Ulysses's Odyssey.

Apologies to Joyce.

Ulysses's Odyssey.

Apologies to Joyce.

The technicians gathered around the screen, chattering away like a group of prophets reading the intent of Universe in the dancing pixels popping into lighted existence at the command of stream of consciousness pouring out of the body laying motionless on the glass enclosed platform in the corner of the room. If examined closely the body of the man could be seen to be breathing under the temperature controlling sheets.

“itsnotmuchofasecret” the screen snapped into place.

“It’s not much of a secret”, intoned one of the 12 technicians.

“We’ve got it, Sid. It’s not that complicated. No spaces.” said another, clearly annoyed at Sid.

Sid replied brusquely, “Bob, I am reading it aloud for the recorder. For posterity…”

Just as Bob was going to tell Sid where to relocate his posterity...Sid’s headset crackled, and snapped.

“Ok! Tammy got text to voice tapped on!” Sid said. “Great!”

“it’s incredible incredibly bright but no light without light” said a disembodied voice from the speakers in the ceiling. “I keep moving, though I don’t know how. At least it feels like movement. But I know not how. My body is not involved, yet I am moving. I remember leaving my body some place. I forget where…”

All eyes in the room focused on the man’s body, laying on the platform behind the glass. The thermal sheet covering him rose gently around his abdomen. Ulysses's Coburn was alive, but no longer in his body.

“...Faster than our solar system. I am leaving the sun behind me. ” Said the voice in tandem with the screen appearances. The voice was mechanically calm, measured, sedate even, in spite of the language.

The overhead speakers continued in a stream of consciousness pouring out. Everyone was intently quiet, listening as it flowed over them, steady, measured in pace, and anything but in content.

“I am still moving. There are Sparks around me now. Also moving. Rapidly. Faster than I can imagine speed to be. My body’s experience with movement does me no good now. They won’t believe how fast movement can be. The Sparks are keeping up. Some pass by me. Some are aware of me. Are the Sparks others? Like me? Are the me? They are like me! They are alive! Also moving! Faster. We are all moving faster. Where!?! In-bound! I am in-bound! It’s there. I can see it even with no eyes! No body! It is glory! It is the Center of the Galaxy! It draws me/us/all faster faster faster. Going faster. It’s so bright! So incredible! I Know Now! I See Now.”

The room was so quiet that each would swear later that they could hear the blood pounding in everyone else’s ears. The technicians were more silent than the lack of sound conveys; they gave Silence a presence, a weight not normally felt.

Ulysses's voice, coming through the overhead speakers continued, apparently unfazed by his losing the location of his body.

“….There It Is!...The Goal. It’s the most incredible sight! I must tell them...them?...when I...get...back. Back? Where? Where is my body? Well, I am here. Now. Close enough to see. It is the Never Ending Engine of Life! Life is pouring out...flooding out...it is magnificent! I must tell them! Who? Some one. It was important. It was meaningful. I promised. Who? No. It was what I promised that was important. I won’t be going back. He will have to find others to ride this linkage. I am gone, and I am staying gone. Elon will just have to be pissed. This was not in the plan! I am at the Overflowing Well of All Souls…..it is incredible…..”

Abruptly the mechanic voice stopped. Everyone turned to look at Ulysses, laying on his bed. He was no longer breathing. He was no longer just laying there. His body floated, just a few inches, but it was noticeable. Then, without so much as a ‘poof’, Ulysses's body was gone. Vanished. The thermal sheet hung suspended for just an instant, then floated down.

End of Experiment 0.10x. Awaiting next prototype neural linkage implant as first one vanished with test subject #1.