Peter Prellwitz - Shards Book One

Her eyes sparkled with delight.? That's exactly how it's supposed to feel! I knew you'd make it. I didn't have any proof, but I was somehow certain you'd begin to make the transition!? She seemed vastly relieved. I felt it, too.

We passed the next twenty minutes with idle talk. Susie seemed to have passed a barrier and didn't seem as concerned about the IHAD, which in turn put me at ease. I still wasn't sure why she'd been so tense earlier, but I had a hunch that if I turned out to be a plant, she'd be the one to deal with me. I spent no time thinking about how they'd deal with me if I were a plant. Pretty abruptly, I suppose. These people didn't seem like fanatics, but they risked their lives and lived like outlaws in a cave, all for the chance to restore a person who didn't know they needed restoring. They would be willing to take extreme measures to continue their work.

We were in the midst of planning our evening gym workout after dinner, when a knock came at the door.

I jumped a bit; the heavy thoom! of an energy door was worlds different from a wooden one. Susie got up and let them in.

I was expecting mad scientists with long robes and covered faces. They would be tall, skinny, and devoid of human compassion. One would have a huge needle, dripping some sort of mind-altering drug. I'd scream, then faint, then come to just as they jabbed the needle into my arm, making sure the barbs grabbed on firmly. At least, that's how my overactive imagination envisioned it.

There were two of them. One was a young man, of average build, maybe twenty. He had a pleasant face and cheerful greeting. The other was a middle-aged woman. She came right up to me and pulled me from my bed, a big smile on her face.

"Hello! I haven't had a chance to meet you yet! I'm Corporal Geher, but please, call me Betty. I'm going to be your interviewer. Nervous?? I nodded.? Good! You wouldn't be normal if you weren't at least a little frightened. Let me tell you right now, though, the interview isn't scary in the slightest."

"Uh-huh. And you've got prime real estate in Florida to sell me, too, right?? I quipped dryly.

She frowned, trying to figure out what I meant. She got the gist, though.

"Nope. It's not the interview. It's the waking up.? She reached into a bag she had with her and extracted a small device, smaller than her hand. At my curious look, she handed it to me, warning me against activating it. It seemed innocent enough at first glance, which I mentioned. Betty laughed.

"I always let the Cue look at it, but only to get the feel. No offense, but its function is probably a little beyond you at this point.? She laughed again.

Challenged, I looked at it carefully. There was an emission area and several indicator lights. There was also a small display, maybe two centimeters by four with measurements on both axes. In the reflection of the panel, I noticed a sine wave pattern, and its markings along the y-axis seemed to measure decibels.

The power supply was buried inside the casing, but the disproportionate weight in the bottom told me its location and relative strength. Though I still didn't know their energy type, the general assumption is density equals capacity. I took these observations and coupled them with the obvious function of the device-to render me helpless-added Susan's misgivings and the group's goals, and came to a logical conclusion. I handed the device back to Corporal Geher. I'd call her Betty after the interview.

"This is a device that will render the, ah, patient, unconscious. It uses a series of pulsed electromagnetic waves concentrated on the brain's frontal lobes, the part that affects awareness. No doubt it also contains a directional subsonic wave that suppresses the subject's will and makes them open to suggestion. A kind of sonic truth serum. Very clever, undoubtedly highly effective, and probably harmless. I'll bet there're few side effects other than a headache."

Corporal Geher was the perfect audience. She looked as though I'd used the thing on her. The man's (boy's? guy's? another quirk with my new social status: proper reference for members of the now opposite sex) expression was like he'd been sandbagged. Susie shook her head slowly, admiringly. She stepped up close and put an arm around my shoulder, leaning her mouth close to my ear.

"Direct hit,? she whispered. I laughed.

Corporal Geher shook off her stunned stare and looked at me shrewdly.? Ummm. Yes. Well, this is going to be an interesting interview.? She activated the device, and it gave a pitched whine that quickly climbed beyond hearing. She came close, but kept the thing at her side.

"All right. The inducer will take about a minute to charge. I'll be placing it close to your head. Here.? She indicated a spot just behind my left temple.? When I trigger it, you'll feel an overwhelming need to fall asleep. When that happens-"

"Shouldn't I lie down?? I interrupted.

"No. You'll be lying down when you awaken, and we've discovered that the transition from standing to lying without realization helps the adjustment that you've been through the interview, and that what you're feeling isn't your fault. When you feel the pulse, try to relax. It won't make much difference whether you fight it or not. In fact, most Cues become totally unconscious immediately at pulse discharge. But like I mentioned, this is not the worst. The worst part is the awareness that you'll have when you wake up."

"The awareness that I've been completely helpless? I'm getting used to that.? I noticed I was wringing my hands, giving the lie to my casual tone. I could feel myself tightening up. Susie was still holding my shoulders and sensed it.

"Hey, easy, girl. I'll be here the whole time."

"Yeah, but you won't help me, will you?"

"No, she won't,? Geher said.? And that's the worst. While you're out, we will be laying your entire life open. Nothing will be left unexplored. Although you'll have no actual memory of the ordeal-and make no mistake, it is an ordeal-you will have a very clear sense of intrusion. Some say violation. I'm sorry. I wish there was another way. We hope, I hope, that it helps to be up front about this from the beginning."

I didn't say anything. The enormity of what they were going to do weighed on me, smothering me. But I steeled myself to go through with it.

"Very well, then. Shall we?? she asked. I nodded and chewed my lower lip. I was still wringing my hands. Geher raised the inducer up to my left temple, placing her left hand on my right temple and cheek.

I felt Susie hold me tight in her arms as I waited for the final lockdown sequence engaged. All command protocols have been disabled and access rights revoked. This system will suspend all cognitive operations in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… ****

Corporal Geher triggered the inducer, and its pitch soared up and out of hearing. The young girl, eyes staring straight ahead, lower lip in her mouth, suddenly relaxed, becoming an even smaller creature than she already was. Her eyes glazed over but remained open. Her lip slipped free from her teeth as her jaw sagged. Her hands, so active with wringing, went still and fell to her sides. Geher triggered the inducer a second time, and the girl shuddered and slumped back against Susan, who was waiting for her. Holding the slight weight, she eased the completely oblivious child to her bed.

Susan knelt beside her, lips tight with suppressed emotion. This girl had been so alive, so vibrant only moments ago. Now she lay there, little more than a dumb animal, staring sightlessly into a void. Her breathing was shallow and fluttery. She looked even younger. Susan felt a touch on the arm and looked up at Betty.

"Susie. Remember the Fourth,? Betty said quietly. It was always? remember the Fourth". Inducing was so completely against everything they stood for, yet it was needed to perpetuate what they stood for.