(just riffin') down in the lab
Pathlab report -
Received; box, memory junkets, seven suitable. Request delivery ASAP further batch, re; order number 01010/Br1iSt/1978/AxR.
Equipment installed as per arrangement.
Comment:
The Precinct here looks viable still, since the police cleared the office section and rebuilt the barricades. As I believe I said, it’s rare for a nest to be returned to once the creatures have been flushed. There were some notes left behind (not many unfortunately), one of the crew here must have been a scientist prior to mem-loss (or maybe they just got implanted?). It’s clear this was a sophisticated unit. If their new location is discovered I would recommend attempting o extract the leaders. It’s possible they have information we don’t, certainly what we see here suggests that they have extended Short Term Memory period without use of a Hot-wire.
Note: Talking of a Hot-wire, if the next fluid batch is likely to be delayed or reduced I would like to request one. Yes, it’s dangerous but rewiring could be a last resort in an emergency.
Perhaps you could send the notes on most recent cases for my review?
Question: Specifically have any of those ‘stuck’ in long-term memory ‘awoken’ from their condition?
Filed and sent via courier.
Note: If no acknowledgement in 3 days, will assume loss of courier and send again.
Dr J. Lees.
With a firm grip, Lees shook the hand of the courier who snapped down the visor on their helmet and made a fast exit, the uneven lighting flashing off the back of his black leather jacket. Not even toughened couriers liked hanging around a Path-Lab, even a temporary field unit such as this.
He looked across to the dour face of his assistant. “What?”
The assistant shrugged, it made his whole face pucker up. “Just, you know… Do you really think we can get another batch so soon? The Corporates are grabbing what they can…”
Lees sighed. “They can manufacture - no need for them to go hogging our supply…”
“So they say.”
“So they ARE.”
The assistant’s name was Veron and he was talking sense and knew it too. Who could trust the big clinics - who were they responsible to these days, who could remember? Still, this place had Lees and he was a good man, God knows why he wasn’t working for MediTek or some Corp like them.
“You asked for a Hot-wire?”
“I did.” Lees had his hands in the pocket of his lab coat, a mannerism that indicated deep thought. He should know better, deep thinking used up energy and cell power in the synapses - pretty soon it used up memory too.
“You even seen one of those…?” Veron asked despite himself.
Lees nodded. “I think so. Not a re-enactor, genuinely their own memory, man was a sailor back in the day. Or maybe his father was, anyway real memories from the real past.”
“Was he happy?”
“Seemed that way - no inkling that they were just living off their long term memories, but of course, when you can’t remember what you’ve done to yourself, why would you?”
Lees had stepped across to the row of battered filing cabinets, one of them squealed as he pulled out a draw and deposited the report copy.
“You ever see a re-enactor?”
Veron was asking all the wrong questions today. Maybe he was getting close to needing a shot. They had been busy sweeping the last of the debris out, and it had taken a precious few hours of solid labour. “Who knows?” Lees answered as briefly as he could, “I heard they move in groups - saw a bunch of people once that fit the bill, thought they were detectives, collecting evidence, nothing on them of course.”
Veron moved himself now, short legs crossing to the sink across the dun-grey floor tiles, he began to check the instruments, some might need another de-tox, you never knew - and surgical implements were one cause of un-necessary infection, one he could live without. Without turning his head he asked another question. “You ever worry that…?” again his didn’t need to complete the sentence.
“You mean us?” Lees gave a chuckle, humourless. “Re-enactors? Well, it’s always possible - but I think we’d have found out by now! Whatever entertainment source we sucked up for info would have played itself out by now surely? And it must have been incredibly detailed to give us such an amount of medical knowledge.”
“So we think.” Veron found a spatula and organ tray he didn’t like the look of and rinsed them under the steamer just in case. The pipes made the whole room groan. Once they were done he dropped them back onto the steel rack. “Maybe it was just a really good show.”
Lees turned from the cabinet, eyeing his assistant curiously. “Well, yes -but if you start doubting everything you’d end up a blank in no time, better to just…”
“Play it out?”
“Yes, I suppose - if you want to think of it like that.”
“I think too much,” Veron nodded. And what was I doing again? Oh, yeah… there was a spatula and organ tray he didn’t like the look of and rinsed them under the steamer just in case. The pipes made the whole room groan. Once they were done he dropped them back onto the steel rack.
“Yes” said Lees slowly,” yes you do.”
Received; box, memory junkets, seven suitable. Request delivery ASAP further batch, re; order number 01010/Br1iSt/1978/AxR.
Equipment installed as per arrangement.
Comment:
The Precinct here looks viable still, since the police cleared the office section and rebuilt the barricades. As I believe I said, it’s rare for a nest to be returned to once the creatures have been flushed. There were some notes left behind (not many unfortunately), one of the crew here must have been a scientist prior to mem-loss (or maybe they just got implanted?). It’s clear this was a sophisticated unit. If their new location is discovered I would recommend attempting o extract the leaders. It’s possible they have information we don’t, certainly what we see here suggests that they have extended Short Term Memory period without use of a Hot-wire.
Note: Talking of a Hot-wire, if the next fluid batch is likely to be delayed or reduced I would like to request one. Yes, it’s dangerous but rewiring could be a last resort in an emergency.
Perhaps you could send the notes on most recent cases for my review?
Question: Specifically have any of those ‘stuck’ in long-term memory ‘awoken’ from their condition?
Filed and sent via courier.
Note: If no acknowledgement in 3 days, will assume loss of courier and send again.
Dr J. Lees.
With a firm grip, Lees shook the hand of the courier who snapped down the visor on their helmet and made a fast exit, the uneven lighting flashing off the back of his black leather jacket. Not even toughened couriers liked hanging around a Path-Lab, even a temporary field unit such as this.
He looked across to the dour face of his assistant. “What?”
The assistant shrugged, it made his whole face pucker up. “Just, you know… Do you really think we can get another batch so soon? The Corporates are grabbing what they can…”
Lees sighed. “They can manufacture - no need for them to go hogging our supply…”
“So they say.”
“So they ARE.”
The assistant’s name was Veron and he was talking sense and knew it too. Who could trust the big clinics - who were they responsible to these days, who could remember? Still, this place had Lees and he was a good man, God knows why he wasn’t working for MediTek or some Corp like them.
“You asked for a Hot-wire?”
“I did.” Lees had his hands in the pocket of his lab coat, a mannerism that indicated deep thought. He should know better, deep thinking used up energy and cell power in the synapses - pretty soon it used up memory too.
“You even seen one of those…?” Veron asked despite himself.
Lees nodded. “I think so. Not a re-enactor, genuinely their own memory, man was a sailor back in the day. Or maybe his father was, anyway real memories from the real past.”
“Was he happy?”
“Seemed that way - no inkling that they were just living off their long term memories, but of course, when you can’t remember what you’ve done to yourself, why would you?”
Lees had stepped across to the row of battered filing cabinets, one of them squealed as he pulled out a draw and deposited the report copy.
“You ever see a re-enactor?”
Veron was asking all the wrong questions today. Maybe he was getting close to needing a shot. They had been busy sweeping the last of the debris out, and it had taken a precious few hours of solid labour. “Who knows?” Lees answered as briefly as he could, “I heard they move in groups - saw a bunch of people once that fit the bill, thought they were detectives, collecting evidence, nothing on them of course.”
Veron moved himself now, short legs crossing to the sink across the dun-grey floor tiles, he began to check the instruments, some might need another de-tox, you never knew - and surgical implements were one cause of un-necessary infection, one he could live without. Without turning his head he asked another question. “You ever worry that…?” again his didn’t need to complete the sentence.
“You mean us?” Lees gave a chuckle, humourless. “Re-enactors? Well, it’s always possible - but I think we’d have found out by now! Whatever entertainment source we sucked up for info would have played itself out by now surely? And it must have been incredibly detailed to give us such an amount of medical knowledge.”
“So we think.” Veron found a spatula and organ tray he didn’t like the look of and rinsed them under the steamer just in case. The pipes made the whole room groan. Once they were done he dropped them back onto the steel rack. “Maybe it was just a really good show.”
Lees turned from the cabinet, eyeing his assistant curiously. “Well, yes -but if you start doubting everything you’d end up a blank in no time, better to just…”
“Play it out?”
“Yes, I suppose - if you want to think of it like that.”
“I think too much,” Veron nodded. And what was I doing again? Oh, yeah… there was a spatula and organ tray he didn’t like the look of and rinsed them under the steamer just in case. The pipes made the whole room groan. Once they were done he dropped them back onto the steel rack.
“Yes” said Lees slowly,” yes you do.”