The Project Gutenberg EBook of Up For Renewal, by Lucius Daniel
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
Title: Up For Renewal
Author: Lucius Daniel
Release Date: January 25, 2016 [EBook #51035]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UP FOR RENEWAL ***
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Up for Renewal
By LUCIUS DANIEL
Illustrated by DOCKTOR
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Galaxy Science Fiction November 1954.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
"I'd give a year off my life to...." Idle
talk now, but it was ghastly reality to Kent!
Howard Kent looked at his young and beautiful wife and felt the weight
of the years rest on his shoulders. In her eyes he saw his heavily
lined face and sagging, stooped shoulders.
They stood just inside the long, narrow reception room of the Human
Rejuvenation Plant. Potted palms and formal chairs reminded one of a
Human Disposal unit.
"I have a confession to make, darling," he said.
"Oh, no, Howard. Not now. I take for granted you've done the usual
things in your youth."
"But...."
"And we needn't have hurried so, as you can see. Now we'll probably
have to wait hours in this perfectly dismal place."
She looked as young and fresh as he looked old and dusty, he thought,
so out of place in this kind of establishment.
He had always loved small women. Leah was small and vivacious and
dressed a year ahead of styles. No matter what happened, he'd never
regret having married her.
"But this is something I should have told you before," he said.
She put her hand on his arm. "I've been perfectly happy these past six
months. Whatever it was, I forgive you."
"It's not that. I'm talking about my age. I didn't think you'd marry
me if you knew how old I really was. I put off telling you and figured
you'd see my birth certificate at the wedding ceremony."
"I never even looked at the silly old thing."
"Well, darling, I looked at yours and felt a little guilty in marrying
a young girl of twenty-three. But the fact is I'm sixty-five. I've been
rejuvenated before."
"I rather suspected it when you started aging so suddenly last week,"
she said. "Before that you didn't look a day over thirty. But it
doesn't matter."
"It's worse than that, Leah." His face worked convulsively. "I've been
here twice before. This is my third trip."
"I'm too modern to act shocked, Howard. If you didn't want to tell me
before, dear, it's perfectly all right."
"Look, darling!" Perspiration stood on his forehead. "You don't seem
to understand. But then you never could add or subtract. Now listen
carefully. Each trip clips five years off your life span."
"Everyone knows that, of course. But it's better to be young...."
"It's better to be alive than dead," he said harshly.
"But your doctors have given you a longevity span to the age of
ninety."
"Suppose it was eighty, instead of ninety?"
"Oh, dear, you worry too much," she said. "Doctors don't make such
mistakes."
"They can't give me a guarantee. You see, three of my ancestors
died from accidents. The prediction of ninety years is based on the
assumption that they would have lived a normal life-time."
"They make few guarantees. You know, all of you men are such babies at
a time like this."
"Yes, but if it _is_ eighty--then, I'll come out not a rejuvenated man,
but just a handful of dust."
"Oh, that can't happen."
* * * * *
"Look at it this way." He paused a moment while taking in her youthful
appearance. "From now on I wouldn't look much older. Just a little
grayer and perhaps more stooped. Then, I'll have what's left of my
longevity plus the five years this rejuvenation would clip off."
"Why, Howard, dear." Leah sounded shocked. "You don't know what you're
talking about. An aunt of mine elected that choice and it was perfectly
horrible. She drooled the last few years of her life and was helpless
as a baby."
"Why didn't they use Euthanasia?" he asked.
"The courts decided she wasn't capable of making a rational decision."
He wiped his forehead. "That would be a long time off, darling. We'd
have so much time together in the next fifteen years."
"But what would it be like if you were crippled with arthritis or some
other disease?"
"You could divorce me if that happens."
"I can also divorce you if you don't go through with rejuvenation. You
know it's the law."
"You wouldn't do that." His face was more lined than ever.
"Don't be silly, dear. Nobody gets old these days. Who would remain our
friends? Why, everywhere we'd go, people would point us out. Oh, no,
life wouldn't be livable."
"That sounds like a cruel and calculating decision to me," Howard said.
"Either I take a chance on dying or you'll divorce me."
"You have no right to make such an accusation. I married a young man
who said he was thirty years old. Six months later I discover he's
sixty-five. Now who's cruel and calculating?"
"Please, darling, I didn't mean it. Look," he pleaded, "I'll even sign
permission for you to have a lover. There's that young fellow that's
always around. Maybe it's happened already."
She stood back from him. "Howard, you're being perfectly nasty. Just
like an aged person you read about."
"Five million dollars, and all of it yours when I die a natural death."
He put his hands in his pockets.
* * * * *
The street door opened just then and a young man came toward them with
a light springy step.
He offered his hand to Howard who took it slowly. "How are you,
skipper? And you, Leah? I came as soon as I got your message."
"He's worried, Mike." Leah's face had brightened. "And now he's
insisting on growing old."
"I've been through the wringer twice before, you see," Howard said in a
low voice.
"I don't think you have much to worry about," Mike said. "Those medics
know their business."
"Aging is a nasty process." Leah wrinkled her nose as if she smelled
something offensive. "Maybe you can convince him, Mike."
"Leah is right, you know," Mike said. "A few years ago I visited the
old age home. There's only one left. You'd be surprised at the amount
of suffering old people go through before they die; cancer, angina,
broken bones, strokes, arthritis. Rejuvenation won't work on extremely
old bodies. Longevity has run out."
"Why does it have to clip off five years?" worried Howard.
"It's the old-age governor they found in the pituitary gland. They can
turn it back, but the shock takes off about five years."
"Oh, I know what's in the medical articles," Howard growled. "Remember,
I've been through here twice before. But the Sun was so warm this
morning. It was like seeing everything for the last time. I felt like
sitting down and letting everything drift."
"That's a sure sign that you really need rejuvenating," said Leah.
"After it's over you'll be making me a golf widow again. Won't he,
Mike?"
"Of course. He'll come out raring to go."
Howard looked from Mike to Leah and back at Mike. Age was no match for
youth. If love hadn't started between them already, it would soon.
* * * * *
At the end of the long room, a door opened and two nurses entered,
starched and antiseptic.
"Your room is ready, Mr. Kent," one nurse said.
Howard shuddered. "Everything is so horribly familiar. The pill to
erase the worry, which doesn't work. The cart you ride on which makes
you feel like a carcass. The little bump as you enter the regeneration
room. Then you get a hypodermic and crawl into a long boiler tank."
"You're just nervous, dear," said Leah.
"A dismal, miasmic cloud settles on your mind and you decide you
wouldn't go through it again for anything in the world."
Mike put his arm around Leah as if it were the most natural thing in
the world. "He'll be all right, my darling."
Howard looked at them and then turned wearily to the nurse. "I'm ready."
The nurse walked down the long room with the stooped man and
disappeared beyond the door.
"Did you tell him about us?" asked Mike.
"Of course not. What a man doesn't know won't hurt him."
"Are you Mrs. Kent?" asked the other nurse who had remained behind.
"Yes."
"The doctor said to remind you that the fourth time is very dangerous,"
the nurse said. "You'll have five years and six months without it. But
possibly only six months if it should be successful."
"Better take the first offer, Leah," said Mike.
Leah smiled. "I found a gray hair and a wrinkle this morning, love.
Better six months of youth than a thousand years of old age."
She went into his arms. "Don't worry about what happens, love. You'll
have a lot of fun in the next seventy years."
He kissed her and held her closely.
"I've got to go now," she said. "I'm so grateful you were able to get
the forged birth certificate."
Her high heels tapped rapidly on the tile floor as she walked down the
long room with the other nurse.
"Good luck, Mother," he called after her.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Up For Renewal, by Lucius Daniel
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UP FOR RENEWAL ***
***** This file should be named 51035.txt or 51035.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/0/3/51035/
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive
specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this
eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook
for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports,
performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given
away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks
not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the
trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country outside the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you
are located before using this ebook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
provided that
* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation."
* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
works.
* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm
trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its
volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous
locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt
Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to
date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
