The Diary of Professor Gilbert Rasher
Page 4
“I think I understand to some extent but I don't understand how you capture the soul.”
“The soul part, you will have to judge for yourself. We feel strongly that the essence that you call the soul is reliably captured.”
I then explained the case of Maggie and that her love of people was captured very well. I then made the presentation but cut it to 30 minutes emphasizing that this technology is new and fraught with problems. That this was the first time we were able to capture a significant part of a person's memory of people and places. ”Now I would like to introduce you to the new Mike and Sherral.”
The life-size 3D display flashed on and both Mike and Sherral appeared. Mike spoke first, “Mom, dad, I know I don't look the same as before but I am your son and this is what my body will look like when I get it next week. The voice is a lower pitch at my request. My old voice was high for a man.”
Joan Tarrington responded first, “You both look very different; why?”
Sherral responded, “They can't make thin android bodies. Besides, this one looks so much better anyway. I get to trade myself in on a great new model.”
Mike's father, Joe Tarrington, then asks, “How can we know that you two are who you say you are?”
Mike: That actually might be a small problem because our memories are not complete. We will have to find something that we both remember that others don't know.”
Joe Tarrington: “What is the name of your cat?”
Mike: “According to the file it was Peaches but I actually don't remember Peaches. I know mom had an allergy to cats so I have some difficulty making sense of that one.”
Joe: “We never had a cat, that was a sham entry into your background.”
Mike: “You SOB; I really strained my brain trying to remember that damned nonexistent cat.”
Joan pleaded, “Please don't argue with your father, he just wanted to be sure.”
Joe: “I see you are still as ungrateful as you ever were. I was hoping that this experience would teach you something.”
Sherral: “We are grateful, my Tristan is still trying to declare his independence from his parents.”
Mike: “My Isolde is oversimplifying.”
Mr. Schumer: “Who in the hell is Tristan and Isolde?”
Mrs. Schumer: “It's an opera about a pair of lovers that die together. It's sort of like Romeo and Juliet.”
Mr. Schumer: “Well, they're weird names.”
Mike: “I like the names, I was thinking of changing my name to Tristan because I'm, in a sense, reborn.”
Joan Tarrington then burst into tears, “You were named after your grandfather.”
Mike: “My grandfather was a slumlord; why is that an honor?”
Joan: “Don't dishonor your grandfather that way. He provided housing for the poor. That doesn't make a person a slumlord.”
Mike: “Then why was he cited thousands of times for health code violations? Why did he have a team of lawyers to fight off criminal charges and lawsuits?”
Joe: “You've been listening to slanderous left-wing propaganda. He was a good and generous man. I have a good mind to stop payment on the last 100 million and to get refunded for any money not spent on the first 100 million. You are the same ungrateful meathead you were before and the world doesn't need another left-wing meathead running around.”
Mike: “If everyone doesn't mind, I would like to have a private talk with my father.”
Gordon: “I will get everyone else into another room so you will have some privacy.”
Joe: “I don't see that we have anything to talk about.”
Mike: “Dad, this is important. You’ll definitely be interested in what I have to say.”
Joe: “This had better be good.”
The room was empty except Joe with Mike and Sherral on the 3D screen. Mike, satisfied that they were alone said, “We have more to discuss than you think. I overheard some conversations that you had on the phone when you thought you were alone. You had and probably still have a spy network in several companies that tip you when something is happening in these companies. It has redoubled the fortune you were left by grandpa several times over. It has taken me a long time to add things together but in here I've had plenty of time to think.”
Joe: “So what. I have friends, probably more than you have. Friends help one another. There's nothing wrong with that.”
Mike: “Oh, I agree. Friends should help one another while it's legal. The SEC doesn't regard getting inside information as legal.”
Joe: “The SEC has never bothered with me. I have friends there too.”
Mike: “I'm sure you do. You probably have someone who has shown you how to skirt their computer alerts on trade volumes.”
Joe: “Get real Mike. In this world you're either connected or you're nowhere.”
Mike: “Yes, you pay Elliot Esperanza well, as you do with the rest of your cronies.”
Joe, startled, “How do you know that?”
Mike: “Your reaction confirms my suspicions. He's the district manager in your area and has been in place for 17 years. It's logical that he would be the one and would also curb any investigation of you.”
Joe: “I keep forgetting that you have access to the Web. Hell, you ARE part of the damn Web now.”
Mike: “I notice that the regional manager is a new appointee of the SEC chairman, and Chairman Ellermann is a new appointment of the President. I imagine they would like to make some headlines. On the other hand, I suspect you and mom would like an afterlife so if I were in your place I would be extra generous to this department's coffers.”
Joe: “I don't see what's so great about your afterlife and I don't like being threatened.”
Mike: “This afterlife is actually pretty darn good and when we get our bodies it will, in many ways, be better than being biological. For one thing, I'm now much smarter and can swiftly interact with the electronic world around me. And, like you, I don't like being threatened either. In my case you threatened the existence of Sherral as well.”
Joe: “I don't see how. Here you are now.”
Mike: “This is the departmental computer; not our house. Professor Rasher is the brains behind this and he is going to die soon. We will need him to be around in case we run into trouble so it is imperative that he be able to become an android soon. If he becomes an android, it will also ensure the continuation of this project. That’s relevant, if you decide on a technological afterlife.”
Joe: “What's wrong with Professor Rasher?”
Mike: “He has a rare form of liver cancer that’s inoperable and he has a rare tissue type making it nearly impossible to get a transplant.”
Joe: “Well it's too damn bad he's a lush!”
Mike: “His cancer is hereditary.”
Joe: “It's survival of the fittest. Too bad.”
Mike: “Then you are just going to cut the cord and let this place go to hell.”
Joe: “I didn't say that. For the sake of your mother, I will put in another 300 million but not a penny more.”
Mike: “You surprise me.”
Joe: “Not as much as you surprised me. I'm glad to see you have more backbone than I gave you credit for and you didn't resort to the whiny goody-goody arguments you usually use.”
Mike laughed, “I finally realized after all these years they were ineffective.”
Joe: “I'll be back when you get a body. I'm going to fly the Professor Rasher’s team to New York so we can get a decent meal.”
Mike: “The Union Grill is a few blocks from here and everybody says the food is great and it's been around for a couple of centuries. Oops, you won't like it! The prices are too low, so it’s crowded. You like higher prices to keep the riffraff away.”
Joe: “Well I certainly don’t like crowded restaurants and I've learned that to associate with the less fortunate is to invite envy or obsequious behavior, often both in the same person.”
Mike: “Many among the less fortunate don't care about you or your mone
y. They don't feel less fortunate.”
Joe: “Maybe so. But if you are conspicuously more fortunate, you attract the ass-lickers like a giant magnet.”
Mike: “That's why some well-to-do people dress and look like typical people and live in moderately priced neighborhoods.”
Joe: “I like luxury and the good life so I will pay for the privilege of avoiding people that I don't want to associate with.”
Mike: “Okay, New York is your apple. Have a good time.”
4.29.2126
It's 1:00 AM and I just arrived back from New York. I had the finest and most expensive dinner I’ve ever eaten. I pressed the button requesting Mike and Sherral's attention. They came to the screen in less than a second.
Mike: “Professor, How was the dinner?”
“Spectacular! Then after dessert Mr. Tarrington announced that he was going to put another 300 million into our account. Both Gordon and I were dumbstruck. He saw our reaction then asked whether more was necessary. I recovered quickly and responded. 'The more we put into this the better the fidelity of the result. I don't know whether there is an upper limit but don't get me wrong. We can do a lot with 300 million more.' He misunderstood me and said, 'Fine we will make it 600 million then. I make that much in a month.' I didn't correct him. I thanked him and told him it would be well spent.”
Mike was laughing hysterically. Sherral was looking at Mike as though he lost his mind.
Sherral: “He must really be afraid that you would turn him in to the SEC.”
Mike: “That's not it at all. He likes people that have the guts to stand up to him. He interpreted Professor Rasher's response as 'Can't you do better than