The next hour passed with blistering speed. Gary was shunted from one area to another, ushered into a healing bay by one of the attending AI bots where his wounds were tended, and he was given a somewhat forceful shower. His body was scrubbed until his skin was raw, the hair on his head was shaved as was his face. Drugs were injected into his body, and he was made to drink half a gallon of some kind of sugary liquid the AI bot insisted would prepare his body for a prolonged session in stasis.

  Gary was greeted by a stern-faced woman dressed in a suit and wearing the Artemis Ministry symbol on her lapel—a silver planet surrounded by a single gold ring at a forty-five-degree angle. She spoke in forceful sentences as though addressing a large crowd rather than a single individual, her voice a continual drone of information, most of which Gary wasn’t taking in.

  “…required to select from a series of physical traits and characteristics, however those choices will be limited to the echo you are supplied…”

  Gary nodded while the medical bot poked and prodded him, inspecting his ears and armpits while he sat in a pair of fresh underwear in a brightly lit room with computerized machines arrayed around his bed.

  “You will also have a time limit to make your choice as the final preparations to your echo will need to be made during the transfer process.” The woman continued speaking, reading from a script on the holographic screen hovering above her comms unit.

  “Even though the transfer will take place at faster than light speeds, the distance between earth and Artemis is so great that you will still experience a ten-minute, real-time translocation timeframe. Within those ten minutes, you’ll be expected to finalize details of your echo’s appearance, select a new name for yourself, choose from the available attire, and highlight any existing skills you will bring to the experience.”

  The AI bot opened Gary’s mouth, shoving a tongue depressor inside, and asking him to cough in its robotic voice. Gary coughed and almost choked on the dry wooden depressor.

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  “On arrival at Artemis, you will be greeted by an AI concierge that will orientate you to your surroundings and run you through a basic tutorial to help you acclimatize. You will be assigned a guild at random, and they will be responsible for your continued training.”

  The AI bot moved away momentarily, picking up an injector gun from the nearby table and returning to Gary. It pressed the gun against his right arm and fired. The needle prick stung only a little, but Gary felt an immediate sense of lethargy pass over him.

  “Your experiences on Artemis will be recorded and may, from time to time, be included in hunt footage broadcast through various terrestrial channels here on earth. By signing this contract, you waive all rights to…”

  Gary’s vision blurred as he swayed on the bed. Cold, robotic hands held him in place as the AI bot injected him a second time. The lethargy suddenly left Gary in a rush, filling him with a cold chill that brought goose bumps all over his skin.

  “Whilst on Artemis, you will learn to acquire quantities of ether. Eighty percent of the ether you obtain is owned by the Artemis Ministry and will be channeled back here to earth and the remaining twenty percent you are permitted to use in any fashion you choose. Attempts to distort etheric figures, or to conceal, or otherwise stockpile ether will mean the immediate termination of your contract, at which point you will be pulled back to earth and rejoined with your body. In that event your stipend will be cancelled, and you will be required to reimburse the Ministry for any costs incurred as a result of your termination.”

  She tapped the holo screen and it flipped around to face Gary.

  “Sign to confirm that you’ve heard and understood the terms of your contract and that you will fully adhere to all Ministry statues and regulations during and post your Artemis adventure.”

  Blinking, Gary raised his hand and pressed his thumb against the digital screen. A luminescent green tick popped up on the screen and the Ministry official turned the display back around, clicked on it a few times and then closed it down. She nodded without smiling, turned on her heels, and walked away at speed, almost as though she couldn’t bare another moment in his presence.

  Gary turned to the AI bot. “So, what happens now?”

  By way of answer, the bot pressed one mechanical hand against the base of Gary’s neck. He felt a slight pinch and then darkness swallowed him.