Sutopia 

Ch 19, SBodies: Space Bodies

Logan had never attended a Corpus Verto party and his searches on the metanet revealed that they tended to be very personalized affairs so it was hard to provide a distinct description of what to expect.  That being the case, the articles he found did manage to separate them into four distinct varieties: somber, wistful, celebratory, or spiritual.  Out of all of the options, Logan knew that Lillian was not all that spiritual so he was betting that it would be one of the first three.

Based on his research, somber parties were often reserved for those who had a specific attachment to their last Corpus.  They were run almost like a funeral, and the gathering was more seen as a transition from one life to the next.  If there was music it would be soft, conversation would be muted and respectful, and any foods and drinks would be light and 'snacky'.  Usually decorations were simple and understated while guests were limited to close friends and family.  Based on the fact that he didn't know Lillian much outside of class, Logan assumed her Corpus Verto party wouldn't be that one... except the fact that she didn't know many people so maybe it COULD still be one of those.

A wistful party could be an option too-- especially considering that she'd gone through Corpus Verto when awakening in the 27th century without really having gone through it proactively.  In that case, it made sense that she would celebrate her life back several centuries ago, so a wistful party made a lot of sense.  That would probably mean music and decorations from centuries past-- lots of nostalgia, with food and drinks from the bygone era, and everyone there would expect to reminisce about the past.  The wistful party also had the drawback of her lacking friends and family from centuries past but, then again, it made a LOT of sense for her to invite her classmates since they were from 'back then'.

Just as likely, or more likely even, Logan thought he should prepare for a celebratory party.  Lillian seemed excited to start her life as a Transhuman in the 27th century so changing her body might have been her next logical step.  In that case, the music would be upbeat; there would probably be dancing and games.  Decorations would be bright and colorful and the food would be all the 'bad for you' party stuff that was high in sugar and fats.  Then again, as he was reminded by his implant, the 'bad for you' food would be just as full of vitamins and minerals and nutrition as anything else... presuming it were fabbed.  Pushing the unnecessary point-of-order out of his head, Logan ultimately settled on the 'celebratory' approach being the one she'd choose.  He was half right.

Logan arrived roughly on time and was in the middle of the crowd immediately.  The entryway into Lillian's residential pod had a 22nd century feel to it, and the entire thing was decorated as if there was a teenager's birthday party going on; that included a popular 22nd century teen band song playing.  Logan recognized it immediately because he was NOT a fan of boy bands, and hated "Your Kiss Takes Me Sky High"-- more because it played all the time everywhere rather than the song itself.  Even in the 27th century, he apparently could not escape that ear worm.

Having figured out that the Corpus Verto party was one of celebration, he was thrown for a loop when he stepped past the threshold and into what probably passed for the living room, only to see that the light level was set to low, there were candles placed sporadically around the space, and the furniture was pushed back to make room for a large coffin against the far wall.  he stood, staring at it until Lillian herself came over and rested a hand on his arm.  "It's a little eerie, isn't it?"

Not exactly sure what she was getting at, he referenced his own mind at that moment.  "Moving from a party to a burial?  Yeah."

She giggled, giving his forearm a squeeze.  "You are just SO funny, Logan.  I mean there-- it's hard to believe that tomorrow, that'll be me!"

Combining her words with what he was seeing, Logan managed to connect the dots.  There was a body in the casket, set up as if for a wake.  He took a step closer with Lillian in tow and looked down into the container.  The body or, rather, the CORPUS appeared to a woman in her early twenties-- at least fifteen years younger than Lillian looked to be.  The Corpus was in the casket which, at a closer look, he saw was some kind of pod; it had glass or some kind of plastic separating the Corpus from the outside, probably to preserve freshness?  His implant pointed out that Logan had probably absorbed too many advertisements for that to be his best description of retention of viability.  He acknowledged its objection and told it he didn't need the commentary.

Looking closer at the inactive Corpus, Logan was just a little freaked out.  There was some resemblance in the nose and the cheek bones, the chin, and the general complexion... but the Corpus in the casket had green hair... not just a little green either; the hair was pine green and curly, almost as if it were huge clumps of moss.  His response was a single, to-the-point word. "Woah."

Lillian giggled again.  "Yeah... and I'm gonna have blue eyes.  REALLY blue.  I always loved the idea of blue eyes."

Considering the hair, Logan didn't think he was out of bound asking for clarification. "So-- sky blue... ocean blue... or... like... crayon BLUE blue?"

The hostess out-and-out laughed.  "You are a RIOT."

It was funny for him only because he wondered at how humorous he was when almost nobody ever laughed at him like she did.  At least, he reasoned, she took all his social awkwardness as humor so he had that going for him.  He didn't, however, get an answer to his question.  Smiling awkwardly, he added "Well... at least it's not like you're looking at yourself in a mirror.  Not until tomorrow anyway, right?"

He got another smile from her.  "Don't ever change, Logan."

The young man made an attempt at humor. "So you're saying I'm not allowed to go through a Corpus Verto?"

He was delighted when she continued laughing, and she gave his arm a full body hug.  "I have to go socialize with everyone else.  Please enjoy yourself, and I hope you come back for my follow up party in two weeks... it'll be just like this one, only my OLD Corpus will be laying there.  Whew... THAT is going to be weird."

With that farewell, Lillian went to greet her other guests, leaving Logan there on his own, socially awkward and threatening to drown in a sea of people he only kind of knew.  Fortunately, his Vixen-shaped life preserver arrived just as he was worried he might hyperventilate.  Star was dressed in a gorgeous evening gown which managed to be simultaneously elegant and revealing.  She flashed him a full vulpine smile and extended a gloved paw to him.  "Well... I'm glad I ran into you early on!"

He felt more at ease immediately. "Took the words out of my mouth, Star."

She smiled, wrapping one of her arms around his before laying her head on his shoulder, walking toward the edge of the room and away from the huge clump of people waiting to see Lillian's new body.  She rested against him than clinging to him, her tail swaying behind her, but seeming to favor his side of her than the other.  "What do you think of your first Corpus Verto party, Logan?"

Logan shrugged.  "Hard to tell, to be honest.  I mean, on one hand, this could really be a party for just about anything..."

Star interjected. "I DID say there are lots of Transhumans who love parties for any reason, so that makes sense."

He rolled his eyes.  "Yeah... but it's not every day you see an inanimate Corpus laying in a Snow White coffin in someone's living room."

The Vixen tittered in response, slowly guiding Logan to a side room which contained a table and chairs adjacent to a kitchen area-- dining room, by his estimate.  It was strangely devoid of other guests.  Taking a seat at the table, she gestured to one of the other empty chairs. "Not all Corpus Verto parties are the same, and not everyone has them."

Logan took the offered seat. "I know... I looked up up before I came so I'd have an idea about what I was getting myself into.  Do YOU have these kinds of parties?"

The sudden change from a discussion of the practice generally into something more personal caused the Fox woman to falter and then pause.  "Me?  Well... I used to.  These days I'll usually just do something small and private for the family.  Come to think of it, nobody in our family really does the social party much.  Having a quiet get together for the family feels right."

The young man asked the next question. "Well does... ah... the family usually... you know--" he gestured back toward the living room "Put their new Corpus on display?"

Star laughed softly.  "Well... despite how morbid it may seem to someone who hasn't dealt with it before, having your family and friends see your new Corpus before your Sum occupies it does help a little with the shock of not recognizing you immediately.  No amount of your implant identifying you by your Sum makes that go away so the soft padding of having firsthand experience of what you'll look like helps your closest social circle cope."

Logan found himself shuddering. "I'll have to take your word for it."

She winked at the response. "You'll see what I mean when you meet Lillian again when you come back from your Iactis.  Speaking of which, are you excited?"

The sudden shift from social actions of the 27th century and his trip to Ozar's Realm gave Logan conversation whiplash and he took a moment to recalibrate, much as Star had done in response to his earlier question.  "Excited, yeah... but... uh... a little anxious too, I guess."

The Vixen patted his arm.  "That's perfectly fine, and completely normal, Logan.  Keep in mind though that, physiologically, being anxious and being excited stimulate the same body response... it's how you look at it psychologically that has the real bearing as to whether it's a positive or negative experience."

He offered a half-smile at the statement; she was always trying to help.  "Heh... Yeah.  Thanks.  I'll remember that."

Offering him another gentle pat, Star sat back in her chair.  "Well... there's still a lot of people here at the party I should say hello to-- you too, come to think of it.  Aren't most of these folks your classmates?"

Glancing around from his spot at the table, Logan looked back into the living room and saw that, indeed, at least half of the attendees were from his class.  "Wow... yeah.  I guess so.  Lillian's been doing great about making friends and expanding her social circle, but there's something to be said for being the first one of the class throwing a Corpus Verto party... you're not implying that I should mingle, are you?"

Star knew he wasn't the social type, so her comment felt out of sorts as a soft suggestion.  She waved away his comment.  "Me?  Of course not.  I don't imply anything.  If I have an opinion you should know by know that I'll speak my mind."

They shared a laugh, even as she stood up.  Following suit, Logan did so as well.  "I probably should, though... it'll make them less likely to try and seek ME out."

The Fox woman gave him a brief hug and a wink.  "You're learning the Transhuman way quickly.  Good idea."

The two part ways with a promise to follow up before Logan's Iactis, and Star went off to mingle while Logan made good on his idea of beating his classmates to the punch and proactively say hello so he could at least lead the dialogue.  The plan served him well as he was able to see and be seen on his terms, keeping things short and simple.  He managed to make it around the entire residential unit with nothing more than a few words of hello to each of his classmates and an only slightly longer discussion with Pete, which was fine because the amiable black man was easy to speak with.

From there, Logan spent a little time at the food table, shared some casual and light words with people he wouldn't have known if not for the LSM feed, and then slowly meandered his way toward the door.  Lillian, Logan knew, planned for the party to last over four hours, but he'd promised to stay for just one; he'd been here for over ninety minutes so he considered that performing above and beyond.  He was so focused on the door that he very nearly tripped over the dog who was just arriving.  Noah offered a very succinct cry of surprise.  "Oj!  Careful there, Logan."

The young man's face flushed with embarrassment.  "Sorry, Noah-- I wasn't looking where I was stepping."

The four legged, fluffy Transhuman took it in stride.  "No worries... were I offended I would have yelped and, if you have not yet experienced it, Transhumans respond very aggressively toward the cause of dog yelping.  I believe it has something to do with thousands of years of evolution which has not yet been edited out of our genes."

Logan couldn't tell if Noah was joking or not.  "I'll... uh... keep that in mind."

Noah offered a wink before trotting off into the home. "You have a good evening, Logan.  Smells like you had a very polite evening."

Not exactly sure what the Dog meant, Logan offered a farewell too. "Uh... you have a... uh... polite evening too." 

The Dog's tail wagged as he looked back toward the young man and barked out with a laugh "Polite?  Not if I can help it!"

* * * * *

On the morning of his Iactis Logan tried his best to channel his body's heightened nervous response toward excitement rather than anxiety but he was only mostly successful.  Star came by  in person to give him her best wishes and to make sure he would promise to enjoy himself.  The shared a brief hug and she walked him down the corridor, reminding him three times to breathe, to calm down, and to relax.  He appreciated all of her attempts, but also started to get agitated with how calm she was; of COURSE she was calm-- SHE'D been through Iactis before and it wasn't a new thing for her.

Something about that thought caught in his mind as they got off the lift and headed down the walkway toward the facility.  "Hey... Star?  Can I ask you something?"

The Vixen walked close to him, her paw entwined with his hand.  "Of course, Logan.  What's on your mind?"

The young man wasn't sure he wanted to bring up that he'd heard something from Harper so he kept the origin of the idea out of the discussion. "I heard that one reason people follow Class  Ones is because they like to experience things for the first time through Sim-Sense recordings.  Is that true?"

He should have known better than to assume she didn't know details. "Harper got into your head, did he?"

Not wanting to get off the topic, he tried to bring her back to his question. "Is it true?  People like experiencing things again for the first time?  Is THAT why so many people reach out to Class Ones after their integration class?"

They were approaching the facility where Logan would have his procedure so he knew their discussion was coming to an end when it felt like it was only about to begin.  Nevertheless, she humored him. "The reason Transhumans do things is as varied as the reasons humans did things, Logan.  Sure, I suppose SOME are looking for that 'first time experience' they can have vicariously through Sim-Sense recordings, but there are others who are genuinely interested in getting to know you too."

Logan ignored the tons of messages he was receiving via LHM-- doubtlessly people from Star's feed interested in adding their two cents worth.  He followed up his question with another, despite it not being what he'd originally planned to ask. "Do you think I should make some recordings?"

Star's smile was an easy one. "Do you even NEED to ask?  I'm the one who records everything in full clarity to the Nth degree.  I would support you no matter how much or how little you decide to record, let alone share.  Just remember: you are always welcome to copy your experiences-- there's no rule that says you have to share it." she chuckled softly.  "To tell you the truth, I played back my first Iactis probably two dozen times to help chase away the butterflies in my stomach before I did my second one."

Logan was sure that the Fox could see the disbelief in his gaze. "The famed Star?  Afraid of Iactis?  You're just trying to make me feel better."

She flicked an ear and winked, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "Maybe... maybe not.  But, if you want to do a trial run, feel free to record your Iactis and, in the very VERY little downtime you have at Ozar's Realm, re-experience it a few times... if nothing else helps you get used to it then maybe several replays will help.  Best thing about that is you know what to expect."

Her advice was surprisingly comforting.  He turned and gave her a light hug after they arrived at the door.  He took in a big breath and let out a sigh. "Okay... vacation here I come... I guess."

She smiled warmly and gave his hand a squeeze before disengaging.  "You'll be fine.  Feel free to message me when you get settled.  Remember: we won't be on a direct network so we won't be able to talk three times... expect about four minutes worth of delay."

His implant let him know that the exact time was three minutes, forty nine and a half seconds, which he acknowledged and summarily pushed to the back of his mind. "I will.  Guess it'll be a weird four days."

Star's smile was the widest yet. "You'll have a great time, and you can tell me all about it when you get back.  Love you, Logan. See you again soon."

The words were out of his mouth before he realized he even meant to say them. "Love you too, Star."

He walked into the Iactis room in a daze; Logan couldn't recall the last time he'd said he loved anyone aside from his parents.  The thought brought a faint smile to his face as he made his way toward the single desk situated behind a small window in a wall separating the entry area from what he presumed was the procedure room.  A familiar voice spoke up from beyond it. "Good morning, Logan Bradshaw.  Let me buzz you in."

There was a faint hum and the door in the wall beside the window opened.  Realizing there wasn't much else to do, the young man entered.  There was a short hallway beyond, and, at the end of it, a familiar figure.  Logan was surprised: it was the android that had awakened him after his Corpus Verto. "TIBOR?"

"Correct.  Please come in and get comfortable on the table and we can then begin."

When the android stepped aside Logan was able to see a room very similar to the one in which he'd awakened in the 27th Century.  "You're handling my Iactis?  Don't you do the Class One Corpora Verta?"

Logan was about to say 'Corpus Vertos' but his implant fed him the correct conjugation a split second before he spoke; he was still a little unsure of whether or not he liked real time grammar corrections.  Either way, he was unable to stay in his own head for more than a few milliseconds as TIBOR responded. "Unlike Transhumans, I have many Corpora.  I am able to operate multiple physical vessels at once due to my capacity to multitask in ways that few Transhumans have successfully replicated."

The young man had no response for that, simply taking a seat on the padded table in response to the android's gesture. "Oh."

TIBOR walked around the table and began attaching sticky pads around Logan's head. "There are several simple questions I am required to ask you.  This is both for verification, and to create a baseline."

Feeling his heart begin to beat quickly again, realizing that the procedure wasn't very far away, Logan swallowed the developing tightness in his throat. "Okay."

TIBOR worked and spoke at the same time. "Please confirm that you are Logan Brandshaw, Sum identifier 4747."

Logan recalled that TIBOR referred to him as that number when he first awoke after his Corpus Verto.  "That's right... though I still don't know what that number is about."

The android slowly applied pressure to Logan's shoulder and the young man let the android ease him down onto his back as it explained. "Your marker is, in fact, four hundred seventy four, dash seven.  You were the seventh test subject for the 474th clinical trial of the early Sum scan procedures."

The statement made alot of sense-- the DID have to have SOME way to keep track, after all.  "Oh... so I guess there are newer versions of the scan since then?"

TIBOR continued adding sensors as he spoke.  "Correct.  All scans with the Sum identifiers 474 through 489 are considered Class one.  Most Transhumans currently alive start with a 501 designation."

Talking about something so bureaucratic actually helped calm Logan down so he pushed further.  "Oh.  That's cool... so is Star a 501?"

TIBOR's answer surprised him. "No.  Star's marker is 500-1.  She designed the system that took her scan and she was the first to undergo the procedure."

As usual, his niece never ceased to amaze.  "Wow... so she designed the scan that led to the current one?"

TIBOR apparently finished with all of the stickers as it stepped away from the table. "Correct, and she also contributed to the development of iteration 501 as well.  The current procedure has remained unchanged for just over 200 years."

Logan's implant informed him that the 501st procedure had been used for two hundred and four years, three months-- he let it know that he didn't need anything so exact and it discontinued providing him the information.  He asked a follow up question of TIBOR as it busied itself at a console. "So... there are a lot of 501 designation Transhumans?"

The android inputted information into the console and spoke at the same time.  "The most recent Sum code is 501-L6349984; a Sum was born 9 days ago."

The young man paused as he considered the number. "So... less than six and a half million Transhumans were born in the last two centuries?"

The Android provided clarification in the same neutral tone it had used since Logan first arrived.  "Incorrect. the 'L' designation identifies Transhumans specifically born on Luna.  Transhumans born elsewhere use a different letter."

Taking that into consideration, Logan was surprised for the opposite reason. "So... there were THAT many births here alone?  But there are nowhere near that many people on the Lunar Spire.  What happened?"

Logan tasted a faint saline flavor followed by a metallic twinge at the back of his throat. but he focused on TIBOR's response. "Humanity was very migratory across the surface of the Earth; Transhumanity has a much larger capacity for travel and the solar system is very vast.  Few Transhumans stay in the same place for long and the Lunar Spire has a significantly higher emigration rate than immigration."

He'd asked a lot of questions of TIBOR and he realzied that he could just as easily get the information from the metanet.  As the android continued interfacing, Logan stared doing some research.  Apparently Transhumanity had expanded all over the inner solar system but most Habs were between Jupiter and the sun.  The total population of Transhumanity had been growing steadily for centuries; it was 1,002,517,898 as of the time of his inquiry.  That concept blew his mind.  "TIBOR... is it true there are just over barely over one billion Transhumans?"

The android confirmed with a simple affirmative. "Yes."

It didn't make any sense.  "But... there were almost 25 billion back in my century on earth alone!"

TIBOR pressed a button on the console and Logan felt his entire body shiver; the metallic taste in his mouth grew stronger and his connection to the metanet was broken.  The android spoke even as it worked. "Just over one million survived the global collapse.  Transhumanity has been building back its population ever since.  Now, the Iactis procedure is about to begin.  I ask that you relax your body and discontinue speaking.  You are welcome to think on whatever topics you like, but remaining still facilitates the procedure."

Logan did so, focusing on his own thoughts.  Without the metanet his mind felt suddenly very quiet.  At least he still had his implant, it reminded him.  That was true, he noted, and was surprised when it asked if he wanted to start his sensory recording for further reference.  The young man thought about it for only a fraction of a second; Star's advice had been sound, so, yes: he wanted a full sim recording of all senses and thoughts.

TIBOR spoke again. "You have been assigned a Class 1 Iactis procedure.  You will be unconscious during the upload, transmission, and download.  Do anticipate some recovery time as you acclimate to your new Corpus on the other end.  Please enjoy your trip."

Logan had heard something about Class 1 and Class 2 Iactis procedures, but he had not received any clarification regarding the differences.  He knew he shouldn't speak or move, but he resolved to find out more as soon as he could.  He also remembered that the entire procedure would take about two minutes total since the upload and transmission had probably already started, and it would be downloading while the rest of him was still on upload.  He marveled at the--