One Life Ends, Another Begins: Chapter 1- Experiment

Marine captain Ryan Lorenz had more than one hole in his life. His
wife and daughter had been killed in a blast from a nearby RDA power
plant. He had nothing to live for. Earth held no more joy for him. He
saw it as hell. A hell he could not escape.
The RDA had contacted Ryan some five years prior. They had offered him
a job like no other on the world of Pandora. He was to be the first
experimental Avatar. Now, to his knowledge, he was to be living in a
surrogate body of the indigenous people, the Na'vi. He would still
retain the use of his human body, but most of the time he would be
linked to his Avatar. This Avatar was grown from his DNA and DNA of
the native people.
Ryan had learned that the air on Pandora was lethal to humans, which
was another good reason to have an Avatar because they were immune to
the poisonous gasses in the atmosphere. He would be able to move
around the forest with strength and ease.
The RDA had come and taken blood samples from him some two weeks
prior. They had also given him travel orders to report to Kennedy
Military Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida. He was to report two weeks
after the RDA had taken the blood samples.
Ryan Lorenz packed up his life into one suitcase. He had no idea if he
would ever return to Earth. But he did not want to. This was his
chance at a new life.
After arriving in Cape Canaveral, he had been given quarters and told
he was to leave in two weeks. Ryan had taken to exploring all that the
area's of the base. His favorite part though was the Science Lab where
his Avatar was being grown. As he was looking into the Amino Tank that
held his growing Avatar, he could only wonder how it would feel to
link up for the first time.
" Amazing, isn't it?" a voice said behind him.
Ryan turned around to find himself face to face with a man in a white
lab coat. He was probably 6 foot 6 about 250 pounds, all of it muscle.
He had a darker complexion that gave him an air of royalty and dignity.
" I'm Dr. James Monroe." he said offering his hand. "I am the lead
researcher and head scientist on the Avatar team."
Ryan shook his hand. "Captain Ryan Lorenz, United States Marines.
Nice to meet you. So this is my Avatar?"
" Yes, this is your Avatar. It has been growing for about two weeks.
As you can see there is a considerable amount of growth in such a
short time."
" How big do they get?"
" Roughly nine and a half feet tall. About 220 pounds, all of it
striated muscle. And they have this most interesting thing that comes
out the back of their heads. It's like a long ponytail but it serves
some purpose. It is attached to the nervous system. So, and this is
just speculation, we believe it
to be a neural interface."
" Really? So what's it used for?"
" That is what you and I are going to find out. Yes, I have an Avatar
too. You think I would make one for you and not for me?"
" No I wasn't sure. At least I won't be alone out there. That's a
comfort."
" Yeah. I'll be out there with you. Research and relations with the
Na'vi are my main goals. Also we are going to be marking loose loads
of unobtanium. These loads usually rest on the surface and can be
picked up with a Samson."
" Okay. So I'll be helping you with your goals or am I going to be
doing something else?"
" You will be working on finding and mapping area's rich in
unobtanium. That way the dozers and mining equipment can find it
easier."
" I'll have little to no contact with you?"
" Most likely. But don't let that discourage you. Let me work on it.
I'll find a way to get the first two experimental Avatars working
together."
" Good. Because I don't know shit about these Avatars. And if
something goes wrong, I want you there to help me."
Dr. Monroe started laughing.
" Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen while we're out there. It's
been a long day for you I'm sure so I'll let you go get some rack. You
know where your quarters are?"
" Yeah. It was a pleasure to meet you. See you tomorrow, huh?"
" See you then."
Ryan found his way back to his bed and fell in it, not even bothering
to undress. As sleep finally claimed him, he had fleeting thoughts
about what his mission and Pandora would be like. He was to be the
first experimental Avatar. The full implications had not hit him until
now. He was the first to be transported across the life gap into
another body. But there were also some things that worried him. What
if he couldn't get back to his human body? What if he didn't get
transferred correctly?
Finally, the deep abyss of sleep claimed him for its own.