Chapter 8

Doctors Heidelburg and T'Ling stood in the medical lab with Lieutenants Vaughn and Garrison, Ensign Dehner and Technician Keller sat in four chairs normally used for dental examinations. Heidelburg had requested them moved into the lab and arranged in a circle for the next phase of testing.

The elderly Human prepared a hypospray while he explained his process. "You four scored most highly in the initial tests, hence why I have asked you all back. The next round will be a little more… intense."

"Not just brainteasers and card games, then?" Keller said.

Heidelburg chuckled. "Not quite. I will be injecting you with a cortical stimulant the Duke Foundation has been trialling." He held up the hypospray. "It will help stimulate your neural pathways and focus your thoughts. We are interested in comparing the results of subjects on Earth with those in deep space."

"Might need some of that for my next morning briefing," Vaughn said, laughing. No one else joined in.

"Um, is it safe?" asked Dehner.

"Shh," Garrison hissed at her. "Let him speak."

"Perfectly safe, my dear," said Heidelburg.

T'Ling stepped forward. "I have analysed a sample of the compound myself. It is not harmful in any way."

"It should begin acting straight away," said Heidelburg, "so I will then be subjecting you to rapid sensory input via these VR headsets." He indicated four round, white helmets with retractable visors on the table; the kind made for entertainment or training simulations. "They will bombard you with audio and visual stimulation while we observe your brain circuitry patterns under the effect of the compound."

The foursome still appeared unsure as Heidelburg went around them, injecting each person with his hypospray. T'Ling followed to attach the cortical monitors to their heads.

It was rare that she was the empathic one, but she felt the need to reassure the test subjects. "I will be monitoring your brain wave activity throughout. If there is any negative reaction, we will cease testing immediately."

"That's comforting," Keller muttered.

T'Ling and Heidelburg then helped the subjects with their VR headsets, clasping them tightly on each person. With the visors down, their entire heads were covered, and they were hooked up by a short wire attached to the top of the chairs, meaning that the subjects could not sit up. Heidelburg then reclined the seats by 45 degrees.

"Please try to remain as still as possible for the duration of the test," said Heidelburg. "No matter what happens."

T'Ling found the last part to be oddly ominous, but said nothing as she took her position at the monitoring console.

"How are the baseline readings, Frau Dokter?" Heidelburg asked quietly.

"Slightly heightened neurochemical levels indicative of stress or anxiety, especially in Ensign Dehner," T'Ling reported. "Nothing of concern, however."

"Wunderbar," said Heidelburg, picking up a padd he would use to control the headsets. "Then we shall begin."

He pressed a control and all four test subjects gasped in unison. Their BCP readings also spiked momentarily. Although no sights or sounds were detectable outside of the helmet, T'Ling knew from a prior discussion with Heidelburg that he had started them off with mild sensory stimulation - slow, pleasing images and soft, harmonious sounds - but it would still be a jolt when it began. They would be unable to ignore the input.

Heidelburg had still been evasive regarding the exact purpose of the tests, saying only that he was interested in the subjects' reactions without specifying further.

"Readings have increased," she summarised. "Now stabilising."

Heidelburg nodded and let the test run for another few minutes.

He then tapped at his padd. "I am now changing the speed and nature of the stimulation," he said, knowing that the subjects couldn't hear him. "The images and sounds will change more quickly and become more complex."

Again, T'Ling saw the subjects' BCP readings rapidly increase, indicating intense sensory processing but also stress. It was a dangerously sudden rise, even by Vulcan standards, and it did not level out as before. She reported this to Dr. Heidelburg.

"Perfectly acceptable," he said. "It is to be expected. The experimental compound will be enhancing their brain functions, so it may simply seem too much when compared to normal."

T'Ling was not entirely satisfied by this explanation, but as there was no actual harm to the subjects as yet, she remained silent.

After a few more minutes, Heidelburg tapped at his padd again. "I am now increasing the speed and complexity of the stimulation once more."

Each of the subjects tensed up, as if they had been electrically shocked. Now an alarm sounded on T'Ling's console as the BCP readings reached dangerous levels.

"Their cerebral cortexes are becoming overstimulated," she said. "They're experiencing extreme sensory overload. We must end the test."

"Not yet," said Heidelburg, watching the subjects attentively. They were all beginning to squirm uncomfortably.

T'Ling raised an eyebrow. Heidelburg's lack of concern was unexpected.

"Doctor, the intensity of the sensory input is beyond what the Human brain is capable of processing…"

"The compound will help them with that," Heidelburg said, waving his hand at her. "Look, they are fine."

"Your compound is likely what is causing their brains to attempt to process the information at all, but it is overloading their neural pathways and paralysing their motor functions. That is why they are not attempting to remove their headsets themselves."

"It will be fine!" Heidelburg shouted. "Just a few more minutes."

"Deactivate the test now, Doctor," said T'Ling, forcefully. She stepped towards Heidelburg, attempting to reach for the control padd in his hands.

Heidelburg moved the padd out of her reach and actually pushed her back.

"No!" he shouted. "We cannot interrupt the test now! Not when we're so close!"

T'Ling had no idea what Heidelburg was referring to, but as another alarm sounded on her console, she realised he had to be stopped. They were both frail with age, but Heidelburg, as her junior, had a minute advantage in terms of strength. There was no time to call for security, so T'Ling resorted to something she hadn't tried in decades.

She swiftly reached up and pinched Heidelburg where his neck met his shoulder. He immediately fell limply into unconsciousness, and T'Ling, not wanting to harm him, gently lowered his body to the floor as quickly as possible.

Taking the padd, she ended the headsets' sensory stimulation programs. The subjects, now in control of their motor functions again, began to panic, blindly clawing at their helmets.

"Get this goddamn thing off me!" shouted Keller.

"What was that?" said Vaughn in an agitated voice. "Are we okay?"

Garrison was hammering at his helmet. "Let me out!"

Dehner was the most panicked, pulling at her helmet and trembling. "Help! Help! Get it off!"

T'Ling helped Vaughn, the closest to her, out of his headset. He gasped and blinked upon release.

"Help the others," she said to him as she moved over to Dehner. The Human woman was moving around too much for T'Ling to grab hold of her.

"Ensign, please calm yourself," she said, but it had no effect.

Dehner kept screaming. "Getitoffgetitoffgetitoffgetitoff!"

"Assist me," T'Ling said to Garrison, who had been freed by Vaughn. Garrison moved to the other side of Dehner, trying to hold her down while T'Ling reached for her helmet.

The cortical monitoring console bleeped an alarm again in the background.

"Get… it… OFF!" Dehner shouted.

At her last exclamation, something T'Ling could not explain occurred.

Both T'Ling and Garrison were thrown backwards with unseen force. At the same time, Dehner's headset exploded into two pieces, propelling themselves away from her.

T'Ling was sore from where she had hit the floor, but she looked up in awe at what had happened, though her expression remained stoic. Garrison, on the floor at the other side of the room, was also stunned, and both Vaughn and the now-free Keller were wide-eyed.

None of them were as shocked as Dehner herself, staring at her hands and panting for breath.

Beside her, T'Ling saw that Dr. Heidelburg had recovered in time to witness this strange happening. Even stranger though, was that there was a smile on his face.

"It worked," he whispered.