Brian’s altered formula for v18 was only subtly different from v17, the differences mainly dealing with serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Brian knew that the brain’s ability to produce these chemicals was the key to unlocking Receiver’s full potential. The trick was in fooling the brain to either produce more of them, inhibit the production of them, or a mix of both. The first eight revisions of Receiver had not tampered with the brain in this way, but after the disastrous ninth revision that had almost killed him, he’d had a revelation after doing a bit more studying up. Trying to balance all three of the neurotransmitters while keeping the mind stimulated enough to produce them, yet relaxed enough to unlock areas that science had only theorized about, was much harder than Brian had anticipated. Dopamine was good for focus and memory, while serotonin was a major factor in relaying information and thoughts from one area of the brain to another. Norepinephrine wasn’t quite as important for spatial thoughts and memory, though it was extremely important in regulating blood flow to areas of the brain as well as affecting attention span.
