Post Mortal Syndrome

POST MORTAL SYNDROME By

Damien Broderick & Barbara Lamar Chapter 1 For Aubrey de Grey, who's doing something about death. Some have argued that even if we had the technological capability to change human personality in fundamental ways, we would never want to do so because human nature in some sense guarantees its own continuity. This argument, I believe, greatly underestimates human ambition and fails to appreciate the radical ways in which people in the past have sought to overcome their own natures... We may be about to enter into a posthuman future, in which technology will give us the capacity gradually to alter that essence over time. Francis Fukuyama, Our Posthuman Future Because an artificial chromosome provides a reproducible platform for adding genetic material to cells, it promises to transform gene therapy from the hit-and-miss methods of today... It would be an inert scaffolding dotted with independent insertion sites where modules of genes and their control sequences could be placed using the various enzymes that splice and clip DNA... By not altering a single one of the 3 billion bases on our existing chromosomes, geneticists would minimize the chance of inadvertently stepping on the many as yet unappreciated interactions within our genome. Gregory Stock, Redesigning Humans Prelude: Death Friday, May 23 After the bright midday sunshine, Payback had to wait for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of MTJ's main hallway. He walked slowly, the weight of his metal toolbox tugging at his left arm, and took careful note of the signs on the doors. Mailroom. Gerald Scarlett, General Manager. Roberta S. Treadwell, Director. Stockroom. Beyond the large double doors at the hall's end, the air smelled of chemical solvents; he had found the working part of the building. Acutely aware of the danger, proud of his daring, he walked briskly, a man with a purpose. On the doors he passed the signs were more stark, somehow menacing: LABORATORY 1, LABORATORY 2, ELECTRON MICROSCOPE, BIOHAZARD AREA. Some of the doors stood open, and he could see ominously unfamiliar machines with banks of control buttons and digital displays. A young black woman wearing a white lab coat left Laboratory 2 as he walked past. He was acutely conscious of her glance as she took in his green uniform, the heavy olive drab toolbox. She nodded absently, opened a door across the hall, was gone. He began to relax. Security here was incredibly slack. He found the telephone system control panel nearby, next to an office with an open door. Someone inside the office was talking softly. Should he abort the mission? This visit might be his only chance; they'd get suspicious if a phone technician turned up twice. He took a quick peek inside. The man in the room was engrossed in a telephone conversation. Okay. Proceed. He set down his toolbox on the heavy-duty vinyl tiles, opened the panel. He had to establish a reason

Cha pter 2 Book I: In the Begin ning Saturd ay, April 26 At nine on a gorgeo us spring mornin g, Jill set out to do her bit to save the world. Westla ke Hills Farmer s' Market was set up every Saturd ay in the parking lot of the up-scal e Balcon es Shoppi ng Mall. You could buy organic tomato

Chap ter 3 Friday, May 2 Even in her dream, Jill knew it was too good to be true. Flutes, lutes, tambouri nes... sunlight distilled into pure music... She was wraith-sl ender. Paul strolled by her side, no, no, it was Keith, baby Alex riding on his shoulders . The aerobics instructor leaned across her, and Jill drew back from grinning white teeth like tombston es and breath that smelled of burnt

Chap ter 4 Tuesday , May 6 Wayne woke early, screamin g again. The roar of his terror jolted Fern awake. "Oh dear God! Somebo dy help me! Please! Dr. Ruther— " Her heart thundere d, hearing his raw-thro ated distress. "Wayne? Honey, it's okay. Listen to me, honey. You're safe at home in bed." Fern wanted to put her arms around him, but she'd learned not to

Chap ter 5 Friday, May 9 They had placed Alex's limp body on an air mattress in the front room of the school and sent all the other kids outside. His skin was greyish, the rise and fall of his chest so slight that at first Jill thought in terror that he must be dead. Some detached part of her seemed to be observing from the outside. She found herself thinking: I'm handling this very

Chap ter 6 Tuesday , May 13 Lauren and her dog were just starting out for a run when Paul pulled up to the curb. Beautiful as a model, she wore electric blue lycra and a matching headban d to hold back her straw-blo nde hair. Her face lit up with a smile as the battered yellow Nissan clunked to a stop. No pouts today, he thought, winding down his window. Not yet, anyway. "Hey stranger, where've you been?"

Chap ter 7 Thursda y, May 15 Alex seemed so much at ease with Dr. Collins and his two nurses that Jill felt okay excusing herself to visit the snack room down the hall. When she pushed open the swinging door she found two young men and a woman sitting around a white Formicatopped table, the men with their white-cla d backs to her. She bought a bottle of apple juice and a candy bar from

Chap ter 8 Friday, May 16 "Here's your book back." Frowning , Wayne transferre d The Genius Within to his undamag ed left hand, passed the book to Nathan Pritchett. "Thanks. Did you have a chance to read any of it?" Wayne shook his head, looked at the floor next to Nathan's feet. "They try to get you to remembe r stuff about your childhoo d. Well, I couldn't remembe r anything, so I

Chap ter 9 Sunday, May 18 Changing into his shorts on Sunday evening, Paul Gibson remembe red the email he'd been letting pile up. He shared this cramped, poorly ventilated office in Experime ntal Sciences with a woman graduate student but she rarely came in over the week-en d, had to look after her kids. Unless he needed to make long distance calls or change clothes, Paul usually avoided the place himself.

Chap ter 10 Tuesday , May 20 Jill sat across the massive walnut desk from Les Collins, dreading what she was about to hear. Ever since his nurse called and asked her to come to the office, she'd known it would be bad news. Good news could have been shared over the phone. "I'm afraid it doesn't look encouragi ng," the doctor said gently.

Chap ter 11 Wednes day, May 21 Wayne was not the kind of guy Payback would choose for a friend, let alone a constant compani on. When it came to school work and reading books, Wayne might have been smarter, back then, but when it came to the real world he was so out of it his smarts didn't do him a bit of good. Most of the time, Payback was glad Wayne knew nothing about him.

Chap ter 12 Wednes day, May 21 The Delmar Public Library was quiet this evening, and Payback had his pick of the three computer s. He chose Wayne's favourite machine, set off by itself, back behind the bound copies of old magazine s. Wayne belonged to several Internet forums, including Nature Forever and the Green Guerrillas . Payback found Nature Forever unbearab ly dull, with their

Chap ter 13 Friday, May 30 Over the past few days, Paul had asked himself more than once why he'd invited Shannon and her son out to dinner. He didn't ordinarily socialize much. Too busy. Besides, after being a skinny, bookish kid, he still had not gotten used to the idea that women found him attractive , despite Lauren's on again-off again infatuatio n. It seldom occurred to him to ask

Chap ter 14 Monday , June 2 If she could make it into her office without seeing anyone, she'd grab a few minutes reviewing the files before she handed the work off to Art. Through the small staff kitchen's open door, a nasal voice slashed at her. "Hey, Jill, not even a 'Good morning'? " Ambushe d. "Sorry, Becca. Didn't mean to be rude." The managing partner's secretary

Chap ter 15 Saturda y, June 7 Wayne pushed the pillow away from his face, rolled over and squinted at the alarm clock: eleven o'clock. Fern had left for work hours earlier. He'd been asleep for fifteen hours. Wasn't there somethin g important he had to do today? He couldn't remembe r. When he sat up the room seemed to rotate under him. Just go back to sleep.

Chap ter 16 Monday , June 9 Every time Wayne dozed off, he found himself in a circular metal vault with only one way out, a locked door. Enclosed in the vault with him was a creature Wayne was afraid to look at. But sleep crept up on him, and the monster approach ed with slow, sly, terrible steps. Wayne shuffled away, scuttled sideways so he could watch the monster out of the corner of his eye.

Ch ap ter 17 Thu rsda y, Jun e 12 "Go od night , swe etie." "Nig ht, Mo m." Relu ctant ly, Jill kisse d Alex on the fore head and clos ed the door . It was getti ng hard er to drop Alex off at sum mer day cam

Ch ap ter 18 Frid ay, Jun e 13 Paul walk ed aiml essly , cons ideri ng endl ess varia tions on the sam e ques tions . Whe n he foun d hims elf outsi de Jill's hous e the sun had gone dow n. Too late to knoc k on the door

Ch ap ter 19 Frid ay, Jun e 13 Whe n he turne d back to her she was on the bed, leani ng agai nst the head boar d, her knee s raise d, slight ly apar t. He peel ed off his cloth es, let them fall to the floor , lay dow

Ch ap ter 20 Frid ay, Jun e 20 Ner ves shrilli ng, Nath an Pritc hett watc hed the man nam ed Way ne Elliot saun ter past him into his offic e. Bec ause it was n't Elliot , not exac tly. This man was tryin g his best to hide nerv

Ch ap ter 21 Frid ay, Jun e 20 Pay back stoo d tens ely behi nd shelt ering bran ches , leani ng on the base ball bat his fathe r had give n Way ne for his ninth birth day, lense s held to his eyes . Pay back coul

Ch ap ter 22 Satu rday , Jun e 21 It was a perf ect mor ning, like a day reme mbe red from child hoo d with all the tediu m and unpl easa ntne ss distill ed awa y and only the inten se beau ty and won der rema

Ch ap ter 23 Sun day, Jun e 22 Unb eliev ably, Way ne's batte red old suitc ase was open on the bed whe n Fern follo wed him in after a long stew ing silen ce. She stoo d watc hing wor dless ly as Way ne pulle d newl y

Ch ap ter 24 Mo nda y, Jun e 23 "Pau l?" Alex calle d from acro ss the roo m wher e he was filling the food disp ense rs. "Wh at is it, my man ?" "This bro wn mou se look s sick. " "Yes ,I gave her a dose

Ch ap ter 25 Boo k II: Life Mo nda y, Jun e 23 Way ne hurt real bad. He tried to mov e, and coul dn't. It was the wors t phys ical pain he had ever expe rienc ed. The weig ht of som ethin g burn ed in his cram ped right

Ch ap ter 26 We dne sda y, Jun e 25 Way ne gues sed it was at least two days since he clim bed dow n the man hole, but it coul d just as easil y have been two hour s. He had foun d hims elf in a tunn el barel y

Ch ap ter 27 Thu rsda y, Jun e 26 Som ethin g's happ enin g to me, Way ne thou ght. I must 've hit my head whe nI smas hed up my ankl e. He had disc over ed the libra ry the night he'd gone poki ng arou nd looki

Ch ap ter 28 Thu rsda y, Jun e 26 The Mar garet Trea dwel l John son Lab orat ories were hous ed in an attra ctive build ing of steel , conc rete, and glass , locat ed near the top of a hill on the west ern edge of San Anto

Ch ap ter 29 Frid ay, Jun e 27 Still a little wea k from the initial effec ts of the auxo som e injec tion, Jill sat at the picni c table whil e Alex play ed with his Gam eboy . Hop e follo wed by bitte r disa ppoi ntme

Ch ap ter 30 Frid ay, Jun e 27 Nea rly a full wee k after he disa ppea red, the polic e had told Mau reen regr etfull y they did not expe ct to find Dre w alive . Angr ily, she had deni ed them . She had refus ed to

Ch ap ter 31 Mo nda y, Jun e 30 As far as Dr. Bets y O'R eilly' s assis tant kne w, it had just been a routi ne exa m. Bets y took them into an inner offic e, clos ed the door . "Wel l, look s like y'all get a

Ch ap ter 32 Mo nda y, Jun e 30 Eyes gliste ning, lips curv ed in a happ y smile , Jill raise d their clas ped hand s and kisse d the back s of his finge rs. One hand fell agai n, wan dere d. "Wh at's this? " "Wel l, I kno

Ch ap ter 33 Tue sda y, July 1 Jill drov ea short dista nce and park ed on the stree t to open the enve lope Clot hile had give n her. It bore the retur n addr ess of Keit h Hind le's law firm. Fro m wher e she

Ch ap ter 34 We dne sda y, July 2 Bruc e Blic k forc ed hims elf to mak e three circu its of the gard en, walk ing slow ly and savo uring the colo urs and form s of the flow ers, brea thing their perf ume, keep ing his mind

Ch ap ter 35 Thu rsda y, July 3 Kep t up most of the night by the poun ding in his head , Way ne had finall y doze d off arou nd four. Whe n he wok e at ten, the viole nt head ache had been repla ced by a dull pres sure, unco

Ch ap ter 36 Thu rsda y, July 3 "Wh at's that, hone y?" The judg e look ed dow n at Alex , sym path etica lly, but at the sam e time inten tly, tryin g to figur e it out. May be if he was evasi ve she' d chan ge the

Ch ap ter 37 Thu rsda y, July 3 Seat ed at the conf eren ce table in Rob erta Trea dwel l's offic e, Paul thou ght of Jill for the hund redt h time that day. Car ol had assu red him he coul d do nothi ng to help at the

Ch ap ter 38 Thu rsda y, July 3 Paul' s ans weri ng mac hine had colle cted three mess ages , incre asing ly franti c. "Hell o, this is Keit h Hind le. Plea se give me a call as soon as you can. 472375 4 or cell phon

Ch ap ter 39 Thu rsda y, July 3 The front door s of the Thea ter Arts Buil ding were lock ed. The plac e appe ared dese rted. Foll owin g Way ne's instr uctio ns preci sely, heart thud ding, mout h dry, Paul mad e his way arou nd

Ch ap ter 40 Boo k III: Post Mor tal Thu rsda y, July 3 In 195 1, twen ty-t wo days after Bruc e Blic k's ninth birth day, his class mate Edw ard Eich ner had knoc ked him dow n and brok en his glass es. Bruc e sat

Ch ap ter 41 Thu rsda y, July 3 Sep arate d from Jill by only a thin curta in, som e othe r hum an in pain moa ned and moa ned, a repe titive dism al com plain t of suffe ring, a drea ry litan y. Too dro wsy from

Ch ap ter 42 Frid ay, July 4 Each time her eyes clos ed, Jill felt naus eate d, as if she were still in the joltin g Hum vee. Taki ng care not to mov e her head , she kept her gaze fixed on the strip of light at the bott om

Ch ap ter 43 Frid ay, July 4 Dist urbe d by a yapp ing dog, Alex sat up, not sure how long he had been aslee p. He was still on the porc h, head in his moth er's lap. "Mo m?" Paul was sayin g: "But you migh t be able to

Ch ap ter 44 Frid ay, July 4 It woul d've been kind of funn y, Alex thou ght, if thing s were n't so desp erate :a gro wn man cow ering awa y from the wate r like a scar ed little kid. But it was obvi ousl y not at all

Ch ap ter 45 Frid ay, July 4 Tom Geb hard t had not enjo yed the ride to Rob erta Trea dwel l's ranc h, nor both ered to be polit e to the garr ulou s drive r. "On e of my moth er's ance stors was a Spa nish expl orer,

Ch ap ter 46 Frid ay, July 4 It was cold in the open night . Roa d was too gran da nam e for the rock y trac ks mea nderi ng past the hillsi de wher e the cave mad e its unsp ecta cular exit. Jill, Paul and Alex curle d up

Ch ap ter 47 Satu rday , July 5 It was not diffic ult to fall in with the grou p of boys who rauc ousl y told him they repr esen ted the yout h choir of the First Bapt ist Chur ch of Kar nes City. "Ka nsas City ? Wo

Ch ap ter 48 Satu rday , July 5 Whe n the fede ral agen t had arriv ed at Fern 's hom e, dres sed in jean s and a blue and red spor ts shirt, he and three local sheri ff's depu ties tried to ease the tensi on by maki ng

Ch ap ter 49 Mo nda y, July 7 The com pute r store had a sign in the wind ow that read "Inte rnet 24/7 ." Paul' s back and neck ache da bit from his unco mfor table slee p on the train. Still, all thing s cons idere d, he

Ch ap ter 50 Mo nda y, July 7 He ease d out of the mort uary, dres sed in mis matc hed stole n item s, cree ping from a side door that crea ked noisil y. As he'd hope d, thou gh, no alar m burst into shrie king

Ch ap ter 51 Mo nda y, July 7 Way ne dum ped his stole n car just sout h of the city, pick ed up a lift into the centr e of town , and walk ed nort h thro ugh teem ing rain alon g the free way to the Edg e. For Way ne,

Ch ap ter 52 Frid ay, July 18 Bruc e Edw ard Blic k stroll ed unde r the shad e of an arbo ur from whic h hung fragr ant clust ers of purp le Wist eria bloo ms. Alth ough this roo m was mor e than sixty feet unde rgro

Ch ap ter 53 Frid ay, July 18 He wok e in the dept hs of the night .A dim gree n light buzz ed his eyes . He reac hed out slee pily, tried to swat it awa y. It swu ng arou nd behi nd him, dim med furth er, hove red at

Ch ap ter 54 We dne sda y, July 24 The new nord ame rica no stud ent with the spec ial adva nced sylla bus jerk ed at his desk , fell forw ard moa ning. His teac her rush ed to his side. Oh no, not anot her attac k for that

Ch ap ter 55 We dne sda y, July 24 "She 's back !" Alex sque aled. "Oh, oh, she's back ." He hunc hed over his gadg ets and start ed to cry with relief , like a child . We dne sda y, July 24 Trea dwel l look

Ch ap ter 56 Epil ogu e Mo nda y, Ma y 2, the Yea r afte r Nex t "Mo rbius ," the little girl said. Ton gue stuc k out the side of her mout h, she tried to coor dinat e her chub by finge rs and seal clos ed