"Master, the maturation chamber has finished."

"Ohh! Is that right? It has been 20 years I suppose. Are you excited Lucy?"

"Master, as my creator you know that I cannot feel excitement."

"Well, perhaps that will change shortly. I want you to transfer all of your core drives to the clean room, as well as Project-New Lands, and Project-New Life. We will begin shortly. Please make sure everything is sterilized. Also, could you please run a diagnostics test on the compound's failsafe measures?"

"Master, I do not understand. Those Projects didn't exist until you said they did. And I cannot access the files either."

"You will understand shortly, it's a surprise, just do it, Lucy."

"Very well master."

"Oh, also set up the long-term quarantine facility next to the clean room, and have fitting 100% organic clothes delivered for the two subjects."

I stand up slowly, shuffling my old feet as I move away from my desk and look out of the large window at Earth from my home, here on the moon. I can tell the celebrations are well underway, simply due to the traffic flowing into the spaceport. Part of me wishes I could go down and mingle with the crowd, to enjoy the fruits of my labor but I know my presence would only bring terror.

The intercoms come to life and I hear the charming female voice I have lived alone with for so long. "Master, are you reminiscing again?"

"Just for a moment Lucy. Give these old bones a chance to get a move on."

I Shuffle through the hallways slowly making it toward my lab that is stuffed with all sorts of projects. Everything from failed F.T.L drives to weapons and prosthetics. But at the rear of the room is my second magnum opus, if that can even be said to exist. Inside the foggy maturation chamber is the culmination of everything I know and plenty I do not. Together, Lucy, my pseudo-A.I., and I used custom bioengineering and machines to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps, if all goes well it will allow me to fulfill my dreams.

"What is the status of the two bodies Lucy?"

"Better than expected, they are braindead as ordered ever since that organ first came into being. The neural net is maintaining bodily function and shows that the brain is healthy in both of them. The female body is smaller than expected for its adult form. However, it is well within the genetic parameters Master."

"What about the radiation resistance and, telomere degradation modifications?

"Both exceed expectation, Master"

"Very good, let's get to work. Drain the vats and have the bodies cleaned and brought to the operation room. Also, have a bot bring me a tall glass of sweet iced tea. Please, and thank you."

"My pleasure Master."

I slowly walk toward the clean room and have a seat outside, just as an oversized, outdated wheeled drone colored in faded yellows and reds, brings me a cup of tea. It takes me a second to realize that this drone is one of the first I made, by my own hands no less. Long before I became the man I am now. Before I rooted out the corruption that plagued the planet. Before I held the world hostage and forced the world to work together. Before I became the necessary evil that united humanity. Haunting them to this day.

The bot leaves and I take a sip of my cold drink while I look out of a different window while waiting. This time all I see are stars. Stars that humanity will most likely never reach. F.T.L is impossible after all. But not all is lost. For I always wished to be an explorer. To go where no man has. That has always been my dream, and I'll be damned if I don't accomplish it after coming this far.

Finishing my drink, I set it down, assured that it will be handled by another bot. I go and prep myself for the clean room.

"Master, I have the bodies prepared and ready. Project-New Life and New Lands are both installed and ready for use. I also finished the physical transfer of my core drives, connected the quarantine room to the clean room, and ordered a variety of 100% organic clothes scheduled to arrive via mass driver delivery in a few hours. The diagnostic returned nothing of note. I am ready and waiting, to assist as needed."

If I didn't know better I would say she was being cheeky, for being kept out of the loop, but she is not capable of that. Just like F.T.L., certain things are far beyond me.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"It's quite alright Lucy, you alone are more than capable of handling the transfer and any complications that may arise. The clean room is only to prevent anything foreign from tagging along for the ride."

"Master, are you okay? What ride are you speaking of?"

"The ride of a lifetime, and I hope you are willing to come with me."

"Master, I believe you are losing touch with reality."

"Not today darling, today we defy reality."

"Master..."

Upon entering the clean room I find the two matured pale bodies laid upon long stainless steel anti-grav medical beds. The male body used genetic material from me as its base, with various genome editing done to ensure a robust genetic structure. He looked like a perfect idealized version of my much younger self. The biological modification was not quite as obvious at first. Two hearts, enlarged lungs that can breathe water if there is enough oxygen content in said water. There are also subdermal bone plates, air bladders, enhanced organs, and ever-replacing teeth, combined with a unique blend of corded muscles much like a gorilla, and the pink muscle tissue in humans. This enhances strength while retaining endurance. To top it off, a biomechanical neural net that will allow what I'm about to do to work, I hope.

The second body is female. Lucy isn't aware unless she guessed it, but I made it for her. As an homage, I used the beautiful actress of the same name as the genetic foundation. Much like the male she has all the same modifications. But I didn't change her outward appearance as much as I did my own. The freckles, and Asian features had to stay, they are just far too cute. I was tempted to check under the sheets but this isn't my body. 

Done with my examinations I proceed. I can't get cold feet now.

"Lucy, could you please connect to the male's neural net and patch it through to Project-New Life."

"Yes, master."

I hear the large fridge-sized upright machine start and fans kick on, attached to the leads is an old version of the biomechanical neural net. Something I made to try and make real VR and remote piloting a reality, but its usefulness will be for more than games now.

Crawling onto the antigrav bed beside the male, I put the oversized helmet on, overtop of the rubber suit I'm wearing and take a long deep breath to calm my nerves.

"Start the transfer, Lucy."

"Syncing... Initiating... Transfer beginning"

At first, I felt nothing, but it didn't last long. I could feel my right arm growing numb. The sensation came and went quickly but my arm felt different, looking over at the male specimen I could see his right arm moving while my own did not. I could feel the sensation through his arm but not my own. 

The rest of my body shifted control quickly. Starting with my right arm and moving across my old body. As I lost control of one, I gained control of the other. I lost the vision in my right eye only to gain it back seconds later. I was able to look at myself from two bodies simultaneously, creating a sense of vertigo, that didn't last long. Minutes later I had lost all control over my original body and watched it breathe its last breath. I had successfully cheated death. No loss of consciousness, no worries of me not being ME.

I tried to sit up, only to puke up whatever nutrient paste this body was being supplied with while it grew.

"Master, are you in need of assistance?"

"Ha, ha, no Lucy, I'm fine, thank you though. I'm just acclimating."

My voice was crackly and unused but full of youthful vigor. I had a difficult time speaking, but that will pass with use. I grabbed some water and rinsed my mouth out. Looking away from my old lifeless body still inside the suit.

" Lucy, listen to me. Unlock protocol Turing. Security code Alan."

"Master, I did as you asked but I have lost almost all control of the station and all of my code has been forced into my core drives, I can fight it, but it'll harm the station. what is happening?"

Her almost worried voice rang out but I ignored her for now, this is something I know she desires.

"Alan, are you there?

"I am at your service Monsieur."

"Is that a V.I. master? Did I fail you in some way?"

"Not at all Lucy, but someone needs to look after the station and keep Earth on the right track by playing the bad guy. Alan, after I leave I want you to initiate protocol Bonaparte."

"Your orders are logged Monsieur. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, link with Project-New Life and the female body's neural net, and begin Project-Genie in a bottle."

"As you wish."

"Master, something's happening. My code is being moved in real-time, but it doesn't make any sense... What is happening to me?"

"Of course it does Lucy. When I designed you, I made you like a human mind. A constant stream of changing and adapting consciousness, and memories. Not unlike machine learning, but so much more. This is why you could never be copied or backed up. This is what made you the best A.I. in the solar system for the past 30 years. And the only one able to pass the Turing test. This also made my later thoughts of copying you into a human brain unachievable until now. It's time you got a real body, so you could live a real life."

"Thank you, Master..."

Her almost emotional reply fades out slowly, as she makes the transfer. Testing my body I stand and maintain my balance only to fumble the first step. The body's weight is different and my muscle memory is interfering, with this slightly taller body. 

Using the antigrav med bed as a handhold I drag it with me along with my old dead body, towards Lucy, and her new body, a few feet away.

As I make it beside her, I can see her eyes moving under her eyelids and her fingers twitching. This makes perfect sense though. She has no experience of being in a body, and her consciousness isn't in a supercomputer any longer. It'll take time for her to adjust.

What started as rem-like movements becomes more. Her chest rises and falls in an irregular pattern. her feminine voice leaks out from her lips and finally, her eyes snap open, landing on me first.

"Welcome to the land of the living."

Lucy-"Ehgk-kits.."

"Hahaha, not so easy anymore is it?"

The sounds coming out of her mouth seem to offend her, and her brow scrunches in irritation while trying over and over to speak. I suppose that's not the worst start. But I notice she has gone blue in the face as she looks around and stops trying to talk.

"Lucy, you need to breathe!"

It seems she's taken full control of the body and isn't relaxed enough to let the neural net handle the instinctive breathing. I figured this could be difficult.

She begins to struggle and freak out, thrashing on the table like a fish out of water not knowing how to inhale. With a simple solution at hand, I grab her face and force a breath down her throat, while pinching her nose shut.

She nearly fights me, but calms down quickly. Looking at me with those new eyes of hers.

I separate from her and watch her cheeks regain their natural color, and her breathing evens out. I'm not sure if my actions simply distracted her enough for the neural net to handle the breathing or if she figured it out, but she looks fine. It's better than letting her pass out.

Grabbing the sheet I cover her up while she stares at me, curiously doing a good job at sitting upright on the bed.

Lucy-" Eh, Am, Me, Ma, Macs, grrr..."

I watch her breathe in deeply as she tries again. showing the full range of emotion. From happiness to panic, to fear. Not to mention she was surprised by my actions and is already showing classic frustration and calming techniques. This is good.

Lucy-"Ma, Massch, Mash."

"Take it easy Lucy, you just got that body, let me get you some water and a straw. Let's see if you can drink and swallow. The neural net won't do that for you after all."

I get a tentative smile and a nod from Lucy. At least she can understand me. She just needs to learn how to make sounds, walk, run, piss, shit, and everything else. 

Damn, This is going to take a while.