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The Word 9
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The Word 9 (Disk 2 of 2).adf
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11-ANewBeginning.txt
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11-ANewBeginning.txt
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1996-01-17
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9KB
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174 lines
|1-A New Beginning
A Short story by SparHawk/Indy
<start newsfeed 0194174.1452>
After I'd died, it became easier. During my life I'd been career
driven, mindlessy obsessed with money, wealth, power. I wanted
everything that money could buy and a lot that it couldn't. Ever seen
that big tower over in the south district? The one that cost trillions
of credits? I used to have one like that for my own use.
My life, or at least my early life, is well documented. I'm sure you
read my auto biography before coming to interview to me, didn't you?
Did you read the unofficial ones? Did you scan the newsfeeds? I
thought so. You probably know more about me than I do! I'll tell you
one thing though, the unnoficial biographies tell more about me than my
auto biography and the newsfeeds put together. Especially the John
DeVeergharden book. I was going to get him killed but I changed my
mind. I can never have too much publicity, even if some is bad.
That was one of my main problems. I was an attention seeker. A media
figure. Scarcely a day would go by without an appearance in the
newsfeeds. After the Gourdon foundation was up and running the sky
seemed to be the limit. My age of excess had begun.
This was of course also the start of my demise. Years of easy living,
rich food, even richer women all contributed. Cancer. That disease all
but eradicated but still not cured. They could cut bits out, sure.
They could burn it or treat it but it would come back. Slow down, they
said. Enjoy life quietly. Turn the business over.
I couldn't. I carried on, certain that something would happen.
Something would come up. It allways did. I set all my top scientists
and doctors to looking for a cure. They did develope a vaccine, but by
now it was too late. If only... but I never needed it before now. I
needed something else. Ironically that vaccine was the making of my
fortune, but of no use to me at all.
If I could not avert death could I live past it? I set them onto this
task last. Cloning, at that time, was in its infancy. It was not an
exact science. I wanted nothing less than perfection. If I was to be
cloned I wanted everything intact, warts and all. I wanted complete
memory up until the moment of my death. This was not possible.
The only avenue of research left was computer simulation. This was
much more advanced. In theory, they said, they could copy my brain, as
it were, to computer storage and emulation. My personality, memories
and experienced would reman intact. There were of course legal matters
to clear but my lawyers could handle this.
There was not enough time to put the plan in motion for I died the next
day.
You've never experienced death. No one, except me, ever has. The
transfer was made at the point of death. My entire nervous system was
transplanted into a computer environment.
All that existed was my mind. It took a while to become used to the
experience. I kept trying to use muscles that no longer existed. I did
discover, after fruitless attempts, that my mind could encompase
everything. I was acutely aware of the electronic environment in which
I resided.
Soon I discovered sight. I tapped into the security cameras. I could
view my own death bed, a gruesome scene of a tired, cancer-ridden old
man surrounded by teams of scientists and reels of cable. I had no
hearing but my enhanced capabilities could read the lips of those I
observed. It transpired they had thrown the switch but could not tell
if it had worked! They had all but given up. I tried to scream, to
call attention to them, but with no voice it was impossible. At this
time I had not mastered direct control. Only passive observation.
As you see me now, the first and last fully hologramatic human, took a
long time. Money I had. A means of communication I did not.
My breakthrough came while I 'toured' my new world. Time had little
meaning here. I was in the realm of microtime. An existence measured
in minute fractions of a second.
Whilst I was on tour I came across a strange device, reminiscent of the
video camera's I used, tapped into a small laboratory. I recognised it
as one of the delta-4 labs, those projects that received minimum
funding, enough to keep them open. This device I had discovered
intrigued me, so I entered.
Suddenly I was aware once more of my surroundings. In seeming slow
motion, as my new senses struggled to adapt back to realtime, I saw a
single white coated scientist turn in my direction and stare. He could
see me! I looked down, unaware that even this action was beyond me
moments earlier. I could see myself! I was back!
That, my friend, is the basic story of my early days, of my new
beginning. The scientist was of course Dr. Reece Hargreaves. He now
runs the cybertech labs in the main Goulding Foundation over on seascape
1. Dr Hargreaves had discovered a realistic form of Holography, without
the use of lasers. He only lacked appropriate imaging technology.
I was the image. My own thought patterns recreated my body through the
imaging device. This was an early prototype. Of course I no longer
need it, but it was the key and the door to my new life. With my
knowledge of the intricate workings of the technology I can now recreate
my image at will anywhere, with or without any devices or even
electricity.
I am of course the only Hologramatic person in existence. The courts
made sure of that. After a long and costly battle through the workings
of law and order I was finally accepted as a citizen. I no longer need,
or require this, but in those early days it was all too possible for me
to be 'switched off'. Even if it was allowed I would not reveal the
technology to anyone else. I intend to remain unique.
Goulding Enterprises have grown from strength to strength. In this
electronic form I still run my company. We hold patents and copyrights
on many important ideas and devices in todays world. Money would still
flow even if I stopped investing and researching today. I am here, as
you see me now, only as an electrical force. A small, localised
generator, creating the stuff of my existence from the air around me.
In theory I could be terminated by a magnetic force, or by a vaccuum,
but in practice I would not let it happen. For example I can stop
people by force. I can instantly clone myself to prevent dissapearance.
I can flee into any electrical system and thrive. I am, in short,
immortal.
These last few years I have had a new purpouse. I monitor mankinds
progress, helping where necesary. I am the police, the judge and the
jury. I am the president, the people, the tradesmen. I am god.
I called you here to give my story. I could easily have done it
myself, even taken over the entire newfeed network to put my story
forward. However I choose more mundane channels so as not to alert
anyone. I hope people will realise what I must do is right, and see the
wisdom in it. We need a new beginning.
Addendum from the reporter:
After Henry Goulding had told me his story I was not surprised. In the
light of recent events I wish I had at least tried to stop him at that
moment. The man is a meglomaniac, a madman. It is easy however to
review situations in retrospect. No one can stop him. He has given his
ultimatum. Once he was a hero, a populist figure, annihilating
notorious criminals, releasing new technology for the benefit of
mankind. But what happened? What made him do it?
As I type this and finally upload it we have only two years left. Two
years to leave the earth. Goulding said he could supply the ships. He
has said he has located an appropriate planet. But this is our home!
How can we just leave?
Ultimately Goulding has lost his humanity. The race he intends to
create, or has created if claims are true, seem inhuman to us but
beautiful to him. He describes them as 'methodical, impressive,
efficient, sensible'. He views them as a machine would.
It is our errors, our misjudgements, our foibles that make us human.
It is not our task to be perfect. If Goulding could ever perceive this
we may yet have a chance. I fear it is too late.
Perhaps, as Goulding described it, 'a new start' would benefit us as a
race. Perhaps our mistakes can be eradicated. Perhaps our new world
can be free of pollution, overcrowding (The land mass is twice as large
as earth and the fertile land mass almost three times are large as
earths) and the horrors of war. Perhaps Goulding was right. But I
remain doubtful.
<Uploaded newsfeed 0194174.1452 20-10-2052 Rep:PAJ Sub:Goulding
Corp:A4012 Ref:CJ871A.39B Lib:Data Inc. Libaries. Check:£15$@:56&£34%>
End