Unleashed

by Patrick McLaughlin

  Chapter 23

  Shawn hunched over rapidly striking his keyboard, modifying and shifting hundreds of photos he had taken of Drake with the Sentient, including those from the big wave attempt two days ago. All five of his monitors were lit up, each serving as a step in the process. The main screen directly before him displayed the master file and it was thus far comprised of over eleven hundred and sixty seven images. He feverishly worked away and clicked open a new folder with images he had yet to include, as music from his speakers filled his studio.

  I got my ticket for the long way 'round.

  Two bottle whiskey for the way.

  And I sure would like some sweet company.

  And I'm leaving tomorrow, what-do-ya say?

  He stopped for a moment and studied one image intently, something about Drake’s expression, and then he dropped it in between two other pictures. On the far screen were photographs of Drake used in the first hologram. Shawn instinctively new he would have to use other moments in Drake’s life to fill in the data, whatever that meant, he thought. Shawn had picked up a more powerful processor for his computer, along with two portable construction generators, which he looped together. Now his total power output exceeded Ben’s from last week.

  It had been two days since Drake’s memorial and since then he worked at his desk, not even stopping to eat. Although he wished Sally had come up for a day, he was glad he was able to get right to work on Drake’s tribute. He checked one more image, layered it in, checked the compatibility variable (“Resolution Level @ 53 %”), and slapped it into place.

  The first few hundred layers were painstakingly slow, but he was now progressing nicely. If I keep going at this rate, I’ll hit the switch by late tonight, he thought confidently. But it was daybreak the next morning when stopped, sat back and ran through the layers, checking final color spectrum readouts, and nodding to himself. “Okay, ready.”

  The song hadn’t changed; it had repeated for hours, days. As Shawn leaned in to connect the computer to the hologram projector, the Cups (When I’m Gone) song now sang out:

  When I'm gone, when I'm gone

  You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

  You're gonna miss me by my walk

  You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh

  You're gonna miss me when I'm gone.

  Two days ago, Shawn didn’t begin right way. He had spent the first four hours wondering why he was able to create the live Drake in his holograms. He intently studied an array of photographs spread across the screens and gave thought to the reason why his image file compilations sparked life in Drake. Ben was super intelligent so what was he missing? Sure, Gretchen the grizzly moved, but that technology was developed long ago (he remembered the first Michael Jackson “virtual” music video). No, Drake was alive, communicating from inside the hologram. What was the difference?

  Then it hit him like a thunderbolt. How could he have missed it?

  The eyes, it was the eyes, or more specifically, how they looked in only certain images. His clue was from the quote “the eyes are the window to the soul” which made him realize the Sentient might be capturing photographs from the reflection of Drake’s soul and his inner consciousness.

  Shawn did some research online and found there is a medical basis and some scientists similarly believe that the part of the brain in which self-awareness is thought to arise, called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, happens to be located behind the eyes. It is possible we feel as if we are physically located near our eyes, because our identity emerges in the neurons there. He even found a reference citing researchers who have concluded where thoughts are composed of billions of patterned electrical impulses in our brain, our consciousness is far different. They theorize our soul, or consciousness, is a neural net cast over our brain. Like a camera, the individual parts of the brain distinguish features of an object it encounters. The parts do not care if the information has any bearing on or is related to other features being observed, but our consciousness, which permeates the brain, links all this information together. This is ultimately what gives rise to our ability to reason, and to feel emotions via a cause and effect umbrella of consideration.

  Shawn finally understood: the Sentient was not only able to recognize the quantum level of our particle makeup, it also had the ability to see into our eyes and capture our consciousness, possibly even memories — something scientists had been yet unable to do. If he was right, this was going to work!

  Recalling the sonic impact at Ben’s lab, Shawn moved everything off the tables and countertops and used rooftop surfboard straps to tie down his computers and monitors. The platform was behind the monitors and he only hoped the screens would hold and not shatter. Ben had suggested if he ever attempted this again, to ramp up the power just before the hologram “solidified” which could give it a powerful push into existence, rather than drag it over the hump it had to pass before completion.

  Well, he hoped he was right because with the added energy and the new focus on the eyes, this try might knock down the walls to his home.

  Shawn flipped the switch to turn on the new hologram projector, punched up the master composite file (now comprised of over three thousand images on his primary display) and made sure the projectors were properly aligned.

  At once, an array of light sparkled into life. Particles and energy swirled above the platform and slowly resolved into the first stage of a 3D representation. It was already translucent, yet fully dimensional — a virtual realization of Drake’s image on the monitor. As it developed, Drake was becoming so lifelike Shawn expected him to leap from his board and plop down onto the sofa next to him. At ninety-seven percent, the hologram easily surpassed anything he or Ben had succeeded in creating thus far. Holding his breath, Shawn kicked in his third backup generator, allowing the abundance of power to flow. When it arced, rather than an explosion, a silent, bright flash of light radiated outwards from Drake’s likeness, totally blinding Shawn. It was like someone set hundreds of strobes off at once.

  “Holy shit, it’s unreal and damn, I can’t see!”

  Shawn sat with his eyes closed, blinking and rubbing until his vision started to return. But before he could see, a faint voice called out to him, “Brah, where the fuck am I?”

  Forgetting for a moment all that had occurred, including Drake’s death, Shawn responded, “You’re right here Drake. What’s up?”

  And then it hit him! He blinked past the blindness and was slowly able to make out Drake, who was looking right at Shawn.

  “Yo, Dude, if this is some kind of fucking joke, it’s not funny anymore. Get me out of here!” Drake insisted.

  “Drake, can you hear me? Holy shit, you can see me too?” Shawn erupted.

  Drake didn’t respond this time, he just looked at Shawn, speechless and then terrified when he figured out there are some things in his life which are pretty jacked up; he is not where he should be. After a minute, Drake said, “Dude, get me the fuck out of here!” and a tear ran down his cheek.

  Shawn looked at his friend as a final lyric plays in the background: You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone….