The Ascension Collection

  *

  The human mind was such an interesting little contraption, Holly thought. In theory it was surpassed by all but the most unintelligent of machines and yet in practise it seemed able to outperform anything humanity had ever created. It was the last true enigma.

  Her hand pushed another syringe full of drugs into the next patient. She patted the subject’s shoulder with an absent mind. She couldn’t look into any of their faces. In just a few hours any emotion, drive, ambition, anything at all, anything that made them human, would be removed. She wished that she had not been tasked as executioner, for that was what it was. She almost hated herself for it. She would have cried had the rational part of her not told her that it was all in the name of progress. That she had no choice. That this research was humanities only hope, its only escape from the circle of destruction.

  Of course they would still look like people. They would still be able to talk, respond, carry out requests, but that would be all. It was better off this way, after all. They were like power stations, and you didn’t want your power stations to turn off the juice just because they felt like it. Even understanding the motives behind the procedure was not enough to stop it from being unsettling.

  In went another syringe. Out went another patient. In comes another, down the syringe falls again: repeat until completed. They must all have been terrified. No one had explained to them what these injections were for. Nevertheless they did not complain and she was grateful for that. If they had she was not sure if she could have gone through with it.

  Five hours later and they had become the zombies that she had intended them to be. They had already been injected with the virus and it was just a matter of time before the procedure was complete. She knew one thing and one thing only, she could not be a part of this future. She was not sure what she was going to do. What she did know was that there was no place in the perfect world for a person like her. Once  the procedure was complete she would leave Ascension.

  She gazed down from the glass viewing gallery at her little angels, all lined up in rows. Her little children. She was nearly done now. She had played her part. She had created gods. Despite herself she grinned just a little. It was not exactly what she had thought she would have been doing when she graduated from medical school. Each of them smiled up at her, in dumb bliss. They were connected to the Promethean Layer now, they were almost ready. Apotheosis was just around the corner.

  ‘Blue Dawn,’ she called. The station’s AI walked up to her. She had taken on a physical form. Holly wondered which particular body-model this one was.

  ‘Can I help you doctor?’ she asked. Her tone was silky and smooth. It glided from her.

  ‘Call Carvelle for me would you.’

  ‘Of course doctor.’ Dawn’s eyes flicked upwards. ‘Carvelle has answered. I will patch you through now.’

  Carvelle’s holo resolved in front of her eyes. ‘Holly?’

  ‘The procedure is complete sir. All forty nine patients have successfully connected to the Promethean Layer. We are ready to move onto the next stage.’

  Carvelle beamed at her. ‘That is fantastic news. How long before we can begin modifying the population?’

  Holly did not smile. She declined her eyes wondering what she had just done. ‘They can start using the Equinox subjects to connect right now. You will probably need to manufacture a couple of hundred more of them before you do, to avoid supply pressure. You can start getting a few of Ascension’s citizens connected right now of you like.’

  ‘This is wonderful news Holly. I always knew you could do it.’

  ‘If you don’t mind sir,’ she asked. ‘I would like to take a quick flight before we continue with the project. Just to clear my head. I have been working for hours.’

  Carvelle clapped his hands together. ‘Of course my dear, take as much time as you need.’ Holly shut the screen off and went to find a free vessel.