Chapter 1: Chapter 1 – The End or The Beginning

(2093 A.D.)

The door squealed open, waking me from my nostalgic slumber. The hospital room was dark as it usually was; it was the way I liked it, as my eyes had nearly quit on me. There was really no point in keeping the lights on, besides… I had found peace in the darkness as my mind was the only place my imagination sparked. Usually, the only person coming in was the nurse who ensured the giant mess of wiring connected to my body was intact. It had done a great job of keeping me alive long enough for my family to arrive before the end.

“There you are,” A voice called out. It sounded familiar, but without knowing more, I couldn’t be sure who it was.

“Wait… who’s that?” I asked, opening my eyes fully. That was when the light switch clicked, and light flooded the room. It wasn’t exactly helpful. My sight was too blurry to recognize anyone.

“You don’t recognize an old friend?” He asked in a cheerful voice. That’s when it hit me; I knew exactly who it was. Glen, an old mate of mine, back from when I served in the Royal Navy with him under my command.

“Major Smith, what is it… you need me to sort out for you this time?” I chuckled before letting out a wet chesty cough that rattled my torso, this was customary when I spoke too much.

“It’s General Smith now, Commander. And I’ll have you know, this time, I don’t need you to sort anything out for me.” He laughed. It had become something of a jest between us… back in the day, I had helped him get out of some nasty disciplinary actions. “It’s me that’s come to help you this time, old comrade. I have an interesting proposition for you.”

“What can you propose to a dying man?” I asked him before pressing the button on the hospital bed. The gears from within whirred and spun to life as they lifted me up. “You’ll have to come closer, mate. My sight isn’t what it used to be. I’m practically blind as a bat.” Growing older, my sight had been the first thing to fade. Even using the best technology available, It wasn't enough.

Glen did as he was bid and came closer before sitting down next to me on a small chair near my bed, his face was as blurry as everything else, but I could make out some of his distinct features. “It really is you. I never thought I’d see you again.”

“Of course, it’s me. There’s nothing on your medical report about severe hallucinations yet.” He chuckled, patting me on the shoulder.

“You mentioned a proposal? You do realize I’m probably not going to make it till the end of the week. With that said, what exactly can this old man do for you?” I asked, turning my ear towards him so I could hear clearly.

“Ah… yes, I know what I’m about to ask of you might be audacious. You might not like it nor agree with it, but it’s a chance I would take with you even if all the odds were against it. All I ask is that you hear me out and consider it. As you already know, this planet is dying at an alarming rate; we have, at most, about a century before most of humanity is wiped out unless… we find a way to live by other means. The UN and the United Council of Artificial Intelligence are working on a new system where we can live within a natural simulation that seems to adapt to the data uploaded. This universe exists within the bounds of subspace; all with its own rules and laws. After decades of research, we’ve finally found a way to connect with it. It’s called the ‘ReKINDLE Project.’”

“The ‘ReKINDLE Project,’ fancy name. It sounds interesting. Keep going.” I said, eager to know more.

“Simply put, it’s another world of its own within sub-space, where with the correct apparatus, we could live eternally even after our human bodies have withered away into nothing but dust... or so we hope.” He explained, “I’m not a scientist, so I can't give you a proper explanation, but it does exist, and we’ve spent the last ten years creating an interface for it.”

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous? Besides, it hasn’t been tested with an actual person before, has it?” I had my doubts and knew the dangers of interfacing the human brain with simulations. Many had tried over the years, and just as many had failed.

Glen continued, “Essentially, yes. The system we’ve designed will allow humans to enter this ‘sub-verse’ while hopefully still communicating with the world here. We’re also working hard to add android functionality in the near future, so we’ll be able to return to this world in a robotic body years after the earth has died. With the long-term goal being to repopulate the human race across the galaxy.” He sighed before continuing, “of course, that would be many years into the future, as we’ve only just scratched the surface of this new technology.”

I cleared my throat of mucus and coughed before asking, “So that’s where I come in, I’m assuming, to test this project of yours?”

“I won't lie to you, Ali. The survival of humanity depends on the success of this mission. I would rather give this opportunity to you than anyone else. You saved humanity once before, and I’m sorry to have to ask this of you again, but will you sacrifice yourself once again for mankind?” He asked. From what little I could see, I had noticed he wiped away tears that had run down his cheeks in thin streams. It was difficult for him to approach me about this, and it showed.

He was asking me to lay down my life again for mankind, though I had come to terms with my death and was ready to depart this world. After years of waiting, and when I’d come to terms with the near end, it felt like he was trying to take it away from me. I cleared my throat again, “All my life, I feared death and not knowing what would happen after, now that I’ve accepted it all, you've come to me with this?”

Glen sighed, “I just don’t want to lose you, mate. The great times we had were some of the best moments of my life, and I will cherish them until my last day, regardless of whether you decide not to go ahead with this. I’m asking you from the bottom of my heart, and as your best friend, help us one more time; join this mission. There’s truly no one else suitable.”

“I understand. If I decide to go ahead with this mission, I need your word on something.” My nearly lifeless voice croaked.

“You only need ask, my friend. What can I do?” He sincerely asked.

“My family, I would like them to join me when their time comes, and I want you to let me keep in contact with them while I'm there. That is, if things work out. That goes for you as well, old friend.” I finished, before the irritation in the back of my throat became too much, and I burst into violent outbursts of coughing.

Glen pressed a button on the control panel near the bed to call a nurse. “It’s time you took some rest, mate. The nurse should be here soon.” He said moments before the nurse slammed the door open. She administered some medicine which numbed the pain and put a stop to the coughing fit. I started to feel drowsy when Glen added, “I’ll let you think about the offer and see you again very soon.”

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Later in the evening, I found myself awake, once again surrounded by members of what remained of my family, children and grandchildren alike. My vision was even worse this time, but it was enough to recognize the one sitting next to me, my firstborn, my daughter.

“You’re all here.” I groaned gently.

“We all came here as soon as we could.” She explained, resting her hand on my shoulder before coming closer to hug me.

She had always been by my side and never left me, unlike my son, who moved away after graduating and living his life elsewhere. I don't blame him, he had his ambitions and goals in life. And worked hard to attain them. I looked around the room to see if I could recognize him in the pit of blurry faces. I couldn't see him anywhere.

“He’ll be here shortly.” my daughter explained. “His flight landed over an hour ago, and the driver has picked him up.”

Knowing that I put a smile on this old, wrinkled face of mine, I just had to hold out a while longer. The door opened once again, and a figure came closer.

“Hey...Ali. How are you holding up?” Glen’s voice greeted me.

“Could be better, I guess.” I sighed silently.

Everyone said their goodbyes and wished me farewell, especially the great-grandchildren. They had experienced the least with me but had heard more than their fair share of stories. I had become a man of great standing with them over the years.

I had asked Glen to explain the situation with the ReKINDlE Project and had given him the go-ahead for the mission. I was going to die anyway, so I thought, why not give it a chance and hope for the best? Seeing the youngsters made me feel resentful about not spending more time with them. Maybe this second chance could give me a chance to fix that.

While Glen explained the situation, the door swung open, and another figure came running to stand next to me. I embraced my son for what would be the last time shedding dry tears of joy in the process. Within moments, he was updated on the situation and wished me the best of luck during my final mission.

The entire ordeal had taken its toll on me, I felt the minute amount of energy I had remining begin to fade. Nurses and doctors rushed in before the darkness overwhelmed me.

Glen stood next to me, and from what I could tell, I was also surrounded by a multitude of doctors and military personnel. He cleared his throat before explaining, “We’re almost ready to start the procedure. You might feel disoriented when you get there, and we’re not completely sure if the communications will be working at first, but once you arrive, you should have access to a holographic display built into your left wrist. Remember, time will pass differently in there, so don't panic. You’ve got the best the world has to offer working on this.”

“General Smith, we don't have much time. It’s now or never.” One of the doctors interrupted.

“I wish you the best of luck, my friend. I hope we meet again one day. I’m sorry we didn’t have enough time to explain things properly, but I’m sure once communications are online, you’ll get the full picture… you might lose so…-” Glen finished patting me on the shoulder, but his voice faded before I could catch the last part of what he was trying to say.

That was when I felt the rush of chemicals enter my veins. My eyes grew dim before light as white as snow overwhelmed my vision and the sounds of the operating room echoed out of existence.

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I opened my eyes to a blurry palette of blue and white, but within a few seconds, it cleared. For the first time in the last decade, my vision was crystal clear. I gasped a lungful of fresh air before a feeling of overwhelming joy buzzed to life across my entire body. My skin felt tight and firm, and my heart pounded like a bass drum without skipping a beat. It was as if my brain had been planted into a clone of myself from my mid-twenties. The pain of old age was replaced with an exotic euphoria pumping vigorously through my veins.

The sounds of chirping birds caught my attention before I came to the crux of the matter, Where am I? The fingertips of the grass I lay upon tickled my arms as I pushed myself up, keen to see what other wonders this place offered.

It appeared I must have landed in a vast meadow of some sort. Shrubs, flowers, even some scattered trees littered my immediate area, along with some rocks thrown into the mix. Either this was heaven, or I had truly entered this ‘sub-space’ realm.

I took my first steps, “What the…-,” and that was when I realized I was completely nude. “Could have programmed some clothes in this darn thing.” I scoffed before noticing a peculiar object resting snugly upon my left wrist. A small blue orb surrounded by a metallic casing hugged my skin. It was perfectly connected to my wrist, almost to the point I didn't even feel it there. Naturally, curious about what it would do, I pressed the orb.

A small holographic screen appeared before my eyes, with the source of the light coming from within the orb. From the looks of it, it was a kind of menu…

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