Breakpoint by Richard A. Clarke Read Free Book Online Page A

began. “I can’t help but think that there is something bigger about to happen.”
    â€œBigger than severing the cyber connection between the Americas and the rest of the world? Bigger than causing communication satellites to disappear? That’s already a big deal to some of us, Margaret,” Susan replied. “We have a theory that China is involved. And now we think that other fires and explosions at scientific institutions over the last few months may be connected.”
    â€œYes, of course, dear. And I know you know that the internet wasn’t fully severed, just drastically reduced. I’m sure our Pentagon friends are busy even now trying to shift more of the load to their own military satellites.” Myers dropped her lecture notes and papers on a coffee table already covered with other stacks of paper. “I know the theory that they are trying to distract us while they do something else, Taiwan maybe. But I can’t help but wonder if we’re looking at it wrong, if China might be doing it because they know more than we do about our technology, that we are about to leap ahead and leave them in the dust.” Myers swept her arm across her desk, toppling a mound of books and journals, “Oh, no. That was my next book, sitting here in pieces. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.” She plunked down in a large wooden chair. “Susan, I’m afraid of those who want to whip up a war with China. We should share our technology with them, with everyone. That is the nature of scientific inquiry.”
    â€œDepends on the technology.” Susan smiled and bent down to pick the books and paper off the floor. “What’s this next book on?”
    â€œTranshumanism,” Myers said, rescuing a loose-leaf binder from the floor.
    â€œWhat?” Susan felt a pang of disappointment. She had sought out Professor Myers for her understanding on the attacks, but she’d just been reminded that Margaret was often into some academic theory not necessarily related to the real world.
    â€œI’m sorry, Susan. I know you spend all your time now running around the Middle East and saving us from bad guys. No time to keep up with things here.” Myers dug out a journal and handed it across the desk. “I did a piece for Sociology and Science last fall. Transhumanism is the philosophy that espouses using genomics, robotics, informatics, nanotech, new pharma…to change humanity into a new species.”
    â€œNew species? Or just one with the mistakes corrected?” Susan asked, flipping through the journal to be polite. “What’s the concept?”
    Myers sketched a graph on her whiteboard. Across the middle of the chart she drew a line. Below the line she wrote “Corrections,” and above it she wrote “Enhancements.” The arc on the graph passed through the line at a point indicating 2008, four years before.
    â€œSomething very big happened around 2008. We crossed over from just doing genetic corrections to creating genetic enhancements. That’s where we are going now, to a human so enhanced, so improved, that some would say it is no longer human. Part carbon-based life-form, as you and I are, and part silicon-based, as this thing is.” Myers whacked the computer console by her desk. “And the poor old carbon part will have been so transformed that it will be as far superior to us as we are to Neanderthals. You should catch up on the technological changes.”
    Susan unfolded a chart from the journal, showing the advances in several sciences and their convergence into a Transhuman over the next two decades. “Margaret, I have China blowing things up in the U.S. I don’t have time anymore to keep up on all this crazy stuff, with what the Transwhatevers fear might happen someday.”
    Myers smiled her motherly look, then spoke softly and slowly, as if explaining about boys to an innocent young daughter. “Susan, this