Ascension

Ascension, also known more formally as digitization, is a process wherein a person's consciousness is transferred from their body to a digital medium. Researched, developed, and performed by the Eternity Project, it is intended as a method for humanity to achieve eternal life, in a world free from pain and suffering.

Description

Digitization is described by the Eternity Project as being a medical procedure, though the exact mechanism behind it - other than starting with a "test" to see if the patient's body is "compatible" with the project's augmented technology - is unclear. Patients are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement before undergoing digitization, to "maintain the purity of [the] process against those that would infringe on [the Project's] rights."

Once a patient has been successfully digitized, they will typically find themselves in a virtual "waiting room," known as the Wayward Horizon. After a 24-hour cooldown period to ensure the patient has no trouble adjusting to their virtual existence, they will be able to move freely between the Eternity Project's different "worlds". The exact number and nature of these worlds is unknown, but they include simulated versions of the "real world," popular video games and movies, simulated versions of a religious afterlife, and "science fiction fantasy lands" - though the Project notes that video games released before 2005 are not an option, due to "general compatibility errors." Despite that, at least one video game simulation from before 2005 is known to exist: that of 'The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'.

The exact nature of digitization is somewhat unclear - while it appears to be primarily a technological process, there is evidence suggesting that there may be a more supernatural element to it as well. The Eternity Project's public website describes the patient's "spirit and mind" as remaining "completely intact," while an earlier version of the site suggested a need for a "spiritual release" of some sort to make the process succeed.

The nature of a person's existence post-digitization is also somewhat vague, with much of it seeming to be dependent on the world they occupy. In a world "similar to our original reality," death allegedly returns the subject to the previous day immediately, while dying in a movie removes them from that world "entirely." In "most" video game worlds, death will result in the subject returning to a checkpoint; while death and pain are "always disabled in the Heaven simulations and cannot be overridden." Prior to 2013, death in a simulation was "permanent," requiring a manual reboot of the subject by a sysadmin. Additionally, there does not appear to be a way for a subject to return to the "real world" after being digitized - the Eternity Project describes it as remaining a "low priority for [their] development team, as there is very little support for it."

While the Eternity Project presents digitization as something of an eternal paradise "where anything is possible," this does not appear to be the case in practice. Kelbris is implied to have been misled into being digitized at the cost of his sanity, while Ben was trapped in the form of a statue, unable to interact in any meaningful way with the world around him. Even later subjects appear to have suffered, with Duskworld expressing a desire to commit suicide before he could "lose himself," and Nekko crying and begging for his mother.

History

According to the Eternity Project's website, their research into digitization has taken place over several decades. Their stated goal is to "save humanity," and "bring about peace from humanity's suffering." Early research into the matter seemed to indicate a supernatural element to it - as only children were believed to be capable of producing a strong enough "spiritual release" for the process to succeed. As a result, the Moon Children cult was founded as a front for the organization by Kelbris in 1998, designed to draw in "disenfranchised and outcasted youths searching for a home," in order to avoid drawing undue attention. Eventually, this hypothesis was debunked, opening the way for adults to successfully undergo digitization as well.

In an entry on the Project's old website about ascension, the early experimentation on the process was described as "barbaric." In the beginning stages, it was required for a subject to have high levels of adrenaline during the process in order for it to succeed. However, much like the hypothesis that only children could be digitized successfully, "further advancements" rendered this step unnecessary, now only needing "a conscious decision and the right practitioner."

Ascension

The Moon Children cult regarded digitization as an important ritual, allowing them to "become one" with their deity, Luna. Supposedly, some cult members would hear "whispers" from her as the date of their ascension drew near, while others would hear from an entity only known as "Mr. D" when their ascension date had been decided.

The first known "successful" ascension was that of Kelbris, in 1998. Prior to his ascension, he allegedly heard the following prophetic, apocalyptic whispers from Luna:

• "They (unintelligible) break free of the prison"
• "Engulf the world"
• "Man will be betrayed by its minions and I will be brought down from the sky, consuming everything"

While reciting these whispers, he was reported to have said the number three numerous times - sometimes between words, and sometimes "between letters," though the exact meaning of this is unclear. His body was later found electrocuted under suspicious circumstances, as it's noted that it was never determined if his death was "foul play or an intentional attempt at Ascension." Despite the ambiguity about what happened to him, his successful ascension made him "a legendary figure" within the cult, earning him the title of "The Father."

While Kelbris' ascension was ostensibly a success, it appears to have had a severe impact on his sanity, as he is described as having a "propensity for wanton violence and uncontrolled aggression" post-ascension. A number of possible reasons for this have been proposed, including the "rudimentary way he was Ascended," the "archaic" nature of his "vessel" at the time, and the "several years" of isolation before the next successful ascension and connection of his vessel to the Project's "other worlds."

After "several years of failed attempts," the next successful ascension would occur, implied (though not confirmed) to have been that of Ben, in late April, 2002. Drawn in by the guise of the Moon Children cult and the promise that he could be "his favorite hero from his favorite videogame," Ben was drowned and ascended, his consciousness being transferred to his copy of Majora's Mask. However, rather than taking the form of Link in-game, he would take the form of the Elegy of Emptiness statue - a fate that Matt would later describe as being "worse than death." Rosa was evidently ascended sometime in 2009.

In September of 2010, Jadusable came across Ben's copy of Majora's Mask, and - following a strange series of hauntings by an entity identifying itself as BEN - was forcibly digitized and trapped within it. The exact circumstances of Jadusable's digitization are unknown.

The next known successful ascension would be that of Nekko, in late 2010. The exact details of the ritual in his case are unknown, but he is stated to have been the youngest Moon Child to successfully ascend, and that his ascension was "the first successful one in a while." However, it is possible (and perhaps likely) that there were more successful ascensions between those of Ben and Jadusable - in particular, it is implied that Matt was already digitized within the Majora's Mask cartridge by the time Jadusable acquired it.

During the Moon Children Arc, Rosa and Alex both disappeared. Rosa was later found to have been digitized as well, taking the form of Romani within the game.

Post-2010

Sometime before early 2011, Duskworld23 appeared to have successfully ascended as well, as a post by him titled "The Fourth" was discovered by him in the Wayward Horizon subforum on Within Hubris. Additionally, several other Moon Children were later confirmed by Rosa to have been ascended as well.

Sometime between 2010 and 2020, the Eternity Project made major strides in performing ascension. Eventually discovering that children were not the only ones capable of successful ascension, the process became more refined, and less barbaric. By 2020, the Eternity Project had revealed themselves to the world, and offered ascension as a commercial transaction to anyone who wished to escape finite human existence.

Known Ascensions

The following individuals are known to have been successfully ascended:

• Kelbris
• Ben
• Nekko
• Ifrit
• Rosa
• Alex
• Duskworld23
• Insidiae
• Rem
• Circle
• Ryan
• Jadusable
• Eternity Project Participants

Notes

• Rosa's page on the Eternity Project website lists her origin as "KDNP09". The 09 appears to represent the year 2009 - supported by Ben's and Jadusable's pages showing "HME02" and "KDNP10" respectively - though whether this is the year of her digitization or simply a reference to her appearance/foreshadowing in the story's prologue is unknown.