Chapter 3: Lessons

“Come sit next to me.” I sat on the leather couch in the library with my laptop resting on my knees. She did, leaving a gap between us.

“Ever hear of a drug called ‘KWQ’?”

“Isn’t it that brain drug that can make people into permanent coma patients?”

“When used improperly, that is the most likely side effect. Next question. Consider the top 1% of the nation. In that percentage, I include A rank supers and above, CEOs, key researchers, and the most intelligent scientists of our nation, along with the heads of the political scene. I exclude entertainers and anyone that uses sports to make a living. I also exclude most of the physical fighter type supers on both sides.

“What percentage do you believe has used KWQ?”

“Since you brought it up... 50%?” my new student guessed.

“Over 75% have used KWQ including me and every single S rank, Hero, villain and vigilante. Why do you think that is?”

“Obviously, it works.”

“Why else do they use it?” I pushed her to think.

She stared into space while considering my question. “Because there is a way to get around the side effects?”

“Correct. Actually, the side effects only happen if it is used without following the dosage formula exactly. When correctly calculated it is 100% safe.”

“Oh ... Do you know the formula for me?”

In response, I brought up the folder with the calculations for her dosage based on age, weight, bone mass and fat percentages and other considerations.

Unhappily, she looked at me, “How do you know so much about me?”

“Those tests in the lab were for just this. I needed to make absolutely sure that I had the correct numbers. On you and a few others, I had worked up preliminary parameters.”

“Others?”

“Do you think you were the only one I was considering for apprenticeship?”

“I wish you would have chosen one of them instead,” she mumbled.

“I don’t. The way KWQ works is to stimulate the memory centers. Deep learning with KWQ permanently allows the user to learn the material at a much more fundamental level. Unfortunately, understanding and application still are up to the user. Do you understand what that means?”

“I will know the equations but how to solve the problems is still up to me,” she replied without hesitation.

“You will be starting with Calculus II. I took the liberty of removing the non-essential history and postulates that will be irrelevant for your studies, if you decide at a later date to learn them, not that you will ever need them for anything besides teaching at the university level, you can. For the higher level courses such as discrete mathematics, quantum physics, thermodynamics and fluids I left the extra in. You will also have more time to practice the higher level subjects.”

I saw the onset of emotional information overload. Her fear was still overriding her intelligence. “For now, don’t worry about it. Today you will just do the second calculus course and over the next week, we will be working on solidifying your understanding. Understood?”

“Okay,” she replied meekly.

I lightly tapped her on the head. “Don’t forget the honorific.”

“Yes, Master,” she dutifully replied.

“This is very important. You are to never use KWQ unsupervised by me and only me. EVER. Is that understood? You will be too vulnerable when you are on it. Even I only study in a sealed room. I wouldn’t dare let anyone else in.”

“Yes, Master,” she replied shakily.

“Before I administer the drug, you will put on the noise canceling headphones and VR goggles. The goggles will remain dark until the KWQ kicks in in one to two minutes. Once the reading indicates that the drug is working, the VR information will begin scrolling. I will be by your side making sure all goes according to plan. If your goggles go black or the text stops scrolling, close your eyes and go to sleep. I will take care of everything else. Understand?”

“Yes, Master.” I didn’t hear much confidence.

“What do you understand?”

“If the screen goes black or the scrolling stops, I am to close my eyes and sleep,” she repeated.

“I need to place a remote electrode on each of your temples, do not take them off until you shower later.” She let me adhere the patches with no interference.

I held out my left hand, “Hold my hand and count to one hundred slowly.” She had to steel her nerve before reaching out with her much smaller hand to my large paw. I held my hand in place while she shook for the first fifty count. Slowly it stabilized.

“Better. Now for a hard part.” I pulled out a stiff rubber, ring gag. “Because I need to inject the drug into your tongue it will numb the lower half of your mouth. Your jaw will reflexively open and close while on KWQ. You will have no feeling in your tongue, lips nor lower jaw. That will not preclude you from biting down or severing your tongue or lips. Do you understand why you need the gag?”

Her coffee cup sized eyes stared at the restrictor in horror. I had to repeat my warning and instructions again before she could reply.

“Do you want to put it on, or do you want me to?”

“I ... I, will.” After she put the hard black rubber between her upper and lower jaw, fastening was difficult. I didn’t push and let her set at her own pace.

“Let me check it,” she sat rock still while I tightened the strap an extra notch. “Okay, place your hand in mine again and count to 100 while trying to relax. Just like last time.”

That took a few tries before her hand relaxed in my paw. “I want you to put the headphones and the goggles on, make sure they are snug. Then hold my hand and do the relaxing exercise again. Once I feel you are settled, I will inject your tongue. Remember you will feel no pain. When the screen starts scrolling focus on that.”

“Ready?”

She wasn’t but nodded a “yes,” anyway. After the equipment was in place, another three sets of one hundred were needed before her hand opened enough for me to let her start. With the aid of forceps I injected my latest student with her first dose of KWQ. The Click of the injector seemed louder than normal, but I trusted the device that I personally calibrated.

Five minutes later, I placed Catherine’s hands in her lap and read the telemetry that the goggles transmitted to my laptop. I watched the data scroll for the next fifty minutes until the program concluded. Closing the program, I brought up the thesis I was reading last night after picking up my new student, carrying her to my overstuffed chair and then placed her on my lap with the sensory-cancelling devices still on. With KWQ, it was always best to let the subjects come down slowly. Added to the lack of sleep from last night, I suspected Catherine would be out for an hour or two, possibly three.

Ninety minutes later Catherine started snuggling in my lap with her head against my shoulder making it difficult to read. Not that I minded, she felt nice, and smelled even better.

Ten minutes later she started coming out of the drug induced sleep and began waking up. Panic hit first with my arms around her holding her down while she was still blind from the goggles and deaf from the headphones. Resting my laptop on her lap, I guided her hands and helped her remove the two.

“Shh, just rest a bit and let your eyes get used to the light. They will be sensitive for a couple hours. It’s like going to the eye doctor and getting drops. All light will be too bright and all noise will be too loud. Just sit here and rest, I need to monitor you.”

“.an ah.ake.is ow?”

“Not yet, just relax for a while. I promise I won’t bite.” Since her vision was hindered, she stayed. Me not moving anything besides my hands manipulating the computer on her lap unsettled her, just not enough for her to scramble out of my embrace.

I let another fifteen minutes pass. “Lean forward.” She did, and I removed the ring from her mouth. “It’s well past lunch, go make us some sandwiches.” I lifted the laptop letting her scoot away in a hurry.

Her ass and legs were both firmer than I expected. Not that I would complain. I heard a minor grunt of pain from the kitchen, she must have failed to heed my warning and turned on the lights. Catherine would learn.

Lunch was a ham sandwich and a sliced apple. She had a glass of milk and I grape juice. Catherine sat there very quietly chewing, occasionally rubbing her jaw and giving me dirty looks.

“Tell me honestly. Do you have a headache?” ‘Yes’ “Ringing ears?” ‘No’... ‘ No’... ‘No’ ... I continued asking her questions to see if there were any signs of rejection or conflict. A mild headache was completely normal. The rest were negative, which was necessary if we wanted to keep using Deep Study.

“After lunch, I will give you a tablet and some material to do problems. It should take you no more than two hours. After your homework is completed, you are to swim for thirty minutes then you will have an hour of free time before the next lesson. You can do your lessons on the table here, or on the patio, in the den or in the library. As long as you are diligent in your studies, I don’t care where you do your homework.”

She chose the kitchen table.

I assigned three introductory problems which she completed in no time. Then three more with increased difficulty and again three more even harder yet. Noting the correct answers on those first sets of problems, I handed Catherine a small booklet of nine additional problems.

Over the next few days she would receive more groups of nine problems which would cumulate with a compound ‘story problem’ involving one of the problems from each grouping. The kicker would be for her to figure out which equations needed to go with each part and in what order.

“After you finish these, stop and move on to your next activity.”

Cat nodded distractedly as she read over the first Calculus problem. I retreated to my den to get some work done. These last two weeks, it felt like I didn’t accomplish much of anything while making my preparations for Catherine’s extended stay.

Hearing a splash startled me from my latest design. 105 minutes. Pretty good, I thought. The phone rang interrupting my reverie. Glancing at the number, I frowned but decided to use it as another lesson for my student.

The tone went off indicating that she tried to access one of the locked rooms upstairs, then another followed by the rest. My watch indicated she ended up in the bedroom.

I chimed Catherine an hour later and summoned her to the library. “That whole shelf is yours and so is the file cabinet next to it. I expect it to be neat and clean in appearance at all times.” I handed her a credit card. “There is $50,000 on it. You can use your tablet to order what you want and need for study materials. Mind you this card is to be used for materials only. Nothing frivolous. You have permission to access the MIT student and faculty bookstores. If you are unable to find something you are looking for or want something special, send me a request. This will be permanently accessible. When you need more money send in a request.”

I also assigned her a new email address, along with giving her mine and access to the main server.

“When you are done browsing and wasting your time trying to contact the outside world, search for a program called C.A.D. Lesson I on the server and start this week’s lessons.”

“I expect dinner to be ready between 6:00 and 6:30 every day. From now on that will be your responsibility.”

“Am I to be the maid too?” she complained, huffily.

“No need, a professional service comes every Tuesday at 10:00.” I saw the wheels turning with that tidbit of information.

“Is your headache gone?

She thought about it. “Yes.”

“When did you notice it’s absence?”

“I think when I got out of the pool.” Catherine frowned, trying to remember the exact time it disappeared.