Psychic Warrior 01 Psychic Warrior by Robert Doherty

Author:Robert Doherty [Doherty, Robert]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Sci-Fi Short
Published: 2010-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

He was lifted up, then lowered into the isolation tank six minutes ahead of the new schedule. The handoff to Sybyl went smoothly.

The computer quickly ran through a check of his stick man form, insuring that he had control.

“ It is time now,” Hammond finally announced, satisfied. “ You will feel power. It’ll feel good. A feeling of strength. Do not do anything until I tellyou. Do not do anything unless I tell you specifically to do it. Is that clear?”

“ Clear,” Dalton replied. “ I am giving you tenpercent.”

Like a jolt of adrenaline, power coursed through him. Dalton felt giddy. He began to lift this arm.

“ Do not do anything until I tell you.” Dalton forced himself to remain still. The feeling grew stronger.

“ Turn to your left.”

Dalton did as instructed.

“ Do you see the light?”

There was a bright glowing tunnel straight ahead. All else was dull gray fog. Dalton paused as he realized what he had just done, or what had been done for him by Sybyl— he was inside the avatar, looking about— not in his own head looking at the form.

“ I see it.”

“ Walk toward it. I am giving you a surface to walk on and a feeling ofweight.”

Dalton did feel ground beneath his feet. Slightly spongy, like walking on a gym mat, but it gave him something to push off of. The tunnel got closer. Then it was right in front of him.

“ Wait,” Hammond said.

Dalton paused.

Hammond’s voice, filtered by the computer link, came through. “ When you stepinto the virtual plane, there will be nothing beneath your feet. It will be like floating in a mist. Youwill have no sense of orientation. It will take us a little while to get you both oriented and able tomove. Some have difficulty with this.”

Dalton remembered the first time he had free-fall-jumped out of a plane. It was much different from static line parachuting. He had tumbled in the air as he fell; the only orientation he had had was the ground far below that he was rapidly plummeting toward and the air whistling by. He had an idea what Hammond was talking about. He had seen men panic in such a situation, unable to deploy their chutes as they tumbled, saved only when their automatic opener activated at a predetermined altitude.

“ All right. I’m ready.”

“ Step into the tunnel,” Hammond ordered. Dalton moved his leg forward. There was nothing to put it on. But he didn’t fall as he lifted his other leg. He felt himself drawn forward and then he was in.

His stomach spasmed his last meal ready to come back up as he floated in a fog. He had no idea how far he was able to see, because there was nothing to see.

“ I f el like I’m going to throw up,” Dalton said. “ That’s a psychological reaction,” Hammond said. “ And a verygood one.”

“ Good?” Dalton swallowed. “ Yes. Because youcan’t really feel your real stomach. So this is a subconscious psychological reaction, whichmeans your mind is very attuned to the virtual world.

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