Glasses

Chapter One: Change

"The way it's looking... well, it's better than most of the others," the doctor says to me. looking up I meet his gaze.

"What does that mean?" I ask, my eyes filling with tears. He then sighs and puts his hand on my shoulder.

"It's the implant, it's killing you," he answers grimly, looking down at me. The implant? Oh.

It was a couple of weeks ago when I heard of this new implant for music. The first of it's kind. It was an implant that connected to your nervous system, it allowed you to choose, start, stop, and control the volume of music inside of your head with simple thoughts and movements. Of course with the implants you are the only one who could hear the music, but you would be able to feel it. The bass that would shake your body, and the lyrics that could match your heartbeat. But I don't understand, they said they tested it on animals and they were fine. That's the only reason i signed up, because I knew it was safe! The surgery was bad, I woke up and didn't feel anything, but when i went home... I was home and... I blacked out... I think.

"No, they said it was safe! They tested it!" I argue, trying to stand up in the hospital bed, but was unable to.

"Don't try to get up, your still hurt after the first shock!" he urges me putting his hand on my chest.

"Explain it to me," I say quietly, laying back down.

"Alright, but it's a long explanation. So first off; the implant is inside of your cerebellum, which is where your spinal cord meets the brain, and is a big part of your nervous system. The chip would send small and safe electrical pulses to your nerves in different parts of your body for the music, and is capable of reaching ever nerve ending in your body and with a high electrical charge. When they tested it on animals it was safe, however they did not account for the amount of radio waves and signals that humans of this age are exposed to, and as a result of that, the chips are damaged by intercepting these waves and signals and excepting them as inputs and are overloaded. This damage sent a very strong electrical pulse through you and everyone else's, who also volunteered, entire bodies. You are very lucky, but also unlucky. Unlike most of the others, the electrical pulse didn't fry your brain and kill you. You and two other patients survived, out of the hundred who volunteered. The pulse sent through your body was weaker, due to either lower radio wave contact or a lower battery charge in your chip, and therefore you didn't die, but you had a blackout. We don't know if it was a seizure or something else, but it put you in a sleep state of five days." the doctor explains to me.

"But doesn't that mean I'll survive? Isn't it over?" I question, as my mind panics, hoping for some good.

"No, it isn't over. The implant has just been delayed, and how things have been going for you, and the tests we ran we found out what is going to happen." he answers, a sad expression painted his face. I then look down at my hands, as they grip each other tightly.

"The implant discharged all its battery before, however it is recharging for a full release of a full battery. That would kill anyone. However since it is damaged it's not charging fully before it discharges again. Right now it is releasing an extremely small pulse in you, but they are getting stronger little by little. These pulses will cause your nervous system to eventually fail and damage it over time." he continues, looking down now. Damn it! Why is this happening to me!? What am I suppose to do!? Tears then begin to fall from my face, as I stare into nothingness. 

"How much time do i have?" I whimper.

"You have at least six months, at most you have six months and two days. But in the six months you will experience symptoms that are caused by these charges. They include, but aren't limited to: constant and sticking headaches, loss of feeling or tingling, double vision or loss of sight, different or changing headaches, sudden loss of strength in the muscles, memory loss, lack of coordination, slurred speech and muscle wasting, impaired mental abilities, muscle rigidity, and back pains that radiates to the feet, and other parts of the body. I'm so sorry, Steven." he replies, looking back up at me. My mind begins to panic and i am shaking uncontrollably.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, there has to be something! Remove the implant, or, or find a cure, or something! Something! Please." I cry in a panic, as I see my life slowly melt away in front of me.

"I'm sorry Mr. Rune, we can't remove the implant, if we try it will fry the nerves inside your brain, killing you." he explains.

"No, there has to be something! Some small chance or something! Please, I don't want to die." I sob, my head in my hands. He then looks up at me.

"There is one thing... but it has a one in a million chance of succeeding. If we use a defibrillator to send a charge through your body at the exact moment of the implant sending its charge, the two currents will collide and will follow the path of the defibrillator and destroy the chip completely disabling it forever. But we would have to do it before it fried your brain, if we do it sooner it will only add the charge of the implant, allowing it to kill you faster. With your permission we will try it and hope for the best." he suggests, looking me in the eye.

"You have permission... but a one in a million chance? I'm going to die aren't I?" I ask, trying to pull myself together.

"It might be a good idea to decide what you want to do with the time you have left Mr. Rune. The company that made the implant will pay for anything you want to do with your time remaining, and you work place will also give you some money. And if you never need to talk, I'll be here for you. My name is Dr. Ethan Lock Hart." he says, holding his hand out for me.

"Thank you Dr. Hart." I reply, shaking his hand, but my mind was still far from fine and was still in a panic.