A Cold and Heartless Lullaby -Chapter 29-

At night, the Discovery Council felt hollow, even more so than usual. Shadows seeped into every detail of the artful stonework, weaving between columns and shrouding the high, vaulted ceilings in darkness. In the suffocating quiet, only Graham’s footsteps echoed across the marble. He tip-toed up a spiraling staircase to the uppermost floor, trepidation in each step. 

At the end of the proceeding corridor, there was a hefty iron door, and following Andron’s instructions, he knocked once. A moment later, the door slid open. Andron glanced both ways down the hall and then nodded, gesturing Graham inside. 

The head scientist was barefoot, and his long hair was done up in a ponytail. His lab was a mess. The humid air smelled faintly of chlorine. The only light source was two glowing, rectangular pools in the center of the room, just big enough for an adult to lie inside. One was covered in a white sheet, but Graham could still see light glowing through. From the bumps in the fabric, it almost looked like someone was lying motionless beneath it. 

“Would you like some tea?” Andron asked, trying to clear some space for the mugs on one of the impossibly cluttered countertops. “I apologize for the mess. I haven’t let my assistant in here for the last few weeks.”

“I’m going to pass on the tea,” Graham said, still trying to take in the room. 

“Of course… this is hardly the time.”

“Is it under that sheet? Whatever you’re planning?”

“Indeed. See for yourself.” Andron knelt down and pulled off the wet sheet, revealing a mechanical human figure lying in the shallow pool underneath. Its scrawny metal body supported long, thin arms and legs, and its tiny, square head had only slits for eyes. 

“What is this?” Graham asked.

“If we are successful,” Andron said, “it will be your new vessel.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Our bodies- or vessels– are not what we are composed of,” Andron explained, standing up and gesturing at a whiteboard diagram. “It is rather more of a puppet that our soul controls.” He pointed to the diagram. There was a circle drawn next to a human figure, with countless lines connecting the two. “The only thing that links the vessel and the soul together are tethers. This is my primary area of study.”

“Where is this going?” Graham asked, a hint of trepidation in his voice.

“We have never been able to choose our vessels. Souls rise from the Stillwater and attach themselves to a vessel at its conception. Our bodies are strong, but when they age, they will eventually cease to function. When the vessel dies, the soul detaches, and it can never reattach itself or find another vessel.” With rising excitement, he continued, “Theoretically, a body made to be repaired and replaced could last forever without ceasing to function!”

“Are you saying I could switch bodies with that Thing?” 

“It is not as crazy as it sounds!” Andron said, scavenging through his drawers. He pulled out a small box, opened it, and plucked a small metal worm from inside. It wriggled between his fingers as if it were alive.

“Using ‌micro-rift technology, I have found a way to manipulate and transfer the tethers from our own plane of reality, enabling the creation of things like this.”

He handed the worm over, and Graham felt it wriggle in the palm of his hand. He remembered it from the day of his proposal to Jaylen. That little worm had sent ripples through society.

“But a worm’s soul has to be far more simplistic than a human soul, right?” Graham asked.

“Yes, that is correct. It is more complex than the soul of a rock or even a growing plant, but it is relatively simplistic. I only needed to transfer the tethers for motor function and survival instincts. However, there have been many advancements in technology since then. At this stage, I believe a human soul transfer is possible.”

Graham found the nearest chair.

“This is insane. What you’re talking about sounds like the work of fiction.”

“My work here is much further along than I allow the church to believe. That is why I brought you here so late at night. It is a matter of utmost secrecy.”

“Yeah, no kidding. The Revenance would burn this place to the ground if they knew.”

“I admire them, of course,” Andron smirked. “They provide the funding for institutions like this, but their views on the sanctity of souls can only halt our progress.”

“So, if I switch my soul over to that body, I can live forever?”

“It is still not a guarantee, as this vessel can still fail, but even this rudimentary prototype is far stronger than a body of flesh. And I will continue to upgrade it as the technology advances.”

“That’s unbelievable.” 

“Now,” Andron squatted to match Graham’s sitting height, “I’m not saying there wouldn’t be any downsides. Besides the potential damage to your soul and mind, your range of motion would be detrimentally handicapped, and you wouldn’t be able to feel or smell. That’s not even considering the host of unknown side effects it could cause! The procedure alone is risky enough!” 

“You have never done this before?”

“Not on a human,” Andron admitted. “But I have trained myself for every possibility, and it is not without reward. For your risk, I will pay a hefty sum. I only regret that I cannot do the procedure on myself.”

Graham took a deep breath, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked at the metal form in front of him, meeting its vacant stare. It was hard to imagine giving up his body in favor of a new one, especially one made from metal, but something about the proposition made his stomach flutter with excitement. 

He had been living the same monotonous life for the past sixteen years. Clock in, clock out, pay for the pod. Clock in, clock out, pay for the pod. Every decision had been automatic, and all Graham could do was passively watch his life slip by. If Andron’s experiment worked, then he could live long enough to see Kia wake and still have time to take back his life. The thought of the procedure was insane, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to dismiss it. He could make up for all ‌his lost time. He could pay for Kia’s pod. He could be free again. Graham had never realized how desperate he was. Rot… I could be immortal.

The rational part of him fought back. What Andron was suggesting was for Graham to leave his body behind and become a machine. There was no guarantee that it would work, and even if it did, there was no telling what side effects it would have. Could I live in a body of metal?  

Even so, the alternative was to return to his stagnant existence, always regretting that he hadn’t taken the risk. Now that the opportunity was here, Graham couldn’t let it go. It was the key to unlock the shackles that held him down. He could take control. For once, he had a choice.

“Now that you know what I have in mind,” Andron continued, “I can give you some time to think about it. I know that-“

“I’ll do it,” Graham said.

“Pardon?” 

“I see no better option.”

Andron clapped his hands together, “You will not regret this; we can arrange a time-“

“Are you busy now?” Graham asked. Andron grinned, ambition flashing in his eyes.

“You surprise me, Graham. Your confidence is inspiring. Let me prepare.”

Andron padded across the room and retrieved a complex, multi-armed machine, which resembled the curled-up legs of a dead spider. Long, thin needles quivered as he rolled it over to the pool. He set to work rerouting power cables from the lab and hooking them to the machine. Its double-jointed legs split evenly between the two pools.

“All is in order,” Andron said. “Now, if you can disrobe, we can get started.”

Graham blinked in confusion. “You want me to strip?”

“Of course! Clothes have souls as well; if they get in the way, it will only complicate things further.” Graham took a deep breath. 

“It doesn’t hurt, does it? The procedure?”

“No, not at all,” Andron said, calibrating his machine. “But it will not be comfortable.”

Right. Graham thought. 

In a few minutes, his clothes were folded in a pile on the counter, and Graham lay shivering in the empty pool, the freezing water reaching barely halfway up his side. 

“Don’t worry,” Andron said, leaning over him. “Micro-rift technology creates a lot of heat; you won’t be cold for long.”

“Can we just start already?” Graham said, shivering slightly.

“Now, Graham. I’m obligated to say that this is your last chance to back out.”

Graham glanced up at the set of long needles hanging above him. He wanted to back out. He wanted to jump out of the pool and run naked through the streets, screaming the whole way. 

“Just do it,” he said, swallowing his fear. 

“Okay. I will operate on you while mirroring the process on the other body. Your soul must be tethered to you, it, or both, at all times, or it will float away. All you need to do is relax and stay as still as you can.”

Graham nodded, and Andron switched on the machine. The lights in the room flickered and gave out as the machine hummed to life. Before a moment had passed, Graham felt a wave of heat wash over him. The needles started vibrating. Andron fit strange dark goggles over his eyes and set to work, gently placing the thin metal tubes to pressure points all over Graham’s skin. They felt hot to the touch, just shy of burning him. Sweat trickled down Graham’s face, and he lay as still as possible. He glanced from the side of his eye, trying not to move his head as he observed Andron repeat the process on the mechanical body. It must have taken hours, the way Andron so carefully nudged the pins into place. 

“I’m ready for the transfer,” Andron said finally. He smiled at Graham, “See you on the other side.”

He flicked a switch, and the world turned off. Graham’s mind scattered into a thick, viscous emptiness before funneling itself into a tight, claustrophobic current. Graham was strung tight until he overlapped and passed through himself. Direction and orientation became meaningless, but movement did not. He crashed into something, his entire being pummeling the surface like a waterfall. Then it ceased.

There was darkness, and there was no feeling. Did I die? Graham thought, his mind floating in nothing. Did the procedure fail? No, he could hear something.

“Graham?” Andron said distantly, “Can you hear me?”

Graham opened his eyes, or were they shutters? His mind spun. Everything had moved a stride to the left, and all he could see was the ceiling. It felt like he was stuck in a cave, with only a glimpse of the world visible through the exit. It was claustrophobic. He felt turned around, lost, and confused. He wanted to sit up, but his muscles would not respond. Blackened rot. They were all different now. 

Andron leaned over him, breathing heavily. “Blink if you can hear me,” Andron said, “Blink if it worked!”

Graham tried to find the muscles that controlled his eyelids. He couldn’t blink. For a moment, he was afraid that if he did, he would never be able to open them again. But he kept trying.

“Graham?” Concern was audible in the scientist’s voice.

Graham blinked.