0200 40 00 EEG–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 41 00 EEC–ALPHA WAVES
0200 42 00 EEC–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 43 00 EEG–ALPHA WAVES
0200 44 00 EEG–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 45 00 EEG–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 46 00 EEG–STAGE 2 SLEEP
0200 47 00 EEC–STAGE 2 SLEEP
0200 46 00 EEG–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 49 00 EEG–ALPHA WAVES
0200 50 00 EEG–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 51 00 EEC–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 52 00 EEC–ALPHA WAVES
0200 53 00 EEC–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 54 00EEG–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 55 00EEG–ALPHA WAVES
0200 56 00 EEG–STAGE 1 SLEEP/REM
0200 5? 00 EEC–ALPHA WAVES
0200 55 00 EEC–ALPHA WAVES
0200 59 00 EEC–ALPHA WAVES
0300 00 00 EEG–ALPHA WAVES
0300 01 00 EEC–ALPHA WAVES
0300 02 00 EEG–NO READING
0300 03 00 EEC–NO READING
0300 04 00 EEC–NO READING
0300 05 00 EEC–NO READING
LIFE SIGNS NEGATIVE
LIFE SIGNS NEGATIVE
LIFE SIGNS NEGATIVE
PATIENT DECEASED
END PRINT
END PROGRAM ::STOP::
Dawson let out his breath somewhat explosively, as if he had been holding it for the past minute. “He was a good man. May he rest in peace.”
“There at the end,” the general said, “there were five consecutive alpha wave readings. Does that mean he was fully awake for five minutes before he died?”
“Fully awake,” Salsbury said. “But not rational.”
“I thought you said he died in his sleep.”
“No. I said he died in bed.”
“What happened in those five minutes?”
“I’ll show you,” Salsbury said. He went to the nearest computer console and briefly used the keyboard.
All but two of the overhead scanners went dark. One of these was an ordinary television screen controlled by the computer on a closed-circuit arrangement. The other was a cathode-ray readout tube.
Getting up from the keyboard, Salsbury said, “The screen on the right will run a videotape of the last six minutes of King-man’s life. The screen on the left will provide a synchronized read-out of some of his vital life signs, updating them every thirty seconds.”
Dawson and Klinger moved closer.
The right-hand screen flickered. A sharply focused black-and-white picture appeared on it: Brian Kingman lying atop his covers, on his back, twelve data-gathering patches cemented to his head and torso, wires trailing from the patches to two machines at the side of the bed. A sphygmomanometer was attached to his right arm and wired directly to the smaller of the machines. Kingman glistened with perspiration. He was trembling. Every few seconds one of his arms would jerk up defensively, or one of his legs would kick out at the air. In spite of this movement, his eyes were closed, and he was asleep.
“He’s in stage one now,” Salsbury said.
“Dreaming,” Dawson said.
“Obviously.”
At the top of the left-hand screen there was a digital clock that broke down the time count into hours, minutes, seconds, and tenths of seconds. On the soft green background below the clock, white computer-generated characters reported on four of Kingman’s most important life signs.
BK/OB REP 14, ONGOING, AS FOLLOWS:
TEST NORMAL FOR THIS SUBJECT VALUE
TEMPERATURE 98.6 98.6
RESPIRATION 18 PER MIN 22 PER MIN
PULSE 70 PER MIN 90 PER MIN
BLOOD PRESSURE
SYSTOLIC 100-120 110
DIASTOLIC 60-70 70
“He’s still asleep,” Salsbury said. “But his respiration and pulse have picked up approximately twenty-five percent. He appears to be having a bad dream. His thrashing about gets worse in just a moment. He’s ready to come out of it now. Ready to wake up. Watch closely. There!”
On the black-and-white screen, Kingman suddenly drew up his knees, kicked out with both feet, drew up his knees again, and kept them drawn up, almost to his chest. He gripped his head with both hands, rolled his eyes, opened his mouth.
“He’s screaming now,” Salsbury said. “I’m sorry there’s no audio.”
“What’s he screaming at?” Dawson asked. “He’s awake now. The nightmare’s over.”
“Wait,” Salsbury said.
“His respiration and pulse are soaring,” Klinger said.
Kingman screamed soundlessly.
0200 58 00
“Look how his chest is heaving,” Dawson said. “Good God, his lungs will burst!”
Writhing continuously but a degree less violently than he had been a moment ago, Kingman began to chew on his lower lip. In seconds his chin was covered with blood.