R. C. W. Ettinger

“ Garry said kindly. "The last thing in the world we want to do is keep anything from humanity. You know Mr. Haworth is the biggest philanthropist in the world. But in this case—well, it's dangerous.
"What do you think would happen if people found out a few rich men were sleeping in quartz coolers while they had nothing but mouldy graves to look forward to? Why, man, they'd tear our vault down with their bare hands!"
H.D. was nodding, muttering something about blasted riff-raff, but Garry saw Stevens' look of contempt. ”

“ Nancy's question was sharp. "I will not," said Garry. "'One answer is that our civilization is very young, and the hypothetical super-civilization somewhere just hasn't found us yet. But that is a contradiction in terms, because it takes most of the "super" out of the super-civilization, considering that a technological culture advances on an exponential curve.'"
"Garry, are you going to let me read in peace?"
"I am not," said Garry. "'Another is that a super-civilization would have advanced beyond any concern about us or our petty problems. ”

“ It means that so far as we know the scientific method is capable of carrying humanity to any conceivable heights and beyond.'"
"Garry, stop talking so loud and let me read this, 'Fun With Fish—Hints for the Hurried Housewife.' You're always saying, 'Give me something different.' Science. What do I know about science?"
"You should know something beyond the kitchen. Listen—'But reflection turns hope to alarm, with this thought—In the vast and ancient universe surely some races must have had time already to attain godlike power and yet they have not manifested themselves. ”

“ Someone, someday, will find a chain reaction for one of the light elements like oxygen and silicon, or perhaps some other even deadlier agent will be loosed upon the world—for as science progresses more and more power is more and more often concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.'"
"Garry, do you intend to ever stop talking?"
"I do not," said Garry. "'There is, sadly, no indication of an abatement of the spirit of irresponsibility that has kept the world, especially in recent years, in turmoil, at war or in fear of war. ”

“ Garry shook his head. "Too late. We'd never make it to Washington by six." The flyer was gaining speed and altitude.
"What's all this about Washington? What happens there?"
Garry hesitated. "You have to take a trip, Mr. Haworth."
H.D. leaned forward, unable to hear the last words. With their mounting speed the whine of violated air was becoming a scream. Garry reached back over Junior's shoulder and hit a toggle at the right end of the instrument board. It was like shutting off a radio.
He repeated, "You have to take a trip, Mr. Haworth."
"Trip. By heaven, you're as mysterious as that woman. ”

“ Might be a long time before they know enough about bio-chemistry to revive a dead man and restore his youth. Not that you'll be dead," he amended hastily, "just in a state of suspended animation. I'm sure Dr. Stevens can work that out.
"Anyway, we'd better put the vault in Michigan—very safe country, geologically. We'll make the vault and the coolers of the very best, of course, granite and stainless steel and quartz that will never wear out. And then," he added, coyly, "I have a little idea for a power plant that will be really dependable, if I am the one that says it." ”

“ Garry noted his heavy breathing, and felt a stir of pity. He continued, gazing out.
"It's simple enough, in practise. Every fifty years each person must submit to a Survey—and all Sleepers when they're revived. By association techniques they're made, under the Probe, to admit everything they've done that was wrong, either by their own conscience or by the written law.
"Then—well, you see—one outgrowth of the Probe is that suffering has been classified, qualitatively and quantitatively. Oh, it's arbitrary on the edges, but not very, and where there's doubt there's charity, of course. ”

“ I don't believe in much, but I believe in science. It will take a lot of money, but that's what I've got. And you can have all you need, Mr. Jones, all you need, as I've told you before. Blank check. You came to the right man when you came to H.D. Haworth." He sank back into his nylon deck chair, exhausted by the long speech.
Garry seized the opportunity to air some of his ideas. He was all enthusiasm.
"We'll put the vault in Michigan, Mr. Haworth, not here in California—too many earthquakes. ”

“ Jones, do you realize that cancer is responsible for more deaths than any other ailment except heart disease? Maybe I sound sentimental but I actually think of myself as taking an important part in the world's greatest crusade."
"Dr. Stevens, I will give you a ten year contract at one hundred thousand dollars a year."
Blankness in the shy, blinking eyes, then mounting anger. "Look, you, who the heck d'you think you're kidding? If you—"
"Dr. Stevens," Garry said hastily—an enraged sheep is an appalling spectacle—"I have a power of attorney from Harley D. Haworth." ”

“ He relaxed and permitted himself a smile. He had life, health, and millions. The billions would come easily enough. Pah, what "unpleasant things" could mar this paradise?
"You did have some news value as the oldest and one of the deadest Sleepers—but you've been thoroughly Probed out this last year."
H.D. frowned impatiently. "What's this 'Probe' business? That woman mentioned it, and some 'Code'."
"The Farbenstein Probe," Garry said, looking thoughtfully out at the darkling horizon, "is, in simple terms, a hypno-bio-physical technique for reaching and interpreting buried memories. ”

“ It's really an expanding economy. Why, Chicago alone is worth more in dollars and cents than all the nations of earth in our time."
H.D. reflected this. "Well, how much is the Trust worth?"
Garry exchanged a few words with Junior. "About thirty million, he says."
"What!"
"Well," Garry hastened, "I know it isn't much for twenty million to grow to after all this time, but there have been expenses! What we had to spend for protection in the old days, when the mobs wanted to dynamite the vault! ”

“ The Administrator's responsibilities and discretion would include all measures necessary for the safety of the sleepers and the trust funds would be ample, to allow for unforeseen future contingencies.
A number of experimental animals closely duplicating H.D.'s condition would be included for the future biologists first to try their skill on—because if Stevens should not perfect a practicable method of suspending animation in time, and H.D. should actually die, his resuscitation would be a ticklish matter. ”

“ He cackled. "Almost like to get a finger in that pie myself.
"The insurance companies would be the ones for it, of course. Twenty-year endowment and, instead of paying you, they pickle you. But it's too risky, too risky—you see that, don't you, my boy?"
Stevens sighed unhappily. "I suppose so," he said, defeated.
"Good, good!" Garry boomed, rubbing his hands briskly. "I knew Dr. Stevens would see the point. He has a head on his shoulders.
"Now, as I was saying, Mr. Haworth, we'll have space in the vault for a hundred or so. ”

“ H.D. did not want to wake up blind, for instance, or with an altered personality—although Stevens, for one, thought any change in the old pirate's personality would be a step in the right direction. The blasted Washington administration wouldn't let a citizen buy radioactives without a lot of busybody questions, but Garry had an idea for a reliable source of power for the coolers. ”

“ The new Chief of Staff was not a physician but an engineer named Jones.
"What man can imagine, man can do." So runs the optimistic saw. The boy, Garibaldi Jones, had had firm faith in said saw, and imagined himself a great lawyer and famous statesman. ”

“ Garry wiped the perspiration from his gleaming head of skin and proceeded to her instruction.
"Listen, dear, it says here some scientist thinks the human race is going to be wiped out. It's too dumb to survive, or too smart. I think that's crazy but he's got a lot of points. Listen, he says—
"'To date there has been no indication whatever of any barrier to the indefinite extension of the frontiers of science. ”

“ According to the outline sketched that afternoon, the vault was to be safeguarded and the sleepers' interests looked after by the establishment of a Haworth Trust, with Garibaldi Jones the first Administrator. Only one person in each generation, the Administrator, would know all about the vault. ”

“ These people must conduct their business elsewhere, he thought—underground, perhaps, leaving the surface for leisure and recreation. Garden City indeed! Life must be pleasant here—and it would soon be his! ”

“ After the Survey, if he's passed a certain allowable maximum in wrongdoing, a person must go to—the penal colony and experience himself all the suffering he has caused, qualitatively and quantitatively as closely as possible. ”

“ You can still get a loaf of bread for a quarter. It's just that the growth curve is pretty steep, and it gets steeper all the time. Atomic energy, you know, and no wars for a long time, and now no natural death. ”

“ A sound idea—don't depend on these pill-rolling fools that call themselves doctors nowadays to keep you hanging around a year or two more, but just go to sleep in a nice refrigerator until people really know something about the body. ”