The Methuselarity Transformation Read Free Page B

uncertain day in the future when the exchange would take place? The unknown partner in this transaction would have the benefit of the Methuselarity Transformation as well as the use of the fifty million dollars that Ray had paid for the privilege of the exchange. Ray hoped that he would use his newfound wealth wisely to build a worthwhile life. Sudden wealth proves fleeting for so many. Ray didn’t want to begin his new life destitute.
    So much had changed in the few days since the stunning redhead with the emerald eyes had first approached him. He’d been on a rare excursion beyond the safe confines of his home in order to conduct business that could only be done in person. She’d waited for such an opportunity so that their meeting could remain secret from Ray’s wife Lena. Absolute secrecy was an essential ingredient of the bargain that they were about to strike. She’d been watching the entrance to his home when he returned and had approached him quickly as he emerged from the car.
    “Mr. Mettler,” Terra began, “I have a proposition for you that will change your life. I need about an hour of your time.”
    “Not interested,” Ray replied, waving her away and charging for the door. “I don’t like solicitations.”
    “This isn’t an ordinary offer, Mr. Mettler,” she persisted, keeping pace. “You’ve been carefully selected for this opportunity. I’m sure you’ll find it worth your while.”
    “Then message me later when I’m back inside. I’ve spent too much time out here already.”
    “Not possible. I can only discuss this offer face-to-face. It requires utmost confidentiality. Not even your wife can know about it. We can have the conversation now or I’ll move on to the next candidate. My car is waiting over there.” She laid one hand on his shoulder and pointed to a red hovercar parked fifty feet away.
    Ray stopped short of the door and turned to face her. Whether it was her extraordinary beauty or her direct approach, she had his attention. His guard was for the moment down.
    “Would you at least give me some idea what it’s about?”
    “It’s about your life, Mr. Mettler. You’ve spent most of it doing everything you can to avoid dying.” She paused to let her words sink in. “We can change that.”
    “You mean cure my fear? You provide some sort of treatment?”
    “Better...much better.” She held out a hand. “Let’s go for a ride.”
    Ray was hooked. The man who trusted nobody and made every decision in his life with meticulous caution was about to get into a car with a complete stranger without any idea what was going to happen next. For all he knew, he was about to be kidnapped or murdered. He took her hand and let her lead him to the car. She let him in on the passenger side, then took her seat behind the wheel. The car lifted off the ground and glided down the road.
    “I represent a kind of think tank, Mr. Mettler,” Terra began once they were underway, “a secret organization that has been working on the problem of immortality.”
    “You mean like the Methuselarity Transformation?”
    “That’s part of it, but as you know the Transformation only works for the young. We are working on bringing immortality to everyone, even to the very old.”
    “So you do medical research? You’re looking for test subjects?”
    “Test subjects, yes,” Terra replied, “But it’s not exactly a medical problem. We work in the area of cognitive migration.”
    “Moving mental contents?” Ray had heard about experiments designed to convert mental contents into digital form. The problem was that the hybrid that resulted between man and machine could evoke the intelligence of the person, but not manifest his consciousness. While the structure of artificial intelligence was coming close to emulating the architecture of the nervous system, identity seemed to reside in the unique network of interconnections within each person’s brain. Replicating the map in a non-living entity