James walked into the Owl Creek Bridge Research Center at the appointed time. His stomach flip-flopped when the receptionist greeted him. Must be nerves, he thought, smiling shyly.
She gave him his badge, and he walked back to prep, part of him lingering, wishing he had the presence of mind to say something to her.
Never mind, he told himself.
“It’s not too late, James,” the doc told him. “You can back out up to the last moment, no obligations.”
“No, I’m ready,” said James. He didn't understand the science behind what they were doing, but it sounded wonderful. They would “trick” his mind into leaping into their matrix, and he would become the first immortal man. Their immortal man, true, but he had always been meek enough to compromise. It seemed worth the trade.
James lay back on the table. Nothing would be done to his body. A probe that wouldn't even penetrate his skin lowered into position next to his skull.
The smallest glint between the probe and James’s head…and he knew.
He saw everything. It was beautiful; immense and small. Everywhere at once and for all time, beginning leading from ending into beginning for eternity, and He was vast.
It was not just size, infinitely large and infinitely small, but time! And other planes and modes and scales, all infinite in their scope!
He cast out, and out… until he nearly swooned at the lack of limits. He withdrew, zooming inward past the smallest smallness. He became He, and He filled the universe. Then the Universes. Then the Omniverse.
And in His immense Awe, it occurred to Him, you have to Be somewhere.
“Stop,” said James. “Never mind.”
He left them speechless, and went to ask the receptionist to lunch.
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What did I just read? Explanations and excuses can be found at this link.
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