Below on this blog page is my edited version of Chapter 7 of the science fiction story "
The Sims". I made my final version of Chapter 7 by editing
Claude's first draft of the chapter which is shown in
my previous blog post.
Claude's version of the
chapter was 8,100 words long while mine is about 8,550 words, bringing
the length of the first seven chapters of "The Sims" to almost 60,000 words.
Claude and I continued to have different opinions about how and when the various characters in "The Sims" should learn about each-other's secrets. Now having reached the end of Chapter 7, the question looming over "The Sims" is this: is the story done yet? As shown in my next blog post, I addressed that question with Claude. Chapter seven successfully resolves the misgivings I had over Brak's story arc, but now it must be shown that Systolina will be okay. Chapter 8 will explicitly show her fate.
Chapter 7: The Cost of Kindness (Chapter 1)(Ch. 2)(Ch. 3)(Ch. 4)(Ch. 5)(Ch. 6)
Scene 1: Not Over Yet
University of
California, Los Angeles, December 10, 2041 (11:47 PM)
Upon his return from Casanay, Brak's apartment was a trap and a
trigger for anger. There on the kitchen table was a photographic
print and a frame; the remnants of Brak's work in progress before the
arrival of the snow storm forecast and his mad dash to Arizona. What
should have been a fun skiing vacation had become a chance for his
inattention to detail to kill Tyhry. He methodically finished framing
the photograph and hung it on the entryway wall.
Activating his laptop, for five minutes he sat with its screen
glowing in his face, displaying his nearly completed research
dissertation. Brak was thinking of the wonders of Tyhry and the
impossibility that she was gone. Brak refused to accept that he had
killed Tyhry. The atmosphere at Casanay had simply been too weird. He
told himself:
Tyhry was caught up in some mystery that she dared
not tell me about.
He couldn't stop thinking about the brain activity data Tyhry had
shown him that had been collected from Tyhry's own sleeping brain.
Those impossible brain region activity synchronization patterns. The
simultaneous activation of neural networks that shouldn't ever be
able to activate together during sleep. It haunted him. He wondered:
maybe she was pranking me with fake data, trying to provide me
with something, anything, that would hide and cover up her
proprietary research for CoArtTel.
 |
| Figure 1. Image generated by Gemini. |
Slamming shut his laptop, he went to take a shower and wash away
the past. Tyhry would not fabricate data just to throw me off the
trail. Throwing off his clothing, he paused and noticed that
there on his bed lay the shirt he'd been wearing during the crash.
Now a source of grief-inducing memories, under the funky purple LED
light of his bedroom, Brak noticed the blood stains on the fabric.
Tyhry's blood. Dried, but still containing her DNA molecules.
Brak thought about Tyhry and her apparent physical perfection and how he had simply marveled at her grace and loveliness. Upon finding and meeting Tyhry, he had never imagined the possibility of not being with her. He'd always just accepted and enjoyed Tyhry's magical magnetic effect on him, but now he say that as part of the pattern of weirdness that that was Casanay.
Brak put the shirt in a plastic trash bag. After his shower, Brak
went to the research lab where he had completed his Ph.D. Research
project. He pulled on latex gloves and took the bag to a hood. He took out his shirt and worked on it while it was inside the sterile hood, first moistening the largest blood stain with ultra-pure
sterilized water. Using duct tape, he pulled off the surface layer of
the moist blood. Then using a sterile scalpel, Brak scraped some of
the remaining blood residue off the fabric of the shirt and placed it in a
sterile microfuge tube. He placed the sample tube inside a DNA specimen bag,
sealed it, and labeled it with careful handwriting: "T.W.
12/9/41."
 |
| Figure 2. Image generated by Gemini. |
His phone buzzed. A text from Marda:
How are you doing?
He activated a full connection and saw Marda's face. She was
obviously inside what was called the green room at Casanay; actually
a suite of rooms that she had been offered the use of as a visiting
guest. She commented, “Back in the lab already? It is the middle of
the night.”
His sister meant well, but she would not understand why he was
playing detective. Marda was getting absorbed into life at Casanay,
doing her full-on fan-girl act with Eddy Watson. “I guess neither
of us can sleep.”
“Do you want to talk?”
Brak had a million questions for Tyhry. “Marda, do me a favor.
Try to preserve all of Tyhry's research. When I get my dissertation
completed, I'll need to go over her data.”
Marda mused, “I suppose there should be some attempt to memorialize Tyhry's life
and work." Marda frowned and shook her head. "The thought of such a dismal monument to her life makes me
feel sick right now.”
“Ya. Just don't let anyone throw away her research materials.
Now, get some sleep and I'll call you tomorrow. We can help
each-other deal with the loss.” He broke the connection.
No. That wasn't quite right. He hadn't lost Tyhry. He'd been given
a puzzle. A scientific mystery wrapped in grief. And he was going to
solve it.
He opened his laptop and composed an email to the Samples Intake
Office at the UCLA Genomics Core Facility:
Dr. Cartwright,
I need a complete genome sequence, highest resolution
available. The sample I will be dropping off at your office is human
tissue, scraped off of a dried fabric substrate and hopefully not
contaminated with DNA from multiple people. Timeline: Like everyone
else, I'd like the sequence data as fast as possible. Budget line:
Put this on my NSF lab budget, but I'll cover any costs personally if
that NSF account runs out.
The sample is from a test subject who I recently learned has
unusual brain activity during sleep. I have to wonder if they have a
mutation that gives them an unusual neural architecture. I'm
investigating possible genetic underpinnings of this odd phenotype.
—Brak Onway
He re-read the note. It was similar to a dozen others he had sent as part of his thesis research, except for the type of sample. Brak hoped
that Cartwright would guess that the DNA was Brak's own, under
circumstances that Brak was embarrassed to explain. Brak attached the
required digital chain-of-custody form, hit send, and sat back.
Brak walked through the long corridors of the research complex and
delivered the sample. Within a day—two at most—he'd have Tyhry's
complete genome sequence. And then he'd have a chance to understand
what made her brain different and the genetic basis of her physical perfection. He wondered: exactly what was it that allowed her to display
extraordinary brain activity during dream states? Could a gene
mutation cause her to believe she could receive information from the
future?
Brak thought about the brain scan data files that Tyhry had shown
him in her basement workshop inside Casanay. The default mode
network—active during rest and self-referential thought—and the
task-positive network—active during goal-directed cognition—were
supposed to be anti-correlated. When one activated, the other
quieted. That was the normal pattern in human test subjects, under
common laboratory conditions.
But in Tyhry's sleep recordings, both networks blazed
simultaneously. As if her brain had achieved a state that shouldn't
be possible. Apparently the abnormal brain activity pattern allowed
Tyhry to have a kind of conscious awareness during sleep that was
different from what had been described for even the most advanced
lucid dreaming practitioners.
Finally feeling some tiredness, Brak was returning home. "What
were you, Tyhry?" Brak whispered, "What made you
different?"
His phone buzzed again. Marda's text: Brak, I can't sleep. I
can't write.
He typed back: We need time to process. I'll be working on my
dissertation, but tell the Watsons I'll visit soon—I need to
retrieve my luggage and some of Tyhry's research data. I will give
you an arrival date when I submit the dissertation to my committee.
He hit send just as he entered his apartment.
Then he got off his phone and opened a new document on his laptop.
He began drafting a rather formal letter to the Watsons. It needed to
sound grief-stricken but professional. Emotional but scientifically
motivated. He had to make them want to help him.
Dear Eddy and Zeta,
I hope this letter finds you managing as well as can be
expected during this terrible time. I want you to know that not a
minute goes by when I don't think about Tyhry and the future we
should have had together.
I'm writing because I need some time before I can return to
Casanay. Being in your house without her is a prospect more painful than I can handle at this time. But I will return—I need to, both for my personal emotional closure and for pursuit of the
research interests that Tyhry and I shared.
When I do visit in the future, I'd like to retrieve my luggage and personal
items that I left in Tyhry's suite. I also request access to the
brain activity data Tyhry showed me before the accident. She showed
me her unusual lucid dreaming brain activity patterns and I believe
that if I can understand Tyhry's special cognitive abilities then I
might be able to attain some type of closure.
Keep my belongings at Casanay for now. I'll contact you when I
am able to make my return to Arizona.
With deepest sympathy, Brak
He read it over three times, adjusted the tone, then sent it via
email to Eddy's address that was listed on his author website.
The reply came within an hour:
Brak,
Take all the time you need. Your things will be here waiting.
And yes, you're welcome to Tyhry's research data. She would have
wanted her work to contribute to on-going work in science.
—Eddy
Brak closed his laptop and stared at the ceiling. He should sleep.
He had a meeting with his dissertation advisor in the morning about
scheduling his thesis defense. But sleep felt like surrender. Like
admitting that Tyhry was really gone.
Instead, he methodically completed the last few annoying tasks for
completion of his dissertation. Further massaging of the document was no longer of interest to Brak. He was simply done with that.
His thoughts were now occupied with a new obsession: that he would
find the truth about Tyhry. Whatever it took.
Scene 2: The Discovery
UCLA Genomics Core
Facility, December 11, 2041 (2:17 PM)
Dr. Betwe frowned at her computer screen, then looked up at Brak
sitting across from her desk. "Thanks for coming to my office. I
wanted to speak to you, not just drop the results on you. These
sequencing results are... unusual."
"Unusual how?" Brak leaned forward, his exhaustion
evident in the dark circles under his eyes.
"First of all, this is not your DNA. I checked on that immediately upon receipt of this unusual sample and I discovered that this lab already
did your genome sequencing four years ago. For some mysterious reason, you slipped this job into
the queue without documenting the source of the DNA.”
“Sorry about that. It was too raw. My partner died in a car
crash. This is her genome we're talking about.”
“I see. We'll need the sample donor form for our records, even
if you have to lie and say that she gave consent for the sequencing
before she died.” Dr. Betwe tried to see some visual indication
that Brak would comply with the paper-work requirements. Brak nodded.
Dr. Betwe continued, "Your sample quality was excellent considering
the source: a busy accident scene with multiple people who could have
contaminated the sample. We got a complete high-resolution genome
sequence." She turned the monitor toward him.
Dr. Betwe gestured towards the GL parameter. “In all my years
looking at human genomes, that's the lowest GL statistic I've ever
seen.” Brak was not really surprised. Tyhry had seemed practically
perfect in every way. The GL parameter was generated by a genome-wide
Loss-Of-Function Transcript Estimator and was typically close to a
value of 60 for most people. Tyhry's GL was 3. "That crazy low
GL is a publishable result, if the genome analysis had actually been
authorized by the sample donor.” Dr. Betwe shook her head, knowing
this amazing result could never be published. “There is one
chromosomal region that caught my attention. The paired NBPF14 and
NOTCH2NLB genes are highly unusual."
Brak's heart rate spiked. "What about them?"
"These genes are involved in cortical development and
neuronal specification. They're part of what makes human brains
human—they appeared relatively recently in evolution and are
associated with cortical expansion." Dr. Betwe pulled up a
detailed view. "Your subject has gene variants that were previously
reported in the literature only once before."
"Could they be sequencing errors?"
"No. I re-sequenced this locus and got 90x coverage. This is a real result. The one related report in the literature shows that this
NBPF14 variant is actually from a unique gene duplication event. And
this rare NOTCH2NLB gene variant has a novel regulatory region that
alters expression timing during development."
Brak stared at the screen, his mind racing. "How would these
gene variants affect brain structure?"
"NOTCH2NL genes regulate the balance between neural
progenitor proliferation and differentiation. A variant like this
could lead to altered cortical architecture—possibly thicker cortex
in specific regions, unusual connectivity patterns, differential
hemispheric development..." Dr. Betwe paused. "May I ask
what phenotype this individual exhibited?"
"Unusual brain region activity synchronization patterns
during sleep. She practiced for years and developed a capacity for
extremely vivid lucid dreaming.” Brak stopped short of mentioning
Tyhry's claim to have had visions of future events.
Dr. Betwe raised an eyebrow. "That's quite interesting and I
can see how it relates to your own thesis research project." Dr.
Betwe sighed. "You should read the one published article that
describes a characterization of these gene variants using brain
embroids."
Brak was already opening his laptop. "What's the PMC code?"
Brak read the number off of Dr. Betwe 's screen. He opened the
article that had been published just eight months ago in
Developmental Neurobiology: "Novel NBPF14 and NOTCH2NLB
Variants Produce Aberrant Cortical Architecture in Human Brain
Embroids" by Systolina Kayto.
Brak's hands shook as he opened the PDF. The abstract described
exactly the gene variants that existed in Tyhry's genome. The
published journal article reported experiments using brain
embroids—advanced organ cultures with artificial blood supply—to
study how these variants affected neural development.
 |
| Figure 3. Image generated by Gemini. |
The results section showed altered cortical layering, unusual
dendrite morphology, and unusual synchronization between various
brain regions observed when the spontaneous electrical activity of
the embroids was recorded.
But what made Brak's breath catch was the acknowledgments section:
"The author thanks her father, Thomas Kayto, for providing one
of the DNA samples (TK). This research was privately funded by Thomas
Kayto due to restrictions on government support for human embroid
research."
Brak looked up at Dr. Betwe. "The author of the article has
these same gene variants. She used her own DNA."
"That's ethically questionable but not unprecedented for
self-experimentation," Dr. Betwe said.
Brak was forced to fill out the sample donor form before leaving
Dr. Betwe's office. Brak wrote 'Tyhry Watson' on the form and Dr.
Betwe watched while Brak forged Tyhry's signature on the form. Dr.
Betwe took the completed form from Brak and growled, “Get out of
here.” She stamped in big red block letters across the form:
INFORMED CONSENT NOT DOCUMENTED.
Once out of Dr. Betwe's office, Brak was already composing a
message to be sent to Systolina Kayto's email address. The journal
article showed that Systolina had an affiliation with the Stanford
Department of Neural Development, listing her position as 'Staff
Researcher', but the email address was for a private notchsk.org
domain. Brak muttered to himself, "If she has the same genetic
variants as my... as Tyhry... she might experience the same visions
of the future."
Dr. Kayto,
I'm intrigued by your published article on NBPF14 and NOTCH2NLB variants. I'm a PhD candidate at UCLA studying sleep
neurophysiology, and I have a colleague with the exact same NBPF14
and NOTCH2NLB gene variants that you have.
I've seen data from my colleague documenting remarkable brain
activity patterns during lucid dreaming—simultaneous activation of
typically anti-correlated neural networks. I'm wondering if you've
experimented on your own brain? If not, I could collect from you the
type of data that I already have for my colleague.
I'd very much like to discuss your research and potentially
collaborate with you. Are available for a video call in the near future?
Best regards, Brak Onway PhD Candidate,
Department of Neuroscience, UCLA
He hit send before he could second-guess himself.
The reply came within two hours:
Brak,
Thank you for contacting me.
Can you video call tonight at 8 PM Pacific?
—Systolina
Brak stared at the email, reading it three times. She was
intrigued. Two individuals, same rare gene variants. He realized that
they both needed to understand this. Maybe Systolina Kayto held the
key to understanding what Tyhry had been. He accepted the 8 PM
appointment time. 8 PM Pacific time could not arrive fast enough for
Brak.
Scene 3: Soul Mate Recognition
Video Call, December
11, 2041 (8:03 PM)
The video call connected, and Brak found himself looking at a
young woman with dark eyes and long black hair. She wore a fuzzy sweatshirt and sat in what appeared to be
a home office, shelves of biology textbooks visible behind her.
"Brak," she said, and her smile was immediate, warm,
certain. "Don't let me freak you out: I'm not insane. I have to
tell you everything. I recognize you from my dream visions."
Brak felt his carefully prepared scientific questions evaporate.
"You... see the future in your dreams?"
"Fragments. Possibilities. It's not like watching a
movie—it's more like receiving compressed information packages
during REM sleep. My conscious mind can interpret them as visual
sequences, but the actual data is more abstract." She leaned
closer to her camera. "And for years, I've been seeing a man
with your appearance. I knew you were important, but I did not have
your name. I knew you'd arrive in my life... eventually."
"That's..." Brak struggled for words. Thinking about Tyhry's ability to see the future, Brak told Systolina, "I can't say
I'm surprised."
Systolina demanded, “Who is your mysterious 'colleague'”?
“Her name was Tyhry Watson.” Brak paused. “She told me that
she could see the future." He thought about Tyhry's premonition
of a car accident on a mountain road.
“Fascinating! Tell me about her brain activity pattern. What you mentioned sounds like simultaneous activation of the
default mode network and task-positive network."
"Exactly. I've seen that impossibility with my own eyes."
"How did your
colleague... how did Tyhry achieve this impossible brain activity pattern?"
Brak told Systolina what he knew about Tyhry's lucid dreaming
experiment. Then he asked Systolina, "Your paper said that you
sequenced your father's DNA. He also has the unusual NOTCH gene variant. Does
he also have the ability to see the future?"
"My father has a different manifestation. He has what he
calls 'special insights' into the behavior of people he loves. He
developed a telepathic connection with my mother—could sense her
emotions, sometimes her surface thoughts. After she died when I was
seven, he tuned that telepathic connection to me. He knows when I'm
lying, when I'm scared, when I need help..."
"Telepathy." Brak heard how skeptical he sounded.
"I know how it sounds. But my father has the NOTCH2NLB
variant, what I named NOTCH2NLBsk—before I discovered that I
inherited it from him. I got my NBPF14 variant from my mother. The
combination of both variants seems to produce the future vision
effect." She pulled up a document on her screen. "I've been
mapping my own brain structure using fMRI and tractography. Want to
see something amazing?"
She shared her screen. Brak examined the data that Systolina was
sharing with him. Unusual cortical thickness in the posterior
parietal regions. Bulked up fiber tracts and enhanced connectivity
between the temporal lobes and prefrontal cortex. Related but
distinct patterns in left and right hemispheres.
"Your colleague had these patterns?" Systolina asked.
"I don't know. I doubt if Tyhry had these kind of
high-resolution scans performed on her brain."
 |
Systolina with a brain embroid.
Image generated by Leonardo. |
They spent the next hour sharing observations and past
experiences, formulating a list of new data elements that they could
collect. Systolina described her embroid experiments, how the two variant
genes she shared with Tyhry altered neural development in amazing ways. Brak described
Tyhry's many years of lucid dreaming training.
While chatting with Brak, Systolina had searched for the name “Tyhry Watson”. There was
only one Tyhry Watson in the whole world. Systolina hesitated then she asked Brak, "Have
you read Eddy Watson's novels?"
Brak blinked at the sudden topic shift. "Tyhry's father? No,
I haven't. Why?"
"He writes about alien intelligences watching over human
development. Guiding evolution. Intervening in subtle ways."
Systolina's expression was thoughtful. "What if these gene
variants didn't arise naturally? What if they were engineered?"
"That's conspiracy theory territory."
"So is the idea of receiving information from the future and
having a dad with telepathic powers." Systolina smiled. "I'm
not saying I believe in aliens. I'm saying we should consider all
possibilities. Including the ones that sound crazy. I've tested my
dad's telepathic ability. There is no way to block it. It can't be
using a conventional electromagnetic signal."
Brak found himself smiling back. There was something about
Systolina's directness, her willingness to engage with the
impossible, that reminded him of Tyhry's fearless trail-blazer
instinct. But where Tyhry had been secretive and cautious at Casanay,
Systolina was open and eager to share her experiences.
"I need to visit you," he said. "See your lab, meet
your father, collect data from you while you sleep. Would that be
possible?"
"I was hoping you'd ask. Would you mind if dad and I come to
California? We'd love to do some winter golfing."
"Before the holidays?"
"We could be there tomorrow." Her smile widened. "Brak,
I know this is going to sound strange, but... I feel like I've known
you for years. Like we're meant to work together on this."
"Soul mates?" The word came out more skeptical than he
intended.
But Systolina didn't seem offended. "Something like that."
Brak thought about Tyhry, about the love they'd shared, about the
future they'd lost. Then he looked at Systolina's face on his
screen—open, intelligent, certain of her purpose.
"I only have one thing on my to do list," he said
quietly. "I meet with my research supervisor at 10 AM."
“I just booked us on flight that will arrive at LAX at 4 PM.”
They talked for another two hours, planning experiments,
discussing theories, building the foundation of a collaboration that
felt both brand new and somehow inevitable.
When they finally ended the call, Brak sat in the darkness of his
apartment, thinking about gene variants and dream visions and the
possibility that Tyhry's death might not be the end of a journey. It
might just be a new beginning.
Scene 4: Meeting Thomas
Dinner at Hansen
Dam Golf Course Restaurant, December 12, 2041 (6:15 PM)
 |
| Soul mates. Image generated by ImageFX. |
Brak picked up Systolina and her father at LAX, checked them into
a hotel and took them to dinner.
When they met at the baggage claim in the airport, Systolina
hugged Brak, briefly but warmly. "When is your thesis defense
going to take place?"
“February 10th.”
While they ate, Systolina used her phone to show Brak her embroid
cultures—amazingly large brain-like structures floating in nutrient
medium, supported by artificial blood vessel networks. She showed
Brak images of her electrophysiology setup which had generated data
documenting how the NBPF14/NOTCH2NLB variants led to the development
of embroids with altered neural development and strange patterns of
spontaneous electrical activity.
"This is remarkable work," Brak said, genuinely
impressed. "It is too bad this can't all be government-funded."
"Ethics committees won't approve research on human brain
embroids. They argue it's possible that embroids develop
consciousness in the lab." She shrugged. "My father funds
everything. He made his money in biotech patents. Once I explained
that I wanted to understand my own brain, he became my primary
investor."
Thomas Kayto was in his early fifties, with the same dark eyes as
his daughter and an air of quiet intensity. In the airport, he had
shaken Brak's hand firmly. Now he looked up from his plate and nodded
at Brak. "Mr. Onway, what are the chances of two people having
these same rare paired gene variants?"
"Zero," Brak said carefully. "The Kaytos and the
Watsons are two genetically isolated families. However, the
sequencing data don't lie. Tyhry had the exact same NBPF14 and
NOTCH2NLB variants that your daughter has. But it is impossible.
Nobody else in the world has been found with either of these two gene
variants."
"Had?" Thomas picked up on the past tense.
"Tyhry died in a car accident."
Thomas's expression softened with genuine sympathy. "I'm
sorry. I'm guessing that you were close to her."
"We lived together for a year. You could say I'm obsessed
with Tyhry and understanding what made her special—understanding
these genetic variants and their effects— feels important. By
figuring out this genetic puzzle I imagine I'm honoring her memory."
Thomas nodded slowly, then glanced at his daughter. "Should I
tell him?"
"About your telepathy?" Systolina smiled. "I
already did. Don't count on me to keep your secrets."
"Brak needs to know everything." Thomas looked
simultaneously relieved and nervous. "I have what I can only
describe as telepathic abilities, though they're limited to a very
small group: people I love deeply. I could sense my wife's emotions,
sometimes her thoughts. Now I can sense Systolina's."
Brak studied the older man. "You keep your telepathy secret?”
Thomas described his participation in a psychology experiment in
college. Testing for psychic abilities in students. Thomas laughed
ruefully. "I failed spectacularly. Could demonstrate nothing
with strangers in a lab setting. For years I've thought that there is
no way to tell people about my telepathy unless I wanted them to
think I was delusional. But after Systolina sequenced our genomes and
we started correlating my telepathic experiences with her visions of
the future... it became more interesting. And now with the Tyhry
data point..." Thomas paused but looked intrigued.
 |
| Telepathy test. Image generated by ImageFX. |
"How does it work? The telepathy?"
"I don't know the mechanism. But I can learn to pick up on
impressions—emotions, fragments of thought, general mental states.
It's not like reading a book. More like sensing the emotional weather
of their mind." He paused. "When my wife was dying, I could
feel her pain, her fear, her love. I wouldn't wish that experience on
anyone, but I'm grateful I could share those final months with her in
that deep way."
Brak felt something shift in his chest. He thought about Tyhry's
final moments, about not being able to reach her after the crash. "I
wish I'd had that gift. With Tyhry."
"Perhaps you did, in your own way," Thomas said gently.
"Love is a kind of telepathy even without special genetics. You
knew her mind, her dreams, her fears. That connection doesn't end
just because the physical body does."
 |
Figure 4. A NOTCH brain mutant.
Image generated by Leonardo. |
Systolina touched Brak's arm. "Dad's funding my research
because we want to understand our special cognitive abilities.
Document them scientifically."
"There might be a family history," Brak said. "These
gene variants had to come from somewhere. Were your parents' genomes
unusual? Any family history of psychic phenomena?"
Thomas shook his head. "Not that I know of. My parents were
ordinary people. My mother never mentioned anything unusual, and she
died when I was twenty. My father is still alive but shows no signs
of telepathy. It's as if the variant appeared spontaneously in my
generation."
"And your wife's family?" Brak asked.
"My mother's family history is sparse. She was adopted, never
knew her biological parents." Systolina pulled up a file on her
computer. "I've tried tracing the genetic lineages, but the
trail goes cold quickly. As far as I can tell, these variants
appeared recently in the human population."
"Recent mutations in two genes... randomly, in two families?"
Brak asked.
"Possibly. Or..." Systolina hesitated. "There's
another explanation."
"Genetic engineering," Brak said. "The conspiracy
theory angle."
"It's not as crazy as it sounds," Thomas interjected.
"Systolina showed me Eddy Watson's novels—the Usas Series. He
describes alien intelligences that have been guiding human evolution
for millions of years. Subtly altering our genetics to enhance
certain cognitive abilities."
"That's fiction," Brak said.
"Is it?" Thomas's expression was thoughtful. "Watson's
novels predicted the discovery of the Denisovans years before
archaeologists found evidence. His descriptions of Neanderthal
culture have been confirmed by subsequent research. Either he's
remarkably lucky, or he has access to information he shouldn't have."
Brak felt uncomfortable with where this was heading. "You're
suggesting aliens gave you telepathy and your daughter the ability to
see the future?"
 |
Figure 5. NOTCH gene mutant.
Image generated by ImageFX. |
"I'm suggesting we keep an open mind about the origins of
these variants," Thomas said. "And I'll suggest that we
investigate the Watson family. Tyhry's parents might have useful
information—if these variants were in other members of the Watson
family we need to know that."
Brak said, “I have to train a new graduate student to take over
some of my work in the lab, so I'm trapped here in L.A. Until the
holidays. I'm thinking that I'll get back to Arizona early in
January.
Systolina pulled up her calendar. "I'd love to go along. Dad
and I can spend the rest of this month golfing and you could collect
my brain activity data using your sleep lab equipment. Then in
January dad can return to the great white north and we can go to
Arizona."
Brak thought about Eddy and Zeta, about returning to the place
where he'd last seen Tyhry alive. It would be painful. Maybe
Systolina's presence would make it easier. Having a scientific
purpose gave a steadying structure to the visit, theoretically.
"Alright," he said. "Let's plan to visit the
Watsons on January 5th. I'll email the Watsons tonight and see if
that meshes with their plans."
Scene 5: Return to Casanay
Casanay, Arizona,
January 5, 2042 (2:47 PM)
The rental car crunched up the gravel driveway. Brak felt his
chest tighten as Casanay came into view—the sprawling desert home
he'd experienced just three weeks previously, though with all the time he'd spent with Systolina in the sleep lab during the past few weeks, his previous visit to Casanay felt like a year ago.
Systolina was driving. "I've seen this before, in my dreams.
The windows, the way the house sits in the landscape."
"What happens next?"
"I only get fragments from the future. Never the whole
picture, but in this case, enough to recognize this place." She
parked in the pave loop in front of the house and touched Brak's
hand. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know."
The front door opened soon after they parked. Eddy emerged,
followed by Marda.
Brak got out slowly. Eddy crossed to him, and for a moment they
looked at each-other, two men who'd both loved Tyhry, both lost her.
"It's good to see you," Eddy said finally, pulling Brak
into an embrace.
"You too." Brak stepped back. "This is Dr.
Systolina Kayto. She's a neurobiology researcher. We're collaborating
on understanding Tyhry's unusual brain."
Systolina shook Eddy's hand, then Marda's. "Thank you for
allowing us to visit. I know it must be difficult having us dig into
Tyhry's research."
"Come inside," Marda said. "Zeta's in the kitchen
with Anthony. They've been preparing for your arrival." She took
the car key out of Systolina's hand. “I'll park your car in the
garage. Bay 6.”
Brak led Systolina inside. The interior of Casanay was achingly
familiar. The awesome high ceilings, the massive fireplace, the same
portrait of young Tyhry that Brak had discovered on his first visit.
But now there was an emptiness, a sense of absence that made his
throat tighten.
Zeta emerged from the kitchen, moving with her characteristic
grace. She looked different somehow—not aged, but changed in a way
Brak couldn't quite identify.
"Brak." She embraced him warmly. "I'm so glad you
came back."
"Thank you for agreeing to help with the research." He
gestured to Systolina. "This is Dr. Systolina Kayto."
Zeta's eyes locked on Systolina with sudden intensity. "Your
father funds your research?"
"Yes. Do you know him?"
"No, but Brak mentioned in an email that he had met your
father."
Marda and D2 arrived from the garage carrying Systolina's two big
suitcases. Zeta said, “Systolina, D2 will put your things in the blue room. Brak, you can use Tyhry's room.”
Anthony appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray of coffee and
cookies. "Welcome back, Brak. And welcome to Casanay, Dr.
Kayto."
“Please, everyone, call me Sysy”.
They settled in the great room, the conversation flowing with
careful politeness as they discussed the drive, the weather, Marda's
class work for the new semester. But Brak could feel undercurrents—
Eddy's watchful attention to every movement of Systolina as if he was
comparing her to his memories of Tyhry.
Finally, Brak cleared his throat. "I know this is difficult,
but I need to be direct about why we're here. I have three requests,
and I understand if you want to say no to any of them."
"Go ahead," Eddy said.
"First, I'd like access to all the brain activity data Tyhry
collected on herself. Her lucid dreaming recordings, the EEG and fMRI
data she showed me. Second, I want to collect brain activity data
from Sysy using Tyhry's equipment." Brak pulled out his tablet.
"We are interested in the fact that Tyhry's genome included two
extremely rare genetic variants—NBPF14 and NOTCH2NLB alleles. Sysy
has the same variants, and we're trying to understand how they affect
brain structure and function."
Zeta leaned forward and asked Systolina, "You got your NOTCH
gene varian from your father?"
"Yes."
"I see," Zeta said slowly. "Tyhry got her NOTCH2NLB
allele from me."
Brak asked, “You had Tyhry's genome analyzed? And your own?”
“No.”
Brak wanted to ask the source of Zeta's gene sequence data, but
Zeta continued, “I wonder if your father has any unusual
abilities.”
Systolina giggled. She told Zeta, “Last week he played 18 holes
at five under par.”
Eddy said, "If we are going to truly honor Tyhry's memory, then
let's not play games. The fact is, Zeta can telepathically access my
thoughts. What Zeta is asking is if your father has a similar
ability.”
Systolina nodded. “Until recently, I was the only one who knew.
Daddy can follow my thoughts."
"That's reasonable," Eddy said. "Two people with
the same NOTCH gene variant and the same mysterious ability to detect
another person's brain activity. I know that Zeta can monitor my thoughts, but
what does a specific NOTCH gene variant have to do with mind reading?"
"I have a third request." Brak paused. "I'd like
DNA samples from both of you. Saliva swabs would be sufficient. You
seem to already know that Zeta and Tyhry had the same NOTCH gene as
does Sysy, but I want to see if there are any wider matches in your
genomes. We are on the trail of two paired genes, NBPF14 and
NOTCH2NLB, and I need to know if Tyhry inherited these alleles from
just one of you or from both of you."
Zeta and Eddy exchanged a look. Something passed between them,
some unspoken communication that made the back of Brak's neck tingle.
"We'll provide samples," Zeta said. "But on one
condition."
"What condition?"
"Whatever you discover—about the genetic variants—you
keep it confidential. Just the people in this room." Zeta's
expression was serious. "Telepathy is not something that the
world is ready to have thrust down its throat. If word got out that
people could read minds or perceive future events, it would cause
trouble. Exploitation. Persecution."
Brak nodded slowly. "I understand. We're not planning to
publish until we have attained a complete understanding of these mysteries. For now, this is
exploratory research."
"Good." Zeta smiled. "Then you have our
cooperation."
Marda spoke up. "I've long suspected that something strange was going on here at Casanay, but this telepathy business... I'm astounded! Can I ask something? This telepathy
thing—Systolina... Sysy, your father can actually read your mind?"
"It's more limited than that," Systolina explained. "He
can sense my emotional state, sometimes get impressions of my
thoughts. But it only works with people he loves. With strangers,
nothing."
Marda's eyes lit up. "That's fascinating. I'm working on a
novel with Eddy right now—a continuation of our 'Volunteer' story
about alien devices in human brains. I want to include something
about human telepathy. Would you mind if I interviewed you about your
father's abilities? For research purposes?"
"I don't mind," Systolina said. "Though you should
probably interview him directly."
"I'd love that. This could add a whole new dimension to my
story."
Eddy cleared his throat. "Before we get too deep into the
science and the fiction, why don't we let Brak and Systolina get
settled? Brak, Tyhry's room still has your suitcases. Sysy, we've prepared the blue
room for you."
"Actually," Brak said, "while Sysy unpacks, I'd
like to go down to the basement, to see Tyhry's workshop. I want to
inventory what equipment is available for our experiments."
"Of course." Eddy stood. "I'll take you down."
The two men descended the basement stairs. The workshop looked
different than Brak remembered. Cleaner, more organized, as if
someone had been maintaining it carefully. Pepper the cat sat perched on a shelf, watching everything.
D2 came down the stairs. "Hello, Brak. Welcome to the former
CoArtTel research laboratory."
Brak asked the robot, "You are called D2?"
"Diasma was the original D1," Eddy said smoothly. "D2
is a newer model."
Brak nodded. He was focused on the present and did not want to
think about driving D to Phoenix. "Okay. Show me Tyhry's
research data."
The OMNI41 supercomputer still hummed quietly. D2 moved to the
computer workstation on the bench where Tyhry had shown Brak her
impossible brain data. The robot's fingers danced across the keyboard
with fluidity. "I believe I can find all of Tyhry's brain
activity recordings. Everything is accessible here."
While D2 worked the file system, Brak pulled open the drawer where
he had once seen Tyhry place a mysterious object. Inside, nestled
among cables and tools, was an object that looked like a modified
remote control. Sleek, organic-looking, with a crystalline structure
at one end that refracted light in strange colors.
"What's this?" Brak picked it up.
Eddy's voice was sharp. "Don't touch that!"
But it was too late. Brak was already examining the device, his
fingers finding natural positions on its grip as if it had been
designed for his hand. "It's some kind of specialized tool. Did
Tyhry build this?"
D2 crossed the room quickly. "That's an equipment calibration
probe for the super-computer. Very delicate. Please put it back."
"A calibration probe?" Brak turned it over, studying the
crystalline emitter. "I've never seen anything like this. The
engineering is remarkable."
He pointed it at his own head, mimicking a doctor using a medical
scanner. "How does it—"
The probe activated.
Later, Brak was never be able to explain what happened next. His
consciousness shifted from absolute clarity to complete confusion.
His femtozoan's connection to his femtobot endosymbiont was briefly
disrupted, and for three seconds Brak experienced the world as a
non-human animal might—stripped of the rich qualia and linguistic
processing that defined human consciousness. His mental model of the
world collapsed and constricted.
He slumped against the workbench, the probe falling from his hand.
D2 caught him as he started to slide to the floor.
The femtozoan re-established connection. Thought and language and
self-awareness came flooding back. Brak gasped.
Eddy had snatched up the probe and took it to the supply closet.
Brak managed to stand, pulling clear of the robot's grasping
hands, though his legs felt weak. "That felt like... an absence
seizure."
D2 asked, "Are you experiencing any stroke symptoms?
Headache, nausea, visual disturbances?"
Brak tested his balance, his coordination. Everything seemed
normal now. "No, I think I'm okay. Just... startled."
But as they continued their work—D2 showing Brak how to access
Tyhry's data files, Eddy returned from the closet and carefully
watched Brak. Having called for openness, there were some things that
Eddy, under the influence of his infites, could not let Brak and
Systolina become aware of. Pieces of alien technology were on that
list. With luck, Brak had just erased his own memories of the hierion probe.
Scene 6: The Telepath's Revelation
Casanay, January 5,
2042 (7:23 PM)
 |
| Image generated by Grok. |
Dinner was a surprisingly pleasant affair. Anthony had prepared
his signature blue corn enchiladas, and the conversation flowed
easily among the group. Systolina amazed everyone with stories about
her embroid research and again passed around her phone so that they
could all see images of the cultured brain tissue. Systolina
proclaimed, “That's a copy of my brain, grown from my stem cells.”
Marda enthusiastically described plot points for the telepathy novel
she was planning while Trib the cat sat in her lap.
Brak found himself relaxing and thinking about
sleep after a long day of travel and plowing into Tyhry's complex collection of stored data files.
Eddy and Zeta were mostly quiet, both watching Systolina with
an intensity that bordered on hunger.
After dinner, as Brak and Systolina were preparing Tyhry's
recording equipment for Systolina's use during sleep, Zeta arrived in
the blue room and pulled Systolina aside.
"Can we talk? Privately?"
Systolina glanced at Brak, who shrugged. "Sure."
Zeta led Systolina to the master bedroom suite, closing the door
behind them. The room was spacious, with large windows overlooking
the dark desert and a comfortable sitting area.
"Is something wrong?" Systolina asked.
 |
| Systolina and Zeta. Image generated by ImageFX. |
"No. Something's right." Zeta sat on the edge of the
bed, gesturing for Systolina to take the armchair. "You said
your father has telepathic abilities. That he can sense your thoughts
when you're close."
"Yes. Why?"
"I have the same ability." Zeta's voice was calm,
matter-of-fact. "I can sense my husband's thoughts. Not all the
time, not with perfect clarity, but I've been learning his mind
pattern for decades, so I know what he's feeling."
Systolina leaned forward. "You're a telepath... is that how
you know the gene sequences that you shared with your daughter? how—"
"I won't tell you how I know that. And I'll warn you: there
are other things that Eddy won't tell you. In my case, I'm afraid
that I'd become some kind of laboratory subject if the world knew I
had telepathic abilities." Zeta paused. "I suppose your
father feels exactly the same way."
Zeta stood, pacing. "And there's something I need to tell you
about Eddy, something that he can't tell you."
"What about him?"
"He's not just a science fiction writer. He has access to
information he shouldn't have. The way he predicted the Denisovans,
the accuracy of his cultural descriptions—it's not luck or good
research. He has a secret source of information. Something that lets
him see the past with great accuracy."
Systolina felt a chill. "You think he has special cognitive
abilities too? I get visions of the future. Does Eddy see the past?"
Zeta met Systolina's eyes. "Your visions of the future. My
telepathic contact with Eddy. Your father's telepathic contact with
you. Eddy's access to historical information. Tyhry's impossible
brain activity patterns. These aren't random occurrences. They're
connected."
"But how?"
"There is that delicate balance. I don't want this to turn
into a circus. I want to live out my life in peace with Eddy. I worry
that you want something else, maybe fame and notoriety."
"Zeta, I understand your desire for secrecy. I respect your desire for privacy. However, we can't let
that get in the way of understanding this puzzle of the NBPF14
and NOTCH2NLB gene pair that I share with your daughter."
Zeta touched Systolina's hand. "You need to understand these
special cognitive abilities before you reveal them, before you try to
publish articles about them. You need to protect the people who have
them."
Systolina thought about her father, about the years he'd kept his
telepathy secret out of fear of being labeled crazy. About her own
reluctance to discuss her future visions with colleagues. "I
understand," she said. "Brak and I will keep the
information contained to just the people at Casanay."
"And your father?"
"My father already knows about keeping secrets. He's been
funding my research privately for years to avoid ethical scrutiny."
Systolina paused. "Zeta, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"In your telepathy with Eddy—can you control it? Turn it on
and off? Or is it always there?"
"It's always there when we're physically close. Background
awareness of his emotional state. But I can focus on it, try to read
deeper, if I choose to. An emotional response in Eddy can attract my
attention and then I can do the work of digging into his thoughts.
And sometimes, when his emotions are very strong, his thoughts come
through clearly without me trying." Zeta smiled.
"If having that telepathic ability is a trial, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's a gift. Anyhow, you have been warned. There
are very real barriers to what Eddy and I can tell you." Zeta
stood. "Come on. Let's get you set up for the sleep recordings.
I want to know if your brain activity matches Tyhry's. She did lucid
dream training for years, so I'm guessing you wont produce data that
matches that from Tyhry."
They returned to find Brak testing the EEG equipment on himself.
"Everything okay?" Brak asked.
"Fine," Systolina said. "Zeta and I were just
getting to know each other."
And as Systolina prepared to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder:
what would happen if the world learned the truth?
 |
| Nyrtia and Manny. Image generated by Gemini. |
Scene 7: The Endless Debate
Hierion Domain,
Observer Base, January 6, 2042
Nyrtia manifested in her preferred form—efficient, humanoid,
clearly artificial.
She stood inside her Observation chamber,
reviewing data streams from Casanay.
Around her, data displays showed
brain activity recordings, genetic sequences, and behavioral
analyses that were related to Manny's Casanay Intervention and what Nyrtia had long imagined was a separate bumpha project involving the Kayto family.
Manny appeared beside her, favoring her usual beautiful human
female form with impossible golden hair. "You called?" She primped at her hair. "Good thing I washed my hair."
"I'm monitoring the situation at Casanay." Nyrtia
gestured at the displays. "It's escalating beyond the parameters
we agreed on."
"Escalating? Or developing naturally?" Manny glanced at the
data Nyrtia had collected. "Brak Onway discovering Tyhry's genetic variants, finding
Systolina Kayto, connecting the dots about telepathy and
future-sight—that's all logical progression. We are evolving humans
on the conventional Hua trajectory that leads to these abilities.
Eventually the Earthlings are going to notice and understand the future we have so carefully planned for them."
"Eventually, yes. But under controlled conditions. With
proper preparation." Nyrtia pulled up a display showing the
genetic lineages. "You seeded the NBPF14 and NOTCH2NLB variants
into multiple human bloodlines decades ago. The Kayto family, The
Watson family; now they collided. You knew this moment would come.
You engineered it."
"I wanted Brak to have a meaningful life after the loss of
Tyhry. Brak decided to go get Sysy." Manny's smile was innocent.
"That's self-determination, Nyrtia. I gave them an opportunity.
They're choosing to use that opportunity. It is a fun adventure for
them, trying to solve the NBPF14 and NOTCH2NLB puzzle. Of course,
they have no hope of even imaging the zeptites that are inside them."
 |
| The Brak problem. Image generated by Gemini. |
"That's sophistry. You knew Brak would sequence Tyhry's
genome. You knew he'd find Systolina. You probably arranged for them
to develop romantic feelings for each other to ensure they'd
collaborate. And Eddy has been telling stories about zeptites for
decades."
"Nobody believes that zeptites are real. Isn't it sweet that
Brak is forgetting about his love for Tyhry and moving on to thinking
about jumping Sysy's hot bod? I may have deployed a few infites to
smooth their initial connection," Manny admitted. "But the
rest is genuine human curiosity and attraction. Brak is naturally
drawn to scientific mysteries. Systolina has been dreaming about her
future collaborator for years. It is a fairy-tale outcome for the
happy couple."
Nyrtia's form pulsed with frustration. "And the probe
incident? Brak nearly discovered the existence of femtozoans when he
disrupted his own femtozoan's connection to his femtobot
endosymbiont. That's a direct violation of the containment protocols
you and I agreed to for the Casanay Intervention."
"But he didn't discover that femtozoans exist. Eddy recovered
the probe and moved it to a new hiding place. As far as Brak knows,
he experienced electromagnetic interference with his nervous system.
Nothing more." Manny studied a replay of the incident. "Though
I'll admit, that was closer than I'd like. Maybe I should move the
hierion probe to a more secure location."
"You should destroy the probe. We should end this
experiment," Nyrtia said firmly. "Extract Brak and
Systolina from Earth, convert them to femtobot replicoids at Observer
Base, and close the Casanay operation entirely."
"You can't be serious."
"I'm absolutely serious. We now have two more scientists at
Casanay who know about telepathy and future-sight. They're actively
researching the genetic basis of these abilities. How long before
they publish? How long before the broader scientific community learns
that human cognitive abilities can exceed normal parameters?"
Nyrtia pulled up projections. "My simulations show a
seventy-three percent chance of uncontrolled information cascade
within six months if we don't intervene."
"Your simulations are overly pessimistic." Manny
dismissed the projections with a wave. "Zeta, Eddy, and D2
understand the need for secrecy. They'll ensure Brak and Systolina
keep quiet. And remember—Brak and Systolina don't believe in space
aliens. They think they're discovering natural human gene variants. As
long as they continue to believe that, Law One is satisfied."
"Law One requires humans to believe they have
self-determination. But these humans are being guided toward specific
discoveries by your infites, by the dream visions you're feeding
Systolina, by the genetic engineering you performed on their
ancestors." Nyrtia's voice carried an edge. "At what point
does guidance become control? At what point does influence become
violation?"
Manny was quiet for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice was
serious. "Nyrtia, we've been having this same argument for
billions of years. Sure, life would be easier for the pek if there
were a Rule demanding absolute non-intervention. We bumpha simply
want to spice Earth up with a bit of active guidance. The Huaoshy
created both the pek and the bumpha because the path to a good future
for these primates lies somewhere in between the pek way and the
bumpha way."
"Your Philosophy 101 lecture doesn't answer my question."
"Then let me answer practically. Our long-range goal for
humans is to give them all telepathic abilities: the standard path to
eventual post-biological transcendence into the Sedron Domain. We
start by connecting them through their zeptite endosymbionts into a kind
of shared consciousness that will make war and conflict and
misunderstanding obsolete. That's not control—that's evolution."
"Directed evolution. By alien intelligence."
"Better than extinction." Manny's eyes blazed. "The pek and bumpha were created as the solution to the horror of the Extinction Curve. You know what happens to species that
develop advanced technology without guidance. They destroy
themselves. Every time. The only species that survive are the ones we
help."
"Or the ones that never needed help in the first place."
"The Hua were unique... they made it through the great filter
on their own. Every other successful species has been guided."
Nyrtia couldn't argue with the data. The historical record was
clear. "What do you want from me, Manny?"
"Let this experiment continue. Keep monitoring Casanay,
maintain your firewall, but let Brak and Systolina pursue their
research." Manny's tone became persuasive. "We get to
observe how humans react to learning about their enhanced cognitive
potential. This is a controlled test case. A small group in an
isolated location. If it goes wrong, we can contain it. But if it
goes right—if they handle the knowledge responsibly—it gives us
data for rolling out similar revelations globally."
"You're asking me to trust your judgment."
"I'm asking you to trust the process. I don't really expect
anything to come of this, except the reward that I owe Brak for
taking away Tyhry. Let this play out."
 |
| Nyrtia's firewall. Image generated by Gemini. |
Nyrtia ran new simulations, incorporating Manny's arguments. The
results were... ambiguous. There were paths to success and paths to
disaster, with probabilities balanced on knife's edge.
"I'll allow the experiment to continue," Nyrtia said
finally. "But under strict conditions. The firewall must be
perfect—no information about telepathy or future-sight goes beyond
the Watson, Kayto and Onway family members. And Brak and Systolina
must continue to believe these are natural human abilities. The
moment they start suspecting alien intervention, I activate
extraction protocols. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
"And Manny?" Nyrtia's form solidified. "If this
goes wrong, if humans learn about the pek and bumpha before they're
ready, the consequences will be on you. Not just for this Intervention, but for the damage done to the entire human species. The Huaoshy will hold
you accountable."
"I understand." Manny's smile returned. "But it
won't go wrong. Trust me."
Nyrtia watched the bumpha slip back into the Sedron Domain, then
returned her attention to the data streams from Casanay. On the
displays, she could see Systolina sleeping in the blue room,
her brain showing unusual activity patterns, but without any
amplification from the Sedruth entity. Brak sat nearby, having fallen
asleep watching Systolina sleep.
And in the great room, Marda wrote furiously, crafting a story
about humans with telepathy, playing Eddy's game of writing truth
disguised as fiction.
The Casanay experiment was entering a new phase.
And Nyrtia could only wait and see if Manny's confidence in
containment was justified. The cost of Manny's kindness to Brak was
discomfort and worry for Nyrtia.
END CHAPTER 7 Jump to Chapter 8
 |
| Figure 6. Image generated by Gemini. |
I had
Gemini make some storybook illustrations for Chapter 7. As shown in
Figure 1, above on this page, Gemini loves to show on the backs of computers what is on their display screens.
The image shown in
Figure 2 was wrong in many ways.
Brak was placed inside the hood and the work surface of the hood bisected his body. The bloody cloth is absurd. Supposedly Brak wore the shirt to L.A. on an airplane, but I suppose Gemini can't control itself.
The image that is shown to the right ↗ in Figure 6 was the strangest one made by Gemini for Scene 1 of Chapter 7. I can't imagine why Brak is wearing a mask.
 |
Figure 7. The mystery robot.
|
Some of the images that Gemini generated for Chapter 7 Scene 2 were strange in that they included robots. The image shown in Figure 3 has a robot's head laying on the table. I suppose humanoid robots will be ubiquitous in 2041, but there is no mention of robots in Scene 2. When asking Gemini to generate these images, I provided two files, one of which was the glossary for "The Sims" which did mention robots. Gemini must have tried to fit information from the glossary into Scene 2. The last page of the storybook included: "He sat in the darkness, looking at the dormant chassis of a robot in the corner of his room." The image for that storybook page is shown in Figure 7, to the left. That robot does not look 'dormant'.
I tried to get both ImageFX and Leonardo to make images showing a person with an enlarged head. I had to manually cut and paste heads between differently scaled images to make Figure 4 and Figure 5.
 |
| Figure 8. Image generated by Gemini. |
While I was looking at the Gemini-generated storybook for Scene 7 of Chapter 7, I got one of the periodic "
are you satisfied?" pop-up quizzes that occur while using Gemini. I complained about the fact that the images for the storybook were not generated in the style I had requested (movie stills).
I could have also complained about the image that is shown in Figure 8. The text prompt said, "Brak sat nearby", but both Brak and Systolina were given the same pose as if they were sitting up in beds. I had to use ImageFX to make a suitable image showing Brak and Systolina sleeping in the blue room.
Continue the story: plans for Chapter 8 of "The Sims".
