In addition the nerve cells were having to be switched out entirely. It was that or modify them one protein at a time since both the neurotransmitter production and binding sites were damaged. In each case transmitter nannites bonded to the cells, sent a copy of them “off-line” waited until a repaired copy was completed and then switched them out in one fell swoop.
It was this repair that was the most problematic on the “body” end of the process but it seemed to be working fine. Some of the motor cells seemed to have a hard time “reinitializing” but eventually, in no more than three seconds, they all began responding perfectly.
Sure that the easy end was functioning, she shifted her attention to the brain.
While she had been observing the work on the lower extremities, the doctor program had been cutting off all input to the brain itself. For the process to work, brain function had to be at a minimum. There was nothing that they could do about random processing and “wandering thoughts” but they could cut back on all sensory inputs and motor functions. In effect, the brain was put into sensory deprivation.
However, it couldn’t be full sensory deprivation. Full SD causes the brain to assume that damage has occurred to its inputs and brain activity raises to frantic levels. What happened instead is that the nannites sent in preprogrammed impulses, soothing ones, that lulled the brain into thinking that everything was working well. Better, in fact, than it had been for some time.
Meanwhile other nannites took up the business of ensuring the body kept functioning.
Using the inputs while feeding selective data into the system and reducing neurotransmitter production, the nannites slowly reduced brain function to a crawl. The effect was similar to being heavily drugged, but cell-by-cell specific.
As soon as the brain functions reduced to a minimum acceptable level, the doctor program signaled that it was prepared to begin replacement.
As with the body, Daneh had determined to start with the simplest and least important portions of the brain first. Most portions of the brain were critically important, but losing some parts, notably small portions of the parietal lobes, was recoverable. Thus they started there.
Daneh’s vision was filled with flashing lights. Each of the lights represented a functioning neuron, sending or receiving information. The brain functioned holographically so a neuron might be communicating with another neuron far, far away. However, all of them had to shut down from time to time and it was when they went “dark” that the program would strike.
In a separate room a complete brain, identical to Herzer’s but with repaired cells and controlled input/output, had been reproduced cell by cell and then put into stasis. Using teleport nannites the program now grabbed the cells, one by one, and replaced them, in situ.
Daneh, and the doctor program, watched carefully but the process seemed to be functioning fine. Replaced cells appeared to activate normally and the standard rhythms of Herzer’s sleeping brain didn’t even flicker.
Once the parietal lobes were replaced they delved into deeper and more dangerous territory. Bit by bit the cerebral cortex was replaced, then the thalamus and hypothalamus, cerebellum, pons and portions of the medulla.
Finally the only part left to replace was the reticular activating center.
Daneh had left this for last because it was the trickiest. The RAC was the part of the brain that controlled and activated all the rest. As such, its cells were rarely quiescent. And if it went “off-line” the rest of the brain wouldn’t function.
The human body has tricks, though. Under certain conditions, notably electric shock, the whole body can shut down then start back up again.
Daneh was faced with a choice. The rest of the body was repaired, every neuron firing perfectly and now producing the proper amount of neurotransmitters and binding to them in the proper fashion. She could leave the reticular activating center alone, and Herzer would be almost completely fixed, and might survive to a ripe old age with only occasional epileptic fits, or she could shut the whole thing down, switch it out and hope that the brain would come back “on-line.”
She didn’t hesitate long since she had made her mind up before starting the process. After a moment’s pause she ordered the program to continue.
At the command flashed from the central routine, shielded nannites scattered throughout the body hammered the patient with a high voltage, low amp, current.
As Herzer’s body spasmed and the whole system went into momentary shut-down, the teleport nannites smoothly removed the entire RAC and replaced it with its repaired duplicate.
Daneh waited breathlessly for the brain to begin normal function, but instead the systems continued to flash randomly, without any of the normal rhythms she had come to recognize.
“Oh, shit,” she whispered under her breath. “Hit him again.”
Again the nannites hammered the boy with a jolt of dispersed electricity, but the rhythms still didn’t restart.
“Once more,” she whispered. “Up the voltage thirty percent.”
This time the representation of the body arched in his chair, straining against the force-field that held him in place.
Daneh watched the flickering lights for a moment then breathed a sigh of relief as they settled down into a steady alpha rhythm.
“Run a full diagnostic and make sure that no damage was done from the jolts,” she said, opening her eyes to look at the boy across from her. Under the diffuse light of the room he appeared wan. But he was also alive and that counted for much.
“All appears to be functional,” the doctor program responded. Its representation was another disembodied male head, which nodded at the patient. “There was some minor muscle damage from the last shock, but all of that is repaired and all the neurotransmitters are operating within norms. He appears to be ‘fine.’ ”
“Okay,” she said. “Bring him up slowly and let’s see what wakes up.”
Waking Herzer up took far longer than putting him under. As each of the neurotransmitter sites was unblocked, the doctor program and Daneh carefully monitored his progress. But all appeared to be well. Finally, the only lock on his processes was an induced sleep state and when they took that off he almost immediately blinked his eyes.
“Whrrl,” he muttered then blinked again. “R’ we done?” He worked his jaw for a moment then sat forward, tentatively. “This is weird.”
“How do you feel?” Daneh asked carefully.
“Like I’ve been gi’en a di’rent body, I think,” he replied. He had started with some articulation problems, but they were rapidly fading. “But it’s starting to feel right again. It’s been so long.”
“Hmmm. We probably should put you through a course of physical therapy like when a person Changes.” She thought for a moment then nodded. “Yes, that would be right, one designed for delphino reversals would be about right. And a full set of cerebral tests.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes.
“Are you okay, doctor?” Herzer asked, stretching out his hand. “Hey, look! It’s not shaking!”
“I’m fine, just tired,” she said with a smile. “Have you noticed the time?”
“Oh,” he replied, turning inward and grimacing. “Four hours?”
“Four tedious hours,” Daneh said with another slight smile. “Would you mind if I let the projection take over? I’d like to go home and get some rest.”
“Go ahead, doctor,” he said. “I’m feeling much better already.”