~ ~ ~
During the last few choral pieces of the concert, Simon noticed the physical effects of his heart reconnecting with his soul. As if their intermediary, the music’s soothing tempo continued its magic by nurturing a renewed faith in life’s intangibles. And although the evening appeared to be reassembling in front of him, a subconscious vow imposed itself on any remaining illusions.
Rose might indeed have to confront accusations of being complicit to her brother’s schemes. However, tonight could also be interpreted as an attempt to emerge from the greys; it could be seen as a small step toward a future more in tune with the person she always wanted to be. Simon also hoped that, with Rose’s return, his original plan might still unfold in due course.
Believing those concerns could be deferred for the duration of the concert, an additional presence of mind was acted upon when he offered Rose his hand. The subtle gesture was instantly rewarded when something unmistakable flowed between them. Feeling the additional comfort of her lovely smile ensured the exclusion of what should be left to unfold in due course.
For the remainder of the show, Simon gave himself over to things that mattered. The music was truly amazing, and his daughter’s beauty seemed reinvigorated with a measure of contentment. With everything orbiting about him peacefully, Simon indulged a moment of retrospect; he allowed the concert to weave itself into a meaningful memory of this afternoon’s interview with Cameron Osborne.
“So, every day we hear about this collision between humanity and technology,” Cameron stated, earlier in the day. “But in reality, is that really the way things are playing out? I mean, from my perspective, those two lines seemed to be diverging, not intersecting.”
“You’re absolutely right, Cameron,” Simon answered. “The growth of technology has been exponential for some time. Our evolutionary progress, on the other hand, has not kept pace. One anthropologists suggested to me recently that we peaked as a species during our hunter-gatherer phase.”
“So is it possible for us to bridge that gap? Or is it simply a case of us being doomed to some ultimate extinction?”
Simon responded right away. This was the type of discussion that he loved; theorizing about the future, at least philosophically. “It is true that 99% of all lifeforms that pre-date us have gone extinct, however, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing if I thought our branch of the tree was destined for some kind of dramatic pruning.”
Cameron appeared reflective as well. “I guess what I’m asking is, with all the resources available to you, if you could deploy any combination of genetics and technology to ensure our survival, would you intervene and possibly change the destiny of humankind?”
“We’re speaking theoretically, of course,” Simon inquired. He appeared as though he thought otherwise, but felt it wise to get the disclaimer on the record.
Cameron smiled. “I don’t know, are we?”
“Well, if you would allow me to tempt fate by answering a question with a question. I’d turn it back over to you. Let’s assume for a moment that the jury is still out on whether we will ultimately join the ranks of that 99%. I know it’s a dark concept, but the idea begs the question: If you had the ability to accelerate our evolutionary process and by doing so make the human journey more enjoyable, the adventure more redeeming. Would you do it?”
“I suppose,” Cameron replied. “But how would I go about doing that?”
“You would work towards eliminating all that holds our species back. Intolerance, greed, everything to do with the suffering we impose on each other. ”
“Sounds like you want to bring the super genome to life,” Cameron stated, smiling. He looked at Simon as though his words were teetering on a precipice from which prophecy slips into the absurd. “Honestly, though, is that all we need to solve the world’s problems; an individual with the moral equivalency of what, a super hero?”
“No, Cameron,” Simon replied. He looked away, as if peering too deeply into the future might expose a weakness in him. “Our problems are beyond what any one individual can handle. They seem insurmountable at times, don’t they?”
Cameron nodded and narrowed his eyes, realizing it was a seminal moment in the interview. He remained quiet, expecting the unexpected.
Simon then looked his interviewer in the eye. “But what if we had a million superheroes? Ten million, a hundred million? What if you could awaken the best in all of us? Would you do it?”
Cameron’s smile was filled with a contentment few reporters experience. “Wow?” he reflected. “I guess the question boils down to – If I had the chance, would I save us from ourselves?”
Simon offered an inquisitive gesture. “Would you do it … would you intervene?” he asked.
Cameron didn’t even blink. “In a heartbeat,” he answered.
Simon remembered glancing over at Jennifer and basking for a moment in the pride emanating from her unflinching glare. “As would I, Cameron. As would I,” he said.
SOPHIA - Age of Intelligence Page 43
