Read Online Dreams in the Tower Part 3 by Andrew Vrana - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Andrew Vrana
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Unify, but Mike couldn’t see where ‘control the buyer’ came in as a viable solution.
“Here we are.” Diane stopped.
They had come to another long row of windows, only this time the room beyond was well-lit and occupied. There were hospital beds lining the far wall inside the room. Each bed was separated from the next by a curtain, and each had a patient in a pale blue hospital gown lying on it. There were eight in all, seven of whom were wearing some type of modified smart glasses with black lenses, bulky frames, and built-in headphones. They were apparently asleep, but the one without the beefed-up glasses, a pudgy, gray man who looked to be in his sixties, was sitting up and talking with a younger woman, apparently a doctor.
“What’s going on here?” Mike asked.
“Cognitive reprogramming,” Diane said quietly. “Brainwashing. That’s Silte’s next step.”
“ Brain washing? What…?”
“Yes, Mike, brainwashing. What better way to obtain total control of the economy?” She folded her arms against her breasts and turned to look at him. “But brainwashing is only efficient if the victim is weak-minded or has some prior mental trauma. It just wouldn’t be feasible on a massive scale. Introduce a virus that temporarily shuts down parts of the brain that control conscious thought, though, and what you get is a programmable human.” She turned back to the cold glass. “All of those people were afflicted with Silvan’s virus. Those devices on their heads are the prototypes of something currently being mass-produced and shipped out. They are what reprogram the brains. When the cure is announced, hospitals will request patients stay for three nights; the first two are for reprogramming and the third is for the antivirus to work its magic.”
“Brainwashing,” Mike repeated like a blubbering fool, staring at one of the women lying limp with the device over her eyes; now and then an arm or leg twitched. “For what? To make them more docile or subservient?”
“To make them loyal customers. Forever.”
“Fucking Christ.” Mike turned away from the glass, not sure if he should believe this. “And those people in there…”
“Guinea pigs. Nonconsensual volunteers, if you will.” Her voice was low and she didn’t look at him. “They took them from one of the hospital shelters where they put the victims without families. We needed to test the reprogramming on real people, find out how it works. It’s the only way we can figure out how to undo it. Because we’re running out of time to stop it.”
“No,” Mike said, grinning nervously. “This is crazy. Fucking insane . I don’t believe it.”
Diane’s sigh was long and laced with defeat. “You will,” she said and went to the door.
Following along after a brief moment, Mike entered the room behind her and went over to join her and the doctor beside the bed of the man who was awake. The man looked at Mike blurrily. His hair was silver and his face was well-lined and rough with sparse stubble. He squinted and stared at Mike with hard black eyes until Mike became uncomfortable and looked instead at the doctor, who was young and might have been very beautiful if she didn’t look so utterly exhausted and frazzled. She held a large-screened tablet loosely clutched at her side.
“Dr. Watanabe,” the doctor said, offering her hand which Mike shook. “I don’t need to know your name. Since you are here with Diane, I know where you are from and that is already too much, I think.”
“Uh, right,” Mike said.
“How long has he been awake?” Diane asked, gesturing toward the man in the bed.
“Not long,” Dr. Watanabe said. She stifled a yawn. “Excuse me. I have gone through the preliminary questions. I assume you are here for a demonstration?” Her dark eyes flitted briefly to Mike.
“If it’s not too much trouble,” Diane said. “This one’s important.”
“Very well,” the doctor said. “I trust you can handle things
“Here we are.” Diane stopped.
They had come to another long row of windows, only this time the room beyond was well-lit and occupied. There were hospital beds lining the far wall inside the room. Each bed was separated from the next by a curtain, and each had a patient in a pale blue hospital gown lying on it. There were eight in all, seven of whom were wearing some type of modified smart glasses with black lenses, bulky frames, and built-in headphones. They were apparently asleep, but the one without the beefed-up glasses, a pudgy, gray man who looked to be in his sixties, was sitting up and talking with a younger woman, apparently a doctor.
“What’s going on here?” Mike asked.
“Cognitive reprogramming,” Diane said quietly. “Brainwashing. That’s Silte’s next step.”
“ Brain washing? What…?”
“Yes, Mike, brainwashing. What better way to obtain total control of the economy?” She folded her arms against her breasts and turned to look at him. “But brainwashing is only efficient if the victim is weak-minded or has some prior mental trauma. It just wouldn’t be feasible on a massive scale. Introduce a virus that temporarily shuts down parts of the brain that control conscious thought, though, and what you get is a programmable human.” She turned back to the cold glass. “All of those people were afflicted with Silvan’s virus. Those devices on their heads are the prototypes of something currently being mass-produced and shipped out. They are what reprogram the brains. When the cure is announced, hospitals will request patients stay for three nights; the first two are for reprogramming and the third is for the antivirus to work its magic.”
“Brainwashing,” Mike repeated like a blubbering fool, staring at one of the women lying limp with the device over her eyes; now and then an arm or leg twitched. “For what? To make them more docile or subservient?”
“To make them loyal customers. Forever.”
“Fucking Christ.” Mike turned away from the glass, not sure if he should believe this. “And those people in there…”
“Guinea pigs. Nonconsensual volunteers, if you will.” Her voice was low and she didn’t look at him. “They took them from one of the hospital shelters where they put the victims without families. We needed to test the reprogramming on real people, find out how it works. It’s the only way we can figure out how to undo it. Because we’re running out of time to stop it.”
“No,” Mike said, grinning nervously. “This is crazy. Fucking insane . I don’t believe it.”
Diane’s sigh was long and laced with defeat. “You will,” she said and went to the door.
Following along after a brief moment, Mike entered the room behind her and went over to join her and the doctor beside the bed of the man who was awake. The man looked at Mike blurrily. His hair was silver and his face was well-lined and rough with sparse stubble. He squinted and stared at Mike with hard black eyes until Mike became uncomfortable and looked instead at the doctor, who was young and might have been very beautiful if she didn’t look so utterly exhausted and frazzled. She held a large-screened tablet loosely clutched at her side.
“Dr. Watanabe,” the doctor said, offering her hand which Mike shook. “I don’t need to know your name. Since you are here with Diane, I know where you are from and that is already too much, I think.”
“Uh, right,” Mike said.
“How long has he been awake?” Diane asked, gesturing toward the man in the bed.
“Not long,” Dr. Watanabe said. She stifled a yawn. “Excuse me. I have gone through the preliminary questions. I assume you are here for a demonstration?” Her dark eyes flitted briefly to Mike.
“If it’s not too much trouble,” Diane said. “This one’s important.”
“Very well,” the doctor said. “I trust you can handle things
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