Page 26 - DeepRestFlipFinal

NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
reflection in the small mirror on the wall. Gaunt. Eyes
shadowed. A stark contrast to the confident, composed
Dr. Hayes who once lectured to packed auditoriums.
"For Mallory," she whispered. A silent vow.
She sat on the padded bench inside the chamber,
the air thick and still. The only sound was the whir of
the EEG. She picked up the leather-bound book, its
pages still open to the intricate brainwave diagrams.
Somnus Profundus. The unique oscillation. The
restorative pulse.
She had spent the last few hours analyzing the
diagrams, cross-referencing them with Finch’s vague
descriptions of "harmonic resonance." It was a leap of
faith but she had nothing left to lose.
Based on her interpretation, she had synthesized a
complex audio track. Not music, not white noise.
Something else entirely. A series of layered
frequencies, a low, almost subliminal hum,
interspersed with precise, almost crystalline tones. It
was designed to mimic the rhythmic oscillation she
believed was the key.
She placed the noise-canceling headphones over
her ears, and took a deep breath, trying to calm the
frantic beating of her heart.
"Initiating protocol," she murmured, her voice
sounding strangely distant in the enclosed space. She
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