Beta

It was 17 minutes past midnight when he went in blended and yes, that’s highly discouraged with an experimental for many reasons. Risk factors start with lacer failure and end with explosive disintegration of the unit, mind and body on a region wide catastrophic level. But he just wanted to test the limits in real time and can you blame him? Besides most of the simulations were not that dire. Beta had been working on this project for a little over a decade now. It had been his theory craft for over 25 years since a little before the start of it all. Call it insane luck, will envisioned, fool’s lottery, whatever you want but he had it now. He held his breath as the sequence started up. As far as he knew, his was the only experimental of its kind in the entirety of the blended world. It was his and it felt good. 
His breathing relaxed as the initiation sequence cleared green. The cool air hissed all around him as the quasi structure of the unit pulsed a living neon. He quickly referenced the displays: subconscious conformity 82% and climbing, computational reserves amassing to the 3rd degree, transplane interface 3258 (about as high as he’d ever seen), emotion: exhilaration 5 bars. Beta took a deep breath, the paralyzing nervousness of a blend at this stage turning into the electrifying presence of accomplishment starting from his toes, working its way up and jolting all the way up to his scalp. The unit shimmered in response around him. 
He briefly eyed the horizon, those dark lifeless edges of the earth standing in reverential awe of his accomplishment while the net tracers dutifully acknowledged his participation and zipped on in their eternal circuits. Scanning through the eyes of the unit he recognized a local blend tower half a mile away with its inverted hundreds of stories crackling with the energy of business as usual. He started a smile as he looked at his feet encased by the iridescent exoskeleton that marked part of the experimental unit’s existence.  He lifted a foot to displace the grass in front of him thoughtfully mumbling “how gentle these can be.” He planted his feet purposely, looked straight up and the smile broke out full force. Before he could complete the thought, VOOM! Flying! He left the ground with a rush of air swirling the grass as he streaked upwards towards the starry expanse. All the while illuminating the cover of night with the form of the unit that encased him. The air rushed past his face as he let out a yell of excitement, a yell of pure joy, a yell of the labors of years of fruitless work. He felt this in his soul. He continued to soar, up, up and away until the sun peaked over the curved edge of the earth. It was only then he turned around. Breathlessly, triumphantly he observed his dominion. “Conqueror!” He thought to himself. A quarter of the earth now lay dark before him with the occasional taper of net energy caressing it in sleep. How could they sleep at a time like this! He had to wake them up! They were missing this monumental occasion! “Ah, let them sleep. Soon enough, they will wonder. Now let’s see what we can do here.” He turned away from his lofty position admiring the dark side of the earth and remembered a test he had planned. His focus turned towards the unit. Silence accompanied him as he began to concentrate. 
In deep knowledge he started to recall the access instructions. Movement> advanced> spatial displacement. Ah yes, there it is. This was a fun one he seldom got to use on a standard unit. Summoning the experimental unit’s energies he envisioned a point teleport: the sun. He anchored his position and 3...2...1… knock! A soft rapping sound evaporated the sleeping earth and replaced it with an all encompassing bright light bleeding out the starry expanse and all other light for that matter. The sun: Beta’s pupils didn’t like him momentarily as the units eyes took the brunt of the brightness. He closed his eyes to block out most of the encompassing light. He was a mere 1 million kilometers away but most of the matter-energy passed right through him, pleasantly enough. Beta took another deep breath. “okay, we’re still doing good. again”. 3...2...1… knock! Back in his precipitous vantage point overlooking the earth. “again” he thought. knock...knock…knock...knock…knock. back and forth. Sun and earth. Earth and sun. He took a deep breath and muted his senses. Focused. Teleport point, anchor, rapid. Dull clicking noise 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 times over in short succession followed by an echoing knock as he opened his eyes and sensed again. He knew instantly. 26 trips to the sun or back in less than a second. “pretty good, huh? That’ll be enough for tonight.” he informed himself. He floated back down to earth a different man. The anchor point and sun point he had chosen stood in stark contrast to the rest of the universe. Momentarily, as he started his descent, they reverberated peculiar transplane radiation that propagated at least to the edges of the earth's solar system. In nearly an instant, the radiation dissipated but not before notice by 428 distinct observers. By the time Beta’s feet touched the ground frantic investigations had been opened gently wakening that darkened side of the earth with net energy. Just before a tracer sequence was about to draw him into local, Beta de-blended and powered off the unit.
Treading the soft grass of the backyard, he moved towards the darkened shape of his house. His heart was more elated than it had been in years as he began to replay all the possible implications he had conceived over the years. “Has it happened? Am I really there now” he asked himself in a dreamlike state. His thoughts were interrupted by the soft whishing of the back door opening before him welcoming him home and shooing away those thoughts. The rooms lit themselves dimly and warmly considering the time of night as they beckoned him to his bedroom. Not bothering to undress himself he collapsed onto his bed. Could he sleep right now? He decided he had to try. He had been up for 52 hours straight and would no doubt be busier when the morning came. The slurry of adrenaline, fear, success and wonder lost the battle against exhaustion as his eyelids drifted shut. The last thing he acknowledged was the time at 12:52 and he almost laughed at the thought that in less than 1 hour, the world could be turned upside down. “Oh! What should I call my unit?” came a question too late pulling at his consciousness. That question was dragged gently onward as he lolled deeper into sleep. Then, as most nights go, he dreamt. 
He slept soundly. Beta awakened groggily eyeing the time at 2:30 PM. 14 hours sleep. He knew he could get more but last night’s memories came rushing back. In his half awake state he had to test his memory to make sure it really happened and it wasn’t some dream. After all this time, had all his work finally paid off? He powered on the unit and felt its presence come gently but powerfully conforming itself to his conscience and presence. In a barely audible whisper: “Hello Zeta.”