Epilogue

            The human body is an incredible work of art. I don't mean this in terms of aesthetics, but in the biological sense. It's amazing how, in spite of all the progress we've made in medical theory and technology, we often times still have to rely on the body performing its natural functions. For example, the body requires vitamins and minerals to remain healthy, but you can't simply feed someone a chunk of iron and have the body absorb it. It needs to be consumed in a form that the body is actually able to digest and process for use.

            Now, consider a similar case with the brain, one of the most essential components of the human body. Our ability to gain knowledge through our senses is quite incredible, but at the same time it's very inefficient. Unfortunately, like with the chunk of iron, you can't simply plug someone into a computer and upload information directly into their brain. It needs to be "consumed" in a way that the body is able to process. So how do we bridge the gap?

...

            A great thing about being the President of a major research institution is that you get the nice office. The grounds of the facility are quite extensive, but from my window I can see a little farther where there's a small elementary school. It's interesting seeing the children that could one day be your replacement in the process of growing up. It's heartwarming, but at the same time a little saddening. They, in their innocence and inexperience, have no idea what awaits them when they finally grow up in this world.

            There's a knock on my door. I tell them to come in, and my secretary opens the door.

            "Ma'am, the latest report from Sunnyside has just arrived," she says in a soft voice.

            "How long are we going to have to keep physically delivering these reports?"

            "I'm sorry, but our security team is still investigating the possibility of a leak, so they're advising that we avoid using the network until they can be certain that nothing will be intercepted." Her voice is smooth and her words concise, as if she had been anticipating I would ask this question and had prepared a response in advance. Of course, her competence is one of the reasons why I hired her.

            "Yes, I suppose that's probably best for now. I would simply liked to have it resolved in a timely manner. This low-tech delivery method doesn't suit me." I sigh, but there's nothing I can do about it now. "Anyway, tell them that I'll be out in a moment."

            She nods and disappears through the door again. I save the work on my computer and turn it off, following her out into the anteroom. To my left is my secretary's desk, in front of me is the door to the elevator lobby, and to my right are three large men standing in front of a heavily fortified door. Two of the men wearing suits are here to deliver the aforementioned report, contained in a small metal case one of them is carrying, while the third is of the posted door guards. I walk over and greet them, shaking their hands and thanking them for their hard work. I strongly believe in professionalism and discretion, and I've seen how well these men can operate, so I always make sure to let them know that their services are appreciated.

            The delivery team hands off the case to me, and I send them on their way. Meanwhile, the door guard begins opening the first door to the vault. Behind that is the door for me to open, so I walk over and enter my code. I walk through and close it behind me, as I'm one of the few people that are allowed inside this vault. All that's in here are a couple of computers, a server, and a few safes for other miscellaneous items.

            Opening the case, I remove a packet of papers and a disc. The papers are encrypted, so they're literally just covered with black and white squares. I slide them into a small machine so that they can be processed and decrypted on the computer, and the disc I put into the computer to download. Once the papers are processed, I shred them, and the disc I destroy as well when the computer finishes downloading. I open up the report on the computer and begin to read...

 

SUNNYSIDE MEDICAL RESEARCH FACILITY

SACRAMENTO, CA

 

-SUBJECT: Patient Report, Experiment D-012-002-C (Final).

-AUTHORITY: Michael Ainsworth, Director, SMRF.

-PATIENT: Alexander Henderson, M, 22.

-PERSONNEL: See below;

            -NURSE ATTENDING: Oliver Keaton, NP;

                        US Army Special Forces Medical Sergeant (18D), Med. Ret. (E8);

            -HEAD NURSE: Cassandra O'Kieffe, MSN;

            -RESEARCH SUPERVISOR: Kyouko Yamaguchi, PhD (Neuroscience).

-SUMMARY: Phase D Section 012 covers introduction of neurologically-sympathetic      information to Patient during relatively inactive (comatose) state. Patient 002 was placed in chemically-induced coma for varied periods of time with dream-like state being         induced in order to process key information in conjunction with cognitive activity. This   report covers Part C (Final) of Patient 002.

-NURSE ATTENDING REPORT: Nurse Attending logs and audio/video logs encl; for security purposes, Nurse Attending was only briefed on information vital to performing his duties                for the duration of the experiment.

-HEAD NURSE REPORT: Patient has shown decreased physique and vitality due to prolonged             inactivity. Coordination remains apparently functional. Video logs suggest Patient      constitution weakening, easily nauseated and prone to fainting/dizziness. Consider      physical therapy for future patients during prolonged dreaming cycles.

            Patient has shown attempt to cope with early onset symptoms of Dissociative Identity      Disorder. Patient remains confused when confronted with memory triggers from periods       of wakefulness, but is beginning to adapt more quickly to surroundings. Advise caution           when providing multiple successive treatments to future patients.

            Patient has exhibited intent to resist or attempt to escape from facility. Recommended      experiment termination for Patient in conjunction with Research Supervisor to Facility             Director. Authorization for experiment termination approved by Director. Patient           administered anesthetic and euthanized via lethal dose of muscle relaxant by Nurse   Attending. Patient showed mild intent to escape during administration of anesthetic, but       was likely hallucinating from treatment (note as possible side effect for future        experiments); no incident resulted. Patient heart failure occurred at 2123 (PST), 19      September 2123.

-RESEARCH SUPERVISOR REPORT: The successive application of the dream-inducement     therapy has taken a major toll on the Patient's mental state. Interviews given by the Nurse         Attending show a seemingly continuous state of identity confusion once the Patient was        presented with certain memory triggers. However, Patient has also shown outstanding          results with retention of information acquired solely through dreams. I advise caution             during future experiments with successive treatments and prolonged exposure.

            It is also worth noting, and I advise, use extreme caution in future experiments involving improvement of patients' critical thinking and analysis, as well as tactical and technical        information that could be used with malicious intent. The Patient should signs of             suspicion and disregard for advisories set forth by the Nurse Attending, leading to Patient's possible discovery of experimentation (See video logs 202309191337), further             leading to a planned escape attempt. Recommended experiment termination along with     Head Nurse, which was approved by the Facility Director. After authorization was        approved, patient was euthanized according to standard procedure prior to Patient's escape attempt, overseen by Nurse Attending.

-DIRECTOR NOTES: While the loss of the Patient was unfortunate, I believe this to be an          important breakthrough for our research here. After reading through the Personnel     Reports, I believe this experiment could be called nothing if not an absolute success. Highly recommend continuation of Phase D Section 12 experimentation in conjunction           with cautions advised by the Head Nurse and Research Supervisor.

-POINT OF CONTACT: Please contact Director for any further questions or comments on this    report.

 

---NOTHING FOLLOWS---

 

            So that's that. The experiment was overall an amazing success, although it came at the expense of Mr. Henderson's brief existence. Were he here, I would hope that what he has helped us accomplished -what all the patients have helped us accomplish- would allow him to see that he has lead us to a major step forward for  the future of humanity. I'm not sure he would feel that way, but sometimes that hope is all you can use to keep pushing forward.

            After going through the rest of the logs, I turn off the computer and head back to my office, closing up the vault behind me. The sun is starting to set, which brightens up my office with a wonderful golden glow. I reflect on all the work our organization has done, the work of which I myself have been an integral part. Is all of this really worth the end result? We try to minimize the effect by identifying people who will have a minimal impact if lost, but it's still their lives that are on the line. It's not like all of the patients are euthanized, but there is a certain level of security we must maintain for the time being.

            I hear another knock on my door, and my secretary leans in, saying, "The Secretary of Defense on the line. Do you want to take it?"

            I sigh. "Tell him I'm in a meeting." She nods and closes the door.

            We're responsible for a lot of research that goes on behind closed doors. Not everyone is happy about it, but at the same time a lot of the things people use on a day-to-day basis are the fruits of our research without them even knowing it. Some might not consider it ethical, but they're not the ones who have to make these decisions. We do our best to keep things as pleasant as possible, but there are a lot of people who rely on us and the work we do. We're not making weapons of war, we're making technology for a peaceful and prosperous society. In the end, I can still sleep at night knowing that we're trying to help as many people as we can.

            So what is this feeling, then? This unshakeable nagging in the back of my mind that something isn't right? My mind wanders a while before settling on the late Mr. Henderson, an unfortunate by-product of our mission. In the beginning, all I saw on his face from the video logs was fear, sadness, and confusion. Toward the end, however, I started seeing something more: contentment, resolution, determination, conviction. Can I be satisfied with that, knowing he had that in the end? What is this feeling I have? Pity? Remorse? Or perhaps... envy?

            "Alex... what do you feel? What is it that you experience in those dreams of yours? What do you see when you close your eyes?"

            I walk back over to the window, and I see the children at the school playing while waiting for their parents to come pick them up.

            Maybe natural is best.