About Too Much Information

by Glyn Soitino
27 pages / 6400 words
Ebook zipped file contains - html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub

Seth, a former construct, and his partner Mike have been living together for the last seven months. Lately, Seth has been suffering from killer headaches but refuses to see a doctor. When Seth has a seizure one evening, Mike calls on Seth's creator, Zahir the magician, for help.

Zahir is devastated to find that it's the sheer volume of information that he placed in Seth's mind, to help him function as a human being, that is now endangering Seth's life. With Zahir's partner Aidan providing a focal point of calm in the maelstrom of emotions, it's now a race against time as Zahir attempts to correct his mistake before Seth's brain burns out under the overload of too much information.

Sample

"Okay," Seth murmured against Mike's neck. "I'll go see a doctor. At best, it'll be a new adventure, and at worst..." The sentence remained unfinished as Seth suddenly went rigid in Mike's arms.

"Seth?" Alarmed, Mike broke the embrace and stood back, holding Seth by both shoulders. Seth's whole body was trembling, his eyelids fluttering as he uttered noises that might have been words, in some language or other, but made no sense to Mike. Mike shook him, gently at first, then harder, but there was no reaction. "Seth? Come on, snap out of it!"

Seth's chattering cut off. He looked up at Mike and gave a little whimper, and his eyes rolled back in his head as his body went limp.

Mike managed to catch him before he fell. Cradling Seth to his chest with one arm, he switched off the burner and moved the stew from the stovetop with the other, then picked Seth up and carried him through to the living room. His heart pounding with fear, he laid Seth down on the sofa and brushed the hair from Seth's forehead.

Seth's skin was cold and clammy. Kneeling beside the sofa, Mike felt for a pulse in Seth's throat and found one, though it was thready and weak, and far too fast. His breathing was so shallow his chest was barely moving.

"Damn it, Seth, what is wrong with you?" Mike yelled, feeling more scared and helpless than ever before. Clasping Seth's hand, he took a deep breath and tried to order his thoughts. He should phone for emergency services, but Seth might be dead by the time they got here. Zach would be quicker -- Zach could be there in an instant, if Seth's connection with him also worked for Mike. And if it didn't, he'd phone the emergency services after all.

Screwing his eyes shut, he focused his thoughts on Seth's creator. "ZAHIR!" he projected the magician's real name, as loudly as his mind could scream.