Everyone was to have their consciousness uploaded on to the craft. The only unknown was how painful the process actually was, but it was something they had to do. Once they were uploaded to the craft, it would launch into orbit to escape the terror reaching each continent on the planet. Once radiation levels had dropped to a level that was no longer a danger to life, the craft would land their DNA back. Auton would instruct the Nano-bots to clone their original bodies, re-print them, and allow their consciousness to be re-inserted. The craft had all the teams' DNA, all the technology required to finish the plan and allow them to help re-colonise the planet. Their uploaded consciousness would be stored in an artificial world, a virtual land built by Auton, where they could live until it was safe to return home. They chose this over stasis. There was something about stasis they didn't trust; concerned they may not ever wake up again. To go from living and breathing in this moment, to being put on ice, elicited the greatest human fear in them all. They would live in this virtual world, ready to one day return.
They all decided that the best thing to do was start their new world from a point in the past. To erase the memory of what has just happened, only to be brought up to speed gradually, when necessary. Spending years knowing that you couldn't get home would be worse than stasis they agreed, it was better to think everything was normal until you no longer needed that comfort. They chose to go back a year. The Elite were unknown by them then. They were all in their current jobs and comfortable. They were happy and full of hope for the future, and if anything did go wrong, then they could stay in that happy place. They were told the virtual world would be indistinguishable from this, their consciousness would be fully absorbed into it, all their memories taken with them, and all the people they knew would be there. Auton was clever enough to make the software feedback from their own conscious experiences and pick out the small details from their memories that made their friends and family who they were. It wasn't mind-reading, more mirroring their internal expectations, based on their previous interactions. The software had to be able to understand and interpret their memories in order to make everything real to them. Everyone else in that world would ultimately be computer code, designed and manipulated to mirror their own understandings and to be able to interact with each of them. They would be the only ones real, but they would never know that. The whole plan took some selling on Sheryl's part, but ultimately it was the video feed of a bomb decimating a city that was the motivator. That's when it all got very real, very, very quickly.
“I will upload myself last to ensure you all have no problems” Auton said, no one else really arguing about that, “Any volunteer to start?”
Everyone looked at each other, looking for the first one to cave in. Auton was busy connecting itself to the craft through a port, while it waited for a response.
“None of you? Not even you Brandon? Mike?” Olivia said, surprised that the most daring of them hadn't got the courage to step forward.
“I'll go” Monique said, “I trust Auton, he wouldn't have proposed this if it wasn't workable”.
She stepped forward cautiously, a hundred reasons to step back running through her mind. Still apprehensive, she stood in front of the craft, waiting for some instructions.
“So? What do I do?” She asked, turning to Auton.
Auton pointed to a small panel to the side of her that was open, with a series of ports and a cable with a small needle like end hanging down. Monique looked at it almost terrified. She didn't like needles at the best of times, and this was already the worst of times, and she had no idea where that needle was going to go.
“So? That goes where?” She asked slowly, hoping the answer was 'nowhere'.
“It goes at the base of your skull, at the back of your head. I will insert it” Auton said reaching over, “But you should probably sit down, as your body will drop once the upload is complete”.
“You're not selling this to me well Auton” She said, as she slowly sat down with her back to the craft.
Auton picked up the end of the cable with the needle and held it towards the back of her skull. Everyone else was staring open-jawed, nervous for her, nervous for when it was their turn, most of them in actuality completely terrified of what was going to happen.
“Ready?” Auton asked in a calm reassuring way, “It's all going to be okay”
“Yes....wait, no” She said taking deep breaths.
“Good luck Monique” Sheryl said, “We'll all be seeing you soon”
Monique continued breathing deeply, this was the hardest thing she had ever had to do, there was still a nagging doubt something could go wrong. But Auton was thorough, he knew it would work. It was all going to be okay, she had to convince herself that. A tear rolled down her cheek as she continued breathing deeply. She looked up at everyone and attempted a smile. It was difficult, but she did it, and everyone smiled back, while tears were reciprocated down all of their cheeks.
“Okay, do it. Before I change my mind” She said taking one last deep breath.
With the exhalation, Auton inserted the needle into the base of her skull. There was no pain, at least she never cried out. She sat there wide eyed for a few seconds, while little LED
