Chapter 2

In the year 2063, much had changed about the world. We thought that new planes or ships would be the modes of transportation that would rocket us into the future of fast travel but several innovations in hydropower and engineering has led us to trans-continental hydro-dependent bullet trains or TCH trains. TCH trains run on an extremely cost efficient, energy efficient tracks that run just over the ocean's surface. Large hydro-energy factories run on either side of the track. Imagine a long string with a bead attached to it and 2 large flywheels attached to either end. If you turn one flywheel on and the other on reverse the bead will move to the flywheel pulling it extremely fast. That's the basis of the TCH trains both hydro-energy factories work together to move the train extremely fast by pulling and pushing. The base consists of 7 installations surrounding The Hole, a few miles from the South Pole. You could travel between the installations in trams running in above ground tunnels, there were multiple trams and the tunnels run like highways so as to allow transport back and forth frequently. TCH trains run from coastal installations to major cities like New York City, London, Sydney, Barcelona in Spain, and Nagasaki in Japan as well as trains to Russia and Africa. The TCH trains connect the whole world these days and the ones running here to Antartica transport scientists and investors to the installations to see all the work being done here.

Today, March 13 2063, a large group of investors, world renowned scientists not working on the project, and rich tourists were visiting the international base to see the first Dark Node capturing test in The Hole. Julia was in building 1A, an offshoot of Installation 1, the building surrounded The Hole where she did most her work. Compared to the real Installations it was rather small. It formed a ring around The Hole, being about a half mile in diameter and in some places 3 stories tall as well as a basement. Four large sturdy walkways connect across The Hole leading to a very large utility passenger elevator.

Like most the large equipment at the base the elevator was powered by neurotechnology, also an innovation that took place in the last 10 years. All the staff at the base has brain scans in the computer database, letting them access different levels of security. Being stationed at 1A Julia's brain scan had access to the elevator but she really abhorred using her head like that to operate anything at the base. She done it with the elevator a few times before. You sit in a chair next to a small console with a chair back that goes right up against your head and upper neck. With the chair Julia could access the elevator with her brain scan. Because it's an actual scan of her brain while she's using it she has all of the same perception and even some senses. While using it she can "feel" if there's a structure flaw or knot in the rope and "see" through cameras in the elevator and along the elevator shaft. If you use it since it's a perfect copy of your own brain you're using all the same "neural equipment" your brain has so it gives an extremely eery feeling while you're using it; like you know logically that you're an elevator right now but every instinct is telling you you're a human because you can see and feel. Julia had read about experiments with this technology where people had been operating machines with their own brain scans and not realizing that they weren't currently strictly "human." Every console chair where you could operate something with a brain scan were covered in warnings not to use something like that for more than 24 hours. It had never happened before but it was theorized that using it for too long or being interrupted after using it for a long time could result in going... Too far. It wasn't very clear but Julia believed a separation of consciousness was possible where your original self would live on in your body but a separate consciousness, a separate... You... Would be trapped forever in whatever machine you were operating. It had never happened before and Julia was often made fun of for her beliefs but something about that Idea of being trapped, of their being more than one "you" bothered her to the core.

The elevator shaft is constantly shooting out supports to the sides of The Hole and the chances of it going down or being damaged is extremely small, however advanced climbing tools, equipment, and even bulky climbing suits are located at the top and bottom of The Hole. A low dome covers The Hole and 1A protecting from as much excess radiation as possible for the experiment. It also keeps the winds out and the temperature up so it's only slightly chilly; Julia felt it was still too cold and was the major reason why she would get so homesick.


- By Ashton