Restoration

by Daniel C McWhorter

  The elevator halted, and the door slid open with a soft hiss. Its lone occupant exited into a long, narrow hallway that glowed with a soft bluish light emanating from the ceiling. Doctor Harris turned right and continued down the hallway past several doors until she reached the one labeled Lab 46-D, a.k.a. the Cryonics Lab.

  She put her hand on the scanner next to the door—it flashed green and the door slid open. The large circular room had a raised workstation in the middle surrounded by four patient bays. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the bright light.

  There were three other people in the room, with one operating a series of holographic displays surrounding the central station and two others standing next to a large, sarcophagus-looking glass tube in one of the patient bays. Although made of clear glass, a thick white gas obscured the capsule's contents. The swirling gas made it look like a fluffy cloud had been stuffed into a bottle.

  The man working in the center of the room looked up as she entered.

  “You're just in time, Doctor Harris,” he said.

  Doctor Chen Li Hao was Chief Cryologist and the best Cryo-engineer at Telogene—and probably the world. Doctor Hao had worked at Telogene for nearly forty years but you couldn't tell that by looking at him.

  Long life and youthful appearance were among the perks of working at Telogene as employees enjoyed convenient access to a multitude of discounted (and often free) gene therapies. This unique employment benefit allowed Telogene to attract and retain some of the best scientists and engineers in the world.

  Doctor Hao made a few gestures across the holodisplay and then stepped down to join Doctor Harris next to the pod.

  “Doctor Berkovic, Doctor Walker, it’s nice to see you both again,” Doctor Harris said to the two technicians monitoring the holographic displays projected above the capsule.

  The two women smiled and returned her greeting. Both appeared to be in their mid-thirties but Doctor Harris knew that they were more than twice that.

  Doctor Leah Berkovic was the company's Chief Neurochemist and her job was to oversee the just completed the process of transcribing the patient's neural pathways onto the new brain. Doctor Tanessa Walker was Assistant Chief Cryologist and she would monitor the resuscitation process. It had been many years since this group had performed a restoration but this was a very special patient and Doctor Harris wanted only her best people working on it.

  “We've completed the neurotransfer and are ready to begin resuscitation on your order,” Doctor Hao offered.

  “Excellent. How is he doing?” Doctor Harris inquired of Doctor Berkovic.

  The neurochemist examined her holodisplay and gestured several times to confirm the results.

  “Neurotransfer is complete with 98.7 percent of all engrams successfully encoded. There was some minor degradation of the original data store...probably from a power disruption at the old facility,” she said, referring to the company's original storage site in Kansas City.

  Doctor Harris looked at the display to verify the results for herself. “Well, I was hoping for better but I'll take it. Have you isolated the affected areas?”

  “Yes, it looks like most of the memory loss occurred in this region,” Doctor Berkovic said, pointing to three-dimensional image of the patient's brain.

  “I believe these are mostly early childhood memories,” she continued. “But there may be some bleed over into later memories built on the affected memory region. Some reconstruction might be required but we won’t know for a couple of weeks at least.

  “That shouldn’t be a problem,” Doctor Harris said before turning to her Chief Cryologist. “You may proceed Doctor Hao.”

  Doctor Hao walked over to where Doctor Walker stood and made a few gestures on her holodisplay. A duplicate display appeared in the air next to it. Doctor Hao used hand gestures and voice commands to move the various elements on the display to different locations and add a few new ones.

  Once he was satisfied with the view on his display, he nodded at Doctor Walker.

  “Please begin,” he said.

  Doctor Walker adjusted several virtual dials and slides on her display before issuing her verbal command. “Initiate restoration. Authorization Walker zero nine one seven one two.”

  A digitized female voice, like the one in the elevator, echoed from the ceiling above them. “Senior executive approval required.”

  Doctor Hao looked at Doctor Harris. “Would you like the honor?”

  She smiled. “Why thank you, Doctor Hao, I believe I would. Authorization Harris alpha epsilon zero one zero three five two.”

  “Restoration approved. Initiating sequence now,” the digital voice echoed.

  The holodisplays in front of Doctors Hao and Walker changed to show a three-dimensional image of the person inside the capsule. Several readouts appeared alongside the image showing the patient's core temperature, heart rate and respiration. Doctor Harris noted that the patient's core temperature was minus 136 degrees Celsius and all other readings were zero. Perfectly normal for a person in moderate cryogenic suspension.

  Full suspension involved temperatures below minus 196 degrees C but the patient had been warmed slightly for the neurotransfer procedure. Overlaid on the image were graphical indicators for cellular and neural activity. These indicators showed minimal cellular activity but no activity in the brain or nervous system. Also normal.

  “All readings normal and rapid warming is in progress,” Doctor Walker reported.

  The temperature reading started counting up to zero at the rate of about one degree Celsius per second. Cellular activity slowly increased with the temperature but all other indicators remained flat until core temperature rose above zero, at which point the first signs of neurological activity appeared in the brain stem. All eyes were on the holodisplays as the subject’s core temperature passed ten degrees Celsius.

  “Ion exchange returning to normal across all neural pathways.” Doctor Berkovic said, gesturing at her holodisplay until the whole-body display was replaced with a three-dimensional rendering of the patient's brain. “Synaptic signaling is a little low but within range.”

  “Increase cortical stimulation by point zero three percent,” Doctor Hao instructed. “I don't want to risk any further memory loss.”

  “Increasing cortical stimulation by point zero three,” Doctor Berkovic repeated as she manipulated a set of virtual controls.

  “Synaptic activity has stabilized and all readings are normal,” she added

  Doctor Walker repeated the information that appeared on her display. “Respiration started and heart rate is ten beats per minute and climbing. Blood pressure is 90 over 50.”

  The temperature reading stopped at 37 degrees Celsius, or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit—normal human body temperature. Doctor Walker watched closely as the heart rate indicator climb to fifty beats per minute, blood pressure went to 120 over 76 and respiration settled in at twelve breaths per minute. All body systems were normal, and the patient was breathing on his own.

  “Restoration complete,” the digitized voice intoned.

  The humming noise was replaced by a sucking sound as the cryogas was evacuated from the capsule. The thick gas was gone within seconds and they could see a physically fit male lying inside. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, was about two meters tall and had the physique of an Olympic athlete.

  Dozens of tubes were inserted into various parts of his body and he had electrodes attached to his head, chest and along his spinal column. After the gas cleared, a robotic arm inside the capsule removed the tubes from the patient's mouth, arms and legs. Its job done, the arm disappeared into the bottom of the capsule. A second later a loud hissing sound signaled the release of the vacuum seal holding the lid in place—a robotic arm descended from the ceiling to remove it.

  “Go ahead and wake him up. Two CCs should do it,” Doctor Hao instructed.

  Doctor Walker selected the appropriate dose on her display, causing yet another robotic arm to emerge fro
m the side of the pod and inject the stimulant into the patient's neck.

  A few seconds later the patient's eyes fluttered but didn't open. His heart rate jumped up to sixty-two beats per minute, and he was breathing noticeably faster.

  Doctor Harris stepped closer to the pod.

  “What's wrong?” she asked.

  Doctor Hao looked at his display. “He's fine. Give him a minute. If he doesn't wake up, we will give him another CC of Adreneron.”

  Just then a spike appeared on the display showing a big increase in brain activity.

  “And here he comes now,” Doctor Berkovic said.

  The patient opened his eyes for a second but then quickly closed them again.

  “Ambient light only,” Doctor Harris ordered.

  The light diminished until it was the same soft blue glow as in the hallway.

  “There, that's better. Try again.”

  The patient slowly opened his eyes and scanned the room before locking his gaze on Doctor Harris.

  “Don't try to sit up yet,” she said as she took the patient's hand in hers. “Give yourself a few minutes to acclimate.”

  The man in the capsule blinked his eyes repeatedly as he tried to focus.

  “Lil...li...Lily?” he asked.

  Doctor Harris smiled as she put the man’s hand to her lips. “No Papa, it's Aubrey.”

  Aubrey Harris had been a little girl and had only learned to talk a year before Evan died and “Papa” had been the closest she could come to “grandfather.” A tear ran down her cheek and splashed on the back of his hand.

  “Doctor Feldman,” Doctor Hao leaned forward so the man in the capsule could see him. “I am Doctor Hao. It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you.”

  He pointed to the other two technicians. “This is Doctor Berkovic, and this is Doctor Walker. We will be doing your orientation.”

  Doctor Evan Feldman nodded at the three technicians and turned back to his granddaughter.

  “Aubrey,” he said, his voice was still raspy from the breathing tube, “you are all grown up. It's so good to see you.” He squeezed her hand. “Where is your mother?”

  “I know you have a lot of questions, Papa but I need you to focus on your orientation for the time being. I promise I will answer every question but it will be better if you complete the orientation first. Once Doctor Hao gives the okay, I will come visit you again...probably in time for dinner tonight if you follow all of his instructions and don't give him any trouble. Can you do that for me?”

  Although he was eager to discover where Lily was—to discover where he was for that matter—the strong pounding sensation in his head and the extreme dizziness he was experiencing convinced him he should heed her advice.

  “Alright, Princess.” He had called her that since the day she was born. “I will be on my best behavior and do as the good doctor asks.”

  A big smile crept across Aubrey’s face.

  “Can you give your Papa a hug?” Evan asked. “I’ve really missed you.”

  Aubrey leaned forward and gave her grandfather a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “I've missed you too, Papa.” She wiped another tear from her cheek as she stood. “You are in excellent hands. Take your time and trust Doctor Hao and his team and you will be up and around in no time...I promise.”

  She reached down and squeezed his hand one more time. “I have to leave now but I will come back and check on your progress in a couple of hours, okay?”

  “Please do,” he said.

  “And don't worry about the headache. It shouldn't last long and they can give you something for the pain if it’s too distracting. That poor brain of yours just absorbed a lifetime of information in less than a day so it’s feeling a little overworked at the moment but it will pass.”

  She gave him another kiss on the cheek before turning to leave.

  “Please call me once you've completed phase one,” she whispered to Doctor Hao on her way out.

  Aubrey looked back at her grandfather one last time. The technicians had him sitting up and were helping him put on a white gown.

  God, I hope we’re doing the right thing, she thought.

  The door hissed open, and she walked down the long hallway back to her elevator.

  CHAPTER 4

  APRIL 3, 2075 2:43 PM GST

  Telogene World Headquarters

  Lead, South Dakota

  Phase one of the orientation was designed to help Evan acclimate to his new body. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, jump rope and an hour on a treadmill to get started; followed by mental acuity tests and then a two-hour long video that summarized the key events of the last fifty-odd years.

  First there was the global financial crisis of 2025, followed just a few years later by World War III. The battle for control of the Middle East started in 2027 when a Syrian dissident assassinated the Israeli Prime Minister. Israel responded by invading Syria and things spiraled quickly out of control from there, with the United States, Russia and China all deploying troops to defend their respective allies in the region.

  The war finally ended in August 2032 after China used a low yield nuclear weapon on the battlefield, causing Russia to ally with the U.S. in protest. The combined might of the U.S, and Russian militaries and the threat of the conflict turning into a global nuclear war, was enough to convince China to withdraw from the region. In the negotiated peace that followed, the Allies gave Israel the Syrian territory south of Damascus the Israelis had captured at the start of the war.

  The much-debated global climate change phenomena of the late 90s and early 2000s became undeniable as lush jungles became desert wastelands, great deserts transformed into grassy plains and once snowy tundra turned to swampy marshland. The Northern ice sheets shrank by 70 percent and over 4800 kilometers of ice-free coastline appeared in Antarctica.

  At the same time there had been a big increase in the frequency and force of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. All of which caused massive migrations of people and animals from the most beleaguered areas to more habitable lands. Even still, the planet experienced a mass extinction of plants and wildlife equivalent to the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago—the same one that ended the dinosaurs.

  And then there was the decades-long global drought and famine that resulted in the deaths of more than a billion people due to starvation and disease. India was hardest hit with over seven hundred million dead but China, Indonesia and Africa also suffered significant reductions in their population. Even more might have died had it not been for Telogene and the billions of dollars’ worth of drought resistant crop seed it donated to affected countries.

  Not all the news was bad though. Several private corporations from around the world (including Telogene) had partnered to establish permanent colonies on the Moon (now called “Luna”) and Mars in the mid-2030s. A world government was formed in 2042 with Zurich, Switzerland serving as the capitol for the Global Federation of Nations (GFN), and Telogene Life Sciences had become the world's first multi-trillion dollar corporation (followed not long after by two other companies, one that operated the space colonies and one that owned the mining rights to some of the richest asteroids in the asteroid belt).

  Evan was fascinated by what he learned and wanted more detail than what was in the video but Doctor Hao explained that he would have to wait. He would be given full access to the company's information archive and GeoNet (the successor to the Internet) once he completed orientation but for now, he needed to learn more about himself and the new body he inhabited.

  As shocking as some world events had been, the biggest shock of all came when they finally let him see himself. He had noticed that his body was far more muscular and physically fit than ever but he hadn't given it much thought. He knew they had given him a new body, they had told him that much, and it only made sense to make it young and healthy. What he hadn't considered though was that he was inhabiting someone else's body!

  Rather than loo
king like a younger version of himself, or at least how he remembered himself, he looked like some devilishly handsome actor from one of those action films he used to enjoy. He still had the same brown hair and hazel eyes he remembered but his jaw was more pronounced and he no longer had an overbite. Even still, there was something vaguely familiar about his face but he couldn’t come up with any reason that might be.

  It was disconcerting to see another person staring back at him and, to make matters worse, Doctor Hao refused to explain why Evan wasn't in his own body. The doctor said that Aubrey would explain everything and had asked for his continued patience. Then he had excused himself to call Aubrey.

  Aubrey was at her desk reviewing the lung enhancement protocol when the image of Evelyn Wu, her executive assistant, popped up in the corner of her display.

  “I am sorry to interrupt, Doctor Harris but Doctor Hao is calling,” she said,

  “Please put him through.”

  Evelyn's face was replaced with Doctor Hao's.

  “You asked me to call when we finished phase one,” he said.

  “Yes, thank you. How is he doing?”

  “So far so good. His headache has subsided and there were no problems on any of the body system tests, and he took the world events video in stride. His biggest problem seems to be his appearance…or, more specifically, his face. I told him you would explain it when you come down.”

  “Please tell him I will be down in a few minutes. Any flashbacks or recall issues yet?”

  “No, and he doesn't appear to be experiencing any dislocation or spontaneous hallucination.”

  “Well, that is good news. I'll be right there.”

  “Okay, see you in a few.”

  Doctor Hao's face faded from the display as the call ended and Aubrey got up from her desk and headed for her private elevator.

  The news from Doctor Hao was very encouraging, but they weren't out of danger just yet. One challenge with full body replacements was that a person's brain contains deeply ingrained memories of their original body—not just how it looked but how it worked. These memories form from physical and chemical changes that occur in the brain throughout a person's lifetime. With every new experience, thousands of new connections are created between the over one hundred billion neurons that make up the average human brain.