ASM
Everett leaned forward, aligning his figure with that of the Machine. He was sitting in something like a reclining chair, only stomach first so to expose his spine. His hospital gown did little to protect him from the coldness of the operating room. Everett now belived that the light anesthetic he had been given earlier must have been more potent than he had been told. His thoughts moved sporadically and without focus, quashing any notion to abandon his participation in the imminent procedure.
Had he been more aware he might have felt a slight pressure against the base of his skull. As the metal cylinder pressed against Everett's neck the series of syringes contained within pierced his skin and deposited their contents into his bloodstream. Slightly radioactive materials, small quantities of iron and other such miscellania would allow his blood to be monitored more easily during the CAT scans over the ensuing months.
Money had been enough to convince Everett to participate. Total integration of a human mind with an Assisted Thought Module had never yet been attempted. The high-pitched whirring of a saw blade grew dull as it cut into Everett's skull, exposing the hot blood coursing through his mind to the air. Very suddenly, Everett felt the cold more acutely than ever in his life.
Had he been more aware he might have felt a slight pressure against the base of his skull. As the metal cylinder pressed against Everett's neck the series of syringes contained within pierced his skin and deposited their contents into his bloodstream. Slightly radioactive materials, small quantities of iron and other such miscellania would allow his blood to be monitored more easily during the CAT scans over the ensuing months.
Money had been enough to convince Everett to participate. Total integration of a human mind with an Assisted Thought Module had never yet been attempted. The high-pitched whirring of a saw blade grew dull as it cut into Everett's skull, exposing the hot blood coursing through his mind to the air. Very suddenly, Everett felt the cold more acutely than ever in his life.