X-Message-Number: 13833 Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 14:00:44 -0700 Subject: Brain Jumping Begins From: Ivan Snyder <> Here is a short story I have written detailing advances that I believe may take place during the next 20 years. I chose fiction to share my vision, since this way is all the more engaging. Don't worry, there is a happy ending for you cryonauts. I place no copyright on the story, please *do* copy. ---------------------- 2020 VISION The year is 2020, or there abouts. Technology has seen much advance since the turn of the millennium. Yet the average person has seen little change in daily life. Most that is available to the general public revolves around entertainment, and is nothing profoundly new. Still, the future looks ever more bright with the help of information accessability and communications via computer networking. Suddenly one day in the news appears a tragedy which stuns the world. Not a threat from from space, not another spread of plague. Something more personally touching. A young girl has fallen through an ice covered river. After two days the body is recovered. Frost has wreaked unspeakable damage, but miraculously, the doctors find she is still alive, ...barely. The parents had little trouble deciding their child's fate; cryosuspension was the only hope. Meanwhile, around the world, much discussion amongst scientist in many fields is going on regarding the childs possible rescue. A team is formed which formulates a plan that just might work. Through networking and pooling of resources, it is realized, astonishingly, that all the tools, techniques, and technology needed was already at hand! All that was needed really was to put it all together. Actually, most critical would be the surgery, this was easily worked out and would utilize conventional techniques. Outside the public view had been going on some radicle experimentation. Recent work had brought about a crude cybernetic interface, involving a combination of stem cell culture and embarrassingly simple electronics. This was a sort of third eye, basically composed of cultured retina cells grown attached to a modified alternating display screen chip / charge coupled device. The link is possible because optical nerves, like peripheral nerves, are able to regrow. During this time, also in the news, a small criminal organization is apprehended by authorities. A few biologists were secretely cloning supermodels for cash and, ...nevermind. The clones were being reared to adolescence through hormonal control to accerate growth within the larger wombs of transgenetic cattle. The trans gene animals were originally created to serve as organ donors and human blood factories. When the *products* were confiscated it was noticed that in one botched birthing, the comatose girl looked remarkably like the cryochild. Someone got the brilliant idea from a sci-fi story, that maybe both could be saved *together*. Wait, don't freeze her! In a monumental effort, an identity chip was fashioned and linked first to the brain of the cryochild, and then later transplanted to that of the other girl. Certain programs were installed to interact with and thereby rehabilitate the dreaming mind during recovery. It seemed to be working ... Finally the day of awakening from electronarcosis had arrived. The cyber circuits had been switched off and the implants removed so as not to interfere with normal growth and developement. --Wake up sweatheart, your going to be OK. I know. Do you remember me? Yes mommy. Why are you crying Sweetie? I miss Alice and Cheshire Cat, they had to go. Who's that? My friends ( interactive virtual animations ). Ivan Snyder Hermosa Beach California ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=13833