Life. It’s a precious little thing. But what is it really? Is it something to be toyed with easily? Is it something that can be transferred over vast distances like data on a hard drive? Can the body be destroyed while transferring the mind and soul to another? What if it can? What if someone found a way to do this but somehow never made it public. If it was ever made public, serious consequences would happen. But this is why certain steps are made to make sure no one knows of the deeds being done...
A man sat at his desk typing away at his computer to work on the code for a project codenamed “Double T” or its popular secondary name “Three Tribes.” Everyone who had ever seen what was being done knew the slight joke of the “Three Tribes” name.
He continued to type away as he occasionally sipped on his second energy drink. Working furiously to get the code desperately completed before the fast approaching deadline. A knock on the door to his office sounded out, he still typing as if nothing else had mattered. Another knock again on the hollow door, this time it sounding a bit more impatient.
“God damn it Jason! Could you stop typing for a moment and open the door? My hands are quite full and this door won’t open!” the female yelled out. Jason groaned and slowly got up from his office chair, stretching out his cramped back as he took the short walk to the door.
He opened it quickly to see an impatient woman in her early 30s holding a large pizza box and precariously holding a couple sodas for them both. “Thank you so much for opening the door so quickly, Jason.” Jason stepped aside as she walked into the office that was barely big enough for two desks, let alone all the computers for building the project’s program. The large computers putting out heat from the heavy processing. The woman puts down the pizza and drinks on the area where the desks meet.
“Sam, you know I need to finish this last page of code to submit to the boss. You know he can get pretty testy sometimes if someone is late on their part.” He sighed as he sat down into his office chair, opening the pizza box to grab a slice of the cheesy goodness, only for his hand to be slapped away from the box. “Uh, ow?” he looked up to glare at her, only to be met with a more ferocious glare, quickly making him look a bit sheepish under her gaze.
“Next time open the door quicker,” she opened the pizza box to grab her slices first. Jason quickly grabbed his slices before she wanted to slap him again for any other infractions on her so called rules. He sighed mentally, ‘I will never figure out her rules. She’s too damned complicated. Why did I get paired with her? Eh. It’s a good thing we’re just co-workers. She is a bit cute though.’
They ate in silence for a few moments before Sam spoke up, “How far along are you on your section of the code?”
Jason took a quick glance at the code on his computer screen, going through a few mental checks to say how much was lacked, “I think I lack about 500-600 more lines of code. Why are you still around? Your section is finished and you should be getting ready for the first test? You are part of the first group to be tested.”
She pushed her glasses closer to her face, swallowing her bite of pizza, “I’m already prepared and finished all my affairs as soon as I was finished. No idea how you were chosen for the project and to be included in the first group as well. Wish you’d finish already we’re waiting on you and another person”
“I got lucky and I can’t help it that I’m slow to finish my coding. Gosh, lay off. I’ll finish it tonight,” Jason quickly ate the rest of his pizza before turning around to start typing away at his computer again. “Just don’t bother me for the next hour please. I’ll get it done soon.”
“You better. Or you know how the boss gets.”
“I know. I know…”
*A while later*
“Finished!” Jason exclaimed loudly making Sam jump out of her skin from being awoken from her nap as it was 3am. Her hair was a bit of a mess and a small drop of drool on the desk, making Jason chuckle from the sight of her. “That’s a good look for you.”
“Huh? Wha- Oh, you’re finished? Good. Send it through to the top. I’m going to my room to sleep, as should you because it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” Sam glances up at the clock, “Today. Bah. Just wrap it up. This is for that comment.” She punched lightly him in the arm before making her way to the door, “And I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.”
Jason grumbled as he rubbed his arm, waving her off as she left the office. He stretched his arms out before saving the code to the internal message system and hitting send to the boss, hoping he would be pleased with Jason’s work on the code. “I hope this is worth all the heartache for our goal.” He watched as the data uploaded to the server to be sent to the boss, he smiled as it hit 100%.
Jason starting gathering his things and he didn’t have to wait long before a message appeared on his screen saying:
“You have done well on the code. Now everything is ready to begin. Be ready in twelve hours to be included in the initial test group. That is all.
-Boss”
Jason sighed a breath of relief and turned off his computer with the final shut-off procedure. A program suddenly appeared on the screen to encrypt the data contained on the hard drive. “Alright, time to get ready and rest up,” he says to no one in particular. He shuts off the lights and closes the door to get to his own room in the facility.
“Is the program ready?” asked someone.
“Yes. We are about to start sending people in a few minutes here. Everything is going as planned. As soon as we see the result of our labors we will move to a more private facility, instead of this warehouse we’re in. The website will soon be up as the first pony shows,” the man across the table answers.
“How long will we see results Boss?”
“We shall see on the next episode. One of the subjects was told to become a well, let’s just say we will only see him once in the background,” Boss replies, grinning as the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is playing on the wall using the projector on the table, no sound was playing from the projector.
“Good. Good. Let us hope the test succeeds. The needs of some people rely on this! We wish you and the subjects the best of luck Boss.”
Boss gets up and makes his way to the door, taking one glance at the projection on the wall and soon making his way out and down the hall to the large room containing about 20 people and a large ring device.
Boss walks up in front of the ground, the room going quiet as he stepped upon the platform leading to the ring device.
“My fellow people, thank you all for your time and effort to make this possible. The program you have helped create today lets us take a step toward a better future! As soon as you step through the portal your life will begin anew. Do whatever you please in your new life but you will most likely lead a good one.”
He straightens his tie a bit, watching over the attentive audience present, “Now I know some of you have chosen what you want to be and the Three Tribes program will find a way to make it so. It will not be 100%, but if you won’t get your chosen character, the program will get you into your desired form at the very least. I also know some of you wanted to be something other than a pony but the program has bugs when dealing with other creatures. This will be something that will be released in the next update. So, if you few individuals want to wait a year for the next update, simply walk out of the room. You will be held to help create this next update for the semi-public release.” He gazes over the small crowd and two people about face to walk out. Boss frowns slightly but quickly goes back to his stoic expression, “Looks like we will have two staying with us to help with the next update.”
Boss gazes over at the operators who they nod at him for confirmation that they were ready to begin. “Well, looks like everything is ready to go. I wish you all luck in the world of Equus and furthermore if you go to Equestria.” He steps down off the platform to join the operators in the other room, with a glass wall separating the rooms, as they start up the equipment. The round ring humming to life as the lights dimmed for a moment as the equipment started up. Electricity crackled along the ring as a portal started to flicker on and off.
“Energy output 80 percent and continuing to climb.” One of the main operators announced over the loudspeaker system. “85 percent. 95 percent.” The ring’s portal finally appeared in a brilliant flash, “100 percent and holding. You may now enter through the portal.”
The group started the walk up the metal platform and stopped right at the portal, the first of the group to poke at the portal’s surface. The first two look at each other and smile, they jump through without hesitation as the rest followed suit.
Sam smiled and nodded, “Um, yes. But that won’t be for a long while, so you’d better come find me when you remember me! Got it? Good. Now off to Equestria you go!” She shoved him hard, sending him through the portal as she walked through after him.
The portal shut down along with all the equipment as it takes a break from the long strain of the high energy output. Boss looking at the portal before smiling and thinking to himself, ‘Oh how rich I will be when this gets to its final version...’ He started laughing out loud in triumph of his success. He looks at the operators, “Boys break out the champagne because we’re going to become famous.”
