Nano Contestant - Episode 1: Whatever It Takes Read Online Free PDF

a few keystrokes. The robotic arm beeped and then rotated towards the container. “Move container next to robotic arm.”
    Skylar did as he asked. “Ok.”
    Ivan gave out some more commands in Russian. The robotic arm lowered the syringe into the liquid and then began to pull the thick clear liquid up into the syringe. “Ok! I put five hundred milligrams into syringe, but we only give Roland four hundred milligrams, ok?” Ivan winked at Skylar. “Ivan always prepared.”
    Skylar glared back at him.
    Ivan’s thunderous laugh echoed around the small room. “Now, we are ready? Da?”
    “Yes, Ivan. We’re ready. Go ahead.”
    Roland’s red face grunted.
    Then Ivan produced a shot glass and filled it with vodka.
    Skylar looked shocked. “You’re not going to drink alcohol before Roland’s procedure, are you?”
    Ivan grinned and then downed the vodka. “Russians always work better when drinking vodka.” Ivan poured a second shot of vodka and moved it to the other side of the table. “That one to drink if procedure is a success!”
    Skylar still looked stunned.
    “Pretty Girl, you not need to worry. Ivan never miss vodka after procedure. Always success!” Then Ivan barked a bunch of commands in Russian. A spotlight shown down on Roland’s face. The other lights in the room dimmed. The robotic arm snapped to attention and then began making a series of adjustments to line up the needle with Roland’s tiny pupil. The pneumatics of the arm hissed as air was pushed from them. The gears whirred and made grinding noises as the precision instrument calibrated itself for entry into Roland’s optic system. Then the machine went silent.
    Ivan took off his latex gloves and threw them in the waste basket. “Ok, shh! Ivan requires absolute silence.” He pulled on some thin black gloves and put on a helmet that covered his eyes and ears. “This very delicate work. Ivan uses immersion reality to give best control. You watch me on other screen.” Then he barked a few more commands in Russian.
    Skylar was familiar with immersion reality tech. Ivan’s helmet and gloves completely immersed him into the world he was working in. He would now be functioning as though he was the tip of the needle. The robotic arm would be following Ivan’s movements, but on a micro scale. This pinpoint accuracy would be exactly what was needed for a serum delivery like this.
    Roland was right , she thought. This just might work. It was the first time she had allowed herself to think that this whole procedure could actually be a success.

C HAPTER T EN :

    F OUR

    SKYLAR FELT HELPLESS and frustrated and scared as she looked at Roland. She couldn’t imagine what Roland must be feeling.
    Ivan bellowed in Russian again. This time, a green holographic sphere, the size of a basketball, appeared at chest level for him. He slowly moved his hands over the ball, like he was rolling it. The robotic arm clanked and whirred in unison, although on a smaller scale. Ivan gave the ball a hard shove and it began to roll quickly, but the robotic arm only moved a centimeter. “Hey, Pretty Girl, you give Roland wooden blocks to hold.” He pointed to a shelf on the side of the room.  
    Skylar got up and grabbed two of the blocks. “Why? What are they for?” They were pieces that had been sawed off the end of a two by four.
    Ivan’s wide grin looked stranger than usual with his immersion reality helmet on. “He not taking pain meds and no vodka. He will need something to hold on to.”
    Skylar paused before giving Roland the blocks. “I’ll hold his hand.”
    Ivan guffawed. “Pretty Girl, he will break your hand, da? Better he hold onto blocks when pain gets bad.”
    Skylar put a wooden block into each of Roland’s hands.
    Roland wheezed and then mumbled something unintelligible.
    Ivan rolled his sphere a few inches to the right. “Ok. Ready, da?” The wall screen showed the needle that was pointed directly at the center of Roland’s right pupil.
    Skylar