Chapter 27

CaldwellstaggeredintotheroomwithMs.SevenLevinfollowingclosebehind.Turbulence.Shepressedahiddenbuttonsomewherebelowthehandleofherredleatherattachécaseandthefoursidescollapsedtorevealacontraptionwithseveralsensorsandthosetinydevicesthatsatliterallymillimetersfromyourretina.Theynotsomuchasprojectedimages,asdirectlystimulatedyouropticnerves.Therewasalsoadevicethatlookslikeanoldlady’sshowercapbutitwashookeduptoathinfiberopticcablethatdisappearedintoonesideofthecontraption.Therewassomethingthatlookedlikeanopticaldiscthatsheloadedintothecontraptionanditstartedwhirringandspinning.Caldwelldidn’tlikethelookofanyofthis.

“Whatthehellisthat?”heaskednervously,beadsofsweatrollingdownthesideofhisfaceanddisappearingintohisshirtcollar.

“It’sthebitsofyourmemorybankthatyouaregoingtoneedforthismission.I’dsaythatdischoldsthetriggerstoabouttwenty-fivepercentofyourmemory,specificpartsofyourmemory.”Closeup,CaldwellnoticedahardtoughedgetoSeven’sattractiveface.Itwassomethinginthoseeyes,asthoughsomecoldandcalculatingarcticpredatorwaspatientlybidingitstimebehindthevacuousblueofheririses.

“SowhatexactlyamIgetting?”heasked,shudderingatthethoughtoftherawanimalinstincthehadglimpsedsittingpassivelyinthere,waitingtobeawakened.

“Youaregettingmemoryofthephysicalskillsyouusedtohavebefore.Ifyouusedtobeachampiontennisplayer,youwillbeabletotapintothatskillsetandpossiblywinagain.Isaypossiblybecauseitwilltakeawhiletore-alignyourbodywithwhatyourbrainsaysyouarecapableof.IunderstandyouwereablackbeltatsomethingandthatyouhadsomebasicshootingpracticeatTheSeminary.Youshouldbeabletogetthosebackwithsomeeffortonyourpart.Ofcourse,you’llfirsthavetobeephysicallyfit.Youlooklikeyouhaven’thitthetreadmillinawhile.”

“LikeIcanaffordit.Wereyoupartoftheoriginalprocedure?”Caldwellasked,hopingtopersuadehertogivehimeverythingback.

“I’mafraidIamnotatlibertytoanswerthatquestion.”Thosecoldeyesstudyinghim,vacantandemotionless.

“Please.Humorme.”

“Iamnotatlibertytoanswerthatquestion.IfyoukeepinsistingI’vebeeninstructedtohalttheprocedureanddestroythis.ThisistheonlydiscIhaveonboard,”shethreatened.Forawomanwithanamelikeshehad,shesurewasunflappable.

“OK,buttellmeonething.Howdoesthisthingwork?”heasked,changingthesubject.

“Prettysimplereally.Yourbrainstoresinformationinlittlepartments.Informationoncertainthingstendtobestoredinacertainareaofthebrainbutapartfromthisvaguesystemofcranialgeography,thewaytheinformationisstoredishaphazard,relyingonmemoryassociationtomaketheconnections.Soyoumighthaveachildhoodmemoryofridingyourfirstbikesittingnexttoyourmemoryofthesquarerootofsixtyfour.Whattheydidistheybuiltamapofyourmemory,segmenteditintocoresectorslikespeech,physical,mental,artisticskillsandextrapolatedthatoveratimelinefromwhenyouwereinyourmother’swombtoapproximatelysixyearsago.”

“Andyouleftspeechandblockedofftherest?Assigningeachoneatrigger?”

“YoulearnfastMr.Caldwell,”shesaidsmiling.Thenthesmilevanishedassherealizedthathehadtrickedherintoconfirmingthatshewasindeedthepersonwhohadcarriedouttheprocedure.“Theywereevenabletoisolatedifferentformsofspeech.TheyblockedoffallyourChinese.Theyhadto.”

“Why?”Caldwellasked,ignoringtheobviouscover-up.

“ItwouldhavebeenabitstrangeifyoufoundoutyoucouldspeakMandarinandCantonesefluentlyandreadafairamountbuthadnomemoryofit.”

“SoifIsawacharacter,sayinHongKong,whichwasatrigger,wouldIgetpartialmemoryrecall?”

“No.Thefont,sizeandcolorofthecharacterhavetobeaperfectmatch.Thetriggersalluseacustomfontwithcertainuniquefeaturesthatyoucouldn’tidentifyunlessyouwerelookingforthemspecifically.”

“SoafterHYDRA,howdidIenduphackingforaliving?Imean,whydidIchoosethesameprofessionandnotdeliverpizzaorsomething?”

“Thatwasjusthowyouarewired.Youhaveanaturalpropensityforputersandcode.Actually,yourcoreskills,theonesthatgotyouajobatHYDRA,werealllockedawaybutyourbasicpropensityforhacking,that’sallyou.Youwillgetthosecoreskillsbackinaboutanhour.Thestuffyou’vebeendoingthelastfewyearsparedtowhatyouhaveingislikeparingkindergartenhomeworkwithaPHDthesisinquantumphysics.”

“Itakeitthat’sthegoodnews.CanyouexplainthefrequentmigrainesIget?”

“Yes.That’syourbrain’snaturalimpulsetotrytoaccesstheblockedareas.Wehadtoassociatethoseactivitieswithpaintostopyoufromtryingtoaccessthosememorybanks.That’swhythepaingoesawayveryquickly.Itdisappearsassoonasyourbrainfocusesonmemoriesthatarelessthanafewyearsoldorhavenotbeenlocked.Themigraines,Iamafraidareheretostay,untilyougetpermanentmemoryrecoveryandyourbrainstartsrewiringitself.”Caldwellcouldswearhesawtheanimalretreatevenfurtherbehindhereyes.

“Wellthanksforexplainingthistome.Iknowyoudidn’thaveto,”hesaidwithgenuinegratitude.

“Wele.Offtherecord,itpainedthosewhohadclearanceintheLondonofficegreatlytoseethisdonetoyou.Youweretheagency’swhizkidbuttheorganizationhadtoefirst.Iamsureyouunderstand.”

“We’llhavetoseehowthistripgoesbutIamnotbeyondforgiveness,”hesaid.Shesmiled,rubylipspursedtogetherlikeastrawberry.

“OK,that’senoughidlebanter,”shesaid,bringingupagasmaskfromthesideofthecontraption.“Takeadeepbreath.”