Part 4

Excerpt: “ The chance of the possibility of saving a mans life. I rebuke you, doctor, you are taking a man’s life his right to life. You have ventured on a grand discovery, Fraunbach."

Part IV.

The following day the doctor and I attended a conference in which the procedure of McLauren’s operation was to be discussed. The panel of doctors and scientists, the International Science Relations Board, were of some of the most regarded physicians and philosophers of out time. 

It was during the time, that many of the rustics were finding it increasingly difficult to find themselves elected onto this prestigious board. I recall standing before the board, my forehead dampening with sweat, that in the panel of sixty that sat in front of us, only ten were rustics. They were much older than the others, I could speculate that after their demise, there would be no hurry in replacing them. 

I was terribly nervous, I looked to my colleague, he carried himself well. I’m sure, he was too nervous, perhaps.

Without even taking a moment to breathe, he throughly explained the concept of his invention, which raised the eyebrows of many of the men in the audience. I watched them as they listened so intently.

Now, robots are nothing new in the world of science. They are very common in the day to day lives of most everyone, except for the rustics. Human like robots, are nothing new either. 

The doctor turned to them, standing next to him a robotic body.

“ Now, gentleman. As I have explained, this microchip is not yet throughly complete. As it begins to detect the brains electrical impulses and connections it will slowly begin to duplicate it. The charge, at the same time however, will cause demise of the original cell.”

The doctors began to mutter, almost laughing. As I sat, taking a sip from my glass, why I could have thought they were laughing at us! Very few of them remained solemn during the discussion. 

I looked to Fraunbach who waved his hand before the holographic paper. He stopped short, and withdrew his hand, he brought his glasses closer to his face, he whisked his hand before his face and the paper was gone.

Fraunbach’s eyes shifted to and fro to each of the doctor’s long, and chuckling faces. His own, remained unaltered. 

An older scientist, with a protruding hunch stood up, removing his glasses“ What you are suggesting is mad, Fraunbach, mad!” 

Fraunbach’s eyes raised, “ Mad? Tell me my good sir, what is the definition of mad?” He stood his ground. 

The old doctor trembled, he rubbed his hand over one another, “ T-to suggest..”

A wind of energy seized upon Fraunbach, “ I’m not suggesting, I’m making a proposition.”

A middle aged colleague with a long, bushy mustache furled at the ends shifted in his stance, “Ethics, Vaughn, just because a scientist, a man of higher reasoning and understanding is capable of doing so, it does not entitle him to precipitate it upon the earth...” The gentleman lost his bearings, “ The chance of the possibility of saving a mans life. I rebuke you doctor, you are taking a man’s life his right to life. You have ventured on a grand discovery, Fraunbach. Yet by this operation, you risk his life.”

Fraunbach held his hand to his chin, he chortled at the gentleman’s fault. “ That is so.” Fraunbach cleared his throat, “ Would it not then be considerable to ponder that it may be also as reproachable to chance of taking away a man’s right to death? He will die otherwise.” 

The men sat gazing in wonder towards the Doctor.

Fraunbach rubbed his chin. His eyes glistened, he could see he was gaining the upper hand. He cleared his throat, “ Yes, gentlemen. This man has been living for two hundred and twenty five years, what any good is he? A man can live comfortably, ‘er let say one hundred years. What any good is he after then? This man in particular, what good has he done for his fellow man? He does nothing. He doesn’t have an occupation, he has simply become a vegetable, a vegetable that lays and reproduces more young to live in a grotesquely over populated world. There is no politer way for me to put it, gentlemen. He has, and is living past one hundred years, attributing nothing to the betterment of mankind, yet reaping all of its rewards.”

One doctor, with long, dark sideburns shifted in his seat. “ Doctor, if you go through with this you will risk taking a man’s life away. I do not know if we can allow that.”

I watched Fraunbach lower his eyes, they burned with such a fury, such a passion, flickering by the fire of the torches.