Chapter 9 - Implantation
"Mark, I'm very impressed with your specifications," praised Dr. Monroe. "This is first-class work. Kyle's software will easily produce the code required."
"Thank you, Dr. Monroe. Actually, I gave the specification to Kyle two days ago. He's produced the code and we are now performing simulations," responded Mark somewhat boastfully. "Karen Vaish is working on the final revision of the controller chip. She's also supplied me with the necessary interface circuits. They're similar to those she produced for Kyle, only smaller and simpler. Thanks to Josh's help, I'm ready to implant a roach." Dr. Monroe hadn't expected much from Mark and was astounded by his progress. Nevertheless, he always found Mark irritating. He didn't seem like a whiz kid, but somehow he was producing at an astonishing rate.
Mark and Dr. Waters connected controllers to a species of very large cockroaches. They were creepy looking but much easier to work on than smaller insects. Within weeks, they had the cockroaches performing the surgeries themselves under control of a small super computer similar to the one hosting Annette. They had manufactured tiny little tools adapted to the roach's front legs, which the roaches used to perform the surgeries and make all necessary connections. They even controlled one group to form a colony similar to an ant colony. Every day Mark had something new to boast about. "Today our roaches wired up a dragon fly," bragged Mark out of the side of his mouth in his irritating way. "Tomorrow we will have flies wiring up other dragon flies. The roaches are constructing the tools right now. The little buggers work like ants under our control." Dr. Waters, on the other hand, said little but worked almost non-stop. He seemed like a man on a mission. Even Dr. Monroe had to admit being impressed with the quantity and quality of the work that Dr. Waters turned out.
Dr. Waters had fully involved himself in the work project and had even rolled up his sleeves and helped with dissections for both Kyle and Mark. Nevertheless, Kyle, Josh and Dr. Monroe were totally caught off guard when Dr. Waters announced that he wanted to assist Dr. Monroe in performing the implant surgery on Kyle. Dr. Monroe didn't like it, but Kyle had no problem with it. The date was set to perform the surgery, February 16. Kyle checked into the hospital the night before for some routine lab work. The next morning his head was shaved and he was wheeled into the operating room. Dr. Monroe and Dr. Waters were dressed and ready to go, along with a nurse and the anesthesiologist.
“So Kyle, is this your first surgery requiring anesthesia?” asked the anesthesiologist.
“No. I had an appendectomy several years ago.”
“Then you know the routine. I will inject a medication into your IV line and your will count backwards from ten. The next thing you know you will be in the recovery room.” Kyle didn’t get past six before he lost consciousness. When all was ready, Doctor Monroe made an incision above Kyle's left ear and pealed back the scalp to expose the skull. A specialist in brain surgery joined the group to perform the risky parts of the operation that were not unique to this procedure.
“You may proceed with boring, Doctor Abraham”, instructed Dr. Monroe. He bored a slot 2 centimeters wide and 0.8 centimeter high in the skull through which the circuitry would pass. After the nurse cleaned up all of the debris, she turned to Doctor Monroe.
“You may proceed with the insertion, Doctor.” Keren had added a new feature to the "snake" chips. Near the edges were several much larger "snakes" whose purpose was to secure the processor chip to the surrounding tissues. The extra grip provided stability so the chip would not move around when the head was accelerated due to blows to the head or other jolting activity. Doctor Monroe inserted a "snake" chip and delicately maneuvered it to a position under the left audio nerve bundle. He placed a second “snake” chip next to the nerves associated with speech. Thin cables connected to the “snake” chips were left protruding out of the bored hole. Dr. Monroe then connected the processor module to the two cables. He also connected a small coil unit to the processor that would make an electromagnetic connection with the microphone unit. He very carefully passed the connected assembly into the cranial cavity. The most tedious part of the surgery was suturing the coil unit in place so that it was as close to the microphone unit as possible. He also sutured the processor unit to non-nervous system tissue to hold it stationary.
“You may proceed with the checkout, Dr. Waters.” Dr. Waters entered a command on a laptop computer. The command started a program that communicated over Bluetooth with the processor chip to initiate a diagnostic program that verified the connections.
“The connections have all been verified, Doctor Monroe. Starting snake chips now.” Dr. Waters entered another command on the keyboard. Each of the snake chips began extending their larger snakes to secure them to surrounding tissue. Once the chips were secured, the process of connecting to each axon began.
The microphone had been placed in the ear before the surgery began. It didn't connect directly to the processor. It had a magnetic link that not only communicated with the processor through the coil unit but also supplied it with power. The processor package had a super capacitor that acted as a battery. It was only capable of sustaining operations for an hour. The microphone unit, which had a much higher capacity battery, was designed to be easily replaced with a spare when its battery was in need of recharging.
The operation was interrupted when the door opened. The nurse that entered announced, “Dr. Monroe, you have an emergency call from the police.”
"I can finish up here, Carlton. There's little left to do here. I just need to close." Reluctantly, Dr. Monroe left to answer the call. Dr. Abraham and the anesthesiologist had already left to check on other patients.
"Dr. Monroe, this is Sheriff Morris of the Madera, California, County Sheriff's Office. I regret to inform you that your parents have been seriously injured in an automobile accident on Highway 99. I think you should come at once to the Madera General Hospital."
"I'll be there as fast as possible." Dr. Monroe quickly changed and left.
Back at the operation, Dr. Waters looked at the table covered with instruments and supplies. "Nurse, I don't see the closure suture kit on the table. Please go get one, immediately." A heavier type of suture thread than that used earlier was required to close the exterior incision.
"But doctor, I'm sure that there was one when we started."
"Well, it isn't here now. Please get one, now." The nurse left in pursuit of a suture kit. She found that the cupboard that normally contained them was empty. She called the emergency room and requested that one be brought since she could not walk through the hospital in her scrubs. It was 20 minutes before she returned to the operating room with the kit.
"What on earth takes so long to get a simple suture kit," chided Dr. Waters.
"I'm sorry there were …."
"Never mind," barked Dr. Waters. "Let's close this boy up before he comes to, shall we." Dr. Waters then skillfully stitched up Kyle's scalp.
Kyle began to regain consciousness about thirty minutes following the surgery. As is typical coming out of general anesthesia, Kyle's mind became alert before he was able to move a major voluntary muscle. He could hear background sounds such as doors opening and closing and people talking at a distance. It was even harder than normal for him to concentrate on a single voice. He wondered if the implant was working at all. Slowly he realized that he was hearing from his left side. It seemed very natural, just like from his right side, except that the volume seemed too low. With help from Sharon, who did her Ph.D. dissertation on a system of speeding up algorithms based on prediction, Kyle was able to improve the algorithm for positioning the "snakes" around the axons. With the new algorithm, the connection process was 99.4 percent complete after one hour.
He tried to speak, but nothing came out since he was still experiencing near total paralysis. Then he decided to try to communicate with the implant. He attempted to say, "Implant, status." No sound left his lips, but the commands were sent from his brain.
From his l
eft side he heard a pleasant female voice say, "All circuits fully functional. Battery at 98 percent of full charge." Actually, no sound had been made. Because the computer had simulated sound to the nerves coming from his left ear, it seemed like a young woman had whispered in his left ear. Kyle wanted to shout for joy.
"Implant, increase volume by 90 percent."
Acknowledged. Volume increased by 90 percent. Kyle listened for a few seconds.
"Implant, increase volume by 2 percent."
Acknowledged. Volume increased by 2 percent. Kyle listened again. The ears seemed balanced.
"Implant, record current volume setting as standard."
Acknowledged. Current volume setting recorded as standard. Kyle could hear at a distance a young woman speaking. It seemed that she was speaking about him.
"Implant, increase volume by 200 percent, period." The "period" instructed the computer to carry out the command without an acknowledgment. Now he could hear more clearly. The speaker was expressing a romantic interest in Kyle. This device could have come in very handy in the pre-Sharon days of his life. Kyle began to regain some muscle control. He realized that he had been breathing through his mouth and it was very dry. He tried to ask for water. The young women who had been speaking came to his side. She was an attractive young nurse.
"CAN I HELP YOU?" boomed her words. Kyle had not turned down the volume.
"Water, please", Kyle managed to squeeze out from his mouth.
"I CAN'T GIVE YOU WATER; YOU MIGHT CHOKE ON IT. I CAN GIVE YOU SOME ICE CHIPS IF YOU LIKE." Kyle nodded yes. While the nurse was gone, he returned the volume to the recorded standard level. By the time the nurse returned, Kyle had managed to turn his body enough that he could drink if given the opportunity. "Here you go. Aren't you the student who just had a brain implant?"
"Yes, I'm Kyle James," answered Kyle in a hoarse whisper.
"Is the implant working?" asked the nurse.
"Perfectly."
"Did I hear you say it's working?" interrupted Dr. Waters who had just arrived.
"Yes. I can hear fine. I just can't talk very well yet," uttered Kyle in a voice that came out barely above a whisper.
"Let's let the anesthesia wear off and then we can talk," softly suggested Dr. Waters. Dr. Waters turned to leave.
"Wait," whispered Kyle. "Where is Dr. Monroe?"
"He had some sort of emergency call. I don't know where he went." Dr. Waters decided to stay with Kyle while the effects of the anesthesia wore off. "I'll wait with you. You don't need to talk. We'll keep you in the hospital overnight to keep an eye on you to be sure there are no complications. It's standard procedure after cranial surgery. You're a brilliant young man, Kyle. I suppose you'll be finishing up your degree soon and moving on. I'd like to persuade you to stick around, if I can. Have you considered becoming a professor? There will be an opening in the department soon. I'd love to hire you, if we can get past the 'diversity police'. It's really hard to hire a white male. It was good for me that my mother was half Native American or I would have never made it, myself. Do you have any mixed blood in you?"
"My mother was English/German. I know nothing of my father," Kyle spoke with greater ease than he could just a few minutes before.
"Is there any way of proving your heritage?"
"None that I know of."
"With your permission I'd like to perform genetic testing. I would need a sample of your blood. Would that be all right?"
"I don't see any harm in it," answered Kyle. Kyle had been suspicious of Dr. Waters since Sharon’s warning at the restaurant, but it was hard not to like him. Dr. Waters was always so complimentary and nice to him.
"Tell me now how the implant is working?" asked Dr. Waters.
"I had to have the computer increase the volume ninety-two percent, but the system appears to be functional. I haven't tried the transmitters. What is the number of your cell phone?"
"Two zero nine, six nine four, zero nine three three."
"Implant, record number just given under heading Doctor Waters and dial it," whispered Kyle, speaking to the computer. He decided he'd try to find another way to communicate with the computer. There would be plenty of time while laying in bed to work on that task.
Acknowledged. Two zero nine, six nine four, zero nine three three recorded under heading 'Doctor Waters'. Dialing two zero nine, six nine four, zero nine three three. Ring ... ring ....
"Hello, this is Doctor Waters. To whom am I speaking?" answered Dr. Waters as he walked down a hall to distance himself from Kyle.
"This is Kyle. Can you hear me?"
"Perfectly. I thought you were joking when you said you should build in a cell phone. What else can you show me?"
"I need you to return to my room for the next demonstration. Watch this. Implant, turn on RCA television set and select channel 5." Kyle turned his head so as to point his ear at the TV.
Question. Is the model pre 1989 or post 1989?
"Post 1989."
Acknowledged. Signal to turn on RCA television set, given. Signal to select channel 5, given. The TV snapped on, tuned to an ancient episode of "M*A*S*H".
"I can't believe they're still showing those things," remarked Dr. Waters as he entered the room. Kyle "heard" the phone hang up.
"Can it do anything else?"
"Implant, select channel 8 on RCA television set and transmit to television channel 8 your resource usage, period." The TV showed static for a moment and then a printout of numbers with headings indicating usage of both volatile and non-volatile memory, battery power remaining, and other information. "Just a minute, I have a call coming in. Implant, answer cell phone, period. Hello, this is Kyle."
"Congratulations. This is Nate. I hear you loud and clear, better than a normal cell phone. There's no background noise. Your software to convert nerve impulses back into sound works near perfectly. You sound very natural."
"Thank you, I worked hard on that part." Kyle turned to face Dr. Waters. "It's Nate. He called to see if things were working and congratulate me if they were." To those surrounding Kyle, it had sounded like he was having a conversation with himself, like when someone is using a Bluetooth earpiece. They couldn't hear Nate, at all. The system didn't contain a speaker, just a neural transmitting device. When on the cell phone the computer automatically muted the nerve impulses generated from the signal coming from the microphone in his left ear but retained an internal digital copy, which could be played back later. Kyle would never again have to worry about trying to hold a wireless telephone conversation in a noisy environment. The nurse decided it was time to take Kyle's vital signs, so Kyle terminated his conversation with Nate and Dr. Waters left.
Nate, Josh and Kyle had planned to go public with the corporation if the implant was a success. They could all be multimillionaires by the end of the week. Kyle could "hear" the cell phone ringing. Incoming call. It will automatically answer after five rings unless you cancel. Kyle waited for the computer to automatically make the connection.
"Hello, this is Kyle."
"Kyle, turn to channel 2," requested Dr. Waters. "We're having a news conference." Channel 2 showed Nate and Dr. Waters on the phone in front of a number of reporters. Dr. Waters was holding up an implant just like the one in Kyle's head. Their conversation was being retransmitted by the television station and played on the TV in Kyle’s room. A cameraman walked into Kyle's room and Kyle could see himself on TV. It was not a flattering picture, he thought. He didn't look good bald, especially with the side of his head bandaged. At least Sharon wasn't there to see him. Kyle felt bad that Dr. Monroe was missing out on all of the publicity. Dr. Monroe had never sought much recognition, probably to the detriment of his career. He still hadn't gone public with his sentient artificial intelligence breakthrough. Kyle wondered what emergency could have taken Dr. Monroe away at such an important time. The news conference was a huge success and portions of the program were rebroadcast on national news programs. Dr. Waters was a master of publicity. Busine
ss-wise it was probably to their advantage that Dr. Waters rather than Dr. Monroe handled the press release. Kyle, still suspicious of Dr. Waters, looked to see if he took undo credit to himself. To his surprise, Dr. Waters claimed no credit at all and mentioned several times the contributions of Dr. Monroe, whom he said performed nearly the entire surgery. He described his part as merely "cleaning up" after the device had been installed by Dr. Monroe.
After the news conference, Kyle was lowered into a wheel chair and wheeled to his room. Shortly after being helped into his bed there was a knock at the door. "Come in," invited Kyle. Sharon entered. Although they had spent hundreds of hours together since their first date, Kyle still felt a flush of excitement every time Sharon entered the room. She was everything he had dreamed of in a woman: beautiful, intelligent, humorous, and best of all, intensely devoted and loyal. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers and a bag full of treats.
"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner. I was swamped with students with questions after my last class. How did everything go?"
"Unbelievably well. I thought engineering projects only worked right the first time in the movies. If we go public at the end of the week I should be able to buy you a diamond worthy of your beauty."
"All I need is you, Kyle. I want to wear your ring, any ring. Even more so, I want you to wear my ring. Once wealth is added to all of your other fine qualities you'll have to beat the women off with a stick."
"I think the hair, or should I say lack of it, will keep most of them at bay. Besides, what woman could ever compare to you, Professor Saxton?"
"That's assistant professor but thanks."
The Computer Who Loved Me Page 7
