Part of an Interview with Nikki Taylor BEFORE Her Retirement

Tell me a bit about yourself as an introduction. I'm especially interested in how you chose your name.

Nikki? I believe that's what I was calling myself when I was first rescued.

(I had to interrupt because I heard that particular recording). Actually, Nikki, we called you that because you kept saying "Nick," or what sounded like "Nik" and we thought it was probably your trying to tell us your name.

(rueful smile) Yes. I don't remember those days very well, I'm sorry. But it did sound right. Anyway, I'm Nikki now. As for Taylor, everything I am now is new, made from nothing. Jed said I could taylor myself after anyone or no one, and so Taylor seemed like a good choice for a surname.

As in "tailor-made."

Yes. I'm Nikki Taylor because I want to be Nikki Taylor.

Are you comfortable talking about your past now? Can you remember more? And Jed's role within it?

Dr Kirkland, there are still blank holes in my memory. I doubt I'll ever be comfortable talking about my past. As for Jed...Agent McNeil saved my life. He'll always be part of me because he's been with me since day one. Of my new life as Nikki Taylor, I mean.

Do you want to know more about your past?

(Silence)
Not really.

Are you afraid?

(almost a whisper)
I...of course. I don't really want to remember the torture, Dr. Kirkland. I remember enough already, and the nightmares, although receding, are still there.

What do you want for your future then, Nikki?

I would like some peace in my life, where I don't have to manipulate people or have them manipulate me. (smiles) I'm not talking about Jed, you know. He's the exception.

Because he saved you?

That. And because he needs to get certain things done, in any way he can. So really, I don't fear him manipulating me since I don't have anything he needs done. I was never part of any mission he undertook. What I want is balance, but I'm not sure how to get that. I'm working on it, though.

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This excerpt was from before Nikki Taylor regained her memory about Leah Harden and most importantly, Ricardo (Rick) Harden. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, they say. I'll have to listen to more past recordings for more insight.

Any insight from you will be put in my files too.

Helen and Remote Viewing

This aspect of the experiment fascinates and frustrates me. As a scientist, I can only record what the affects of what I see. I can attest that the VR machine works because I've tried it myself. But RV--remote viewing--is entirely based on on believing that it works. I have seen the results from the CIA experiments, some of which are eyebrow-raising in their accuracy, but still, the reliance on one source for information without verification makes an experiment liable to mistakes and false misteps.

However, the Brain Entrainment Machine brings in the possibility of an observer, a monitor who could "share" the remote viewing experience. Jed McNeil and Helen Roston have shown that this is not just a possibility. In layman's terms, she "sees;" he confirms. The experiment now has another source for verification.

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Here is another segment of my recent interview with Helen Roston:

Do you feel Jed McNeil's presence when you're remote viewing?

"Sometimes. He echos my thoughts sometimes."

Echo? Can you elaborate?

"Okay, it's hard to explain. He doesn't echo my thoughts, but when I see something and am registering it, he says it before, or at the same time, I do. It's a bit weird. He tells me that he sees through my eyes. Bleagh, that kind of sounds like some Linda Blair thing, doesn't it?"

Entity possession is a good way to describe it.

(laughs)
"Entity possession? Is that what happens to Armando when he talks funny?" (laughs some more) "Sorry, doc, but your turn of phrase always cracks me up. So does Armando's, actually, but the scary thing is, I understand his more than I do yours. Ahh...where were we...entity possession."

(pause)
"I take it back. It's nothing like a Linda Blair thing because I'm in control of the situation. In an entity possession sitch, the entity would be moving me while my body flops helplessly. You know, like that scene when Linda Blair's head gets turned all around."

(frowns) "You think, doc, if I should worry if I open my mouth and Jed's voice comes out instead?"

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I haven't known Helen Roston for long but I recognize her ability to bring humor into a discussion. It is a knack that others find very intriguing, especially her monitor.

Helen and Virtual Reality

I realize that the questions I asked previously could be difficult for a layperson to answer. But sometimes, I think the simplest understanding of a difficult matter can be helpful to a scientist and other observers.

What is immersive virtual reality to you?

In terms of labeling new ways to learn, "immersion" is relatively new to many people. It's a term linguists use to learn a language quickly, to immerse into words and terms, using tapes, visuals, and simulated environments.

To be "immersed" in virtual reality, therefore, is to be placed in a simulated environment that would provoke the brain, and therefore, sense of self, which include all the natural senses, in an artificial projection. In simple terms, it is a manipulation of reality.

This is not a new thing in our society. Online gamer, modern day virtual reality tours of houses, virtual libraries--these are reflections of what we could do through VR. Immersive virtual reality is, of course, many steps further.

I hope this gives you some understanding of what Hell and Jed experiences.

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I asked this of Helen Roston not too long ago:

How do you differentiate what you feel in virtual reality with what you feel in real life, Hell?

"I don't. The part of me that understands that I'm in VR is very conscious that it is VR, but everything feels like real life. The sense of space is the same. The sense of time, though, appears to be somewhat different, but I don't know because the few times in VR, I haven't been really checking time. I was...distracted."

Learning about VR and what it can do can certainly make one lose time while one is immersed in it.

"Umm...that too. But, you know what I mean. I've never been in there alone."

Ah, Agent McNeil has always been there too. I believe it's to get used to being together while undergoing the brain wave entrainment.

(Pause)
"Right."

Do you feel comfortable with Agent McNeil's training?

"No."

Why?

"He tests me."

But that's to be expected, right? I'm told the training sessions can be quite vigorous so that I can monitor your heart rate and blood pressure changes.

"Is that what he told you?"

Maybe you can tell me exactly what you don't feel comfortable about. I know Jed likes to take risks, even during training sessions. I'll remind him that some activities can be put off till later, when you're more used to him.

Silence.

"Hey, doc? It's a lot more complicated than you think."

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Helen Roston gives me more information than Jed McNeil, but even she cannot be prodded about certain things. As a scientist, I can only speculate how far the monitor is pushing his operative.

Question to Reader

The scientist in me wants/needs to gauge my readers' depth of knowledge. Pardon my curiosity, but please can you answer this questionaire:

What is immersive virtual reality to you?

What is remote viewing to you?

Do you think they exist?

Yes, I'll be making profiles of all of you. Joke. Scientists joke too, you know.

From When He First Returned

"Agent Diamond, can you tell me a bit about..."

I have nothing to tell you about the past two years, Dr. Kirkland.

"Aren't you curious about the changes here then?"

Of course. And you want to know about mine for your files. Not gonna happen.

"I can see the changes, Agent Diamond. What I want to know is...how are you, Alex? It's been two years."

Not quite. Twenty months, two weeks....

(abrupt silence)

"Since Emma's--"

We're not talking about the last two years. Change the subject, Kirkland.

"T. said..."

T. (He stood up abruptly, the legs of his chair scraping the tile floor.) I want to talk to Tasha, or whatever her name is. She had no right to do what she did.

"She was following orders, Alex. You know that."

No, I don't know that. But I know one thing. The witch's going to regret picking up this contract.

"GEM is now merged with COS Command, Alex. You can't--"

Part of GEM is, not all of it, from my research, Kirkland. And of course I can. And I will. She got me back. I'm now returning to work with the new and improved VIRUS team, and she thinks she can just resume her duties when I'm back? No. She's going to discover what it feels like to have me coming down on her hard everyday.

(I watched Alex Diamond stalked off. An angry, angry man. I wasn't worried about T. She did what she said she'd do--bring Number One back. I'd like to interview her, though. I wonder what she'd think about Agent Diamond's threats. Interesting turn of phrase, that last line.)