Grailem by Gary L Beer (top 100 novels txt) 📖

Grailem

by

Gary L Beer


Copyright © 2012


To those I have known whose time was short.


All characters in this novel are fictitious,
any similarity to persons living or dead or yet to be,
is purely coincidental.


© 2012 Gary L Beer All rights reserved


This publication or any part of it, may not be reproduced,
transmitted or stored in an electronic retrieval system without the publishers consent.


Table of Contents

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen

The Author


Chapter One

The magnetic field of the passing asteroid is generating enough energy to pull Grailem towards it. Waking from an aimless sleep he tries to use his precious energy to move closer. It had been aeons since he had stood on, or even felt a solid surface beneath his feet.
Grailem had been drifting aimlessly through space since his spacecraft had exploded, maybe a million years ago now. The exploding fuel tanks had thrown him out into the cold of space with such a force that he had almost achieved the speed of light. The clouds of dust and gases of forming nebula he passed through slowed him down as he flew uncontrolled through the cosmos. With no propulsion system to aid him, the friction of forming nebulae of dust and gas eventually brought his speed down to a few kilometres per second.
The years passed slowly for him as he had little to distract his thoughts and he had long wished for the release of death. The only part of him that is human is his brain; and this has been incorporated completely into an artificial body. The body had been especially designed to cope with all environments; including the vacuum of space, but with the vital flaw of no propulsion system.
The long held dream that Man could eventually conquer death had become a reality. Grailem and many others like him, are the prototypes for a new generation of Man. The body skeleton, made of modern metal clusters, that would never decay, was almost indestructible. His inner machine workings were covered in a flexible carbon hybrid. The carbon, formed with the mineral pansaleite under extreme pressure gave the appearance and feel of human skin. The new kind of Man had to be in Man's own image and Grailem looked a prime example of his species; a little over two metres tall with a muscular looking body and handsome round face he could pass at a distance as human on any planet. Closer examination of his eyes would reveal their mechanical nature betraying his true identity. This was not a problem on his home planet as many people possessed artificial eyes – but to an outworlder he was one not to be trusted.

Mankind had been incorporating humans with artificial limbs and internal organs for generations. The more that Man depended on technology, the physically weaker the human race had become. Many humans were regularly being born with disabilities like missing limbs, blindness and also the inability to speak.
Substituting the missing limbs with man-made ones and combining computer technology, the blind could see better than with normal healthy eyes (though mechanical and lacking any sign of emotion), and the disabled could walk and run. To have a disability proved to be an advantage in this new world; as the replacement limbs and internal organs were far superior to that created by nature. All those who could afford it had mechanical hearts and kidneys. Some had arms and legs deliberately amputated so that they could be fitted with far superior man-made ones.
Life expectancy became measured in centuries rather than years. After three thousand years the human part of the body mysteriously changed, making the body susceptible to disease and death. Not many people lived beyond three thousand years; it was as if the body had an internal clock that stopped when it reached a certain age. The only organ that had to remain human was the brain, but this and whatever part of the original body remained always fell susceptible to disease, killing the host.

Grailem, and several like him, had been Mankind's hope to finally achieve immortality; created in a test tube they had been genetically modified to have no arms and legs in the hope of creating a superior brain. The brain, genetically cross-mutated with an alien species of wasp brought an immunity to the diseases that had affected Man. Kept as laboratory experiments initially and suspended in biotic fluid for the first three years, the brains did expand to twice their normal size and intelligence. Hard wired into a computer terminal the brains had access to all of Mankind's knowledge.
Grailem had become fully self aware after only a few months and had been content in his tank of biotic fluid. Though he was connected to the computer system he was unable to communicate. Regarded as nothing more than a young infant of a few years he was generally left alone - until the military intervened.
More advanced weapons could be constructed; with a human brain making the decisions rather than a computer.
The military under the command of General Naitsirho, moved many of the functioning brains to the military's research centre in the desert. Grailem's brain, being the more advanced in intelligence and size, was moved to a 'more secure' location near the North Pole. The scientist's moving him were not aware of his dependency on the computer that was hard wired into his system. Carelessly unplugging him he becomes blind and senseless and retreats into the depths of his memories.

Aware of what was happening to him Grailem decided that the best option was not to co-operate. Trying to re-activate him at the remote military outpost they could not bring his consciousness to the surface. The military, in desperation used a very powerful mind control drug mixed with his biotic fluid to try to bring him to awareness. The drug, when mixed with the fluid transformed itself as it absorbed the oxygen and carbon from the life-giving bioplasm creating a new substance.
The transformed chemical spread into his brain forming a protective casing around the cells. Absorbing a high amount of oxygen from the bioplasm this protective casing became negatively charged, further encapsulating the newly formed chemical.
With no response from his brain to any form of external stimulation; including more powerful drugs, General Naitsirho, who had high hopes for using Grailem’s advanced brain, ordered the use of electric shock treatment. Inserting electrodes into the bioplasm surrounding his brain they turned the power on at a minimum power of one milliamp.
Having no observable effect they increased the power, not realising that the increased power was raising the temperature of the bioplasm and the power was increased. Bubbles started to form around Grailem's brain as the fluid started to boil and the scientists quickly shut down the power.
Aware that the boiling bioplasm would have damaged Grailem's brain, turning him into nothing more than a vegetable, the military, saying nothing of their experiments, returned Grailem's brain to the laboratory.
The harsh treatment he had received from the military, especially the hallucinogenic drugs and the dangerous increase in temperature, had caused many of his brain cells to mutate, retaining the harmful chemicals and forming new ones. The hallucinations created by the chemicals in his mind, as he had no eyes, became overpowering and, at times, dominated his way of thinking.
The desire to see and escape the nightmare hallucinations caused a response within his brain and the newly formed chemicals. Polypeptide chains formed together and produced fibres of collagen. The fibres cross link and combined into a helical arrangement and grouped together forming two roughly shaped spheres at the front of his brain.
Grailem suddenly found, after three years of darkness, apart from the computer input, that he could see as if he had a pair of primitive eyes. The bioplasm in the tank that surrounded his brain was opaque, limiting his vision as most objects beyond his container appeared blurred. A scientist in a white coat moves towards him alerted by the increased electrical activity recorded on the monitor.
Grailem feels his 'eyes' alter shape as they focus on the approaching scientist. As he gets closer and peers into the fluid Grailem can see him perfectly; unshaven and dirty with bloodshot eyes trying to focus on Grailem's brain he is not the most attractive first sight for Grailem.
The increased high electrical activity detected and recorded by the computer is misinterpreted by the scientist. Thinking that Grailem is suffering from shock and the increased activity is a sign of distress, the scientist initiates the cooling mechanism. This will reduce the temperature of the bioplasm to five degrees below zero; the fluid will not freeze but will induce a form of sleep, reducing his brain activity to nearly zero.

Slowly Grailem feels the temperature of the bioplasm increasing; how long he had been unconscious he had no way of knowing. As the temperature increases his 'eyes' come into focus and he sees that his container is surrounded by a large group of scientists all wearing white coats and hair nets. Several are clustered around the viewing screen pointing at a graph that is displayed. Pointing at several of the high peaks one scientist looks agitated. Turning towards the group he points an accusing finger at an elderly scientist and operates a communication device on the wall. Almost immediately two very large uniformed security officers enter.
The scientist says something to them and turning towards the elderly scientist they approach him, one of the guards takes a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. The old scientist looks on in shock as he is handcuffed and escorted out of the laboratory.
Establishing his authority, the scientist issues instructions to the remaining white coated group and they all approach Grailem in his tank of bioplasm. Watching their mouths move as they talk and not being connected to the communications terminal Grailem cannot hear what they are saying. The scientist is handed a bottle of a gold coloured liquid and Grailem's stress levels rise.
The scientist carefully opens the jar and pours the golden fluid into Grailem's tank of bioplasm. The effect of the liquid upon Grailem's brain is instantaneous; the fluid contains no electrical charge, not even a residual charge, but somehow attracts the negatively charged electrons from Grailem's newly formed defensive screen.
Now totally helpless and fully receptive to any electrical charge that may be inflicted upon him Grailem feels a wave of fear flow through his mind. The graph, still displayed on the viewing screen records his reactions as alarmingly high peaks. Darkness starts to cover him as he slips into unconsciousness bringing relief from the pain.
The increasing temperature of the bioplasm brings Grailem back to consciousness once again. Darkness surrounds him and his newly formed 'eyes' show him only blackness. Aware that he is now