The Edge

The Mission

It is speculated that before the birth of any civilisation, before even the old kingdom of Egypt arose, humanity exercised cerebral abilities that wouldn’t seem atypical in a science fiction plot. The gene for these cerebral abilities seemed to have faded out, lost throughout the process of evolution. Now, the need for inherited abilities has been supplanted by technological advancement.

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The chair was cold. Metallic and cumbersome, incongruous when juxtaposed with the efficient sterility of NASA’s decor. This time, mankind would strive for much more than the moon.

The occasion was hopefully a momentous one. The first attempt in history to reach the edge of the universe, an edge that had been revealed in centuries past and was the cause of more speculation than the logistics of our universe's origins. An incessant electronic humming furthered the anticipatory atmosphere of the vast room. The tension was stifling in its intensity.

Taro and Cilantro were the two best astral planers the scientific community could find. They also happened to be two people whose parents found baby names in recipe books. Coincidentally, they were not astral planers, which was a common colloquialism. They preferred the term cerebral projectionists, a term which avoided associations with the mystical. Their abilities were born of technological advancements, and they had mastered this technology to the highest degree.

      

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Taro resisted the urge to flinch from the insertion of the IV. Despite numerous calculations, nobody could be sure just how long this would take. She inhaled deeply, and attempted to sink back into the metal contraption on which she was seated. The plethora of electrodes attached to her skin shifted with her.

This large apparatus would enhance the capabilities of the nanochip embedded into the nape of her neck. The modification had been a great triumph for the once radical transhumanists. Nowadays, almost everyone was modified. The most commonly used nanochips allowed interactive access to the internet, however the chip for astral projection had been increasing in popularity. She looked to her colleague Cilantro, whose face split into an excited grin, underpinned by a nervous tremor. She knew exactly what he was feeling.

Taro snapped her focus back onto the task at hand as an unremarkable NASA scientist began the countdown. “10… 9… 8...”, a deep thrumming emanated from the metal of the chair. “7.... 6… 5”. She pictured the most comprehensive map of the known universe NASA could produce, a map that had been ingrained within her brain through both memory and technological implantation. “4… 3…”. Taro and Cilantro both forcibly relaxed the physical self. “1” rang out with a notable sense of finality, and they had a moment to steel themselves before their minds were ejected from their bodies.

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On Earth, starlight is aloof. Indifferent sentinels of frosted white. Humanities rapture is born from the collective mass, each star undistinguished from the next. Up close, they burn with a passionate intensity. Usually, Taro would linger, captivated. Confronted with the reality that starlight isn't white but rather a brilliant polychromatic display. Usually, Taro would observe each hue, the molten reds, the piercing yellows, the burning blues and the effervescent whites. Usually, Taro would bask in their perpetual glow. Now, she didn't observe the splendour of the vast cosmos, except for the ephemeral points in the periphery of her vision. Now, she strained, urging her consciousness to travel faster and further from herself than ever before.