Chapter 28
"I haven't tested it yet, but I know it'll work!" Lucas replied with growing excitement. Hudson and Wendy had met him in the lab to discuss the latest development in the Macronesian situation.
Having decided trying to trigger Lex's memory would not be reliable enough, Lucas had offered to try his newest project.
Along with Wendy, he had developed a device which would allow Wendy to probe into a subject's thoughts and project them onto a screen. Hopefully, the access code for the chip would be found.
At this exact moment, Hudson was regarding the wires projecting from the small computer with doubt and suspicious. "Are you sure it's safe?"
Lucas' jaw clenched, the muscles in his angular cheeks jumping furiously. "Captain," he replied between grinding teeth, "do you really think I would have suggested it if I thought there was the merest possibility that it could hurt Lex?"
Wendy sighed, shaking her head as the room was filled with testosterone and battling wills. Both men regarded each other steadily, before Hudson backed down.
"I'm sorry, "he replied. "Of course not."
"Are you finished now?" Wendy asked, a shapely brow quirked in amusement. Both men nodded sheepishly. "Then I'll go get Lex."
"I'm not surprised," Lex chuckled as she walked with Wendy to the lab. Wendy had filled her in on their plan of action, using Lucas' latest creation.
"Yes, he's a very talented young man."
Wendy and Lex turned to find Kristen hurrying towards them.
"I hope you don't mind," she said with a smile, "but the captain asked me to join you, just in case."
"Of course not," Wendy replied, looking to Lex for confirmation. Lex shrugged with a grin.
"Good!" Kristen's smile widened impishly. "Quite frankly, I can hardly wait to see this thing in action. Just think of the possibilities! This could allow us to communicate with coma patients and to help with victims of traumatic amnesia!"
Lex was shocked by these revelations at first, but then felt an almost overwhelming sense of pride for Lucas. He was truly someone who made a difference in this world, trying earnestly to make it a better place.
The women entered the lab to find Hudson leaning against one of the tables, and Lucas typing furiously on his computer. He glanced up at their arrival and his blue eyes zeroed in on Lex immediately. The exclusiveness of his gaze caused her heart to jump.
Kristen and Wendy shared a knowing glance before joining Hudson. Lucas abandoned the computer, crossing the short distance to stand next to Lex.
"Hi," she said with a grin.
"Hey. You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You're not worried about this?" he asked her intently.
"No. I trust you." Lex looked up into the endless blue of his eyes. They both knew her answer meant so much more than this experiment.
An amused cough caught their attention. They turned to find three pairs of eyes watching them.
"I guess that's our cue," Lucas chuckled.
Lex grinned and headed towards the makeshift beds set up in the centre of the room. "So how does this work?"
"Well, since this is the first time," Lucas replied, "I didn't want to leave anything to chance. I don't know how ... draining this will be on either of you, so I've set up these beds. I'll get you to lay on this one," he nodded toward the bed farthest from the computer, "and Wendy will be on this one."
Lex nodded as she settled herself down. Wendy did the same on her bed, which was no more than a few inches away from Lex.
"I'll make a physical connection to you by joining hands," Wendy explained.
"I'm hooking Wendy up to the computer." Lucas carefully began attaching wires to Wendy's temple. "The images she gets from you will go through my software and should pop up on that screen."
Lex followed the direction of his nod to find a large screen on the wall behind their heads. She felt the first shiver of apprehension when she realized that everyone would be able to see her innermost thoughts and memories.
"Don't worry," Wendy said softly, her gaze sympathetic. "My probing like this is like going down a hallway full of doors. I'll stay away from the ones marked private."
Lex smiled at her gratefully.
"We're ready to go," Lucas said, his attention focused intently on the screen.
"Just close your eyes and relax." Wendy reached over and gently clasped Lex's hand.
The rest of the room held their collective breath as the black screen jumped to life. Images flew across, speeding ahead to the next.
Lex and Dorian slipping into the government building.
Lex picking the lock into the president's office.
Dorian rifling through the desk while Lex searched the computer.
Lex pulling the chip out of the hard drive and crossing the room to the safe.
Hudson, Kristen and Lucas tensed as the images focused on Lex's hand reaching into the safe. Her hand pulled back.
"Got it!" Lucas crowed as the six digit code flared up on the screen.
"Oh God!" Wendy cried. Lucas' gaze tore away from the monitor, Hudson and Kristen jumping in alarm at the horror in her voice.
Hands clenched tightly, Wendy and Lex tensed visibly where they lay. Wendy's eyes flew open in terror, before she screamed.
"Nooooo!"
"I haven't tested it yet, but I know it'll work!" Lucas replied with growing excitement. Hudson and Wendy had met him in the lab to discuss the latest development in the Macronesian situation.
Having decided trying to trigger Lex's memory would not be reliable enough, Lucas had offered to try his newest project.
Along with Wendy, he had developed a device which would allow Wendy to probe into a subject's thoughts and project them onto a screen. Hopefully, the access code for the chip would be found.
At this exact moment, Hudson was regarding the wires projecting from the small computer with doubt and suspicious. "Are you sure it's safe?"
Lucas' jaw clenched, the muscles in his angular cheeks jumping furiously. "Captain," he replied between grinding teeth, "do you really think I would have suggested it if I thought there was the merest possibility that it could hurt Lex?"
Wendy sighed, shaking her head as the room was filled with testosterone and battling wills. Both men regarded each other steadily, before Hudson backed down.
"I'm sorry, "he replied. "Of course not."
"Are you finished now?" Wendy asked, a shapely brow quirked in amusement. Both men nodded sheepishly. "Then I'll go get Lex."
"I'm not surprised," Lex chuckled as she walked with Wendy to the lab. Wendy had filled her in on their plan of action, using Lucas' latest creation.
"Yes, he's a very talented young man."
Wendy and Lex turned to find Kristen hurrying towards them.
"I hope you don't mind," she said with a smile, "but the captain asked me to join you, just in case."
"Of course not," Wendy replied, looking to Lex for confirmation. Lex shrugged with a grin.
"Good!" Kristen's smile widened impishly. "Quite frankly, I can hardly wait to see this thing in action. Just think of the possibilities! This could allow us to communicate with coma patients and to help with victims of traumatic amnesia!"
Lex was shocked by these revelations at first, but then felt an almost overwhelming sense of pride for Lucas. He was truly someone who made a difference in this world, trying earnestly to make it a better place.
The women entered the lab to find Hudson leaning against one of the tables, and Lucas typing furiously on his computer. He glanced up at their arrival and his blue eyes zeroed in on Lex immediately. The exclusiveness of his gaze caused her heart to jump.
Kristen and Wendy shared a knowing glance before joining Hudson. Lucas abandoned the computer, crossing the short distance to stand next to Lex.
"Hi," she said with a grin.
"Hey. You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You're not worried about this?" he asked her intently.
"No. I trust you." Lex looked up into the endless blue of his eyes. They both knew her answer meant so much more than this experiment.
An amused cough caught their attention. They turned to find three pairs of eyes watching them.
"I guess that's our cue," Lucas chuckled.
Lex grinned and headed towards the makeshift beds set up in the centre of the room. "So how does this work?"
"Well, since this is the first time," Lucas replied, "I didn't want to leave anything to chance. I don't know how ... draining this will be on either of you, so I've set up these beds. I'll get you to lay on this one," he nodded toward the bed farthest from the computer, "and Wendy will be on this one."
Lex nodded as she settled herself down. Wendy did the same on her bed, which was no more than a few inches away from Lex.
"I'll make a physical connection to you by joining hands," Wendy explained.
"I'm hooking Wendy up to the computer." Lucas carefully began attaching wires to Wendy's temple. "The images she gets from you will go through my software and should pop up on that screen."
Lex followed the direction of his nod to find a large screen on the wall behind their heads. She felt the first shiver of apprehension when she realized that everyone would be able to see her innermost thoughts and memories.
"Don't worry," Wendy said softly, her gaze sympathetic. "My probing like this is like going down a hallway full of doors. I'll stay away from the ones marked private."
Lex smiled at her gratefully.
"We're ready to go," Lucas said, his attention focused intently on the screen.
"Just close your eyes and relax." Wendy reached over and gently clasped Lex's hand.
The rest of the room held their collective breath as the black screen jumped to life. Images flew across, speeding ahead to the next.
Lex and Dorian slipping into the government building.
Lex picking the lock into the president's office.
Dorian rifling through the desk while Lex searched the computer.
Lex pulling the chip out of the hard drive and crossing the room to the safe.
Hudson, Kristen and Lucas tensed as the images focused on Lex's hand reaching into the safe. Her hand pulled back.
"Got it!" Lucas crowed as the six digit code flared up on the screen.
"Oh God!" Wendy cried. Lucas' gaze tore away from the monitor, Hudson and Kristen jumping in alarm at the horror in her voice.
Hands clenched tightly, Wendy and Lex tensed visibly where they lay. Wendy's eyes flew open in terror, before she screamed.
"Nooooo!"