Consciousness permanence

**Consciousness permanence**, also known as **Boudica's property**, is a term used in the scientific exploration of immortality, whether by biological or digital means. Coined by Hyperian neurobiologist Natalia Boudica in the mid-23rd century, it states that the **seamless transfer of a defined entity's consciousness from one medium to another medium is physically impossible**, as merely "copying personalities" is not enough to constitute a transition of being "conscious" for a defined entity, such as a human being. This means that consciousness is only permanent to one medium, or body, and that all consciousness transfers are in actuality merely creating new mental copies.

Receiving harsh criticism from pro-digitization groups that saw the technology of consciousness transfer as humanity's new posthuman future, Boudica's property nevertheless gained Coalition-wide attention when it was scientifically proven in the Zimmermann Experiments in 2294, ushering in the new age of an informed consciousness-transfer society.

Rolf Zimmermann, a high-ranking German military scientist who had been quickly approaching cerebral death as a result of suffering cardiac arrest, was subsequently airlifted to one of the European Federation's most technologically advanced hospitals in Berlin to undergo emergency procedures pre-approved in his labor contract to "save his life by all means necessary". Zimmerman's brain had already suffered a degree of anoxic encephalopathy prior to the stabilization of his his cerebrum. He underwent novel neuropattern transcription in preparation for digitization to become an artificial intelligence, where all salvageable portions of his consciousness and other mental factors were encoded into digital brain patterns that could be ran as AI software. This technology was only created three years prior to the operation, with its reputation still being in the dark as to its true mechanisms.

Since Zimmerman was unable to be resuscitated at that time, and that his body was being kept only "alive" while waiting for cardiac transplant, European military staff approved of his "consciousness transfer" into an AI, creating one only a day after the initial operation. This new, digital Zimmermann was uploaded onto a droid chassis with an analogous "digital brain" emulated on its CPU alongside basic sensors; while lacking some memories due to hippocampal damage, the droid nevertheless acted exactly like the scientist to those previously acquainted.

His brain patterns were confiscated by the European Federation Armed Forces for novel cloning trials; it was exposed in 2312 following a data breach that a clone of Zimmermann were created using his brain patterns prior to the original's awakening in 2297. This meant that three Zimmermanns existed simultaneously, two biological and one synthetic, with no one entity claiming continuity of consciousness between other bodies in interviews; following a massive public outcry against the EF's handling of the situation in late 2312, the General Congress of the Coalition passed the Sanctity of Consciousness Act that both banned consciousness transfers for individuals who were not declared medically deceased across all member nations, *and* banned the creation of digital or synthetic clones without direct approval from the Coalition.

After these events and the rebuking of transfers as a method to seamlessly continue the existence of a prior consciousness in a new medium, many of the Coalition's plutocratic elite who anticipated the "gift of immortality" were shocked into rescinding their plans for transfers. However, some nevertheless continued with their transfers after their deaths, seeing the continuation of their mindset and legacy under the steward of a mental clone to be better than inheritance to family.

Due to the scientific validity of consciousness permanence, those who seek biological immortality turn to rejuvenant technologies to extend their lives as much as possible.