Blog

Core Beliefs – Chapter 46 - We are one. Matt and Ling set a May 1, 2009, wedding date. Ling turned in her resignation to both Wheatley and Baylor. She was surprised at how fiercely they fought to keep her on staff. There were moments when Ling found herself torn, an ache in her heart at not being able to help heal people in need, yet she knew she could no longer live without Matt, who had made her life whole and healed. When the institutions learned the reason, they grudgi

Core Beliefs – Chapter 45 - The Proposal. Almost before they could believe, Christmas was upon them. Matt and Ling celebrated Christmas Eve with Joe and his family. The time at Joe’s was the happiest Christmas Matt could recall. Doug had brought Ellie, and Charley joked constantly with anyone who would banter. Cynthia was singing and baking cookies. There was a special feeling about family that gripped Matt, causing him to appreciate his brother as never before. Christmas

Core Beliefs – Chapter 44 - Neuro Analysis Thanksgiving morning arrived. Matt and Ling had arisen early and had taken a walk in the fields behind Armonia House. On their way back, Ling spotted Eldridge’s truck pulling up, with Elvin driving, and behind it, in Doug’s rig, were Doug, Ellie, and Charley. Eldridge’s truck had something in it. Matt couldn’t make it out from where he stood. By the time they reached the house, it was apparent that a sizable tent was being set up.

Core Beliefs – Chapter 43 - New Beginnings Matt and Ling packed on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and drove Ling’s rental to Kansas City; Matt hadn’t replaced the Buick. Ling paid careful attention as he drove, evaluating his reflexes and coordination. As time passed, she became comfortable, knowing he had complete control. They stopped briefly to visit Joe and Cynthia, appreciative of the chance to rest before heading for Wichita. *** It was almost 7:00 p.m. when they pu

Core Beliefs – Chapter 42 - Resurrection Morning. 4:30 in the morning, and as usual, Ling had spent the night in the recliner next to Matt’s bed. The room was dark except for the monitors and some lights on the equipment. The night had been peaceful, with Ling dreaming that she was talking with Matt. The thoughts flitting into her head told her Matt was trying to come to her. Through her dream, Ling implored him, begging Matt to please hurry, professing she wanted and neede

Core Beliefs – Chapter 41 - Soon Ling had forgotten that the data feed from the neuroimager was still being sent to the control room in the Silo. Suchet had studied it carefully and asked Doug to record everything. All other projects were on hold while they investigated as many aspects as they could. Suchet continued to watch while Ellie reviewed the recorded data. A wild thought had entered her head—to write a program that would analyze the information. Suchet and Doug we

As I worked on the next chapter of Core Beliefs, out of curiosity I clicked the "read aloud" icon on my word processor. I was shocked, as the automated female voice read my words, with inflection, affirming my punctuation was correct, and I smiled, contentedly as the rhythm of what I heard synced with how I had imagined the sound and feel of the work. I remember a few friends asking if my books were in audio form. Nope, but it's on the to do list now. If you have a "read alou

Core Beliefs – Chapter 40 - Coming Back Flash! That was what it was: a flash. No comprehension, no understanding, just a flash and then another. There was no sense of time, no sense of touch, smell, hearing, taste, or sight. No sense of being, just a flash. A new flash, a different flash, then it was gone. Matt had no awareness of his circumstances or that his body was being invaded cell by cell. Ling had injected the nanobots into over two hundred locations, totaling ove

Core Beliefs – Chapter 39 - Desperate Measures On Sunday, October 19, Ling and her medical staff moved Matt into the surgery suite. They had removed the Imager from Matt’s head. The scars and scabs from injuries caused by the accident did not make for a photogenic moment. A technician finished the calibration check of the new laser-guided surgical robot. It would identify the precise position for the micro-needles. The needles also served as drills to penetrate the skull.

Core Beliefs – Chapter 38 - Despair and Care. Five minutes later, Matt lay quietly in his room. Life support and all attached equipment were still in place. “We are now sterile,” Ling’s first order, “scrubs, masks, and you wash twice before entering, no one with colds or allergies, is that understood!” Ling, already in her scrubs, began treating Matt. She and the lab techs reduced his body temperature, placing him in a near-coma state. *** In the first twenty hours, they