by Dean, Warren
"In a few minutes we will bring you a statement from the Administrator. We are hoping that she will give us preliminary results of the DNA tests of the four strangers. They are presently quarantined in a private ward. We have ascertained from eyewitnesses that the strangers entered the city from the direction of the Bogdkhan National Park. For the information of our international viewers, the park is a protected area of approximately 42 000 hectares to the south of the City. It contains a number of mountain peaks and is heavily forested in some places. We have heard that divisions of the Mongolian army have been mobilised and are securing the perimeter of the park. We do not know yet whether this is for military or medical reasons. We are hoping for word from the president or the prime minister shortly."
She put a hand over the 'mote in her right ear and listened intently for a few seconds. Her voice rose with excitement. "We have just heard that the administrator's statement will be made in the hospital's conference room. No other Personet crews have arrived here yet, so it will be broadcast exclusively by Mongolia Today."
A short while later the main doors opened and a hospital official could be seen beckoning her from within. She hurried into the reception area, her camera and sound crew following, and was led up a flight of stairs and into a conference room. She stopped just inside the doorway and was silent as the camera panned briefly across the room, taking in the polished hardwood floor, pale lilac walls and oval conference table in the centre. There were nine or ten people dressed in hospital uniforms present, all clustered around the end of the table near the door. An officious matron showed the reporter to a seat near the head of the table on the far side. Her camera man took up position over her shoulder and her sound technician carefully placed wireless microphones around the table.
After a few minutes the administrator, a grey-haired woman, hurried into the room accompanied by three laboratory technicians in white smocks. She took up the seat at the head of the table and the technicians arranged themselves in chairs opposite the camera. She glanced nervously at the camera and cleared her throat.
"Sain'uu" she said, before continuing hesitantly in English. "I am Bolormaa, administrative head of this hospital. There is a lot of interest in the strangers who have chosen to visit us this morning. I have even been telephoned by President Ganzorig from his office in the city. He has been given the preliminary results of our DNA tests and he has instructed me to make the results and certain other facts known publicly as soon as possible. He is concerned about the wild speculation taking place."
The harassed expression on the administrator's face suggested that she was already heartily sick of the whole affair and hoped that making the facts known would deflect the spotlight of attention away from her hospital.
"First, I must make it absolutely clear that the strangers came to us voluntarily and that it was they who asked for the DNA tests. We have extended them every courtesy that visitors to our country usually receive and we have acceded to all of their requests as best as we have been able. It is true that they are under quarantine, but this too was at their suggestion."
David hardly noticed when Penelope came in with his coffee. She didn't say anything about the Andersons having arrived, so he continued watching.
The administrator gestured to one of the laboratory technicians, who slid a yellow document folder towards her across the table. She slid a pair of old fashioned spectacles onto her nose and opened the folder. She took out four single sheets of paper and spread them out in front of her.
"I must stress that these are just preliminary results. It is well known that the DNA of all of the species on Earth, including ours, is very similar. For example, there is a difference of just a few percent between our DNA and that of apes. What we have been able to ascertain so far is that the strangers' DNA is far less comparable. We have yet to calculate the percentage accurately but, at this stage, we think it is approximately sixty-five percent. This explains why their physiology resembles ours in many ways, but is significantly different in others."
She turned to the camera and frowned. "I am not qualified to tell you what this means or what should happen next. That is for the strangers and the government to decide. The strangers have not told us yet where they are from or why they are here. They asked us to do the tests first and promised to explain afterwards. President Ganzorig is on his way to the hospital and the strangers have said that they will speak to him when he arrives."
She began to stand up, obviously hoping to make a fast getaway, but the Personet reporter was having none of it. "Please, Madam Administrator, can you tell us what the strangers look like and what language they speak?"
The administrator hesitated. "I am not good at descriptions and you will soon see them for yourself. I can confirm that they have the same number of eyes, ears, arms and legs as we do. They are on average about half a metre taller than us and their skin is a grey-green colour. Their eyes are large and bright and their ears are set quite high on the sides of their heads. Their faces are narrow and their hair is white. We do not know how old they are. They have been speaking to us in English, although the tone of their voices is higher and softer than ours."
"So they look a bit like... elves," said the reporter light-heartedly. This precipitated another frown from the administrator and the reporter moved on hurriedly. "What about the quarantine, ma'am, is there any danger of the strangers infecting us?"
"We have found no evidence that they are carrying any infectious organisms. We are more concerned that they will be infected by us, so they have been quarantined for their own safety. Now please excuse me, I must prepare to meet with the president." She stood abruptly and left the room, followed by her staff.
The reporter turned to the camera, searching for something appropriately dramatic to say to end the bulletin. "Well, it seems that we are being visited by the Faerie Folk. We return you to the studio while we await President Ganzorig's arrival."
The feed from Mongolia Today ended and the picture cut back to the CNN studio, where the news anchor began introducing a series of hastily assembled experts.
Penelope's voice cut in on David's 'mote. "The Andersons are on their way up, sir."
"Thanks," he said and commanded the AVIC to activate the wall-screen and queue the Forever Gene video, gulping down his coffee at the same time. He rose from his desk as Penelope showed in Mr and Mrs Anderson.
"Hello, I'm David Herald, welcome to Boston," he said as he led them to the lounge area. I hope you had a pleasant journey."
"Vernon Anderson." The tall, dark haired and slightly overweight man spoke in a loud Texan drawl. "And this is my wife Kimberley." She was small with short blonde hair and smiled at him as she took his hand lightly.
The introductions over, David was able to relax slightly. He was not very comfortable with small talk. The difficulty he always had with interviewing patients was that he already knew a great deal about them. Any potential patient was required to submit a lengthy application form and undergo a comprehensive medical examination. It was difficult to politely ask after a person's health when you already knew more about it than he or she did. He knew that Vernon was forty-nine years old and had been diagnosed with minor cardiac arrhythmia. Kimberley had been a schoolteacher until her marriage to Vernon and she had given up her career to have and bring up four children. They ranged from eleven to nineteen years of age.
Penelope came in with coffee for Kimberley and orange juice for Vernon. David launched his presentation. "You already know that we are satisfied with your general health and that your applications have been approved. I have seen the results of your tests and our medical examiner reports that you are both good candidates. The purpose of this interview is to ensure that you fully understand the treatment and its effects."
"Look, I know that the medical report says that my arrhythmia will not prevent me from having the treatment, but will it be fully effective?" Vernon hadn't got where he was in the oil business without being able to get straight to t
he point. His recently diagnosed condition worried him and David suspected that this was what had prompted him to consider having the Forever Gene. Arrhythmia was not uncommon, but could in rare cases lead to serious heart problems. By now, David was well versed in dealing with concerns of this nature, and he switched smoothly into reassurance mode.
"No, it won't affect your treatment at all. The first thing you should know about the Forever Gene is that it simply prevents you from aging. There is a debate going on about whether it slows down the aging process or stops it altogether. We won't know the answer for decades, perhaps even centuries, but our current research indicates that the gene will extend a person's life indefinitely. The short video you are about to see will explain how it works. The gene does have its limits, however. It will not reverse the aging process, so the bad news is that it won't cure any physiological problems that you already have. The good news is that they are unlikely to get any worse. Even better news is that you will not develop any degenerative conditions that you don't have now. So your arrhythmia will stay with you but it will not cause a heart attack. This doesn't mean that you are invulnerable. You can still be killed or injured if you are hit by a car or fall down some stairs."
Kimberley sat forward, her hands clasped nervously together. "What about our children, Dr Herald? How will this affect them?" The question which most concerned Kimberley was also not new to David.
"Kimberley, your children will continue to age normally. We believe that this is a good thing. Children should be allowed to complete their physical development naturally. What you are probably thinking is that it would be very strange if they caught up with and overtook you in age. What the wider social effects of something like that may be, we don't yet know. The solution is for your children to have the treatment too, although you will have to wait until they are old enough. The government has passed a law saying that people may not have the treatment before they turn twenty-five years old. We support this law as it is impossible to determine the long-term effects on a child. Even before the law was passed we would not treat anyone under twenty-one."
Kimberley sat back and gave her husband that barely perceptible look that tells a husband that his wife is happy. David recognised the look because he had seen it before; Pris had mastered it years ago.
Taking it as his cue, David began the video. Two men appeared on the wall-screen, standing together in a sleek and sophisticated boardroom. "I'm David Herald," said the first. The screen showed a slim, dark-haired man of medium height with penetrating hazel eyes above, as far as David was concerned, a large, hooked nose. "I'm Charles Tyler," said the second.
Chunky had been persuaded to use his given first name in the interests of accentuating the respectability conveyed by his impressive physique. Well over six feet tall, with a football player's wide shoulders, he sported a mane of medium-length blonde hair framing a face dominated by piercing blue eyes. Since the video had been recorded, his hard-living, hard-drinking lifestyle had added a layer of excess weight to his face and body. The Forever Gene could extend your lifespan, but your body would still react to lifestyle abuse in the normal way.
A long list of their degrees and qualifications scrolled across the screen and then the picture cut to the concrete plinth at the entrance to the Factory. A deep, authoritative voice began a commentary, accompanied by clips depicting the various facilities within the building and extolling the virtues of its personnel.
"Forever Incorporated was established by David Herald and Charles Tyler in 2025. In the eleven years since then, the corporation has opened facilities in seventeen different countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Russia, China, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Singapore, South Africa, Australia, and the Scandinavian Federation. David is the chief executive officer and head of genetic research. Charles is the head of technological development. They are both graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David with a Ph.D. in genetics and Charles with degrees in nano-technology and bio-engineering."
The video cut to colourful images of DNA strands, twisting and shifting to illustrate the technical aspects of the narrative.
"David spent seven years studying the Human Genome Project, during which time he identified a cocktail of genes which determine for how long a person's cells repair themselves and replicate naturally. The genes are programmed to gradually slow down the renewal process over time, which causes the person to age. Eventually, the process slows down to the extent that the person dies, often of an age-related condition such as a heart attack, stroke or cancer. During his time at MIT, David developed the theory that it is possible to extend a person's lifespan indefinitely by means of a synthetic gene implanted into the person's DNA. The gene continuously erases the memory of the age control genes, causing them to forget to slow down the renewal process. David took the theory to his friend Charles and, using the latest nano-technology, they engineered a partly biological, partly electronic gene. They patented it as the 'Forever Gene' and, together with a team of medical specialists, developed the medical procedure by which it is implanted."
Vernon and Kimberley sat watching intently, and David could see from the set of their features that they had already made their decision and were purely looking for confirmation.
"If you are watching this presentation, you will already have had a series of medical tests. A sample of your DNA has been obtained and, should you decide to proceed with the treatment, the identity and location of your age-control genes will be used to programme your implant."
The video panned across an elegant country house in a beautiful setting on the coast overlooking Gardiner's Bay, with its fishing vessels chugging by in the distance, before moving on to show luxurious suites, spa facilities, and a gymnasium.
"You will spend six weeks at one of our treatment facilities in Boston, New Orleans, Houston, Omaha, San Francisco or Seattle. The choice is yours. During this time the Forever Gene will be inserted into your DNA by means of a series of injections. The procedure is relatively painless and you should suffer no discomfort. Your health will be monitored constantly and every precaution will be observed to ensure your safety and well-being. Once the procedure has been completed, you will be asked to return for a few days each year for five years, during which time we will test your biological age to ensure that it has remained constant. You will be pleased to know that, in the eleven years of our existence, none of our patients has failed to successfully assimilate the Forever Gene and, according to our research in that time, none have aged biologically to any measurable degree. Our research has been published in a number of periodicals and journals available on the Personet, and none of it has been validly challenged."
The clip ended, mercifully without any platitudes extolling the benefits of an extended lifespan, and David smiled warmly at Vernon and Kimberley as they confirmed that they were both happy to go ahead with the treatment. They decided on the Houston facility and David called Penelope in to make the booking for them. Vernon activated his 'link so that he could transfer the fee of ten million dollars there and then. Kimberley rolled her eyes at his boorishness and she and David stood up and took a slow walk towards the other end of the office, David pointing out some of his favourite novels on the bookshelves.
The cost of the Forever Gene had been controversial from the beginning. It had been an expensive process, not only to create the gene, but also to register the patent, develop the medical procedure by which it could be implanted, test it, navigate the stringent requirements of the Food and Drug Administration for its approval, and set up the facilities to make the implant commercially available. The cost of the research and development of the gene itself had been covered by a grant from MIT, but neither David nor Chunky had the money to take the next step. The technology was too innovative for any financial institution to fund, and too controversial for any drug company to gamble on.
Luckily, by the time they had completed their degrees, the research they
had done had gained enough credibility that they were able to offer the best post-graduates from MIT and neighbouring Boston University a stake in the project. Fifteen budding professionals agreed to invest and, when the time came to calculate the price of the treatment, the value of their contributions over the years was taken into account. The price was initially set at three million dollars, rising to the current five million dollars over the intervening period. This did not hamper demand and the original contributors, including David and Chunky, were soon extremely wealthy men.
David was about to pull out another of his favourite paper-backs when he saw that Kimberley was staring quizzically past his shoulder. He turned and saw that he had left CNN playing on his desk-screen. The graphic artist had completed the task of interpreting the description of the mysterious strangers who had been found in Mongolia. His image of the face of one of the creatures was being displayed on the screen.
CHAPTER TWO
Qara stared at the image on the wall-screen in the reception area of the hospital. It invoked a mixed reaction. It could have come out of a child's book of faerie tales as easily as someone's worst nightmare. The face depicted in the image was wearing a scarlet hood, so its hair and ears couldn't be seen. Otherwise it matched Administrator Bolormaa's description quite closely, except that the sketch artist had drawn the lips parted in what may have been a smile.
Qara found herself thinking that it looked more like a snarl because the teeth it revealed, although small and white, were pointed and looked uncomfortably sharp. One thing was certain, the face was not human and, for the first time, a sliver of apprehension crept into the state of excitement she had been in since the story broke.