The Device
Chapter 1
“Hey, watch it! I’m not your lab rat!” Eryka snapped. Granted, she didn’t usually hesitate to snap at people even without the stress of fast approaching due dates looming over her. So really, under the circumstances her tone might have been expected. A few feet away Maeve was not impressed either way. Not showing any reaction besides one brow very slowly inching up she merely noted: “Actually if you want the data, then until the end of the month that is precisely what you are.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to gloat over it!”
The two women had never gotten along but in normal times they didn’t exactly clash either. There were plenty of ways to simply avoid each other. College was busy enough as it was and with Eryka being nearly always out during her free time and Maeve being too invested in whatever it was that she wanted to research next, even the fact that they split rent was little more than an acceptable inconvenience for both of them.
Of course, all of that only applied so long as everything went smoothly. And when was that ever truly the case? “Nobody’s gloating,” Cameron’s deep bass tried to salvage the situation. “Come on, ladies, just two more weeks and then we can all laugh about this over a few drinks.” Two pairs of eyes glared daggers at him. Why were they only ever in perfect sync during moments like this? He sighed. Nothing new there. As the only guy in their arrangement, he was solely there to make up the numbers and make splitting the rent easier. Not like they were openly hostile or anything, but they had laid down crystal clear ground rules from day one. In the end, one third of the rent was pretty much the only kind of rent either of the three students could afford. Possibly with the exception of Maeve who despite being the youngest of the bunch already was under contract at a local company. The short researcher was not one for mingling with friends too much, but all the more did she have her sights set on anything that could help with her academic progress. As such, she was more than happy to split the cost of living but that’s where her understanding for others often already ended. Eryka would likely have remained the only one she’d have accepted into the place if not for the fact that the humanities student did not waste a single thought to chores outside of her own room. That one looked like right out of a magazine, picture perfect and tidy all the time. Yet as soon as she stepped through her door into the rest of the house, it was like she forgot all about how to care for the place. It had taken them around a month apparently before Cameron had been approached by the social butterfly of his class who just so happened to know from a friend of a friend that Maeve was on the hunt for a second roommate.
Well, make that a live-in assistant. He got the room only on several conditions, neatly outlined in an agreement for him to sign. One of the key points made chores around the house with the exception of the girls’ bedrooms his responsibility. Once a week Maeve would usually leave a list of books out and expected him to bring them from the local library, along with the pile of books that needed to be returned. He eventually plain stopped counting how often she made him take her notes because she was not willing to pay for satisfying speech-to-text software. And somewhere along the line they had found an arrangement that may have struck him as unbearable back before he moved in, but that felt comfortable in a way now that he lived here.
Maybe that was why he recognized that both girls were just trying to delay the experiment. He pointed at the device the girls had set up between them on the table. “Why don’t we talk while we work?” They seemed to have complaints still but Maeve swallowed hers to concede: “That would be more efficient.”
Eryka on the other hand kept glaring warily at the blinking and faintly beeping construction. Not like Cameron blamed her. The device looked rather cartoonish, a silly cheap plastic orb propped up on spindly legs so that a bunch of wires at the bottom would not get in the way. From all he could tell, it seemed like a completely nonsensical mishmash of cheap junk that was hooked up to Maeve’s laptop. “I still don’t get what you even hope to achieve with that.” Maeve sighed and for a moment Cameron was pretty sure he saw embarrassment and regret on the short, dark haired researcher’s face before she regained her composure. “I just want to disprove that this thing really produced the data that my boss is so excited about.”
“You want to disprove,” echoed Eryka as if somehow that would explain things better. “Isn’t the point of research to prove something?” “Fine then, let’s say I want to prove that it is as much a delusional hobbyist’s creation as it looks like.”
Cameron scanned the display for any signs of technological failure while checking that everything was ready to record, well… whatever data the setup would spit out. In all honesty he didn’t expect much. And Maeve, the only one who seemed to truly know what exactly her boss found out, had not exactly tried to make him expect anything either. “Well, if your boss thinks she came come up with the new breakthrough in mind reading computers, she’ll have to take her place at the back of the line. Were there not two marketable prototypes introduced already last month? She’s a bit late to the party, isn’t she?”
Maeve groaned: “Don’t remind me.” It was her department that had worked tirelessly day and night in hopes of winning the race against the competitors. Three of her designs had been rejected despite the very promising test runs. Before finally her boss had gone with someone else’s design that in her eyes clearly did not match up to the level of her own creations. “This supposedly doesn’t just read brain waves to interpret what the user wants. Apparently it directly sends signals from the computer back the same way without a need for bigger monitors and other hardware. Well, once it’s completed anyway. Right now at most it could boost the signals of a nearby computer.”
“Like your laptop.” They had gone over this before but Cameron still spelled it out as he noticed Eryka’s confused look all throughout the conversation. Sure enough she didn’t seem too convinced: “Am I going to hear a lot of static in my head the whole time?” Her two friends looked at each other as if the thought occurred to them only now. “Guess that is one of the tests we can run,” nodded Maeve.
“You’re not serious, are you?”
“Cameron, if you would?”
“Better now than never, right?” He tried to laugh it off as he flipped the switch, half expecting nothing. The readings on the screen didn’t change much, only a small bar in the corner of the display indicated that the strange device had been turned on.
“It should be analyzing your brain waves now,” he surmised the information before him. “Do you feel any different?”
“Nothing yet,” Eryka shrugged and rolled her eyes for effect. “It’s good we started at least, or I may die of boredom.”
Maeve made a few notes, otherwise seeming perfectly calm as she mentioned: “That’s to be expected. According to initial tests, we would need to ramp up the power quite a bit for the scan to be invasive enough to be felt. No worries, you shouldn’t feel anything too different from simply using a smartphone or similar devices.”
Cameron kept his eyes on the graph before him. In all honesty he didn’t see why it was his job to record and read the data. Since Maeve had not prepared him for what signs to expect beyond a vague reassurance that the software would give easily understood flashing warnings if any values entered a range they shouldn’t, he was mildly confused by the screen at best. Why were there two graphs displayed for example? Shouldn’t Eryka just have one brain to link up to? He shrugged it off as just redundancy. Maeve had said she had calibrated the device and her laptop very carefully after all.
After seconds the system confirmed the initial link. He nodded, more to himself than anything: “There we go. Moving on to the first test.” Next to the computer Maeve had left a list of steps she wanted this experiment to go through. All he was expected to do was work through the points on it one by one. “The device should now be able to interpret simple signals from your brain. This is both a feature and a secondary way of establishing and improving the link. We will ask you a row of simple questions that should be answered in one word. Please only think the answer and concentrate on it. The device needs to pick up on it and display it on the screen,” Maeve supplied information that he had not even heard yet. Clearly not enough of a reason to make her any less disappointed that he didn’t volunteer this explanation.
The questions really were simple though: “How do you feel right now?”
Some parts of the device hummed slightly before a small window popped up. “Bored, is it?” Cameron smiled at Eryka. “It gets a bit more interesting soon, no worries.” Returning to the screen he was surprised to see a second window. Anxious. He frowned. “Cameron? Is everything okay?” Maeve’s voice was only a tint more emotional than before. A dangerous sign by her standards, but he immediately nodded. “Just a bit of mixed signals. The device picked up two answers.” Maeve waved it aside. “At this step it is still supposed to have an incomplete link according to my boss’ research. Inaccuracies like that are why we run this test. There is also a chance of Eryka’s thoughts wandering as soon as the original question got answered. Eryka, I understand this is not the most exciting for you, but please for the sake of a swift experiment, try to focus.”
“No kidding, Dr. Genius! I wouldn’t have thought of that!” Cameron didn’t need the unprompted window displaying the word angry, or the second one reading irritated to pick up on the mood between the two.
“Second question,” he said a bit louder than necessary. “What’s your favourite colour?” Sky blue. Violet. He blinked slowly. “So that’s why your room is blue?” “What business do you have with my room?” Yes.
Only one window this time. For a moment he had thought that… He smiled the odd feeling away. Seemed the device was finally warming up. Mentally already checking the next item on the list he went through the motions for the control question, just to check if the redundant answers were gone for good: “This one’s obvious but what’s your name?”
He noticed a long stare from Maeve. She knew exactly why she had included this particular optional question: in case inaccurate answers needed to be verified. But given the unspoken disagreement in her eyes she apparently was not convinced that he decided correctly. So be it. That sort of exaggerated caution was what she got for telling him he only needed to press the buttons without knowing what sort of reaction was considered a good result. Still, her look caused him to almost miss the windows that popped up. Eryka. Maeve.
“Well? Why don’t we proceed?” Maeve stayed calm, but her nails hammered on her knee in silent impatience. “Anything incorrect about the answer?” “No, it’s correct. But...” “Then move on. We need this data. Preferably today.” He understood that she wanted this done sooner rather than later. But still, he hesitated. Somehow the device had linked not just with Eryka but rather with both of them. It created a wireless connection by measuring all it needed in a frontal cone shaped area, or so was the deplorably short description he heard. Apparently Maeve sat too close to Eryka and the device had picked up signals from her as well. Cameron was not exactly a scientist by nature, but he was conscientious enough to realize this was not what they had signed up for. “I think we should start over.” “Are you kidding me?” Eryka bulldozed over him before he had a chance to explain himself. “Look, Maeve said she does not even expect this thing to live up to the data her boss provided. I don’t care if we get different results, but we need some results fast. Unlike you, we have places to be and grades to worry about.” Even Maeve, normally one for strict regulations, didn’t seem too bothered. “Look, you may tweak things along the way if you feel a need to cross check and verify the accuracy of the readings. But we run on limited time here. I have to return this device to the company pretty soon. The fact that I was able to borrow it at all is already lucky enough. We’re doing this. Now.”
He knew he shouldn’t. The questions were the most harmless part of the experiment, designed to catch irregularities and warning signs before it could get messy. This device linked brains and computers after all—or at least it was supposed to. If during the next steps any of them noticed something was off, he would carry the blame. Or be out of a home. Probably both. Nevermind that there were too many variables to proceed with two test subjects at once. But also… frankly he didn’t have it in him to pick a fight over this.
“We confirmed the link works one way for very simple, predictable answers. The next step adds a slightly more complex exchange of signals to that.” The notes almost made it seem like a game. “The front of the device will display lights. First in a randomized pattern, then only a specific one. You are to focus on the light until the pattern starts over. Correct answers should trigger a short, pleasant impulse from the device to you. A simple ‘yes’ is all the confirmation I need to check if you received the impulse or not. Understood?” Eryka rolled her eyes. “Whatever, dude, get it started.”
He hit the button. From where he stood it was harder to notice but the surface of the device lit up. Tiny light bulbs that he had frankly thought to be the result of some nerdy engineer’s sci-fi hobby flickered to life in what appeared to be a pulsating pattern. Within moments it stopped. Only one light remained, but his attention was on the girls. Both blinked. “Y-yes.” Eryka frowned as if not sure what sound just came out of her mouth. Only to let out a tiny gasp right after. “That was weird.” “Don’t worry about it,” he restarted the sequence. Not before noticing that a window on the screen silenty matched Eryka’s reply. “Yes.” As if embarrassed by the timing Eryka snapped: “Not to you. To the game.” “Of course. Don’t mind it. Just focus on the lights.” Another stop. “Yes.” “Good. Let’s get more data, shall we?” Lights. Stop. “Yes.” He watched the girls at least as intently as the screen. And they were just as focused on the flickering device. Each time the randomized pattern faded and left only one light, a faint twitch around the corners of their mouth and a sudden, heavy blink were the only outward signs that both felt different in that moment. That, and Eryka’s voice echoing a soft: “Yes.” A word that was matched in perfect silence by a message on the laptop every time. Without really knowing what made him do it, he looped the pattern. It would keep the program cycling through the same command over and over until stopped. There was no logical reason. He just needed a moment to realize what was happening. Both girls stared at the lights as if forgetting the world around themselves. Now that he was free to take a closer look, their eyes were struggling to remain open, droopy eye lids barely managing to flutter back up enough to let the test continue. Every time the flashing stopped, a smile grew on their faces. Maeve’s hands hung down to the sides, not even pretending to keep notes on the progress anymore. He was baffled. It had to be ages since he last saw her as openly, unrestrained happy as whenever she felt the impulse for getting the answer right.
Actually, had he ever? She was not exactly the expressive type. Yet here she was, smiling without a care in the world whenever the signal reached her brain that she got the task right.
Eryka on the other hand seemed to feel weird about it still. Her smile grew as well, every time a bit more, but as soon as the randomized flashes returned her expression fell slack as if she was not sure what to think of it.
Or just not sure what to think?
He shook his head. What exactly did he believe was happening here? Maeve had said it herself: there was no way this device was as effective as advertised. So what if they enjoyed scoring correct answers in a test? Who wouldn’t?
He returned to the laptop only to almost panic when he saw a bright yellow band of colour flash around the edges of the screen. There was no sound yet, but there didn’t need to be. Even like this the warning nature of that signal was all too clear. His first glance went to the notes. ‘Stick to 5-10 repetitions’. How many had the program cycled through now? Double that? Triple? More? There was no pretending that he kept track. For all intents and purposes he had been as distracted as the both of them. A pop-up window almost gave him a jumpscare. In scrambled lettering it read two words: sO LoNg...
He didn’t know which of the two that thought belonged to. Maybe Maeve. She knew the most about how this experiment was meant to be done. It made sense she would be the first to notice anything unexpected.
Cameron didn’t think about his reaction. In an attempt to close the warning and the window and reach the button to halt the program, he hit one of the letters on the key board. For a paralyzing, infinite second he just stared dumbfounded at the small blinking cursor and the black squiggled shape that he had punched into the machine. Then the realization hit him. Messages from the computer to the participant were an option. That was part of the experiment of course. Just not at this stage. But… He didn’t think it through. His fingers flew over the key board, punching up the first thing that came to mind.
This is fine. Cameron has everything under control. Don’t question the experiment.
His hands entered the message into the system before his brain caught up. Once it did, he held his breath, terrified of what he had just done. This wasn’t just “an additional tweak to verify results”. Either he just royally screwed up. Or he had altered the entire course of this test. In a big way.
Which on some level was pretty much the same thing.
Both girls visibly relaxed, a dopey smile lingering on their faces. The warning signal changed colours before he found the button to disable it. Two voices wafted through the room, soft to the point of sounding like someone else entirely and sending a chill down his spine.
“Yes.”
* * *