Repairs
12 May 2020Maggie Oz
In the Year 3198, after many decades of work, the Athanasia Insitute successfully brought together two reasonably basic technologies to create an extraordinary new chapter for the Human race. They were able to match a high capacity data storage device with a neural interface which, for the first time in history created a system whereby the biological "programming" of a human could be read, coded and stored.This allowed scientists to not only record and store the engrammic structure of a human brain, ie. the neural pathways, thoughts and memories, but more importantly, they could write that information onto a new brain.
By 3220 they had perfected the process to a point where they felt they were ready for a clinical trial and made application to the Imperial Medical Regulator for a permit to do so.
As the process was different from regular cloning, wherein a person was created with a specific genetic code but with no other connection to the originator of the code, the IMR dominated the term "Generational Clone" by way of a distinction.
The IMR also stipulated a set of fundamental rules that Generational Clones must abide by, under threat of elimination
They are:
A Generational Clone cannot re-life prior to death.
A Generational Clone is considered legally dead for all purposes once the re-life process commences.
A Generational Cloning Facility is the only legal beneficiary of the estate of a Generational Clone that chooses to relife.
That benefit is limited to the fees and charges levied for the re-life process, all other assets are surrendered to the Crown.
A Generational Clone must be infertile and must not produce any form of offspring.
A Generational Clone must use their own gamete.
A Generational Clone is ineligible to be a representative in the political system.
The intentional destruction of a Generational Clone's data storage device is considered genocide.
I was among the few chosen from the applicants to participate in that trial. I was fortunate that my ova still contained a viable egg or two, they were harvested and placed in storage until my death. 2 years later I was dragged out of frameshift by a Thargoid, shot up and left for dead. I managed to survive but was little more than a heavily damaged brain sitting in a ruined body so I was taken off life support and died.
My body was transported to the relife facility where my Engrammic Backup Device was removed and downloaded.
My genetic code was imposed onto an embryo formed by mating my stored egg with Joe's similarly stored sperm and a new body grown. 18 years later I was uploaded to it.
That day became my official birthday, age 18.
Key to the process of Generational Cloning is the re-lifeing facility. This facility holds all of the technology required to grow and program a cloned body.
It also houses the recovery crews that are tasked with recovering the engrammic backup device of any GC who dies.
Most importantly though it is where the gametes used as the starting point for the embryo that grows our next re-life body are stored.
It is to these facilities that we return for any high level medical treatment we may require, such as the installation of cybernetics or rejuvenations.
Their details, locations and how many such facilities there are, are closely guarded secrets.
The Athanasia Clinic was able to see to my need immediately, as one would expect with so few clients and the urgency of replacing a leg.
I rose before the dawn on Tannhauser and Pris smuggled me out by wheelchair through the early morning quiet of the station, I was in Tiny Dancer with a minimum of fuss.
"Go and mend Maggie, take as much time as you need, it's been a rough week," said Pris, cupping the less damaged side of my head with her hand.
I grasped Pris' hand and gave it a gentle kiss, "Bless you Pris," I said "I'll get my new leg and be back in a jiff, no better place to get my head back on than in your beautiful gardens, right here at home"
I launched and headed out into the void, I brought up the Galaxy Map and planned out a long and circuitous route, that would appear to any tracker to be a normal Courier or Trader run,
stopping at various facilities
Along the way, I dropped in on one of the other Generational Clones that had contacted me who was presently serving on the INV Achenar's Will
He was a delightful fellow, a 2nd Lifer from Samen. It really was wonderful to make contact with another GC. We are all so insular and hidden. Knowing there are others like me out there makes me feel a lot less alone.
I jumped through few more systems, including a permit locked one or two and in amongst it all, stopped at the re-life facility.
I docked Tiny Dancer at the facility via a clients only docking system and was aided in disembarking and taken into the consulting room.
"Welcome back Maggie," said Maggie
"Thank you Maggie, it is good to see you again, but I would have rathered it was under better circumstances," I replied.
Maggie Turner is my consultant, pure coincidence we have the same name. But always makes me laugh when I think it's like having a conversation with myself, especially in a facility where I come to be duplicated. She serves other roles for the company she works for, all part of the cover to keep the true nature of the facility under wraps.
The medical procedure was very quick. Nanomedicine has reduced nearly all procedures to, at most, a few hours of non-invasive surgery.
I was fitted with a new leg that was calibrated to match my other one, this was really the only surgical procedure as it required installation to my hip and reconnection to my nervous system. My bum was rebuilt around it and my surviving cheek was given a tuck to take out 54 years of gravity.
The dermal framework of the new cybernetic leg would encourage my skin to regrow to cover the electronics and composite understructure of the leg. Aided by more nanobots and a high protein diet the new leg would be fully covered and indistinguishable from my other in a few days.
Similar treatments were applied to the bumps and scrapes across my body, especially my face. Burns and scars are fairly superficial injuries although they are the most visible. A 1 hour skin restructure eliminated any sign of them, trim and tuck, lift and shape, up a cup size in honour of the Governor and it's done.
A happy byproduct of this was a slight change to my appearance. Most of the Newsvids had shown me in my battered state at the hearing on Maia, so not having a livid scar across my face, walking on two legs and other more subtle changes might reduce a bit of the "aren't you that woman ...." thing.
So after around 6 hours, I was as good as new. I stayed in the facility for the remainder of the day so be sure everything had settled in and to give my leg a bit of a start. By the next morning, there was enough of a covering to it that I could don a flight suit and be on my way, the skin would continue to layer up from underneath.
I plotted a similar round-a-bout route back to Aztlan that included dropping in on another GC.
Amelina Torval, yes that's right the legend of the drama vids. I had no idea she was a GC and a tri-gen too just like Roy and I.
She was so grateful for me "coming out", she said she felt a weight had been lifted from her soul now she knew she wasn't alone and that being known to be a GC didn't mean everyone hated you.
We shared a great deal of wine and an enjoyable, ultimately intimate, evening before I continued back to Aztlan.
Meeting with other GCs and returning to my roots had a very calming effect and put the tribulations of the week just gone into a perspective I had not had before.
Sitting by the lake of the palace with Pris and Monique, ogling the off duty Marines as they swam and watching the numerous folks out enjoying the gardens and the sun, while sipping an iced tea and not having a care in the world.
I couldn't remember any other birthday in my 236 years when I had ever felt so at peace....
4th Wall :
Thank you so much for all the shiny love, I really do appreciate your support.
It really was my birthday today and that absolutely made my day !
Stay tuned for more Maggie moments!
Love you all XXX