Restoration

by Daniel C McWhorter

  Evan frowned. “No, of course not. But great scientific achievement rarely happens without risk, and nuclear power is a perfect example. This ship would not be possible without it but today's achievements came at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives lost to nuclear detonations and reactor meltdowns. Not to mention the ongoing threat of the complete annihilation of humanity in an all-out nuclear war.”

  Yin refused to let up. “Yes, Doctor Feldman but the famine killed billions. The difference between nuclear energy and bioengineering is that we know that nuclear weapons and reactors are inherently dangerous and we take precautions to protect ourselves. Genetic manipulation is different because we cannot foresee the consequences and therefore we can never adequately define the risks or protect ourselves from our mistakes.”

  Doctor Hao replied before Evan could respond. “You sound like your father, Yin. He and I have had this debate countless times, and it always ended the same. Humans are curious creatures and we will always probe the limits of what we know and what we can do. The problem is that evolution has ill-prepared us for the rapid pace of our advancement and we lack the wisdom to understand the difference between can we do something and should we do something.”

  He let that sink in for a second before continuing. “Inevitably, we will make mistakes and use new technologies in inappropriate or dangerous ways, and that is unfortunate. But I believe that we should not forsake scientific advancement simply because there is risk involved. If we allow ourselves to become overwhelmed by fear of the unknown, then humanity is doomed to a future that comprises little more than surviving and...”

  “I've heard that argument before, Chen, and I don't agree that our only choices are unmitigated probing and abuse of nature or going back to the stone age,” Yin interrupted. “At this point shouldn't we at least have some patience when it comes to new discoveries? Must we rush to put everything we learn into immediate use? What's wrong with taking decades, or even centuries to study and evaluate our discoveries before deciding whether they are safe? Shouldn't our longer lifespans allow us at least that luxury?”

  “As I was saying,” Chen said calmly but firmly. “I believe those risks are themselves opportunities for further advancement and that we should embrace them rather than fear them. Yes, we should be patient and I do believe that will ultimately be one of the most significant benefits of longer lifespans but being patient does not mean doing nothing.”

  “I understand your concerns, Yin,” Evan offered. “I have asked myself these same questions countless times over the years and I have often wondered whether playing God was wise—especially during my early years of genetic research when we knew almost nothing about how things worked. But here's the thing…I believe nature is self-limiting and that our species' survival depends on our ability to advance scientifically and technologically without destroying ourselves. History has proven repeatedly that species that fail to adapt and evolve die. We also know that there are limits to our planet's ability to support life and we are all just one unforeseen plague, famine, super-volcano or asteroid away from extinction.

  “We don't know when the next extinction level event will occur on Earth but we can say with a high degree of certainty that it will happen one day. The dinosaurs dominated Earth for hundreds of millions of years with no evidence of evolution toward becoming a sentient species capable of notable scientific advancement. When the asteroid came, they could do nothing but watch the world burn and die. In just a few hundred thousand years we've gone from running naked through the bush and living in caves to exploring and colonizing our solar system, with the vast majority of the advancements that made that possible being discovered in the last two hundred years.”

  “That's all well and good, Doctor Feldman but how are building spaceships and playing God with genetics the same thing? I am all for building cool machines to take us to the stars but that's not the same as messing with Mother Nature,” Yin countered.

  Chen tried to speak but Evan cut him off. “How is it different, Yin? Every living thing is a form of biological machine. We have power sources that require fuel, we have parts that can wear out and break, once one of us exists we can be copied and recreated over and over again and entirely new life forms can be created from our base materials. If that's not a machine then I don't know what is.”

  Yin considered Evan's words for a moment before replying. “There is one thing you are forgetting, Doctor Feldman—machines aren't alive. They can't procreate on their own, they don't feel pain unless we program them to and they certainly don't fall in love. Machines are tools that enhance and extend human ability, plain and simple. Like this ship, they exist to serve a purpose and they will never become more than what we make them to be. I don't know about you but I am not a tool that exists to serve someone else's purpose.”

  “They aren't yet,” Chen said quietly in Yin's direction.

  “What did you say?” Yin asked. “I don't understand.”

  “You said that machines aren't alive, and I said they aren't yet,” Chen clarified. “But it's only a matter of time. I agree with Evan that we are just machines. I have been a geneticist for way too long to not understand that basic truth, and I also agree with you that we differ from electro-mechanical machines because we think and feel. But it's only a matter of time before we create an artificial intelligence that can endow mechanical forms with the same independent thought and will to survive and thrive that we possess. I am certain that time is coming and, when it does, I think you will be hard-pressed to define us as anything other than highly advanced machines.”

  “Well, I'll believe that when I see it,” Yin retorted undaunted in her argument. “But until then I think we need to stop playing God and stop messing with things that we clearly don't understand.”

  “Your point is well taken, Yin,” Evan said. “But the damage is already done and there is no putting that genie back in the bottle. Our only choice now is to fix what's broken or risk extinction. While it’s true that a genetic mutation that causes mass infertility and cancer is essentially a killer asteroid of our own making, the difference between us and the dinosaurs is that we don't just have to sit by and watch it happen. We can do something about it and I intend to make sure that this event becomes a near miss rather than a direct hit on our planet.”

  “And that's why I am helping you, Evan,” Yin said casually. “Although we disagree on several key points, I do believe we share the same goal and that you are highly motivated to solve a problem that you helped create. I only hope that once this is all over people will take a hard look at what we are doing to ourselves and perhaps reconsider our current position on genetic manipulation.”

  Evan smiled. “I can't disagree with you there.”

  Chen raised his hand toward Yin, “Okay, Yin, I think that's enough for today. Doctor Feldman hasn't had a lot of time to process all this yet and you are pushing a little hard. We appreciate your help more than you know but please remember that your job is to protect him—not to chastise him or act as his conscience.”

  “It's okay, Chen,” Evan said. “I appreciate her sharing her views with me. It helps me to better connect with the reality of what's going on and how I fit in.”

  “You're very kind, Doctor Feldman but Chen is right. I shouldn't have expressed my views quite so strongly but as you can I tell I am passionate about this issue.”

  “May I ask you a personal question, Yin?” Evan asked.

  “Of course, anything.”

  “I hope this doesn’t sound too indelicate…but are you sterile?”

  Yin looked down and Evan could barely hear her answer she said it so softly, “Yes.”

  “I'm very sorry, Yin, have you tried to have children?”

  Yin looked up and Evan could see she wasn't crying yet but her eyes were red.

  “Yes, about ten years ago. My ex-husband and I tried for several years but the fertility treatments didn't work for us. We eventually gave up, and it wasn't long afterward tha
t our marriage ended. He just couldn't stand the thought that he was just as sterile as I was, so he left. I haven't talked to him since the divorce but I am sure he is out there somewhere still looking for that one person who can have his baby. His loss.”

  “I'm sure that was very difficult and I understand why you feel the way you do. Thank you for sharing that with me.”

  “As I said, doc, I'm on your side. I know you didn't do this and I don't blame you. You may have helped start the ball rolling but there have been many people pushing it down the hill since then. I just hope you all can figure out some way to stop it.”

  “Me too, Yin, me too.”

  CHAPTER 13

  APRIL 4, 2075 7:45 PM GST

  The Dolder Grand Hotel

  Zurich, Switzerland

  After leaving Aubrey at GSSA headquarters, Geoff met with Doctors Walker and Berkovic to discuss their case and prepare them for their arraignment, also scheduled for the following day. As with Aubrey, it was unlikely the GSSA would release them but Geoff assured them he would do everything he could. He had to tell them that he wouldn’t be able to represent them himself because he needed to focus on Aubrey’s case but he had assigned two of Telogene’s best lawyers as their council.

  They seemed reasonably assured, so he left to call Evelyn but of course, she wasn’t taking his calls. Evelyn’s assistant had referred him to her GSSA lawyer, Heinz Mast but calls to his office were equally unproductive. He would have to wait until after the arraignment before speaking with Evelyn or anyone from the GSSA.

  With nothing left to do, Geoff returned to his suite at the Dolder Grand Hotel. Located on the outskirts of Zurich, the Dolder Grand was a Swiss hospitality icon, having been in nearly continuous operation for more than 175 years. Geoff stayed there whenever he was in town because he preferred quiet seclusion over the hustle and bustle of downtown and he liked walking the myriad trails that meandered through the woods surrounding the resort.

  Geoff’s hovercar deposited him at the main entrance to the hotel where he an impeccably dressed man greeted him.

  “Welcome back, Mr. Wagner.”

  “Thank you, Fritz,” Geoff replied to his butler, one of the many perks the Dolder afforded its high-end clientele.

  “A pleasant day I hope?”

  “More busy than pleasant I’m afraid.”

  “Sorry to hear that, sir. Is there anything I can get for you?”

  “Dinner in my room at nine please, otherwise no.”

  “Of course, sir. Any special requests?”

  “Surprise me, chef’s choice.”

  “Very well, sir. May I escort you to your room?”

  “No, I’m fine, thank you.”

  Fritz nodded slightly, “My pleasure, sir.”

  A short time later Geoff was sitting out on his balcony overlooking downtown Zurich in the distance and Lake Zurich beyond. The sun was just setting and the city below twinkled in the cool dusk air.

  Man, I never get tired of this view.

  He took another sip of his forty-year-old, single malt Scotch whiskey.

  And I never get tired of good Scotch!

  Geoff lingered over his Scotch until the last of the sun faded away before turning his attention to the work that awaited him inside.

  “Let’s see what I have to work with,” he said out loud as he examined the contents of the holocube Aubrey had given him earlier that day.

  He spent the next hour pouring over the contents of the cube but he found nothing of immediate value.

  “Come on, Aubrey, it’s got to be here somewhere. Where did you hide it?”

  He poured over the cube’s contents for another half hour and was about to hurl it across the room when Fritz appeared in the doorway across the room.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, sir but dinner is served.”

  “Thank you, I’ll be right there.”

  Fritz left Geoff staring blankly at the holodisplay flickering in the air in front of him.

  What did she say to me? AI for Kepler and data file backups as required by the board and…that’s it!

  For the past three decades, Telogene’s Board of Directors had required, as part of the company’s disaster recovery and business continuity plan, that all senior executives maintain a current backup of their memories in the form of an engramic archive. The archive was stored in multiple locations so that in the event the executive should become incapacitated or killed, the company could recover any proprietary information the executive might possess. The original intent of this rule had been to use the engramic copy to restore the executive, but the HDDA made bringing dead executives back illegal. Even still, the executive’s memories could be recovered and uploaded to the corporate knowledge base for retrieval as necessary.

  She would have known that the GSSA would secure our primary backup locations and she would have had a contingency.

  Geoff activated his personal AI and asked it to query the company’s research lab on Mars.

  That’s going to take a while. Might as well eat something, I’m starving.

  Geoff left the holocube to do its work while he enjoyed a five-course meal that started with a creamy Swiss onion soup, worked its way through salad, beef and fish courses and ended with a slice of chocolate cake that ranked among the best he had ever had.

  Fritz appeared at Geoff’s side just as he was finishing his last bite of cake.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, sir but you have an urgent call. Would you like to take it upstairs?”

  “Who is it?”

  “The Secretary General’s office.”

  “Great. Yeah, I’ll take it in the office.”

  “Will there be anything else this evening?”

  “No, thank you. Please send my compliments to the chef.”

  “Very well, sir. Have a good night.”

  “You too.”

  Geoff walked up the stairs to the office located just off the master bedroom. The GSSA’s logo was visible on the holodisplay and Geoff gestured to accept the call.

  General Secretary Merkel's face replaced the logo. “Good evening, Mr. Wagner.”

  “Hello, Madame Secretary. What can I do for you this fine evening?”

  Geoff could see that Dianne Merkel had been burning the candle at both ends. Her face was drawn and he could see dark shadows beneath her normally youthful looking eyes.

  “There has been a change of plans for tomorrow. I just got off the phone with Justice Salamanca and she has agreed to allow your client to attend the hearing remotely—for her protection and safety, of course.”

  Geoff could tell from the sly smile that crept across her face that the sarcasm he heard in her voice was intentional. He wished that he could reach through the holodisplay and slap it off her but, since he couldn’t, he returned her smile with an ear-to-ear grin of his own.

  “Okay, I'll let her know,” he said without the slightest note of surprise or aggravation in his voice. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

  “You're not going to lodge a protest?” Dianne did not try to hide her surprise.

  “What's the point? It's just an arraignment and I've been doing this long enough to know that my client isn't getting out on bail.”

  “Well, I'm glad to hear it. I appreciate you not making this any more difficult than it needs to be.”

  “You're welcome but please don't mistake my acceptance of this little ploy as resignation. We will fight and we will win. I'm just picking my battles.”

  “I take offense to that, Mr. Wagner. This is no little ploy…I am sincerely concerned about your client's safety.” Dianne said with more than a hint of indignation in her voice.

  “Yes, I am sure you are, and it's especially convenient that your concern for her safety will have the secondary benefit of keeping her away from the dozens of reporters who I am sure will camp outside the courthouse.”

  “So, that's your biggest concern? Getting her in front of the press? Don't worry, Mr. Wagner, I am sure you will
more than adequately represent your client’s interests in that venue as well.”

  “I will do my best. In any case, it's getting late and I need to call my client. Are we done?”

  “Yes, I thought I would do you this courtesy and tell you in person. Good night, Mr. Wagner.”

  “Good night, Madam Secretary, and thank you for the call.”

  Geoff ended the call and dialed GSSA Headquarters to speak to his client. It took several minutes of pleading and more than a couple of threats but he finally got to talk to her. He explained that he would appear in court on her behalf and she would be present via holocall. She didn't seem to mind and thanked him for letting her know. He told her to get some sleep and then disconnected. He hoped he hadn't seemed in too much of a hurry but he had other urgent business to attend to.

  Geoff went back downstairs to where he had left Aubrey’s holocube. He activated the display and was pleased to see he had received the answer he had hoped for.

  Good girl!

  Aubrey had uploaded her last engramic copy to Telogene’s lab on Mars, and since Mars was outside of the GSSA’s jurisdiction, they had not yet been able to secure it.

  I better make a copy just in case.

  With a few gestures, Geoff instructed the remote lab’s AI to create a copy of Aubrey’s engrams and transmit them at a secret location known only to him. Once satisfied that the transfer was in progress, he activated his communicator implant.

  The person who answered wasn’t happy. “So much for don’t call me again!”

  “I am sorry to bother you at this hour Alex, but there has been a change of plans,” Geoff said.

  Alexei listened quietly for several minutes as Geoff explained his new plan.

  “So, let me be sure I understand,” Alexei finally said. “First, you ask me to extract a high-profile target in GSSA custody, the difficulty of which would be extreme…to say the least.”

  “Alex…”

  “Let me finish,” Alexei interjected. “And now you want her terminated? That is no simple favor that can be exchanged between friends, Bruce…excuse me, I mean Geoff. That is a service that comes at a very high price, were I to even consider doing it at all.”