Prodigy Eternal (book 2)

Chapter Fifteen

“So what do you want to start with first?” Alex asked.

“The number one thing I want,” Aris said, “is a brain like yours… or what yours used to be.”

“I don’t know how to do that.”

“Can’t you figure it out? After all, you saved an entire planet with a gizmo you assembled out of rusty spoons and paper clips. Once you figure it out for me, you can upload it yourself. That way you will be back to normal.”

“Good point.”

Aris’s comment was enough to make Alex think, and as a result, he unknowingly derailed his chance of becoming a grinder. Alex’s mind was now completely occupied with solving a problem of her own. Even with her brain at a substantially reduced capacity, she was still a very capable hacker. She thought logically about the situation, and what would be needed to recover her ability.

“There’s a chemical compound known as psilocybin, which is found in hundreds of species of mushrooms,” Alex said. “Studies have shown that it can have profound effects on a person’s brain. Ingesting even a small amount can cause psychedelic experiences.” 

“Great, so how does that help us?”

“If we ignore the good times brought on by the psychedelic experience, and instead focus on the chemical process taking place in the brain, we’ll discover that under the effects of the chemical, the brain is actually more connected. People often experience colours and intricate patterns because different regions of the brain are communicating with each other. Now, whose brain does that remind you of?”

“Uh… yours?”

“Very good. So perhaps if we study the sequencing of psilocybin and create a bio-hack from it, we can restore connections in my brain that were once linked — or in other words, restore my synesthesia.”

“But won’t the effects eventually wear off?”

“Naturally. That’s why we need to manipulate the code in such a way to make the effects permanent.”

“I’m not so sure about this idea,” Aris said.

“Do you have any better ideas?”

“No.”

Alex let out a deep breath and thought about it some more. She wasn’t sure if the psilocybin idea would work or not, but decided to set it aside while she approached the problem from a different angle.

“Okay,” she said, trying again. “Without knowing the exact process of what’s going on within me, it may be reasonable to assume it has something to do with post-mitotic cells.”

“See, this is why I need your brain, I have no idea what you just said.”

“I’m just sort of thinking out loud, bear with me a moment,” Alex said as she paced back and forth. “If the cells in my brain are incapable of proliferation, then they would be unable to repair or regenerate. Therefore, the solution I need is what?” Alex asked.

“No clue.”

“Come on, Aris, think. Do that thing you always do where you come up with the solution.”

“My thing?”

On several occasions, Aris had proven useful when others who were smarter than him had failed. His unorthodox way of viewing the world and thinking of solutions was invaluable in times like these. He was beginning to recognize his consistent contribution, which made him feel better about all the times when he messed up.

“Uh… okay, let’s see…” Aris took a moment to think. “Does it have anything to do with gold dust, because last time that was—”

Alex stared at him with a blank look.