by Vlane Carter
‘Good catch sir.’
Jaden hears guards, nurses and other patients dropping to the floor simultaneously. Jaden sees the doctor’s eyes are partly closed. Her eyes are wandering around in different directions as if she his sleeping. He holds her small frame in his arms. He admires her beauty up close and can smell her hair shampoo. He takes a deep breath. Jaden notices the doctor isn’t breathing and her arms are just stretched out.
‘It has begun! The countdown has begun!’ AI yells.
The television is still on live and the news reporters are face down on their desk. There isn’t a sound anywhere. He smells her irresistible perfume and suddenly feels something for her. He feels as if he held her before in another life or met her at another time. He is hit by a feeling of déjà vu crossing his mind.
‘Should I give her CPR or something?’
‘No, it should only last another ten to fifteen seconds. She could wake up at any time along with everyone else. The nanomole is being booted up. What time is it?’ AI asks.
Nurse Jackie is unconscious on the toilet seat stall. Jaden continues to stare into Dr. Chan’s innocent face and ignores what AI just asked. Time feels as if it is slowing down into milliseconds around Jaden. AI takes control of a nanoscanner, since Jaden isn’t responding. Her lower teeth are showing slightly through her soft pink lips. She reminds him of Sleeping Beauty. She resembles a fallen angel that just fell from the heavens and Jaden just caught her. He stands up and holds her with two arms. She suddenly begins to breathe again. Dr. Chan suddenly opens her eyes and looks into Jaden’s blue eyes with a look of confusion. The short stare felt like an eternity to the both of them. A connection is made as Jaden slowly lowers his right arm to put her to her feet. The news reporters on television lift their heads from the desk and look around. People in the area around Jaden also regain consciousness. The doctor begins to breathe heavily as she stands on her feet. She pulls down her skirt and holds her chest.
“What’s going on? Why are you holding me?” She asks with a confused voice while struggling to stand up.
“You fainted and I grabbed you before you hit the floor,” Jaden says in a modest voice.
“Well thank you, Mr. Doe.”
People wake up as if a split second went by and they just fell to the floor.
“Are you okay?” Jaden asks.
“Just trying to catch my breath.”
A few minutes go by as Jaden turns around to watch the television. The nurse returns to her medication office.
‘Eighty-three hours and fifty-five minutes from now we have,’ AI says.
‘That was crazy seeing that happening.’
“We need to talk, let’s go,” Chan says.
Jaden walks over and follows the doctor into the hallway.
“You’re crazy, you bi-racial freak. You’re going to be here forever,” Nurse Jackie says from the window.
“Nice and fresh from the bathroom are we?” Jaden asks Jackie while following Chan.
They walk down the hallway. A man strapped to a stretcher is yelling and screaming and struggling to get up. Transporter Williams is pushing him.
“Hey buddy, what is wrong with him?” Jaden asks.
“Oh, he is high on cocaine. He is on his way to detox. Don’t do drugs,” Williams says while chuckling down the hallway.
‘AI take a pair of nanoscanner to copy that guy’s brain waves and copy the effects around his body.’
‘Why would you want to do that?’ AI asks.
‘Just do it,’
‘Yes sir.’
They arrive at a door and they walk inside a room. She closes the door.
‘It is done.’
‘Save that copy as the Scarface program,’ Jaden says.
‘Okay.’
There is desk and a bed in the room. Jaden lies on the bed.
She pulls out a small notepad and starts writing.
“Mr. John Doe, what was that in the recreation room, about being in space?” She asks.
“Nothing important; I dreamed I was on that Jupiter moon,” Jaden says.
“You can’t have an outburst about dreams you had. Do you want to be here forever?”
“No.”
“Outburst like that is going to keep you here under evaluation for months. Is this what you want?”
“No.”
“I feel as though you know more than you’re willing to tell me,” she says.
“Listen I want to tell you things, but you won’t understand. However, when the time is right, I will remember and I’ll let you know everything. It is imperative I get on the Internet again. I remembered some random e-mail addresses; I want to see if there is a reply.”
‘Good one Jaden,’ AI snaps.
“Sorry Mr. Doe, it is out of my hands. Well if more of your memory comes back, the faster you can get out of here. There might be some government scientist here next week to run more tests on why you don’t have any DNA samples and an invalid fingerprint structure,” she says.
“Yeah, okay.”
‘I won’t be here then.’
“What happened to Dr. Cochman?” He asks.
“He has been placed on suspension pending an investigation on his relationships with employees here. Why do you ask?” She asks while writing on her note pad.
“I was just curious. I think he should be a patient here,” he snaps.
Dr. Chan doesn’t pay full attention, while she continues to write.
Jaden uses a nanoscanner to look at the notes she is writing down.
It reads: “Patient still delusional…suffering from unknown brain trauma…amnesia level 1…argumentative and combative with employees, verbally and physically…Very mysterious…I think patient knows who he is and might be running from something or someone…Last one to use the Internet yesterday…Number 1 suspect in Internet abuse…”
‘She is saying so much about me, man, maybe I do belong here. She really thinks I’m crazy.’
“You received another star last night. What happened?” She asks.
“That bitch Ruffo set me up and said I put my hands on him. He has something coming to him.”
“I heard about him, just try to be quiet more and don’t be so tough. You don’t want to go into lock down. I hope that your memory will be back soon. Maybe tomorrow we can give you another brain scan?” She asks.
“No, that’s okay, no more experimental brain scans. I’m sure it will be returning soon.”
“Well I have to go; I have some blood work to do at the lab on the other side of town. I’ll be back later this evening to check on you and a few other patients. Is there anything else you would like to talk about?”
“I’m okay for now.”
Jaden gets up and walks towards the door.
“Hold on, I have to escort you back to the recreational area,” she says.
They walk back to the recreational area. Jaden sits down on the sofa and leans back with his arms folded. The doctor walks into the medication room and then leaves.
‘The computer is still off in the room,’ AI says.
Jaden watches television. News anchor Jake is talking.
“The 21st successfully unfrozen patient was done in a Germany science lab. These patients have been frozen for fifteen to fifty years and unfrozen with the help of nanotechnology. Many are being treated for diseases and illnesses not available for treatment all those years ago…”
“…The government still has a temporary ban on commercial airplanes flying at night. Reasons are still unclear. Two weeks ago, an entire flight crew and passengers mysteriously went to sleep at the same time. The co-pilot woke up just in time and managed to land the craft…”
“…In other news, the Federal Highway Committee has successfully ran the HSCCVL Program on two major highways without any accidents. News reporter Corey Smith is live on the scene outside Richmond, Virginia. Corey?”
“Thanks Jake, I’m on the overpass of
Interstate 95. The government ran a pilot program two years ago called the HSCCVL, which stands for high-speed computer controlled vehicle lane. The program went live one year ago today, with zero accidents. Microchips are in both sides of this separate lane that resembles a HOV lane. Vehicles are controlled by a supercomputer and monitored with cameras at checkpoints. If a car or SUV enters this lane without the HSCCVL system installed in their vehicle, they will receive a warning from a bright sign overhead. At the same time, the highway computer system will move all the vehicles with the HSCCVL system into a right auxiliary lane and temporarily park them. The unauthorized vehicle is zapped with a high current of electricity at the next checkpoint and disabled. An electromagnetic impulse in the metal rail to the left will push the unauthorized vehicle into the auxiliary lane. Repairs would be up to the owner. All vehicles will then resume on the previous course. I must say this is a very sophisticated system. Vehicles with the HSCCVL system drive between 85-125 miles an hour. Drivers and passengers can sit back and watch television or even sleep.”
‘That is a cool driving system,’ Jaden says.
The news anchor returns back to the screen.
“Corey, you are telling me the vehicles are literally driving by themselves?” Jake asks.
“Yes Jake, the vehicle’s full driving controls and computer system are controlled by a supercomputer called Quantum1, which is a first generation processor. This Quantum diamond-processing computer controls both Interstates 95 and 80 HSCCVL systems.”
“How many unauthorized cars were zapped so far in that lane?”
“The FHC has claimed twenty-three unauthorized vehicles were disabled over the past year. Half are trying to sue the government for damaged vehicles. So far six cases were thrown out…”
Jaden dozes off and falls asleep. The news continues to play in the background.
“…In other news, radio telescope enthusiasts around the world are verifying a strange transmission sent from another galaxy. People are saying this could be the first communication from an intelligent species. Some anonymous person left a blog with the coordinates to where the transmission came from. The government is verifying the signal…”
Washington, D.C. White house Vice President’s office
An officer walks into Vice President Robinson’s office. Robinson is sitting behind his large desk with an American flag behind him. There is an eagle on the carpet before his desk.
“Sir, we are trying to find out who leaked this top-secret information to the public. We just have three more people to interview,” the first officer says.
“I want to find the snitch who leaked those coordinates on that Internet blog page. That was classified information and only a handful of people knew about it. Damn, we just received that transmission from our lost LRSB just forty-five days ago. I can’t believe someone or something hacked the LRSB. Let me know if you find anything,” Robinson says.
“Yes sir. We are in the process of tracing the IP address of where the blog was posted from,” the soldier salutes and leaves the office.
Robinson picks up the phone, “Get the General on the phone,” he says while hanging up the phone.
The phone rings back and he picks up. “How are you today General Peters?”