The Machine of Flesh

Chapter Four: The Machine of Flesh

ChapterFour: The Machine of Flesh

July 13th, 2055

When I returned to the Elite-Korps tuesday morning, I was greeted by Heinrich Himmler and Brigadier General Reinhard Klausewitz, who were having a meeting with the chain of command of the SS and the scientists of the Elite-Korps. I saluted Himmler and Klausewitz, Himmler sternly reprimanded me for my on time arrival, by saying

"Colonel Schriever, I once had a teacher who told me if you are early, you are on time. If you are on time, you are late. If you are late, you're late. I want you reporting for duty a half hour earlier, you are no different than your subordinates here at the Elite-Korps."

I shrugged it off and said,

"Yes ReichsFührer Himmler, I am sorry for my insolence."

Himmler quickly snapped back at me and said,

"Sorry isn't good enough Colonel Schriever, I want to see results! I want to see action out of you. But that's enough for now, let us fill you in on what's happening. The former Colonel, Colonel Von Staufen is still alive in The Machine of Flesh. We have found a way to emulate a human level Artificial General Intelligence by using the polychronous hierarchical neurons in the brain, as you suggested in your doctoral thesis and the laboratories.

Karl Von Neumann along with the computer engineering teams have been hard at work updating their protosentient algorithms as well as fabricating a new substrate using the protosentient AI's computational capacity to develop itself. We expect to reach the technological singularity within weeks, for as long as we can have test subjects in The Machine of Flesh, that is.

I also thought I might fill you in on the secrets we've been keeping from you Colonel Schriever. The Machine of Flesh is simply a chair that binds you to the Realm of Flesh, a newly discovered ulterior reality to our own. We have yet to know what is within the Realm of Flesh, but our brain scanning technologies and nanoscopic electrodes have allowed us to probe deeper into the problem of what exactly it is.

Colonel Von Staufen was the first to enter The Machine of Flesh, AND YOU'RE NEXT!" Himmler exasperated, while pointing his finger at me.

Suddenly, my heart dropped and began racing.

Seeing what happened to Josef Von Staufen, I assumed the same would happen to me. I would rather it have been someone else, as we all would have. Better to have been someone else than myself and in this moment I prayed to Gott that my sins would be absolved, that he would see the goodness of my deeds and see that they outweighed my sins.

Himmler began laughing, put my hand on my right shoulder and said

"I'm just kidding Colonel Schriever. You're not going to be put into The Machine of Flesh, well, not yet. You do have some explaining to do."

Himmler then reached into his inner uniform pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded the paper and gave it to me. On the paper was an x-ray scan of my person and the contents on my person. God damnit. I had forgotten about the dual x-ray absorptiometry scanners at the entrance to the laboratories on Friday. I couldn't hide the paraphernalia, nor lose it, knowing how valuable it was sentimentally to me.

On the copied x-ray scan, one could clearly see the book and cassette player in the pockets of my uniform, bones, muscles, fat and outline of my flesh. I was at a loss for words in how to explain how that I had a book on me, along with a cassette.

"We examined the book's title, contents, and determined which book it was. The Souls of Black Folk was the book, and the cassette was In A Sentimental Mood by Duke Ellington. Can you explain this paraphernalia Heinrich? Be honest with us, we might make your punishment for insubordination a little less painful, before your untimely death." Heinrich Himmler said, unwaveringly.