BooksBarbecue
Back The Last Christian
Chapters (58)
  1. Cover
  2. Other Books by This Author
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Prologue
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. Author’s Note

My mind felt hazy. I forced myself to press on through the fog. My current brain would never again do for me what I wanted it to do. My life would never be what I wanted it to be. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain if I accepted his offer.

“I’ve always been reticent to embrace technological enhancements, Mr. Nichols. As a historian, I have an affinity for doing things the old-fashioned way.”

“But under the circumstances…”

I took a slow drink. “Inflexibility for its own sake is no virtue. Under the circumstances…I accept your offer.”

“Splendid. You won’t regret it, Professor.”

I thought for a moment. “I would, however, like to make one request.”

“Which is?”

“I’d like to first see the transplant procedure performed. Can you arrange that?”

He smiled. “Of course. We’d be delighted to have you observe. We can set you up in simultaneous VR, and you can observe a procedure in real time right from your hospital room.”

It took a moment for that to sink in. “Yes. That would be fine.”

“Splendid. I’ll have my assistant contact you.” Nichols leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. “Now, shall we discuss the other end of the deal?”

I looked at him warily. “There’s another end?”

“Yes. One thing I need you to do for me.”

35

I had a visitor last night after you left.”

Abby looked up at me from the cafeteria breakfast she had brought to my room. “You did? Who?”

“Bryson Nichols.”

“Bryson Nichols! He was here?”

“We met in VR.”

“What did he want?”

“He…heard about my condition, and he wanted to…express his concern.”

“Could you tell if he’s behind all this?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t? Why not? Everything we know about my village, your illness…it points to Nichols.” Her eyes were narrow, and her cheeks were reddening.

I put my hands on her arms, hoping to calm her down. “I…It’s more complicated than we surmised, Abby. I think people close to him are behind it. I think he’s trying to stop them and make things right. That’s why he wanted to talk to me.”

Abby’s eyebrows furrowed. “Creighton, he didn’t try to talk you into getting an artificial brain, did he?”

I didn’t answer.

She pulled away from me. “You’re not seriously considering that, are you?”

“I’m not sure. It is tempting, given what’s happened to me.”

She stood and walked over to the window. Her face conveyed a mixture of disappointment and confusion; clearly she was still baffled at why anyone would want an artificial brain. When she spoke, her voice sounded distant. “Did he say anything about my grandfather?”

I nodded. “Nichols told me something to relay to you.”

She turned toward me.