I handed the remote to Al and and pointed it into the living room, clicking the power button. The broad flat screen lit up to life and Al increased the volume after switching to FOX news so we could hear it clearly from here. Then we just simply continued eating, silently listening to the weather forecast and some guy ranting about politics. After a few minutes though, I hear this.
"On other news, the worlds most wanted criminal, and technological experimentalist, Dr. Helix, posted a video on his infamous website, .com, that will leave the world shocked." Announced the news reporter.
Aaah, good ol' Dr. Helix. Back when he was a boy, he was a learning prodigy here in America. His ability to understand the world around him got him an associate's degree by seventh grade. He excelled in every subject, especially science. Universities, expensive collages, and other high rank schools were all groveling at his feet for him to be enrolled at their schools. However, he turned down every offer.
The mass of scholarships he'd received over time summed up to a quarter of a billion dollars, and he took that money, dropped out of his junior year of high school, and left the continent at the age of 17 without telling anyone where he was heading. A year later, he returned and worked his way through two high priced universities, getting a masters degree in surgery and genetic experimentation. Immediately afterward, he left again. A month later, he made his first world wide impression, by hacking into the global network and videoing a live stream, claiming that he alone was the worlds next superpower. He gave his location, a large island dead center in the south pacific ocean, and said he planned to support America, Israel, and several other specific countries. Of course, no one cared, only that he had hacked into every television, computer, radio or every other media device on the face of the planet. So three bomber jets were sent to the island to eliminate him. They hadn't even gotten within a thousand miles of the island before being shot down by incredibly accurate bolts of energy. These were later identified to have come from a rail gun. Four of them to be exact, mounted on two hundred foot towers along the perimeter of the island. He was untouchable.
That was four years ago. Now adays, his global broadcasts are carefully dated to not interfere with anything of great importance, and are always beneficial. He's distributed advanced weaponry to the sane parts of the world, donating large sums of money to democratic governments, and making the overall world a better place. Many people still want him dead though, since he holds so much power and potential. There was even a horrifying rumor at one time that he'd created an artificial plague that could wipe out humanity in two months! But then there's his latest announcement This one was broadcasted through youtube, where he was challenging the world to come up with interesting fictional animals for him to try to create. Most people assumed he was joking, and the official announcement video got thousands to tens of thousands of the stupidest requests. So, far, nothing has happened since then. I had thought about requesting him to make Alvin and the Chipmunks but...I don't think he could do it either.
"The video is sped up by about five thousand percent, but comes out crystal clear, depicting in graphic detail, Dr. Helix himself apparently creating an animal from the request video he made. By the end of the five minute video, the creature he assembles seemingly out of thin air appears to be a chipmunk, but looks like the ones from Alvin and the Chipmunks! Many claim the video is fake however, and with all the incredible animation technology we have in this day and age, it very well could be." Continued the reporter.
My breakfast still lays half eaten on the plate, but I'm already back in my room. I booted up my computer instantly, hitting my knee against the desk as I scrabbled into the rolling chair. The pain was shrouded by excitement however, and fifteen seconds later found myself on , speedily clicking on the various links that led me to his video posts.
I impatiently rapped my fingers against the desk as the screen loaded. Finally the screen beamed with a short list of his only seven videos, the top one reading, "You Asked For It, You Got It" in bold, superior to the black video thumbnail with his logo emblazoned in the center, a large H cut diagonally with a black line, the left side radiating green, while the right was red.
I eagerly clicked the title, followed by the screen switching to full screen automatically. Slowly, the emblem materialized, then exploded into thousands of green code letters and numbers that were simultaneously sucked to the center of the screen, along with my view of the screen. Everything was black for a moment...then music began to play, some sort of orchestral song. The screen faded in, pointing right at Dr. Helix himself, holding the camera in front of him. He set it onto something that held it in place, pointing down at a small, slick iron table...but then he seemed to disappear instantly. It took me a few seconds to realize the video had sped up...a lot. Then he was back again, or at least a blur of his white coat was. He disappeared and reappeared quickly and frequently.
As the video progressed, I began noticing a steadily growing mass of something white on the table. The video was so fast that I didn't even see Dr. Helix fasten the objects onto the translucent cradle that held it up by thin glass arms, which gave me a better view of the object. It was unmistakably a small bone. But how'd he make a bone?! Or...did he just set it there? No, I saw him build it from end to end. Then it was gone, and another bone emerged in only a few seconds! One by one the bones were built seemingly out of nothing. I couldn't see if he was using any tools though. The song reached a mellow point, and Dr. Helix produced a pelvic bone, spine, and a skull, with unnaturally large eye sockets.
The skeleton was instantly united, and the camera moved to another table in a split second. This time, I saw Dr. Helix a lot more, and the video slowed for a moment to show he had a pair of tongs which held a small, steel capsule inside glowing brilliantly golden and white. It was placed in a massive machine beside him, which then hummed softly before an indicator light beside it glowed green. He held his index and middle fingers together under a small tube that jutted out from the machine, then sped up again as the orchestra boomed to life once more. What ever came out of the machine was instantly coated around very small models of organs. The heart, lungs, liver, digestive tract, and so many others that I just couldn't keep up. He waited a moment then turned the camera to yet another table. On top sat a life size sculpture of an AatC style chipmunk, no fur, no eyes, nails...or claws I mean, or any other parts that weren't skin. It looked as though it could have been starving. Again, the strange pale substance coated the model. The song had obviously reached it's climax as the orchestra picked up in speed and volume, and even an electric guitar strummed heavy low notes in time with the strings and trumpets. All the while, the screen switched to the first table again. The substance that had once been wrapped around the models had been slit to come off the sculptures and the skin model was placed beside the bones. Dr. Helix vanished the reappeared now holding something fleshy and red which was placed over the bones. It was the muscle, tendons, and the entire circulatory system. Everything continued to move too fast to see what he was doing. The organs were placed inside and more of the mysterious substance was applied. The outer skin was placed over top and and sealed shut with the substance, but left the chest open. A small saw materialized and cut off the top of the skull, where a brain, which actually wasn't created with the substance he'd used, was placed inside, small and already connected to a pair of large eyes that hung down by tendons. The substance was used to seal the skull and skin again, then the screen went dark. It flashed to life again for a split second, just enough time to see a large tube connected to a needle pumping blood into the chipmunk. Then it flashed to show the tube pulled out. It slowly faded in to show it's exposed heart, then Dr. Helix tapped it lightly...and it began to beat. The chest was shut, and the next few seconds showed the chipmunk's fur being created, only God knows how...and the song burned out the last of it's energy. Only soft string instruments playing a single note as the camera zoomed in on the chipmunk's face. I-it's nose twitched, and just as the screen went black, it's eyes shot open.
I sat there, speechless. He'd done it! He not only created a living fictional creature, of which everyone doubted could be done, but made an AatC chipmunk! Unrelenting excitement bored into me, but my body had turned to jello. I was practically numb with happiness, and a smile creeped across my face that I just couldn't get rid of. Suddenly, the screen went black again. I swore, thinking I just got a virus, rapidly pressing control, alt, delete on the keyboard.
I was startled when I heard Dr. Helix's voice in my speakers. I looked up to find him staring back, the background is his typical high tech office that he makes his announcements from.
"Greetings, citizens of the world. This is Dr. Helix, once again broadcasting on the global network. I've began this announcement to inform you that with the success of my first living, and thriving creature, which was requested by someone from the UK, I've finally mastered brain transplantation as well. The brain used for the chipmunk, which is currently being tested for any health flaws, none found yet so far, was a clone of my own brain. Currently, that chipmunk is like me in every way. Now, the point I'm getting at here is that because the brain successfully took control of the body, this means anyone's brain can, thus I will be adding brain transplant opportunities for free to anyone willing and able to undergo the procedure once the glide-bridge is complete. For those of you who don't know, the glide-bridge is a three thousand mile long road connecting my island to California that you travel over in a vessel that moves the same way Japanese bullet trains move, only it's a little faster. Now, for those of you who don't jump to decisions after a moments glance and don't throw caution to the wind, I am a professional doctor and I have all the materials for a professional surgery The procedure is utterly painless. The only danger in this procedure is that you will actually be dead once the brain is removed, however, the brain can survive for about eight minutes after removal, which gives me plenty of time to complete the operation. The procedure depicted in my recent video took three minutes and a quarter for the brain transplant itself. That leaves four minutes and three quarters left to spare, so you don't really have anything to worry about."
"Anyways, the glide-bridge shall be completed in precisely thirty eight hours and thirty six minutes from now.", I glanced at the clock, it was 9:24, meaning the bridge opens tomorrow at noon, "A team of employees will be at the entrance building off of 17 Mile Drive next to Pebble Beach to cut the ribbon, signifying the official opening of the bridge. At that time, the first twenty eight visitors will board the vessel and be brought to the island for tours and or the brain transplantation. You may enter your family or individual name into a virtual drawing to be selected for the first trip to my island by calling 0-950-300-898." The number was on paper before he could even continue talking.
"Well, that's all I have to say. This is Dr. Helix signing off...and uh...I'll try to get my chipmunk clone of me in the next announcement Farewell and until next time." Then the screen returned to the website.