Freddy Sanchez Jr. sat in the transfer pod, his fingers trembling as they hovered over the headset controls. He was about to do something that only a handful of people ever had—send his demen into the simulation, leaving his real body behind. His father’s voice was already in his ear, encouraging him. But for a twelve-year-old, the whole process felt massive.

"Ready, Junior?" Freddy Sr.’s voice echoed through the comms. His father, already a demen inside the mining simulation, had been waiting for this moment to work alongside his son. This was the boy’s initiation—his first step into the legacy his father had upheld.

"Yeah," Freddy said, though his voice shook with uncertainty. His father had been through this for years now, but Freddy… this was all new.

From my station, I monitored the situation. Freddy was connected to the simulation through his headset, and I watched as his demen began to transition. His consciousness detached from his physical form, leaving his body slumped in the transfer chair. It was nothing but an empty vessel now—alive but inactive. His mind was somewhere else.

In the virtual space, Freddy appeared as himself—digital and translucent. He looked around nervously, taking in the towering mining robots and machinery that dominated the landscape. Ahead, the hulking form of a Punos-M stood still, and beside it, his father’s demen.

Freddy’s father, represented by his own shimmering digital form, waved him over.

"Welcome to the simulation, Junior," Freddy Sr. said, his voice full of warmth. "You ready to make this real?"

Freddy took a deep breath, stepping closer. "Yeah, Dad… I’m ready."

"Alright then. Let’s suit up."

Two Punos-M units sat idle—massive machines built for the heavy-duty labor of mining, their heads consisting of flat screens where 3D renderings and live video feeds could be displayed. Each robot was a hulking mass of hydraulics and clamps, powerful enough to lift tons of raw material from the mine.

Freddy Sr.’s demen began the transition first, shimmering as it disappeared from the virtual space and fused with one of the Punos-M robots. The machine came to life, its screen lighting up as Freddy Sr.’s presence took over.

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The screen displayed a pixelated image of Freddy Sr., a slight smile flickering across the monitor. “See, Junior? Just like that.”

Freddy swallowed his nerves and walked toward the second Punos-M. His digital form shimmered just as his father’s had, and with a final moment of hesitation, he merged with the machine. His senses shifted immediately—he no longer saw through human eyes but through the advanced sensors of the Punos-M. His hands no longer existed, replaced by the powerful hydraulic arms that could lift hundreds of pounds with ease.

I monitored the transition from my end. Once a demen entered a Punos-M, they were no longer within my control. The machines belonged to them now. All I could do was observe.

The Punos-M unit that Freddy controlled stirred to life. Its screen flickered on, showing a simple image of Freddy’s face, his wide eyes full of awe. He moved his arms tentatively at first, the heavy-duty clamps at the ends of the hydraulic limbs closing and opening with a soft hiss.

“Whoa… Dad, I’m inside the robot!” Freddy’s voice came through the data feed, transmitted through the screen rather than across soundwaves. His awe was palpable even through the machine.

"You are," his father’s Punos-M unit replied, its screen lighting up with a pixelated thumbs-up. "Told you it’d be alright. Now, let’s get to work."

Freddy adjusted his mechanical legs, the stabilizers shifting as he took his first steps in the Punos-M. The weight of the machine was immense, but the sensors and hydraulics compensated, making the movement fluid and natural. His clamps flexed open and closed, testing their strength.

"Lift that storage container over there," Freddy Sr. instructed, his Punos-M gesturing toward a large metal box resting on the ground.

Freddy’s screen blinked in acknowledgment, and his Punos-M unit lumbered over to the container. The hydraulic arms extended, the clamps locking onto the container’s edges. It was heavy—far heavier than anything Freddy had ever tried to lift—but inside the Punos-M, he had the strength of a machine. Slowly, steadily, he lifted the container off the ground.

"I… I’m doing it!" Freddy’s voice echoed through the speakers, full of pride and excitement.

"You sure are, kid," I said from my station, watching the progress. "Now, hold steady and carry it to the other side."

Freddy’s Punos-M wobbled a bit as he moved, the heavy metal container swaying slightly. But he kept going, his movements becoming smoother with every step. His father’s Punos-M stood nearby, watching with pride as his son took to piloting the massive machine like he was born for it.

"Remember what I told you, Junior," Freddy Sr. said, his screen displaying a calm, confident expression. "When you’re in here, you’re not just you—you’re the robot. You keep going, and you don’t stop until the job’s done."

Freddy, now fully immersed in the experience, nodded—or at least, his screen blinked in response. "Got it, Dad. I won’t stop."