Terminal Experiment Read Online Free PDF Page A

hand toward Peter, who shook it. “And the gorgeous Catherine,” he said, leaning in for a kiss, which Cathy reluctantly provided. “How wonderful to see the two of you!”
    “Hi, Colin,” said Peter. He jerked a thumb toward the front of the room where the presenter was setting up. “Thinking about living forever?”
    “It sounds fascinating, doesn’t it?” said Colin. “What about you two? The happy couple can’t bear the thought of till death do us part?”
    “I’m intrigued by the biomedical engineering,” said Peter, somewhat put off by Colin’s presumption.
    “Of course,” said Colin in an irritating, knowing tone. “Of course. And Cathy — want to keep those great looks of yours forever?”
    Peter felt the need to defend his wife. “She has a degree in chemistry, Colin. We’re both just intrigued by the science behind the process.”
    At that moment, the presenter spoke loudly from the front of the room. “Ladies and gentlemen — we’re ready to begin. Please take your seats.” Peter spotted two unoccupied chairs in an otherwise full row, and quickly steered himself and Cathy toward them. Everyone settled in to listen to the sales pitch.
    “Nanotechnology is the key to immortality,” the fellow from Life Unlimited said to his audience. He was a muscular African-American, mid-forties, salt-and-pepper hair, with a wide smile. His suit looked like it cost two thousand bucks. “Our nanotechnology machines can prevent every aspect of aging.” He indicated the picture on the wall screen: a blowup of a microscopic robot. “Here’s one now,” he said. “We call them ‘nannies,’ because they look after you.” He chuckled, and invited the audience to chuckle as well.
    “Now, how do our nannies — which we distribute throughout your body — prevent you from growing old?” asked the man. “Simple. A large part of aging is controlled by timers on certain genes. Well, you can’t eliminate the timers — they’re necessary to the regulation of bodily processes — but our nannies read their settings and reset them as required. The nannies also compare the DNA your body is producing to images of your original DNA. If errors get introduced, the DNA is corrected at the atomic level. It’s not much different from error-free computer communications, really. Checksums allow fast and accurate comparisons.
    “The ravages caused by buildups of toxic wastes in the body are also a major part of aging, but our nannies take care of all of that for you, cleaning the wastes out.
    “Autoimmune problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are another component of aging. Well, we’ve learned a lot about the autoimmune system in trying to cure AIDS, and we can now take care of almost anything that comes along.
    “But the very worst part of aging is the loss of memory and cognitive functions. In many cases that’s due simply to a lack of vitamin B6 or B12. It’s also caused by not enough acetylcholine and other neuro-transmitters. Again, our nannies balance all the levels for you.
    “And what about Alzheimer’s? It’s genetically programmed to kick in at a certain age, although the onset can also be caused by high levels of aluminum. Our nannies get down and dirty with your genes, turning regulators on and off. We find the instruction for Alzheimer’s, if it exists in your DNA — not everyone has it — and just prevent it from expressing itself.”
    The man smiled. “Now, I know what you’re thinking. None of that is going to help me if I get shot in the chest by a mugger. Well, using patented Life Unlimited techniques, we can even make sure you live through that. Yes, the bullet will stop your heart — but our nannies monitor your blood oxygen levels and they themselves can deliver blood to the brain if need be, acting like tractors, pulling red blood cells. And, yes, you’ll need a heart transplant and maybe some other repair work — but your brain will be kept alive until that work is