Maybe I'm in a coma" he thought to himself. "At least I can still sense my own thoughts."

His thoughts only lasted for a few seconds.

A small group of people had gathered together to witness a wonderful event. It would be a first ever in mankind's history. Still, only a few people were present; the scientific community was cautious. It had to be. Many were opposed to their activities-at least of this kind. And they would especially be opposed to what was going to happen today. The small room filled with anticipation. The experiment was starting.

When he awoke what seemed to be a few moments later, he remembered: he had been sick. Deadly sick. Perhaps he was in a coma? At least it felt like he had been awakened from a long sleep-his body somehow stiff and sore, and he couldn't move a limb. His thoughts were suddenly distracted by an unpleasant crackle in his ear. Somehow it reminded him of a broken radio-the kind that crackles when you turn the knobs. Then the other ear received strange clicking sounds. He couldn't locate where the sound was coming from; he tried to pick his ear, but nothing happened. It felt like his arms were only imaginary. By no means could he comprehend this strange situation. Somehow he was too weak even to panic, and he wasn't too sure anymore whether it was all just a dream. After that, silence.

"Hand me the multipatcher. Thank you."

The voice was strong. It belonged to the world's leading authority in neuroengineering. The visiting scientists were gathered there to give professional advice if needed, but most importantly had they had come to witness revolutionary theories being brought to life.

"Auto-analysis on. I-o neuropaths ready. Display main configuration." Huge diagrams were displayed on the walls, the lights dimmed.

Without the distracting sounds he tried to remember the past again, to find out a reason for his existence here-wherever here was-but again his thoughts were disrupted by unfamiliar shapes of strange colors that seemed to emanate from within.

"What is this place? Where am I?"

--Such simple questions that seemed so much more important than before. Why wasn't he in control? He could feel fear lurking around the corner, looking over his shoulder, creeping into his mind. Then suddenly, an enormous white wall. Without a shred of resistance he plunged through into a large chamber filled with spinning wheels and colored dots, flying around the room in incredible orbits as if they were chasing themselves through invisible unpredictable paths. A thousand pins of light impinging upon his retina. Then, while he blinked, the world changed into an engulfing ocean with dancing, humming wires, strung between multi-colored shapes floating in midair. A million glittering metal balls came spiraling down from the solid sky and fell into the ocean, evaporating on contact, creating noises like nothing he ever heard before. An unpleasant feeling surged through his head as he felt himself thrown down tunnels of gleaming white at the mercy of some unknown force from the outside. Without being able to think for pain he fumbled helplessly on instinct but had nothing to grasp on to. He was traveling through a space where nothing seemed real except the crippling agony and blinding light. He saw glowing hot metal rods burn into his skin; ice cold needles pressed against his back. For a split second he felt his head torn apart. Thousands of years went by. As the pain slowly eased he could discern the interiors of a room that looked like a storage chamber.

The first and most critical part of the experiment was over. Everyone felt relieved, but there was no time to stop and cheer. The scientist's body lay on the operating table, almost peacefully-as if it had been evacuated by a satisfied soul that left it behind for something better. To this day humanity had been making guesses about what happened after the bodily death. Did something better await all of mankind, or something worse? Perhaps it would lead to nothing. Who was to say? This time they had the say. And they were certain that it would be better. For the first time in history, man would have the choice of becoming immortal. "Data on callosum connection patterns" said the voice. "Outputs on display." The transfer data looked good. If it were correct it could mean only one thing: the mind of Eynid Kazoser had successfully been transferred from its organic body to a part biological, part robotic body that had been perfected over thirty years of research. In spite of this temporary success, however, the voice didn't sound cheerful. After all, there was no guarantee.

"Bionic arms connections on display."

The scientists continued working.

He tried to focus his eyes on the things around him, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Dimly lit, the room had a strange glow to it, and some objects were moving.

He could hear now. Clearly. A voice talking. The moving objects were somehow more radiant than the environment. A voice sounded from one of the objects:

"Infrared spectrum sensors give correct response. But we are experiencing difficulties with the output control pattern."

Momentarily his vision cleared, and everything around him came into focus: he could now discern what he recognized to be a pair of hands below him. They were attached to two strange arms that seemed to be connected to a unit-a unit that he was, for some reason, looking out of. Above him was an electronically wired ceiling of what looked like a research laboratory. And through the red haze he now saw a sight that puzzled him more than anything else: a half naked body, surrounded by devices he couldn't name, lying on an operating table a few feet away.

Seconds later he couldn't see clearly anymore. But he had seen enough. It was himself lying on that operating table. Or, what had been himself. Now he understood. He had become the object of the greatest experiment in mankind's history. His own theories were being put to the ultimate test: this was the moment he had been working towards his whole life-the moment he had been waiting for. For a few moments he could not think of anything else; fear suspended in reverent awe of the reality that surrounded him.

The voices were still talking. A dozen men gathered around him.

"Do you think we've lost him?" one said.

"Can't say" another answered. "We have to do more tests."

And they looked at him-they looked straight into his eyes.

"The visual sensors show no sign of life."

But-couldn't they see that he was here!?! His terror immediately returned. He had to make some sign-give some indication that he was still alive.

"There is not much more we can do. Alpha test signals are showing no results."

"Prepare emergency modules. Stand by for shut-down procedures."

As the voice kept talking he tried to move his arms, but there was no effect. He tried to talk, but nothing happened. He was trapped in a body with no control; only his thoughts and faint vision told him he was alive.

"I am alive!" he thought. "What can be wrong? I worked this all out before. They're doing something wrong!"

"If this next test fails we have to discontinue the experiment on ethical grounds."

Paralyzed by despair, he tried to think of something that could alert them, but his body did not respond.

"I am sorry to inform you, fellow scientists, that the experiment has to be stopped. In spite of all effort, this first attempt to transfer a human mind structure to an inanimate focusing frame has failed. However, we will not give up hope that some day we will succeed, and bring human life to a different existence."

He could hear the last words die down as he felt his energy and consciousness slowly fade away:"We are forever indebted to Dr. Eynid

Kazoser, the founder of the New Mind Science. He left us today with the hope that someday brilliant scientists like him will lead the way to a new and better world. In the next experiment we hope to have overcome the problems that have stood in our way of reaching this goal today . . . .

Copyright 1980 K.R. Thórisson. All rights reserved.