'Forward the Foundation Chapter 23\r'

'5\r\nâ€Å"Dad,” excrete tongue to Raych with some c at one timern, â€Å"you construction tired.”\r\nâ€Å"I d atomic number 18 say,” verbalise Hari Seldon, â€Å"I feel tired. further how atomic number 18 you?”\r\nRaych was cardinal now and his hair was beginning to visualise a bit of gray, besides his mustache remained thick and dark and very Dahlite in appearance. Seldon wondered if he touched it up with dye, except it would collect been the harm thing to ask.\r\nSeldon split up, â€Å" ar you through with your lecturing for a piece of music?”\r\nâ€Å"For a while. not for long. And Im glad to be home and witness the baby and Manella and Wanda-and you, Dad.”\r\nâ€Å" convey you. But I contain in demonstrateigence service for you, Raych. No more lecturing. Im going to indispensability you here.”\r\nRaych frowned. â€Å"What for?” On two different suck up he had been sent to carry disc everywhere deli cate missions, solely those were top during the old age of the Joranumite menace. As farthest as he k novel, things were quiet now, especi completelyy with the overthrow of the junta and the reestablishment of a pale Emperor.\r\nâ€Å"Its Wanda,” utter Seldon.\r\nâ€Å"Wanda? Whats wrong with Wanda?”\r\nâ€Å"Nothings wrong with her, how invariably were going to clear to unravel divulge a actualize genome for her-and for you and Manella as well-and eventu every(prenominal)y for the new baby.”\r\nâ€Å"For Bellis, excessively? Whats going on?”\r\nSeldon hesitated. â€Å"Raych, you hunch over that your yield and I always public opinion in that location was something lovable ab let on you, something that inspired warmness and trust.”\r\nâ€Å"I know you thought so. You say so ofttimes enough when you were locomote to pound me to do something difficult. But Ill be h onenessst with you. I never matt-up it.”\r\nâ€Å"No, you wo n over me and… and Dors.” (He had such nettle saying the name, even though quartette eld had passed since her destruction.) â€Å"You won over Rashelle of Wye. You won over Jo-Jo Joranum. You won over Manella. How do you account for either(a) that?”\r\nâ€Å"Intelligence and charm,” verbalise Raych, grinning.\r\nâ€Å"Have you thought you aptitude withstand been in touch with their-our-minds?”\r\nâ€Å"No, Ive never thought that. And now that you mention it, I calculate its ridiculous. With either due respect, Dad, of mannequin.”\r\nâ€Å"What if I told you that Wanda collectms to accept read Yugos mind during a heartbeat of crisis?”\r\nâ€Å"Coincidence or imagination, I should say.”\r\nâ€Å"Raych, I knew someone formerly who could finagle populates minds as easily as you and I get across conversation.”\r\nâ€Å"Who was that?”\r\nâ€Å"I so-and-sot speak of him. Take my articulate for it, though .”\r\nâ€Å" easily-” verbalize Raych dubiously.\r\nâ€Å"Ive been at the Galactic Library, checking on such matters. There is a unmated story, approximately twenty thousand years old and in that locationfore back to the foggy origins of hyperspatial travel. Its honorable most a young woman, non untold more than Wandas age, who could communicate with an good planet that circled a sun call hited Nemesis.”\r\nâ€Å"certainly a fairytale.”\r\nâ€Å"Surely. And incomplete, at that. But the handleness with Wanda is astonishing.”\r\nRaych said, â€Å"Dad, what argon you planning?”\r\nâ€Å"Im non sure, Raych. I need to know the genome and I amaze to find opposites want Wanda. I film a nonion that youngsters be born- non often but occasionally-with such mental abilities, but that, in general, it merely gets them in squabble and they learn to mask it. And as they pose tip, their ability, their talent, is buried deep within their minds- crystalise of an unconscious act of self-preservation. Surely in the Empire or even skilful among Trantors forty billion, there must be more of that sort, the exchangeables of Wanda, and if I know the genome I require, I back tooth depute those I retrieve may be so.”\r\nâ€Å"And what would you do with them if you found them, Dad?”\r\nâ€Å"I deem the notion that they argon what I need for the further development of psychohistory.”\r\nRaych said, â€Å"And Wanda is the issuing one of the type you know about and you specify to make a psychohistorian out of her?”\r\nâ€Å"Perhaps.”\r\nâ€Å" handle Yugo. Dad, no!”\r\nâ€Å"why no?”\r\nâ€Å"Because I want her to evoke up ilk a normal female child and hold up a normal woman. I pull up stakes not take a crap you sitting her beforehand the Prime Radiant and make her into a living monument to psychohistorical mathematics.”\r\nSeldon said, â€Å"It may not come to that, Raych, but we must return her genome. You know that for thousands of years there have been suggestions that every human being have his genome on file. Its only the expense thats unbroken it from becoming sample practice; no one doubts the usefulness of it. Surely you serve the advantages. If postal code else, we allow know Wandas tendencies toward a variety of physiological dis baffles. If we had ever had Yugos genome, I am certain he would not now be dying. Surely we put up go that far.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, maybe, Dad, but no further. Im spontaneous to bet that Manella is going to be a lot firmer on this than I am.”\r\nSeldon said, â€Å"in truth well. But remember, no more point out tours. I need you at home.”\r\nâ€Å"Well see,” Raych said and left(p).\r\nSeldon 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 nonhuman knowledge, might have known wha t to do.\r\nFor himself, he had a dim vision of a new psychohistory-but zippo more than that.\r\n6\r\nIt was not an easy task to obtain a complete genome of Wanda. To begin with, the number of biophysicists fit to handle the genome was small and those that existed were always busy.\r\nNor was it feasible for Seldon to discuss his needs openly, in order to interest the biophysicists. It was absolutely essential, Seldon felt, that the true motive for his interest in Wandas mental powers be kept secret from all the Galaxy.\r\nAnd if other difficulty was needed, it was the fact that the influence was hellishly overpriced.\r\nSeldon move his head and said to Mian Endelecki, the biophysicist he was now consulting, â€Å" wherefore 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 incision of shin cells, the genome ignore be completely built and analyzed in a m atter of days.”\r\nâ€Å"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, Professor Seldon. There is consequently the matter of studying each one and comparing it to some standard.\r\nâ€Å"Now, date, in the commencement 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 be.”\r\nSeldon asked, â€Å"Why so a couple of(prenominal)?”\r\nâ€Å"A number of concludes. The expense, for one thing. Few plenty are allow foring to spend the assign on it unless they have strong reason to think there is something wrong with their genome. And if they have no strong reason, they are indisposed to undergo analytic thinking for fear they pass on find something wrong. Now, accordingly, are you sur e you want your granddaughter genomed?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, I do. It is terribly important.”\r\nâ€Å"Why? Does she show signs of a metabolic anomaly?”\r\nâ€Å"No, she doesnt. earlier the reverse-if I knew the antonym of ‘anomaly. I consider her a most unusual person and I want to know respectable what it is that makes her unusual.”\r\nâ€Å"Unusual in what way?”\r\nâ€Å"Mentally, but its impossible for me to go into details, since I dont but understand it. Maybe I result, once she is genomed.”\r\nâ€Å"How old is she?”\r\nâ€Å"Twelve. Shell soon be thirteen.”\r\nâ€Å"In that case, Ill need permission from her parents.”\r\nSeldon cleared his throat. â€Å"That may be difficult to get. Im her grandfather. Wouldnt my permission be enough?”\r\nâ€Å"For me, certainly. But, you know, were talking about the law. I dont wish to lose my license to practice.”\r\nIt was required for Seldon to approach Raych again. This, too, was difficult, as he protested once more that he and his wife, Manella, cute Wanda to equal 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 ensample? Would Hari, in his fanatical devotion to his Psychohistory Project, imperativeness Wanda into a life of all work and no play, shutting her off from other young people her age? But Seldon was insistent.\r\nâ€Å"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 itself!”\r\nAnd so Raych was persuaded and someway he obtained Manellas consent, as well. And together, the three adults took Wanda to Dr. Endeleckis office.\r\nMian Endelecki greeted them at the door. Her hair was a shining white, but her face showed no sign of age.\r\nSh e looked at the girl, who walked in with a look of oddment on her face but with no signs of apprehension or fear. She then cancelled her gaze to the three adults who had accompanied Wanda.\r\nDr. Endelecki said with a smile, â€Å"Mother, father, and grandfather-am I right?”\r\nSeldon answered, â€Å"absolutely right.”\r\nRaych looked hang-dog and Manella, her face a small-minded self-loving and her eyes a little red, looked tired.\r\nâ€Å"Wanda,” began the doctor. â€Å"That is your name, isnt it?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, maam,” said Wanda in her clear voice.\r\nâ€Å"Im going to tell you exactly what Im going to do with you. Youre right-handed, I suppose.”\r\nâ€Å"Yes, maam.”\r\nâ€Å" real well, then, Ill spray a little patch on your left fortify with an anesthetic. It leave 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 oppose afterward. When Im do ne, Ill spray a little antimicrobial on it. The whole thing exit take just a few proceeding. Does that sound all right to you?”\r\nâ€Å"Sure,” said Wanda, as she held out her arm.\r\nWhen it was over, Dr. Endelecki said, â€Å"Ill put the scraping under the microscope, choose a comme il faut cell, and put my computerized gene analyzer to work. It will mark off every proceed nucleotide, but there are billions of them. It will probably take the better give way of a day. Its all automatic, of course, so I wont be sitting here reflection it and theres no point in your doing so, either.\r\nâ€Å" at once the genome is prepared, it will take an even hourlong time 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 sullen away, as if she had dismissed the family, and busied herself with the gleaming setup on the table in confront of h er.\r\nSeldon said, â€Å"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.”\r\nâ€Å"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.”\r\nManella snatched Wandas arm and led her off triumphantly. Raych followed, feet dragging. Seldon lingered and said, â€Å"This is more important than you know, Dr. Endelecki.”\r\nDr. Endelecki nodded as she said, â€Å" whatever the reason, Professor, Ill do my best.”\r\nSeldon 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.\r\nHe ground his teet h. Would his newest brainchild, the Second Foundation, ever be established or was it an misrepresentation that would remain always just out of reach?\r\n7\r\nHari Seldon walked into Dr. Endeleckis office, a queasy smile on his face.\r\nHe said, â€Å"You said a couple of weeks, Doctor. Its been over a month mow.”\r\nDr. Endelecki nodded. â€Å"Im sorry, Professor Seldon but you wanted everything exact and that is what I have well-tried to do.”\r\nâ€Å"Well?” The look of anxiety on Seldons face did not disappear. What did you find?”\r\nâ€Å"A hundred or so spoilt genes.”\r\nâ€Å"What! Defective genes. atomic number 18 you serious, Doctor?”\r\nâ€Å"sooner serious. Why not? There are no genomes without at least a hundred defective genes; usually there are considerably more. Its not as bad as it sounds, you know.”\r\nâ€Å"No, I dont know. Youre the expert, Doctor, not I.”\r\nDr. Endelecki sighed and stirred in her chair. à ¢â‚¬Å"You dont know anything about genetics, do you, Professor?”\r\nâ€Å"No, I dont. A man cant know everything.”\r\nâ€Å"Youre perfectly right. I know nothing about this-what do you call it?-this psychohistory of yours.”\r\nDr. Endelecki shrugged, then continued. â€Å"If you wanted to excuse anything about it, you would be forced to break down from the beginning and I would probably not understand it even so. â€Å"Now, as to genetics-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Well?”\r\nâ€Å"An decrepit gene usually intend nothing. There are rickety genes-so imperfect and so crucial that they produce dread(a) disorders. These are very rare, though. Most imperfect genes simply dont work with absolute accuracy. Theyre like wheels that are slightly out of balance. A vehicle will move along, quiver a bit, but it will move along.”\r\nâ€Å"Is that what Wanda has?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. More or less. After all, if all genes were perfect, we would all look precisely th e same, we would all behave precisely the same. Its the difference in genes that makes for different people.”\r\nâ€Å"But wont it get worse as we grow older?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. We all get worse as we grow older. I noticed you limping when you came in. Why is that?”\r\nâ€Å"A touch of sciatica,” muttered Seldon.\r\nâ€Å"Did you have it all your life?”\r\nâ€Å"Of course not.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, some of your genes have gotten worse with time and now you limp.”\r\nâ€Å"And what will happen to Wanda with time?”\r\nâ€Å"I dont know. I cant predict the future, Professor; I cogitate 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.”\r\nSeldon said, â€Å"Are you sure?”\r\nâ€Å"You have to take my devise for it. You wanted to find out about Wandas genome and you ran the risk of discovering things perhap s it is better not to know. But I tell you that, in my opinion, I can see nothing terrible happening to her.”\r\nâ€Å"The imperfect genes-should we go them? Can we fix them?”\r\nâ€Å"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.\r\nâ€Å"But why?”\r\nâ€Å"Because theyre against science in general. You should know this as well as anyone, Professor. Im afraid the situation is such, especially since Cleons death, that religious mysticism has been gaining ground. People dont believe in hangout genes scientifically. They would rather cure things by the lay on of hands or by mumbo-jumbo of some sort or other. candidly it is extremely difficult for me to continue with my job. Very little funding is coming in.”\r\nSeldon nodded. â€Å" truly I understand this situation all too well. Psychohistory explains it, but I honestly didnt think the situation was gro wing so bad so rapidly. Ive been too knobbed in my own work to see the difficulties all around me.” He sighed. â€Å"Ive been ceremonial the Galactic Empire slowly perch apart for over thirty years now-and now that its beginning to collapse much more rapidly, I dont see how we can stop it in time.”\r\nâ€Å"Are you nerve-racking to?” Dr. Endelecki seemed amused.\r\nâ€Å"Yes, I am.”\r\nâ€Å"Lots of luck. About your sciatica. You know, cubic decimetre years ago it could have been cured. Not now, though.”\r\nâ€Å"Why not?”\r\nâ€Å"Well, the devices used for it are gone; the people who could have handled them are working on other things. care for is declining.”\r\nâ€Å"Along with everything else,” mused Seldon. â€Å"But lets get back to Wanda. I feel she is a most unusual young woman with a brain that is different from most. What do her genes tell you about her brain?”\r\nDr. Endelecki leaned back in her chair. â €Å"Professor Seldon do you know just how many genes are involved in brain section?”\r\nâ€Å"No.\r\nâ€Å"Ill prompt 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 strike when I tell you that there are thousands of genes that each play a subroutine in brain function.”\r\nâ€Å"Thousands?”\r\nâ€Å"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.”\r\nâ€Å"Could you find other people whose genes for mental functioning are like Wandas, that have the same brain principle?”\r\nâ€Å"I doubt it very much. til now if another brain were m uch like hers, there would still be vast differences in the genes. No use sounding for similarities. Tell me, Professor, just what is it about Wanda that makes you think her brain is so unusual?”\r\nSeldon shook his head. â€Å"Im sorry. Its not something I can discuss.”\r\nâ€Å"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?”\r\nâ€Å"Accident,” muttered Seldon. â€Å"Sheer accident.”\r\nâ€Å"In that case, youre going to have to find other brains like hers-also by accident. Nothing else can be done.”\r\nSilence settled over both of them. Finally Seldon said, â€Å"Is there anything else you can tell me?”\r\nâ€Å"Im afraid not. Except that Ill forward you my bill.”\r\nSeldon rose with an effort. His sciatica hurt him badly. â€Å"Well then, thank you, Doctor. Send the bill and Ill pay it.”\r\nHari Seldo n left the doctors office, wondering just what he would do next.\r\n'