by Ron S. Nolan
"We take in wealthy people that have a terminal condition and freeze them in stasis until a cure becomes available. We also offer fertility services for couples that can’t conceive naturally."
Horowitz sat back and took in the view as they flew over Larkin Valley's once lush pasturelands and horse ranches–now wide expanses of dry desert bordered by the tropical seas of Monterey Bay. Horowitz directed the pilot to the landing area. Rows of eucalyptus trees and lush wild roses grew densely along the property boundary providing a sense of wealth and privacy. From the air the estate looked like a millionaire's retreat.
The main house was a southern style mansion built by a developer who had discovered that building tract homes in the Bay Area was infinitely more profitable than back in his native Georgia–but still missed living in the South. He had willingly indulged his young wife's passion for expensive hobbies and spoiled her with a tennis court and a large swimming pool–plus a well-tended nine-hole golf course. The mansion was an exact copy of Elvis Presley’s Graceland complete with massive pillars in the front, Meditation Garden and even a Jungle Room–all transformed into a modern geriatric health and fertility complex.
A stone sign on the front lawn announced 'Forever, Inc. Cryogenics'. A spout of water gushed into the air from the center of an art deco fountain and splashed gaily into a small pond whose surface was smothered in water lilies and hyacinths–an indulgence added at Horowitz’s request. Water was the new power and he delighted in showing off with what he considered to be a symbol of success, prosperity and achievement.
The jet-copter gently touched down on the newly constructed helo pad–another of Horowitz's additions to the property. Other than converting the mansion into a thriving cryogenic health center, library and apartments for the senior staff, his key investment was what from the outside looked to be a well-kept barn situated right next to the golf course. In reality it was the secret access point to a three level, subterranean, state-of the-art laboratory complex equipped with most advanced genetic manipulation and sophisticated analytical tools available anywhere.
The facility manager, Malcolm Reynolds, a very tall and muscular African American that looked like he could have once been a football linebacker, stood leaning against the side of a four seat, electric golf cart while he spoke on his microcell.
Horowitz had been surprised to learn during the initial candidate interviews that Reynolds had graduated magna cum laude at Stanford and was a highly published geneticist. He had also served in the USACO Armed Forces and had a top-secret security clearance–all reasons for Horowitz to place Malcolm in charge of this secret facility and pay him twice the normal salary compensation.
Malcolm quickly wound up his call and waved as Horowitz approached and quickly shook his hand. "Welcome back sir, how was your flight?"
"Fine. Is the Reverend here?"
"Yes sir. He landed about an hour ago. I just informed him of your arrival. We will pick him up on our way to the lab."
Malcolm gestured at the cart which had two set of golf clubs in the back. "We'll ride in this. It matches our cover as a resort if anyone should be watching."
As they drove past the mansion, they spotted the Reverend, stopped to pick him up and then headed for the barn. The Reverend wasted no time getting down to business and demanded, "What's our status?"
Malcolm looked at Horowitz, who nodded. "Go ahead; you are free to answer any of the Reverend's questions. I would also appreciate an update."
"Yes, sir. The latest test looks promising. The subject has survived much longer than any of our earlier attempts. We think we may be on the right track, but we will need more time to be sure."
Malcolm paused at the barn entrance then reached into his suit pocket and keyed a remote control that slid the big barn doors open. The doors closed automatically after the cart pulled inside. Horse stalls lined each side of the barn and covertly located video cameras embedded in the ceiling rafters provided complete video and audio coverage to the security system that monitored every inch of the barn and its surroundings.
Malcolm escorted his passengers to an optical reader on the wall. After retina scans were conducted and approved, the sound of servo motors straining echoed in the empty barn as a trap door in the floor tilted upwards revealing concrete steps that led downward into a brightly lit tunnel.
"We'd better get some cows or horses," observed Horowitz. "I never realized until now how strange it would seem to someone if they ever looked around this barn and didn't see any livestock."
Malcolm tried to sound enthusiastic. "Yes sir. I'll get on it right away. Any preference as to kind?"
"A horse is a horse as far as I'm concerned. But if you could engineer a horse that you could milk...now that might be something I could become very interested in."
Malcolm was surprised. "My goodness sir, was that a joke? You must be in good humor today."
Reverend LeRoque interrupted, obviously very unhappy. He huffed, "That is just the kind of blasphemy that I don't want any part of."
He took hold of Horowitz sleeve to make sure that he was being heard. "It sounds like something that your people at BGI would come up with. Speaking of BGI, what’s the latest on Astra Sturtevant and that Ark of hers that is getting so much attention? You're not involved in that are you? When was the last time that you spoke with her?"
Horowitz pulled free of the Reverend and straightened his tie. "As a matter of fact, I saw her this morning. She had just finished clearing out her desk. I have no idea where she was heading. But keep in mind Reverend that it is her research that we are basing our procedures on. I would not want to badmouth her too much. It might come back to haunt us down the road."
The Reverend had calmed somewhat. "I see what you mean. We don’t want to tempt fate. God help us."
Horowitz lamented, “I wish we could do this work back at BGI, but the board of directors would have a hernia if we did anything involving a real, live human. Even getting permission to work on chimps has not been all that easy."
Malcolm tried to get the tour back on track. "Dr. Horowitz, the subject has been moved since your last visit. It is now located in the In Vitro Lab, which is on the second level. Please follow me. "
As they navigated the depths of the secret complex, dozens of technicians wearing lab coats passed them in the hall and word quickly spread that the head honchos were on site and everyone should be on their toes.
The trio arrived at another checkpoint; this one was manned by a uniformed guard who held up his hand. “I'm sorry gentleman; I have to check both your retina and thumbprints one last time.”
As the door opened, Malcolm explained, “We have increased security procedures now that the subject has reached this more advanced stage. Only a few select ‘keepers’ know how far along we are; we want to limit exposure due to the emotional factor."
Horowitz nodded his approval. "Good thinking. I agree entirely. The fewer souls involved...the better."
The Reverend made the sign of the cross and mumbled a quick prayer.
The newcomers were surprised that the room looked more like a theater than a laboratory. Comfortable couches and armchairs faced a stage adorned with a wall-to-wall curtain and coffee tables that held beverages and snacks.
Malcolm gestured for them to be seated and said, "Gentlemen, what you are about to see is our first attempt to unravel and defeat the greatest mystery of all–the secret of human immortality."
With a grand flourish, he tapped a control button on the wall and the curtain parted revealing a wide expanse of safety glass topped by a bank of monitors. Through the window they observed a fluid-filled cylinder radiating a vibrant, violet color. A maze of plastic tubes connected to the subject’s umbilical region delivering freshly oxygenated red blood and returning bluish blood containing metabolic wastes to the scrubber.
Malcolm gestured at the row of monitors. “These screens provide real-time feeds of key physiological data at the cellular, tissue, organ and whole body leve
l.”
Horowitz moved closer to the screen "Definitely highly advanced alpha and beta waves, and based upon the telomere data, I'd say the subject appears to be two and half...maybe three years of age. That’s outstanding growth for only four weeks post in vitro fertilization."
Reverend LeRoque was having a hard time putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. He asked, "Could you go over this again? I don't see how the remarkably fast growth rate of this...baby connects with the prospect that it will have a much longer lifespan."
Horowitz said, "I can understand your confusion. You see, the study of aging has a serious complication; you might even call it a paradox. The more effective our procedures become, the harder they are to measure.
For example, if we experiment with chimps that normally live twenty years, we won't know if a particular treatment is successful for at least two decades! This means that a scientist with a normal working life of four to five decades would only have the opportunity to try a few different experimental regimes in his or her lifetime.”
He continued, “Obviously it gets even more complicated when you move to humans–not only because of the financial and legal issues, but because successive generations of researchers would be required to monitor the results. Furthermore each generation of scientists would have to stick with the same exact research procedures that had been developed and employed by their predecessors. You can see how this would require a great deal of discipline and very patient investors.”
The Reverend replied, "I see. So that is why Dr. Sturtevant chose to experiment with flatworms, she could get a 'yea or a 'nay' in just a few weeks–not years."
Horowitz continued. “Actually she did better than that. She discovered that the protein which controlled the aging clock had the unexpected side effect of markedly reducing development time so she was able to obtain experimental results in only a matter of hours–at least in her flatworms.”
Malcolm added, “The problem of course, is determining how higher level organisms like humans will respond to the treatment.” He gestured to the cylinder. “So you see this subject is currently experiencing the first phase of fast growth exactly according to Sturtevant's theory. And once our specimen reaches full physiological maturity–which should only require a few more weeks at this rate–we will be able to use Dr. Sturtevant's second discovery.”
Reverend LeRoque asked. “Which is?”
This time, it was Horowitz who answered. “She found that when a unique protein produced during the development phase was injected into normal, non-treated worms, it would give them immortality. What we are investigating now is whether the same protein derived from the blood stream of our specimen could increase the lifespan of other species–including humans.”
The Reverend asked that they all bow their heads. "Please God. Help these hard working men and women bring us to a future in which we no longer count our remaining days, but can live to serve you forever. Amen."
Horowitz stood and touched the glass panel. He turned to Malcolm and said, "I want to go in. Reverend you can watch from here, you don't have to suit up. I'll go in alone,"
He walked into the sterilization room, stripped naked and turned slowly in front of the disinfectant spray. Then he strapped a pair of deep purple goggles over his surgical mask and touched the wall panel button that ignited the ultraviolet radiation lamps. After a few minutes of exposure, Horowitz tore open the seal of the plastic pouch that contained a sterile, blue gown and stuck his head through the neck of the paper garment. Then he snapped on a pair of rubber gloves and a gauze face mask. He slid his feet into paper sandals and touched a panel to trigger the automatic door.
The In Vitro Lab was cold and, except for the hum of electronics and the spraying sound of tiny bursting bubbles, ghostly silent. A penetrating chill seeped through the soles of Horowitz's thin sandals as he walked over to the cylinder. He was careful not to accidentally jostle any of the tubes or sensors that snaked down from the ceiling. Horowitz leaned closer to view the specimen. From the back it looked like a normal fetus. Its body periodically rose and descended, propelled by the fluids being pumped through its circulatory system. As he watched transfixed by the scene, the baby kicked the side of the cylinder and slowly started to spin around.
Horowitz moved closer until his forehead touched the glass. He could feel its warmth on his face as the baby's momentum carried it ever so slowly around. As it turned, it rose slightly in the tank and drifted forward towards Horowitz so that its stomach filled his field of vision. He looked down. The feet were perfectly formed; the legs occasionally contracting in a frog kick. An umbilical cord lined with red and blue tubes slowly pulsed with fluids. The sex was male.
Relishing the moment, Horowitz slowly raised his eyes. The small chest looked fine, even though still not yet breathing. The shoulders were perfect; the short neck, just right. The baby's face appeared calm and relaxed with handsome features. Its eyes were closed tight.
A bundle of clear plastic microtubules entered the brain at the front of the skull where the rudimentary pineal eye would have emerged if evolution had not decided that it was no longer a useful adaptation. The tiny tubes regularly collected minute samples of living DNA and passed them to the DNA auto analyzer.
Horowitz tapped the mic and looked back through the glass wall at his colleagues. He made a sweeping gesture with his arms and said, "How incredible to finally have the chance to study the genetic clock in humans. This infant provides us with an unprecedented living laboratory where we may watch the mystery unfold...and find a way to manage our own destiny."
He turned and pointed to the cylinder. "It's a pity that society has forbidden this kind of work. We will never cut the genetic chains that limit our species until we can freely experiment with our own kind. This child may unlock the secret of immortality.”
Just then the baby's eyes opened wide. They were pale blue with immense black pupils.
-- CHAPTER 10 --
Two Weeks Later
Horowitz sat behind his desk eagerly awaiting the daily update from Malcolm at Forever, Inc. Finally the call came through on his personal microcell.
Malcolm reported, "Sir, I have some very alarming news. As you know up until now our subject has been experiencing a phenomenally fast growth rate based upon spatial dimensions, metabolic parameters and increase in body mass. But last night at midnight local, time the rate began to decrease."
He took a quick breath and then continued. "At first the change was slow and barely detectable, but the situation has continued to deteriorate. Now the growth rate has slowed down to normal and we are obviously far from the maturity level needed to generate the clock proteins needed for a longevity drug. Sir, I regret to inform you that we seem to be dead in the water."
Horowitz slammed his fist down hard on his desk. "Damn. This is a bloody disaster! All that time and money gone up in smoke. The Reverend will be furious."
"Would you like me to contact him, sir?"
"No, leave it that to me. You just figure out what happened and set up a conference call with the key players for tomorrow at eight AM sharp."
"Yes sir, I..."
Horowitz slammed shut his microcell and headed for the local bar to think things over. Sitting alone away from the crowd, he did some calculations and made a list of priorities on his notepad. He figured that so far they had burned through about thirty-five million bucks. Not so bad when we were making progress, but terrible now! The Reverend will go ballistic. Horowitz steeled himself for a tongue-lashing and keyed his MIcroCell.
To his relief, the Reverend was surprisingly calm about the situation. "It's only money," he said, "We can always get more. It's time that is critical and can't be replaced. As to the conference call, thank you but I am going to pass this time, just fill me when you have the situation back under control. I am taking my wife out to dinner and will give her the news. She may be the mad hornet that you will have to deal with. Half of the money was hers. Goodbye Dr. Horowit
z."
******
At precisely eight o’clock sharp, Horowitz locked his office door at BGI and stood in front of a virtual white board which displayed an outline for the meeting game plan. He highlighted the first item and addressed Malcolm Reynolds and his key technicians who were online at Forever, Inc.
Item 1: Cause of Phase 1 Growth Cessation
"Good morning. I assume that you have done a full systems check. Are there any indications that the subject was poisoned, infected or that there were any problems with the life support or mechanical systems?”
Malcolm's face appeared in a box on the white board. "No sir, we ran full diagnostics on all systems. They checked out fine."
Horowitz struck out the first item and added the next.
Item 1: Cause of Phase 1 Growth Cessation
Item 2: Interruption of Biological Clock
Horowitz asked, "Did you detect any falloff in the DNA transcription in the clock gene?"
Malcolm looked at his techs who both nodded and answered, "Yes, a complete cessation."
"What do you attribute this too?
"We have no idea at this time."
Horowitz struck though Item two and moved to the next item listed on the board.
Item 2: Interruption of Biological Clock
Item 3: Built in Timer
"Let's look at the big picture. If our procedures have successfully been turning off the genetic clock that affects aging with the side effect of rapid maturation for a certain period of time, but then the maturation rate suddenly decreases, this could indicate that Dr. Sturtevant may have installed a built in timer that turned the aging clock back on or an anti– aging clock off. In other words, fast early development followed by a growth slow down."