As I stepped through the portal it felt as if a bucket of cold water forced its way into my veins while scalding hot water came down in a torrent. I dropped to the floor in agony the second the portal spit me out. Pain rolled through my very core in waves as I spasmed on the cold floor.

Through blurry and teary eyes, I could see Malek reach down, and I felt a thankfully cold hand on my forehead, "There, there, the first time is the only time it hurts." His voice was soft and comforting almost like an older brother.

I screamed and cried out as I felt my bones start to break. I could feel my body melting into the metal with each passing second. My mind was cracking under the unimaginable pain, and with it, my sanity was slipping away. I could hear my pained cries echo into my ears, further driving a wedge into my fracturing psyche. Each breath was like a sharp knife was plunging into my heart, and twisting. While each movement was another bout of agony that darkened my vision.

After what felt like an eon, the pain faded, and I managed to suck in a deep breath. The air tasted far sweeter than I remember, and it brought a chill that settled into my nerves and sore muscles. So much sweat was pooled underneath me that I was sitting in a puddle, and it made me want to gag. I’ve never seen so much sweat in my life. Even when I was doing track and field.

I cleared my throat, and sat up. The blinding white of the room we were in no longer hurt my eyes. Instead, it was just an annoyance, much like that of a buzzing gnat. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes, and felt a hum that seemingly filled every corner of me. There was power in my body now. It filled me with warmth, and it pulsed with each beat of my heart. At that moment, I knew that I had made the right choice. This was my true calling.

"What the hell was that!" I asked Malek as I forced my body up. I felt much lighter, and definitely stronger, so it was a struggle to find my footing.

"That, my friend, was your body accepting the mark. That was your first step in your awakening." Malek smiled and gestured to the pod sitting across from us. "This is your second step." I forced my eyes away from Malek and took stock of the pod.

The pod, which looked like a cryo pod from an old FPS game I rather enjoyed in my younger years, sat in the middle of the room. Holograms were hovering in front of what seemed to be a rather comfy gaming chair. A small smirk crept across my face, and I let out a chuckle as I saw it causing Malek to glance at me curiously.. "What's so funny?"

"For an all-powerful being, you sure seem to be using a lot of our technology." I grunted as I finally found my footing and pushed my self off of the ground.

He shrugged as he turned and started to walk towards the chair. "You humans have a rather different use of technology. Stuff grounded in logic is rare in this galaxy, and it is fascinating. This pod is merely a conduit, and I do not need to use it; I just prefer it."

His voice took on a scholarly tone as he pointed towards the pod. "Now, if you please, Marcus." I nodded my head and walked towards the pod. When I arrived, I reached out and gently traced the smooth silver plating that lined the outside of the metal tube. The metal was cold to the touch and slowly curved into a thick glass that only reflected the outside room. I rested my hand gently on top of it as reflection caught my eye. My once short-cropped brown hair faded into a deep white while my eyes blazed with bright gold, almost as if the sun took residence in them. I gingerly touched my face tracing the now-defined cheekbones marveling at the lack of fat.

"Malek, why do I look so different," I asked as I marveled at my new appearance.

That's your soul changing to accommodate the power flowing through you. However, this form is only temporary. You can keep it, or you can have a full reset and take another. It's your choice." I froze at his words and started imagining the various possibilities. I stepped back and nodded my head eager to take on this new life. "I'm ready, Malek."

A small hiss sounded, and the pod slowly expanded like the maw of a monster, and I felt my heart pound heavily in my chest. With each passing millisecond, the reality of my situation pressed on my psyche. But I was ready, I knew I was ready. I reached a tentative hand out and touched the pod softly, tracing the lid one last time as I turned back to Malek. "Are you sure this isn’t a dream?"

He flashed me a soft smile through the myriad of holograms, and it chased away some of the anxiety growing in my chest. “This is as real as it gets.. Once you get through this phase, we can further discuss everything to understand exactly what is going on. Sadly, time is a luxury that we do not have." I nodded my head and slid into the pod. The cushion on the back wrapped around my skin and I took a deep breath as the lid slowly closed. With each passing second, my heartbeat grew heavier.

With an inaudible click, the pod closed, and the glass lid darkened. I was plunged into complete darkness, which didn’t help my anxiety any. I was a tad bit claustrophobic after all. "Marcus, can you hear me?" Malek's voice rang through an intercom to my right and sounded so clear that at a glance, I assumed he was right behind me.

"Yes, I can hear you. What's the next step?" I asked him as I shifted uncomfortably in the seat, trying to fight the paranoia growing in my chest.

"Well, You will be creating your new body. One suitable for being an Administrator. Think of it as making a character in one of those MMOs or whatever you humans call them now."

I shifted in the pod, trying to find a comfortable position to fight off the growing panic. "And why does that require me to be in this pod?" I pressed my hands against the glass door of the pod as my paranoia grew in strength. It felt like the walls around me were starting to close in and I didn’t like it one bit.

"I thought it would be cool." He let out a small chuckle that sounded like thunder rolling in the distance before continuing. "Well, anyway, I digress. Essentially I'm about to set up your connection to the System, and once that occurs, you are going to have free reign to design yourself as you please. There is no time limit, so please take your time. However, be aware that once you are in, we will not be able to talk until you are finished.."

"Okay, any parting words of advice before I do this?" I forced down my irritation and paranoia as I grew closer to the second step. I would craft a new body, and start a new life. I can do this.

The intercom sat silent for a moment before I heard a heavy sigh. "Whatever sense of morals you may have had before this, drop them. Whatever constrained you to the life you lived before this, forget them. They will only serve to bog you down. This is a new chance at life, so take it and live it to the fullest you can. Allow yourself to be fully redefined and accept these changes."

I struggled to nod my head as I felt my eyelids grow heavy. A wave of exhaustion crashed into me like a tsunami and before I knew it, I fell into the all-consuming darkness.