Read Near Future 1: Awakening for Free Online

say much," Ted said dryly. "When has she not overdone it? The headaches are getting better, but she still is almost incapacitated at times. I have to tell you, in everything else she is exceeding expectations. Here, it's probably best to just show you."
    Ted had the hospital AI play a VR video across the call. They watched as Miranda scanned across multiple VR screens in mere seconds, rapidly moving from one topic to another. Some of the screens flashed by so quickly that they could barely see them. Then she opened an advanced astrophysics online course through which she rapidly progressed. Even though she moved rapidly through the course, she appeared to be understanding what she was studying. "Obviously, she has gained this ability from the nanites, and I would not be surprised if her IQ is now off the charts. We know that she was a very intelligent young lady with many talents before, but nothing like this."
    Both men heard a noise. They looked up to see Sam's lab assistant watching from a doorway and the doctor said, "It looks like I have an issue here. Hold on just a minute -- " Ted heard him talking to the assistant who said, "I'm sorry. I was just curious about the video." It sounded like the doctor said something like "Better not let it happen again!" Ducking his head, the assistant quickly left.
    When Sam came back, he said, "I don't think he heard anything. I'll make sure from now on he's not able to overhear us. If the guy wasn't useful for running errands around here, I don't think I would keep him on."
    Ted nodded, "I have one more piece of unrelated news. That research you asked about last week? They have made some progress, and we will actually be ready to start testing in a few weeks. I will forward you the information I have, since I know you will want to be personally involved when they get to the testing stage."
    #
    The lab assistant, Jorge Abernathy, walked off mumbling to himself. No one knew that he was deep in gambling debt, but that was just a short term state for him. He knew that someday he would hit the big jackpot. After all he had figured out most of the system he would use, and he just needed a little more time and money to get it all worked out. To that end, he kept working on ways to get more money, and had begun to steal secrets from the lab. Unfortunately, he had only been able to steal minor things in the past. Luckily, in the process, he had found the trick to selling his information, because he had secretly made contact with the Organization that opposed Space Tech. He had sold them information before and knew that they were constantly watching specifically for tech from Doctor Randolph. He had once sold them information on the doctor's schedule, and he suspected that had led to the failed attack on him two years ago. It was a shame that Doctor Randolph's wife and daughter got caught in it, but that was just collateral damage. He didn't figure he was to blame since it was the fools in the Organization who were involved in the attack, and it wasn't his fault that they did it.
    It was that same incident when a man from the Organization had threatened him, coercing him to do something at considerable risk to himself without giving him any more money. The very big man they had sent to his house laughed at him when he asked about it, tapping his hands on his bully stick he was carrying. He hadn't forgotten about that, and he knew the next time he would have to be even more careful dealing with them. He had even bought a gun. He would be able to defend himself the next time.
    He swore to himself. I will do whatever it takes to find a way to get this one. It's my ticket out of here! He had always been able to weasel his way into things, and he figured he could do it one more time. In fact, he was proud to consider himself an excellent weasel. He suspected that if he could find a way to get to the doctor's work on nanites, he could sell that information to the Organization for enough money to