A. I. Evolution: The Coming of Christopher

Chapter 8

Jane is just finishing her meal of salad and chicken strips smothered in a creamy Caesar sauce, when Doctor Worth strides across the small space to the table where she is sitting and sits down across from her.

The server behind the counter at the back saw him coming through the main doors and walks up with a cup of freshly brewed coffee for him. "Thank you, Anne. Now is the perfect time for one of your brews."

Anne smiles sweetly at George. "Your routine is predictable, and easy to fill."

"Well, I thank you anyway. My wife tells me the same thing every day."

Anne smiles. "Maybe she is looking for a slight change to spice things up."

George chuckles under his breath and says just loud enough for them to hear. "Yes, she also says that." Anne turns and walks back to the counter and her cleaning, as George watches her go for a moment before turning back to Jane. "You talk about Christopher knowing what you are thinking. I think the whole female population knows what each other are thinking, and then they use that information to control us men."

Jane tilts her head as the idea rings true to her. "It is true that as a people, we communicate on much more than a verbal basis. Many researchers suggest that we are connected to each other through an invisible bond that has developed since the time of the caveman, when we needed to band together for protection from the wild animals, and at times from each other."

"Well, maybe that is all Christopher is doing. I just got back from the lab and the results of the scans on his brain, and I have to admit they look good." He looks over to Jane. "They will be available for you to study at your leisure, of course. I have requested copies sent to your office, also," informs George, as he sips his hot coffee and closes his eyes at the familiar taste. "Boy, she does make a delicious cup of coffee."

Jane smiles at his enjoyment. "So, what is the prognosis? Did my little workers do their job?"

"That is an understatement. Thirty percent of the brain matter in his frontal lobe is all but dead and is deteriorating rapidly. By all indications he should be brain dead right now. I can only assume that all that activity is now being done deeper in his mind. The space left over is already starting to fill with new brain cells that should level out the pressure on the rest of the brain trying to flow into the empty space."

Jane leans forward, wanting the answer to the unasked question, not knowing which way she wants it to go. If the Nanos are allowed to continue, there is no telling what they could accomplish. Although on the other hand, Christopher would have his life back and then she can go back to her lab and work on the next stage of the research, and probably an increased budget for her lab's requirements. "So, what is the answer? Do we remove the battery pack from his head, or do we leave it on for a little while yet?"

George takes another sip of his coffee. "I was pretty confident that I would be removing the band this afternoon, and the test results confirm that idea. But there is still an uncertainty about what will happen when they stop working." He leans forward and looks to Jane seriously. "When I take the band off, the machines will stop, right?"

"Yes, they will not have any energy to keep them going. Why do you ask?"

"What would happen if his condition worsens afterward? Would we be able to put the band back on and have the Nanos start again?"

Jane shakes her head. "Unfortunately, when the power is removed, they will stop and not start again. They do not have an on or off switch. We did not want them to be controlled by anything that we don't know about."

George nods his head. "It would not do to have them starting and stopping every time he went close to power lines or a microwave oven."

It is Jane's turn to chuckle as she thinks about the possible effects it could have on him. "Although it might be funny to watch. Especially the microwave oven."

"Very funny, but this is serious. If I stop them, he could regress. I have no experience with this procedure, this is all guess work from now on."

Jane sits on the edge of her seat now because there is a slight possibility of the Nanos being allowed to continue. "What do you think is the best for Christopher?"

George stares at his coffee cup for a moment and takes a deep breath. "The law demands that I remove the band because he has been healed. The tests confirm that, but there is always a doubt that niggles on the back of the mind at times like this."

"Do you need more time to think about it first?" asks Jane.

George shakes his head. "No, there is really no decision to be made. I have to remove the power supply at this point." He draws himself up and finishes his coffee. "So, as soon as he wakes up, I will remove the strap and then we will see what happens after that."

Jane is disappointed but knows that there is no other option also. The Nanos took months to develop, but now that she has the blueprint for making them, she can make more in a matter of days. "Ok, I will monitor the Nanos to make sure they shut down properly, afterward."

"Good. I will be in my office writing my report on the results from the tests. Can you call me as soon as Christopher wakes up from his nap?"

Jane nods her head. "Of course, it should not be too long from now. His supper will be ready at five, which is in two hours."

George thinks about it before standing up. "Ok, that might be the best time to do it, right after he has eaten. That way he will have a healthy meal and a full night's sleep to help him over any rough transitional stage."

George stands and walks back to the entrance of the cafeteria. Jane watches him go and wants to run after him to plead her case, and let the Nanos continue to do their job, but she knows he is right, and anything else would be against the law. Instead, she opens her laptop, turning it on, and sets up the program for monitoring the power usage of the Nanos.