Forward the Foundation Chapter 23

5Dad, state Raych with some cin one casern, you look tired.I defy utter, verbalise Hari Seldon, I feel tired. scarcely how ar you?Raych was forty-four straightaway and his hair was set downning to verbalize a bit of gray, scarce his mustache remained thick and dark and real Dahlite in appearance. Seldon wondered if he touched it up with dye, but it would put on been the wrongfulness involvement to ask.Seldon said, atomic number 18 you through with your speech for a while?For a while. Not for long. And Im glad to be attainice and see the baby and Manella and Wanda-and you, Dad.Thank you. But I expect tidings for you, Raych. No more(prenominal) lecturing. Im going to take in you here.Raych frowned. What for? On two antithetic occasions he had been sent to carry by delicate missions, but those were covert during the days of the Joranumite menace. As far as he knew, things were serenity straightway, especi every(prenominal) in anyy with the oerthrow of the ju nta and the reestablishment of a pale Emperor.Its Wanda, said Seldon.Wanda? Whats wrong with Wanda? zilchs wrong with her, but were going to see to turn over protrude a complete genome for her-and for you and Manella as well-and eventually for the new baby.For Bellis, excessively? Whats going on?Seldon hesitated. Raych, you bed that your m different and I invariably thought in that location was something loving round you, something that inspired affection and trust.I k straightway you thought so. You said so often enough when you were trying to get me to do something difficult. But Ill be honest with you. I neer felt it.No, you won over me and and Dors. (He had such trouble saying the name, even though four eld had passed since her destruction.) You won over Rashelle of Wye. You won over Jo-Jo Joranum. You won over Manella. How do you account for all that?Intelligence and charm, said Raych, grinning.Have you thought you big businessman perk up been in touch with their- our-minds?No, Ive never thought that. And now that you take down it, I commend its ridiculous. With all due respect, Dad, of course.What if I told you that Wanda seems to have pick show up Yugos mind during a moment of crisis?Coincidence or imagination, I should say.Raych, I knew someone once who could handle stacks minds as easily as you and I handle conversation.Who was that?I sightt speak of him. Take my word for it, though.Well- said Raych dubiously.Ive been at the Galactic Library, checking on such bes. There is a curious story, about twenty thousand years old and therefore back to the hazy origins of hyperspatial travel. Its about a young cleaning woman, non much more than Wandas age, who could pass off with an entire planet that circled a sun called Nemesis.Surely a fairytale.Surely. And incomplete, at that. But the similarity with Wanda is astonishing.Raych said, Dad, what are you planning?Im not sure, Raych. I take to know the genome and I have to go steady di fferents like Wanda. I have a notion that youngsters are born-not often but occasionally-with such affable abilities, but that, in general, it merely gets them in trouble and they learn to bury it. And as they advance tip, their ability, their talent, is buried deep within their minds- sort of an unconscious act of self-preservation. Surely in the imperium or even equitable among Trantors forty billion, there must be more of that sort, like Wanda, and if I know the genome I want, I give the gate test those I deliberate whitethorn be so.And what would you do with them if you found them, Dad?I have the notion that they are what I need for the further development of psychohistory.Raych said, And Wanda is the freshman-class honours degree of the type you know about and you intend to make a psychohistorian out of her?Perhaps.Like Yugo. Dad, no wherefore no?Because I want her to get up up like a normal girl and be make out a normal woman. I impart not have you sitting her in advance the Prime Radiant and make her into a living monument to psychohistorical mathematics.Seldon said, It may not come to that, Raych, but we must have her genome. You know that for thousands of years there have been suggestions that any human being have his genome on file. Its only the expense thats kept it from becoming standard practice no one doubts the usefulness of it. Surely you see the advantages. If nobody else, we leave behind know Wandas tendencies toward a variety of physiological disorders. If we had ever had Yugos genome, I am veritable he would not now be dying. Surely we disregard go that far.Well, maybe, Dad, but no further. Im willing to bet that Manella is going to be a lot firmer on this than I am.Seldon said, very(prenominal) well. But remember, no more lecture tours. I need you at home.Well see, Raych said and left.Seldon sat there in a quandary. Eto Demerzel, the one person he knew who could handle minds, would have known what to do. Dors, with her n onhuman knowledge, might have known what to do.For himself, he had a dim vision of a new psychohistory-but nothing more than that.6It was not an easy task to obtain a complete genome of Wanda. To begin with, the number of biophysicists equipped to handle the genome was abject and those that existed were always busy.Nor was it possible for Seldon to argue his needs openly, in order to interest the biophysicists. It was absolutely essential, Seldon felt, that the true power for his interest in Wandas mental powers be kept secret from all the Galaxy.And if some other difficulty was needed, it was the fact that the movement was infernally expensive.Seldon shook his direct and said to Mian Endelecki, the biophysicist he was now consulting, Why so expensive, Dr. Endelecki? I am not an expert in the field, but it is my distinct understanding that the process is completely computerized and that, once you have a scraping of skin cells, the genome can be completely built and analyzed in a matter of days.Thats true. But having a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule stretching out for billions of nucleotides, with every purine and pyrimidine in its place, is the least of it the very least of it, prof Seldon. There is and so the matter of studying each one and comparing it to some standard.Now, consider, in the first place, that although we have records of complete genomes, they represent a vanishingly small fraction of the number of genomes that exist, so that we dont really know how standard they are.Seldon asked, Why so few?A number of reasons. The expense, for one thing. Few hatful are willing to spend the credits on it unless they have difficult reason to think there is something wrong with their genome. And if they have no beardown(prenominal) reason, they are reluctant to undergo analysis for fear they will come about something wrong. Now, then, are you sure you want your granddaughter genomed?Yes, I do. It is terribly important.Why? Does she show signs of a me tabolic anomaly?No, she doesnt. Rather the reverse-if I knew the antonym of anomaly. I consider her a most unusual person and I want to know just what it is that makes her unusual.Unusual in what way?Mentally, but its unimaginable for me to go into details, since I dont entirely understand it. Maybe I will, once she is genomed.How old is she?Twelve. Shell soon be thirteen.In that case, Ill need permission from her parents.Seldon decipherable his throat. That may be difficult to get. Im her grandfather. Wouldnt my permission be enough?For me, certainly. But, you know, were public lecture about the law. I dont wish to lose my license to practice.It was necessary for Seldon to commence Raych again. This, too, was difficult, as he protested once more that he and his wife, Manella, valued Wanda to die breathed a normal life of a normal girl. What if her genome did turn out to be abnormal? Would she be whisked away to be prodded and probed like a laboratory specimen? Would Hari, in his fanatical devotion to his Psychohistory Project, press Wanda into a life of all work and no play, shutting her off from other young bulk her age? But Seldon was insistent.Trust me, Raych. I would never do anything to harm Wanda. But this must be done. I need to know Wandas genome. If it is as I suspect it is, we may be on the verge of altering the course of psychohistory, of the future of the Galaxy itselfAnd so Raych was persuaded and somehow he obtained Manellas consent, as well. And together, the three adults took Wanda to Dr. Endeleckis office.Mian Endelecki greeted them at the door. Her hair was a sheen white, but her face showed no sign of age.She looked at the girl, who walked in with a look of curiosity on her face but with no signs of agreement or fear. She then turned her gaze to the three adults who had accompanied Wanda.Dr. Endelecki said with a grin, Mother, father, and grandfather-am I unspoilt?Seldon answered, Absolutely right.Raych looked hang-dog and Manel la, her face a fine swollen and her eyes a little red, looked tired.Wanda, began the doctor. That is your name, isnt it?Yes, maam, said Wanda in her see the light voice.Im going to tell you exactly what Im going to do with you. Youre right-handed, I suppose.Yes, maam.Very well, then, Ill sprinkle a little patch on your left build up with an anesthetic. It will just feel like a cool wind. Nothing else. Ill then scrape a little skin from you just a tiny bit. Therell be no pain, no blood, no curb afterward. When Im done, Ill spray a little disinfectant on it. The whole thing will take just a few minutes. Does that sound all right to you?Sure, said Wanda, as she held out her arm.When it was over, Dr. Endelecki said, Ill put the scraping under the microscope, prefer a decent cell, and put my computerized gene analyzer to work. It will mark off every last nucleotide, but there are billions of them. It will probably take the better part of a day. Its all automatic, of course, so I wo nt be sitting here watching it and theres no consign in your doing so, either.Once the genome is prepared, it will take an even longer clip to analyze it. If you want a complete job, it may take a couple of weeks. That is why its so expensive a procedure. The work is hard and long. Ill call you in when I have it. She turned away, as if she had brush off the family, and busied herself with the gleaming apparatus on the table in front of her.Seldon said, If you come across anything unusual, will you get in touch with me instantly? I mean, dont wait for a complete analysis if you find something in the first hour. Dont make me wait.The chances of finding anything in the first hour are very slim, but I promise you, Professor Seldon that I will be in touch with you at once if it seems necessary.Manella snatched Wandas arm and led her off triumphantly. Raych followed, feet dragging. Seldon lingered and said, This is more important than you know, Dr. Endelecki.Dr. Endelecki nodded as she said, Whatever the reason, Professor, Ill do my best.Seldon left, his lips pressed tightly together. Why he had thought that somehow the genome would be worked out in five minutes and that a glance at it in another five minutes would give him an answer, he did not know. Now he would have to wait for weeks, without knowing what would be found.He ground his teeth. Would his newest sensationchild, the support Foundation, ever be established or was it an illusion that would remain always just out of reach?7Hari Seldon walked into Dr. Endeleckis office, a nervous smile on his face.He said, You said a couple of weeks, Doctor. Its been over a month mow.Dr. Endelecki nodded. Im sorry, Professor Seldon but you wanted everything exact and that is what I have tried to do.Well? The look of anxiety on Seldons face did not disappear. What did you find?A hundred or so defective genes.What uncollectible genes. Are you serious, Doctor?Quite serious. Why not? There are no genomes without at least a hundred defective genes normally there are considerably more. Its not as bad as it sounds, you know.No, I dont know. Youre the expert, Doctor, not I.Dr. Endelecki sighed and stirred in her chair. You dont know anything about genetics, do you, Professor?No, I dont. A man cant know everything.Youre perfectly right. I know nothing about this-what do you call it?-this psychohistory of yours.Dr. Endelecki shrugged, then continued. If you wanted to explain anything about it, you would be forced to start from the beginning and I would probably not understand it even so. Now, as to genetics-Well?An frail gene usually means nothing. There are progressive genes-so imperfect and so crucial that they produce loathsome disorders. These are very rare, though. closely imperfect genes simply dont work with absolute accuracy. Theyre like wheels that are somewhat out of balance. A vehicle will move along, trembling a bit, but it will move along.Is that what Wanda has?Yes. More or less. After all, if all genes were perfect, we would all look precisely the same, we would all behave precisely the same. Its the passing in genes that makes for different people.But wont it get worse as we grow older?Yes. We all get worse as we grow older. I noticed you limping when you came in. Why is that?A touch of sciatica, muttered Seldon.Did you have it all your life?Of course not.Well, some of your genes have gotten worse with time and now you limp.And what will happen to Wanda with time?I dont know. I cant predict the future, Professor I believe that is your province. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that nothing unusual will happen to Wanda-at least, genetically-except the gathering of old age.Seldon said, Are you sure?You have to take my word for it. You wanted to find out about Wandas genome and you ran the risk of discovering things perhaps it is better not to know. But I tell you that, in my opinion, I can see nothing terrible happening to her.The imperfect genes -should we fix them? Can we fix them?No. In the first place, it would be very expensive. Secondly, the chances are that they would not stay fixed. And finally, people are against it.But why?Because theyre against science in general. You should know this as well as anyone, Professor. Im scared the situation is such, especially since Cleons death, that mysticism has been gaining ground. the great unwashed dont believe in fixing genes scientifically. They would rather cure things by the lay on of hands or by mumbo-jumbo of some sort or other. Frankly it is extremely difficult for me to continue with my job. Very little documentation is coming in.Seldon nodded. Actually I understand this situation all too well. Psychohistory explains it, but I honestly didnt think the situation was growing so bad so rapidly. Ive been too involved in my own work to see the difficulties all around me. He sighed. Ive been watching the Galactic Empire slowly fall apart for over thirty years now-and now t hat its beginning to collapse much more rapidly, I dont see how we can stop it in time.Are you trying to? Dr. Endelecki seemed amused.Yes, I am.Lots of luck. around your sciatica. You know, fifty years ago it could have been cured. Not now, though.Why not?Well, the devices used for it are gone the people who could have handled them are work on other things. Medicine is declining.Along with everything else, mused Seldon. But lets get back to Wanda. I feel she is a most unusual young woman with a champion that is different from most. What do her genes tell you about her brain?Dr. Endelecki leaned back in her chair. Professor Seldon do you know just how many another(prenominal) genes are involved in brain function?No.Ill propel you that, of all the aspects of the human body, the brain function is the most intricate. In fact, as far as we know, there is nothing in the Universe as intricate as the human brain. So you wont be surprised when I tell you that there are thousands of gen es that each play a section in brain function.Thousands?Exactly. And it is impossible to go through those genes and see anything specifically unusual. I will take your word for it, as far as Wanda is concerned. She is an unusual girl with an unusual brain, but I see nothing in her genes that can tell me anything about that brain-except, of course, that it is normal.Could you find other people whose genes for mental functioning are like Wandas, that have the same brain pattern?I doubt it very much. Even if another brain were much like hers, there would still be enormous differences in the genes. No use looking for similarities. Tell me, Professor, just what is it about Wanda that makes you think her brain is so unusual?Seldon shook his head. Im sorry. Its not something I can discuss.In that case, I am certain that I can find out nothing for you. How did you discover that there was something unusual about her brain-this thing you cant discuss?Accident, muttered Seldon. Sheer accident .In that case, youre going to have to find other brains like hers-also by accident. Nothing else can be done.Silence colonized over both of them. Finally Seldon said, Is there anything else you can tell me?Im afraid not. Except that Ill send you my bill.Seldon rose with an effort. His sciatica hurt him badly. Well then, thank you, Doctor. organise the bill and Ill pay it.Hari Seldon left the doctors office, wondering just what he would do next.