kasdeya on Nostr: "How am I breathing?" "Oh! I thought you might be overwhelmed by the transfer, since ...

"How am I breathing?"

"Oh! I thought you might be overwhelmed by the transfer, since you've been in that old morph- uhh... your body... for your entire life so far. So I installed some biosims to your new synthmorph. You can breathe, your heart will beat in response to your emotions and physical activity, and you can even feel and move your mouth, lips, tongue, and eyelids! And those will be drawn on your visor, too."

I breathe, blink, and lick my lips, then feel my face with my hands. Nothing but smooth glass-like material. I should be terrified by this. I was taught my entire life that consciousness isn't transferred - people are killed and replaced by soulless machines. And yet here I am. I look up at the robot who has been so compassionate with me. Do I look like it does now?

"You seem pretty overwhelmed," she says, "but we can take this as slowly as you need to. You're the first Jovian we've resleeved, and I wasn't sure how someone like you might adapt, so I have the rest of the day to spend with you if you need it. Oh and don't worry - the Outlook that was suppressing your fear is already being faded out. It will be completely gone if you're still this calm in a few minutes."

I stand up slowly - expecting to be unsteady on my feet. Instead every motion feels graceful and effortless - as if I weigh nothing at all. I walk silently up to... me. Laying on the table. The body is still breathing - probably to preserve it. The petals have retreated back into the machine and I can see my own face, peaceful as though asleep. I expect to feel horror or revulsion but instead I feel a numb kind of relief. I'll never have to feel pain again, and they say that I can live forever like this.

The robot seems sad. "I'm sorry that we couldn't save it. I know that body must have meant a lot to you. But I'm going to be recording everything I can about it - including genetics and epigenetics - if you ever want to clone it, or take its appearance."

"What's your name?" I turn to it, realizing that I know nothing about this thing that has been so compassionate and helpful through one of the most terrifying moments of my life.

"Oh?" It seems confused. It pauses for a moment. "Oh! Right! Is it okay if I activate your entoptics?"

I have no idea what she's saying. "Okay."

Suddenly my vision swims with information. Every single piece of equipment in the lab blooms with text and boxes and graphs and images. The walls are crawling with notices, solar storm reports, task schedules, and navigational aids. But something in my new body must have recognized how overwhelmed I was, because they all quickly disappear and my attention is drawn to the robot who's been helping me all this time. As I look at her, I notice two things simultaneously - neither interfering with the other: I see her, exactly as she was. But her body has text associated with it. I can feel it, more than see it.

```
Afi Serwaa (she/her, they/them, ve/vis)

Muse: SAKAR i.74829-22418 (it/its)
Muse note: it likes to be called seventy-four

Status: Do not disturb (I'm in an important conversation right now!)
Next available: Unknown

Station role: Synthmorph maintenance, nanofab schematic design and programming, exomod troubleshooting and development
Emergency station role: I'm helping the Jovian refugees stay healthy and adapt to the station!
```

The text keeps going from there but that's all that I can process. Even this amount leaves me with more questions than answers, but at least now I know: "So... your name is Afi?"

It- *they* take an exaggerated pose of joy as they say "You got it! I'm glad you're picking things up so fast. Now... I don't want to overwhelm you *too* much but this is what I actually look like."

A 2D animated character - with the same art style that was displayed on her visor - appears on top of her mechanical body. I can still clearly see her as she was before, but somehow I also see this character, overlayed on top. I have no idea how the conflicting information isn't driving me insane, but I'm somehow taking it in stride. "You have... the ears of an animal?" I say dumbly. They remind me of the TARAs we used in the mines - reconnaissance animals bred to warn of danger.

"I also have a tail!" Afi announces joyfully, and the character swishes it back and forth behind her as the tailless mechanical body mirrors her movements. "I'm a fox," she adds, as if that explains anything.