“I sit before you in full support of the two proposals drafted by Representative Caldwell. First, to mandate Health Services coverage of brain transplants in the United States.” I glanced at a nodding Lauren Caldwell. “This is the civil rights issue of our time. We dare not deprive any American of his or her rightful destiny. And, second, for the United States to take the lead in disseminating this technology worldwide, not only to those who can afford it, but to those who cannot. We dare not allow our quantum leap in intelligence to be limited to the haves of the world and exclude the have-nots. If the entire world makes this leap together, there will soon be no have-nots. We will have solved the problems that have plagued us since the dawn of Homo sapiens.

“This is the necessary—no, the inevitable—next step in our evolution as a society and as a species. We have risen together out of the slime of human ignorance. Let us press forward to the upward call of our destiny. We owe ourselves, our children, indeed our universe, no less.”

Nichols leaned back in his chair, a look of self-satisfaction crossing his face. “Madam Chairwoman, I’m prepared to answer any questions the committee wishes to pose.”

The upward call of our destiny. Nichols and Cleary were already living their vision of the future. From personal experience, I knew what that produced. In theory, transhumanity—I was transhuman, I had to keep reminding myself—sounded wonderful. In practice, it had turned out to be less so. Perhaps there was more to human existence than could be duplicated in silicon.

Abby had been scheduled to testify the next morning. Dr. Matthew Lambert, the U.S. representative to the UN Committee on the Transfer of Technology, had been moved into her slot to offer a developing-nation view of AI. I returned to my real-time VR seat, knowing perfectly well that, regardless of what he said, it wouldn’t mirror Abby’s perspective.

Unlike the day before, the room wasn’t full. Nichols had been the star attraction. I looked up front. Lambert sat in the witness chair. Lauren Caldwell took her seat on the row of representatives. The chairwoman gaveled the hearings to order and turned to Lauren.

“Representative Caldwell, we share your deep sadness at the passing of your cousin, Abigail Caldwell, who was scheduled to testify at this time.” An image of Abby appeared on visiscreens at the front of the room. “Abigail lived an extraordinary life, and this subcommittee would have been enriched by her perspective, as we are certain your family was enriched by her life.”

Lauren leaned forward. “Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. My cousin grew up among tribal people in New Guinea who have been deprived all their lives of the advances of humanity. She would have heartily embraced the vision expressed by Bryson Nichols of making the wonders of artificial intelligence available to all peoples.”

I gagged.