Crimson Rain (3 page)

They could see from the eye that didn
’
t have the electrode; the other eye, however, would see a sea of information. The information was easy to navigate. All one ne
eded to do was think of what they
wanted to see. The first few times most people would get on, all they would see were lewd pictures or videos of people having intercourse, or sometimes of
a
cat chasing a ball, but with some practice and
self-discipline
, one could find anything in the vast
sea
.

The other additional advantage of the interface was that the brain could respond so quickly to the written word without interpretation being required
from direct visual stimuli
. Reading an entire book was nearly instant. These days,
spending
the whole night on the interface was considered abhorrent. Nobody needed to be on that long; their brains wouldn
’
t be capable of storing all the information one would see in an entire eve.

Max took a sip of his cold, stale coffee and began looking for information on Psyker Screams. He waded
through
information for roughly ten minutes. He had instantly
seen
four videos, two books, hundreds of web pages, and about a thousand pictures of them performing. However, he was no closer to understanding why Zarfa would possibly want the modifications.

Was he really
nothing more than an
emotionally scarred and angst
-
ridden
fan of some trendy band
? Was he beaten up so badly on the street one day that he became another kid who liked crazy screamer metal and deep techno beats? Max refused these conclusions.

Maybe the answer was in the nanobots, he thought to himself as he twisted his hair in his finger with his right hand, leaning on the desk. He searched and he searched, reading every specification, every design, every review, and all kinds of medical data on the bots. He knew more now than he ever had, but still, it wasn
’
t adding up.

The unaltered average human could hear in frequencies ranging from twelve hertz or cycles up to twenty thousand. The bots, other than the high death rate due to complication, were rather pointless and benign. All they did was increase human hearing on the low end of the scale, or bass, to hear frequencies as low as one hertz. It also increased the high end of the hearing range to be able to include frequencies between ninety thousand hertz and one hundred twenty thousand hertz.

The bots left out all tones between twenty thousand
and
ninety thousand. The reason for this was because the tones in between were everywhere. Microwaves, plasma field generators, hovercraft, plasma energy lines, even light bulbs produced noise frequencies between twenty and ninety thousand hertz, but dropped off significantly at th
e higher
levels.

But why would someone want to hear such high frequencies, or such low
ones
, for that matter, as well? It didn
’
t make sense; something still didn
’
t add up. Max knew there was a much larger picture and he was missing it. Zarfa
’
s remark wasn
’
t made as an insult against a musically challenged older man; it was to keep him out of something… Something that he wanted to know about.

“
Ugh, I
’
ve wasted so much time,
”
he muttered.

The flow of information began to make his head hurt. He had already reached the limits of what a human brain could take in. Frustrated, he leaned back in his chair and finished drinking his cold cup of coffee that tasted more like battery acid than coffee.

Business was slow today. Sure, he had made more money today than in the last month with the one Psyker treatment, but he was getting bored. He usually saw several legitimately sick patients in his area of town
,
along with the few stimulant freaks and boost users, but they
’
d begun to avoid his office with the reputation he had for the way he dealt with them. He
sat there
in his chair, zoning out
with a mouthful of cold, rank coffee
,
and let his mind wander.

He didn
’
t know how much time had elapsed in his daydream before he heard his door slam open. He jumped up, spitting out the coffee all over his desk and floor. The woman who had
abruptly
burst into his office like she was breaking in startled him in his dazed state.

She was tall, about five-foot, ten inches, and slender. She was wearing a very tight plasti-poly black and pink jumpsuit. Her eyes were striking and almost catlike; she had a dark line of black around her iris, the core of her iris was a deep blue color, and the trim of her iris around the pupil was a bright yellow. Her hair was a striking red color that contrasted beautifully with her pale, almost porcelain skin.

She wasn
’
t old, but she wasn
’
t young either. She was roughly thirty-five, and her face spoke of experience…life experience, things that would wear a weaker person out. She had deep worry lines at the top of her nose by her eyebrows that told of a lot of heartache and pain. She was, however, beautiful beyond a doubt, a real woman, not a little girl.

“
Tell me, doctor, what do you know of the Psyker treatments?
”
she questioned with a sheepish grin. Her canine teeth were slightly longer and more pointed than average.

“
Well isn
’
t that the popular question of the day? I know everything there is to
know
about how to administer
it;
everything there is to tell about how the bots are produced, and what they do. Yet, I still don
’
t know much as to why everyone is in a rush to get them
.
I
f that
’
s what you
’
re asking,
”
Max said in an exasperated tone. The adrenaline of the scare was starting to wear off, but a new type was beginning to kick in from her beauty.

“
Heh, figures. I already know why I want them, but you just might be my man. Tell me, do you have the capabilities to modify nanobots? I need something like them only…different. What I need, they don
’
t make. I heard you do the treatments, but can you modify them?
”

“
Modify an already extremely physically altering, highly dangerous nanobot? Here? In my office? Are you mad, woman?
”

“
Maybe. Of what concern is it to you? I am sorry to have wasted your time, doctor. Good day,
”
she said politely and with a curtsy as she began to turn toward the door.

“
Wait! You came through that door like you were being chased or
were
coming to rob me
only to
ask me a crazy question, and I don
’
t even know your name. On top of that, you are the second person today to come into my office
and
inquire about the modifications. On top of
that!
Y
ou appear to be a splicer. Before you go, please, entertain me. What do you want to know about this all for? And why the need to modify the bots? That
’
s a new one for me.
”

She smiled at him again and walked toward him. The skin
-
tight jumpsuit she was wearing was made for soldiers to fight without restraint from clothing. She was gorgeous, and every curve of her body was showing. She was clearly very sleek and muscular and even though the doctor had become accustomed to seeing patients naked, this one made his heart jump.

She walked right up to his desk and looked him in the eyes, let out a little purr, and reached out her hand to stroke his bangs. She took
some of his hair
and started twisting it in her fingers. Max stood there
,
looking annoyed. Despite her great beauty and the fact he was contemplating asking her out to dinner, he truly wanted answers to his questions. Also, he was wondering how much of a lunatic she was. He didn
’
t even know her name and she was touching him like they were old friends…or lovers.

“
Max, you haven
’
t changed a bit. Silly boy, you don
’
t even know the girl you went to school with
? Let
’
s see
,
I think we were in kindergart
en together. Then again in the third grade and
,
oh yeah
,
all of high school.
W
as it
all those years
?
I feel like I forgot one,
”
s
he said playfully.

She knew his name. He had gone to school with her?

“
Uhhh, refresh my memory,
”
he stated.

“
The name is Crimson, Crimson Rose. You recall, everyone made fun of me in school? Said I was insane? Said I lived too much in fantasy and not in the real world. You remember now, right? You even made that little chant about me,
”
she said, not angry, just matter-of-fact, then dropped her hand back down to her side.

He remembered. There was always something amiss with her. She was odd. She was strange in school… She was homely
and always dressed in an overly innocent motif
. He never thought she would bloom into this mature, beautiful woman he saw in front of him. If he had, he maybe never would have made fun of her.

“
Yes, I remember,
but that means you
’
re my age… You look good,
”
he said with a gulp.
“
Please forgive me. I was a child then
.
I was stupid
.
”

She cut him off.
“
Hell yeah you were, ugly too, so I didn
’
t care about your little chant. The reason I am here isn
’
t because of some score to settle or to rub anything in your face. I happened to be in the neighborhood and saw your office. I came in to ask if you could do the impossible, nothing more.

“
Don
’
t worry, you aren
’
t the first doctor I have asked and, with your answer, you won
’
t be the last. I have to hand it to you, though. Something must have changed you. You used to be rude, self
-
centered, careless, crass and, well, let
’
s face it, an
all-around
ass. But here you are, in the slums, offering free care. You
’
ve changed a lot, as have I. It
’
s good to see
you
,
doctor.
Who would have ever thought, Max Hall! MD!
”

“
Speaking of change, you got gene spliced with a cat? Really?
”

“
Yes, really. Not a cat, though. It took a lot of work, but I got my hands on the genetics of a cheetah. Don
’
t ask, I know most of them died out in twenty-sixty-four. Anyhow, can I go now? I feel I
’
ve played your little game enough.
”

“
You can go any time. I can
’
t detain you… A cheetah? How? Never mind. Like I said, you are free, but still, my questions—Psyker Scream, the modification to the bots?
”

“
Look, it appears you
’
ve changed, but people still think I am as crazy as I ever was. You want answers, come to a Psyker show tonight. Come see what you hear. They
’
re playing in town tonight; not many people know so the crowd won
’
t be too big. Show me you
’
ve got an open mind and maybe, just maybe, I will let you know more.
”

“
Come see what I hear? I think you
’
ve forgotten something. I provide the enhancements. I don
’
t have them myself.
”

“
And you forget, neither do I. Guess you don
’
t truly want answers…too bad,
”
she said nonchalantly as she began to saunter toward the door.