cycle. If I connect myself to a
faster-than-normal simulation, I might decide to start walking, and then
suddenly my Avatar would be at my destination. But a smart Avatar could handle
all of the little details for me, like walking.”
“That’s right.
It’s like watching those old two-dimensional movies; they trick you into
thinking you’re watching steady movement, when in fact you’re only watching a series
of still images. Our brains are easy to fool in some ways.”
“Something’s
wrong,” Dr. Benness said. She tapped on the display showing his father’s heart,
then pulled out a stethoscope and ran down to join the others near his father.
She pressed a button on the wall and the upper half of the chamber began
lifting up. She put the stethoscope on his father’s chest and held her breath.
“I’m getting a flutter,” she whispered. “I think he’s coming out early.”
“That’s not
possible,” Maya said, looking first at Alek and then at Dr. Benness. “Are you
sure the count is accurate?”
Benness glanced
up at the bio-readout on the wall. “If this display is correct, more than half
of the neuroprobes are still inside his brain.”
“Then how can he
be waking up?” Alek asked.
Maya began
chewing on one of her fingernails. “This shouldn’t be happening,” she said, a
look of distress on her face.
“Mathew,”
Leconte yelled, leaning over him. “It’s Rebecca. Can you hear me?”
His father
stirred. It looked to Alek like he was trying to move, but something was
stopping him.
Benness nudged
Leconte out of the way. “Dr. Grey? Please don’t try to move.” When his body
started to shake, she turned to the others. “His muscles are starting to spasm.
Help me hold him down.”
Alek started to
move forward but realized that he couldn’t help from his position. Both Maya
and Leconte pushed on his father’s chest, but he continued to shake.
Suddenly, his
father sat straight up and threw out both arms, knocking all three women backward
onto the floor. He turned his head slowly back and forth, as if he was scanning
the room. His eyes looked blank, almost lifeless. He took a slow, deep breath
and whispered, “At last, I am free.”
Benness stood
back up. She had a cut across her forehead that was starting to bleed. She
opened a side panel and began filling an injection gun, “Help me hold his arm,”
she said. “I need to tranquilize him before he hurts himself.”
Before anyone
could move, his father collapsed back into his chamber. Benness dropped the injector
and ran to him, just as an alarm went off. “He has no pulse,” she yelled as she
hit the button to reseal the chamber. She stepped back as the upper half of the
chamber began to lower.
“What are you
doing?” Alek yelled. “Someone help him.”
“We are helping
him,” Benness said. “The interface chamber has full life support capability.”
“She’s right,
Alek,” Maya said, climbing over the rail to stand beside him. “Your father has
a better chance in there than in a hospital emergency room.”
Alek sat there
and helplessly watched the display above his father’s chamber. He didn’t need a
medical degree to see that nothing was working. Bright red crosses began
popping up all over the glowing shape of his father. Eventually, the display
stopped changing and a small readout flashed red.
Benness looked
at the display and spoke solemnly into a microphone on the wall. “Subject
Mathew Grey. Time of death is 21:55.” She then turned to Alek. “I’m sorry.”
“No,” he
whispered.
Maya grabbed his
hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry too, Alek.”
“No,” he
repeated. “You have all of this high-tech equipment. Do something else.”
“Your father has
no brain activity whatsoever, Mr. Grey,” Leconte said. “I’m afraid that there
is nothing more we can do for him.”
Alek pulled away
from Maya, turned his chair around, and headed out of the room as fast as he
could .
FIVE
A
faster-than-normal simulation, I might decide to start walking, and then
suddenly my Avatar would be at my destination. But a smart Avatar could handle
all of the little details for me, like walking.”
“That’s right.
It’s like watching those old two-dimensional movies; they trick you into
thinking you’re watching steady movement, when in fact you’re only watching a series
of still images. Our brains are easy to fool in some ways.”
“Something’s
wrong,” Dr. Benness said. She tapped on the display showing his father’s heart,
then pulled out a stethoscope and ran down to join the others near his father.
She pressed a button on the wall and the upper half of the chamber began
lifting up. She put the stethoscope on his father’s chest and held her breath.
“I’m getting a flutter,” she whispered. “I think he’s coming out early.”
“That’s not
possible,” Maya said, looking first at Alek and then at Dr. Benness. “Are you
sure the count is accurate?”
Benness glanced
up at the bio-readout on the wall. “If this display is correct, more than half
of the neuroprobes are still inside his brain.”
“Then how can he
be waking up?” Alek asked.
Maya began
chewing on one of her fingernails. “This shouldn’t be happening,” she said, a
look of distress on her face.
“Mathew,”
Leconte yelled, leaning over him. “It’s Rebecca. Can you hear me?”
His father
stirred. It looked to Alek like he was trying to move, but something was
stopping him.
Benness nudged
Leconte out of the way. “Dr. Grey? Please don’t try to move.” When his body
started to shake, she turned to the others. “His muscles are starting to spasm.
Help me hold him down.”
Alek started to
move forward but realized that he couldn’t help from his position. Both Maya
and Leconte pushed on his father’s chest, but he continued to shake.
Suddenly, his
father sat straight up and threw out both arms, knocking all three women backward
onto the floor. He turned his head slowly back and forth, as if he was scanning
the room. His eyes looked blank, almost lifeless. He took a slow, deep breath
and whispered, “At last, I am free.”
Benness stood
back up. She had a cut across her forehead that was starting to bleed. She
opened a side panel and began filling an injection gun, “Help me hold his arm,”
she said. “I need to tranquilize him before he hurts himself.”
Before anyone
could move, his father collapsed back into his chamber. Benness dropped the injector
and ran to him, just as an alarm went off. “He has no pulse,” she yelled as she
hit the button to reseal the chamber. She stepped back as the upper half of the
chamber began to lower.
“What are you
doing?” Alek yelled. “Someone help him.”
“We are helping
him,” Benness said. “The interface chamber has full life support capability.”
“She’s right,
Alek,” Maya said, climbing over the rail to stand beside him. “Your father has
a better chance in there than in a hospital emergency room.”
Alek sat there
and helplessly watched the display above his father’s chamber. He didn’t need a
medical degree to see that nothing was working. Bright red crosses began
popping up all over the glowing shape of his father. Eventually, the display
stopped changing and a small readout flashed red.
Benness looked
at the display and spoke solemnly into a microphone on the wall. “Subject
Mathew Grey. Time of death is 21:55.” She then turned to Alek. “I’m sorry.”
“No,” he
whispered.
Maya grabbed his
hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry too, Alek.”
“No,” he
repeated. “You have all of this high-tech equipment. Do something else.”
“Your father has
no brain activity whatsoever, Mr. Grey,” Leconte said. “I’m afraid that there
is nothing more we can do for him.”
Alek pulled away
from Maya, turned his chair around, and headed out of the room as fast as he
could .
FIVE
A
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