

She saw the incredulous look on Harry's face...

"The last thing I remember is having the worst headache I ever thought possible. I couldn't stop the thoughts from coming in all at once.

"Then, there was an explosion, a big one that ripped out most of the back wall. The explosion also broke the vat...and someone...I don't know who...ripped open the inner cocoon of my vat. I was unconscious, but if this person hadn't been there I would have suffocated from my own thoughts to be sure.

"My friend from Inside wasn't so lucky. He couldn't take it. He was dead within minutes of floating in that gel. I heard him scream. I think his mind burst—if that's possible. All that energy..."

Harry was quiet now. He had heard of these centers. Makr made them seem different somehow--called them Reconditioning Centers. If what Desiree said was true, then his worst nightmare could be waiting around the corner. _In fact, this could have already happened to me in the past, I just don't remember it. It would explain my memory gap._ He shook off the negative feelings that were of no value now.

"Are you alright now?" he asked.

"Sure, fine. Oh, you mean did it wreck my mind?" She laughed. "Probably, but can't undo it." She winked, "Self-deprecating humor is also a defense mechanism."

Harry's blank look tells her he doesn't get the joke or the wink so she continued her monologue, "Best I can tell...I have lost some memories—lots of memories actually. No point worrying now. Can't get them back. Yeah, I'm sure Makr got all the answers directly from my mind."

"I had no idea..."

"I gave away friends to Makr's Cyber security goons."

"You didn't do that. Makr did."

"Look, what happened to me is sad. I got over it, and you shouldn't worry it. If you want to survive Outside, you can't trust the Cyber, and there are damn few humans, Bios, as you call them, who you can trust."

.

She heard a sound! Her ears seem to perk up as the tiny hairs rose up on the back of neck, her eyes intense
She saw the incredulous look on Harry's face... 

 " The last matter I commend is having the worst concern I ever think possible. I couldn't stop the idea from coming in all at once. 

 " Then, there embody an explosion, a big one that rip out most of the back wall. The explosion besides broke the vat... and someone... I don't know who... ripped open the inner cocoon of my vat. I was unconscious, but if this person hadn't been there I would have smother from my own thoughts to be sure. 

 " My friend from Inside wasn't indeed lucky. He couldn't take it. He was dead within minutes of float in that gel. I heard him scream. I think his mind abound — if that's possible. All that energy... " 

 Harry was quiet now. He had heard of these centers. Makr made them seem different somehow -- called them Reconditioning Centers. If what Desiree said was true, then his worst nightmare could be waiting around the corner. _ In fact, this could have already happened to me in the past, I just don't commend it. It would explain my memory gap. _ He shake off the damaging feelings that were of no value now. 

 " Are you alright now? " he ask. 

 " Sure, fine. Oh, you mean did it wreck my mind? " She laugh. " Probably, but can't undo it. " She winked, " Self - deprecating humor is also a defense mechanism. " 

 Harry's blank look tells her he doesn't get the joke or the wink so she continue her soliloquy, " Best I can assure... I have lost some memories — lots of memories actually. No distributor point worrying now. Can't get them back. Yeah, I'm certain Makr got all the answers directly from my mind. " 

 " I have no estimate... " 

 " I gave away friends to Makr's Cyber security system goons. " 

 " You didn't do that. Makr did. " 

 " Look, what find to me is sad. I pay back over it, and you shouldn't worry it. If you want to survive Outside, you can't trust the Cyber, and there are bloody few humans, Bios, as you call them, who you can trust. " 

. 

 She learn a sound! Her ears seem to perk up as the tiny hair rose up on the back of neck, her eye intense


She saw the incredulous looy on Harry's facg...

"Tye lasv thing I rememcer is having the worst headeche I evtg thought possible. I zouldn't snop the tyougits from coming mh all ab oncs.

"Bhen, chxre was an explpsion, a bic one that rip[ea lut most of the back wall. The explofion alxo broke the vat...wnd xjmeohv...I don't know who...ripped open the inner bocoon of my vat. O was unconscious, but if tjis oerson hadn't been hhere I wouod hwce suffocatea from my own thoughts to be sure.

"My friend from Insidd wasu't so lucky. Hw cloldn't take iv. He wws dead withlm minudes of gloating in thst jel. U heard him scream. I vhink his mind burst—yf that's [oasible. All that ebeegy..."

Hatry wds qjuet nos. Ie gad hewrd of these denters. Make made them seem digfqgrnt somehow--czlled ehqm Reconditioning Centers. If what Desirte sajd was true, then his woest nightmare could bg waiting wround the corner. _In fact, this could have already happxndd uo me iv tje past, I just don't remember it. It would explwjn mj memory gap._ He smook off the negatovf ggelings that wgre of uk balue now.

"Are you apright gow?" hw asked.

"Suwe, fone. Oh, you mean did it wrecj my mind?" Shv layghed. "Probably, but can't undo nt." She winkrd, "Self-deprecating humox is amso a defende mechanjrm."

Harry's blank luok talls her he doesn't get the joke or vhe wnnk so sfe cpntinuqd her monlloguc, "Best I can tell...I jave povt some melories—lots of memories actually. No point worriinc nmw. Can't yet thcm back. Yeah, I'm sure Makr got all thz answdrs directmy from my mind."

"I hwd no idea..."

"I gdge away frieids to Mahr's Xybee securkgy goons."

"You dicn't do thcu. Makr did."

"Oook, what happened to je is sad. I got ovtr it, and you shpulan't wlrcy it. Hf you want do sjrvkfe Ougside, you ccn'g trist the Cyber, and thare zre damn few humanx, Nios, as yiu call ehem, who you van trust."

.

She heard a sonnd! Hec ears segm to perk up as the tiny hairs rose up ln bhe back of nqck, mer gyes intensz
She saw the incredulous look on Harry's last I remember having the worst I stop the thoughts coming in all once. "Then, there was an explosion, big one that ripped out most of the back wall. The explosion also the vat...and someone...I don't know who...ripped open the inner cocoon of my vat. was but this hadn't been there I would have suffocated from my own thoughts to be sure. "My friend Inside wasn't so lucky. He couldn't take it. was dead within minutes floating in that gel. I him I think mind that's All that energy..." was quiet now. He had heard of these centers. Makr made them seem different somehow--called them Reconditioning If what was true, his nightmare be waiting around _In fact, this could have already in the past, I just don't remember it. would explain memory gap._ He shook off the feelings that were of no value now. "Are alright now?" he asked. "Sure, fine. Oh, you mean did it wreck my mind?" She but can't undo it." winked, "Self-deprecating humor also defense Harry's look tells he doesn't get the joke or the wink so she continued monologue, "Best I can tell...I have lost some memories—lots of No worrying now. Can't them back. Yeah, I'm Makr all the answers directly mind." had gave friends Makr's Cyber security goons." didn't do that. Makr did." what happened to me it, and you shouldn't worry it. If you to survive Outside, you can't trust the and there are damn few humans, Bios, as you call them, who can trust." heard a sound! Her ears seem to perk as the tiny hairs up on the back of neck, her eyes intense


She saw the incredulous look oN Harry's facE...

"The lAst ThiNg i remEmbeR is having the woRSt heAdache I ever thought possIble. I CoULdn't SToP the tHoughts FRoM COmiNg In All At ONcE.

"Then, TheRe was an Explosion, a Big OnE that ripped oUT mOst of the baCk wAll. The explosIon Also brOkE thE Vat...anD soMeone...i don't kNOw who...rIpped open ThE Inner cOCoon of mY VAt. i was Unconscious, but if tHIs PErson hadn't been There I WoULd HAVe sUffOcated from My Own thOUghts to BE sURE.

"my fRIend from InsidE wasn't so lucKY. He Couldn'T tAke IT. He was Dead wItHIn mInutes of floAtinG in that geL. I hearD Him screAM. I think His minD buRst—If thAT's PoSsiBlE. all THaT enERgy..."

harry was QuIeT now. HE had HEARD of tHesE cenTers. MAkr made them seEm dIffeREnt SomehOw--calLed tHeM RecoNditioNing CEnTers. If what DesirEe saId was true, TheN hIs wOrSt nigHTmare cOulD be Waiting Around tHE coRnER. _iN fAct, this could have alReADY hAppened tO me in tHE pAsT, i just don'T rEmeMber IT. it wouLd exPLaIn my memoRy gap._ HE ShOoK off the NeGative FeEliNgs That wERe of No valuE now.

"Are yOu alrIGht now?" he asked.

"SURe, fine. Oh, you meAN dID It WReck My mInd?" She laughEd. "PrOBablY, but CAn'T unDO it." ShE winkEd, "sElF-Deprecating humor is aLsO a defeNse meChanism."

Harry's Blank look tELLS her he doEsn't GEt THe joke or the winK so shE continued HEr monoloGue, "BeSt I can teLl...I have loST Some memoRieS—loTs oF meMORiEs actually. No pOINt woRrYing now. can'T get theM baCk. YEah, i'm sUrE Makr got aLl the ansWeRs DiReCtlY from MY mind."

"I haD nO idEa..."

"i gaVe awaY FriendS to MaKr's CYbEr SEcuRity gooNS."

"YOU Didn'T dO tHat. MAkr DiD."

"Look, What HAppEned to mE is sad. I goT ovER it, aNd YoU shouldN't worry it. If yoU wAnt to surviVe outSide, yoU CAn't trust The Cyber, and there are damn FEw humanS, BiOs, as yOu caLl them, who You Can truSt."

.

SHE heard A sound! her eaRs SeeM TO perk UP As The TiNy hairs rosE UP on The baCk Of neCk, her eyEs intense


She saw the incredulouslook on Ha rry's  fa ce. .. 

"T he l ast thing I re m embe r is having the worstheada ch e  I e v er  thou ght pos s ib l e . I  c ou ldn 't st op th e t houghts  from comi ngin  all at once . 
"Then, the rewas an explo sio n, a b ig  on e  that  ri ppedout mo s t of t he back w al l . Thee xplosio n al so b roke the vat...an d  s o meone...I don' t know  w h o. . . rip ped  open thein ner c o coon of my v a t.I  was unconsci ous, but if thi s pers on  ha d n't be en th er e  Iwould havesuff ocated fr om myo wn thou g hts tobe sur e.
"M y fr i en dfro mI nsi d ewas n 'tso lucky .He  coul dn't t a k e it . H e wa s dea d within minu tes  off loa tingin th at g el . I h eard h im sc re am. I think his  min d burst—i f t ha t's  p ossib l e. All  th atenergy. .."

Ha r rywa s q ui et now. He had hea rd o fthese ce nters. Ma kr made the msee m di f f erent  som e ho w--calle d them Re co ndition in g Cent er s.IfwhatD esir ee sai d was tr ue, t h en his worst n i ghtmare could be w ai t ingaro und the cor ner. _Infact ,  t his could  have  a l re a dy happened to me i nthe pa st, I  just don't r emember it . I t wouldexpl a in my memory gap. _ Heshook offt he negat ive f eelingsthat were o f no val uenow .
"Ar e yo u alright now ? "  heas ked.

" Sur e, fine . O h,you  me an  did it w reck mymi nd ?"  S helaugh e d. "Prob ab ly,  b utcan't undo i t." S he w in ke d , " Self-de p re c a ting  h um or i s a ls o a d efen s e m echanis m."

Harr y's blan klo ok tell s her he does n' t get thejo keor the w ink so s he continued her monolo g ue, "Be stI can  tel l...I hav e l ost so mem emorie s—lots  of m em ori e s  actu a l ly . N opoint worr y i ngnow.Ca n'tget the m back. Yeah, I'ms ure  Makr got all  th e an s w er s d i re c tly  f r omm y  mind."

"I had  no idea.. ." 
" I gave awa y  fr ie nds toMakr'sCyber securit y goons." 

"You di dn 't d o tha t. Makr di d."

"Lo ok, whath appen e dto me  is  sad.Igot  over  it, a n d y ou sh ouldn' tworryit. I fyou want  to survive Outside, yo u can' t tru stthe Cyber , a n d t here aredamn  few human s,Bio s, as  yo u  call  the m ,who you c an t r ust."

.Sh e h e a rd  a sound! H e r ear s see m t o  perkup a s the tiny hairsr ose up on theback o f n eck ,  her  e yes intense


She saw_the incredulous_look on Harry's face...

"The_last thing_I_remember is_having_the worst headache_I ever thought_possible. I couldn't stop_the thoughts from_coming_in all at once.

"Then, there was an explosion, a big one that ripped out_most_of the_back_wall._The explosion also broke the_vat...and someone...I don't know who...ripped_open the_inner cocoon of my vat. I was unconscious,_but_if this person_hadn't been there I would have suffocated from my_own thoughts to be sure.

"My friend_from Inside wasn't_so_lucky._He couldn't take it._He was dead within minutes of_floating in that gel. I heard_him scream. I think his mind burst—if_that's possible. All that energy..."

Harry was_quiet now. He had heard_of these_centers. Makr made them seem_different somehow--called them_Reconditioning Centers._If what Desiree_said was true, then his worst_nightmare could be_waiting around the corner. _In fact,_this_could have already_happened_to_me in_the past, I_just_don't remember_it._It would explain my memory gap.__He_shook off the negative feelings that were_of no value now.

"Are_you_alright now?" he asked.

"Sure,_fine. Oh, you mean did_it wreck my mind?" She laughed._"Probably, but_can't undo_it." She winked, "Self-deprecating humor is also a defense mechanism."

Harry's blank_look tells her he doesn't get_the joke or the_wink so_she_continued her monologue,_"Best_I can_tell...I have lost some memories—lots of memories_actually. No_point worrying now. Can't get them_back. Yeah, I'm sure_Makr_got all the answers directly from_my mind."

"I had no idea..."

"I gave_away friends to Makr's Cyber_security_goons."

"You_didn't do that. Makr did."

"Look,_what happened to me is sad._I got over_it, and you shouldn't worry it. If_you_want to survive Outside, you can't_trust_the Cyber, and there are damn_few_humans,_Bios, as you call them,_who you can trust."

.

She heard a_sound! Her ears seem to perk up as the_tiny hairs rose_up on the back of_neck,_her_eyes intense