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diff --git a/29487.txt b/29487.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9affa7c --- /dev/null +++ b/29487.txt @@ -0,0 +1,909 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Forever, by Robert Sheckley + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Forever + +Author: Robert Sheckley + +Illustrator: Dick Francis + +Release Date: July 22, 2009 [EBook #29487] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOREVER *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +FOREVER + +By NED LANG + + + _Of all the irksome, frustrating, + maddening discoveries--was there + no way of keeping it discovered?_ + + +Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS + + +With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless. +An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention +is extremely valuable and obviously patentable. There are too many +grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men +who feast upon the creativity of the innocent. + +A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking +in that vital characteristic of inventors. And he didn't even realize +the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a +silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head. + +Then he knew. But by then it was too late. + +Charles Dennison had been left a more than adequate income by his +father. He had gone to Harvard, served a hitch in the Navy, then +continued his education at M.I.T. Since the age of thirty-two, he had +been engaged in private research, working in his own small laboratory in +Riverdale, New York. Plant biology was his field. He published several +noteworthy papers, and sold a new insecticide to a development +corporation. The royalties helped him to expand his facilities. + +Dennison enjoyed working alone. It suited his temperament, which was +austere but not unfriendly. Two or three times a year, he would come to +New York, see some plays and movies, and do a little serious drinking. +He would then return gratefully to his seclusion. He was a bachelor and +seemed destined to remain that way. + +Not long after his fortieth birthday, Dennison stumbled across an +intriguing clue which led him into a different branch of biology. He +pursued his clue, developed it, extended it slowly into a hypothesis. +After three more years, a lucky accident put the final proofs into his +hands. + +He had invented a most effective longevity drug. It was not proof +against violence; aside from that, however, it could fairly be called an +immortality serum. + + * * * * * + +Now was the time for caution. But years of seclusion had made Dennison +unwary of people and their motives. He was more or less heedless of the +world around him; it never occurred to him that the world was not +equally heedless of him. + +He thought only about his serum. It was valuable and patentable. But was +it the sort of thing that should be revealed? Was the world ready for an +immortality drug? + +He had never enjoyed speculation of this sort. But since the atom bomb, +many scientists had been forced to look at the ethics of their +profession. Dennison looked at his and decided that immortality was +inevitable. + +Mankind had, throughout its existence, poked and probed into the +recesses of nature, trying to figure out how things worked. If one man +didn't discover fire, or the use of the lever, or gunpowder, or the atom +bomb, or immortality, another would. Man willed to know all nature's +secrets, and there was no way of keeping them hidden. + +Armed with this bleak but comforting philosophy, Dennison packed his +formulas and proofs into a briefcase, slipped a two-ounce bottle of the +product into a jacket pocket, and left his Riverdale laboratory. It was +already evening. He planned to spend the night in a good midtown hotel, +see a movie, and proceed to the Patent Office in Washington the +following day. + +On the subway, Dennison was absorbed in a newspaper. He was barely +conscious of the men sitting on either side of him. He became aware of +them only when the man on his right poked him firmly in the ribs. + +Dennison glanced over and saw the snub nose of a small automatic, +concealed from the rest of the car by a newspaper, resting against his +side. + +"What is this?" Dennison asked. + +"Hand it over," the man said. + +Dennison was stunned. How could anyone have known about his discovery? +And how could they dare try to rob him in a public subway car? + +Then he realized that they were probably just after his money. + +"I don't have much on me," Dennison said hoarsely, reaching for his +wallet. + +The man on his left leaned over and slapped the briefcase. "Not money," +he said. "The immortality stuff." + + * * * * * + +In some unaccountable fashion, they knew. What if he refused to give up +his briefcase? Would they dare fire the automatic in the subway? It was +a very small caliber weapon. Its noise might not even be heard above the +subway's roar. And probably they felt justified in taking the risk for a +prize as great as the one Dennison carried. + +He looked at them quickly. They were mild-looking men, quietly, almost +somberly dressed. Something about their clothing jogged Dennison's +memory unpleasantly, but he didn't have time to place the recollection. +The automatic was digging painfully into his ribs. + +The subway was coming to a station. Dennison glanced at the man on his +left and caught the glint of light on a tiny hypodermic. + +Many inventors, involved only in their own thoughts, are slow of +reaction. But Dennison had been a gunnery officer in the Navy and had +seen his share of action. He was damned if he was going to give up his +invention so easily. + +He jumped from his seat and the hypo passed through the sleeve of his +coat, just missing his arm. He swung the briefcase at the man with the +automatic, catching him across the forehead with the metal edge. As the +doors opened, he ran past a popeyed subway guard, up the stairs and into +the street. + +The two men followed, one of them streaming blood from his forehead. +Dennison ran, looking wildly around for a policeman. + +The men behind him were screaming, "Stop, thief! Police! Police! Stop +that man!" + +Apparently they were also prepared to face the police and to claim the +briefcase and bottle as their own. Ridiculous! Yet the complete and +indignant confidence in their shrill voices unnerved Dennison. He hated +a scene. + +Still, a policeman would be best. The briefcase was filled with proof of +who he was. Even his name was initialed on the outside of the briefcase. +One glance would tell anyone ... + +He caught a flash of metal from his briefcase, and, still running, +looked at it. He was shocked to see a metal plate fixed to the cowhide, +over the place where his initials had been. The man on his left must +have done that when he slapped the briefcase. + +Dennison dug at the plate with his fingertips, but it would not come +off. + +It read, _Property of Edward James Flaherty, Smithfield Institute_. + +Perhaps a policeman wouldn't be so much help, after all. + +But the problem was academic, for Dennison saw no policeman along the +crowded Bronx street. People stood aside as he ran past, staring +open-mouthed, offering neither assistance nor interference. But the men +behind him were still screaming, "Stop the thief! Stop the thief!" + +The entire long block was alerted. The people, like some sluggish beast +goaded reluctantly into action, began to make tentative movements toward +Dennison, impelled by the outraged cries of his pursuers. + + * * * * * + +Unless he balanced the scales of public opinion, some do-gooder was +going to interfere soon. Dennison conquered his shyness and pride, and +called out, "Help me! They're trying to rob me! Stop them!" + +But his voice lacked the moral indignation, the absolute conviction of +his two shrill-voiced pursuers. A burly young man stepped forward to +block Dennison's way, but at the last moment a woman pulled him back. + +"Don't get into trouble, Charley." + +"Why don't someone call a cop?" + +"Yeah, where are the cops?" + +"Over at a big fire on 178th Street, I hear." + +"We oughta stop that guy." + +"I'm willing if you're willing." + +Dennison's way was suddenly blocked by four grinning youths, teen-agers +in black motorcycle jackets and boots, excited by the chance for a +little action, delighted at the opportunity to hit someone in the name +of law and order. + +[Illustration] + +Dennison saw them, swerved suddenly and sprinted across the street. A +bus loomed in front of him. + +He hurled himself out of its way, fell, got up again and ran on. + +His pursuers were delayed by the dense flow of traffic. Their +high-pitched cries faded as Dennison turned into a side street, ran down +its length, then down another. + +He was in a section of massive apartment buildings. His lungs felt like +a blast furnace and his left side seemed to be sewed together with +red-hot wire. There was no help for it, he had to rest. + +It was then that the first bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped +a granite wall not three inches from his head. That was when Dennison +realized the full extent of his carelessness. + +He pulled the bottle out of his pocket. He had hoped to carry out more +experiments on the serum before trying it on human beings. Now there was +no choice. + +Dennison yanked out the stopper and drained the contents. + +Immediately he was running again, as a second bullet scored the granite +wall. The great blocks of apartments loomed endlessly ahead of him, +silent and alien. There were no walkers upon the streets. There was only +Dennison, running more slowly now past the immense, blank-faced +apartments. + + * * * * * + +A long black car came up behind him, its searchlight probing into doors +and alleys. Was it the police? + +"That's him!" cried the shrill, unnerving voice of one of Dennison's +pursuers. + +Dennison ducked into a narrow alley between buildings, raced down it and +into the next street. + +There were two cars on that street, at either end of the block, their +headlights shining toward each other, moving slowly to trap him in the +middle. The alley gleamed with light now, from the first car's +headlights shining down it. He was surrounded. + +Dennison raced to the nearest apartment building and yanked at the door. +It was locked. The two cars were almost even with him. And, looking at +them, Dennison remembered the unpleasant jog his memory had given him +earlier. + +The two cars were hearses. + +The men in the subway, with their solemn faces, solemn clothing, subdued +neckties, shrill, indignant voices--they had reminded him of +undertakers. They _had_ been undertakers! + +Of course! Of course! Oil companies might want to block the invention of +a cheap new fuel which could put them out of business; steel +corporations might try to stop the development of an inexpensive, +stronger-than-steel plastic ... + +And the production of an immortality serum would put the undertakers out +of business. + +His progress, and the progress of thousands of other researchers in +biology, must have been watched. And when he made his discovery, they +had been ready. + +The hearses stopped, and somber-faced, respectable-looking men in black +suits and pearl-gray neckties poured out and seized him. The briefcase +was yanked out of his hand. He felt the prick of a needle in his +shoulder. Then, with no transitional dizziness, he passed out. + + * * * * * + +He came to sitting in an armchair. There were armed men on either side +of him. In front of him stood a small, plump, undistinguished-looking +man in sedate clothing. + +"My name is Mr. Bennet," the plump man said. "I wish to beg your +forgiveness, Mr. Dennison, for the violence to which you were subjected. +We found out about your invention only at the last moment and therefore +had to improvise. The bullets were meant only to frighten and delay you. +Murder was not our intention." + +"You merely wanted to steal my discovery," Dennison said. + +"Not at all," Mr. Bennet told him. "The secret of immortality has been +in our possession for quite some time." + +"I see. Then you want to keep immortality from the public in order to +safeguard your damned undertaking business!" + +"Isn't that rather a naive view?" Mr. Bennet asked, smiling. "As it +happens, my associates and I are _not_ undertakers. We took on the +disguise in order to present an understandable motive if our plan to +capture you had misfired. In that event, others would have believed +exactly--and only--what you thought: that our purpose was to safeguard +our business." + +Dennison frowned and watchfully waited. + +"Disguises come easily to us," Mr. Bennet said, still smiling. "Perhaps +you have heard rumors about a new carburetor suppressed by the gasoline +companies, or a new food source concealed by the great food suppliers, +or a new synthetic hastily destroyed by the cotton-owning interests. +That was us. And the inventions ended up here." + +"You're trying to impress me," Dennison said. + +"Certainly." + +"Why did you stop me from patenting my immortality serum?" + +"The world is not ready for it yet," said Mr. Bennet. + +"It isn't ready for a lot of things," Dennison said. "Why didn't you +block the atom bomb?" + +"We tried, disguised as mercenary coal and oil interests. But we failed. +However, we have succeeded with a surprising number of things." + +"But what's the purpose behind it all?" + +"Earth's welfare," Mr. Bennet said promptly. "Consider what would happen +if the people were given your veritable immortality serum. The problems +of birth rate, food production, living space all would be aggravated. +Tensions would mount, war would be imminent--" + +"So what?" Dennison challenged. "That's how things are right now, +_without_ immortality. Besides, there have been cries of doom about +every new invention or discovery. Gunpowder, the printing press, +nitroglycerin, the atom bomb, they were all supposed to destroy the +race. But mankind has learned how to handle them. It had to! You can't +turn back the clock, and you can't un-discover something. If it's there, +mankind must deal with it!" + +"Yes, in a bumbling, bloody, inefficient fashion," said Mr. Bennet, with +an expression of distaste. + +"Well, that's how Man is." + +"Not if he's properly led," Mr. Bennet said. + +"No?" + + * * * * * + +"Certainly not," said Mr. Bennet. "You see, the immortality serum +provides a solution to the problem of political power. Rule by a +permanent and enlightened elite is by far the best form of government; +infinitely better than the blundering inefficiencies of democratic rule. +But throughout history, this elite, whether monarchy, oligarchy, +dictatorship or junta, has been unable to perpetuate itself. Leaders +die, the followers squabble for power, and chaos is close behind. With +immortality, this last flaw would be corrected. There would be no +discontinuity of leadership, for the leaders would always be there." + +"A permanent dictatorship," Dennison said. + +"Yes. A permanent, benevolent rule by small, carefully chosen elite +corps, based upon the sole and exclusive possession of immortality. It's +historically inevitable. The only question is, who is going to get +control first?" + +"And you think you are?" Dennison demanded. + +"Of course. Our organization is still small, but absolutely solid. It is +bolstered by every new invention that comes into our hands and by every +scientist who joins our ranks. Our time will come, Dennison! We'd like +to have you with us, among the elite." + +"You want _me_ to join you?" Dennison asked, bewildered. + +"We do. Our organization needs creative scientific minds to help us in +our work, to help us save mankind from itself." + +"Count me out," Dennison said, his heart beating fast. + +"You won't join us?" + +"I'd like to see you all hanged." + +Mr. Bennet nodded thoughtfully and pursed his small lips. "You have +taken your own serum, have you not?" + +Dennison nodded. "I suppose that means you kill me now?" + +"We don't kill," Mr. Bennet said. "We merely wait. I think you are a +reasonable man, and I think you'll come to see things our way. We'll be +around a long time. So will you. Take him away." + +Dennison was led to an elevator that dropped deep into the Earth. He was +marched down a long passageway lined with armed men. They went through +four massive doors. At the fifth, Dennison was pushed inside alone, and +the door was locked behind him. + +He was in a large, well-furnished apartment. There were perhaps twenty +people in the room, and they came forward to meet him. + +One of them, a stocky, bearded man, was an old college acquaintance of +Dennison's. + +"Jim Ferris?" + +"That's right," Ferris said. "Welcome to the Immortality Club, +Dennison." + +"I read you were killed in an air crash last year." + +"I merely--disappeared," Ferris said, with a rueful smile, "after +inventing the immortality serum. Just like the others." + +"All of them?" + +"Fifteen of the men here invented the serum independently. The rest are +successful inventors in other fields. Our oldest member is Doctor Li, a +serum discoverer, who disappeared from San Francisco in 1911. You are +our latest acquisition. Our clubhouse is probably the most carefully +guarded place on Earth." + + * * * * * + +Dennison said, "Nineteen-eleven!" Despair flooded him and he sat down +heavily in a chair. "Then there's no possibility of rescue?" + +"None. There are only four choices available to us," Ferris said. "Some +have left us and joined the Undertakers. Others have suicided. A few +have gone insane. The rest of us have formed the Immortality Club." + +"What for?" Dennison bewilderedly asked. + +"To get out of this place!" said Ferris. "To escape and give our +discoveries to the world. To stop those hopeful little dictators +upstairs." + +"They must know what you're planning." + +"Of course. But they let us live because, every so often, one of us +gives up and joins them. And they don't think we can ever break out. +They're much too smug. It's the basic defect of all power-elites, and +their eventual undoing." + +"You said this was the most closely guarded place on Earth?" + +"It is," Ferris said. + +"And some of you have been trying to break out for fifty years? Why, +it'll take forever to escape!" + +"Forever is exactly how long we have," said Ferris. "But we hope it +won't take quite that long. Every new man brings new ideas, plans. One +of them is bound to work." + +"_Forever_," Dennison said, his face buried in his hands. + +"You can go back upstairs and join them," Ferris said, with a hard note +to his voice, "or you can suicide, or just sit in a corner and go +quietly mad. Take your pick." + +Dennison looked up. "I must be honest with you and with myself. I don't +think we can escape. Furthermore, I don't think any of you really +believe we can." + +Ferris shrugged his shoulders. + +"Aside from that," Dennison said, "I think it's a damned good idea. If +you'll bring me up to date, I'll contribute whatever I can to the +Forever Project. And let's hope their complacency lasts." + +"It will," Ferris said. + + * * * * * + +The escape did not take forever, of course. In one hundred and +thirty-seven years, Dennison and his colleagues made their successful +breakout and revealed the Undertakers' Plot. The Undertakers were tried +before the High Court on charges of kidnapping, conspiracy to overthrow +the government, and illegal possession of immortality. They were found +guilty on all counts and summarily executed. + +Dennison and his colleagues were also in illegal possession of +immortality, which is the privilege only of our governmental elite. But +the death penalty was waived in view of the Immortality Club's service +to the State. + +This mercy was premature, however. After some months the members of the +Immortality Club went into hiding, with the avowed purpose of +overthrowing the Elite Rule and disseminating immortality among the +masses. Project Forever, as they termed it, has received some support +from dissidents, who have not yet been apprehended. It cannot be +considered a serious threat. + +But this deviationist action in no way detracts from the glory of the +Club's escape from the Undertakers. The ingenious way in which Dennison +and his colleagues broke out of their seemingly impregnable prison, +using only a steel belt buckle, a tungsten filament, three hens' eggs, +and twelve chemicals that can be readily obtained from the human body, +is too well known to be repeated here. + + --NED LANG + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Galaxy Science Fiction_ February 1959. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and + typographical errors have been corrected without note. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Forever, by Robert Sheckley + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOREVER *** + +***** This file should be named 29487.txt or 29487.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/4/8/29487/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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