Mark Pryor - Cyberian Affair

Moreno glanced at the file. “Let me begin with Oliver’s vision.”

Viktor pointed to the small black patch covering his left eye. His curly black hair was long enough to cover the remaining scar on his temple. “I see nothing with this eye.”

The doctor nodded. “The damage to your optic nerve blocks the information between your left eye and your brain. But, you seem to have adapted well to the limitations of your vision.”

Viktor’s blind eye never improved after the attack, and he had difficulty judging distances with a single functioning eye. Despite this, his parents always requested tests, hoping the stem cells could produce another miracle.

He rubbed his scar. Something he often did when nervous. “I see well enough, but I hate it when people stare at my patch.”

“I’m sure your friends and family are used to it. Would you prefer they look at your lazy eye?”

Viktor shook his head and looked at his father. “No, it looks creepy. I prefer the patch.”

Eduard spoke up. “He’s had eye muscle repair surgery. Both eyes moved together properly for a while, but within a few months they lost the synchronous movement.”

The doctor nodded. “That’s a common problem with complete vision loss in the eye.”

“What about the MRI?” asked Magda.

Moreno turned the computer screen so Viktor and his parents could view it. He pointed with his pen. “On this image, you can see the empty area on the left where the injury occurred. That area is smaller than it was on the scans from previous years.”

Viktor studied the image. It was comforting to know the stem cells were still working to heal his brain, but they couldn’t let the doctor know the reason for this miraculous growth. Fortunately, his mother knew how to handle this.

Magda nodded. “You mentioned this during our last appointment, but you said we should wait to see how things developed over the next six months.”

“That’s right, and the damaged section has continued to shrink every six months since our first MRI. We don’t know if the same thing happened during the time Doctor Durant was treating Oliver. Those scans weren’t conclusive due to the surgical procedures he performed.”

Durant . He had been the French doctor Viktor first went to after the stem cell treatments ended. Four times during those three years, a tumor formed and he needed surgery. When Durant’s questions threatened to uncover the illegal treatments, his mother decided to change doctors.

Eduard shrugged his shoulders. “Is this a problem, Doctor? Isn’t it good to see the area of his injury shrink?”

“In any other part of the body, healing like that would be a good sign. But neurogenesis, the growth of healthy nerve cells, has never been observed in the temporal lobe of any adult brain. The good news is, we haven’t detected any growth of unhealthy nerve cells during the entire two years I’ve been seeing Oliver.”

Nothing unhealthy . That’s what Viktor wanted to hear. Two years. Nothing wrong. No more tests !

Magda took her husband’s hand and looked at the doctor. “Are you telling us Oliver has gone two years with no malignant growths, and you’re concerned because you suspect his brain is creating healthy cells?”

“That’s right. But this kind of new cell growth is unheard of, and I’d like to do some tests.”

Magda nodded and rose from the chair. “Thank you, Doctor. We’ll have to think this over. Could you give us copies of the results?”

Viktor and his father stood, preparing to leave.

“Certainly, Doctor Klima. The nurse will give them to you on your way out. But I need to tell you about the results of the electroencephalogram.”

“The EEG? Did you find something?” Magda took her seat again. Eduard and Viktor did the same.

“Oliver’s results are normal… except for one thing. His brain waves have a higher amplitude than normal—about ten times the average person.”

This was nothing new to Viktor or his parents. Doctor Durant noticed this anomaly, too. His mother believed this was most likely a symptom of his newly acquired ability—one they must keep secret.

He had first noticed this ability a year after a man plunged a knife into his head. Whenever Viktor’s mother was near him, he knew whether she was happy or sad. The same thing happened with his father, his friends—everyone. Eventually, he realized he was sensing other peoples’ feelings.

Magda raised her eyebrows. “You said Oliver’s EEG results are normal, but you’re concerned because his brain waves are stronger than expected?”

“That’s right. The brain consumes more energy than any other organ in the body. Oliver’s brain demands even more.”

“Is that a problem?”

“We can’t be sure without more testing.”

“More testing.” Magda frowned, then stood. “All right. If you think it’s required. We’ll set up an appointment with your receptionist.”

Viktor knew she would agree to the appointment, like she did with Doctor Durant. But he also knew they weren’t coming back. They’d never see Dr. Moreno again. To do so would only draw attention.

****

A few hours later, two blocks from the university hospital, the Prazsky family finished dinner in their hotel and went upstairs for the night.

Viktor sat on his bed talking on the phone with Karla. The door leading to his parents’ adjoining room was closed. “We’re heading home tomorrow. I’ll be back at school on Friday.”

He had met Karla the previous fall, when they began their sophomore year at Charles University in Prague. Two months ago, in January, they started dating. They became almost inseparable, getting together or talking on the phone every day, sharing their dreams and aspirations.

There was one passion, however, that Viktor had never shared with Karla, and he wanted to tell her now. She knew he spent time at the gym, but he hadn’t explained what he did there. “I’m taking my black belt test next week. Would you like to come?”

“Black belt?” Karla sounded surprised. “You’re a black belt?”

“Taekwondo. It’s a Korean form of karate. I’ll be a black belt when I pass the test. People often bring their family and friends to watch.”

“That sounds exciting. When is it?”

“Wednesday evening. It’s at a gym close to Prague Castle.”

“I’d love to. Is the testing hard? Are you nervous?”

“I used to be nervous when I tested for lower-level belts, but not anymore. It’s just a matter of demonstrating what I’ve practiced.”

Viktor’s thoughts drifted back six years to the terrible day on the streets of Prague with Delia. That day he had been helpless against those men, and he never wanted to experience that again. When he started Taekwondo, the moves came easily to him, even though his non-functioning eye proved to be a challenge. His limited vision, however, was offset by the strength of his newly acquired sensitivity to emotions. He realized he could detect his opponent’s intentions almost before they did, making his defensive reflexes lightning fast. If anyone ever threatened Viktor today, he knew he could defend himself.

Karla’s voice brought him back to the present. “I can’t wait to see you do your karate stuff.”

Viktor heard the faint sound of a second female voice talking to Karla.

“My aunt just arrived. I gotta go. See you in school Friday.”

Ending the call, Viktor hopped off the bed and knocked on the door before walking into his parents’ room.

His mother turned to greet him. “You get taller every day, and better looking, too. I’m glad you could join us.”

Viktor plopped in an overstuffed chair and faced the television. “I’m packed, and it’s boring sitting in my room.”