September 2024
Agdar and Idunn stared in anticipation as their doctor scowled at the computer before him. A couple of aggressive swipes later and the program was ready to run again. The doctor switched to another window, furiously sifting through some documents to ensure all the data he'd been given was valid. Seeing no error, he returned and smashed the 'Analyze' button. After an agonizing wait, the computer gave up and yielded an error: "Analysis failed - invalid input signal."
"What does that mean?" Idunn demanded. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and unclenched her fists. "Is my baby going to be okay?"
Dr. Albert Mueller, the Arendelle family's trusted medical expert, did his best to placate."Well... the ultrasounds in the records all indicate healthy morphology. Furthermore, today's vitals are steady and consistent. She should live, but beyond that is uncertain. Aside from that, we can't run any real analysis on her."
All of the pre-natal evaluation and extrapolation programs had failed. The neuro-mapping, the genetic profile, Everything. Baby Elsa was a complete medical mystery. This invoked a particularly disturbing realization within Agdar. It gnawed at him, compelling him to ask: "So she'll be completely un-augmented... At the mercy of nature?"
Idunn cringed at her husband's words, the social and political implications crashing into her with overwhelming force. No matter what the context, Elsa would always be in last place; weak, vulnerable, and dependent upon others.
Sensing the pain in the young couple, Dr. Mueller replied with cautious optimism. "I wouldn't write her off just yet. After delivery we should have better access to her biological systems. We might even get lucky and be able to implant some synaptic co-processors and neural filters."
Idunn's demeanor softened ever so slightly at the doctor's hopeful words. Exhaling sharply, she took a moment to collect herself, but the environment wasn't helping. Sterile white walls with brushed steel trim towered over everyone in the room, casting a desolate tint over the meeting.
Ever a man of persistence and tenacity, Agdar pressed the issue. He straightened himself in his chair and put on the collected air of authority for which he was known. "Are you sure there isn't anything else you can do? I know it isn't a trivial request but her future is at stake..."
That calm, bold assertiveness never failed to light a fire in Idunn's heart. It had always been her favorite part of her husband's character, unwavering through the years. Basking in her heart's subtle throbbing, she scooped his arm in hers and gently rested her head on his shoulder. The desolate tinge of the environment faded into the background with him by her side.
Never one to give up on a challenge, Albert took stock of his options and relayed them. "I suppose I can go over all of the data again. If there's any change, I'll let you know."
"You're the best." Agdar replied with a confident smile. "Oh... before we go. That neurological implant we've been discussing... how far along is it?"
Whenever a perceptive individual also has the gift of love, they tend to learn their partner very quickly. Agdar was just such a man, ever in-tune with his beloved. Her anxious fidgeting, the wringing of her hands and the occasional chewing of her cheeks did not go unnoticed.
The fog of distraction clouding Idunn's mind didn't dissipate all at once. Her eyes glazed over, the image of passing streetlights and scenery bounced off the mind meaninglessly. The clearing was a slow, labored process that didn't solidify until she made a critical realization.
'This isn't the way home...'
Within moments, the telltale allure of curiosity had her in its grasp. Peeking over at Agdar revealed exactly what she'd suspected. He was planning something for sure. That determined expression of his stirred up far too many memories to be anything else. She shot her eyes upwards in momentary contemplation, pondering how effective it would be to pry the surprise out.
'Nah... he's up to something sweet. I'll let him do it his way.'
The ultimate destination of the evening finally lay before them. Idunn gave the building a once-over, finding a sleek, skewed, and asymmetrical glass-coated affair. From within, soft red lights diffused through dark black furnishings where they finally hit the frosted glass. Dead leaves briskly blew across the sidewalk along a breeze that kissed her skin. The sensation juxtaposed against the tantalizing warmth within, drawing her towards the door. A familiar hand clasped her own.
"I noticed you were feeling a bit edgy. Hungry, dear?"
"Oh Agdar..." She replied, gazing back at him with wide, wistful eyes.
Inside, the ambiance was saturated with the scent of lush delicacies and the sound of bavardage from patrons. Unlike typical babble, this chatter was soft, diffuse; every inch of the interior's design had been meticulously engineered to massage the harsh sounds of business into a gentle, relaxing serenade.
Soon the amorous duo were munching on exquisite Maine lobster, slathered far past the saturation limit with oodles of dripping butter. Idunn felt her anxiety melt away faster than the scrumptious chunks of crustacean flesh in her mouth.
"You know sweetheart, I'm actually starting to feel really good about things." Agdar began, his tone steeped in optimism.
"Hmm?" Idunn hummed through a mouth full of succulence.
"Well, most of it's just a general good feeling... but Albert has arranged for me to get one of Evotech's newest brain implants. It'll tell me exactly how someone is feeling, and give suggestions of what they might be thinking. That's immediate feedback on if I'm being a good manager or not."
The prospect did sound tantalizing. Having that kind of insight into someone's mind would bring you intimately close to their world. On the other hand... It would be trivial to manipulate them. Mulling over the idea, Idunn's face contorted with concern.
"I know I have my creative augment..." She started, eyes darting around as she pulled her thoughts out. "But this is different. This is leadership and control. How do I know I won't lose my husband to this thing?"
At this, Agdar's face lit up. He'd spent hours discussing the subject with Dr. Mueller, and they'd come to a solution that he thought was quite ingenious.
"Let me put your fears to rest dear. In the implant, there's an onboard computer with a learning algorithm. It keeps track of dopamine levels, and if I get a little too excited, it will provoke a controlled oxytocin release. I requested the feature myself, and Albert designed it."
"At the first sign of trouble..." She started, letting out a weary sigh. "I'm making you get it removed. But... if it works the way it's supposed to..." Idun softened, gazing at him with contentment.
"It'll be nice to see you doing so much good."
Fall in New England is always a most chromatic affair. Spatterings of of crimson and yellow disrupted the patches of faded grass underneath, all while spires of evergreen pushed upwards through masses of leaves below. Winter was coming to be sure, but for the moment, the vibrant grace of autumn cradled the home of Agdar and Idunn Arendelle.
The house came alive at their presence, garage door fading out of existence as the car approached. Lights ignited in sequence as Agdar and Idunn retreated into their home. The living room awaited; it was a somber place, but not bereft of elegance. Luxurious, wispy floral trim adorned nearly every major feature in unique contrast to the rest of the house. The design hearkened to a simpler time, before technology had permeated every facet of life.
As her husband peered thoughtfully out the window, Idunn gently interjected "What shall we do dear?"
"About what, sweetheart?" He queried.
Idunn in her persistent grace, strode over to the plush couch where he was sitting. Soft folds of her dress fluttered daintily as she moved. Gently laying herself down the length of it, she gingerly cradled her head in his lap.
"Elsa. What if she really can't accept augments?"
Agdar nervously dragged his hand over his lips and down his chin. "There aren't many things we can do. We can hope, but that's hardly effective. There are a few safe havens, and even in this hostile world some naturals flourish..." He trailed off, his voice faltering. Painful memories reminded him that all the luck in the world could only go so far.
Not even months before, a story had broken about a teenage natural boy who had been kidnapped and abandoned in an area of the city that only responded to neural inputs. The thought of being trapped in an inhospitable, seemingly empty place with no food, water or restroom and no promise of rescue sent an insidious chill cascading down Agdar's spine.
Still though, there was always reason to be hopeful. After all, they were a fairly well-off family with burgeoning social influence. They had the best biotech engineers at their fingertips, and favors that could be called in all across the North American continent.
"It's too early to start worrying. We'll just whip ourselves into a panic that way."
Miffed, Idunn's face slid into a scowl. "It's never too early for foresight Agdar. There's gotta be at least something we can consider."
"You're right of course. I'll figure something out."
The months passed far more quickly than anyone could have prepared for.
A fire burned in the living room - it wasn't actual combustion, but rather a sophisticated emulation emitting both heat and light with none of the risk of a conflagration.
"... I do remember that! You had just gotten hired as a aerodynamics tester, and right when your new manager showed up to ask you how things were doing..."
Agdar jumped in and finished the story on his own: "Ted had plugged a wireless keyboard into the back of my machine and started KSP while I wasn't looking. The first thing my new boss saw was a squad of kerbinauts screaming their heads off as they incinerated in the atmosphere. I thought I'd have to find a new job, but they heard him sniggering behind us."
Swept away in the cheerful air, a smile burst across Idunn's face. "I'd only known you a few weeks." she started. "We had just finished working on a short film fo... Oh. OH!" Her expression morphed from jovial to concerned. "I think we've got company!"
Bolting into action, Agdar grabbed his beloved and in one deft motion swept her out of the house. He hopped into the driver's seat of their car and registered a medical emergency into the route planner. The vehicle's turbines hummed to life and jettisoned off into the night. Idunn interrupted the silence of the journey with a deceptively calm tone.
"Agdar, sweetheart... I feel. Cold. Freezing, even."
Unsure how to proceed on such little information, he did his best to soothe. "We're almost there, everything will be fine."
Moments later, their craft gracefully glided into the hospital lot. Medical staff hurriedly emerged from the building to tend to their newest patient.
Twelve hours and one utterly exhausting struggle later, Elsa Arendelle joined the world. With the last vestiges of her waking energy Idunn cradled her new daughter tenderly. Agdar stood by stoically and admired the scene before him. He flashed them both an endearing smile and remarked "All I see here is perfection."
A ferocious burst of frigidity completely blindsided Idunn. In a matter of milliseconds, newborn Elsa plunged to icy temperatures. A ghastly look possessed her mother's face; muscles tensed spastically as she unleashed a lung-shredding scream.
"DOCTOR! NURSE, PLEASE ANYONE!"
The staff, who had only recently started conferring with each other over the minutiae of the delivery operation, spun around at the disturbance.
Elsa was encased in ice. Thick, faceted volumes of it.
Before anyone could react, the ice receded. Shock and despair gave way to confusion. Surely, the infant's body temperature was back to normal. All that remained of the former ice sheets were wet puddles on the bedding.
"I swear, just a moment ago there we..."
Agdar cut her off "It was nothing sweetie, just some extra body fluids flying around in all the turmoil." He gave her a look, doing his best to convey wariness of calling attention to the debacle. Drawing ever nearer, he whispered "I think we should consult Dr. Mueller before making any of this public. Who knows what this could be?"
She faced him with grim agreement and nodded.
Agdar then turned and faced the staff, who still hadn't quite figured out what to make of the situation. Without a word, his assertive demeanor said all that needed to be said. He escorted them all out of the room with an utter lack of protestation from those being evicted.
The new father poised to speak but found himself disarmed by the sight before him. There it was - his world, his reason for existing, all in one place. It was pure, unadulterated bliss. Seeing the depleted look on his wife's face, he took their daughter from her and let her rest.
Two weeks later, it was finally time to have the fledgling girl fitted with her first round of upgrades. One of the greatest gifts a parent could give their children is the gift of technological enhancement. Diseases obliterated, morphological errors corrected, as well as receiving a framework that would allow the child's future self to have near total control over their destiny. Elsa's parents were hopeful that today would be the day their fears were laid to rest.
Several hours into the visit, the doors finally flew open to reveal Dr. Mueller. Agdar squeezed Idunn's hand gently and whispered: "Don't forget, I love you."
Agdar sprang to his feet at Albert's arrival. The look on the doctor's face said everything, yet he still grew ever impatient with Albert's silence.
"I know it isn't good news. I promise I won't bite. Please, just tell us."
"I'm sorry... we contacted every department in Evotech, I even personally exhausted my network of colleagues. All of the brain implants freeze and are attacked by her immune system. Every time we try to map her spinal cord, our instruments go dead. We couldn't get the MedulNode implanted, and I doubt we'll be able to install anything else either."
"It's the ice, isn't it?" Idunn asked
Dr. Mueller nodded in the affirmative. "It sure is, it's interfering with everything. This wasn't exactly a research operation, so I didn't get much insight, but it's something neurological. Her nervous system lights up like a christmas tree when it happens."
Tremendous dread loomed over Agdar. If Elsa was truly incompatible with not just augments, but the entirety of modern medicine, her life would be even more perilous.
"On the plus side, her immuno-response is significantly stronger than normal, she's completely impervious to freezing temperatures, and who knows what else. She should be a pretty tough girl. I've never seen anything like it."
Impatience lapped at both parents as it always does when separated from such a young child. Eager to have their daughter once again in their custody, they pushed the issue with . He assured them that she was, in fact, ready to be taken home.
The February storm raged with furious intensity, pelting the house of Arendelle. Inside, Idunn paced nervously. Fear about the future weighed in on her from all sides, escalating to intolerable levels. Lips quivering, she screamed "WE CAN'T DO THIS! It isn't fair to Elsa!"
The outburst didn't register with her husband at first - he wasn't being used to such an overwhelming outburst, especially not from his dearest.
"I- I can't think of a better idea! The... other life we lead is dangerous and that's without even considering how naturals are treated here. All the money in the world would be useless; there's no protecting her here.."
Maternal instincts on fire, Idunn jumped to counter. As soon as her mouth opened, realization gripepd her and, stopped her short. Her dissent was entirely irrational, saturated in her undying love for her daughter. It wasn't a perfect solution, not by a long shot. But it was the best one they had. Tearfully, she conceded.
Seeing her despair and being acutely affected by it himself, Agdar embraced her, gingerly stroking her arm with as much reassurance as the gesture could deliver. For several long minutes they mourned together.
With a heavy heart and sluggish manner, Agdar sulked over to his desk. Lifelessly, plopped into the chair, confidence sinking into its cushioning. Upon the desk, a display flickered on. A few interface commands later and a face appeared onscreen. A grin came across the distant face, and its owner asked "Agdar! What can I do for you old friend?".
Everything within Adgar's conscience kicked, protested, and dissented vehemently at what he was about to do. In the end, however, logic won the titanic struggle.
"Kai... I have a favor to ask of you. You remember all those years ago when I saved your life?"
Kai immediately sobered, and replied "I could never forget. What do you need?"
Idunn collapsed onto the bed nearby. Her resolve worn thin and her heart stressed to its breaking point, she wept ceaselessly into the night.