THE GUIDE E-Book

Serhii Yakovenko

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

In the house of an elderly, dying-from-sarcoma oligarch Silin, an unusual guest arrives. He introduces himself as a professor of neurobiology and offers to transplant the old man's consciousness into a young clone. However, there is a catch: during the transplantation, donors experience monstrous, hellish pain that no one can endure. No one, except for the conduit - a free human consciousness that once lost its own body. To make everything work, the conduit's consciousness will have to be implanted into Silin's brain...

Leseprobe

Serhii Yakovenko

THE GUIDE

BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

Absoluta mortiferum

– You have a lovely home, Mr. Silin.

The professor smiled. It was hard to call this smile ingratiating. It was far too endearing to its possessor. Vadim also noted the flawless English. In his eighty-four years, he had conducted enough business negotiations with foreigners to learn how to discern accents. This Chinese man definitely ranked at the top of his personal hit parade of English-speaking Asians.

Thoughts raced through his head like a soundless draft. Silin did not reciprocate the compliment. Instead, he rasped with his vocal cords, clearing his throat, and said:

– I've done far too much to have a house like this.

He spoke slowly. Due to the constant cough that had been plaguing him more and more in recent weeks, his voice rustled like the wind in dry grass. It was from this rustling that the words took shape.

The professor smiled again and gave a barely noticeable nod. A knowing, demonstrative smile.

Vadim did not like to give his opponents the initiative in negotiations, especially if he was not the one initiating them, but a complete stranger. This was exactly the case with Professor Din. Therefore, as soon as the Chinese man opened his mouth to say something, Silin immediately stopped him, slightly raising his gnarled hand.

– Before you start talking, Professor, I'd like to make my position clear. Perhaps after that, you won't even have to waste my time, which is far too precious to be squandered needlessly. In recent years, I'm not a fan of unnecessary formalities, so listen to what I have to say. – Silin coughed and continued. – Your visit to this house is nothing more than a tribute to my love for my own daughter, who persuaded me to have this meeting. Lately, she has fancied herself as my personal benefactor. That tends to happen when one gets closer to their inheritance.

Silin slowly raised a glass of water from the table with his trembling hand, brought it to his mouth, and, barely avoiding spilling it, took a small sip. The Chinese man patiently waited for him to continue.

– I am eighty-four years old, Professor. I have achieved everything I aspired to in this life, and what I haven't achieved, I probably never will, so I no longer strive for it. My main concern today is to control my own bladder, so as not to drown in a puddle of my own excrement. When you're over eighty and you have half the world in your pocket, time becomes the only scarce commodity. So, if you have something to offer a man like me, offer it straightforwardly; my forehead is strong, it can handle it. But if you came to ask for money or want to save my immortal soul through repentance, you better stand up and leave right away before you get thrown out by force. Don't tempt fate, that's my advice to you. Otherwise, the debt you will incur here for minutes of preludes and compliments will cause a hiccup for a very long time.

Silin looked at his guest and, not without surprise, noted the dignity with which he swallowed the blatant rudeness. The smile, which had been restrained and barely noticeable, broadened, revealing perfect, snow-white teeth.

– If everything is as you say, Mr. Silin, if time is the only value for you, then my offer is the only one that can interest you.

He paused again, and for another time, provoked irritation in Vadim. The professor noticed this and nodded understandingly.

– I want to offer you time, Mr. Silin.

– If Vadim could have stood up and walked away on his own, he would have done so. But after the stroke he had suffered a year ago, his legs did not obey, and rolling away in a wheelchair in front of this man was beneath his dignity. Mustering his strength, Silin extinguished the flash of anger and, not even understanding why, he explained:

– You haven't listened well, Professor. The house you are in belongs to one of the wealthiest people on the planet. In this house work the best specialists… I emphasize – the best specialists in their fields! Even the caretaker who wipes my backside does it better than all the caretakers in the world combined. Need I say that the medical equipment that fills this house is also the best, most modern, and for the most part – exclusive. Even the internal organs that are periodically transplanted to me right here in my home are taken from the best donors in the world. I can afford that! And now a man, whose name I learn a day before the meeting, and neither I nor anyone else knows that name at all… comes in and claims that he can give me… time?

Judging by a timid gesture, the Chinese man intended to object, but Vadim did not give him a chance to say a word.

– So far, you've only been taking away time. And you have taken enough not to waste it on farewells. You're free to go, Professor!

Silin pressed the call button on the armrest of his chair. The entrance door to the negotiation room opened, and a female figure in a snow-white uniform appeared in the doorway.

Vadim, without looking at his guest and being sure that the conversation was over, gestured for him to be wheeled out of the room. But the professor, as if not noticing what was happening, continued to speak. This time his voice sounded firmer.

– It would be more appropriate, Mr. Silin, if our conversation were to remain strictly confidential. Without outsiders.

– The conversation is over! – Vadim shouted in Russian, and added in English: – There is nothing for me to discuss with you!

– Believe me, it's in your best interest. As I said earlier, I'm going to make you an offer that could be the only… profitable one for you. And when I say "profitable," I'm significantly understating, trust me. Anticipating your thoughts, I'll say that it's not about life support equipment or even medicine. And it's certainly not about spiritual practices or pseudosciences. I want to talk to you about the latest, very specific scientific achievements in genetics and neurobiology, but to discuss the details, we must speak exclusively face-to-face. I assure you, it will take me just a minute to pique your interest. Just one minute, and you'll have to apologize for… this rudeness.

Silin almost jumped out of his wheelchair. He definitely did not expect such impudence from his interlocutor. But it was not the Chinese man's audacity that pushed him to the next step, but the confident calm with which he spoke. Holding back his anger, Vadim gestured for the caretaker to leave and, without saying a word, stared at his guest.

The professor nodded in satisfaction, took out a large smartphone from his pocket, made a few gestures on the screen, and handed the device to the old man. Vadim's eyesight was still passable, so he could easily see what was happening on the screen.

The Chinese man played a video. A naked body of a young man appeared on the screen. Numerous wires and tubes with fluids running through them were connected to his head, torso, and limbs. At first, Silin thought it was just a corpse lying on a pathologist's dissecting table, but upon closer inspection, he saw the young man's chest rise and fall with regular breaths. The camera operator slowly moved to the lying man's feet, circled around them, and continued towards the head from the other side. Now Vadim could see medical devices and computers similar to those in his own operating room. Some indicators were displayed on their screens, but he could not make them out anymore.

– What is this? – Silin asked with a hint of disgusted disdain.

– I mentioned one minute, Mr. Silin. Twenty seconds left.

Vadim snorted and stared at the screen of the extended smartphone again.

The camera operator brought the lens close to the face of the lying man, filming a close-up. Now it was easy to see even the pores on his cheeks and nose. And Silin watched. The professor, in turn, kept his eyes on the millionaire's face, which now reflected a mixture of horror, surprise, and delight.

Finally, Silin realized who the man in the video was. He even began to vaguely guess what kind of offer the Chinese man had been insisting on until now, but the emotions he was now experiencing from this realization made it impossible to even inhale, let alone ask questions.

The video stopped exactly at the sixtieth second. Only the screen saver remained – a close-up of a smoothly shaved male face. Silin felt that he would lose consciousness if he did not breathe. The professor put the smartphone on the table, got up from his chair, and handed Vadim some water. Silin took a sip, barely holding onto the glass.

Coughing, he looked at the professor. As if nothing had happened, the man sat back down in his chair and broke into his silly half-smile. Although, this time the smile didn't seem silly to Silin anymore. Now it clearly showed cunning and innuendo. Vadim looked at the Chinese man as if he were a messenger from the devil, come with an offer to sell his soul to his master.

– What is this? – Silin croaked, pointing with a trembling finger at the smartphone.

– You understood correctly, Mr. Silin. This is your clone. A fully-fledged young organism. More precisely, an exact copy of your body at the age of twenty-one. Although, that's not entirely true either. Even at that age, you definitely had some health problems. Not critical, like now… I'm talking about sarcoma, in case you haven't realized yet. But something like gastritis or athlete's foot could have been bothering you at that age. This body, – the professor pointed at the smartphone screen, – has no such flaws and cannot have them. It is perfect. Just as mother nature intended when you were conceived… Even better!

– But how?

– Genetics doesn't stand still if you're talking about the technology… umm… of production.

– Nonsense! – Silin flared up. – I am well-informed about the latest achievements in genetic engineering! I personally finance entire projects in this field! Nobody in the world does anything like this! The most they've achieved is cloning that unfortunate sheep and a couple of hundred mice that die like… mice. Moreover, human cloning is prohibited at the international level by the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Human Dignity!

– I didn't mention confidentiality for no reason, Mr. Silin. That's one of the reasons…

– How could you create a copy of me without genetic material? – Vadim interrupted.

– Without material – no way, – maintaining a stone-cold composure, the professor spread his hands.

– Then where did you get it?

The Chinese man smiled broadly.

– Apparently, you were mistaken when you said that only the best specialists in the world work for you. Or you could phrase it differently: sometimes the best can work not only for you. You can consider them traitors. Although, in your case, this "betrayal" is quite capable of giving you a new life, so it's hardly worth calling them such an unworthy word.

– I don't understand… You stole my genes?

– Stole? Hardly. This is more like an exchange. We took your used, spent genetic material, and now we're ready to give you a new body in return. That's all. In my opinion, a very profitable deal. Theft works differently, doesn't it?

– I can even guess when exactly…

– It's not hard to guess – you had organs transplanted…

The professor shrugged, emphasizing the obviousness of Silin's guess, who still couldn't take his eyes off the smartphone screen, even though it had long since gone out. After pondering for half a minute, Vadim finally paid attention to the Chinese man.

– And what's in it for me, exactly? There is a body, but the pancreatic sarcoma is not in it, but in me. Gland transplantation is impossible even from such an ideal donor as my own clone.

– I'm not talking about organ transplantation, Mr. Silin. I'm talking about consciousness transplantation.

Vadim stopped breathing again. This time not from surging emotions, but because all his nature was busily turning thoughts in his head. Having digested what he had heard a little, he dared to ask for clarification.

– You suggest transferring my consciousness to a cloned body?

– Into a young cloned body. A perfect body without flaws and diseases. A body grown in a lab in your image and likeness, down to the papillary pattern of your fingertips' skin. Even the tiny birthmark near the fourth vertebra has the same shape and size as yours. I'm not offering to give you another life, Mr. Silin. Essentially, I'm offering you eternal life. Nothing prevents you from transferring consciousness to the next clone after this one ages, gets injured, or becomes ill.

The satisfied smile on the professor's face was no longer irritating. What he was saying didn't quite fit in the head yet, but it definitely changed everything if it was true…

– But how?! – Silin exclaimed for the second time, not finding words for clarification. – How are you going to do this?

– Transplant consciousness? Oh, don't worry! – the professor allowed himself to lean back in the chair and even threw one leg over the other. His primness was gone in an instant. Now he definitely felt in control. – It's a well-established technology. We've been doing this for nine years already.

– Nine years? You've been cloning people for nine years?

– Of course, not… We've been cloning longer. But transferring consciousness – yes, nine years. And not just people, but the best people, Mr. Silin. The most deserving.

– I don't doubt it, – Vadim barely whispered, staring blankly somewhere to the side. – And what do you want in return?

– What you will lose anyway if you refuse my offer.