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the Stone Agers？ Can we make a refrigerator？ Can we even explain how it works？ What is electricity？ What is light？ We experience these things every day of our lives but what good does it do if we find ourselves hurled back in time and we can't even tell people the basic principles much less actually make something that would improve conditions。 Name one thing you could make。 Could you make a simple wooden match that you could strike on a rock to make a flame？ We think we're so great and modern。 Moon landings； artificial hearts。 But what if you were hurled into a time warp and came face to face with the ancient Greeks。 The Greeks invented trigonometry。 They did autopsies and dissections。 What could you tell an ancient Greek that he couldn't say； 'Big deal。' Could you tell him about the atom？ Atom is a Greek word。 The Greeks knew that the major events in the universe can't be seen by the eye of man。 It's waves； it's rays； it's particles。〃
〃We're doing all right。〃
〃We're sitting in this huge moldy room。 It's like we're flung back。〃
〃We have heat； we have light。〃
〃These are Stone Age things。 They had heat and light。 They had fire。 They rubbed flints together and made sparks。 Could you rub flints together？ Would you know a flint if you saw one？ If a Stoner Ager asked you what a nucleotide is； could you tell him？ How do we make carbon paper？ What is glass？ If you came awake tomorrow in the Middle Ages and there was an epidemic raging； what could you do to stop it； knowing what you know about the progress of medicines and diseases？ Here it is practically the twenty…first century and you've read hundreds of books and magazines and seen a hundred TV shows about science and medicine。 Could you tell those people one little crucial thing that might save a million and a half lives？〃
〃'Boil your water；' I'd tell them。〃
〃Sure。 What about 'Wash behind your ears。' That's about as good。〃
〃I still think we're doing fairly well。 There was no warning。 We have food； we have radios。〃
〃What is a radio？ What is the principle of a radio？ Go ahead； explain。 You're sitting in the middle of this circle of people。 They use pebble tools。 They eat grubs。 Explain a radio。〃
〃There's no mystery。 Powerful transmitters send signals。 They travel through the air； to be picked up by receivers。〃
〃They travel through the air。 What； like birds？ Why not tell them magic？ They travel through the air in magic waves。 What is a nucleotide？ You don't know； do you？ Yet these are the building blocks of life。 What good is knowledge if it just floats in the air？ It goes from puter to puter。 It changes and grows every second of every day。 But nobody actually knows anything。〃
〃You know something。 You know about Nyodene D。 I saw you with those people。〃
〃That was a one…time freak；〃 he told me。
He went back to his reading。 I decided to get some air。 Outside there were several groups of people standing around fires in fifty…five…gallon drums。 A man sold soft drinks and sandwiches from an open…sided vehicle。 Parked nearby were school buses； motorcycles； smallish vans called ambulettes。 I walked around a while。 There were people asleep in cars； others pitching tents。 Beams of light swung slowly through the woods； searching out sounds； calm voices calling。 I walked past a carload of prostitutes from Iron City。 The interior light was on； the faces occupied the windows。 They resembled the checkout women at the supermarket； blondish； double…chinned； resigned。 A man leaned against the front door on the driver's side； speaking through a small opening in the window； his breath showing white。 A radio said： 〃Hog futures have declined in sympathy； adding bearishness to that market。〃
I realized the man talking to the prostitutes was Murray Jay Siskind。 I walked over there； waited for him to finish his sentence before addressing him。 He took off his right glove to shake my hand。 The car window went up。
〃I thought you were in New York for the term break。〃
〃I came back early to look at car…crash movies。 Alfonse arranged a week of screenings to help me prepare for my seminar。 I was on the airport bus heading in from Iron City when sirens started blowing。 The driver didn't have much choice but to follow the traffic out here。〃
〃Where are you spending the night？〃
〃The whole bus was assigned to one of the outbuildings。 I heard a rumor about painted women and came out to investigate。 One of them is dressed in leopard loungewear under her coat。 She showed me。 Another one says she has a snap…off crotch。 What do you think she means by that？ I'm a little worried； though； about all these outbreaks of life…style diseases。 I carry a reinforced ribbed condom at all times。 One size fits all。 But I have a feeling it's not much protection against the intelligence and adaptability of the modern virus。〃
'The women don't seem busy；〃 I said。
〃I don't think this is the kind of disaster that leads to sexual abandon。 One or two fellows might e skulking out eventually but there won't be an orgiastic horde； not tonight anyway。〃
〃I guess people need time to go through certain stages。〃
〃It's obvious；〃 he said。
I told him I'd spent two and a half minutes exposed to the toxic cloud。 Then I summarized the interview I'd had with the SIMUVAC man。
'That little breath of Nyodene has planted a death in my body。 It is now official； according to the puter。 I've got death inside me。 It's just a question of whether or not I can outlive it。 It has a life span of its own。 Thirty years。 Even if it doesn't kill me in a direct way； it will probably outlive me in my own body。 I could die in a plane crash and the Nyodene D。 would be thriving as my remains were laid to rest。〃
'This is the nature of modern death；〃 Murray said。 〃It has a life independent of us。 It is growing in prestige and dimension。 It has a sweep it never had before。 We study it objectively。 We can predict its appearance； trace its path in the body。 We can take cross…section pictures of it； tape its tremors and waves。 We've never been so close to it； so familiar with its habits and attitudes。 We know it intimately。 But it continues to grow； to acquire breadth and scope； new outlets； new passages and means。 The more we learn； the more it grows。 Is this some law of physics？ Every advance in knowledge and technique is matched by a new kind of death； a new strain。 Death adapts； like a viral agent。 Is it a law of nature？ Or some private superstition of mine？ I sense that the dead are closer to us than ever。 I sense that we inhabit the same air as the dead。 Remember Lao Tse。 There is no difference between the quick and the dead。 They are one channel of vitality。' He said this six hundred years before Christ。 It is true once again； perhaps more true than ever。〃
He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked sadly into my face。 He told me in the simplest words how sorry he was about what had happened。 He talked to me about the likelihood of a puter error。 puters make mistakes； he said。 Carpet static can cause a mistake。 Some lint or hair in the circuits。 He didn't believe this and neither did I。 But he spoke convincingly； his eyes filled with spontaneous emotion；