Equality: In the Year 2000

Aftermath

It was two weeks following the Society for Return to Civilization farce. The organization had dissolved before the laughter of the country as a whole when Julian’s taped conversation was played on the news. It was broadcast in its entirety, from the moment he had entered Sean O’Callahan’s apartment and one by one shook hands with each of the room’s occupants, to the point where he had finally turned his back on them contemptuously and left.

The three Leetes were seated with Julian in their living room.

Dr. Leete looked from Julian to Edith and back again. He said, “You two are in love, aren’t you?”

Martha looked up from her embroidery in mild surprise.

Edith said impatiently, “Don’t be ridiculous. Father. You know very well that a permanent relationship between Jule and me isn’t practical considering our different backgrounds. The gulf is too great.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Raymond Leete pressed. “The institution of romantic love isn’t as dead as all that. When I was Julian’s age I fell quite madly in love with your mother.” He smiled over at his wife, who smiled back but kept her peace. “And frankly, I still feel the same way. I don’t think that one generation is going to completely wipe the feeling away, despite all the changes that have taken place in the relationship between the sexes.”

He turned to Julian. “About six months ago, some colleagues of mine specializing in the human brain came up with a breakthrough. I’ll try and keep the terminology to that which you will be able to understand. It involves the transfer of accumulated knowledge from one person’s brain to another’s.”

Even Edith looked at him blankly. “I haven’t heard of it,” she said. “No mention has been made in the scientific news.”

“It hasn’t been tested.”

Julian asked, his voice trembling slightly, “Why not?”

“They’re afraid to test it on a human being.”

Martha asked, “It has been tested on animals?”

“Yes. First on rats. We took two sets of rats and trained them in different ways, using several sets for controls, and then put them in the device. It worked. That is, we were able to transfer the training of one to the mind of the other. The rat who acquired the knowledge immediately knew everything that his partner had ever learned.”

Julian phrased his question carefully: “Why are they afraid to try it on a human being?”

“Two days later, the rats who received the information artificially all went insane. The rats who had provided the information transferred were quite all right, and still retained the material themselves.”

Edith said, “So the experiments were discontinued?”

“No. They tried it next on rabbits with the same result: insanity ensued.”

Julian took a deep breath. “And then?”

“They tried it on a more complex life form, the dog. Once again, the transfer was successful, but the dogs involved went mad.”

It was Edith’s turn to say, “And then, Father?”

He looked at her. “They tried it on a chimpanzee, and once again it worked. But on this occasion the animal retained both its new artifically acquired information and its sanity.”

“And that is where the experiment is to date?” Martha asked.

“No. They next used two orangutans. Only two because that was all they could locate of the rather scarce anthropoid apes, which many authorities consider the most intelligent of the primates short of man himself.”

Edith said, “And it worked again?”

“Yes. To this date, at least, neither the several chimps nor the one orangutan have shown any signs of distress and they have all continued to retain their artificially induced knowledge.”

Julian said, his voice low, “Why are you afraid to try it on a man?”

Leete sighed. “Isn’t it obvious? Man’s brain is the most complicated organism which we know of in the universe. It is an extremely delicate organ. The scientists involved do not want to risk the sanity of a human volunteer. On the other hand, they can’t forward the experiment without such a volunteer.”

Julian said, “You mean that if Edith and I were put in this device, all of the accumulated knowledge in her brain would be transferred to mine—without her being affected in any manner?”

“Yes—if it works on human beings.”

Julian looked at Edith. “What are we waiting for, darling?”