The Seizure Treatment

Miles’s medical thread shifts from secrecy and helplessness toward a controlled, imperfect treatment that may let him resume ordinary activities.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Laboratory Diagnosis

The Mechanism Becomes Visible A biochemical cause Doctors Chenko and D’Guise trigger a seizure in the laboratory and identify excessive neurotransmitter buildup after Miles’s cryogenic revival. A sudden release disrupts normal neural function and produces the brief attacks. Knowledge without cure The diagnosis explains the episodes but offers no immediate permanent remedy. Miles learns that the problem is measurable, yet still has to decide whether to accept an experimental means of controlling it.

An Imperfect Proposal

Control Rather Than Cure A proposed implant Chenko suggests a device that can detect rising neurotransmitter levels and let Miles trigger a controlled seizure before the uncontrolled threshold is reached. The treatment would manage symptoms, not repair the underlying abnormality. A career question Miles asks whether he might return to duty if it works. The question exposes how deeply he still hopes to recover his old role, even while he recognizes that treatment cannot erase the consequences of his falsification.

Fear of Another Implant

Medical Risk Meets Political Danger Distrust of intervention Miles hesitates when Chenko offers to test and install the device. After Illyan’s chip has been destroyed by a biological agent, trusting another neural technology feels newly difficult. A competing emergency He delays medical scheduling because the sabotage inquiry may expose a threat within ImpSec. His decision shows how a medical need can be crowded aside by a crisis that seems more urgent and more actionable.

The Implant Procedure

A Controlled Trial Installation Miles undergoes surgery to install the internal portion of the seizure-control device. The procedure is less frightening than he expected, and Chenko lets him watch the operation on a monitor. A new routine The device will require daily readings and deliberate activation when levels rise. Miles accepts a continuing medical responsibility rather than waiting for a complete cure before living.

The First Controlled Episode

The Device Is Tested A managed seizure Miles uses the activation unit himself, experiences the familiar blackout, and wakes to measurements showing shorter and less severe symptoms. The first test suggests that the device can make future attacks more predictable. Conditional freedom Chenko still forbids Miles to fly that day and insists on follow-up observation. Miles has gained a tool, not invulnerability, and must build judgment around the limits of the treatment.

After the Illyan investigation is underway

The day after the laboratory seizure

Several days later, while Haroche’s investigation accelerates

Two days after Miles accepts the treatment

Two afternoons after the implant