At first, he had explored the hypothesis that his medical nanites might be transferable. He'd become captivated by the idea that he might be able to cure the ills of others. However, he could find no way to share his nanites with anyone else.
An obvious strategy had been to test if his blood had curative properties. Surely, he reasoned, some of the nanites that were inside his body must be present in his blood. He'd wasted a year trying to heal sick mice with his blood and various purified sub-fractions of his blood.
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| Asimov brought the Asimov Reality into existence. |
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Another Story
Dear reader: yes, I know you will be curious about the nature of that time travel mission. However, that is another story and a distraction from this story about sedrons. So, suffice it to say that Asimov helped Grean remove the last positronic robot from Earth.
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In order to carry out his mission, the older Asimov had been sent into the past "where" (actually "when") he interacted with his younger self. To facilitate his role as a time traveler, Grean had provided Asimov with a collection of nanites that allowed him to "wear a disguise" and hide his true identity. Using those nanites, it was a simple matter for Asimov to alter his physical form and even the sound of his voice.
After his official time travel mission had been completed to Grean's satisfaction, the older Asimov opted to remain in "his past". Asimov made use of his nanites to once again alter his body form and take on the role of John W. Campbell, who died suddenly in an accident. Playing the role of Campbell, the older Asimov was able to act as a mentor to the younger Asimov and turn him into a successful science fiction story writer.
Of course, the younger Asimov was grateful for all of the help he had received from "Campbell". He felt an obligation to check up on how the old man was doing in his retirement. Busy with the press of affairs, a whole year passed before he found time to visit Campbell at his retirement retreat. And at that, it was really only external influences that forced the younger Asimov to seek out "Campbell".
The older Asimov, having been warned of the planned visit by a letter, knew that he would have to shift his appearance back to that of Campbell. This was an irritation, since Asimov hated having to act and look like Campbell. He told himself to be philosophical, that he need only return to "being Campbell" for a brief time.
Then an even greater annoyance came into the older Asimov's tranquil retirement. The phone calls began. During the first such call, the older Asimov had failed to use the voice of Campbell. Luckily, the reporter on the other end of the line had no idea what "Campbell's" voice sounded like. And besides, it was a low-quality long-distance phone call from Europe.
Asimov had, up until that point during his retirement, only received phone calls from salesmen. It took a minute during the call before he realize that this was not an attempt to sell him something. When the caller mentioned Nature magazine, Asimov suddenly became alert and for the first time in months he stopped thinking about his mice and his nanite experiments. Asimov asked, "What did you say your name is?"
The caller repeated her name. "Nichole Wade"
Asimov failed to keep a tone of testiness out of his voice: "How did you get this number?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Campbell, but I'm writing an article about Isaac Asimov and I have some questions for you. I've interviewed Asimov twice and your name came up repeatedly."
The older Asimov had carefully arranged to conceal the location of his retirement home. He'd wanted a clean break from his life as a magazine editor. With the cooperation of an expensive lawyer, he'd even managed to get the name Samuel Durando on the official documents pertaining to his purchase of his retirement home and he was irked that a reporter had found him only a year into his retirement. Of course, the younger Asimov was one of the few people who knew the location of Asimov's retirement home. Suspecting that the reporter would ask harmless questions about the younger Asimov's writing career, the older Asimov did not immediately refuse to talk to Ms. Wade. He asked her, "What is the premise of your article?"
Nicole explained, "That sometimes science fiction writers can predict the future course of science. Specifically, I'm trying to understand the origin of Asimov's story, 'The Atlan Intervention' and how he anticipated the discovery of sedronic matter."
A cold chill gripped Asimov. After the Sedron War there had been a persistent and intrusive investigation by the FBI into 'The Atlan Intervention'. Eventually, the younger Asimov had been cleared, but not before "Campbell" had also become a suspect in the case. The older Asimov had always known that sooner or later that secret government investigation would become known to the public.
Nicole said, "Hello? Are you there Mr. Campbell?"
Asimov cleared his throat and muttered, "I'm here."
Nicole waited in silence for a time; she did not want to push the old man too hard, too fast. In the growing silence, she meekly suggested, "Maybe you have not been following the news."
Asimov had been completely absorbed in his nanite experiments and he had been blissfully detached from current events. Fearing that he had missed some important world event, Isaac asked sharply, "News?"
Nicole sighed and then gently pushed ahead. "Well, it started as a tabloid rumor... that Asimov had been involved with a secret sedron development project during the war."
Asimov could not help being annoyed. He blurted out, "What nonsense is this?"
"Well, Asimov set me straight about all that. Still, I'd read 'The Atlan Intervention'. I was intrigued and I couldn't just drop the story. It seemed clear to me that Asimov already knew about sedrons back in 1944. I submitted a Freedom of Information request and I learned that both Asimov and you had been investigated by the FBI."
Asimov added, "And we were cleared by the FBI. They closed the case."
"Yes, the government investigators could not prove that Asimov's story and his mention of sedrons was anything more than a freak coincidence."
Asimov asked, "And why are you now calling me?"
"To be honest, Mr. Campbell, you are my last resort. Asimov claims to not remember how he came up with the idea for 'The Atlan Intervention'. Well, actually, he implied that the story idea probably originated with you."
Asimov laughed. "I'm sure you know that Isaac and I collaborated on the development of many stories. We had a productive working relationship, free of concern over who owned each story idea."
"Yes, I know that. Please, Mr. Campbell, what can you tell me about the origin of 'The Atlan Intervention'? Did you suggest to Asimov that he write a story about sedrons?"
Asimov laughed and he tried to sound amused. "Be realistic, Ms. Wade! After all this time... you can't really expect me to remember anything new. I told everything to the FBI many years ago. Would you like me to invent a false memory for you? Normally I'm quite sympathetic to young women, but really-"
Nicole also laughed, smoothly cutting off Asimov's attempted gallantries. "No, I don't really expect you to do anything more than tell me what you recall. Still, if you do think of something that is not in the official record, I respectfully ask that you please contact me."
After that there had been many more incoming phone calls, mostly from other reporters, but also one from the FBI, reminding Asimov that he had signed a non-disclosure agreement. Asimov had complained, "Surely after all this time that agreement is no longer relevant. The existence of sedrons is now common knowledge. Kids learn about sedrons in grade school."
The FBI agent had agreed that sedrons were in the public domain, but he stressed the government's position: "If you have any information... new information about sedrons or even something old that you suddenly remember, you must tell us first. Don't go blabbing what you know to any reporters."
Asimov had muttered, "Very well, but your paranoia is absurd. There is nothing to tell."
Finally, the younger Asimov arrived. The older Asimov again slipped easily, if reluctantly, into his role as Campbell. He opened his front door and exclaimed, "Come in, son! How was your trip down here?"
The younger Asimov came in through the front door and set down his suitcase. He tried hard not to comment on the odor of rodent urine that permeated Campbell's home. "My journey was relatively painless. I took the train and then rented a car in Charleston. I did not realize how far off the beaten trail you are."
"Are you hungry? I have lunch ready."
"I could eat."
Both Asimov's avoided talking about 'The Atlan Intervention' for almost ten minutes, then their small talk dwindled away and the younger Asimov said, "Anyhow, I was glad to get out of New York. I'm being hounded by a rabid tribe of science reporters. You're lucky to be hidden away down here."
The older Asimov complained, "I was lucky until you told all those reporters where to find me. My phone has been ringing off the hook for the past week."
The younger Asimov grinned. "Sorry about that, but... hey, it was all your idea."
"That's bullshit, Isaac." The older Asimov crossed his arms across his chest. "I never imagined you'd write a stupid story about Atlantis!"
"Oh, come on. You published an endless river of rubbish about various fringe ideas. I couldn't entirely resist milking that cash cow."
"Well, I didn't publish your silly Atlantis story."
The younger Asimov rubbed his chin. "You know, the fact that the story ended up in such an obscure magazine is why it took so long for this to happen... for the story to come out and the press to start hounding us. And after all these years, I don't even remember exactly how I came to write the story." At that point, the conversation turned to the shared reminiscences of Asimov and Campbell about "the good old days" of their collaboration.
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| "green sedronite" image credit |
The older Asimov looked with dismay at the cover of the book. "What is this?" He was particularly alarmed by the green skinned Kac'hin on the cover.
The younger Asimov grinned sheepishly, "Who am I to pass up this opportunity to profit from a bad story?" He pointed to the book and explained, "This new anthology will hit the stores next month."
The older Asimov opened the book and looked at the table of contents. "I only read 'The Atlan Intervention' twice. Once after you wrote it and then again right after the Sedron War, when the FBI came around snooping." He sat down in a large comfortable chair and began reading the story.
The younger Asimov went back to the table where they had eaten lunch and for a time he worked on a project that he had brought along on the trip south: reading stories that might be included in another anthology of science fiction stories that he was putting together.
After a while, the older Asimov called out, "Where did you come up with the name 'Qaz'?"
Rising from the table and still holding the photocopied story that he was reading, the younger Asimov stepped back into the living room. He reminded Campbell, "You didn't like the first name that I came up with."
Suddenly the older Asimov remembered that he had actually read an early draft of the story. He'd been appalled to find that the first draft of 'The Atlan Intervention' was titled 'The Atlantis Intervention' and the alien Interventionist in the story was named Delphys Ghreanamar. Campbell had insisted that Asimov change both the title and name of the alien. "Yes, now that you remind me, I do remember that. What was it? Delphys Ghreanamar? How did you come up with that crazy name?"
Isaac was puzzled. "Delphys Ghreanamar?" After so many years, the younger Asimov had forgotten that never-published name.
The the older Asimov nodded. "Ghreanamar. That's what you called the alien." At the time, Campbell had been alarmed that Asimov came up with a name that was so similar to that of Grean, the Kac'hin who had used Asimov as a time travel agent.
"Hmm." The younger Asimov thought back to 1944. "I remember that you made me change the name of the story. That's when I shortened 'Atlantis' to 'Atlan'. After that little title change, you stopped complaining."
"I stopped complaining because I'd decided not to publish the story." The older Asimov fondly remembered the rapid progress that had been made in particle physics back in the 40s. "I'd asked you to write a story about mesotrons as an imaginary source of energy... why did you have to go and write a story about Atlantis?"
"I don't know. I suppose it all went south when I looked up the meaning of "mesotron" in the library. The librarian was a classics scholar or something. I remember this: while reading about the etymology of 'meson' I came across Plato's description of the location of Atlantis. Suddenly the entire story idea for 'The Atlantis Intervention' popped into my head. I thought 'mesotron' was a stupid name. 'Sedron' sounded better."
The older Asimov asked suspiciously, "What do you mean the idea popped into your head?"
The younger Asimov chuckled. "That's just the way it is. Sometimes the idea for a story simply crystallizes in my mind. All I have to do is sit down and type it out."
The older Asimov had long suspected that the younger Asimov was receiving story writing help from Grean. On many occasions through the years, the older Asimov had made a simple suggestion of a story idea. The younger Asimov had then written a story that spoke eloquently of the Foundation Reality, as the older Asimov had seen it described in the books that he had been given access to by Grean. Now, the older Asimov reached out and grabbed the arm of the younger Asimov. "Tell me the truth, Isaac. Who helped you write 'The Atlantis Intervention'?"
The younger Asimov angrily shook off the older man's grasping hand. "Don't tell me you believe that crap, that I secretly worked for the government's nuclear project during the war?"
"Just tell me the truth." The older Asimov suspected that Grean had probably gotten in contact with the younger Asimov.
Rather angrily, the younger Asimov said, "You already know the truth. Let's not start fighting each other just because a bunch of misguided reporters are swarming over this pile of poop."
The older Asimov read from the book, "Here's what you wrote in 1944: 'After the destruction of the Atlan civilization, all that remained to reveal the true cause of that ancient catastrophe was a mysterious residue of sedronic matter. However, Earthly science did not develop the technical means to detect sedrons until 1953." The older Asimov looked up and peered intently into the eyes of the younger Asimov. "How did you know that sedrons would be detected in 1953?"
The younger Asimov shrugged. "What can I say? Almost certainly some physicist working inside a government agency had read 'The Atlantis Intervention' and as a joke he named the new particle that was discovered in 1953 the 'sedron'. I had nothing to do with it and the government refuses to admit that one of their scientists played the prank. It is nothing more than a coincidence that a new particle was discovered in 1953. That means nothing; back then, during the golden age of accelerators, new particles were being found all the time."
The older Asimov handed the book back to the younger man. He asked, "So, that's the story that you are telling the press?"
"Yes. What else can I say?"
"Well, I don't know. I haven't been following the news."
"Government sources are still reluctant to say anything at all about sedrons. Of course, governments are increasingly irrelevant since the removal of their military threat. Still, it has been confirmed by independent scientists that there is a detectable sedron residue at all the sites of explosions that took place during the Sedron War. The latest rumor is that a method has been found to synthesize sedrons using several of the largest particle accelerators."
The older Asimov mumbled, "So, we have a new energy source provided by..." He fell silent.
The younger Asimov laughed derisively. "No, it takes more energy to produce a few sedrons than could ever be gained back from them. The production of these sedrons is just a scientific curiosity, although it is being taken as a reason to build even larger particle accelerators. Some physicists suspect that there must be additional particles in the sedron family."
With time, interest in 'The Atlan Intervention' slowly faded away and the story became a small footnote item in the history of the Asimov Reality.
Having failed to obtain any evidence that his nanites could influence other organisms, the older Asimov put an end to his mouse colony and he began a new series of experiments, exploring the types of self-inflicted bodily injuries that his nanites could repair. Suffice it to say that Asimov eventually proved his immortality, but that is another story.
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