This choice: A young, enhanced version of himself • Go Back...Chapter #3A young, enhanced version of himself by: Unknown It didn't feel anything like waking up. The closest approximation I an think of is being the living embodiment of the big bang, though even then that hardly seemed to do the process justice. After twenty years on ice, the concept of light, the idea of sound, the sensation of sensation, all of it exploded into being in one cacophonous mass of meaningless inputs, which lasted both less than a fraction of an instant and also all of the time that ever was, is, or will be. There really is no way to describe it, that horrifying process of rebirth, but eventually my memories came back, and the cacophony transitioned into actual things that could be conceived of.
Colors emerged, then shapes, then objects.
Orange, half-circle, the sun.
Noise became wind, which became a gentle breeze.
Touching was recognized, then I remembered skin, then I processed that my skin was being touched by something I could understand was soft. A sheet, resting on a mattress, with a blanket pulled up to my chin.
My skin, MY SKIN! I had skin!
The colors, shapes, and objects were returned to a mess of formless nothing as my world spiraled away. My skin left the sheets, and was met by cold, hard, smooth material. Stone of some kind. Then, I realized
"Ow." That hurt. Pain existed.
I blinked, the sensation of my eyelids sliding over the slime of my eyeballs and blotting out the world for a fraction of a second far more momentousness an occasion than I recalled.
I was on the floor. I must've fallen down. I was so surprised by the realization that I had skin that I'd leapt up, forgot how legs worked, and collapsed in a heap. This was certainly one way to start my new life, though hopefully this misstep was not an ill-portent.
Gathering up my legs beneath me, I concentrated on what I could remember about standing and slowly, shakily brought my point of view higher. I took in the room, or rather the terrace. It looked like some kind of private villa or an extremely upscale beach resort, the smell of seawater wafting in as the sun bounced brilliant rays of light off of a picturesquely calm sea. I had been resting on a soft orange beach chair, and I recognized now that what I had mistaken for a blanket was actually a towel. I also realized
"Good evening Mr Santaro, did you have a pleasant rest?" I was not alone. A woman of unnaturally perfect complexion and figure stood behind my chair, her lips curled in a cute smile and her hands carrying a plate of cheese, crackers, cured ham, and a still sealed bottle of fine Spanish red wine, along with an empty glass.
I produced a noise that wasn't quite a word, then closed my eyes and concentrated on the operation of my mouth and throat. "The rest was fine. The awakening was... bracing."
"Reanimation can be very disorienting at first, though you seem to be acclimating well. You can speak, stand, and you don't seem to be suffering from an existential meltdown. The recently reanimated often have difficulties with these things. I believe your choice to have your body cloned and your brain inserted into it has helped hasten the recovery process." She said, extending the plate towards me.
"Thanks." I said, shaking my head and raising my hand to imply a 'no thanks'. Suddenly taking a keen interest in the appendage, I followed the tip of my tallest finger down, my eyes scanning over my slender hand, my lean but well defined arm, the pecs and abs which failed me in my old age, the pendulous cock and balls drooping from my hairy crotch, the strong dancer's legs that bore my weight uncomplainingly. It was a body both alien and familiar to me, the body time had robbed from me. It was me, age twenty two, with the brain that had seen sixty more years piloting it.
It wasn't until I looked back up at the unfamiliar and uncanny woman that I registered my nakedness. For a brief moment I was embarrassed, but the feeling passed soon enough. Who know how long she'd been standing over my passed out dorm, how many naked bodies she'd seen, or even if she was technically real or just an AI piloting a genetically engineered flesh robot. Besides, this was my estate, Villa de Sanaro. It's where I asked to be reanimated, assuming my granddaughter hadn't run my company into the ground while I was on ice.
She didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by my nudity, though she did seem slightly off-put by my refusal of her snacks. "I'm sorry, I was informed these were your favorite foods." She said, pulling the tray away from me and carefully observing the contents for some sort of fault.
"Yes, they are, and I'm grateful, but frankly my stomach... it wouldn't hold it." I answered, gripping my abdomen. I was immensely hungry, but I could feel that my organs were still working out their roles again, and felt the familiar sensation of seasickness despite being on dry land.
"I see. I will leave these here." The woman said, producing a small collapsible table from behind her and setting the plate up beside your chair. "Shall I inform Maria of your awakening? You've woken up an hour ahead of schedule."
Maria, my granddaughter. I hadn't seen her since she was twelve. If the computer was right, and twenty years (minus one hour) had passed, I'd be reunited with her as a full grown woman, and at the behest of my will she she would be in charge of my estate, barring the expenses needed to maintain my brain in stasis and restore my body, of course. Technically, I was just a penniless guest inside her house right now.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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