NEURAL ASHES, PAGE 74-76

 PAGE 74 – 76 (UK VERSION) 

HELLEN

OK, I’ll call later. Bye Janet.

She looks at Shirley and Black Hat Kat, finishing their coffee.

          Alright, back to work.

 

INT. GAIL’S OFFICE  ––  NIGHT

Hellen finishes checking if all electrodes are still properly attached. Black Hat Kat and Shirley have taken their position in front of the screens.

 

HELLEN

Just to be sure we’re on the same page. I’m now increasing the voltages. This should trigger brain activity, and facial or bodily reactions, depending on the part of the cortex we activate. So don’t get startled. After these tests we’ll delete all data received so far, and then do the real transfer. Big bang.

Short pause

First we’ll try C4-F4.

 

She activates the connection. The left side of Gail’s face and body suddenly show strange contractions.

 

BLACK HAT KAT

Hang on. I see spikes in sensors 6 and 7. And a lot of data logged. Is that correct?

 

HELLEN

Yes, but it’s just the motor cortex. Let’s try another one. T3-F7.

 

Gail starts murmuring vaguely, as if she’s dreaming. It stops when Hellen interrupts the connection.

 

BLACK HAT KAT

Spikes mainly in sensors 1, 2 and 3. I’m starting to get the picture.

 

HELLEN

Sensor 1 as well, that’s interesting.

Just another couple of tests, and then I guess we’re safe to go.

 

INT. GAIL’S OFFICE  ––  20 MINUTES LATER

All tests have now been finished.

 

HELLEN

Shirley, body functions still OK? Everything well attached? She can’t roll off the bed?

 

SHIRLEY

Double checked everything.

 

HELLEN

Kat, all sensor connections up and running? All test data deleted? Uplinks to PentaQ Cloud are open?

 

Black Hat Kat just raises his thumb, eagerly waiting for what’s going to happen.

Hellen activates a high number of connections at once. On her screen more than half of the connections start flashing.

Gail’s body reacts as if she has a kind of epileptic attack. Her body shakes, her eyes opening wide, groaning, drooling, murmuring, uttering a few recognisable words.

 

GAIL (murmuring)

Kat... Hellen... skull... fuckers... gun... Jenkins... pain... dead...

 

SHIRLEY

My God. Is she back alive?

 

Hellen shakes her head. Black Hat Kat stares with open mouth.

The spectacle goes on for another 10 seconds, then Gail’s face and body relax little by little.

 

BLACK HAT KAT

Spikes were at maximum, all sensors. But now slowly going down. Fading out. I think’s it’s done.

 

Hellen switches off all electrode activity. She stands up and looks at Gail. Shirley just stares at her screen, motionless.

 

HELLEN

Let’s hope so. I can’t watch this a second time.

 

BLACK HAT KAT

Local data stored: nearly 400 GB. Upload speed: 620 MB per second. Should be ready in less than 10 minutes.

 

INT. GAIL’S OFFICE  ––  10 MINUTES LATER

They are exhausted. Hellen and Black Hat Kat wait for a return signal. Meanwhile, Shirley disconnects all wires, tubes and electrodes from Gail's body and head.

 

SHIRLEY

What should I do with the sensors?

 

HELLEN

Leave them in place for now. Once they’re out, there’s no way back.

 

There’s a loud “beep”.

 

BLACK HAT KAT

Upload’s completed. The time is 3.56.

Closing the upload link.

 

Black Hat Kat does not close the download link. It’s unclear if this is on purpose.

He walks over to Gail's body. Caresses her face and forehead.