5:05 Am, March 13, 2264
"I killed myself in a dream, within a dream"? "Huh, I haven't had such a vivid dream since I was a child"
"And… I feel... better?"
For the first time in 2 years, Exnil felt, he felt his emotions and became keenly aware of them.
His Nihilistic thoughts have subsided, for now.
He dragged himself out of bed and trekked across his dirty government-subsidized apartment.
He pulled open a shabby drawer and counted.
'Weird, I could've sworn that I only had 7 bucks to my name' Exnil thought.
"5, 25, 75, 175 and 177. Looks like I can last a few more days before going in".
Grabbing a mug, he made his way to the kitchen sink and gulped down the mug of water.
Ahhhhh~
Another
Hughhhh~
And another
'Fuuuck, it's been a while since I've done the bare minimum for my body'
He made his way to the bathroom and stared at the mirror for a while
Long oily black hair draped over his shoulders, sunken gray bloodshot eyes, marked with eye bags accumulated through years of restlessness, sprinkled on with some untamed facial hair.
Remarkably, you could still peer through the beauty despite his condition.
Pulling the side of the glass mirror, he found a razor and went to work
'Hmm, that's good'
Now clean-shaven, he made his way to the shower
Pshhhhhhh
The hot water poured from the shower head and indiscriminately splashed Exnil's body
He reached over to a built-in wall shelf and pumped liquid soap into his hands
Turning off the water, he lathered the soap across his body
Reaching over to the liquid 2in1 Shampoo bottle, he swished his hands together and gently massaged his scalp,
Twisting the metal handle, the water ejected from the head and washed away any residue remaining from his hair and body.
As he stepped out and grabbed a towel, it finally hit him
'Something's wrong'
6:05 Am
For the past 2 years, he'd neglected his basic needs, no, he didn't need to.
The S.A.G.E.
A revolutionary Genome editing system that could fundamentally alter the genes of humans, regardless if they were fetuses or fully grown adults.
The precious creation of his parents.
The technology had seemingly reached a singularity, its development was unparalleled, at least one-hundred-fold of the AGI era sparked by his grandparents.
At first, the technology was gate kept to the Ultra wealthy, those who treated buying a sports car as insignificant as a few pennies dropping out of a pocket.
But Gradually, as new versions were developed, the common masses are granted access to SAGE.
It's said that every 7 years, but that's a myth.
Skin cells are replaced in a matter of weeks. The liver and bone structure replace themselves in a matter of 12–16 months, and the nervous system and heart last almost a lifetime.
Natural Selection and evolution do the bare minimum. If an organism survives, it has a chance to propagate, and if it propagates, it has fulfilled its life's purpose.
As such, flaws like cancer, aging, mental illness, disease, and death continually exist.
But S.A.G.E bypassed all of that.
Let's say an obese 5'4 man wanted to do over.
S.A.G.E Reopens growth plates, and can activate a complex conversion of the atomic structure of fat cells, rearranging them into amino acids to form proteins, and virtually eliminate any waste products that come from digesting food. Their biological atomic structures are torn apart and rebuilt.
There was no theoretical limit. SAGE has immeasurable potential.
With brain reconstruction, the geniuses of yesterday are akin to a monkey in the face of a dimwit today.
What do you think the elite did with this transcendental technology? Of course, they monopolized it.
A subscription service.
Basic —> Access to S.A.G.E v1.6 and below physical and cognitive enhancement, aging reversal, and immune system boost!: $10,999 Yearly.
Cybernetic —> Remote S.A.G.E Access! Cure and immunity to ALL diseases and mental. Access to v5.2 Body and intelligence enhancement. Grow taller! Reshape your bone structure! Regenerate Lost Limbs! Become a Genius! $200,000 Yearly.
God-like —> Access to the latest SAGE development. (v8.45 and UP!) Possess Trans-special abilities and ascend to Immortality! $20,000,000 Yearly or a $500,000,000 lump sum payment.
(Includes benefit off previous levels)
At the God-Like level, the "humans" truly transcended to the level of gods. At that level, Physical transformation was instant and malleable, and what was once called "Magic" and "Fantasy" became reality.
All of this was possible through a small microchip inserted through the brain stem of a person, powered by biofuel, which acts as a mini supercomputer.
On March 15th, 2062, Exnil purchased a 2-year "value" deal, through a lump sum payment of $16,000, and it was due to expire
When a subscription expires, they slowly revert to their "Original"
Exnil looked in the mirror and saw his old self, his "Original Self"
'Gray eyes, black hair, androgynous, and tall'
"Did my subscription expire? I'm sure I set an alarm for March 15th, the subscription expires on March 15."
"..."
'Did I not hear it? Helix Industries is far too advanced to make such a primitive mistake'
"No wonder I dreamt of killing myself happily TWICE in my dream." Exnil realized.
When choosing the basic S.A.G.E package, there was a customization to the physical and cognitive changes. Exnil had opted for emotional suppression, drug resistance, and drug effect enhancement.
He could overdose on the most potent drug, experience the highest high, and be completely fine the next day.
As soon as his subscription expired, all the changes provided by S.A.G.E were reversed.
Two years.
Two years' worth of suppressed emotions had bombarded him.
When he looked in the mirror, he thought of his family again.
Tears began to flow
Bam!
His knees faltered, and he fell to the ground, sobbing.
AHGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
"FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK WHYHYYYYYY AGHKKK"
He thought of how useless he was, how little he had done, and his current state. He slammed his fist onto the floor, punched the mirror, and screamed out at the world.
For that was all he could do.