Authors: Amelia Grace
‘Ready?’ she asked, narrowing her eyes at me, checking my commitment to her readings.
‘Quell my curiosity Miss Georgia. Continue the story from where we left off. I want to hear his answer,’ I replied, looking deeply into her eyes, my voice low, almost a whisper. She smiled slightly, looked down at the bloody book and then opened the bookmarked page. She looked up at me again before she began to read, looking for reassurance. I nodded once, closing and opening my eyes once in affirmation.
“’I was manufactured, not created,’ he said, his face forlorn, his fingers digging into his legs.
I sat silently, watching his body language. He was ashamed of himself.
‘What is your definition of manufactured Ethan?’ I asked, feeling
compassion for him. Being a product of IVF was nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, his parents very much wanted him if they went through the IVF process. He was the baby that they had dreamed of, the baby that they vowed to love forever.
‘I was a stem cell, ignited into human form by an electrical impulse. I spent my embryonic life contained in nutrient rich liquid
suspended in an artificial environment until my coming out – my so called birth. I do not have a mother, or a father. I just am. I am not born of love. How can I have a soul if I am not the creation of a living egg from a female and the living sperm of a father?”
‘Ethan, you are a living being. Of course you have a soul
!’ I emphasized.
‘A cat or dog is living. Do they have
a soul? A plant is living. Does a plant have a soul?’
he said, acidity in his voice as h
is eyes pierced mine, searching deeply for answers to his unanswered questions.
‘Animals are in heaven Ethan.
I have heard it spoken many times. Plants do not have a brain or a choice in their actions,’ I reassured.
‘Created in the realm of the natural paradigm.
But I am not natural. I am a scientific product of an experiment in human intelligence. They didn’t care for me. They didn’t care for me in here.’ He put his hand over his heart. ‘They basked in their own glory of their dominance in the world of science, their world of science where they are the god. And here I sit. A human form with no soul.....If I have no soul, I do not have hope..........’ his voice trailed off, pained.
‘Hope for?’ I asked, wanting to know the exact root of his problem.
‘Hope for something more,’ he answered, his eyes empty.
‘And what do you mean by something more?’ I asked, my heart breaking for him.
‘I want to experience life after death. I want to be a spiritual being after death. But without a soul........’ He choked on his words, emotional hurt exposed on his face.
My skin prickled. His soul was strong and shone brightly. I could feel it. I smiled to myself, knowing the great happiness and peace that he will feel once his eyes and ears were opened to receive the blessing. In time it will come, and he will fall to his knees in thanks.
I reached over and lightly placed my hand over his. His hand stiffened at my touch, as if he was repelled by it. But then he relaxed his hand structure and breathed out deeply.
‘
Ethan, in my experience, if you worry about not having a soul, then you must have one. If you didn’t have one, the concept of a soul would not even cross your mind. Your spirit is strong. I can feel it,’ I said soothingly, the words flowing from my mouth like a baby’s lullaby, singing to the core of his being.
He looked deeply into my eyes, connecting at a spiritual level that I knew of, but he did not. Not yet anyway. He pulled his blue eyes away from mine, breaking the magnetic connection. It hurt my eyes for some reason. He looked at my hand on his, contorting his face as if in pain.
‘I must go now Georgia. I am taking up your precious time......thank-you for ......’ He furrowed his eyebrows and pressed his lips together.
‘For your kindness,’ he finished, and then started to move off the bed that he was sitting on.
‘Where do you live Ethan?’ I asked. He looked as if he lived on the street when he fell into the reception area of the medical research centre. In fact he looked like a druggie.
He grimaced and shook his head.
‘Nowhere mentionable,’ he answered, continuing to shake his head, his eyes averting away from mine. Was he lying, or ashamed of where he lived?
‘Please come back to see me if you feel that you need to. I am here to help – always.’
He looked into my eyes and then nodded his head, closing his eyes as he did so, and then left out the double doors and into the concrete jungle. Where to I will never know, I wanted to follow him. I wanted to know that he would be okay. He was a lost being searching for his place in the universe. I hoped that he did not find the wrong place that would ultimately destroy his soul.”
‘Excuse me Sir, were you wanting to order anything else before you vacate the table for waiting customers?’ the waitress babbled, extracting me from the characters of the bloody book. I looked up at her clueless, and then I looked to Georgia, frowning.
‘No thank-you. I think that we are done here, are we Cohen?’ asked Georgia articulating her words perfectly. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to break free from the brain fog that clouded my thoughts and coherence.
I raised my eyebrows. ‘Yes, I guess so.’ Where had I been? As Georgia read to me, I lived the words of the bloody book. It was like being spellbound, enraptured. And I had been disconnected abruptly. I wasn’t ready to leave the story yet.
Where did he live?
Georgia looked into my eyes and placed her hand over mine.
‘It’s time to go Cohen,’ she said quietly, and then placed the leather bound book into her bag and stood. I watched her as if there were two of me. One in body, and one in spirit. We were not connected. I felt so confused.
Without the need to think, I stood, and followed Georgia out the door, the bell clanging announcing our departure
, and echoed in my mind as if it were a distant church bell rebounding off the mountains. I shook my head. What was wrong with me?
Georgia turned to me at once when we were outside. Her face was serious.
‘Cohen, are you alright?’ she asked, her voice concerned.
‘I think so,’ I replied unconvincingly. She placed her hand on my forehead, and then the side of my face and looked closely into my eyes.
‘What?’ I asked, panicking.
‘You look awfully tired. Do you feel okay?’ she asked me again, looking into my eyes as she waited for me to answer. I raised my eyebrows and took a deep breath.
‘Yes, I think. And yes, I am exhausted. I didn’t sleep well last night. When can we meet for the next reading Georgia? I need to eat some more of your gingerbread,’ I suggested. I wanted to see
my
Georgia again.
She looked up at me with her big blue eyes, her pupils dilated. She blinked and smiled slightly, her head slightly to the side. She touched my forearm. Her touch soft and warm, melting my
heart and sending tingles throughout my body.
‘How about the library....tomorrow night at 7pm?’ she replied, her voice soft. I nodded at her.
‘I will look forward to it Georgia,’ I responded.
We walked the next three blocks together, her hand linked in through my arm. I carried her bag. Her closeness made me feel so high. When we stopped at the corner to part ways, I turned to face her, and watched as a tear ran down her cheek slowly. I didn’t speak to her. I looked into her eyes and gently wiped the tear off her face with my thumb.
‘Tomorrow, 7pm at the library,’ I whispered into her ear before I went my own way. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to feel her lips on mine. I wanted to invade her mouth with my tongue. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her against me. But I didn’t........I just didn’t.
Alone I returned to my apartment. Alone I went to bed to wake the next morning in my usual routine.
At work I met with the design department to oversee my drawing as it was drawn to scale on CAD. I received a phone call from the doctors confirming their interest in the project, and detailing the surgery team involved.
The Mind Reading Implant was on the move towards reality. The only thing holding it up was the manufacture of the implant, and this would take about four weeks to complete.
The phone buzzed. It was Mia. Mr B. Rubin needed to see me,
immediately.
Mia smiled and nodded at me as I walked past her. The double doors to his office clicked as I touched the handle.
As per, he faced away from the double doors.
‘Mr Darcy…..sit,’ he ordered in his bossy tone.
I sat in the red leather chair opposite his marble topped desk. I sat in silence as I waited for him to turn to face me.
I heard him clapping his hands
slowly, sarcastically, as his chair swiveled to face me.
‘Congratulations Mr Darcy. I honestly didn’t believe that you could achieve the mind reading technology. We are now well ahead of the rest of the field. Our Communications Company will become the wealthiest, the most powerful, and the most respected company in the field.
But, as you know, it is pivotal on one thing Mr Darcy. The success of the implant, and the viability with how we can use it.
It is now time to trial it. This places me in a difficult position Mr Darcy. We have managed to keep the project top secret. Only five people are aware of it’s existence. We need two people to trial the technology. I have chosen you, and laboured over the other choice, but it falls upon my head
, as I trust no other person.
Four weeks time we have a meeting place at the hospital. I will see you there Mr Darcy. Do not be late. Good day.’ He started to turn in his chair towards the large glass ceiling to floor window.
‘Mr Rubin, I request that you turn to face me. It is about the implant.’ I waited for him to turn back to me. I stood my ground. I refused to leave his office unless I had said what I needed to say to him.
After two and a half minutes he turned his chair aggressively towards me.
‘Mr Rubin, I will be the only one to trial the device. I created it, and I will run the risk of blindness or death on my own. I do not want you to trial the device until the technology and surgical process has been refined. You are risking you sight and health too much Mr Rubin. It is still highly science fiction in its conception, and highly unpredictable with the outcome,’ I implored, knowing that the device will definitely not work, unbeknown to him.
‘Mr Darcy. So little do you know……I can’t trust you. You could easily have the implant fitted, and then report to me that it does not work when in reality it does.
This way, if I am also fitted with the device, only the truth will be known. Do you understand Mr Darcy? Do you under-stand?’ he repeated slowly, sarcastically.
‘Clearly Mr Rubin. But let it be known that I have warned you
. And if it all goes wrong, you were in control of your fate, not me. Good day Mr Rubin.’ And then I left his office under my terms.
As I passed Mia’s reception desk, she handed me a folder.
‘Mr Darcy, this folder contains all of the information that you need to know about the hospital procedure. Read it carefully today. Do you understand?’ she asked, widening her eyes at me and nodding her head at the same time.
I breathed in deeply.
‘Yes……I understand Miss Rueben,’ I replied, and then returned to my own office.
I opened the orange folder and found the hospital admission forms, times, dates, fasting information etc. I also found a small white note. No names, just a time –
8pm. I understood.
The large glass doors of the
University Library opened as I approached them at 5pm, two hours before my book reading with Georgia. I had my own research to conduct. I wanted to know about the possibility of an eye contact lens that could organically grow into the eye to connect to the brain for mind intrusion, or the possibility of an interocular (meaning external contact lens) contact lens that could wirelessly connect to the impulses/electrical of the retina and move through the neurons to mind read. Was it a freaky possibility, or was technology not ready for this type of connection to the human brain yet?
The world of the eye, brain and contact lens technologies had taken me prisoner at the study table in the library, rendering me totally oblivious to all that surrounded me.
I had made my decision. My Mind Reading Implant would be different to Mr Rubin’s, that was destined to fail by my will.
My MR implant
will be an eye lens that is organic and grows into the blood vessels of the eye, making electrical connections to the brain to allow mind reading through the other persons retina. It only requires eye surgery. No brain surgery is involved, so it is a much safer option. But still with obvious risks. Professor Thomas was the world leading doctor in this area. I will contact him after I have engineered the technology.
Visually, my brain was building the mind reading technology and storing it away for use. Having a photographic memory and strong visualisation abilities always allowed me to travel far with my creations. I was totally drawn into my world of science fiction meets reality when I smelled her sweet perfume.