Vacation In The Shade

New Men

Aster and Sol enter the Enhanced Bio-Lab the way one would enter a church. The natural daylight bulbs used inside are a welcome change from the harsh lighting in the corridor. 

"I always wondered about this place." Sol says in a normal tone.

Aster whispers, "shhh! we don't want to disturb him," he cautions.

Sol lowers his voice, "I thought we were expected. Disturb who?"

Aster whispers back to Sol who's taking measured steps behind him. "We are expected, but that doesn't mean Leo isn't busy with some experiment right now."

"Leo? That's an unusual name."

"I agree," Aster takes a seat in one of the stools, "He decided to change his name after a study of the planet's history. The name comes from a historic figure he admires greatly. Leo Vinci or something like that. I just call him Leo."

"Leo," Sol muses as he sits on a stool, "So he's the one who's gonna get us set up with bodies for our trip?"

A voice booms out from a back room, "indeed he is!"

Leo steps out into the warm light that mimics the sun of this system they've been observing. He looks over the two techs with piercing eyes. The bodysuit he wears has the emblem of a senior officer in the Science Council. Leo leans against the lab table closest to Aster.

"So," Leo says to Aster, "You mean to go through with this?"

"Indeed I do!" Aster replies, "but first, let me introduce you--"

"You must be Sol," Leo leans forward and extends a bony hand, "Aster has told me alot about you. And when he spoke, it was with reverence."

Sol briefly grasps Leo's hand as is customary. "That's good to hear sir."

"C'mon, just call me Leo. Were business partners after all."

Sol gives Aster a sidelong glance. "Partners?"

"Of a sort," Aster says, "Leo's doing a lot for us, new bodies, technical support, transportation... A twenty percent share in profits is not too much to ask."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Leo says, "because we can start right now. Ready?"

Aster and Sol exchange determined looks. "Ready." They say in chorus.

"Very well," Leo opens a lab table drawer and pulls out a remote control. A couple of buttons are pressed and a holographic form drops down from the ceiling as the lights dim. "Make wise choices, you'll be stuck with these bodies for a couple of days."

Aster and Sol spend a few minutes working on the long list of aesthetic choices needed to get their bodies ready, then an issue comes up.

"That's the skin color you're going to use?" Sol asks.

"Ah," Aster says, "this is where the report comes in handy. I just happen to know that this skin color is one of the most popular on the planet."

"Realy?" Sol asks, "that color?"

"Well, shades of it." Aster says, "You can go darker or lighter but this is optimal. Where we're going, the vast majority of the people have that shade."

"We can't look exactly the same though," Sol says, "I'll go a few shades darker. What else do you suggest?"

"Based on what we know," Aster says, "we should look like we're a little past the mid-point of their life-cycle in age. Most natives' bodies have twenty-five to thirty percent extra fat..."

"What?" Sol asks, "are they trying to kill themselves?"

"It would appear so." Leo chimes in.

"Let's go with fifteen percent." Aster decides.

"Okay." Sol says. "Male or female?"

"Most definitely male," Aster says, "we need to be taken seriously, and the society we'll encounter can treat their females badly. They talk a good game but the truth is different."

"Alright then," Leo says, "add some contemporary clothes and you're set." Leo uses the remote to punch the last of the settings and calculations. "Done. The transfer chambers are right through here."

They enter the back room that Leo came out of before. He turns on the overhead light as they enter revealing some of the most coveted hi-tech equipment in this space sector. Sub-micron bio-scanners, tissue re-generators and cloning kits were just a few of the items recognized by Aster and Sol. Leo opens the door at the other side of the room and they enter an area with eight human sized chambers. There are four open red painted chambers on the left and four closed blue chambers on the right. They are separated by a monitoring console and a bank of computing modules.

"Just step into two of the chambers on the left" Leo says, "and we can get started."

"Hold it," Sol says, "I want to know how this thing works first. I know it's been done before but not to me."

"Will you relax?" Aster says, "nothing bad is going to happen."

"No, it's okay," Leo says, "I'll be happy to explain the process."

Leo steps to the spot just in front of the console and turns to face his audience. "The pods on your left are a combination stasis chamber, bio-scanner and neuro-electric siphon. The pods on you right are a combination of bio-generation chamber and neuro-electric charge device."

Leo takes a side step an pats one of the closed chambers. Two of these babies are already working on the bodies you selected. In a couple of hours I'll be ready to put you in them."

"Two hours?" Aster asks, "why do we have to get into the chambers now?"

Leo steps back toward the open pods. "It'll take at least that long to safely remove your neuro energy for transfer. The entire process will take about four and a half hours."

Aster turns to Sol, "are you satisfied with the process?"

"I just want to know what's going on that's all." Sol says.

"Your pods await gentlemen." Leo says.

Aster jumps into the nearest pod while Sol's entry is more deliberate. There's a hiss and a soft whine as the pod canopies close. Just before they snap shut Leo says. "See you in a few hours."