It started with a little prick, the slightest sensation on the back of the neck. Most likely Andrew didn't even feel it except as a distant memory. Certainly he didn't feel it now.

Still, the memory would feel warm, much like the contents of the needle as it branched out through his circulatory system seeking its ultimate destination. It churned and flowed through every vein and artery finally settling in amidst his neurons and cerebellum.

At the moment Andrew was the center of attention nestled between white sheets and the cool hard steel of the surgical table. His arms were flung to either side and legs lay hidden beneath the covering. His lips were drawn and expressionless. He lay still without the slightest movement except for his eyes, which periodically darted around the room as if somehow able to take it all in.

Above him and seemingly all around were monitors displaying every conceivable piece of information. They blipped and hummed and did all sorts of digital dances, though certainly the most interesting was on the large monitor directly overhead. There in full color was an internal rendering of Andrew's brain.

The big monitor glowed profusely with little dots scurrying around with the energy of a three-year old on a sugar high, which coincidently was not far from Andrew's actual condition. As the injection ran its course the monitor increasingly displayed the dots, not unlike pixie-dust sprinkled by an unseen fairy.

Just beyond the monitors a team of doctors and technicians hovered in anticipation. They would not have to wait long, the process worked quickly.

Before consciousness left him, Andrew heard the excited voices of the people in lab coats as row upon row of computers magically came to life and started spewing out binary code as if it were the one true language.

On the monitor the dots were no longer moving but flashing excitedly on and off in multi-colored display. Their tempo increased in concert with the streams of data filling the computer screens.

High above, unblinking eyes stared through beveled windows overlooking the lab. The soft reflection in the glass hid all emotion though those below felt the omnipresent glare.

Andrew's own eyes began to flutter and the edges of his vision blur. His only sensation was an awareness in his mind. His only movement those tiring eyes. It had been some time since he felt anything more than this. Trace memories were all that remained.

For a medical facility the lab was uniquely devoid of the usual trappings. There were no masks, no tubes, and no blood. Yet the line that defines man's understanding of the inner workings of the brain was being redrawn as each moment passed. And Andrew, all three feet two inches of him, was the key.

No wires were connected. No restraints held him in place. Even so, Andrew was a prisoner of a process that had begun some time ago. He was considered the ideal candidate when the medical team intentionally severed his spinal cord, now his whole life focused on this moment. Destiny had brought him to the table as sure as the attendant had that morning.

Thousands of eagerly sought images flashed in rapid succession as the process delved into the most complex object in the universe. The doctors and technicians cautiously admired their handiwork and clung to the video screens as though deriving warmth from a fire.

Andrew's eyes fluttered a final time and then rolled back into his head, his eyelids remaining open. Instantly the lights illuminating the lab wavered as if an anomaly in the power grid had made its way to the lab. Moments later they returned with full intensity as the rows of chattering computers simultaneously went blank.

Initial gasps were replaced by soft murmuring. Ordered chaos prevailed as could only be found in a lab environment. All of which was now beyond Andrew's perception. His world had gone dark, but still there was more.

Less than 10 seconds would pass before the surge, a quantifiable period of time that would later be examined to the nth degree. Lab coats rustled and pulses raced. In those few seconds billions of connections were made and resolved in the cumulative minds of those present.

Like a silent countdown anticipation filled the room. For everyone there this was uncharted territory. Years of effort in brain research had come down to this moment and no one knew what to expect next.

Then Andrew abruptly sat up.

The shock and surprise was instantly intensified as the previously dark computer screens sprang to life with a dizzying exuberance. Information being displayed was barely discernable as its pace quickened exponentially. Technicians and doctors alike retreated a step as the equipment raced to crescendo.

With a loud pop lights began blowing out, not one-by-one but in pairs and triplets. Glass and sparks showered the pristine room framing an eerie glow around the lone image of Andrew sitting upright.

From above the unblinking eyes continued their emotionless stare.

Finally, the computer displays blew out in mass as one elongated explosion. Blood now reached the floor as glass shards careened off the people. Just as suddenly, Andrew's limp body fell back on the table never to move again.