THE FOREVER GENE (THE SCIONS OF EARTH Book 1) Read Online Free
Author: Warren Dean
is that you will not develop any degenerative conditions that you don't have now. So your arrhythmia will stay with you but it will not cause a heart attack. This doesn't mean that you are invulnerable. You can still be killed or injured if you are hit by a car or fall down some stairs."
Kimberley sat forward, her hands clasped nervously together. "What about our children, Dr Herald? How will this affect them?" The question which most concerned Kimberley was also not new to David.
"Kimberley, your children will continue to age normally. We believe that this is a good thing. Children should be allowed to complete their physical development naturally. What you are probably thinking is that it would be very strange if they caught up with and overtook you in age. What the wider social effects of something like that may be, we don't yet know. The solution is for your children to have the treatment too, although you will have to wait until they are old enough. The government has passed a law saying that people may not have the treatment before they turn twenty-five years old. We support this law as it is impossible to determine the long-term effects on a child. Even before the law was passed we would not treat anyone under twenty-one."
Kimberley sat back and gave her husband that barely perceptible look that tells a husband that his wife is happy. David recognised the look because he had seen it before; Pris had mastered it years ago.
Taking it as his cue, David began the video. Two men appeared on the wall-screen, standing together in a sleek and sophisticated boardroom. "I'm David Herald," said the first. The screen showed a slim, dark-haired man of medium height with penetrating hazel eyes above, as far as David was concerned, a large, hooked nose. "I'm Charles Tyler," said the second.
Chunky had been persuaded to use his given first name in the interests of accentuating the respectability conveyed by his impressive physique. Well over six feet tall, with a football player's wide shoulders, he sported a mane of medium-length blonde hair framing a face dominated by piercing blue eyes. Since the video had been recorded, his hard-living, hard-drinking lifestyle had added a layer of excess weight to his face and body. The Forever Gene could extend your lifespan, but your body would still react to lifestyle abuse in the normal way.
A long list of their degrees and qualifications scrolled across the screen and then the picture cut to the concrete plinth at the entrance to the Factory. A deep, authoritative voice began a commentary, accompanied by clips depicting the various facilities within the building and extolling the virtues of its personnel.
"Forever Incorporated was established by David Herald and Charles Tyler in 2025. In the eleven years since then, the corporation has opened facilities in seventeen different countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Russia, China, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Singapore, South Africa, Australia, and the Scandinavian Federation. David is the chief executive officer and head of genetic research. Charles is the head of technological development. They are both graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David with a Ph.D. in genetics and Charles with degrees in nano-technology and bio-engineering."
The video cut to colourful images of DNA strands, twisting and shifting to illustrate the technical aspects of the narrative.
"David spent seven years studying the Human Genome Project, during which time he identified a cocktail of genes which determine for how long a person's cells repair themselves and replicate naturally. The genes are programmed to gradually slow down the renewal process over time, which causes the person to age. Eventually, the process slows down to the extent that the person dies, often of an age-related condition such as a heart attack, stroke or cancer. During
Kimberley sat forward, her hands clasped nervously together. "What about our children, Dr Herald? How will this affect them?" The question which most concerned Kimberley was also not new to David.
"Kimberley, your children will continue to age normally. We believe that this is a good thing. Children should be allowed to complete their physical development naturally. What you are probably thinking is that it would be very strange if they caught up with and overtook you in age. What the wider social effects of something like that may be, we don't yet know. The solution is for your children to have the treatment too, although you will have to wait until they are old enough. The government has passed a law saying that people may not have the treatment before they turn twenty-five years old. We support this law as it is impossible to determine the long-term effects on a child. Even before the law was passed we would not treat anyone under twenty-one."
Kimberley sat back and gave her husband that barely perceptible look that tells a husband that his wife is happy. David recognised the look because he had seen it before; Pris had mastered it years ago.
Taking it as his cue, David began the video. Two men appeared on the wall-screen, standing together in a sleek and sophisticated boardroom. "I'm David Herald," said the first. The screen showed a slim, dark-haired man of medium height with penetrating hazel eyes above, as far as David was concerned, a large, hooked nose. "I'm Charles Tyler," said the second.
Chunky had been persuaded to use his given first name in the interests of accentuating the respectability conveyed by his impressive physique. Well over six feet tall, with a football player's wide shoulders, he sported a mane of medium-length blonde hair framing a face dominated by piercing blue eyes. Since the video had been recorded, his hard-living, hard-drinking lifestyle had added a layer of excess weight to his face and body. The Forever Gene could extend your lifespan, but your body would still react to lifestyle abuse in the normal way.
A long list of their degrees and qualifications scrolled across the screen and then the picture cut to the concrete plinth at the entrance to the Factory. A deep, authoritative voice began a commentary, accompanied by clips depicting the various facilities within the building and extolling the virtues of its personnel.
"Forever Incorporated was established by David Herald and Charles Tyler in 2025. In the eleven years since then, the corporation has opened facilities in seventeen different countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Russia, China, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Singapore, South Africa, Australia, and the Scandinavian Federation. David is the chief executive officer and head of genetic research. Charles is the head of technological development. They are both graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David with a Ph.D. in genetics and Charles with degrees in nano-technology and bio-engineering."
The video cut to colourful images of DNA strands, twisting and shifting to illustrate the technical aspects of the narrative.
"David spent seven years studying the Human Genome Project, during which time he identified a cocktail of genes which determine for how long a person's cells repair themselves and replicate naturally. The genes are programmed to gradually slow down the renewal process over time, which causes the person to age. Eventually, the process slows down to the extent that the person dies, often of an age-related condition such as a heart attack, stroke or cancer. During
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