Transhuman (38 page)

“By killing fetuses,” Rossov growled.

Luke waved the thought away. “We don't need fetal stem cells. We can take stem cells from your own body. Or regress skin cells to become stem cells.”

“I've read reports on that,” said Colonel Dennis.

Turning in his chair to face Rossov squarely, Luke said, “You think we're going to have a country full of pathetic, creaking old geezers. Well, that's wrong. Look at me! I'll be seventy-five in a couple of months, but somatically—physically—I'm like a forty-year-old. And I'm going to stay this way for a long time.”

“That's the fucking problem,” Rossov muttered. “Millions of people living to a hundred and more. My Christ.”

“It's not a problem,” Luke countered. “We're entering a new era. The first transhuman beings are with us now. My granddaughter's one of them. There are going to be plenty of others.”

Fisk said, “So what you're telling us—”

“What I'm telling you,” Luke interrupted impatiently, “is that people will be healthy and vigorous all their lives. So they live to be a hundred and fifty, two hundred, so what? They won't
need
Social Security or Medicare. They'll be working, going back to school, starting new careers for themselves.”

Fisk's eyes narrowed. “They'll continue to be consumers.”

“Damned right,” said Luke. “They'll continue to buy cars, homes, take vacations, overseas trips—”

“Have babies,” said the colonel.

“You just don't understand,” Rossov repeated. “You think your transhumans are going to give up their Social Security benefits, their Medicare, their pensions just because they're feeling spry and healthy? In your dreams! This is going to destroy the economy.”

“No,” Luke replied. “It's going to
change
the economy. And you politicians are going to have to make some real changes to Social Security and Medicare and the rest.”

“Change them? That's impossible. Political suicide.”

“Then we're going to have to find political leaders who can make it possible.”

Rossov glared at him.

“Besides,” Luke went on, “this isn't going to happen all at once. We've still got a lot of work to do. You won't start to see any major effects for another five, ten years.”

“The President will be out of office by then,” Rossov mused. “Even if she wins a second term.”

Turning back to Fisk, Luke said, “You thought that by keeping me bottled up here you could prevent news of my work from getting out.”

“We wanted to control the situation,” Fisk admitted.

Shaking his head, Luke pointed out, “But I'm not the only one working in this area. Sure, I'm ahead of all the others, but sooner or later some bright researcher would hit on the same idea. You can't control everybody. You can't stop people from thinking, learning.”

Rossov muttered, “And you can't drop a bombshell like this without dislocating the economy. We're having a tough enough time keeping Social Security and Medicare properly funded. Now…” He sank his head into his hands.

“Now,” Luke took up, “you're going to have to get those egomaniacs in Washington to do the jobs they were elected to do. You've got at least five years to do it, maybe ten. Instead of trying to stop this transformation, get to work and prepare for it.”

“You've never tried to work with the Congress,” Rossov moaned. “You've never tried to move the bureaucracy.”

Luke snapped, “Then get out of the way, buster, because the change is coming, whether you like it or not.”

Fisk broke into a tentative smile. “He's right, Paul,” he said to Rossov. “You know, if you play your cards right, you and the President could come out of this smelling like roses.”

Rossov looked dubious, but Fisk went on grandly. “Transhumans. It's exciting. People staying young, vigorous past a hundred. Active.”

“Buying your products,” Luke said.

Fisk tried to glare at him, but broke into a tentative smile instead. “You're still under contract to me, you know.”

“Where does Marlo Gunnerson work?” Luke asked.

“In the Fisk Laboratories, in Cincinnati.”

Luke nodded. “That's where I'll go. I like Gunnerson. He and I could work well together.”

Fisk's tentative smile widened into a happy grin.

“So you peddle your fountain of youth to the masses,” Rossov growled.

“That's right,” said Fisk. “And you start getting the government ready for the changes that are coming.”

Rossov shook his head wearily.

“I'll talk to the President about this,” Fisk said happily. “She'll see the sense of it. It'll win her that second term. And I'll put in a good word for you while I'm at it. Deal?”

“What choice do I have?” Rossov said bleakly.

“No choice at all,” said Luke. “The change is coming. Either you take credit for it and try to lead the country or you'll get rolled under by it.”

“It's impossible,” Rossov muttered. “You have no idea how impossible it is.”

Luke shook his head at him. “Listen, pal, you either lead, follow, or get out of the way.”

Fisk nodded briskly. “Professor Abramson, how would you like to explain this prob—this
opportunity
to the President of the United States?”

*   *   *

T
HAT EVENING LUKE
met Tamara, Angela, Lenore, and Del in the mess hall.

“We're going home tomorrow,” Angela enthused. Lenore looked happier than Luke had seen her in a year or more. Even Del seemed relaxed, pleased.

Luke smiled back at them and said, “I'm going to the White House, to meet the President.”

“You are?” Lenore gasped.

Reaching for Tamara's hand, Luke went on. “Yep. Rossov is setting it up. Him and Fisk.”

“Can I come?” Angela asked.

Laughing, Luke replied, “Sure, why not? All of us.”

“The President of the United States,” said Lenore. “I hear she's very sweet.”

“She's very smart. She knows which way the parade is heading, and she's going to see to it that she's at its front.”

*   *   *

O
NCE DINNER WAS
finished, Lenore and Del took Angela back to their quarters.

“We have to finish packing,” Lenore said, almost apologetically.

Luke took Tamara by the hand, and together they strolled along the quiet dark street, out toward the fence.

“You're not thinking of going over it again, are you?” Tamara teased.

He chuckled softly. “Hell no. Once was enough.”

“You've changed the world, Luke.”

“With your help. I couldn't have done it without you.”

“Yes, you could have. And you would have. I just came along for the ride.”

He stopped and turned toward her. “Do you want to continue the ride?”

In the shadows between the lampposts Luke couldn't make out the expression on her face. But he heard the uncertainty in her voice. “Do you want me to?”

He replied instantly. “I sure as hell do.”

She stepped closer to him and they kissed.

“Maybe we can get married in Washington. Get a Supreme Court justice to do the job.”

“You're fantasizing!”

“Yeah, but not about a Supreme Court justice. My fantasies center on you, Tamara.”

And they kissed again.

But then Tamara said softly, “Luke, about your biopsy.”

“What about it?”

“You've got cancer. It's early, but it's definitely prostate cancer.”

He nodded. “I figured.” With a stubborn snort, he said, “We'll have to do something about that.”

And, hand in hand, they headed back toward their quarters. And Washington. And a long life together.

 

Tor Books by Ben Bova

Able One

The Aftermath

As on a Darkling Plain

The Astral Mirror

Battle Station

The Best of the Nebulas

(editor)

Challenges

Colony

Cyberbooks

Escape Plus

The Green Trap

Gremlins Go Home

(with Gordon R. Dickson)

Jupiter

The Kinsman Saga

Leviathans of Jupiter

Mars Life

Mercury

The Multiple Man

Orion

Orion Among the Stars

Orion and King Arthur

Orion and the Conqueror

Orion in the Dying Time

Out of Sun

Peacekeepers

Power Play

Powersat

The Precipice

Privateers

Prometheans

The Rock Rats

Saturn

The Silent War

Star Peace: Assured Survival

The Starcrossed

Tale of the Grand Tour

Test of Fire

Titan

To Fear the Light

(with A. J. Austin)

To Save the Sun

(with A. J. Austin)

The Trikon Deception

(with Bill Pogue)

Triumph

Vengeance of Orion

Venus

Voyagers

Voyagers II: The Alien Within

Voyagers III: Star Brothers

The Return: Book IV of Voyagers

The Winds of Altair

 

About the Author

Ben Bova is a six-time winner of the Hugo Award, a former editor of
Analog,
former editorial director of
Omni,
and a past president of both the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America. Bova is the author of more than a hundred works of science fact and fiction. He lives in Florida.

 

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

 

TRANSHUMAN

 

Copyright © 2014 by Ben Bova

 

All rights reserved.

 

Cover design by Base Art Co.

 

A Tor Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

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www.tor-forge.com

 

Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

 

The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Date is available upon request.

 

ISBN 978-0-7653-3293-6 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-4299-6542-2 (e-book)

 

e-ISBN 9781429965422

 

First Edition: April 2014