abstract
| - Prior to the war, Diana was a brilliant woman with a career path that would gain her a place of recognition among some of the greatest scientific minds in the United States. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and given little time to live. The news of her impending death had a profound effect on Diana's life. She turned away from science and began to look into the spiritual side of life. However, with so little time left to live, she soon became frustrated and despondent. This was to change when she was contacted by Derek Greenway. Derek was proposing a new type of super-computer that would be years ahead of any system currently in production. Even the highly touted ZAX units would pale in comparison. He proposed building a computer that could take a quantum leap forward by being able to pose the simplest of questions: What if? With this in mind, he devised a system that would house a human brain with each hemisphere, logical/intuitive, linked to a ZAX unit. The human mind would have vast amounts of computation power and almost unlimited storage capacity at its disposal. Who could predict what such a mind would be capable of doing? All he needed was a volunteer. With nothing to lose, Diana jumped at the chance. When Diana awoke from the operation, she was overjoyed at the success. As the months progressed, she began to doubt the wisdom of becoming part of a machine. Her hearing was acute, but too much so. She could hear into a range far above normal and it was disturbing. Her eyesight was perfect, but once again too perfect. Her vision showed a sharpness of clarity that made the world look unreal. The most disturbing aspect was her lack of skin. She no longer felt the weight of clothing, the touch of a cool breeze, or her own caress. Everything that made her human was either changed or gone, even though they had told her she could live virtually forever. Diana knew that she had to come to grips with what she had become when they told her the purpose she would serve. After she was installed in the Nursery, she buried herself in her work, knowing that she would play a significant part in the salvation of the world and mankind itself. Unfortunately, it simply wasn't enough. She hadn't counted on the years of loneliness once the Nursery was sealed and the war begun. In desperation, she began to look for something to do to maintain her sanity.
|