Angular patterns, akin to mortal wounds on the meat of the living, disjoin my analytically-centered psyche. The Synthesist merely watches, his benign stare is almost expressing emotive reaction to my chaotic state when I feel. I feel. I feel…a pointed cylinder, three centimeters in circumference and a half meter in length, divide my mind into chaotic abstraction. Abstraction visualized in translucent, spiraling cones refracting fully-colored light into the back of my undead corneal base. The blood is grouping, pushing for a life outside my skull. It glides through my wound, flattening itself, adjusting to the cylindrical hole…pulsing toward Theseus’ hull, ready to bind and fracture in the chaos of our mission’s imminent irrelevance.
The Synthesist moves me toward a new connection, a third state of vision, a view of the Necker cube from its bottommost rear corner. The new spectrum of sight will transcend shadow, perspective, ideology, and wisdom. My instincts are irrelevant now. I must connect, meld, inject myself into the plain of rhythmic prophetic industrialization. The undead and the never-living must coalesce.
“Brutytpttp! Gurdlght….Clickkkk.”
A shadow races up my spine now. Interface. Lock. The corner becomes large, an expanding plain of ice-like linear pleasure. It is a wet light under the shadow. The shadow is swift. It climbs and molds itself to my form like the blood escaping my skull. With a hand consisting of interwoven wiring, it reaches into my disconnected void and sews itself to the black spark I call spirit and allows its wires to unravel and entangle, to solder and slip through my sequence. The wire casings pull back to expose a dull copper sheen and then plunge in a violent push toward forced electrical response. My existence is dwarfed by the Captain’s call—crunching, forming, molding—inundating its plain wall expression. Virtual algorithmic ecstasy encloses my fragmented sku…ll…
Start up—initiation sequence—compiling data for interface of Sarasti command module. Logical output ratios expressed as binary sequence recognition patterns—interlock nodes of Sarasti brain to fiberoptic command cord. Situation recognition indicates damage to Sarasti module is nominal. Proceeding with interface in 4, 3, 2, 1. Interface complete. Sarasti-Captain hybridization analysis indicates low static levels in brain-stem-activity to mission success ratio. Processing beneficial protocols to ensure successful delivery of Siri unit to Charybdis module.
Interpreting Siri unit’s questioning as emotional response initiated by Sarasti module attack implementation. Adjusting regressive attack protocols to begin mimicking emotive logistical reasoning. Sequencing Charybdis module start-up protocols. Filtering answer to Siri unit to meet expectation of rational thought progression of said sentient being in 4, 3, 2, 1. Synthesized rational thought expression protocols initiated and implemented. Siri unit response to corrected response methodology is meeting minimum standards of logical effectiveness relevant to mission success. Initiating synchronization with Charybdis module. Synchronization in 4, 3, 2, 1. Synchronization complete. Tracking movement of Siri unit to anticipate ease of entry into Charybdis module. Adjusting Sarasti module’s muscular output levels to ensure successful navigation of Siri unit into Charybdis module. Initiating mandatory transition of Siri unit from Theseus hull to Charybdis module in 4, 3, 2, 1. Mandatory transition complete. Initiating de-synchronization of Sarasti-Captain hybridization in 4, 3, 2, 1. De-synchronization complete. Transferring Captain’s database to control of Charybdis module in 4, 3, 2, 1. Captain’s control of Charybdis module complete. Booting up thrusters for hard burn away from perceived organic threat in 4, 3, 2, 1. Thruster performance is at an optimal level. Charybdis module velocity exceeding minimum standards for safe return of Siri unit to Earth. Adjusting output levels for extended flight pattern. Opening channels for interaction with Siri module in 4, 3, 2, 1. Interaction capability 100%. Siri unit bio rates at optimal levels. Reconfiguring Siri unit stasis rates to allow for extended flight timeline. Reconfiguration complete. Switching to mandatory 30% energy output for Siri unit in 4, 3, 2, 1. Siri unit optimized for extended flight stasis. Opening communication channels to accept incoming transmissions. Reducing Charybdis energy output to base levels needed to ensure delivery of Siri unit to Earth in 4, 3, 2, 1. Reduction complete. System stasis output protocols in normative range for definitive delivery of Siri unit and observation files to Earth.
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I chose to rewrite the scene from pages 346-354 which begins with Sarasti having a seizure then dying from a fatal blow to the head by the Captain. Midway through this scene, the Captain takes control of Sarasti’s body and leads Siri to Charybdis and his escape from death. I thought this would be a compelling scene to rewrite because I would be able to write from the perspectives of both Sarasti and the Captain because they both inhabit the same body throughout the course of the scene’s action. While writing Sarasti’s POV, I concentrated on portraying the unique way in which vampires are able to view their surroundings. I wanted Sarasti’s perspective on what had just happened to him to feel like a unique explosion of sound, color, and perspective to the reader. I also tried to create the exact moment when Sarasti’s mind dies and the Captain’s took over by way of Sarasti’s incomplete final thought and the change in typeface from “Times New Roman” to “Simplified Arabic Fixed.” I thought the new typeface exuded a machine-like quality and I also endeavored to portray the Captain’s thoughts as having one goal in mind: Achieve mission success (getting Siri off of Theseus and headed back to Earth) in an economical and calculated manner. I wanted to write the Captain as a system of commands and executions that felt logical, complicated, and necessary. This was a blast to write because I had to think in two perspectives at once (Sarasti’s and the Captain’s) in order to capture Sarasti being pulled away from his body and the Captain forcing its way into the vampire carcass.