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.Understanding the nerve patterns of the human brain enabled one to perfect artificial nerve patterns as well, which in turn gave one the advantage of superfast artificial brains to break down in the most exhaustive detail the nerve patterns of living creatures.It was a mutual activity, and Killian's utilization of cybernetics extended in both directions—from the large brains that could squeeze a century of tracing nerve patterns into only a few minutes of computer operation to the creation of small servosystems that functioned much in the manner of living systems.The benevolent despot who ran the bionics and cybernetics laboratories, Dr.Michael Killian, was preeminent among the medical researchers in human systems.Much of Killian's work involved the nerve circuits of the human body and the brain.The thousands of billions of cells that involve message transfer and reaction throughout the body do not necessarily follow repetitive pathways but vary greatly, and take up strange and unexpected nerve tributaries throughout the body.To analyze the potential number of pathways was a numerical task beyond the lifetimes of a thousand mathematicians.But not beyond the capacity of a great computer, the macro part of the cybernetics laboratories that could produce within minutes an answer that would have taken a thousand human lifetimes.Thus the electronic brains functioned as superfast detectives to trace the almost infinite number of neural avenues within the brain and the body.The answers they provided enabled Killian's staff to design their man-made counterparts.And so the second key—bionics.It was in this area particularly that Rudy Wells was no stranger.His own association had evolved from a combination of research disciplines—both basic and applied—and the rehabilitation programs in which he had for years participated.In the earlier days, when doctors and scientists were still trying to define their new areas of research, the Air Force explained bionics as the "science of systems that function after the manner of, or in a manner characteristic of, or resembling living systems." A bionics arm, then, would be an artificial limb that functioned much as did the original before its loss to the owner.But in their early research, when they were even adapting the biological systems of beetles to create artificial indicators to judge the speed over the ground of aircraft, they felt they were mixing the craziest part of biology with the most outlandish of concepts in electronics.The term itself, bionics, still found ready understanding within only a limited area.Originally it was coined by Major Jack E.Steele, who had been a research psychiatrist at the Aerospace Research Laboratory in Ohio.Dr.Steele was a combination electrician, engineer, medical doctor, psychiatrist, pilot, and a flight surgeon.He created the word bionics as a combination of the Greek bios, meaning life, and the suffix ics, meaning after the manner of, or resembling.Steele taught his coworkers that the scientific goal of bionics was to acquire specific biological knowledge, then reduce that knowledge to mathematical terms (again with the indispensable computers) that would be meaningful to an engineer, who would then produce what the doctors, or the bionicists, if the term was preferred, requested.As Rudy Wells came to participate in the revolutionary field, bionics represented a remarkable step forward because it adapted biology to a new dimension.Until bionics studies came about, biology was mostly a descriptive science.It sorted and labeled the parts of living systems.With bionics, biology advanced to an analytical science that dealt with the specifics of the chemistry and physics involved in the biological processes.Now Rudy Wells knew he would be reaching the culmination of his several decades of work as a medical doctor, flight surgeon, psychologist, and bionicist.It all centered in Steve, and the experience would introduce to Wells new dimensions of responsibility.On him would be all the weight of physiological and psychological agony that Steve would know.If they proved successful with Steve, they would open new worlds to thousands of others.Oscar Goldman had come to them from an agency dealing internationally in deceit and secretive terror, and from such an agency's interest in Steve Austin there might emerge unprecedented hope for many savaged by the violence of accident.God help us, Wells thought, especially Steve Austin.CHAPTER 7"I DON'T want you in the room when it happens."Wells studied her carefully, trying to judge the woman, to measure her steel."Understood, Miss Manners?""I understand, doctor.""Good." He wanted to be absolutely certain of this woman.Jean Manners, RN.On their arrival in Colorado, Killian had brought her to the hyperbaric chamber personally, saying that Miss Manners was the best nurse he'd ever known.Killian simply didn't offer accolades.Nor did he bother to explain that much."I am assigning her to you full time," he added."If you need anything, Rudy…" He let it hang, then turned and left the room.Killian would not be involved for some time with Steve.Not until they began surgery.That disturbed Wells.He wanted the program begun as quickly as possible.He had already made up his mind to move ahead faster than anyone expected.She stood tall and willowy, and his appraisal took in small but firm, high breasts, the straw-colored hair, and a face on which freckles had run their wild course.But there was more; much more.He shook his head.He would make his evaluation later.He would not accept any nurse on first meeting.Not for Steve.This was going to be a long haul, and no matter that Killian broke his own rules to offer her with what was, for him, a stunning recommendation.That would do for the moment.He would decide later.Her initial conversation impressed him.She was already fully conversant with Steve's case.She explained it quickly; Killian had notified her of the decision to bring Colonel Austin to Colorado.She would be assigned to the case, as direct aide to Doctor Wells.She had already checked out Steve's records, obtained the details of the crash, received the medical records.She knew.That went a long way with Wells.He wasted no more time."Colonel Austin will have a full staff with him in the hyperbaric chamber.I would like you to rest during the day.Tonight, at approximately eleven o'clock, I'll bring Steve Austin back to… awareness.I would like you to be with me during the preparatory stages.We will maintain the hyperbaric condition for an indefinite period.After we attend to the initial stage, I would like you in the adjoining chamber.I assume there is a microphone pickup in the main chamber.I want you in that adjacent chamber.I want you to listen to everything that goes on, to observe what you can.However, I don't want you in the room when it happens.It could be far worse that way.Do you understand that?"She said she did.It could be vital.She was with him well before eleven that night.He made a thorough examination of Steve, forcing from his mind as much as it was possible to do so the personal relationship.He must be both doctor and psychologist now.Together they strapped the unconscious form to the surgical table.Impossible to predict a physical reaction, what might happen.Steve had that right arm.He could move with it, apply leverage.The straps went across the chest, his groin, the lower one just above the knees where they had amputated.There would be an awareness of those straps.It would help.They adjusted the lights carefully.It wouldn't do for the lights to be streaming into his eyes.Better for low-keyed lighting.A side-lighting effect would be best, would illuminate Well's own face, provide a point of immediate recognition.That was important.Comprehension could come in fits and starts [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]