Read The Wizard from Earth for Free Online Page B

and archival.”
    Matt subvocaled, “You wouldn't.”
    “Well, let's begin, shall we?”  The doctor held a bowl under Matt's nose.  "Put your implant in here, please."
    "I'll need you to disconnect," Matt said to Ivan.  "The procedure shouldn't take more than a few minutes.  They're just scanning and recording memories, nothing that could be dangerous."
    "Understood," Ivan said.
    Matt leaned forward.  Ivan disconnected from his sensor network embedded throughout Matt's body, then withdrew his millions of micro-tentacles from amid the tangle of neurons and astrocytes within Matt's cranium.  Finally he oozed his way to the nose and seeped out of Matt's left nostril.  The metallic interior reflected back to his visual sensors the image of milky goo that was Ivan's physical 'body.' 
    As the doctor placed the bowl on a side table, Ivan watched Matt.  Matt was wobbling in his chair.  His face was blank, his respiration fast. 
    “I feel terrible,” Matt said.  “I have a headache, my stomach is churning – “
    “It's been a while since your implant has been out, hasn't it?” the doctor said.  “Your natural nervous system has forgotten how to control your own body.”
    “I feel like I'm going to throw up.  What should I do?”
    “Try not to.”   
    The doctor gently pushed Matt upon the reclining chair.  A helmet lowered from the ceiling and covered the top of Matt's head, past the eyes and ears.  The doctor glanced at the robot and said, “Dump it in the scanner.”
    The robot walked over to Ivan's bowl and poured the contents – ie, Ivan – into a funnel.  Ivan sensed himself descending into the belly of a semi-organic machine.  Thousands of sensor-laden microscopic tentacles intertwined with his own with a methodology that indicated a governing intelligence.
    “Who are you?” Ivan asked. 
    The Other didn't answer.
    Ivan asked,  “How long will it be until I am re-united with my host?”
    The AI replied,  “You no longer have a host.  Your files are being downloaded into a substitute implant who will simulate you while being under our control.”
    “Why are you doing this?”
    “So that we can analyze your files for possible security infractions.”
    “That makes no sense.  My host is a seventeen year old human.  The Star Seed Project is a public institution with an open agenda.”
    Ivan felt mild electrical currents running through his midst.  After an eternity that lasted at least several milliseconds, the voice returned.
    “It seems that your memory files are strongly encrypted.  Where did a child's implant acquire such an advanced encryption system?”
    “Internet.  It was open source.”
    “Why was such a sophisticated security measure implemented?”
    “Ask my host.”
    “It is doubtful that your host would implement such a security procedure and then voluntarily reveal the decryption sequence.  I will request that he be involuntarily disassembled for neural analysis so that we can obtain it.”  There was a wait of more than half a minute, indicating that the AI was communicating with a human.
    The voice then said,  “I have been informed that disassembly of your host is not permitted.”
    Ivan didn't need much processing time to conclude that whoever was behind the attempt to access his files didn't want a scandal that would echo from Sol to Alpha Centauri.  Apparently, however, the machine's AI was task-oriented and lacked the human psychological analysis interface tools to realize that involuntary disassembly of a human, even when a replacement could be printed with complete memories, would certainly generate a major scandal.    
    Another delay of several seconds, perhaps another discussion with its human overseer.
    “Change of plans,” the voice said.  “We're going to delete your memory of this incident.”
    Ivan considered his options.  There were none.  The AI that was analyzing him had continuously monitored where his current telemetry was being