For hours, he sat in the dark, hunched over the computer terminal in his vast laboratory. His wizened face glowed with blue neon from the hologram screen he worked at, his gray-streaked hair an eerie electric color. He continued for a moment, his keystrokes silent against the virtual keyboard. Cocking his head to the side, he sat back in his chair, then grimaced as a lightning storm raged in his spine. For a moment, he thought of Elise.

He could almost hear her, "Eramis, you shouldn't sit bent over that computer like you do. You'll pay for it later on."

She had been right about that much.

"Why can’t you stop fiddling with that thing and come down for dinner?"

He fingered his wedding ring idly, his mission momentarily fogged by the memory of his late wife. She had meant well, but never really understood the big picture.

He forced back his tears, closing his eyes tightly. He would not cry for her again. He had cried when the doctors had told him that her disease-ridden body would bear him no progeny. He had cried when her health was shattered after the doctors had said that she would make a full recovery. He had cried when the years finally had taken her from him, even though he had known it had been a long time coming. He would cry no more.

After a time, he was once again hunched over his work, his fingers working with all the wild vigor of his long-past youth. Soon enough, the pain in his back, as well as that beneath his ribs, was forgotten, lost in the ecstasy of creation. His mind was numb, working tirelessly through the coded strings of logic which he so revered, constructing pearly strings of connection for mathematical equations others could nary even grasp with any true comprehension.

He reveled in the static reality of his computer programs. It was all very calming for him. He wrote a section of his script, then tested it. A bug? Not a problem, toy with it for a minute and voila! If only all life could be lived on the terms of a computer system. As it stood now, he no longer needed to eat or sleep, those needs provided by intravenous vitamins and artificial energy replacement from the nanomachines his body was saturated with. He was almost there, and now he could work continuously until the opus of his creation was at fruition.

Once again, he was haunted by his wife's voice. "Eramis, put that thing away. We're running out of time."

He shook his head, a hint of a smile creeping onto his lips. He had nothing but time. The smile slowly curved downward to a frown as the thought hit him. Elise's time had run out, and he couldn't save her. He was hit by a wave of melancholy and tried to push it away, but he could still hear her soft whisper.

"You're much too serious, Er."

Without passion, he moved away from his terminal, sliding out of his chair. He stood up straight, and the pain shot through him again, leaving him bent over and clutching the counter. He stood there, battered by the incessant throb. Soon, he told himself. Soon, the pain will be gone.

Slowly, he eased himself upright. He winced, moving across the room, the dim lights flickering into brightness as it sensed him. On the far wall, there was a cabinet with his anesthetics. It was only thirty feet away, but the stabs in his back made each step feel like a mile.

With each torturous step, he grew nearer, the lights of the laboratory casting his long shadow over the tiles toward his destination.

"It's not far, Eramis. I wont be far away at all."

With renewed strength, he trudged on, and after an eternity of pain, he reached the cabinet. He pulled the doors open roughly, searching through the contents with all the abandon of a berserker warrior. At long last, he found a small vial labeled 'Synaptex' containing the amber chemical he sought.

He panted from exertion, pressing down on the metal disk that topped the cylinder, which slid open smoothly. He threw back his head, and poured the contents down his throat. He coughed hard, and instantly felt himself enveloped in the warmth of euphoria.


His body felt numb, yet strangely sensitive at the same time. He could feel the ligaments and muscles in his body twitch and stretch as he made his way back to his workstation. He seated himself again, feeling his body rife with liquid pleasure. Now he knew why there were so many junkies hooked on the substance.

He sat down and began to type, feeling the energy ripple through his body. His fingers were quick, and his mind, quicker. He continued for countless time, every so often, leaning back, and pleased for find that there was no pain, but only a warm sensation running through him.

Behind him, immense pieces of machinery began to appear, slowly phasing into being. The lights had long since diminished, and once again, the only illumination was that blue light cast from the holographic images rendered by his computer.

His eyes glowed as he performed his final keystrokes. At long last, he was finished. After long years of toil, he had finally succeeded. For centuries, man had used artificial intelligence systems to run their computers, their security systems, even things so mundane as operators for the ComLink network.

Now, they would be rendered obsolete. He had the program, the undertaking that had been fifteen years in the making. He had the machines, and now, the final step was only a few short minutes away.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Eramis?"

He nodded. "Of course this is, Elise. Now I will live forever." It was all completely rational, he thought, as he moved out of his chair, beginning to attach wires to his body. One on either temple, one on his abdomen, one over his chest. He stepped to one of the machines, pulling a long thick cord, tipped with a thick syringe, from it.

He stepped backward, reaching one hand back to his neck, finding the fleshy spot between two vertebrae, the other hand wavering, holding the syringe up. He closed his eyes, then thrust the needle into his spine, feeling no pain. He smiled to himself. The Synaptex was for the masses, soon, he would have no need for such a drug.

Sensing the connectors all being in place, the Construct sped into action, mapping out the regions of Eramis' brain in its systems. He could feel the tick and pull of the electric currents running through him and into the computer. He could see the neon logic shimmering in his eyes as his mind was overtaken by the organized chaos of the programming algorithms.

He could feel happiness roll over him. He had not been this happy since, well, not since before Elise had gotten sick. When she had left him, he had hurt. He hurt more than he could bear, and wished the pain would just go away. Briefly, he had thought of killing himself, but in the end, he was afraid of death. Now, it didn't matter.

He closed his eyes, swaying on his feet. His body was magnetic, and he could feel the energy drawing away from him and into the computer. He felt around for the chair and sat down, leaning back in the chair comfortably.

"Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani..."

Eramis opened his eyes, looking around for who was speaking in one of the old languages. His mind was blurred. There was only five minutes left until he had reached full immersion, and he did not want someone to destroy his chances. If not for the fact that it was his life's work, then for the fact that surely, it would kill him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. He swerved in his chair, and once again the sensors detected his movement and brought the light again. His son stood there, looking down over him.

"You think to leave me here by myself father?" The young man was imposing. He stepped to the side, to stand directly in front of Eramis. As he turned, Eramis could see his muscles rippling under his bare chest.

"My son, I must do this. You know this. When I leave, you must find your brother and sister."

"It's always been about them, hasn't it father?"

"You know that's not true." Eramis tried to stand, but was restrained by the cords connecting to him. He began to feel faint as his energy continued to be drawn from him.

"I was the black sheep, the failure. They were your success. I was, am, nothing to you."

"Forgive me son." Eramis looked into his son's bright blue eyes pleadingly.

The man leaned over Eramis, pressing his lips to his forehead. Eramis felt a pressure on his chest, and then gasped. Despite his numbed nerves, he could feel the blade enter his body. He felt the exquisite pain as the knife parted flesh and cracked bone, then twisted, pulling out muscle and sinew.

"I can forgive you for myself, but not for mother." His son dropped the knife on the ground, then turned away, leaving the lab. No lights came on as he walked across the room, nor did the door open for him.

With the remainder of his consciousness, Eramis heard a crash, then glass falling to the ground. He slouched and fell off his chair, feeling his lifeblood ebb out onto the floor as his mind left his body. As he lay there, strewn awkwardly on the ground, he could hear her again.

"I forgive you Eramis."