Escape from Paradise

Chapter 15: The Conflict

Larry's eyes remained stuck on the record for its duration while William's danced between the hologram and Larry. Williams stare paused on Larry whenever the man knitted his brows, scratched his head, leaned forward, or did anything else out of the ordinary.

In the hologram, the two deformed copies of Larry and Jessie sat by the table. She turned a few pages of the thick book, then stabbed her finger at a graph in a page, and turned the book around so that Larry could see it.

"Is this correct?" she asked.

Without glancing at her tense finger, Larry replied, "Everything in this book is correct."

With a hoarse voice and coughs which interrupted every sentence or two, Jessie said, "My knowledge of computer science is quite limited but I find it strange that you are capable of putting so much information into such a small space. I won't attempt to hide my skepticism about your project, Mr. Smith. I am not yet convinced that I should put my trust in you, but I have no other choice. As you know, I am running out of time."

"I'm not a big fan of your space program project either. I think it is a bit too narrow-minded," Larry said coldly.

"I hope it isn't too late to fix this shortcoming. Our meeting should be proof that I've been trying to broaden my scope." No hint of frustration in Jessie's face, almost as if Larry's provocation had passed her unnoticed, she continued, "For the last few years I've been running in circles. I don't have the luxury to continue doing that. Even though the information isn't public, you must already have learned that I am constantly failing to teleport a fully functioning human subject. No matter how we tune our instruments or how detailed scan we do, their memories are lost and brain functions distorted along the way to the other side. I've explored all possible venues, spent sleepless months on new theories, done numerous terrible experiments to check them. Nothing works. That's the reason I contacted you. I need your help."

Larry said, "I understand the inevitability to combine our two projects into one but still I can hardly see myself helping you. No matter how I tried, and I did try with all my heart, I couldn't forget, nor forgive you for your famous speech at the Extraordinary Science Assembly. Why would a person with such power as yours condemn the hard work of an insignificant student? I never wanted the publicity you gave me. Do you remember what you said? You said that no human mind should ever be transferred onto a digital network as it defies all laws of nature. You said that what I did were scam and pseudoscience. You said that humans should not look for cheap alternatives such as a life in a box when they can conquer space. Look where we are now. I find our current positions very amusing. You asking my help is a great example of irony."

"I'm not proud of what I did to you and I sincerely apologize. I have apologized publicly for my misjudgment quite a few times. I am capable of mistakes just like anyone else."

"Are you?" Larry asked rhetorically. He directed his intense gaze from the old woman to the thick book. "Everything inside it is truth based on experiments. My lab can synthesize diamonds which we use to create processors of 1k q-bits that can operate in room temperature. Variations of these diamonds can also be used for memory storage on the quantum level. A stone this large–" Larry showed an egg-sized gap with his thumb and index finger. – "can store a human memory, computational power and perhaps even the consciousness. All test results and mathematical proofs are in the book. The diamonds are relatively cheap, anyone who meets legal conditions can enter my box. I believe my brain scans are similar to the body scans you do to your astronauts. To capture and transfer every detail of the human mind, we use excessive radiation which causes instant and painless death for the subject. All our subjects must meet conditions for euthanasia."

"We're both death dealers at the moment, aren't we? We're not so different." Jessie said noticing no change in Larry's hard-as-stone facial expression. She continued, "Teleportation and your transmutation of human mind pose the great philosophical question. What do you think is the answer?"