I walked up the steps; my legs felt weak, well they always were now. My cane managed to help me from falling over though...

Life

by

Susan Brown

I walked up the steps; my legs felt weak, well they always were now. My cane managed to help me from falling over though.

I was 97 and my heart–the third one that I had been given, was pounding away, trying to get my aching body to where I needed to go.

A few youngsters asked if I needed any help, but, being the stubborn old fool that I was, I declined their kindness with a smile and a wave.

‘I can manage.’

The building was a huge tinted glass affair that stretched above into the clear blue sky and dwarfed me.

I thought about the letter in my pocket and what it meant. Life had been kind to me, I supposed. I had a loving wife who sadly left me just three years ago. It was a pity that we could not have children; but that had been the case for many years now for everyone. The last naturally born child had been nearly a century ago.

Now it was 2152 and the world had changed a great deal in the last century. We managed to get through the global warming disaster by the skin of our teeth. There had been several financial crises that had changed the worlds’ economy and then, eventually, individual nations amalgamated and instead of separate countries and nations, we had became one, with many diverse regions.

It hadn’t been easy; millions had died in the process as one after another corrupt regime tried to keep hold of power. The Euro Asian Alliance had tried to use chemical warfare to subdue their population and that triggered the chain reaction that effected every man, woman and child on the planet.

Women were no longer fertile.

Anywhere.

The population started to reduce, at first slowly and then more rapidly as there were no new born children.

More wars followed as the saner nations got together and subdued ones that had caused the calamity. Eventually the fighting stopped and sanity returned. Each region of the world now had autonomy within its own borders and representation at the World Parliament.

There were problems, there always were when such diverse cultures tried to co-exist, but with fair elections, a steady growing economy and no starvation, things could have been worse.

The biggest problem being faced was the lack of children and the real prospect of the human race being wiped out in a very short space of time.

I stopped at the top of the steps and had a breather. The building was on top of a hill and I could see most of London. In the distance was St Pauls Cathedral, an exact replica of the original one that was razed in the Great War of 2058. London had been redesigned after the war, as had many cities that had suffered at that time.

With extensive parklands and a sensible building plan, London had become a place that had been a pleasure to live in. I had had many happy times with my wife there and I regretted nothing. My time was coming to an end now as my body was no longer functioning as it should. Medical science could do many things now, but the accident that I had when I was 70 had caused too much damage for me to live to a ripe old age. Most fit people, with luck should live until at least 130 now, but that wasn’t going to be for me.

My wife had been killed playing golf of all things. Caught out in the open when a storm hit, she was struck by lightning. I missed her every day.

I shook my head, this was no good. I wondered why I was lingering. Looking at my watch, I noticed that if I didn’t hurry I would be late–late for my own termination.

After one last look at London in all its glory, my eyes went up to the skies as I thought once again of my darling wife. I sincerely believed in the afterlife and knew that I would once again be with her, but before that, I had things to do.

The doors opened silently and I went in. Walking across the marble floor, my cane clicking on the ground, it was as if I was in a posh hotel, with people milling about and looking busy. To one side was the reception area and I walked across.

The woman looked up.

‘Mr Banner?’

‘That’s me.’

‘Nice to see you. Would you like to go to lift three over there and go to level 320? Someone will meet you there.’

‘Thanks,’ I said and then walked over to the lift.

I was taken swiftly and silently up until the doors slid open and I had arrived.

‘Hello, Mr Banner?’

‘Yes, that’s me,’ I said to the pretty young nurse waiting for me.

‘Would you like to come this way?’

I followed her down the short corridor and the door slid open just as we arrived.

It was a hospital room, complete with a bed.

‘Would you just like to get changed into the robe and then get into bed. The doctor will see you in a moment.’

‘Thanks,’ I replied as she gave me a sunny smile and then left me to my privacy.

I got undressed as quickly as possible, slipped on the gown and then got into the bed.

As I lay back on the pillow, my eyes closed. Just the short trip from my home to here had made me feel quite worn out. I knew that my time had come and if anything, I had held on for longer than I should.

I was scared though, who wouldn’t be in this situation?

The door opened and the nurse had returned together with a doctor. The nurse was pushing a trolley with medical equipment on it.

Walking up to the bed the doctor held out her hand.

‘Mr Banner, how are you?’

‘Tired.’

‘I bet. I have seen your blood work and scans; you know the score, so I won’t go over it again. Are you sure that you want to do this?’

‘Yes.’

She looked steadily at me for a moment and then nodded.

‘Have you finalised all your arrangements and said goodbye to all the people that you have to?’

‘Yes thanks.’

‘Okay, please sign this final permission document and then we can get started.’

I signed where indicated and then lay back down on the bed.

‘All right Mr Banner, you know all you need to as everything about the procedure has been explained to you. Have you any further questions?’

‘No...yes, will it hurt?’

‘No, it won’t–many thousands of people have gone through the same procedure and I haven’t had any complaints yet!’

I smiled at that joke and then gulped and said, ‘please do it now.’

She nodded, picked up an injector gun and pressed it against my arm.

I felt a slight hiss and then I closed my eyes. I knew that it would take about a minute to take affect and then it would be over.

It had taken many years to perfect the technique; the transference of the DNA, genetic information and brain patterns had now been perfected. Although new babies could not be born naturally, the chemical building blocks of my body and the very essence of my being would be used to create a new baby–a baby girl and that girl would be me.

It didn’t solve the problems of infertility, but it gave mankind a breathing space where, hopefully, a cure would be found or some other means of securing our future would be discovered.

So, when I was fully under, I would be taken to The Chamber and put inside and several months later I would be reborn, emerge as a girl and be looked after by my chosen adopted parents. For the first 21 years of my new life, I would know nothing of my past except that I was a re-born and then on my 21st birthday, I would have my old memories returned to me.

Hopefully, I would have a full life and then, as the procedure can only be carried out once, I will, in the fullness of time, finally pass over the great divide and join all those loved ones that had gone before me and I would once again be with my darling wife.

As I slipped away, I wondered what it would be like to be a girl. I had been given a choice of boy or girl and I decided that I wanted to live my next life from a new perspective and I hoped and prayed that I would have as much joy as I had being male. I had always wondered what it would be like to be a woman and now I would be getting my wish. Maybe by the time I grew old enough to bear children, this blight might be eradicated and the joy of childbirth be returned to us.

I felt my body relax as the fog descended on my mind and I fancied before losing my consciousness that I could hear my wife whispering in my ear.

‘Be happy, my darling...’

Please leave comments and kudo thingies...thanks! ~Sue

If you are enjoying this story, The original Penmarris story - Changes Book 1 is now available on Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006NZFWG8 (US)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Changes-ebook/dp/B006NZFWG8/ref=sr_1... (UK)