Chronicles of Consciousness

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I woke up after a long day of tests and examinations by Dr. Mercer. Exhausted, I played the VLS past life of the soldier again, and to my surprise, the outcome of the story seemed different. Whether it was a dream or not, I decided to ignore the problem and reached for my favorite blue mug... or was it green? Fatigue may have played tricks on my eyes.

No wake-up call from Charlie. Space is cold and lonely, but sleep provides a welcome escape.

Knock, knock.

"Charlie, come on, are you ready?" I called at his door, and to my surprise, Amy opened it. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't aware." "What?" Amy laughed, puzzled, as I noticed Charlie coming out ready to work. "Okay, did something happen here?" I had to ask, sensing they might be keeping something a secret. "What do you mean?" Charlie asked, saying goodbye to Amy with a kiss. I decided not to press further in front of her, hoping Charlie would share more on the way to the cafeteria.

Dining Hall

"Here you go, young man," said a man I had never seen on this side of the space station. "What is going on here?" I blurted out loud while eyeing scrambled eggs on my plate, something I had only seen in the VLS. "Are you okay, man?" Charlie asked, looking way too worried. Then it hit me like a flash, and I understood. Last night, after all the tests, I had used the VLS to watch the story of the soldier. When he was about to take the step that would determine his fate, I fervently wished for him to turn to the opposite side. By an unexpected impulse, I was able to control his path for a few seconds. From there, I saw that he survived the war and lived a happy life until his return home. I thought it was a dream because I already knew his original story and his tragic fate. But how had all this changed the way things were here now? The green mug, Amy, Charlie, scrambled eggs. "Are you okay?" Charlie asked again as I spaced out for a few seconds. "Yeah, I need to see Dr. Mercer right away," I replied, leaving without further explanation for the VLS main center.

Dr. Mercer's Office

I burst into Dr. Mercer's office, a rush of urgency propelling me forward.

"Dr. Mercer!" I exclaimed, breathless. She turned from her computer, a look of concern furrowing her brow.

"What's the matter?" she asked, her professional demeanor momentarily replaced by genuine worry.

"I need to talk to you about the VLS, about what happened last night," I began, struggling to find the right words.

"Last night?" She looked puzzled, her gaze searching for clues in my distressed expression.

"I altered a past life, the soldier's. I wished for him to survive, and now everything's different. The mug, the food, even people!" I blurted out, desperation lacing my words.

Dr. Mercer leaned back, her eyes narrowing in thought. "Altered a past life? That shouldn't be possible. The VLS projections are meant to be passive, non-interactive. It's a one-way experience, a journey into someone else's memories."

"But something changed! Everything changed," I insisted, frustration mounting.

She motioned for me to sit, her fingers tapping rhythmically on her desk. "Explain. Slowly."

As I recounted the events, Dr. Mercer listened intently, her analytical mind absorbing every detail. When I finished, a heavy silence hung in the air.

"The VLS is a complex system, not easily tampered with. The projections are supposed to be like watching a movie, an immersive experience without altering the course of events. The technology involves a deep trance, connecting with the Virtual Life Simulator on a profound level."

I interrupted, "Yes, the neural synchronization and mental conditioning. I get that. But how did my wish change reality?"

She sighed, adjusting her glasses. "In theory, the VLS projections shouldn't have any impact on the present. The trance is designed to be a one-way street, a journey into the past without altering the present. It's as if you're a passive observer, an unseen presence in someone else's life."

I leaned forward, my mind racing. "But what if it's not just observation? What if the VLS, somehow, allows the observer to influence the past?"

Dr. Mercer's expression shifted from skepticism to contemplation. "That would go against the fundamental principles of the VLS. It's designed to be tamper-proof, to ensure that the past remains untouched. Any attempt to alter events should be impossible."

"But it happened!" I insisted, frustration boiling over.

She sighed again, deep in thought. "I need to run more tests, examine the data. If there's a glitch, a loophole in the system, we need to find it. This is unprecedented, and if it's true, it could change everything we know about the VLS."

As she spoke, a mix of curiosity and concern flickered in her eyes, setting the stage for a journey into the intricacies of the VLS technology.

After a battery of tests, Dr. Mercer scrutinized the results on her screen, her expression transitioning from confusion to a cautious understanding.

"If what you're saying is true," she began slowly, "there seems to be an inexplicable link between your brain waves and the VLS sensor. Somehow, it's connecting with the DNA of the deceased, transmitting your thoughts through the dreams and subconscious of the person, ultimately influencing their actions and, subsequently, altering the future."

I sat there, absorbing her words, a mix of disbelief and awe swirling within me. "But that sounds... impossible."

Dr. Mercer nodded, her eyes narrowing in contemplation. "Indeed, it defies the very principles we built the VLS upon. The trance is not supposed to be a two-way communication channel. It's designed for observation, not interaction."

"Could it be a glitch in the system? Some anomaly we haven't discovered yet?" I questioned, trying to grasp the magnitude of what she was suggesting.

She sighed, her gaze fixed on the screen. "A glitch of this nature would be unprecedented, almost inconceivable. The VLS is meticulously designed to prevent any tampering with the past. Your brain waves, somehow influencing the DNA connection and transmitting thoughts, it's as if your consciousness is bridging the gap between past and present."

"But why me?" I asked, bewildered.

"That's the question, isn't it?" Dr. Mercer replied. "There's something unique about your brain waves, an anomaly we've never encountered. We'll need to conduct further studies, delve deeper into the intricacies of the VLS and your brain activity. If this is real, it could revolutionize our understanding of time, memory, and consciousness."

As her words hung in the air, a profound realization settled within me: my connection with the VLS was far more intricate and mysterious than I could have ever imagined.