Chapter 3

The TARDIS spun through the vortex.

In Sickbay, Nita and Carolyn were standing near a bio-bed, where the Doctor was now laid out, unconscious. Michelle had joined them. She was examining the Doctor's brain with his sonic screwdriver. Nita and Carolyn seemed perfectly normal.

"He came in to complain about a headache. My scans were coming out saying nothing was wrong. And then he just… collapsed."

"What have you found?"

"His circulatory system and neurological functions seem to check out. And his hearts seem fine…"

Michelle aimed the sonic at a region of the Doctor's brain – and the Doctor's arm jerked slightly. Michelle was perplexed by the Doctor's condition. "From what I can tell, his higher functions are intact. But the signals aren't getting from his brain to the rest of his body. It's like he's in a coma."

A beat as they absorbed the situation.

"The Doctor performs self-examinations on a regular basis. We should take a look at his logs – they might tell us something."

"I recommend searching his quarters, as well. You never know what might turn up. What's in this drip?"

"Just saline. He was dehydrated."

Michelle continued to work on the Doctor. Carolyn and Nita exchanged a small glance…

Michelle was busy at the Doctor's work station in his quarters. Nita stopped behind her, holding the sonic screwdriver. They'd been working a while, with little luck.

"Standard security sweep shows nothing out of the ordinary."

"Personal logs, examinations… they all look normal. No evidence of anything leading to the Doctor's shutdown."

"Maybe we should ask his cat."

A beat as they considered further options – they'd hit a dead end. Michelle pushed away from the desk, still concerned about her friend. "I'd better get back to the sickbay. See if there's any change in his condition…"

"Carolyn's got a handle on it, Michelle. I'd be the first person she'd call…"

"I guess so…"

Michelle was weary and frustrated. Nita tried to soothe her with a comforting tone. "Looks to me like you need a break… unwind a little."

"Maybe you're right."

"I know just the thing. Why don't you meet me in the kitchen? I've got something I want you to try."

Michelle looked up at Nita… nodded, then stood to join her. Nita smiled…

Ace and Ashleigh were together in the Cloister Room, plugging isolinear chips into an opened control panel. They'd been working a while – and had relaxed around each other. Ashleigh was easy-going… while Ace was more serious. It made for a playful dynamic.

"Conduits twelve and twenty two are still down for testing."

"We can re-route through junction fourteen B."

Ashleigh fit a chip into place. Ace watched with interest.

"You have a funny way of looking at conduit configuration. But it works."

"That's Law Thirty Six. You've got to go with what works."

"What are all these laws that I keep hearing about?"

"They're my personal laws. Every time I learn something essential, I make up a law about it so I never forget."

"How many do you have?"

"A hundred and two so far."

Ace considered, intrigued by Ashleigh's way of thinking. Ashleigh reacted to the console.
"Looks like the starboard array needs another subprocessor." He moved to check it out but Ace stopped him.

"It'll be online in a few minutes. I'm way ahead of you."

"They said you were good."

They continued working.

"Why do I get the feeling that you already know me?"

"Nita told me all about you. Is it true what they say about your birthmark?"

Ace was embarrassed. Ashleigh chuckled again. Clearly, he enjoyed making her squirm. He started to close the control panel. Ace gave him a hand. "This isn't fair. I hardly know anything about you."

"Hey, that's Law Forty six. Life isn't…"

"Always fair. Yeah, I know that law.

They finished with the control panel. Ace stood. "I still have to work on the sensor relays, but I'd like a chance to even the score. Kitchen, seven o'clock. Will you join me for coffee?"

Ashleigh considered. "No." A beat "But I'll meet you for dinner." He smiled. A beat, then Ace smiled too…

They materialized near the Phoenix Cluster, a dense and glittering expanse of bluish-white stars. It will take them several hours to determine the best possible location from which to conduct their survey. The Doctor's condition remains unchanged with no further indication as to the cause of his collapse.

Nita was in her quarters, playing the game. The gridlike playing field was at an advanced level, with dozens of cones and discs buzzing all around discs were dropping into cones lef and right – the game was being played well.

Nita was reclining in a chair, wearing the game headset. Her eyes were open.

The door opened and Ace entered looking rushed. She stopped at the sight of her friend playing the game.

"Nita?"

Nita was startled out of the game. She removed the headset, and blushed, a little embarrassed at having been caught with the game. "Ace."

"What are you doing?"

There was an awkward beat.

"I'm embarrassed to say. This was meant for you. But it was so much fun, I couldn't resist."

"What is it?"

"It's a game. Carolyn brought it back from Nestra." Nita stood, stepped around her desk and approached her… "Everybody's playing it. Want to try?"

Ace eyed the game. "Maybe later. How's the Doctor?"

"Michelle's still working on him. He's going to be fine."

"I think I should go give her a hand."

"No. Ace, you are on vacation. You have done enough already."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Ace crossed to the door, headed for her own guest quarters. She entered the corridor. Nita followed, game in hand. She tried to engage her in a playful tone.

"Are you in a hurry?"

"Yeah, I'm late for a dinner date."

"Really. With who?"

"Ashleigh Judd, a visiting engineer."

"Why don't you invite him here? We can all play the game together. I can replicate a couple more."

"Nita."

"Sorry. It's just that I want to spend some time together while you're here."

"We'll have time together. I promise."

"Okay."

"Just one game. Come on, try it on for size." She moved close to Ace, raised the game toward her head, and started to hook it around her ear. Ace gently pulled away, uneasy about the advance. Nita backed off. This was getting awkward. Ace didn't understand why Nita was so pushy about the game. She entered her quarters.

"Nita! I really need to go and get ready."

Nita headed back towards her quarters. "Have a good time."

"Thanks. I will." Ace watched Nita enter her quarters and set the game down on the desk. Ace shut her door and started to change her clothes with an uneasy expression.

Ashleigh and Ace sat in the kitchen, immersed in dinner conversation.

"When your parents are the only plasma specialists in the sector, you do a lot of travelling around. We went from base to base to base. I felt like a piece of luggage after a while."

Ace smiled, absorbed in his story.

"I spent all of my time around technical gear. My first friend was a tricorder."

"Really?"

There was a relationship forming here – it showed in the way the conversation came so easily between them.

"My parents work came first. They didn't really have time for me, even when I needed them. So that's how I learned my first law. Law One. You can only count on yourself."

"Sounds kind of lonely."

Ashleigh glanced up at her, a flicker of sadness crossing his face that said yes, it's lonely. For an instant, he looked fragile. Ace tried to comfort him. "Well, now you're here."

"Now I'm here."

"Well, I'm glad."

It was clear that Ashleigh appreciated those words. He laughed and tried to brighten the mood. "You wouldn't believe what's going on in the Cloister Room. Carolyn and all the others, they're crazy about some new game."

"Yeah, what kind of game is it?"

"It's some Nestran gadget that fits over your ear."

"Have you played it?"

"Not yet."

Ace was troubled by something she couldn't put her finger on. "Nita has one. She keeps trying to get me to play it."

"It's everywhere."

Suddenly, Ace saw something across the room. A woman was slipping the game onto her head. She leaned back and started to play the game.

"See what I mean?"

"Don't you think that's a little strange? Everybody playing it all the time."

Ashleigh shrugged. "It's just a fad. It's here this week. Next week we won't even know it existed."

Ace was curious. "I wonder how it works?"

"Why don't you try it and find out?"

"I'd like to know a little bit more about it before I try it. We could hook it up to one of the computers. The medical programs in the lab can be set up to emulate human responses."

Ashleigh nodded, sparking to the idea. They stood and headed for the door. "I noticed it uses a visual interface. We could connect it through an optical sensor…"

Ace and Ashleigh were in the lab, a small room with a single work table. Ace and Ashleigh were disassembling the game, which was propped up on a stand. They were connecting cables and sensors from the game's arm extension to a sensor pad. This was fun for them.

"I've loaded the neurological behaviour programme."

Ashleigh tapped a key and the wall monitor displayed a computer simulation of the human brain. Ace finished making her connection. "This sensor pad should allow the computer to process whatever information the game sends at it."

"Let's see what happens." Ashleigh typed in a command at the console. The game sent out two tiny lasers, which were absorbed by a sensor pad. Various lights activated on the game. The brain diagram lit up at the visual cortex. "It's activating the reticular formation."

"There's heavy synaptic activity all over the place."

The lasers vanished. The brain diagram began to sparkle and blink, especially in the frontal region.

"I wonder what happens after prolonged exposure?"

"Speed up the processor and we'll find out." Ace worked the console – and two areas in the frontal lobe lit up with intense activity.

"The effect seems centred around the frontal lobe."

"Computer, enhance frontal lobe, full spectrum."

One of the two bright spots in the frontal region glowed with a deep red colour.

"It's stimulating the septal area."

"That's the pleasure centre of the brain. Whatever this thing does, it must feel pretty good."

"No wonder it's so popular."

Ace studied the console – concerned about something. "Look at this. Serotonin levels are way off. Let's run a neurochemical analysis."

They started to work the console with renewed interest – they were on to something important here. They watched the blinking brain diagram a moment… astonished by the sight…

"I'm seeing widespread bonding to neuro-receptors."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but this looks like a psychotropic reaction."

"Are you saying you think the game's addictive?"

Ace threw him a dead serious look. She worked the console – the second bright spot on the frontal lobe began to flash. "What's going on in the prefrontal cortex?"

"Doesn't that area control higher reasoning?"

"Yeah, it sure does."

They worked the console – and the two spots in the frontal lobe blinked faster in unison. They watched for a moment.

"I'd better go talk to Nita."

Nita was in the Doctor's study working at a terminal. There was a knock on the door.

"Come."

The door opened and Ace entered. "Sorry to bother you, Nita."

"It's no bother, Ace. Please, sit down." Nita indicated a chair. Ace sat, looking concerned.

"How are the survey preparations coming along?"

"They're coming along fine, but that's not what I'm here to talk to you about."

"What then?"

A beat as Ace decided on the right approach. "This game going around…"

"Yes?"

"I did some preliminary tests on the game, and what I found leads me to believe that it may have some harmful side-effects. Specifically, I think it's psychotropically addictive."

Nita considered the revelation, but had her doubts. "Addictive? What have you discovered?"

"The game initiates a serotonin cascade in the frontal lobe of the brain. Now I know that's nothing conclusive, but it could explain why everyone is so attracted to it."

Nita looked troubled, starting to share Ace's concern.

"And at the same time, it stimulates the brain's reasoning centre. I don't know what that's all about."

"I'll start an investigation immediately. Thank you, Ace."

Ace nodded and stood, turned for the door.

"And Ace…"

Ace stopped, turned to Nita.

"It's good to have you back again."

"Thanks."

Ace left. After a beat, Nita leaned back in her chair, reached for something behind her desk, and revealed the game. She put on the headset, and pulled the arm extension in front of her eyes. Two lasers made contact with her pupils, then vanished.