He settled himself more solidly in the chair. “It was like this,” he said. “We recognized life continuation as a first step only, a rather blundering first step toward immortality. We devised the code as an interim instrument to take care of the period before immortality was available—not to a selected few, but to everyone. We viewed the few who could be given life continuation as stewards, persons who would help to advance the day when the race could be granted immortality.”
“That still is the concept,” Dr. Smith said, coldly.
“But the people grow impatient.”
“That is just too bad,” Smith told him. “The people will simply have to wait.”
“As a race, they may be willing to,” explained the senator. “As individuals, they’re not.”
“I fail to see your point, senator.”
“There may not be a point,” said the senator. “In late years I’ve often debated with myself the wisdom of the whole procedure. Life continuation is a keg of dynamite if it fails of immortality. It will breed, system-wide revolt if the people wait too long.”
“Have you a solution, senator?”
“No,” confessed the senator. “No, I’m afraid I haven’t. I’ve often thought that it might have been better if we had taken the people into our confidence, let them know all that was going on. Kept them up with all developments. An informed people are a rational people.”
The director did not answer and the senator felt the cold weight of certainty seep into his brain.