text: [Themes: grimdark fantasy, war, fantasy, serious, villain protagonist]
  
  Year 72
  
  You have to admit as the years passed by on this project, you'd wondered if you were just chasing a dream, but it looks like that dream will soon be a reality.
  
  Research has been tested, advancements have been made, test subjects have been used and hypotheses have been confirmed. Everything is coming together; the only thing that will be needed soon is you.
  
  Still, despite you always stating how much your body aches and how much weaker and slower you are now, there is a part of you that is a little afraid of what this procedure will entail, namely an end to your life as you know it, but still living. It's funny but how this is a little scary to you, even if simple death is not.
  
  In fact Elam is probably more excited to see this through than even you are.
  
  "My Emperor, we may begin the procedure any time you wish. Just let me know when we can get started." Elam says.
  "Does it have to be right now?" you ask.
  "No, of course not my Emperor. I just thought you were eager to see this through."
  "You don't need to push our Emperor, Elam. I'm sure he'd like to take care of some affairs before going through with this." Zana remarks.
  "Is all the machinery and equipment in working order? Has everything been inspected?" you ask.
  "Of course my Emperor, I inspected everything myself. I figured you'd want someone that has a background with safety procedures doing that rather than Elam here." Zana remarks with a teasing smile at Elam.
  "Bah. YOU didn't even think this was going to be possible!" Elam exclaims.
  "Well I have to admit, it did sound very unlikely, but I suppose I never should've doubted your genius Elam." Zana says and gives him a quick peck on the cheek.
  
  While Zana and Elam are engaging in playfulness, you're involved in making a life changing choice.
  
  "Okay. We'll do this in three days. That will give me time to take care of a few things I need to take care of, just in case the worst should happen. No point in drawing this out any longer than that. Everyone is dismissed until that time." you say.
  
  Elam and Zana both acknowledge your command and soon they and their staff all begin to leave. You however continue to stick around. When you're finally all alone, you begin to walk closer to the giant tank in the room, which is hooked up to a system of machines. As you lean against your walking stick you can't help marvel at the work that went into all this.
  
  Gears, cogs, wires, levers, buttons, mechanical arms ...you wonder how the hell some of this works. You've actually tried to keep up on the research since this project started, and while you understand a lot of the basic concepts, some of it just goes over your head. Though you aren't sure if its because you've got so much on your mind that you can't retain the information or if you just don't have a knack for the technical stuff, or maybe you just find it all well...boring.
  
  A speaker of sorts is attached to the tank and there are three specialized automatons standing nearby. You imagine that these are intended for you to be able to interact with the outside world in some fashion. Elam has admitted though that despite the very technical nature of this project he believes that this wouldn't be as easy without your own magical abilities that will be able to tap the power of your mind. He's gone on to say that this will be the ultimate successful blending of science and magic as far as he's concerned. He better be right considering that all the testing took away most of your remaining mages.
  
  In any event, this is where you're going to spend the rest of your life.
  
  "So, are you ready for immortality?" a voice says behind you. It's Decena. It's surprising to see her down here considering she's only made one or two visits down here before since the project got underway. She's told you that the less she knows about the project the less likely she's libel to get worried about your safety and try to talk you out of it hence the lack of visits.
  
  "I guess so." You answer.
  "You guess so? That doesn't sound like the usual certainty you've always had about this plan." Decena remarks.
  "Oh, I'm certain. Just trying to take all of this in and get myself used to this room I suppose. Not sure why I'm even concerned about it really, I mean Casimir spent several centuries in a room practically by himself. This very room in fact or at least part of it before I had all the remodeling and expansion done to accommodate all the machinery. Its really surreal sometimes how I'm actually starting to follow in his footsteps. I sometimes wonder if he'd be proud of what I've managed to accomplish or if he'd just be very jealous."
  
  Decena walks over and puts her arm around you while you both stare at the giant tank.
  
  "Well, I'm proud of everything you've accomplished and everything you will accomplish after this procedure. So when will it be?"
  "In three days, then Elam and Zana will be back here to perform it."
  "Hrm, I don't care for that woman." Decena remarks.
  "So you've said during the times you wandered down here."
  "I dunno. Something about her just doesn't sit right with me in the short moments I've spoken with her. She seems phony at times. Even the fact that she's been concerned with this plan from the beginning and worried about your well being doesn't seem genuine to me. If it hadn't already been in the middle of the project when I first met her, I probably would've told you to have her removed from it."
  "Didn't realize she had gotten under your skin so much. As you know though I rechecked her file that the Eyes had on her long before she started working on this project. She's nothing but clean except maybe for a lack of judgment in sexing up Elam on occasion, but I can't imagine there were a lot of choices in human males when they worked together in New Dessel."
  "As I said, I can't place my finger on it, but there is something about her that doesn't seem right with her. Does she need to be there for this procedure?"
  "Well I don't know. I mean she's the main one that's been working with Elam so I imagine so to some degree. She already did an inspection on the machinery without me even needing to tell her to do so."
  
  Decena doesn't immediately respond to your answer instead she just walks forward towards the tank and touches it.
  
  "Nothing can go wrong with this plan..." she says softly then she turns around.
  
  "Can you have someone else inspect everything again?" she asks.
  "What?!" you respond.
  "I just want everything to go well, don't you? I just think it would be best if everything was given a second look."
  "But...you realize that might very well take more than three days? You realize how complex all this stuff is? I told Zana and Elam that..."
  "No, I don't want either of them to do it. Pick someone else that worked on the project."
  "Pick someone...Decena what is this all about?"
  "Look I would just feel more comfortable if someone else did an inspection of the machine that's going to be your new home okay? I already said how I feel about Zana, so I don't want her doing it again. And as for Elam we all know he has a tendency to overlook safety protocol even under the strictest supervision. Can't you get someone else?"
  "Not really, I mean those are the main two who worked on this thing! Decena, I'm as concerned about the success of this procedure more than anyone, but I'd rather not extend my waiting period any longer than necessary. I mean I don't think I will and I'd only admit this to you, but I don't want to lose my nerve."
  "You won't lose your nerve my love, but don't you see this is why another inspection should be done? I mean I guess if you don't think it's necessary then I'll of course respect your wishes and we can spend the next three days not worrying about this until the time comes."
  
  On one hand you suppose Decena's just looking out for you as usual, but on the other you really don't want to risk losing your nerve on this situation. The longer you think about it, and how it could all go wrong, or even how it can all go right, is enough to possibly change your mind on the whole situation. Then there's the fact that Zana and Elam were the main ones involved on building the machine, they'd know it the best and if you got someone else to look at it, who is to say they won't screw something up?
  
  > leave it alone
  Decena's heart is in the right place, but you'd rather not waste anymore time. You can't imagine that if Zana was up to something sinister that you wouldn't have caught it by now, let alone that she wouldn't have acted by now. There are countless times she probably could've made an attempt on your life since she's been here.
  
  However you do agree to Decena's insistence that she at least not be involved in the final process. If it'll make her a little less worried about the situation then you don't see the harm.
  
  While Elam tells you up and down that he can't perform the procedure without Zana's assistance, Zana is actually fine with not being there and tells you that she understands that the Empress is just concerned for her husband's well being. Zana also says that despite Elam's insistence, she isn't excessively needed for the procedure. She says that for the final procedure; her main job was going to be reading gauges, monitoring dials and such. She says that the other safety supervisor Gregory can take over for her since he should be familiar with everything as well.
  
  With everything settled, you spend your remaining two days enjoying your time with Decena who seems a little more at ease with the upcoming procedure due to your compromise about Zana. The time you spend with Decena, puts you in a more relaxed mood as well and you're definitely feeling more positive about it. You almost don't even know why you were concerned to begin with.
  
  Eventually the day comes and Elam has everything ready (With Gregory standing by to monitor the machine and you return with Decena to complete the task you originally set out to do.
  
  You're strapped to a table. Elam still says he'd feel more comfortable with Zana helping him, but reassures you that everything will go smoothly.
  
  As you are prepared, you and Decena exchange one kiss for what will be the last time.
  
  "Know that whatever happens, I'll always love you." She says.
  "And I will always love you." You respond.
  
  Elam injects you with a powerful reagent that knocks you out and the process begins.
  
  The blackness takes you experience absolute nothingness...
  
  And that is the last thing you ever experience for you never wake up from the procedure, which was successful at least for a moment.
  
  When your brain was transferred everything was going well at first and steps were being taken to gradually wake you back up, but unfortunately it was during this process that the machine began to fail, break down and eventually explode.
  
  The initial explosion killed Gregory who was already freaking out when the machine started acting outside the safety parameters. It also killed most of the supporting staff; including Elam who was desperately attempting to fix what he thought was wrong.
  
  Decena survived the initial explosion, but only at a great cost. She ended up losing a part of her arm, a foot and most of her body and face heavily injured. She managed to hang on long enough to declare that Warrick and Brenda were officially in charge of the Empire when Kivan and others found her dying.
  
  With her last breath to Kivan she told him:
  
  "Have that...(cough wheeze) bitch Zana executed...I know...(wheeze) she did this..."
  
  Warrick and Brenda's first course of action was to indeed track down Zana, who by this time had long escaped. Klemto and all the other gnomes insisted they knew nothing of this plan, but someone had to pay and unfortunately it was them.
  
  The gnomes of New Dessel didn't go without a fight however and it took months before the mountain city was finally taken and even then groups of gnomes had managed to escape or even lock themselves in secret passages within the mountain to conduct guerilla attacks. Eventually Warrick had the airship fleet continually blast the mountain until it collapsed on itself making it useless to all and killing anyone still hiding inside.
  
  As for Zana, she never was caught, but that was the least of the Empire's problems.
  
  Her success of killing you (and Decena) along with New Dessel's extended siege inspired another rebellion. Warrick and Brenda might've been up to the task had they been a little younger, but when Warrick died of natural causes suddenly a few years later, it was a great blow to both the Empire and Brenda who took the death of a second husband hard. She eventually joined him a year later via suicide.
  
  From there the downward spiral of the Empire was inevitable and in time records of the old regime were erased from history.