Living in Syn (12 page)

Mission,
Susan, and Major Pierce had the observation room to themselves.  They looked
down from the glass booth to the table where the workers assembled their
synthetic.  Mission whispered to Susan, "You are a genius, arranging for
us to observe this."

Susan
smiled and whispered back, "I have my moments."

Then in
a normal voice she pointed toward the inert body, face down on the table and
said, "Several key elements in synthetic construction came together to
make possible a process low enough in price to justify mass production.  The
composition of the brain itself constituted our first breakthrough.  The human
brain is remarkable in two aspects, the incredibly large number of circuit
connections, and the ability to
rewire
circuits over time.  If you've
ever seen time-lapse photos of the process, you can actually watch the brain
extend neurons which twist around others to form new circuits."

"Clearly,
no mechanical process would prove the equal to this organic function.  The
development of polychromadrine, a miracle polymer that provides elasticity as
well as super electrical conductivity, became our first ingredient.  Once
Chandler Hunt and Professor Matlin saw this material, they rushed to the
genetic engineers and commissioned a microorganism whose travels through the
polychromadrine, created the most elaborate honeycomb in the world."

"Now
they owned a conductive plastic with quadrillions of microscopic bubbles.  Each
bubble represented a potential circuit.  And with so many potential circuits,
the brain could continue to make new connections for hundreds of years,
surpassing even the human brain's potential for learning and memory."

"Connection
of the brain complex to the body's sensory and muscular circuits (and I use the
term complex deliberately to include the spinal cord) formed our next
roadblock.  In human terms, connecting every nerve pathway to the spinal cord. 
Up until this point, the precision required to exactly place the connections
for say, the index finger, couldn't be accomplished through mass production
techniques.  So humans, working much like seamstresses, manually connected
every circuit.  This procedure proved incredibly expensive and time consuming,
and fraught with errors."

"Finally,
Professor Matlin had a brainstorm and asked,
Why should we do the work? 
Have a robotic arm insert the nerve connections in the spinal cord, not
worrying about precise location, and let the brain figure it out.
  None of
us understood until he gave us a demonstration.  He programmed the brain to
perform a check in which it searched methodically though all the connections to
the spinal cord.  Each time it encountered a circuit, the brain activated it to
find out what it controlled.  Then the brain created the map between the
physical circuits and the muscle and sensory groups it needed to control."

"Later,
we came to realize that this technique was quite analogous to our human
brains.  Watching an infant through the first year of life is a chronicle of
discovering motor connections and mastering control of them."

"The
technique was a stunning breakthrough for us.  The robotic arm could wire all
the circuits into the spinal cord in six hours, and the brain could map all its
circuits in three hours.  The affordable synthetic was a reality."

Mission
said, "So the circuits are wired to the spinal column ahead of time, and
then the brain is implanted.  How is the connection between the brain and the
spinal cord made?"

Susan
smiled.  "Yes, that is the remaining piece of the puzzle.  In the human
body, there is no connector, the brain/stem, and the cord are all one piece.  For
purposes of our manufacturing process, we had to separate the two.  But we
found our answer in already existing technology.  We traveled to the busiest
information center in the world, the Global Securities Market.  We looked at
the telecommunications devices that handle and route billions of voice, data,
and visual streams at once.  They already used connectors capable of handling
the traffic we anticipated across the neural network."

"If
you take a look right now, you will see the chief technician holding the
connector."

Mission
stared at the connector. It looked like a translucent quarter. “Amazing."

After
fifteen more minutes, the brain was connected and had started its mapping
task.  The technicians closed the skull casing, and taped the broken skin
together.  Mission started to make a comment and Susan said, "I bet I know
what you're thinking.  At first we did wait until mapping completed before
closing the skull.  But we have problems with less than one in a hundred thousand,
so we feel confident enough to close immediately."

Mission
and Major Pierce were awestruck.  It was mind boggling to build such a
mechanism in the first place.  But to do it with the casual efficiency they
witnessed today, was beyond immediate comprehension.  This was truly the most
advanced scientific organization in the world. 

Mission
looked at the group around the table and said,  "Our first agenda item is
to welcome ...? " 

He
looked at Susan and she said, "Montag."

Mission
jerked his head back around to look at her again.  "Really? 
Montag?"  Susan nodded and Mission said, "Okay.  We want to welcome
Montag as the newest member of our team."

All
attention focused toward the end of the table.  Montag stood 6'4" tall
with dark skin, dark brown eyes, and a graceful silence that seemed almost
frightening.  His deep bass voice added to the impression. "Thank you Mr.
Mission.  I look forward to serving on the team."

Mission
nodded and said, "You have been provided with all the information on this
...
situation
?"

Montag
nodded yes and Mission continued.  "Good.  I think the next order of
business would be to discuss the capture of a combat model.  As you all know, I
have taken the
all brawn and no brain
approach three times.  As there
are no undamaged portions of my body remaining, I come to the group with the
hopes that we can outsmart our opponent this time.  Now, I think it is
reasonable to assume that there are more combat models in the abandoned hotel. 
Does anyone have a suggestion?"

Montag
said, "I have questions.  Is there not an indication that Tanya Ricci
communicated with the leader of these renegades?  And should we not search
Tanya's private files with the hopes of finding addresses and messages between
the two?  It is even conceivable that we could send a message, appearing to
come from her, thus delivering a combat model to the location of our choice?"

Mission
looked around the room and asked, "Am I the only here that feels
stupid?"

Major Pierce
said softly, "One of his software packages is investigative methods."

Mission
said, "Well, I think it's working."

Montag
said, "If someone can introduce me to your systems administrator, I can
obtain the passwords and authorization to access Tanya's files."

An hour
later, they sat looking at dozens of messages between the two.  Mission said,
"Alright, do we have consensus that we can successfully send a message to
the
teacher
?"

Everyone
nodded and he said, "Good, that's the easy part.  Now how should we
capture the synthetic and where?"

The kid
asked, "But I thought you guys have already used your command implanter
successfully."

"We
have, but I don't want to depend on it."

"Why
not?"

The
question irritated Mission and he didn't know why.  "I don't know.  What
if a battery fails?  What if I drop it and it breaks?  It just seems foolish to
say that if the device fails for any reason, then the syn kills us all."

Pierce
said, "There has to be something more, Mission.  Do you know something we
don't know?"

Mission
stared at the Major's uniform.  "That's it.  Just the fact that I call
them combat models.  It's the first thing the military worries about with an
expensive weapon; a submarine, a missile, anything like that.  They make sure
the enemy can't transmit commands and turn their own weapon against them. 
That's why.  I fear that when we try it on a combat model, we'll find out they’re
prepared for such an attack."

Pierce
started to speak but Montag beat him to the punch.  "Mr. Mission is
correct.  Most defense and combat oriented groups employ this type of
encryption as standard procedure."

Mission
looked at Pierce.  "He also has military strategies and tactics, command,
control, and communicate, right?"

Pierce
grinned, "Uh huh."

Susan
said, "So, what is our next best chance of incapacitating a
synthetic?"

The kid
said, "Well, the professor has had some luck with ultrasonics, but within
very limiting factors."

"What
kind of limits?"

"Well,
the device should not be close to a human.  As long as the ultrasonics reach
the human, they shouldn't be exposed for more than 60 seconds.  And
unfortunately, the synthetic is only immobilized as long as the ultrasonics are
generated."

Mission
smiled an
I'm going to be hanged in the morning
smile.  "But, other
than those few annoying details, I'm ready to invite one of these killers over
to my place for a little exploratory surgery?"

Everyone
but Montag laughed.  Mission said, "It's sarcasm Montag."  He looked
at Pierce.  "You didn't give him stand-up comedian software?"

The
Major shook his head as he tried to suppress a grin.  The kid said, "Uh,
actually, uh, we have come up with another little device that may make the
situation acceptable."       

The
group walked down to the lab and the kid fished through one of the cabinet
drawers.  He pulled out a device just a bit smaller than a mason jar lid.  He
held it up for the group to see.  "This device generates an incredibly
strong magnetic force.  We got the idea after Mission showed us his battery
pack.  You activate by twisting the top clockwise.  Now this could erase the
brain unit, so we recommend that it be placed no higher than the junction of
the neck to the shoulders.  It will be attracted to the metallic properties of
the spinal cord and stick where you place it.  The magnetic force will
attenuate all impulses moving through the spinal cord and paralyze the
synthetic from that point on down."

Susan
said, "Then why do we need the ultrasonics?"

Mission
grinned.  "Because they are not always obliging enough to turn around so
that we can disable them.  Now, how are we going to test this bag of tricks?"

Montag
stepped forward.  "It only makes sense that you would perform tests on
me."

A flurry
of debate commenced.  After a few minutes, Montag raised his voice and said,
"Please, please!  You must understand that this is my duty.  I am a
protector.  Either I expose myself to risk now, or the team is exposed to
greater risk during our subsequent activities.  I must do this."

He
refused to yield and soon they stood examining a mostly empty room with a fire
exit to the outdoors.  Mission sat in a chair as far from the exit as possible
and when Montag entered, he armed the ultrasonics and tossed it into the
corner.  Three seconds later, it engaged and Mission felt a most unpleasant
sensation, as if his insides now wanted to be outside.  He looked up to see Montag
frozen in step.  He moved behind him, armed the magnet and placed it even with
the shoulder blades.

The 60
seconds passed and the ultrasonics died, much to everyone's relief, with Montag
still glued in place.  The experiment was a success, and they could proceed to
their capture plans.

Susan
tossed and turned and then finally awoke to stare without recognition at her
com alarm reading 5:00 in the morning.  As she regained her faculties, she
realized that light from the living room maneuvered through the apartment to
scratch at her eyes.  She put on her robe, and went to investigate under the
pretense of wanting juice.  She found Mission in his classic pose, head resting
on the sofa top, with a cigarette in his mouth and a glass of Jose in his hand.

She got
her juice and sat down beside him.  "What's on your mind?"

He
looked at her and shook his head.  "I'm in uncharted territory, Susan.  My
life has been pretty much the same for as long as I can remember.  Being a
bounty hunter takes most of your time.  There's really not enough left to do
much else."

He
turned around to face her.  "Did you know the professor offered me a
job?"

"I
suspected.  He asked about you, your education, abilities, accomplishments. 
What did he say?"

"He
offered me a position as a Senior Robotics Engineer."

Susan
was delighted.  "Oh Mission!  That's terrific.  You should ... "

He held
up his hand and cut her off.  "No, no, no, no, no.  I am not qualified for
the position.  And even if I was .... "  He took Susan's hand and said,
"I've never had a job in my life.  Showing up at the same time every day,
wearing suits, having a boss that tells you what to do.  I just don't know,
Susan."

She
started to respond, but Mission held more inside.  "And it's not just
starting a new life, it's leaving the old one.  As bad as tracking can be, I am
a tracker.  I think I might be lost without it.  What do you think?"

"I
don't know.  I think it would be good.  I think that if a person really wants
something, then you have to try. Succeeding or failing isn't nearly so
important as making the effort and finding the answer.  If you want this or
even if you think you want this, then you should try."

Mission
nodded his head.  "That makes sense.  I just don't know what I want.  I
always thought I wanted to be an engineer, you know.  But the cards didn't fall
that way.  Now it's more like a daydream.  And I don't know what I'll be like
without tracking.  I can't imagine not carrying a gun!  Do you see what I
mean?  I'm trying to sort out the differences between what I want and what I
fantasize, and what I am regardless of my desires."

"I
understand what you mean.  But you're the only one who can figure this
out."

"Yeah,
I know.  I just…What I want….” Mission looked steadfastly at the floor. He
said, very quietly, “What would you think of me if this didn’t work out?"

Susan
laughed.  "Is that what all this is about?  Mission that is so
sweet."

He
groaned, "Don't say that.  No man ever wants to do something that will be
called sweet.  Better you should call me stupid."

She
continued to laugh.  "Foolish man.  Do what makes you happy.  I like you
now, and you’re a tracker."

"Yes."

Susan
moved her face very close to his and said, "You are a very, very stupid
man."

Mission
grimaced and said, "Maybe calling me sweet wouldn't be so bad."