meeting with Milan later and your own test results would go a long way to deciding what happens next with this research.”
Maria took a deep breath. All her instincts said she should not give this man power over her but she couldn’t walk away from this last chance.
“Fine, but I need to show you how it all works before I go under.” She walked ahead of him into a glass-walled area. “This is where we record the suggestions to go under the binaural beats. They are fed into the headphones you can see on the beds. They’re modified to stimulate the temporal lobe so the commands are paired with the perception of the Other.”
Harghada leaned in to look more closely at the recording unit.
“I’d like to make a new recording without you knowing what I’m saying. That way I can be sure that you aren’t faking your response.”
“I don’t think that would be ethical or practical,” said Maria, a little panicked now. “Perhaps this was a bad idea.”
She turned to walk out of the booth. He grabbed her wrist and twisted her back towards him, his grip tight but controlled, as if he could snap her wrist if he applied just a little more pressure.
“Dr Van Garre,” Harghada purred, a cat playing with its prey. “Now is not the time to be coy about your research. You will show me how this works.” He let her go, his voice cajoling. “Trust me. I just want to see if you were telling the truth this morning. Prove it and I will be the strongest advocate for your work, personally guaranteeing your funding.”
Maria was shaking now. If she ran for the door, she knew he would stop her. His eyes were feral, a wolf whose jaws were itching to clamp down on her soft flesh. She bit her lip, willing herself to stay in control, and pointed at the controls.
“It’s quite easy. We’ll use booth one, so you click the button for 1, record the message and click it again. The message will be repeated under the binaural beat rhythm at different levels. The subject needs to be guided in slowly, as the highest frequency is too much straight away, but that’s controlled automatically by the program.”
Harghada nodded.
“Go and lie down while I do the recording.” She started to walk out. “And don’t try anything, Doctor. It would always be your word against mine in this building. Just be a good girl, and let’s do this experiment together.”
Maria smarted at his words but, feeling like she had no choice, she walked back into the booth area and lay down on the bed. She pulled her pinstriped suit jacket closer around her, trying to warm her body against the chill of fear. She could see Harghada recording something, his fleshy lips moving silently behind the glass. She pulled on the headset and waited, wondering what he was saying, fearful of the thoughts that would enter her subconscious. But then he came out of the booth.
“I think you’ve forgotten something.”
Maria sat up again.
“No, that’s all you need to do for the audio channel.”
“I clearly recall you mentioning that the best results were binaural beats paired with a drug regime.” He walked to the table of syringes, his fingers running over the sealed packets. Maria felt the blood leave her face. “You said the effects were enhanced with a hallucinogen,” Harghada continued. “If we’re trying to give you visions of God, then we’d better make the experience worthwhile. I bet you have some LSD somewhere, since your research is influenced by Aldous Huxley.”
“Huxley voluntarily took drugs, and I will not.” Maria stood up and faced Harghada, shaking with anger and indignation. “I will sacrifice my research but not my safety and I’m leaving now. I don’t believe you ever intended to consider this for further funding. I don’t know what you’re doing but I won’t be part of it.”
She tried to push past him but he grabbed her arm. She struggled and he pushed her towards the bed, backhanding her so she
Maria took a deep breath. All her instincts said she should not give this man power over her but she couldn’t walk away from this last chance.
“Fine, but I need to show you how it all works before I go under.” She walked ahead of him into a glass-walled area. “This is where we record the suggestions to go under the binaural beats. They are fed into the headphones you can see on the beds. They’re modified to stimulate the temporal lobe so the commands are paired with the perception of the Other.”
Harghada leaned in to look more closely at the recording unit.
“I’d like to make a new recording without you knowing what I’m saying. That way I can be sure that you aren’t faking your response.”
“I don’t think that would be ethical or practical,” said Maria, a little panicked now. “Perhaps this was a bad idea.”
She turned to walk out of the booth. He grabbed her wrist and twisted her back towards him, his grip tight but controlled, as if he could snap her wrist if he applied just a little more pressure.
“Dr Van Garre,” Harghada purred, a cat playing with its prey. “Now is not the time to be coy about your research. You will show me how this works.” He let her go, his voice cajoling. “Trust me. I just want to see if you were telling the truth this morning. Prove it and I will be the strongest advocate for your work, personally guaranteeing your funding.”
Maria was shaking now. If she ran for the door, she knew he would stop her. His eyes were feral, a wolf whose jaws were itching to clamp down on her soft flesh. She bit her lip, willing herself to stay in control, and pointed at the controls.
“It’s quite easy. We’ll use booth one, so you click the button for 1, record the message and click it again. The message will be repeated under the binaural beat rhythm at different levels. The subject needs to be guided in slowly, as the highest frequency is too much straight away, but that’s controlled automatically by the program.”
Harghada nodded.
“Go and lie down while I do the recording.” She started to walk out. “And don’t try anything, Doctor. It would always be your word against mine in this building. Just be a good girl, and let’s do this experiment together.”
Maria smarted at his words but, feeling like she had no choice, she walked back into the booth area and lay down on the bed. She pulled her pinstriped suit jacket closer around her, trying to warm her body against the chill of fear. She could see Harghada recording something, his fleshy lips moving silently behind the glass. She pulled on the headset and waited, wondering what he was saying, fearful of the thoughts that would enter her subconscious. But then he came out of the booth.
“I think you’ve forgotten something.”
Maria sat up again.
“No, that’s all you need to do for the audio channel.”
“I clearly recall you mentioning that the best results were binaural beats paired with a drug regime.” He walked to the table of syringes, his fingers running over the sealed packets. Maria felt the blood leave her face. “You said the effects were enhanced with a hallucinogen,” Harghada continued. “If we’re trying to give you visions of God, then we’d better make the experience worthwhile. I bet you have some LSD somewhere, since your research is influenced by Aldous Huxley.”
“Huxley voluntarily took drugs, and I will not.” Maria stood up and faced Harghada, shaking with anger and indignation. “I will sacrifice my research but not my safety and I’m leaving now. I don’t believe you ever intended to consider this for further funding. I don’t know what you’re doing but I won’t be part of it.”
She tried to push past him but he grabbed her arm. She struggled and he pushed her towards the bed, backhanding her so she
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