Keshi lay reclined in the Archon, its fleshy interior pressing against his back and the soles of his feet. He tried to clear his mind of any and all thoughts, like he was told, but it was an absurd thing to ask. His breathing had picked up again, so he focused on that instead.
In. Out. In. Out.
He felt a hand on his left arm as Akashi lifted it and slid in a fresh IV.
"It'll feel like falling asleep."
"I still don't get what I'm supposed to do."
"Leave everything to us. We'll walk you through once you're in."
"How?"
As Keshi stared into his eyes, a voice sounded in his head.
[Like this.]
The hair on his neck bristled.
It wasn't clear, like hearing with your ears. It was wispy—distorted—burnt. Like a ghostly signal from some deep, faraway place.
He must have been making a face, because he felt a pat on the shoulder. When Akashi spoke again, it was through his mouth.
"Relax. Your only job is controlling your alter ego."
In. Out. In. Out.
Yuki's voice chimed in.
"Dr. Akashi, he's stable at N1. All vitals normal."
Akashi didn't look away.
"Now, she's going to resist you, like an immune system resists a foreign body. It'll be a constant dance to stay in control. But once you reach that flow state, you'll have access to their entire soul—their knowledge, memories, abilities—everything."
Keshi tried to listen—pay attention, but none of what he said made any sense.
He heard a spectral echo, followed by a glow that bloomed above his head. Rainbowed light, refracting off the Archon's interior as it spun, casting across his black gown.
"N2! Dr. Akashi, I've got a lock on his ego signature."
My what?
In. Out.
Akashi nodded at Yuki. The Archon's undulating groan rose in pitch, louder and louder. Keshi could still make out most of the command station. Ren stood a few meters away, preoccupied with something he couldn't see. His eyes darted about, before landing on the IV again.
As he watched a mysterious fluid run down the tube and into his arm, a lonesome feeling began to creep in.
In… and out…
A dull, rapid thumping startled him—like popcorn, bursting inside the Archon's hull. He could feel each irregular beat vibrate through the headrest.
"What was that?"
He tried to turn his head, but his muscles no longer responded. His neck drifted limply to the side.
"N3!"
"Yuki, I'm driving on this one."
"Thank you, Doctor! Archon fully synchronized!"
Akashi turned and nodded at Ren.
"He's good. On your signal."
Ren nodded back, then whipped around to face the main holo-display. The visual feeds for Guy, Nagasawa, and Nori flashed on screen.
"Alright! Mission is a go!"
Ren gestured dramatically with her right arm—side salute, two fingers up.
"Signal clear!"
Yuki answered.
"Yes, Commander! Initiating ID Transplant!"
Keshi looked at Akashi, fear in his eyes.
"Hold on. What if I lose control? What if something happens to me in the other body?"
Akashi cocked his head, form blurring in and out of focus.
"You should try believing in yourself."
He gave a simple shrug and walked out of sight.
Out… In?
Wait—he'd forgotten to breathe. Had he not been breathing this whole time?
He searched for Ren, but she was gone.
The sounds of the room stretched and distorted. Then the room itself.
The air turned shiny, pulling taut over his face, suctioning, sealing his eyes wide open.
He watched the world unfurl, folding into and away from itself—flaking off into fine powder—dusted across the dark floors of a long, eternal night.
Until he, too, disappeared completely.