AMSTERDAM
5–10–5016
4:18 AM
“Alright, shall we begin? State your name for the record please.”
“Helena Caxemira.”
“Age?”
“42.”
“Thank you. What part of your story do you want to begin with? Most patients start with a climactic point, but — ”
“ I want to start from the beginning…”
“Reliving memory sequences requires much energy and storage space, so it would be dangerous to occupy more than needed. It could damage vital cerebral functions.”
“I need to do this. Let me do this.”
“Ms. Caxemira, this could kill you. Only important occurrences of early life are important to retaining the necessary information — ”
“You don’t know me. You don’t have the slightest idea of what I’ve been through. I need this.”
“Could you tell me why…? Ms. Caxemira?”
“ I need to be at peace with myself. I need to know that I did the right thing.”
“What happened back then was not your fault. You saved us, and you did your best.”
“My best wasn’t good enough. Because I know she’s still out there. And what am I doing about it? Sitting here, helpless. “
“There’s nothing you can do anymore. It’s over.”
“ It was a war. Hundreds of thousands of people died, and you’re telling me it’s over? As if you were with me all those times we were in danger… All those times I lost the lives of people important to me. Help me get the reassurance that I need. First, I want the sequences from Age 19 to 25.”
“Ms. Caxemira, 6 years is a dangerous amount of time — ”
“I need to do this. Let me remember this. Let me do this.”
“ … System, run memory sequence x0019 through x0025 of Helena Caxemira. Helena, we need you to close your eyes, and lay still. You’re going to feel a painful sensation at first, but your body will eventually go numb. Take a deep breath as you cross over. You will remember. You’ll remember everything.”