Double Helix by Nancy Werlin Read Free Book Online Page A

then, you have to have noticed that you just keep seeing book after book, movie after movie, TV series after TV series, with robots or androids or genetically created hybrids of some kind or other. Right?”
    â€œYes. Of course.”
    â€œAnd they’re always created with the idea that because - they’re not human, they’ll be terrific, sort of, servants and will do whatever is asked of them. They’ll follow orders exactly and they’ll perform perfectly.” I gulped some of my water.
    â€œPerfect soldiers, yes.” I thought Dr. Wyatt’s smile was a little indulgent.
    I said, “Yeah, soldiers, a lot of the time. We’re—Viv and I are fascinated with that. But—the thing I want to say—in the end, it doesn’t matter what job it is we’ve imagined that these created beings will perform. The fact is, it never works out.”
    â€œNever?” said Dr. Wyatt quizzically.
    â€œNever,” I repeated firmly. “We dream about the perfect, narrow-focused creature, we say it’s what we want. But then something always goes wrong—or right—in these stories, and the robots always develop independence and individuality and don’t want to obey anymore. Always. From Frankenstein on.”
    â€œHmm,” said Dr. Wyatt. “You mean that they’re searching for free will?”
    â€œWell, yes,” I said. “What Viv says is that these creatures actually develop a soul. Every time we try to imagine that ideal robot or whatever, that soulless creature, we fail. At some deep level, Viv thinks, we humans believe every being must have a soul. Or, I guess you’d say, we humans believe that every humanlike creature must have free will—or whatever you want to call that unique something that makes us human.”
    â€œBut I don’t personally think that,” said Dr. Wyatt. “I concede that most humans like to believe in free will. Or call it a soul, if you must. But free will is an illusion. All human decision-making can ultimately be traced back to material causes. One set of neurons fires instead of another—and so we go left instead of right.
    â€œNow, the decision-making process is certainly more complex in humans than in other animals, but I don’t really think there’s any sharp dividing line distinguishing human moral choices from the kind of daily choices that are made by any animal.” He shrugged. “Free will? The soul? Something unique in humans that separates us from animals? It’s a fairy tale we’ve invented to shield us from reality.”
    His eyes sharpened on me. “Obviously, from what you’ve said, your girlfriend has some vested interest in believing this sort of thing. Many people do, and so what? But what about you, Eli? You’re a rational being. You have some grounding in science, and not just science fiction written by—excuse me—nineteenth-century hysterics like Mary Shelley. What do you think? Does free will—the soul—some basic human essence—exist ?”
    I hesitated. Was he insulting Viv? But no—he didn’t know her. This was an intellectual discussion only—and a fascinating one. What did I think?
    I looked him right in the eye. “I think that, as a species, we visit this topic in fiction over and over not because—or not only because—we’re obsessed with the human soul. I think that just gives us a framework for discussion. The real reason is because, as a society, we’re on the verge of making the creation of life, by humans, reality. We’re trying to find ways to talk about it with people who aren’t necessarily able to understand the science—because we all have to participate. As a species, I mean. We all have to decide what’s best to do.” I wanted to add, what choices to make, but then I remembered that Dr. Wyatt had just said he didn’t really believe in moral