You test it.

With a shaky hand, you bring the reader and press it against your temple, just as the instructions said. You squeeze your eyes shut, bracing for something horrible. You have no idea if any part of this is actually safe. But when you press the reader, the only thing that happens is a soft beep.

You bring the device back to your face and look at the screen. A system message is now displayed.

"The memory file found! Anna.mem is ready and available for Edit/Import.

Awaiting the input......"

Once again, two buttons appear, "Edit" and "Import," flashing and waiting for your choice. You decide you shouldn't play with this until you're certain of your actions. You press the "Import" button on the screen and then bring the tool back to your head. There's the same beep, but this time, as it rings in your ears, a tsunami of alien information floods your mind. The sheer overload of data sends a sharp headache through you.

As the pain subsides, you begin to process the information. College days, a first love, the birth of a child, Adrian's childhood... it's all Anna's memories. And it feels as if you experienced them yourself. It's completely surreal.

"No way..." you whisper, your voice trembling in Anna's familiar tone.