The Research
Dr. Hiro Oshiro was a brain surgeon and an engineer at the same time, an unusual combo of degrees, but with his obsession to study the human brain more explicitly, he went through school again and finally became a brain surgeon after studying medical sciences.
He had been researching the human brain and its mechanism, his goal was to create a cure for people who were born with brain disabilities. He even invented some gadgets that could read brain signals and transform them into readable shapes through computer AI.
He appointed Dr. Hanakawa Kaisen, a computer engineer and AI scientist, who was assisting him in his new project called Dream Harvesters. The project aimed to bring the mental conditions on a visual platform and watch them exactly as they appeared in mental reality.
Dr. Oshiro finally found the part of the brain involved in developing dreams based on the human thoughts stored in a special memory module. Hanakawa synched those nervous frequencies through electrical signals and visualized them on a 3D module called BrainView N1. Hanakawa went a little further and became able to manipulate the brain's memory module with preprogrammed commands that would alter the internal memory and rewrite it with whatever he wanted it to be.
The research work brought a new invention, Dr. Oshiro had created a sesame-sized minute chip, he named it after her deceased daughter Yuika. The chip could be placed behind the eyelid permanently and the chip would be charged automatically with the electrical charges inside the human body.
Yuika was a breakthrough in the history of science, as there was no need to open the skull and surgically implant wires and chips inside the brain. Yuika could receive the brain signals and send them to a mobile app developed by Hanakawa, which was connected to the main server of BrainView N1.
Deception
2 AM, the cellphone rang, Dr. Oshiro picked up the call "Hiro here.", the lab guard informed "Oshiro San, there is a fire incident in your lab, I see fire everywhere and I fear if anything remained unaffected."
"No, this can't happen to my lab, oh no, did you call the fire department?" he responded hastily, lab guard said, "Yes, Oshiro san, fire trucks are here and they are trying to extinguish the fire."
"Okay, I am coming to the lab." Dr. Oshiro hung up the phone and rushed to the lab in his SUV.
The fire was extinguished, but inside the lab, there were barely any remnants of lab equipment and devices, all he could see was ash and soot.
Dr. Oshiro called Hanakawa, but the automated message told him that the phone was switched off.
After a week passed, the police issued an investigation report, it said that 2 strangers visited the lab portraying themselves as the new server operators and they had even the employee identity cards with them, they spent 1 hour in the lab and then left the building. Dr. Oshiro was also informed by the police that Hanakawa's apartment was locked and he had left the country on a flight to Mexico.
Dr. Oshiro had lost everything pertaining to 'Dream Harvesters' project, it took him many years to finally disclose his research to the public, but before it had happened, he was deceived by his big-time cohort.
Dr. Oshiro was devastated and secluded himself in his countryside farmhouse, although he had his research in soft form, he had nothing left to start over, as he had spent most of his life savings on his Dream Harvesters project.
The First Client
Hanakawa marketed himself in the drug cartels of Mexico, he reached some local drug lords and told them that he wanted to experiment with a new kind of intoxication through a digital drug that would cost them once, but the benefits would be long-term.
Finally, a local handler named Armando arranged a meeting with his first client Ricardo Del Rio owner of Los Cabróns cartel, a very prominent figure in Mexican overlords in the drugs business. Hanakawa was asked to demonstrate the mechanism of the digital drug and how it would replace the consumable form of drugs.
Hanawaka invited the cartel leader to be his guest of honor at his underground lab for the demonstration of the digital drug, the date was set and Hanakawa prepared everything he needed to prove his AI power.
Digital Drug
Although Hanakawa had done several trials of Yuika before confirming its results, it was the first private demonstration he was about to give for personal gains.
Ricardo and his goons arrived at the underground lab, Hanako welcomed his guest and took him to the lab.
"Ricardo san, I know your time is very short and precious, so I'll request you to spare one of your loyal guards for the test, so you make sure that the results are real." Hanako asked Ricardo gently.
"No problemo amigo, Jose, go lay on the bed of dreams.", Ricardo ordered one of his guards and further added, "Amigo, just don't kill him, haha, I am joking, please continue with your experiment."
Jose laid on the operating table, Hanako strapped him and inserted a Yuika chip in his left eye. Hanako looked at his watch, then gazed at the BrainView N1, the chip got charged in a minute, then connected with the server and mobile app.
"Ricardo san, please hold this cellphone, you see there is an eye button, just tap it so that Jose can go to sleep for 30 minutes.", Hanako handed over the mobile device to Ricardo briefing him app's features.
As Ricardo tapped on the eye button, Jose closed his eyes and went into a deep sleep, "what next, amigo?"
Hanako responded with a smile "If Jose sees a natural dream, it will appear on the BrainView, but we can also feed him with a pre-programmed dream, Ricardo san, you can select any dream from the Dream menu, and within a few seconds Jose will be in a digital dream."
Ricardo selected a random dream, the dream was written into Jose's mind, a little chirp and flickering on the screen, BrainView started the mind feed, Jose could be seen in a German army uniform inside a Panzer, suddenly a missile struck the Panzer, everyone inside was dead except Jose, he crawled through the hatch out and found himself in a desert valley surrounded by skyscraper buildings, the buildings were calling Jose's name "Jose, what are you doing in this wasteland, come to us, we'll show the luxuries you have ever wished for."
A concrete hand extended from one of the buildings, as Jose grasped the hand, he was pulled up and found himself in a big hall filled with worldly cuisines, beautiful women, wine, and things he had ever dreamed for. A woman came over to him and kissed him, he was on a bed with that woman, naked and cuddling, the intimacy had grown towards a love-making scene.
"Excuse me, Ricardo San, please look at the bump on Jose's pants, it's wet already." Hanako pointed out the dream's effects on Jose's body and continued talking "So, now you believe me or not? whatever you saw on the BrainView, Jose has seen and felt the same way as he was watching a natural dream."
Ricardo tapped on the wake-up button, it broke the dream and Jose slowly opened his eyes, "Jose, tell me exactly what you saw during your sleep?"
Jose told him everything he saw in the dream feed. "Bueno, go to the bathroom and clean your mess, Jose." Ricardo laughed out loud pointing at Jose's pants, then everyone followed Ricardo.
"Mi amigo Hanako, ask your price, hermano." Ricardo asked Hanako in a cheerful mood.
"Ricardo san, it would be nice if you take me as a 50% partner in the business." Hanako presented his offer with utmost gratitude.
"I like you, it's a deal, Hermano y Hermano.", Ricardo spit on his hand and extended it to Hanako, Hanako did the same and shook his hand.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The story, places, characters, items, and anything mentioned here are all fictitious. Anything presented in this story is wholly imaginary.
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