User:Red Blizzard/Deus Ex Machina
Deus Ex Machina
“Exactly two and a half centuries ago this day, Darwin went public with his theories on evolution. For the first time, the idea was conceived that humans could alter the way future generations looked and thought through the process of natural selection. Today, natural selection is officially dead. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it has been confirmed! Renetech has successfully developed a process for rejuvenation and the extension of human life by up to two and a half times!” The company executive was greeted by deafening cheers as he stood up atop the podium, smiling away. Gazing up at him, either tear-stricken or in disbelief, were shareholders, prospective investors, critics, reporters, and elder seeking a second chance at life. It was a killer end to a killer speech, one that would all but monopolize an entire industry and draw the whole world’s attention. It was one step closer to immortality, one step closer to eternal youth. It was the crowning achievement of a generation. It was also a lie. As the executive stepped off the podium and made his way towards the jetlift, a man in a dark suit approached him.
“What is it?” The executive murmured the question without a sideways glance as the man in the dark suit stepped into line alongside the executive, shades hiding his expression.
“One of the test subjects died.”
“So soon, eh?”
“You knew this would happen?”
“I had my doubts since the beginning. I expect the other tests to die off before long.”
“But you went ahead with the announcement knowing all this?”
“Our company has received closed to a trillion dollars through investors and government funding so far, and patrons are lining up with billions more to undergo treatment, all hinging on the dream that human immortality is just around the corner. Let them keep that dream for a while. Besides, I like play-acting as god.”
“It will all come out eventually.”
“Not for another six months or so. I’ve tacked on a mandatory rehab program to the whole procedure. The public won’t know the truth until the first customers fail to return home, and by then, you and I will have disappeared.”
“They’ll hunt us down. You especially.”
“I’ve already found a scapegoat that’s been well-paid to keep his mouth shut. The public will be satisfied by that.”
“And your disappearance?”
“Chronic illness catching up to me. I’ll be listed as under the care of a neurologist on some obscure island, and unavailable for comment. A few months later, I’ll be listed as having died from disease, and with a good plastic surgeon, I’ll rejoin the world at large under a new alias.”
“Brilliant! You’ve thought of everything!”
“Of course I haven’t. But for the little details I’ve overlooked, well, half a trillion dollars can get me by quite well, don’t you think?”
“And my share of the profits?”
“Ten percent of the other half. Roughly fifty billion dollars.”
“That’s very generous of you. But just think of it! Half a trillion dollars, that’s more than many countries have. With that much money at your fingertips, you’re practically a god!”
The executive chuckled. “Yes, practically a god…”
“Not even heaven can stop you now!”
“If not heaven, then what?”
“You tell me sir.”
The executive shrugged. “Well, we still haven’t solved the issue of human immortality.”
“We have time.”
“Yes, yes we do.” The executive walked outside onto the jetlift pad, shouting out “New Chigaco!” A dozen or so men prepped the hoverjet for takeoff as the executive stepped aboard. He glanced over at the setting sun, then down at his watch. He was late for a dinner with a Senator. Building strings was always useful if you planned on pulling some later on. Once you had all the strings in one hand, you were practically a god. Practically a god.
The man lay in the hospital bed, straining to hear the words of the medical examiners next door. There had been yelling earlier, and he caught an expletive thrown in for good measure once or twice. It was about him, he was sure of it. But he wasn’t sure what about him was sparking the argument. He was dying, he knew that much. He had been dying bit by bit ever since they had given him that first drug two weeks ago. “Degeneren” they had called it. The drug that degenerated different parts of the body at different rates, slowing down cell breakdown at the right places to create ideal conditions for the second drug to be injected. The drug that would prolong his life by two and a half times, as promised. He was the last of a batch of twenty or two-hundred test subjects, the exact number somewhere in between. All the other test subjects had received the second injection already, and as far as he knew, they were just fine. No, he had complete faith that he would be able to pull through safely. There was no room for doubt now.
A medic entered the room. A woman, young and rather attractive. Nobody would have been able to tell her exact age had it not been common knowledge that all employees were over the age of thirty-five. Past Renetech successes had ensured that its workers all looked young and fresh, keeping themselves wrinkle-free until well past the age of sixty. The man relaxed as he saw the medic come in. Everything was going to be alright.
“How are you feeling today?”
“Fine, just fine.”
“I know we were cutting it close by letting you sit so long with the Degeneren in your system, but we had to approximate the second dosage for you.”
“Is everything better now?”
“Yes, everything is in order.” She took out a syringe filled with a milky golden liquid. “This is Renevac. It stimulates controlled cell growth and rejuvenates the body, as well as prevents cancerous growths and keeps your blood vessels clean. It will keep you alive. But there’s only one catch.”
“What is it?”
“We’re not allowed to administer the dose until you stop breathing.”
“You mean when I’m dead?”
“Yeah…that should be any minute now.” The girl bit her lip in apprehension. “But don’t worry, we’ve tried this procedure with at least twenty other patients, and they’ve all come out looking just fine. The oldest one is a hundred and forty now, and he looks like he’s twenty.” The girl spoke almost as if to reassure herself. The man had a fleeting moment of panic as he wondered what would happen if the dose was injected too early or too late, or didn’t work at all and he ended up dying for good. But then he reminded himself. They had it all worked out. There was no room for doubt now.
The man suddenly felt cold. Inside, he could feel his heart straining to beat, his lungs laboring to keep the oxygen flowing through his body. Every cell screamed for him to fight, fight against the inevitable, which was swiftly approaching on black wings. But he steeled himself to be calm. A fight against death now would only make his resurrection that much harder. Rage, rage against the dying of the light! No. Do not go gentle into that good night! Stay calm. Rage, rage! Steady now. Dying of the light! No... Good night!
The last breath left his lips. In that instant, his heart, straining to beat, nearly leaped out of his chest in one last defiant pulse of life. But then, it ground to a halt. The brain, screaming for oxygen, sent out a desperate message to the other nerves in the body. Need more oxygen! Keep living! But no reply was sent. As the man’s body went completely silent, he suddenly came to the realization. Shouldn’t he be dead?
What is death? Do people really die when the last breath leaves them, when their heart has stopped beating? The fact is, there is no switch that determines whether or not you’re alive one moment and dead the next. But I’m not really dying, am I? The medic said that… Humans! You think you can cheat death with medicine and promises. Even when all other hope fails, you cling to the belief that there is always something better awaiting you. Heaven, or rebirth, it’s all the same. A lie. But that can’t be true! The doctors have used science to successfully prolong human life! And why does life need prolonging? For every comfort and pleasure you receive, there are always five more things to suffer through and endure. We live for those moments we can enjoy! But you can’t ignore the moments you hate. Of all the species of the world, humans are the ones with the least reason to live, yet spend every waking moment of their lives trying to live longer. All the other creatures that walk this earth meet their death with mute acceptance. But creatures of reason, humans most of all, cannot accept the fact that one day they’re going to die. So what? So what if we’re all going to die? Humans have won this round! Science has finally overcome the inevitable cycle. In a few years, a true elixir of life will be created… And who told you this? The doctors and scientists who profess to be gods? They’re in this for the money, not for the good of mankind. No, if every person were trying their best to preserve mankind, you’d all still be living in caves. Instead, it has grown and thrived on greed and personal gain. That’s not true! Oh, but it is. By the way, are you feeling a little down right now? The man suddenly felt a pain crawling up his legs, from the tip of his toenails moving upwards, through his torso, across his chest, and up his neck to reach his face. Suddenly, everything was on fire. The man wanted to scream, but had no oxygen left. Pain! Even when it is delayed, you can still experience the full brunt of its power. Humans treat it like something ugly, but in actuality it’s a warning that everyone learns to heed. It warns you of the destruction of cells going on throughout your body. When the pain stops, you’ll be cut off from your own body, left to molder and decay inside your own skull as nothing more than a brain. Stop it! It burns! Yes, pain tends to be like that. I wonder if you can sense anything else? Smell is already gone, along with taste and hearing. Those tend to blow out first. But sight. Ah, lovely sight. It is what humans rely on the most to perceive the world. When people die, it is customary to close their eyes, so that they not longer see the world. But that tradition has long since been abandoned, hasn’t it? You can still see things, even if they’re moving in slow motion. What has been gained in technology seems to have been lost in common knowledge. You’ll carry this last image of your hospital room to your grave, in a manner of speaking. Suddenly, flashes. Images of childhood, growing up, every action and moment of life streaming through the mind at a rapid clip, replaying every right and wrong decision ever made, up to the point where the papers were signed and the first injection was administered. Memories! They are leaving now, are they? That is the last sign there. The sign that you are truly dying. Not as a human, but as a mind. When you can no longer remember, you can no longer think, and when you can no longer think, you can only sit there, falling into that long, endless coma known as eternal rest. Such a lovely name for so grim a fate. Stop it! Stop talking already! I want you out! Out of my mind, out of my body! I’m going to live, I know it! And you have no right to tell me otherwise! Laughter. Laughter that silenced all other thought, laughter that was not his own, that didn’t belong there. Who are you anyways? I think the real question is who are you? Answer that first, if your memory cells haven’t died off already.
The pain stopped, the world froze before his eyes, and in that instant, he learned to fear death.
