The Last Mortals
Scene 1: A Strange Reflection
Alyx Raine stared into the mirror, trying to find themselves beneath a stranger's face.
The face looking back was flawless, ageless, and painfully generic. Sharp, symmetrical cheekbones; clear skin that looked like glass; and eyes with irises the color of dawn. Alyx could choose these aesthetic details with each new shift, but they’d long stopped caring. This body wasn’t their first; if they played by the rules, it wouldn’t be their last. But today, as they scrutinized their reflection, a thought gnawed at the edges of their mind: What was left of me in here?
The apartment around them was sleek and spotless, every surface gleaming with synthetic sterility as if designed to keep any trace of the human condition at bay. In Nova One, the city center of a sprawling galaxy under the Central Solar System Alliance’s reign, anything old was something to discard—everything was new, immortal, and flawless. But Alyx couldn’t help but wonder, what had they lost?
Scene 2: Morning at Eternus Labs
The cityscape of Nova One towered above Alyx as they navigated through the polished metal corridors of Eternus Labs, the heartbeat of humanity’s shifting technology. As a technician, Alyx spent most of their days overseeing the “mind-link” terminals, the sleek machines that transfer consciousness between bodies.
Alyx adjusted the holographic panels, connecting a series of mind-link diagnostics. To their left, Dr. Lyra Caine, lead scientist of DimX, was talking animatedly with an intern about a recent interdimensional breakthrough. Alyx caught fragments of her conversation about “extended projection” and “conscious continuity.” The jargon was typical for Eternus, but a pang of unease rose in Alyx’s chest.
Lyra paused and turned to them, her eyes flicking over Alyx with calculated precision. “Alyx, we’ll be pulling you into DimX soon. New advancements need someone who understands the tech and the moral boundaries.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Not that morality is relevant when we’re pushing humanity’s boundaries.”
Alyx forced a nod, concealing their growing discomfort. “Just tell me where I’m needed.”
As they continued working, an alert flashed on Alyx’s terminal—a message marked “Urgent.” Alyx opened it, eyes narrowing as they scanned the text:
“Eternal life comes at a cost. The more you shift, the less you stay. Join us, and remember who you are.”
Beneath the message was the symbol of the Legacy Coalition, a resistance movement rumored to oppose Eternus Labs’ endless pursuit of immortality.
