Hofstadter, Dennett - The Mind's I

Beyond Rejection 243that it would take all the scientific and manufacturing talent of Earth an( the rest of theFederation something like fifty years and a googol credit to build a single human hand."You can imagine what it would take to make something like that,' he said,moving out of their line of vision and gesturing at the jogging figure. He took theclipboard that hung next to the treadmill's control and scanned the sheets on it."This body had been blank for three years. It has a running-time ago of thirty-oneyears, though of course Sally Cadmus-that's the person involved-was born over thirtyfouryears ago. What with demand, o course, three years is a long time for a body toremain out of action. She' in good health, fine musculature for a spacer-says Sally was anasteroi( miner here. Seems the body spent two years frozen in a Holmann orbit We've hadit for four months and we're preparing it now. You might see her walking around any daynow."But Sally Cadmus won't. Her last tape was just the obligator, one made onreaching majority and she left no instructions for implanta tion. I trust, people, that allyour tapes are updated." He gave then the family doctor look and went on, moving closerand dropping hi voice."I have my mind taped every six months, just to be safe. After all the tape is youyourindividual software, or program, including memor, store. Everything that makes youyou. " He walked up to the aide who ha( brought the beautiful young man."You-for instance-Ms. Pedersen, when did you have your last taps job?"The aide, a gaunt red-haired woman in her mid-thirties, snatched he arm fromaround her young man and glared at Austin Worms."What business-""Oh, I wouldn't really expect you to say in front of other people.' He grinned atthe others as Pedersen subsided. "But that's the whol, point, you see. Maybe she has beenrenewing her tape yearly, which i what our profession recommends as an absoluteminimum. But a lot o people neglect this elementary precaution because they are soappalled by the thought of severe bodily injury. They just let things slide. And becausethe topic is so personal, no one knows, no one asks, no on, reminds them until the oncein-half-a-millionaccident happens-truly irreparable body damage or total destruction."And then you find that the person hasn't taped for twenty years.Which means ...."He surveyed the group to let it sink in. Then he saw the beautiful girl-child. Terryhad been hiding her, no doubt. A classic blond-haired