Part 23 (2/2)
Lazarus said gently, ”Should have known you meant to go whole hog. Then you won't want to borrow from Hamadryad, either; she's his daughter. Unless genetic charting shows that we can avoid any hazard. Mmm-Dear, you want as mixed a composite as can be managed, do you not? So that your clone will be a unique flesh-and-blood, not too closely copied from any other zygote. Twenty-three parents perhaps? Is that what you had in mind?”
”I think that would be best, Lazarus, since that could be done without separating paired chromosomes-simpler surgery and no possibility of introducing an unexpected reinforcement. If it were possible to find twenty-three-satisfactory-donors who were willing.”
”Who said they had to be willing? We'll steal 'em, dear. n.o.body owns his genes; he's merely their custodian. They are pa.s.sed to him w.i.l.l.y-nilly in the meiotic dance; he pa.s.ses them along to others through the same blind chances. There must be many thousands of tissue cultures over at the Clinic, each with many thousands of cells-so who's to know or care if we borrow one cell from each of twenty-three cultures?-if we're slick about it. Don't fret about ethics; it's like stealing twenty-three grains of sand from a large beach.
”I don't give a hoot about the Clinic's rules; I suspect that we'll be hip-deep in proscribed techniques all through this. Hmm-Those Clinic records you've stored in Dora: Do they include genetic charting of tissue cultures on hand? Case histories of their donor-consigners?”
”Yes, Lazarus. Although personal records are confidential.”
”Who cares? Ishtar said you could study both 'confidential' and 'secret'-as long as you kept it to yourself. So pick the twenty-three parents you want-while I worry about how to steal them. Stealing is more in my line, anyhow. I don't know what criteria you will use, but I offer one mild suggestion: If the selection you have to choose from permits it, each of your parents should be healthy in all respects and as brainy as possible-by their established records in life as shown by their case histories, not alone by their genetic charts.” Lazarus thought about it. ”That mythical time machine I mentioned earlier would be a convenience. I would like to look over all twenty-three after you pick them-and some of them may be dead. The donors I mean, not the tissue cultures.”
”Lazarus, if other characteristics are satisfactory, is there any reason not to select as well for physical appearance?”
”Why worry about it, dear? Ira is not the sort of man to insist on Helen of Troy.”
”No, I don't think he is. But I want to be tall-tall as Ishtar -and slender, with small b.r.e.a.s.t.s. And straight, brown hair.”
”Minerva . . why?”
”Because that is the way I look. You said so. You did say so!”
Lazarus blinked at the gloom and hummed softly: ”She's a good sport . . I can spring her . . for a fin or even a sawbuck”-then said sharply: ”Minerva, you're a crazy, mixed-up machine. If the best combination of traits results in your being a short, plump blonde with big t.i.ts-buy it! Don't worry about an old man's fantasies. I'm sorry I mentioned that imaginary description.” Don't worry about an old man's fantasies. I'm sorry I mentioned that imaginary description.”
”But, Lazarus, I said 'if other characteristics are satisfactory-' To get that physical appearance I need search only with respect to three autosome pairs; there is no conflict, the search is already complete within all parameters we have discussed thus far. And that other characteristics are satisfactory-' To get that physical appearance I need search only with respect to three autosome pairs; there is no conflict, the search is already complete within all parameters we have discussed thus far. And that is is me-is 'I'?-no, me-is 'I'?-no, me me! I've known it since you told me. But-from things you have said-and others that you did not say-I feel that I need your permission to look like that.”
The old man lowered his head and covered his face. Then he looked up. ”Go ahead, dear-look like her. I mean 'look like yourself.' Like your mind's-eye picture of yourself. You'll find it hard enough to learn to be flesh-and-blood without the added handicap of not looking the way you feel you ought to look.”
”Thank you, Lazarus.”
”There will be problems, dear, even if everything goes well. For example, has it occurred to you that you will have to learn to talk all over again? Even learn to see and to hear? When you move yourself over into your clone body and leave nothing behind but a computer, you won't suddenly be an adult. Instead, you'll be a weird sort of baby in an adult body, with the world a buzzing confusion around you and totally strange. You may find it frightening. I'll be there, I promise I will be there and holding your hand. But you won't know me; your new eyes won't abstract a gestalt of me until you learn to use them. You won't understand a word I say-did you realize that?”
”I do realize it, Lazarus. I did know it, I have given it much thought. Getting into my new body-without destroying the computer that I am now . . which I must not, as Ira will need it and so will Ishtar-making that transition is the most critical phase. But if I make it, I promise you that I will not be frightened by the strangeness. Because I know that I will have loving friends around me, cheris.h.i.+ng me, keeping me alive, not letting me hurt myself nor be hurt-while I'm learning to be a flesh-and-blood.”
”That you will have, dear.”
”I know and I am not worried. So don't you you worry, beloved Lazarus-don't think of it now. Why did you say, earlier, 'that mythical time machine'?” worry, beloved Lazarus-don't think of it now. Why did you say, earlier, 'that mythical time machine'?”
”Eh? How would you describe it?”
”I would describe it as an 'unrealized potential.' But 'mythical' implies impossibility.”
”Eh? Keep talking!”
”Lazarus, I learned from Dora, when she taught me the mathematics of n-s.p.a.ce astrogation, that every jump transition involves a decision as to when to reenter the time axis.”
”Yes, certainly. Since you are cut off from the framework of the speed-of-light you could go as many years astray as there are light-years involved in the jump. But that's not a time machine.”
”It isn't?”
”Hmm-It's a disturbing thought-it feels like intentionally making a bad landing. I wish Andy Libby were here. Minerva, why didn't you mention this before?”
”Should I have put it into your Zwicky Box? You turned down time travel forward . . and I ruled out time travel into the past because you said you wanted something new new.”
INTERMISSION.
Excerpts from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long
Always store beer in a dark place.
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By the data to date, there is only one animal in the Galaxy dangerous to man-man himself. So he must supply his own indispensable compet.i.tion. He has no enemy to help him.
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Men are more sentimental than women. It blurs their thinking.
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Certainly the game is rigged. Don't let that stop you; if you don't bet, you can't win.
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Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proved innocent.
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Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it.
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Get a shot off fast. fast. This upsets him long enough to let you make your second shot perfect. This upsets him long enough to let you make your second shot perfect.
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There is no conclusive evidence of life after death. But there is no evidence of any sort against it. Soon enough you will know know. So why fret about it?
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If it can't be expressed in figures, it is not science; it is opinion.
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