“Of life.” He leaned back and took a drink. He continued in a softer voice. “As I was saying, I was informed. I knew immediately that I had an antidote to the pathogen.”

“You have antidotes for killer nanites?”

“We have predatory defense nanites that are programmed to destroy nanites such as those that infected you.”

“Does the government know about this?”

“We manufacture these on behalf of the government. When self-replicating nanotechnology became viable, we knew the catastrophic potential of killer nanites. We had to develop immune systems and defense mechanisms against such attacks.”

“So…you’re saying…”

“These defensive nanites were introduced inside your body to stop the attack.”

“Introduced when?”

“That’s not important.”

It seemed important to me. I looked across the pub, trying to sort through all I had just learned. “So can these nanites of yours rebuild the part of the brain that I’ve lost?”

“Unfortunately, no. They are for defensive purposes only, not reconstruction of damaged tissue.”

“I thought nanotechnology could be used for tissue repair.”

“For most tissue, yes. Not for brain tissue. We stopped our efforts at that a number of years back.”

“Great.”

“Actually, Professor, it is. We stopped because of the promise we saw in another technology we were developing, the synthetic brain.”

“I already said—”

“Please, Professor, let me finish.” He put his drink down and leaned forward. “I’m offering you a way to restore your brain to full function. The only way. But I’m offering much more than that. I’m offering you permanent existence, a never-ending life in the same conscious form in which you currently exist—not a continuation of yourself in replicated form, but in your own form, with no discontinuity of conscious awareness. I’m offering you eternal life.”

“Until my body gives out.”

“By the time your body gives out, the technology will have been perfected to construct nanite bodies. We are on the cusp of that technology now.”

“Synthetic brain. Synthetic body.”

“But real self. That never changes. That’s what I’m offering.” He picked up his glass and took a drink. “I assume you can appreciate what this would mean to you professionally.”

“Which is what?”

“Instant access to the entire library of human knowledge.”

“But I already have that on the Grid.”

“Yes, but you don’t have the capacity to process its information a million times faster than a healthy biological brain, even one with implants. Imagine what you could do in your field of study with such capabilities.”

“If the advantages are so great, most of my profession will have the same capabilities within several years.”

“All the more reason to get a jump on them now, wouldn’t you say?”