The New World

Empty Head

"Today's the day. Slept well?"

Mens, awakened from his slumber, mumbled a sleepy yes and threw back his sheet. He rose heavily from the bed. It was 6 a.m.

"When you're dressed, call me", added Jordan. "I'll come and get you. No food before the operation. You'll take these drugs in addition to the Mesanxia."

The nurse left the room. Mens shuffled to a halt in front of the bay window and gazed for a few seconds at the large interior garden lit by the soft morning light.

His first thought was that he had once again slept without transferring. What's more, he could only read his internal clock after exhausting efforts. And this silence to which he was not accustomed, no connection by thought with the Network... This emptiness immediately triggered a surge of anxiety. He first swallowed the medicine Jordan had left on the shelf, then opened the bay to step out onto the lawn.

The air was crisp and invigorating. He took a few steps, barefoot, on the dew-dampened grass, inhaling deeply to banish tension, then indulged in a few gymnastic movements. He continued his stroll towards the surrounding wall, which could be seen behind the agaves. A gardener, whom he greeted, was tending a bed of violet roses. Not far away, a large bluish lizard was warming itself on a stone illuminated by a streak of orange light. Mens stopped to avoid frightening the little animal, which he contemplated until it disappeared behind a clump of cacti.

After all, Mens thought, it must be possible to live and enjoy life without a connection. Besides, what he'd learned over the last few days, wasn't it a sobering experience? An interesting experience after all. In any case, the most novel of recent years.

Invigorated, he turned around and went back to his room. He washed and dressed. Then he called Jordan.

As they had done for the first day's exams, they went down to the basement and wandered through long, bright white corridors. Jordan stopped at a door marked "Bionic Exams". The room they entered was small, with only a large chair connected to a terminal, facing a glass wall. Avrantis was waiting in the middle of the room, extending his hand with a benevolent smile.

"Welcome, Brother Ridge," he said. "Please make yourself comfortable. The reset only takes a few minutes and is totally painless."

"I'm not afraid of pain", Mens grumbled as he sank into the chair.

As the nurse stuck a needle into an elbow vein, the doctor moved into the glass cubicle and continued:

"We're injecting you with a sedative and a product to improve the receptivity of the bionic interface. As your communicator is damaged by Linke's syndrome, we need to use the natural sensory pathways. Keep your eyes open as much as possible throughout the operation."

Jordan fitted an immersion helmet over Mens' head, plunging him into almost complete darkness. The chair slowly unfolded into the reclining position.

A dim blue light appeared in the helmet and soft music played. After a few minutes of this soothing introduction, Avrantis' voice rang out.

"How are things? We're about to start. Just relax."

There was a clicking sound. The blue light gradually intensified, breaking up into a series of short flashes. The soft music gave way to discordant sounds that alternated between low and high pitched. The flashes and sounds seemed independent and their succession totally random. Then both accelerated in a complex arrhythmia that lasted several minutes.

Suddenly everything stopped. Mens was plunged for long moments into complete darkness and silence, in which the imprints left by the previous din and festival of light still wounded his retina and eardrum.

Then the pain eased and calm returned.

"It's over", intervened Avrantis. "Just lie there a moment longer. We're just finishing some tests."

The blue light from the beginning reappeared, accompanied by a faint, continuous rubbing sound. Then his chair folded back into a sitting position. His helmet was removed and he regained contact with reality. Jordan stood beside him, smiling.

Avrantis appeared behind the nurse. He stared at Mens with a scrutinizing, professional eye.

"The indicators are all excellent", he announced. "You're completely reset. The virus is annihilated."

The light in the room dazzled Mens, who rose to his feet.

"Welcome to the world of empty-headedness", said Jordan cheerfully.

"We can start the induction sessions in three days", continued Avrantis. We need to re-implant your basic internal functions and teach you how to use them again.

"Only in three days. Can't we start sooner? How will I manage without my implant", Mens asked in an anxious tone.

"Unfortunately, our inductors are all very busy. Everything will be fine. Just take the medication. You can come and go as you please. But don't get lost, because right now you're undetectable and in the Great Desert you'd be as hard to spot as a broken-down Spirit Pearl in a sand dune!"

Jordan escorted Mens back to his room, where he lay down on his bed after swallowing the handful of tablets provided by the nurse.

He woke up around 12 noon, quickly ran cold water over his face and examined himself in the mirror. He still felt empty and dizzy. But the Mesanxia and other drugs had taken the edge off. He left his room, wandering aimlessly, savoring for a moment his disorientation. He ended up in the common room.

At the bar he bumped into Samaa and asked if she'd seen John.

"They've just gone out. If you're lucky, you'll still find them in the parking lot."

With a sudden impulse, he headed for the reception desk and exited the building. At the far end of the parking lot stood a group of people, among whom he spotted Miryana's red hair. He quickly approached them as they all climbed into the car.

Miryana was getting into the driver's seat when Mens knocked on the passenger window. John opened it.

"Hello Mens. Would you like to come with us?"

"That is... Will you be back in three days? Because they'll be starting my induction sessions for my implant. You know, I've just been reset."

"Yes, our trip is scheduled to last two days at most. How are you feeling, Mens?", asked Miryana.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

Then after a pause:

"John, that drawing you showed me yesterday."

"Hop in, Mens."

Mens climbed into the Rapid Range. John closed the doors, put on some music and waited a few seconds before speaking.

"Mens, be careful what you say. It's not safe here. If you want to understand, come with us. Go and get your things. We're waiting for you."

"But you'll have to... Ok".

"Take some warm clothes", said Miryana. "We'll be going over the Colorado Plateau, which must still be covered in snow."

Ten minutes later Mens was back with a small bag containing a few things, his medication and his inductor case, which he never parted with.

Miryana's Rapid Range 4x4 crossed the Wccbarrier and headed northeast on the main road.