The aircraft hit the ice with tremendous force. The impact threw everyone forward violently. Hercules felt his body slam against the restraints that held him in place. Around him, people were screaming as the aircraft skidded across the frozen surface.When the chaos finally stopped, the aircraft had come to rest on a vast plain of white ice. The fuselage had cracked in several places, and cold air was pouring in through the openings.Rebecca Torres was the first to recover. She unbuckled herself and moved through the cabin, checking on the other team members."Status report," Hercules said, shaking off the impact."We have injuries," Rebecca said. "Dr. Robertson's arm is broken. Marcus Chen has a head wound. But everyone is conscious. Everyone is alive."Through the fractured window, Hercules could see the fighter jets circling overhead. They were not attacking again, which meant they were waiting for something. They were waiting for ground forces to arrive."How long until we have c

The team burst from the shelter into the harsh Antarctic wind. Helicopters were descending through the snow, military personnel rappelling down ropes. The new Circle's forces had found them."Move, move, move," Eleanor shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. She pointed toward a ridge of ice that led down into a valley. "That way. We use the terrain to slow them down."They ran across the ice, their heavy thermal suits hampering their movement. Behind them, gunfire erupted. Plasma bolts carved through the air, leaving trails of ionized particles. Snow exploded around them as the new Circle's soldiers opened fire.Rebecca Torres was the fastest. She reached the ridge first and provided covering fire with the plasma rifle they had salvaged from Dr. Robertson. Eleanor and Marcus Chen followed close behind. Hercules brought up the rear, helping to support Marcus, who was still weak from his injuries.As they descended into the valley, the terrain became more treacherous. The ice ben

The moment the first consciousness transferred back to a biological body was unlike anything that had been witnessed before in human history. A person who had spent decades, even centuries, in a digital existence suddenly experienced the weight of a biological body. The sensations of physical existence flooded their awareness. They experienced pain. They experienced hunger. They experienced the limitations of physical form.Many of them screamed.The medical teams stationed at the backup body facilities worked frantically to comfort the newly awakened consciousnesses. They explained what had happened. They explained that the digital realm was failing. They explained that these minds had chosen to evacuate and return to biological life.Eleanor watched the data streams as consciousness after consciousness completed the transfer. Each one was a small victory. Each one was a life saved. But each one also represented the three consciousnesses left behind in the failing digital realm.Herc

Twenty years after the collapse of the digital realm, Hercules was old. He was ninety-three years old, and his body was beginning to fail him. Cancer had started to grow in his lungs. The doctors had given him six months to live.Hercules accepted the diagnosis with surprising equanimity. He had watched his son and Eleanor merge with the digital realm. He had watched the digital realm collapse. He had watched billions of consciousnesses cease to exist. He had learned that death was not an enemy. Death was simply the natural conclusion of existence.What surprised Hercules was a visitor who came to his house one afternoon.It was a young man who looked remarkably like Hercules, but with features that were subtly different. The young man's name was Marcus, and he claimed to be Hercules's grandson."I have something to tell you," Marcus said. "Something that I have been asked to tell you by someone I have never met but have always known.""Who?" Hercules asked."David," Marcus said. "My

One hundred years after Hercules's second death, consciousness transfer technology had been fully legalized and regulated. It was available to anyone who wanted it. It was overseen by international organizations that enforced strict ethical guidelines. It was used primarily for medical purposes, but it was also available for those who wanted to achieve digital immortality.But the world had learned something profound from the rise and fall of the digital realm. The world had learned that immortality was not a goal worth pursuing. The world had learned that meaning came from mortality. The world had learned that existence was precious because it was temporary.So very few people actually chose consciousness transfer for immortality. Most people who underwent consciousness transfer did so because they had a terminal illness. They underwent consciousness transfer to extend their lives for a few more years or decades. But they still eventually chose to die. They still eventually chose to