Page 92 - Just Deserts

PIVOT

ecosystem, but the dictates of industry had precedence, and there it
is. So, what to do? Thanks to PIVOT, we do the following: first, we
search for a lower organism with greater immunity to dioxin’s effects
than is possessed by homo sapiens. Once we find that creature, we
then analyze its genetic makeup to learn what gives it that immunity.
This has already been done by others, but only I know what to do
with the information! And that, basically, is to splice the desired trait
into the human genome at the point where it will embryonically most
resemble that lower organism. This is the only way to assure it being
integrated into the developing sequence of forms; you couldn’t put it
anywhere else—a lizard’s scent gland cannot be grafted onto an adult
human, but it might go quite easily into the amphibian stage of an
embryo. The fetus will then continue its transformation into an infant
with the immune factor thoroughly integrated into its physiology.
From birth it will be relatively impervious to dioxin, or whatever.
You could say it has been pre-adapted to its unnatural
environment—ha-hah, a little joke of mine.”
Fuller’s note-taking continued apace, but he managed to say,
“Wow! That really is amazing, professor! But what about the person
who has been transmuted ontogenetically? Is he or she going to be
different in any significant way from the rest of us? I mean, beside
the resistance to various pollutants and toxins.”
“Different? Oh, I suppose so. You can’t expect not to have some
phenotypic side effects. But these are minor concerns compared to
the great benefit accruing from the immunity conferred. Humanity
cannot remain stagnant: it has found the means to change its own
habitat through science, and now it is time to perform the same sort
of operation upon itself—or face extinction. This must be crystal-
clear to you, Mr. Fuller.”
The representative of ‘Science Frontier’ brought his note-taking to
a conclusion. “Yes, I think I’ve got enough here for what I need.
Would you happen to have a recent photograph of yourself we could
use?”
Kingwater blinked. “You mean, with me? Of course not! I’m not a
celebrity who keeps a supply of eight-by-ten glossies in case he meets
a fan on the street! But leave me your card and I’ll have my assistant

91