Due for a much needed relief, Murreki decided to enjoy the rest of his day off best he could. With the ingredients he purchased the day before he attempted to make due and cook himself the best dinner he could muster that night. Upon completion, he was rather proud of it. With gusto, he chowed down on his chicken masala whilst watching whatever movie was on that night. Knowing he had tomorrow off, and his money was to be refunded, he went to bed early with the intent on waking at a decent hour to enjoy his full and well deserved day off.
The next morning, he woke up feeling in a better mood than the past two days. Out of curiosity, he pulled the envelopes he had discarded on the couch a few nights ago over while he drank morning coffee. He wanted to see what they were spending money on. The first bill was a new television, flatscreen with the latest specs. Murreki had longed for one of those, but never had the money for it. Reminding himself that the thief put his account in the negative just for purchasing it, he stopped himself from attempting to make a plausible case for buying one with his next paycheck.
The next bill he peered at was cheaper, but still damaging to his account. Thanking his bank in his head that the money was going to be returned, he opened the bill, noticing that it was for an assortment of sex toys. He rolled his eyes, now able to see the comical side of this situation. How he, too, would have loved to add a vibrator to his new television.
Murreki remembered that there were three envelopes, but only two charges. What could the third be? With hesitancy, he opened the one marked, ‘URGENT’. It was an odd letter, addressed to him with an impression seal in the center of the letter. Normally notices such as this were fake, scams or just junk mail. It was from a company called Corporis. He was in too good a mood, and decided to indulge the letter. He began reading:
“Mr. Jusocio,
After careful observation, we have determined that you would be an excellent candidate for a new program we are launching here at our company, known as “Corporis”. We apologize in advanced, but in order to scout out new ‘talent’, we shall say, we had to investigate you for the past three months. Given your previous contract with the DoD and Homeland Security, we were able to acquire your details.“
Murreki stopped reading for a moment; his heart was pounding. Who were these people and how did they get ahold of his contract? That was at least a year ago. How long did it take them, and what business did they have spying on him for the better part of three months?!
He continued, paws now shaking a bit.
“If you are interested, we have one of twelve positions available as a test subject in our new program. You will be properly compensated, of course. We are offering an entitlement of $2,500 for your trouble, however given your current situation we feel the fee will find its’ way to the wayside. For reasons of security (“Oh, like when you hijacked my defense contract?” Murreki thought.), we cannot disclose any information regarding the project. If you are interested, we are available at your leisure at the following address.
Good day.”
On the bottom of the letter was typed the address. Murreki read over it several times; he had passed there many times. He’s lived here for five years, he felt he would have noticed if some top secret work was being done there. But he also doesn’t remember there being a building of its description on that particular street.
He put the letter down and sat back in the couch. A nice fee of $2,500 sounded great, but at what cost? What if one of the servers or piece of tech he constructed had gone awry and they needed to off him, and offering him much needed funds was a way to entice him? He knew deep down he needed the money. Was his life worth $2,500? He was indeed living paycheck to paycheck, but having money to spend on something aside from bills was also a wonderful thought.
And what did the letter mean, “…at your leisure…”? Surely they had hours of operation, or a certain person who wanted to meet him specifically. The details were so cryptic.
But even as he was re-reading this, he was forming a plan in his head. The money was a decent incentive, but also breaking out of the funk he was in lately, not to mention doing something different from his norm. Something seemingly reckless. It was overpowering. He had a plan…
He picked up his mobile and phoned Rory.
“Hello?” The wolf answered.
“Rory, are you at work today?” Murreki asked curiously.
“Yyyeah? It’s Wednesday, why?”
“Listen, I’ve got to go into town today and, well. This will sound weird. But if I don’t call you back by 4:30 this afternoon, can you come by 373 Matriarch’s street and pick me up?” Murreki explained, hoping he didn’t sound too insane talking.
“That’s the one with the tavern and comic book store right?” Rory seemed to be attempting to picture the road.
“That’s the one.”
“Uhm, okay. Yeah I can come get you.” Rory agreed
“If I don’t phone you first, that is.” Murreki reminded him.
“Right…”
“Alright well call you later. OhandifI’mnottherecallthepolice. Bye!” Murreki rushed the last bit in then hit the end-call button.
Murreki grinned to himself. This was exhilarating! He was doing something totally new, and most likely very stupid.
He got dressed and looked at the time; it was 8:32. Most offices should be opening up around this time. He jolted down the steps, two at a time and reached the landing, walked out into the cold air and up to his car.
Murreki noticed as he was driving away that the check engine light didn’t ping on. Things may just be looking up. He kept in the back of his head though things didn’t normally fix themselves automatically. In his car at least; he couldn’t afford the newer 2154 models. His was still pretty new though, even if it was a ’49.
The address took him through town. He knew it would be busy, it was during rush hour. He passed the market where he bumped into Hanna, but he wasn’t thinking about her and the likelihood she was probably thinking of a way to get off work today. He kept driving and within fifteen minutes, he stopped in front of a large modern building that he could have sworn had to have been built recently. He’s passed here countless times and never once noticed it.
Upon finding a spot, he got out and walked up to the entrance. A small sign affixed to the wall just to the right of the doors read: “Established 2098”.
Murreki stared at it for longer than he can remember. There is no way this building was here for well over fifty years. It never was before … was it?
Waving away these thoughts, he walked inside and the doors swung open for him, chiming “Welcome to Corporius. Newcomer: please see the attendant up front for direction. It is advisable to bring your letter of invitation with you. Have a pleasant day!”
Murreki stopped. He didn’t bring the letter. Did this thing know? And how did it know it’s his first time here?
“You can step up here, its okay. Most people forget the letter, we’re going to start adding that you should bring it when you arrive,” A female fox spoke from a large desk, adorned with “CORPORIS” on front.
He walked over to her, twiddling his fingers anxiously.
“You can sign in here,” She handed him a virtual form, entirely glass and responded to his touch. Words started appearing as he held it up. “Once you’re done, hand it back and someone will be with you shortly!”
“Um. What exactly am I getting into here? The letter mentions nothing.” Murreki was wondering if he even wanted to know at this point.
“All questions will be answered upon interview,” She smiled brightly.
He stared at her for a moment. Reminding himself he made a contingency plan in case he wasn’t heard from again, he decided to go for it. Sitting down in a very comfy seat across from the desk, he set to work on the digital form. It was very odd; when he looked at it, it began automatically filling in basic information, such as his name, age, occupation and date of birth. Murreki looked up, “How does this thing know so much about me?!”
“It’s using information from our databanks by means of your faceprint.” The fox answered.
“Where are—“ Murreki began.
“All questions answered later!” She smiled again.
Irritated, Murreki looked down. It had completed most of the top of the form. The remainder seemed to be questions about his life, stress levels, hobbies and how he saw his life currently.
He figured it best to be honest. He rated his stress levels pretty high, and typed in that he saw his life as a bit of an ongoing downfall, remembering all his dreams as a child and how rapidly they were dashed when he moved on his own.
As he typed this in, the questions disappeared and more popped up, tailoring themselves to his responses.
“If possible, would you take the opportunity to go back to a previous state of your life, simulated or otherwise?”
Murreki paused. He often dreamt about going back and changing some critical points in his life. He answered yes.
“What age range would you prefer revisiting?”
He blinked. This couldn't be serious. He selected the radial choice for 3-6. As he touched it, he felt awkward about what someone would think when they evaluated his choices and went to select something different, maybe 14-18, but as his pawpad got close, the form blanked.
“THANK YOU, PLEASE SEE ATTENDANT” was all that remained on screen now.
A small ding was heard up by her desk. “All done?” She asked, apparently already knowing the answer. Murreki nodded and stood up, walking over and handed it to her.
“Taolin, the latest visitor is ready.” The lady spoke into a microphone.
A door opened to his left and a grey wolf a foot taller than Murreki stepped out.
“Right this way please.” He spoke with a rather kind voice.
Murreki felt hesitant but his body was already walking towards the wolf. He went through the door and the wolf stepped in front, leading him to a left, then a right and finally the door at the end.
It was a small white room with just a table and some comfy looking chairs.
“Please, sit.” He was instructed, and did as he was told, heart now bumping against his chest in anxiousness.
The wolf sat across from him and placed a small computer in front of him, staring at it.
Murreki couldn’t help himself. “Okay, why am I here? How did you find me and more importantly how did you get ahold of my government contracts?”
The wolf looked up, “You are aware your contracts are not under the privacy act right? And more to the point, we contacted you as we figured you would be a valuable –“
“Test subject?” Murreki interjected.
“I was going to say asset. We’ve witnessed your life. You are in constant stress. When you used to go to your therapist you often spoke of how your younger years were, and how difficult it is and miserable you are in your present. Actually, he recommended us at one point but you might not have listened. You are here because you made a choice. You decided it was worth the risk to accept an invitation from an unknown source. Either that or you really desired the money.” Taolin continued.
“Wait, so I’m not getting paid?” Murreki was about to get up and walk out at this point.
“Oh, we intend to pay you, but as we said in the letter, the experienced gained will be more of a reward than simple payment. Allow me to explain our offer.”
He turned his laptop around. A picture of a lounge bed that had a concave imprint of an adult body was on the screen. It had several cables attached to it and interfaces all around it. “This is called the Corporis, it is a machine that enables you to control what we call Animi. Bodies that are grown near instantly, based on the DNA provided by the host. It can be grown to, and remain at, any age you wish. If you make it grow past a certain age, the Animi cannot regress in physical form, the process must be started from scratch.
Once we synthesize your Animi, should you choose to accept this offer, you can be linked directly into it via the Corporis. Your body will be held in protective stasis on this end, and your mind will be transported digitally through the Corporis. You will be in immediate control of your Animi once your mind fully transfers.
For means of our experiment, and for the protection of the host, we draw the DNA here, send it to one of our establishments somewhere on this planet, and they will synthesize your Animi for you, and then you will be able to access it.
So, if you are interested, we can begin. If not, you may take your $2,500 with no grudges from our company and you may be seen out. We will no longer contact you, you will not be able to see this building again, and you may not return.” The wolf closed his laptop, sat back in his chair and gave Murreki a warm smile.
It took him a while to process all of this information. He was literally being offered one of his dreams right in front of him, and it felt like it was far too good to be true. He could essentially, from what it seemed, go backwards in physical age and enjoy himself back as it was when he was younger. He couldn’t turn this offer down, not when he was told he would never have another chance at it. He looked up and nodded.
“Let’s get started.” Murreki said with a smile.
“Then follow me.”
The wolf led him out the door and through a set of double doors. Everything was blindingly white here. People were walking around, doing their jobs. Murreki looked in past a huge window, seeing a scientist in a lab coat doing experiments on an Animi. It was ‘unconscious?’ and was getting an arm fused back on. There was no noticeable blood, but the fur seemed to grow instantly once the limb was reattached.
“Motorcycle accident. And yes, you can feel the pain of your Animi,” Taolin mentioned, seeing Murreki’s gaze wander.
They went down another hall, the walls here were a darker colour than the rest of the building. Murreki again nosily gazed into a window and saw a Corporis machine. It had a very old feline laying in it. He wondered how old she must be, and what age she chose for her Animi.
“We keep these halls darker. It makes it easier on the hosts to stay in a state of deep stasis.” The wolf explained again.
They walked into the fourth door on the right. It was identical to the other rooms. It had its own Corporis, several computers lining the walls, interfaces on most surfaces, and what seemed to be vital checking tech attached to the machine he was to be laying on.
“Sit here,” Taolin instructed. He booted up a computer on the desk. It came to life and random digits and code flashed across the screen. “Hold out your arm, please.”
Murreki did as he was told. The grey wolf pulled out a hypo from his labcoat pocket, pressed it to Murreki’s arm and it hissed, drawing a sufficient amount of blood. Murreki gasped, not being ready for it.
“Apologies,” Taolin murmured. He placed the hypo into an extractor machine sitting next to the computer. Within an instant, the blood disappeared. Suddenly, the face of a skunk appeared on the monitor.
“Hello! We have received your sample and are beginning construction now. Patient Murreki, what is your desired age of Animi?” The female voice rang out.
“Uh-umm.” He blushed, wanted to be honest but not judged.
“No need to be shy, we have an eight month old Animi here right now. The host is in her late 160s. Wasn’t ready for death yet.”
Murreki tilted his head, “Er, okay. Does three sound okay?”
“You tell me, silly!” She responded.
“Uh, yeah alright, three,” he spoke, ears perked.
She smiled at him through the monitor before turning it to a small tank. It was not filled with water, not any substance, however she injected the blood sample into the growing tank and it was suspended in mid-air, as if being held in anti-gravity. In an instance, he saw the blood form a ball. Soon it grew flesh-coloured and began sprouting limbs.
It was very odd, and a bit disturbing as he watched the Animi being born. As it continued, it began growing fur. It was lighter than his current colour of fur, but exactly as it had been when he was younger. Even his patterns were there! Murreki was becoming very excited seeing such a transformation. The rings on his tail, the dark notch by his muzzle. There was a small chime and a screen by the tank showed a number 3.
The body hovered, tail moving up and down. The skunk opened the tank and picked up the nude lifeless form that was soon to host Murreki.
“It’s a boy!” she jokingly teased through the monitor. Murreki grinned “See ya soon, love.” She said while walking away from the screen.
“Alright, when you’re ready, Murreki.” Taolin stood up and indicated with his paw to the Corporis. Murreki rushed over, more enthusiastic about this than anything in the past years.
He laid down in the crevice of the device. It began form fitting itself to him. He felt a snugness around every bit of his body.
“Apologies again, you will soon feel a small twinge by your neck. This is the link. It forms a bond between yourself and the Animi. Prepare yourself.” Taolin instructed.
Murreki closed his eyes tight, ears twitching. He indeed felt it. It was like a large needle entered behind his head. He let out an involuntary yelp. Taolin pressed a button on the machine just next to the Corporis.
“The pain should be gone now.” He mentioned.
“Y-yeah it is. Thanks.” Murreki shifted a bit.
“The Corporis is now active. You are in control. In order to link with your Animi, you must close your eyes and attempt to fall into a deep sleep. Think of the Animi. Picture it in your mind. Will yourself to go to it and the Corporis will do the rest. Enjoy.”
Murreki was shaking. He was nervous, excited, and again nervous all at once. He closed his eyes and pictured his younger form, how it looked exactly like him, how he’ll be able to experience being younger again. He wished so hard to be able to go to it. In an instance, he felt a harsh jolt from behind his neck. All of the sudden he heard rushing. He was zooming along nothingness. He tried to open his eyes but there were none, or maybe nothing to look at. He tried to lower his ears to drown out the sound but he had no ears. He struggled and twitched, but had no form. He was beginning to get more scared than ever before, every ounce of stress pressing itself on him.
Then he saw a light and he was rushing towards it at breakneck speeds. It was then, and only then, did he no longer feel stress. He couldn’t even describe it. He felt fear, oh yes. But couldn’t understand it. Every worry he had in the past decade was melting away from him as if it never happened. He couldn’t ever fathom of why someone would worry about things they couldn’t explain or comprehend.
Suddenly, he hit the light and his full younger form jolted as he woke with a start.
