Phoenix - the Insilico tales - chapter 28 - "Evolution (4)"
(originally posted 11/4/2011)
Phoenix stood outside the transparent barrier enclosing the bed on which they’d placed Sayer after his procedure, her hands pressed against it, watching him, as she had been doing for hours. She’d shed her synthskin disguise, armor, and weapons for a light silk dress. The sense of peace and comfort aboard the Utopia airship was otherwordly; almost surreal. She treasured the respite, most likely for the singular reason that the surroundings actually seemed to make the process less painful for her.
Phee caught a glimpse of movement as Sayer began to stir. She froze, and her eyes widened. So much time to prepare for this moment. Replaying Cait’s sensor logs of Dawn’s last days over and over, reading her diaries, and still in this moment Phee found herself completely at a loss of what to say. The doomed man was awakening, for the first time since what would continue of him had been taken. Would he cry? Would he scream? Would he want to end it right then and get it over with?
He rolled his head to one side, his face relaxed, and leisurely opened his eyes. An easy smile slowly spread across his face. “Hello beautiful Phee.”
Phoenix turned to one of the attendants “He’s awake now. May I enter?”
The attendant smiled serenely, touched a button, and the barrier seemed to fade from view. She knelt next to his bed and put her hand on his shoulder. She murmured, her voice heavy with emotion “Hello, sweet Sayer.”
Sayer reached out to stroke her cheek. “Thank you for being here. How long have I been asleep? It feels like I was in a dream that lasted for eons.”
Phee smiled and tilted her head with curiosity “About 11 hours. How do you feel?”
Sayer blinked, his mind beginning to clear. “I feel... like I have been part of something weighty with life, and change. I’m not sure how to describe it. Maybe it was just the strange dreams... but I feel different somehow.”
Phee took his hands and helped him stand. She gave him a lingering, soft hug. It always amazed her how easily life seemed to come to Sayer. How like a flower growing from a crack on the street, he always seems to find a way to deny the death and sorrow that seemed to pervade their lives. “What sort of dreams?” she asked in a soft voice.
Sayer hugged back, letting his hands come to rest in her lower back. “At first it was like someone was reaching into my mind, sharing my thoughts. Then it was like I could feel their thoughts. Not just see them, or know what they were... but actually feel what they had seen.”
Phee listened then laughed slightly “That’s what we experience when we link with each other. Do you know who it was?”
“No, but it was probably just the medication affecting my dreams... maybe. I didn’t realize it was like that when you link with someone. It sounds so intense... and wonderful.”
"Sayer, I'm not sure what they did, but they did not have any neural tracing equipment or engram readers. Given what I know about Utopia, it was probably a biological process. That contact you sensed may have been your mind being recorded; backed up."
"I see. It was... intimate... and like nothing I have experienced before. I wish I could link like that with you."
Phee hugged him a little tighter “I do too, my Love.” After what seemed like an eternity, she finally asked the question that had been consuming her. “Are you … OK, Sayer?”
“I am. I feel like I have had a life changing experience... but in a good way. It’s like I can see things from a new perspective?” then he broke into the boyish chuckle she so adored “Or maybe I’m just still on the pain meds.”
Phoenix drew back slightly from the hug so she could see his face. Her eyes were bright, alive, and full of wonder. She was so amazed that he could so readily appreciate the moment. He didn’t overthink. He didn’t worry. He just existed. And even managed to laugh. She hugged him tightly again, whispering in his ear, “You are an amazing man, Sayer.”
Sayer smiled into her neck “You are the amazing one, Phee.” then kissed “What have you been doing while I was asleep? I’m sorry I was out for so long.”
Phee let out a desperate laugh, feeling herself on the verge of sobs. She didn’t speak for a few seconds; composing herself, then asked “How can you apologize at a time like this, Sayer? I’d have been happy to wait a hundred years just to be here when you awoke.”
Sayer nuzzled her neck “I can’t believe how lucky I am. Thank you. What happens next? Do they need any other procedures?”
“No. Everything is done here.”
"I don't want to leave... it's like heaven here. But I know we have things to do back in the city... and the Shades... those people need help."
Phoenix shuddered as the irony of what he just said shoots through her like lightning. “Are you sure?”
"We have to help them, right? They need your leadership. And I can... well, I'm not sure what I can do. 17 offered me a job as a botanist, and that is going to be great... but I want to do something to help the oppressed in the city, too."
Phoenix smiled at him “There is a lot you can do.” then her face grew pensive “I … I don’t really understand this cloning process, but will you remember any of this, you know - after?”
Sayer’s eyes flashed with an instant of thoughtful contemplation, then he answered quickly “I don’t think so. But you will remember, and you will tell me - right?” He grins warmly. “And no making stuff up! I don’t want to hear about all kinds of embarrassing things you made up that I did just to tease me.” he said jokingly.
Phee let out a noise, something between a laugh and a sob, and hugged him tightly. "Then I will begin by telling the story of how inspiring it was to see you accept and face your end with a courage unmatched in any heroic tale I've ever heard of. I'll say that the light of your life did not even flicker from the very first moment, and talk about how honored I was that you would entrust me with the essence of those last days."
Sayer’s eyes fill with tears. He was at a loss for words, and overcome with emotion. He held her tightly as the tears began to roll down his cheeks. Finally he whispered “I love you.”
Phoenix rearranged the data in her sensory log storage subsystem, creating a protected archive entitled “Sayer.” Then she said softly “I love you too, Sayer.”
Phoenix stood outside the transparent barrier enclosing the bed on which they’d placed Sayer after his procedure, her hands pressed against it, watching him, as she had been doing for hours. She’d shed her synthskin disguise, armor, and weapons for a light silk dress. The sense of peace and comfort aboard the Utopia airship was otherwordly; almost surreal. She treasured the respite, most likely for the singular reason that the surroundings actually seemed to make the process less painful for her.
Phee caught a glimpse of movement as Sayer began to stir. She froze, and her eyes widened. So much time to prepare for this moment. Replaying Cait’s sensor logs of Dawn’s last days over and over, reading her diaries, and still in this moment Phee found herself completely at a loss of what to say. The doomed man was awakening, for the first time since what would continue of him had been taken. Would he cry? Would he scream? Would he want to end it right then and get it over with?
He rolled his head to one side, his face relaxed, and leisurely opened his eyes. An easy smile slowly spread across his face. “Hello beautiful Phee.”
Phoenix turned to one of the attendants “He’s awake now. May I enter?”
The attendant smiled serenely, touched a button, and the barrier seemed to fade from view. She knelt next to his bed and put her hand on his shoulder. She murmured, her voice heavy with emotion “Hello, sweet Sayer.”
Sayer reached out to stroke her cheek. “Thank you for being here. How long have I been asleep? It feels like I was in a dream that lasted for eons.”
Phee smiled and tilted her head with curiosity “About 11 hours. How do you feel?”
Sayer blinked, his mind beginning to clear. “I feel... like I have been part of something weighty with life, and change. I’m not sure how to describe it. Maybe it was just the strange dreams... but I feel different somehow.”
Phee took his hands and helped him stand. She gave him a lingering, soft hug. It always amazed her how easily life seemed to come to Sayer. How like a flower growing from a crack on the street, he always seems to find a way to deny the death and sorrow that seemed to pervade their lives. “What sort of dreams?” she asked in a soft voice.
Sayer hugged back, letting his hands come to rest in her lower back. “At first it was like someone was reaching into my mind, sharing my thoughts. Then it was like I could feel their thoughts. Not just see them, or know what they were... but actually feel what they had seen.”
Phee listened then laughed slightly “That’s what we experience when we link with each other. Do you know who it was?”
“No, but it was probably just the medication affecting my dreams... maybe. I didn’t realize it was like that when you link with someone. It sounds so intense... and wonderful.”
"Sayer, I'm not sure what they did, but they did not have any neural tracing equipment or engram readers. Given what I know about Utopia, it was probably a biological process. That contact you sensed may have been your mind being recorded; backed up."
"I see. It was... intimate... and like nothing I have experienced before. I wish I could link like that with you."
Phee hugged him a little tighter “I do too, my Love.” After what seemed like an eternity, she finally asked the question that had been consuming her. “Are you … OK, Sayer?”
“I am. I feel like I have had a life changing experience... but in a good way. It’s like I can see things from a new perspective?” then he broke into the boyish chuckle she so adored “Or maybe I’m just still on the pain meds.”
Phoenix drew back slightly from the hug so she could see his face. Her eyes were bright, alive, and full of wonder. She was so amazed that he could so readily appreciate the moment. He didn’t overthink. He didn’t worry. He just existed. And even managed to laugh. She hugged him tightly again, whispering in his ear, “You are an amazing man, Sayer.”
Sayer smiled into her neck “You are the amazing one, Phee.” then kissed “What have you been doing while I was asleep? I’m sorry I was out for so long.”
Phee let out a desperate laugh, feeling herself on the verge of sobs. She didn’t speak for a few seconds; composing herself, then asked “How can you apologize at a time like this, Sayer? I’d have been happy to wait a hundred years just to be here when you awoke.”
Sayer nuzzled her neck “I can’t believe how lucky I am. Thank you. What happens next? Do they need any other procedures?”
“No. Everything is done here.”
"I don't want to leave... it's like heaven here. But I know we have things to do back in the city... and the Shades... those people need help."
Phoenix shuddered as the irony of what he just said shoots through her like lightning. “Are you sure?”
"We have to help them, right? They need your leadership. And I can... well, I'm not sure what I can do. 17 offered me a job as a botanist, and that is going to be great... but I want to do something to help the oppressed in the city, too."
Phoenix smiled at him “There is a lot you can do.” then her face grew pensive “I … I don’t really understand this cloning process, but will you remember any of this, you know - after?”
Sayer’s eyes flashed with an instant of thoughtful contemplation, then he answered quickly “I don’t think so. But you will remember, and you will tell me - right?” He grins warmly. “And no making stuff up! I don’t want to hear about all kinds of embarrassing things you made up that I did just to tease me.” he said jokingly.
Phee let out a noise, something between a laugh and a sob, and hugged him tightly. "Then I will begin by telling the story of how inspiring it was to see you accept and face your end with a courage unmatched in any heroic tale I've ever heard of. I'll say that the light of your life did not even flicker from the very first moment, and talk about how honored I was that you would entrust me with the essence of those last days."
Sayer’s eyes fill with tears. He was at a loss for words, and overcome with emotion. He held her tightly as the tears began to roll down his cheeks. Finally he whispered “I love you.”
Phoenix rearranged the data in her sensory log storage subsystem, creating a protected archive entitled “Sayer.” Then she said softly “I love you too, Sayer.”
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