The Thought Readers (Mind Dimensions #1)(18)
“Yeah, I think that’s possible.” Evolution is something I know well, since Sara’s PhD thesis dealt with it. I’ve known how the whole process works since second grade.
“Well, then let’s assume, for the sake of this theory, that the brain has learned to leverage quantum effects for some specific purpose. And that as soon as the brain does that anywhere in nature, evolution will favor it. Even if the effect is tiny. As long as there’s some advantage, the evolutionary change will spread.”
“But that would mean many creatures, and all people, have the same ability we do,” I say. I wonder if I have someone else who doesn’t understand evolution on my hands.
“Right, exactly. You must’ve heard that some people in deeply stressful life-or-death situations experience time as though it’s slowing down. That some even report leaving their bodies in near-death experiences.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Well, what if that’s what it feels like for regular people to do this quantum computation, which is meant to save their lives or at least give their brains a chance to save them? You see, the theory asserts that this does happen and that all people have this ‘near-death’ quantum computation boost. All the anecdotal reports that mention strange things happening to people in dire circumstances confirm it. So far, the theory can be tied back to natural evolution.”
“Okay,” I say. “I think I follow thus far.”
“Good.” Eugene looks even more excited. “Now let’s suppose that a long time ago, someone noticed this peculiarity—noticed how soldiers talk about seeing their lives pass before their eyes, or how Valkyries decide on the battlefield who lives and who dies . . . That person could’ve decided to do something really crazy, like start a cult—a cult that led to a strange eugenics program, breeding people who had longer and stronger experiences of a similar nature.” He stands, tea forgotten, and begins to pace around the room as he talks. “Maybe they put them under stress to hear their stories. Then they might’ve had the ones with the most powerful experiences reproduce. Over a number of generations, that selective breeding could’ve produced people for whom this quantum computing under stress was much more pronounced—people who began to experience new things when that overly stressed state happened. Think about it, Darren.” He stops and looks at me. “What if we’re simply a branch of that line of humanity?”
This theory is unlike anything I expected to hear. It seems farfetched, but I have to admit it makes a weird sort of sense. There are parts that really fit my own experiences. Things that Eugene doesn’t even know—like the fact that the first time I phased into the Quiet was when I fell off my bike while somersaulting in the air. It was exactly like the out-of-body experience he described. An experience I quickly discovered I could repeat whenever I was stressed.
“Does this theory explain Reading?” I ask.
“Sort of,” he says. “The theory is that everyone’s minds Split into different universes under some conditions. As Readers, we can just stay in those universes for a longer period of time, and we’re able to take our whole consciousness with us.” He draws in a deep breath. “The next part is somewhat fuzzy, I have to admit. If you touch a normal person who’s unable to control the Split like we can, they’re unaware of anything happening. However, if you touch a Reader or a Pusher—another person like us—while in that other universe, they get pulled in with you. Their whole being joins you, just like I joined you when you touched my hand earlier today. When you touch someone ‘normal,’ they just get pulled in a little bit—on more of a subconscious level. Just enough for us to do the Reading. Afterwards, they have no recollection of it other than a vague sense of déjà vu or a feeling that they missed something, but even those cases are extremely rare.”
“Okay, now the theory sounds more wishy-washy,” I tell him.
“It’s the best I’ve got. My dad tried to study this question scientifically and paid the ultimate price.”
I stare at Eugene blankly, and he clarifies, “Pushers killed him for his research.”
“What? He was killed for trying to find these answers?” I can’t hide my shock.
“Pushers don’t like this process being studied,” Eugene says bitterly. “Being the cowards that they are, they’re afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Of ‘normal’ people learning to do what we do,” Eugene says, and it’s clear that he’s not scared of that possibility.
Chapter 8
I sip my tea quietly for a while. Eugene comes back to the table and sits down again, sipping from his own mug. My brain is on information overload. There are so many directions this conversation could go. I have so many questions. I’ve never met anyone who even knew the Quiet existed, let alone knew this much about it—other than Mira, of course, but chasing someone through a crowded casino doesn’t technically qualify as ‘meeting.’
“Are there other theories?” I ask after a few moments.
“Many,” he says. “Another one I like is the computer simulation one. If you’ve seen The Matrix, it’s relatively easy to explain. Only it doesn’t answer as many things as the Quantum Universes explanation does. Like the fact that our abilities are hereditary.”