An expanse of white stretched out, merging with the empty horizon, which warped and distorted as abstract shapes formed, sliding in and out of existence.
Alone amidst this vast emptiness stood a a solitary figure; a being of pale flesh, formed out of this same great nothingness. It took the shape of a man, as two round black eyes formed on his head, creating a singular source of darkness within the unending white. Fingers formed from viscous, liquid flesh as he opened his eyes, gazing out into the infinite horizon.
He could not speak; In fact, the mere concept of language had not even broached his mind, which now began to form within his head. Small, static-like impulses began firing across his neurons, twitching movements as his body began to respond to the stimuli of his environment. The hollow, black eyes on either sides of his head took in the whiteness around him, observing the vague shapes which came into existence far beyond his reach. This world, existence itself to him, now stood before him as some great wonder, as it was the only thing he had witnessed thus far within his newly given existence.
Nerves formed within his skin as tingling feelings ran up his limbs. He twitched in response to these stimuli, these new feeling so foreign to him, as everything else was, and would be. Soft breezes drifted by, inconceivably small particles formed from the shifting shapes lining the horizon brushed against his skin, causing subtle, impulsive shivers.Â
Unbeknownst to the being, a great plane, as white as the infinite nothing that surrounded him, began to form underneath him, as his body, once floating adrift, slowly descended as the particles drifting about seemed to rise relative to him.Â
The being's feet, for the first time, touched its hard surface. It was at this time as well that he first experienced the pull of gravity, which buckled his knees as he collapsed onto the ground. This solid surface pressed into his skin, the pull of gravity seemingly overwhelming to his nascent form. His fingers scraped against it in slow, twitching movements as his brain sent minute electrical signals down the newly-formed passageways of his nerves.
With each movement, his control over his movements heightened slightly: the small, instinctual twitches became larger, more deliberate movements as his fingers extended and contracted, feeling the ground, studying its smooth surface. His fingers seemed as though to claw into the ground, though incapable of making any blemish upon the infinite plane.
He looked at these movements, watching as his body responded to each impulse brought upon it by his nerves. He slowly turned his head, watching his view of the world around him shift. He gazed out into the vastness of this great nothingness now seemingly perplexing him, as more neurons formed within his mind, its capacity for thoughts slowly growing.
He continued his movement, gaining more control over his body. He could now move his arms, slowly sliding them against the ground, studying the extension and contraction of his muscles, how his tendons pulled and relaxed under his skin. His arms moved with greater strength as he became increasingly capable of exerting control over them.Â
His hands pressed into the ground, being met with greater friction as he shakily pushed his body off of it. He studied his extended arms intently, watching the trembling of his outstretched fingers as he gradually walked his hands downwards across the ground towards his waist, each movement controlled and deliberate as he pushed his body upright.Â
It was at this moment that he first saw his legs which, up until this moment, he could only feel via the ground against them. He began the process once more, slowly gaining control over his limbs, slightly twitching them at first before exerting greater control.
He moved one leg forward, awkwardly shifting his body into a crouched position as he extended his spine more upright. He carefully raised himself upwards, shakingly lifting his hands off the ground.
Swaying side to side, he stood up, occasionally loosing balance before catching himself, propping his body upright once more.
Through trial and error of falling, precariously lifting himself upwards once more before loosing balance and falling back onto the ground, he experienced a new feeling: pain. With each fall, the flesh on his face contorted and twisted, so as to yell out, had he the mouth to do so. Still, time and time again, he picked himself up off of the ground, this new painful feeling becoming just another facet of his new existence which, much like the tingling breeze flowing through the infinite atmosphere, filled him with curiosity, despite its discomfort.
After some time, he possessed a newfound sense of balance and control over his body. Each muscle extended and contracted according to his wishes, their movements becoming intuitive to him. He stood up straight, the gentle wind brushed against his sides. He turned himself around, gazing about at the world around him, the infinite whiteness of it all, the great formations on the horizon shifting and warping in accordance to some unknown force. It filled him with a sense of wonder, of curiosity; not only of the world around him, but of himself—where he had come from, what his place was in this vast nothingness. Such complex thoughts came easily to him now, the patchwork of his brain now far more developed as it once was before.
He took a step forward, and then another, following the direction in which the gently breeze flowed. He walked along side it, letting it guide him to wherever it might be headed, taking step after step, each one feeling more natural than the last.
The wind grew subtly stronger as he followed it, the infinite particles which made it up brushed against him more quickly.
As he continued walking, a dark shape appeared on the horizon. Its edges were more sharp and angular in contrast to the softer, wave-like shapes which filled the sky. As he approached it, the white haze which had once obscured it now revealed more details of it. It was inorganic, seemingly metallic. Dozens of unlabeled buttons lined its sides.
The being slid its hands over the object's sleek surface, feeling each sharp edge, the cold, hard grit of the metal. His hand brushed over a slightly inset, square section of the object's top. The object seemed to respond to this action, producing a loud humming sound as the top of it was raised and moved outwards to the side via some mechanism.
The removal of the objects top revealed its interior. Several mechanical valves, pipes, and wires extruded from its interior walls, growing almost like vines. In its center, a dozen or so thin bars lined the surface, parallel to one another. Below them, a circular dome-like structure let out a low hum; thin rings slowly orbited around it, each one turning like the gears of some incomprehensible mechanism.
The being gazed down into the object with fascination, gently running his fingers along each edge and corner, inquisitively trying to understand what it was that lied before him. His hands felt a long bar which extended out from one of its sides. He unintentionally applied slight pressure to it, causing it to suddenly flip, aided by some sort of internal mechanism.
At the flip of the lever, the humming from the object grew louder as the various mechanical elements which filled its interior shook and whirled, causing the being to quickly back up in momentary surprise. He noticed a small black orb which had begun to form over the object. It appeared pitch black, the white shapes in the horizon appeared to bend around it as it grew, despite it being only a few feet from him. It's sides appeared to shake and quiver, growing larger, now the size of the beings head. The object below it continued to grow louder, its mechanisms spinning into a chaotic cacophony as it formed this black orb above it. Lights flicked on and off, loud beeping sounds could be heard, paired with the rapid shifting and turning of mechanisms.
The being began to feel a slight pull towards the orb, causing a tingle which crawled throughout his body. The air around him whirled quickly past him, being pulled in by the orb. He shakily reached out a hand towards it, despite a vague sinking feeling deep in his gut. The very tip of his finger touched it. It was cold, incredibly cold, a sensation which, within a fraction of a second, enveloped his entire body. He went numb, a familiar static spread across his nerves. His vision went black and he felt no more.