R/Nosleep (Get Spooked)

I Took Part In A Brain Scan Experiment...

By: u/RichardSaxon

Since the conception of the internet, and its distribution to the general population, it has been riddled with pointless, even harmful ads. Most of them can be removed with a simple ad-block, but even then, we're not always safe...

And that's exactly where my story begins: with an ad calling for test subjects. It had a significant cash prize, and involved little more than sitting in front of a computer for a weekend without internet and contact with the outside world. As sketchy as it initially sounded, on a website that shall not be mentioned for awkward reasons; it was in fact presented in a fairly legitimate way.

As a college dropout on the verge of getting evicted from my apartment, I jumped at the opportunity to grab a little extra cash. I filled out a contact form, and got in contact with a very friendly receptionist who explained the procedure.

The idea was to do a brain scan, copying my neural pattern onto a computer, and mixing it with an AI. It would all take place on site at some medical facility I'd never heard about. Transport would be arranged by them as well as food.

On the pickup day I found an unmarked indistinct vehicle parked in my driveway. A man stepped out from the vehicle and escorted me inside. Once there, he handed me a bunch of papers to read through and sign. The car didn't even start to move until I'd confirmed that I consented to the experiment. Once done, they tinted the windows in such a way that I couldn't possibly see anything outside. Then we went on our way.

It would take about an hour of driving on a bumpy road before we reached the location. By then I hadn't the faintest clue where we were. The building we parked in front of resembled a warehouse, clearly a recent build. The escort rushed me inside the building, trying their best to prevent me from observing my surroundings too closely.

The hallways were naked, rid of art and furniture as if the entire place had sprung up overnight. They lead me to an office with the leading Doctor inside.

"So you're our latest subject? Did you manage to get through the exceptionally boring document?" he asked with a chuckle. He seemed friendlier than the rest of the staff, which put me mildly at ease.

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"So do you understand the procedure?"

I nodded. Though it was weird that I had to stay there for such a long time following the scan. Though I understood the very basics of the procedure, I hadn't the faintest clue as to why they wanted to do it.

"Questions?" the doctor asked.

"Why did I find your ad on sketchy sites online? Why not post it somewhere more... well, legitimate?"

He paused for a moment, mulling over what to say. "Well, this experiment goes a bit into the gray area in terms of morality. It's not like it will hurt or alter your life in any way, technically speaking 'you,' won't even be our subject."

"Because you're making a copy of my brain?" I asked.

"Exactly, a carbon copy of your neural network, put into a digital space. We just need you to stick around and observe it, so we can pick out any missing pieces."

He went on to explain the details of the procedure in layman's terms. The idea that a copy of my mind existed somewhere else was mildly bothersome, but money was my leading motivation.

Following the final agreement, they strapped a helmet to my head and left me alone for the next few hours. It was a heavy piece of equipment, and by the end of the session I could barely keep my head up.

The second phase of the project required me to be locked into the room with my AI brother for the next forty-eight hours. The room itself was a windowless box with little to no furniture and a monitor attached to the wall with a keyboard and nothing else. On the screen a simple, preloaded webpage.