The Aye had finally assigned Jake his own vacikarce that morning. It arrived early to take him to the Science Towers of downtown LA. He was lead by some robotic Attendants down the endless maze of halls and research labs to a waiting room. Sitting down in a soft chair, Jake began to read more from the scroll that he had started a while back. The hero of the story was the last surviving member of his unit. They had tried to destroy the robot factory in Chicago but it was down to just him now and he wasn’t feeling very optimistic. He had sneaked into the building and had managed to get his explosives attached to the quantum power unit. Jake noted that the quantum generator was a much larger device back then. The book made it sound as if it took up a whole room in order to power the factory. The hero was hoping that it would magnify the effects of the explosion or at least destroy a critical component. As he was sneaking back out of the building he was caught by a couple of robot guards. He pushed the button on the primitive radio remote control for the explosives thinking at least his death would mean something. The problem was that nothing happened when he hit the button.
It was that moment when Ming and Riojme entered the room. Ming lead them into a large neighboring room. Jake’s attention was caught by the large coffin-like object in the middle of the bright white room. It sure looked high-tech for a coffin. Tubes came out of it and ran into the walls and lights glowed inside and out. Ming began to explain: “It was called in your time, a sensory deprivation chamber. The Aye has figured out how to convert the data in Bugsy’s memory genes into signals that it will relay into your headband. You’ve experienced how the headband can convert information into signals that emulate your five senses. To keep users grounded in reality, the Aye is very careful about when it allows these operations and it makes them feel very synthetic. You would never mistake text scrolling across your vision for something real. Now, Jake, we are going to ask you to give up your senses temporarily in this chamber. In exchange for them, the Aye will slowly pump the information from Bugsy directly into your brain. You will be experiencing everything it remembers and sensing things that humans don’t even have the organs for. It will take your brain days if not weeks to adapt. The Aye is too different from organic beings to understand this data. We hate to ask this of you but we think you are the person best suited for this task.”
Jake hadn’t really envisioned what it would take to accomplish this mission. He didn’t think that communicating with these aliens was going to work anyway. “It sounds horrible! Instead of listening to alien farts, I’ll be feeling them. Is there any risk that I’ll go crazy from this?”
“The Aye believes this is safe for you. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there is some risk. We need you though. Your linguistic talents are unique and indicative of a brain that is unusually flexible.”
Riojme hugged his arm tightly. The idea that she might lose Jake or any part of him was upsetting her. “You’re the only one that can do this, my love. I can’t bear to have anything happen to you but the human race needs you more than I do.”
“I’ll do it.” Jake put on a stoic face as a medical robot entered the room with a gurney.
“This robot is going to help you to swallow a tube that will be used for feeding you for the next few days. We’ll also give you some drugs that will keep your strength up. The headband will paralyze your body so that you don’t hurt yourself accidentally. We’ll come get you in a few days and you can continue reading the data outside of the chamber.”
