Having regained her power of speech, the Girl recalled back on what she’d meant to say upon arrival. “I have some good news and some bad news. The good news - I was able to implement the data in the cell-splicing machine for the next day. The bad news - the Superior Mother took away most of the tools from the Patient.”
“That’s fine. I just needed you to smuggle them in in the first place. By now, the Patient should be familiar enough with my scent so he won’t be as frightened by my presence. It gave him time to get used to my smell, and I won’t be as noticed by the Building.”
Normally, the Girl would’ve been buoyed by the Scientist’s words, but all she felt was apprehension. She’d followed his requests without much thought, thankful for a lull in her otherwise dull days, and only now was beginning to question her actions. “Do you ever worry that you’re doing the wrong thing?”
He snorted. “Ethics? What’re those?? The purpose of science is to ask uncomfortable questions no one else is willing to answer.” The Scientist noticed the Girl staring at him with a concerned expression. “Is something wrong?”
The Girl couldn’t reconcile the contradictory nature of the insane ramblings and disturbing rumours she’d heard with the compassionate figure before her. They seemed completely at odds with each other. Unsettling messages clashing with contradictory truth. The Scientist didn’t seem anywhere close to what everybody else was saying. Was it all an elaborate act? If so, he was hiding it extremely well. “If you were hiding something from me, would you let me know?”
“Have I said anything that could be considered less than the truth?”
“Well, no, but - ”
“Have I done anything that could be taken the wrong way?”
“You haven’t, but - ”
“Then what’s the problem?”
When the facts were pointed out as bluntly as he made them, it seemed like she was worrying over nothing. But having been pressed this far, she needed to make her fears known. “I’ve been hearing disturbing things about you, and I’m not sure what to think. I’m beginning to wonder if you’re just using me. I can’t see the bigger picture, and I can’t shake these nagging doubts.”
The Scientist regarded her for a moment, then said, “In olden days, it was thought that all thought was located in the heart. Then they thought it was the stomach. There were a lot of farfetched ideas that were hindered with the restraints of the time before finally settling on the brain.”
“What’s that got to do with - ”
“There was a Colleague of mine who had trouble deciding on things, because of being too emotionally attached to certain ideas. My Colleague was torn on the idea of contributing to the creation of a device that could potentially wipe out all life on the planet.”
“Well, I’d know which side of that argument I’d be on! That seems like a no-brainer to me.”
“Yes, but there were certain benefits. Destruction of life was just one of the unfortunate side effects.”
“What could possibly benefit - ”
“The point is, that my Colleague went and asked to have those pesky feelings suppressed. With emotion removed from the equation, you’d think rational decisions would be easier to make. He put all the positives in one column, and all the negatives in the other. In this way, the sheer number of facts should’ve clearly pointed towards the right direction, right?”
“Right.”
“But my Colleague couldn’t decide. He kept making new additions to the pluses and minuses columns, without ever seeing which side was the clear advantage.”
For emphasis, the Scientist dumped a stack of heavily bound papers on the table. The Girl flipped through the pages. There were rows upon rows of reasons for and against on both sides. “That story didn’t go the way I thought it would.”
“Don’t be like my Colleague, hemming and hawing over every little detail. The brain is an important organ for thinking, but feelings are important too. The old researchers may have been wrong about where memory was stored, but they weren’t too far off. That’s why the stomach is sometimes called the second brain.” He concluded by patting just below his chest. “When all else fails, trust your gut. It’s that Simple, it’s that Complex.”
While the words were meant to be reassuring, they didn’t feel very reassuring. What if her feelings were wrong? She couldn’t rely on half-baked assumptions. She had to know for sure. Some semblance of what he was planning would be extremely useful here. And apparently, the only way she’d ever find out this guy’s true intentions was to go along with his nefarious plan. If he was unwilling to disclose that, there was another way to verify for herself.
“Can I look at the back of your head?”
The Scientist instinctively moved his hand to behind his neck. “What for?”
“I just want to check something.” If the story she’d heard was true, there should be some identifying indentation marks from the shovel.
“That’s rather personal.”
“I’d feel better if I saw for myself.”
“You don’t have to go that far.”
“You’re welcome to ask someone else for help.”
The Scientist looked extremely uncomfortable, his head darting around, looking at various objects in the room. He was caught between wanting to accomplish his goal, and keeping this Girl satisfied. It was a question between feelings and smarts. In the end, compromise won out.
He bent down from his imposing height so she could reach his nape. “Okay, just one quick peek. Don’t touch anything.”
The Girl didn’t know why, but the Scientist bent down like this felt more natural somehow. Even so, she wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass. This was a great act of trust. She pulled away the raised collar protecting his neck. What she saw was a metallic plating covering the base of his skull. There were tubes and wiring that looked hastily applied, attached to the surface, leaving visible sores around the protrusions.
“What happened here?”
“I... had something lodged there that I removed with great difficulty. Then I used this device to plug the hole.”
“What’s it for?”
“It helps me talk.” The Scientist said, visibly shaking, not accustomed to being this vulnerable. She couldn’t see it, but his eyes were darting around like crazy. Sensing his discomfort, the Girl released him, letting him get back up. “There. You looked, you saw. Do you feel better now?”
She wasn’t quite sure what to think. The recordings didn’t reflect the man before her right now. But his profile certainly fit his physical description. That blow to the head must’ve severely affected his personality, and for the better.
The Scientist noticed the packed food she’d brought along, and gestured to a slightly ajar door deeper in. “I’d invite you in for dinner, but my place’s a little dirty.”
Even with the rapport between the two of them, the Girl was still reluctant about eating in front of him. “Thanks, but I really should get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”
“Agreed. Assuming you’ve followed my instructions, my code in the cell-splicing machine will create a distraction. You can slip away in the confusion. All you have to do is open the door to the lowest roof on the 40th floor.”
“How are you going to - ”
“Leave that to me. I’ll take care of the rest.”
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