diff options
Diffstat (limited to '30763.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 30763.txt | 819 |
1 files changed, 819 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/30763.txt b/30763.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e66d21 --- /dev/null +++ b/30763.txt @@ -0,0 +1,819 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Am I Still There?, by James R. Hall + +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: Am I Still There? + +Author: James R. Hall + +Illustrator: Leo Summers + +Release Date: December 26, 2009 [EBook #30763] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AM I STILL THERE? *** + + + + +Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction September + 1963. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. + + + + AM I STILL THERE? + + + Which must in essence, of course, + simply be the question "What do I + mean by 'I'?" + + + by JAMES R. HALL + + + ILLUSTRATED BY LEO SUMMERS + + [Illustration] + + * * * * * + + + + +Lee slid off the examining table and began buttoning his shirt. He had +had a medical examination every six months of his adult life, and it +always seemed strange to him that, despite the banks of machines the +doctor had which could practically map a man from a single cell +outward, each examination always entailed the cold end of a +stethoscope against his chest. + +He tucked his shirt into his pants and turned to the examining doctor +who was writing on a chart. + +"Well?" Lee asked him. + +"Sound as a dollar," replied the doctor. "Of course Dr. Flotman or Dr. +Roberts might turn up something on their electronic monsters, but I +see no reason why we can't go ahead on schedule." + +Lee felt relieved. Even while being examined by technicians, M.D.'s +and biologists, he had been conscious of the hundreds of little dull +pains which had nibbled like mice in every corner of his brain. +Sometimes he felt like a piece of his brain was being completely +smothered, a horrible sensation of having a part of his head severed +from him. This would go away, but would appear again in a different +area, usually in about fifteen to thirty minutes. Well, the doctor +said he was fit for surgery. That would end this nagging pain, just as +it always had in the past. + +"... If you're ready now." Lee became aware the doctor was speaking to +him. + +"Oh," Lee said. He had no idea what the doctor was talking about. "I'm +sorry, I guess I didn't hear what you said--" + +The doctor smiled tolerantly. "I said you can see Dr. Letzmiller this +afternoon to get the final O.K." + +"Letzmiller? Who's he? I thought you said I was ready to go." Lee knew +he sounded a little petulant, but he was tired from all these +examinations, and besides, his head hurt. + +The doctor, Gorss, Lee thought his name was, was rather young but +seemed used to this kind of thing. He turned on his tolerant smile +again. "Dr. Letzmiller is chief of the Familiarization and +Post-Operative Adjustment Section. He can explain himself better when +you see him." + +"Is he the last one?" Lee asked. He was already following Dr. Gorss +out the door and down a corridor. + +Dr. Gorss stopped before a door marked "Dr. C. L. Letzmiller," and +opened it. "The last one. You take these," he handed Lee a thick +manila folder, "and tell the girl Dr. Gorss sent you for your +interview." He waited until Lee had entered, then closed the door and +left. + + * * * * * + +Evidently Dr. Letzmiller had been expecting him, for very shortly Lee +found himself sitting at the doctor's desk, comfortably seated in a +brown leather armchair. He was facing a rather pudgy man, who was +leafing through the manila folder Lee had given him. Finally Dr. +Letzmiller looked up. + +"Well. Well now, Mr. Lee, suppose you first tell me about yourself, +and then I'll tell you about me." + +"Tell you about me?" Lee asked. + +Dr. Letzmiller smiled. It was another tolerant smile, but it seemed +more sincere than Gorss'. "I suppose the best way would be for me to +review these facts on your medical history. You are Vincent Bonard +Lee?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Date of birth?" + +"August 11, 1934." + +"That would make you four hundred nine years old." + +Lee hesitated. He never really thought of his age. It had long ago +ceased to be of any importance to him. Of course he remembered his +birth date. It was one of those facts that always appears on your +records, like your social security number. He did some calculation in +his head, as rapidly as the constantly shifting blank spots in his +thinking would allow him. + +"Yes, sir." + +"It shows here that you first underwent replacive surgery in 1991. +Correct?" + +"Yes." + +"Remember what it was for?" + +"Yes, I had heart trouble. They fixed me up with one of those big jobs +requiring my carrying batteries under my armpit." + +"One of those early models. And this shows that at various times since +then you have undergone replacive surgery some eighty-seven times, +including three replacements of a pulmonary nature." + +Again Lee hesitated. The number of times he had had a worn organ or +tissue repaired or replaced was more than a little hazy. After the +novelty of the first few times when he found himself with a new +stomach, or liver, or muscle, he had started to take these things as a +matter of course. He gave a little nervous laugh. "If that paper says +so, I suppose so, doctor." + +"Yes. Well, everything seems to be functioning properly now, doesn't +it? With the exception of your head, of course." + +"Yes, yes I feel fine otherwise." Lee was feeling uncomfortable. +"Doctor, could you tell me what this is all about? I must have +answered these questions half a dozen times before to those other +people." + +"In just a moment. First I need to know you a little better. Your +medical history lists your occupation as 'cabinet maker'." + +"That's right." Lee was becoming more and more uncomfortable. The +extensive examinations had tired him, and repetition of the answers to +all these questions was making him edgy. + +"Doctor, can't you at least tell me what type operation I'm going to +have?" + +"What do you think it will be?" + +"I don't know. Some sort of repair on my head, I guess." + +"Mr. Lee, this isn't going to be a matter of repair. We have found it +necessary to replace the entirety of what could roughly be called +your 'brain', as well as part of the spinal cord." + +"My whole brain?" Lee sat, stunned, comprehension slowly filtering +into him. He voiced the only coherent thought which materialized. "Why +that will mean there won't be anything left of me at all." + +Dr. Letzmiller regarded him. "What do you mean?" + +"Doc, you've got my records there. At one time or another, since they +first put a new heart in me, every single inch of me has been replaced +by an artificial part. I mean all of me. There's not one bit of me, +heart, eyes, toenails, _nothing_, that is _me_. That bothered me quite +a bit when this left eye was put in. I mean I thought, 'Well, this +isn't me. This is my brain walking around in a jumble of artificial +flesh.' I tell you it bothered me. But I went to a doctor, you know, a +psychoanalyst, and he convinced me that as long as I had what he +called a 'sense of identity', that I was me." Lee stopped. How could +he explain it? + +But Letzmiller seemed to understand. "And you think that your brain is +all that is left of 'you'?" + +"Doc, it's a funny feeling. Like this." Lee raised his hands, brought +them together and touched his fingertips. "See that? I can raise those +hands. I can make them touch each other. I can feel them touching each +other. But it is just not quite right. It's just a little bit off key, +like one trumpet player out of twenty being about one-sixteenth of a +note flat. Know what I mean?" + +"I think I do," said Letzmiller, nodding slowly. "Now, just what does +that have to do with your operation?" + +"Doctor--" Lee had to stop, for the patchwork quilt of blank spaces +was dancing in his head. The helplessness went away, slowly, like +smoke drifting from a fire. As his mind cleared, he realized that he +didn't know why he was being interviewed by this doctor. + +"Anything wrong?" Dr. Letzmiller asked. + +Lee knew he wasn't being too coherent, jumping about with the +conversation this way, but he asked the question, anyway. "Doc, why am +I seeing you?" + +"You haven't guessed?" + +"No." + +The doctor paused to light a half-gone cigar. "My job here at Merkins +Replacive is to deal with just such fears as you have expressed. I'm +an M.D. and a psychologist, and"--Letzmiller smiled to himself--"a +kind of historian." + +"Historian?" + +"Well, you see I was supposed to give you the regular formal lecture +on the history of replacive surgery when you first came in. Like to +hear it?" + +Lee nodded, so Letzmiller continued. "Replacive surgery is actually +quite old. Old as medicine itself, I suppose. Very early attempts at +dentures were tried, though with little success. And, of course, peg +legs and hooks for persons who had lost their hands might be called +replacive surgery, though they were very crude. Later on came more +refined dentures, artificial limbs, corrective lenses, skull plates, +hearing aids, plastic or cosmetic surgery, blood transfusions, all +types of skin grafts, et cetera. + +"The 1950s saw the beginning of bone and corneal transplants, use of +plastics in arteries, those huge heart-lung and kidney machines, +implantation of electrodes in the heart to steady its beat--many +things which were mostly emergency or stop-gap measures. All through +the late 1900s refinements continued to be made, but it wasn't until +1988 that the fathers of replacive surgery, Doctors Mills, Levinson +and McCarty made the breakthrough that revolutionized the whole +concept. In very simplified language they unlocked the key to +producing specialized living tissue through a bombardment of an +extremely complex carbon compound with amino acids and electricity, +then making it selective in function by a fantastically intricate +application of radiation. + +"That pulmonary replacement you received in 1991 was undoubtedly one +of the first successes. You were quite lucky, you know. Up until 2017, +only about five per cent of their synthesized hearts lasted more than +thirty days. At any rate, the principle was established, and it was +proven that it could work. Most of our work from then till a few years +ago has been in improving and refining the work those three good +doctors did over three hundred years ago." + +Letzmiller's cigar had gone out, and he discarded it in favor of a +cigarette. "That would be the end of my history lecture, if it were +not for the nature of your trouble." + +Lee looked at him closely. "Why's that?" + +"Well, Mr. Lee, the big thing missing in that summation is the +seemingly impossible task of synthesizing nerve tissue, especially +that of the cerebral cortex. It's been approximated, at any rate +closely enough to give us good enough results to allow an artificial +tissue to respond to brain signals about ninety-eight per cent as well +as the original would. But actual duplication? No. At least not until +about three years ago. To tell you the truth, it is barely out of the +experimental stage." + +"Experimental!" + + * * * * * + +"Yes, this will be the first complete replacement of a human brain. +Oh, of course it has been done with animals, and it has been +successful with partial replacements on humans. But you will have the +honor of being the first human with a complete substitution." + +Lee could not contain himself. "Doc, that's just it! There won't be a +single atom of me except what you fellows have conjured up--" + +Letzmiller broke in mildly. "I think 'conjured' is hardly the proper +word, Mr. Lee." + +"Well, of course, I didn't mean that. But don't you see what I'm +driving at? You could just as well start from scratch and duplicate me +without bothering about going about it piecemeal. And what does that +make me?" + +The doctor had been looking at Lee intently, studying him through this +outburst. "I think I see what you mean. And I can't answer you. The +question you raise may be philosophical, or metaphysical, but it +certainly isn't medical. And from a doctor's point of view complete +substitution is the only course open, risky as it may seem." + +Lee mulled this over. Of course he knew surgery was the only solution +to his decaying mentality, actually the only alternative to his +becoming a virtual idiot, and, shortly after that, dead. And he did +not want to die. He had lived a long time, but thanks to the methods +of Letzmiller, Gorss, and all their predecessors, he was as full of +juice as he had been at thirty-five. But the question that kept +plaguing him Letzmiller seemed determined to avoid. He didn't +understand very much about replacive surgery, really didn't care to. +If Letzmiller said it could work, then he wasn't worried about that. +Well, he guessed he really didn't have much choice. With this +realization, he had only one more question for Letzmiller. + +"Doc, if I'm not me when this is over, do you think I'll know it?" + +Letzmiller looked at Lee's troubled face. "Do you think that you would +want to?" + +Lee answered slowly. "No, no I guess not." + +Letzmiller rose from his chair. "I'll talk to you again after the +operation. Do you think you're ready to go to your room now?" + +Lee nodded and obediently followed the doctor. + + * * * * * + +Lee was asleep when the nurse came, but with the efficiency of all +good nurses since time immemorial, she woke him to give him the +sedative to prepare him for surgery. She chattered brightly as she +prepared the hypodermic. + +"You know, you have all the nurses speculating, Mr. Lee. I mean we're +wondering just what Dr. Lakin, he's the anesthesiologist, is going to +use for you when you won't have any brain for the anesthesia to work +on." She stopped, the needle poised above Lee's arm, realizing the +inaptness of her remark. "Oh. I shouldn't have said that." + +"No, that's all right," said Lee. "I've already reconciled myself to +being the headless horseman for a while." He had, too, although it was +wonderfully strange to think of himself lying on the operating table +with a cavity where he right now thought, felt, knew that he was a +person. + + * * * * * + +Lee didn't actually lie on the table in the literal sense. The table +was inclined to about forty-five degrees, with his head exposed and +supported by a clamp on the cheek and jaw bones. This arrangement was +necessary to allow the waiting machinery access to the area where it +would perform. + +Physicians, surgeons, biologists and the like were gathered in the +amphitheater to see a bit of medical history. Actually there wasn't +much to see. A team of technicians, radiologists and surgeons were +working around Lee. Some were attaching electrodes to parts of Lee's +body to maintain the electrical impulses necessary to keep his vital +processes in motion while the main switchboard was out of commission. +Others were sensitizing the exposed brain, from which the skull had +already been removed, to guide the delicate fingers of the huge +automatic Operating, Recording and Calculating Complex through its +precisely programmed steps. + +Letzmiller was among those in the amphitheater, as a spectator, drawn +both by professional curiosity and a desire to know the answer to +Lee's question, "Doc, what will there be left of me?" Of course he +couldn't find out even part of the answer for some weeks. Even the ORC +complex, now being fitted to Lee's unconscious brain, adjusted and +activated, would not finish with its job for something like thirty-two +hours. + +The synthesizer would reconvert the data, translate it into countless +chemical and electrical formulae, and apply it to the raw material of +carbons, amino acids, proteins, and other components. When the basic +organ had been reconstructed, a process requiring another week and a +half in the synthesizer, it would be grafted back. The nerve lead-ins +would then be reconnected, one by one, spaced at intervals to avoid +shock. Lee would be unconscious the whole time, of course. Or rather +Lee would be unconscious part of the time. Most of the time he +wouldn't have the capacity for either consciousness or the lack of it. + +Dr. Letzmiller observed the huge ORC complex for a time, but there +wasn't anything to see. It simply sat over Lee, doing its job. +Unwanted, the thought came to Letzmiller that the machine looked like +a frog with a long worm dangling from its mouth. Lee was the worm. + + * * * * * + +"You can talk to him now, doctor." Oldenreid, Surgeon in Charge, +addressed Letzmiller outside Lee's room where he had just finished his +examination. "Personally, I think things went exactly as they should. +All physical and mental responses check out. I guess here's where I'm +finished and you go to work." + +Lee was sitting up in bed as Letzmiller entered. He looked just like +he had in Letzmiller's office before the operation, except for the +small white bandages around his head to protect his healing skull. +"Well," the doctor said, "how do you feel? Your head hurt?" + + * * * * * + +Letzmiller checked at Oldenreid's office, and was admitted to give his +report, as had been planned. + +"Well?" asked Oldenreid. + +Letzmiller lit the end of his cigar before answering. "I wholly agree +with you. Everything seems to have worked out exactly according to +plan. I found him essentially the same as he appeared to me during his +pre-operative interview. Of course he's a little foggy yet, but I +suppose that's just the post-operative shock." + +"Yes, that will clear up in a few days." + +"He seems alert, responsive, full memory. I don't think there will be +any difficulty with my part of his post-operative treatment. Except-- + +"Doctor, have you ever listened to a group of violins and sensed, just +sensed, not actually heard, that one of them seemed about a quarter of +a note flat?" + +Oldenreid looked at him strangely as Letzmiller left the office and +closed the door. + + * * * * * + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Am I Still There?, by James R. Hall + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AM I STILL THERE? *** + +***** This file should be named 30763.txt or 30763.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/0/7/6/30763/ + +Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, 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. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +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 + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |