Help 2nd Edition Page 8

FAITH VERSUS LOGIC

 

  Secret to life

  Half a year later.

  It was late in the evening. Amo Obib was at the workshop wiping his hands with a towel to call it a day when he heard running footsteps. He turned and saw Karmar and Norm, obviously excited, run towards him.

  Visibly elated and short of breath, Karmar said as he gasped, “My Amo . . . our problems are solved!” he exclaimed with excitement.

  Norm, just as excited, followed up, “We have found the solution! My Amo, we discovered the secret to how living things are formed.”

  Amo Obib noticed how thrilled they were. He would be if he was in their place. With enthusiasm asked, “Have you validated it?”

  “Yes,” Karmar replied with fervor. “We created a replica of a yeast, a one-celled organism, and even watched it replicate.”

  “How were you able to identify the genetic functions and relationships?” Amo Obib asked and intensely listened as Karmar explained the mechanics. He asked questions a young zealous genetic scientist wondered on, the many how's and why's. He was exuberant. Someone had finally gotten answers to the many questions that fired up his imagination since childhood. They have solved the riddle to life!

  Karmar, on saturating the subject, shifted to its applications and was very excited enumerating the countless possibilities.

  To this, Amo Obib was silent. He listened to the two talk on seemingly limitless possibilities: end to aging; regeneration of body parts and organs; of creating special functional creatures. As he listened, it dawned on him that he was the amo, head of their church, the custodian of its teachings, and began to hear the dialogue not as a fellow scientist but as an amo, head of their church. He was troubled. He realized they had unraveled the mystery that veiled life; the knowledge and the technology to create a being at their laboratory. God's domain had been broken! ‘Can they act as gods and breathe life at their whim?’ the question flashed thru his mind. He was unsure of how he felt; unsure of its repercussions. It was not so much what they discovered that troubled him, it was what they could do---THE POWER! In the midst of Norm and Karmar's euphoria, he interjected, “Have you also stumbled on the mechanics to create a soul?” in a nice but deliberate tone.

  Norm and Karmar looked at each other and became silent. Their euphoria vanished as quickly as it came.

  Amo Obib continued, “I am so happy and pleased with your accomplishment but let us focus on solving our problem. Karmar, I want you to give a proposal to best achieve our goal. The decree I gave on the matter stands . . . limit yourself to the least amount of modification and only as a catalyst. Naska is Imar,” he said and the two left quietly and emotionally numbed.

  THE DILEMMA

  A week later, the Genetic Coding project was done. Except for Norm and Karmar who were working on the draft of their proposal to Amo Obib, the rest of the team members were assigned to help Commander Nerus.

  Norm and Karmar did not take long to deliberate and reach a conclusion to what they would do. The amo's guideline was so explicit, it left them little leeway---a catalyst with the least modification---tweak the genetic codes that controlled the ape's biological equilibrium to force the ape to stand and free its hands; increase the size of the vocal cavity to allow vocalization; and nothing else. The process required artificially inseminating a laboratory modified and fertilized egg cell to female apes. Succeeding generations will carry the dominant gene to the next generation without intervention. If the succeeding generation copulated with non-mutated partner, the dominant gene will dominate. The problem Karmar saw and Norm understood was the dominant gene would stay dominant for a maximum of five generations. From there, natural evolution will take its course. If the mutated apes cannot adapt to their environment, they would either become extinct or revert back to their original trait. If the mutated apes survived, Karmar estimated, it would take over two million years before an intelligent creature capable of helping them would evolve. ‘The was no guarantee of success there and no second chance. Unless God intervened, they may be doomed,’ he thought, and it disturbed and troubled him.

  A couple of days later, Norm, with a folder, walked to Karmar's cubicle and handed over her portion of the work. “I will miss this place,” she said with a sigh. Their office and sleeping quarters were adjacent to the laboratory, a level below the Command Center. It was closer to the top of the ship that their provisions were pulleyed up in baskets some three-hundred feet from the ground floor for expediency. “It seemed only yesterday yet nearly six months have passed.”

  “Will you join the surgical group?” Karmar passingly asked.

  “Yes. Training starts tomorrow.” Norm replied and noticed Karmar was uneasy, not his usual self. “You look worried.” she commented.

  “I don't think we are doing the right thing,” Karmar bluntly protested.

  Norm was surprised. It never occurred to her that anyone could question a directive from the amo. It just was not done. “But that's our only option,” she answered with apprehension.

  “It's being passive,” he declared forcefully. “We, rather than nature, should control our destiny.”

  “But that would radically change the ape's genetic makeup,” she argued then continued, “I wondered why Amo Obib got upset over our talking of perpetual life through genetic engineering until I recollected some church laws that prohibited us from altering bodies of some sort.” Norm said in reflection but unsure of her statement or her understanding being accurate.

  “That's it, Church Law!” Karmar exclaimed. “But do you know who made those laws?”

  Norm did not react. Theological dogmas never concerned her and got lost to what Karmar was driving at.

  “The Church!” Karmar exclaimed answering his own question. “There is nothing in the sacred book about genetics. God did not say nor write those laws. Did He?” He asked a debatable question to Norm who knew little of it.

  “I am . . .”

  Karmar interrupted, “If the Amos can create church laws, they can also modify them. Remember the fasting and veil rules? The church liberalized on them. There were other things the church changed. He need not argue the issue with the Council of Elders. He is alone and can do whatever he wants!”

  Bothered by Karmar’s conclusion, Norm replied hesitantly, “I do recollect the changes but I am not knowledgeable on how the church goes about making doctrines. For myself, I stick to ‘loving and helping one another.’ A priest told me that was not ideal but would suffice. I leave it at that.”

  “You do agree the radical approach will solve our problem?” Karmar argued.

  Reluctant, Norm hesitantly answered, “Yeeees.”

  “I don't think the amo, being new to his role, realize the implications of his guideline and aware of his power as an amo. I‘m sure an alternative that clearly show the solution will get him to reconsider. He can then repeal or modify the church's laws on genetic modification,” he said with conviction.

  Norm, uncomfortable with the issue, said, “I will be perfectly honest with you. I know little of church laws to discuss it. Shouldn't it be better to talk to amo about it?”

  “It’s better he read it first. That will give him time to consider the better option.”

  Norm felt relieved the discussion ended. “Want me to stay and help?”

  “Nice of you to ask. I have everything. Don’t say anything about this to anyone.”

  “Not a word,” assured Norm.

  Karmar’s Dilemma

  After two days, late in the evening when others were asleep, Norm waited for Karmar at the kitchen on the ground floor. He gave her a copy of his proposal for comments with a reminder to keep the subject to herself the night before. The added proposal was a radical alteration of the ape's genetic makeup. The resulting creature would be an ape that stood upright with a Rian brain. To address the issue of time, the modified gene would induce an accelerated growth to bring, physically, a fetus to a young adult within three months. Karmar titled it
Proposal One. He named the other proposal, being merely a catalyst, Proposal Two.

  Norm’s anxiety heightened when she saw Karmar come down the stairwell. She prepared two cups of fruit juice for them just to calm herself. “Naska is Imar. Made you a fruit juice,” she said to Karmar when he got close. She placed the fruit juices on a small table and sat.

  Karmar greeted back, sat, and started drinking his juice.

  Norm, apprehensive, watched Karmar drink. She knew he would ask her questions on a subject she knew little of and hated to discuss.

  As Karmar placed his cup on the table said, “I'm really glad you took time to review the added proposal.”

  “Think nothing of it but you shouldn’t be so secretive about this,” Norm replied then sipped her juice.

  “I just want it to be between us for now. What do you think?” he asked then drunk what was left in his cup and placed it on the table.

  “It's good.”

  Missing the point, Karmar asked a more specific question, “Should I give it?”

  It took some courage for Norm to finally asked, “If Amo Obib took the catalyst, Proposal Two, would you question his wish?” It was the only thing that concerned her.

  “Of course, not,” Karmar blared. “I just want him to consider a better alternative.”

  “If that’s your intention, I'd give it. Let the amo decide. It will be different if you insisted,” she argued.

  “But I am! Am I not?”

  “He explicitly said, 'act as a catalyst' which is Proposal Two. Proposal One calls for radical genetic alteration,” Norm reasoned then after sipping her juice continued, “The thing is, Proposal One will work. There are thousands of apes out there whose genes we can radically change and have an intelligent workforce ready in months. Give it,” she said without caring if it was right or wrong.

  They left the two proposals on Amo Obib's desk before they retired for the evening.

  ORDAINED IN HEAVEN