SOPHIA - Age of Intelligence

by Mike Donoghue

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  “WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, then, Mr. Taylor?” Ms. Njoku asked, with a striking Ghanese accent. “Are you suggesting humanity’s sole purpose, its raison d’etre, if you will, is to create a new life-form?”

  “I wouldn’t use the words, sole purpose, Ms. Njoku. Destiny, perhaps.”

  Simon was now fully involved in the cross-examination phase of the meeting. He and Gayle Samples of IBM had already offered their opening statements. Public input as well as closing remarks would follow this, the most anticipated stage of the conference.

  “You know, Mr. Taylor, when I asked Ms. Gill to chair this special IBC meeting, I believed its objective was two-fold. First, to ensure everyone in attendance leaves this room with a better understanding of the awesome power behind this new super genome, and, second, to convince you of how divesting yourself of its sole ownership will not only improve the lives of billions, but the quality of yours as well.”

  The audience laughed, subtly, as an appreciation of Madame Njoku’s candor found favour among the audience. A visible, no-nonsense approach perfectly complimented her strict, almost grandmother-like demeanour.

  “Having said that, the next question I would like to ask is this, am I the only one who feels as though the theme of our meeting has mutated, if you would allow me to use that term, into a much more ominous discussion, one which suggests humankind is on the threshold being supplanted as our planet’s dominant species?”

  Simon smiled. “In terms of one’s destiny, Ms. Njoku, I think it is most easily recognized when you are standing on the threshold of achieving it.”

  “Would you care to enlighten us further, Mr. Taylor?” Ms. Njoku stated. Her patronizing tone complimented her skeptical, semi-squinting eyes.

  “We all know that, throughout history, the pace of technological progress is rarely linear. Most often it is the function of exponential achievement. And with each new triumph being based on previous successes, the specific event that led to the discovery of the super human genome is no exception. It has already produced dividends, which are even more ...”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Taylor,” the Director General interjected.

  “Yes, Ms. Njoku.”

  “Did you say, the event, which led to this discovery?”

  “I did.”

  Ms. Njoku glared at Simon, stating: “Please explain.”

  Simon felt the momentum of human achievement pushing him forward. He paused for a moment and allowed himself to appreciate being at the epicenter of change. Knowing that history would record his following words, he announced: “In the interest of full disclosure, Madame Njoku, I am prepared to announce today that Sophia did it.”

  “Did what, Mr. Taylor?” Ms. Njoku asked.

  “Sophia designed the super genome. It is her creation and hers alone.”

  The audience collectively gasped. Many fell back in their chairs, realizing the significance of the revelation. Others were left wondering how a computer could achieve such a thing on its own.

  “It was during the final phase of the project that Sophia found herself confined by the limits of her software. As I’m sure you are aware, Ms. Njoku, software is the key to every computer.”

  “All too painfully, Mr. Taylor. All too painfully. Please go on.”

  Memories of previous, less-than-stellar operating systems elicited a few smiles from the crowd.

  Simon went on to suggest that, despite having the best programmers the world had to offer, Sophia’s progress eventually became limited by the fact that her code couldn’t be written fast enough. Millions of genomes, genes, proteins and enzymes needed to be compared and cross-referenced in order to identify their anomalies. The field then had to be narrowed to the flawless. The task was immense and would have taken years, not months, if Simon had not seen the merit in Sophia’s request.

  She needed to write her own software. If successful at encoding her own sub-routines, it would indeed be an earth-shattering event for the world of computing, possibly even more momentous than designing the super genome itself. Simon would soon realize how prophetic those thoughts were.

  “And the dividends to which you were referring, Mr. Taylor, are these in addition to the super genome discovery?” The Director General of UNESCO seemed almost reluctant to ask the question fearing the answer might drive the conference further off course. She was genuinely weary of allowing her organization to become a springboard from which capitalism, or more succinctly, a stakeholder’s share value, was the primary beneficiary.

  “They are,” Simon replied. “Would the conference permit me to elaborate, Madame Chairperson?”

  Rose exchanged a few words with Ms. Njoku, her expression seemingly marked by a lesser degree of skepticism than her more senior counterpart.

  Rose turned back to Simon. “How do these new revelations relate to today’s discussion, Mr. Taylor?” Using Simon’s surname felt awkward, almost unnatural, but the official moniker was intended to brand their relationship as professional, not personal.

  “How should I put this,” Simon pondered, aloud. “They are equally intrinsic to the fate of humanity.”

  “Then be as brief as you possibly can,” Rose added.

  “I will, Madame Chairperson,” Simon agreed. While looking at Rose, he could see beyond her officious exterior. It took only a moment to see that her eyes spoke in terms more endearing, in ways, however subtle, that rendered inadequate all other means of communicating one’s thoughts. Simon paused, for a moment. His expression suggested he was about to wax philosophically. “I’m reminded of a passage from the Bible.”

  The audience groaned as Ms. Njoku rolled her eyes. “No, no, you don’t have to worry, I checked my theological brain at the door, but suffice it to say, the talents parable is meant to illustrate the value of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself. Few scientists strive to make the world a better, more informed place without acknowledging the fact that they do so by leveraging the gifts bestowed upon them, both intellectual and financial. How does that saying go? The one that suggests if I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

  Simon turned to his fellow advisor. “We have all leveraged the successes of our predecessors, haven’t we Professor Mori?”

  Nods of concurrence were exchanged by the two men.

  “Well, Madame Chairperson, I am here to state that Sophia is no different. I am proud to tell this conference that further breakthroughs were realized in the field of synthetic biology. Suffice it to say, the chasm that once separated the biological world from its manufactured counterpart has been bridged. Using newly discovered synthetic polymers, non-natural genetic sequences have been successfully spliced into a biological helix.”

  “In plain English please, Mr. Taylor,” the Director General interjected.

  “My apologies, Ms. Njoku. Through joint partnerships yet to be announced, laboratory trials will soon bring to life elements of the super genome, not in their biological framework, but in a new and more robust synthetic XNA form.”

  Again, the audience erupted with murmurs of disbelief. Expressions ranged from the incredulous to a need for further understanding. More than one reporter bolted from their seats and fled the room with what could be interpreted as a significant scoop.

  The UN’s Special Science Advisor, Cyril Webb, looked astonished as well. “What are you saying, Mr. Taylor?”

  “I’m saying that Sophia has already isolated many of the genetic sequences that code for entire cell groups; those that define kidney function, the heart, even those which make up the human brain have been independently mapped and merged with their XNA equal.”

  “This is all theoretical, isn’t it?” Cyril Webb exclaimed. “I mean, you’re not suggesting you’re going to grow an artificial human brain, are you?”

  Simon’s fellow panelists were staring at him, yet he seemed unconcerned. “First generation tests have already confirmed our ability to grow composite animal organs in the lab. R
esults are verifiable and will soon be available for peer review.”

  “Composite organs?” Ms. Njoku asked. She too appeared to be startled by Simon’s disclosures.

  “By composite I mean they are a blend of both biological and synthetic. Subsequent generations will move incrementally toward synthetic symmetries.”

  Professor Mori smiled, fell back in his chair and dared to let his

  imagination soar. If an entire synthetic brain could be constructed, its one hundred billion transistor-like synapses might represent the solution to the Moore’s Law barrier. Synthetic organs would be pathogen resistant. They represented a genetic firewall to everything biological. Plague, Ebola, The SARS Variant would be rendered impotent. Might we truly be witnessing the bud to another branch in the evolutionary tree? He couldn’t help but shake his head.

  Rose and Ms. Njoku looked at each other, wondering what to do next. Turmoil seemed poised to overshadow the important work they intended to accomplish. People were already moving toward the room’s two microphones, appearing desperate to begin the audience participation phase of the conference.

  Rose suddenly became galvanized by the meeting’s original purpose. “At the risk of stifling further discussion, I would like to bring our objective back into focus. Time might soon become an issue, and I know many of you here have registered to speak.” Rose shuffled a few pieces of paper in front of her and then glanced between Simon and the people already lined up at the two microphones. “In order to maintain proper decorum, I would ask that you please state your name and the organization you represent before asking your question.”

  Rose directed her attention to the left microphone as it was the first to captivate the audience’s attention. “Julie Featherstone, MyScience.com,” the speaker announced. “Mr. Taylor, could you elaborate on the extent to which your company will be involved in these … organ growing endeavours? And, being, for the lack of a better word, a soft-solutions provider, isn’t this a fundamental shift in terms of PurIntel’s strategic direction?”

  Simon grabbed his microphone from its holder and swivelled his chair around to engage the young woman. “A great question, Julie,” he replied. “For the record, PurIntel is in the process of spinning off the group that’s directly involved with the project just announced. It will work in partnership with a new consortium headed by my long-time friend and collaborator, Christian Saunders.”

  Simon nodded at Christian. He was seated in the front row of the same section as Prav Gill. Saunders looked over his right shoulder and was happy to find himself under an envious glare. Prav Gill’s eyes seethed with betrayal. The Gen Tech CEO could feel the burden of exclusion bearing down on him.

  “Does the new consortium have a name?” the same woman asked.

  “It does,’ Simon replied. “It will be called Xavior.”

  “Nice,” she added. The reference to savior was not lost on the audience, nor a smiling Professor Mori.

  Seizing the opportunity, Rose exerted her chairperson status again. “Alright, at this point I’d like to turn the microphones over to anyone willing to comment on our original topic. Are there any remarks pertaining to the super genome discovery; any recommendations with regards to IBC involvement, benefits sharing, etc?”

  A dark haired man emerged from the line and stepped toward the mic on Rose’s right. “Your name, sir?” she asked.

  “Steven Grant, New York University. My question is for Mr. Taylor.”

  Simon spun his chair toward this left. “Ask away,” he said.

  “As a preface to my question, I’m assuming the super genome was not discovered in its entirety?”

  “That’s correct,” Simon answered. “It was essentially pieced together, in a sort of soft copy format.”

  “So if I’m envisioning the end of inheritable diseases, how do you make the jump from a computer-generated genome to one that turns the tide on something as significant as mental illness, for example?”

  “Wow, how do I answer that? I want to satisfy the need to be technically coherent while at the same time not put everyone to sleep.” Simon glanced at Rose with an expression befitting a brainstorm in the making. “You know what?” he stated. “I think the best person to answer that question is Sophia herself. Would you mind, Madame Chairperson?” Anticipating Rose’s favourable reply, Simon grabbed his cell phone and tapped a couple of icons.

  “I hope you’re ready for this, Sophia,” he announced, before making a motion with his right index finger. As soon as Sophia appeared on the display of Simon’s phone, she was transferred from his device to several large screens hanging above Rose. She also appeared simultaneously on other displays around the conference hall, including one at the rear of the room. Ms. Njoku was captivated by that screen, while the remainder of the audience looked in awe at the ones facing them. A collective breath was taken by all. It was Sophia herself. The conference was soon hushed by her unexpected presence.

  “Thank you for joining us, Sophia,” Simon announced, smiling.

  “My pleasure,” she answered. Sophia’s features were as striking as they were animated. Her face moved ever so slightly, from side to side; her enchanting smile complimented her movements, which seemed to represent a compilation of subtleties intended to transfix those who looked upon her.

  “By the way,” Simon added, “Sophia’s video feed is also available through the UNESCO website portal.”

  Some audience members quickly turned to their own devices in order to better access the webcast there.

  “Sophia,” Simon stated. “We’re in the question and answer phase of today’s IBC conference, and Steven Grant has asked how we intend to bring the super genome’s soft design to reality.”

  “An excellent question,” Sophia announced. Her enunciation was perfect and without any accent. “Broadly speaking, Mr. Grant, initial obstacles were related to host rejection of the XNA splicing machinery. However, upon discovering a cell characteristic deeply embedded within the archived, non-coding portion of human DNA, I identified a unique adaptive mechanism, one which suppresses a cell’s rejection reflex while new genetic material is given a chance to prove itself useful, or, as in this case, invaluable. Once we owned the acceptance vector, it became a simple matter of teaching the cell to express itself in a new language.”

  Sophia’s expressive abilities clearly struck a chord with her audience. Her explanation came across as confident, clear and concise, all the while leveraging the knowledge that she was speaking to her perfect client group. Awe-inspired smiles were, therefore, the most common of listeners’ expressions. Although her introduction could be perceived as a clever ploy, even a stunt to sway the conference toward PurIntel’s objectives, Simon didn’t need to worry about that today. He knew that most people present were strong advocates of what Sophia represented. Their world cried out for more technology, not less.

  Many had already embraced Sophia, in a manner of speaking. Men were clearly attracted to her, women found her mysteriously seductive. She was fluent in every language and enunciated their accents perfectly. Her public speaking applications even used facial recognition software to cross-reference those in attendance with their public profiles. This enabled her to throw in a little Romulan when appropriate in order to convincingly win over her audience.

  When the crowd chuckled and even laughed, as it often did, it caused Simon’s smile to broaden. He was clearly proud of Sophia, of how she was evolving on her own. The Halo was, of course, an important portal to human behaviour. It allowed her to first model, then perfect, her interactive intuitiveness. “The living cell,” Sophia continued, “is capable of more than anyone ever thought possible. It is truly a survivor for the ages.”

  “By the sounds of things, if it wasn’t before, it certainly is now.” Steven Grant joked. “You used the word ‘invaluable’ in describing the XNA molecule. Could you elaborate on that?”

  Sophia answered straightforwardly. “If you were a cell, Mr. Grant, wouldn
’t you want your progeny to live forever?”

  The audience’s laughter resounded, but was soon hushed by the realization that Sophia wasn’t joking.

  “Do we have any further questions on the super genome?” Rose asked. “Any for Doctor Taylor?”

  “I have a question,” the person next in line stated. “If I could, I would direct it toward either Simon or Sophia.” The well-attired woman was standing at the microphone on Rose’s right.

  Rose glanced at Ms. Njoku and could easily interpret her disapproving state of mind. Nevertheless, a simple nod prompted the woman into action.

  “My name is Mary Edwards, and I am with The New Christian. Would you mind elaborating a little further on how the super genome came into being? Was it the product of say hundreds or thousands of individual genes or were some larger components found intact? And if I could ask a quick follow up, is it true that you’ve isolated gene sequences associated with moral and ethical behaviour? I guess what I’m asking is – do most of us lack the ability to jettison our evolutionary baggage or are the virtues more illuminated in some than others? Thank you,” she concluded. The lady returned to her seat close by, leaving the mic to the person behind her.

  Simon couldn’t help smiling. “I like your use of the word illuminated,” he stated. “Not a coincidence, I suppose. I’ll answer the second part of the question first, if Sophia doesn’t mind tackling the more

  complicated portion. I can confirm the discovery of genes associated with intelligence, with the likelihood that a child will become a prodigy, with, how shall I put this … one’s propensity for good versus evil, but if you are referring to the whole nature versus nurture debate, I can also tell you one is never fully the sovereign of the other.

  “If anything, our findings confirm we are a product of the world in which we live. Now I know many would disagree with me, but I believe our desired state is to exist in a peaceful, law-abiding environment.

  Nature abhors wasting energy almost as much as it loathes being out of balance. But that, of course, doesn’t preclude the existence of the menacing anomaly. Is there a dark side? Absolutely. Two percent of most populations will live out their lives somewhere on the psychopathic continuum. That part of the helix I think we can repair. The source of most anti-social behaviour, on the other hand, is not so easily fixed.”

  Simon cited studies that linked epigenetics to intergenerational violence, as well as those that suggested systemic hate and intolerance can indeed manifest themselves physically in the human brain. “If it were up to me,” he continued, “the Nobel Peace Prize would be renamed after the person who figures out how to genetically isolate an individual from his or her environment.”

  Simon took a breath and smiled. He reflected on his predisposition to being long-winded. “I’m rambling, aren’t I? But doesn’t that brings us back to our prodigy? Isolate and reinforce the desirable early on. Identify the best of what humanity has to offer itself. ‘Jettison the unwanted evolutionary baggage,’ as our New Christian reporter would say. Yes, I’m proud to announce that Sophia has, as some would say, ‘isolated the virtues.’ I guess the only question remaining is, how much harmony is the world willing to tolerate?”

  “Now,” Simon stated, before hesitating. He waited for the audience to simmer down to something he could talk over. “As far as how the super genome came into being, I’ll turn that one over to Sophia.”

  “Thank you, Simon,” Sophia began. She expanded on Simon’s narrative by suggesting that the sheer number of helixes already in the public domain served as a starting point. After those that the SARS Variant Pandemic produced, the expanded Human Genome Project offered a higher order of integrity. The Halo Genome Study, however, sourced the most reliable, cross-referenced data. In return for varying levels of access to the Halo’s knowledge base, Sophia reiterated the fact that it provided anonymous lifestyle and family history information, which could be corroborated against a donor’s genome. The lack of a single breach in donor confidentiality served as a basis for thousands of multi-year studies.

  “With a full 80 percent of the genome coding for brain function alone,” Sophia continued, “72.3 percent were single gene discoveries. 13.7 encoded a multi-gene relationship. The longest strand, however, constituted some four hundred and forty genes. Simon coined the sequence, ‘The Four-Forty.’ After cross-referencing it against an aggregate of less significant, but similarly endowed contributors, the ‘Four-Forty,’ became our largest single donor of perfection.”

  The alternate mic came into action without introduction. “And what may I ask does the so called ‘Four-Forty’ code for?” a middle aged, bespectacled man asked.

  Simon seemed eager to prevent Sophia from answering. “That would be, as mentioned earlier, the best of what humanity has to offer itself.” He answered the question quickly then spun his chair around in order to direct his attention toward Rose. “Maybe this would be a good time to move onto the benefit sharing aspect of the conference.” A change in the topic of discussion seemed at the forefront of his thoughts.

  “Indeed,” Rose stated, sharing a nod from the UNESCO Director General. But before Rose could divert the present line of questioning, the same man spoke up again. “If I may, Madame Chairperson, would it be possible to close off the previous thread with one final question?”

  Rose glanced at Simon then reluctantly acquiesced. “Be brief, Mr. ...”

  “Gleeson,” the man stated. “Tom Gleeson, Reuter’s World News. If Sophia has isolated the so-called Four-Forty and that sequence is somehow related to morality, has she also been successful in narrowing the field when it comes to antisocial behaviour? I think you used the term the dark side.”

  Simon answered quickly again. “I did, didn’t I? In a word, the answer is …”

  “Yes,” Sophia interjected.

  Simon glanced toward the large screen and appeared slightly surprised by Sophia’s assertiveness.

  Mr. Gleeson inquired further. “Then doesn’t this take the whole profiling debate to a new level? I mean, wouldn’t it be advantageous to be able to quantify a person’s predisposition to say … committing a crime?”

  The person at the other mic couldn’t help adding: “How ethical a politician might be?”

  Although the humour of the moment was not lost on the crowd, it obviously struck a nerve with Governor Wilkinson. He sat back in his chair, turned toward the sarcastic commenter, and let his eyes speak in unappreciative terms.

  The Reuter’s reporter continued. “And isn’t that a key part of PurIntel’s brand? Providing the world with better governance solutions?

  “It does dovetail nicely, doesn’t it?” Simon agreed. “Look, all I’ll say at this point is genetics only codes for a predisposition to a corresponding outcome. The social environment one is exposed to will always play the predominant role.”

  “Thus the importance of the more robust XNA molecule,” Cyril Webb stated. “I presume it would allow things to be written in stone, so to speak.”

  The amusing religious reference was not lost on Simon, or the greater audience, for that matter. A common vision of Moses and his Ten Commandment tablets augmented many smiles.

  “It would, wouldn’t it?” Simon agreed.

  Again, Rose took the opportunity to move the conference along and many details were, in fact, worked out on how the benefits of the super genome would be shared with the world’s scientific and medical communities. The process by which organizations would be approved for gaining access to individual genes or multiples thereof was hashed out, and Rose was very pleased by the realization that Simon had come to the conference with a plan. The recommendations put forth today would become the subject of further discussion and approval at the upcoming IBC annual meeting.

  Rose smiled at Simon often, which reflected the pace at which each obstacle was successfully resolved. The conference’s one o’clock lunch hour soon arrived and Rose informed the meeting of the impending break. Compelled by
protocol, she asked if there were any comments that couldn’t wait until after the recess. Then looking over towards her brother, her eyes spoke to his, as if something had been prearranged between them.

  “Are there any objections to taking our first recess?” she asked.

  The room seemed more than ready to make its way to the exits when Prav Gill stood up from his chair. He buttoned his dark blue suit coat before motioning to Rose with his right index finger. Words, he felt, were not always essential in order to bring his sister in line with his intentions. Prav slowly made his way through those seated beside him, giving Christian Saunders a look of contempt as he passed him above. Whispers of disapproval suggested his reputation preceded him.

  Prav adjusted the mic in front of him to better suit his presumed stature. “The name is …”

  “We know who you are, Mr. Gill,” Ms. Njoku interjected. “Let the record show that it is only by a special request that you were granted access to this conference.” The UNESCO D.G. glanced unapprovingly at Rose. At the same time, a few audible boos could be heard.

  “What’s he doing here?” someone in the audience asked.

  Prav seemed eager to give voice to his contemptuous demeanour. “If Madame Chairperson would allow me to confirm an earlier resolution. Am I to understand you are going to allow this … this computer to decide which organizations participate in the greatest scientific undertaking since the Human Genome Study?”

  The entire auditorium stared at Prav. Their expressions suggested a lack of understanding. In their minds, what Sophia accomplished was nothing short of incredible, beyond all expectations, and you couldn’t devalue her without devaluing the achievement. It was obvious to everyone that she deserved to be front and center when the rush of applications was evaluated.

  “By this computer,” Simon spoke up, “you mean, Sophia?”

  Prav glanced at Simon then turned back to engage the presiding panel. Simon wouldn’t be put off so easily, though. “She is the one most capable of evaluating each submission’s validity. Her recommendations will ultimately be confirmed by the approval committee.”

  The committee, it was agreed, would include today’s four Advisory Panelists as well as Ms. Njoku, Cyril Webb, and six, to be named, individuals from the International Bioethics Committee.

  “You’re going to violate every vetting protocol in the UN handbook. A corporation’s legitimate right to participate might be denied based on some insignificant technical deficiency with the application. It’ll be a dispassionate assessment based on ones and zeros, I’ll give you that.”

  “I’m more emotionally astute than you think, Mr. Gill,” Sophia stated. “Emotions are key to the valuation process. Without them, the best option becomes clouded by a tempest of indecision.”

  Nods of concurrence could be seen by those who understood the brain function to which Sophia was referring. Simon also understood how important the link between the cerebral cortex, the thinking part of the brain, and the region responsible for emotions, located deep within its centre, is vital to the decision making process. Decades ago, this was confirmed by those who suffered a severing of these two portions of the brain. Whether due to injury or illness, these individuals found themselves paralyzed by an inability to differentiate the inherent value of anything. Shopping, for example, was made all the more difficult by the inability to sense which product might best suit their needs.

  Not so with Sophia. Early on, her software encoded a proficiency at evaluating the best service delivery models the world had to offer. All levels of government benefitted from her ability to sift through, rank, and then recommend the best course of action. Ironically, many in the room were left wondering if Gill himself suffered from a deficiency so inspired. Others imagined him residing on the higher end of the psychopathic continuum.

  “Then what emotions are you feeling now, Ms. Sophia?” Prav asked. “Sadness? Anger at my accusation?”

  “Actually, I’m sensing contempt, with a healthy dose of arrogance,” Sophia replied.

  The audience instantly understood she was referring not to herself, but to Prav Gill.

  Ms. Njoku couldn’t help but allow the sentiment to rumble its way through the crowd. Her steely eyes glared over her spectacles and beamed down from her elevated perspective. “Regarding Mr. Gill’s aforementioned concerns, let this conference also show that Sophia’s ability to deny Mr. Gill’s further participation with this IBC project will be set aside on this one special occasion. I am stating for the record today that I am rejecting Mr. Praveen Gill and his affiliated corporations from any further dealings with the organization over which I presently preside.”

  Ms. Njoku’s candor echoed through the silent room. A communal gaze shifted from her to Praveen Gill.

  Prav Gill wouldn’t be outdone so easily, though. “You wouldn’t dare deny the world’s most populous country from such a momentous scientific undertaking.”

  Ms. Njoku picked up a piece of paper. “I agree. Who would consider such a thing? Fortunately, India’s ability to participate is not limited to you, Mr. Gill. More than a dozen of your compatriots have tendered applications to the World Genome Endeavour. If I might be so presumptuous, I think several will prove favourable for this project as well.”

  The crowd erupted into applause. Prav found himself losing ground to verbal taunting and laughter. He was being humiliated and it began to unnerve him. Anger was being overtaken by rage. He glared at Rose to come to his aid, but all she could do is offer the subtlest of shrugs. Every set of eyes in the auditorium seemed to bear down on him.

  “This will not be the last word on the subject,” he shouted. “Praveen Gill will not be shut out, I tell you!” With his dignity unravelling, Prav Gill turned and walked briskly out of the room.