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Actuarial Speculative Fiction 2001: An Actuarial Odyssey Version 4.0 Table of Contents Prize winners: First Place: Preferred Best, by Randy Makin Second Place (tie): Le Morte d'Arthur, by Walt Herrington Proof, by Jerry Tuttle Third Place (tie): Presumption, by Chris Fievoli Destined for Greatness? By Jennifer Yanulavich No Editor's choice this time. Complete list of stories: Le Morte d'Arthur Walt Herrington, FSA Lost Treasure Jerry Situ, Student Preferred Best Randy Makin, MAAA, FSA Death in Chaco Canyon Jerry Levy, ASA, MAAA, FCA, EA Proof Jerry Tuttle, MAAA, FCAS, FCIA Destined for Greatness? Jennifer Yanulavich, FSA Planning for a New World Caroline Baumann, MAAA, ASA On the Other Hand Jason Berkey, Student The First Actuary Marilyn Dunstan, FSA NuVision Bret Roush, ASA, MAAA Bernard Oulli's Retirement Party Harish Pawagi, FCIA, FSA Epoch Incorporated David Kroll, ASA The Choice of a Lifetime Gary Lang, MAAA, FSA Sabbatical Carol Marler, MAAA, FSA Presumption Chris Fievoli, FCIA, FSA Le Morte d'Arthur by Walt Hearington "Welcome to E-ternity, Mr. Shaw," he said, offering his hand. I shook it briefly, then took the seat he indicated. "It's my pleasure to welcome you," he repeated. "Thank you," I replied. He hesitated, expecting me to continue, but I held my peace. Finally he asked, "Have you had an opportunity to look over the material that I sent you?" "Yes." "As I said, we are pleased to have you visit us, although we could have handled everything by cc'ing," he told me. I said gravely, "I guess I'm just old-fashioned. I think there are still some things that need to be done in person." "Oh? Did you have any questions?" Again I remained silent while he looked at me closely. I examined him at the same time. He was a stunningly handsome man - either genetically or surgically enhanced; no one looked that handsome naturally. He exuded confidence. He was, of course, used to negotiating from a position of strength. But like many salesmen, he couldn't handle silence, and when I remained quiet he slipped into his sales pitch. "E-ternity," he declaimed, "is the oldest and most reputable firm in the market. It was started by Adonijah Caine over two centuries ago. Our list of clients includes many of the best-known names of the past 200 years." He smiled smugly. "The waiting list - even given the current level of technology - is quite long. And we are quite strong financially - in the fabulous fifty - so you need have no fears that ..." I interrupted, "I would like to see Mr. Caine." He paused, disconcerted, and finally asked, "Which one?" "Adonijah Caine, the founder," I answered. He paused again, then said with a hint of rebuke in his voice, "Mr. Caine is a very busy man." I smiled. "I've no doubt he is very busy. But I need to see him." "Mr. Shaw, I am well-acquainted with..." "No offense, but I need to see Mr. Caine. If I can't..." I started to rise, but he waved me back to my seat. "I'll see if he is available," he said sulkily. After a slight pause during which he consulted his innernet, he told me, "You are fortunate. Mr. Caine is available now, and will be with us shortly." "Thank you," I said, and we waited in silence. After a few minutes, the door opened and Adonijah Caine entered. "Good morning, Mr. Shaw, I am Adonijah Caine," he said, offering his hand. I rose and shook it, saying, "Arthur Shaw." Mr. Caine turned to his assistant and said, "Thank you, Bob. You may go now." The salesman hesitated for a brief moment, then left. Mr. Caine laughed. "Bob is a good salesman, and a good man," he said, "but sometimes he seems so young." He turned to me again. "You asked to see me, Mr. Shaw?" "Yes. Thank you for your time." "I have all the time in the world," he said firmly, and for a moment we looked at each other. "Do you know why I am here?" I asked. "Why does anyone come to E-ternity?" he responded. "I reviewed your information on the way here, Mr. Shaw. So yes, I know why you are here." "I'm only thirty-seven," I began, then broke off. I had not meant to sound so bitter. "It's true that most of our applicants are older. And I know of your medical condition. I'm very sorry." "So you know that I, at least, do not have all the time in the world." "Yes." Again we waited, and then he prodded gently, "Do you have any questions I could answer?" "Just now, you said you knew of my condition, and that you were sorry. What do you mean, sorry?" He cocked his head, then sighed. He sat on the desk and clasped his knees. "Yes, I thought it might be something like this," he said. "Have you ever met an E-ternal before, Mr. Shaw?" "No." "I thought not. So that is why you wanted to see me. And now that you have seen me, what is your impression?" "I'm not sure," I answered frankly. "I've read about, well, about you, and E-ternity, and E-ternals, and I wasn't sure what to think. So I thought I'd come..." "Come and see for yourself," he concluded for me. "Very wise. I always have time to spend with those who really want to know, who are not just vulgarly curious. And in any case you would appear to have a good reason for your curiosity." He smiled again. "You're an actuary, Mr. Shaw. I would think you already knew about the subject. After all, annuities make exceptions of E- ternals." "We study mortality, not immortality." "I see. Well, why don't I talk while you watch and listen. I think, Mr. Shaw, that you will be satisfied." He dropped his knees and leaned back. "Let's see, suppose I start with a little history. I was born almost 260 years ago, in a town in Nebraska. I entered the field of computer research. My partner Greg Jensen and I stumbled onto the secret of successfully constructing computers on an organic basis, quite different from the digital computers then in existence." "Organic computers - not made from organisms - we're no Frankensteins, Mr. Shaw, regardless of what the rumors may say - but computers that could be grown, that could duplicate the structure and operation of the most wonderful creation in existence - the human brain." "I quickly grasped the possibilities. For eons, men had tried to prolong life, to cheat death, but were never able to do so. Regardless of the heroic medical efforts, in the end death conquered all. But we had in our hands the means to finally defeat death." "For what we proposed was simply this: to transfer a person's thoughts, memories, personality - that person in total - to an organically constructed brain that would live on after the original body had ceased to exist. Live forever. Eternal life, that was what we offered. And so we started the business that is now called E-ternity." "The dream of eternal life. Mankind had always pursued it. Back then some tried to obtain it by having their bodies cryogenically frozen after death." He grimaced. "Some had only their heads frozen. A fruitless effort. Even today our science cannot freeze and revive higher animals. The tissue damage is simply too great." "It is true that medical science has made tremendous strides in the last two centuries. Many diseases have been conquered, though unfortunately for you, not all. Lifespans over 100 years are relatively common. Need a new heart? A new kidney? Clone one from your own body so that there's no possibility of rejection. But you can't clone your brain. And it will eventually fail - regardless of what science can do. But we had the answer." "At first we were dismissed as crackpots. But we persisted, and began to attract interest. And then the persecution began. Religious bigots howled that we were playing God - did you know that there are still countries that will not let E-ternals enter? Social liberals claimed we had an obligation to give our discovery away for free to anyone, rather than sell it to those who could afford it, regardless of the fact that the process was, and still is, very expensive. Naturalists screamed that we were going against nature - as though our entire culture, our medicine, were not created specifically to overcome nature." "And those first E-ternals were dismissed as freaks, or machines. Our facilities were attacked several times. My partner Greg was almost killed in a bomb attack." "But we persevered. And succeeded. Society as a whole came to accept us and the E-ternals. It was a landmark day over a century ago when the Supreme Court ruled that E-ternals were human, and entitled to the full protection of the law. And let me add that only our clients, as of this date, enjoy this full protection, regardless of what our competitors would have you believe." "In the years since we began, we have catered to people of all races and creeds - we do not discriminate - even including some of those who were at one time some of our most bitter critics. It seemed," he said with irony, "that the approach of death had changed their minds - a deathbed conversion, as it were. And, since I'm satisfying your curiosity, Mr. Shaw, please indulge mine.

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