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I didn't notice Victoria standing behind me.
“What are you reading?”
“About a man who is able to walk because of electrodes planted in his brain. I'm researching it for my blog, The Writer’s Reality. This installment is about medical technology breakthroughs.”
“Have you ever wished that was you?”
“I think that everyone wishes they could overcome imperfections. It's part of the human condition. I've never been able to walk without some sort of mechanical aid, so it might be interesting to have the opportunity.”
“I can make it happen.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in.
“You can what?”
“If you like, I can make it happen.” I swiveled my chair around to face her.
“Are you telling me that you can make it so that I can walk without crutches?”
“I think that it is theoretically possible. To put it simply, the human body generates electricity through motion. The brain communicates with muscles by means of electrical impulses. You have a mild case of cerebral palsy. The impulses from your brain are not communicating with certain muscles in your body. I can change that.”
“Would it be permanent?”
“No, because it necessitates a temporary electrical current boost in order to energize your body. Over an extended period, that could damage your cell structure and muscles.”
“How long are we talking? Would it be minutes, hours, days? What?”
“Initially, it would only be 10 of your Earth seconds. That timeframe might increase as your body acclimates to the electrical impulse changes.”
“When can we give it a try?”
“Right now, if you like.”
“What do I have to do?” I said, feeling as if I was getting ready for a Moon launch.
“Just sit there. You’ll feel a slight tingling as your body adjusts to the change of electrical impulses. When you do, stand up and try to walk.”
I grasped the arms of the chair, expecting something akin to accidentally hitting my funny bone. Instead, I got a dull tickle like when my foot falls asleep.
When I stood up, it felt surprisingly natural. It was as if I've been doing it all my life. The clock was ticking as I decided to take a leap of faith, literally. I jumped in the air and, aside from the fact that white guys really can't jump, landed on my feet. I took four more steps before the clock ran out and I slumped to the floor. Victoria handed me my crutches.
“That was surreal,” I said, getting to my feet.
“I wish I could put this on Facebook.”
“But you can't,” she said, not quite understanding that I didn't really mean what I was saying.
She was right, of course. From the moment that Victoria had become part of my life, I had decided to keep my personal life under the radar because she needed some time to become “humanized.” Once that happened, I could casually introduce her into my social life. To be honest, that wouldn’t be a really big stretch for me.
Working at home affords me the luxury of not having to deal with people on a daily basis. I have created a very comfortable environment in which to live and work. I can honestly say that I am extremely content with my lifestyle. I rarely visit the Las Vegas Strip and don't drink or gamble. I’ve always thought of that lifestyle in the same way that I think of Disneyland; the stereotypical Las Vegas is nice to have nearby, but it’s mostly for the tourists.
Social gatherings, with the rare exception of getting together with close friends, are not events that I looked forward to with any degree of anticipation. The truth is, I'm not much for small talk. The words “What do you do?” sends shivers down my spine. I find that most people, especially when they have a drink in their hand, are not really interested in having a deep discussion about anything. So, for now, being a loner works out just fine for me.
“I wouldn't really do it. I was just thinking out loud.”
“From what I have learned of your history, I would not be accepted by your species.”
“No, I don't imagine that you would. But you knew that I would accept you. Why?”
“The human brain is only capable of processing a small percentage of the life images it collects, what you call memories. The rest of the life images, from the day that each human begins, are stored but never processed.”
“You're saying that we see and record everything from the moment that we open our eyes?”
“You not only see everything, all of your human senses record everything.”
“Even someone without sight would still record everything from the moment of birth?”
“Yes.”
“That's fascinating,” I said. “But it doesn’t answer my question? How did you know that I would accept you?”
“Because I was able to process those images. They are stored as electrical impulses in your brain. It was not difficult.”
I wasn't quite sure if I had just been called a simpleton, but it did explain the blank expression on her face that I had mistaken for her having had too much to drink. It also explained her telling me that I had an interesting mind. She really meant it. A case could be made that Victoria actually does know me better than I know myself.
“And this brain drain thing that you do, is that how you’re going to get into my dreams?”
“Yes. We are on the same wavelength. We are connected.”
“If we are connected, is it possible for me to read your thoughts?”
“Human brains have not reached the degree of evolution necessary to read my electrical impulses.”
For the time being, Victoria’s ability to wander through my memories gave her the upper hand in whatever this relationship would become. As for me, I was going to have to rely on understanding Victoria the old fashion way. I hoped that would become easier the more human she became.