Chapter Twelve
Once Harry had finally disappeared from the room, Theo announced the completion of the experiment to Dr. Meredith, more because he liked the idea of announcing the completion of experimental phases, than because Tonya needed any additional verification.
Dr. Meredith lit a cigarette, and walked out of the test chamber, to enter a private artificial atrium that had been crafted by Detention Technologies, especially to increase the creativity of the lab tech team.
Henkleman observed Tonya exit the room, and turned his eyes anxiously toward the screen, in anticipation of viewing the arrival of the test subjects.
Tonya was considering the repercussions of the sending human subjects into the digitized realm, and suppressed her anxiety about the complications that could arise as a result of their research.
Test experiments had been completed thus far with objects, animals, and the consciousness of humans, but not the bodies of the humans themselves.
There were ontological issues concerning the digitization of human consciousness, which still needed to be addressed; issues which may very soon cease to be theoretical.
The data from the experiments with human consciousness indicated an absence of complete transfer within the previous test subjects; it was as though only a portion of themselves made the transfer.
The results varied from case to case, but the common thread was apparent, and since the scientific niche fell under experimental, exclusive, intellectual property rights, there was no oversight, and there were no alternative studies.
Tonya inhaled deeply and breathed out toxic, carcinogenic smoke in frustration. “True science cannot be conducted within a vacuum,” she said out loud to herself, as though reaffirming her own decision to publicize the project report.
Dr. Meredith extinguished her cigarette, allowing her fingers to burn on the smoldering ember. Pain shot through her nervous system, and highlighted itself along her spine. It was her responsibility to ensure the safety of the test subjects. Theo was capable of handling the technological aspects of the equipment and he had programmed the transfer software himself. Tonya was fortunate to have him as a co-worker throughout the course of the project.
“Dr. Meredith,” an enthusiastic and slightly childlike voice came from behind her shoulder as she stood in the atrium.
She took a deep breath in through her nostrils, and focused on the details of the bark on one of the smaller tropical acacias in front of her current position.
“What is it, Theo?”
“Subject number one has rematerialized in on the digital plane. All vital signs are in adequate, and the body appears to be functional. No signs of consciousness,” Theo reported.
“It will take the mind a while to wake up. The procedure is not unlike a dream one awakens from with a sense of grogginess and dissociation. Initially, the autonomic system will be recovering from the transfer. Once the consciousness of the test subject arises out of the sub-psychic state, expect some confusion, and an awareness of displacement. Shortly afterward, we should see a full cognitive resurgence; at that point, you can administrate the entrance diagnostic.”
As she spoke, she plucked a leaf from the ground, and twirled it between her index finger and thumb. Her attention was dually focused between the leaf and her verbal instructions.
She had been over the process - in her own mind time - time and time again; these endless repetitions allowed her to issue the complex series of tasks to her assistant without having to commit her entire attention.
Once she had finished dictating Theo's course of action, she turned to offer eye contact. He met her eyes with an appreciative, inspired glance, and promptly returned to the lab. He would dutifully follow through with her instructions and Tonya had every confidence in his abilities.
The doctor twirled the leaf between her fingers once more, then let it fall as she turned and left the atrium
On her way back into the lab, she is stopped by Henkleman.
“This is for you,” he said, as he handed her a manilla envelope.
She raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Have the form on my desk by the morning,” Jim said as he walked away leaving her in the entrance hall to the laboratory, holding the envelope loosely in her hand.
She blinked once, and studied her boss as he returned to the elevator, on his way up, toward whatever lofty goals he still held for the day.
Tonya did not open the envelope. She set it on a desk next to her coat and bag.
Dr. Meredith had already established her priorities, and whatever form of bureaucratic coercion Henkleman had planned for her would simply have to wait until she got around to opening the envelope.
“Alright, Theo, What have you got?”
“Three out of five have successfully transferred. Subject One is showing signs of active consciousness, eye movement, and muscle reflexes. Subject two and three are still unconscious.
”He paused for a moment, and looked at Dr. Meredith. “It's really going to work,” he said, as though overcoming disbelief.
“Yes, Igor. It really is going to work.”
Theo expressed a nervous chuckle, but when Dr. Meredith did not join in his levity, he stopped abruptly, glanced at her, and then busied himself with preparations for the entrance diagnostic.
Tonya stood with her hands on her hips, and walked about the room, scanning various monitors through her wire framed, glasses.
The screens contained different data banks – some of them were live feeds pertaining to the transfers in progress; some of them were vitals for the test subjects that had already made the transfer; still others described the operational status for each component of lab equipment.
The last screen she examined was the display monitor which held the streaming video for the camp.
There on the sand, next to the beach lay three bodies, two of them unconscious, and two more being actively assembled by the Genetic Code Recompiler.
On the screen, it appeared as though the outline of the two additional bodies were glowing with a radiant light blue aura.
Intermittent flashes of green and pink highlighted the foundation of blue light, and sequential, pulsing waves rippled outward from major energy centers along the spine of the persons still in transit.
The camera was set on a circular pan, and the focus of the primary screen was variably a light show, of three incapacitated humans.
The sand was purple, grey, brown and green, all diffused together in a speckled mosaic across the length of the beach.
“Good,” Dr. Meredith said out loud, and to no one in particular.
She fixed herself some tea on a Bunsen burner that she had installed on a back counter for such occasions, and brewed two mugs of Jasmine tea. She walked over and handed the beverage to Theo, who accepted it with a word of thanks, even as he continued to focus on his present task. Tonya then moved towards a computer terminal located near the Bunsen burner; before sitting down on a large, red, ergonomic, chiropractic ball, this way she was able to maintain spinal integrity whilst checking her inbox.
“Good, indeed,” she thought again, bouncing slightly on the ball by applying pressure on the floor with her toes.
Tonya bounced, drank tea, and booted up the computer, without spilling even a single drop.