Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 41 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE PHOENIX NEST scientifically demonstrated that immortality is possible. Through us, the mythical promise which is found in all religions and much pseudo- science, the promise of life after death, is at last fulfilled by the genius of man himself.” He paused momentarily and regarded Strothmeyer, droop- ing upon his stool. Then he continued in a matter-of-fact tone. “The only thing which remains unproven is the re- generation of a human being from cells which have been for many yearsinrefrigeration.” Strothmeyer revived a little at the introduction of this familiar technical detail. ““Wouldn’t it have been safer, though,” he ventured, “to wait with the Churchill cells until we had regenerated some less valuable person?” “Time enough for that, my boy.” Knaut rubbed his hands. “Don’t forget, every week that we spend in experi- ment to assure the safe re- generation of the Churchill cells is a week during which those cells get older. There is a point of diminishing returns in this safety business. Our success with Louis the Gimp 17 shows that we are no longer justified in waiting with Churchill.” He turned and viewed the nests, like a proud parent. “Churchill will grow there, as twins, until he is Young Churchill again—until he is thirty-five years old, anatom- ically. Then we will wake him.” “But that will take weeks longer,’’ Strothmeyer objected. *“Why don’t we just bring him up to eighteen or nineteen ?”’ Knaut’s face grew grave. “The world is in a mess, Strothmeyer. Here in our secluded laboratory we do not see the problems which society faces—the great feats ofhuman engineering which will be needed for mankind to sur- vive long enough to benefit by the work which we are just completing. We can help to solve those problems, and thus assure the perpetuation of our work, by bringing Sir Win- ston Churchill back with suf- ficient maturity to make him immediately a great force for good in the world.”’ He looked earnestly at Strothmeyer. “If we brought him back as a mere youth, it would be years comiclooks.conn