Interface: A Techno Thriller by Tony Batton Read Free Book Online Page B

coffee too. Stop being ridiculous."
    "But there are plenty of BCIs now. You can get headsets for game consoles that respond to brain pulses."
    "Not like this one," Bern said. "This is a fully functional bi-directional neural interface. The computer doesn't interpret what you want it to do. It knows . The possibilities for such a system... It would be paradigm shifting."
    "If it was so revolutionary – and I grant you it would have been twenty-five years ago – why did you stop work on it?"
    Bern scratched his ear. "The client pulled their funding. Plus we lost one of the lead scientists. Tragic accident."
    "What was so special about this old BCI headset over all those we have now?" asked Holm.
    "It's not a headset," Bradley said. He slid a file across the table.  
    Holm flipped it open and whistled. "A computer chip implanted into a person's brain ? Jesus."
    "It was the only way back then." Bern paused. "It's not how we plan to do it this time."
    "Wait," Holm said, "I thought we were just bouncing ideas around. You're saying we're actually talking about doing this?"
    Bradley stood up and tapped a nearby section of wall. It slid back to reveal a display panel showing the CERUS logo. "A little while ago Mr Bern tasked me with looking at how old projects and new customers might interface, so to speak. One came up." He tapped the display and a wire-frame image appeared and rotated. "We have to make the interface talk to this."
    "A helicopter?" Heidn asked. "You want us to make some type of auto-pilot system?"
    The image moved to one side and a stream of specifications began scrolling down.
    "Not just any helicopter," Holm said. "This is an airborne command centre." He paused. "Russian?"
    "Yes," said Bern, "but not military. It's being developed by a private enterprise. For private customers."
    "Look at the sensor array," Holm muttered. "That is quite a piece of hardware."
    "I'm glad you approve, because we need you two geniuses to programme and implement it with a test subject."
    "Hang on a sec. We've gone from hypotheticals to concrete plans to testing this on actual people in the last five minutes!"
    "It's a requirement of a deliverable we've committed to," Bern said.  
    Holm whistled again.
    Bradley nodded. "This time the process will be surgery free. The nanites will build the 'chip', which won't actually be a chip in any case. Let's call it a node. Anyway, it's not key-hole surgery. We're just talking an injection; the risks are minimal."
    Heidn stood up. "We are supposed to be changing the world, William, not helping some rich man fly his helicopter. Tantalus was always about changing the way people interact with computers: getting rid of keyboards, touch-screens, even speech recognition and replacing it with something that works at the speed of thought."
    Bern inclined his head. "I want what you want, I assure you. Occasionally necessity dictates that there are some intermediary steps. And this one is necessary to secure the financial future of CERUS so that we can achieve our loftier goals."
    "We'd have to go through years of preliminary tests," Holm said. "And who'd agree to be a guinea pig?"
    "You just do your part and let the rest of us worry about those things. All I'm asking is can it be done ?"
    "Do we have your word that you intend to take this further?" Heidn asked. "That this isn't just a cash grab to prop up your retirement fund?"
    Bern stood up. "I plan to take this much further." He looked around the room. "We have an opportunity to turn CERUS' problems into a defining moment. And those who come on board will be rewarded handsomely."
    "I don't care about the money," Heidn said. "I want my work to happen ."
    "Hold on there," Holm said. "Some of us aren't indifferent to financial rewards."
    "They will be success-based and most generous," Bradley said. "You won't be disappointed. In return, we require your complete attention and discretion: this project is not to be discussed outside those in this room."
    "So