—Jess, can you hear me?
—Um… Yes.
—How do you feel?
—Good.
“Good.” Somewhere in front of me, the voice of Dr. Svenson. “The procedure appears to be a success. We’re bringing you online now.”
Slowly, the room came flickering into view, like when you turn on an old TV. Everything grew sharper and sharper still.
Dr. Svenson turned from the computer.
“Good morning Jess.” He smiled.
—Good morning.
“You can get up if you like.”
—Okay.
I put my feet on the cold tiles, everything swinging suddenly. Instinctively, I walked forward two steps. Dr. Svenson moved between me and the mirror on the other side of the room.
“Are you ready then, to have a look?”
—Yes.
He turned to look at the computer. Then stepped out of the way. There was me in the mirror.
So I was really headless.
—Oh my… Holy shit … it really … worked.
My hand went up to feel the black carbon fiber cap over the end of my neck. It was hard like plastic, almost unbreakable. My fingers wandered down to the black pendant hanging from a cord. About an inch long, flat and oblong in shape.
—So I’m… this?
“Well, that’s part of what the experiment is trying to measure. How do subjects identify themselves without a head attached? Are you the replacement unit, hanging from your neck? Or are you the body it controls? It’s an intriguing question, and we’re hoping that your experience over the coming week will help us answer that.”
—And everything I say—
I turned my body to face the computer on the desk. A window on the screen displayed: “And everything I say goes here.” Just like I’d meant to ask.
And next to it, another window, reading “Oh, my voice goes right to the computer.”
And right after that, “Oh wow, I just — wait is this thing reading my thoughts?? Oh my god, it is! Everything I think appears right here on the screen!”
I clutched the pendant with my hands, wrapping myself suddenly in darkness.
“It’s just a two-hour procedure,” said Dr. Svenson. “We won’t be monitoring your thoughts when you leave, and we don’t have that sort of connectivity anyhow. But it’s important for the experiment to be able to gather the initial thought processes sent by the RU — that’s the replacement unit — and ensure it’s similar to those gathered during the preliminary screening and consultation.”
—Okay, it’s just… Weird at first.

My memory went back to the consultation, where my head was encased in a clear lexite box with a bunch of wires running up and down the sides, and then asked a number of questions about my personality, my childhood, my job, school, and so on. It had taken an hour and a half.
Just to fill the details in, my name is Jess Fergesen, I’m a fourth year biology student at the university in town here. I’m on my last semester of college, just about to graduate into a “recession”, meaning that I get to look forward to years of making lattes or helping old women pick out clothes for years and years until I can pay off these loans. Needless to say, I was approaching graduation with a bit of trepidation, considering grad school even (more debt there of course).
But then my friend Dana told me about this company, offering twenty grand for a weeklong procedure, described as “A revolutionary new procedure that will make a difference in millions of lives.”
We both showed up on the day of the first screening, and once we’d signed the waivers and picked a week to do the experiment, we were subjected to hours upon hours of “personality group testing”, which meant we spend a large amount of time playing short, confusing computer games.
Somehow, I was then assigned to “Group D.”
And then last night, at the final diagnostic, I found out just what Group D meant.
“We’re going to cut your head off,” said Dr. Svenson, with only the slightest bit of humor in his voice. “And replace it with a small device made of a new type of neurokinetic crystal, which you will wear around your neck. This device, for all intents and purposes, will function as your new head.”
“Well,” I said, trying to smile, “At least I don’t have to worry about washing my hair.”
He cracked a grin. “You’ve done very well so far. But this is your last opportunity to back out. You can either walk away now, and we’ll pay you ten dollars an hour for your time so far. Or you can sign the consent forms, and tonight we will put you under sedation, and go ahead with the procedure. And upon the completion of the experiment, at one week, you will be paid the full sum of twenty thousand dollars.”
“You sure I can’t sell off an arm and a leg too?” He only shook his head, serious as ever.
“Your appointment is at 9 tomorrow morning. Please come a few minutes early.”

“We’re going to run a couple tests,” said Dr. Svenson. “Easy tasks, designed to measure how the procedure affects your basic functioning.”
—Like what?
“My assistant Laura will assist you. I’m afraid I have other volunteers I have to speak with.”
—Alright.
He left the room with a mechanical smile. I went over to the mirror.
—So this is me.
I stared at the little black pendant, leaning closer and closer.
—It’s actually a pretty nice necklace. Oh my god. I’m an accessory.
I pulled the necklace off, my point of view swinging in the air as I held the pendant up to the mirror, six inches away. Looking my new head up and down, I could barely see the pair of tiny camera lenses, the same dark color as the rest of it. There were no other features, just a smooth oval of hard carbon fiber that felt nigh indestructible.
As a test, I dropped the pendant onto the desk. I saw myself falling, and suddenly I was looking back up at the ceiling. Hadn’t felt a thing. I picked it up again and held it out at arm’s length, examining my headless body from above. My upper back felt especially relaxed without the weight of my head.
—Nice shoulders. And… Yea, guys are definitely gonna stare at my tits. But I guess that’s almost where my eyes will be.
I set down the pendant on the desk, balanced against a box of tissues so it stood up. Carefully, I turned and walked away from myself. I’d never had a chance to see myself from behind like that. Or to move and not have my head follow along. I started to dance a little bit, trying to get used to controlling a body that was separated from the rest of me.
The door opened. I felt embarrassed, as if I were blushing. Impossible. I couldn’t see who’d come in from where I was positioned, so I started my body back towards where I was.
“Hello,” said a young woman’s voice. “I see you’re already getting used to this.”
She stepped into view, a pretty blond not a lot older than I was. She wore a white lab coat over a pair of nice jeans and a tight-fitting t-shirt.
—Yes. It’s … very strange.
“To say the least. I’m Laura, by the way. I’ll be helping you with the next series of tests. Shouldn’t take more than an hour, and then we’ll have you out of here. First of all, how do you like the results?”
—I’m not sure yet. There’s a couple advantages I guess.
“Well, give it some consideration. Your initial feedback is very important so we’ll know how a participant adjusts to different modifications.”
—So you don’t just chop off heads?
She grinned. “Just a few heads. I’m afraid I’m not supposed to talk about the other procedures just yet. You’ll have a chance to learn more about them later. Right now, we have a few things to do in the other room. Any questions?”
—How do I eat?
“That’s actually covered in one of the next few experiments.”
—Okay then. Let’s go.
I picked my pendant up and looped it over my neck. Or did I pick myself up? Was I the pendant driving a headless body, or was I the body wearing an artificial head? Both?
Laura led me around the corner to another room, with two leather chairs and a small table between them. She motioned for me to sit and took a clipboard from a rack on the wall. I sat down, finding the chair was not as comfortable as it looked.
“First we have a few more questions. Answer however you like.”
—Wait. There’s no computer here. How can you hear me if I can’t talk?
“You catch on quick. But since you asked, I have had a procedure done here, similar to yours. I’ll show you.”
With both hands she reached up and touched her temples. She pushed, closing her eyes as if concentrating, and then, with a click, the top of her head came off, one flat piece just above her eyes. She set it down on the table, to show me it was empty. Then, looking up she reached into the cavity of her skull and picked up what looked like a black egg. She set that down on the table in front of me. I leaned forward.
—Wow, I didn’t realize… So this is your brain?
“That’s right. And I you’ve probably already noticed that your head and body can still transmit signals to one another, actually just using standard wireless frequencies. My brain is connected to our Wi Fi network here, which is how I can hear you, and later I’ll show you how you can use it too. But first there are a couple questions I need to ask you.”
—Alright. Go ahead.
“Firstly,” she looked down at the clipboard. The top of her head was still missing. “Do you agree with this statement: I am an object.”
—I’m not sure. I was just wondering the same thing actually.
“Well, consider it for a moment then. Or, if it helps, think of me — am I an object?” She pointed to the egg thing on the table.
—If you’re an object, then I definitely am. So yes, I’ll agree. I’m a pendant on a string.
“Okay then. Next question: If either your body or head were to be switched off, and you were allowed the choice, which would you choose?”
—Probably my head.
“Alright. Good. Now — how do you feel about the procedure and it’s results? Please rate these on a scale of 1 to 10. Enjoyment.”
—Eight.
“Apprehension.”
—Three.
“Anxiety.”
—Four
“Anger.”
—One.
“Powerlessness.”
—Five.
“Emotional.”
—Four.
It went on like that for a bit. Then there were some questions about general memory, and how thinking with an artificial head felt compared to an organic one. Finally, she said, “Okay. That’s it. Next, we have a few simple exercises that involve your separated head and body. First, a brief test.” She picked her egg brain back up and set it back in her head, then clicked the top of her head back down. I noticed a barely-visible line running across her temple. Concentrating, my vision suddenly zoomed way in, seeing a close up in much more detail than my eyes would have ever allowed. So that was something.
“This is to test both the enhanced memory of an artificial head, and how well it allows the body to navigate separately. First, I’m going to ask that you remove your pendant, and I will wear it and walk to another room not too far away. Once we’ve arrived, your body can get up and follow. Understand?”
—Yes, I think so. I don’t know if I’ll be any good at this.
“Just watch where we go. I found this to be easier than I expected.”
—You’ve done it too?
“Well, I’ve not had my head replaced like you have, no. But with my head disconnected, and moved to another room, I was able to find it again without much difficulty. Just imagine where you’d be walking when we go down the hallway.”
I handed over my head. She put it on, and there I was. I could somehow feel the warmth of her chest against my … my what? The back of me. What was I going to call myself anyway? My “head?” I wasn’t sure if the label fit. Necklace? Well, I was a necklace.
Laura was standing up. It seemed as if I were moving, though of course I made no effort to get up. She turned and went out of the room, shutting the door behind her, then we walked down the hallway, made a left turn to another hallway, and a bit further down, a right turn into a break room. About fifty feet in total.
“Okay,” said Laura. “Now bring your body over.”
—I’ll try.
I felt down to where my knees were, and stood up. I could easily picture the room I’d just been in, as if I was currently there, and I walked over in the direction I imagined I might find the door. Something told me I could just reach out and touch the handle — I did, and there it was. So far so good. Easy, actually. I opened the door and turned the way we’d come.
It was strange, really. I’d never have been able to recreate a room in this much detail before, at least without living there for a while, and even then I still bump into furniture in the dark. But now I had no trouble picturing just where my body was, and whenever I reached to confirm something — that I was passing the fake tree by the water cooler, that I was at the turn to the other hallway, that I was at the door of the breakroom — I turned out to be right.
The door to the breakroom opened, just when I knew it would. My body walked in from the other side.
“Excellent. So you see, your new head has a few enhancements, specific to your condition. Subconsciously, your brain will measure and record any space you see, so that if you become separated from your body you can easily move around without the need for sight.”
—Wouldn’t it be easier just to attach me to my body?
“Well, perhaps. Another procedure actually, involves the replacement of the head with a simple orb affixed to the neck. But in your case, we’re interested in how the separate head and body will work out, and what advantages or disadvantages you encounter. The primary concern, of course, was what if you can’t see yourself.”
—Doesn’t seem to be a big deal.
“Which is good. Now, we have a couple more exercises. You can have your head back now, by the way.” She removed my from her neck, and draped the necklace over my neck. She looked down at me and smiled. She must have been used to making eye contact like that — without any facial expressions I was finding I couldn’t communicate nearly as readily as I ordinarily might have.
“There’s a couple more features I’d like to show you. The first is that your two cameras have an ability to zoom in when you want them to. Now, we’ve recorded that you already found this out on your own, but just so you’re aware, you have both a macro and a long-distance camera. Right one is macro, left is the zoom. But to keep three dimensions, you still use both. You can, if you like, record a picture as if you were a camera. Which brings me to the next feature. Wi-Fi. As I mentioned, you’ll be able to connect with Wi-Fi networks. We’ll give you a router that you can set up when you get home, but first, let me grant you access to our network here. There.”
Suddenly, I knew some stuff. A lot of stuff, coming to me — the layout of the building, the exact time of day, the weather forecast — all of it coming to me as if by memory. I knew all about the camera features of my eyes, and just how hard the material protecting my tiny little brain really was. I could get run over by a truck — me being the necklace me — and everything would be fine. I was waterproof, could record anything I heard, and could even send text messages.
“Also,” said Laura. “You asked about eating. Well, here I’m gonna show you.” She opened one of the cupboards and took out a cereal bar. Setting in on the table, she motioned for me to come over.
—So how’s this work? Can I eat wireless too?
She laughed. “No. Not quite. You have a mouth, in fact, it’s just covered up by your neck. So all you need to do, is disconnect that. It should come off fairly easily for you, but not for someone else. I’ll hold your head so you can see.”
Of course. Another memory that wasn’t mine, but one I had anyway. I handed myself to Laura, who turned me around to face my body. I reached up and grasped the cap of my neck, imagined it coming off and — pop! — off it came. Underneath, where the neck had connected to my body, was a mouth, facing straight up.
I smiled.
—So I can’t talk, can I?
“No, you don’t have vocal cords yet. Perhaps that’s something we’ll look into in the future. Probably one of the most limiting factors for you will be that you cannot speak out loud, and it will be interesting for us to see how you overcome that. Which brings me to the last item — this.”
From her coat, she took out a iPod touch.
“For communicating, you’ll find you can easily interact with this modified iPod using your wireless uplink. Anything you wish to say can be displayed on the screen.”
I zoomed in on the screen.
—I’m hungry!
The iPod said exactly that.
—Oh wow, this is neat. I can just —
Without even touching it, I was able to zip out of the speaking interface and open up a web browser. Within seconds I was logged into my facebook.
“I see you’ve already got the hang of it,” said Laura, setting the iPod down on the table. “But please, try out your new mouth.”
I unwrapped the cereal bar and took a bite. I could taste it, everything seemed, well, almost normal, except for the part where I was sticking food into the spot where I usually had my head attached. I finished and replaced my neck, which stuck fast once it was in place.
“Well then,” said Laura. “That’s it for our initial questions. Now you get to go home, try everything out, and see how you like it. We’ll email you periodic updates, asking how you’re managing, and if you have any questions, you can just call— or no wait, you can’t call, but you can email us. And unless you have anything else you’d like to know right now, we’ll see you in a week.”
—Okay… Wow, well, thank you! Do you have any idea how people might react to this?
“That’s going to be one of the bigger parts of this actually, is how you manage socially. Just remember, if you get frustrated, that this is a temporary state and you’ll have your regular head back in a week. In the meantime, try and enjoy your new head!”