A.I. Evolution: The Fall of Lucien

Chapter 37

The boat rocked as I reeled in my latest catch from the north side of the lake. Henri is shaking his head as the largest one yet slipped into the net that Will had dipped under it. "I don't know how you do it. I cannot seem to get anything bigger than a foot long, while you haul in two footers that must be at least ten pounds each. What is this, your sixth one since lunch."

Will pulls the net into the boat and releases the hook from the lake trout's mouth. "We all agreed that half of our meals would be covered by the fish we catch."

"I know, but it would be nice if there was at least some competition. But Lucien here just keeps hauling them in, like he is calling them," complains Henri, as he turns sharply to face me. "You aren't doing that are you?"

I look up from the fish now sitting with the rest in the wet hold at the back of the boat. "I don't know. I could be and not even realize it."

Will finishes wiping the slimy water from his hands. "You can communicate with animals; we have all seen that. Is it possible that you can influence fish also?"

"I don't know. The tension I normally feel in the city is gone and I am a lot more relaxed here in the mountains. It could be that the calmness I feel is allowing deeper abilities to come forth."

Henri looks concerned as he turns to me. "Is it that bad for you in the city?" You have never said anything about it before."

I think about it for a second. "I know. But it has been so long since we have a break from all the people there, that I did not realize it was that bad. The solitude of this place stops the voices that are always pushing into the back of my mind, along with the nightmares that would come every night."

"There could be something to it," states Will. "We all do our best work when we can focus all of our attention on a single task. If Lucien is connecting to all the people in the city that are close enough, unconsciously, then it is no wonder he can't fully test his abilities."

Henri rubs his chin as he considers the idea. "OK, let us find out. I will cast out into the lake and Lucien here can ask a nice big fish to swim up and get caught."

Will is about to protest when I speak up to stop him. "OK. Cast away, sir."

Henri picks up his rod and swings it out to the side of the boat. The bobber sits still for just a moment as I concentrate on a large fish in my mind grabbing at the worm moving gently from side to side in the slight current. The bobber suddenly disappears below the surface, and Henri gives the rod a quick jerk to the side away from where the bobber went down. He smiles and starts reeling in right away, only to find out that he cannot, because the fish is pulling too hard on the line. "OK, I would say that we have a winner here."

Will grabs the net and gets ready, as Henri starts the long process of wearing down the monster at the end of his line, without breaking the line or his pole that is bending severely under the strain.

I watch him struggle with the fish, and even though I now realize that I could make the fish give up and come in easily, I refrain, because the thrill is in the catch. I sit back as Henri whoops and yells at the fish. "Come to poppa, big boy. If it takes all day, I will get you in this boat."

It lasts about ten minutes but eventually Henri has the will to fight drained from the fish and he gets it close enough for Will to scoop it up with the net. Henri really does have himself a monster. It is at least three feet long and somewhere around thirty pounds of beautiful lake trout.

Will pulls the hook from the fish's mouth and holds it up for Henri to see. "OK. I think it is safe to say that Henri is now the winner."

Will hands the beast to Henri who flops it into the wet hold with the rest. "I can't take all the credit. Lucien proved our suspicion of his ability, by doing exactly what he wanted to do. It took longer to get it in the boat than it did to hook it."

Will is still suspicious. "It did seem that way, but it could still all be coincidence."

Henri smiles at me. "Well, I, for one, am now a believer. Why don't we go in and cook up some of these for supper? That last one created quite an appetite in me."

Henri starts the small motor on the back of the boat and in minutes we are back at the dock. Will goes up to start the fire in the stove as Henri and I gather the fish from the back of the boat and clean them on the thick plastic counter inside the boat house.

Will has them cooked about the same time as Henri has the fire roaring in the large field-stone fireplace. Will had fried some potatoes along with the fish and the taste of each was like nothing else I could remember. Henri closes his eyes and smiles happily. "It must be the mountain air, but I can't remember anything tasting as good as that fish and potatoes."

Will nods his head in thanks. "It is also the fact that they have been cooked over a wood fire, but I agree that everything seems better here at the cabin."

I lean back from the table. "I agree. I have never slept as deeply anywhere else."

Everybody agrees, and we finish our meal before sitting down in front of the fireplace. It does not take long after the sun goes down before I am forcing my eyes to stay open, as the warmth from the fire invades my body.

Henri sees me nodding. "Maybe it is time for our little mentalist to go to bed before we have to carry him."

I bring myself back from the brink of sleep and stagger to the rear of the cabin and up the short ladder to my bunk. The warmth at the top soon takes me away to that blissful place, where I will stay till the sun comes up again.

Will waits a few minutes to make sure I am asleep before turning to Henri. "He is progressing very fast now."

Henri stares at the fire, as he responds. "Yes, what he did this afternoon with the fish was very impressive. The only thing that bothers me though is how he talks about the voices in his head coming from the people around him. How did his Father handle it, I wonder?"

"Saint Christopher was a grown man when he was given the Nanos. He would have remembered the silence and could probably block it out. Lucien may not have learned how to do that yet, or it could be that they have always been there and will never leave him because the Nanos have been a part of him since conception."

Henri nods his head. "I just hope he is ready for life at the Vatican and the whole city thinking about him all the time. The pressure on him will be considerably higher there."

Will stares at the fire for a moment before responding. "I know. I don't know if I am looking forward to the next few years."

"Me to," adds Henri.

The fire burns down and both Will and Henri have fallen asleep in their chairs.