“Yes, but think of history and English, basic math, and foreign languages. All the basic classes could be learned through memorization,” Caitlin said.
“Hey, I’m not arguing the point. I agree with you. Much of my early education was taken up with hours and hours of memorization. I never was very good at languages. I tried Spanish in high school and college, and I managed to get by, but I’ve forgotten most of what I learned.”
“But you won’t need to learn foreign languages anymore. These communicators give anyone instant access to any language. If you only spoke Swahili and I only spoke Hindi, we could still carry on this conversation as if we were both speaking the same language,” Caitlin said.
The heat of the fire was making John’s backside warm. He stepped away from the fire and sat down on the opposite end of the couch. “That’s a part of this thing’s capability that I still don’t comprehend.”
He found that they had begun to carry on the conversation by both audible and inaudible methods.
Caitlin nodded. “I don’t either. The file doesn’t go into enough detail on how it operates, just on what its capabilities are.”
“Okay, go ahead and send me the rest of the file. I’ve gone this far. I might as well go the rest of the way.”
He leaned back and closed his eyes. The images of the file swept over him sequentially until the index flashed by.
“Won’t be needing that.”
“What’s that?”
“The index and contents. Like you said, I can remember all of it, just as though I’d written it myself. This is damned spooky. How was someone able to keep this level of technology hidden away while it was being developed?”
“I guess the same way the government classifies everything in the interest of national security,” Caitlin said.
“Somehow, I don’t think it worked that way. There are too many players in this game.” John paused, and then continued, “You know, I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’m concerned about your safety.”
She reached out and put a hand on his. “I know. You’re such a dear.”
Her words came through both the air and the device, and while he’d begun to connect emotions with words, this time it was pronounced. Her speech had feelings attached, but her unspoken words were saturated with emotional content. The intensity of her emotion surprised him, and he felt an inward rush of feelings that matched hers.
Caitlin jerked her hand back from his as if she’d been burned. The emotion he’d been receiving disappeared instantly.
Her eyes met and held his. “My God. I had no idea.”
“Neither did I.”
Slowly, as if he were afraid of frightening her, he stretched out his hand and cupped hers.
With the first contact of her skin, he felt her emotions flowing back over him. There was a warmth, a caring, to them that he’d never felt from anyone. It was nearly as intense as the emotion he’d felt toward her all those years ago in the Canyon. But there was also a fear in her emotions.
“What’s wrong? What are you afraid of?”
Her face mirrored her emotions, and for a moment, the fear overwhelmed the other feelings. “This is wrong. It shouldn’t be able to do this. Nothing was mentioned about this capability in the file.”
She was right. The detailed capabilities of the device made no mention of emotional transfers. “Whoever tried these out before apparently never touched.”
“But the theory of operation didn’t predict anything other than a straight flow of communication. This is too much like reading your thoughts.”
“I know. Do you want to stop?” he asked.
“No, I....”
She suddenly laughed, and her fear disappeared.
“What is it?”
“I was the one who wanted to explore its capabilities and yet as soon as we discover something we didn’t know about it, I freeze up.”
“It’s understandable.”
“But how does it work?” she asked.
“Well, we know it uses the necklace as an antenna for both brain and radio waves. Perhaps by actually touching, we’re getting a more direct coupling between the circuits.”
“Then would more contact intensify the connection?”
“Shall we see?” he asked.
Caitlin raised her other hand and held it out. John raised his and their fingers intertwined. The intensity did grow, not geometrically, but not linearly either.
He could feel how she felt, feel her warmth toward him, feel her concern for his safety, her love. It was like nothing he’d ever imagined. It was like being a child again when your mother was taking care of you. When no matter what else the world might do to you, the love of this one person would always be there. It was the feelings you have when your dog sits by your side and places his head in your hand. It was like sitting on the beach and watching a golden harvest moon rise over the surf. It was all that and more. Her emotion swept over him like the tide, it enveloped him in a warm embrace, and for the first time in years, John felt like there was hope for the world, that not everything was cynical and cold. There was a bond between people that could be good; a bond that could bring friendship and caring and love.
At first, he tried to deny his feelings for her but found them impossible to hide or disguise. He accepted her feelings, feeling them warm and thaw his own emotions until he was able to return everything she gave him with
