“I know someone has a drinking problem and …”
“Alcoholism and depression will be corrected. Your husband can drink, but his body will be much more resistant to the effects of any poison, including alcohol. Thirty minutes after drinking, your husband will be sober. The same will be true for other drugs.”
“What about my son?”
“He will be mated in two weeks. In eighteen months, he will appear to be twenty. Nevertheless, he will continue in day care, go to pre-school and eventually go to college.”
“What about Jesus Christ?”
“I will be requested to say that a man, who can be identified as Jesus, was born and was a great teacher. Another decision on what I can divulge will be reached a millennia from now.”
“What about my wife who died?”
“She is dead.”
David looked at Phyllis. A soundless communication followed between the two and finally a third. The tree resumed talking.
“I’ve been requested to expand. As many know, the seat of mankind’s ability to think and to be is located in your head. Not your heart or in some type of ether, but the brain. When the brain is damaged, the person’s intellect and personality are damaged. When the brain decomposes through disease of death, the intellect and personality for that person is gone. In the future, downloading the brain into a more stable and flexible medium will be invented. But that is in the future. Could I restore a dead person back to life? Yes. But I will not. If I bring your wife to life, she will ask me to resurrect her mother. Her mother will ask for her mother and her stillborn babies. If I do it for one, I will be asked to do it for all. No exceptions will be made. The earth cannot support all people who currently exist as well as all who have existed.”
David noticed a man shakily stand. He wobbled, his face was ruddy, and his words slurred. “How do we know that this isn’t some type of scam? All smoke and mirrors. Like in the Wizard of Oz.”
The audience was hushed. The man was gentility lifted in the air by invisible hands and placed next to the rabbi.
“Rabbi, give this man your fountain pen.” The rabbi handed the pen to the quaking drunk. “Hold it in your fist, tightly.”
The drunk was floated above the burning tree. David could see the flames rise and get white hot. He felt the air at his feet being drawn into the raging inferno of Chee’our’I, to roar into the sky around the man. Although David was 400 feet from the burning tree, he felt the heat baking his skin. He had to block the heat with his hands. Scant seconds later, the fire returned to a low level and the man floated to the front of the tree. The drunk stood there shaking, but looked unharmed. He eventually opened his shaking hand and saw the charred remains of carbonized plastic, powdered ink, and melted brass of the pen. The drunk sat down.
A middle-aged, balding man with a jacket and tie stood, "Cherry w-what will happen to me?"
The burning tree flickered and waved for a second. “I generally would not answer personal questions about an individual in this type of setting, but let me explain what you need to hear. It will apply to many people.
“You are a middle manager doctor working at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. The next year will be the best year you've ever had, and it will be the worst year you ever had. In a short time, humanity will realize that there are no more infectious diseases affecting the evolved humans. For the un-evolved, due to their smaller proportions in society and their dispersion, the number of diseases will diminish by three orders of magnitude. Health care will rapidly atrophy. This will include your position. In the government, your CDC, the FDA, most doctors, almost all in the Armed Forces, most in the Social Security Administration, will be laid off. This will be followed by most teachers in elementary, then middle and finally, in 19 years, those in high school education. The un-evolved people will either home school their children, or develop their own private schools. Your wife will also be laid off from the school she teaches in six years. You are moderately fortunate in that you've been saving for retirement. The government will allow all evolved to withdraw their savings from their retirement plans. Next year, you will barely get by on your wife’s salary. However, you will be starting from a much better position than you did when you were first married. You will have savings, home equity, experience, strong family ties, and wisdom.
"You will return to school for retraining to do what you always wanted to. This will be partially paid for by the government. The job market will be radically changed, with little need for personal insurance, medical, retirement or other massive costs. Businesses will flourish. Taxes will be a fraction of its current rate. Rather than working a 40, or 60, or 80-hour week, the norm will become a 25-hour week with two or three times more employees.
"On the positive end, there will be many, many changes. The first thing you will notice on reawakening is that you will get back your thick black hair and youth. Your wife will no longer be allergic to peanuts and peanut oil. On your first day alive, you will celebrate by eating Chinese food. Your mother-in-law not only will be out of her Alzheimer's Unit and no longer a drain on you, but she will wed shortly. Fortunately, you will be friends. Within twenty years, your mother-in-law, her new husband, you and your wife and two of your kid's families will rent a small Scottish manor for a three-month vacation. You will earn less than you ever had, but need much less too. Your autistic grandchild, as well as your brother's diabetes, will be gone. Unfortunately, it will still take years for your wife to lose her fear of death. But complete freedom from worry will be hers. She will take up singing again.
“Your world will be completely transformed. Due to the ending of violence and the knowledge of swift justice, travel to all corners of the earth and beyond will be commonplace. People will take very long vacations, renting or swapping their homes. Australian aborigines called it Walk-About. Also people will create jobs in remote locations of the earth and elsewhere, like fishing during the day and opening a small restaurant in the evening off of the Antarctic coast . Due to their greater endurance, people will take vacations all year round and go everywhere.
“Yes, the transition will be difficult. Very difficult. But the result will be a better life than you could ever imagine."
A short, overweight woman stood. “I don't believe a word you're saying.”
The tree stopped burning, and the audience felt the sudden lack of heat.
“It matters not whether you believe or not. All I can say is that as of this second, you will not be one of the people who evolve. You currently will choose to drink alcohol on all three transition opportunities. The government will ensure that your job driving a bus will remain, despite the fact that others could take the same job and work for less money. Other businesses would not treat you as fairly. Paying health insurance and other costs will make them want younger, more robust and forever healthy employees. You will be an old person in a sea of youngsters. An ill person amid health. An unhappy person amid bounty and joy. Due to the lack of medical help and a need to be with similar humans, you will move to a True Man, as you will call yourself, community in North Carolina. They will have their own medical clinic, school, and church. Your son and youngest daughter will also become True Men. Your older daughter will run-away, seeking refuge in a neighbor's home. You will not be allowed to force her to return. All children 7 years or older will be freely allowed to make their own choice. Many of your neighbors will put a blanket hanging outside their front window, indicating they will succor safety to a complete stranger. You will die in your three score ten years allotted you by your bible.
“I should mention that by telling you this, you will have free will to change your future. You can still choose to live. You can change your future or die. That is your choice.
“If you have any other questions, go to any phone, get a dial tone, and say my name or email me. I will post this conversation, along with all others I have made
at www.god.god.”
The tree disappeared, leaving a hole where the roots had been. The crowd slowly dissipated. Most were in shock.
David took Phyllis’ hand, “It’s happening. It’s finally happening.” They walked back to the car.
Phyllis: We’re going to need to get new interfaces prior to Panacea.
David: Actually Chee’our’i installed the new interface eleven and a half years ago.
Phyllis: But that was before, he …
David: Yes, and your question is?
Phyllis: David, this may be your last chance. Do you want to be married to me? You know after Panacea bonds us. If you wanted, you could have the pick of any woman on Earth.
David: Hmm, a younger woman, say a twenty year old, instead of an old woman on the slippery slide to 40 like you? I’ve been thinking about that. No. I’m not going to tease you. I’m very happy. I can’t imagine another mate. What about you, did you want another husband? I’m not easy to live with, especially these last few years. It doesn’t look like I’ll ever be a Sentient.
Phyllis: I can’t imagine another man ever being as loving or giving as you. You may go off on your own, but with a small nudge, you’ve always been able to share. I feel we make a great couple. And I don’t want a demigod for a husband, I want you.
Phyllis: Things have always been hectic. Meetings, decisions, crises, but that will change. Perhaps? It may be worse, especially when they crack your identity. Josh said the television expose will come out in a couple of months. Coming back to the here and now, Charlie Haines will need to be a voice of calm. People will be scared. He could introduce some of the heroes who pioneered Panacea. Many people will be out of work, including your Dad and Corey.
David: Well, Dad could always fall back to his old job of being the de facto CEO of the world’s wealthiest conglomeration. And perhaps Murray could get Corey a job. I can just see her, running security carrying a club with some rusty nails.
David saw an image of him getting stupid slapped.
Phyllis: I’m serious.
David: I don’t know. Let the President handle it. Tell you what; I’ll call up the President and the Nobel Laureates. Perhaps they can come up with useful suggestions. Doctors tend to be smart. They’d just need to be retrained, perhaps a massive public education program. Yeah, fortunes will be lost. But with millennia to live, they’ll be remade. President Shaw will make new laws, but with no more social security expenditures, MEDICARE, MEDICAID or department of defense she’ll have the money to pay for it. I just got a message from Josh. The consensus reaction is one of shock, numbness.
Phyllis: I assume you’ve already called up President Shaw and the Laureates.
David: Yeah.
Phyllis: OK, let’s just go home. Help me cook a meal and let’s have some quiet time tonight, just you and me. Turn your link off. We’ll light a fire. Tomorrow, we’ll sleep in until 11, just like we did at college.
David: I didn’t know you knew how to cook.
Phyllis: I’m trainable too.
They walked in silence.
Year 29.42 Replant! The Beginning is Near
David stepped into the television studio and found Daphne St. John getting made-up for the interview. David pulled up a chair and waited. The beautician said, “Give me a minute while I do her eyes.” David’s sweatshirt read, ‘Replant! The Beginning is Near’. Daphne laughed when she read it.
David asked, “OK, can I talk while you work?”
The beautician said, “Yes, hun.”
“Daphne, I’m sure you were told this but let me re-iterate, no personal questions for Charlie.”
The beautician said, “OK Ms. St. John, let me do your cheeks and we’re done.”
Daphne looked carefully at David, and finally said, “I’m nervous too. This will be the first interview of Dr. Haines, ever.” With a calculating gaze, she asked, “By the way, should I introduce him as Doctor or Mister Haines?”
David said, “I’m told he prefers Charlie Haines.”
“Is there any reason why I can’t interview him live?”
“This will be live. He’ll be answering your questions as you ask it. Isn’t it common to have the interviewer at one location, say New York and the other in Washington?”
“Yes. But it’s always better when the people can face one another, and the cameras can move around. Why couldn’t we do that?”
David took a deep breath, “Because this is not the time for Charlie to come out of hiding. The extreme religious right has been making a number of claims about the ‘Anti-Christ Haines’. How he’s promising all sorts of things to lure good Christians into accepting the Devil, then he’s going to enslave the world. Police have been on red alert all over America and the world.”
David noticed the beautician very slowly, twirling a brush four times before using it, then make a light stroke and return to her make-up tray for more. He continued, “But it’s all hogwash. He’s only done good deeds. Anyone who wants to can pass this one up; can pass it up twice. Then still live forever. If they want, they can stay mortal. They only need to drink their ‘Blood of Christ’, booze, on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.”
Daphne asked, “Did your dad say that?”
“No Charlie told me.”
“I noticed you don’t have a phone like the other people at C H Enterprises. David, did you actually talk to Charlie?”
“Uh yeah, I have an In-Life computer. Daphne, I heard that Charlie offered you a job as his personal spokesperson. Did you come to any decision?”
“I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
David continued, “He’s going to need a spokesperson soon. He said you have only two days after you re-awaken to make up your mind. In any case, Charlie agreed to this interview primarily to reassure the world. He has some topics he wants to cover, did you get the agenda?”
Daphne took a deep breath and sighed. “Yes, I got the agenda, and I will make sure each of those points get a lead-in. David, I’d love to chat, but I need to get back to my changing room before the interview. Anything else?”
David said, “Break a leg.”
***
The television image had a split screen with Daphne and Charlie Haines on either side.
Daphne: It’s a pleasure to interview you during such trying times. Would you prefer I call you Doctor or Mister Haines?
Charlie: Charlie
Daphne smiled as she glanced off-stage at David.
Daphne: We hear you were involved in this breakthrough drug, Panacea. Could you elaborate?
Charlie: Organic Biotechnology is one of my companies. They were a small pharmaceutical company who were trying to help develop a cure for a very, very rare disease, with children rarely living past their teens. One of their researchers, who I quickly realized was a true genius, told our board of a radical plan to improve the genetic structure of these sick patients. He suggested rewriting the DNA code to get rid of all the unnecessary repetitions or indirect ways to accomplish a biological task and also to correct genetic abnormalities. The board agreed to let him look into it. Beyond our wildest expectations, he succeeded. He is the only person who can actually read the four-letter alphabet of DNA and understand what each string, or codon, is doing. He came up with a way to correct this disease genetically throughout their body. With enough safeguards, like the targeting mechanism would be destroyed in light or in the presence of the slightest amount of alcohol, we allowed him to proceed. The first recipient was Malcolm Coombs of Westphalia Missouri. According to his doctor, Malcolm was only weeks from death. His nerves in his legs and arms were virtually dead. His breathing was minimal. His internal organs were double or triple the normal size due to excess proteins.
Charlie presented some pictures of Malcolm leaning on one side of his wheelchair, his misshapen head resting on his shoulders.
Charlie: As I said before, Malcolm was
near death. His body was depleted. We told him his prognosis with this untested new drug would be poor, but he would be a pioneer in its development. Wanting to help humanity, Malcolm agreed to be the first guinea pig for this untested drug. It would be his dying gift to the children with this disease. We administered it under the proper safeguards, and three days later the drug took effect. Unfortunately, we noticed that his temperature began to rise. He was already unconscious. A temperature of 105 degrees is fatal for normal people, his temperature went above 113. When his heart stopped the third time, the doctors pronounced him dead. His heart stopped, his breathing stopped, and there were no brainwaves.
Our genetic scientist still believed in this test drug. He attended the funeral and put a transmitter into the coffin and then he waited. Two weeks after the burial, after a 24 hour seven day a week vigil he heard Malcolm wake. He went to the gravesite with Malcolm’s father, and freed Malcolm. The mongoloid features were gone; a man emerged.
Charlie showed a short video of Malcolm climbing out of the grave, from David’s prospective. Only David’s arm was apparent from the video. An image next appeared of Malcolm and Brenda in the confined quarters of a ship. They were apparently weightless and waving.
Charlie: Let me point out, that Malcolm is standing. He lifted his hands up and climbed out of the burial site. You might also notice that he no longer wears the very thick glasses he wore throughout his previous life. He grew new nerves, a human impossibility. His eyes improved – unprecedented. All traces of his fatal disease gone. Malcolm is currently working for me at the Mars asteroid belt, so we couldn’t speak to him easily. He agreed to speak to various reporters, those who wouldn’t mind the delay, in later interviews. The woman at his side is his wife, the former Brenda Sarnofski. She also had LPH deficiency and was the second human tested with Panacea. Like Malcolm, she was weeks from death when the company approached her. With the help of the FDA, Homeland Security and various governmental agencies throughout the world, we moved all the recipients of Panacea to space to keep control of the publicity and to monitor them. We have currently tested the effects of Panacea on Aging, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart and stroke problems, Black lung, End-stage Type I Diabetes, 90% burns with loss of hands and fingers, destruction of the spinal column, and many, many others. The subjects were all end-stage patients. Otherwise, they were restricted to full-time hospital stay. All were volunteers. Over two thousand patients have been tested. Since most had secondary diseases as well, these were also tested.
Counting Up To Infinity Page 32
