Chapter 2: AI (2)

“Hey… It isn’t coming out.”

“What should we do, Dr. Choi?”

“There’s nothing to be done. This is due to that resident, right? The accident occurred during his observation?”

“Yes.”

“But we can’t cut open a healthy brain. For now… since this capsule has formed…”

Professor Choi Nokphil, who entered Suhyuk’s surgery, narrowed his eyes. They had immediately proceeded with the operation after obtaining a CT scan following the accident.

On the CT scan, there was likely material from Baruda’s chip, which was already surrounded by a capsule of connected tissue. When he gently pulled on the capsule, it appeared firmly attached to nearby brain tissues, making it impossible to remove without causing damage.

‘Insane… Nevertheless…’

Problems arise when foreign substances directly expose other organs, triggering an immune response. However, this capsule and the chip inside did not seem to cause any inflammation or immune reaction.

‘If I tamper with it carelessly, complications might arise… We need to closely monitor this for now.’

The media was already causing chaos. Other university hospitals, which had been waiting for Baruda’s failure, were celebrating like it was a festival. What would happen if word got out that the resident involved suffered severe injury or even death?

It was clear that Taehwa University Hospital’s reputation would suffer greatly from this incident.

There is nothing else we can do.

With a grim expression, Professor Choi Nokphil met the eyes of the director who had entered the operating room and decided to close Suhyuk’s wound.

Sshhhk.

Soon, they began stitching his scalp.

When he looked down at Suhyuk’s leg, orthopedic surgeon Kim Sunwoong also wore a somber look on his face. Although amputation was avoided, it was certain that Suhyuk would lose use of his leg.

Everyone present in the operating room worried about what they should say to Suhyuk and his family regarding his future condition.

[Accessing database. Inputting relevant data.]

However, Suhyuk himself couldn’t focus on anything else. He started hearing strange noises earlier, but now, lecture notes and textbooks from his student days flooded his vision.

For some time now, Suhyuk had been hearing strange noises, and suddenly, lecture notes and textbooks from his student days started flooding his mind.

Is this due to too much stress…?

Suhyuk observed the textbooks flashing before his eyes. The content was detailed enough that he wondered if he had ever read these materials before. It felt like everything was being deeply ingrained in his memory, as if recorded somewhere else.

“Transfer the patient to the intensive care unit. Maintain ventilation for at least two days…and monitor closely.”

“Yes, Dr. Choi.”

Meanwhile, both the head and leg surgeries were completed. Following orders from neurosurgeon Dr. Choi Nokphil, who specialized in conditions affecting life-sustaining functions, Suhyuk was moved to the neurological intensive care unit.

“Let’s begin.”

The procedure started… although it was more of an observation than surgery. Regardless, as they wheeled Suhyuk with his head immobilized, one resident cautiously spoke up:

“By the way, Dr. Choi.”

Choi Nokphil, who had been looking gloomy, raised his head at the resident’s words.

“What?”

“I found out that…this young man is an orphan. He has no family.”

“Really? That’s good… No, not really.” Choi Nokphil attempted to feign indifference despite noticeably brightening up. However, he genuinely felt relieved since this could potentially make it easier to cover up the incident quietly.

Of course, not everyone present shared these thoughts. Lee Hyunjong, the hospital director following closely behind, was visibly upset by such sentiments.

“My disciple is injured, and you think this is good news? Manager Choi, were you about to say it’s fortunate?”

“N-no, Director Lee. I just…”

“Oh boy… To think such a…such a doctor exists…” Lee Hyunjong shook his head repeatedly before turning towards Suhyuk.

Suhyuk’s face was swollen from the recent surgery, and with bandages wrapped around his head, he looked quite ghastly.

Why did it explode?

The Baruda was considered a masterpiece crafted by Taehwa Electronics. It was not only strange for it to malfunction but also downright bizarre that it exploded. Lee Hyunjong couldn’t help but suspect foul play.

However, he decided there were more pressing matters at hand.

Shouldn’t the priority be to take care of those who were injured? As the director and doctor of this hospital, it was his duty.

“Firstly, charge the treatment costs to me, and do your best. I will contact the Board of Directors and Alumni Association for additional funds. Understood?”

“Ah… Yes, Director Lee.” Manager Choi sincerely bowed his head.

It wasn’t surprising as Lee Hyunjong wasn’t just any director; he was a respected figure fully trusted by the Board of Directors. He was also one of only two distinguished professors in the history of Taehwa University’s Medical College. Going against him could lead to undesirable consequences.

[Database recovery: 2% completed.]

[More data input is required.]

Amidst the chaos surrounding him, Suhyuk encountered this noisy signal again. However, there was one difference from earlier - he started to have somewhat crazy thoughts such as:

Is this… Baruda entering my mind?

Even Suhyuk found it laughable, but no matter how he analyzed it, the current signal seemed unmistakably linked to Baruda.

[More data input is required.]

Otherwise, there was no explanation for the vast amount of knowledge now present in his mind.

This is clearly anatomy taught during the first year of medical school.

After deciding on Internal Medicine as his specialty, he hadn’t thought about limb anatomy even once. Yet now, without consulting any textbook, the details appeared more vividly than ever before.

‘Ah, Internal Medicine… Yes, that’s right. The kidneys function like this.’

The textbook diagrams were vividly appearing before his eyes, almost causing him discomfort due to their clarity. As this process repeated, he eventually burst out laughing at some point.

He recalled Baruda mentioning that despite accumulating such vast knowledge, it only represented 2% of its potential.

“Uh, Dr. Choi? He seems to be laughing.”

A neurosurgical resident alerted Professor Choi Nokphil upon witnessing Sungyoon’s reaction.

Professor Choi had been intensely frowning as he watched the TV placed in one corner of the intensive care unit. It took him a moment to turn around towards the resident. One couldn’t blame him for being distracted. The news broadcast on the TV was filled with bad news.

“As concerns about Baruda’s safety continue to mount, both the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Taehwa Electronics, who were involved in its development, have announced plans to suspend all related projects.”

This country had always been quick to eliminate anything that caused trouble instead of addressing the root cause.

Don’t they realize Baruda was our only chance for world-class medical advancement?

It was unfortunate that the resident got hurt, but precautions could’ve been taken during development to prevent further accidents. Suspending the project made no sense whatsoever.

“Doctor, he is smiling.”

“What?”

“H-he… The patient is laughing.”

“Huh? Oh… You’re right.” Choi Nokphil raised an eyebrow as he looked down at Suhyuk’s grin.

Uncontrollable laughter after brain surgery wasn’t uncommon, but it was rare to see such a smile with a breathing tube still inserted.

However, it was quite rare to see such a smile with a breathing tube still inserted.

“Brainwaves…check them.”

“Oh, yes.”

A thought crossed his mind that if this patient’s brain were damaged, Baruda might not just be delayed but completely abandoned. With numerous papers awaiting publication based on Baruda, any setback could be disastrous. Thus, Dr. Choi was paying extra attention to Suhyuk’s condition.

The neurology fellow summoned by Dr. Choi scrutinized Suhyuk’s brainwave patterns for some time before hesitantly speaking up.

“Professor, the brainwaves…they resemble those of someone who is almost awake.”

“What?”

“Is he currently under medication?”

“Yes, Remifentanil.”

“Ah, painkillers. Is this why…? He is almost awake, right? It might not be bad to wake him up now.”

“Hmm.” Dr. Choi looked uneasily between Suhyuk and the monitoring equipment attached to him.

Fortunately, his vital signs had been stable for some time. However, it had only been six hours since his brain surgery. Was it safe to awaken the patient so soon?

As he pondered, Lee Hyunjong approached them.

“What? Then wake him quickly. We need to confirm if everything is truly okay. And well…he’s an orphan, isn’t he? Wouldn’t it be too heartbreaking if we don’t act swiftly?”

“B-but…”

“Lacking confidence? If there’s no spontaneous breathing, you can immediately reinsert the tube again.”

“Understood…”

Since even the director was involved, Dr. Choi couldn’t refuse. He stopped administering remifentanil and began the weaning process earnestly. Fortunately, Lee Soohyuk followed the weaning stages very well, and after removing the tube from his neck, he immediately started breathing spontaneously.

“Lee Soohyuk, right? Are you okay?”

However, the problem was that the voice loudly echoing in his ears wasn’t Dr. Choi’s. In fact, Suhyuk couldn’t perceive Dr. Choi’s voice at all.

[More data input is required.]

‘Shut up…’]

[Reflecting the Inputter’s request, I will express my opinions differently.]

‘Huh?’

Baruda’s words had changed from sound to text. It seemed like it utilized the visual cortex located at the back of the head, but Suhyuk wasn’t sure about the exact mechanism. Regardless, he realized he could now communicate with Baruda.

In any case, Suhyuk realized he could communicate with Baruda.

[More data input is required.]

‘You want me to read?’

[Please provide clearer expressions.]

‘Do you see with your eyes?’

[Are ‘eyes’ referring to visual information input organs?]

‘Yes.’

Baruda paused briefly before continuing again.

[The accessible information collection organs have been updated.]

[Vision]

[Olfactory]

[Auditory]

[Taste]

[Tactile]

[Starting construction of databases for each sensory organ.]

At the same time, Baruda was now able to collect human senses, which had been the dream of all AI developers worldwide. However, such significant work couldn’t be accomplished easily.

It needed assistance from entities proficient in each sensory organ.

[For this task, improvement through interaction with the inputter is required.]

[I request interaction.]

‘Have a conversation?’

[Please correct me using your preferred expression. I request a conversation.]

‘Hmm…’

Suhyuk was momentarily lost in thought. However, his contemplation didn’t last long as the medical team, concerned about Suhyuk’s consciousness level, increased the dosage of painkillers. While it wasn’t a sedative and didn’t fully put him to sleep, it left him just alert enough to converse with Baruda.

‘Alright. Let’s have a…conversation then. First, I need to understand what exactly is going on here.’