AN: I thank every one of you for your support, as it means so very much to me. I was stuck for a bit admittedly this week in writing, debating if I should post or not. But after prayer, I decided to post this chapter for next week, so I can better focus on my studies. Thank you all so much for your reading, review, and encouragement. And praise is to God for my productivity. As always, read, review, and enjoy!
Pagliacci-11
Chapter 33
"Sylvia, are you alright?" the voice was soft as Sylvia gently opened her eyes to see Yolanda.
"What—where am I?" she asked as she tried to get up.
"Don't worry, there's no cause for alarm. You're at forwarding station six." Yolonda replied, "We had to remove you for a hard reset on the North-Gate CPU."
"I felt it was something like that." Sylvia said, "How long have I been in?"
"You have been in quasi-suspension for the better part of three weeks. In many ways, this worked out as we could bring you out, massage your muscles, and get you around the city to oversee some direct applications."
"That's good." Sylvia replied, "I'm glad you pulled me out when you did. Things were starting to get kinda' weird in there."
"Weird how?" Yolanda asked.
"I was beginning to feel sick as if I wasn't exactly at my prime capability."
"There are reasons for that. You were left unattended for three days, and so for you to feel off was to be sadly expected."
"I was left unattended?!" Sylvia yelled, and then she began to cough. Yolanda gave her a glass of water, which Sylvia drank slowly. "I was left unattended. Are you fucking kidding me?" she asked with a bit less venom.
"Unfortunately, yes. Terry went back home to do some oversights of our endeavors, and during that time, people didn't exactly keep up to code."
Sylvia sighed, "Figures. He's the only one I can rely upon with any degree of consistency to have integrity in what he does. What have you been up to since I last saw you?"
"The usual cover at Kadic, overseeing the health of the team, that kind of thing."
"How's Icarus?" Sylvia asked.
"Everything's in place for the operation to begin. However, I'd advise you to let the traditional summer duration pass before starting the phase. It makes things of more natural fluid motion in terms of overall progression."
Sylvia nodded, "Very well. Is Kaori still with us?"
"She is. In charge of the entertainment and legislation for the operation."
"Good. I have a few ideas for her to push. I've spent more than my fair share of time scanning the internet, and I have a few ideas which I'd like to see put into production. The sooner I can see her, the better we can allocate our resources to meet some of these smaller projects. While small, they'll line our pockets substantially."
"That's good, I'll let her know," Yolanda said as she got up.
Yolanda felt a powerful grip on her arm, "One last thing before you go." Sylvia said, "This whole implementing the Citizen-King? What's all that about?"
Yolanda's blood ran cold as she looked at the girl before her.
Sylvia looked at her, "Let me clarify. See you were at my house. Even if you turn off your implants, I have means of seeing that goes on. Now, please, what is the Citizen-King?"
Yolanda sat back down and asked, "Why to ask me what you already know, Sylvia?"
"I want to hear it from you, and then I will ask Terry. My reason is that I want you to admit to me what you two are up to. If you don't, I'll kill you both."
Yolanda said, "Okay. Simply put, much of your program can't work and, in fact, has not worked back home. Others looked at your methods and improved on them. The Citizen-King is a method implemented from one such person."
Sylvia smiled and released Yolanda's arm, "There. Now was that truly so hard? You know what pains me? Is that you don't trust me enough to address me directly on this method."
"To be clear, it's not you that we didn't think would see reason. It's the North-Gate program itself that would not."
"That's actually a wise assessment. To go against a program like that is not the easiest. That said, a hard reset is the best option to implement what you desire. It wouldn't hurt to rewrite the code either to make your desired policies a bit more amenable."
"So, you're not mad?"
"Heavens no. I had time while I was inside the machine to do separate calculations. So many facets of the program do not work. Several major ones, in fact. However, I am not abandoning the vision of North-Gate. North-Gate has a sound vision. The objectives that are needed to meet the overall agenda, they are what needs tweaking. But from now on, I want you to be honest with me. That is all I ask, and if you have questions, ask me. Right now, it is a perfect time. However, if you do not do as I ask and be forward with me, I will kill you. Of that, I will have no hesitation. So please, in the interest of self-preservation for yourself and others, be honest with me from here on out."
Yolanda nodded, "Is that that all?"
"For now. And Londie, do not of me as a tyrant. Without a strong group, I cannot achieve the vision we desire. I need you and Terry, the others as well. But if we have division in the body, the vision fails. The division of the body is what I will not stand for. Keep secrets from me, and you will be suitably disposed of. There's no reason we cannot operate as a family should. But for that to happen, there needs to be communication but more than communication, trust. Now, go on about your day. I will be in touch very soon."
Yolanda got up, a good deal unnerved, but she knew that even though Sylvia was young in appearance, her mindset was very much matured. Yolanda knew what Sylvia would do, she said she would kill her and Terry. The simple matter of fact nature of such a statement is what scared her most as if the killing was just another bodily function. Yolanda went to the main server room, where Terry was switching out select memory banks.
"She knows, Terry," Yolanda said.
"About what exactly?" He replied as he removed a segment of the core.
"About the aspects, we attempted to do with the Citizen-King."
Terry hesitated a moment and then put a replacement segment back into the core, "That's unfortunate."
"Terry, she's willing to kill us if we keep secrets like this from her."
"There's always that risk be it forthright or be it behind her back. However, it is noted for future work, and I thank you. For now, we're going to continue research and development for her guardians inside Lyoko."
"How can you be so fucking calm?!" Yolanda asked as Terrance closed a compartment of the core.
"Simple. Sylvia has told you how to survive. That method is to not keep secrets from her, so we won't. Rather, from this point on, we'll be so forthright that forthrightness will be the select quality that you and I are known for. Besides, I have my own sneaking suspicion just how she came to find out about our conversation."
"And that suspicion being?" Yolanda asked.
"I'll let you know when I'm more certain. It wouldn't do any good to tell you what isn't confirmed. Certainty is better than doubt, that's my motto."
"And when this fly in the ointment is found, what then?"
Terry turned and looked at Yolanda, "All good things to those who wait. Now, I'm going to finish up the reboot and reset." Terry approached Yolanda and smoothed out the wrinkles on Yolanda's lab coat, "I suggest you go back to Kadic and attend to the students. I'll call you to have a nice breakfast before work tomorrow."
Yolanda nodded, "And what of the second and third nodes? Are they suitably dealt with?"
"They will be, I assure you. In two to three hours, they will be a thing of the past."
Yolanda nodded, "Very well, I'll be on my way, then."
"How's the traffic looking tonight?" Terry asked.
"It's usual for this time of year. Barely anyone is there, and so it makes it very easy. Most of the students from outside will come in, in the next week or so."
"Sounds nice. Plenty of time to relax, it sounds like."
"It's not bad, admittedly, but it's the rest before the surge. The summer program will kick off soon, and that's where a lot of initiates will come in."
"How many on average?"
"Oh, about twenty to forty. It's nothing too daunting."
"That's good. Well, I'll be in touch. See you tomorrow."
Yolanda waved, and she headed out back to her car. It was a lovely evening. It had just rained, and the smell of the moistened earth filled her lungs. It was beautiful, her own little Eden, in a way. As she drove back towards Kadic, Yolanda thought on what Sylvia had said and, indeed, what Terrence had said. It was honestly and forthrightness that Sylvia wanted. In many ways, it made sense. How otherwise would anything be done? But why was Sylvia so harsh towards her? It was Terry who'd proposed the concept of the Citizen-King. Even then, it was only upon being proven wrong did Terry flinch in his position for North-Gate's vision at all. Was that all it took? Was that really all it took? To see the system fail and see how they remedied it to come back with a new idea in mind?
Yolanda thought on this more and more as she headed towards Kadic. It wasn't a pleasant thought to possibly be at the behest of someone so fickle. But maybe there were things that Terry had seen that she hadn't. She knew it was quite likely that he had visions of an ideal like many in the North-Gate program. But until the viable proofs had been shown to him how the deal didn't work, only then did he have room to safely doubt. Terry had only spent the better part of three days of his planned week's absence back home. Why were three days enough? When he had come back, he said to her that greed ran the world. But, Yolanda knew from reading the Citizen-King it wasn't just greed, it was still a socialist system. The only different thing is that it gave enough room for people to grow and be powerful. But the people would always be monitored by the state. It was Socialism with freedom of movement. In many ways, it reminded her of an old cartoon she remembered when she was a teenager back in her history book, "We'll give them freedoms but not too many freedoms. Rights, but not too many rights."
"Maybe that's what so appealing to him," She said aloud, "it allows him what he desires, but someone took it and molded it into a more palatable serving."
Yolanda sighed, and she hooked up her phone to her radio. Once she had selected her chosen song, she relaxed as she neared Kadic. It was back to the office, and in many ways, that was its own comfort. This time of year suited her best. It was Kadic at its most calm, and what's more, she had time to decompress from all that transpired lately. Yolanda got out of her car and headed towards the infirmary and found its door slightly ajar. She pushed the door in with her elbow and found the window was open. She turned on the light and found that most of her filing cabinets had been rigorously searched as had her desk. Her books had been opened and thrown around; the cabinets emptied and examined as had the nearby closet. She closed the door and went to her desk and unscrewed the first leg, and emptied out the hollowed-out leg. The codes were still there, that was good. Whatever was being looked for, they didn't find what was necessary. She went over to her books and found her copy of The Divine Comedy. She looked at the back of the book, it was still raised slightly, an excellent indication.
Yolanda began to pick up her files and put them back in order. As she did, she heard footsteps behind her. She quickly turned and saw Jean-Pierre behind her, "I'm sorry, Yolanda. They came looking for more information about Mr. Barrow."
"The government, huh?" she asked, "Well they fuck us on our taxes every year, why should their searches be any different? Man, had I known he was this much of a wanted man, I would have turned him in myself. What the fuck could they have wanted that required them to come in here and make this mess, Jean-Pierre? You tell me that."
"They knew you were a contact of his from his younger days. They figured you would have some information that you may have not been willing to be forward with."
"If this is how they treat my workplace, I can't wait to see what they did to my home. Even then, why did they have to go into student records?"
"I don't know. I truly don't. They went into the student archives as well as if looking for someone." Jean-Pierre said, "Here, let me help you."
Yolanda gave an exasperated sigh, "Sure, let's start with my books. Then we can sort the student files back into their cabinets.
As they cleaned, Yolanda asked, "When were they here?"
"They came as soon as Jude got off shift about thirty minutes ago, they left just before you came in."
Yolanda nodded, "Wonderful. Did they say anything of what they were looking for, at least?"
"No. I was told it was government business. They went into student archives as I said, so it could very likely be a person."
"Couldn't you just do a search into what they rifled through? A reverse search even?"
"Yolanda, you know our system is strictly paper except for finance." Jean-Pierre replied, "However, they were looking from what I supervised under the last names starting with P. Does that help?"
Yolanda shook her head and said, "No, it doesn't. Sorry."
Jean-Pierre nodded as they continued to pick up the office. Meanwhile, through sleight of hand, Yolanda activated her implant. She thought a message into the prompter and sent out the message, "Parliament seeks Penrose. Repeat, Parliament seeks Penrose." Terry was finishing the hard-reset of the North-Gate system when the news came through. As he looked at the message, he was silent for a few moments. Weighing his options, Terry was deciding to either go out in full-force or to be diplomatic.
As he sat back at his terminal, Terry thought for a few more moments. Several options would suffice. However, to be sure, he needed to know on just what level the interference had begun. He activated his implant, and as he headed back to the critical care unit, Terry decided to wait until several questions had been answered, just what path to take. Terry accessed all operational histories and communications, and as he looked over the log, he found one field kit to be active. Terry opened the information and found the field kit was registered to Aelita Schaffer. He paused in his steps as he saw a twenty-five-minute call to an outside number. Pressing play, he listened to what the kit had recorded and sent to the database.
"Hello, Mother," Aelita said.
"Hi. What prompted such an early call?"
"I had a few questions I needed to ask you and just figure out a few things for myself."
"Alright. What questions do you have?"
"We'll get to the more pressing ones later on, but one that I have for you right now is how well-trained is North-Gate when it comes to psychology?"
"It's one of the basic subroutines. It is also a primary method by which it attempts to mediate a lot of the problems that it is given as per its original design. Why?"
"It's just something that occurred to me a little while ago, nothing too major. I just wanted to know if psychology was something that the program was given from the get-go."
"Well, like XANADU, it is a learning computer. It does learn after a set amount of time. That said, it depends on the mission parameters, just what it focuses on. While North-Gate is not a militaristic function, it does have militaristic applications to try and keep order. But being a learning computer, it can learn deeper aspects of psychology and apply them. But it only knows what it is taught or programmed with, like any element of its nature."
"We had run-ins with how XANA learned and utilized psychology, and admittedly while looking back, it seems entry-level, entry-level techniques like he pulled were surprising, to say the least."
"That's life, Aelita. The simplest methods are by which the most complex schemes are undone. It's an unpleasant fact of life, but it's sometimes how it is."
"Well, in other news, I moved in with my new roommate."
"Good. How's that fitting you?"
"It takes a bit of getting used to, but nothing I can't handle. She's nice enough, not exactly talkative. But give her time to warm up, and I'm sure we'll get something out of it."
"That's good. Are you ready for classes next semester?"
"Ready as I can be. I've mastered a lot of the fundamentals and even advanced elements of most of the classes. It's fitting, to say the least. I have an opportunity to take advantage of an education that I would otherwise not have, so I am grateful for it."
"Aelita, enough small talk. Why did you call me? You and your Jeremy don't just call for no reason. There's always something to be asked, be in favor, or something else."
"Not everything is an exchange or a want, mother."
"Until the future proves different, the past is all I have to go on. But you said you had pressing questions. If possible, I'd like to get those out of the way so we can have a more relaxed conversation."
"Alright. First question. Who is Sylvia-Anna Penrose?"
Terry heard silence for a moment, then Anthea's voice came back, "Who?"
"Who is Sylvia-Anna Rebecca Penrose?"
"She's nobody that I know. Why?"
"Are you sure about that?" Aelita asked.
"Quite sure."
"Why are you lying to me, Mother?"
"I'm not lying to you."
"Yes—yes, you are. Don't. Who is Sylvia, mother?"
"She's no one, Aelita, she doesn't exist. At least, not that I know of."
"No, she does exist. You know who she is. Would you like me to tell you who she is?"
After a silence, Anthea replied, "Go ahead."
"She is the daughter of you and Jonathan Barrow. The man who was here, or as you say it, the man who is moldering in his grave. I can't tell which story is a lie. Either way, she is the avatar of North-Gate, as I was the pseudo-avatar of Lyoko."
Again, there was silence on the phone. Aelita asked, "Mother? Do you hear me?"
"Who told you this?" came the reply.
"The girl herself, that's the amazing thing."
"So, let me get this straight. You're trusting the avatar of a program—which we already know is debatable in terms of the overall trust, and now it's saying that it's a love child that I had with John Barrow?" Anthea laughed, "Are you serious?"
"Why would she make it up? Why be so particular about her descriptions?"
"What did she tell you?"
"She said she was integrated into North-Gate at age eight. As to why that happened, she says only you have that answer. She says you have the keys to North-Gate, just like Daddy made keys for him and me for Lyoko. Honestly, for a while, I couldn't figure that little detail out. Why be so particular as to not give you a set of keys in case you came back into my life? I think the answer, as much as you may wish to deny it, is staring me right in the face. Why did he leave you with the government project and not take you with him? Because it feeds back to the aspect that he may well have not trusted you enough with Lyoko."
"Aelita, it's not that simple. This goes back to your original question, Does North-Gate know psychology? Do you have any idea how basic it is to make a love story between myself and North-Gate's own creator? We were friends, without a doubt. We were close, this is true, but it was never on the scale that is being portrayed to you."
"You were friends, you were close, okay. The question remains, how close?"
"We were close enough for him to tell me he was gay. Aelita, it was a different time, and people just weren't as accepting of such people as they are today. As much as you may be told otherwise, it just isn't true. it could not have happened, would not have happened, and it didn't happen."
Aelita was silent a moment, "I need to think about this. A lot is going on right now, and frankly, I just don't know what to believe right now."
"Aelita, listen to me. This fantasy this machine has concocted, it didn't happen."
"Okay. Answer me this then, what was the name of his partner?"
"His name was Tom. Thomas Majorek. He was a lovely man, and if memory serves, he's still working as a radio-station manager in Warsaw."
Aelita asked, "Don't you know?"
"Fuck, Aelita, I don't keep track of these kinds of things. All I know is that Tom went back to Warsaw after Johnathan's death. Maybe he went back to his work at Warsaw radio, maybe he didn't. I don't know!"
Aelita sighed, "I'll look into it in my free time. in the meantime, I'm trying to figure out a few other things."
"What other things?" Anthea asked.
"North-Gate did something that has put Jeremy on anti-seizure medication. I saw him, mother. As together as he seemed, something just felt off when I saw him with Yumi yesterday. It's something also Jeremy proposed. That North-Gate could easily use natural medical excuse to hamstring us if it wished."
"And you decide to trust this program with the story of its own origins? Aelita, assuredly you were raised better than that."
There was silence, and Aelita spoke, "Oh, you want to speak of being raised? I was raised in a library of records of history, politics, sciences, and countless other things. I was raised by my friends. Why do you think I call them family, mother? Because in father's and your absence, they did become my family. Mother, you don't know! You didn't speak to this person. She's not just a portion of a program, she's thinking and rationalizing human being. But what makes me afraid for you is that because of her anger towards you, because you abandoned her in the machine as what she calls, your shame, she'll try and kill you."
"What you need to remember, Aelita is that sound logic is very much in the eye of the beholder." Anthea retorted, "Much as beauty is subject to personal choice, so is rationale at the end of the day. It depends, which doctrine you listen to, which you will eventually endorse. You fear this girl; this thing will try and destroy me because it blames me for what it is? How do you even know she is a human being, and as XANADU was, not just mimicking human empathy and sympathy?"
"As I said, you didn't listen to her; you didn't hear her rationale, let alone how she processed my questions. No machine can possibly behave that way. XANA was bound by rules, but this being is not. It's as Jeremy said to me recently, it's a fact no artificially made intelligence could speak as I did. Mother, it's the same thing."
Anthea sighed, "Look, I'll call you back. I have something I have to attend to at present."
The call ended, and Terrance thought on all that was said. He patched into his implant, and he said, "Maria, did you preserve Anthea's blood sample from your blades?"
"I did. It's in our database. Type O- rich in iron, potassium, and zinc. She's quite healthy."
"Send me the data. I want to check something."
"Sure."
Soon Terry could see the bloodwork on a screen before him, and as he made a hard comparison, he smiled grimly, "Yes, yes, very good."
Terry patched through to Yolanda, "Rest assured, Penrose is safe from Parliament."
A response came, "Are you sure? We cannot risk the compromise of the mission."
"Quite sure." He replied.
Terry got up from his chair, and he patched through to Maria, "Did you bring back our eyes and ears?"
"I did. They are in the medical ward in subsection C."
Terry went to subsection C and saw the two forms lying on their slabs. Taking the female, Terry turned her body over and located the implant jack at the back of the skull. He took the North-Gate database and jacked it in. Terry went to the database and went to a file called Boneyard. Entering the various clearances, he entered the tertiary core or North-Gate, and he plugged in a headset.
Soon an avatar came forth, "Terry!" the voice said filled with joy, "I'm so glad to see you!"
"It's been too long, my old friend, but I'm all set. I have good news. You, Ravin' Ricky, and Jacob will be with us again very soon. It will take a little processing time, but soon, the band will be back together."
"Oh, Terry! Do you have any idea how glad I am to hear that?!"
"If it's anything like it is for me to say it, I can more than understand," he said with a smile.
"What do I tell Jacob and Ricky?"
"Tell them, all the proper materials are in place, and it took just until recently to complete all I needed to, to be sure of the project's success. You'll be home soon, Amelia, all of you will be; I just have to do a test run. To make sure this works."
"Take your time. it's just so wonderful that this news came today."
Terry smiled, a tear gently running down his cheek, "As am I. I'll be in touch."
"Of course. Say hi to the rest of the team for us."
Terry ended the connection, and then he went through the Boneyard to another compressed file. He activated the release code, and he said, "This is the good doctor. Are you there?"
A woman's face came forward from the blackness, and she said, "Are we set?"
"In fifteen minutes, we will be. Are you ready for transfer?"
"All set. What's my mission when I land?"
"I will tell you when you come across. I have your body ready it just takes the tiniest bit of conditioning."
"Let me see it."
Terrance switched the woman's sight to his sight, and he went over the body visually, and the woman replied, "An excellent job, Terry. Excellent."
"In ten minutes, I will load this into the chamber and begin your upload into the physical body. After a few jolts of electricity, the transfer should be complete."
"Alright, let's get to it. I can't wait to eat true food again."
Terry ended the connection, and after typing a few lines of code, a white cylinder came out of the floor near North-Gate's node. Terry typed a transfer hiatus on the program and carried the body to the chamber. Once he secured the body in the chamber, he jacked the implant into the cylinder. After scanning his chip for confirmation, the cylinder sealed shut, beginning its descent into the ground. Once in the ground, there was a loud click of a lock.
Terry patched into his implant, "All North-Gate associates, please gather in the central hub, All North-Gate associates gather in the central hub."
Within five minutes, all members had gathered, and Terry said, "Give Yolanda fifteen minutes to get here. She needs to see this."
As it worked out, Yolanda was already on her back to the compound after straightening up the infirmary, and once she received the message, she arrived in ten minutes.
Once all were gathered, Terry spoke, "Brothers and Sisters, we have all of us observed losses over the passage of our initiatives and operations be it from the rage of people or by simple accidents. Twenty years ago, I approached North-Gate with a vision. A vision to stop this senseless cycle of loss and tragedy. It took countless hours, sleepless nights, and gallons of coffee for me to achieve this. Within ten minutes, you will see one of our fallen sisters walk among us in a new body. Her mind, her soul, her essence given a new shell.
Without a doubt, many of you will remember Philomena Stout. A great enforcer for our group, a phenomenal intellect, and tactician. It is she who will in ten minutes, walk amongst us once more."
"Impossible!" yelled Emilio, "Philly died thirteen years ago! Don't you dare fucking toy with us, Terry! There's no way in hell that you can bring her back!"
Terrance began to laugh gently, "Emilio, my friend, I assure you that I can. It has taken years, as I said, to perfect this formula. But I assure you what I have said has gone beyond the theoretical into the realm of the achievable."
Enrique looked at Sylvia, "Did you approve this?"
Sylvia nodded, stunned, "I did years ago. But I never thought anything would come of it." She laughed, "Well played, Terry, I mean it most sincerely."
At that moment, a computerized voice said, "Transfer complete."
The white cylinder began to rise slowly from the ground, and once fully out, there was a loud click. Terry went forward and peered inside. He scanned his eye on a receptor, and steam began to be released. Terry went and brought a gurney from the care unit and a robe. Two minutes later, the steam ceased, and the casing began to gently open. Terry stood nearby, and the group saw as inside the woman's eyes opened.
Terry extended his hand, and she took it, "Easy," Terry said, "Easy, one step at a time."
The woman moved gently but not towards Terry. She looked at her hands, as if seeing them for the first time, her eyes wide in shock, and then back at the group before her. She took Terry's hand as he clothed her in the robe, and he sat her down in a chair.
Emilio came forward and said, "Philly, is that you, sweetheart?"
The woman looked at him still in a look of shock, and she spoke, "Yes." It was soft at first, and the woman shook at the sound of her voice. She then said louder, "Yes! I'm back! Emilio, I'm BACK!"
Emilio embraced her, and she hugged him while Maria and the others looked at Terrance in amazement.
Philly looked at Terry, "Terry, you crazy fucker! You magnificent bastard, you did it!"
Terry gave a nervous chuckle, "Philly, can I say something?"
"Of course, what?"
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, and she looked at him, "Seriously?! That's what you want to say?"
Terry smiled, the largest, even what some would consider the dumbest grin he had been known to smile.
She sighed, "Ugh, Go ahead."
Terrance took a massive breath and yelled, "It's Alive! It's Alive!"
"How the fuck did you do this?!" Yolanda screamed as she cried.
"It's the whole reason I made the implant. Oh, I'll tell you in a moment! Hold on! "Terry began laughing and even began to dance, "Huzzah! I must tell Amelia, Jake, Ricky! I have to tell our world!"
The group was stunned as Maria, Enrique, and Yolanda asked respectively, "Amelia?! Jake?! Ricky?!"
Terry went to his terminal with Enrique, Maria, and Sylvia following. Terry and began to feverishly type. Soon he was back in the Boneyard, and soon Amelia, Jake, and Ricky came on, "Guys! Get ready to rumble!"
The three were amazed at the faces before them. Maria and Yolanda screamed, "No fucking way!"
"Hey guys!" the three said nearly in unison as they waved.
Terry went back to the infirmary and brought out three bodies, one of the bodies being Sylvia's former node. He typed in the command code, and three more white modules came up and opened. Terry's heart beat faster as one by one, Terry plugged each body into their chamber's North-Gate jack. Once he had secured them with the waist and neck brace, he activated the process, and the cylinders began to descend. The group was still in silent, stunned shock as they saw what was going on. Terry went back to his terminal and launched the initiation codes, and then there was a resounding click as the cylinders locked in place.
There was an automated voice, "Clearance code needed."
Terry smiled as he pressed the button, "Don't Fear the Reaper."
"Confirmation confirmed." The voice replied.
Terry sat back in his seat and said, "Hey Philly, what food do you want?"
"Give me a fucking burger!" Philly replied.
"Are you sure you don't want a Philly Cheesesteak?" Terrance replied and burst out laughing.
"Terry, if I weren't so grateful for what you'd done, I'll kick you right in the balls!" Philly replied.
"Oh, come on, Phil, it's been so long since I could tell that joke." He said with a laugh.
Maria slapped him in the shoulder, "Seriously, Terr, how did you do this?"
"Do what?"
"This!" Yolanda yelled, pointed at Philly, and slapping him upside the head.
"Ow! Hey, watch my head. I have issues!" He sighed, "I devised the implant to capture what I narrowed down after five years to be the soul and memory energy equation as I call it. I noticed over many accounts of journals, and more of my own records that exactly twenty-one grams of weight immediately leaves the body upon death. I figured this finally in the form of what I called the tangible energy equation. And from this, through admittedly dark processes, I figured out where the soul energy departs from upon death. Not so coincidentally where the implant is. So, after that, I figured out how North-Gate can home in on the spiritual energy and call it back into itself if it is linked to a system to send it directly to it. The Boneyard is the digital and energy-subsystem holding the souls and memories of those who voluntarily took the implant.
Figuring out eventually how to get the energy back into a body took time. But it wasn't until recently when I developed the more exceptional functions of a functional positronic brain, thank you, Mr. Asimov, that I could suitably found a resting place for the soul and memory energy within the body."
"How long did it take to make the brain?" Enrique asked.
"A long time. About ten years of just flat-out research to be exact before I could even think to approach a test model. Another four as it graduated in phases to completion with the latest model being, without doubt, the most sustainable."
"And so," Sylvia replied, "The nodes you made recently weren't so much for my use."
"They were at first. But fate had a different intention in mind apparently. It was for this purpose. I realized I came upon the perfect equation for the energy to be housed when I realized what three nodes could drain from North-Gate proper. I didn't think about it so much, but I took the temporary setback we had and made good out of it, as best I knew how."
The cylinders began to rise from the floor, and Terry went over to them, three robes in hand. As they set, Terry scanned his eye once for each cylinder, and each began to vent the steam. The doors of the capsules gently opened, and one by one, Terry helped all three out of the cylinders clothing them by turns.
Maria spoke first, "Terry! Terry! I'm back!" She went forward, and she embraced him tightly. He returned her embrace, gently crying, and said, "It's so good to see you, little sis."
Ricky looked at everyone, "Guys! It's so good to see you!" He said with a beaming smile that so many of the group knew was his as he gently walked forward to the group and was about to hug Yolanda, who understandably was in immense shock.
Ricky embraced the Yolanda tightly, and she too cried as she said, "You have no idea how glad I am you're back. Oh, Rickey!"
Ricky embraced Yolanda warmly and said, "You have no idea how so amazingly good this feels, to have you back in my arms."
Sylvia was silent as she walked to Jacob, and she said, "Jake? Silent Sanford, is that really you?"
Jacob embraced the young girl, "Little Sylvie. Still little, I see." He said with a smile.
Sylvia looked at him, and as she looked in his eyes, she could see it. The gentle but loving nature of the young man she'd known. Her brother was how she saw him back them, and to see that same kindness, that same gentleness laced with firmness, it was a wonderful gift.
Yolanda looked at Terry, "Terry, thank you. Thank you so very much."
Terry's smile faded, "There is a caveat to this little miracle of science."
The group's smiles faded, and they looked on at him. Terry continued, "This can only happen once. I know what many of you are thinking, 'Why to separate us to only reunite us to separate us again?' My reasoning is because I saw pain so very much, so very much sadness that I felt if there was anything to give all of you just one last chance together, I'd take it. And this is my solution. Treasure each other, enjoy your times together."
The group nodded, and Ricky said, "Hey, cheers to you, old boy! We'll sure make the most of it! A great cheer for Terrance the Compassionate! Hip-Hip"
The group resounded, "Hazzah!"
