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Authors: Jeffrey Small
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friends in the department made. However, Elijah had insisted on the extra safety test on a non-human primate: “Just to make sure we don’tinduce a full-fledged seizure.” Ethan didn’t think that was possible with the care he’d taken in programming the algorithm. He was anxious to get to the human phase, to get answers to his most pressing questions. They were scheduled to begin human testing next week, if the tests today proved the machine safe.
The screeching from the monkeys grew louder as Rachel walked to the fencing. A capuchin leaped from a branch to the cage by Rachel’s face. “Hey, Anakin,” she cooed.
The monkey—one of the younger ones, judging by its small size—pressed its back up to the wire. Rachel reached in two fingers and scratched it.
“You aren’t seeing this. Strictly against the rules.”
“The monkey’s name is Anakin?” Chris asked.
“That one”—she pointed to a larger one with graying hair—“is Obi Wan. Over there we have Luke, Lea, and the black one is Darth.”
“ Star Wars ?” Ethan asked. Although he rarely went to the movies anymore, he’d grown up on Star Wars . He’d seen all of the movies multiple times.
“Makes it easier to remember the names.”
Well, little Anakin , he thought, I hope you don’t have a grand mal on me here . This was their last chance. He and Elijah were out of ideas, and even with their new grant, Houston wouldn’t tolerate many more failures. But in his heart he knew the Logos would work. He hadn’t wasted the past five years chasing a phantom dream.
“Are we ready?” Chris asked from behind the Logos.
Rachel glanced from the two men to the black box by the cage. When she’d asked Chris about the machine earlier, he’d been evasive, and Professor Sanchez hadn’t given her much before hurrying to catch her flight to Atlanta. Professor Ethan Lightman might be brilliant, and attractive , she admitted to herself, but she was nervous about putting her babies at risk.
Ever since she was a young girl, she’d had a way with animals. She’d thought that she could feel what they were thinking. Plus, they were appreciative of being taken care of, unlike her two younger brothers. Rachel had been the oneresponsible for feeding and cleaning up after them. Her dad was rarely home. He worked late nights and weekends, and when he was physically present, he was emotionally distant. And Mom— She pushed away the memories. Rather than make their own meals, her brothers would complain if she made PB&Js or chicken fingers two nights in a row. On the other hand, Commander, her fluffy terrier mix, and Flotsam and Jetsam, her hamsters—and even Tiggie, her parakeet—were always happy to see her. After making sure her brothers had what they needed, she would shut herself in her room with her pets.
She put her hands on her hips and said, “We can begin once you tell me what this machine is going to do to my capuchins.”
“I can assure you there is no danger to the monkeys,” Ethan said.
That’s not an answer , she thought. Standing beside the wire tunnel that led from the cage to the Logos, she folded her arms like a sentry guarding the entrance of a castle.
“I’m sorry, but didn’t Professor Sanchez sign off on this?”
“Well, when she’s not here, they’re my responsibility.” Just because he was a professor, not to mention tall and sexy, didn’t mean she would be intimidated.
He sighed. “The Logos”—he pointed to the metal box on the stand—“generates a series of electrical pulses whose amplitude, wavelength, and frequency are determined by an algorithm I designed. The pulses travel along these wires”—he gestured to the black wires that coiled around the metal arm—“to the two solenoids here, which convert the electrical pulses into magnetic ones.” He pointed to the plastic discs. “We direct these magnetic pulses predominantly toward the left temporal lobe of the subject’s brain. It’s really just a
The screeching from the monkeys grew louder as Rachel walked to the fencing. A capuchin leaped from a branch to the cage by Rachel’s face. “Hey, Anakin,” she cooed.
The monkey—one of the younger ones, judging by its small size—pressed its back up to the wire. Rachel reached in two fingers and scratched it.
“You aren’t seeing this. Strictly against the rules.”
“The monkey’s name is Anakin?” Chris asked.
“That one”—she pointed to a larger one with graying hair—“is Obi Wan. Over there we have Luke, Lea, and the black one is Darth.”
“ Star Wars ?” Ethan asked. Although he rarely went to the movies anymore, he’d grown up on Star Wars . He’d seen all of the movies multiple times.
“Makes it easier to remember the names.”
Well, little Anakin , he thought, I hope you don’t have a grand mal on me here . This was their last chance. He and Elijah were out of ideas, and even with their new grant, Houston wouldn’t tolerate many more failures. But in his heart he knew the Logos would work. He hadn’t wasted the past five years chasing a phantom dream.
“Are we ready?” Chris asked from behind the Logos.
Rachel glanced from the two men to the black box by the cage. When she’d asked Chris about the machine earlier, he’d been evasive, and Professor Sanchez hadn’t given her much before hurrying to catch her flight to Atlanta. Professor Ethan Lightman might be brilliant, and attractive , she admitted to herself, but she was nervous about putting her babies at risk.
Ever since she was a young girl, she’d had a way with animals. She’d thought that she could feel what they were thinking. Plus, they were appreciative of being taken care of, unlike her two younger brothers. Rachel had been the oneresponsible for feeding and cleaning up after them. Her dad was rarely home. He worked late nights and weekends, and when he was physically present, he was emotionally distant. And Mom— She pushed away the memories. Rather than make their own meals, her brothers would complain if she made PB&Js or chicken fingers two nights in a row. On the other hand, Commander, her fluffy terrier mix, and Flotsam and Jetsam, her hamsters—and even Tiggie, her parakeet—were always happy to see her. After making sure her brothers had what they needed, she would shut herself in her room with her pets.
She put her hands on her hips and said, “We can begin once you tell me what this machine is going to do to my capuchins.”
“I can assure you there is no danger to the monkeys,” Ethan said.
That’s not an answer , she thought. Standing beside the wire tunnel that led from the cage to the Logos, she folded her arms like a sentry guarding the entrance of a castle.
“I’m sorry, but didn’t Professor Sanchez sign off on this?”
“Well, when she’s not here, they’re my responsibility.” Just because he was a professor, not to mention tall and sexy, didn’t mean she would be intimidated.
He sighed. “The Logos”—he pointed to the metal box on the stand—“generates a series of electrical pulses whose amplitude, wavelength, and frequency are determined by an algorithm I designed. The pulses travel along these wires”—he gestured to the black wires that coiled around the metal arm—“to the two solenoids here, which convert the electrical pulses into magnetic ones.” He pointed to the plastic discs. “We direct these magnetic pulses predominantly toward the left temporal lobe of the subject’s brain. It’s really just a
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