Aghhhhhhhhhhh
I let out a strangled scream that echoed within my skull. I could feel my limbs twisting, snapping, growing and taking form, before twisting and snapping again. A blinding light was all i could make out as the agongy of my body, writhing in strange ways suddenly disappeared, as if all i had ever known was the instant initiation and dissapearance of pain. I was standing, i could tell that much but nothing felt right. The sensations of my body were wrong. After a few more moments the blinding white light faded and my vision slowly returned. I immediately looked down at my hands which came ever so slowly in to focus.
These aren't mine.
My hands were now large greyish brown masses that resembled tree branches. Hard, cracked, bark like skin covered them. They looked like they were grown from a tree, and it wasn't just my hands, my whole body seemed to be made of some sort of wood. I visually inspected my body over. I felt no pain but that was a contradiction to the timber like deformities that had seems to overtake my skin.
But that's impossible. What the hell is going on?
I could feel everything clearly, the sudden gusts of wind that were whipping up across my (what i now realised) naked body, felt cool on my…
I guess i could call this skin?
What the hell has happened to me? This couldn't even be considered my body anymore.
Of course, this must be a dream. I had rolled over for a nap in the hospital moments ago, this must be a truly vivid dream.
I sat down for a moment on the cool grass and after a deep breath, proceeded to take in my soundings. Behind me stood a towering pine forest, The trees stood taller than any i had ever seen before. In front of me was a scene that could have put the view from everest to shame. I was on top of an enormous cliff. The land below was so far down that making out any true details other than colour was impossible. It looked like a vast forest stretched out infinitely towards the horizon. Clouds wafted lazily underneath adding to a sense that this was trully a dream taking place at the top of the world.
After a few minutes of atempting to ignore the surrounds and embrace the beaty of this dream, i realized that all 5 of my senses seemed to be working perfectly. This concerned me greatly. Never had i been in a dream where i could so clearly manage my thoughts, my senses and my body. What concerned me further was the realisation that i was also acutely aware of the birds fluttering around out of site in the forest behind me. Of the lizards, snakes and small mamals scurrying 10s of meters away in the dense, unseen underbrush.
How could i possibly be aware they are there?
Must be part of the dream?
"And a rather rather pleasant dream at that," i said out loud to myself, as i flopped backwards to stare up at the Sapphire blue sky above.
You aren't dreaming.
I lept to my feet in an instant, so quickly in fact that i startled myself more so after hearing someone else speak. but there was no one present.
After a moment of silence i began to relax again, i could sense somehow all the living creatures in my immediate vicinity, there was no-one else here.
I must have imagined it, but holy shit this body is epic, i can't believe how quickly i can move.
I crouched down slightly and tensed my legs for a leap before springing into the air. I had expected to be able to jump high in this dream world but not to this extent. the air whistled past past my ears…
Wait, do i have ears?
In a moment i was nearly 100 meters above my starting point, i peered out towards the forest on top of the cliff, it sloped downwards far off into the distance, broken by small crags and stone outcroppings. The cliff i had lept from was far and away the highest point in any direction. After a slight lurch, my assent had finished and i began to plumet back towards the ground.
Wait, this is actually pretty scary.
Ok please wake up now. The grass below was approaching rapidly, terror welled up from deep inside me, my heart wasn't racing at all but…
Wait do i have heart? No time to think about that, Please wake up now!
I yelled as loud as i could in the hopes of jolting myself awake.
You're not asleep.
The voice again! Please wake up, Shiiiiiiiiit!
CRASH!
I hit the ground with a tremendous thud and prepared for the incoming pain, but none came. I opened my eyes tentatively and surveyed my body. I was entirely unharmed.
Wow this is a really cool dream!
Again, you are not Dreaming, you are not asleep, you are standing here, right now, this is your reality.
"Who the hell said that?"
I frantically looked around to find the source of the voice but couldn't see anyone and more concerningly it seemed to me, i couldn't sense anyone nearby.
Please remain calm, this is going to be a lot of information to take in but i'll do my best to explain everything for you.
Seriously, where the hell are you?
I am everywhere. we are everywhere.
That makes no fucking sense.
"Please, calm down, i will explain all i can now, let me start at the beginning.
You are not dreaming, you have awoken moments ago, right here. This body of yours must seem strange and even frightening to you but it is your body now."
What do you mean awoken? How is this my body?
I was begining to feel a deep anxiety well up from inside me. What did this voice mean i'm not asleep, how is that possible? Where the hell am i? What the hell am i?
You were once a human it would seem, long long long ago, you had passed away. Do you remember your name?
Selwyn, My name is Selwyn.
A moment of unnerving silence follwed.
Selwyn, the age you lived in has long past. You have been dead for close to 100,000 years. The world as you knew it has been rebuilt countless times.
What the hell are you talking about, i was in the hospital only a couple of minutes ago!
To you it would seem that way. The reality is you passed away.
Then how am i here?
Humanity has evolved in countless ways since your era. We advanced our technology to a point where our physical bodies were no longer necessary. We spread across the galaxy then after we had explored all we could, we went further still, Humanity is now existing across hundreds of galaxies. Some live entirely as post physical entities such as ourself, Some chose to live hybrid lives, but as individual entities, Humanity has reached its absolute pinnacle.
Wait so you're saying humans are all over the galaxy now and they're basically ghosts and aliens and and this is the future?
Ghosts isn't quite right. We exist as energy, an energy held together and manipulated through consciousness. It enables us to process information on a quantum level, travel the depths of space with no need for a ship, manipulate atoms. We can do almost anything. But here on earth it's different.
So this is still earth? thank god, the way you were talking i thought id be on some far off planet.
You are on earth, the same earth you lived and died on one hundred thousand years ago. Humanity agreed that our mother planet would be protected and preserved, Earth has been essentially set in a midevil type state for well over fifty thousand years now. There are certainly remnants of highly advanced technology left here but ultimately, humans and the many genetically modified off shoots of humanity that remain, live a life similar to the Medieval times.
I sat down gently and looked up at the sky again. This was all so much information to take in, i was suddenly one hundred thousand years in the future, talking to an invisible voice and discussing demi-humans and intergalactic travel. It all felt too surreal to be true. i had far too many questions that needed answering as well. Growing tired of the existential explanations far to complex for my old mind to take in i stood again and set off towards the forest. There was no point sitting on a cliff forever. I'd need shelter and food. (At least i think i do.)
Where are you going?
None of what you have told me has mad much sence…And doesn't explain how i'm here?
We are getting to that, Some of the concepts we're about to discuss may seem like science fiction to you, we simply wanted to lay some foundations. You are the first being of your kind to ever exist. We have high hopes for you so please listen patiently.