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…nine…plus hazards； scratch… 'em all。 I'm interested only in something new…new to me…in which the chances of surviving are better than fifty percent and in which a man who stays alert can enhance his chances。 For example； I never hankered to go over high falls in a barreL You can design the barrel to make it relatively safe； nevertheless； once you start； you are helpless。 Which makes it a silly stunt…unless it's the safest way out of a worse predicament。 Racing…cars； steeplechase； skis…is more interesting because each calls for skill。 Yet I don't fancy that sort of danger； either。 Danger for the
…sake of danger is for children who don't really believe they can be killed。 Whereas I know I can be。 So there are a lot of mountains I'll never climb。 Unless I'm trapped； in which case I'll do it…have done itt…the easiest； safest； most chicken way I can figure out。 Don't bother with anything in which the prime novelty is danger…danger is no novelty。 It is simply； something to be faced when you can't run。 How about other pigeonholes in your box？〃
〃Lazarus； you could bee female。〃
I do not think I have ever seen the Senior quite so startled。 （So was I； but the statement was not aimed at me。）
He went on slowly； 〃Minerva； I'm not sure what you mea？。 Sur~geons have been turning inadequate males into fake females for more than two thousand years…and females into fake males almost as long。 I'm not attracted by such stunts。 For good…or bad…I am male。 I suppose that every human has wondered how it would feel to be the other sex。 But all the plastic surgery and hormone treatments possible won't do it…those monsters don't reproduce。〃
〃I am not speaking of monsters； Lazarus。 A true change in sex。〃 …
〃Mmm…。。You …remind me of a tale I had almost forgotten。 Not sure it's true。 About a man； oh； must have been around 2000 A。D。 Couldn't be much later … because things' went to pieces not long after。 Supposed to have had his brain moved into a female body。 Killed him； of course。 Alien tissue re… jection。〃
〃Lazarus； this would not involve that hazard； it would be done with your own clone。〃 …
〃Not bloody …likely。 Keep talking。〃…
〃Lazarus； this has… been tested on animals other than H。 sapiens。 It works best in changing a male to a female。 A。 singlecell is selected for …cloning。 Before cloning is started； the Y chromosome is removed and an X chromosome from a second cell of the same zygote is supplied； thus creating a female cell of the same geic pattern as the zygote save that the X … chromosome is replicated while the …Y chromosome is eliminated。 The modified cell is then… cloned。 The result is a true female clone~zygote derived from a male original。〃 …
〃There must be a catch；〃 Lazarus said； frowning。 …
〃There may be； Lazarus。 Certain it is that the basic tech… nique works。 There are several created females in the building you are in…dogs； cats； one sow； others…and most of them have …littered successfully 。 。 except … when； for example； a derived bitch is bred with the male dog who supplied … the cell for cloning。 That can produce lethals and mostrosities from the high probability of reinforcing bad recessives…〃 …
〃I …should； think it would！〃
〃Yes。 But normal outbreeding does not； as indicated by seventy…three generations of hamsters descended from one
I （~
created female。 The method has not been adapted to fauna native to Secundus because of their radically different geic structure。〃
〃Never mind Secundus animals…how about men？〃
〃Lazarus； I have been able to search the literature only on items released by the Rejuvenation Clinic。 The published literature hints at problems in the last stage…activating the female clone…zygote with the memories and experiences…the 'personality' if you prefer that term…of the parent main。 When to terminate the parent male…or whether to terminate it at all…suggests several problems。 But I am unable to say what research has been suppressed。〃
Lazarus turned to me。 〃Do you permit that； Ira？ Suppresskn of research？〃
〃I don't interfere； Lazarus。 But I didn't know this research
… was going on。 Let's find out。〃 I turned to the Administrator
…for Rejuvenation； shifted to Galacta； and explained what we had been… discussing and asked what progress had been made with humans。
I turned back with my ears burning。 As soon as I mentioned humans in this connection； she had interrupted me abruptly…as if I had said something offensive…and stated that such experimentation was proscribed。
I translated her answer。 Lazarus nodded。 〃I read the kid's face； I could see the answer was No。 Well； Minerva； that seems to be that。 I am not about to attempt chromosome surgery on myself…somebody swiped my jackknife。〃
〃Perhaps that is not quite the end；〃 Minerva replied。 〃Ira； did you notice that Ishtar said only that such research was 'proscribed'？ She did not say that' it had not taken place。 I have just made a most thorough semantic analysis of the published literature for truth…and…falsity implications。 I conclude that the probability approaches certainty that much pertinent research on humans has taken place even though it may no longer be going on。 Do you wish to order it released； sir？ I am certain 'that I can freeze their puter quickly enough to prevent erasure； assuming that an erasure program guards it。〃
〃Let's not do anyth？ng drastic；〃 drawled Lazarus。 〃There may be good reason for a 'hold' on this stuff。 I'm forced to assume that these johnnies know more about it than 1 do。 Besides； I'm not sure I want to be a guinea pig。 Let's put it on ~the bacic of the fire； Minerva。 Ira； I'm not sure I would be me without my Y chromosome。 To say nothing 91 those
jolly hints of how you transfer the personality and at what point to kill off the male。 Me； that 'is。〃
〃Lazarus…〃'…
〃~'es； Minerva？〃…
〃The published literature makes one option both certain
and safe。 This method can be used to create your twin sister
…identical rather than fraternal； save for sex。 A host mother is indicated； with no forcing to maturity； since the brain would be allowed to develop normally。 Would this meet your standards of newness and interest？ To watch yourself grow up as a woman？ 'Lazuli Long；' you might name her…your f e
male other self。〃…
〃Uh…〃 Lazarus stopped。
I said dryly； 〃Grandfather； I think I've won our second bet。 Something new。 Something interesting。〃
〃Now slow up！ You can't do it； you don't know how。 Nor do I。 And the Director of this madhouse appears to have moral scruples about it…〃
〃We don't know that。 Mere inference。〃
〃Not so 'mere。' And I may have moral scruples。 'Twouldn't interest me unless I stuck around and watched her' grow up
which might send me crazy either through trying to make her grow up just like me…what a fate for any gjrl！…or by trying to keep her from growing up as ornery as I am when that would be her nature。 Nor would I be justified either way； she would be a separate human being； not my slave。 Besides that； I would be her sole parent…no； mother。 I've had one crack at trying to raise a daughter alone…it's not fair to the girl。〃
〃You're inventing objections； Lazar~is。 I'll give long odds that Ishtar would gladly be both host mother and foster mother。 Especially if you promised Ishtar a son Of her own。 Shall I ask her？'
〃You keep your biscuit trap shut； Son！ Minerva； place that on 'pending'…I won't be hurried into a major decision about another person。 Especially one e to tell you about the twins who were no relation to each
other。 But twins。〃…
〃Preposterous。 You're changing the subject。〃
第15节
〃So I am。 Minerva； what else do you have； girl？〃 …
〃Lazarus； I have one program … which involves low hazard and a probability approaching certainty of supplying one…or more…experiences pletely new to you。〃
〃I'm listening。〃
〃Suspended animation…〃
〃What's aew about that？ We had that when I was a kid； hardly two hundred years old。 Used it in the 'New Frontiers。' Didn't attract me then； doesn't now。〃
〃…as a means of time travel。 If you stipulate that in X number of years； something truly new will develop…a certainty based on history…then your only problem is to select whatever span of years will； in your opinion； produce the degree of novelty you seek。 One hundred years； one thousand； ten thousand； whatever you say。 The rest involves nothing but minor de~i~n details。〃
〃Not so 'minor' if Fm going to be asleep and unable to protect myself。〃
〃But you need not go into hibernation until you are satisfied with my design； Lazarus。 A hundred years is obviously no problem。 A thousand years is not much problem。 For ten thousand years I would design an artificial plaoid equipped with fail…safes to insure that you would be revived automatically in case of emergency。〃
〃That e designing； girl。〃
〃I feel confident of my capacity to do it； Lazarus； but you are free to criticize and reject any part of it。 However； there is no point in my submitting preliminary designs until you give me the controlling parameter； namely the time span； which in your opinion will produce something new to you。 Or do you wish my advice on that？〃
〃Uh 。 hold your horses； dear。 Let's assume that you've got me in liquid helium and in free fall and thoroughly pro。 tected against ionizing radiation…〃
〃No problem； Lazarus。〃
〃So I stipulated； …dear； I'm not underrating you。 But sup。 pose some tiny little fail…safe fails null instead and I go on snoozing through the centuries…and millennia…without end。 Not dead。 But not revived； either。〃
〃I can and will design to avoid that。 But let me accept your stipulation。 In such case； how would you be worse off than you would be if you used your termination…option switch？ What do you lose by trying this？〃
〃Why； that's obvious！ If there is anything to this immortality talk…or any sort of afterlife…I'm not saying there is or isn't
…but if there is； then when the 'Roll Is Called Up Yonder；' I won't be there。 I'll be asleep but not dead； somewhere off in space。 I'll miss the last boat。〃
〃Grandfather；〃 I said impatiently； 〃quit trying to wiggle
out。 If you don't want it； just say No。 But Minerva has certainly offered you a way to reach something new。 If there is anything to your argument…which I don't admit…you will ha'~e achieved something really unique： the only human being out of many billions to fail to show up for muster on this hypothetical…and…highly…unlikely Judgment Day。 I wouldn't put it past you； you old scoundrel； you're slippery。〃
He ignored my slur。 〃Why 'highly unlikely'？〃
〃Because it is。 I won't argue it。〃
〃Because you can't argue it；〃 he retorted。 〃There isn't any evidence for or against…so how can you assign even a loose probability e'ither way？ I was pointing out the desirability； if there h