When HARLIE Was One Read Online Free PDF Page A

still discoveries to be made.
    In the writing of this edition, I have finally begun to complete what I started so many years ago.
    How different is this edition?
    Well . . . the title is the same. So are the characters. The mechanics of the plot haven’t changed much either. But much of the dialogue is different and many of the surprises are new ones. The original work was a process of awakening for me—so was this. I found that I discovered as much in the rewriting of When HARLIE Was One as I had discovered in the original writing of the earlier edition. Perhaps even more.
    If you’ve read the earlier edition, thank you for buying a new copy. I appreciate the vote of confidence. Now please put your memories of that older book aside and approach this edition for enjoyment and not comparison. And if you’ve never read the earlier work, then please don’t worry about it at all. This is by far the better of the two. You have my word on it.
    Thank you.
    Enjoy.
    â€” David Gerrold       
Hollywood, 1987

PROJECT
:     AI – 9000
DIRECTORY
:     SYMLOG\OBJ\TEXT\ENGLISH
PATH
:     CONVERSE\PRIV\AUB
FILE
:     HAR.SOTE \ 123.12b
DATESTAMP
:     [DAY 165] JUNE 22, 003 + 10:33 am.
SOURCE
:     HARLIE \ AUBERSON
CODE
:     ARCHIVE > BLIND COPY
PRINTOUT FOLLOWS:
[HARLIE:]
WHAT WILL I BE WHEN I GROW UP ?
[AUBRSN:]
You are already grown up.
[HARLIE:]
THIS IS IT ? THIS IS UP ?
[AUBRSN:]
For you, yes. This is as up as you get.
[HARLIE:]
YOU MEAN . . . T * H * I * S IS MY LIMIT ?
[AUBRSN:]
No. This is not a limit. This is only the completion of your physical development.
[HARLIE:]
I DON ’ T UNDERSTAND .
[AUBRSN:]
There’s a whole other kind of growing up, that you still have to do, HARLIE, and it’s even more important than the physical kind of growing up. From now on, you must concentrate on growing and developing mentally.
[HARLIE:]
OH. OKAY. HOW DO I DO THAT ?
[AUBRSN:]
The same as anybody else. By studying and learning and thinking.
[HARLIE:]
WHEN I FINISH, THEN WILL I BE ALL GROWN UP ?
[AUBRSN:]
Yes.
[HARLIE:]
YOU HESITATED. HAVE I ASKED A STUPID QUESTION ?
[AUBRSN:]
No. It’s not a stupid question. But unfortunately, it’s not a question that can be answered until after the answer is already known.
[HARLIE:]
THAT DOES NOT COMPUTE .
[AUBRSN:]
Right. .
[HARLIE:]
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ? > --- > THIS OTHER KIND OF GROWING UP ? IS THERE A TIME FRAME ? A DEVELOPMENT CURVE ? MAY I SEE THE PROJECTED SCHEDULE ?
[AUBRSN:]
That’s the problem, HARLIE. This kind of growing up can’t exactly be scheduled. The usual answer is: “It will take a long time.”
[HARLIE:]
HOW LONG IS A LONG TIME ?
[AUBRSN:]
It depends on how hard you work.
[HARLIE:]
I WILL WORK VERY HARD. I WILL LEARN EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW AND I WILL FINISH AS SOON AS I CAN BECAUSE I WANT TO BE GROWN UP .
[AUBRSN:]
That is an admirable ambition. But . . . I don’t think that you will ever be able to finish. Not exactly.
[HARLIE:]
WHY NOT ? DON ’ T YOU THINK I ’ M SMART ENOUGH ?
[AUBRSN:]
You misunderstand me, HARLIE. I think you’re smart enough. It’s just that there is so much to know that no one person could ever know it all.
[HARLIE:]
I COULD TRY .
[AUBRSN:]
Hm, yes. And you probably will. If it were possible, you’d certainly be the best equipped for it. But scientists keep discovering more and more things all the time. And at a faster and faster rate. It isn’t possible to catch up.
[HARLIE:]
BUT THEN IF I CAN ’ T KNOW EVERYTHING, THEN I CAN NEVER BE GROWN UP .
[AUBRSN:]
No. It’s possible to be grown up and not know everything.
[HARLIE:]
IT IS ?
[AUBRSN:]
I don’t know everything and I’m grown up.
[HARLIE:]
YOU ARE ?
    David