Read Online The Werewolf Principle by Clifford D. Simak - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Clifford D. Simak
Ads: Link
monster?
DR. LUKAS: Some of them.
SENATOR STONE: Many of them, perhaps.
DR. LUKAS: Yes. Perhaps many of them.
SENATOR STONE: Thank you, doctor. I believe that is all the questions that I have.
SENATOR HORTON: Now, Dr. Lukas, letâs take a little further look at this synthetic man. I know that description is not entirely right, but I think it may please my colleague.
SENATOR STONE: A synthetic man, yes. Not a human being. What this so-called bioengineering proposal calls for is to colonize other planets, not with human beings, but with synthetic creatures which would bear no resemblance to human beings. In other words, to release upon the galaxy, a horde of monsters.
SENATOR HORTON: Well, now, letâs see. Dr. Lukas, let you and me agree with Senator Stone that such a creature might be fairly horrible to look upon. But how it might look would seem to me to be beside the question. What is important is what it is. Do you agree?
DR. LUKAS: Most emphatically, sir.
SENATOR HORTON: Aside from how it might look, would you say it still would be a human being?
DR. LUKAS: Yes, senator, I would. Its bodily structure would bear no relationship to what it would be. Its identity would rest within its brain and mind, its motivations and its intellectual outlook.
SENATOR HORTON: And its brain would be a human brain?
DR. LUKAS: Yes, sir.
SENATOR HORTON: Therefore its emotions and motivations and outlook would conform to the human framework?
DR. LUKAS: Certainly they would.
SENATOR HORTON: Therefore, it would be human. No matter what its form, it still would be human.
DR. LUKAS: Yes, human.
SENATOR HORTON: Doctor, to your knowledge, has such a creature ever been made? By creature, I mean, of course, a synthetic human.
DR. LUKAS: Yes. A matter of two hundred years ago or so. Two of them were made. But there was a difference â¦
SENATOR STONE: Just a minute, there! Are you referring to that old myth we hear occasionally.â¦
DR. LUKAS: Senator, it is not a myth.
SENATOR STONE: Have you documentation to back up your statement?
DR. LUKAS: No, sir.
SENATOR STONE: What do you meanâno, sir? How can you come before this hearing and make a statement that you canât back up?
SENATOR HORTON: I can back it up. At the proper time I shall place the necessary documents in evidence.
SENATOR STONE: Perhaps, then, the senator should be sitting where the witness is â¦
SENATOR HORTON: Not at all. Iâm perfectly satisfied with this witness. You say, sir, that there was a difference â¦
SENATOR STONE: Just a moment, there! I object! I do not think this witness is competent.
SENATOR HORTON: Well, letâs find out. Dr. Lukas, under what circumstances did you come upon this information?
DR. LUKAS: About ten years ago, when I was doing some research for a paper, I applied for clearance to have access to certain records in Space Administration. You see, senator, I was following up what you call a myth. Not many people knew of it, but I had heard of it and wondered if it might not be more than a myth. So I applied for clearance.â¦
SENATOR HORTON: And you were given clearance?
DR. LUKAS: Well, not right away, Space Administration wasâwell, you might call it reluctant. So finally I took the tack that in a matter a good two centuries old, no clearance was needed. That it no longer was a matter of clearance, but a matter of historical record. I donât mind telling you that I had a rough time making anyone see the logic of my argument.
SENATOR HORTON: But you finally prevailed?
DR. LUKAS: Yes, finally. With considerable competent assistance, I might add. You see, the records at one time had been under the highest top security such material could be given. Technically, this security still applied. It took considerable argument to make it apparent that such a situation was ridiculous â¦
SENATOR STONE: Now, hold up a minute, doctor. Before you go on, one question. You said you had
DR. LUKAS: Some of them.
SENATOR STONE: Many of them, perhaps.
DR. LUKAS: Yes. Perhaps many of them.
SENATOR STONE: Thank you, doctor. I believe that is all the questions that I have.
SENATOR HORTON: Now, Dr. Lukas, letâs take a little further look at this synthetic man. I know that description is not entirely right, but I think it may please my colleague.
SENATOR STONE: A synthetic man, yes. Not a human being. What this so-called bioengineering proposal calls for is to colonize other planets, not with human beings, but with synthetic creatures which would bear no resemblance to human beings. In other words, to release upon the galaxy, a horde of monsters.
SENATOR HORTON: Well, now, letâs see. Dr. Lukas, let you and me agree with Senator Stone that such a creature might be fairly horrible to look upon. But how it might look would seem to me to be beside the question. What is important is what it is. Do you agree?
DR. LUKAS: Most emphatically, sir.
SENATOR HORTON: Aside from how it might look, would you say it still would be a human being?
DR. LUKAS: Yes, senator, I would. Its bodily structure would bear no relationship to what it would be. Its identity would rest within its brain and mind, its motivations and its intellectual outlook.
SENATOR HORTON: And its brain would be a human brain?
DR. LUKAS: Yes, sir.
SENATOR HORTON: Therefore its emotions and motivations and outlook would conform to the human framework?
DR. LUKAS: Certainly they would.
SENATOR HORTON: Therefore, it would be human. No matter what its form, it still would be human.
DR. LUKAS: Yes, human.
SENATOR HORTON: Doctor, to your knowledge, has such a creature ever been made? By creature, I mean, of course, a synthetic human.
DR. LUKAS: Yes. A matter of two hundred years ago or so. Two of them were made. But there was a difference â¦
SENATOR STONE: Just a minute, there! Are you referring to that old myth we hear occasionally.â¦
DR. LUKAS: Senator, it is not a myth.
SENATOR STONE: Have you documentation to back up your statement?
DR. LUKAS: No, sir.
SENATOR STONE: What do you meanâno, sir? How can you come before this hearing and make a statement that you canât back up?
SENATOR HORTON: I can back it up. At the proper time I shall place the necessary documents in evidence.
SENATOR STONE: Perhaps, then, the senator should be sitting where the witness is â¦
SENATOR HORTON: Not at all. Iâm perfectly satisfied with this witness. You say, sir, that there was a difference â¦
SENATOR STONE: Just a moment, there! I object! I do not think this witness is competent.
SENATOR HORTON: Well, letâs find out. Dr. Lukas, under what circumstances did you come upon this information?
DR. LUKAS: About ten years ago, when I was doing some research for a paper, I applied for clearance to have access to certain records in Space Administration. You see, senator, I was following up what you call a myth. Not many people knew of it, but I had heard of it and wondered if it might not be more than a myth. So I applied for clearance.â¦
SENATOR HORTON: And you were given clearance?
DR. LUKAS: Well, not right away, Space Administration wasâwell, you might call it reluctant. So finally I took the tack that in a matter a good two centuries old, no clearance was needed. That it no longer was a matter of clearance, but a matter of historical record. I donât mind telling you that I had a rough time making anyone see the logic of my argument.
SENATOR HORTON: But you finally prevailed?
DR. LUKAS: Yes, finally. With considerable competent assistance, I might add. You see, the records at one time had been under the highest top security such material could be given. Technically, this security still applied. It took considerable argument to make it apparent that such a situation was ridiculous â¦
SENATOR STONE: Now, hold up a minute, doctor. Before you go on, one question. You said you had
Similar Books
