THE FOREVER GENE (THE SCIONS OF EARTH Book 1) (20 page)

The bustle in the conference room stopped abruptly as he entered and took his seat at the head of the table.  Adams had already called up the agenda on the touchscreens set into the table top.  The first item was a proposal to change the official pensionable age from sixty-five to ninety-nine.  It was a thorny topic, however, and opinion was sharply divided.

"It will not be necessary, or advisable, to increase the pensionable age of people who have not been inoculated," pointed out the representative of the government pension fund. "Only those who will live significantly longer than normal should be affected."

Sir Clive Blenkinsopp, the senior policy adviser, shook his head.  "Surely there cannot be one law for some and a different law for others?  I have obtained an opinion from Queen's Counsel which suggests that such a provision will be contrary to anti-discrimination legislation.  The Americans have already run into this problem and we cannot afford to do the same."

"But if we don't adopt this measure, our pension funds will go bankrupt.  As the funds are exhausted, more and more people will become reliant on social security and we will soon have to raise taxes to unsustainable levels in order to pay everyone.  We cannot expect the economically active population to support an ever increasing number of retirees."

"But surely people who are no longer aging will continue to be economically active?"

"They may, but they can still insist on collecting their pensions while they do so.  And they will have no reason to continue to contribute to pension funds.  They can simply continue to work for as long as they like."

Winston interrupted the argument. "Would it make a difference if we make it a condition that everyone being inoculated must accept the new pensionable age, Sir Clive?" he asked the senior policy adviser.

"It wouldn't work, Prime Minister.  We can't force people to waive their right to access their pensions at age sixty-five.  They have spent more than forty years earning that right and they would never stand for it.  And what about the people who have already been inoculated?  We can't make the condition retrospective and the people who will have to accept it in future will complain about discrimination."

Winston gritted his teeth.  Almost every proposal bogged down like this. It had seemed at first as if increasing the pensionable age was a no-brainer.  But what he was hearing now was that it couldn't be done.

"You chaps are missing the obvious.  You don't need to increase the pensionable age at all."  The deep voice came from the other end of the conference table.

Winston peered short-sightedly in that direction in an attempt to identify the speaker.  "General Gordon, sir," muttered Adams helpfully.  Gordon had recently joined the task team as representative of the UK Space Agency.

"Do you have a better idea, general?" asked Winston hopefully.

"I'm no expert, sir, but I think that all you need to change is the way age is determined."

"Tell us what you mean, man, we don't have time to play guessing games," interjected Sir Clive, testily.

Gordon nodded.  "Until now, everyone's age has been determined chronologically.  Chronological age has always been roughly equivalent to biological age.  However, a person with Faerie Blood no longer ages biologically."

There was a perplexed silence around the table.

Gordon tried again.  "If someone is inoculated at age fifty, he remains fifty years old biologically, no matter how many years go by."

"So, if a person who has been inoculated remains the same age, he will never qualify for a pension," mused Sir Clive.  "How can that be fair?"

"It is not a question of fairness; it is a natural consequence of choosing to live longer," replied Gordon.

"What about people who have already been inoculated without having had the chance to consider the fact that they won't be able to retire?"

Gordon thought about it.  "Isn't that what they wanted when they made their choice; to remain fit and healthy and economically active?  And if synthetic genes can be programmed, surely they can be re-programmed?  If someone who has already been inoculated changes his mind about retirement, why can't he simply have another injection which deactivates the genes?"

Winston fixed a glare on the team's pharmaceutical representative.  "Has any research been done that suggests that synthetic genes can be re-programmed in this way?"

"I don't think so, sir, but theoretically it must be possible."

"I want an answer to that question tomorrow morning, please."

"But sir, there isn't enough time..."

"Yes, I agree with you, there isn't enough time," snapped Winston.  "That is why I need your answer tomorrow morning."

"This may not help us after all, Prime Minister," the pension fund representative said thoughtfully.  "Won't people simply wait until they turn sixty-five before having the inoculation?  Then they will be entitled to claim social benefits indefinitely."

Winston was losing patience.  "Then their benefits will have to be capped.  I believe the national average people live after retirement is thirty years or so.  See to it that suitable legislation is drafted immediately, Sir Clive."

Adams took that as his cue to call up the next item on the agenda, cutting off any further debate.

After the conference had ended, General Gordon asked for a private meeting.  Grateful for his assistance with the pensionable age issue, Winston said he could spare five minutes.

"I need to discuss the star drive project with you, sir," the general began.

"Hasn't that become a waste of time and money?" Winston grumbled.  "I understand that, without the guidance of the Faerie Folk, the project has hit a serious snag."

Gordon leaned forward.  "I won't lie to you sir, it is more than a snag.  My successor on the Moon, Dr Hasper, reports that the blueprint has been found to be flawed.  The consensus amongst the scientists up there is that it cannot be relied upon and that it will take an extended period of time to finish the project without it."

"Good Lord!  Is that even possible?  And what do you expect me to do about it?"

Gordon looked him in the eye.  "We need more personnel and more equipment, sir, a lot more.  We need you to authorise a substantial increase in the budget."

"The budget for that project has already been exceeded, General," put in a disapproving Adams.

"Wouldn't that be throwing good money after bad?" added Winston.  "As you may have noticed, we have a lot of things to pay for.  I have everyone from the police to the National Health Service asking for more money to deal with a population which is expected to multiply at an unprecedented rate."

"I realise that, sir.  Excuse me for speaking frankly, but the proposals that have been bandied about so far are not long-term solutions.  The only thing that can help us now is the star drive.  If we can get it working, colonising other worlds becomes feasible.  I believe that it is imperative that we begin colonising other worlds, or we are going to run out of resources on this one.  People have been given the opportunity to live longer and they are going to take it.  I don't think there can be any doubt of that.  You can introduce as many laws as you like, but eventually civilisation is going to break down under the sheer weight of numbers."

"What about the other delegations?" asked Adams.  "Are they prepared to commit more money?"

"I believe so.  Dr Mattheus has convinced the Europeans that he can replicate the star drive and they have increased their budget.  The Russian, Chinese and American governments are expected to follow suit.  None of them want to miss out on the opportunity for planetary conquest."

Winston shook his head.  "I just don't see how we can justify the additional expense, particularly when we have no idea whether or not the project is ever going to be successful."

"There are no guarantees, sir, but I have seen Dr Mattheus at work.  He is a genius in the true sense of the word and I believe that, if anyone can do it, he can."

Winston's doubtful expression remained.  "Look, you will have to let me have your proposal in writing.  I'll consider it, but I can't promise anything."

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate it."

Adams showed the general out and came back in with the white haired, rail thin Bishop Francis.  The cleric shuffled in and sat down wearily.  A sprightly man in his eighties, Winston hadn't seen him showing his age like this before.  Adams poured him a glass of water and then left.

"Thank you for coming, Your Grace," said Winston, "I hope you haven't been too badly inconvenienced."

"Inconvenienced?  I would be very happy if inconvenience was all that I was suffering, Prime Minister.  I'm sorry I have not been able to attend your meetings this week, but I have had some urgent matters to attend to."

"I quite understand; I have had my own misadventures lately."

"Yes, the unfortunate incident on the bridge this morning."

Winston hadn't had a chance to think about how he was going to broach the subject delicately.  "Indeed, er, have you any information about these protesters?"

"My advisers tell me that they are part of a group calling itself the 'mortal brotherhood'.  It doesn't seem to have any organisational structure; it is just a loose grouping of like-minded people who oppose the Faerie Blood inoculations."

"Is there nothing the Church can do to put a stop to these protests?"

"I'm afraid not, Prime Minister. Although some of the protesters are members of the Church, the group is not sanctioned by us."

"But isn't the stance of this brotherhood the same as that of the Church; that Faerie Blood is unnatural and ungodly?  Do you not think that a strongly worded statement denouncing the protests would help to persuade it to adopt less confrontational methods?"

Francis shifted uncomfortably in his chair.  "It is more complicated than that.  The Church cannot denounce the protests as it would be tantamount to denouncing its own teachings."

"Good heavens, I am not asking you to denounce your teachings; just the way in which the protesters have chosen to put their point of view across.  Surely the Church cannot be seen to support actions which result in violent confrontations?"

"The Church has to support the right of God-fearing people to stand up for their beliefs.  The fact that those beliefs are suddenly unpopular is immaterial."

Winston was horrified.  "Your Grace, people are getting hurt and I have no doubt that the situation is going to get worse.  Have you seen the graffiti on the wall of St Margaret's?  People perceive the protesters to be an extension of the Church and I am concerned that there will be a backlash."

"I am aware of that.  Of course the Church is not seeking confrontation.  But the issue at stake is highly emotive and I believe that, whether or not the Church attempts to intervene, conflict is inevitable.  Especially if peaceful protests are suppressed.  There is already a faction within the brotherhood advocating a more aggressive approach.  If you give the protesters no choice they are going to adopt one."

Francis seemed very well informed about the internal workings of the brotherhood, Winston thought, but he elected not to say so.  "What can be done then, Your Grace?  I cannot sit back and let the situation deteriorate."

"The only solution is a hard one.  Faerie Blood must be eradicated by whatever means is necessary."

"The previous government tried that," said Winston gloomily, "and look where it is now."

Francis stood up slowly and prepared to leave.  "You must understand something, Prime Minister.  People inoculated with Faerie Blood believe that they are going to live forever.  They no longer have any use for the teachings of the Church.  If they have immortality here on Earth, why do they need the immortality of the afterlife?  Attendances at services are falling rapidly as more and more people are inoculated.  I have never seen anything like it. Religion is in a fight for its very existence; not just here in Britain, but worldwide.

"The Church has fought for its existence before and will do so again if it has to.  What concerns me is that, in the past, there have always been people willing to fight on its behalf.  If Faerie Blood inoculations continue at their current rate, there will soon be no-one left to fight and the Church will cease to be relevant at all.

"Think about it, Prime Minister.  A world in which there is no belief in God, and no respect for the moral principles most of us abide by.  A world in which there is nothing to stop people from hurting each other, or killing each other, or from taking what they want, or worse.  Yes, the law will remain, but what will happen when those who uphold the law are inoculated?  How many of them will resist joining in, perhaps abusing the very positions they hold for their own gain?  It is not a pleasant picture, Prime Minister, but it is one the Church is taking very seriously indeed."

Winston was utterly dismayed by the stark scenario that Francis painted.  He couldn't think of anything meaningful to say as the bishop shuffled out and simply promised to take into consideration everything he had said.

Winston hadn't begun to sort through the turmoil of his thoughts when Adams re-entered the room.

Looking at the Prime Minister's expression, he hesitated.  "Are you all right, sir, you look like you've seen a ghost?"