Connexion : The Atlantis Project, Book.1

by LEMPEREUR

  “What do you mean?” asked Charlie.

  “I mean that the probability of finding Siamese twin brothers with the ability to communicate telepathically, which began at the very moment when Victor’s brain activity showed an unusual increase, is close to zero. All this becomes even more troubling when you consider that these elements came together at the very same moment as a mysterious explosion whose cause is still unknown, but which could very well be at the origin of a signal sent to Victor.”

  11 FURTHER EXPLANATIONS

  At one o’clock on the dot the explanations began again in the small room adjoining the dome where Victor lay. Giuseppe had launched into a long description of the experimental procedure to be put in place for connecting Charlie and Victor. He wasn’t actually saying anything different than what Mario had already told them, but he went into more detail and explained the technical aspects more fully. Jacques noticed that Giuseppe did not seem to be hiding anything that could be disturbing, including the fate of the previous volunteers. He even went into some detail about what had happened to each of them. It certainly was not a happy story, but in the end they had all pulled without any irreversible damage. At least, that was what Giuseppe maintained, and Jacques now allowed himself to be convinced by the elderly man, who seemed more like a mad scientist than a dangerous manipulator. Giuseppe was so passionate that he even made the project seem fascinating to the twins. They felt quite exhilarated at the prospect of becoming heroes in an extraordinary scientific adventure which had the potential to change the face of the world.

  Then Giuseppe, noticing that his audience was showing increasing interest, decided to move on to the visual phase of his presentation of the procedure. He knew that some of the technical details could be problematic and that was what he was coming to.

  “As you can see in this video, it is necessary to temporarily remove the upper part of the cranium, in order to ensure a direct neuronal connection. The pictures can be a little shocking when you’re not used to this sort of procedure, but it is actually a routine operation.”

  “Routine?!” Charlie snapped vehemently. “You’re telling me you’re going to open my skull, but I shouldn’t be worried because your team is quite experienced? You’ve got to be kidding!”

  Jacques answered him internally, but a sarcastic smile crept over his face.

  “Don’t worry. The man says you won’t feel a thing. Trust him. Clementine will be proud of you, and it’ll be an opportunity for me to become better acquainted with your anatomy!”

  Charlie turned and glared at him, while Francisco took his turn to take up the explanations, thinking that perhaps Charlie’s resistance would melt under a shower of increasingly technical, additional information.

  “The bio-cybernetic lab team has been working for seven and a half years on this project. Our technicians underwent a lot of training before connecting a human brain. They started with frogs, then rats, then they moved onto pigs, monkeys and finally, you. In the beginning we suffered some loss of test animals, which showed signs of intense pain, but now that problem has been eliminated. The instruments used for cutting the cranial calotte have also been greatly improved, you know. The circular saw has been replaced, thankfully, by high precision laser cutting. The calotte is then removed and placed in a fluid which ensures perfect preservation of the bone and epidermal tissues. This technique ensures optimal healing and limits the risk of brain damage.”

  Jacques smiled and said rather sarcastically to Francisco, “Well, I must say, you really know how to choose the right words to reassure my brother. I’m sure he can’t see any reason against trying the experiment now! Can you, Charlie?”

  Francisco then attempted a rather shaky justification.

  “Well, it’s just that for me, when things are explained more clearly, I find them easier to accept. I don’t like not knowing what I’m committing myself to. You understand? So I thought it would be the same for Charlie.”

  “Thank you, Francisco,” said Charlie very gently and kindly. “Don’t pay too much attention to my brother’s remarks. He’s sometimes a bit of a tease. As for me, I think I’ll eventually get used to the idea of this operation. You seem to know what you’re talking about and even if you gave me the best medical demonstration in the world, I wouldn’t understand a thing. I don’t know anything about the subject. It has never really interested me, actually, unlike Jacques, who has always been a lot more down-to-earth. A long time ago I decided to live in the world of ideas and not concern myself overly with the purely material aspects of life. It doesn’t prevent me from fearing death from time to time or behaving like a real coward, but when I do, I always end up telling myself that if these things happen, they were meant to happen. There’s no point in fighting them. It’s far better to watch them unfolding and try to learn as much from them as possible. A contemplative and somewhat fatalistic mentality like this entails a healthy detachment which can sometimes save your life when the conditions become psychologically unbearable. Human beings are unique in that they can detach themselves, at least mentally, from reality’s grip and take refuge in a purely intellectual world. They can therefore escape temporarily from a force that threatens to destroy their identity. I’m sure you understand me, right, Francisco? In my humble opinion, that is one of the main themes in the book by Stefan Zweig that you seem to enjoy so much.”

  But Francisco did not answer. Without looking up, he carefully pushed the book deeper into his pocket.

  Charlie turned to Giuseppe and said solemnly, “Giuseppe, there’s no point in explaining any further. Simply tell me what is necessary for the smooth running of the mission you’ve entrusted to me. The rest is not important. I’m ready, and just like you, I have faith in Francisco. He wouldn’t lie, I know it! I don’t think he could, even if he wanted to.”

  12 MAKING CONTACT

  For the first time, Jacques and Charlie were standing in front of the huge body. The thick, grayish skin which covered it revealed the contours of an impressive muscle structure, enlivened at times by barely perceptible twitches. Despite his enormity, Victor seemed human. Every detail of his anatomy was similar to ours, down to his feet, each with five, perfectly aligned toes with translucent nails. Standing there, before this body at once so totally foreign and yet so familiar, was a disturbing experience. Charlie would have liked to stretch out a hand and touch the strange skin, but the thought made him so apprehensive that he was quickly dissuaded from the idea. Victor was neither fat nor thin; his rounded torso and massive shoulders testified to undoubtedly colossal physical strength.

  Charlie would soon be united with this being, whose identity and history were completely unknown. The human likeness reassured him. He felt closer to him, and even managed at times to identify with him. Letting his imagination meander, he even managed to project himself into what he supposed were Victor’s thoughts. He was probably feeling alone, cut off from his own. Perhaps he too, would never see his wife, family or friends again. After thousands of years spent on an uncomfortable, ice-cold, metal platform, they must all be dead by now; unless they too, were in hibernation somewhere. Perhaps Victor would notice Charlie’s intrusion into his dreams. What would happen then? After the initial surprise, would he be glad of a little company, albeit of a different sort?

  “So, how do you like your new friend?” asked Jacques.

  Jacques had never been comfortable with moments that seemed too solemn. He always felt the need to lighten the mood, to Charlie’s great regret. So many times, he had been arrested in full flight while was savoring a special moment, or a personal victory. Still, it did not really matter. Over the years he had learned not to let it bother him. Soon he would be alone in Victor’s dream.

  “I’ll be keeping my eye on you two! Try not to forget me when you’re in there. That little voice you’ll be hearing will be mine. You know – the one that’s always reminding you to keep your feet on the ground. Pay attention to it!”

  “I can always count on you
for that. You try and take the time to listen to Francisco’s instructions and be sure you aren’t tactless with him, like you are all too often with me. He may be autistic, but our lives will soon be in his hands. Just stick to what he asks you to do, no matter what you think!”

  “Don’t worry; I can be serious when I need to be. But you, my brother, will be in a rather less comfortable situation than me during this business. When you’re lost in limbo, maybe even I won’t be capable of doing anything to pull you out of there. In that case, you’ll have to search deep inside of yourself to remember that you’re not just one person, but two. We are inseparable, and I’ll be here beside you, whatever happens.”

  “You’ll be able to talk to me, but what about the other way around? How will you know what I’m going through and how I’m feeling, once I’m in there?”

  “I don’t know yet. Maybe I won’t be able to, but I guess, since our bodies are joined, that I’ll definitely feel something. It’s already the case when you get anxious. I’ve never told you before, but when that happens, I feel your anxiety even before you’re aware of it. There’s no reason why that should change. Trust me.”

  “It will be a bit like when we were children. I would have bad dreams and often you would wake me up before the end of the nightmare. I would hear your voice then you would appear in my dream for a moment, just before I’d wake up and realize you really were there.”

  “That’s right! I’d forgotten all about that. You’re right; it’s probably going to be something like that. Unfortunately, it will be a lot more complicated than that, though, because you won’t be able to get out of your artificial sleep that easily.”

  Mario came up behind them. He had overheard much of their conversation.

  “Victor will be there, too. You will need to take him into account.”

  “Oh, you’re here, Mario! You overheard our little chat?”

  “Some of it. I’m glad to see that you already have quite a realistic idea of what awaits you. However, there are some practicalities that you are not yet aware of, which Francisco is planning to explain to you today.”

  “What sort of practicalities?”

  Mario did not answer. He pretended not to hear, and turned to Francisco, who was tapping away on the screen of the small white console.

  “Giuseppe is not here this morning. He will be joining us later. Let’s go and see Francisco.”

  Near the console, very close to the white helmet which covered Victor’s head, stood a new object. It resembled a sort of chaise longue with a thick mattress covered in something like white leather. Its seat was wide, and its back separated into two very different parts. The right side, furthest from Victor, looked comfortable. It had a white pillow made of the same material as the mattress cover. The left-hand side, however, resembled an egg that had been split in half. It was obviously a helmet, identical to the one worn by Victor, but of human size. Its interior was also padded. A semi-circular metal join separated the upper part of the helmet, which did not contain any padding.

  “Hello Charlie,” said Francisco, without raising his eyes from the screen. “Hello Jacques. I’m just making some final adjustments before beginning the presentation.”

  “It’s quite intimidating being so close to Victor. He’s enormous,” said Charlie, anxious to share his feelings with Francisco.

  “Probably. You get used to it quickly, you’ll see.”

  There was a short silence while Francisco completed the final adjustments on the console. His extremely down-to-earth reaction did not exactly encourage Charlie to further the conversation.

  At last Francisco looked up from the console and asked the twins to come closer.

  “As you might have already guessed, this is where you will be stationed during the connection experiment with Victor. If all goes according to plan, it may be necessary for you to spend several weeks lying on this couch without moving. For this reason, our team utilized materials in its design that are especially adapted ergonomically to this type of situation. In any case, sensors will be installed to take continuous physiological readings, allowing our medical team to take all the necessary measures to ensure the operation runs smoothly. Jacques will be able to eat meals in the usual way, but Charlie will be fed through a gastric tube, as the stomach is not one of the organs you share. Of course you will have a urinary catheter.”

  “That sounds like a fun plan, doesn’t it, Charlie?”

  This time, Charlie decided to take things lightly, with a little humor.

  “Indeed it does! I wouldn’t like to be in your place. Something tells me the exquisite canteen fare would go down more easily through a tube than in the usual way.”

  Mario, who was standing a little further off with Clementine, also responded to Francisco, who had not understood Charlie’s little joke and was continuing his presentation mechanically.

  “Francisco? I don’t want to interrupt your program, but it seems to me that Charlie has a point. After all, mealtimes will be one of the only things that will add interest to Jacques’ day, giving him a little pleasure. His daily routine, if the experiment lasts as long as planned, could be psychologically and physically draining.”

  “That is true. You are right, Mario. I will tell the cook to prepare some special meals for Jacques.”

  “To be honest, I was thinking in more general terms. Actually, it seems to me that Clementine and I could make the experience less difficult for Jacques.”

  “How would you do that?”

  “Oh, well, nothing complicated; just by chatting with him and preparing some nice Italian dishes, for example.”

  “I don’t see any problem with that, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the program. However, for the Italian dishes, you will need to have the ingredients checked by the medical team beforehand. We must not allow the risk of food-poisoning to compromise the experiment.”

  Jacques looked at Mario and Clementine with a satisfied grin. Mario was definitely an exceptionally kind and thoughtful guy! His first impression was proving to be true.

  Charlie was getting a little jealous of Jacques, who would be on the receiving end of all Clementine’s attention while he was wrestling with the nightmares of an extra-terrestrial being, his skull cracked open like a mere egg shell. But what annoyed him even more, was knowing that Mario and Clementine would be spending a lot of time together while he was unable to keep an eye on them.

  He in turn made a joke. “I hope you’ll think about me. I’d appreciate gazpacho and any other tasty liquids you can squeeze through my gastric tube!”

  Clementine laughed heartily, looking affectionately at Charlie. Such tenderness felt like a dagger stabbing his heart. He suddenly remembered Jacques’ words during their disagreement at Mario’s birthday dinner. Maybe he was right. Clementine probably did not feel anything more for him than friendship, occasionally mixed with pity.

  “Okay then. The issue is resolved, isn’t it?” asked Francisco.

  “Couldn’t be better!” answered Jacques. “You can continue your explanations, Francisco.”

  Francisco, unperturbed, picked up his technical monologue just where he had left off, as if someone had pushed the “play” button.

  “There is one more delicate issue which will require a preliminary learning phase. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”

  Francisco paused briefly to pick up a small index card sitting on the edge of the console.

  “Although Charlie will be immersed in Victor’s thoughts to some extent; unlike Victor, he will not really be asleep. Indeed, it is necessary for him to remain partially conscious during this journey, otherwise he will not be able to memorize or recall a lot of the information gathered about Victor. Ironically, Charlie will nonetheless have to let himself go, without trying to control everything, if he wants to penetrate Victor’s mind and access his memories. So we’re not actually dealing with a true state of sleep or of wakefulness either. It is more like something close to a waking dream, except t
hat the subject is not letting himself be guided by his own dream, but by someone else’s. In other words, it’s a state that could be qualified as hypnotic, in which all awareness and attention are focused on Victor’s mental activity. Conscious control of the perceptive, cognitive and motor functions is therefore significantly reduced, although contact with reality is not completely lost.

  “His level of consciousness will fluctuate regularly. At times, contact with Charlie will no longer be possible then at other moments, he will return to a state close to that of wakefulness and will be able to communicate with us. Of course, he will not be completely awake and we mustn’t expect him to speak to us directly. He would actually be incapable of speaking, as speech is a motor activity, which requires the mobilization of numerous muscles and nerves; however Charlie will be paralyzed during the whole time he is connected.

  “He will be communicating with us via a neural probe implanted in the Broca area of his brain. This region of the cerebral cortex is responsible for producing spoken language. To keep it simple, let’s say that this neural probe is a sort of interface, capable of transcribing Charlie’s thoughts in the form of written text which will show up on the console screen. We will then be able to interpret his thoughts and respond through Jacques. I do mean ‘interpret his thoughts’ because they will probably be confused, even without accounting for transcription errors stemming from the neural probe itself. Although we are quite proficient in this technology, you mustn’t forget that research in the area of human-machine interface is still very recent. Tests on human guinea-pigs are still anecdotal.”

  Charlie was struggling to keep his mind focused on these explanations, which had become rather too complex for him. His eyes, like his thoughts, strayed toward Clementine, which Jacques noticed immediately. He spoke internally to his brother.